Hong Kong: Fire dragon leads revitalisation efforts

After a three-year postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon will once again dance during the Mid-Autumn Festival for three consecutive nights between September 28 to 30.

Citizens can enjoy spectacular scenes such as the "fire dragon crossing the bridge" and "the dragon coil" to experience the charm of this national intangible cultural heritage.

A little night glow dragon will also make its dance debut during the Mid-Autumn Festival, performed by youths.

Meticulous craftsmanship

Every year, a brand new fire dragon, 67 metres long, is meticulously crafted by the Tai Hang Residents' Welfare Association.

The dragons head and tail are made of rattan frames while its body is made of ropes that are covered by thick layers of grass and firmly secured with iron wires.

In an effort to explain the purpose behind the grass, Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre Chief Operating Officer Allen Tong said: "The grass can hold incense sticks in place to enhance the fire dragon's shape."

On the 14th day of the eighth lunar month, the fire dragon is moved to the Tai Hang Lin Fa Temple for a worship ceremony conducted in Hakka dialect.

After inserting incense sticks, the fire dragon parades through the streets of Tai Hang in a clockwise direction.

"In the past, the fire dragon ended the plague, nowadays it blesses everyone with peace and good health," Mr Tong added.

New lease of life

Officially opened last October, the Tai Hang Fire Dragon Heritage Centre on School Street of Tai Hang is the place where the fire dragons story is told.

The exhibition centres ground floor showcases over 140 years of fire dragon culture. A Hakka-themed restaurant is on the first floor, while the second floor serves as a multifunctional space for various workshops that teach people how to make a kind of Hakka dumpling Cha Guo and fragrant sachets, for a taste of Hakka culture.

Allen Tong pointed out that the heritage centre attracts over 2,500 visitors each month, of which about 10% are overseas tourists and the others are students and members of different communities.

"The fire dragon only parades for three nights a year. Not every Hong Kong citizen or foreign tourist can make time to watch it. With the establishment of the heritage centre, we can now showcase the essence of our culture and the parade 365 days a year," he said.

To allow visitors to experience the craftsmanship behind the fire dragon, the heritage centre plans to launch a dragon ball workshop. The dragon balls are crucial in leading the fire dragon's way in the parade.

Key enhancements

The heritage centre is a Grade 3 historic building, which used to be a Confucian school founded in the late Qing Dynasty.

Revitalised through the Development Bureau's Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme, it is now operated by the Tai Hang Residents' Welfare Association.

Commissioner for Heritage Ivanhoe Chang said that since the scheme was launched in 2008, a total of 22 government-owned historic buildings have been selected for revitalisation.

After a review of the scheme, there will be multiple enhancement measures starting from the next batch, Mr Chang explained.

We will be allowing the non-profit-making organisations (NPOs), who need to carry a charitable status for application, to partner with other organisations, including commercial organisations, so that they will have a more sustainable management capability to ensure the projects will be able to operate smoothly.

Another enhancement is to increase the financial support to the NPOs. As such, the scheme will raise the one-off grants from a maximum amount of $5 million to $6 million to meet the starting costs and operating deficits, if any, for the NPOs for the first two years of operation.

Furthermore, after the announcement of the seventh batch, applications will be accepted in groups to shorten the approval process.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-23. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Exhibition goods from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue being shipped to China for CIIE

Xinhua) 14:51, September 24, 2023

Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2023 shows exhibition goods from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue being shipped to China for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2023 at Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. (Xinhua)

The COSCO Shipping container, which left for China on Saturday, carried a wide range of products from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue, such as dairy products, honey, juice, and art crafts.

TAURANGA, New Zealand, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A shipping container loaded with products from New Zealand and Pacific Island nations Vanuatu and Niue left the Port of Tauranga, the largest port in New Zealand, on Saturday for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2023.

The CIIE, in its sixth edition this year, will be held in Shanghai on Nov. 5-10.

The COSCO Shipping container, which left for China on Saturday, carried a wide range of products from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue, such as dairy products, honey, juice, and art crafts. The container is expected to arrive at Shanghai Port in mid-October.

Kang Xiaoyu, managing director of COSCO Shipping Lines New Zealand, told Xinhua that her team in New Zealand had been preparing for the shipment for quite a long time.

"In order to better meet the logistics needs of exhibits at the CIIE in New Zealand and surrounding South Pacific island countries, COSCO Shipping strives to create a complete exhibit supply chain service plan for exhibitors," Kang said.

In response to the difficulties encountered by local companies in production and operations, a special working group was established for the transportation of exhibits for the sixth CIIE and dedicated personnel was assigned to coordinate the work, she added.

COSCO Shipping is the official international shipping service provider for the CIIE.

Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2023 shows exhibition goods from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue being shipped to China for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2023 at Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. (Xinhua)

According to Joe Pacoa, director of Vanuatu's Department of External Trade, Vanuatu's exhibition products are natural and distinctive. They have received positive feedback from Chinese consumers at previous CIIEs. Vanuatu's water, kava and noni juice have forayed into the Chinese market.

Encouraged by this, Vanuatu will continue to introduce more exhibition products at this year's CIIE, including local jewellery, sea cucumber-based cancer-fighting health products, mineral water, kava-based foods and daily necessities, chocolates, coconut oil, Tamanu oil, as well as traditional local handcrafted items and wood carvings, Pacoa said.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
By Kim Hyun-bin

A celebration in commemoration of the 93rd National Day of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia took place in Seoul, Friday, bringing together dignitaries and officials from the Kingdom and Korea. The occasion not only observed the founding of Saudi Arabia but also showcased the enduring and prospering relations between the nations.

The Kingdom celebrates this year, with its slogan We Dream, and We Achieve, an expression of the ambitions of these people that have become realistic for a nation that enjoys progress and prosperity, Saudi Ambassador to Korea Sami Alsadhan said in his speech.

During these celebrations, the spotlight brightly illuminated Saudi-Korean relations, which have been experiencing noteworthy growth and advancement across various sectors.

We are celebrating today while Saudi-Korean relations are witnessing remarkable developments in various fields within a strategic partnership that establishes deeper, broader and more comprehensive cooperation, Alsadhan said.

We recall with pride the course of these relations since their establishment in 1962, we look forward with determination to the bright prospects for the future of these relations in order to achieve the aspirations of the two friendly Saudi and Korean leaderships and peoples.

Recent developments have ushered in a new era of cooperation between Korea and Saudi Arabia, extending beyond the realms of traditional energy and construction infrastructure into cutting-edge industries such as smart cities and mobility.

At a summit meeting held in November last year, President Yoon Suk Yeol and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia made a historic agreement to elevate the bilateral relationship between the two nations to a forward-looking strategic partnership.

The two countries vowed to enhance cooperation in various critical areas, notably the NEOM City project, electric vehicle initiatives and mobility solutions.

In addition, the Saudi government has embarked on a bold transformation program known as "Vision 2030." This ambitious initiative seeks to transition the nation into a non-oil-based, advanced technology and environmentally sustainable powerhouse.

Korea will actively cooperate to ensure the successful implementation of Vision 2030 and the NEOM project, solidifying our role as a strategic partner to Saudi Arabia, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Won Hee-ryong said.

I hope that our Korean companies, equipped with exceptional technology and capabilities, will become the best partners to lead the success of the NEOM project."

As the event neared its conclusion, appreciation was extended to Won for his endeavors in strengthening these relations with a symbolic gesture  a model of "The Line" project in NEOM city  a token of gratitude for his pivotal role in fostering stronger ties between the two nations.
Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko paid a visit to Hoi An Ancient Town and the Japanese Culture Gallery in the central province of Quang Nam on Saturday afternoon, as part of their Vietnam trip, which is scheduled to wrap up on Monday next week.

Akishino and Kiko were taking a stroll along some streets along the ancient town at 5:15 pm on the day, drawing the attention of locals and tourists.

They also dropped by several shops on their way to learn about various local products.

Japanese Crown Prince Akishino (C) and some officials from Quang Nam Province take a stroll along a street in Hoi An Ancient Town. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

The Japanese royals enjoyed some cultural programs such as a performance of Origami, the ancient Japanese art of folding paper, and a Japanese tea ceremony at the Japanese Culture Gallery at 6 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, close to the town's iconic Cau(Bridge) Pagoda.

After their sightseeing tour, they took part in a dinner reception hosted by the leadership of Quang Nam Province.

Japanese Crown Princess Kiko (L) waves to locals in Hoi An Ancient Town. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

Artisans in Japans traditional costume Kimono are pictured performing the Origami skills. Photo: Tan Luc / Tuoi Tre

The Japanese crown prince and crown princess were set to tour the My Son Sanctuary, a world cultural heritage site, in the province and meet with leaders of neighboring Da Nang City on Sunday.

A plane transporting Akishino, Kiko, and their entourage touched down at Da Nang International Airport on Saturday. They will engage in numerous activities in the city and Quang Nam Province in three days.

The Japanese crown prince and crown princess arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Wednesday afternoon, commencing their official visit to Vietnam.

Their visit is aimed at marking the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic ties.

This is the third time Akishino has visited Vietnam. His previous visits were made in 1999 and 2012.

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Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Sao Paulo on Saturday afternoon (local time), beginning his official Brazil visit, which will last until Monday, at the invitation of Brazilian President Lula da Silva.

Plane VN1 transporting the prime minister and a high-level delegation of Vietnam landed at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport at 10:50 pm on Saturday (Vietnam time) after over 10 hours of flying.

PM Chinh left New York City on the same day, concluding his trip to the United States to attend the high-level General Debate of the 78th United Nations General Assembly session and other bilateral activities.

His entourage includes the Ministers of Public Security, Foreign Affairs, Planning and Investment, Industry and Trade, Finance, and Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

After his arrival in Sao Paulo, the top Vietnamese official visited the headquarters of Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation Embraer and met the Vietnamese people community there.

The Vietnam - Brazil relationship has flourished mightily since the two nations established diplomatic ties in 1989.

Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Farani (L) welcomes Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R) to Brazil at Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport, September 23, 2023. Photo: Nhat Bac / Tuoi Tre

The two sides set up a comprehensive partnership in 2007.

Brazil is Vietnams biggest trade partner in Latin America and ranks second among the latters top trade partners in the Americas, after the United States.

Two-way trade reached US$6.78 billion in 2022.

Accordingly, Vietnam exported goods worth $2.24 billion to Brazil, while spending $4.54 billion on imports from the latter.

Brazil has got involved in six projects in Vietnam, with a total pledged capital of $3.83 million.

As the pro tem president of the Southern Common Market, or MERCOSUR, a South American trade bloc, in 2023, Brazil is actively working with Vietnam to speed up the signing of a free trade agreement between Vietnam and MERCOSUR.

The deal is expected to open a wider door for Vietnamese goods to enter the South American market.

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Read what is in the news in Vietnam today:

Politics

-- Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Saturday (local time), beginning his official visit to the South American country through Tuesday next week at the invitation of Brazilian President Lula da Silva. He earlier concluded a trip to the U.S. to attend the high-level week of the 78th United Nations General Assembly and bilateral activities.

-- Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko visited Hoi An Ancient Town and the Japanese Culture Gallery in the central province of Quang Nam on Saturday, part of the activities during their official visit to Vietnam from September 20 to 25.

Society

-- A fire and explosion at a factory in Pingtung County, Taiwan on Friday injured 19 Vietnamese citizens, the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed on Saturday, citing the Vietnam Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan.

-- A man and a woman used a gun to rob a gold shop in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam on Saturday afternoon. The gold shop owner said the stolen golden jewelry and cash were valued at VND800 million (US$32,833).

-- The Peoples Court in Da Nang City, located in central Vietnam, on Saturday sentenced a 39-year-old woman residing in southern Dong Nai Province to three years behind bars for attempting to arrange the travel of six Vietnamese people to South Korea as tourists with the aim of hiding in the Northeast Asian country.

-- A truck overturned on a Ho Chi Minh Road section in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam on Saturday, killing a person and seriously injuring two others, local authorities said.

-- Police in Binh Thuan Province, south-central Vietnam said on Saturday that they were investigating an establishment which turned waste motor oil into diesel oil for consumption in Ho Chi Minh City. The establishment owner said he had sold some 11,000 liters of such substandard oil.

World News

-- Even China's population of 1.4 billion would not be enough to fill all the empty apartments littered across the country, Reuters cited a former official as saying.

-- At least 35 people were killed in southeastern Benin on Saturday after a fire broke out at a shop where witnesses said gasoline was being unloaded, Reuters quoted a justice ministry representative.

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A man and a woman organized a smash-and-grab robbery at a gold shop in Cam Ranh City, Khanh Hoa Province, located in south-central Vietnam, on Saturday afternoon, stealing some VND800 million (US$32,800) worth of jewelry pieces and cash.

The break-in and heist happened at Kim Thoa Gold Shop on Hung Vuong Street in Ba Ngoi Ward in the city at 5:20 pm, said an official from the Peoples Committee of the ward.

The two rode a motorcycle to the shop, while it was crowded with buyers.

The man used a gun to overpower a security guard in front of the store and then fired the gun into the air, frightening many people inside, while the masked woman wielded a hammer to smash jewelry display cases to grab the pieces.

Jewelry display cases smashed in a robbery on September 23, 2023. Photo: Thanh Chuong / Tuoi Tre

The two also stole cash from a safety box at the shop before quickly fleeing the scene.

The heist was conducted in only one minute.

The owner of the gold shop said that the stolen jewelry pieces and cash were valued at some VND800 million.

Police officers in Cam Ranh are cordoning off the gold shop to investigate the case.

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Border guards in Kien Giang Province, southern Vietnam, in collaboration with the police forces of Kien Giang, Kon Tum, and Binh Thuan Provinces, recently apprehended six individuals involved in the illicit trade of military weapons.

As a result of the operation, 14 firearms, 94 rounds of ammunition, and various related documents were seized, the border guard agency said on Friday.

The aforementioned joint forces raided a cafe at 898 Nguyen Trung Truc Street in Rach Gia City, Kien Giang Province at 8:00 am on September 17.

They caught Nguyen Ho Ngoc Vinh, a 33-year-old man from the Central Highlands provine of Gia Lai, red-handed in possession of five handguns, 15 rounds of ammunition, some gun components, bullets, and bullet casings.

At the same time, local authorities cordoned off the lodging house at 1081D Lam Quang Ky Street in Rach Gia City, where they came across Le Hoang Do and seized a firearm along with a white plastic bag suspected to contain drugs.

At 2:00 pm on the same day, officers apprehended Pham Thanh Hau, a 27-year-old resident of Chau Thanh District, Kien Giang. During the operation, they also confiscated a handgun and six bullets.

The investigative units, in collaboration with the Kien Giang border guard agency and police officers in Kon Tum Province, apprehended Ta Hung Cuong, 33, who was found hiding in the Central Highlands provinces Dak To Town, and confiscated a firearm.

Following Cuongs testimony, authorities subsequently arrested Nguyen Van Trung, a 29-year-old resident of the same town.

In the south-central province of Binh Thuan, officers apprehended Nguyen Thanh Dong, a 36-year-old resident of Ham Thuan Nam District.

They also seized five firearms, nearly 300 lead bullets, three copper bullets, and an assortment of tools and accessories used for assembling guns.

A total of six individuals have been apprehended, and authorities have confiscated 14 firearms, 94 bullets, two boxes containing 256 lead bullets, various gun assembly components, as well as related documents.

The authorities have detained and initiated legal proceedings against the six suspects, while the investigation continues to expand.

This case is part of a mission to dismantle a network involved in the illegal sale and purchase of military weapons across several provinces, including Kien Giang Province.

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The Peoples Court in Da Nang City, located in central Vietnam, on Saturday sentenced a 39-year-old woman residing in southern Dong Nai Province to three years behind bars for attempting to arrange the travel of six Vietnamese people to South Korea as tourists with the aim of hiding in the Northeast Asian country.

According to the indictment, in 2019, Le Thuong Thuong, through a broker named Phu with unknown identity, agreed to help Tran Huy Chuong, residing in Ha Tinh Province, north-central Vietnam, travel to South Korea as a tourist for VND100 million (US$4,100).

Chuong planned to illegally stay in South Korea if he could successfully enter the country.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic hindered Thuong from going ahead with the plan.

Early last year, Phu introduced Tran Thi Thanh, Dang Huu Tuan, Nguyen Van Giap, Tran Dinh Can, and Tran Dinh Chung, all residing in Ha Tinh Province, to Thuong so that she would help them travel to South Korea and be holed up in this country.

Thuong would earn VND100-110 million ($4,100-4,500) from each person.

From January 8 to October 27, 2022, Thuong received a total of over VND588 million ($24,132) from the five people.

Thuong created a group chat on messaging app Zalo to instruct the five how to deal with the security force at airports in Vietnam and South Korea, such as wearing polite and luxury clothes, using high-cost suitcases, showing confidence, and answering that they were employees of H.V. Company and were traveling to South Korea as tourists if being questioned by security officers.

Thuong knew that people from Ha Tinh Province would get the attention of the South Korean police and find it harder to enter the Northeast Asian country, so she asked the five to send her photos of their passports.

Thuong later asked a friend to change the place of birth in the five's passport photos from Ha Tinh to Ho Chi Minh City.

On November 9, 2022, Thuong asked another friend to book a tour to Jeju Island in South Korea. She sent the photos of the five peoples passports to an employee of a travel company in Da Nang and paid tour costs totaling VND57 million ($2,339).

The five departed at Da Nang International Airport but were captured at Jeju International Airport due to the difference in their passport photos and their passports.

The South Korean police refused their entry and transferred them back to Da Nang.

Thuong later gave herself up to police officers.

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As the Mid-Autumn Festival is five days away, a busy atmosphere pervades Phu Binh lantern making village, which is now over 50 years old, in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City.

Artisans in the village manually make lanterns with various shapes and colors.

There are many phases to complete hand-made lanterns, including choosing bamboo trees, cutting bamboo sticks to make frames, painting plastic papers for wrapping the frames, and decorating the lanterns.

Artisan Nguyen Trong Thanh said traditional lanterns using candles feature a great cultural value of Vietnamese people.

Children and those who are interested in cultural and artistic values still prefer them.

Stuffed bunny toys are attached to bamboo lanterns.

Nguyen Trong Binh, who has had half a century of experience in making lanterns, said he spent much time restoring traditional lanterns and preserving the craft.

Phu Binhs lanterns have been put up for sale across Vietnam.

Luong Nhu Hoc Street, which is known as the Lantern Street in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, welcomes thousands of customers a day who come to admire and buy lanterns.

A paper lantern

Artisan Nguyen Trong Binh from Phu Binh lantern making village in District 11, Ho Chi Minh City makes a lantern for the 2023 Hue Lantern Festival in Thua Thien-Hue Province, central Vietnam

An artisan prepares plastic paper, the main material for traditional lanterns.

Two artisans decorate lanterns.

Nguyen Thi Hong Anh, 26, the third generation of a lantern making family in Phu Binh. She learns how to make lanterns from her grandfather.

A view of Luong Nhu Hoc Lantern Street in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival

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A shrimp festival will be organized in Ca Mau Province, the southern tip of Vietnam, for the first time between December 13 and 16, featuring shrimp-eating and octopus-catching competitions.

Such distinctive contests will promisingly please visitors during the fest.

Other activities, including a shrimp-drawing contest, a fishery guessing game, and a program of making sea creatures with coconut leaves, will delight revelers.

Tran Hieu Hung, director of the Ca Mau Province Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism, said on Sunday that the event will also treat visitors to a seafood fest alongside seafood-based contests.

The province is planning to invite 42 provinces and cities nationwide to join the festival and exhibit their main products.

The event will feature various cultural spaces and miniatures of seafood, while music shows and art performances will be held during the festival, Hung said.

The fest, which is expected to attract some 10,000 participants, will help the province drive up the shrimp industry, lure more visitors, and entice domestic and international investors.

It will act as a platform enabling Ca Mau to introduce its potential for the shrimp sector to local and international customers.

Ca Mau leads Vietnam in shrimp farming area with over 280,000 hectares and has an annual output of more than 220,000 metric tons of shrimp, accounting for 40 and 22 percent of the countrys total shrimp farming area and output, respectively.

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In 1942, when many Australian men were off fighting the Second World War, agricultural labour was severely depleted, prompting the formation of the Australian Womens Land Army.

Women aged between 18 and 50, mostly from the cities and unskilled in rural work, became recruits on the land until 1945. Enrolment numbers peaked in December 1943, with 2,382 fulltime members and 1,039 auxiliary members, with an average working week of 48 hours.

This oft-overlooked chapter in Australian history is now the subject of a new 830 min Australian drama, While the Men Are Away on SBS.

The vast majority of them are about the diggers and the men that enlist

For writer Kim Wilson (Deadloch, The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), who penned the first two and last two episodes, the period offers all kinds of stories to explore, in a genre frequently dominated by the perspective of soldiers in action.

Weve got a lot of TV and films about the Second World War, but the vast majority of them are about the diggers and the men that enlist, the battles that were close to us like Papua Guinea and rightly so But I guess what is revisionist is were focusing on characters and stories that give a different prism for seeing the second world war, she says.

Filmed as a dramedy, the series follows Frankie (Michela De Rossi), whos left in charge of her suffering apple farm after her husband is sent to war -or was he? She enlists Gwen (Max McKenna) and Esther (Jana Zvedeniuk), the freshly enlisted naive city-recruits of the Womens Land Army, to join herself, local Indigenous farmhand Kathleen (Phoebe Grainer) and certified coward Robert (Matt Testro).

(Frankie) calls on the Womens Land Army to help with the harvesting, otherwise the farm wont survive. Its about people who are not used to having power, suddenly running things. They find like-minded souls, so these marginalised people have a voice. Not everyone likes what they say. But once theyve experienced that, its really hard for them to go back to how it was, she explains.

Its almost absurdist in parts

I think its technically called a dramedy, which is a funny word but I guess that pretty neatly sums it up. Its almost absurdist in parts, but we also dont shy away from the feels.

One of the rules we hit upon was that the characters can discuss concepts that can feel modern, like things that we as humans now in society are trying to grapple with, but they can only use the words that were available to them at the time.

Wilson was drawn to the changes that were happening quickly in Australia as society adjusted to a shift in stocks on the ground. Her research uncovered some surprising insights.

There were two women who met as part of the Land Army and fell in love. After the war finished they didnt want to go back to their normal lives so they bought a farm together, and named it after their two surnames. They took all these photos and kept this archive about their experience, Wilson observes.

Children were used for delivering telegrams and things like constantly watching adults breaking down with traumatic news of the deaths of their sons and their husbands and then riding off on their bicycles to deliver the next one -it was such an extraordinary time.

They didnt know who was going to win the war, or what time it would end

The storyline also coincides with the fall of Singapore and the bombing of Darwin with huge world events seen through the eyes of the characters in the fictional town of Bush.

We kept forgetting that they didnt know who was going to win the war, or what time it would end.

At the time the people living that life had no idea. There was a time when they were making preparations to be taken over by the Japanese. Thats one of the events that we use in our show as well.

Directed by Elissa Down & Monica Zanetti, the series by Arcadia productions was shot in and around Orange and Millthorpe, including with locals as extras. Production designer Alicia Clements and cinematographer Meg White bring a particularly colourful world to screen.

Amelie was one of our touchstones as we were working on itjust slightly existing outside of time. I love that feel and the comedy in it is slightly heightened as well, she continues.

A lot of the cast came from a musical theatre background

A lot of the cast came from a musical theatre background so they tended to pitch it slightly heightened anyway, which was absolutely perfect. Nina Edwards did an amazing job with the costumes too, theyre really bright colours.

Sometimes wildly historically inaccurate, the series is about people who dont normally hold the reins of power suddenly having them shoved in their hands and told to giddy the hell up.

Im always interested in stories about people who have been crushed into a little box that has been given to them by society. Theyre hiding their true selves, essentially, for all sorts of reasons. Suddenly, the box is removed, and theyve got to find out what shape (theyre in) and what to do with this newfound power, Wilson explains.

Do you just create power in the same way that you learned from the normal social structures that are there from the patriarchy? Or do you try and do something different? What is possible?

The essence of the show is that and it happens to be set in the Second World War.

While the Men Are Away double episodes 8:30pm Wednesdays on SBS (all eps at SBS on Demand).
A trailer has dropped for Doctor Who, returning to screens in November.

The brand new trailer features Neil Patrick-Harris waltzing onto the scene, as it is now revealed that he will play the Toymaker, an all-powerful enemy last seen in 1966  but what is it that brings the Doctor face-to-face with this enemy from his past?

Also shown, UNIT is back with a bang! Jemma Redgrave reprises her iconic role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart alongside David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor.

Russell T Davies, Showrunner said: This is just the start, as the fever starts to burn. Were heading for a November full of Doctor Who surprises, for fans and new viewers alike. Stay alert!

Doctor Who returns in November 2023 with three special episodes with David Tennant as the Fourteenth Doctor to coincide with the 60th anniversary. Ncuti Gatwas first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will air over the festive period.

Disney+ will be the home for new seasons of Doctor Who in Australia.
By Kim Hyun-bin

South Korea is gearing up to host a large-scale military parade on Tuesday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the alliance with the United States and the 75th anniversary of Armed Forces Day.

The event, which is the first to be held in 10 years, comes as tensions between the two Koreas remain high.

The 75th Armed Forces Day celebration spotlights six primary equipment categories: unmanned systems, Army TIGER, mechanized forces, artillery, protection and amphibious forces. These categories offer a comprehensive view of the armed forces state-of-the-art transformation.

The day falls on Oct. 1, but the event will take place on Tuesday, considering the Chuseok holiday is extended to a six-day break until Oct. 3.

Military personnel have been preparing at various locations, including Seoul Airport in Gyeonggi Province, to stage what they are calling a historic performance.

This grand spectacle, touted as the largest in the nations history, aims to underscore the themes of A Strong Military, Robust Security and Peace through Strength.

The ceremony will feature an impressive showcase of over 170 pieces of equipment. This parade serves as a platform for the nation to witness the full might of its military.

The event is divided into two segments  the ceremony at Seoul Airport and the downtown Seoul parade.

With over 6,000 troops participating, including reservists, this celebration places a significant emphasis on the display of weaponry, allowing the public to get an up-close look at the domestically produced military equipment during the Citizens Parade.

Leading this parade are key players in South Koreas defense, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the K2 Black Panther battle tank.

At the heart of this equipment display is the Korean Three-axis System, comprising the Kill Chain, Korean Air and Missile Defense (KAMD) and Korea Massive Punishment and Retaliation (KMPR).

These core components, encompassing over 10 vital pieces of equipment, include long-range surface-to-air missiles (L-SAM), Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM), Cheongung, medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MSAM) and Patriot PAC-3 guided missiles.

Notably, during the parade, the Air Forces special aerobatics team, the Black Eagles and the Armys AH-64 Apache helicopters are scheduled to make a total of four flights over downtown Seoul.
The 1944 Spitfire Mk IX on display at the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Crowds gathered in their droves over the weekend to see the military aircraft and vehicles on the former Second World War airfield at Solent Airport. The event followed a successful show in 2021.

A 1.1-mile parade featuring bands and marching veterans took place as visitors enjoyed the festivities throughout the three day show. The festival celebrates the allied victory in Europe and Japan in the Second World War.

Several military vehicles and aircraft  including a 1944 Spitfire Mk IX and a vintage Sherman tank  were all on display. Aircraft from navy wings included the Seafire, Harvad and Wasp, as well as the Lockhead Electra Junior 12A  the latter being the last aircraft out of Berlin before the conflict started.

The all-chrome spitfire which recently took part in a round-the-world event. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

HMS Collingwood provided a guard for the parade, with personnel from HMS Sultan also in attendance. The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire took the salute along with HMS Collingwoods and HMS Sultans Commanding Officers.

The mayor and mayoress of Gosport, Martin and Suzanne Pepper, were also in attendance. Here are 23 glorious pictures from the day.

The combined bands of Rose & Thistle and Hampshire Caledonian perform barrack room favourites on bagpipes. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

The Canadian Catalina PBY-5A amphibious bomber from 1943. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

The Mayor of Gosport Martin Pepper with Mayoress of Gosport Suzanne Pepper visiting the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Members of the 'Army Medical Services Living History Group' at the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Vintage Sherman tank on display at the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

One of the many vintage wartime vehicles on display at the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Impromptu jive dancing to a 40s soundtrack. Pictured: Jacquie Broom (56) and Robert Tipping (53).

Wartime classics performed by 'Jeep' Johnson. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Dany Vimard visiting the show from Bournemouth enjoying the wartime classics performed by 'Jeep' Johnson. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

The all-chrome spitfire which recently took part in a round-the-world event. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Pyrotechnics during the 1/16th scale tank battle re-enactment. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

The Canadian Catalina PBY-5A amphibious bomber from 1943. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Ozzy Hutton (8) aboard an Enfield 'flying flea' motorcycle used by paratroopers.

The combined bands of Rose & Thistle and Hampshire Caledonian perform barrack room favourites on bagpipes. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

The combined bands of Rose & Thistle and Hampshire Caledonian perform barrack room favourites on bagpipes. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Lara Clark (46) demonstrates how ENSA performers recorded songs for wartime troops overseas.

Live performance of 40s favourites from Miss Lily Lovejoy. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Circus entertainer Nick Cook shows his 5-ball juggling skills at his circus taster area. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Laser tag at the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))

Debbie C leads a lunchtime singalong with visitors to the Lee Victory Festival. (Photo: Mike Cooter (230923))
Former President Donald Trump and Gen. Mark Milley. Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Donald Trump once belittled a disabled veteran at a military ceremony, The Atlantic reported.

The veteran had been asked by Gen. Mark Milley to sing "God Bless America" at an event in 2019.

Milley was reportedly disturbed by Trump's "repugnant" attitude towards veterans, per the report.

Former President Donald Trump once belittled a disabled veteran, saying "no one wants to see that," The Atlantic reported.

When Gen. Mark Milley took on the role of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in 2019, he had chosen veteran Army captain Luis Avila, who had been severely wounded in Afghanistan, to sing "God Bless America" at the Armed Forces Welcome Ceremony.

Avila served five combat tours and lost a leg in an IED attack in Afghanistan. His injuries led to him suffering multiple strokes, heart attacks, and brain damage, The Atlantic reported.

It was a wet day with soft ground at the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, and Avila's wheelchair almost overturned before others including former Vice President Mike Pence and Milley's wife rushed to help him.

When Avila finished his performance, Milley claimed that Trump said to him: "Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded," before telling him not to let Avila appear in public again.

But Milley, who is due to retire this month, has invited Avila to sing at his retirement ceremony, The Atlantic reported.

The former president's attitude towards the armed forces seemed "superficial, callous, and, at the deepest human level, repugnant," The Atlantic wrote.

At the welcome ceremony Trump said he had "absolute confidence" that Milley "will fulfill his duty with the same brilliance and fortitude he has shown throughout his long and very distinguished career."

But the pair's relationship has changed drastically since Milley was appointed to the US's top military position, with Trump calling the general's impending retirement "a time for all citizens of the USA to celebrate."

"This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States. This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!"," Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Friday.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Children with ice cream - Static Media / Shutterstock / Getty

Ice cream has a rich history all around the world, but emerged in America in the late 1700s. Back then, it was considered a delicacy enjoyed only by the wealthiest of the nation. However, by the mid-1800s, with the invention of early refrigeration methods and a commercial push from the dairy industry, ice cream became more widely available, continuing to rise in popularity as technologies advanced. The oldest American ice cream parlors date back hundreds of years and have witnessed the evolution of ice cream from its unexpected origin as a luxury novelty food to a widespread sweet treat for everyone.

You'll notice several of the shops on this list have origins in pharmacies. That's because pharmaceutical soda fountains were an integral part of the invention of sodas and desserts like ice cream sundaes. According to one story, even the banana split was invented by a pharmacist in 1904. From the 1860s to the 1920s, let's take a closer look at some of the oldest ice cream parlors in America.

Read more: 25 Best Ice Cream Brands Ranked

Bassetts Ice Cream, 1892

Three scoops of ice cream on cone - Facebook

Located in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bassetts earns the title of the oldest ice cream parlor in America. The brand's history dates back to 1861 when founder Lewis Dubois Bassett started churning ice cream in his backyard using mule power. After he found success selling the product at local markets, the business opened their first retail store in 1892 where it's been located ever since. Still family-owned and serving multiple generations of those in Philly and beyond, Bassetts has become an enduring legacy of American ice cream.

Bassetts uses recipes that have been handed down through generations and at the original scoop shop, you'll find the same 125-year old marble countertop that has lasted through innumerable changes. Clearly, Bassets is more than just an ice cream parlor; it's a landmark that stands as a testament to tradition and to the enduring enthusiasm that Americans have for ice cream.

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Fentons Creamery, 1894

Ice cream sundae with cherry - Facebook

Founded in 1894 by E.S. Fenton in Oakland, California, Fentons Creamery is one of the oldest and most beloved ice cream parlors in the country. The business was owned by the Fenton family for generations. Melvin Fenton, the founder's inventive grandson, created what remains its most famous flavors: Toasted Almond, Swiss Milk Chocolate, and Rocky Road. The business has changed ownership throughout the years but forever promises to stay committed to the quality that the Fenton family established over 100 years ago.

The restaurant was added in 1922 and you can still get sandwiches and salads here. But it's the ice creamespecially the sundaesthat will keep you coming back. The iconic sundaes, banana splits, and richly crafted ice creams have become legendary, attracting locals and tourists alike. Plus the vintage soda fountain and old-fashioned ice cream parlor ambiance will have you feeling like you stepped back in time.

Goolrick's Pharmacy, 1897

Old fashioned bar and jukebox - Facebook

Goolrick's Pharmacy, nestled in the historic city of Fredericksburg, Virginia, is a cherished institution that has been opened since 1897, making it one of the oldest ice cream parlors in America. What started as a pharmacy grew into a soda fountain and a diner with a full lunch menu. While the business still ran as an active pharmacy for over a century, in recent years Goolrick's has transitioned to focus fully on the soda fountain, ice cream, shakes, and sandwiches.

At the time of writing this article, Goolrick's is temporarily closed for renovation but has plans to open back up in 2024. The new owners of the landmark are planning on fully restoring it to the glory of what it once was. According to the press release, the building was severely in need of repair after fire and flood damage. Not only will the new owners restore the lunch counter and bar stools, but they're also committed to bringing back original recipes. So in the future, Goolrick's will be even more nostalgic than it already was.

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor And Museum, 1900

Old fashioned ice cream bar - Facebook

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum in Columbus, Indiana dates back to 1900 when the Zaharako family, who were originally from Greece, opened up the shop as a confectionery. The overall look of the parlor has been preserved over the years and the whole building is decked out with antique charm. Full of mahogany, stained glass, Tiffany lamps, and vintage soda fountains, Zaharakos truly transports visitors to the early 20th century.

The museum section showcases an impressive collection of vintage ice cream memorabilia, including the largest collection of pre-1900 soda fountains on public display. The menu here keeps it classic with traditional flavors and toppings, sundaes, banana splits, soda floats, and milkshakes and malts. In addition to their sweet treats, they also offer savory food such as French fries, hot dogs, sandwiches, and salads. Whether you're dining in, savoring a sundae, or exploring their display of artifacts, Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor and Museum is the ultimate parlor to experience the rich heritage of American ice cream culture.

Angelo Brocato, 1905

Ice cream cone with sprinkles - Instagram

Angelo Brocato is a beloved institution in New Orleans, Louisiana. Its storied history dates back to 1905 when Italian immigrant Angelo Brocato opened the now-famous gelateria. Brocato had spent his youth apprenticing in a Sicilian ice cream parlor and used this knowledge to share a host of Sicilian treats with citizens of New Orleans, including torroncino, a vanilla gelato flavored with cinnamon and almonds, granita al limone, a citrus Italian ice, and Sicilian cannolis. The parlor has been run by generations of the Brocato family since.

The focus of this New Orleans staple is undoubtedly gelato, which differs slightly from ice cream in that it uses more milk than cream and is churned more slowly than its American counterpart. Unsurprisingly, this ice cream shop has an old-world charm and considering its Italian heritage, has more of a European ambiance than other shops on this list. Using traditional recipes that have been handed down through the family, Angelo Brocato has a culinary legacy that has endured for generations.

Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor, 1906

Exterior of Wilson's Restaurant - Facebook

Opened from May to October, Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor is a beloved seasonal restaurant that has been located in the picturesque town of Ephraim, Wisconsin since 1906. Ephraim is a waterfront village with scenic views of the coast of Green Bay, which is an arm of Lake Michigan. This charming town, with its rich Norwegian and Moravian heritage, is full of historical charm.

The interior, with its vintage soda fountain and classic diner ambiance complete with a jukebox, evokes a sense of nostalgic familiarity. The menu is full of American classics like hamburgers, hot dogs, and freshly brewed draft root beer. But of course, it's the ice cream and traditional sundaes that they're famous for. Among them is the Wilson's Banquet, a monstrous five-flavor sundae generously adorned with three customer-chosen toppings including sauces, whipped cream, crunchy pecans, and the quintessential cherries on top.

Fair Oaks Pharmacy, 1915

Milkshake in front of soda bar - Facebook

For over a century, Fair Oaks Pharmacy has stood as a timeless ice cream parlor on the historic Route 66 in South Pasadena, California. Since its doors first opened in 1915, it has remained a huge part of the community, continuing its role as a trusted pharmacy even today. Dating back to the days when pharmacies and soda fountains went hand in hand, Fair Oaks preserves that tradition by continuing to offer ice cream, shakes, sodas, and floats as it has for generations.

At the fountain counter, with its marble countertop, chrome stools, and vintage posters you'll find loads of sweet treats with classic flavors. But what sets Fair Oaks apart is the fact that it also offers new, inventive flavors. For example, this past summer it added the creative Buttered Popcorn Milkshake to the menu. This establishment has certainly weathered the test of time, adapting to modern tastes while preserving nostalgic charm.

St. Francis Fountain, 1918

Exterior of St. Francis Fountain - Facebook

St. Francis Fountain, established in 1918, is the oldest ice cream parlor in San Francisco, California, as well as the oldest running business on 24th Street. Founded by the Greek-born Christakes family, St. Francis was exclusively a family-run ice cream parlor, soda fountain, and candy shop for several generations until the early 2000s when new owners took charge and completely revamped the place, turning it into the full-menu diner it is today while preserving the historic soda fountain.

The ice cream menu has stayed simplistic and traditional, offering a variety of old-fashioned milkshakes in flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, banana, and blueberry, all with the optional addition of malt drinks. Unlike many old-fashioned parlors, St. Francis Fountain also offers a vegan option of milkshake, made with a soy-based vanilla gelato. You can also simply get a scoop of ice cream as dessert after enjoying some of their diner-favorite menu items.

Leopold's Ice Cream, 1919

Four scoops of stacked ice cream - Instagram

A cherished institution in Savannah, Georgia, Leopold's Ice Cream has been a beacon of soda fountains and frozen treats since its inception in 1919. Savannah is a historic city close to the coast, so enjoying a scoop of ice cream from a 100-year-old parlor while sightseeing in the Southern heat just makes sense. It's no wonder Leopold's has endured for generations. The business was originally founded by three brothers from Greece (George, Peter, and Basil Leopold) and continues to be run by members of their family today.

Several of their flavors have remained unchanged since 1919 so you can taste them as they have always been. These include Tutti Frutti, a rum-based ice cream with Georgia pecans and candied fruit, Rum Bisque, a rum ice cream with crumbled almond macaroons, and lemon custard, a refreshing lemon ice cream with lemon zest. In addition to the scoops of ice cream, it offers a soda fountain service that includes sundaes, banana splits, milkshakes, and floats.

Petersen's Ice Cream, 1919

Exterior of Petersen's Ice Cream - Instagram

Located in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Petersen's Ice Cream dates back to 1919. Since its opening, the old-fashioned style of ice cream has received praise and accolades from many Mid-Westerners. In fact, Petersen's chocolate ice cream and vanilla ice cream have won several blue ribbons at the Illinois State Fair over the years. The ice creams here are made with 18% butterfat so expect extra creaminess and an intense richness of flavor.

If the ice cream alone isn't indulgent enough for you, then don't worry, there are plenty of decadent sundaes to choose from as well. From the timeless hot fudge sundae to the people-pleasing cookie dough sundae, there's an enticing selection to satisfy every sweet tooth's desire. The turtle pie is one of the most inventive options at Petersen's, created with a graham cracker crust, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and caramel sauce, and topped with roasted pecans.

Graeter's In Hyde Park, 1922

Sundae in front of menu - Facebook

Graeter's Ice Cream has a history that actually begins in 1870 when Louis Charles Graeter began making ice cream and selling it out of a cart on the streets of Cincinnati, Ohio. This technically makes Greater's one of the oldest ice cream brands in America. But it wasn't until 1922 that the original brick-and-mortar retail shop opened up, located in the Hyde Park of Cincinnati where it still stands today. The tradition of making it the old-fashioned French pot way has been slightly updated since the company's inception, but members of the Graeter family still oversee the production and ensure it meets the standards of their ancestors.

When it comes to visiting the scoop shop, be prepared for an overwhelming amount of flavors and sundae options. In addition to the wide variety of ice cream flavors, some menu highlights include sundaes like the 1870 Tower which features Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip ice cream, chocolate bundt cake, hot fudge, fresh whipped cream, pecans, and a cherry. Or go for the classic banana split that gets topped with your choice of ice creams and toppings. There are also floats, shakes, and frozen coffee ice cream concoctions.

Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor, 1923

Exterior of Klavon's ice cream parlor - Facebook

Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania since 1923, James and Mary Klavon originally established Klavon's Ice Cream Parlor as an apothecary with an attached ice cream parlor. After shutting down in 1979, the shop was closed for 20 years. However, in 1999, James and Mary's grandchildren collaborated to convert their family's old vacant pharmacy into a complete ice cream parlor, successfully preserving all of the building's unique historical features. In 2013, the parlor changed hands and though the shop is now owned outside of the Klavon family for the first time, the current owners have a true passion for the ice cream business and are committed to keeping Klavon's as preserved as it has always been.

There are so many scrumptious sundaes to choose from at Klavon's and you really can't go wrong with any of the options, which are all served in traditional glasses and topped with whipped cream and a cherry. Klavon's charm not only lies in its homemade ice cream and hand-crafted sundaes, but also in its authentic antique features like the marble counters, the old-fashioned fountain equipment, and classic soda fountain stools.

Eddie's Sweet Shop,1925

Exterior of Eddie's Sweet Shop - Instagram

Eddie's Sweet Shop in Queens, New York is truly a unique place. It's been open since 1925, which makes it the oldest ice cream parlor in New York City and its interior and decor look pretty much the same as it did nearly one hundred years ago. But its age is not the only thing that sets it apart from other scoop shops. It's their commitment to quality over quantity that makes all the difference. The staff of the family-run business makes all of their ice creams from scratch using traditional recipes that were passed down from the original owners. And every day a fresh batch of syrups and whipped cream gets made by hand.

The menu of flavors and sundaes sticks with tradition so you won't find any wild, inventive trendy scoops at Eddie's. But what you will find is endless nostalgia and a true New York City eatery that has stood the test of time.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.
A Palestinian archaeologist removes the sand from a skeleton in a grave at the Roman cemetery in Jebaliya northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The ancient cemetery was uncovered last year during construction of a housing project. Researchers have uncovered 135 graves, including two sarcophagi made of lead. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP)  Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip have found dozens of ancient graves, including two sarcophagi made of lead, in a Roman-era cemetery  a site dating back some 2,000 years that archaeologists describe as the largest cemetery discovered in Gaza.

Workers came upon the site last year during the construction of an Egyptian-funded housing project near Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Since then, crews have worked to excavate the 2,700-square-meter (2/3 acre) site with the support of French experts.

Now, what was once an inconspicuous construction lot  surrounded by a grove of nondescript apartment buildings  has become a gold mine for archaeologists looking to understand more about the Gaza Strip.

Gaza, a coastal enclave home to some 2.3 million people, has a rich history stemming from its location on ancient trade routes between Egypt and the Levant. But a number of factors  Israeli occupation, Hamas 16-year takeover of the territory and rapid urban growth  have conspired to endanger many of the besieged strips archaeological treasures.

Against this backdrop, the discovery of 60 graves at the site in January marked a major finding, archaeologists say. That number has swelled to 135.

Rene Elter, a French archaeologist leading the dig, said researchers have studied over 100 of the graves.

All of these tombs have almost already been excavated and have revealed a huge amount of information about the cultural material and also about the state of health of the population and the pathologies from which this population may have suffered, said Elter, the head of archaeology for Intiqal," a program managed by the French nonprofit Premiere Urgence Internationale.

Elter pointed to the sarcophagi made of lead  one featuring ornate grape leaves, the other with images of dolphins  as exceptional finds.

The discovery of lead sarcophagi here is a first for Gaza, he said.

Given the rarity of the lead tombs, Palestinian archaeologists like Fadel Al-Otul suspect that social elites are buried there. Al-Otul said the cemetery probably used to be located in a city  Romans used to place cemeteries near city centers.

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Alongside the sarcophagi, Elters team is restoring unearthed skeletons and piecing together shards of clay jars.

The skeletons discovered at the site will be sent out of Gaza for additional analysis, according to Al-Otul. The remains are set to return to the Hamas-led Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.

Elter said the territory needs a dedicated team to oversee archaeological activity in Gaza.

The Gazans deserve to tell their stories, he said. Gaza boasts a plethora of potential archaeological sites, but monitoring each one, given the rapid pace of development, is no small feat."
By Sah Dong-seok

Its no exaggeration to say that it is the age of cities, given that the largest portion of the world's population lives and works in cities. If Seoul actively engages in urban diplomacy, it will surely spearhead the sustainable development of the world.

Against this backdrop, delegations from 50 cities from 30 countries will converge in Seoul to attend the World Cities Summit Mayors Forum (WCSMF) held Sept. 24-26 at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP). It will be the largest international conference held in Seoul since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 WCSMF is taking place in Seoul as the city won the Lee Kuan Yew World City Prize in 2018. Winning the award automatically qualifies a city as the forums next host.

The forum, which runs under the theme Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Forging an Inclusive and Resilient Future, is also drawing 200 business leaders and representatives from international organizations.

During the forum, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon will propose Going Together With the Socially Neglected as the agenda to create sustainable and resilient cities. The forum consists of four sessions: inclusive societies, conservation of culture and heritage, carbon neutrality and climate resilience, and innovation and creativity. Two to three cities will make case presentations in each session.

Seoul plans to introduce its inclusive policies, including the Seoul Safety Income Project and the Seoul Learn. It will also run a technology exhibition with innovative companies to showcase Seouls cutting-edge lifestyle using robots and biotech. Additionally, the city will operate on-site visiting programs such as customized tours for delegates to share policy knowhow.

Mayor Oh is second to none when it comes to urban diplomacy activities. He was elected the co-president of the World Association of the Major Metropolises at the 14th Metropolis World Congress held in Brussels in June. Oh will lead the association from 2024 to 2026 along with five other co-presidents from the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, Chinas Guangzhou, Uruguays Montevideo, Irans Teheran and Belgiums Brussels-Capital Region.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government says co-leading the association will serve as a good occasion for Seoul to share various welfare and smart city policies and public transportation systems with other member cities. Seoul also won the bid to host the next congress to be held to commemorate the associations 40th anniversary in June 2025.

In July this year, Mayor Oh was selected as a "Champion Mayor" by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in recognition of his leading role in mitigating inequality under his policies to focus on the vulnerable. He will share the citys policy vision with 63 cities around the world through public projects and programs that focus on livelihood, housing, education and health care.

The OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth Initiative is a coalition created in 2016 by the OECD with the support of Americas Ford Foundation and other organizations. Currently, mayors from 63 cities, including Paris, Tokyo and Rome, serve as Champion Mayors, sharing their experiences in tackling inequality and bringing the voice of local governments to the international community.

Seoul City also offered diverse programs to the Scout members who participated in the 2023 World Scout Jamboree held in Saemangeum as part of its diplomatic activities in cooperation with the central government. Specifically, the city arranged city tour programs for British Scouts so that they could enjoy Seouls night view aboard city tour buses. Discover Seoul Pass, a pass for tourist attractions, was also offered at a 30-percent discount to help them visit the citys popular tourist spots.
SOFIA  Chairman Vuong inh Hue and a high-ranking delegation from the Vietnamese National Assembly (NA) arrived in Sofia on September 23 afternoon, starting an official visit to Bulgaria at the invitation of his counterpart Rosen Zhelyazkov.

Welcoming NA Chairman Hue and the delegation at Sofia International Airport were Vice President of the Bulgarian National Assembly Rositsa Kirova, head of the Office of the Bulgarian National Assembly President Nikola Nikolov, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bulgaria o Hoang Long, and representatives from the Vietnamese community in the country.

As planned, the top Vietnamese legislator will hold talks and meet with senior Bulgarian leaders; and hold meetings, exchanges, and working sessions with Bulgaria's political community and relevant agencies on bilateral cooperation between the two countries and their legislatures.

In 1950, Bulgaria was one of the first countries in the world to officially establish diplomatic relations with Viet Nam. Hues official visit is made 15 years after the visit to the European country by then NA Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong in 2008. VNA/VNS
SAO PAULO  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and the high-ranking delegation of Viet Nam arrived at Sao Paulo International Airport around noon on September 23 (local time), starting an official visit to Brazil from September 23 to 26 at the invitation of the countrys President Lula da Silva.

During the trip, PM Chinh and President Lula da Silva are scheduled to have talks, hold a joint press conference, and witness the signing and handover of cooperation documents between the two countries. The Vietnamese leader will also have meetings with leaders of the National Congress of Brazil, the parliamentary friendship group of the South American country, some local political parties and friendship organisations, and the state of Sao Paulo.

He will also visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil, meet with the Vietnamese community here, open a photo exhibition on late President Ho Chi Minh and Viet Nam, attend a business forum between the two countries, and receive executives of some leading Brazilian enterprises.

The visit is expected to set up new orientations for promoting the Viet Nam - Brazil comprehensive partnership and identify concrete cooperation projects and areas, thereby developing bilateral relations, especially in economy, trade and investment, in a substantive and effective manner.

Later the same day, PM Chinh visited the Embraer aerospace company in Sao Jose dos Campos city of Sao Paulo.

Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto gave the Vietnamese leader an introduction of his firm, which is the worlds third largest producer of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus, and strong at manufacturing under-130-seat planes. In Viet Nam, it has handed over five E190 aircraft to Bamboo Airways.

He highly valued the potential of the Vietnamese market, which is suitable for existing aircraft models of Embraer.

Neto expressed his hope for the Vietnamese Governments continued support for Embraer to seek cooperation opportunities and expand its market in the country, adding that the group is ready to implement aircraft maintenance and repair services in and provide aerospace technological solutions for Viet Nam.

Highlighting the fast development and potential of Viet Nams aviation sector, PM Chinh held that the new-generation aircraft models of Embraer could be a solution helping Vietnamese airlines expand their fleets and ensure flight efficiency and safety at present.

He said he believed in a bright future of aviation cooperation between the two countries, asking Embraer to expand collaboration and investment to develop its business ecosystem in Viet Nam.

The Government leader suggested the group discuss cooperation and business chances with Vietnamese airlines, consider providing aircraft maintenance and repair services, participate in the training of aviation manpower in Viet Nam, provide technological solutions for the Southeast Asian country to improve the aviation governance capacity, increase automation, and help with the forecasting and prevention of aviation-related risks.

On September 23 evening, PM Chinh had a meeting with representatives of the Vietnamese communities in Brazil and nearby South American countries. VNA/VNS
SAO PAULO  Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in Brazil and neighbouring South American countries would act as an important bridge connecting Viet Nam and the host nations.

The leader had a meeting with the community in Sao Paulo on Saturday evening (local time) during his official visit to Brazil.

According to Vietnamese Ambassador to Brazil Pham Thi Kim Hoa, the Vietnamese community in Brazil and neighbouring South American countries, though not a large group, always promotes the tradition of solidarity, works and studies hard, follows local laws, and preserves national identity.

The Vietnamese community in Brazil and neighbouring South American countries expressed their gratitude for the attention of the Party and the State, especially the leaders, towards their lives and affirmed that they would continue to strive to contribute to Viet Nams development and strengthen the relationship between Viet Nam and other countries.

They expressed their hope that the Prime Minister would propose that the governments of the host countries protect their legitimate rights and create favourable conditions for Vietnamese people to do business, work, and live there.

Conveying the greetings of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other key State and Party leaders to the Vietnamese community, Chinh affirmed that the Party and State encouraged and created conditions for Vietnamese people to do business and live in all countries.

The Party and the State always considered the Vietnamese community abroad, including the Vietnamese community in Brazil and South American countries, as an inseparable part of the great Vietnamese national unity bloc, he said.

The PM was pleased to know that the Vietnamese community in Brazil and South American countries all have stable, prosperous and happy lives and jobs. The Vietnamese people support each other and are given favourable conditions and full legal guarantees by the local government.

PM Chinh informed the Vietnamese community in Brazil and other South American countries about the fruitful cooperation between Viet Nam and Brazil.

Viet Nam and Brazil established diplomatic relations in 1989 and upgraded to comprehensive partners in 2007. Brazil is Viet Nam's largest trading partner in Latin America and second in the American continent, after the United States.

In 2022, the two-way trade turnover hit a record level of US$6.78 billion. Brazil currently has six investment projects in Viet Nam with a total registered capital of $3.83 million. Viet Nam and Brazil are both major markets for each other.

There was ample room for bilateral cooperation, Chinh said, adding that his trip this time aimed to promote bilateral cooperation more substantively and effectively.

Chinh hoped that the Vietnamese community in Brazil and South America would continue to promote solidarity, uphold national pride, and help each other overcome difficulties while integrating into the local community, complying with the law, and contributing to the development of the host country.

The PM also listened to the Vietnamese communitys difficulties and proposals and instructed the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil to address them promptly.

He said he would raise these issues during talks with Brazilian President Lula da Silva. VNS
TUYEN QUANG  President Vo Van Thuong on Sunday visited special national relic sites in Tuyen Quang and presented gifts to families of revolution contributors during his working trip to the province.

He offered incense and flowers in commemoration of late President Ho Chi Minh, the founder of modern Viet Nam, at Na Nua tent within the Tan Trao special national relic site.

Tan Trao, known as Viet Nams revolutionary cradle, was once the living and working place of President Ho Chi Minh in 1945. It was the venue for many historic events leading to the August Revolution, including the Congress of Peoples Representatives chaired by President Ho Chi Minh on August 16, 1945 to decide on the destiny of the nation.

Na Nua tent is located within the Na Nua forest area in Tan Lap Village, Tan Trao Commune, where President Ho Chi Minh resided and worked from late May to August 22, 1945, leading the August Revolution to win power back nationwide. On September 2, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Viet Nam (now the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam).

President Thuong also offered incense at the Tan Trao Communal House in Tan Lap Village, Tan Trao Commune, where the Congress of Peoples Representatives  the predecessor of the National Assembly of Viet Nam  took place on August 16 and 17, 1945, and paid his respect to revolutionary predecessors at their memorial site.

They were exceptional students of President Ho Chi Minh who dedicated their entire lives to the cause of national liberation and reunification.

The President then paid tribute to President Ton uc Thang at the relic site of the National Assemblys Standing Committee in Trung Yen Commune, where the committee worked from 1952 to 1954.

In Tan Trao Commune, the State leader visited and presented gifts to some families of revolution contributors.

Also on Sunday morning, Thuong attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the new Tuyen Quang general hospital. The 15-ha provincial hospital worth nearly VN1.8 trillion (US$73.8 million) is designed to accommodate 1,000 beds.

Nguyen Van Son, Chairman of the provincial People's Committee emphasised that this was an important event for the provincial government and the people of Tuyen Quang.

When completed, the hospital would become a focal point for healthcare in the province, ensuring all the necessary facilities of a provincial-level first-class general hospital. The hospital would also serve as a centre for scientific and technical expertise and healthcare, he said.

Son urged the investors, agencies and units to expedite the completion of the next steps to begin construction of the project.

On Saturday evening, the President attended the Thanh Tuyen (Tuyen Citadel) Festival. This was the first year that Tuyen Quang Province implemented a plan to renew the organisation of the festival for 2023-2025, aiming to turn the event into a tourism product with a national and international brand.

The programme was organised on a national scale with the participation of six other provinces  Cao Bang, Bac Kan, Lang Son, Thai Nguyen, Ha Giang, and Binh Thuan, as well as foreign localities with cooperative and friendly ties with Tuyen Quang, such as Laos Xiengkhuang Province and the Republic of Koreas Anseong City.

It featured performances by artists and children, and a parade of hundreds of giant Mid-Autumn lantern models selected from competitions held across Tuyen Quang. Especially, there were also models from Xiengkhuang and Anseong.

At the festival, President Thuong presented gifts to local ethnic children for the Mid-Autumn Festival.  VNS
HA NOI - President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez arrived in Ha Noi on September 24, beginning a five-day visit to Viet Nam to attend a ceremony to mark 50 years of leader Fidel Castros trip to the liberated zone in Southern Viet Nam (September 1973-2023).

Welcoming the Cuban leader at the Noi Bai International Airport were Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen uc Hai, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Thanh Tung, and Cuban Ambassador to Viet Nam Orlando Nicolas Hernandez Guillen.

During his visit, Esteban Lazo Hernandez will pay a courtesy call to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, and meet with President Vo Van Thuong and National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue.

He will offer flowers at the Fidel Castro Monument and visit the Viet Nam - Cuba Friendship Hospital in Quang Binh Province, and meet with local leaders.

In Quang Tri Province, the top Cuban legislator will visit Hien Luong Bridge, the Museum of Hien Luong - Ben Hai special national relic site, and the relic site of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Viet Nam in Cam Lo District. He will also offer flowers and plant trees at Fidel Park.

Esteban Lazo Hernandez will join Politburo member, permanent member of the Party Central Committees Secretariat and head of the committees Organisation Commission Truong Thi Mai at a September 26 celebration of the 50th anniversary of leader Fidel Castro's visit to the liberated zone in South Viet Nam. VNA/VNS
DPK chairman ends 24-day hunger strike

By Kim Hyun-bin

The fate of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is at stake, as the arrest warrant hearing for its leader, Rep. Lee Jae-myung, who faces multiple charges including breach of trust, bribery and violation of the Foreign Exchange Transaction Act, among others, will be held on Tuesday.

The outcome, including the possibility of his arrest, has the potential to cast a dark cloud over the largest opposition party, with general elections only six months away.

The arrest motion for the DPK chairman, presented by the prosecution, accusing him of multiple charges related to a development scandal and the unauthorized transfer of money to North Korea, was approved by the National Assembly in a 149-136 vote on Thursday.

The Assembly's approval was a prerequisite for the court hearing to take place to review the prosecution's request to detain Lee, as he is a sitting lawmaker who is immune from arrest while the Assembly is in session.

Chief Judge Yoo Chang-hoon, a judicial veteran with 29 years of experience, will oversee the examination of the arrest warrant on Tuesday. A final determination regarding Lee's arrest is expected on Tuesday evening or early morning Wednesday. The schedule, however, is changeable due to a possible deterioration in Lee's health caused by his 24-day hunger strike.

Lee, who began a hunger strike on Aug. 31 in protest against the Yoon Suk Yeol government's policies, ended his fast on the 24th day, Saturday.

"Lee has decided to suspend his hunger strike and undergo treatment for his full recovery," the party spokesman Kang Sun-woo said, noting that the decision was influenced by recommendations from Lee's medical team.

The DPK chairman is expected to temporarily leave the hospital to attend the arrest warrant hearing at the court on Tuesday, according to the party insiders.

Lee faces a litany of charges, including illicit inter-Korean fund transfers, favoritism in the Baekhyeon-dong apartment development in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province and perjury.

Prosecutors have cited the seriousness of the crimes and possibile destruction of evidence as grounds for the arrest warrant request.

The worst-case scenario for the party is the leader's arrest, as it will intensify disputes between party factions.

Given that senior lawmakers supporting Lee have severely criticized at least 29 lawmakers of the party who voted for the arrest, some say the unprecedented arrest of the leader of the largest opposition party could result in dividing the party ahead of the general elections.

Against this backdrop, the leadership of the DPK has taken action, dispatching letters to its lawmakers as well as 17 city and provincial party offices and regional chapter heads, requesting a petition to oppose the arrest warrant for Lee.

In the event that the court dismisses the prosecution's request for the warrant, Lee is expected to resolve the intra-party conflict as an urgent task to solidify his damaged leadership.

Meanwhile, the DPK has undertaken the procedure for choosing a replacement for Park Kwang-on, the former floor leader, who stepped down following the approval of the arrest motion for Lee.

The election of a new floor leader will also take place on Tuesday.
HA NOI  Sixteen Vietnamese workers who sustained injuries in a factory blaze in Taiwan (China) are safe, with local officials and agencies stepping in to offer support and ensure their well-being.

By 1pm on Saturday, local authorities confirmed that 16 Vietnamese workers had been injured in a blaze in Taiwan (China), as reported by the Labour Management Board of the Viet Nam Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan. Out of the 16 workers, three sustained serious injuries, four had moderate injuries and nine had minor injuries; three of whom have been released from the hospital.

All Vietnamese workers are now accounted for and safe.

In response, local officials have provided initial compensation to those affected by the fire. Workers with severe injuries were given a grant of NT$100,000 (approximately US$3,113), those with moderate injuries received NT$10,000 (around $311.3), and those with minor injuries were given NT$5,000 (roughly $155.6).

Taiwan's Ministry of Labour has called upon Taiwanese brokerage firms and employers to ensure stable living conditions for these workers. They've also directed the brokerage firms to assist workers in switching employers if needed.

The Labour Management Board is set to continue its collaboration with Taiwanese officials, employers, and HR agents to uphold the legal rights of these workers.

A fire, followed by an explosion, broke out in a factory located in Pingtung County, Taiwan (China) at 5.31pm on Friday. The factory was known to employ 106 Vietnamese workers through two Taiwanese brokerage firms.

In the aftermath of the fire, Taiwanese authorities reported six fatalities (comprising three firefighters and three staff members), 98 injured individuals, and five missing persons.  VNS
One of the decisive factors for Viet Nam's handicraft industry to develop sustainably and reach US$6 billion export revenue by 2030 is the development of sustainable raw material resources. Viet Nam News reporter To Nhu talks to Le Ba Ngoc, vice chairman of the Viet Nam Handicraft Exporters Association (Vietcraft), about the issue.

Inner Sanctum: How bad is the raw material shortage facing Vietnamese craft villages?

In reality, the problem of raw material shortage does not properly reflect the current situation of craft villages.

Viet Nam faces both shortages and surpluses, or more accurately, the raw material resources for the handicraft industry are unstable. There is a severe shortage of many essential materials, particularly rattan.

The handicraft industry aims to achieve an export value of $6 billion by 2030. To reach this goal, Viet Nam would need 100,000 tonnes of rattan. However, our rattan is now estimated at only about 40,000 tonnes.

There are certain materials that are both in shortage and surplus, like with sedge, that largely depend on the Chinese market.

When China makes large purchases, we have a shortage of sedge, and when their purchases decrease, we end up having a surplus. This clearly reflects the instability of Viet Nams raw material resources.

Viet Nam has a substantial supply of bamboo, approximately from 1.5 million hectares of bamboo forests, indicating that we are not short of material in wickerwork production. However, we are now in short supply of fishpole bamboo.

Therefore, the story of our raw material resources is primarily characterised by instability rather than a simple matter of scarcity.

Inner Sanctum: What recommendations do you have for the authorities in developing raw material resources?

The Vietnamese handicraft industry now has an export revenue of about $3 billion per year. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is working towards accessing the value chain, with a primary focus on addressing the issue of raw materials.

However, it is necessary to have an innovative approach to achieve sustainable development. For example, collaborative efforts between government agencies and businesses in developing plans and leveraging their roles. Businesses should be key actors in this value chain, working together with the government to bring about effective change.

In addition, it is crucial to quickly respond to the changing demands of the international market, as the global market is constantly evolving. At present, the international market demands transparency in the origin of raw materials to avoid issues such as deforestation and illegal exploitation. These are legitimate requirements that the government is pursuing.

Market requirements are changing rapidly. Customers now demand proof of origin for raw materials, and by December, many buyers may stop purchasing goods from Viet Nam if their materials do not have a verifiable source.

The active participation and collaboration of relevant ministries, departments, and agencies, along with businesses, are therefore crucial to addressing this issue.

For example, if we need 10,000 hectares of certified forest for rattan cultivation, it is essential to take immediate action. With determination, it would take between 15 and 18 months to establish this resource area.

Inner Sanctum: To handle the scarcity issue, should Viet Nam handicraft industry import essential materials like rattan from abroad?

In trade, it is crucial to proactively secure the source of materials and preserve the export value for the country.

Viet Nam is an agricultural country with abundant bamboo. However, due to unplanned exploitation, our bamboo resource is gradually depleting.

But the importation of materials is not encouraged. Many countries have banned exporting raw materials and instead focusing on exporting value-added products. Moreover some countries like Indonesia and Laos have banned the export of rattan as raw materials.

As a result, we must focus on developing domestic material resources to not only take a proactive approach in producing goods for export, but also to generate incomes and work for farmers, particularly in rural and mountainous areas.

The natural conditions in Viet Nam are highly suitable for rattan cultivation in various regions. The country has the third-largest rattan source in the world, following Indonesia and Malaysia.

The main rattan areas in Viet Nam are concentrated in forests in the provinces of Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Thua Thien Hue, and Lam ong.

Rattan is also planted in the northern provinces of Hung Yen, Thai Binh and Hoa Binh. If we have a comprehensive plan and establish strong supply chain linkages, we can develop a sustainable raw material resource for our handicraft sector.

Inner Sanctum: What do you think of the potential of Vietnamese handicrafts?

Viet Nam has great potential in developing its handicraft industry - the wide range of materials of an agricultural country, the high skills of artisans that have been fostered through generations, and the cultural diversity of the 54 ethnic communities all play a big part.

I firmly believe that with proper investment, the export turnover of Viet Nams handicraft sector may surpass the above-said target of $6 billion to $10 billion in 2030, with an annual growth rate of 30 per cent. VNS
By Alex Reeves

@afreeves23

An means to eat, Anan is, quite literally, Eat eat! A restaurant so good they named it twice? I took this message rather literally and made sure I visited over two evenings for the full experience and a sneak peek into what arguably Viet Nams most celebrated eatery has to offer. The first was an opportunity to enjoy the intricately designed 12-course tasting menu and latterly to delve into the more rustic and hearty a la carte menu while exploring the upper floors of the space.

Let me set the scene: Its Sunday evening and Im sitting upstairs in Nhau Nhau, yep, you guessed it; drink drink, the second of four floors in one of the countrys distinctive tubular houses, its a chic modern cocktail bar and the younger sibling of the building's physical and metaphorical foundation, namely, Anan, the subject of todays piece.

As with many tube houses, the slender but typical aspect of this modern take on Vietnamese architecture hides great secrets. From the outside, its difficult to envisage what could be hiding inside. The innovative approach that the tube house takes in packaging so much into so little, while remaining visually striking, is the first of many almost irresistible metaphors to be drawn in comparison to the food here at Anan.

Im sitting at the bar with head chef and proprietor Peter Cuong Franklin and his visiting friends Tuan and Linh, reflecting on the food weve eaten and playfully engaging in a game centred around guessing the heritage of a fellow diner whos just joined the conversation. But how did we get here? What does this have to do with the food? Well, let me explain.

Tuans heritage spans Viet Nam, the US and South Korea, while his wife Linh, born and raised in Ha Noi, had until recently been living abroad with him in L.A. for some time. Together, theyve taken the decision to return to Viet Nam for the birth of their first child (and congratulations to them both!). Case, the fellow diner in question, is the subject of the fun; while he studies medicine at UCLA, it turns out that Hong Kong is his ancestral homeland.

Chef Peter, who has been leading our humorous interrogation, is himself Vietnamese-American, having left Sai Gon in April 1975 before reconnecting with his mother in a moment that would change the direction of his whole life and career. From investment banker to chef, he has taken the opportunity to spread his wings and soak up the knowledge and techniques of kitchens across the globe. Le Cordon Bleu? Check. Staging at some of the world's most renowned kitchens from Caprice, Hong Kong to Alinea, Chicago? Check.

Yet its here in his homeland of Viet Nam where he founded a restaurant and formed it with an ethos; his own vision of a country embracing its history and looking to push forward and look outwards; to innovate. It isnt lost on me that our drink of choice in this moment is Creme de Cacao a delightful Marou (award-winning Vietnamese chocolatier) chocolate-based liqueur from the Hanoian distillery. "Ve e i" - Peter explains the literal translation of this to us as "returning in order to go".

This theme, or thread that exists between the people present, of having to leave and the need to return (whether they go again or not) is something shared and appreciated by each of us. All of us have spent time away from our home countries or cities and left, returned, and perhaps left again in search of a driving force in our own respective pursuits. The impact of this process is apparent in the details of the dishes we discuss at length.

It feels right, almost serendipitously so, that I was able to enjoy my full dining experience at Anan the previous evening: the anniversary of Vietnamese independence. In a sense, Anan and the very tasting menu I enjoyed, accompanied with its recent Michelin recognition, is a celebration of the chefs own culinary independence. Championing Vietnamese produce and adoption of best international practice is truly a part of Anans DNA.

Michelin stars arent ten a penny and it's the combination of innovative techniques and a deep understanding of the countrys bounty - often sourced from local markets - which are being showcased here. Despite the global resume and being named in Asias Top 50 Best Restaurants, Peters "true culinary inspiration" is his mother's humble yet no less popular noodle shop back in Dalat, a testament to the enduring power of home-cooked meals. His team brings this soul to each and every plate.

Chef Peter's vision, "Cuisine Moi", or New Vietnamese Cuisine, is best expressed through his own curated tasting menu beginning with the Amuse Bouche, here it takes the form of a delicate Oscietra caviar and gold flake soft smoked egg served on a bed of dill. As hot water is added to the bowl, the flavours infuse in a cloud of steam and make for a visually entertaining start to our journey.

To follow is a high-end take on a continental favourite: The humble spring roll is transformed with the addition of pork, foie gras, and black truffle. From the off, its apparent that no cost is spared in incorporating the great flavours of fine dining into neat Vietnamese packaging. This is followed by a delightfully creamy Salmon Banh Nhung" (street waffle), which is both colourful and tastes as good as it looks. Peter explains the combination of French and Asian techniques when baking the tart and piping the filling into the firm dough base.

Up next we have "Crab & Uni", where the edible part of a sea urchin is served inside a Ca Mau crab with red pomelo, crispy shallots and prawn head sauce. Its clean, fresh and flavoursome, a coastal treat to ponder. The surprises while adhering to a Vietnamese-themed consistency keep coming. "Le Petit 'be' Banh Mi Sai Gon" makes its entrance with uni pate, Wagyu beef, and Oscietra Caviar, all wrapped in an ethereal air baguette. Its quaint, cute even, and, as with previous dishes, doesnt disappoint the taste buds as a one-bite meaty little package.

We then journey back to Ha Noi with "Cha Ca La Vong. This northern staple is transformed with the introduction of buttery black cod in favour of the typical river fish. Dipped in a turmeric and dill cream sauce this may well be my pick of the menu. Before I continue comes a chance to pause and savour the "Sorbet Mekong", a tropical medley of mango, passion fruit, and kaffir lime. It's a palate cleanser; a refreshing moment of calm before we dive into the next chapter.

"Bun Cha Bourdain" kicks off the second half of the menu; a notably named homage and nod of respect from one Chef to another. The late chief culinary storytellers relationship with Viet Nam is acknowledged with all the aspects of bun cha: rice vermicelli, grilled pork, and fresh herbs to be enjoyed in one bite, and washed down with a shot of Jasmine IPA (a popular craft beer from Pasteur Street Brewery).

The one bites also keep coming, with Molecular Pho, Viet Nams most iconic dish remastered through the techniques of El Bullis Ferran Adria, spherifying the Wagyu and black truffle-infused broth in a gelatinous casing displayed on a spoon - a rare opportunity to sample such a technique, and a first time for myself. Thankfully, a second spoon was waiting, in which I gratefully indulged.

The menu continues to impress, bringing "Lamb Rib Gia Cay, Australian grain-fed lamb with an ever so slight dose of the infamous mam tom (fermented shrimp paste), before Ben Tre young coconut and caviar combine delightfully, and were eventually treated to a rich 70 per cent chocolate mochi ball and the classic Dalat petit fours, which we are instructed to eat in the order in which we would draw the number.

The decision to name a dish in honour of Anthony Bourdain reminded me of a chapter in his second book, A Cooks Tour, in which he defends the right of chefs to not be physically present in the restaurants theyve built or popularised, and in some cases bare their names. While I may agree, things are different here as Chef Peter greets diners as often as possible with the warmth of the beating Saigon [former name of HCM City] tarmac.

As the last bite is savoured and the final drop of wine disappears from our glasses (trust the chef on this one), I reflect on the poetic symmetry between this extraordinary meal and Independence Day in Viet Nam. On the day Viet Nam asserted its independence and began a new chapter 78 years ago, Anan Saigon invites us to witness a new chapter in Vietnamese cuisine.

Viet Nams culture and history are as rich as its food, its future as bright as the smile on Chef Peters face as he embraces the opportunity to engage with diners, explaining the ingenuity and intention of the culinary journey through Viet Nam upon which theyre embarking.

Enjoying these moments alongside some fantastic socialising across my two evenings has me asking a question: When is a meal more than just a meal? When is a restaurant more than just a restaurant? The answers are simple enough: When its an experience. And my time spent at Anan most certainly was. VNS

Name: Anan Saigon

Address: 89 Ton That am, Ben Nghe, Quan 1, Thanh pho Ho Chi Minh

Price: VN 2.9 million or US$125 (for the Chefs 12-course tasting menu)

Dining companions: Those on fellow food pilgrimages.

Top tip: Take the chance to enjoy the bar upstairs or the rooftop if seats are available; it adds a different dimension to the visit. Keep your eyes peeled for Pot Au Pho.
Vietnam is accelerating greening rice grains to match the world's new consumer trend of eco-labelled products. Not only developing 1 million hectares of high-quality rice, Vietnam also aims to sell carbon credits.

Also read: Vietnam eyes transition to green production for sustainable value

Enterprises have invested 9 billion USD for green growth in Vietnam

Profits increase thanks to growing "green" rice

These days, Mr Pham Thanh Ca in Truong Hien hamlet (Thanh Tri commune, Thanh Tri district, Soc Trang province) is preparing to harvest 3 hectares of rice according to the model "Smart farming adapting to climate change in the Mekong Delta". Compared to traditional production, the smart rice farming model helps reduce the number of rice seeds by more than 40%, reduces NPK fertilizer by 250 kg/ha and saves labour costs of 3 fertilization times 120,000 VND/ha. Even though the amount of rice seeds and fertilizers is reduced, the rice plants are strong, pest-free and do not fall during the rainy season; productivity can reach from 8.3 to 9.4 tons/ha, and profit increases over 3,840,000 VND/ha.

Mr Vo Quoc Trung, technical officer of Soc Trang Agricultural Extension Center, said: The program "Smart farming to adapt to climate change in the Mekong Delta" has been implemented since 2016 in coordination with the Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company and National Agricultural Extension Center. After receiving permission from the Department of Crop Production (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), Binh Dien conducted many activities to replicate the model in the Mekong Delta. Conduct training from the summer-autumn and fall-winter crops 2023 with about 5,000 farmers.

Many modern rice production techniques have been researched and disseminated to farmers in recent years through various projects. Specifically, An Binh Agricultural Cooperative (An Binh commune, Thoai Son, An Giang) is a typical place for sustainable rice production and has received support from the Vietnam Sustainable Agricultural Transformation Project (VnSAT) sponsored by the World Bank (WB).

The foundation of sustainable rice production based on new techniques is to reduce sowing seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides while ensuring increased productivity, quality, and economic efficiency. Specifically, with old practices, farmers sowed 150 - 200 kg of seeds/ha, but since joining the project, this has been reduced to 100 - 120 kg/ha. Reducing the number of rice seeds sown has helped significantly reduce investment costs for seeds, fertilizers and plant protection chemicals by about 2 - 3 million VND/ha/crop, depending on the production area. In addition, increasing the rate of using certified and original rice varieties to over 75% has helped increase the productivity and quality of commodity rice. Production costs are significantly reduced, bringing higher profits to producers and increasing competitive advantage for the rice export industry. These techniques are summarized by experts into the mantra "3 down, 3 up" or "1 right, 5 down".

The VnSAT project was implemented to help rice farming reduce greenhouse gas emissions in 8 localities in the Mekong Delta, including Tien Giang, Dong Thap, Kien Giang, Long An, Soc Trang, Hau Giang, An Giang and Can Tho. The project also supports farmers in promoting the application of mechanization in the fields and introducing 4.0 technology in rice production, helping to reduce the cost of pesticides and ensuring the quality of rice for domestic use and export.

The only SRP100 field in the world for 4 consecutive years

Associate Professor - Dr. Duong Van Chin, former Deputy Director of the Mekong Delta Rice Institute, commented: Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a vital requirement of the times and a global action program. Vietnam has also committed to greening the economy and bringing net emissions to zero by 2050. Therefore, this is the task of all sectors."We must work together not just because the government is dedicated to the global community but also for the environment in which we live today and our future descendants will live. Only then can Vietnam achieve its common goal. We must review any activities that can be reduced, and we must try to do them and try to do them well," - Mr Duong Van Chin emphasized.

According to Associate Professor - Dr Duong Van Chin, the nature of traditional rice production generates many greenhouse gases. He and many other experts at institutions, especially Can Tho University, have done a lot of research and improved techniques to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Everything is simple: using certified seeds, reducing seeds, reducing chemical fertilizers and pesticides, combining alternate wet and dry watering, and not burning straw. Currently, the world is using the international sustainable rice production standards SRP (Sustainable Rice Platform), including 41 standards; each standard has a scale of 1 - 3, with 90 points to meet rice sustainable production standards, but if you burn straw, you will receive a negative score (not meeting standards).

Read more: Vietnam to export 7 million tons of rice this year

"When officially certified, businesses can print on the product packaging to prove its superiority. With the current green consumption trend, if there is an SRP certification, the selling price will increase greatly," Dr Chin said.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Thuan, General Director of Loc Troi Group Joint Stock Company, said: The company is the only unit in the world to achieve an SRP score of 100 for 4 consecutive years, according to the World Rice Research Institute IRRI assessment. In 2020, Loc Troi Group signed a cooperation agreement with an international company, establishing a project to implement a sustainable rice farming model in 2016. This model has solutions for water management, fertilizer and straw after harvesting properly and helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated during a rice crop by an estimated 2,000 tons of CO2. Loc Troi's project to establish carbon credits has been submitted to The Gold Standard's evaluation and appraisal system. Once approved, it will be the step of document checking and field evaluation. Results are expected by the end of 2023.

"The group's main goal in establishing carbon credits is the 'Green Profile' for rice exports to the European and US markets. When the 'Carbon Tax' law takes effect in 2025 in countries, "Green production records are a big advantage in export competition," Mr Thuan said.

Strategy for greening Vietnamese rice

The project "Sustainable development of 1 million hectares specializing in high-quality, low-emission rice cultivation associated with green growth in the Mekong Delta" of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also received enthusiastic support from the locality - the Mekong Delta's rice granary. Most recently, on September 22, Dong Thap Department of Agriculture and Rural Development coordinated with the Netherlands Development Organization in Vietnam to announce a project to transform the rice value chain to respond to climate change and sustainable development in the Mekong Delta (TRVC project) for businesses in the rice value chain of Dong Thap province. The TRVC project supported Dong Thap with about 22 billion VND to develop the local rice value chain.

Mr. Nguyen Van Vu Minh, Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, affirmed that developing the rice industry to adapt to climate change and reduce emissions is an inevitable trend associated with improving competition for Vietnamese rice. Dong Thap's agricultural industry calls for domestic and foreign businesses to participate in the project as the central subjects, determining the project's success.

Ms. Tran Thu Ha, Director of the TRVC Project, said that using the "pull mechanism", the TRVC project will create effective, pioneering catalysts to promote businesses to organize resource areas linked in a sustainable, multi-valued manner, bringing economic, social and environmental benefits to about 200,000 farming households. At the same time, it creates a premise for carbon credit certification, ready for transactions when the voluntary carbon credit market is piloted in 2025 and officially operates from 2028 according to Decree 6.2022 of the Government.

Mr Cao Thang Binh, senior agricultural expert of the World Bank in Vietnam, shared: When summarizing the VnSAT project, we see a new light shining, that is, about 1.5 million tons of CO2 have been cut. If converted into economic value, it will bring farmers 10 - 20 million USD annually or more. Even though the project has ended, those achievements will remain if farmers apply CO2-reducing production processes. For the 1 million-hectare project until 2024, the WB will mobilize about 40 million USD from the Climate Finance Fund and pay for CO2 in 2025 - 2026, with an additional 60 million USD.

"We anticipate continuing to sponsor another USD 300-400 million after this non-refundable USD 100 million to complete the remaining work to reach 1 million hectares. Selling carbon credits will help farmers have additional income, but what is more important is that whether or not we sell carbon credits, this industry needs to change and be more modernized" - Mr Binh said.

Dr. Duong Van Chin acknowledged: Up to this point, although Vietnam has many models proving feasibility and effectiveness sustainably. However, because the area is limited, the actual value is low. Therefore, models must be replicated on hundreds of thousands and millions of hectares to bring real environmental value. So there needs to be the cooperation of all sectors of society, from domestic and export consumers to businesses and, most importantly, policies to promote "greening rice" from the State. A long journey to a green planet takes many things and much effort.

"Due to the present green consumption trend, the green certification emblem on product packaging will soon be a vital passport to open numerous markets. It will also be a certification from a higher perspective than organic products because organic does not prohibit burning straws. When a business can do it, many people will join in, and Vietnamese farmers will be able to," Dr Chin is optimistic.
WATERLOO  The public has a chance to learn on Monday about the Waterloo Career Centers potential new programs for next school year.

The Board of Education meets at 5 p.m. at the Education Service Center, 1516 Washington St.

Prior to the meeting, the board will meet in a special session to discuss a new program proposal at the career center for 2024-25. Faculty will give a presentation solely for information and the board will not take a formal vote on the proposal.

The Waterloo Career Center started with nursing and digital graphics courses in 2016 and has since grown to 18 programs.

Some of the entirely new programs that could come to the career center include beauty and wellness programs for cosmetology and barbers with support from Capri College; an agri-science program with Hawkeye Community College, which includes courses like agronomy and farm business management; a power technology program with Hawkeye Community College with courses such as gas engine rebuild, automotive technology, automotive engine repair and collision repair; and a criminal justice and police science program with Hawkeye Community College with programs focusing on criminal justice, criminal investigation, criminology and juvenile justice.

Other programs that already exist have some changes with new courses from Hawkeye Community College, different coursework and returning to concurrent classes. These include cybersecurity, hospitality, sustainable construction, advanced manufacturing and fire science and emergency medical technician courses.

Some programs that can be started with a combination of the career center and courses at East and West high schools include entrepreneurship, respiratory therapy, physical therapy and occupational therapy.

At the end of the meeting, the board will read two new policies for a second time. These include the student disclosure of identification, which requires educators to inform parents and guardians about a students name or pronoun change, and the instruction materials selection, which dictates how teachers choose their classroom materials.

In other business, the board will:

Hear a presentation about the Teach Waterloo/Lead Waterloo program, which focuses on increasing the number of minority elementary education teachers and leaders in Waterloo Community Schools.

Accept a $10,000 donation from the R.J. McElroy Trust for the

2023-24 Youth Emergency Fund.

Consider approving the purchase of network security software and services that were presented in a closed session.

Award the business office, and the late Michael Coughlin, with a certificate of excellence award. A tribute will also be paid to Coughlin through his family, business office

staff and the board.
By Choe Chong-dae

For many parents and grandparents residing in Seoul, the dream of having their children and grandchildren attend an American high school on Korean soil has finally come true. This development marks a remarkable alternative to the prevalent trend of sending teenage children abroad or to Jeju Island, often accompanied by their mother. With the opening of The Learning Community International (TLCI) Seoul on Sept. 4, a perfect solution has emerged.

I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Mr. Kim Jae-bum, the executive director of TLCI Seoul and former Korean Ambassador to Latin America, including Uruguay. Our discussion shed light on the valuable details that parents and families have been seeking.

TLCI offers a personalized education model that provides comprehensive support and guidance directly to each student's family within the comfort of their home. This innovative approach leverages the entire world as a classroom, seamlessly integrating videoconferencing, online content modules and traditional textbooks to ensure that learning remains not only relevant but also lays a robust foundation for the future.

One of the standout features of TLCI is its commitment to tailoring education to each student's unique needs. Remarkably, for almost four decades, no two students at TLCI have ever followed the same learning plan. The institution takes a collaborative approach to craft a unique learning path for each student, aligning with their distinct visions for exploring the world, preparing for their future careers and shaping their life journeys. TLCI's customized curriculum approach provides learners with unparalleled flexibility, all underpinned by a transparent and empowering accountability process.

Outstanding educational experiences are at the core of TLCI's mission. The courses are designed with clear learning objectives, enriched content, rigorous academic standards and a strong emphasis on the production of tangible learning artifacts to substantiate the grades and credits students earn. What sets TLCI apart is its unwavering dedication to providing flexible, individualized and customized learning experiences tailored to each student's unique needs.

The TLCI team of experienced professionals serves as mentors and guides, accompanying learners on their educational journey throughout the entire academic year. Regular conferences involving the student, their parents or guardians and an assigned adviser are prioritized. These meetings offer a valuable opportunity to provide feedback, assess the learner's self-reflections and self-assessments and track progress towards their learning goals. This intentional engagement with the learning process fosters the development of crucial skills, including lifelong learning, self-confidence and personal accountability.

The commitment to excellence at TLCI is reflected in the outstanding outcomes achieved by its high school graduates. TLCI's holistic approach to learning and student development has consistently empowered graduates to attain their aspirations, including admission to prestigious institutions such as Harvard, the U.S. Naval Academy and state universities.

TLCI is not your typical educational institution; it represents a distinctive fusion of a private school and home education. Established in Columbus, Maryland, in 1984 as a private high school, TLCI has expanded its reach year by year, extending its impact beyond the United States to Indonesia, Israel and South Africa. The forthcoming establishment of TLCI in Korea is a sensational development, eagerly anticipated by those seeking a foundation to offer their child a meaningful and successful life.

TLCI Seoul introduces an innovative approach to learning through the Block Plan system, organizing classes into short, intensive blocks. This method immerses students in one subject at a time, promoting deep understanding and experiential learning. Inclusivity and support are core values, creating a safe space for students to thrive. TLCI is known for its distinctive high school experience through the Block Plan and other innovative programs, preparing students for future success.

I trust that TLCI Seoul will offer top-notch and creative educational services, aiming to captivate Korean students and provide them with an exceptional learning experience.

Choe Chong-dae (choecd@naver.com) is a guest columnist of The Korea Times. He is president of Dae-kwang International Co., and director of the Korean-Swedish Association.
Russia is ready for negotiations, but NOT any proposals for a ceasefire  Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov. Lavrov adds that West has deceived Russia with such a proposal before and it will not happen again.

***

By Lavrovs statements lately

Russia picked up a lot from the Syria campaign. And the defunct Minsk Agreements with Ukraine in recent times. Russia has now rightly concured that every occasion that there was and existed a ceasefire and or charitable interruption offered by the West, it was a lie for copping for time for terrorists to resupply, form plans and regroup

The West lead by the USA is 100% agreement incapable and never ever will uphold what agreements they sign and or implemented

We can witness a integral devotion of the Russian government in this SMO and they do not come across as they look or even care for an easy way out. In actuality they will toil onward and leisurely pulp the West into a liability riddled sleazeball of a casket

No peace can be allowed to the West, when the West falls the East must seize the occasion to systematically crush it. The West must recompense for thousands of sins against decent humanity

WtR
1973

The Columbus-Fall River Jaycees made preparations for the Patch the Pony Block Pal program. The program provided assistance to children in emergencies to have a safe house available in each block on their way to and from school. Organizers of the program included Mrs. Michael Raether, Marilyn Sikorski, and Brenda Wollen.

Members of the Columbus High School Color Guard included Cheryl Kraft, Bev Biel, Karen Kraft, and Nan Rehfeldt.

1983

A wall mural by Orville Daley decorated the side of Sandees Fast Food Restaurant depicting a western scene with wild stallions.

The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution marked the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Roderic Schroeder gave a talk to the chapter on events leading up to that day. The meeting was held at the home of Mrs. Phil McNulty.

1993

The Columbus Police Department reported that vandals toppled 39 headstones at Hillside Cemetery. City employees were working to reset the gravestones.

The Columbus Lions Club raced 3,000 wooden carp down the Crawfish River as a fundraiser for the club. The first-place winner was Chuck Reetz with Stan Jones in second-place.

2003

Colonial Carriage Works, 152 W. James St., received its first dollar from the Columbus Chamber of Commerce. Todd Frey was the owner of the new business.

Voters in the Columbus School District would go to the polls in November to vote on a school referendum for $3.3 million to cover the cost of refinancing debt, purchasing heating and air conditioning equipment roofing, and mold remediation.

Follow on Facebook at Columbus, WI Historical Society, email columbuswiareahistory.com or visit columbuswiareahistory.com. The Columbus WI Area Historical Society is looking for a home for its museum. If anyone has ideas on where to locate, contact David Komarck-Bennett, society president.
Celebrity

The 'My Best Friend's Wedding' actor reflects on his career and admits he made 'a mess' and created a 'prison' by hooking up with 'everyone' when he found fame.

Sep 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Rupert Everett made a "prison" for himself by "f****** everyone" when he found fame. The "My Best Friend's Wedding" actor, 64, shot fame in 1981 at the Greenwich Theatre and later West End production of "Another Country", playing a gay schoolboy opposite Kenneth Branagh, and went on to make films such as 1984's "Another Country" alongside Cary Elwes and Colin Firth.

Compared to peers such as Sir Kenneth, 62, he said he had no idea how to handle the "mechanics of fame" until it was too late. "Compared to Kenneth Branagh? What a mess," Rupert told The Times newspaper.

"I had a lot of individuality and raw something, but I never learnt how to focus and, looking back, for me, everything was just about sex. Everything. And it felt for a while like liberty, to f*** everyone."

"But once you'd f***** everyone, or even in the process of f****** everyone, you realised that it then became a prison. It was an appetite that wasn't fulfillable other than just whacking up the numbers."

Despite his regret, Rupert said he has never been to therapy, adding, "The idea of discovering yourself through therapy is bogus."

The "My Best Friend's Wedding" actor added he has given up his vanity treatments and exercise since getting into his 60s.

Rupert used to be renowned for his gruelling grooming and wellness regime, which has included facial blood injections, Botox, and hyperbaric oxygen treatments. But he told The Times about ditching the procedures - and the gym, "I've stopped all that and it's an enormous relief. I don't really care anymore, and I don't ever look in the mirror."

The Times reported he added he doesn't even work out any more and his only exercise is walking the four-year-old Labrador, Pluto, that he shares with his long-term Brazilian partner, Henrique.

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The NSYNC member has reportedly signed a lucrative gig at a Las Vegas resort in December and it will mark his first live show since he wrapped up his tour in 2019.

Sep 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Justin Timberlake is scheduled to perform his first live show in four years. The 42-year-old star is reportedly expected to bank 5 million for his performance at the new Fontainebleau hotel and casino in Las Vegas on December 13.

"Justin has been signed as the big name to open the Fontainebleau. Bosses are beyond excited to book him and his performance will put the hotel on the map," a source told The Sun on Sunday newspaper.

Justin is only expected to perform for one hour when he takes to the stage at the 3,644-room hotel in Sin City. However, the show will be his first live performance since April 2019 when he appeared in Uncasville, Connecticut for the final date of his Man of the Woods tour.

Justin has enjoyed success as a musician and as an actor. But the chart-topping star previously described music as his "bread and butter."

Justin - whose film credits include "Bad Teacher" and "The Social Network" - told ShortList magazine, "To me, it's my bread and butter. And I mean that in a personal way, I don't mean that it finances my 'acting hobbies.' I joke with my friends that I should have a business card saying 'David Fincher put me in a movie,' because 'Bad Teacher' got a blessing due to 'The Social Network', and then 'Friends With Benefits' came out of that."

"All the movies I've done were just opportunities that came up, but now that they're all coming out back-to-back, people think, 'Oh, he's trying to make a statement by having an acting career.' But it's not like that for me. I don't ever want to stop doing music."

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The 'Can't Get You Out of My Head' hitmaker sticks to her style regardless of criticisms, insisting it's more important to feel confident and be at ease with herself.

Sep 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Kylie Minogue says no to changing her style in order to satisfy her critics. The 55-year-old pop star vows to continue to wear whatever she wants - regardless of what her critics say.

"It's not about being sexy, it's about being yourself. I'm not going down to Tesco's in thigh boots and a catsuit, but in Popland that is me. I don't even call it sexy as even that feels passe," Kylie told The Sun on Sunday newspaper.

"I am happy there is a strength in inhabiting your own playfulness, your own confidence and empowerment. It is an acceptance and kind of daring to feel confident with yourself and be at ease. I am really comfortable with what I am doing."

Kylie has enjoyed critical and commercial success with "Padam Padam" - the hit single that she released earlier this year - and the pop star feels proud of what she's managed to achieve at this stage of her career.

She said, "It doesn't irk me when they call it a comeback but I find it funny, as I literally haven't stopped. I didn't come out with 'Padam' or this album raging against the machine, but I find myself in this position and I am just really thankful that it is coming with positivity. Soon ageism will be so uncool you just won't do it. Just let that person live and breathe in their space. Of course it was evident to me that something was happening with 'Padam'."

Kylie has also stressed the importance of being more "accepting" of people - regardless of their age. She explained, "You know, there is life and beauty in every decade of your life. I have gone from being the kid - the youngest person in the music scene - and having that, 'Well, what do you know - you're only 18 years old' to now."

"So I have gone through every decade and thankfully, if people are talking about ageism in music, it is talking about it in relation to 'we shouldn't be talking about it.' It is almost irrelevant. I think younger generations are so open-minded they are not bothered about it."

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The 'Yellowstone' star held the One805LIVE! event at a polo field on his luxurious estate in Santa Barbara, California on Friday, September 22 to honor first responders in Santa Barbara County.

Sep 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - A number of A-list stars gathered at Kevin Costner's charity fundraiser in California. Among those who were in attendance at the One805LIVE! event were Oprah Winfrey, Prince Harry, his wife Meghan Markle, as well as Ellen DeGeneres.

The 68-year-old "Yellowstone" star held the event in Santa Barbara, California on Friday, September 22. One805LIVE! itself is an organization established in 2018 that provides financial aid and mental health support for first responders in Santa Barbara County.

Oprah delivered speeches at the gathering as she introduced firefighter Sam Dudley onstage alongside his service dog, Rhoda. She described him as an "extraordinary man."

As for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, they presented Kevin an honorary award. At one point, the Academy Award-winning actor took the stage to greet the attendees, "Good afternoon, everyone."

Maroon 5 was also present to entertain all of the guests. The group frontman Adam Levine could be seen singing some of the band's hits like "This Love", "The Way You Look Tonight", "Sugar" as well as "She Will Be Loved".

The event took place just days after Kevin and his ex Christine Baumgartner reached an agreement to settle their divorce. As part of the agreement, their prenup is enforced.

A judge previously agreed with Kevin's proposed amount of child support for Cayden, 16, Hayes, 14, and 13-year-old Grace, setting his monthly payments at $63,209, falling far short of Christine's request for $175,057. Although it didn't go as Christine's plan, she reportedly was "the one who wanted to settle things outside of court in the first place" for the sake of their three kids.

"Christine didn't really have a choice but to settle because Kevin had all the power. Had she continued fighting, she would risk losing everything," a source told Daily Mail. "Christine said it is what it is. That she won't miss going to court and having sleepless nights. She said for the kids it's a win because no child wants to go thru this, let alone in public."

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Cover Images/Niyi Fote/Sol Jones Celebrity

The 77-year-old former president called out the 'Howard Stern Show' host on his own social media platform, Truth Social, and he described him as a 'broken weirdo.'

Sep 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Donald Trump's feud with Howard Stern has seemingly intensified. The former president, who used to be a frequent guest on Stern's radio show "The Howard Stern Show", called out the media personality for being "disloyal."

The 77-year-old slammed the broadcaster on his own social media platform, Truth Social, on Saturday, September 23. "The real Howard Stern is a weak, pathetic, and disloyal guy, who lost his friends and MUCH of his audience. Until just recently, I haven't heard his name mentioned in years," he began.

"I did his show many times in the good old days, and then he went woke, and nobody cares about him any longer," Trump continued. "I don't know what (really!) pay him, but it shouldn't be much."

Not stopping there, Trump went on to argue, "His influence is gone, and without that, he's got NOTHING." He then described Stern as "a broken weirdo," who is "unattractive both inside and out, trying like hell to be relevant!"

Trump made the post days after Stern reacted to a YouTube video in which a fan lamented him becoming woke. "I hear that a lot that I'm not good anymore because I'm woke," he stated. "By the way, I kind of take that as a compliment, that I'm woke."

"I'll tell you how I feel about it. To me the opposite of woke is being asleep," he added. "And if woke means I can't get behind Trump, which is what I think it means, or that I support people who want to be transgender or I'm for the vaccine, dude, call me woke as you f**king want."

Stern is no stranger to criticizing Trump on his SiriusXM radio show. In March 2022, he ripped the politician for supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin's moves to invade Ukraine.

"The man [Putin] is a human stain. I don't care how much power he has. Don't praise him," he said at the time. "Don't say what a genius he is. He's not a genius. He's a thug. He's a bully."

"I voted for many Republicans. I don't see how I'll ever get back to that," Stern further noted. "They've just totally disappointed me and their support of Vladimir Putin, the praise they heap on him. Trump's praise of Vladimir Putin. This guy's a f**king animal. I wish he was dead like I wish Hitler was dead."

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The 'Mamma Mia!' actor is set to share screen with Sarah Gadon in a new period big-screen drama which is set in the aftermath of World War I and the Irish Civil War.

Sep 24, 2023

AceShowbiz - Dominic Cooper is signed on for the period drama "Cry From the Sea". The 45-year-old actor will star alongside Sarah Gadon in the Canadian-Irish movie that is being directed by Vic Sarin.

Currently shooting, the film is set in the aftermath of World War I and the Irish Civil War and revolves around lighthouse keeper Seamus Og Mac Grianna - who has created a life of isolation and ritual after a tragedy he feels he should have stopped.

His only company is housekeeper Marie (Sarah Bolger), who allows him to remain closed off from the world while quietly waiting for him to see her. Seamus's meticulously structured life starts to crack when he meets outspoken American war widow Edith (Gadon) - whose search for closure ignites something in Seamus that will change them all forever.

The script has been written by Ciaran Creagh and is being produced by Vancouver-based production company Sepia Films and Dublin-based ShinAwil. Dominic played the role of Sky in "Mamma Mia!" but says that being in the movie musical gave him a false impression that "acting is just going around in boats" on the Greek islands.

The "History Boys" actor told Collider, "To go off to an island in Greece and sing every so often would be very important, but unfortunately it just doesn't happen that often. That happened so early on for me, I thought that was just the way it would be."

"I thought, 'Oh, I see, acting is just going around in boats and you live in Greece and you swim every day. You have a couple of days, here and there. Oh, I see.' I was brought back down to earth very quickly after that."

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Seoul must clarify its core interests to all partners

Two news items drew diplomatic watchers attention over the weekend.

One was the meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and visiting South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on the sidelines of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. The other was Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs news conference at the U.N. headquarters.

At the Xi-Han meeting, the Chinese leader made some suggestive remarks. For instance, Xi said South Korea and China should show their will to value and develop bilateral ties with their policies and actions.

That could be seen as an indirect expression of Beijings dissatisfaction with Seouls rapidly strengthening relationship with the U.S. and Japan.

Earlier, Xi stressed the need to reject Cold War thinking and battles between blocs. The meeting came amid escalating rivalries between Washington-Tokyo-Seoul on one side and Beijing-Moscow-Pyongyang on the other.

In New York, Lavrov said he would visit Pyongyang next month according to agreements between the two countries top leaders earlier in the month.

Lavrov did not pinpoint it, but his agenda could include discussions on President Vladimir Putins visit to Pyongyang. The top Russian diplomat pointed out strengthened U.S. military capabilities on the Korean Peninsula and the continuous rejection of Russian and Chinese efforts to prioritize humanitarianism and political solutions. He also blamed the U.S. and its allies for forcing the rest of the world to play by their rules.

Its apparent that China and Russia dislike the Yoon Suk Yeol administrations diplomatic stance. After the Han-Xi meeting, the Korean media highlighted the possibility of a visit to Seoul by Xi. However, Chinas 630-word release did not mention it. President Yoon Suk Yeol warned against military ties between Moscow and Pyongyang in his U.N. speech. Russias foreign ministry immediately called in the South Korean ambassador and said the unfriendly remark seriously hurt bilateral cooperation and development.

After the U.S., South Korea and Japan firmed up their ties to a semi-alliance at Camp David last month, diplomatic experts called for the government to restore the relationships with China and Russia for balance.

We agree.

In conclusion, Korea must not stand at the forefront of the new Cold War, but become a pivotal country in a multipolar world. Seoul must start with an airtight alliance with Washington but secure as much maneuvering room as possible with Beijing and Moscow. It must do at least three things to turn the seemingly impossible task into reality.

First, Korea should enhance its economic, scientific and technological capabilities. The Yoon administrations budgetary stringency and its cuts in R&D spending are suicidal. The nation must maintain and strengthen its prowess in the semiconductor and IT sectors. It must stick to free and fair trade while diversifying markets and partners.

Second, it should declare indisputable values and goals. Yoons undue emphasis on liberal democracy may appear ideological outside the West. Human rights, climate issues and global peace, including the peaceful reunification of this divided peninsula, could be its core interests.

Third, the government must set and pursue policy goals, diplomatic or social, after sufficient discussions and persuading the public. The Yoon administration has made several policy changes without telling anyone outside its inner circle in advance. A case in point is Yoon's unilateral ignorance of Japans wrongdoing during WWII, like sexual slavery and forced labor. Such turnarounds could be reversed when political power changes ? or even before the next presidential election.

The inter-Korean relationship is at a crossroads. A few more years of severance could lead the peninsula to a dangerous situation. Yoon must remember things were quite different less than five years ago. He says only a show of force, instead of dialogue and exchanges, can bring genuine peace to this peninsula. However, Koreans would prefer what Yoon referred to sarcastically as "fake peace" to genuine tension when one or two sides are pushed to use that force.

A countrys foreign policy must not end up satisfying only foreign ideologues and weapons makers.
Celebrity

The 'Under the Influence' hitmaker, who is reported as 'a personal guarantor' of the loan, will most likely have to pay up though since the suit filed in California is a collection suit.

Sep 25, 2023

AceShowbiz - Chris Brown has found himself entangled in a new legal battle. The "Under the Influence" hitmaker has been sued by a bank for allegedly failing to pay a $2 million loan that he borrowed to purchase two Popeyes Chicken fast-food restaurants.

Filing the lawsuit against Breezy was City National Bank. The Georgia-based company claimed that it gave the loan to the R&B star and several others, including rapper The Dream. The bank additionally stated in court documents obtained by The Blast, "As of February 17, 2023, Borrower and Guarantors owe $2,140,901.74 in unpaid principal and interest."

Breezy is reported as "a personal guarantor" of the loan. He will most likely have to pay up though since the suit filed in California is a collection suit. City National Bank already won a default judgment against the musician.

Breezy himself is currently fighting another lawsuit. His former housekeeper has been dragging him to court since 2021 over an alleged dog attack. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, Patricia Avila claims she and her sister were attacked by CB's dog when they were cleaning the star's house on December 12, 2020.

On the day of the attack, the dog, which is described as a Caucasian shepherd, was in the backyard. When Maria entered the backyard to empty the vacuum, the dog growled at her and "proceeded to viciously attack" her, prompting her to scream. When hearing her sister screaming, Patricia ran outside "where she found her sister covered in blood while she was screaming and crying for help." CB immediately called 911, the court docs say.

Patricia claimed that Maria was attacked on her face around her eye and was also bitten on her leg. Additionally, she stated that there were several inches of skin missing from her arm. The lawsuit mentions that Maria needed to undergo two surgeries and stay in the hospital for multiple days.

In July of this year, Breezy reportedly asked a judge to push back the trial date for the $71 million lawsuit. The date was moved to the end of December after it was initially scheduled for September 26, 2023, according to RadarOnline.com.

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Lights, Camera, Review! Adgully launches film review column SCREENXX REVIEW. Adgully is thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new film review column 'SCREENXX REVIEW' by none other than Sumeet Nadkarni. By day, he's a Chartered Accountant, but by passion, he's a self-styled film critic. Sumeet is no stranger to the world of cinema; he's been captivating audiences with his insights for years. Sumeet's film-related articles have appeared in leading publications. He brings a fresh and unique perspective to the world of Indian cinema with his unbiased film reviews. Stay tuned for a cinematic journey like no other, right here on Adgully.

Lady Drishyam. These two words would sum up the latest crime thriller from Sujoy Ghosh, which is being publicised as Kareena Kapoor's OTT debut. Whateva!! Jaane Jaan is basically an adaptation of The Devotion of Suspect X, a popular novel made in to a Hollywood movie earlier as well as wonderfully Indianised by Jeethu Joseph and the late Nishikant Kamat as Drishyam (2015). The plot premise plus the alibi offered by the suspect are identical here though Sujoy Ghosh begins and ends his movie on a totally different note. And mind you, I found the climax quite abrupt and disappointing.

The lovely Kareena Kapoor is obviously the centre of attraction here - for her next door neighbour cum mathematics teacher (Jaideep Ahlawat) as well as the investigating cop (Vijay Varma) cross-examining her in a murder case. The victim is supposedly Kareena's ex-husband, who was a dirty cop indulging in shady deals from hawala to dance bars.

Like Ghosh's earlier films, the characters are well etched and deliciously quirky!! Jaideep Ahlawat is outstanding as the socially awkward Maths genius who sees logic as well as magic in numbers. Vijay Varma playing the tough cop, pitches in a competent act. In one scene, he finds it difficult to resist Kareena's charm and sorta self admonishes himself. Haha!!

Ultimately, Jaane Jaan belongs to Kareena Kapoor, who is the "jaan" of this otherwise average flick. Her looks, body language, eye contact and dialogue delivery are just perfect. Watch her in the scene where she sees her ex-hubby for first time or later, when she grooves to the iconic Lata Mangeshkar song from which the movie title is borrowed. This is indeed Kareena 2.0. Yup, she's come a long way from playing Poo and hamming to glory in films like Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon and Khushi (both 2003). This lady has matured beautifully, knows how to act now and most importantly, means business. Lady Drishyam, actually!!

Ratings on some key aspects* :

1. Acting : 5/5

2. Direction : 3/5

3. Music : 3.5/5

4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 2/5

5. Cinematography : 3/5

6. Editing : 2.5/5

7. Costume Design : 3.5/5

8. Special Effects and VFX : NA

9. Action : NA

10. Production Quality : 3/5

#SNRating for #JaaneJaan : 2 & 1/2 stars out of 5.

- Sumeet Nadkarni.

* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others.

#JaaneJaan #CrimeThriller #HindiMovie #BollywoodFilm #KareenaKapoor #JaideepAhlawat #VijayVarma #SujoyGhosh #BollywoodReview #Filmreview #TheatricalRelease #OTTRelease #Netflix #SNRatings

#SNRatings barometer:

1 star = Poor

1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable

2 stars = Average

2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it

3 stars = Good enough/ Watchable

3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a theatrical watch

4 stars = Very good

5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding.

About Sumeet Nadkarni: Sumeet Nadkarni is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a self-styled film critic by passion. He reviews Bollywood movies and OTT releases on his popular personal blog #SNRatings. His film-related articles have appeared in leading publications in India. With a keen eye for cinematic detail and a knack for insightful critiques, Sumeet brings a unique perspective to the world of Indian cinema. Follow him for the latest Bollywood insights and unbiased film reviews. #FilmCritique #BollywoodReviewer
Take three steps in any direction at the BJCC Exhibition Halls on Saturday, and you were likely to bump into a Mandalorian, a Ghostbuster, a Stormtrooper, a Navi hunter, a friendly furry, a winged fairy or even Batman himself.

Alabama Comic Con was in full force in downtown Birmingham, and when AL.com paid a visit to the con on Saturday afternoon, the exhibition halls were filled with costumed characters from science fiction, fantasy, comics, anime and more.

Celebrity guests were on hand, ranging from Giancarlo Esposito of Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian to Doug Jones of Hellboy and The Shape of Water. Westling legends such as Mick Foley, Sting and Kevin Nash made appearances at the event, as well, chatting with fans and signing autographs.

Wrestling legend Mick Foley poses with fans at Alabama Comic Con on Sept. 23, 2023, In Birmingham. The three-day event was set for Sept. 23-24 at the BJCC Exhibition Halls downtown. (Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)

RELATED: Alabama Comic Con 2023: What youll pay for autographs & photos with the biggest stars

Alabama Comic Con might not be as large as San Diego Comic Con international or as wildly fanciful as Dragon Con in Atlanta, but there was plenty to see and do on Saturday. The convention, produced by Humble Enterprises, includes vendors, gaming, panel discussions and cosplay, along with general socializing.

Fans of fantasy, comics, anime, science fiction and more were on hand at Alabama Comic Con on Sept. 23, 2023, In Birmingham. The three-day event was set for Sept. 23-24 at the BJCC Exhibition Halls downtown. (Mary Colurso | mcolurso@AL.com)

See photos of people and things we saw at Alabama Comic Con 2023 in the gallery at the top of this post. The event continues on Sunday at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex, 2100 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tickets are available at the door, priced at $50 for a day pass. Admission is free for kids ages 10 and younger, with a paying adult.
Luke Hawkes culinary career can be traced back to when he was a firefighter in his late teens. Their fire station was, as he puts it, about four hours into the mountains away from civilization.

Part of the St. George, Utah based Arizona Strip Fuels Crew, Hawkes tasks included planning and cooking meals. He had a stout $2,000 per week food budget, allowing for dishes like seared salmon and roasted chicken. With no culinary training at that point, he did his best to make tasty meals for their 14-person crew.

In his early 20s, Hawkes family moved to Huntsville after his dad got a job on Redstone Arsenal. By then Hawke had attended and graduated from culinary school.

In Huntsville, he worked at since-shuttered Providence-area restaurant Grille 29. He did a seven-year stint at Cotton Row, local celebrity chef James Boyces flagship. Next, he was at well-regarded downtown spot Domaine South.

In 2022, Hawke got offered the chance to help launch CO/OP Community Table, a project whose partners include chef and restauranteur Marc Taft, known for Atlanta-area eateries like Brine Seafood Shack. Hawke and Taft had previously collaborated on a concept the never got off the ground at The Camp, a vibey outdoor event space in the MidCity development, within the shadows of where Orion Amphitheater is now.

Opening restaurants has been kind of my thing, Hawke says. Whether its opening new ones or helping other ones or revamping new menus and stuff like that. Hes intrigued by, creating something from nothing.

Growing up in Arizona and Utah, Hawke developed an affinity for Hispanic and Spanish food. Later, at culinary school he got into classical French style cooking.

In Huntsville, he brought those roots to what he does with contemporary Southern cuisine prevalent at upscale restaurants here. Like what hes doing now at CO/OP Community Table.

Shrimp and grits at Huntsville restaurant CO/OP Community Table. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

Sometimes chefs who are from outside the South have some of the most interesting new takes on our food. Hawkes one of those.

CO/OPs signature dishes include a chicken and dumplings entree boasting herbed gnocchi, baby carrots, Cipollini onions, spring peas, bacon lardons (fatty bacon pieces), and parmesan cream.

Thats inspired by my mother-in-law, Hawke says. Shes of German descent. She always makes me chicken and dumplings when I go to her house. She makes them the old-fashioned way, with big soggy noodles and whole pieces of chicken in there, a hearty broth.

The smoked catfish dip app at Huntsville restaurant CO/OP Community Table. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

During my recent lunch at CO/OP, I started with their smoked catfish dip app. Smokey and clean, kind of like a svelte aquatic chicken salad. Served with charred lemon  squeeze away, my friends  and toasty Old Bay saltines.

Crispy-skin chicken with whipped potatoes and chicken jus at Huntsville restaurant CO/OP Community Table. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

Also gave their crispy skin chicken, which is roasted not fried, a whirl. Served over rich, whipped potatoes beached in a pool of complex, earthy chicken jus.

Hawkes take on shrimp and grits is particularly compelling. Forgoing spiciness for citrus brightness, a counterpoint to the dishs funkier stuff, like blistered tomatoes, Tasso ham, local chiles and caramelized onion. A sprig of red mustard serves as art-installation garnish.

Shrimp and grits at Huntsville restaurant CO/OP Community Table. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

CO/OP is inside the downtown 800 Monroe St S.W. location of Embassy Suites. To get to the restaurant, you walk through an airy 10-story atrium, which evokes the interior of a posh Death Star. Visiting celebs like rappers Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa and The Incredible Hulk classic TV star Lou Ferrigno have stayed at the hotel.

Inside the CO/OP space, the interior features backlit silhouettes of livestock and displayed glass fermenters filled with faux brown-booze. Theres also a shelf of jars of canned peppers, pickles and white asparagus. Hawke canned these himself. They sometimes find their way into his restaurants dishes.

Luke Hawke, executive chef at Huntsville restaurant CO/OP Community Table. (Matt Wake/mwake@al.com)

Prior to his rookie cooking gig as a firefighter, Hawke cooked at home out of necessity. Both his parents worked a lot. As a latchkey kid he often needed to fend for himself for meals before his parents got home.

Then when I was in high school, Hake says, my friends and I hanging out, wed be at somebodys house, and youd be hungry. Id just start pilfering around. This looks cool, this looks cool, and put it together. And I just became really good at that.

CO/OP Community Table hours of operation, menu and more info can be found at eatatcoop.com.

MORE ON HUNTSVILLE CULTURE:

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The origins and continuing impact of Huntsvilles signature beer

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A New Market man was killed Saturday when the bicyle he was riding - as it was being towed by a riding lawnmower - was struck by a car, according to troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. The operator of the lawnmower was also injured.

Jerry W. Hillis, 41, was killed when the Mongoose Rebel bicycle he was operating was struck by the 2003 Chevrolet Impala driven by a 57-year-old Huntsville man, according to an ALEA press release.

The crash happened at 3:20 p.m. Saturday on Arnold Road near Prospect Road, about five miles east of Hazel Green, in Madison County, troopers reported.

At the time of the crash the bicycle Hillis was riding was being towed by a Cub Cadet Super LT 1554 riding lawn mower driven by Samuel N. Bratcher, 48, of New Market, according to troopers. The mower was also struck by the Impala.

Hillis was thrown from the bicycle and was pronounced deceased at the scene, according to the ALEA press release. Bratcher was transported to Huntsville Hospital for medical treatment.

No other information about the crash. Troopers with ALEAs Highway Patrol Division are continuing an investigation into the crash.
An Altoona woman was killed Saturday night when she was struck while walking down a highway in that north Alabama city, troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency report.

Catie K. Caudle, 33, was in the roadway and was fatally injured after being struck by a 2012 Jeep Wrangler driven by a 64-year-old Altoona woman, according to an ALEA press release. The crash happend at 7:06 p.m. Saturday on Alabama 132 near the 9 mile marker, within the Altoona city limits, according to the statement.

Caudle was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the press release.

No other information is available as troopers with ALEAs Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate the crash.
By Kim Sang-woo

At the BRICS summit in Johannesburg from Aug. 22-24, more than 20 countries formally applied to join the group. The new members are Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. They will become full members from Jan. 1, 2024. With these new members, the BRICS+ has acquired a more Global South look.

Expanding BRICS was formally proposed by China during its presidency last year. Adding more members to a group comprising the world's most populous and large emerging markets can generate additional economic opportunities for both existing and new members. But Chinas proposal also generated concerns. A China-led expansion of BRICS cannot overlook the worries of Beijing forging a coalition of allies to counterbalance the U.S. and its partners.

Echoing their demand for a larger say in global affairs, the BRICS leaders declaration repeatedly called for greater representation of emerging markets and developing countries in international institutions from the United Nations and the U.N. Security Council to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Criticizing the U.S. hegemony, Xi hailed the expansion as historic and a new starting point for BRICS+ cooperation.

Moving forward, however, the groups expansion could be a double-edged sword. The inclusion of U.S. allies such as the UAE alongside countries ambivalent or opposed to the U.S. could frustrate efforts at deepening cooperation between member countries.

The challenges and opportunities presented by expansion will test the cohesiveness and effectiveness of BRICS+. Its ability to remain a credible force for reshaping global governance would depend on its capacity to reach a consensus among diverse members.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sees BRICS+ as a platform that can bring a new and more equitable perspective to global cooperation and problem-solving. The timing of the summit could not have been better for Modi. In between his state visit to the United States and Indias G20 presidency, Modi has used the global stage to declare and reinforce India as the voice of the Global South and the new growth engine of the world.

For India, the outcome of the BRICS summit and the G20 presidency have become markers of its diplomatic success. India is in a position to act as a bridge between the West and East while championing the concerns of the Global South.

The absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in New Delhi held between Sept. 9-10 was at first viewed as a direct snub to Modi and would ultimately overshadow Indias presidency and its G20 objectives. But as the summit came to an end, it was clear that the exact opposite occurred.

Xis decision not to attend was likely an attempt to discredit the G20 as a forum for international cooperation and demonstrate his opposition to the established world order. Setting Xis G20 snub next to his appearance at the BRICS summit and the planning of the third Belt and Road Forum in October suggests that he intends to promote alternative and competing organizations that he can more easily manipulate or control to serve Chinas global interests.

However, Modi proved that he is becoming a counterweight to Xi in the developing world. While Xi rallies the developing world in support of Chinas anti-American agenda, Modi is seen offering an alternative vision of North-South relations that is focused on enhancing the voice of developing countries in global governance rather than confronting the West.

Xi turned out to be the biggest loser of the summit. By vacating his seat, he allowed Modi and U.S. President Joe Biden to promote their own views and influence. Rather than Xis snub spoiling the summit the G20 went on without him.

The G20 summit proved its relevance and resilience this year. From World Bank reform to adding the African Union as a permanent member to climate commitments, the group made real progress.

Biden stepped into the void left by Xi and secured new infrastructure deals aimed at connecting India, the Middle East and Europe. The U.S. was even awarded the 2026 presidency, reportedly over Chinas objections.

In recent years, the term Global South has gained tremendous geopolitical currency. India has focused its efforts to place the Global South and its concerns at center stage working with like-minded partners, such as South Korea, at the G20 summit.

Regardless of South Koreas lack of an official endorsement of the term Global South, its commitment to realizing a prosperous global community through shared global development is an inclusive vision. South Korea's current foreign policy objective to become a global pivotal state is an expression of this goal.

Moreover, as a former aid recipient and today an advanced economy, it has become an exemplary global economic and social development model. Therefore, South Korea can play an important role in matters related to the Global South.

Together, South Korea and India can help create a more equitable global governance system by working to minimize differences; promoting the interests of the Global South; and advocating for reforms, particularly at multilateral forums.

As South Korea aspires to be a global pivotal state in the Indo-Pacific, India can be a key strategic partner providing new impetus to South Koreas geopolitical and economic goals. Both South Korea and India can play an important role based on a strong security alliance with the U.S. and shared democratic values in realizing sustainable development agenda through "minilateral" and multilateral frameworks.

South Koreas pursuance of a free, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific is the culmination of a global pivotal state. Moreover, by leveraging its diplomatic acumen, economic prowess and technological advancements, South Korea can contribute to international problem-solving and bridge the gap between developed and developing nations.

Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com), a former lawmaker, is chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project and a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation.
A 17-year-old Vance teen was killed in a single-vehicle crash Saturday night in Tuscaloosa County, troopers with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency report.

ALEA has not released the name of the teen.

The crash happened at 10:25 p.m. Saturday on Alabama 69 near the 136 mile marker, approximately five miles south of Tuscaloosa, according to a press release from ALEA.

The 17-year-old was killed when the 2005 Nissan Maxima the teen was driving left the roadway and struck a ditch, according to the press release. The teen was not using a seat belt at the time of the crash, troopers reported.

The teen was transported to a local area hospital where the youth later succumbed to injuries and was pronounced dead, according to the press release.

No other information is available as troopers with ALEAs Highway Patrol Division continue to investigate.
This is an opinion column.

Spite is driving America once again towards either another government shutdown or more profligate spending. Congress fails to meet its most basic responsibility of funding the government because our representatives are playing petty political games. Instead of holding them accountable, were clapping for our respective parties and politicians. Nobody has clean hands, so we might as well be honest about the current state of affairs.

I wont bore you with the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 other than to say that Congress has a clear process for setting the federal budget and appropriating funds. Neither party particularly enjoys or uses that process. It requires work, focus, and quite a few votes in committees and on the House and Senate floor.

Another fact is that Congress also blew money out the door during the COVID-19 pandemic far in excess of the normal spending trajectory. Returning spending to pre-pandemic levels isnt extreme; its a necessary dose of common sense. Unfortunately, our political class isnt particularly interested in taking that seriously.

Our leaders would much rather spend time venting their spleens on cable news than grinding through legislative spending language. Most of it isnt particularly controversial. Its a choice between different programs and funding levels. Instead of working together and reaching consensus through votes, many of our representatives just say, No.

Its a lazy path. If a member of Congress doesnt get what she wants, she just votes against it. She doesnt even have to do the work of offering an alternative. Our current practice is no different than trying to feed mashed peas to a baby. They close their mouths, and the process grinds to a halt. Nobody actually expects the baby to offer nutritional alternatives.

Thats why Congress only has certain enumerated powers in the Constitution. Achieving affirmative consensus is difficult. It becomes insanely challenging when we dont even try to work with our political opposition.

Before we ever talk about getting legislation through the Senate, lets do the math in the House. Republicans hold 221 seats, Democrats have 212, and two seats are currently open.

To advance any spending bill, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) needs a simple majority of the votes cast. McCarthy must essentially keep all Republicans on board or go to Democrats for votes.

At the moment, a few Republicans are willing to thwart major spending legislation, and Democrats are perfectly fine with them calling the shots. Democrats have no intention of finding common ground. If they did, Democratic members in politically challenging districts would vote to move McCarthys spending measures. The Democrat-controlled Senate will undoubtedly strip any particularly offensive components out before a final vote on passage. If the Democratic priority was indeed funding the government and avoiding a shutdown, a small cohort of Democrats could negate the votes of dissenting Republicans with little political pain.

Reasonable Democrats are better off voting for a spending measure they dont like than being run over by a bill with concessions to someone like Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) that they will undoubtedly hate. Democratic rhetoric about opposing extremism runs painfully hollow when they intentionally refuse to work with Republicans to do anything about it.

All the sound and fury in Washington over the looming government shutdown is nothing more than fiscal performance art. Any shutdown will be relatively brief, the government will ultimately be funded, and employees out of work will almost certainly receive back pay. Any fiscal restraint imposed as a result will be marginal at best. If Americans truly want fiscal sanity, wed send a lot more rock-ribbed budget hawks to Congress.

Meanwhile, Republicans are threatening to punch themselves in the face if McCarthy so much as tries to ask Democrats for help. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) intends to force a vote on vacating McCarthys speakership if he passes a continuing resolution to fund the government.

The only outcome Democrats would enjoy more than killing a few spending bills is shutting down the Republican-led House entirely. All it would take is six Republicans joining the 212 Democrats to force McCarthy out.

That might sound like a plan to the 20-or-so members who challenged McCarthys bid for Speaker, but hell would freeze over before the rest of the Republican conference rallies around someone like Gaetz as a replacement.

Who is someone more conservative, trusted, and capable of securing 218 Republican votes? After the last 15 rounds to land on McCarthy, he legitimately might be as conservative as current House Republicans are willing to go. Even if someone else managed to secure the Speakers gavel, were right back in the same scenario of figuring out how to fund the government.

If members of Congress arent willing to stop the theatrics within the House and Senate to fund the government and tackle other important issues, we shouldnt wonder why they resemble a bunch of babies refusing to eat their peas and crying loudly about it.

More Cameron Smith columns:

Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. Hes a partner in Triptych Media, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to csmith@al.com or @DCameronSmith on Twitter.
Reading this weeks news of the Biden Administration, I kept thinking of the Three Stooges poking fingers in each others eyes. As I started to write this, I see that Kurt Schlichter also compares this administration to the same trio, wrapping up their doings as Beetlejuice the Musical.

Heres what reminded me of that slapstick routine and why I think the administration is just being aggressively stupid. Nothing seems to get through to them; their conduct is clear evidence that they believe they can get away with being completely outrageous because they suffer no consequences. (I know you probably can point to more examples -- apart from the open border through which the number of invaders now is the population equivalent of 17 states. But these are the ones -- in no particular order -- that struck me this week.)

The Suit Against Elon Musk

This litigation strikes me as this weeks most easily understood misuse of the law to pester opponents and make them dig into their pockets to defend.

The Department of Justice is suing Elon Musk for not hiring refugees to build advanced rocket technology. Why didnt Tesla hire refugees? Tesla has hired non-citizens and non-green card holders for some positions but asserts that it could not for those projects that have national security implications because that is forbidden by law and they could face steep fines for employing foreign workers for those positions.

Not satisfied with one attack, the Biden administration is also investigating Musk for building a glass house near the companys Texas headquarters. A case as frivolous as the other, for no such house was built or even planned. Private counsel filing such frivolous lawsuits would be subject to sanctions.

@elonmusk Just want to reiterate that there is no glass house (metaphors dont count lol) built, under construction or planned! Im not building any house of any kind anywhere. Period.

Suing Musk for following the law and investigating him for a never-built glass house seems stupid unless you, like Congressman Thomas Massie, werent born yesterday:

Elon Musk was a Democrat who admittedly supported Biden but then he became a critic of the administration and exposed the censorship regime. Now per public reports the DOJ has opened not one but two investigations of Elon Musk These look like mafia tactics.

The Homeland Intelligence Experts Group

DHS has created a Homeland Intelligence Experts Group to deal with national security issues. Appointed to this group are James Clapper, John Brennan, and Paul Kolbe, former intelligence officers who signed the October 2020 letter deceptively implying the Hunter Biden laptop was Russian disinformation. Kanekoa the Great asks the question on every thinking persons mind: Why select intelligence officials who intentionally spread misinformation to sway a U.S. election for a role in a DHS Expert Group tasked with national security?? Shouldnt they be losing their security clearances? Also selected for this group by DHS head Alejandro Mayorkas is Tashina Guahar who oversaw the fraudulent Carter Page FISA -- the fake claim that set off the illegal surveillance into the Trump campaign.

Theyre just trying humiliate us by showing they fear no consequences for what theyve done. It should come as no surprise, as Rasmussen Reports notes, that More than two-thirds of U.S. likely voters are worried that their country is turning into a police state and a majority say the FBI is a danger to the freedom and security of law-abiding Americans.

Attorney General Merrick Garlands Testimony Reveals Extensive Corruption by the Department of Justice

A number of online commentators have covered his testimony in depth. Julie Kelly and Jonathan Turley are particularly detailed and you can scroll through their posts on X, the site formerly known as Twitter. Of particular interest was Garlands claim he had no idea how many undercover federal agents participated in the January 6 event at the Capitol. He was evasive and not credible on the number and role of federal agents on that date.

During the hearing, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) confronted Garland for refusing to answer in a hearing two years ago whether there were federal Agents present on January 6, 2021 and whether they agitated to go into the Capitol. Garland back then claimed he could not comment on pending investigations. [snip] Massie: That was your answer two years ago when I asked how many agents and assets of the government were present on January 5 and January 6 and agitating in the crowd to go into the Capitol. Can you answer that now? Garland: I dont know the answer to that question. Massie: You dont know how many there were or there were none? Garland: I dont know the answer to either of those questions if there were any or if there are Massie: I think you may have just perjured yourself when you just said you dont know if there were any. You want to say that again? Garland: I have no personal knowledge of this matter. I think what I just said the last time Massie: Youve had two years to find out! By the way that was in reference to Ray Epps and yesterday you indicted him! Isnt that a wonderful coincidence? On a misdemeanor!

Former Assistant Director-in-Charge of the Washington Field Office has acknowledged in a letter released by the House Judiciary Committee there were numerous FBI confidential human sources in the crowd. In fact, there were so many and from so many different offices that they could not immediately ascertain how many there were.

Garlands selection of David Weiss as special counsel was a peculiar one. Weiss had previously worked with Hunters late brother Beau; he negotiated Hunter's absurd sweetheart plea agreement which the Federal District Court had refused to accept; and had earlier overseen an FBI probe of Bidens Delaware fundraising operation in which a top bundler pleaded guilty to a straw donor scheme but Biden was never charged. Garland admitted that Weiss was the only person he ever considered for that position, and it would have been disruptive" had he appointed anyone else. He refused to answer if he had had any conversations with Weiss about the Hunter matter. He couldnt recollect discussing the matter with the FBI.

He declined to withdraw the incendiary memo that directed the FBI to use counterterrorism tactics on parents who raised objections to school board policies.

Worse, his testimony about why he failed to appoint a special counsel earlier and the claim Weiss had broad authority even before the appointment of him as special counsel is in direct contradiction to the testimony of now three whistleblowers to the contrary and the failure of the DoJ in response to a FOIA request to provide any evidence to support Garlands claim that Weiss had broad authority. In fact, he accidentally admitted that the department thwarted the Hunter investigation.

U.S. Attorney, now Special Counsel, David Weiss did not have full charging authority during the bulk of his federal investigation into Hunter Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland slyly admitted in his testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday. Garlands confession contradicts his previous under-oath insistence that Weiss possessed all of the authority he needed to properly charge President Joe Bidens youngest son with various tax and gun crimes, some of which extended to other jurisdictions.[Ed: it is consistent with Weisss most recent June 30 acknowledgement that his authority was geographically limited to my home district.] Even after acknowledging Weisss attempts to charge Hunter were hampered by a U.S. attorney acting on behalf of the DOJ, Garland doubled down on his claims that the attorney has full authority to conduct his investigation however he wishes. He repeatedly invoked Weisss position as a Donald Trump appointee as proof that he was acting independently of the AG. Despite the potential penalty of perjury, Garland claimed during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on March 1, 2023, that the U.S. Attorney in Delaware has been advised that he has full authority to bring cases in other jurisdictions if he feels its necessary. In a June 7 letter to Jordan, Weiss appeared to confirm that I have been granted ultimate authority over this matter, including responsibility for deciding where, when, and whether to file charges. In a subsequent June 30 letter, however, Weiss reversed his claim and declared that his charging authority is geographically limited to my home district. Weisss lack of jurisdiction was further confirmed in August when Garland named Weiss special counsel, an authority that allows the prosecutor to charge Hunter outside of Delaware. If Weiss truly did possess full autonomy in the Hunter case, as Garland dubiously declared on numerous occasions, he wouldnt have needed the special counsel appointment to prosecute the presidents son. Garland still claimed he had made it clear that Weiss could bring a case in any jurisdiction with the attorney generals blessing via a Section 515 form. For most of the hearing, Garland tried to appear as a hands-off department head who let Weiss independently conduct his investigation. Republicans quickly saw through that facade when Garland immediately refused to disclose whether he had communications with Weiss about Hunters case.

The advantages of the Weiss appointment to the administration is obvious. The President told prosecutors in May that his son should not be indicted because hed done nothing wrong, Weiss is the cut out to hide the role of the DoJ in covering for Biden family bribery and corruption, and a thoroughly compromised Weisss work will only be known when he files his report, that is after the investigation -- something unlikely to be done before the 2024 election.

Nyuk! Nyuk!
When Soviet Bolshevism fell, liberal democracy and capitalism stood ready to replace it.

But thirty years later, they are also not far from following those comrades into their workers' paradise.

Liberalism and liberals do not come off well in my books. Liberalism, with its reforms, has always hastened any systems fall, including its own.

The political side of this dynamic is easy to follow. When dissent is finally allowed in a once-illiberal country, discontent grows until it takes on its own momentum. Political and economic liberalization are destabilizing; they are merely interim measures leading to the next level of development that liberalism will not control. Moreover, most liberals are ineffectual, abusive, and insulting toward anyone who disagrees with them.

Much-coveted private enrichment is easier and faster accomplished through corruption than honest capitalist exertion. Simply applying the liberal rules of the free market is never enough without the underlying classical liberal culture to make capitalism work. Then, ironically, the practices of liberal democracy will destroy that very capitalism in return. This shaky and unstable circle keeps wobbling until it becomes anarchy or develops into an illiberal democracy with managed capitalism. Russia has already experienced this path; the U.S. is still decaying into such disorder.

No one had predicted the fall of the crumbling Soviet empire until it happened, and no one who lived through that time can analyze the collapse of socialism without thinking about the decaying American empire of today. The American political system is downright outdated, dysfunctional, corrupt, and run by a gerontocracy (President Biden was older when inaugurated than Leonid Brezhnev, Yury Andropov, and Konstantin Chernenko were when they died several decades ago).

The American Constitutional system is dead, and the legislature has become a theater for racial equity and political correctness. The judicial system is prejudiced; the mainstream media is shamelessly biased and propagandistic; big business slavishly follows state orders predicated on social justice; the educational system has turned into training institutions of leftist ideology; store shelves are intermittently empty, and there are show trials on television.

One other point of resemblance is the rebelliousness of a resentful majority. The Soviet Union, like the U.S., was racially and ethnically diverse, with Russians as the predominant nationality, albeit suffering a demographic declinesimilar to the whites in the United States. Russian nationalists began to demand why Czechoslovakia, Poland, or Hungary enjoyed higher living standards than the Russians to whose empire they belonged.

Americans, primarily liberal intellectuals, have begun to ask why Europeans, mainly Scandinavians, live better than the citizens of the Western worlds leading country.

Americas assumed still-majority is not in a position to secede the way Russia was able to free itself of the USSR and thus bring down the empire. The features between the First, Second, and Third Worlds have been blurred in the contemporary United States as state competence stretches in various odd and tyrannical directions while leaving the essential functions of government untouched. The resulting misalignment of priorities could delegitimize the government in the eyes of the citizenry.

The post-WWII political landscape was comparatively transparent. The First World nations of the Westthe U.S., U.K., France, and so on, including Japanportrayed relative political and economic independence, capitalist material prosperity, and legal probity. Then, there were communist dictatorships of the Second World, where the government exercised near-total control over its citizens, the state-dominated the media, and a single political party enforced its own ideologically driven laws. Filling out the picture was the Third World, notable for autocracy, corruption, poverty, disease, and crime.

Ideologically and intellectually impaired experts assumed an inevitable transition whereby Third World nations (even communist countries) would eventually become First World nations. There was some progress as capitalism became more widespread but this Third-World-to-First-World transition did not occur as those theorists had anticipated.

Now the America of today seems to be combining critical elements of communist-style dictatorships with Third World human misery and its intellectual morass to create a mind-boggling hybrid.

Most evident is the slide toward enhanced state power once associated with communist dictatorships, i.e., a totalitarian creep toward socialism. This encroachment includes politicizing the security and intelligence agencies and government permissiveness as social media companies censor and defund organizations disputing government claims. The transgression also involves the exaggerating of crises to expand bureaucratic control, political show trials, transforming education into indoctrination, rewriting history, state cooptation of the mass media, encouraging mobs to terrorize ordinary people, manipulating elections via questionable regulations, and an Orwellian obsession with criminalizing language.

America and the Western world have become not the Workers' Paradise of yore, but the Wokers Paradise in which parts of the U.S. combine the worst of the Second and Third Worlds.

In supposedly First World cities, dozens of ill-kempt, homeless drug addicts might invade your front yard, mug you, and set up campstrying to evict them is a risky business. Yes, the state-run stores in the old East Berlin had empty shelves, but the odds of your Trabant being carjacked with you in it were zero, and the Stasi happily ignored your choice of pronoun.

Whether I sit in a coffee shop forced to listen to a rap being played, or inadvertently overhear children play and talk, or listen in to municipal workers shouting in town, the F-wordthe one that rhymes with muck and yuckfeatures prominently in the lyrics, used as an adjective, a noun, and a verb.

This crudity of language is merely one symptom of American descent into barbarism, while a disheveled fashion sense is another. The so-called Womens Health Protection Act is one of the much darker signs of the drift toward barbarism, a bill passed by Democrats in the House of Representatives in September 2021. That act would override state laws on abortion, including mandatory waiting periods, requirements involving ultrasound tests, and informed consentand allow abortions through nine months.

What kind of hell is being created in America? What kind of people will chop up an eight-month-old baby in the womb? The fact that this bill passed the House of Representatives condemns the United States of America, labeling it a country of barbaric pagans and putting it in the company of the ancient city-state of Carthage, pre-Columbian cultures practicing child sacrifice, and even Nazi Germany.

Americans are fond of condemning the past today, tearing down monuments, revising history books, and attacking the forefathers who founded the United States and made the country attractive to millions of immigrants. What will their childrens children, those fortunate enough to be born and see the light of day, think of a people who condoned and approved such atrocities?

Real Americans must embrace a moral way of living and not act as if they believe in modern Western civilizations left-liberal values and mores.

Supposedly, The Times of London once sent the following brief inquiry to several intellectuals and acclaimed authors: What is wrong with the world today? G. K. Chesterton, writer and philosopher, responded with a two-word answer, I am.

Ideally, those in government, corporations, schools, universities, and the rest of American society exercised this same sense of humility. In that case, they might turn away from their dark path.

However, I am a realist, not an idealist.

Peter J. Sandys was born and brought up in Hungary, where he was briefly imprisoned for attempting to escape from the country in 1963. After rehabilitation, graduating from technical high school, and finishing military service, he earned a masters degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Budapest. Following his successful defection to the West, he settled in the United States and earned a masters degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and a doctoral degree in international business from the University of California. He held various engineering and project management positions, mostly in the aerospace industry, and published The Waning of the West: An Inconvenient Truism and Not All Quiet Before the Storm: A Political Study of the West. He has one daughter and a grandson. Retired, he lives in Germany.

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
Scranton Joe is back, vowing to walk the picket line with the striking United Autoworkers in Michigan on Tuesday.

According to CNN:

President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday and walk the picket line with members of the United Auto Workers union , he announced Friday, a trip that comes after the president faced political pressure to ramp up his public support for the union members. Tuesday, Ill go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create. Its time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs, Biden said in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Yeah, sure. The old dotard can't walk without falling on his face, so I have my doubts that he will actually walk the picket line to prove his proletarian chops to the descamisados.

It's kind of unseemly that he's taking sides at all in this, given that he's supposedly president for all the country. His coziness and campaign contributions from Big Three elites with his greenie mandates provides quite a contradiction there at the workers' expense and that's far from the only one.

Now he's gone back to playing Scranton Joe, which will mean lots of fake stories about his childhood on the strike lines, breaking bread with Corn Pop, singing Bread and Roses, having John Meany and Eugene Debs and Harry Bridges and Jimmy Hoffa over to the family dinner table, and growing up Puerto Rican or something on those looney disjointed lines. Sound like something to look forward to?

What's more, it's unlikely to fool the workers, who remember very well that he has still failed to show up in East Palestine, Ohio in the wake of a toxic train crash dump, and personally busted the rail strike of late last year, and not in the workers' favor. In fact there have been a lot of strikes on his watch, which doesn't exactly sound like the working men and women he purports to champion are terribly happy. Bidenflation, of course, hits them hardest of all and open borders depress worker wages.

Biden also has insulted individual workers in past, calling one "Hey, fat," and a "damn liar," and telling an actual auto worker he was "full of sh**" for asking him a question he didn't like. He's told coal miners whose jobs he's destroyed in the name of going green to "learn to code" which is something you'll never catch him doing.

The reason for all this flapdoodle is that Biden is trailing President Trump in the polls, who made the decision to go to Michigan on Wednesday. Not wanting to be upstaged, he's suddenly all in for putting on his hard hat and walking the picket line. Initially, he refused refused to go, staying aloof as the press noted that the union had decided to not explicitly endorse him. He sent a pair of flunkeys instead, supposedly to "mediate."

Now he's going himself, and President Trump had his number:

As CNN noted:

It will come one day before former President Donald Trump, currently the front-runner in the GOP presidential race, is scheduled to deliver a prime-time speech to an audience of current and former union members, including from UAW, in Detroit. Earlier in the week, Trumps team confirmed he would be skipping the second Republican primary debate for the Michigan speech. The former president on Saturday lambasted Bidens plans, claiming Biden is only going to Michigan because Trump had announced his own trip. Crooked Joe Biden had no intention of going to visit the United Autoworkers, until I announced that I would be heading to Michigan to be with them, Trump posted on Truth Social . If the UAW leadership doesnt ENDORSE me, and if I dont win the Election, the Autoworkers are toast, with our great truckers to follow.

In other words, he's johnny-come-lately to the party. Mr. Me, Too.

The biggest irony here is that Biden is coming to slather support onto the workers while trying to tiptoe around the actual issue of why they are striking: Because of Biden's greenie mandates, which is resulting in government-mandated electric cars being produced while real cars which run on fossil fuels, are being shut down and workers are losing their jobs.

Biden's policies and government meddling, in collusion with the Big Three's woke management cronies, in the name of going green, are why the workers are striking. Now he's coming in to claim he's with them all along.

How stupid does he think these workers are?

Image: Screen shot from MSNBC video, via YouTube
Only one to two percent of deaths officially labeled as caused by COVID actually were induced by the disease. The rest were labeled as COVID but actually had other causes.

So said an individual I spoke to recently, who Ill keep anonymous, about the deceased people processed by this individuals medical examiners office. I wont reveal much about this person, who Ill call ME, except to say that ME is highly trained and qualified and works at a major medical examiners office in New York State.

MEs information is not revelatory. Weve heard from many sources that COVID numbers have been inflated. Personally speaking, I also talked a couple of years ago to an employee at a NY hospital who told me, casually and as a matter of course, Theyre lumping all the flu cases in with COVID. But its especially noteworthy and newsworthy when the information comes from someone such as ME, whos highly trained, in a position to know and who reveals such striking numbers.

I pressed ME on his (Ill use the masculine pronoun generically here; this doesnt imply that ME is male or not so) claim. Youre not exaggerating? I asked. ME confidently reiterated his assertion: Many deaths his office evaluated were attributed to COVID  but only one to two percent actually were.

What were the real causes? ME mentioned ischemia, myocardial infarction (heart attack) and complications from diabetes as major culprits. He also said that there were a large number of suicides  presumably another negative secondary effect of the lockdowns and other irrational COVID policies  though these were not labeled as COVID deaths at his office.

ME did state, however, that sometimes a person will have died from something wholly unrelated to COVID  he mentioned a motorcycle accident case as an example  and his office will list the decedent as having been COVID positive (not a COVID death, though), even though he wasnt, because this would enable the deceaseds family to receive financial aid for the funeral.

Related to this, ME mentioned how not only were hospitals getting more money from the government if a patient was labeled COVID-positive, but that he believed funeral homes were also receiving funds for processing COVID-positive decedents, though he was unsure on this point.

Obviously, however, the monetary carrot will always corrupt a system: As is said, what you fund, you get more of.

ME doesnt approve of the dishonesty at his office, of the gross manipulation of COVID numbers. But ME also mentioned that his role isnt to sign the death certificates; its to provide the office itself with accurate information derived from his evaluation of decedents. As for the people who run things at this medical examiners office, ME wasnt very impressed, describing them as fools (though ME used a different but synonymous term).

Lastly, ME mentioned something Ive long pointed out: While with the flu, for example, the mortality counter is reset every year, this isnt done with COVID. Rather, authorities keep a running count, continually adding on to the previous years numbers, so that the diseases mortality appears especially frightening.

So what are Americas actual COVID numbers? Can MEs one-to-two-percent estimate be extrapolated to our whole country? We dont know. Whats for certain is that COVID has been grossly mismanaged and mischaracterized by people who would sententiously scold Follow the science! but were themselves following money and politics. In the process, this medical/scientific establishment has perhaps permanently discredited itself  and never was reputational destruction more richly deserved.

Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on MeWe or Gettr or log on to SelwynDuke.com

Image: Pixabay / Pixabay License
There was a key moment in the pushing of the Overton window in the "temporary" New Mexico gun ban, where the governor and would-be tyrant stated that she doesn't expect criminals to follow the order. In the sane world of 1020 years ago, that would have been the top story everywhere and the critical point where her political career ended.

Because if the efforts of the fascist far left and the ghouls of the gun-grabbing lobby aren't directed at the actions of criminals, then you have the right to ask: what is the point of their constant obsession with controlling and eliminating our commonsense civil rights?

We know why they don't care about criminals and just focus on disarming the innocent. They will lie on occasion, saying they have concerns about criminals stealing guns from citizens, as justification for their obsession with gun confiscation. That makes about as much sense as banning cars to stop drunk driving. But we do know they have a soft spot for the lawbreaker set, as proven by policies on cash bail.

Granted, it's a lot easier to go after innocent people than chase down those violating the law. We follow the rules, so they can instantly crow that they've "done something" when that isn't the case whatsoever. But the real reason they obsess over confiscating guns from innocent people should be bloody obvious: innocent people are a threat to their power.

As of a few years ago, there were an estimated 120140 million gun owners. Those figures were before the COVID surges and the record gun sales of the past few years. Recent studies show that up to 60% of Americans could own guns  twice the previous estimates. So there is no telling the true number of gun owners.

Millions of those could be from the authoritarian left side of the political spectrum, which is why the gun-grabbing ghouls have switched strategies from blanket bans to targeted takings. But the gun-owning majority mostly leans to the pro-freedom side of the political spectrum.

It's a hallmark of every leftist authoritarian down through history, from Lenin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, Castro, and Maduro to Obama (Biden), to confiscate guns from his political enemies before annihilating them.

Always remember the sequence: registration, confiscation, annihilation.

You should also take notice that in all those studies by the "leading experts" comparing President Trump to Hitler, these "experts" strangely seem to always leave out this major difference. Doesn't this disprove their expertise?

But let's take a look at the hidden dangers of the authoritarian far left's assault on the Bill of Rights, in terms of tactical and strategic considerations, in particular the ATF's new rule on classifying anyone selling a gun as a "dealer."

The tactical considerations are the immediate goals of eliminating private sales and forcing people to go to an FFL for any transaction. When Senator Cornyn surrendered on this ridiculous "deal," it set into motion several downstream consequences. For one, it will slow down sales as these will have to be funneled through FFLs. And it will allow the Moonshine, Cigarettes, and Bang-sticks bureaucracy to illegally record those transactions. (Where do the people go when a "law" enforcement agency violates the law?)

But it gets worse than that  much worse. Anti-liberty leftists always love to play a little game where they characterize legislation under consideration as the greatest thing since sliced bread. (Remember the accolades for the BSCA Bipartisan Safer Communities Act when it was passed?) The bill under consideration will always be the solution to all of our problems just before it's passed, and then suddenly it'll be relegated to being "just a first step" right after. The next measure that comes up will be given the same treatment. Lather, rinse, repeat until our individual liberties are no more.

In the current example, if this is allowed to stand, the gun-grabbing ghouls will then demand formalizing the lists illegally created by the ATF (Rule of Law? what Rule of Law?) and put in place a gun registration system based on a couple of flimsy excuses.

They've also inverted the presumption of innocence. The new presumption under this rule is that if you happen to fall under the vague "guidance" of who is a "dealer," you could be charged as a felon if you do not possess a Federal Firearms License. This isn't the only recent case where this inversion has taken place, and it won't be the last.

The new rule will also impact gun shows in that persons who rent tables will be presumed to be gun dealers. The far left hates gun shows because they're a gathering point for its political opposition. If leftists can reduce or eliminate gun shows, it will boost their fortunes as a result.

But even worse than this, if they can control private property by eliminating private sales, they can exploit that precedent to control other products they deem verboten  gas stoves, air conditioners, whatever. All of this is from one little change in an ATF rule. This is why the ghouls of the gun-grabber lobby obsess over these things. They crave power, and they will take it any way they can.

Unconstitutional "red flag" gun confiscation orders are also particularly disturbing in this regard. Over time, the authoritarians have morphed the language from referring to dangerous individuals to those who may pose a danger  softening it to the point that it could describe anyone. It started with guns, but now, with the increased persecution of just about anyone associated with President Trump or anyone near the Capitol on January 6, 2021, due process is going down the drain.

So it wouldn't seem surprising to see the slippery slope move into the realm of unconstitutional "red flag" arrests of people whom leftist authoritarians consider "dangerous." They would compare this to unconstitutional "red flag" gun confiscation orders, in that if you're innocent, you can prove it in court after a few months in the slammer. Sasha Stone's recent podcast asserts that "Nicolle Wallace Wants Gulags," and it's hard to disagree with that contention.

All this because the national socialist media and the far left got together and played a linguistic legerdemain changing everything considered to be a crime into "gun violence"  fooling people into taking away their freedoms out of fear of inanimate objects.

D Parker is an engineer, inventor, wordsmith, and student of history, the director of communications for a civil rights organization, and a long-time contributor to conservative websites. Find him on Substack.

Image via Pexels.
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By Nicolas Bouverot



Will artificial intelligence replace human beings? Could it turn against its creators? Does it represent a danger to the human race?



These are just some of the questions that have been stirring up public debate and the media since the mass deployment of generative AI tools and the sensationalist statements of a few public figures. However, as interesting as the speculation is from a philosophical point of view, most experts agree that it is somewhat premature.





Nicolas Bouverot, vice president of Thales in Asia

It is true that artificial intelligence has enormous potential. It is a technology that is going to enable a broad range of tasks to be automated, new services to be created and, ultimately, economies to be more efficient. Generative AI marks a new stage in this underlying trend, its many applications we are only beginning to explore.



However, we must not lose sight of the fact that, despite their remarkable performances, AI systems are essentially machines, nothing more than algorithms built into processors that are able to assimilate large amounts of data.



We have been told that these new tools will be able to pass the Turing test. It's probably true, but the test  which was previously thought to be able to draw the line between human intelligence and artificial intelligence  has long since ceased to carry any real weight.



These machines are incapable of human intelligence, in the fullest sense of the term (i.e. involving sensitivity, adaptation to context, empathy), and reflexivity and consciousness  and probably will be for a long time to come. One cannot help thinking that those who imagine these tools will soon have those characteristics are being over-influenced by science-fiction and mythical figures such as Prometheus or the golem, which have always held a certain fascination for us.



If we take a more prosaic view, we realize that the ethical questions raised by the increasing importance of artificial intelligence are nothing new and that the advent of ChatGPT and other tools has simply made them more pressing.



Aside from the subject of employment, these questions touch, on one hand, on the discrimination created or amplified by AI and the training data it uses, and, on the other, the propagation of misinformation, either deliberately or as a result of "AI hallucinations." However, these two topics have long been a concern for algorithm researchers, lawmakers and businesses in the field, and they have already begun to implement technical and legal solutions to counteract the risks.





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What's happening in tyranny today? Based on the news, here is a list:

Trond Harald Haland is a Norwegian man who was allegedly placed in forced psychiatric treatment for more than a week for criticizing the approved COVID narrative online.

Halands lawyer, Barbro Paulsen, says that this is likely the most direct case in which the Norwegian government detained someone over Facebook posts, while claiming that the country has a history of forcing people into psychiatric treatment for questioning the government. (Sounds like where Canada and the U.S. are headed.)

Scott Gerber, an Ohio Northern University (ONU) constitutional law professor recently told Michele Tafoya on her podcast that armed town police were present when school security guards led him away from his classroom to the deans office on April 14 without providing a reason, though he is convinced they did it because he challenged the schools DEI dogma. Gerber, in his Wall Street Journal op-ed DEI Brings Kafka to My Law School, said his students appeared shocked and frightened when he was essentially taken into custody, and added, I know I was. He said he was immediately barred from teaching, banished from campus, and told that if I didnt sign a separation agreement and release of claims by April 21, ONU would commence dismissal proceedings against me. The grounds: Collegiality. The specifics: None. Wow.

Gerber, who was vice-chair of the university council, objected to the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) material the university was pushing, telling fellow members they needed to remember viewpoint diversity.

Viewpoint diversity?! At a college or university? Does Gerber believe in unicorns, too?

Gerber told Tafoya that he said to the president of the university at the time that the school had drifted over into illegality in its hiring practices and scholarship offerings to students in its adherence to DEI principles. He further stated, I was naive enough to think  with a tenure and a record like I have, I could push back a little bit, especially because its protected activity. Im allowed, youre allowed, and anyone is allowed to object to illegality and not be retaliated against, but they did it anyway. Naive, indeed. Didnt work for Trump, either.

According to a lawsuit filed last April by Richard Bilkszto, Kike Ojo-Thompson, a Toronto-based diversity trainer, told a class of about 200 administrators that Canada is more racist than the United States. This apparently didnt sit well with Bilkszto, a progressive and principal of Burnhamthorpe Collegiate Institute and Adult Learning Center. According to the lawsuit and audio obtained by The Free Press, Bilkszto challenged Ojo-Thompsons assumption by citing Canadas publicly funded education system and socialized health care. (As if that would prove his point.) That apparently didnt sit well with Ojo-Thompson, who responded by stating: What Im finding interesting is that, in the middle of this Covid disaster, where the inequities in this fair and equal healthcare system have been properly shown to all of us. . . you and your whiteness think that you can tell me whats really going on with Black peoplelike, is that what youre doing, cause I think thats what youre doing, but Im not sure, so Im going to leave you space to tell me what youre doing right now. Say what?!

Bilkszto killed himself on July 11.

Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist, was drowned out by protesters chanting F**k you, fascist! during a recent appearance at Northern Arizona University. Kirk was at the school for a debate entitled Prove Me Wrong: The Government is Lying to You. Instead, a mob of rowdy protesters greeted Kirk, many carrying signs with clever bon mots such as Facists [sic] fuck off! Charlie Kirk has a small face, Trans rights = human rights, and Charlie K. is a piss baby.

So much for debate. I mean, when you cant even spell fascist correctly, you probably arent going to do well in a regulated discussion of a proposition between two matched sides. (Mediaite noted that Kirk set up a booth to debate students only to be drowned out by screaming students, bullhorns, and even a brass band.) The protesters may as well have stuck their index fingers in their ears and chanted Farmer in the dell, farmer in the dell It would have been less vulgarand no more childish and pathetic.

To his credit, Kirk, unlike Bilkszto, didnt kill himself. He simply laughed off the ridiculous and repulsive verbal assaults.

Image: Tylzael, via Wikimedia Commons // public domain
Far-left MSNBC columnist and radio host Dean Obeidallah, in a recent interview with a reporter from the leftish Mediaite news website, stated:

I think Donald Trump must die in prison because I dont care if he was 45 years old, you should get life in prison if you attempt a coup, and there should be no chance of parole.

Mr. Obeidallah said that, were the former president to die in prison for daring to challenge the results of the 2020 election, it would send a much-needed message to the public.

That message? You cant do this. Ah.

He further explained:

Thats why I think Donald Trump or anyone else who commits a coup, must die in jail, because either were going to protect the democratic republic, or were going to allow people, in this case, Trump, to chip away at our democracy and chip away at what we believe in these institutions.

Yes, imprisoning or killing the political opposition is a long-time hallmark of democracy.

Neither Trump nor his supporters committed a coup, which is defined as:

a sudden, violent, and unlawful seizure of power from a governmentor a notable or successful stroke or move.

Even the most deranged Trump-haters must admit that Trump is not currently the president of the United States. And, given the fact that he and many of his supporters are under indictment or serving time, the January 6 mostly peaceful riot at the Capitol was notably unsuccessful.

Clearly there would be less joyful speculation of Biden dying in prison if the tables were turnedas well they should be as the Biden-Democrat-Media complex did essentially pull off a slow coup in wresting the 2020 election away from Trump-- against all odds and reason.

Progressives think misgendering someone is hate speech, but their vaunted tolerance only goes so far. Being progressive means never having to say youre sorry. Indeed, openly hoping that your political opponents die in prison is totally O.K.

In fact, saving our democracy demands it.

Image: Screen shot from TedX Talks video, via YouTube
(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - A 77-year-old woman was in critical condition in hospital in Treviso in the northern region of Veneto on Sunday after being stabbed by her husband, aged 74.

The man then turned himself in to Carabinieri police and has been placed under arrest for aggravated attempted murder.

Italy has seen a recent spate of acts of gender-based violence including femicides and rape, including by minors.

On Friday the Council of Europe said that it was worried about Italy's figures regarding violence against women.

The human rights body's Committee of Ministers said that it "notes with concern" that the data provided by Rome "show a persistently high percentage of domestic and sexual violence proceedings shelved at the preliminary investigation stage, the limited use of protection orders and a significant rate of violations of them". (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - There were just 152 migrants and refugees in the hotspot on Lampedusa on Sunday afternoon following a hiatus in sea arrivals due to rough seas.

There have been no arrivals since Thursday on the tiny Sicilian island that is Europe's southernmost landmass and closer to Tunisia than it is to Italy.

Of the group still present after recent transfers off the island, 128 were reportedly unaccompanied migrants.

The authorities often struggle to find reception places for children on their own given the legal obligation to accommodate them in dedicated facilities.

Lampedusa has come under the spotlight in recent weeks following an apparent sudden surge in migrant boat landings from north Africa.

At one point, the number of migrants and refugees on the island outnumbered the local population of around 6,000.

Last Sunday Premier Giorgia Meloni traveled to the island with European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen to assess the situation and insist that Europe take more responsibility for managing the situation.

During the visit, Von der Leyen presented the 10-point Lampedusa plan including a possible new EU naval mission in the Mediterranean, faster repatriations of people whose asylum claims have been rejected and humanitarian corridors for legal arrivals.

"Italy can count on the EU," von der Leyen told a press conference on the island.

"It is very important to be here today together with the Italian authorities. "Migration is a European challenge that requires a European answer and solution.

"It is concrete actions that will bring change on the ground.

"It is only through solidarity and unity that we can achieve this," she said. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on Sunday he would tell his French counterpart Catherine Colonna that Paris is "wrong" to refuse migrants entry at the France-Italy border at Ventimiglia during a meeting on Monday.

"Tomorrow I will be in Paris and I will tell my colleague Colonna that in Ventimiglia France is wrong" on returns, Tajani told current affairs programme Mezz'ora' on Rai 3.

The foreign minister also said he would be in Berlin on Thursday and that he would raise the issue of the German government's decision to finance migrant NGOs in Italy.

"It's a strange attitude, we will try to understand why it is moving in this way," said Tajani.

The problem exists, but it must be tackled in a supportive rather than a selfish manner. Italy is the southern border" of Europe, he added.

Paris has recently stepped up controls at its southern border with Italy to prevent irregular migrants arriving in Italy from crossing over into France.

The EU Court of Justice on Thursday ruled that the France's policy of refusing entry to illegally-staying third-country nationals at its borders with other Member States breaches EU law, in a ruling on an appeal against the policy presented by several associations.

"Any illegally staying third-country national must, as a general rule, be the subject of a return decision" even when controls have been temporarily reintroduced under the Schengen Borders Code, the court said.

"However, the person concerned must, in principle, be given a certain amount of time to leave the country voluntarily.

"Forced removal is used only as a last resort," it added.

Meanwhile, on Friday it emerged that Berlin would be funding the German NGO SOS Humanity to preform migrant search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean.

The news sparked the ire of the right-wing government of Giorgia Meloni, which described the move as an "anomaly" and demanded clarification. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - President Sergio Mattarella, Premier Giorgia Meloni and Pope Francis were among many institutional representatives and political figures to pay their respects on Sunday to the late two-time former president Giorgio Napolitano, who died in Rome on Friday aged 98.Mattarella arrived at the Senate for the opening of the chapel of rest, where Napolitano will lie in state until Monday afternoon. Meloni arrived soon after, accompanied by Senate Speaker Ignazio La Russa. Other high-profile figures in attendance to pay their respects included European Commissioner for Economic Affairs and former Italian premier Paolo Gentiloni, former European Central Bank president, Bank of Italy chief and premier Mario Draghi, centre-left Democratic Party (Pd) Secretary Elly Schlein and former premier and leader of the opposition Five Star Movement (M5S) Giuseppe Conte. Gentiloni described Napolitano as "extraordinary pro-European who always had the idea that Italy's development and strength would be possible within a European horizon"."His was a great lesson," he said.Pope Francis also made an unexpected visit to Palazzo Madami to pay his respects after the Sunday Angelus prayer and blessing at the Vatican.Inside the chapel of rest he greeted members of Napolitano's family and then paid his respects before the coffin. With his visit, the pope intended "to express, with his presence and prayer, his personal affection to Napolitano and his family, and to honour his great service to Italy," the Vatican said in a statement. "This is the first time a pope has entered the Senate building at Palazzo Madama," La Russa told reporters afterwards. "He came to pay homage to Giorgio Napolitano - and it was a great honour for us," he added. "He was very affectionate." Napolitano's funeral will be celebrated with a non-religious ceremony at the Lower House in Palazzo Montecitorio on Tuesday at 11:30 am local time. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - Saving migrants from drowning is a legal, humanitarian and moral duty, a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry told ANSA on Sunday after Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described as "very serious" the fact that the German government funds NGOs performing search and rescue in the Central Mediterranean.

"Saving people who drown and find themselves in distress at sea is a legal, humanitarian and moral duty," the spokesperson said.

"Like the national coastguard organisation, particularly the Italian one, the civil rescuers in the central Mediterranean use their boats to perform rescue operations, saving people in distress at sea," he added.

On Friday sources at the office of Premier Giorgia Meloni voiced "great astonishment at the news reported by ANSA according to which a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry had announced imminent funding to NGOs for a project to assist migrants on Italian territory and a project of 'rescues' at sea". "The Italian government will immediately contact the German authorities for clarification," the sources said.

It later emerged that the NGO to receive the funding is SOS Humanity, which operates rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean.

The NGO itself said it had been allocated 790,000 euros.

Separately, the lay Catholic Sant'Egidio Community charity said on Friday had signed a fresh deal with Berlin to fund migrant activities in Italy, as part of a years-long relationship.

"The (German) Federal Government is working hard to reform the Common European Asylum System in order to create a sustainable and, above all, solidarity-based system for migration and asylum in the European Union - also as a basic condition for a functioning Schengen system and for the opening of internal borders," continued the foreign ministry spokesman, reiterating what had already been stated on Friday.

"The foreign ministry is currently implementing a financial support programme set up by the German Bundestag. The aim is to support both civil rescue at sea and projects on land for people rescued at sea," he added.

In an interview to La Stampa published on Sunday Crosetto said that "Berlin pretends not to realise that, in doing so (funding the NGO, ed.), it creates a problem for a country that is in theory 'friendly'".

"Faced with our request for help, is this their response? We did not behave in the same way when Angela Merkel convinced the EU to invest billions of euros in Turkey to stop migrants arriving in Germany from the Middle East," added the minister.

Crosetto denied, however, that there is a "European plot" against the Italian government.

"It is the ideological approach of a certain political left that does not take into account the consequences of its theories on the people," he said. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - The late two-time former president Giorgio Napolitano was a devoted servant of the State who dedicated his life and career to the promotion of democracy, said King Charles III in a message to President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday.

"Dear Mr President, I have learned of President Napolitano's death with great sadness. He was a devoted servant of the State who dedicated his life and career to the promotion of democracy," read the message.

"I remember with great affection our meeting during my visit to Rome in 2009 and, in particular, the friendship that existed between President Napolitano and my mother, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II," continued the king.

"My thoughts and prayers are with President Napolitano's family and the Italian people at this time," he added. (ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - The preservation of human dignity rather than personal wellbeing must be the main criterion for welcoming, protecting and integrating migrants and refugees, Pope Francis said on World Day of Migrants and Refugees on Sunday.

"Let us be touched by the story of so many of our brothers and sisters in difficulty, who have the right both to emigrate and not to emigrate, and let us not close ourselves in indifference," said the pope on X, echoing his own words at the closing session of Mediterranean Meetings in Marseille on Saturday.

"The difficulties of welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating people who are not expected are there for all to see," continued the Pope.

"But the main criterion cannot be the preservation of one's own well-being, but rather the preservation of human dignity," he added.

The Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Migrants and Refugees each year on the last Sunday in September.

In his address on Saturday Pope Francis rejected the prevailing narrative of a migrant invasion as "alarmist propaganda" and said those who risk their lives at sea in search of protection and a better life just want to be welcomed.

He also called for more and sustainable legal pathways of entry for refugees and migrants seeking safety and a better life in Europe, as well as a "fair" reception system across the bloc.

(ANSA).


(ANSA) - ROME, SEP 24 - Pope Francis on Sunday told teenagers to 'make noise' and focus on migrants in his message to participants in the 50th Adolescents Meeting organised by the diocese of Verona.

"This morning I had the opportunity to speak to the Pope, who had just returned from Marseilles," said Verona Bishop Domenico Pompili.

"Telling him about this meeting of ours, I asked if there was a message I could pass on to you," continued the bishop, addressing the nearly 3,800 young people gathered in the Pala Agsm Aim.

"Tell them to make noise," Pompili cited the pope as saying, adding that he had also asked for attention to focus on the theme of migration, given that Sunday is the World Day for Migrants and Refugees.

Francis reportedly told the bishop to "tell the girls and boys that this is an epochal problem that must be tackled with great discipline, making sure that those who can be taken in are chosen, but also that no one is kicked out and sent back to the prisons from which all these poor people come". (ANSA).


By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix appear to be breathing a sigh of relief over the U.S. CHIPS and Science Acts guardrails as the regulation, which aims to restrict Chinas chip development technology, limits the expansion of advanced semiconductor production capacity to no more than 5 percent in China, according to industry officials and experts, Sunday.

Experts and officials said the worst-case scenario of Korean chipmakers being unable to do business in China has been averted, and negotiations to loosen the production expansion restrictions should continue.

The Act provides a total of $39 billion in semiconductor production subsidies to encourage chip makers to manufacture chips in the U.S., but includes a guardrail provision to prevent the benefits of the subsidies from going to China.

On Sept. 22, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced the finalized guardrails on the Act, meaning chip companies that receive subsidies in the U.S. are banned from expanding production by more than 5 percent for advanced chips and 10 percent for older technology in foreign countries of concern, which includes China, after receiving the benefits.

If chip companies expands chip production beyond the provisions in China, they must return the full amount of subsidies received from Washington. The guardrails announced on Sept. 22 are largely unchanged from the draft released in March.

Since the announcement of the draft last March, the Korean government and domestic chip companies have pushed for the expansion of advanced semiconductor production to be doubled from 5 percent. They have also pushed for a looser standard for legacy chips, which are produced using older technology. But these demands have not been met.

Experts, however, said many of Seoul's requests were reflected in the revised guardrails.

Samsung Electronics operates chip factories in Xian and Suzhou in China, while SK hynix has facilities in Wuxi and Dalian. Both companies produce around 40 percent of their NAND flash and about half of their global DRAM chips in China, respectively.

With such a high dependence on the Chinese market, Kim Dae-jong, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, said that the guardrails were a fortuitous decision for Korean companies and the government.

It is a fortuitous decision that Samsung and SK will be able to increase the production of advanced semiconductors in their Chinese facilities by 5 percent. Among the total exports of Korea, semiconductor account for 20 percent, and 60 percent of chip exports goes to China and Hong Kong. Neither the government nor the domestic companies can afford to abandon the Chinese market and the announcement means that trade with China can at least be maintained, Kim said.

It is a welcome step that reflects feedback from the industry since the March draft was released, a local chip industry official said on condition of anonymity.

The March draft defined chip production capacity as the number of wafers per month, but the guardrails changed the definition to the number of wafers per year, given that production volumes fluctuate with business conditions.

Another industry official said Washingtons Sept. 22 announcement will require time for the local chip industry to review the details, another official in the local industry said adding that this is something we will have to wait and see on, as some of the rules have been changed in response to the industry and the governments opinion.
Suella Braverman has suggested a shake-up of international rules could be needed to tackle the migrant crisis ahead of a major speech in the United States.

The Home Secretary questioned whether conventions and legal frameworks designed more than half a century ago are still fit for purpose.

She warned that a failure to address the problem will undermine the democratic legitimacy of political institutions.

The Home Secretary has previously stated her personal view that the UK should leave the European Convention on Human Rights signed in 1950, which she has blamed for hampering efforts to introduce tough policies such as the Rwanda scheme.

Critics of her approach have also questioned its compliance with the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention.

Ahead of her trip, the Home Secretary said: Illegal migration and the unprecedented mass movement of people across the globe is placing unsustainable pressures on America, the UK, and Europe.

We must come together and ask whether the international conventions and legal frameworks designed 50-plus years ago are fit for purpose in an age of jet travel and smartphones.

Im going to Washington to discuss this crisis with our American counterparts.

If we fail to meet these challenges, then our political institutions risk losing their democratic legitimacy.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman will use a speech in the US to set out her vision for tackling the migrant crisis (Jordan Pettitt/PA)

Mrs Braverman will travel to Washington on Monday and deliver a keynote speech on Tuesday setting out her assessment of the global migration challenges.

She will present a blueprint for how other countries can combat the crisis and claim the UK has led the way in bringing forward innovative approaches to tackling the problem.

So far this year almost 24,000 people have been detected crossing the English Channel despite Rishi Sunaks promise to stop the boats, although the figure is down from 2022.

Efforts to send some asylum seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda have been bogged down in legal battles, while an attempt to house people waiting for claims to be assessed on a barge in Portland, Dorset is on hold after Legionella was discovered.

The Home Secretary will use her trip to seek closer co-operation with the US authorities on tackling illegal migration and people traffickers.

She will meet homeland security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and attorney general Merrick Garland for talks on migration and national security.

Following her call for social media firms such as Meta to do more to tackle online child abuse, she will visit the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to see how the organisation is working with law enforcement worldwide to tackle the evolving threat.

She will also see work going on to address the deadly problems associated with opioid use in the US amid concerns from the UK law enforcement agencies about drugs such as fentanyl getting a hold here.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of campaign group Migration Watch UK, said Mrs Braverman was right to call out the conventions and suggested the UK should withdraw from both the ECHR and the Refugee Convention if reforms were not made.

We have long been saying that both the Refugee Convention and ECHR are outdated and ill-suited to modern challenges, he said.

But Refugee Council chief Enver Solomon said: What we need is a fair process for people who come here in search of safety and protection.

Instead of threatening to abandon the frameworks and conventions that protect refugees rights, we should be addressing the real issues in the asylum system, such as the record backlog, and providing safe routes for those in need of protection, including refugee visas, resettlement and family reunion schemes.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate can be seen reunited as The Doctor and his sidekick in a new trailer for the 60th anniversary specials of Doctor Who.

Tennant originally starred as the 10th Doctor from 2005 until his final episode aired on New Years Day in 2010, with Tate playing one of his companions  Donna Noble  in the beloved BBC series.

The pair will return to their roles for three special episodes which will air this November to coincide with the celebrations marking six decades of the show.

Destiny isnt done with them just yet The Doctor and Donna return for three special episodes  #DoctorWho returns this November to @BBCiPlayer in the UK and @DisneyPlus in the rest of the world. pic.twitter.com/LAsVTZW419  Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) September 23, 2023

Moments before the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2023, viewers were given a glimpse of what to expect later this year when the Tardis lands.

The more than two-minute trailer opens with Noble saying: Sometimes I think there is something missing. Like I had something lovely and its gone. I lie in bed thinking what have I lost?

As scenes of Tennant previously erasing Donnas memory are shown, he says: Ive got this friend called Donna Noble. I had to wipe her memory to save her life. If she remembers me she will die.

Donna can then be seen uncovering an alien being as his voiceover continues saying: So what happens next? A spaceship crashes right in front of her, its like shes drawing us in.

I dont believe in destiny but if destiny exists, then it is heading for Donna Noble.

The teaser clips also sees US actor Neil Patrick-Harris play the Toymaker, an all-powerful enemy last seen in 1966.

He can be seen waltzing around in a top hat and tails and terrorising society.

As Donna and the Doctor discuss the threat, she asks him: Theres something so bad the Tardis ran away? and after he confirms she replies: Then we go and kick its ass.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as The Toymaker (BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/PA)

It also sees actress Jemma Redgrave reprise her role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart while Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney appears as a character called Rose.

The trailer ends by teasing a look at Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor.

The Sex Education star is set to take over as the Time Lord after the three specials, alongside Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson, who is playing the Doctors companion Ruby Sunday.

Gatwas first episode will air over the festive period, with 19-year-old Gibson becoming the youngest companion in the shows history.

The latest revamp of the series sees Its A Sin writer Russell T Davies return as showrunner, the man behind the 2005 revival of the long-running BBC show, succeeding Chris Chibnall who introduced Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

Reflecting on the trailer, Davies said: This is just the start, as the fever starts to burn.

Were heading for a November full of Doctor Who surprises, for fans and new viewers alike. Stay alert.

Doctor Who will air on the BBC in the UK and Ireland in November, while streaming platform Disney+ will show episodes to audiences elsewhere.
Rishi Sunak appears poised to axe the HS2 rail line from Birmingham to Manchester  despite opposition from Tory predecessors, business chiefs and the Mayor of London.

The Sunday Telegraph reported the potential cost of the high-speed rail scheme  which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said is out of control  had increased by 8 billion.

The Observer suggested the decision to kill off the Manchester leg of the scheme could come before the Tories host their conference in the city on October 1.

The Prime Minister and Chancellor are reported to be meeting to discuss the situation in the coming days.

Artist impression of an HS2 train (HS2/PA)

A Whitehall source told the Telegraph: There is a reluctance to throw good money after bad.

The newspaper reported that officials expect the upper estimate of building the initial London to Birmingham stretch of the line to increase by more than 8 billion from the 45 billion figure published in June 2022.

Spiralling costs could prevent investment in other transport projects and wipe out any financial benefits from the scheme, the newspaper said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned against a mutilated HS2 (Eddie Keogh/PA)

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has labelled the scepticism around the scheme total Treasury-driven nonsense, stressing that it would make no sense to have a mutilated HS2 and warning that announcing it before the Manchester conference would be the height of insanity.

David Cameron has also privately raised significant concerns about the prospect that the high-speed rail line could be truncated.

Dozens of business leaders signed a Times letter accusing Mr Sunak of damaging Britains reputation as a place to do business by allowing uncertainty to plague the project.

Sir John Armitt, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, said it would be a tragedy if the scheme was cut back.

He warned it would damage the UKs appeal as a place to invest in major projects.

And in a letter to the Prime Minister, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said HS2 could end up being a colossal waste of money if key elements of the plan are scrapped.

Mr Khan said it would take longer to get from Birmingham to central London on HS2 than existing trains if plans for it to terminate at Euston station are abandoned.

He said the speculation about scrapping the Birmingham-Manchester leg of the route was deeply worrying.

The Labour mayor told Mr Sunak: The Governments approach to HS2 risks squandering the huge economic opportunity that it presents and turning it instead into a colossal waste of public money.

When the railway first opens between London and Birmingham, expected between 2029 and 2033, its terminus in the capital will be Old Oak Common, in the western suburbs.

HS2 trains are not expected to run to Euston until around 2041 at the earliest and there are now doubts the central London extension will ever go ahead.

HS2s London terminal will be Old Oak Common when the trains first run (Lucy North/PA)

Mr Khan said: Terminating the service at Old Oak Common would be a short-sighted decision which will have long term implications, significantly downgrading the value of HS2 as a high-speed connection and leaving a ridiculous situation where a high speed journey between Birmingham and central London could take as long as the existing route, if not longer.

He said the best case journey time of one hour and 22 minutes from Birmingham to Euston, changing at Old Oak Common onto the Elizabeth Line and Northern Line, was already one minute longer than the existing train time.

Mr Khan told the Prime Minister: The public would rightly be dismayed were all of this time and money spent on a line that took longer to reach central London than the existing route, and was devoid of any proper connections to the north of England.

But Labour peer Lord Berkeley, who in 2019 was deputy chairman of a government-commissioned review into HS2, suggested funding should be prioritised for rail upgrades in northern England and the Midlands.

Old Oak Common will do fine for this truncated railway, he told BBC Radio 4s Today.

A Government spokesman said: The HS2 project is already well under way with spades in the ground, and our focus remains on delivering it.
A village in Worcestershire is hosting its annual scarecrow festival with more than 100 hay-stuffed creations inspired by royalty and celebrities.

The Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival, which began on Saturday and ends at 5pm on Sunday, has seen crafters go haywire in a bid to satisfy the Kings and Queens theme this year.

A Tyson Fury scarecrow was on the ropes (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Around 104 scarecrows have been created with hay provided free by a local farmer.

Festival spokesman Rob Pagett, 47, told the PA news agency: Weve got a few Gypsy King (boxer Tyson Fury) ones, theres two Freddie Mercury ones. The Tiger King (Joe Exotic) ones are a particularly good interpretation of the theme.

Theres an amazing King Kong scarecrow, and the scarecrows this year have been incredible  how theyve made them, Ive got to see because theyre quite unique.

The festival has been held since 1996, but this years is the first in three years due to the Covid pandemic, with the 2022 event cancelled after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Kong scaled the heights (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

The Queen of Hearts from Alice In Wonderland (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Mr Pagetts family contributed a Lion King-inspired creation, which sits outside their village house.

He said: For the body of the lions, we tried to make a cylindrical wrap of chicken wire and then stuffed all the hay into the holes.

We attached the legs via fishing wire and used wooden skewers to stick the hands to the body, so it was a bit ad hoc.

Mr Pagett admitted the credit went to his wife, Sophie, 36, adding: Ill be honest, I didnt make any of it, my wife made the entire thing.

I chopped up various things, so I helped creatively with the vision, but couldnt create it as well as she could.

It makes you realise how difficult they are to make.

Elvis Presley scarecrow (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Netflix favourite Tiger King saw Joe Exotic rendered in hay (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Mr Pagett said the atmosphere has been absolutely fantastic, with more than 10,000 in attendance.

We had a lot of people coming down and reacting to and taking pictures of the scarecrows, which was really nice.

Entrance fees raised money for the Royal British Legion, the local church hall and school.
Three people, including a toddler, were killed and another was injured in a shooting that broke out over what officials say was the apparent sale of a dog at a Florida apartment complex.

Deputies responded to a report of shots fired just after 10 p.m. Saturday and found two adults and a 3-year-old child killed, and another adult injured, Jacksonville Sheriffs Office Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko said.

Five people, including the child, had travelled to the apartment complex to meet with someone about the private sale of a dog, though it wasn't immediately clear whether they were buying or selling a dog, Stronko told reporters overnight at a news conference.

"For reasons that are unknown to us at this time, a dispute ensued in a breezeway between two of the apartment buildings, resulting in four of the five individuals being shot," he said.

Three of the four adults in that group were in their 20s, he said.

Witnesses said they saw two men fleeing the scene in a car, and there was no more information available about the victims or suspects, Stronko said.

The sheriff's office didn't immediately respond to a request for more information Sunday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Toddler, 2 adults killed in shooting over dog sale in Florida
The US Army Corps of Engineers is planning to barge 36 million gallons of fresh water daily into the lower Mississippi River near New Orleans as an expected saltwater intrusion from the Gulf of Mexico in October threatens the areas drinking water supply, officials said Friday.

The move comes as water levels are plummeting for the second consecutive year after this summers blistering heat and low rainfall triggered extreme drought over parts of the central US.

As water levels drop, the threat of saltwater intrusion grows in Louisiana as ocean water pushes north into drinking water systems, unimpeded by the Mississippis normally mighty flow rate.

New Orleans officials anticipate the city will see the effects of saltwater intrusion in late October, according to a Friday news release from the mayors office. Please note that this timeline is subject to change, and the City will keep the public informed as the timeline is updated, the release stated.

The Mississippi River is forecast to reach historic lows over the next several weeks, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said during a Friday news conference.

To help mitigate intrusion, the state and the Army Corps of Engineers are working to add 25 feet of height to a 1,500-foot-wide underwater levee in the Mississippi River, which was constructed in July to slow the saltwaters progression, Army Col. Cullen Jones said.

The corps also plans to barge millions of gallons of water daily to local water treatment facilities, Jones said during the news conference.

The corps announced the plan to build the levee last year. It involved dredging sediment from the bottom of the river and pile it up to create whats known as a sill, which acts as a dam for the denser saltwater in the lower levels of the river.

Typically, enough rainfall upstream helps ease drought conditions and keeps the saltwater at bay. However, during the news conference Friday, the governor said officials dont believe that there is sufficient precipitation in the near term anywhere along the Mississippi River to materially change the conditions for the better.

Unfortunately, we just havent had the relief from the dry conditions that we need and so that inclusion is worsening, Edwards said.

The governor requested a federal emergency declaration for four parishes already affected or expected to be impacted over the next month: Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines and St. Bernard, his office said Monday in a news release.

In some areas, the increased salinity from the saltwater intrusion is forecast to exceed the Environmental Protection Agencys (EPA) maximum standard of 250 mg/L, impacting public water systems and introducing the risk of corrosion to water distribution systems, machinery, and appliances, the release said.

If approved, the emergency declaration will help reimburse for the response and temporary mitigation efforts, and it will open up assistance from federal organizations, according to the governors office.

State to deliver bottled water in bulk to New Orleans

Jones said it will take approximately 24 days to add to the sill. Once augmented, it will delay saltwater intrusion by 10 to 15 days, he said.

Fifteen million gallons of freshwater is expected to be brought in as soon as next week, Jones said, adding the area will need 36 million gallons per day to help mitigate the problem.

The water will be added to water at treatment centers and create a mixture safe for treatment, Jones added.

The governor also announced plans to deliver bottled water in bulk to the New Orleans area. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency declaration for the city on Friday due to saltwater intrusion.

The declaration allows city agencies to prepare and respond to any impacts and allows state and federal agencies to deploy resources as needed for a more streamlined process, the city said.

Last week, Plaquemines Parish President W. Keith Hinkley said at a news conference clean water was being distributed to around 2,000 residents who were affected by the saltwater intrusion.

It was not necessary to buy large amounts of bottled water, Edwards said Friday.

There is not a shortage of bottled water around the state or around the country and our businesses are going to be able to bring in water as its needed, he said.

CNNs Jennifer Feldman and Joe Sutton contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
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Cassidy Hutchinson was senior advisor to White House chief of staff Mark Meadows at the time of the Capitol Hill assault by Trump supporters attempting to halt the peaceful transfer of power. She would later offer powerful testimony to the January 6 Committee about the actions of former President Donald Trump that shocked even jaded Washington observers.

Hutchinson writes about her experience in "Enough" (to be published Tuesday by Simon & Schuster, a division of CBS' parent company, Paramount Global).

Read the excerpt below, and don't miss Tracy Smith's interview with Cassidy Hutchinson on "CBS News Sunday Morning" September 24!

"Enough" by Cassidy Hutchinson

Prefer to listen? Audible has a 30-day free trial available right now.

Prologue

How had I gotten here? What had I done to wind up in this predicament, a featured player in a Washington political scandal, struggling to keep my composure under the glare of television lights as I became, depending on your political allegiance, briefly famous or infamous?

The Cannon Caucus Room is one of the largest and grandest rooms in any of the House office buildings. With its high, ornate ceilings and chandeliers, it looks like a Hollywood set that's meant to transform the often cramped and dingy reality of government office space into a majestic hall of power. As Rep. Liz Cheney, of Wyoming, would observe in a subsequent hearing, it had been home to the historic talks for women to be able to vote a century earlier; Cheney noted, "In this room in 1918, the Committee on Woman Suffrage convened to discuss and debate whether women should be granted the right to vote." I would estimate its generous proportions could accommodate five hundred or more people comfortably.

On June 28, 2022, I entered from the back of the chamber with my lawyers, and we wound our way down a security-cleared path to the witness table, past a row of US Capitol Police officers. There wasn't an empty seat in sight. House staffers who couldn't find a seat stood along the walls. Photojournalists pressed against the table, clicking away. I blinked and tried to adjust my eyes to the bright lights needed by the many C-SPAN cameras that were providing the live feed to the news networks. I had wanted to arrive at the same time that the members of the committee did, so I wouldn't have to endure prolonged, awkward minutes of being frantically photographed as I tried not to return people's stares. But still the seconds ticked by excruciatingly slowly as I waited for the hearing to start.

The atmosphere was charged, to say the least. Everyone in the roomcommittee members, reporters, spectatorsseemed attuned to the sense that something dramatic and important was about to happen. So was I, the hearing's sole witness. The committee had been methodical in planning its five previous hearings. Today's hearing had been rushed, out of concerns for my safety, news reports claimed, and, I expect, out of concern that I might back out at the last minute.

I just might have. I had been episodically panic-stricken for the last twenty-four hours. The night before, I had pleaded with my lawyers, Jody Hunt and Bill Jordan, that I wasn't ready and needed more time. I had threatened to bolt on the car ride to the hearing, and again as I peered from a holding room into the bright, bustling hearing room.

As members of the select committee looked down at me from the dais, I could sense myself trembling, and I worried someone would notice. I could feel that my necklace wasn't straight, which Mom had warned me about, so I tried to straighten it discreetly, aware my every move could be scrutinized.

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former top aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, is sworn in as she testifies during the sixth hearing by the House Select Committee on the January 6th insurrection in the Cannon House Office Building on June 28, 2022 in Washington, D.C. / Credit: BRANDON BELL/Getty Images

When the hearing concluded, press accounts described me as cool, calm, and collected. A Washington Post columnist wrote that I "had a preternatural poise." And in truth, once the hearing began, my nerves quickly settled as Liz Cheney, whom I had come to trust and admire, began to question me. But before the gavel came down and Liz began her inquiry, I had felt debilitated by my nervousness.

I was an ambitious twenty-five-year-old conservative Trump White House staffer, who had occupied a position in proximity to power. I had worked myself to near exhaustion to prove worthy of it. Now I was about to provide testimony in a high-stakes congressional hearing that I knew could damage, and potentially incriminate, the former president of the United States. I was also going to alienate friends and former colleagues.

How had I gotten here? Shortly before I graduated from college, with several congressional and White House internships on my resume, I had shared my aspirations for the future with a reporter for a student newspaper. I wanted to "be an effective leader in the fight to secure the American dream for future generations," I volunteered, "so they too will have the bountiful opportunities and freedoms that make the United States great." Corny? Maybe. Presumptuous? Certainly. But I meant it, and I would work my tail off in service to that aspiration, to be useful to my country.

Before retaining my new lawyers, at times I had told less than the whole truth to a congressional committee charged with investigating a matter of the highest national importance, a matter that posed a threat to America's future greatness. I had withheld information about events that I had witnessed or that had been recounted to me by witnesses. Those events had precipitated the shocking assault on the United States Congress, an institution I cherish, and threatened the continued success of American democracy. My conscience was bothering me, and I came to the decision, in parliamentary language, to clarify and extend my testimony. That's the short answer. That's why I was there.

The long answer, the story of how I got there, is a little more complicated than that, and takes a little longer to tell.

From "Enough" by Cassidy Hutchinson. Copyright  2023 by Cassidy Hutchinson. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

Get the book here:

"Enough" by Cassidy Hutchinson

Buy locally from Bookshop.org

For more info:

"Enough" by Cassidy Hutchinson (Simon & Schuster), in Hardcover, eBook and Audio formats, available September 26

Cassidy Hutchinson on being forced into hiding

Author Ken Follett discusses final book in "Kingsbridge" series

More details emerge about crashed F-35 plane
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have required judges to consider whether a parent affirms their childs gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions.

In announcing his veto Friday night, Newsom released a statement saying he has a deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians" that has guided his decisions while in office.

That said, I urge caution when the Executive and Legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate  in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic  legal standards for the Judicial branch to apply. Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities, the governor's statement said.

The bill would have made gender affirmation one factor among many that courts already have to consider in custody proceedings, including whether a parent has been abusive and how much contact the child has with the parents.

The bill would not have required judges to prioritize whether a parent affirms their childs gender identity over other factors. What affirmation looks like varies depending on the particular child and their age, said Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Democrat who introduced the bill. She has an adult son who came out as transgender when he was a teenager.

Wilson said Friday that she was disappointed by the governor's veto.

I've been disheartened over the last few years as I watched the rising hate and heard the vitriol toward the trans community. My intent with this bill was to give them a voice, particularly in the family court system where a non-affirming parent could have a detrimental impact on the mental health and well-being of a child, Wilson said in a statement.

Newsom said existing laws already require courts to consider health, safety and welfare when determining the best interests of a child in custody cases, including the parents affirmation of the childs gender identity.

Every Republican in the Senate voted against the bill, with state Sen. Kelly Seyarto, who represents Murrieta in Southern California, arguing that lawmakers were interfering too much with how parents choose to raise their children.

Inserting this into the mix is going to pit one parent against the other and make things worse, Seyarto said at the time.

The veto comes amid intense political battles across the country over transgender rights, including efforts to impose bans on gender-affirming care, bar trans athletes from girls and womens sports, and require schools to notify parents if their children ask to use different pronouns or changes their gender identity.

Also Friday, Newsom vetoed a bill to require human drivers on board self-driving trucks and another measure that would have barred state prison officials from sharing information about incarcerated immigrants with federal officials.
Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.), a 2024 presidential candidate, appears to have qualified for the upcoming second GOP primary debate, an NBC News analysis found.

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has the final say in who makes the debate stage, so nothing is final until the committee makes an announcement determining qualified participants next week.

Polling in recent days suggests Burgum will secure a spot on the stage, just days before the RNCs Monday deadline, NBC reported. The party requires candidates to reach 50,000 unique donors, sign pledges to support the party candidate and meet the partys polling thresholds. Burgum previously said he hit the required number of voters and has signed the pledges to participate in the first debate.

To qualify for the debate, candidates must reach 3 percent in two national polls  or 3 percent in one national poll and in two additional polls from early nominating states like Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada.

Burgum has earned 3.2 percent in a national poll conducted by Trafalgar Group, released overnight on Saturday. He earned 3.2 percent in an Iowa poll by Trafalgar, released in mid-August. Burgum has reached 4 percent in a New Hampshire poll released Thursday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie already qualified.

Former President Trump has met the polling and donation requirements to participate but has not signed the party pledge. He didnt attend the first debate and said he would skip the second one.

The debate takes place on Wednesday, Sept. 27 in Simi Valley, Calif., at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and airs on FOX Business.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A Tyson Foods truck parked at a food warehouse in Little Rock, Arkansas. AP Photo/Danny Johnston

The US Department of Labor is investigating the exploitation of children in the poultry industry.

The news follows a New York Times report about migrant kids being hired by contractors.

Perdue Farms told Insider it plans to "cooperate fully" with any federal investigation.

The US Department of Labor is investigating two of the largest companies in the domestic poultry industry following a report that some of their contractors are employing migrant children.

On Monday, The New York Times Magazine published an investigation that showed kids as young as 14 were knowingly employed as overnight cleaning staff at plants run by companies like Perdue Farms and Tyson Foods. Some were gravely injured on jobs they never should have had under federal law.

There has been a dramatic increase in reports of child labor  and workplace accidents involving kids. Over the summer, a 16-year-old in Wisconsin was killed after he became trapped in a sawmill conveyor; another 16-year-old got trapped in a conveyor at a poultry farm in Mississippi and died of injuries.

Overall, the Department of Labor said it had seen a 69% increase in illegal child labor over the previous five years.

Work in animal agriculture is particularly hazardous. The Times reported that children have been both maimed by equipment and severely burned by industrial cleaning agents. And while those children are working in plants owned by some of the biggest brands, the Times noted that companies have been able to claim some plausible deniability by outsourcing work to contractors that can take the blame for any legal violations.

On Saturday, Seema Nanda, the US solicitor of labor, said she is examining whether companies can be held liable for contractors' labor practices.

"We are long past the day when brands can say that they don't know that they have child labor in their supply chain," Nanda told the Times. "The intention is to make sure that those higher up in the supply chain are holding their subcontractors and staffing agencies accountable."

A Department of Labor spokesperson confirmed that investigators are looking into the poultry industry and its use of underage labor.

"There are currently US Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division investigations open at Perdue and Tyson Foods," the spokesperson said in a statement to Insider. "No additional details can be provided as the investigations are ongoing."

Tyson Foods did not respond to a request for comment from Insider. But a spokesperson for Perdue Farms said the company stands ready to show that it has "strict, longstanding policies in place" to prevent minors from working in hazardous conditions and that it holds its contractors to the same standards. It has also begun a third-party audit of its child labor policies, the spokesperson said.

"We will take appropriate actions based on the findings of that investigation," the spokesperson said. And while the company has "not been notified" of a federal investigation, we "plan to cooperate fully with any government inquiry on this matter."

September 27, 2023: This story was updated to include comment from the Department of Labor.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Kia's EV6 GT topped this year's evaluation of electric vehicle models by a leading German automotive magazine, Auto Motor Und Sport, beating Ford Motor's Mustang Mach-E SUV, Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday.

Hyundai Motor's independent Genesis brand's GV60 SUV ranked second in the competitive EV evaluation and the Ford Mustang Mach-E ranked third, the group said in a statement.

Auto Motor Und Sport is one of the top three German auto magazines, along with Auto Bild and Auto Zeitung.

The EV6 GT received higher scores in handling, driving performance, fast charging time, reasonable prices and competitive warranty programs, while the GV60 was recognized in the internal space and powertrain category, it said.

The EV6 GT, Kia's most powerful production car to date, can accelerate from zero to 100 kph in 3.5 seconds, travel more than 420 kilometers on a single charge and charge itself to 80 percent in 18 minutes.

The two models are built on Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated EV platform called E-GMP. (Yonhap)
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, took a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival in Plains, Georgia, on Saturday, the Carter Center said in a social media post.

Beautiful day for President & Mrs. Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99. Were betting peanut butter ice cream is on the menu for lunch! #JimmyCarter99, the Carter Center said in a tweet sharing a video of the Carters riding in an SUV down a street lined with festival-goers.

Erikka Bettis Williams, who took the video, said she had no idea that the Carters would be there.

Total surprise! The crowd was sort of slow to react at first because they didnt realize they were there. It was such a great surprise and yes, we sang Happy Birthday! she told CNN.

In this still taken from a video, former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, appear at the Plains Peanut Festival parade in Plains, Georgia, on September 23, 2023. - Erikka Bettis Williams

Jimmy Carter, who turns 99 on October 1, entered hospice care in February. The former president beat brain cancer in 2015 but faced a series of health scares in 2019, and consequentially underwent surgery to remove pressure on his brain.

In an interview with People published last month, the Carters grandson said, Its clear were in the final chapter.

Family and caregivers had been the only recent visitors to the Carters Plains home, Josh Carter told People.

Josh Carter said his grandmother Rosalynn Carter, who has dementia, is cognizant of her diagnosis. She still knows who we are, for the most part  that we are family, he said.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have been married for 77 years and are the longest-married presidential couple.

Jimmy Carter was born in Plains, Georgia, and grew up in the nearby community of Archery. A peanut farmer and Navy lieutenant before going into politics, the Democrat served one term as governor of Georgia and was president from 1977 to 1981.

CNNs Shania Shelton contributed to this story.

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A major new tourism attraction is coming to Northern Kentucky and creating hundreds of new jobs.

A Margaritaville Hotel Resort, a family-friendly entertainment destination, will be built at Newport on the Levee in Campbell County, according to the state.

The name refers to a song by the late singer Jimmy Buffett, who owned the trademark Margaritaville. Buffett, who died Sept. 1, 2023, licensed the name to a Florida developer who created the hotels and related concepts such as 5 OClock Somewhere bars. There are about 40 Margaritaville Hotels & Resorts in the U.S. and internationally with more coming soon.

Gov. Andy Beshear said the $133.6 million project will help drive visitors to the Campbell County area, boosting the local economy and creating 282 new jobs for Kentuckians.

The project, a partnership between North American Properties, Stormont Hospitality Group and High Street Real Estate Partners, is expected to be completed by the fall of 2026.

A rendering of the rooftop pool and bar at Margaritaville Resort Hotel coming to Newport on the Levee.

What will the new Margaritaville Resort in Kentucky have?

The resort on the Ohio River in Newport will include:

 a full-service hotel with 264 rooms;

 a JWB Grill, the namesake restaurant of Buffett;

 a License to Chill Bar;

 a 12th-floor pool with an adjacent 5 OClock Somewhere Bar and Grill overlooking downtown Cincinnati;

The Margaritaville Resort Hotel coming to Newport will have a 5 OClock Somewhere Bar.

Jimmy Buffett fans will be able to enjoy a cheeseburger in paradise at the Margaritaville Resort coming to Northern Kentucky.

 retail space;

 and more than 10,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including a 2,000-square-foot rooftop space.

The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority on Wednesday gave preliminary approval for nearly $33 million in tax incentives for the project, which still must receive final KTDFA approval. Through the Tourism Development Act, qualifying tourism-related projects can recover up to 25% of approved development costs through sales tax generated by the development.

Patrons walk across the circle at Newport on the Levee, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, in Newport, Ky.
Mexico has made an agreement with the United States to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries and take several actions to deter migrants as part of a new effort to combat the recent surge in border crossings.

Mexican officials met with US Customs and Border Protection officials on Friday in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico  across the border from El Paso, Texas  following the recent spike in illegal crossings into the US that temporarily closed an international bridge and paused Mexicos main cargo train system.

As part of the agreement, Mexico agreed to depressurize its northern cities, which border the El Paso, San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas, where the mayor has declared a state of emergency. They will also implement more than a dozen actions to prevent migrants from risking their lives by using the railway system to reach the US-Mexico border, according to Mexicos National Migration Institute.

Migrant crossings along the US-Mexico border are rising, surpassing 8,600 over a 24-hour period this week, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. Thats up from around 3,500 daily border arrests after the expiration of Title 42 in May triggered new consequences for those who cross the border illegally. There were more than 8,000 apprehensions on Monday.

Non-profits and officials in border communities on both sides of the US-Mexico line, from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, say the current spike in migration could be driven by misinformation and an increase in kidnappings in Mexico, among other things.

The busiest sectors are Del Rio, El Paso, Lower Rio Grande Valley and Tucson; each facing more than 1,000 encounters over the last 24 hours, according to the official. Eagle Pass is in the Del Rio sector.

About 6,500 migrants are in custody in El Paso alone, which only has so many resources, Mayor Oscar Leeser said at the news conference Saturday.

We have come to what we look at (as) a breaking point right now, the mayor said.

An overflow shelter in the northeast part of the city planned to open its doors Saturday evening as the city faces an unprecedented surge of migrants crossing the southern US border, Deputy City Manager Mario DAgostino said in a news conference.

The shelter, which will operate out of the Nations Tobin Recreation Center, has been prepped over the last couple weeks, DAgostino said. The facility can hold about 400 people.

El Paso is receiving more than 2,000 additional migrants every day, DAgostino said, and the city is expecting a large influx over the next few days.

The US Department of Defense has been ramping up resources at the border, including an announcement by Department of Homeland Security officials Wednesday it was sending at least 800 new active-duty personnel to join the 2,500 National Guard members already serving.

Mexicos top diplomat pointed out that her country is dealing with its own challenges due to the recent spike: Mexico is receiving about 6,000 migrants daily at its own southern border, half of whom are from Central American countries, Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Barcena said at a news conference at the UN on Friday.

On one day last week, about 11,000 migrants reached the Mexican border with the US, Barcena said, announcing that Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador wants to meet US President Joe Biden in Washington in November to discuss migration, along with drugs and firearms trafficking.

Mexico agrees to take 15 actions

Fridays meeting was attended by Customs and Border Protections Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, the commissioner of Mexicos National Migration Institute, the governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, members of Mexicos national defense and national guard and representatives of Ferromex, a Mexican railroad operator, according to the institute.

Mexican officials vowed to carry out a series of 15 actions as part of the agreement, some in coordination with Customs and Border Protection and Ferromex, which includes deporting migrants to their home countries by land and air.

The country said it will carry out negotiations with the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Cuba to confirm receipt of their citizens deported from the US-Mexico border. It will also allow US border patrol agents to expel migrants through the Ciudad Juarez international bridge, which connects to El Paso.

Miller urged coordination of efforts to diminish surging irregular migration, and continuation of lawful trade and travel while reiterating the need for coordinated engagement  to include mirrored patrols with local Mexican law enforcement agencies, US Customs and Border Protection said in a statement later Sunday.

We are continuing to work closely with our partners in Mexico to increase security and address irregular migration along our shared border, Miller said in a statement. The United States and Mexico remain committed to stemming the flow of irregular migration driven by unscrupulous smugglers, while maintaining access to lawful pathways.

Other terms of the agreement include submitting a daily report of the number of migrants on the train system to Customs and Border Protections El Paso sector, establishing checkpoints along the Ferromex rail route and conducting interventions on railways and highways, according to Mexicos National Migration Institute.

The institute said Mexico had deported more than 788,000 migrants to their home countries from January 1 to September.

The agreed-upon actions by Mexican officials raise questions about the country doing work typically designated for the US  from the south of the border  to manage the influx of migrants in recent weeks, which have has strained federal resources and overwhelmed already-crowded facilities, CNN previously reported.

Many who leave their homes for the United States face long and dangerous treks in hopes of finding better, safer lives. Some may flee violence, while others may immigrate for economic opportunities or to reunite with family, experts say. Deteriorating conditions in Latin America exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic also have contributed to the influx of migrants into the US.

Before the agreement with Mexico was announced, Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington, told CNN last week that the number of border crossings was likely to increase unless Mexico increases enforcement or something else happens in the region.

But even increased deportations from Mexico are unlikely to impact one factor Ruiz said has been behind the recent increase in border crossings. Growing violence in certain regions of Mexico has fueled more migration, Ruiz said, noting that the number of Mexican families coming to the border and likely seeking asylum had increased notably.

In July 2022, US Customs and Border Protection figures indicate 4,000 Mexican family encounters at the border. A year later, the number had more than quadrupled, reaching nearly 22,000.

This isnt the first time Mexico has agreed to help the US with immigration enforcement.

In 2019, experts said Mexicos massive deployment of national guard troops had played a major role in blocking migrants efforts to reach the border.

Whats driving the surge?

Border Patrols top cop said Sunday that smugglers are to blame for the latest migrant surge.

Smugglers are illegally crossing these big groups for financial gain & using them as a distraction to run deadly narcotics and violent criminals into the U.S, US Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said in a post on social media.

Department of Homeland Security officials who last week announced a ramping up of resources to the border gave no clear explanation for what could be fueling the latest surge and said theyre still examining the specific reasons.

In McAllen, Texas, about 600 migrants per day were released to non-profit organizations by Border Patrol last week, compared to about 400 per day last month, according to Sister Norma Pimentel, the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley.

Pimentel said the sudden increase in migrants crossing between ports of entry could be due, in part, to an increase in kidnappings, threats and extortion in the Mexican towns of Matamoros and Reynosa.

Its happening in very high numbers, Pimentel told CNN. Instead of waiting for their CBP One appointment, theyre choosing to enter due to fear for their lives.

The migrants arriving at the shelter are mostly from Honduras, but also include people from Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba and Venezuela, Pimentel said.

In nearby Matamoros, Mexico, across the border from Brownsville, Texas, about 4,500 migrants are waiting in shelters and encampments, Glady Edith Canas, who runs the non-profit Ayudandoles a Triunfar, told CNN.

Canas says misinformation, which can spread very quickly among migrant networks, has been pushing some migrants to cross between ports of entry.

Those who cross the border and are processed by US border authorities and released into American cities send videos to migrants waiting in Mexico, telling them that theyve been allowed into the country, she said.

The migrants fill with hope, Canas said. The information spreads so quickly that theyve been processed at the border with Matamoros, and they cross the river, exposing their lives.

Across the border from San Diego, in Tijuana, Mexico, about 5,500 migrants are waiting in shelters in the city, according to Enrique Lucero, the citys director of migrant affairs.

Like Canas, Lucero says migrants get desperate and cross illegally due to misinformation that spreads from migrant families who have been given parole, a form of temporary relief, by immigration officials.

Eagle Pass, Texas, which has been the most recent flashpoint on the southern border, has seen thousands of migrants cross the border illegally in a single day on several occasions last week.

For the one non-profit that works with migrants in the small town, that meant that the number of migrants dropped off by border authorities grew from 300 per day to 500 or even 900 per day, according to Valeria Wheeler, the executive director of Mission Border Hope.

Wheeler told CNN the majority of the migrants were Venezuelans and stayed in town for about one night. And, she says, shes expecting the increased number of migrants entering the country to continue this week.

CNNs Catherine E. Shoichet, Priscilla Alvarez and Ed Lavandera contributed to this report.

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The 2023 installment of the annual Global Citizen Festival featured a powerful (if rainy) day of music, with sets by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lauryn Hill  who reunited the Fugees during her set  Anitta, Jung Kook  who was joined by Latto  Stray Kids side project 3Racha and a 50th anniversary of hip-hop performance with Busta Rhymes, Common, Big Daddy Kane and Rapsody alongside D-Nice.

But far more important was what it accomplished in raising awareness, and commitments for some $240 million from France and Norway to the International Fund for Agricultural Development to address the global hunger crisis, announced by Emmanuel Macron, President of France.

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The flagship event from Global Citizen generated 3.3 million actions taken by global citizens around the world, calling on governments to address the major systemic issues our world is facing, including the global hunger crisis, the climate crisis, and equity for women and girls. Further accomplishments, per the Global Citizen announcement, are below.

Launching her tour celebrating the 25th anniversary of her culture-shifting Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album, Hill played classics including Doo Wop (That Thing) and Everything Is Everything, and was joined by the Fugees for Killing Me Softly, Ready or Not and Fu-Gee-La.

At a time when some leaders are walking back their promises, your actions deliver impact. So dont stop taking action. Climate change cant hit pause while world leaders get their act together. So dont stop. The poorest people on Earth dont have decades to spare. So dont stop. We cant wait for someone else to take action. We have to take action NOW.  Hugh Evans, Co-Founder and CEO, Global Citizen

FOR FOOD AND FOR JOBS

The 2023 Global Citizen Festival saw major progress made to address the worlds worsening food insecurity crisis. Responding to global citizens calls for urgent action, Emmanuel Macron, President of France announced via video message a $150 million commitment to the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)  currently the most committed by any government in its 13th replenishment. Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, Norways Minister of International Development also pledged $90 million to the fund.

In a moment of collective action from Central Parks Great Lawn, global citizens signed the Face Up To Hunger petition, which is part of the Hungry For Action campaign, by submitting selfies, demanding world leaders act with urgency to address the global food crisis and prevent famine for the 49 million people facing emergency levels of hunger.

Much more needs to be done to provide crucial support to millions of smallholder farmers around the world, who produce 70 percent of food in low and middle-income countries. Global Citizen continues to call on world leaders to follow the example of France and Norway and increase their contributions to IFAD by at least 50 percent to ensure the agency reaches its funding target of $2 billion by the end of 2023, and will continue to urge Australia to rejoin IFAD as a member state.

FOR EQUITY

Continuing a year of dedicated action to address the inequity of women and girls, the 2023 Global Citizen Festival saw the Government of Belgium commit 2 million to support the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Supplies Program, which provides lifesaving and life-changing sexual and reproductive health services. Phoebe Gates also took the stage on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to introduce a $100 million contribution to UNFPA, made earlier in the week.

The Government of France announced a 40 million commitment to Education Cannot Wait (ECW), which stands ready to educate 20 million children living through emergencies and crises, such as displacement and conflict. The Government of Malta also made a commitment to support children facing conflict via video message at the festival. Global Citizen continues to call on governments to meet the remaining $620 million needed for ECW to continue its urgent work.

Additionally, Accenture announced a $4.5 million commitment in support of the Aspen Institutes Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) in Brazil, Columbia, India, Mexico and South Africa. GOYN improves access for young people to productive and dignified employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, and to skills and resources to help them thrive in the future of work.

Continuing the momentum generated during the Global Citizen NOW summit in April, major brands including The Body Shop, LUSH, Patagonia, Seventh Generation and Ben and Jerrys signed a pledge against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), committing to protect the human right to freedom of expression without fear of intimidation or retaliation. The governments of Lithuania and Kosovo, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also encouraged global citizens everywhere to stand up for equality, freedom and justice during the festival.

FOR THE PLANET

As part of the Global Citizen Festival campaign, the organization invited both the UK government and His Majestys opposition to participate and detail their climate action commitments. In total, over 161,523 climate-related actions have been taken by global citizens in the UK to remind the British government of their promises and responsibilities, including the urgent need to publish their plan for the 11.6 billion climate finance pledge made in 2019. The Sunak Government declined to participate in todays day of action.

The Taoiseach of Ireland, Leo Varadkar, announced his government will provide 149 million in climate financing this year, and committed to uphold its promise to contribute 225 million annually from 2025 onwards.

The Brazilian state of Para returned to the Global Citizen Festival stage to pledge to further expand its protected areas of the Amazon rainforest by 1 million hectares by 2025, furthering the ambition of their commitments made in 2021. The primary focus will be on safeguarding indigenous lands and eliminating illegal deforestation as well as restoring 5 million hectares of forest by 2030. Global Citizen urges all Amazonian governments to join with President Lula in committing to end illegal deforestation by 2030.

Earlier this year, Global Citizen and its partners issued a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as part of its ongoing Power Our Planet campaign, calling for an additional reallocation of Canadas Special Drawing Rights (SDR), which can be used to provide affordable financing to low-income countries. During the Global Citizen Festival a representative from the Canadian Government highlighted its announcement earlier in the week of an additional CAD$700 million in Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to the International Monetary Funds Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust.

Over 34,000 Global Citizens also called on Congress to oppose proposed cuts to foreign aid by nearly 30 percent in the U.S. FY2024 budget. Today, seven members of the U.S. Congress, including Sen. Chris Coons, Sen. Cory Booker, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Rep. Ann Wagner, and Rep. Grace Meng declared their commitment to supporting robust funding for foreign assistance in FY24.

Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, took to the Global Citizen Festival stage to make an historic announcement, becoming the first non-Pacific nation to endorse the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, which outlines a global plan to phase out fossil fuels, accelerate the adoption of renewable energy, and ensure an equitable transition to clean energy for all communities. Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor Leste, also affirmed his countrys commitment to the treaty during the event.

Global Citizens Young Artists Collective, a program showcasing original works from art students to raise awareness, create dialogue, and drive action-taking, activated at the Global Citizen Festival with an outdoor photo gallery displaying artwork from 12 selected students inspired by the creative prompt Equity and its effects in todays world. Click here to learn more.

In what was its most sustainable Global Citizen Festival to date, Global Citizen partnered with Everland to make a positive contribution to nature and cover the estimated carbon emissions of the event by supporting community-centered forest conservation.

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Death cap mushroom

The sole survivor of a lethal mushroom poisoning in a small Australian town has been released from hospital, a development that could give detectives the breakthrough they need to solve the case.

Nearly two months after unknowingly eating death cap mushrooms, 68-year-old Ian Wilkinson is well enough to tell police what happened at the fatal family lunch that killed his wife and two relatives.

Erin Patterson, the woman who served the group the beef wellington suspected of containing the deadly fungi, has insisted she did not intend to harm her guests.

Mr Wilkinsons wife Heather, her sister Gail Patterson and brother-in-law Don Patterson died days after eating the meal cooked by Ms Patterson.

It was feared Mr Wilkinson would also not survive the toxins, which damaged his liver and kidneys.

On Sunday, parishioners at the church where Mr Wilkinson is a pastor hailed the miracle recovery while his family said the homecoming marks a moment of immense relief and gratitude. They thanked well-wishers who they said had been a pillar of strength.

A devastated Ms Patterson has previously paid tribute to the victims, saying she had a deep love for her in-laws and did not deliberately add the poisonous ingredient.

Death caps, which can appear similar to edible varieties, are responsible for about 90 per cent of mushroom-related deaths worldwide.

Patterson admitted lying to police

Ms Patterson had welcomed the four guests to her home in Leongatha, in south-east Victoria, on July 29 as the family tried to remain amicable throughout her separation from her husband Simon.

Following the deaths, police searched a rubbish tip where they found a food dehydrator belonging to Ms Patterson. She initially told them she had dumped it a long time ago.

But in a subsequent statement, Ms Patterson admitted lying to police. She recalled that in a state of panic she had taken the cooking equipment to a rubbish tip after her estranged husband asked if she had used the dehydrator to poison his parents.

She said she had bought button mushrooms from a local supermarket, as well as dried mushrooms from an Asian grocery in Melbourne, which she did not name in her statement.

Ms Patterson has also revealed that she had become ill after the meal. The hospital confirmed a fifth patient had presented symptoms of food poisoning.

The Victoria Police homicide squad is reviewing CCTV and questioning witnesses as they consider whether to proceed with charges.

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The transportation company that owns the bus involved in a fatal crash in New York this week while bringing high school students to a band camp was listed as an unacceptable operator by the state after failing several safety inspections since 2022.

New York State Department of Transportation records show the bus operator, Regency Transportation Ltd., had failed five out of 15 total safety inspections during the states 2023 fiscal year, department spokesperson Joseph Morrissey said Friday. The agency conducts more than 150,000 safety inspections each year as part of its bus safety program.

The bus was carrying about 40 students on Farmingdale High Schools marching band from Long Island to a band camp in Pennsylvania when it careened off Interstate 84, crashed through a wire guard rail and flipped over repeatedly down the ravine in Wawayanda, about 70 miles northwest of New York City, according to New York State Police Trooper Jason Lewis.

Beatrice Ferrari, right, and Gina Pellettiere, left - Obtained by CNN

Two longtime teachers, Gina Pellettiere and Beatrice Ferrari, were killed and multiple students were injured in the crash, police said.

The bus was new to Regency Transportations fleet and was inspected by New Yorks transportation department for the first time in August 2023, according to Morrissey. It had passed its semi-annual inspection and underwent four additional random roadside inspections since 2021, Morrissey said, passing each of them. One of those inspections was conducted by the states transportation department, while the other three were done in other states.

Bus operators with a 25% or higher out-of-service rate, or vehicles that fail inspection, are rated unacceptable, according to the transportation agency. Regency Transportation Ltd.s rate was 33% in the states 2023 fiscal year, department records show.

Operators listed under the unacceptable category are required to undergo at least two comprehensive safety inspections every year. They also may face a number of corrective actions, including violation notices leading to civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of interstate operating authority, according to New Yorks transportation department.

Other buses operated by the company failed seven safety inspections over the past two years, Morrissey confirmed to CNN. Most of the problems investigators identified were related to braking systems, and those buses were immediately taken out of service until rectified by the operator and verified by our inspectors, Morrissey told CNN. Investigators also identified recordkeeping and rear axle issues on a few of them, he added.

Regency Transportation Ltd. did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Preliminary information suggests a faulty front tire may have contributed to the crash, authorities said Thursday evening.

But the investigation continues, and a team from the National Transportation Safety Board arrived Friday to probe what led up to the tragedy.

The agency, as of Friday, hadnt yet spoken with the driver of the bus but was planning to as soon as possible, depending on her injuries, NTSB Investigator in Charge John Humm said during a Friday news conference. Humm said he didnt know the status of her condition.

A team of seven NTSB investigators will remain at the crash site for the next few days, aiming to zero in on factors that may have led to the crash, Humm said. They will also work to determine whether the bus had a dash camera.

CNNs Holly Yan, Caroll Alvarado and Omar Jimenez contributed to this report.

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Sir Richard Bransons next mission: combating climate change.

The billionaire British entrepreneur announced his latest initiative, Planetary Guardians, at a news conference Monday while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.

The coalition includes 14 world leaders who will take what theyre calling a whole planet approach to safeguard Earth. The diverse group includes actor Robert Redford, activist Jane Goodall and Juan Manuel Santos, the former president of Colombia.

If you cant measure something properly, you cant fix it, Branson told NBC News in a wide-ranging interview at his new flagship Virgin Hotel on Tuesday. The idea is that we will measure the nine principal planetary boundaries every year  how many are the rainforests? Exactly where are we with climate change? Where are we with species disappearing in the world  and we can try to make sure we can push the world into trying to address them.

Branson also had a message for the climate change deniers.

Its a fact of life, he said. The amount of carbon thats going into Earths atmosphere is heating up the world and its going to do a lot of damage to the world if we dont get it under control."

While in New York, Branson met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at a fundraiser for the war-torn country. Branson was appointed ambassador to United24 last spring to lead fundraising efforts to rebuild the country.

We cant allow countries at this day and age to take over the territory of other peoples countries, he said. I mean, theyre dying for the freedom of all of us. And the least we can do is make sure that we help them and in every way we can.

When asked if he sees an end in sight for the war he said, The war will not end until Ukrainians manage to get their sovereign territory back.

Branson founded Virgin Group in the 1970s. It now consists of more than 400 companies, including his airline, record label and hotels all over the world, which now includes his first-ever location in Manhattan.

Virgin Hotel New York. (Michael Mundy / Virgin)

"In Virgin Atlantic, I started with one plane flying to New York 40 years ago this year, and now we have many, many planes flying to New York every day, and the most common complaint I get from our passengers is you dump us in New York and weve got nowhere to go so we decided to rectify that and build a Virgin hotel just off Broadway," he said.

The mogul has homes all over the world and even owns his own island, but he says there's something about the city that never sleeps. "When I come to New York, its like coming home."

Branson's portfolio also includes his commercial space program, Virgin Galactic, which launched its first shuttle into space last month.

Virgin Galactic's rocket-powered plane Unity is displayed in the tarmac after a short flight to the edge of space at Spaceport America, near Truth or Consequences, N.M., Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Virgin Galactic is taking its first space tourists on a long-delayed rocket ship ride. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton) (Andres Leighton / AP file)

While running many businesses hes aware of his own carbon footprint.

"Weve managed to get the price of going into space, from a carbon point of view right down to a minimum.  You know, if youve run an airline, youve got to try to get the youngest, most fuel-efficient planes," Branson said. "If youre running a space line, youve got to reduce the cost of taking people into space dramatically from a carbon point of view. So all of us in positions where we can make a big difference have got to make a big difference.

He added, My trip to space was definitely the best day of my life.

Branson, 73, said he intends to return.

"I booked it for my 80th, 90th and 100th birthday, and I'm an optimist, so my 110th as well," he said.
Russell Brand is breaking his silence amid allegations that he sexually assaulted multiple women.

It has been an extraordinary and distressing week and I thank you very much for your support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with, Brand said Sept. 22 in a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.

Brand, who denied the allegations against him before they were published, then accused social media platforms, enabled by British legislation, of censoring his content.

Brand's comments come after the actor and comedians management company postponed the three remaining dates of Brands Bipolarisation tour in Britain on Sept. 18., two days after sexual assault allegations against Brand by four women were published and televised following a joint investigation that resulted in a Channel 4 TV documentary and in joint reports in The Times of London and Sunday Times newspapers.

The four women, who have not been named and who NBC News has not spoken to alleged that Brand raped, sexually assaulted or abused them between 2006 and 2013.

One of the women said she was had a three-month relationship with Brand when she was 16. Another woman alleged that Brand raped her in 2012 at his Los Angeles home.

The U.K. Metropolitan Police Service told NBC News that it received a report of a sexual assault allegedly involving Brand that occurred in 2003 in London on Sept. 18, a day after the allegations were reported on television and in newspapers.

Russell Brand (Mel Media / Getty Images)

TODAY and NBC News have not independently confirmed any of the allegations against Brand.

An attorney for Brand declined to comment to NBC News about the allegations.

Prior to the reports going public, Brand denied the allegations in a video he posted to his social media accounts. The comedian and author said at the time that all of his intimate relationships are always consensual.

But amidst this litany of astonishing, rather baroque attacks are some very serious allegations that I absolutely refute, Brand said.

Following the allegations, Brands talent agency, Tavistock Wood Management Agency, announced on Sept. 17 that they dropped Brand as a client, citing an allegation made against him in 2020.

Russell Brand categorically and vehemently denied the allegation made in 2020, but we now believe we were horribly misled by him, the agency said. TW has terminated all professional ties to Brand.

On Sept. 18, The Bookseller, a British magazine that covers the publishing industry, shared a statement from Brands publisher, Bluebird, was pausing on all future publishing of Brands book Recovery: The Workbook, a guide to overcoming addictions, due to be released in December.

Read on to learn about the allegations against Brand.

Multiple women allege that Brand raped, sexually assaulted or abused them

Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times jointly investigated the allegations against Brand.

In the published reports and the accompanying Channel 4 documentary, four women alleged that Brand had raped, sexually assaulted or abused them between 2006 and 2013.

One woman alleged that Brand groomed her at 16

One of Brands accusers, who used the pseudonym Alice, told The Times she was 16 years old when she began a three-month relationship with the Forgetting Sarah Marshall star, who was then 31.

Though 16 is the legal age of consent in the United Kingdom, the woman alleged that Brand groomed her, pressured her to perform sexual acts and raped her. Alice described to The Times having to push Brand off of her and punching him in the stomach on one occasion.

Alice told The Times that Brand referred to her as the child and would send a car for her to be picked up at school and taken to his home.

Russell engaged in the behaviors of a groomer, looking back, but I didnt even know what that was then, or what that looked like, Alice told The Times.

Another woman said Brand raped her in the U.S.

Another one of Brands accusers in the Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times investigation, who used the name Nadia, said that Brand raped her in 2012 at his Los Angeles residence.

Nadia told reporters that Brand invited her to his home after the two had consensual sex, but on this occasion wanted a friend to join them, according to The Times.

When Nadia refused, Brand pushed her against a wall and raped her, she alleged.

One woman alleged that Brand sexually assaulted her when they worked together

One woman in the Channel 4, The Times and The Sunday Times investigation said Brand sexually assaulted her when they worked together in L.A.

Brand was also accused of exposing himself

Brand worked with Channel 4 from 2004 and 2007, when some of the alleged behavior is said to have occurred.

One Channel 4 employee, who used the pseudonym Rachel, told The Times that Brand exposed his penis to her in his dressing room and made insinuation about her performing oral sex on him.

Some Channel 4 colleagues said Brand made them feel like pimps

Some Channel 4 crew members told the Times that they felt like they were working as a pimp for Brand as he pursued members of the audience for sex, according to NBC News.

We have asked the production company who produced the programs for Channel 4 to investigate these allegations and report their findings properly and satisfactorily to us, the network said. Channel 4 is also conducting its own internal investigation, and we would encourage anyone who is aware of such behavior to contact us directly.

Episodes of Big Brothers Big Mouth and The Great British Bake Off featuring Brand have been removed from Channel 4s streaming service.

Some events allegedly happened while Brand worked for the BBC

Some events the accusers described allegedly happened while Brand worked as a host and presenter for the BBC from 2006 to 2008.

The BBC said in a statement that it is urgently looking into the issues raised by the reports.

Russell Brand worked for a number of different organizations of which the BBC was one, the statement read. As is well known, Russell Brand left the BBC after a serious editorial breach in 2008  as did the then controller of Radio 2. The circumstances of the breach were reviewed in detail at the time. We hope that demonstrates that the BBC takes issues seriously and is prepared to act.

The U.K. Metropolitan Police Service received a report of an alleged 2003 assault

The U.K. Metropolitan Police Service told NBC News that it received a report of an alleged assault against Brand on Sept. 17, a day after the investigations publication and a documentary that also aired Saturday.

The alleged assault occurred in Londons Soho neighborhood in 2003, according to the police department.

We continue to encourage anyone who believes they may have been a victim of a sexual offence, no matter how long ago it was, to contact us, Metropolitan Police Service said.

What has Brand said about the allegations?

In the video denying the allegations posted to his social media account, Brand said the allegations happened during the height of his mainstream fame as an actor when he was very, very promiscuous.

The relationships he had at the time were absolutely always consensual, he added.

The comedian who was married to pop star Katy Perry from 2010 until 2012, suggested that the reports could be part of campaign to discredit him because of his unorthodox views.

Brand has been criticized for interviewing controversial media personalities including Joe Rogan and for expressing doubts about COVID-19 vaccines.

Its been clear to me, or at least it feels to me, like theres a serious and concerted agenda to control these kinds of spaces and these kind of voices, and I mean my voice along with your voice, he said.

In his second video, shared Sept. 22, Brand said the Online Safety Bill, which requires companies to take down illegal content, grants "sweeping surveillance and censorship powers." Britains Parliament signed off on it Sept. 19.

According to NBC News, Brand's video comes after YouTube blocked him from making money from his channel and the BBC pulled some of his content from its online streaming service. Additionally, a leader of British Parliaments Media and Sport Committee contacted Rumble  the site Brand will now use to host his platform  with concerns that he will make a profit off it.

In a statement, according to NBC News, Rumble said it would refuse to join a cancel culture mob."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
A man working on preparations for the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix died after sustaining a "major laceration" to his neck, police said.

Officers with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department responded to the Bellagio Fountains at 11:30 a.m. PT on Saturday for an injured worker, police said.

PHOTO: Formula 1 branding as construction takes place on the 3.8-mile, 50-lap course for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, June 1, 2023. (Matthew Ashton - Ama/Getty Images)

MORE: 2 workers dead after being buried under rubble at JFK Airport

The male worker was transported to an area hospital and subsequently died, police said. His age was not immediately available.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will be investigating the workplace incident, police said.

A police spokesperson confirmed to ABC News the worker was involved in the setup for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is occurring on the Strip from Nov. 16 to 18.

MORE: American Airlines employee dies after tarmac incident at Austin airport

The Formula 1 event is set to feature a 3.8-mile track around downtown Las Vegas landmarks, casinos and hotels, including the Bellagio, Caesars Palace and the Venetian.

ABC News has reached out to Formula 1 for comment.

Worker involved in Las Vegas Grand Prix prep dies after sustaining 'major' neck laceration: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Iranian, Russian, Turkish FMs, UN envoy discuss Syrian situation

Xinhua) 15:13, September 24, 2023

TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian foreign minister said he had discussed with his Russian and Turkish counterparts, as well as the United Nations (UN) envoy, the latest situation in Syria in New York, Iran's official news agency IRNA reported Saturday.

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to reporters in New York on Friday, while elaborating on his meeting earlier in the day with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir O. Pedersen on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, said the report.

The meeting was held within the framework of the Astana process, which was launched in 2017 at the initiative of Iran, Russia and Turkiye.

The minister said the meeting highlighted economic problems, Western sanctions and terrorism as fundamental challenges in Syria.

He added that it also voiced concern over the humanitarian situation in Syria and reiterated that the unilateral sanctions against the country, which violate international and humanitarian law and the UN Charter, should be fully lifted.

Amir-Abdollahian said the meeting highlighted the international community's responsibility to reduce the Syrian people's suffering, urging the UN to mull a plan and provide financial support for creating the necessary infrastructure for the return of Syrian refugees to their homeland.

The Iranian top diplomat noted that solutions were also proposed at the meeting to reduce misunderstandings and settle border problems between Syria and Turkiye.

During the meeting, the Turkish and Russian foreign ministers and the UN envoy also stated their views on helping resolve Syria's problems, according to IRNA.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
By Ko Dong-hwan

The Chong Kun Dang (CKD) Kochon Foundation has awarded Ukraine health authorities for their medical effforts to treat tuberculosis during the ongoing war with Russia, the Korean pharmaceutical company said Sunday.

The receipients of prize were two institutions and one individual, including the Center for Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine, the Southern Kherson Pulmonary Tuberculosis Medical Center and Zhanna Karpenko, the director of the Chernihiv Regional Medical Center. The prize was jointly launched by CKD Kochon Foundation and Stop TB Parnership, a subsidiary under the United Nations Office for Project Services which is an international alliance to treat tuberculosis, in 2005.

The 17th Kochon Prize award ceremony was on last Wednesday on the sideline of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Streamed live by Stop TB Partnership's YouTube and Facebook, Commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jee Young-mee, Ukraine's First Deputy Minister of Health Serhii Dubrov and Malawi's first lady Monica Chakwera gave opening speeches for the event.

The prize recognized the Ukraine public health center's achievement of having treated over 12,000 tuberculosis patients following the Russian Invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The authority set up an emergency system to continue the medical service even during the wartime, according to CKD Kochon Foundation.

Yana Terleeva from the public health center, who received the prize on behalf of the authority, said the award is "more than a prize, but a hope and new start of the future."

The Southern Kherson Pulmonary Tuberculosis Medical Center has won recognition after it launched an online service to continue accepting patients following the start of the war. CKD Kochon Foundation said the authority issued doctors' diagnostic notes and prescriptions via emails and helped treat 400 tuberculosis patients and 3,500 HIV patients.

Karpenko protected 54 tuberculosis patients under hospitalization by evacuating them and providing them with medical support during the war. The company said she also provided Ukraine refugees with food, fuels and daily necessities.

THe KCD Kochon Foundation gives out $100,000 each year to winners of the prize. Twelve scholars and 14 institutions have so far been awarded the prize with the prize money totaling over $3.14 million.

The foundation was established by the company founder Lee Chong-kun in 1973.
The Prime Minister called the flagging off of nine Vande Bharat trains an unprecedented occasion of modern connectivity in the country

NEW DELHI: Flagging off nine Vande Bharat Express trains connecting religious and tourist destinations across 11 states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the speed and scale of infrastructure development matched the aspirations of 140-crore Indians. Asserting that his government is working for the transformation of Indian Railways, he rued that earlier not much attention was given to its modernisation.

These nine indigenously built semi-high-speed trains will provide faster connectivity across 11 states -- Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat.

In his address, the Prime Minister called the flagging off of nine Vande Bharat trains an unprecedented occasion of modern connectivity in the country. This speed and scale of infrastructure development in the country is exactly matching the aspirations of 140-crore Indians, he said.

The Prime Minister said that the trains started today are more modern and comfortable and are symbols of a new enthusiasm of new India.

Mr Modi expressed delight about the growing popularity of Vande Bharat. He said that more than 1.11-crore passengers have travelled on Vande Bharat trains.

Stressing the importance of railways in the lives of common citizens, the Prime Minister noted that Indian Railways is the most trusted co-passenger of India's poor and middle-class population and the number of people who travel on railways in one day is greater than the population of many countries.

Lamenting the neglect of this important sector under previous governments, Mr Modi said, "It is unfortunate that not much attention was given to modernising Indian Railways. But now our government is working for the transformation of Indian Railways."

Elaborating on the efforts of the current government for the transformation of Indian Railways, the Prime Minister informed the audience that this year's budget for railways is eight times the rail budget of 2014. He also talked about the ongoing work on doubling, electrification and new routes.

The Prime Minister emphasised that India on the path to becoming a developed nation will now have to modernise its railway stations as well. "I am confident that the changes taking place at every level in Indian Railways and society will prove to be an important step towards a developed India," the Prime Minister said.

To achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047, the development of every state and the people of every state is necessary, Mr Modi emphasised.



The Prime Minister stated that selfish thinking about concentrating railway development in the state of the railway minister has damaged the country a lot. Now we simply cannot afford to keep any state backwards. We have to move ahead with a vision of Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, he said.

Addressing the railways employees, the Prime Minister asked them to make every journey memorable for the passengers. Every employee of the Indian Railways has to remain constantly sensitive towards ease of travel and to provide a good experience to the passengers, he said.

Governors, chief ministers, Union ministers and elected representatives were present at the nine railway stations from which the indigenously built semi-high-speed trains were flagged off.

These Vande Bharat trains will be the fastest along the routes of their operation and will help save considerable time for the passengers. As compared to the current fastest train along the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri and Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram routes, the Vande Bharat Express will be faster by about three hours. Likewise, on the Hyderabad-Bengaluru route, the Vande Bharat Express will be faster by more than two-and-a-half hours, on the Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai route by over two hours, on the Ranchi-Howrah, Patna-Howrah, and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad routes, the Vande Bharat Express will be faster by about one hour; and on the Udaipur-Jaipur route, the Vande Bharat Express will be faster by about half-an-hour.



In line with the Prime Ministers vision to improve the connectivity of important religious places across the country, the Rourkela-Bhubaneswar-Puri Vande Bharat Express and Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express will connect the important religious towns of Puri and Madurai. Also, the Vijayawada-Chennai Vande Bharat Express will operate via the Renigunta route and will provide connectivity to the Tirupati Pilgrimage centre, the government said.

These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel.
Modi mentioned that India's leadership was recognised globally as it facilitated the inclusion of the African Union as a member of the G20

BJP president JP Nadda and other BJP members listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his 'Man Ki Baat' programme, in New Delhi, on Sunday. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann ki Baat' on Sunday, emphasised the significance of the India-Middle East-Europe corridor in global trade and its Indian origin. He drew parallels to the ancient Silk Route, which India used during its prosperous trading era, and mentioned that India proposed the idea of this economic corridor at the recent G20 Summit.

"The India-Middle East-Europe corridor is poised to become the foundation of world trade for centuries to come, and history will always acknowledge that it was initiated on Indian soil," Modi declared.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the country's achievements, including the successful summit following India's Chandrayaan-3 mission, which brought immense joy to every citizen. He noted that these two accomplishments have been prominently mentioned in the messages he has received from the public.

Furthermore, Modi mentioned that India's leadership was recognised globally as it facilitated the inclusion of the African Union as a member of the G20.

Referring to the venue of the G20 Summit, the Bharat Mandapam, the Prime Minister noted its newfound celebrity status, with people taking selfies at the state-of-the-art conference hall.

As India approaches Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary on October 2, Modi said the global significance of world leaders paying homage at his memorial during the G20 Summit, highlighting the continued relevance of Gandhi's ideas worldwide. He expressed happiness at the cleanliness programmes planned for Gandhi's birth anniversary, with government departments launching the 'Swachhta hi sewa' programme. He urged people to participate in a major cleanliness programme on October 1 and purchase Khadi products as a tribute to Gandhi.

With World Tourism Day on September 27, the Prime Minister highlighted the potential of tourism to generate employment with minimal investment. He emphasised that India's growing goodwill, especially after hosting the G20 meetings with over one lakh foreign delegates experiencing the country's diversity, cuisine, and heritage, will boost tourism.

Modi proudly announced that Santiniketan, associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka have been declared world heritage sites, bringing the total count of world heritage properties in India to 42. He expressed India's commitment to recognising more historical and cultural sites as world heritage sites.

As the festival season approaches, the Prime Minister encouraged citizens to support 'vocal for local' and purchase 'Made in India' products, contributing to the welfare of Indian artisans and labourers.

Modi also celebrated the success of Chandrayaan-3 and its impact on millions of Indians who followed the mission on ISRO's YouTube Live Channel. He praised a group of youths in Nainital for launching the 'Ghoda Library,' an initiative to bring books to children in remote villages, offering them poems, stories, and moral education books alongside their school materials.
Not just agriculture and food production, in any area where technology is involved, whether science and technology, is fraught with dispute.

The wrangling over GM mustard, which could become Indias first genetically engineered food crop if the government has its way, reveals the ongoing dispute in society on the suitability of GM crops. The earlier engagement with Bt brinjal and the governments efforts to release it saw the same pros-and-cons discussions. Ultimately, Bt brinjal was not released as scientists were unable to answer the questions raised by opponents or provide safety data.

Not just agriculture and food production, in any area where technology is involved, whether science and technology, water management or land use, moving ahead is increasingly fraught with dispute. The ideas and development paradigm are under siege, with disparate viewpoints unable to find common ground. Policy formulation faces confrontational interactions rather than dialogue. Part of this stems from the old paternalistic formula for development that came from the top (meaning government), which was accepted till some years ago, is not acceptable any longer. People arent willing to be placid consumers of a roadmap set by the powers that be, but are now informed by wider concerns about the environment, social equity and larger self-interest.

Most new conflicts are arising in technologies and developments derived from or based on biology. Many are related to food, livelihood and ecological security. The 21st century is predicted to be that of biology, the time when fast-paced and radical breakthroughs will transform the science. Recent developments have led to transformative technologies like genetic engineering including Crispr, Nanotechnology, Stem Cell interventions, Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics.

The technology, with its associated features like knowledge creation, intellectual property rights and access to key resources like genetic resources, has raised a set of major controversies with deeply entrenched views on both sides of the divide.

Part of the problem is increasing privatisation of science and the fruits of scientific research and resultant sequestering of information going into the private rather than public domain. This is at variance with the hitherto strong traditions of publicly-funded science and technology development that was accessible to all. The Green Revolution, perhaps Indias most visible technology, or at least one with the widest impact, was a technology in the public domain, almost diametrically opposed to the current genetic engineering, a purely privately-owned technology.

In addition to increasing privatisation, there are concerns over the safety and ethical dimensions of the emerging transformative technologies like genetic engineering, nanotechnology and the omics range of genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc. All these will change the way that food production, healthcare and drug delivery will be managed in future and the ways in which the natural and human environment will be impacted.

Building consensus and finding common ground

Most discussions on genetic resources, genetic engineering and other transformative technologies are characterised by a culture of conflict and opposition, discouraging constructive dialogue between opposing viewpoints. There are few efforts to find consensus and commonality; rather there is escalating sharpness in divergence of views and suspicion among the key stakeholders about hidden agendas. In India, the lack of transparency on the part of government agencies, unwillingness to share biosafety data and the exclusion of major stakeholders in decision- making is becoming a major impediment to the adoption of technology.

Not in India, but elsewhere in the world, there have been attempts to scale down differences and find common ground as a prelude to reaching some consensus on controversial issues. Conflict resolution structures have been set up in the past on the issues of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) and Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), with varying degrees of success. In all cases though, the issue has moved forward from the original stalemate. IPR still remains a contentious issue but the concept of farmers rights has moved forward, with India playing a pioneering role.

The Keystone Dialogues hosted by the Keystone Centre in the United States are carefully constructed deliberations that address the politically controversial and technically complex aspects of an issue. Another example is the Crucible Group supported by the IDRC (International Development Research Centre) of Canada. This group was active in the field of Intellectual Property Rights associated with Plant Genetic Resources. The Crucible Group discussions produced rather divergent points of view on plant genetic resources but managed to develop a consensus on some issues like joint conservation efforts, including local communities and private companies, as well as sharing of gene bank collections with local communities.

A transparent dialogue process must be initiated to exchange data and build a consensus acceptable to public, private, and civil society sectors. Diverse interest groups must be at the table so that a wide range of inputs are available for decision-making. The creation of a consensus-seeking platform should try to resolve differences among the main protagonists/stakeholders as a first step, rather than seek immediate solutions. The consensus process should try to make opposing parties aware of the nuances of the other positions, even as they disagree. If this starts to happen, the first steps in moving away from the all-black or all- white positions can begin, leading to some agreed areas of action.

India is poised for growth but is hamstrung by muddled, often ill-informed goals for technology adoption. It tends to fall prey to vested interests. The country needs to shake off its confusion and develop a clear line on which technologies are suited to its needs. The judicious adoption of technology can act as a motor for the countrys growth. But we have to develop a consensus on the kinds of technologies that are best suited for us and the manner in which we wish to proceed.
There is intense dissatisfaction with how people's lives are panning out, which has not yet assumed the form of anger.

Prime Minister Narendra Modis panache for dramatic gestures was in evidence in the passing of the Constitutions 128th Amendment Bill in both Houses of Parliament at the special session last week. It is a law that may not come into effect till 2029, and it has been passed six years ahead of time. Its a strange, and slightly bizarre, constitutional provision which almost seems to be an afterthought of the Modi government to get something significant done to mark the beginning of the proceedings in the new Parliament building, to make it memorable. This has been his signature for the past nine years.

We saw it first in his televised address on November 8, 2016 when he announced the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes. We saw it when he convened a midnight joint session of Parliament to launch the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on July 1, 2017. Then in February 2019 he shared in a televised address the surgical airstrike in Balakot in Pakistan-held territory the wake of the Pulwama suicide attack on a convoy killing 40 soldiers. And from March 24, 2020 to May 12, 2020, he made three televised addresses to the nation, starting with the nationwide lockdown, saying that the Covid-19 pandemic would be wiped out by the second week of May, saying that we have to live with the virus, and shifting the focus to the theme of Atma Nirbhar Bharat. Whatever we may think of Mr Modis political histrionics, there is a predictable pattern in his style.

But in the last few months, coinciding with the Opposition parties forming the INDIA bloc, he has been seen to be fumbling to pick an attention-grabbing issue in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He wanted to make the G-20 summit under Indias presidency a mega-event, but it has turned out to be much too subdued for his taste. The world leaders came, appreciated Indias hospitality, and went away because they were also distracted by the Ukraine war, the climate change problem and the stuttering global economy. The Indian Prime Ministers rhetoric of the summit theme he had chosen  One Earth, One Family, One Future -- did not resonate too much with the guests. They were polite, and nothing more. The Prime Minister, external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman and others maintained a sober tone. This could be seen at the media interaction at the end of the first day of the summit, that was addressed by Mr Jaishankar and Ms Sitharaman, when the Delhi Declaration was adopted. There was no chest-thumping about the grand success of the summit. Even the BJP workers meeting to congratulate Mr Modi on Indias presidency of the G-20 at the party headquarters in New Delhi was quite a toned-down affair.

The Narendra Modi government would have liked Parliament to pass a resolution lauding Mr Modis and the governments success in hosting the G-20 summit and the Delhi Declaration with its note of consensus on a prickly issue like the war in Ukraine. The resolution could have been moved in the Lok Sabha and in Rajya Sabha could have been moved by a member of the ruling party. It seemed that was the idea lingering behind convening the five-day special session of Parliament, which really was nothing more than a decorative ceremony. But there seems to be have been an attack of uncharacteristic modesty in the Prime Minister, the government and the BJP.

A flutter was caused when the Cabinet passed a resolution on One Nation, One Election. This was followed by the setting up of a hurriedly constituted committee headed by former President of India Ram Nath Kovind. The list of the members came a little later, comprising pro-government personalities like former Lok Sabha secretary-general Subhash Kashyap, former Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, legal luminary Harish Salve, apart from Union home minister Amit Shah. Congress Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who was named for the committee, declined to be part of it. It seemed that the committee would prepare a quick report and the government would push the bill through the two Houses because it has a majority in both. But Mr Kovind announced that the first meeting of the committee would be held September 23, a day after the special session was due to end. This too looks a future agenda, but the government may want to pass some kind of legislation before its term ends.

These gestures indicate that the government is still looking for that big issue which would carry the day for it in the next election, and it is not able to decide which one. So, it would end up trying to do several things like the womens reservation bill, or the setting up of the committee on One Nation, One Election. But these issues are turning out to be protracted affairs, and the government can only claim credit for them in only the nominal sense.

It had seemed that the Modi government had plenty of achievements in its bag which would cheer its support base: the Supreme Court verdict giving the Babri Masjid land to the Hindu party for the construction of the Ram Mandir, Prime Minister Modi performing the foundation-laying ceremony for the construction of the temple, and the temple to be inaugurated early next year, much before the general election. And then there is removing the special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, demoting the state into two Union territories and bifurcating it. But the BJPs top brass, poll analysts and monitors in the party, seem to be unsure whether any of these things find resonance with a public which is struggling with their daily lives despite the economy doing well at the macro level.

There is intense dissatisfaction with how their lives are panning out, which has not yet assumed the form of anger. The challenge for Mr Modi and the BJP is how to woo a discontented electorate. The promise of India becoming one of top three economies before the end of the decade, or India becoming a developed economy by 2047, are long-term dreams which are unlikely to impress people harried by economic and social stress of the day. The proverbial silver lining for Mr Modi and the BJP is that the Opposition has not yet emerged as a clear force.
At the Angelus on Migrant and Refugee Day Pope Francis thanks the Italian Church for welcoming initiatives. "God does not count on our goodness but on the generosity of His grace".

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - "Migrating should be a free choice, never the only possible one," Pope Francis said today at the Angelus, addressing the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square on the day in which the Catholic Church celebrates the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, dedicated this year to the theme "Free to choose whether to migrate or stay"

The right to migrate - commented Francis - has become an obligation for many while there should be the right not to migrate in order to remain in one's own land. It is necessary that every man and every woman is guaranteed the opportunity to live a dignified life in the country where they are. Unfortunately, poverty, war and the climate crisis force many people to flee. Therefore we are all called to build communities ready and open to welcome, promote, accompany and integrate those who knock on our doors".

In this sense, after recalling that this was also one of the key themes of the trip made in recent days to Marseille, the pontiff expressly wanted to thank the "bishops of the Italian Episcopal Conference who do everything to welcome".

Commenting on today's liturgy which proposes the parable of the owner of the vineyard who goes out from the early hours of dawn until the evening to call some workers but, in the end, pays everyone the same (see Mt 20:1-16), he urged look to God who "does not wait for our efforts to come to us, does not test us to evaluate our merits before looking for us, does not give up if we are late in responding to him; on the contrary, He Himself took the initiative and in Jesus "came out" towards us, to show us His love for Him".

"Brothers and sisters - added the Pope - sometimes we risk having a "mercantile" relationship with God, focusing more on our skill than on the generosity of his grace. Sometimes even as a Church, instead of going out at every hour of the day and open our arms to everyone, we can feel at the top of the class, judging others as distant, without thinking that God also loves them with the same love he has for us.

Hence the invitation to ask ourselves: "Do I, as a Christian, know how to reach out to others? And am I generous towards everyone, do I know how to give that "extra" of understanding and forgiveness, as Jesus did with me?".

Finally, in his greetings to the faithful, the Pope renewed the invitation to participate in the ecumenical prayer vigil which will be held on Saturday 30 September in St. Peter's Square in preparation for the Synodal Assembly which will open on 4 October. Finally he once again invited us to remember the tormented Ukraine; let us pray for these people who suffer so much."
On the eve of the Assembly that opens in Rome and where two of its own bishops will also be present, the Catholic Church in Vietnam sent a message to the faithful indicating the theme of enhancing the mission of the laity in 2024. "In Vietnam, due to historical circumstances, combined with difficult living conditions and a misunderstanding of doctrine, some live their faith passively. But the heritage of faith transmitted by the blood of the martyrs is entrusted to each of us".

Ho Chi Minh City (AsiaNews) - We are now on the eve of the opening of the Synod in Rome on 4 October. And among the most significant experiences in Asia in the path desired by Pope Francis in 2021 and which will continue throughout next year, that of the Church of Vietnam deserves to be highlighted. Two Vietnamese bishops will be present at the Assembly: Msgr. Joseph o Manh Hung, 65 years old, bishop of Phan Thiet on the southern coast of the country since 2019 and secretary of the Episcopal Conference, and Msgr. Louis Nguyen Anh Tuan, 63 years old, bishop of Ha Tinh for a few months, in what at the time of the conflict were the northern provinces.

Unlike the two Chinese bishops who will arrive in Rome without having so far been able to take part in the synodal process with the other dioceses of the world, the Church of Vietnam has long been an active part in the common path of the Catholic Churches of Asia with an eye that also goes beyond its borders. It then becomes interesting to point out that - at the end of its last meeting, held in recent days in Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon) - the Episcopal Conference wanted to spread a message aimed at all the Vietnamese faithful on the experience of the Synod. A text which recalls that - as had already been announced - the entire pastoral year 2024 in Vietnam will be dedicated to the theme "Promoting participation in the life of the Church", therefore placing itself precisely in the wavelength indicated by Pope Francis with the synodal path.

As the archbishop of Ho Chi Minh City (the former Saigon) Msgr. writes in the message. Joseph Nguyen Nang, president of the Episcopal Conference, and the mgr himself. Joseph o Manh Hung, as secretary, the Vietnamese Church wants to seize the opportunity of the Synod for a qualitative leap in the participation of all the people of God in the life of the communities. In Vietnam - they write - due to historical circumstances, combined with difficult living conditions and an erroneous understanding of doctrine, some parishioners live their faith passively and are indifferent to the activities of the local community. For them the life of faith consists only in the observance of the Sunday precept. Therefore, promoting participation in the life and mission of the Church in Vietnam is an urgent need."

They ask priests to "be aware that the ministerial priesthood is received to serve the community priesthood due to Baptism. Therefore - write the Vietnamese bishops quoting chapter 37 of the constitution Lumen Gentium of the Second Vatican Council - ordained pastors must recognize and promote the dignity and responsibility of the laity in the Church. They must be ready to listen to their opinions, trust them in the service of the Church, give them freedom and power to act, encourage them and enable them to undertake what they have started."

Priests are invited to "organize courses for the formation of lay people, helping them to correctly understand the roles and duties of their vocation and mission in the Church", without claiming to "replace their parishioners". The invitation is addressed to men and women religious to live the three evangelical counsels (poverty, chastity and obedience) "as signs of the presence of the Kingdom in the midst of the earth, engaging in all areas of society".

Vietnamese lay people themselves are asked to be aware of their mission and their role in the Church. Be enthusiastic about participating and collaborating closely with priests to build the Church and carry out our mission of bearing witness to the Lord with our lives, the bishops write. In particular - they add - the members of the Parish Pastoral Council, the catechists, the extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist, those in charge of the Liturgy, the members of associations and movements, must have an interior life and study the teaching of the Church, to participate to activities with openness to the Spirit, with active zeal but always in harmonious communion with the priests, religious and the community".

The heritage of faith of over 400 years of evangelization in Vietnam is entrusted to us - the message continues -. This legacy was achieved with the toil of our predecessors and the blood of martyrs. We have a duty to preserve it and make it grow, so that we can pass it on to future generations. May you join us, in accordance with the life and ability of God, to build the Church we desire."

"In 2023," the bishops concluded, "the Catholic Church in Vietnam will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the canonisation of the martyrs (1988-2023). It is an opportunity to learn about the history of the proclamation of the Gospel in Vietnam, the heroic example of our predecessors, thanks to which we give thanks to God, we vow to continue the work of our predecessors, we write on the heroic pages of the history of the Church, we commit ourselves to witness to God and to contribute to the building of a peaceful and prosperous homeland".

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By Ko Dong-hwan

Korea's leading steelmaker POSCO has won the highest level of corporate partnership index in an annual evaluation by the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership (KCCP). The company said it is the country's only steelmaker that has been ranked at the highest level by the commission in its latest corporate partnership index evaluation.

POSCO, based on its 2022 activities, has won the highest level of the four-tier grading system according to the index released on Sept. 18. It is an achievement the company has won four years in a row.

The KCCP's 76th meeting on Sept. 18 evaluated 214 medium-to-large-size companies in Korea regarding their partnership records in 2022. Including POSCO, 41 companies have been selected for the highest grade.

The index purportedly evaluates how medium- and large-size companies mutually grow in business by jointly using comprehensive assessment metrics by the KCCP and the Free Trade Commission.

The latest evaluation has acknowledged that POSCO last year invested distinguished efforts in setting fair trade culture within its distribution network and promoted mutual partnerships with business partners.

POSCO launched its own corporate partnership support group in 2020. As of last year, the group has supported 60 small-to-medium-sized companies by providing them with 189 business solutions and generating financial effects altogether worth 16.5 billion won ($12.3 million).

Since 2019, the company has been investing a total of 20 billion won in supporting both its business partners and non-partners so that the corporate partnership could help them grow to the point of being capable of operating smart factories.

Starting to evaluate and release the index in 2012, the KCCP said the latest index's highest level has been mostly won by large-size firms. Samsung Electronics has the most years evaluated in the highest corporate partnership level in a row among local companies with 12 years. It is followed by SK Telecom with 11 years, KIA with 10 years and Hyundai Transys, KT and SK Inc. with nine years.
A bipartisan bill would have introduced a soft ban for autonomous semi-trucks in California. However, that's not going to happen. Companies can confidently continue developing self-driving vehicles and the technology that will ultimately make the human sitting behind the steering wheel irrelevant. Here's the gist of it.

It's not just robotaxis. Automakers and other corporations are fighting tooth and nail to advance self-driving technologies. They're not doing it because of some weird ambition or to just add another hefty expense to their portfolios.Over 65% of America's goods reach the market thanks to a truck and a commercial driver's license holder, per McKinsey. Experts say that moving to an entirely autonomous fleet of trucks could reduce operating costs by nearly 50%. That could lead to cheaper products and companies like Amazon creating even more value for shareholders by increasing their profit margins.But there's something that many of those involved in the robotruck space seem to have forgotten about  the employees. It would be great to reduce freight costs considerably, but what's happening when around three and a half million Americans are left without a job? That will be a massive challenge for the administration that will have to deal with the aftermath.But California 's governor is not worried about professional drivers not having jobs. Gavin Newsom vetoed the bill that would have forced companies to add at least one driver in every autonomous truck.Teamsters union president Sean O'Brien said that Newsom would rather give truckers' jobs away "in the dead of the night."Most outlets presented the matter as an effective ban on autonomous trucks, which was not true. AB 316 would have just forced corporations planning to have a fleet of robotrucks on California's roads to retain at least one employee per tractor. It wouldn't have been just a jobs play but also a great solution for ensuring that these heavy vehicles don't do something unexpected while on public roads.But companies like Torc, TuSimple, Waymo (even though it has tapped the brakes of the truck program), Kodiak, and Aurora are collectively breathing a sigh of relief.Fortunately for professionals, the road to heavy-duty tractors carrying a trailer (Class 3 to Class 8) is still long. Robotaxi operators like Cruise proved that managing a fleet of self-driving vehicles is tricky. These challenges won't be fixed overnight.On top of that, other technicalities like insurance and liability need to be figured out. Who will be responsible when a serious accident happens? How will the law change to accommodate these new developments?But this veto might just show that getting your commercial driver's license today might be a bad career strategy. In a decade or so, the US might no longer rely on truckers to deliver our goods.
Overshadowed by the Plymouth Road Runner during its three-year production run, the Super Bee remains an underated beast from the golden era of muscle cars.

The birth of the Super Bee

Photo: Mecum

A potent standard engine and a surprising addition to the options list

Photo: Mecum

A major improvement

Photo: Mecum

Another less successful redesign

Photo: Bring a Trailer

Switching to the Charger platform

Photo: Mecum

It is still reasonably priced compared to its classic Mopar siblings

Photo: Mecum





After the Chrysler Corporation introduced the NASCAR-bound 426 HEMI V8 in its brands' production models, those cars started to rule the streets and the drag strips.But while Chrysler had the edge over its rivals when it came to the highest-performing models, the corporation was losing the battle at the other end of the muscle car spectrum towards the end of the 1960s.To solve this problem, the Dodge and Plymouth were each tasked with creating an affordable intermediate, and for the first time, the divisions were let loose to compete directly against each other.While Plymouth cooked up the Road Runner on the backbones of the B-platform Belvedere, Dodge used the same recipe and turned the Coronet pillared coupe into the Super Bee, which resulted in a similar car - albeit with an inch-longer (25 mm) wheelbase.Compared to its main rival, the Super Bee came with minor exterior differences, like a matte black front grille, larger rear wheel wells, and, of course, the unique set of bumble bee racing strips. aInside, it featured door-to-door carpeting, vinyl-upholstered seats, and door panels, just like the Road Runner.However, unlike the Road Runner, it came with upgrades like a Hurst Competition Plus shifter and linkage (for the optional 4-speed manual cars), as well as a Rallye gauge package borrowed from the Charger.Adding these features resulted in a base price of $3,027, making the Superbee $131 more expensive than the Road Runner.As standard, the Super Bee came with a 335-hp four barrel 383-ci (6.3-liter) Magnum V8 equipped with the cylinder heads, camshaft, and induction system from the larger 440.The budget-friendly model also came with heavy-duty suspension and drum brakes.However, premium features like front disc brakes, air conditioning, or cruise control were not even on the options list, presumably to keep costs at a minimum.Curiously, Dodge did include the mighty 426 HEMI on the options list, but by adding nearly $1,000 to the base price, it defied the whole purpose of delivering a budget-friendly muscle car.Nevertheless, Dodge managed to sell 125 units of the HEMI-powered Super Bee during the 1968 model year, in addition to around 7,700 standard models.Since the Road Runner outsold the Super Bee by a large margin in 1968, Dodge had to make its budget-friendly muscle car much more appealing for the 1969 model year.Now available as a two-door hard top in addition to the pillared coupe, the revised Super Bee still came with the 383 Magnum as standard, but mid-model year, the exciting 440 Six Pack V8 joined the HEMI on the optional engine list.Nearly twice as cheap as the Elephant, the new 440-ci (7.2-liter) powerplant was rated at a healthy 390 hp and 490 lb-ft (664 Nm) of torque.Furthermore, this option also added a HEMI-grade suspension setup, a Dana 60 axle with a 4:10 gearing, a heavy-duty automatic transmission or a 4-speed manual, and an awesome mate black "lift off" fiberglass hood ornated with one of the biggest scoops on the market.Thanks to these additions, sales of the Super Bee went up to around 26,000 units in 1969. Of those, 1,907 were Six Packs, and 166 hid the 426 HEMI under their hoods.Emboldened by the sales success of 1969 but still losing the war against the Road Runner, Dodge tweaked the Super Bee's looks again for the 1970 model year.Like the Coronet, the budget-friendly muscle car received a new two-piece front grille that was supposed to resemble bumble bee wings but ended up making the models look weird in the eyes of most potential buyers.Though the engine options and scooped hood were carried over from the 1969 model, rising insurance premiums and questionable front-end design had a negative impact on sales, which dropped to 15,506 units.Despite low sales, rising insurance rates, and a looming fuel crisis, Dodge continued to offer the a in 1971.Still an affordable muscle car, the model joined the Charger lineup as its lowest-cost offering.In the new Charger guise, the Super Bee received a new entry-level engine in the shape of a 275-hp 340-ci (5.6-liter) V8 - the first and only small block fitted into the model's engine bay.The engine lineup was the same as in the previous model years, with the 383 being detuned to 300 ponies.Despite the switch to the flashy, new Charger body, sales of the Super Bee continued to drop. With total figures narrowly exceeding 5,000 units, Dodge ultimately discontinued the model.Except for the 1969 model year, the Super Bee never rose to expectations in terms of sales. Plymouth did a far better job with its Road Runner, beating Dodge by a humongous margin year after year.After it was discontinued, the Super Bee became known as Mopar's other budget-friendly muscle car - a reputation it still struggles to shake off.But, while not as glamorous as its Mopar siblings from the golden era, the Super Bee is the perfect choice for those who want a classic muscle car that doesn't cost a fortune.According to classic.com, the average value for a 1968 or 1971 example in great shape currently stands around $64,000. The most expensive Super Bees are the 1969s, selling, on average, for $85,000, while the 1970 models can be had for around $68,000.Of course, expect to pay more for a 440 Six Pack-equipped car or one of the rare HEMI-powered ones.But, despite their rarity, the ultra-rare Elephant-packing Super Bees are, in some cases, the cheapest classic 426 HEMI Mopars available.These cars rarely pop up at auctions, but when they do, some fetch under $100,000. Of course, highly original, low-mileage survivors in pristine shape can go for much more In the YouTube video below by Matt Maran Motoring, you can watch a detailed review of the 1969 Super Bee Six Pack - one of the coolest members of the iconic nameplate.
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spends a fair deal of its time photographing craters. Granted, that's par for the course on the Moon, and not every lunar pot mark or meteoroid impact is worth writing home about. Then again, some lunar craters out there manage to inspire a combination of child-like wonder and abject horror that reminds us how fragile we flesh blobs on Earth are. The LRO's latest mosaic of Shackleton Crater is proof of this in action. At 12.4 miles (20 km) across, few craters visible on land on Earth even come close.

Of course, we're talking about Shackleton Crater on the lunar South Pole. A vast depression on the lunar surface that's thought to be rife with resources and scientific discoveries just waiting to be found, and a place that's only just begun to be explored on its surface by man-made probes. Using composite images taken via the LRO's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC), as well as a NASA instrument set installed on the Koran Danuri spacecraft called the ShadowCam, we now have as stunning of a shot of the massive lunar structure as humanity has ever seen. From this high-up vantage point in lunar orbit, it's possible to understand the vast scale of the impact that formed this crater eons ago.At some point in the distant past, an assuredly vast piece of unknown space debris impacted the Moon at the modern-day site of Shackleton Crater. Upon impact, the result was somewhat similar to dropping a large, heavy stone into a body of water. But instead of splashing water in a 360-degree vicinity of the impact, this happened with semi-molten liquidus rock heated to thousands of degrees by the beyond-biblical impact for forces involved.Through the twin orbiter probe's analysis, we can see the easily identifiable splashback point where super-heated impact ejected spewed out across the lunar South Pole before settling back down on the surface. Ironically enough, the bottom of Shackleton Crater has polar opposite temperature qualities nowadays than when it first formed. Because the crater's deepest depths are cold enough to make astronaut popsicles, it's theorized that all the goodies delivered to the lunar surface via asteroid and comet impacts are still perfectly preserved.Such elemental treasures include helium-3 , ripe for nuclear fusion fuel, and possibly even more well-known energy sources like fissile uranium and thorium. It also includes more mundane but no-less vital molecules like water ice, which future lunar inhabitants could use as a source of drinking water, but also chemically separate into oxygen and hydrogen to make rocket fuel and oxidizer. You probably couldn't tell any of this from a passing glance at this photo of Shackleton Crater. But there's a reason NASA sees the region as a prime target for humans to explore. Heck, there's a robot on its surface as we speak.
Chevy's first tie with the Bel Air moniker dates back to the original car that was made from 1949 to 1954 at multiple factories across the nation. Its successor came out in 1954 and was made for the following three years. Subsequently, the GM-owned brand made additional generations of the model until 1981.One final official appearance of the Bel Air dates back to 2002 when Chevrolet pulled the wraps off a concept car at the North American International Auto Show. It mixed some styling cues from past models in a (then) modern-looking package, measured 111 inches (2,800 mm) between the axles, and had a 3.5-liter straight-five engine, making up to 315 hp, paired with a four-speed automatic transmission.Some past Bel Airs that inspired the show car mentioned above included the 1955-1957 vehicles . And if it is this generation that still keeps you up at night, then look no further than the pictured example. As you already know, it is for sale, and the overall good looks, be it outside, in the cabin, or under the hood, should be enough to convince enthusiasts to make an offer.If it's not, then we should also mention the fact that it's been owned by the same family for the last 30+ years. The car is presented in red and white, rides on new Coker tires with white walls, and has a matching visual setup on the inside. It features the normal chrome trim all around, has a thin steering wheel, a basic dashboard, and 64 miles (102 km) on the clock, presumably since it received some well-deserved work.Mind you, it's not the top-notch example that you were perhaps looking for, but with a little bit of TLC, it can become a great weekend ride. Power is supplied by the 265 ci engine, a small-block V8 with a 4.3-liter displacement, which is hooked up to an automatic transmission.Unfortunately, this is where the information provided about this 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air ends, as the Garage Kept Motors ad does not say anything else about it. On a more positive note, the listing is accompanied by numerous pictures, which should be enough to determine whether you should say yes or no to it. And if you want more, then you should get in touch with the vendor.The asking price for this old-timer is $54,900, which is a few hundred dollars more than the MSRP of a base modern-day Tahoe. So, which one would it be if you had to choose?
24 September 2023 08:30 (UTC+04:00)

Qabil Ashirov Read more

Besides the agony, tragedy, calamity, and tears, the Garabagh conflict brought economic collapse to the region. The three countries in the South Caucasus could trace the footprints of the three Baltic countries and could be rich and prosperous countries. However, due to the irredentist foreign policy of Armenia and the separatist elements in Georgia, the South Caucasus countries could not enjoy the same well-being.

Billions of dollars have been spent on the military and accommodations of IDPs and refugees so far, thousands of people died, land and water resources have been poisoned, and so on. Despite three years after liberating its territories, Azerbaijan cannot fully relocate the IDPs who were obliged to leave their homelands 30 years ago, because most of the former towns and villages leveled to the ground. Azerbaijan needs billions of dollars to restore them. Besides, the country cannot fully use the land for fear of landmines. Most experts say that the demining process will take dozens of years.

All conflicts in the South Caucasus broke out in the most beautiful districts of the region. So, they hampered the boost in tourism. The three countries could have made good fortune from tourism like Greece, and Portugal.

It is worth noting that in comparison with Azerbaijan, Armenia paid more. The country was isolated and all mega projects bypassed Armenia. It became the poorest country in the region and every third person has left Armenia for thirty years. As a result, the population dropped from 3.5 million to 2.6 million.

However, Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day War in 2020 changed the situation dramatically. First, Armenians did not believe what had happened and could not accept the results. Some Armenian factions tried their best to change the situation in their own favor with different kinds of manipulations, but the anti-terror measures that commenced on September 19 and lasted 23 hours were enough to convince Armenians that everything was finished.

Simultaneously with this operation, news about restoring trade with Azerbaijan circulated in the Armenian media outlets citing the Armenian Economy Ministry. Could the two countries restore the economic relationship in the near future?

Azernews asked the opinion of Economist and Politician Natig Jafarly. According to him, the economic relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia are impossible devoid of signing the lasting peace treaty, opening of borders, communications, and restoration of other official relations. He added if there is no legal basis to regulate any relations between two countries, it is impossible to talk about any trade relations.

However it's good that there are some people who are already talking about the economic relationship between the two countries in Yerevan. Azerbaijan has long been ready for the signing of a peace treaty, recognition of borders, mutually unblocking communications, and establishment of reciprocal trade relations. If Armenia signs the peace agreement and takes a step forward regarding the opening of communications, it will facilitate the establishment of trade relations, Jafarly said.

He added that for Azerbaijan, Armenia is an additional market. It's true that this market is not so big, it's only a market of 2.5 million people. However, it could be profitable for goods, especially that Armenia needs, i.e. energy carriers, lubricants, fertilizers, and so on.

It should be noted that establishing such relations is more profitable for Armenia. Because it will have access to a market of 10 million. Since Armenia is very dependent on the Russian market, it mainly needs to export agricultural products to new markets. From this point of view, the beginning of trade relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan can benefit both countries. However, as a prerequisite, the signing of a peace treaty is required for the creation of a legal basis for such trade, Natig Jafarly concluded.

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Qabil Ashirov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @g_Ashirov

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24 September 2023 12:37 (UTC+04:00)

By Abdul Karimkhanov

On September 20, the surrender of the Armenian separatists was actually proclaimed, and on the conditions that Baku had repeatedly put forward earlier. The question remains: what prevented the Armenians from attacking them at least in August, and avoiding casualties? And the answer can be immediately given - the reluctance of a number of politicians to sacrifice their prestige and status. In the end, they paid for all the deadliest provocations. And the same residents of Garabagh. Following the document of surrender, the question of the existence of artsakh became closed.

According to Azernews, well-known Russian political analyst and publicist Andrei Nikulin told Day.az that Azerbaijan's anti-terrorist measures put a full stop to all the allegations of the separatist regime in Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region.

The issues of ensuring the livelihoods of the population of Garabagh within the framework of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, spelled out in the text, indicate in simple language that there is now no administration, no newly elected president, no self-defense forces, but there is only a maximum - a commission for the transfer of territories with the property. And there are still people who now live not in NKR, but on Azerbaijani soil, who have the right to receive Azerbaijani passports and exist within the framework of the Azerbaijani legal system, he said.

According to him, official Baku received exactly what it demanded before the start of anti-terrorist measures.

Why should Russian peacekeepers stay in Garabagh now? Most likely, to ensure the transfer of control over the territory, the disarmament of Armenian forces, and the removal of residents who do not want to become Azerbaijani citizens to Armenia. After this, there will be no point in deploying peacekeepers, the political analyst emphasized.

As the pundit noted, the very history of the existence of independent Artsakh should be considered complete.

But a long and sad tale begins about a new wave of Garabagh refugees and the Karabakh government in exile, through which Moscow will try to put pressure on internal Armenian politics, or at least expects to do so. Unless, of course, Pashinyan succeeds in reducing Russian influence in Armenia to zero," Nikulin added.

The Russian political scientist believes that Pashinyan will raise the rhetoric of the need to break with Russia and that the entire recent diplomatic history needs to be crossed out and written from scratch.

Moscow will continue to try to overthrow the intractable Armenian leader and replace him with his protege. Both Yerevan and Moscow will reproach each other for betrayal, but the verdict will have to be made by the residents of Armenia, many of whom have already formed their position, he noted.

At the same time, our interlocutor continued, the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict itself is not over. There are still issues of border demarcation, the notorious corridor to Nakhchivan, and the signing of a peace treaty.

The negotiation track will have to start from scratch. At least thats what official Yerevan will say. Baku will continue the already repeatedly applied and recognized successful practice of forceful pressure, he noted.

In conclusion, the Russian expert said that of the many worst-case scenarios, the best for Pashinyan is the signing of all peace and border agreements as quickly as possible, albeit conceding in many respects to the Azerbaijani side.

Because, as we have seen over the past three years, each subsequent phase of the conflict and negotiations starts from the worst positions for Yerevan. What can be achieved now will be unattainable next spring. And the only thing that can be done now is to solve, even if at a very high cost the issue of war, remove by signing peace treaties and broad international guarantees for the final document the risks of resuming Azerbaijani attacks on direct Armenian territory, accept and accommodate refugees and start writing the history of Armenia from scratch. Yes, this is a difficult decision, but there are alternatives even harder, Andrei Nikulin concluded.

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24 September 2023 13:10 (UTC+04:00)

On September 23, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in New York, Azernews reports, citing the press service department of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

At the meeting, the parties exchanged views on issues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the two countries, as well as the latest situation in the region.

The increasing dynamics between Azerbaijan and Iran within the framework of cooperation in the economic, trade and humanitarian fields were noted with satisfaction, and the importance of high-level meetings and inter-institutional contacts held in a number of other fields in recent times was emphasized.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov also informed his colleague about the challenges posed by Armenia and the so-called regime it established in Azerbaijan for regional peace and security and spoke about the reasons for the local anti-terrorist activities implemented in its sovereign territory in full accordance with international humanitarian law. Currently, the Iranian minister was informed about the disarmament measures of the illegal Armenian armed forces.

He pointed out that the reintegration of the Armenian minority living in Garabagh is at a historic stage today, promising opportunities are emerging in this direction, the Yevlakh meeting on September 21 was held in a positive and constructive environment, and relevant assistance is currently being provided by Azerbaijan in relation to the issues arising from the meeting.

At the meeting, opinions were exchanged on regional and international issues of mutual interest.

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24 September 2023 16:05 (UTC+04:00)

According to the agreement reached on September 20, the disarmed and demobilized personnel of the Armenian armed forces will be provided with exit from the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan in the direction of Lachin-Khankendi and Kalbajar-Basarkechar by buses and personal transport, Azernews reports citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Garabagh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Garabagh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Garabaghregion, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Garabagh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Garabagh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.

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Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday portrayed the United States and Europe as "looking down" on the rest of the world amid a battle to win over developing countries, and said that while Moscow does not reject U.N. efforts to revive a Black Sea grain deal, a recent proposal was unrealistic.

Lavrov spoke after a week of intense global diplomacy at the annual gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, where Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - attending in person - and Western allies sought to shore up support for Kyiv. Lavrov said he met with more than 30 countries during the week.

After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 the United Nations blamed the war for worsening a global food crisis and a new diplomatic frontline emerged, with Moscow and Kyiv fighting to win over those hit hardest: poor and developing countries.

In an address to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on Saturday, Lavrov described "a struggle between the global majority...and between the few who wield mere colonial methods of subjugation in order to maintain their domination which is slipping through their hands."

A landmark deal  brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July 2022  offered a small reprieve in the food crisis by allowing the safe Black Sea export of Ukraine grain and bringing down global prices, but Russia quit the two months ago, complaining that not enough was being done to improve its own exports.

Not realistic

In a letter to Lavrov last month, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres outlined four measures the U.N. could immediately move on if there was an understanding that Russia would agree to a resumption of the Black Sea grain deal.

"We explained to the Secretary-General why his proposals won't work. We don't reject them. They're simply not realistic. They cannot be implemented," Lavrov told a news conference at the United Nations after his General Assembly address.

Ukraine and Russia are both major grain exporters and Moscow is also a big supplier of fertilizer to the world.

The U.N. proposals rely on the goodwill of Western countries and the private sector. But after Moscow quit the deal it carried out repeated air strikes on Ukrainian ports and grain stores, which Guterres said this week was undermining U.N. efforts to help facilitate Russian food and fertilizer exports.

Lavrov also told reporters that a 10-point peace plan promoted by Kyiv was "completely not feasible" and that the conflict would be resolved on the battlefield if Ukraine and the West stuck to it.

Both Lavrov and Zelenskyy, who traveled to New York to address the United Nations in person for the first time since Russia's invasion, attended a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine but did not cross paths.

Lavrov said he would visit Pyongyang next month to continue negotiations with his counterpart there off the back of recent agreements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Moscow. (Reuters)
24 September 2023 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

The losses of Azerbaijan - 3,000 martyrs - in the Patriotic War, are considered a minimal loss from a military point of view in the complex geographical terrain and the existence of a ridge defense line. Taking into account that the attacking army loses more than the defending army, and the defending Armenian army lost more than twice as many soldiers and all its military equipment was destroyed, it is an undeniable fact that Azerbaijan's victory will be written in military history as a great victory, Azernews reports, citing a post in the Facebook by military expert Adalet Verdiyev.

The post reads:

"Similarly, the local anti-terrorist activities performed on September 20, 2023, were carried out not against 3-5 Armenian bandits, but against units of Armenian armed forces with modern equipment, weapons and ammunition, thousands of personnel, and combat experience. Moreover, they had built up a favorable defensive line for many years and were in a superior position on the heights.

In such conditions, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan made them raise the white flag for only 23 hours and 58 minutes. Moreover, the losses caused by the scale and nature of the measures are still very small.

Of course, regardless of how many of our soldiers are martyred, it hurts our hearts. No mother, father, sister and brother, spouse, child should be left behind with tears.

However, once we were ready to disappear as a nation, and to give all our wealth to return our invaded territories, Garabagh, Khojaly, Khojavendi, Khankendi. It was a matter of our existence as a nation.

We sacrificed 30,000 people in the 90s, our lands were lost, and our national identity was trampled. Every time we saw footage of Armenians torturing our soldiers, read about our daughters-in-law being in Armenian captivity and what tragedies they experienced, we were ashamed to live.

In January 1992, we lost hundreds of our soldiers in the Dashalti operation, but we did not achieve anything. Now, with the least loss, we took control of the territory of Garabagh inhabited by Armenians in a single day.

After the end of the war in November 2020, during the last 3 years, we did not allow Armenia to strengthen on our borders, we took control of the heights along the border, prevented the transportation of weapons and ammunition from Armenia to Garabagh, the Armenians could not dig even one centimeter of additional trenches, build fortifications, and strengthen in Garabagh. We also gave victims in occasional clashes in order not to allow the enemy to gain strength and gain new positions. The success of the anti-terrorist measures implemented on September 20 was made possible both by the strengthening of our army over the past 3 years and by all of the above-mentioned activities.

Let some think as he wants, but really Ilham Aliyev knows very well what to do, when to do and how to do.

We gave the land with blood, we had to take it back with blood, as well. We should mourn our martyrs, and we do. But today, our tears are not the tears of our people who were humiliated and insulted in the 90s, but the tears of our people who are proud, hold their heads high, and are proud of our martyrs and heroes.

Therefore, let's not ask the question of why we lost, let's try to understand the importance of opening another bright Victory page in our history thanks to a small loss."

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24 September 2023 19:05 (UTC+04:00)

Quadracopter with its shells belonging to the Armenian armed forces formations were detected in one of the combat positions during the inspection of the territories after the local anti-terror measures held in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Azernews reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Azerbaijan Army positions were subjected to fire by mounting shells on precisely such quadrocopters.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.

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24 September 2023 19:40 (UTC+04:00)

Armenian residents who just left Karabakh for Armenia through the Lachin border checkpoint are happy with how the Azerbaijanis treated them, Azernews reports.

One of these residents notes that they were treated well.

We didnt expect this, she said.

Thus, the myth of Armenian propagandists about the alleged cruel treatment of civilians of Armenian origin in Karabakh by the Azerbaijanis collapsed once again.

Azernews presents footage:

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24 September 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan Jeyhun Bayramov met with the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres within the framework of the high-level week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

According to Azernews, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the current cooperation agenda between Azerbaijan and the UN, as well as the current situation in the region, were discussed at the meeting.

Foreign Minister Bayramov said that since our country became a member of the UN, it has been usefully cooperating with the Organization, including its specialized agencies, and that the activities of the UN in our country are important.

The Minister gave information about the current situation in the region, the normalization and peace agenda between Azerbaijan and Armenia, at the same time, he added that in the post-conflict period, Armenia continued its illegal presence in our territories during the occupation period by our country, contrary to the 4 resolutions of the UN Security Council. Besides, the minister informed about the local anti-terrorist measures held by the Azerbaijani Army that resulted in the termination of the presence of the illegal Armenian armed forces formations in Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region.

It was emphasized that the mentioned measures will contribute to the peace process, including the reintegration of the local Armenian residents in the Karabakh region, in terms of removing the remnants of the 30-year occupation, including the removal of illegal armed forces that have been causing continuous provocations against peace and stability in the region.

In this regard, it was reported that a meeting between the Government of Azerbaijan and representatives of the Armenian residents was held in Yevlakh city, as well as that steps were taken to meet the needs of the residents and humanitarian aid was provided in accordance with the results of this meeting.

J. Bayramov informed the UN Secretary-General about the process of disarmament of the Armenian armed forces and presented the photos of the military equipment and ammunition confiscated during the last three days to the Secretary-General.

During the meeting, opinions were also exchanged on other issues of mutual interest.

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24 September 2023 12:00 (UTC+04:00)

"I believe that the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be realized soon."

According to Azernews, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said this in a meeting with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

At the meeting, the secretary-general was informed by the minister about the current situation in the region.

The parties also discussed various aspects of UN-Azerbaijan relations and regional issues.

Note that the meeting has already ended.

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24 September 2023 08:00 (UTC+04:00)

Algeria said Saturday it had put out multiple wildfires that raged across the country, with no casualties reported, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Shfak.

In a statement, the Civil Protection Authority said its teams had managed to extinguish three wildfires in the provinces of Jijel, Bejaia, and Batna in northeastern Algeria.

No casualties were reported in the fires.

Algerian authorities had struggled over the past two weeks to put out more than 80 wildfires that erupted in 15 provinces, mostly in central and eastern Algeria amid a heatwave.

In July, wildfires killed at least 34 people and injured 194 others in northern Algeria, according to the countrys Interior Ministry.

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24 September 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

Thousands of anti-Brexit protesters on Saturday gathered in the British capital to call for rejoining the European Union, Azernews informs with reference to TRT World.

Organised by the National Rejoin March (NRM) on Saturday near Hyde Park, thousands of people marched toward Parliament Square and demanded "we want our star back."

The protesters were carrying EU flags and wearing hats and t-shirts which also featured the EU flag. They were also carrying banners that called on the government to resign.

Protesters also brandished placards reading "The road to rejoin the EU starts here", and "rejoin, rejoice".

Several motorists also beeped their horns in support of the march.

Mike Galsworthy, the head of the European Movement UK who also attended the march, said that Brexit is a betrayal of the working class and lower-middle-class workers in fishing, farming etc.

TODAY!



See you on Park Lane from 12 noon!

March to Parliament Square where we have an amazing rally ready with amazing speakers!



Don't sit at home wishing or moaning, join us! And if you can't - stay tuned right here! #MarchForRejoin#RejoinEUhttps://t.co/MjJtbisfZK pic.twitter.com/778UryDCN4  National Rejoin March (@MarchForRejoin) September 23, 2023

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24 September 2023 11:08 (UTC+04:00)

Today at 18:00 local time, a protest against the government led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan will be held in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, Azernews reports with reference to Armenian media.

According to information, the rally will take place in "Respublika" square. It should be noted that yesterday in Yerevan protesters held a warning action and called citizens to join them.

The protesters demand the resignation of the Armenian authorities.

It should be recalled that five people who wanted to build a tent camp in the park in the center of Yerevan were detained yesterday. Before that, it was reported that rallies of the Armenian opposition demanding the resignation of the prime minister were held in Yerevan and other major cities of the country.

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24 September 2023 20:10 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will pay a one-day visit on Monday to Azerbaijan's autonomous Nakhchivan exclave upon the invitation of his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

Erdogan and Aliyev will discuss bilateral relations, as well as regional and global issues, particularly the recent developments in Karabakh, Turkiye's Communications Directorate said on Sunday.

The leaders are expected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Igdir-Nakhchivan natural gas pipeline and inaugurate the modernized Nakhchivan military complex.

Ankara and Baku agreed in 2020 to supply natural gas from Turkiye to Azerbaijan's Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in a memorandum of understanding.

The new 85-kilometer-long gas pipeline will run from Turkiye's eastern province of Igdir to Sederek in western Azerbaijan, with an annual capacity of 500 million cubic meters (mcm) and 1.5 mcm daily.

The project will be realized through a partnership between Turkiye's crude oil and natural gas pipeline trading company BOTAS and Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR.

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24 September 2023 20:45 (UTC+04:00)

Turkish security forces have "neutralized" 605 terrorists so far as part of Operation Claw-Lock, National Defense Ministry sources said, Azernews reports, citing Anadolu Agency.

The sources added that 670 caves and shelters used by the terrorist organization were rendered unusable, seizing a total of 1,343 weapons and 706,650 ammunition.

In addition, 2,284 mines and handmade explosives set by terrorists in the region were destroyed.

Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle, launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Turkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK  listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU  has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

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Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey announced on Saturday that he will run against Sen. Robert Menendez in the states Democratic primary for Senate next year, saying he feels compelled to run against the three-term senator after he and his wife were indicted on sweeping corruption charges.

Kims surprise announcement came as a growing number of Democrats are calling for Menendez to step down. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to do so, and several members of New Jerseys congressional delegation, along with the state's Democratic governor, have said he should resign.

This is not something I expected to do, but I believe New Jersey deserves better, Kim said in a statement. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our countrys integrity. I believe its time we restore faith in our democracy, and thats why I am stepping up and running for Senate.

The calls for Menendez, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, come after he and his wife Nadine were indicted on Friday for using his powerful position to aid the authoritarian government of Egypt and also to pressure federal prosecutors to drop a case against a friend. The three-count indictment lists a series of bribes they were paid by three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for the corrupt acts ? gold bars, a luxury car and cash.

It is the second indictment on bribery charges for Menendez ? and the second time he has had to relinquish his post as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel. He regained the leadership spot in 2018 after the case ended with a deadlocked jury.

The immediate calls for his resignation are a contrast from when he was first charged eight years ago, signaling that he could be in deep trouble with his party, and with his voters, as his 2024 reelection approaches.

Menendez was defiant after Fridays indictment, saying in a statement Friday evening that I am not going anywhere. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., announced that Menendez would have to step down as chairman per Senate Democratic caucus rules, since he has been charged with a felony. But he did not call for Menendez to step down.

In a statement on Saturday, Fetterman became the first Senate Democrat to do so, saying that his Senate colleague is entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.

Several Democrats in New Jerseys House delegation also called on Menendez to go, including Reps. Donald Norcross, Josh Gottheimer, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Mikie Sherrill and Bonnie Watson Coleman.

This is a sad day for our great state, said Pascrell, a senior member of the House who has served in the New Jersey delegation with Menendez for almost three decades. The hallmark of our justice system is the presumption of innocence and the senator deserves his day in court. But given the gravity of these charges, I do not believe that Senator Menendez can continue to carry out the important duties of his office for our state.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy also demanded Menendezs immediate resignation, saying the allegations were so serious" that they compromise the senators ability to serve.

Two notable New Jersey Democrats who have not called on Menendez to step down: Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, his New Jersey colleague in the Senate, and his son, Rep. Rob Menendez, who said in a statement that he has unwavering confidence in his father.

Authorities who searched Menendezs home last year found more than $100,000 worth of gold bars, as well as over $480,000 in cash ? much of it hidden in closets, clothing and a safe, prosecutors say. The indictment includes photos of cash stuffed in envelopes in jackets bearing Menendezs name and of a luxury car that prosecutors say was given to the couple as a bribe from the businessmen.

Prosecutors say Menendez directly interfered in criminal investigations, including by pushing to install a federal prosecutor in New Jersey he believed could be influenced in a criminal case against a businessman and associate of the senator. He also tried to use his position of power to try to meddle in a separate criminal investigation by the New Jersey Attorney Generals office, the indictment says.

Other accusations include repeated actions by Menendez to benefit Egypt despite U.S. government misgivings over the countrys human rights record that in recent years have prompted Congress to attach restrictions on aid. His efforts include ghostwriting a letter to fellow senators encouraging them to lift a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt, one of the top recipients of U.S. government support, as well as transmitting nonpublic information to Egyptian officials through communications with the businessmen.

Menendez responded that there was an active smear campaign against him.

For years, forces behind the scenes have repeatedly attempted to silence my voice and dig my political grave, he said in a statement.

David Schertler, a lawyer for Menendezs wife, Nadine, said she denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these charges in court. (AP)
24 September 2023 21:50 (UTC+04:00)

The Italian defense minister on Sunday criticized Germany for its recent decision to fund the NGOs rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean and disembarking them on the Italian shore, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak.

Speaking to the Italian daily La Stampa, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the German move very serious.

Berlin pretends not to realize that, in doing so, it causes difficulties to a country that in theory should be a friend, he said.

Crosetto added: It is the ideological approach of a certain political left that does not take into account the consequences of its theories on the people.

He said that Italy remains resolute in combating the human smugglers, who he said should be treated as international criminals.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the German Foreign Ministry told Italys state-run ANSA news agency that saving people who drown and find themselves in distress at sea is a legal, humanitarian and moral duty.

On Sep. 22, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis office voiced "great astonishment at the news reported by ANSA, according to which a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry had announced imminent funding to NGOs for a project to assist migrants on Italian territory and a project of rescues at sea.

Later it became known that the NGO to receive the funding is SOS Humanity, which operates rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean. The NGO itself said it had been allocated 790,000 ($843,000).

Separately, the Catholic SantEgidio Community charity said on Friday it had signed a fresh deal with Berlin to fund migrant activities in Italy, as part of a years-long relationship.

The number of migrants landed in Italy so far this year has reached over 127,000  more than double that of the same period in 2022. The majority have set off from Tunisia, where in July, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen signed a controversial deal to stem irregular migration.

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24 September 2023 22:20 (UTC+04:00)

Turkiye on Sunday condemned an attack on police in Kosovos north which left one police officer dead, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak.

We condemn the attack this morning (24 September) in the village of Banjska in the Serb-majority Zvecan municipality in the north of Kosovo, which resulted in the loss of life of one Kosovo police officer and injury of other Kosovo police officers, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.

In order to reduce the tension in the region and prevent escalation, he said, it is imperative that all parties act with restraint and refrain from violence.

Dialogue is the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in Kosovo and the region. As Turkiye, we will continue to support the dialogue process, Bigic added.

Ankara wishes a speedy recovery to the injured, Bigic said, adding: Our Embassy in Pristina also issued a statement condemning the attack.

Earlier, a police officer was killed and another injured in a clash between a patrol unit of police and a group of armed ethnic Serbs in northern Kosovo.

Serbia and Kosovo face many disputes as Belgrade sees its neighbor as its territory and has blocked efforts for it to join international organizations and obtain recognition from other states.

The leaders of the two nations met in EU-facilitated talks in Brussels to normalize relations. But, the parties have so far struggled to implement the agreements reached.

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Gold Beach To Get All-Terrain Track Chair, First on South Oregon Coast

Published 09/18/23 at 9:27 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Gold Beach, Oregon) - More specialized wheelchairs for those with mobility issues are coming to the Oregon coast, with Gold Beach now joining Seaside, Manzanita, Netarts and Pacific City with the all-terrain track chairs. Once again, the nonprofit David's Chair has stepped in to help yet another beach town to go fully accessible.

These are special vehicles that can wander on not just sand but into pools of water and over rocky shores as well. This opens up much more mobility than even the usual sand wheelchairs that some towns have to lend out.



David's Chair has been extensively involved in getting these electric track chairs to Oregon, especially on the coast. This has included individuals from Brookings as well as other beach towns and inland areas. These particular chairs are from a company called Action Trackchair.



Steve Furst, CEO and founder of David's Chair, said this has been in the works for awhile.

The new all-terrain will be at the Gold Beach Visitor Center when all is completed.



Gold Beach, Manuela Durson, photo courtesy Manuela Durson Fine Arts

This is a great location because it has direct beach access, Furst told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. We are working out the details on what the time limits will be. We expect it to be available in 2-hour increments. To request the use of this chair, people will be able to go to our website under 'request a chair' and select 'fixed location chair,' and scroll to Gold Beach and they can look over our calendar and select a date and time that is available.

The ball started rolling a couple of months ago, Furst said, when David's Chair put out notice it had one more chair to provide in Oregon, hoping for a coastal location.

Ruth Dixon from the Gold Beach Visitors center reached out to us and we started a dialogue with her and her administration, he said. We have been looking for a location on the south coast for a couple years and now we have it. We appreciate the work that Ruth has put into helping facilitate this life-changing opportunity for people with mobility challenges.

Furst said that when someone with mobility challenges is able to get on one of these chairs and again explore the beaches of the Oregon coast, it allows friends and family to participate in the pure joy and happiness that results.

The group is waiting for a ramp to be built at the Gold Beach Visitor Center.

We expect to have the online reservation system up and operational by the end of this week and should have the track chair in Gold Beach within 2 - 3 weeks, he said.

Newport and Florence have also been working to acquire the chairs. Gold Beach Visitors Center: (541) 247-7526

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Sea Lions Sick with Leptospirosis on Oregon Coast: Keep Pets, Yourselves Away

Published 09/22/23 at 6:37 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast)  Oregon coast officials are worried about a run of leptospirosis on the Oregon coast, a disease affecting California sea lions that can be spread to humans, horses, and especially dogs. (Above: sick sea lion on the south Oregon coast, courtesy ODFW)

Every year there's a run of California sea lions that come northward, following food sources. The disease can be deadly to dogs, who are often uncontrollably curious about such finds on the beaches.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) just put out the warning this week, saying to especially keep your pets away from these animals.

Leptospirosis is a naturally occurring bacteria that can sicken sea lions, dogs, people, other wildlife, and livestock, ODFW said. The disease can spread when an animal or person is in contact with urine or other bodily fluids of an infected or dead sea lion.

What are the signs of leptospirosis in dogs? According to Washington Department of Health:

The clinical signs of leptospirosis vary. Common clinical signs reported in dogs include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, refusal to eat, severe weakness and depression, stiffness, or severe muscle pain.

Leptospirosis is a naturally occurring bacteria that can sicken sea lions, dogs, people, other wildlife, and livestock. The disease can spread when an animal or person is in contact with urine or other bodily fluids of an infected or dead sea lion.

ODFW said to keep your dogs on a leash while at the Oregon coast and keep them and horses at least 150 feet away from live or dead sea lions. There are also vaccinations for leptospirosis: ODFW said you should discuss ths possibility for both your dog and horse.

Oregon's seal and steller sea lion population remains unaffected.



California sea lion resting at Seaside, courtesy Seaside Aquarium

The Oregon Marine Mammal Stranding Network is receiving several reports daily of sick or dead sea lions, particularly on the central and northern coast. Many of the sick animals reported are malnourished and very lethargic which is consistent with leptospirosis symptoms. One sea lion was necropsied and tested positive for the disease.

An outbreak of leptospirosis happened in 2022, which occurs sporadically in marine mammals. They regularly result in an increase in strandings and deaths among sea lions.

While it is too early to know if this will evolve into an outbreak, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon State Parks, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network will monitor the situation, ODFW said. Overall, the California sea lion population is healthy and increasing.

Sick or injured seals, sea lions, whales or dolphins can be reported to the Oregon State Police (OSP) TIP line at 1-800-452-7888.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sent a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, reaffirming his commitment to advancing "close cooperation" with Beijing in line with the "requirements of the new era," state media reported Sunday.

Kim made the remarks in a reply message on Thursday to Xi's earlier letter congratulating North Korea on its 75th founding anniversary, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Kim also "expressed the belief that the two parties and two countries would closely promote their solidarity and cooperation and that the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations would steadily develop in conformity with the requirements of the new era."

DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name.

China is widely believed to have significant leverage over its impoverished communist neighbor, which has long been dependent on Chinese diplomatic support and economic aid. (Yonhap)
SOLVE Cleanup Finds on Oregon Coast Include a Whale

Published 09/19/23 at 3:47 a.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Newport, Oregon)  The big SOLVE Beach and Riverside Cleanup was held this past weekend, with most events on Saturday, September 16, not just on the Oregon coast but around the state as well. SOLVE officials report some 20,000 pounds of trash and debris was picked up off beaches and waterways, along with the streets of Portland, Medford and other regions. (All photos courtesy Newport Surfrider Foundation)

On the Oregon coast, there's always an oddball discovery in and among the heaps of yuck, but this time there was a whale of a find.

Quite literally: this time around someone found a whale.

In Newport, the Newport chapter of the Surfrider Foundation had a little over 100 people scouring the region, from just to the north at Otter Rock down to the edges of the Yaquina Bay. It was in Otter Rock, right near the Devil's Punchbowl, where someone discovered a whale.

According to Vince Pappalardo, head of the Newport Surfrider arm of the cleanup:

 There was a washed up whale buried in the sand one volunteer reported and took pictures of at Devils Punch Bowl, he told Oregon Coast Beach Connection.





It's likely this whale has been in the news before, however. Back in May, there was the extremely high-profile killing event right off the Devil's Punchbowl where a large pod of orcas were seen and videoed attacking a baby whale and its mother. Perhaps more than 100 people watched the hunt take place as it started in Lincoln City and moved its way slowly down the central Oregon coast.

Via the Facebook group Oregon Coast Killer Whale Monitoring Program, dozens along the shoreline were alerted to the dramatic event moving southward, and many got photos and even downright amazing yet heartwrenching video. Dozens Watch and Document Orcas Attack, Kill Baby Whale on Oregon Coast: More Videos

A few days later, the juvenile whale's carcass washed up about here, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network's Jim Rice checked out the scene and verified it was the baby gray seen getting killed by the orcas.

It was left to the elements in this spot near Devil's Punchbowl, only to be discovered again by the SOLVE beach cleanup.

Many of these cleanup areas often report oddities, such as in the past they've found large sections of car, fridges  and even the proverbial kitchen sink.

Pappalardo said this time his group encountered two sleeping bags and part of a boat bumper, along with the usual run of plastics, rope, pallets and a lot of nails. There was also one tire found. MORE PHOTOS BELOW

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Yachats Oktoberfest Takes German Culture on Oregon Coast to New Levels with a Ton of Accordions

Published 09/21/23 at 5:37 p.m.

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Yachats, Oregon)  One tiny town on the Oregon coast will expand greatly at the end of October  but with something decidedly different than the usual festival of fun. Not only will there be perhaps a couple hundred more in teeny little Yachats, but its population of accordionists will shoot upwards suddenly as well. (Above: Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Welcome  or should we say "wilkommen"  zum Yachats and its first ever Oktoberfest. It takes over Yachats and the Yachats Commons on September 29 through October 1. This raucous collective of steins, beer, the Chicken Dance and bratwurst is the answer to the question: how do you find a gig for the 11 accordionists we've gathered together in an Oregon coast burgh?

It may have started out as a kind of Accordian-palooza, but it quickly grew into a true celebration of the traditional German music and food that fuels these wacky but joyous get-togethers. Among its main features are the Tapping of the Keg singing of the Yachats Oktoberfest song, accompanied by a 13-piece accordion band (it includes bass and trumpet). The evening continues with Polkafest, a lively event featuring dancing, beer, and bratwurst. Admission to Friday's events is free, with beer and brats available for purchase.

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This is the first official Oktoberfest they're putting together, but there was a seed event back just before the pandemic, according to Nan Scott, one of the organizers.

Right before COVID shut everything down, we had a local event just to test interest, Scott told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. Even without a whole lot of planning, it was a big success for our little village. So, yes this year is our first and we have pulled out all of the stops.

Two of the accordionists: Granddaughter Avery from Albany and Grandmother Colleen from La Pine

On Saturday, September 30, this little German empire expands all over town. From 11 to 2 p.m., you can participate in the Volkswalk, visiting unique shops and having your prize-eligible Oktoberfest Passport checked. Later, look for wine tasting of actual wines from Germany, and a beer tasting event with specially-made brew from Yachats.

Later on Saturday, the big show returns to Yachats Commons for the Oktoberfest Dinner/Dance, with the first seating from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., followed by the second from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The Yachats Oktoberfest Accordion Polka Band will entertain dancers and Yachats Big Band will lead the Hofbrauhaus Song, with new words honoring the Oktoberfest Yachats Beer. Attendees will receive a commemorative Yachats Oktoberfest Beer Stein with their meal. Tickets for the evening events cost $40.00, and seating is limited. Register at this yachats.org page.

On Sunday, October 1st, this little trip to Deutschland concludes with a Traditional Harvest Worship service at Yachats Community Presbyterian Church at 10 a.m. Hymns will be accompanied by the Polka Band. While the Oktoberfest Chorale sings, fruits and vegetables of the bountiful seasonal harvest will be paraded into the sanctuary. A German-themed social hour will follow the service.

Shirley Obrien, one of the organizers, is also one of the accordionists. Some of this festival can be tied to all the squeeze box players she had collected through online rehearsals, where she and her husband Jim joined with others from around the world. Now, those from Oregon are showing up.

We have accordionists coming from La Pine, Albany, Eugene Roseburg Waldport, Newport; and Jim and I from Yachats, she said.

Obrien said they created YouTube videos and had others practice / rehearse with those, sending out 18 different songs for them to print out.

There are 11 accordionists coming together without a formal rehearsal until an hour before our performance, she told Oregon Coast Beach Connection. It could be brilliant or joyful chaos! In small German villages, it is very common to have accordionists form an annual Band and be a part of the festivities. However, in the West, especially the West Coast of Oregon, accordion bands are not a common group so we are hoping the uniqueness will bring people in to be a part of our Oktoberfest.

The festival is a Yachats Community Presbyterian Church fun-raiser for outreach programs: Food Pantry, Dons Place emergency shelter and so much more. https://yachats.org/events/oktoberfest

Contact: Bob Barrett agatepastor@peak.org; Shirley OBrien, sobrien@arizona.edu 520-241-1221 Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Yachats Maps and Virtual Tours MORE YACHATS BELOW







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It is not fetal homicide to perform a lawful abortion under the Act; Providers are not required to verify that the gestational age is less than 70 days for a medical abortion to be lawful; There is a medical emergency exception to the 72-hour mandate, and the 72 hours do not restart if the name of the physician who will perform the abortion is not known or changes; Providers are not required to inform the patient whether insurance will cover the abortion; and Providers are not required to file complete reports for minors within three days.

With Roe v Wade (originated in 1973) overturned by the US Supreme Court, thereby allowing decisions on abortion legislation completely returned to the states: Where do you find your position on such a "Life and Death" issue for the American People? Yes, I approve of the US Supreme Court's decision to reinstate this "medical" issue back to the states' legislative responsibility to regulate. No, I believe that every woman should have complete access to abortion on demand. This issue is far beyond my intellectual capacity to understand. 574 total vote(s) What's your Opinion?



This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal . The author of this post is CJ Staff The lawsuit challenging North Carolina's abortion law would return to a federal courtroom in mid-September, under competing plans disclosed Wednesday. Parties in the case filed a joint motion offering alternative timelines for addressing the case's ongoing legal dispute.Under either plan, U.S. District Judge Catherine Eagles would hold a hearing on Sept. 12 or Sept. 13. Eagles would use the hearing to help her determine whether to issue a preliminary injunction against portions of the law.While plaintiffs challenging the law and legislative leaders defending the law agree on the mid-September hearing, they suggest different deadlines for disclosing expert witnesses, taking depositions, and filing competing legal briefs.The joint motion arrived on the same day that all parties agreed Eagles' existing temporary restraining order against one section of the law could last longer than two weeks.Eagles issued the order Friday. She allowed most of the new law to take effect July 1. But she placed a two-week TRO on a section dealing with a documentation requirement linked to use of abortion drugs.according to a joint motion filed Wednesday.N.C. Attorney General Josh Stein and state Health and Human Services Secretary Kody Kinsley are named defendants in the case, along with local district attorneys, and leaders of the N.C. medical and nursing boards.State Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and House Speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, arein the case. Eagles issued an order Monday allowing legislative leaders to defend the law moving forward. Berger and Moore had responded to Stein's public statement that he would not defend the law in court.Eagles indicated on Friday that she plans to issue a scheduling order for the case this week.The judge rejected requests from plaintiffs Planned Parenthood and a Duke Health doctor, supported by Stein, to block other new abortion restrictions. Eagles cited the impact of amendments Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law Thursday. She also noted additional stipulations legislative leaders agreed to make Thursday.The one section targeted by Eagles' order involved the new law'sSupporters and critics of the law had addressed the issue during Wednesday's hearing in Eagles' Greensboro courtroom.the judge wrote.Eagles wrote.The judge rejected requests to block any other part of the amended law.The Planned Parenthood suit challenges a provision requiring hospitalization for surgical abortions performed after 12 weeks of pregnancy. Eagles agreed with parties in the case that the challenged provision takes effect on Oct. 1.Eagles wrote.Eagles agreed with plaintiffs that a ban on advising women about out-of-state abortions would violate the First Amendment. But she cited amended language and Thursday's stipulation that nothing in the law wouldEagles wrote.The judge explained that "many of the inconsistencies and ambiguities identified by the plaintiffs in the original Act have been resolved by the amendments" Cooper signed into law.Eagles wrote.
As School Choice is beginning to take shape in North Carolina: What is your position on what it should evolve into?

3.7% School Choice is only a distraction from the promise of real public education.92.59% 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.3.7% School Choice - I cannot see how it serves the Education Industry.
Texas has sent its National Gaurd in force to Eagle Pass to help secure the border from illegal alien invasion. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared an invastion, which under both the federal and state Constitutions gives Texas the authotity to engage in border security opertiona.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/watch-national-guard-rolls-eagle-pass-texas-bidens-border-crisis-spirals-out-control

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12549377/texas-migrants-crisis-biden-eagle-pass.html

Texas has also warned that a lot more migrant buses are going to be arriving in northern cities.

Abbott needs to follow the lead of Latvia's Interior Minister who directed her country's troops on the border to use whatever level of force was necessary to stop illegal aliens from coming in. They should be firing their guns, like the soldiers of Hungary and Greece have to stop ilegal aliens coming in. The Greeks found that when soldiers shoot an illegal alien tryiing to cross the border dead, it has a huge deterrant impact on the rest of them That deterrant effect could probably be achieved by soldiers firing blanks. They should also look to the non-lethal water cannon like Poland used to push the illegal aliens back from the border.

Another option would be to release some lethal critters in the river, whether alligators, water mocasins, or pirranha at critical points to discourage illegal aliens from entering the river.
St. Louis County Police Department officers are looking for a patient who escaped custody while receiving treatment at St. Louis-based Mercy Hospital South, Fox2 reported Sept. 20.

Tommy Boyd, 45, was in Missouri Department of Corrections custody when he was taken to the hospital on Sept. 20 for treatment. At around 4:30 a.m., police were called when Mr. Boyd was found missing.

Hospital staff said they last saw him around 3:54 a.m., and security footage showed him walking out of the hospital.

Mr. Boyd is serving a 30-year sentence for statutory sodomy.

"Early this morning, a prison inmate in the custody of two correction officers escaped custody while at Mercy South," Joe Poelker, a hospital spokesperson, told Becker's. "There was no physical confrontation, no one was hurt, and video surveillance, which we have shared with police, shows the escapee leaving the hospital. There is no evidence he is still on campus, but to ensure the safety of everyone, we are conducting a complete search of all our buildings."
A Belfast barber has opened up on his personal journey from the pain of losing his mum and brother at a young age and developing a drug addiction to volunteering at a city centre homeless shelter.

Jason Millar, of Jays Barber Club and the Pro Barber Academy, went viral on TikTok earlier this year after he was filmed giving a free haircut to a homeless man in Belfast.

The north Belfast mans story has taken many twists, and began with the pain of losing his mother to addiction when he was just five years old.

"From a young age, I remember being left in the house by myself. I remember her being on drink and just not very loving times when she was obviously in a bad place, he told Sharon ONeill for the BelTel Podcast.

"She died when she was 34. I still remember when the social workers came in to tell us. Looking back, we werent even upset, I think it was because we were detached from her for so long.

"It was probably better off that she passed away, because she was living a life of misery.

Jason mentoring young apprentices at his Barber Club

Following their mothers death, Jason and his brother Wayne spent time in a childrens home and with a number of foster families.

It was while they were based in Carnview Childrens Home in Rathfern that tragedy struck his family for the second time in his young life.

Aged just 8, his brother Wayne (7) was killed in front of his eyes as he crossed the North Road in Carrickfergus.

Jay the Barber: From tragedy to triumph over addiction

"Me and a few other people ran away from the home. Wayne wasnt even meant to go that night, said Jason.

"We had set up and were about to run away and Wayne called me and said he was coming. I said get back, youre not coming.

"But he came anyway and we ran away and ended up on a train to Carrick from Newtownabbey  Rathfern. We ended up in Carrick at the back of a school walking our way across the gravel pitch.

"We all started to climb over the fence  we were going to a house in Castlemara, I dont even know why. I heard this big loud bang, like a car hitting a cardboard box, and it was Wayne. Someone screamed he had been knocked down.

"Part of me didnt believe it had actually happened. When they buried him I tried to pull the grass off the grave.

"It took me a long, long time to realise what Ive lost and how close we were. We grew up together, it was always me and Wayne, there was no one else with us.

Jason in his barber shop

Jason tried to come to terms with his grief. He joined the army, which he said straightened him out for a while, and opened his own barber shop.

Things on the face of it were going well, but when the doors closed at the end of the day, he was falling deeper into addiction.

"I was spending around 1,200 a week on drugs and it was crazy, he said.

"It was whenever I was finishing up, or I would have taken two or three days off and was partying and doing drugs. The mentality I always had was that because I worked so hard, I could party harder. Everything came very quickly.

"I couldnt take enough cocaine; I was party boy where I wanted to try and have a really good time, but the collateral damage around me was like hitting the destruct button.

"My attitude was like I deserved it because of all I had been through. It was very immature and I was trying to put this persona on.

"Im very lucky Im still here, because anyone who takes that amount of drugs, its enough to knock out a horse.

With the help of his wife and a fortuitous meeting with the pastors who run a kitchen and counselling facility close to the back entrance of Castlecourt Shopping Centre in Belfast city centre.

He has recently established the Jays Barber Club Bus which will be used for charity events including charity donations, transport for the homeless and a pick up for OAPs in the area to get their hair cut.

The BelTel Podcast telling Jasons story  A Cut Above  is available from Monday.
Accepting the Windsor Framework is the only way for the DUP to move forward, a former adviser to David Trimble has said.

Lord Bew said that while the deal was highly imperfect, the DUP would be able to negotiate solutions to the remaining problems with the deal if they reformed an Executive.

The framework was agreed by the UK Government and the EU in February in a bid to resolve issues around the Northern Ireland Protocol.

The DUP has been refusing to take part in the Stormont Assembly until issues they have raised over the post-Brexit trading arrangements are addressed by the UK.

Speaking on BBCs Sunday Politics, Lord Bew said: It is highly imperfect, not so much for citizens and consumers. Their position is enhanced considerably by the Windsor Framework.

He added that for businesses, some issues still need to be addressed.

There are remaining issues, probably the most pressing one the DUP have raised is actually veterinary medicines, he said.

Implementation is a negotiation.

My argument would be - especially with the Stormont Brake, which has to be tested to see how good it is - but nonetheless undoubtedly allows unionists to create a big hullabaloo about something they regard as unfair.

Its far better to be inside than outside.

The Stormont Brake aims to give a future Northern Ireland Assembly a greater say on how EU laws apply here, which was a key demand of the DUP.

Unionists feel that Article 6 of the Act of Union, equal treatment, other aspects of this deal are deeply unfair, he said.

However, he added that some of the issues raised against the Windsor Framework by the DUP were not mentioned in their seven tests.

The DUPs 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.

For example, EU law is only a couple of letters. You could put it in, if you were really fighting on that point, you really would have mentioned it in the seven tests.

The seven tests are really quite specific. You have to remember the people negotiating this on behalf on the UK - and that includes Northern Ireland - thought the seven tests meant more or less what they said.

Dont forget what Sir Jeffrey said at the time  we are basing this on what UK ministers have said is a reasonable outcome. No UK ministers ever promised to get rid of EU law if you have dual access.

Whats the point of the leadership? If you have set these seven tests, if youve stood by them, if you know that the UK government has strained to deliver them.

He added that the deal did need some work, such as legislation on the Act of Union, but that he believed some form of statutory framework could be devised on that point.

Lord Bew said that he believed that recent interventions from the Irish government have made it harder for the DUP to return to Stormont.

He said: The problem for Jeffrey is also the role and the language of the Irish government.

I remember for example doing a long interview with Bertie Ahern which appeared in The Sunday Times, he said.

Mr Ahern was Taoiseach during the Good Friday Agreement negotiations in 1998.

Bertie Ahern in the half an hour, 45 minutes he gave me on tape didnt say a word that made it harder for David Trimble to deliver on his side of the argument, he said.

You simply cannot say this about Leo Varadkar.

Comments on Irish reunification made by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last week were unhelpful, Chris Heaton-Harris has said

A few weeks ago, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told RTE Radio News at One that he believed Ireland was on the path to reunification.

"I believe that there will be a united Ireland in my lifetime, and in that united Ireland there is going to be a minority, roughly a million people who are British, he said.

The comments drew criticism from NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, who said they were unhelpful.

One of Jeffreys real problems where I have a lot of sympathy with him is that things that have come from Dublin dont help in the way they once did, said Lord Bew.

There isnt the same pragmatism and realism.

I was struck last week, after Leos latest intervention, the number of Conservatives and all shades of the party coming up to me saying Whats he doing, whys he making Jeffreys life so hard?

Reacting to the interview, TUV leader Jim Allister said unionists must reject Lord Bews honeyed contentions.

He said: Lord Bews soft interview with Mark Carruthers on Sunday Politics amounted to an exhortation to unionism to roll over on the protocol and operate it, while ignoring its seismic constitutional change and transitioning of NI into an economic all-Ireland.

"The constitutional reality is that by reason of being under the EUs Customs Code Northern Ireland is regarded as EU territory and GB as a foreign country.

"Yet, Lord Bew wants unionism to accept and implement that constitutional obscenity and at the same time accept that much of our economy and trade should be governed by the same laws as the Republic of Ireland, namely those of the EU Single Market - and unionists should administer that in Stormont, he continued.

So, in the interests of refusing to being a party to dismantling the Union, unionists must reject Lord Bews honeyed contentions.




Even after escalating its strike against Detroit automakers on Friday, the United Auto Workers union still has plenty of leverage in its effort to force the companies to agree to significant increases in pay and benefits.

Only about 12 percent of the unions membership is so far taking part in the walkout. The UAW could, if it chose to, vastly expand the number of workers who could strike assembly plants and parts facilities of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the owner of the Jeep and Ram brands.

Yet the UAW's emerging strategy also carries potentially significant risks for the union. By expanding its strike from three large auto assembly plants to all 38 parts distribution centers of GM and Ford, the UAW risks angering people who might be unable to have their vehicles repaired at service centers that lack parts.

The union's thinking appears to be that by striking both vehicle production and parts facilities, it will force the automakers to negotiate a relatively quick end to the strike , now in its second week. To do so, though, some analysts say the union might have to act even more aggressively.

We believe the next step for UAW is the more nuclear option ? going for a much more widespread strike on the core plants in and around Detroit, said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. That would be a torpedo.

Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at the consulting firm Guidehouse Insights, suggested that with so many workers and factories still running, the union has a number of options with which to squeeze the companies harder.

They could add more assembly plants to the list," Abuelsamid said. "They could target more of the plants that are building the most profitable vehicles."

As examples, he mentioned a plant in Flint, Michigan, where GM builds heavy-duty pickups, and a Stellantis factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan, that produces Ram trucks.

All three companies said that talks with the union continued on Saturday, though officials said they expected no major announcements.

In Canada on Saturday, Ford workers began voting on a tentative agreement that their union said would increase base pay by 15 percent over three years and provide cost-of-living increases and $10,000 ratification bonuses. The tentative deal was forged earlier this week, hours before a strike deadline.

The union, Unifor, said the deal, which covers 5,600 workers, also includes better retirement benefits. If the deal is ratified in voting that will end Sunday morning, the union will use it as a pattern for new contracts at GM and Stellantis plants in Canada.

In the United States, the UAW began its walkout more than a week ago by striking three assembly plants ? one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis. In expanding the strike on Friday, the UAW struck only the parts-distribution centers of GM and Stellantis. Ford was spared from the latest walkouts because of progress that company has made in negotiations with the union, said UAW President Shawn Fain.

Striking the parts centers is designed to turn up pressure on the companies by hurting dealers who service vehicles made by GM and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler. Service shops are a profit center for dealers, so the strategy could prove effective. Millions of motorists depend on those shops to maintain and repair their cars and trucks.

It severely hits the dealerships, and it hurts the customers who purchased those very expensive vehicles in good faith, said Art Wheaton, a labor expert at Cornell University. You just told all your customers, Hey we cant fix those $50,000 to $70,000 cars we just sold you because we cant get you the parts. 

The more combative union has declined to discuss its strike strategy publicly. Fain has said repeatedly that a critical part of its plan is to keep the companies guessing about the UAW's next move. Indeed, the union has shown unusual discipline in sticking to its talking points.

On a picket line Friday, Fain was asked whether striking against the spare-parts centers would hurt ? and potentially alienate ? consumers.

What has hurt the consumers in the long run is the fact the companies have raised prices on vehicles 35 percent in the last four years, he shot back. It's not because of our wages. Our wages went up 6 percent, the CEO pay went up 40 percent. "

Selling parts and performing service is highly profitable for car dealers. AutoNation reported a gross profit margin of 46 percent from service shops at its dealerships last year. The problem for the companies is that dealerships and other repair shops typically have lean inventories and depend on receiving parts quickly from the manufacturers' warehouses.

Mike Stanton, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said his members want to avoid anything that would impair customer service, so we certainly hope automakers and the UAW can reach an agreement quickly and amicably.

To make up for the loss of striking workers, the automakers are weighing their options, including staffing the parts warehouses with salaried workers.

We have contingency plans for various scenarios and are prepared to do what is best for our business and customers, said David Barnas, a GM spokesman. We are evaluating if and when to enact those plans.

Similarly, Jodi Tinson, a Stellantis spokeswoman, said, We have a contingency plan in place to ensure we are fulfilling our commitments to our dealers and our customers. She declined to provide additional details.

In negotiating with the companies, the union is pointing to the carmakers huge recent profits and high CEO pay as it seeks wage increases of about 36 percent over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount.

The companies have said they cannot afford to meet the unions demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. They have dismissed out of hand some of the demands, including 40 hours pay for a 32-hour work week. (AP)
The report calls on Dublins local authorities to fully implement the Dublin Region Air Quality Plan 2021 (Niall Carson/PA)

Irish air quality met EU requirements, but not WHO guidelines, a new report has noted.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annual air quality report Air Quality in Ireland 2022, finds that air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many of our European neighbours.

But it notes concerning localised issues which lead to poor air quality.

Ireland met EU legal air quality limits in 2022, however it did not meet the more stringent health-based World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines for a number of pollutants.

Congestion on the M7 near Naas, in Co Kildare (Niall Carson/PA)

These include: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (N02), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ozone (O3) due mainly to the burning of solid fuel in towns and traffic.

The report detailed that poor air quality has a proven negative effect on peoples health, with an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland per year due to particulate matter in the air.

It also includes 2022 air monitoring results from EPA stations across Ireland, which show that fine particulate matter (PM2.5), mainly from burning solid fuel in homes, and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) mainly from road traffic, remain the main threats to good air quality.

High levels of these pollutants are often associated with cold, still weather from late autumn through to early spring, when generally short-term incidents of poor air quality occur.

The report identifies that using less solid fuel and cleaner fuels to heat homes  and reducing our use of cars to go to school, work and play  are actions that will contribute towards achieving the WHO guidelines.

It further identifies the critical role for local authorities in enforcement, implementation of existing plans and investment in infrastructure to encourage cleaner and healthier air quality choices.

The report calls on Dublins local authorities to fully implement the Dublin Region Air Quality Plan 2021 to improve Nitrogen Dioxide levels in the region of the capital.

It also calls for investment in clean public transport infrastructure across the country to be maintained and increased, and more safe footpaths and cycle lanes to increase active travel.

Dr Micheal Lehane, director of the EPAs Office of Radiation Protection and Environmental Monitoring, said there is an immediate challenge to work towards meeting WHO air quality guidelines.

The EPAs air quality monitoring has shown that Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2022, he said.

However, we did not meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines for health. This highlights the immediate challenge to move towards the WHO air quality guidelines in the Clean Air Strategy.

While undoubtably challenging, the significantly positive impacts of clean air on health are clear and the report identifies some of the actions that are necessary to achieve the health-based air quality guidelines.

Pat Byrne, EPA programme manager, added: The localised issues that we see in the 2022 monitoring results impact negatively on air quality and health.

Monitoring stations across Ireland recorded high levels of particulate matter associated with burning solid fuels in our towns and villages and high levels of nitrogen dioxide in our larger cities associated with road traffic.

We can have immediate impacts on our local air quality by making changes in how we heat our homes and finding alternative ways to travel. These actions which also have positive climate impacts.
Irish celebrity chef Richard Corrigan has praised the work of sheep farmers after he herded a flock over a London Bridge, saying its a really tough life.

The Co Meath-born star walked over Southwark Bridge alongside the sheep on Sunday as part of the 10th London Sheep Drive fundraising event.

The three-time Great British Menu winner said the drive is deeply symbolic for the City of London as it echoes an ancient right for freemen to herd livestock into London without paying a toll.

Richard Corrigan as he drives sheep over Southwark Bridge, London, in the 10th London Sheep Drive (Rupert Frere/Worshipful Company of Woolmen/PA)

He said: We brought the sheep over the bridge, a deeply symbolic thing for the city of London.

Its founded on the the wool merchants and this great wealth.

As a Freeman of the City of London, Corrigan has an ancient right to lead the sheep over the River Thames.

He was accompanied by former lord mayor of London Sir Andrew Parmley and sheriffs of the city of London for his walk.

Corrigan said he had been taken back by the opportunity to guide the sheep as he noted his lifes work has been in the capital.

Reflecting on the farming industry, he added: Ive huge respect for these sheep farmers, its a really, really tough life.

As a Freeman of the City of London, the chef has an ancient right to lead the sheep over the River Thames. (Rupert Frere/Worshipful Company of Woolmen/PA)

Corrigan explained he had personal experience with the challenges as he grew up on a farm and assisted with their care every year.

Cleaning their hooves, paring their hooves, dosing them and dipping them, its the most laborious task, he added.

If anyone knew exactly the effort that goes in the farming sheep, you would really cherish every morsel you put into your mouth.

Corrigan earned first Michelin star when he was head chef of Stephen Bull in London in 1994 and has opened up a number of his own restaurants across the capital.

He has also appeared on a number of cooking shows including BBC Ones Saturday Kitchen and RTEs Corrigan Knows Food.
The Prime Minister announced plans including a five-year delay in banning petrol and diesel cars and made changes to the shift away from gas boilers in an effort to spare hard-pressed households from the cost of green commitments.

Former US president Mr Trump  who has railed against climate measures in his country  said: I always knew Sunak was smart.

Former US president Donald Trump said Rishi Sunak was smart for watering down green measures (PA)

On his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump said: Prime Minsiter Sunak of the United Kingdom has very substantially rolled back the ridiculous climate mandates that the United States is pushing on everyone, especially itself.

I always knew Sunak was smart, that he wasnt going to destroy and bankrupt his nation for fake climate alarmists that dont have a clue.

Mr Sunak has maintained the UKs commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, despite the changes to the way measures would be introduced.

Cabinet minister Grant Shapps told the BBC: We have already exceeded all of our carbon budgets. We have the leading position in the G7 in terms of the amount of carbon that weve reduced.

And he insisted that 2035 was always the end date for the sale of petrol and diesel cars because hybrid-powered vehicles were allowed to be on sale to that date.

The original plan had meant new cars powered only by petrol or diesel would have been banned by 2030, but that has now slipped to 2035.

The Defence Secretary insisted the UK was still on course to meet its commitments despite the changes on cars and boilers: We think that we can both meet our 2050 commitments and give families a bit of a break and enable them to change their boilers as the time comes, rather than force a sort of pace which is unrealistic.
The Prime Minister announced the shift in net zero plans last week (Justin Tallis/PA)

Scottish Tory MSP Maurice Golden has criticised the Prime Ministers watering down of climate pledges.

Writing for the Times, the north east list MSP said the announcements made last week from Downing Street were regressive.

Rishi Sunak said on Wednesday England would delay the ban on new petrol and diesel cars by five years, moving the target from 2030 to 2035.

Scottish Tory MSP Maurice Golden was writing in the Times (Danny Lawson/PA)

Mr Sunak was criticised by environmental activists, and some in his own party, following the Downing Street announcement, which also saw him weaken the plan to phase out gas boilers from 2035  so households that will struggle the most to switch to heat pumps will not have to make the change  and scrap the requirement for energy efficiency upgrades to homes.

Scottish Net Zero Secretary Mairi McAllan said the Scottish Government would be urgently assessing its own climate pledges as a result of the announcement.

Writing in the newspaper, Mr Golden said: I understand fully why it was done from a political perspective, but its a regressive move that isnt only damaging environmentally but economically and socially too.

It drags net zero into the territory of culture wars.

The way the changes were framed and delivered will polarise communities and create a binary environment where youre either for climate change initiatives or against them.

I thought we had moved past that years ago, not least when the UK showed considerable ambition in becoming the worlds first big economy to set its net zero target in law.

Seeing the pathway to that ambition being watered down is deeply regrettable.

The shift, Mr Golden claimed, didnt only annoy the green lobby, pointing to businesses already in the process of making changes to meet the targets.

Policy changes like this erode trust in the government, a trust that was already vulnerable thanks to the brief period in office of Sunaks predecessor. And this announcement will hurt UK plc too, he said.

He added: On Tuesday Ill be speaking as part of a Holyrood debate on the climate emergency.

Its not a comfortable position for me to be criticising my own party on this matter.

But the climate crisis is far bigger than any of that, and its imperative that governments in both Edinburgh and London start doing considerably better.

Mr Golden also criticised the Scottish Government, accusing it of making a mess of a series of other climate change initiatives, such as enforced replacement of boilers and a despicably poor infrastructure of electric vehicle charging points.

He added: They failed on biodiversity, woodland creation, green jobs and, worst of all, the creation of a genuine circular economy that could be worth 3 billion to Scotland.

So lets not take any lessons from the SNP when it comes to the UK governments net zero approach.

Fellow Scottish Tory MSP Murdo Fraser saying on X, formerly Twitter, he fundamentally disagrees with Mr Golden on the issue, but added that at least in @ScotTories our MSPs are permitted to dissent from the Party line without facing sanctions.

While a spokeswoman for the party said: We support the Prime Ministers announcement, which set out a pragmatic route to achieving net zero that is affordable for hard-working families, while keeping us on track to meet international targets.

While Ms McAllan said on the same site: Add Tory MSPs to the list of those condemning the PMs climate climb down.

Although just as with Truss disaster budget, Douglas Ross falls into line.

Downing Street and the Scottish Tories have been contacted for comment.
Endangered Rothchilds giraffe Sifa settles into his new home in Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling, after travellilng from Dublin Zoo, becoming the first male giraffe to call the park home in a decade. (Andrew Milligan/PA)

An endangered male giraffe has been welcomed into a Scottish safari park for the first time in 10 years.

On Wednesday, Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park near Stirling introduced Sifa, a five-year-old Rothschilds giraffe, to its grounds.

The park estimates there are only about 2,000 Rothschilds giraffes left in the wild.

Sifa arrived at the park at about 8pm on Wednesday after travelling from Dublin Zoo.

Five-year-old Sifa made the journey from Dublin in a special transporter (Andrew Millgan/PA)

He is the first male giraffe to call Blair Drummond home in a decade.

As well as a sea crossing from Dublin to Holyhead, Sifa also endured a 337-mile journey north to his new home.

He has so far met new companions Harriet, Bella and Ruby, with the park saying the four are already getting along well.

Sifa enjoyed a meal of willow leaves on his arrival (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Sifa (rear) settles into with one of his new friends (Andrew Milligan/PA)

The overall giraffe population spanning all species has dropped by about 30% since the 1980s, with an estimated 117,000 left in the wild.

Suzi Marshall, team leader for large mammals at Blair Drummond Safari Park, said: We are thrilled to welcome a new male into our giraffe tower.

We are used to having an all-female group, so we were a bit taken aback by how tall he is, hes a good couple of feet taller than all our girls.

The park estimates there are only about 2,000 Rothschilds giraffes left in the wild (Andrew Milligan/PA)

We wanted to make him feel welcome as soon as he arrived, so we laid out a delicious dinner of willow.

He made himself right at home and started tucking in right away.
Some of the scarecrows on display at the festival (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

A village in Worcestershire is hosting its annual scarecrow festival with more than 100 hay-stuffed creations inspired by royalty and celebrities.

The Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival, which began on Saturday and ends at 5pm on Sunday, has seen crafters go haywire in a bid to satisfy the Kings and Queens theme this year.

A Tyson Fury scarecrow was on the ropes (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Around 104 scarecrows have been created with hay provided free by a local farmer.

Festival spokesman Rob Pagett, 47, told the PA news agency: Weve got a few Gypsy King (boxer Tyson Fury) ones, theres two Freddie Mercury ones. The Tiger King (Joe Exotic) ones are a particularly good interpretation of the theme.

Theres an amazing King Kong scarecrow, and the scarecrows this year have been incredible  how theyve made them, Ive got to see because theyre quite unique.

The festival has been held since 1996, but this years is the first in three years due to the Covid pandemic, with the 2022 event cancelled after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

King Kong scaled the heights (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

The Queen of Hearts from Alice In Wonderland (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Mr Pagetts family contributed a Lion King-inspired creation, which sits outside their village house.

He said: For the body of the lions, we tried to make a cylindrical wrap of chicken wire and then stuffed all the hay into the holes.

We attached the legs via fishing wire and used wooden skewers to stick the hands to the body, so it was a bit ad hoc.

Mr Pagett admitted the credit went to his wife, Sophie, 36, adding: Ill be honest, I didnt make any of it, my wife made the entire thing.

I chopped up various things, so I helped creatively with the vision, but couldnt create it as well as she could.

It makes you realise how difficult they are to make.

Elvis Presley scarecrow (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Netflix favourite Tiger King saw Joe Exotic rendered in hay (Belbroughton Scarecrow Festival/PA)

Mr Pagett said the atmosphere has been absolutely fantastic, with more than 10,000 in attendance.

We had a lot of people coming down and reacting to and taking pictures of the scarecrows, which was really nice.

Entrance fees raised money for the Royal British Legion, the local church hall and school.
French President Emmanuel Macron says France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country (Christophe Ena/AP/PA)

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France did not recognise the coup leaders as legitimate.

With tensions mounting, Mr Macron said in an interview with France-2 television that he told the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Sunday that France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France. And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities.

He added: And we will put an end to our military co-operation with the Niger authorities because they dont want to fight against terrorism anymore.

French Barkhane Air Force mechanics maintain a Mirage 2000 on the Niamey, Niger base (Jerome Delay/AP/PA)

He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year.

He noted that Frances military presence in Niger was in response to a request from Nigers government at the time.

Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to the deposed president, told The Associated Press that Mr Bazoum requested that Mr Macron withdraw the French ambassador in order to reduce tension.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to Frances policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there.

France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

The military co-operation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup. The junta leaders claimed that Bazoums government wasnt doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency.

The junta in August gave French Ambassador Sylvain Itte 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity.

The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.

In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nations full participation at the UNs annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies.

Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africas gendarme may finally be over, as the continents priorities shift.

Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the US deployments in Niger, though as we have seen the US and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger.

Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist organisations.

France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesnt have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term, he said.

Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops.

This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron, said Mr Saidou.

Mr Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave.

France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.
Suspended sentence for thief who bagged up beauty creams

One of the puppies seized from Mongan

One of the puppies seized from Thomas Mongan who was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to 16 pups

A cruel puppy smuggler has been back in court for what a judge described as thievery on an industrial scale.

Craigavon Magistrates Court was told that along with three associates, Tom Mongan went into Sainsburys in Rushmere shopping centre in November 2021 and they each filled bags with regenerative beauty creams.

While the total amount stolen was just over 700, a prosecutor told the court on Wednesday the 28-year-old was responsible for stealing four Olay branded creams worth 120.

Mongan, from Alton Avenue in Dunmurry, was identified from CCTV footage and later entered a guilty plea to a single count of theft.

The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) lawyer began to open a further alleged incident the same day where the same gang allegedly stole over 1,000 worth of Olay and Nivea creams from a shop in Cookstown but he stopped after defence counsel argued that offence was not on the indictment.

One of the puppies seized from Thomas Mongan who was convicted of causing unnecessary suffering to 16 pups

District Judge Francis Rafferty told the court he had a pre-sentence report about Mongan showing thievery on an industrial scale and revealed that among the convictions is one in England for something similar  2,500 of cosmetics from Marks and Spencers.

Notwithstanding all of that, probation say he is a low likelihood of reoffending, said the judge as he imposed a four-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months.

Two weeks ago Mongan stood before Glasgow Sheriffs Court where he and three relatives admitted inflicting what a judge described as unspeakable cruelty towards a number of dogs between December 2020 and February 2021.

According to court papers, Mongan was responsible for three dogs at rented properties in Glasgows Shawlands and Tollcross.

The charge outlines how the dogs were not kept in a clean condition or suitable environment, that two of the dogs, Bella and Albi, were not vaccinated and they were exposed to suffering, injury and disease.

One of the puppies seized from Mongan

Bella and Albi, who have since passed away, were found to have worm burden, underweight body condition, parasitic infestation, diarrhoea and parvovirus symptoms.

Mongan and his co-accused are to be sentenced for those offences in November but the Scottish case is not the first time that Mongan has stood in a dock accused of shocking cruelty.

Last May at Belfast Magistrates Court, Mongan was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service after he tried to transport 16 puppies to England by squeezing them into the boot of his car.

He was also banned from keeping dogs for 10 years after admitting causing unnecessary suffering to the assorted breeds who were confined in small and filthy dog crates without food or water.

Belfast Harbour Police uncovered the pups as Mongan tried to board a ferry to Liverpool in October 2020.

The 16 puppies, including chihuahuas, spaniels and beagles, had been squeezed into two crates that were too small, lying on top of each other, a prosecution lawyer told the court.

Veterinary examinations established that at least some of the dogs were less than six weeks old and showing signs of disease.

One of the animals who appeared particularly weak was diagnosed with water on the brain and later had to be put to sleep.

On top of the community service and 10-year animal ban, Mongan was ordered to pay 680 towards legal and veterinary costs.
Former Methodist president Rev Jim Rea haunted by IRA murder of his policeman pal

Religious leader recalls how Provos killed friend born in same unit as him at the same time

Jim Rea

Ivan Little Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 11:05

A former president of the Methodist Church has told of his heartbreak over the IRA murder of a policeman friend who was born in the same maternity unit, at the same time as him.
EXCLUSIVE | Have a heart, let us know where they are: Mums plea over Belfast boys missing since 1974

Grieving parent talks exclusively to Sunday Life as new documentary examines case of five boys who vanished in 60s and 70s. She says: Have a heart, let us know where they are

Have a heart, let us know where they are: Mums plea over Belfast boys missing since 1974

Sharon O'Neill Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 08:20

The elderly mother of an 11-year-old boy who mysteriously vanished along with his friend on their way to school in north Belfast at the height of the Troubles has called on whoever took them to end her torment.
Who would send their kids out to a monster like that? But we did: Parents of Coleraine abuse victim speak out
Former leading RUC officer Alan McQuillan led reinvestigation into one of the cases back in 2001

The ex-police officer who led the reinvestigation into the disappearance of Thomas Spence and John Rodgers has said he never saw any evidence linking their case to the Kincora paedophile ring.

Former RUC Assistant Chief Constable Alan McQuillan told Sunday Life there was also no evidence found which suggested their disappearance was related to the 1973 murder of 10-year-old Brian McDermott or the 1969 disappearances of 11-year-old David Leckey and Jonathan Aven (14), both from east Belfast.

John Rodgers

The new documentary, Lost Boys: Belfasts Missing Children, which premieres at the Odeon cinema in the city on Thursday, suggests a connection to the notorious Kincora Boys Home in east Belfast between all the cases. It also links a controversial loyalist pastor Alan Campbell, who died in 2017, to their disappearances.

Firstly, at no stage during that revised inquiry, which was a full reinvestigation into their disappearance, was it ever suggested to my knowledge that there was any connection to any other case, Mr McQuillan said.

Secondly, the two boys went missing from the Falls Road in west Belfast in 1974 and I am totally unaware of any links to Kincora which is in east Belfast.

I would say its fanciful and unhelpful especially for the families.

Thomas Spence

Mr McQuillan said the 2001 reinvestigation and excavations at houses in west Belfast was triggered by allegations made against a convicted sex offender. Evidence was brought to us by two women from west Belfast who as children had been friends with the two boys, he said.

They disclosed that their father had been a paedophile and had at one point threatened the boys with a knife.

A Belfast Telegraph report on the reinvestigation in 2001

They said he had made comments that they would never be found because their throats had been cut and they had been buried.

He was interviewed in prison and totally denied any involvement, we carried out a number of excavations at all the premises that we could locate that were connected in any way to him and we didnt find any evidence.

That was done with full co-operation from the local community and Sinn Fein.

Every body recognised what a terrible thing this was and wanted to help try to put it to bed.

I am not aware of any clear line of enquiry that would have taken us to anybody else.

He added: There was absolutely no connection that we were aware of, or that was ever put to me by senior CID officers, to Kincora or anything else.
A Philippine fisherman and his pet dog aboard a wooden boat sail past fishing boats anchored near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal in the disputed South China Sea. China, Sept. 21, 2023.

The Philippines on Sunday accused the Chinese coast guard of planting a floating barrier in a part of the disputed South China Sea that blocked Filipinos from their livelihood activities in the rich fishing grounds.

The Philippine Coast Guard and the countrys Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources said they condemned Chinas installation of the barrier that they spotted on Sept. 22 near Bajo de Masinloc, which is the local name of the disputed Scarborough Shoal.

A United Nations tribunal in 2016 dismissed Chinas sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea, including Scarborough Shoal, but Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.

The incident comes on the heels of Chinas coast guard vessels and its maritime militia seen by media harassing Philippine Coast Guard ships accompanying boats on a supply mission to Manilas military outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

In August, Manila said Chinese vessels also fired water cannons on vessels accompanying one such mission.

A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson said that during the Sept. 22 incident near Scarborough Shoal, four China Coast Guard vessels issued 15 radio warnings attempting to drive away the fisheries bureau vessel and the more than 50 Filipino boats in the area.

The floating barrier with an estimated length of 300 meters was discovered by the PCG and BFAR personnel  when they conducted routine maritime patrol on Sept. 22, 2023, at the vicinity of [Bajo de Masinloc], Commodore Jay Tarriela, coast guard spokesman for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said in a statement on Sunday.

The CCG crew alleged that the presence of the [fisheries bureau] vessel and Filipino fishermen violated international law and the domestic laws of the People's Republic of China. The [fisheries bureau] vessel responded to each and every radio call and emphasized that they were carrying out a routine patrol within the territorial sea of [Bajo de Masinloc].

The West Philippine Sea is Manilas name for the South China Sea within its jurisdiction.

A fisherman sorts his catch of scad hauled after a trip to Scarborough Shoal in the port of Masinloc, the Philippines, May 28, 2021. [Jason Gutierrez/BenarNews]

Tarriela added that the Chinese coast guard vessels moved away when they realized there were media personnel on the fisheries bureau boat.

The Chinese vessels installed the barrier when the Philippines fisheries bureaus vessel arrived in the area to provide groceries and other items to help the Filipino fishermen sustain their operations, Tarriela said.

It was reported by the Filipino fishermen that the CCG vessels usually install floating barriers whenever they monitor a large number of Filipino fishermen in the area, he added.

BenarNews on Sunday contacted the Chinese Embassy in Manila for comment but did not immediately hear back.

China took control of the Scarborough Shoal area in 2012 after a standoff between Manila and Beijing. But after late 2016, Chinese vessels allowed Filipino fishing boats in the area when then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte pivoted to Beijing, which still controls access to the disputed shoal.

Since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office last year after Dutertes term ended, analysts say the new leader has been more vocal about protecting Philippine sovereignty.

The Philippine government has filed more than 99 notes verbale, or diplomatic protests, against China since Marcos Jr. took office.

Last month, Manila summoned Beijings ambassador to complain about the water cannon incident. The two countries have also tangled over statements by the Chinese envoy to Manila on the 150,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesia's exclusive economic zone as well.

In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, and threw out Chinas expansive claims in the South China Sea, particularly the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing, however, has ignored the ruling and carried on with its military expansionism in the strategic waterway, including building artificial islands.

Coral destruction

Meanwhile, Philippine Secretary of Defense, Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr., on Friday said China was being, to put it as politely as possible  hypocritical, when it accused Manila of polluting the the South China Sea.

China had made the accusation in response to the Philippine Coast Guard and the Army blaming Beijings maritime militia ships for destroying coral in Manila-claimed waters in the disputed sea. Manila said it was considering filing a case against Beijing over the destruction.

Beijing countered that Manila was polluting the seas waters with a rusting World War II-era ship it grounded in 1999 on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal to establish its military outpost.

Philippine Defense Secretary Teodoro said Chinas expansionist activities in the South China Sea were the real problem.

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black! China continues to damage the [West Philippine Sea] by its illegal reclamation activities in the [South China Sea] and it was found to be a violator of international law in the 2016 Arbitral Award when such activities damaged the marine environment, Teodoro said in a statement.

Disingenuous propaganda lines such as this only serve to expose Chinas insincerity and will only heighten the mistrust by the Filipino people and the rest of the world of the Chinese government.
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INTERPOL is building a platform for processing massive amounts of data, including biometrics, to give police around the world predictive analytics, according to Statewatch.

A Direction Statement by INTERPOL Secretary General Jurgen Stock at the organizations 90th General Assembly last October notes that the INSIGHT analytical platform had already contributed to the dismantling of an international criminal organization.

The advanced analytics capability of INSIGHT is part of the projects second phase. The planned third phase involves drawing on external sources of data, like commercial databases.

INSIGHTs tools will eventually include visual, video, audio recognition, facial and bio-data matching. The U.S. State Department has contributed $12 million to the project, Statewatch says.

That may not be enough, as Stock recently told Politico that the data analysis and biometrics capabilities would need to be sustained by tens of million of euros, which INTERPOL does not have.

Stock frames the challenge of the digital era for INTERPOL around reaping its benefits to tackle its threats.

That means Supporting the digital transition for police means a stronger information backbone  able to support the 250 searches per second you are conducting in our databases, no matter what.

The progress INTERPOL is making on that front includes the use of its I-CORE biometric search program, powered by an Idemia MBIS, and movement towards the use of a mobile app to match biometric samples against INTERPOL databases.
David Tennant and Catherine Tate can be seen reunited as The Doctor and his sidekick in a new trailer for the 60th anniversary specials of Doctor Who.

Tennant originally starred as the 10th Doctor from 2005 until his final episode aired on New Years Day in 2010, with Tate playing one of his companions  Donna Noble  in the beloved BBC series.

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The pair will return to their roles for three special episodes which will air this November to coincide with the celebrations marking six decades of the show.

Destiny isnt done with them just yet The Doctor and Donna return for three special episodes  #DoctorWho returns this November to @BBCiPlayer in the UK and @DisneyPlus in the rest of the world. pic.twitter.com/LAsVTZW419  Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) September 23, 2023 Advertisement

Moments before the first live show of Strictly Come Dancing 2023, viewers were given a glimpse of what to expect later this year when the Tardis lands.

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The more than two-minute trailer opens with Noble saying: Sometimes I think there is something missing. Like I had something lovely and its gone. I lie in bed thinking what have I lost?

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As scenes of Tennant previously erasing Donnas memory are shown, he says: Ive got this friend called Donna Noble. I had to wipe her memory to save her life. If she remembers me she will die.

Donna can then be seen uncovering an alien being as his voiceover continues saying: So what happens next? A spaceship crashes right in front of her, its like shes drawing us in.

I dont believe in destiny but if destiny exists, then it is heading for Donna Noble.

The teaser clips also sees US actor Neil Patrick-Harris play the Toymaker, an all-powerful enemy last seen in 1966.

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He can be seen waltzing around in a top hat and tails and terrorising society.

As Donna and the Doctor discuss the threat, she asks him: Theres something so bad the Tardis ran away? and after he confirms she replies: Then we go and kick its ass.

Neil Patrick Harris stars as The Toymaker (BBC Studios/Bad Wolf/PA)

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It also sees actress Jemma Redgrave reprise her role as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart while Heartstopper actress Yasmin Finney appears as a character called Rose.

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The trailer ends by teasing a look at Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor.

The Sex Education star is set to take over as the Time Lord after the three specials, alongside Coronation Street actress Millie Gibson, who is playing the Doctors companion Ruby Sunday.

Gatwas first episode will air over the festive period, with 19-year-old Gibson becoming the youngest companion in the shows history.

The latest revamp of the series sees Its A Sin writer Russell T Davies return as showrunner, the man behind the 2005 revival of the long-running BBC show, succeeding Chris Chibnall who introduced Jodie Whittaker as the 13th Doctor.

Reflecting on the trailer, Davies said: This is just the start, as the fever starts to burn.

Were heading for a November full of Doctor Who surprises, for fans and new viewers alike. Stay alert.

Doctor Who will air on the BBC in Ireland and the UK in November, while streaming platform Disney+ will show episodes to audiences elsewhere.
The aggressive Dail demonstrations this week and Ireland's stunning victory over South Africa are two of the topics on Sunday's front pages.

In the wake of the ugly scenes outside Leinster House on Wednesday, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has backed 'hands off' policing of the far-right, The Sunday Times reports.

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The front page of tomorrows Sunday Times, subscribe here to read it all online https://t.co/hh3xChZS8i pic.twitter.com/r2RktI1NAs  The Sunday Times Ireland (@ST__Ireland) September 23, 2023

A new set of EU proposals could cost Ireland an extra 1.5 billion in corporate tax, according to the Business Post.

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Tomorrow's front page. Pick up a copy in stores or subscribe at https://t.co/u5ystSGUtr:



 McGrath rejects 1.5bn EU demand



 Businesses in line for energy supports in budget



 SF TD Martin Kenny sues Mediahuis pic.twitter.com/zaYYySfzCy Advertisement  Business Post (@businessposthq) September 23, 2023

The Sunday Independent leads with a story on the Temple Street scandal. Like the other front pages, an image of Ireland's 'world beaters' also features.

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In the North, the Sunday Life leads with a story on a mother whose son went missing in 1974 pleading for information.

Newspapers across the UK have locked in on parliament, with British prime minister Rishi Sunaks pensions pledge leading the way.

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The front page of the Mail on Sunday tells of Mr Sunaks impending confirmation he will not axe the current triple lock on pensions.

MAIL ON SUNDAY: Rishi will NOT axe triple lock on pensions #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/WUPt8xtnMl  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) September 23, 2023 Advertisement

The Sunday Express reports the UK prime minister is preparing to take on Sir Keir Starmer in a policy war as the 2024 UK general election inches closer.

Both the Sunday Telegraph and The Observer ran with Mr Sunak's push to axe the HS2 transport link.

The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph:



'Axe looms over HS2 after 8bn cost shock' #TomorrowsPapersToday



Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/3t0jn61DTE Advertisement  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) September 23, 2023

THE OBSERVER: Sunak pushes to axe HS2 link ahead of Tory conference #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/ttb0neAPsY  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) September 23, 2023

Inheritance tax has dominated the front of The Sunday Times, with the paper claiming Mr Sunak will revive plans to slash UK inheritance tax.

SUNDAY TIMES: Sunak revives plans to slash inheritance tax #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/GDn3IdRubU  Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) September 23, 2023

The lead of the Sunday Mirror features a story on the alleged sacking of a former nanny for Boris Johnsons family after the ex-prime minister allegedly began drinking with her.

And, in its usual form, the Daily Star has gone left-of-field, with a lead on a nasty whiff [coming] from Uranus.
Donald Trump has backed Rishi Sunaks decision to delay a series of measures aimed at curbing emissions.

The British prime minister announced plans including a five-year delay in banning petrol and diesel cars and made changes to the shift away from gas boilers in an effort to spare hard-pressed households from the cost of green commitments.

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Former US president Mr Trump  who has railed against climate measures in his country  said: I always knew Sunak was smart.

Former US president Donald Trump said Rishi Sunak was smart for watering down green measures. Photo: PA.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Mr Trump said: Prime Minsiter Sunak of the United Kingdom has very substantially rolled back the ridiculous climate mandates that the United States is pushing on everyone, especially itself.

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I always knew Sunak was smart, that he wasnt going to destroy and bankrupt his nation for fake climate alarmists that dont have a clue.

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UK Cabinet minister Grant Shapps told the BBC: We have already exceeded all of our carbon budgets. We have the leading position in the G7 in terms of the amount of carbon that weve reduced.

And he insisted that 2035 was always the end date for the sale of petrol and diesel cars because hybrid-powered vehicles were allowed to be on sale to that date.

The original plan had meant new cars powered only by petrol or diesel would have been banned by 2030, but that has now slipped to 2035.

The British defence secretary insisted the UK was still on course to meet its commitments despite the changes on cars and boilers: We think that we can both meet our 2050 commitments and give families a bit of a break and enable them to change their boilers as the time comes, rather than force a sort of pace which is unrealistic.
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The 120,000 ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will leave for Armenia as they do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and fear ethnic cleansing, the leadership of the breakaway region told Reuters on Sunday.

What is going on and what does it mean?

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Why are they leaving?

The Armenians of Karabakh, a territory internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but previously beyond Baku's control, were forced to declare a ceasefire on September 20th after a lightning 24-hour military operation by the much larger Azerbaijani military.

"Our people do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan. Ninety-nine point nine percent prefer to leave our historic lands," David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, the president of the self-styled Republic of Artsakh, told Reuters.

"The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilised world," Mr Babayan said.

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Azerbaijan says it will guarantee their rights and integrate the region, but the Armenians say they fear repression - and ethnic cleansing. Azerbaijan has denied any such intentions.

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As the Soviet Union crumbled, what is known as the First Karabakh War erupted (1988-1994) between Armenians and Azerbaijan. About 30,000 people were killed and more than a million people displaced.

The Armenian leaders of Karabakh said in a statement that all those made homeless by the most recent Azerbaijani military operation and wanting to leave would be escorted to Armenia by Russian peacekeepers.

Where will they go?

If 120,000 people go down the Lachin corridor to Armenia, the small South Caucasian country could face a humanitarian crisis.

Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Friday that space had been allocated for at least 40,000 people.

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"If proper conditions are not created for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their homes and there are no effective protection mechanisms against ethnic cleansing, the likelihood is rising that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will see exile from their homeland as the only way to save their lives and identity," Mr Pashinyan said on Sunday.

It was not immediately clear where 120,000 people could be housed in Armenia, whose population is just 2.8 million, ahead of winter.

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The International Committee of the Red Cross said it had started registering people who were looking for unaccompanied children or who had lost contact with loved ones.

What does Azerbaijan say?

For Azerbaijan, the exit of Armenians from Karabakh is a major victory that brings an apparent close to many years of war and squabbling over the region.

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President Ilham Aliyev said his iron fist had consigned the idea of an independent ethnic Armenian Karabakh to history and that the region would be turned into a "paradise" as part of Azerbaijan.

What does it mean for the wider region?

A mass exodus could change the delicate balance of power in the South Caucasus region, a patchwork of ethnicities crisscrossed with oil and gas pipelines, where Russia, the United States, Turkey and Iran are jostling for influence.

Armenia's Pashinyan has said the crisis showed that his country could not rely on Russia to defend its interests, though Moscow has retorted that Armenia has few friends other than Russia.

Many Armenians blame Mr Pashinyan, who lost a 2020 war to Azerbaijan over Karabakh, for losing Karabakh. Protests this week in the capital Yerevan called for his resignation.

Mr Pashinyan said that unidentified forces were seeking to stoke a coup against him, and has accused Russian media of fighting an information war against him.

Russia has a military base in Armenia and regards itself as the prime security guarantor in the region.

This month, Armenia hosted a joint army exercise with the United States, which has criticised Azerbaijan's military operation. Turkey, a Nato member, supports Azerbaijan.
An imprisoned Russian opposition figure who has dual British nationality has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia and placed in a tiny punishment cell, his lawyer has said.

Vladimir Kara-Murza, 42, was convicted of treason earlier this year for publicly denouncing Russias war in Ukraine and sentenced to 25 years as part of the Kremlins relentless crackdown on critics.

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On Thursday, he arrived at IK-6  a maximum security penal colony in the Siberian city of Omsk  his lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said in a Facebook post on Sunday.





"Please bring my father back home." Thank you to Sonya Kara-Murza, daughter of @vkaramurza and @ekaramurza, for her strength in testifying yesterday about the unjust imprisonment of her father. #FreeKaraMurza pic.twitter.com/7WxdDOumlW  U.S. Helsinki Commission (@HelsinkiComm) September 21, 2023 Advertisement

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Mr Kara-Murza, a journalist and activist, was an associate of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was killed near the Kremlin in 2015.

He survived poisonings in 2015 and 2017 that he blamed on the Kremlin. Russian officials have denied responsibility.

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Mr Kara-Murza was jailed in April 2022 after rejecting the charges against him and calling them punishment for standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He likened the proceedings to the show trials under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

In July, the British Government sanctioned six people following the unjustifiable decision to reject an appeal by the British-Russian dissident.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak wrote on Twitter at the time: Rejecting @vkaramurzas appeal is unjustifiable. He should be released immediately. The United Kingdom stands with him and his family.





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This is desperate and unfounded.



Rejecting @vkaramurzas appeal is unjustifiable. He should be released immediately.



The United Kingdom stands with him and his family. https://t.co/hjBPvmsEVp  Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) July 31, 2023

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Mr Prokhorov said the transfer from a detention centre in Moscow, where Mr Kara-Murza was being held pending further trial and appeals, took less than three weeks.

Russian prison transfers, usually done by train, are notorious for taking a long time, sometimes weeks, during which theres no access to prisoners, and information about their whereabouts is limited.

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Mr Prokhorov said his client was immediately placed in a punishment cell on arrival in Omsk, in a tiny concrete cell where inmates are held in isolation for violating prison regulations.

He called the news about Mr Kara-Murzas extreme confinement worrying given his deteriorating health, undermined by the poisonings and the solitary confinement he had undergone in pre-trial detention.
Kosovos prime minister has said one police officer was killed and another wounded in an attack he blamed on support from neighbouring Serbia.

Albin Kurti said masked professionals armed with heavy weapons opened fire on a police patrol in the village of Banjska, Leposavic, 35 miles north of the capital Pristina at 3am, killing one officer. Another officer was injured but his condition is not life-threatening.

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Interior minister Xhelal Svecla said they had arrested six gunmen, two of whom were injured, and found an extraordinarily large amount of weaponry and ammunition, explosives.

Police said earlier on Facebook that three of the assailants also were killed.

The attack happened when three police units were dispatched to a bridge at the entrance to the village that two trucks without licence plates had blocked, Kosovo police said. The responding officers came under fire from weapons that included hand grenades and bombs, authorities said.

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Police around 35 miles north of the capital Pristina in Kosovo (AP Photo/Bojan Slavkovic)

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The officers managed to push back the attack and took two wounded members of their ranks to a hospital in the city of Mitrovica. One of them was dead on arrival, doctors said. The others injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Police said there were sporadic exchanges of gunfire more than 12 hours later. Serbian media and Kosovo police said both local roads and two border crossings into Serbia were closed. Most of Kosovos ethnic Serb minority lives in four municipalities around Mitrovica, in the north.

Speaking after a meeting of the countrys Security Council on Sunday, Mr Kurti said it was a sad day for Kosovo and named the dead police officer as Afrim Bunjaku.

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The prime minister displayed a set of photos which showed a number of vehicles without licence plates and an armoured personnel carrier which does not belong to the Kosovo police, near the Orthodox monastery in Banjska.

There was ongoing gunfire from what he described as a group of at least 30 military professionals, masked and heavily armed.

It is clear that these uniformed persons, at least 30, are an organised professional unit who have come to fight in Kosovo, he said, calling on them to hand themselves over to authorities.

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Mr Kurti said the attack was supported by Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke later on Sunday in Belgrade to say the gunmen were local Kosovo Serbs who no longer want to stand Kurtis terror.

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Mr Vucic condemned the killing of the Kosovo policeman, saying it cannot be justified but still said the clash was the result of brutal pressure on Kosovo Serbs by the Kosovo government. He denied that Belgrade had anything to do with the attack.

Asked how come the Serb gunmen were photographed wearing combat uniforms, Mr Vucic said anyone can purchase such uniforms in ordinary shops and that the ones seen did not belong to the Serbian military or police force.

The only culprit for what happened in Kosovo  is Albin Kurti, said Mr Vucic, also blasting the West and its hypocrisy when it comes to Kosovo.

You can kill us all. Serbia will never recognise the independence of Kosovo, that monster creation that you made by bombing Serbia, Mr Vucic said.

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The area around Mitrovica, in northern Kosovo, is where most of the countrys ethnic Serb minority lives, in four municipalities.

Reports in the media in Serb-dominated northern Kosovo said residents of the village of Banjska were woken up by shootings and detonations in the middle of the night until dawn.

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It was a real little war: first some gunfire, then silence, shootings, detonations, Serbian Kossev news agency quoted an unidentified resident as saying.

Serbian media said both local roads and crossings with Serbia were blocked.

Organised crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state, Mr Kurti wrote on his Facebook page.

Mr Kurti said that gunfire against police with different weapons was ongoing.



Serbian media said both local roads and crossings with Serbia were blocked (Bojan Slavkovic/AP)

The government of the Republic of Kosovo and its state institutions are ready and co-ordinated to respond to crime and criminals, terror and terrorists, he said.

Kosovos president Vjosa Osmani, who is in New York at the United Nations General Assembly, denounced the killing and the attacks against the Republic of Kosovos sovereignty.

Such attacks testify once again the destabilising power of the criminal bands organised from Serbia which for a long time .. are destabilising Kosovo and the region, she said.

Serbias parliamentary speaker Vladimir Orlic said Mr Kurti was quick to blame the Serbs, adding that Mr Kurti was the one who wanted an escalation in the field.

He (Kurti) said it was some kind of organised action by professionals, Mr Orlic told local Prva television station. They must have been identified and he knows who they are and what they are, and everything is clear.

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Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated dialogue meeting in Brussels between Mr Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ended in acrimony.

Washington has fully supported the negotiations and the stance of the EU.

In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end months of political crises. Mr Kurti and Mr Vucic gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that have still not been resolved.

The EU warned both countries that the commitments that Serbia and Kosovo made in February are binding on them and play a role in the European path of the parties, which refers to their chances of joining the 27-nation bloc.

In May tensions in northern Kosovo left 93 peacekeepers hurt in riots.

Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognise the move.
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France did not recognise the coup leaders as legitimate.

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With tensions mounting, Mr Macron said in an interview with France-2 television that he told the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Sunday that France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France. And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities.

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He added: And we will put an end to our military co-operation with the Niger authorities because they dont want to fight against terrorism anymore.



French Barkhane Air Force mechanics maintain a Mirage 2000 on the Niamey, Niger base (Jerome Delay/AP/PA)

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He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year.

He noted that Frances military presence in Niger was in response to a request from Nigers government at the time.

Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to the deposed president, told The Associated Press that Mr Bazoum requested that Mr Macron withdraw the French ambassador in order to reduce tension.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to Frances policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there.

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France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

The military co-operation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup. The junta leaders claimed that Bazoums government wasnt doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency.

The junta in August gave French Ambassador Sylvain Itte 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity.

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The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.

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In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nations full participation at the UNs annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies.





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Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africas gendarme may finally be over, as the continents priorities shift.

Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the US deployments in Niger, though as we have seen the US and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger.

Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist organisations.

France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesnt have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term, he said.

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Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops.

This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron, said Mr Saidou.

Mr Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave.

France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.
The first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia, local officials say.

More are expected to follow after a 10-month blockade and a military offensive this month that resulted in Azerbaijan reclaiming full control of the breakaway region.

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Thousands of people were evacuated from cities and villages affected by the latest fighting and taken to a Russian peacekeepers camp in Nagorno-Karabakh.



The motorcade with the first group of refugees (AP)

A total of 377 people had arrived in Armenia from the region as of Sunday night, Armenian authorities reported.

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Ethnic Armenian separatist authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh also announced that the Russian peacekeepers would accompany anyone who wanted to leave the region and go to Armenia.

At the same time, two dozen ambulances carried 23 people who sustained severe wounds during the two days of fighting that killed and injured scores of people out of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, the countrys Health Ministry said.

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Nagorno-Karabakh is located in Azerbaijan and came under the control of ethnic Armenian forces, backed by the Armenian military, in separatist fighting that ended in 1994. During a six-week war in 2020, Azerbaijan took back parts of Nagorno-Karabakh along with territory surrounding the region that Armenian forces had claimed during the earlier conflict.

A Russia-brokered armistice ended the war, and a contingent of about 2,000 Russian peacekeepers was sent to the region to monitor it. Parts of Nagorno-Karabakh that were not retaken by Azerbaijan remained under the control of the separatist authorities.

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The first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh have arrived in Armenia (AP)

In December, Azerbaijan imposed a blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, alleging that the Armenian government was using the road for mineral extraction and illicit weapons shipments to the provinces separatist forces.

Armenia charged that the closure denied basic food and fuel supplies to Nagorno-Karabakhs approximately 120,000 people. Azerbaijan rejected the accusation, arguing the region could receive supplies through the Azerbaijani city of Aghdam  a solution long resisted by Nagorno-Karabakh authorities, who called it a strategy for Azerbaijan to gain control of the region.

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On Tuesday, Azerbaijan launched heavy artillery fire against ethnic Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh, who conceded to demands to lay down their arms that next day.

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Nagorno-Karabakhs final status remains an open question, however, and is at the centre of talks between the sides that began on Thursday in the Azerbaijani city of Yevlakh.

As part of a ceasefire agreement reached last week, the separatist forces in Nagorno-Karabakh started surrendering tanks, air defence systems and other weapons to the Azerbaijani army. As of Sunday, the process of surrendering arms was still under way, the Azerbaijani military said.

Azerbaijans Interior Ministry said on Sunday that disarmed and demobilised Armenian troops would be allowed to leave the region and go to Armenia.

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in an address to the nation on Sunday that his government was working with international partners to form international mechanisms to ensure the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh, but if these efforts do not produce concrete results, the government will welcome our sisters and brothers of Nagorno-Karabakh in the Republic of Armenia with all the care.
The link between music and spiritual belief is about as old as humanity, readily apparent in the rich centuries-old liturgical tradition of the Catholic Church.

This profound history has inspired noted Australian composer Mary Finsterer, whose third work as the 2023 composer-in-residence for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra receives its world premiere at St Patricks Cathedral on Wednesday.

MSO composer-in-residence Mary Finsterer. Credit: Dean Golja

Finsterer has curated a concert based on the adoration of the Virgin Mary that culminates in her new work for orchestra and soprano, Ad Honorem Beatae Mariae Virginis & Stabat Mater.

There are so many riches within the tradition of sacred music in the Western art tradition, and specifically within the tradition of the Catholic Church, because so many composers wrote for the church, and the church commissioned so many works over the centuries, Finsterer says.
An Australian National University student stabbed in a campus attack is still in intensive care and will never be the same, her mother said in an emotional interview.

Ilysha Perry, 20, remains in Canberra Hospitals intensive care unit in a serious but stable condition seven days after the attack.

Fiona Coffey, mother of Ilysha Perry, inset, who remains in Canberra Hospitals intensive care unit a week after the ANU attack. Credit: AAP/Facebook

Alex Ophel, 24, has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after police alleged he stabbed two women  Perry and another 20-year-old student, Isabelle Vasudeva  last Monday afternoon on the universitys Canberra campus and assaulted two men.

Prior to the attack, Perrys mother Fiona Coffey had spent the weekend in Canberra with her daughter, before driving back to Batemans Bay on the NSW south coast, two hours away.

Hours after getting home, she got the call every parent dreads.

Not my precious baby was the only thing going through her head after picking up the phone.

Shock, disbelief, we didnt know whether she was going to survive or not so that was the worst part for me, she told reporters at Canberra Hospital on Monday.

I just dropped everything, got in the car and drove straight there.

I feel pretty lucky that she had hung on that long to see me.

Read the full story here.

AAP.
A social media obesity awareness campaign by the company behind controversial weight-loss drug Ozempic will be reviewed to ensure it complies with Australias strict medicine advertising laws, as public health advocates raise concerns about blurred boundaries

Sponsored posts on Instagram paid for by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk promote a message that body type is heavily influenced by genetics and include a link to their website with information about its prescription-only weight loss medications.

Ozempic is being heavily prescribed, particularly in the United States.

The Danish company manufactures Ozempic, an appetite suppressant for people with type 2 diabetes which has been widely prescribed off-label as a weight loss drug, despite attempts by the regulator to restrict its use to diabetics. Novo Nordisk also manufactures Saxenda, a prescription-only weight loss injection.

Novo Nordisk has funded multiple obesity awareness campaigns abroad, including the videos being shown on Australian social media. Since 2021, the companys US TV advertisements fronted by celebrity Queen Latifah have promoted the message that obesity is not about willpower.
When Guy Lawson gets to work, time just melts away  and that is precisely the point.

Lawson is leading a group of painters and volunteers who are creating a vast painting they hope will be among the biggest and most important contributions to Buddhist art in the modern world.

Guy Lawson at work on the Kalachakra Mandala in Bendigo. Credit: Joe Armao

About five days a week, they labour inside the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, an enormous Buddhist temple adorned with Tibetan iconography on the outskirts of Bendigo.

Lawsons team is working on a Tibetan-style Kalachakra Mandala, an artistic representation of the universe with geometric designs and striking colours. Mandalas are often used by Buddhist monks as tools for meditation.
New South Wales and Victoria have struggled to meet their hazard reduction targets ahead of this years bushfire threat, Federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said, but he promised that government co-ordination had improved since previous years disasters and there were now additional aircraft to fight fires from the sky.

With record September temperatures and fires already ablaze along the eastern seaboard, Watt said the federal government was also examining its role in disaster response and whether part-time paid firefighters or national community service was needed in future to deal with longer and more intense bushfires.

NSW Rural Fire Service workers control a bushfire from a property in Wallacia last week. Credit: Kate Geraghty

Australia is much better prepared for this coming season than we were heading into Black Summer. We have implemented almost all of the recommendations of the bushfire royal commission that were made to the federal government, Watt said on the ABCs Insiders program on Sunday.

They include establishing one coordinated national emergency management agency, rather than two separate organisations under two separate ministers which existed before.
China Focus: European enterprises demonstrate confidence in Chinese market at int'l industry fair

Xinhua) 15:52, September 24, 2023

SHANGHAI, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 23rd China International Industry Fair (CIIF), held from Sept. 19 to 23 in Shanghai, featured a noticeable European presence, with companies showcasing cutting-edge technologies and displaying strong confidence in the Chinese market.

German conglomerate Siemens, which occupied an exhibition space of over 1,000 square meters, displayed its Industrial Operations X, an open and interoperable portfolio for automating and operating industrial production, signaling its official entry into the Chinese market.

Siemens has partnered with China's Machinery Industry Information Research Institute to establish a digital transformation capability assessment platform for SMEs. Through the platform, companies can evaluate their foundational digital transformation capabilities and current status.

"Technological innovation is emerging as the core driving force behind China's industrial growth in the face of the dual challenges of economic recovery and climate change," said Wang Haibin, executive vice president of Siemens Ltd., China, and general manager of Digital Industries, Siemens Greater China.

Another German enterprise, Bosch Rexroth, brought the ctrlX AUTOMATION platform to the event. This platform offers a comprehensive solution aimed at serving manufacturing facilities of the future.

The company also looks forward to supporting the globalization process of Chinese customers through its global service network, said Xia Weizhong, senior vice president of Factory Automation, Bosch Rexroth China.

The CIIF saw intensified collaborations between European companies and their Chinese counterparts. On the opening day, French company Schneider Electric signed a strategic cooperation agreement with SunShine Pumps (Tianjin), focusing on the production and operation of high-end intelligent devices and aiming to explore collaborative opportunities in digitalization and software development.

Several national pavilions were set up to showcase the latest achievements in industrial tech from different countries. The German Pavilion featured over 20 products and services, and the Italian Pavilion hosted over 60 Italian companies and industry associations, compared to 50 at the previous edition of the CIIF.

"All the participating enterprises and institutions have absolute confidence in this exhibition," said Augusto Di Giacinto, trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Agency in Shanghai.

As a crucial platform linking domestic and international industrial enterprises and converging the entire industrial supply chain, the CIIF is committed to facilitating international exchange and practical cooperation among industrial enterprises and advancing the implementation of industrial achievements, said Wang Hong, an official of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

After three years of disruption due to the pandemic, the CIIF returned offline this year with an exhibition area of 300,000 square meters, featuring over 2,800 participating companies from 30 countries and regions.

Nearly a thousand pioneering new technologies and products made their public debut during the event. The 23rd edition of the CIIF this year set record highs for this event in terms of the number of exhibitors, the size of the exhibition space, and the volume of attendees, according to the organizers.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
Tokyo: A top US diplomat known for his outspoken commentary on Chinas leadership said all countries wanting to deter Beijing from its aggressive behaviour need to do more to boost their defence forces.

US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel declined to say whether Tokyo should have any role in future AUKUS programs and would not go near questions about whether Japan should also be switching from diesel-electric to nuclear submarines to deter threats from China, North Korea and Russia.

US Ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. Credit: Latika Bourke

But asked by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age if Japan was ready in the event China made a move against Taiwan, Emanuel said all countries needed to do more.

Theres more for all of us to do, Barack Obamas former chief of staff said.
Kyiv: Several Russian commanders including the general leading the Kremlins forces in southern Ukraine have been killed or badly injured in a missile strike on the headquarters of Russias Black Sea Fleet, Kyiv has claimed.

The head of Ukraines military intelligence, Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, said the Storm Shadow missile strike on Friday (local time) in Sevastopol was timed to coincide with a meeting of senior Russian military leaders.

A satellite photo shows smoke billowing from a headquarters building for the Russian Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol, Crimea on Friday. Credit: Planet Labs via AP

Budanov said at least nine soldiers or sailors had been killed and 16 injured. He said that Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was in a very serious condition following the attack.

The number of injured regular servicemen who are not employees of the headquarters is still being determined. These are military personnel who are on duty, security, and so on, he said.
Want to look like your favourite Thai leading ladies? Here are the top beauty influencers to follow for beauty inspo.

Stars from Thailand are on the rise for their superb dramas, addictive songs and most importantly, mesmerising looks. The buzz around our favourite Thai celebs keeps growing, and the hype is well-deserved. From major fashion and beauty brand deals to high-profile appearances at Fashion Week, our favourite celebs have made it big-time.

Now, it may be true that you cant be them, but you can certainly try to look like them (with the help of a little makeup magic). If youre looking for beauty inspo to help you stay on top of Thailands biggest beauty trends, weve rounded up the best Thai beauty content creators to follow ahead.

Yanin Taylor

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Yanin Taylor (@idressmyselff)

If youre into the minimalist aesthetic, youll love Yanins feed. She shares a little bit of everything in her content from hair to skincare to makeup and other little bits of her life. Youll see some unique yet not over the top makeup tips and ideas that are great to spice up your daily look, such as coloured eyeliner styles and the best 90s lip combos.

Saira Mirror

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Saira Mirror (@sairamirror)

Saira Mirror is your new go-to for both hijab styling and beauty inspo. We love her signature eye lookfluttery lashes, subtle contouring and fluffy brows! Follow her to steal her look.

Lukmee

View this post on Instagram A post shared by  ()|   . (@lukmeerlw)

If you like satisfying makeup swatches, Lukmee is the one for you. Lukmee educates you on all things skincare and makeup as she flaunts her perfect, dewy-skinned looks. Her signature look focuses on sharp, fine eyeliner, with a monochromatic eye, blush and lipthe perfect go-to for easy, everyday makeup inspo.

Nobluk

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nobluk   (@nobluk)

Nobluk slays in both beauty and fashion, pulling off a wide range of makeup styles from natural beats to cool girl looks to cute Korean-style makeup. No matter the occasion, just head to her profile and scroll through whenever you need some beauty and style inspo for upcoming events.

May Buranasiri

View this post on Instagram A post shared by May Buranasiri (@dailycherie)

Shes the girl to follow if you need concert or event beauty inspo. May is a multifaceted influencer and YouTuber who nails effortless glam, covering beauty and fashion while taking her followers with her virtually on all her overseas adventures.

Nisamanee Lertvorapong

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Nisamanee Lertvorapong (@nisamanee_nutt)

Nisamanee is known for her transformative makeup and cosplay skills that never fail to impress. Her best makeup transformation to date is her cosplay work of all your favourite One Piece characters. With Halloween coming up soon, look her up for some interesting looks to recreate.

Archi Archita

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Architasiri (@architasiri)

Archi is one of the most followed beauty influencers in the country. She has grown her platform immensely, starting off as a beauty blogger and now having launched her own cosmetic empire. If youre looking for both fashion and beauty inspiration, shes the perfect person to follow.

For more beauty reads, click here.
Aviation services provider Celebi India may invest around USD 80 million in the business in the next four years as it eyes more airports besides enhancing cargo capacity, a top company executive has said.

The company, which offers ground handling services and cargo operations, also plans to switch to an all-electric fleet across the airports it renders services at present, according to Murali Ramachandran, President for India & S-E Asia at Celebi Aviation Holdings, said.

The company currently has the mandate to provide ground handling services at nine airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Mopa (Goa) and Kannur -- and handle cargo operations at Delhi airport through a joint venture with Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

"Celebi has already invested around USD 250 million (since its entry in the Indian market in 2007). In terms of expected investment, we will be adding USD 28 million in ground handling in the next four years. Around USD 30 million are likely to be invested in cargo business.

"And if taxiBot (business) picks up, we are willing to put in another USD 20 million (in it)," Ramachandran told PTI.

TaxiBot, a semi-robotic equipment, is used to tow the aircraft from the airport terminal gate to the taxi-out point and to tow aircraft from terminal gate after landing (taxi-in phase) without utilising the aircraft's engine.

TaxiBot was introduced in India in 2019 at Delhi airport by the company in partnership with KSU Aviation. Currently, Celebi provides TaxiBot services at Delhi and Bangalore airports and also plans to launch it at the Chennai airport.

Ramachandran said the company is eyeing ground handling business at the upcoming Jewar airport in Noida and Navi Mumbai airport while it is also keen to participate in the tender process for similar business at Kolkata airport as it would be meaningful for the company to look at.

"So, from an organic airport wise growth, this is immediately under our radar," he stated.

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Noting that flight handling growth will depend on organic growth of foreign carriers as well as new slots and routes being accorded, he said, "we are also keeping a close watch on AIASL divestment and would be keen to bid."



Celebi expects domestic growth at around 12-15 per cent from current levels due to capacity being grounded.

"We expect to be handling 1,50,000 flights in the next four years," he said, adding that the company is exploring the possibility of providing Bridge Mounted Equipment (BME) at more airports.

According to him, the future investment by the company will be purely electric with Li-ion batteries, with existing equipment being converted to electric with LI-ion, and 100 per cent towable units will be electric by end of 2025.

He said that the company is already plying e-buses for ferrying passengers at Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai airports, and added that it has also signed an agreement with Hyderabad airport to provide electric charging infrastructure for the airport.

"So, all our buses will be electric by next year," Ramachandran said.

Investment in TaxiBot is purely from a green development perspective, he added.

The cargo business, he said, is likely to log an overall 6-7 per cent annual growth in tonnage in next four years.

In cargo, the investment would go into warehousing and in expanding domestic cargo handling facility, he said and added that Celebi will continue to look at new markets in India where it can bring in its expertise in warehouse handling.
Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd, the retail arm of Reliance Industries, has received the full subscription amount of Rs 2,069.50 crore from the global investment firm KKR and has allotted 17.1 million equity shares.

Following the share allotment, KKR's shareholding in Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL) has increased to 1.42 per cent, from 1.17 per cent.

"Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd today received the subscription amount of Rs 2,069.50 crore from Alyssum Asia Holdings II Pte. Ltd. (KKR) and allotted 17,158,752 equity shares to KKR," Reliance Industries said in a regulatory filing on Saturday evening.

Earlier this month, Reliance Industries had announced KKR's investment of Rs 2,069.50 crore in RRVL, the holding company of the retail business of billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led group, for a 0.25 per cent additional stake at a valuation of about Rs 8.36 trillion.

Founded in 1976, KKR has approximately $ 519 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2023.

Earlier this month, RIL received Rs 8,278 crore from Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for around 1 per cent stake in RRVL at a valuation of Rs 8.278 trillion ($ 100 billion).

In 2020, RRVL had raised Rs 47,265 crore (around $ 6.4 billion) from global private equity funds for a 10.09 per cent stake, valuing the company at more than Rs 4.2 trillion.

This was the largest fundraising exercise in the sector at that time.

The company had raised funds from Silver Lake, KKR, Mubadala, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, GIC, TPG, General Atlantic and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund at a valuation of around $ 57 billion at that time.

RRVL is aggressively expanding its business by acquiring companies and getting the franchise rights of leading international brands for India.

Besides, it is investing in scaling up infrastructure and also acquired the India business of German retail major Metro Cash and Carry.

Last month, in the AGM of Reliance Industries, Chairman Mukesh Ambani said that several marquee global strategic and financial investors have shown strong interest in Reliance Retail.

Addressing shareholders, he had said that if RRVL was listed on stock exchanges, then based on the current valuation, it would be among the top four listed entities in the country.

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In less than three years, the valuation of Reliance Retail has doubled and the pace of this value creation is "unmatched globally", Ambani had said.

In its latest annual report, RIL said Reliance Retail had achieved a significant milestone of crossing a billion transactions and its registered user base has grown to 249 million.

It operates a network of over 18,500 stores and digital commerce platforms across grocery, consumer electronics, fashion & lifestyle, and pharma consumption baskets.

In FY23, Reliance Retail's digital commerce and new commerce businesses contributed 18 per cent of its revenue, which stood at Rs 2.60 trillion.
The Chinese military base on Mischief Reef, off the Philippine island of Palawan, loomed in front of our boat, obvious even in the predawn dark.

Radar domes, used for military surveillance, floated like nimbus clouds. Lights pointed to a runway made for fighter jets, backed by warehouses perfect for surface-to-air missiles. More than 900 miles from the Chinese mainland, in an area of the South China Sea that an international tribunal has unequivocally determined does not belong to China, cellphones pinged with a message: Welcome to China.

The worlds most brazen maritime militarisation is gaining muscle in waters through which one-third of global ocean trade passes. Here, on underwater reefs that are known as the Dangerous Ground, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, or PLA, has fortified an archipelago of forward operating bases that have branded these waters as Chinas despite having no international legal grounding. Chinas coast guard, navy and a fleet of fishing trawlers harnessed into a militia are confronting other vessels, civilian and military alike.

The mounting Chinese military presence in waters that were long dominated by the US fleet is sharpening the possibility of a showdown between superpowers at a moment when relations between them have greatly worsened. And as Beijing challenges a Western-driven security order that stood for nearly eight decades, regional countries are increasingly questioning the strength of the American commitment to the Pacific.

While the United States makes no territorial claims to the South China Sea, it maintains defense pacts with Asian partners, including the Philippines, that could compel American soldiers to these waters. Just as anxiety over nearby Taiwan has focused attention on the deteriorating relations between Washington and Beijing, the South China Sea provides yet another stage for a contest in which neither side wants to betray weakness. Complicating matters, Chinese diplomats and military officers are engaging less at a time when open communication could help defuse tensions.

Chinas arming of the South China Sea has also forced Southeast Asian fishermen  from nations like the Philippines that Chinese diplomats have referred to as small countries  to abandon the fishing grounds they have depended on for generations. It is putting tremendous pressure on those governments.

I told the Chinese, Your leadership talks about shared prosperity, but what you are doing cannot make it more plain that you think we are just stupid people who can be fooled and bullied, said Clarita Carlos, who until January served as the national security adviser of the Philippines. The interconnected oceans should be our common heritage, and we should be working with marine scientists from every nation to fight the real enemy: climate change.

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Instead, she added, the Chinese are building military bases on artificial islands and bringing guns to the sea.

During a four-day sail through a collection of rocks, reefs and islets called the Spratlys that are within the Dangerous Ground, New York Times journalists saw the extent to which Chinas projection of power has transformed this contested part of the Pacific Ocean. Not since the United States embarked on its own campaign of far-flung militarisation more than a century ago, leading its armed forces toward a position of Pacific primacy, has the security landscape shifted so significantly. It is hard to imagine how Chinas armed presence in the South China Sea will be diminished absent a war. With its bases built and its military vessels deployed, Beijing is forcefully defending its assertions of indisputable sovereignty.

That posture was on display in May as The Timess small, chartered boat passed within two nautical miles of Mischief Reef.

A PLA Navy tugboat lingering in the vicinity had failed to stop us, perhaps because of the early-morning hour. But as we approached the Chinese military base, the tugboat, about 2.5 times the size of our vessel, churned water to reach us, turning on its floodlights and blasting its horn repeatedly. Over the radio, we were told that we had intruded into Chinese territorial waters.

Our boat was Philippine-flagged, and an international tribunal convened by the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in 2016 that Mischief Reef was part of the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf of the Philippines. China has ignored that ruling. In a radio exchange, we said we were allowed to sail through these waters.

The PLA tugboat responded with more barrages of its horn, a sonic assault so piercing that we felt it in our bodies. Then, with its floodlights nearly blinding us, the PLA tugboat rushed at our vessel, swiping within 20 meters of our much smaller boat. This was a clear breach of international maritime protocol, maritime experts said.

As dawn broke, we could see both the fortifications on Mischief Reef and an array of Chinese vessels closing in from different directions: half a dozen maritime militia boats and a recently commissioned navy corvette designed to carry anti-ship missiles. The navy tugboat stayed near, too.

On other occasions, Chinese coast guard and militia vessels have rammed, doused with water cannons and sunk civilian boats in the South China Sea. In 2019, for instance, 22 Filipino fishermen were left to float amid the wreckage of their boat for six hours after a Chinese militia vessel struck them. Danger extends overhead. In May, a Chinese fighter jet sliced past the nose of a US Air Force reconnaissance plane flying through international air space over the South China Sea, echoing an incident last December when a Chinese fighter came within 20 feet of an American plane.

Zhou Bo, a retired PLA colonel who is now a senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University in Beijing, said that claimant nations and the United States  which conducts regular air and sea patrols in the South China Sea  should accept Beijings contention that this is Chinese turf.





2023 The New York Times News Service





Philippines condemns Chinas floating barrier



The Philippines has accused Chinas coast guard of installing a floating barrier in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manilas coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform. The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities, he said.



The (Philippine Coast Guard) will continue to work closely with all concerned government agencies to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains, Tarriela said.



The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment.



China claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.



Reuters


Former commander of the Wagner mercenary group, Andrei Medvedev, who sought asylum in Norway earlier this year, has been arrested by Norwegian police over suspicions of attempting to illegally re-enter Russia, CNN reported citing the man's attorney on Saturday.

Andrei Medvedev, fled Russia after the Russian guards opened fire on him in his account of his January flight from Russia over the country's Arctic border with Norway.

He has talked about his experience fighting with the Wagner organisation in Ukraine. Police stated in a statement late on Friday that a man in his 20s had been arrested for trying to enter Russia illegally, but they did not give his identity. The identity of the individual who had been arrested was withheld by a Finnmark local police officer, reported CNN.

When he first arrived in Norway, Medvedev said he was looking for refuge because he feared for his life after seeing Russian captives who had been carried to the front lines of the Ukrainian conflict killed and treated badly.

His escape in January garnered international attention as a then-rare instance of defection to a Western nation while claiming to have participated in the Ukraine War as a mercenary for Russia, according to CNN.

Although he acknowledged that doing so may endanger his life, he stated in a YouTube video that he wanted to go back to Russia and described himself as "some kind of a boy in a big game" that he no longer wanted to be a part of.

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Afghanistan is one of the 10 nations where nearly two million people face acute food insecurity, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

In a statement released on Saturday, UN World Food Programme warned that Afghanistan is one of the 10 nations where 19.9 million people are food insecure.

According to the report released by the organization, nearly 70 per cent of those in urgent need of food are in nations, including Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh and Somalia, according to Khaama Press report.

The organisation said that 41 million people in Afghanistan face severe food insecurity at an alarming level. Prior to WFP's report, several international relief agencies had expressed concerns regarding budget shortages for aiding those in need in Afghanistan.

Furthermore, David Beasley, the head of the World Food Programme, had warned of suspending his organization's operations in Afghanistan. Beasley said that they lack the budget to continue their programs beyond October, Khaama Press reported.

Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the allocation of $400 million to protect the livelihoods and well-being of Afghans who are at risk, with a particular focus on women and girls, Khaama Press reported citing the ADB's statement.

The United Nations will oversee the administration of this assistance. It will primarily address current food shortages, increase regional food production for long-term food security, and make sure that the Afghan people have access to basic healthcare services.

Notably, it is due to the effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and earthquakes, Afghanistan is currently experiencing an unparalleled humanitarian catastrophe. Women and children are particularly affected by poverty, which affects around 85 per cent of the population.

According to the report, families headed by women are especially at risk for food shortages and limited access to essential services because of mobility issues, reported Khaama Press.

Three UN organisations will receive off-budget direct money as part of the Expanding Essential Food Security and Health Services Project, also known as Support for Afghan People, to meet their urgent financial requirements for immediate assistance in Afghanistan.

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The World Food Programme (WFP) will receive a grant of $100 million to address food security. Additionally, WFP will undertake Food Assistance for Training programmes to equip mostly women with marketable skills and business possibilities in agricultural areas including fruit and vegetable processing, supporting sustainable income and livelihoods for women.
The Philippines has strongly criticized China for the installation of what they have referred to as a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, according to CNN.

The floating barrier was found by Philippine warships on Friday during a normal marine sweep, according to a statement by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela on X, previously known as Twitter.

It was around 300 metres (984 feet) in length.

Bajo de Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal, is a small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground 130 miles (200 kilometers) west of the Philippine island of Luzon.

The shoal, which China calls Huangyandao, is one of a number of disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea, which is home to various territorial disputes.

"The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn the China Coast Guard's installation of a floating barrier in the Southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc, which prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities," the statement read.

Following the arrival of a Philippine government vessel in the region, according to images given by Tarriela showing the purported floating barrier and claims made by three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat, the floating barrier was built, CNN reported.

This Monday, the Philippine coast guard released a video showing extensive swaths of shattered and bleached coral, leading authorities to charge China with widespread devastation in the region.

The Philippines has accused China's shadowy maritime militia of causing extensive coral reef destruction in the South China Sea, which has ignited a public dispute between the two nations.

Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard have revealed substantial damage to coral reefs along the Rozul (Iroquois) Reef and Sabina (Escoda) Shoal in the South China Sea. These underwater features fall within the Philippines' internationally recognized exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and are located near Palawan, a southwestern island chain facing the South China Sea. However, China asserts sovereignty over a significant portion of the South China Sea, challenging competing claims by neighbouring countries and international rulings.

Also Read Philippines rejects China's 'standard map' claiming entire South China Sea Southeast Asia hold first joint navy drills near disputed S China Sea India, France agree to intensify maritime cooperation in Indo-Pacific India, US should provide an alternative to Chinese model: Krishnamoorthi Jaishankar, Manalo co-chair 5th India-Philippines co-operation commission Apple intimidates workers who 'dare to leave', alleges startup Rivos China central-bank adviser proposes structural reforms to revive economy Bullhorns and water cannons: China ships wall off South China Sea 19th Asian Games: Tencent at the wheel, esports gets its biggest moment NASA's first asteroid samples land on Earth after release from spacecraft

Between August 9 and September 11, the Philippine coast guard reported monitoring 33 Chinese vessels near Rozul Reef and approximately 15 Chinese ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal. The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests potential dumping, possibly involving dead corals that were previously processed and then returned to the seabed.

The Philippine military had previously accused China's maritime militia of causing extensive destruction in the area. However, China initially remained silent on the allegations until its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, refuted the claims as "false and groundless." Mao advised Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information for political purposes, according to CNN.

China has asserted "indisputable sovereignty" over a vast portion of the South China Sea, including the Spratly chain, which consists of 100 small islands and reefs. These territorial claims are contested, in full or part, by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan.

China's actions in the South China Sea, including the construction of military installations on reefs and atolls, have challenged not only the Philippines' sovereignty but also the marine biodiversity of the highly disputed region.
Pope Francis has labelled the weapons industry as being a key driver of the martyrdom of Ukraine's people in Russia's war, saying even the withholding of weapons now is going to continue their misery.

Francis appeared to refer to Poland's recent announcement that it is no longer sending arms to Ukraine when he was asked about the war during brief remarks to reporters while returning home from Marseille, France.

Francis acknowledged he was frustrated that the Vatican's diplomatic initiatives hadn't borne much fruit. But he said behind the Russia-Ukraine conflict was also the weapons industry.

He described the paradox that was keeping Ukraine a martyred people that at first many countries gave Ukraine weapons and now are taking them away. Francis has long denounced the weapons industry as merchants of death, but he has also asserted the right of countries to defend themselves.

I've seen now that some countries are pulling back, and aren't giving weapons, he said.

This will start a process where the martyrdom is the Ukrainian people, certainly. And this is bad. It was an apparent reference to the announcement by Prime Minister Mateusz Morawieck that Poland was no longer sending arms to Ukraine as part of a trade dispute.

We cannot play with the martyrdom of the Ukrainian people, Francis said. We have to help resolve things in ways that are possible.

Not to make illusions that tomorrow the two leaders will go out together to eat, but to do whatever is possible, he said.

In other comments, Francis spoke about his two-day visit to Marseille, where he exhorted Europe to be more welcoming to migrants.

Francis said he was heartened that there is greater consciousness about the plight of migrants 10 years after he made his first trip as pope to the Italian island of Lampedusa, ground zero in Europe's migrant debate. But he said the reign of terror they endure at the hands of smugglers hasn't gotten any better.

Francis recalled that when he became pope, I didn't even know where Lampedusa was. The Sicilian island, which is closer to Africa than the Italian mainland, is the destination of choice for migrant smugglers and has seen frequent shipwrecks off its shores. Last week, the island was overwhelmed when nearly 7,000 migrants arrived in one day, more than the resident population.

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Francis, who was elected pope in 2013, said he had heard some stories about the problems on Lampedusa in his first months as pope "and in prayer I heard You need to go there".

The visit has come to epitomize the importance of the migrant issue for Francis, who has gone on to make some memorable gestures of solidarity, including in 2016 when he brought back a dozen Syrian Muslim migrants on his plane after visiting a refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece.
If you need to give your fingerprints for a police certificate, this isnt the same as giving your biometrics (fingerprints and photo) for an application.

Name of the document you need

Police Certificate

Police certificate and IRCC requirements

You must provide a police certificate when you apply for permanent residence in Canada.

You will also be requested to provide a police certificate to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) if you declared a criminal record on your application for an electronic travel authorization, work permit or study permit.

How to apply

Details and instructions on how to apply are available from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) Criminal Records Office (ACRO) website.

Special considerations

If your police certificate states No Live Trace, youll have to provide further information or documentary evidence on your stepped-down record (if available). You can get this information by contacting ACRO directly. You should provide a detailed statement including the offence(s) that took place, your sentence(s) and the relevant date of the offence(s) / sentence(s).

Contact information

+44 (0)2380 479 920

customer.services@acro.pnn.police.uk

ACPO - Criminal Records Office website
by Kazi Anwarul Masud

DEMOCRACY AT ANY COST?





Ever since the people of the world learned the need for homogeneity be it cultural, linguistic, religious, or tribal of for the necessity to band together and felt the need to acknowledge the existence of a world beyond their own diplomacy has been playing a role either as a friend or foe. It is argued that regardless of the size or the economic strength of a country practice of democracy remains the pillar of cohesion. Throughout history, the definition has changed in line with the existing situation. Plato argued that democracy was inferior to various forms of monarchy, aristocracy, and even oligarchy on the grounds that democracy tends to undermine the expertise necessary to properly govern societies. In a democracy, he argues, those who are experts at winning elections and nothing else will eventually dominate democratic politics. Democracy tends to emphasize this expertise at the expense of the expertise that is necessary to properly govern societies. The reason for this is that most people do not have the kinds of talents that enable them. ( STANFORD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PHILOSOPHY).





[ Photo: Ramon Salinero/ Unsplash]





WHY DEMOCRACY BEST SUITED TO GOVERN





Modern practice of diplomacy puts emphasis on democracy as the binding force of diplomacy. John Stuart Mill argued that a democratic method of making legislation is better than non-democratic methods in three ways: strategically, epistemically, and via the improvement of the characters of democratic citizens. Strategically, democracy has an advantage because it forces decision-makers to take into account the interests, rights, and opinions of most people in society. Since democracy gives some political power to each, more people are taken into account than under aristocracy or monarchy. The most forceful contemporary statement of this instrumental argument is provided by Amartya Sen, who argued, for example, that no substantial famine has ever occurred in any independent country with a democratic form of government and a relatively free press . The basis of this argument is that politicians in a multiparty democracy with free elections and a free press have incentives to respond to the expressions of needs of the poor.





IS TOTALITARIANISM BETTER SUITED THAN DEMOCRACY?





A contrary argument is given by Chinas XI Jin Ping who argues that a totalitarian system is better able to deliver 2 goods to the people than a democratic system is. The foreign debt of China, by June 2015, stood at around US$ 1.68 trillion. Chinas debt has grown dramatically over the past decade and is one of the biggest economic challenges confronting the ruling Chinese Communist Party, which turns 100 this week. Beijing identified the ballooning debt pile as a potential threat to economic stability, and in recent years tried to reduce the countrys reliance on debt for growth. But that deleveraging effort came to a pause for much of last year due to COVID-19 (JUNE 2021). This foray into the Chinese economy is for two reasons: firstly is because of Bangladeshs position in South Asia has only a 145-kilometer boundary with Myanmar (bedeviled by the Rohingya crisis) and the Bay of Bengal.





BANGLADESHS DEPENDENCE ON INDIA





On all sides, Bangladesh is dependent on India. Bangladesh is Indias biggest trade partner in South Asia. Bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh has grown steadily over the last decade. Indias exports to Bangladesh in FY 2018-19 stood at $9.21 billion and imports during the same period were at $1.04 billion. The Indian economy expanded 4.1% year-on-year in the first three months of 2022, slightly higher than market forecasts of 4%, but due to rising Omicron infections, elevated energy prices, and ongoing supply chain constraints. On the consumption side, household spending slowed sharply and both export and import growth also eased. In contrast, government spending increased more, and gross fixed capital formation accelerated. Considering the fiscal year ended in March 2022, the economy advanced 8.7%. Reserve Bank of India estimates the GDP growth rate for FY 2023 at 7.2%. Exports to Bangladesh in China decreased. Bangladesh is the worlds second-biggest apparel exporter after China. Garments including knitwear and hosiery account for 80% of export revenue; others include: jute goods, home textiles, footwear, and frozen shrimp and fish.





CAN IMPROVED RELATIONS WITH CHINA BE A BUFFER WITH INDIA?





The bilateral trade between Bangladesh and China has increased significantly in recent years. Bangladesh has been suffering from historic trade imbalances with China since its economic relationship after 1974. This trade deficit makes Bangladesh dependent on China and raises serious concerns about the economic and financial impact. For increasing exports to China could lead to a decrease in trade deficits. Bangladesh needs to ensure access to the Chinese market. . This step of sincere and active cooperation between the two countries is considered significant enough to reduce the trade deficit. An Indian foreign policy expert Brahamy Chellany (Chinas Debt-Trap Diplomacy Jan 23, 2017, AND NO LESS DONALD TRUMPS VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE) WARNED THE EMERGING ECONOMIES OF CHINESE DEBT TRAP POLICY. Through its $1 trillion One Belt, One Road initiative, China is supporting infrastructure projects in strategically located developing countries, often by extending huge loans to their governments. As a result, some of these countries are becoming saddled with debt, leaving them even more firmly under Chinas thumb. Some contrary opinions have been sounded in favor of Chinese loans due to unemployment in those countries and the rising cost of essentials.





The people in those countries are pressing their governments to accept Chinese loans that would provide employment and fund infrastructure for which the host country lacks money. Bangladesh is no exception. Sheikh Hasinas official visit to China ( July 2019) seemingly succeeded in bolstering ties between the countries. The two countries expressed interest in accelerating the work related to the Bangladesh-China-India- Myanmar Economic Corridor (BCIM EC) project, an initiative aimed at expanding the economic ties of the four countries that together are home to nearly 3 billion people. Bangladesh and China turned their relationship into a strategic partnership in 2016, and, in recent years, Chinese investment in the South Asian country has risen rapidly. As part of Chinese President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Beijing and Dhaka signed deals worth $21.5 billion covering a raft of power and infrastructure projects.





To date, pledged BRI-related investment in Bangladesh stands at around $38 billion. China has pumped more money into Bangladesh than any other country over the past couple of years. China alone accounts for almost a third of this investment, worth over $1 billion. And Chinas Exim Bank is providing $3 billion for the construction of the rail link accompanying the bridge. It prompts countries like Japan and India to also come forward and invest. Bangladesh has announced an ambitious plan to set up 100 special economic zones by 2030. Many Chinese companies appear interested in investing in these zones.





CAN BANGLADESH AFFORD TO BE ISOLATED FROM THE WEST?





The question, apart from Indian discomfiture, Bangladesh has to take into consideration whether democracy as a way of life should be abandoned because of XI-Ji-Pings promise of quick delivery as he and CCP are able to deliver the goods needed by the people. Analysts state that unless equality is shared among citizens in law and policy there may be substantial and conscientious disagreement among them. The basic facts are that individuals are very diverse in terms of their interests. Peoples interests are diverse because of their different natural talents because they are raised in different sectors of society, and because they are raised in societies where there is a diversity of cultural backgrounds.





Partly as a consequence of the fact that people are raised in different sectors of society and in distinct cultural milieus, they are likely to have deep cognitive biases when they attempt to understand other peoples interests and how they are compared to their own interests. The question that has to be answered is whether the West now allied with the European Union and other freedom-loving countries is to be jettisoned in favor of an authoritarian system that promises quick results but no dissention in policy making. Apart from ideological differences, Bangladesh risks being isolated from the West whose assistance is needed at every step of the way. It can, be argued that close relations with China do not have to be at the cost of relations with the West.





CREATION OF BANGLADESH AND WAR OF LIBERATION





Bangladesh was created mainly because Urdu and Bengali were separate languages and had separate scripts. The languages were so different that one could not the read or write the other. But then politico-economic reasons were there too. Bangladesh felt that this part of the country was being milked for the benefit of the other. Then again linguistic differences are not uncommon in different countries of the world. There are 22 major languages in India, written in 13 different scripts, with over 720 dialects.





The official Indian languages are Hindi (with approximately 420 million speakers) and English, which is also widely spoken. In addition, several states in India have their 5 own official languages, which are usually only spoken in particular areas. As per the 2011 Census of India, the languages with the highest number of speakers are as follows: Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Urdu, Kannada, Odia, and Malayalam. 22 languages are accepted by the Indian Constitution. In Belgium, the spoken languages areFrench and Dutch. In short differences in languages do not constitute a government or a state.





WHAT MAKES A NATION?





Nor does ethnicity. What makes a nation then? Britannica defines a nation-state as a territorially bounded sovereign polityi.e., a state that is ruled in the name of a community of citizens who identify themselves as a nation. The legitimacy of a nation-states rule over a territory and over the population inhabiting it stems from the right of a core national group within the state (which may include all or only some of its citizens) to self-determination. So why religion was the main determinant in the Partition of British ruled Indian sub-continent? What caused was the predominance of Hindus over the Muslim population in India? Was the political ambition of the leaders of the Indian Congress Party and the Muslim League?





Govt of India made the first Census in 1951 when Indias her population was 36,10,88,000 an increase of 13.31% in Ten years or an average increase of 1.33126 % per year or 2.986 % between 1941 and 1947. Muslim population was considerably less than the Hindu population leading to a conclusion that Muslims would always be under the rule of Hindus. Congress Party leader Man Shankar Ayar (It was not Nehru who cut Jinnahs chances of becoming PMAugust 17, 2020) opined that since almost the morrow of Muslim Leagues resolution of March 23 1940 the Congress had been attempting to persuade Jinnah and his League not to press for Pakistan.





Instead, Mohammed Ali Jinnah told the press, that Mahatma Gandhis conception of Independent India WAS basically different from THAT OF the Muslim League. Given this background of two divisions- the Muslim League and Congress- the division of British India had already been decided. It is debatable: what factors led to Narendra Modis Victory in the elections: is it his muscularity vis-a-vis China and Pakistan or the benefits the common people got from his domestic reforms or was it his Hindutva philosophy which he has been preaching as a  pracharak from his young age or the amalgamation of all these factors. Shashi Tharoor, Congress Party leader, explains that Hinduism is a rich religion brimming with multifariousness.





As opposed to the Semitic religions  Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the most well-known faiths in the Western world have some beliefs in common: every one of the three, for instance, accepts that theres just a single God and that hes an existent and immaterial being. A genuine devotee must acknowledge that basic tenet. Hinduism, with regard to the mentioned tenet, is a totally contrasting religion. In opposition to their monotheistic partners, Hindus affirm the existence of several divine beings. That makes Hinduism a profoundly individual-specific faith that differs from one adherent to another. In other words, Hindus are freezers than others in the choice of their God.





PRESENT HINDU-MUSLIM TENSIONS





The present scenario of slaughtering beef-eating Muslims and the anti-Muslim riots being read and seen on television screens give another picture. Communal fault lines are not new in the country. When India was partitioned in 1947  leading to the creation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan  tens of millions of Muslims chose a secular India as their homeland; they were betting on a more promising future in a country that enshrined religious equality into its constitution. But Hindu nationalists have long claimed a greater moral right over the nation and have questioned the patriotism of Indian Muslims. And the prejudice is no longer just rhetorical. It has turned into violent hatred that has spilled onto the streets of the country. The shift in Indias attitude towards Muslims has been there for centuries ever since the Muslims started invading India.





This is the first time that the Hindu population has voted BJP as a single majority political party with a group of people capable and willing to implement an anti-Muslim agenda. Such activities are in violation of the Constitution contrary to the oath taken by the Council of Ministers, and harmful to the image of India carved out by the predecessors are of little importance when President Trump at the Allahabad meeting termed it as the internal affairs of India. Indian Congress Party leader Sashi Tharoor in his book Why I am a Hindu writes In 1989, the BJP adopted Hindutva as its official ideology. The BJP or Indian Peoples Party has been ruling since 2014. From the beginning of their assuming of power, the nation has seen a flare-up of insularity that wouldve been incomprehensible to its Hindu ancestors. The BJP is focused on Hindutva, signifying Hinduness.





Tharoor traced the thought to a previously developed one of the mid-twentieth century by Vinayak Savarkar, a government official, and essayist who promoted the idea of Hinduness with his 1923 book Essentials of Hindutva. Savarkars seminar in Hindu patriotism asserted that Hindus were the earliest occupants of India. That, he surmised, implied that India was by definition the place of habitation of the Hindus  a controversial move which right away proscribed other different religious faiths from Savarkars idea of citizenship.





A Muslim may live inside the nations physical territory, yet he wasnt genuinely Indian since he didnt partake in or identify with Hindu culture. That makes the BJP a great deal like a fundamentalist crusade. In a recent speech, Indian Foreign Minister Jaya Shankar described the Wests policy as the Goldilocks principle by saying that the West didnt want India to get too weak nor did it want India to get too strong. When India in 1962 after the conflict with China where India was defeated the West came to the assistance of India. But in less than a decade in 1971 when it seemed India Western needed that support was not forthcoming.





DONALD TRUMP-JOE BIDEN POLICY ON CHINA





Way back in 2019, Donald Trump (not yet elected President) paid a visit to China. After the visit, he released a press note which in part said China and Russia want to shape a world antithetical to US values and interests. China seeks to displace the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, expand the reaches of its state-driven economic model, and reorder the region in its favor.





Trump during his Presidency followed a strong anti-China policy and often a transactional style of government that albeit had become a burden for Joe Biden though Biden has not relaxed his anti-China rhetoric. Additionally, Trade tensions between China and the U.S. have escalated in recent years. While the two countries reached a so-called phase one trade agreement in January 2020, their differences have spilled over into technology and finance, leading to concerns that the two countries may be decoupling.





The term refers to a separation, rather than integration, of the worlds two largest economies in areas ranging from trade to technology. In the last one year after Biden became President, he has not changed Trumps anti-China policy. The latest spat surrounded the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to which China strongly objected. Bidens explanation that the House of Representatives and the Senate function separately from the Executive Branch and one is independent of the other was totally rejected by China. Besides observers have noted Chinas aggressive actions in the South China Sea, which has been a point of contention between Beijing and Washington.





China claims most of the seas 1.4 million square miles as its own, despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague that rejected those claims. Countries including the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam also claim parts of the resource-rich sea. Recently President Joe Biden addressing the troops spoke of the threats posed globally but he assured them of the superiority of the US military strength throughout the world. Such assurance sidelines the age of multi-polarity that has already arrived. US suzerainty since the end of World War II does not exist anymore.





CONCLUSION





One may recall President Bidens statement of November 2020, We need to be aligned with the other democracies so that we can set the rules of the road instead of having China and others dictate outcomes because they are the only game in town. The problem may arise like the Thucydides Trap due to the inexperience of Xi-Jin Ping in dealing with the likes of the Cold War of the US-Soviet era when both parties knew when and how to deal with an adversary. One can only hope that the extinction of humanity would be avoided at any cost.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, also known as Mahatma Gandhi, is regarded as one of history's most inspirational leaders. His nonviolent struggle against British rule in India is well chronicled, and it inspired movements for civil rights and freedom around the world.

Throughout his life, Mahatma Gandhi worked for the rights and dignity of all people, using nonviolence as a way to win people over. He had used nonviolent resistance for the first time during a civil rights struggle in South Africa. For his empathy, humility, and words of wisdom that continue to inspire people all across the world, he earned the title Mahatma, which means "great soul."

Gandhi's Student Life: Mahatma Gandhi fell into bad company in 10th, what was his high school result?

Here are 10 quotes of Mahatma Gandhi that help inspire a healthy and fruitful living:

1. Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

2. The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong.

3. A coward is incapable of exhibiting love; it is the prerogative of the brave.

4. Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

5. Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served.

6. The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

7. Glory lies in the attempt to reach one's goal and not in reaching it.

8. Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love.

9. An eye for an eye will only end up making the whole world blind.

10. It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your actions. But if you do nothing, there will be no result.

Essay on Non-violence of Mahatma Gandhi in 800 Words for class 4,5,6,7 and 8

Introduction

Nonviolence, often known as 'ahimsa,' is the discipline of avoiding purposely or accidentally harming others. It is a practice followed by famous saints such as Gautam Buddha and Mahaveer. Mahatma Gandhi was a forerunner in the practice of nonviolence. He employed nonviolence as a weapon against the British Empire's armed forces, assisting us in gaining independence without using a single weapon.

Nonviolence's Role in the Indian Freedom Struggle

After Mahatma Gandhi's engagement in the Indian freedom war, the role of nonviolence grew more important. Many violent freedom movements were taking place in the country at the same time, and their significance cannot be overstated. Our independence fighters who fought against British tyranny made numerous sacrifices. Nonviolence, on the other hand, was a peaceful protest that was a perfect approach to seek complete independence. Mahatma Gandhi used nonviolence in every anti-British movement. The following are Mahatma Gandhi's most major nonviolent movements that helped rock the foundations of the British administration.

Agitations in Champaran and Kheda

The British forced Champaran farmers to grow indigo and sell it at very low fixed prices again in 1917. Mahatma Gandhi launched a nonviolent protest against this practice, forcing Britishers to fulfill the farmers' demand.

Floods struck Kheda village in 1918, causing a catastrophic famine in the region. The British were unwilling to make any tax concessions or exemptions. For many months, Gandhiji developed a non-cooperation movement and led nonviolent rallies against the British authority. Finally, the administration was forced to give tax relief and temporarily cease revenue collection.

Movement Against Non-Cooperation

In 1920, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and harsh British policies sparked the Non-cooperation movement. It was a peaceful protest against British control. Gandhiji believed that the fundamental reason for Britishers' success in India was the support they received from Indians.

He urged people to shun British items in favor of 'Swadeshi' ones. Indians refused to work for the British and withdrew from British schools, civil services, government jobs, and so on. People began quitting from prominent positions, which had a significant impact on the British administration. The Non-Cooperation movement undermined the foundations of British control, and this without the employment of a single weapon. The non-cooperation movement exemplified the power of nonviolence.

Salt Satyagraha, also known as the Salt March

The Salt March, also known as the 'Namak Satyagrah,' was a nonviolent action spearheaded by Mahatma Gandhi to protest the British salt monopoly. The British put a high tariff on salt, which had an impact on local salt production. Gandhiji began a 26-day nonviolent march to Dandi village in Gujarat to protest the British government's salt monopoly.

The Dandi march began on March 12, 1930, from Sabarmati Ashram and finished on April 6, 1930, at Dandi, breaching British government salt rules and establishing local salt manufacture. The Salt March was a nonviolent movement that gained international notice and contributed to the establishment of Independent India.

Quit India Campaign

The foundation of the British government was profoundly shaken by the successful Salt March movement. On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi launched the Quit India Movement, which demanded that the British leave India. It was World War II, and Britain was already at war with Germany, and the Quit India Movement added fuel to the fire. A nationwide campaign of nonviolent civil disobedience was initiated, and Indians requested that they be removed from World War II.

The Quit India Movement had such an impact that the British administration agreed to grant India total independence after the war was finished. The Quit India Movement effectively put an end to British rule in India.

These Mahatma Gandhi-led movements were purely nonviolent and did not employ any weapons. The power of truth and nonviolence were employed to combat British control. The impact of nonviolence was so powerful that it drew the international community's immediate attention to the Indian independence cause. It aided in exposing the harsh policies and actions of British control to an international audience.

Conclusion

Weapons, according to Mahatma Gandhi, are not the only solution to any situation; in fact, they cause more problems than they solve. It is an instrument for spreading hatred, fear, and rage. Nonviolence is one of the best ways to battle far more powerful opponents without using a single weapon.

Apart from the independence movement, there are many modern-day examples that demonstrate the value of nonviolence and how it has aided in bringing about changes in society, all without spilling a single drop of blood. I hope the day does not come too soon when there will be no violence and all conflicts and disputes would be resolved peacefully without harming anyone or pouring blood, since this would be the greatest tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
Following the educational disruption caused by the Bangalore strike 13 days back, schools will once again experience closures, this time on Wednesday, September 26th, due the strike called by many organizations against the state government's decision on Cauvery water.

However, this time the impact may extend beyond Bangalore, affecting schools throughout the entire state because other districts also feeling the heat. The consequences will include postponed exams, a reduction in study holidays, and a rescheduling of a working day to Saturday.

This is in response to the protest against the release of 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery River water to neighboring Tamil Nadu. The widespread protest has been stirred by local Kannada organisations who are voicing their dissent against the decision. The Bandh may potentially impact the functioning of schools and colleges within the city, which are likely to remain closed on that day. However, students and their parents are suggested to wait for an official announcement confirming the same.

Many Schools to decide at the last minute

Even though few schools have declared a holiday tomorrow, many are yet to decide. The WhatsApp and Telegram groups for parents and teachers are flooded with messages inquiring about the status of school on September 26th. Avnash Bhat, a parent of a 5th-grade student at the Bannerghatta Road school in Hulimavu, mentioned that a few teachers have mentioned the bandh, but there hasn't been any confirmation from the administration yet. He added that many parents are posing the same question in the WhatsApp group. For now, the informal information from the school advises everyone to "wait and watch."

Speaking to Careerindia, Shaurya Kulkarni, an IT engineer from JP Nagar, mentioned that his daughter is in the 5th grade. He recalled that last time he received a message from the school on the night of September 10th regarding the holiday on the 11th. Therefore, this time as well, he expects a last-minute message from the school. Well

Options that Schools are thinking about

This time, once again, it's a last-minute decision by the school administration. However, in the event of a complete shutdown, many schools have chosen to reschedule exams for the next available study holiday. For those schools maintaining their regular study schedule, students may need to attend classes on the following Saturday to catch up on the coursework. Well many schools have already planned the online classes on September 26th.

More about the 26th state bandh

Kannada organizations leading the protest have made an appeal to schools, colleges, shopkeepers, owners of various commercial companies, and transporters to support their call for a statewide shutdown. The aim is to amplify the impact of the protest and establish a unanimous stand for their cause. While the bandh might interrupt usual city operations, including educational institutions, no official confirmation regarding closure of schools or colleges has been given so far. Students and parents have been advised to stay in touch with their respective school departments and wait for the official announcement.

Estimated figures suggest that around 10 lakh private vehicles did not ply that day, as the Federation of the Karnataka State Private Transport Associations had called for a 'Bangalore Bandh'. Certain schools had declared an unscheduled holiday during the bandh. Students are reminded that the shutdown of schools on September 26 is yet to be confirmed and that they should wait for an official notice before assuming otherwise.

The State Bandh on September 26, 2023 is reflective of the active participation of citizens in issues of local importance. While it may cause temporary disruption in the functioning of the city, such protests enable a democratic dialogue on pressing issues.

The prospective closing down of schools and colleges might affect students' routine, but it also opens up opportunities for discussion and understanding of socio-political issues among them. While staying abreast with updates about the bandh, the students and their parents should also utilize this time to deeply engage with and understand the cause behind it.

53 kannada organization's including BJP, JDS are supporting the bandh. BMTC buses, ola, Uber, auto rickshaw, metro private taxis will not ply. Many companies have already declared the work from home too.


All images by Pierre Poirier more here

F18 North Americans 2023 Final Day Results

Four more races held at Burlngton Beach Catamaran Club, to close a great week of F18 racing in Canada. Charles Froeb & Matthieu Marfaing (Evo/11D) prevailed in the end after a good battle whole week against Pablo Gallyas & Isidora Urrutia from Chile (C2/Nxt Gen DS). Third overall for Matthew Monts & Matthew Whitehead (Goodall Akurra).

Happy to see Matthieu Marfaing winning, he attends all major F18 events in US, Europe & Caribbean and always sharing good racing & vibes.



Yesterday we mentioned the Chilean crew performing on a C2, but that was not even the highlight of the platforms this week, fourth overall was for Ulrch Gollwitzwer & Liam Walz on an Infusion MKII and 7th place the Legendary Hobie Tiger (Tuned up with Marstrom boards & 1D DS) extremely well sailed by Daniel Borg & Chris Molder, who scored about seven top five scores within the entire range of wind available (5 to 15 knots). Check their H16 rudder up technique in pic above.

A testament of the Formula 18 box rule. Grab your F18, go out and train hard, youll have plenty of fun racing these beauties and best part is the after party and beers with friends.

Great result for our Chilean friends, Pablo & Isidora were here in BA racing 2016 Worlds, and they travel abroad every year to enjoy F18 racing around the globe. Sailing mixed mode the 2023 North Ams Title was at hand with lent/chartered C2. Congrats to both and keep raising that performance.

Remember Next year Worlds will be held at Costa Brava, one of the best venues the Class has visited. Plan accordingly, the old good times are back and +100 boats expected for an F18 racing fest.

YT Channel here

Top Ten F18 North Americans, complete list here
In a final installment on Thursday night, Sri Lanka made a payment of approximately $50 million, accompanied by $4.5 million in accrued interest, as confirmed by a senior official from the Bangladesh Bank. This successful repayment concludes a tumultuous chapter that began in May 2021 when Sri Lanka initially sought the loan for a one-year term.





President Ranil Wickremesinghe held a meeting with the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, in New York recently

Regrettably, Sri Lanka encountered difficulties in honoring its debt commitments due to a worsening domestic economic crisis, eventually leading to the Sri Lankan government declaring itself financially distressed. Consequently, the country repeatedly requested extensions for the repayment of the debt.





This year, Sri Lankas economic outlook began to show signs of improvement, enabling the nation to regain its financial stability. According to the Bangladesh Bank, Sri Lanka embarked on its journey to settle the debt by repaying an initial $50 million on August 20. Subsequently, on August 31, Sri Lanka returned $100 million, and the final $50 million was successfully repaid on Thursday night.





Sri Lankas ability to meet its financial obligations demonstrates not only its dedication to fiscal responsibility but also a positive shift in its economic trajectory. This three-part repayment signifies a turning point in the nations financial resilience and serves as a testament to its commitment to overcoming economic challenges.
TAG, the Google Threat Analysis Group, recently revealed how it had detected and disrupted an ambitious North Korean effort to use social engineering to persuade Internet security specialists to look at an interesting document of mutual interest. The document included malware that was capable of infecting the recipient's PC and any network that PC was connected to. The recipients soon discovered the true malicious nature of what they had received, developed a procedure to fix any damage and then informed the rest of the Internet security about what happened. It was eventually discovered that the perpetrator of this malware distribution effort was North Korea, which would secretly receive useful data from any system that was infected with their malware.

North Korea has long been regarded as an APT (Advanced Persistent Threat) and a major practitioner of Cyber War because of its hacking efforts that attempt to steal money and information. The North Korean efforts often succeed and bring in nearly a billion dollars a year on average and more in some years.

North Korea has maintained and expanded its hacking capabilities for years and took part in the worldwide expansion of professional hacking groups. One side effect is the creation of many tools and techniques hackers created to carry out these Cyber War attacks. What this all means is that nations see Cyber War weapons as major components of their military power because the Cyber War weapons available keep getting more effective. This evolution came into focus since the Internet and the World Wide Web became widely used and truly international after 2000. Within a decade, researchers began to encounter major APTs. Since then, the APTs have become scarier. Consider TajMahal and the White Company. These major malware producers and users came to be called APTs and that said it all. The White Company was discovered in 2017 by computer security companies as this new APT quietly tried to hack its way into Pakistani Air Force networks. White Company was deliberate, effective and discreet. It was called the white company because the group placed a premium on concealing its operations as well as its origins. This sort of thing was first noted in 2010 when Stuxnet was discovered and attributed to an Israeli-American state-level effort that produced a very elaborate, professional and stealthy bit of malware that did major damage to the Iranian nuclear program. In 2018 Iran was hit with a similar attack but this Stuxnet-like malware was even more elaborate, its source is still unknown and the Iranians would rather not talk about it. In 2020 there was another well publicized series of Cyber War battles between Israel and Iran.

North Korea took this further. For example, in 2020 they established yet another specialized college for intelligence operations. The Mangyongdae Revolutionary Academy offered a three-year course for international IW (information warfare) specialists. Students in this course will also study the detection and monitoring of radio traffic, including location of radio signals. These tech elements are already taught at Mangyongdae but not as intensively as will be the case with the new IW major. Another important area of study is how to block certain types of wireless communications at the North Korean border. This will include unwanted cell phone signals.

Prime candidates for the new course are younger (under 30) officers who demonstrate technical skills on the entry exam. Those who get into the course and graduate will have much improved career and promotion prospects. This new specialty is the latest of several new programs at Mangyongdae that are only available to the most loyal and capable upper-class North Koreans.

This new IW course is part of a trend. During the last five years, North Korea has established a program for foreign agents that was only open to members of the elite North Korean families. The children of these families are eligible to attend the Mangyongdae Revolutionary Academy, but many courses of study are only open to applicants with special aptitudes. Graduates of Mangyongdae are likely to get the most senior government and military jobs and there are only about a hundred graduates a year. A growing number of those graduates have gained some very special skills. There is a computer science program for Mangyongdae students seeking to become foreign agents in enemy countries, especially South Korea. These agents are trained to hunt down high-level defectors in foreign countries and either arrange to kill the defector or at least find out how the defector is doing, how many secrets they have divulged and, if possible, persuade the defector to shut up or even return to North Korea.

To accomplish this defector remediation task the Mangyongdae students are taught the latest hacking techniques, what tools and mercenary hackers are available in the hacker underground and how to deal with the tools, and the mercs, to put together specialized efforts to track down defectors and monitor them. This means the Mangyongdae must be able to pass as a South Korean, as in speak with a South Korea accent, as well as use the customs and slang. This is to make it possible to assume a false identity convincingly and play the role of an Internet criminal. There are a lot of those in both Koreas.

As important as all these skills are, the most important item is loyalty to North Korea. The Mangyongdae agents go after the growing number of high-level North Koreans who are illegally leaving the country. The agents are trained to use social media to seek out known or suspected defectors, make contact and obtain more information about them.

Since 2005 North Korea has been increasingly concerned about key people defecting to South Korea or simply getting into China and making asylum deals with the Chinese government. The Chinese have always been receptive to such arrangements and there have been more of this as the hundreds of families at the top of the social pyramid in North Korea get out. This is a risky endeavor although there are more and more people smugglers who, for enough money, can get anyone out of the country. Worse, many senior officials became defectors while already outside North Korea on official business. There they can arrange to disappear and defect. Some of these defectors have been diplomats and some of them were senior enough to be noticed when they disappeared.

These high-caste North Koreans report that there is a sense in the ruling families that the system isnt working and is doomed. The top people in North Korea are easy to identify. When North Korea was founded in the late 1940s, a caste system was established to ensure that the most loyal and capable North Korean communists were recognized and rewarded for their efforts to maintain the new communist government for generations to come. The newly established secret police and communist party reported on everyone, making it possible to create an official list of every family assigned to one of 51 social classes. From the beginning, most (29) of these classes were composed of people considered either hostile to the government or leaning that way. These new lower classes are where most of the new (and often quite wealthy) donju (entrepreneurs) are coming from. Most of the population falls into these 29 social classes, and many of them are now getting increasingly hostile to a government that seems to do nothing but create one disaster after another.

Members of higher-caste families are catching on as well and younger members are increasingly abandoning promising careers to flee the country. All that bribe money making its way to the higher caste North Koreans doesnt just go to buy an easier life in North Korea because that is already assured if you are high caste. The bribe money often goes to buy an escape. To deal with this problem among the most trusted classes, another special program at the Mangyongdae Revolutionary Academy created elite counter-intelligence (spy catcher) agents who often operate in China and South Korea. Apparently, some of the Mangyongdae agents have been identified or even caught and this program is no longer as secret as it once was. Meanwhile, the Mangyongdae Revolutionary Academy and its ultra-loyal students get a lot more publicity inside (and outside) North Korea.

In addition to tracking down high-caste defectors, some Mangyongdae graduates are also assigned to monitor the loyalty of North Korean hackers working outside North Korea. North Korean defectors have revealed much about how North Korea has managed to establish and maintain hacking operations outside North Korea, an operation whose main purpose is to make a lot of money for the cash hungry North Korea government. This became a higher priority operation because of the growing list of economic sanctions imposed, while at the same time there were more opportunities for Internet-based misbehavior. Some of these defectors were associated with the North Korean hackers who are, it turns out, mostly based outside North Korea because Internet access is better and operating outside North Korea makes it easier to deny that North Korean hackers are engaged in illegal activity. South Korea has obtained a lot of details about the North Korean hacker operations and even allowed some defectors familiar with those operations to speak openly about it. Obviously many of these North Korean hackers are not as loyal as they are supposed to be so North Korea became determined to identify and punish the ones that defect and expose how the hacker program works. Each time that happens North Korea has to revise the way its hackers operate. This is time-consuming and expensive.

The Mangyongdae agents are also trained in the usual methods of secretly contacting the center, usually via North Korea operatives based outside of North Korea and able to relay messages to and from North Korea itself. The skills North Korea hackers have developed are world-class and increasingly difficult to counter or even detect. But this edge in skills and techniques depends on having loyal operatives in key positions, thus the importance of the Mangyongdae agents.

Deceased (since 2011) North Korean leader Kim Jong Il had always been a big fan of PCs and electronic gadgets in general. Kim Jong Il founded Mirim College to train hackers and backed this new school consistently. The only instance of displeasure from Kim Jong Il was suspicions about those who graduated from Mirim between 1986 through the early 1990s. These Mirim graduates had been tainted by visits (until 1991) by Russian electronic warfare experts. Some Mirim students also went to Russia to study for a semester or two. All these students were suspected of having become spies for the Russians, and most, if not all, were purged from the Internet hacking program. Thus, it wasn't until the late 1990s that there were a sufficient number of trusted Internet experts that could be used to begin building a Cyber War organization.

South Korea has to be wary because South Korea has become more dependent on the Internet than any other on the planet, with the exception of the United States. As in the past, if the north is to start any new kind of Internet mischief, they try it out in South Korea first. While many of the first serious attacks in 2009 were more annoying than anything else, they revealed a new threat out there, and one that not only got worse but turned out to be from the usual suspects. Now the threat is very real and growing rapidly. North Korea is seeing its Internet-based capabilities damaged by the growing number of high-level defectors with valuable secrets to sell to China, South Korea or whoever will pay the most. Given the worldwide depredations of North Korean hackers, this provides defectors with a lot of potential hiding places. This led to the Mangyongdae Academy programs for specialized agents. Now some of the Mangyongdae grads are suspected of wavering loyalty and reliability. North Korea may lack food, electrical power, freedom and much more but there is no shortage of paranoia.
A manager at the Arby's, 4766 Hwy. 58, told police that a customer called the store and said that he left his debit card at the restaurant and someone charged $546 to his card on Walmart.com. The manager said she viewed the cameras and saw an employee keep the card while working the drive through. Police observed the video footage and saw the employee put the card to the side, grab pen and paper, and write the card information down. Shortly after that, the employee went on break around the same time the purchases were made. Police spoke to the card owner and he said that he did not wish to prosecute, due to him being able to receive his money back.



* * *

The manager at River City North Apartments, 3825 Hixson Pike, told police a woman stopped by the office to get a resident application and was very belligerent over the office being previously closed. The woman left in a small, white SUV, prior to police arrival.

* * *



A woman on Arrowhead Trail told police she came outside that morning to find two tires slashed on her vehicle. There is no suspect information. The woman just wants the incident reported.

* * *



A caller told police they believed they observed someone treading water near the area just northeast of the Chickamauga Dam, just north of the Tennessee Riverpark. CFD deployed a rescue boat, while CPD deployed a drone. Following a search of the immediate area, responders were unable to locate anyone in the water, or signs thereof.

* * *

A woman on Hal Drive told police her passenger side mirror was ripped off her car. She said she believes that her soon to be ex-husband damaged her vehicle, because he damaged her driver's side mirror in a previous incident. The woman was unable to prove he damaged her car.

* * *

AT&T store management at 400 N. Market St. requested a woman be trespassed from the property. They said the woman was being too loud and abrupt with staff about a phone issue. The woman has complaints for AT&T to hear, but understands she is not welcome back to this particular location.

* * *

Police located a stolen Volkswagen Atlas in the parking lot at 951 Eastgate Loop. Fingerprints were taken from the vehicle. Red Bank Police arrived on scene, transporting the owner, who was able to recover the vehicle and drive it home. The vehicle was cleared from NCIC.

* * *

A woman on Ohls Avenue called for police and said that approximately 1-2 hours before police arrived there, her ex-boyfriend came into her bedroom and stole her TN paper ID and her green credit card out of her purse. She said she was asleep and did not see him enter the home or take her belongings. Police asked her how she knew it was him and she said her mother witnessed the whole incident. Police then spoke with the woman's mother, who said that no one came in the house that night and she was not aware that anything was stolen. Police asked the mother when was the last time she saw her daughter's ex-boyfriend, and she said that morning when he came to the back porch to look for her daughter. She said she told him that her daughter was on the front porch and he then walked around to go visit with her. The mother said she did not see him enter the house that night. Police found no evidence that the ex-boyfriend entered the home and stole the items from the woman's purse. The mother was the one who was said to have seen the theft, but she said that it did not occur. Police are unable to determine that the theft of ID and credit card actually occurred.

* * *

A man called police from E. 11th St. saying there have been multiple people outside of his apartment complex "slinging dope," drinking and causing a general disorder and he wants all of them dealt with. The man pointed out a white GMC Yukon as belonging to one of the dope dealers. Police have witnessed this vehicle parked on the side of the building multiple times on multiple occasions in the past; however, the vehicle is registered to the address. The man said he is willing to work with police "to help clean up" his street.

* * *

Employees at the Truist Bank, 2186 Northgate Park Lane, told police there was a man sleeping at the door of the bank. Police identified the man and he was trespassed from Truist Bank.

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Police were called about an abandoned semi-trailer at 3329 Center St. Police located the semi-trailer in the back yard of the property, that at one time was being used as storage. Police tried to locate a tag and VIN number, but none were located. There was no other means of checking on the vehicle registration. The caller was told that he could remove the vehicle from his property.

* * *

Police were called about homeless people arguing at the laundromat at 5953 Brainerd Road. Police found multiple people inside who were washing clothes and following the rules of the property. The people did not wish to identify themselves and were not breaking any laws.

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A woman on N. Kelley Street told police there was an intoxicated guest at her residence who refused to leave. Police spoke with the woman and her guest. The guest was noticeably intoxicated and argumentative. He told police that he pays rent; however, he was not able to provide any concrete proof. The woman said he does not pay rent, but may have accidentally admitted that he does during one of their arguments. Regardless, the guest agreed that he should leave for the night. The woman said she doesn't want him trespassed, but just wants him to spend the night elsewhere.
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When we think of some of the best writers who have written about nature, we usually think of Thoreau, Emerson, etc. But does Isabella Bird ever come to mind?

Isabella Bird was an English traveler and writer who fantastically wrote about her adventures exploring and settling in Americas outdoors.

Isabella was born in England in 1831. At a young age, Isabella suffered from various illnesses and ailments, but she still had a passionate spirit and loved to write. As she got older, to combat her melancholy feelings after an operation, her doctors recommended she do some traveling, ideally across the sea.

In the mid-1850s, Isabella first traveled to the United States and Canada by steamer and wrote about her experience in her first book, The Englishwoman in America. It was around this time Isabella realized she had a love for both travel and travel writing.

Around 1872, Isabella decided to travel to America once more and landed in Hawaii, where she spent her days climbing volcanoes and riding through the islands natural beauty on horseback. Her time in Hawaii prompted her to write her second travel book, Six Months in the Sandwich Islands.

Around 1875, she learned about Colorado and heard the mountain air was good for those suffering from illness, so she traveled there next. When Isabella hit Colorado, she was mesmerized by the states beautiful Rocky Mountains and traveled through 800 miles of them.

Isabella particularly fell in love with the land in Estes Park, and she is now referred to as the mother of that region for the way she wrote about it so tenderly and lovingly. During her time in Colorado, Isabella wrote many letters about her adventures there to her sister and later compiled all the letters to make her third and most famous book, A Ladys Life in the Rocky Mountains.

A few years later, Isabella became fascinated with Asian culture and traveled throughout the continent, visiting countries like Korea, Japan, China, Vietnam, etc. In 1881, she returned home and married John Bishop, a surgeon from Edinburgh, Scotland.

After suffering from more health issues and illness, Isabella used her last bit of strength to travel to India and several other countries. While in India, she helped establish the John Bishop Memorial Hospital there in honor of her husband, who had passed away before her journey.

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During the middle of the seventeenth century, years before the infamous Salem witch trials, allegations of witchcraft plagued an isolated English colony in New York, now known as East Hampton.

In February of 1658, a sixteen-year-old girl named Elizabeth Gardiner Howell fell ill shortly after giving birth to a child. She was the daughter of Lion Gardiner, who was one of the small towns most prominent figures.

While she was in a delirious and feverish state, she cried out that a witch was in the room with her. She insisted that the black shadow she saw was none other than Elizabeth Garlick, also known as Goody Garlick. Goody was short for Goodwife, which was a term used to describe working-class women in Puritan society.

Garlick was a local who often quarreled with neighbors, accusing her of being a witch. A day later, the girl died, and an investigation into Garlick began. The belief in the power of magic prevailed, and it was taken as a fact that all negative occurrences were the work of the devil. Many of the towns citizens came forward to provide information about Garlicks activities.

According to the towns records, which still exist today, Garlick was said to cast evil eyes and send spirits disguised as animals to carry out her supernatural doings. She was even blamed for the death of a baby.

After she had picked the baby up and put it back down, the child became sick and died. Additionally, she was accused of being the cause of many illnesses, injuries, disappearances, and the death of livestock.

Garlicks husband, Joshua, was also thought to be part of the reason Garlick was made a target. Joshua worked for Lion Gardiner on his estate and was a trusted employee. It was a coveted job, and competitors saw an opportunity to take him down.

The three judges in charge of Garlicks case, all of whom were men, decided to refer her case to a higher court in Hartford after the village became part of the colony of Connecticut.

The new sheriff, John Winthrop Jr., did not subscribe to the witchcraft craze that overtook most people back then. He was a scholar and healer who was skeptical about the devils role in magic.

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Newsom vetoes bill that would require parents to affirm childs gender identity in custody battles A law already exists requiring courts to consider 'parent's affirmation of the child's gender identity,' Newsome adds

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would have required judges to consider a parents affirmation of a childs gender identity in child custody cases.

The bill, known as AB 957, was introduced by Democrat Assemblywoman Lori Wilson and co-authored by Democrat state Sen. Scott Wiener. It was passed by the State Assembly earlier this month but faced a roadblock when Newsom decided not to sign it into law.

The legislation sought to add the affirmation of a childs gender identity to the criteria that judges must consider when determining parental responsibility in custody cases.

In a statement released Friday night, Newsom expressed his reservations about the bill. He said he appreciates the passion and values that led to the bills introduction but urged caution.

Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities, Newsom said, noting that existing laws already require courts to consider a childs health, safety and welfare, including the parents affirmation of the childs gender identity.

Wilson, who has been an advocate for trans rights, expressed disappointment in the governors decision.

However, on this point, the Governor and I disagree on the best way to protect [transgender, gender-diverse and intersex] kids, she said in a statement, adding that her intent was to give a voice to trans-identified children, particularly in the family court system where she claims a non-affirming parent could negatively impact a childs mental health.

Wiener also criticized the governors veto. Writing on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it was a tragedy for trans kids and labeled it a mistake. He argued that the bill would have ensured that courts take into account a childs chosen gender identity and whether parents would be supportive.

The bill had undergone several amendments since its introduction in February.

Detransitioner Chloe Cole had criticized the bill and accused Newsom of pushing radical policies. Cole has filed a lawsuit against various medical groups, alleging they performed a mutilating, mimicry sex change experiment on her when she was 13 years old.

Elon Musk, the owner of X, had also weighed in on the bill. He described it as a wolf in sheeps clothing and called it utter madness.

As The Christian Post previously reported, when the amended California bill passed the Assembly in March with a 51-13 vote, all votes in favor of it came from Democrats, and all votes against it came from Republicans.

Republican state Sen. Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita had called on parents to leave the state, warning that legislation like AB 957 would not stop at divorce proceedings.

In recent years, we have put government bureaucrats between parents, children and doctors when it comes to medical care, and now we have this, where if a parent does not support the ideology of the government, theyre going to be taken away from the home, Wilk said. In the past, when weve had these discussions, and Ive seen parental rights atrophied, Ive encouraged people to keep fighting. Ive changed my mind on that. If you love your children, you need to flee California. You need to flee.
Travel: Postcard from Fort Benton, Montana

I found myself in this sleepy town along the Missouri River over a late summer weekend.

Fort Benton was first visited by the famed explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark on their 8,000-mile expedition between the years 1804 and 1806. With their Corps of Discovery, the duo not only found a way across the mostly undiscovered continent but asserted American sovereignty in the aftermath of the Louisiana Purchase.

The westward expansion that Lewis and Clark ignited would put Fort Benton on the map. The trappers, traders and pioneers who followed over the ensuing decades made it the birthplace of Montana.

Never a real fort, at least not in the way most people think of forts, this was a fur trading post that quickly became the last port before the 900-foot-wide great falls that serve as the namesake of present-day Great Falls made the Missouri unnavigable.

Back then, the river was the equivalent of todays interstate highway. The goods and supplies transported from St. Louis were offloaded and then sent farther west across Montana and Idaho to Walla Walla, Washington, on a wagon road that was built just before the Civil War.

To call Fort Benton sleepy is an understatement, though in its heyday the main drag fronting the river  the aptly named Front Street  would have been bustling with all sorts of activities. A series of signs along the riverwalk take visitors back to when things in town were considerably rowdier.

Those days are long gone as the carpet is literally and figuratively rolled up after 5 oclock.

Those who do stay the night almost certainly book a room at the National Register of Historic Places-listed Grand Union Hotel, which for many is a destination in its own right.

Built as the railroads were about to make Fort Benton irrelevant, the Italianate-style hotel  one of my favorite period hotels anywhere in the American West  was basically built in the wrong place at the wrong time. After years of dereliction, it was thoughtfully restored at the turn of this century. The 26 rooms reflect the era of its construction while also offering the comforts and amenities one expects today.

A short walk away is St. Pauls Episcopal Church.

In continuous use since 1881, the simple but elegant brick Gothic revival church is typical of the Protestant churches that sprung up as mining camps and frontier settlements became towns or cities and one-time missions evolved into permanent congregations. Im informed by a brochure that St. Pauls is the oldest Episcopal church in Montana.

Other sights include the stately Chouteau County Courthouse and the museums that make up the Fort Benton Museums and Heritage Complex. Sadly, the museums are only open from Memorial Day through the end of September (as in next weekend).

If you go

The Grand Union Hotel has regular offers centered around its fine dining restaurant, the Union Grille. This includes a fall wine tasting event over the weekend of Oct. 6 that features a six-course paired dinner.

An hour away in Great Falls are two visits: the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center and the C.M. Russell Museum, the latter of which is named for the cowboy artist Charles Russell.

Great Falls is also home to the closest airport with flights on Alaska, Delta and United or their regional partners. For those driving, Fort Benton is six hours from Spokane, five hours from the Canadian city of Calgary and eight hours from Salt Lake City.

Dennis Lennox writes a travel column for The Christian Post.
How should Christians think about transhumanism?

Before Keanu Reeves was Neo, he was Johnny. The film The Matrix (1999) focused on humanitys subjugation by artificial intelligence (AI). The movie Johnny Mnemonic (1995) portrays a society in which humans voluntarily opt in to biotech enhancements. While AI is far from approximating the sort of embodied sentience necessary to enslave humanity, we are currently adopting biotech enhancements to improve the human condition by overcoming human vulnerabilities and injustices.

Transhumanism is not simply about humans integrating devices into our bodies, though there is a growing subculture experimenting with biohacking by embedding magnets, RFID chips, or LED lights underneath their skin. According to The Transhumanist Manifesto, the transhuman is a continuous human evolution which involves a confluence of organic human, technological advances in AI, nanomedicine, and gene therapies that mitigate disease, the devices and prosthetics and enhance biology that appends biology, and an awareness of personal identity, as a transformative, telematic, and expanded agency that expand through new tech-communication systems.

Philosopher Nick Bostrom notes that transhumanism is more than just an abstract belief that we are about to transcend our biological limitations by means of technology; it is also an attempt to re-evaluate the entire human predicament as traditionally conceived. Bostrom goes on to note, We must emphasize that what we should strive for is not technology instead of humanity, but technology for humanity. While I appreciate Bostroms sentiment that technology be for rather than instead of humanity, it does raise questions about the human ends these means are intended to achieve. Without a clear vision of what it means to be human in the first place, it is difficult to believe we will arrive at a desirable end no matter what means we employ.

The question of ends was implicit in a debate on transhumanism held earlier this year. During the debate, columnist Mary Harrington suggests that trying to re-engineer our physiology  our nature, if you will  in the interest of freedom, progress, or whatever may result in a utopia that arrives asymmetrically, depending on where you sit in the socioeconomic hierarchy. If the end is some ambiguous utopia, it will be more utopian for some than for others. To some degree, the gap in experience, according to Harrington, will involve the commoditization of human beings because you cant have transhumanism without throwing out humanism.

The asymmetrical utopian end wont change simply because we have new technology. There will still be a drive to use ones God-given gifts to ones own advantage in a transhumanist utopia. Yet, it is unfair to judge transhumanism by postulating the ongoing presence of problems and bad actors.

So, how should Christians think about transhumanism? Setting aside speculation about some technological mark of the beast or about the various ways integrating technological devices with our bodies could be detrimental, it seems to me that the more basic concern is related to the tenets of the philosophy itself. For instance, in The Philosophy of Transhumanism, philosopher and transhumanist Max More suggests, By thoughtfully, carefully, and yet boldly applying technology to ourselves, we can become something no longer accurately described as human  we can become posthuman  Posthuman beings would no longer suffer from disease, aging, and inevitable death (but they are likely to face other challenges).

From a Christian perspective, such a statement is obviously problematic because the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Technology cant solve our sin problem even when construed broadly to include the design of organizations, economies, polities, and the use of psychological method and tools. Human intervention may be capable of postponing the inevitable, but overcoming sin and, by extension, death was accomplished by Christ. Human participation with Christ through faith is the means by which we also with conquer death (Rom 6:4-5).

In addition, More notes, Transhumanists typically look to expand the range of possible future environments for posthuman life, including space colonization and the creation of rich virtual worlds. The Bible portrays a relatively simple relationship between God, humanity, and the earth, which, as Old Testament scholar Christopher J. H. Wright has observed, remains intelligible through Gods program with Israel (God, Israel, and the Land) and the ultimate restoration of all things (God, in-Christ humanity, and the new creation). Humanity cannot be separated from the earth. Our relationship with the earth is intrinsic to who we are, tragic due to the fall and subsequent curse, and inevitable as redeemed humanity will live in Gods presence as part of the new creation. Space colonization may be possible, but, like the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9), attempts to build a community in this fashion are, at best, ill-advised. Virtual worlds are similarly problematic, though for reasons Ive noted elsewhere.

Christians should be appropriately wary of technology for a host of reasons. Transhumanism, however, is not problematic because of its interest in technology. It is problematic because it is pursuing aims (some of which may be attainable) uninformed by Gods Word. As a movement, it is focused on overcoming human limitations with technologies made with human hands rather than recognizing that human limitations require us to look beyond ourselves for solutions.

The answer to the problem of human frailty will not be found in a new technology but in life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Russia has ordered mass production of its T-80VM tank to replace the many T-72B3M and T-90M tanks lost in Ukraine. While the T-80 was designed to be a successor to the T-72 line (including the T-90), that did not happen because the T-80 was more expensive to build and operate. The latest version, the T-80VM, purportedly solves most of those problems, especially if it is mass produced. That is why Uralvagonzavod (or (UVZ), the largest Russian tank manufacturing plant, has been ordered to retool and start mass production of the T-80VM. This will not be easy because it is expensive and the Uralvagonzavod plant has its own problems.

Russia has previously supplied production contracts as well as more loans, to keep the Uralvagonzavod from going out of business. Uralvagonzavod, the firm that developed the Armata T-14 tank and T-15 IFV, has been bankrupt since 2016 and survived because of state-owned Rostec, a holding company that takes over failing, but essential defense firms, to keep them operating. Uralvagonzavod has produced tanks and other armored combat vehicles since World War II and continued after the war. After 1991, most of those military orders stopped but Russia has learned the hard way that, once a lot of these skilled workers are out of work, they use their skills to find new careers or even emigrate, and are virtually impossible to get back later. UVZ obtained enough orders for new armored vehicles or upgrading existing ones in an effort to maintain the workforce that, once lost, is extremely difficult and time-consuming to rebuild.

Uralvagonzavod, like many defense manufacturers of high-tech equipment (vehicles, aircraft, ships, missiles and electronics), had a difficult time staying in business and retaining its skilled workforce after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. That meant orders for armored vehicles disappeared. In 2014 the Russian economy and defense budget took major hits from lower oil prices plus Western sanctions resulting from the Ukraine invasion. The situation got desperate for Uralvagonzavod as it was surviving on loans and whatever commercial work it could get. The company gambled on developing and marketing the revolutionary Armata T-14 and T-15 vehicles. Russian leaders were impressed but there was no money to place large orders and there were no export customers either. The government encouraged work on the T-14 because it was a prestige item that proved Russia was still a major defense developer and manufacturer. That was not true but the government was willing to scrape up the cash to make it appear so. Rostec stepped in to buy UVZ and keep it going so work on the T-14 and T-15 IFV version could continue.

That attitude is being exploited by Russia because of much reduced post-Cold War procurement budgets. For example, in early 2021 Russia announced that the army would receive over 400 upgraded tanks and IFVs in the coming year but none would be the new T-14 Armata tank and T-15 Armata IFV. Upgraded tanks like the T-80BVM filled the gap for the missing T-14s. The Armata was a radical new design for tanks and IFVs but too expensive given the defense budgets available. This was due to a 2013 plunge in oil prices that did not recover while the 2014 Ukraine invasion resulted in many economic and trade sanctions. Since then, the Russian replacement program for elderly Cold War era gear has had to settle for more rebuilds than brand new stuff. Russia did announce plans to start building more T-14s in 2022. As of 2023, Armata production is still stalled, but permanently this time because all the problems with the T-14 have been revealed. The T-14 does not work and never came close to working as an effective combat vehicle.

Most of the new tanks the Russian army has received since 2000 have been refurbished and much upgraded T-72B3s. In late 2021 the Russian Army had about 3,000 tanks in service and most (65 percent) were T-72B3s, which you hear little about. Russian troops prefer the T-72B3M over the T-80 and T-90 and few have any personal experience with the T-14. There were more serious problems with the Russian tank forces. When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 they had 2,600 tanks, mostly (1,600) older models while a thousand were improved and updated T-72B3s which took the Russian tank industry about ten years to produce. More than half the tanks sent into Ukraine were destroyed or captured by the Ukrainians during the first few months of the war. This was a major loss to the Russian army. The T-14 revelations were a minor footnote to the sad state of Russian tank production and usefulness in combat.

The latest Russian solution is to have UVZ produce up to 250 T-80VMs a year while also continuing to repair all models of damaged tanks. This is something a different facility of Omsktransmash specializes in but has been overwhelmed by the amount of work created by the Ukraine War.
Baby Alfie's Mom Forced to Leave Hospital, Dad Begs Pope to Save Son's Life

The mother of 23-month-old Alfie Evans, who is involved in a legal battle with a hospital in Britain that wants to switch off her child's life support due to his mystery brain condition, was ejected from the hospital ward, according to a report, as the child's father has urged Pope Francis to speak out to save Alfie's life.

"The chief nurse has removed Alfie's mummy Kate off the ward!" reads a message posted early Saturday by the administrator of a Facebook group called "Alfies Army Official," which has over 206,000 followers.

"Kate has done nothing to warrant being stopped from seeing her baby boy," the post adds.

Pope Francis mentioned Alfie Evans during his Sunday sermon as he asked for prayers for the infirm. "I entrust to your prayers people ... as the little Alfie Evans in England," a translation of his remarks reads.

On Friday, police were called to the Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool after hundreds of protesters gathered outside calling for a reversal of the decision to turn his life support off, The Sunday Times reported.

According to a court ruling earlier during the week, the hospital can remove the child's life support. However, a Court of Appeal has scheduled a hearing on the case for Monday, as the parents have urged judges to allow their son to continue to receive medical care and treatment.

A hospital in Italy is willing to look after Alfie to help him with his undiagnosed medical condition. The child's father, Tom Evans, has called on the pope to save Alfie.

"If he dies in Italy at least we've tried and I believe in Italy," The Sun on Saturday quoted the father as saying. "The pope knows we want to go there. We want the pope to speak out again. Someone save Alfie."

Alfie, who was admitted to the hospital in December 2016, is in a coma and suffers regular seizures, and the hospital insists that long-term ventilation and intensive care to the child be withdrawn.

Test results showing two mitochondrial gene variants suggest Alfie could suffer from a form of mitochondrial disease like the one that killed Charlie Gard, a British baby who became the subject of a bitter dispute during the summer between his parents and doctors over whether he should be taken to the United States for experimental treatment.

The 11-month-old Charlie Gard suffered from an extremely rare genetic condition causing progressive brain damage and muscle weakness, and his parents' long struggle to save him drew an international outpouring of sympathy. The child required invasive ventilation to breathe and could not see, hear or swallow.

The case triggered a heated international debate in the press and on social media about who should decide a child's fate, and drew comments from U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Francis.

Charlie Gard passed away last year.
Teen dies after court blocked her from seeking treatments; family speaks out

A 19-year-old Christian woman from Birmingham, England, died after a court prevented her from seeking experimental treatment abroad, according to a U.K. group, which says the family, who can now publicly identify her as Sudiksha Thirumalesh, has spoken out against the courts decision and the hospitals treatment of their daughter.

Sudiksha had been embroiled in a legal battle with the NHS for over six months, seeking permission to go to Canada for experimental nucleoside treatment for her rare genetic mitochondrial disease, Christian Concern said Friday, adding that the Court of Protection had barred her and her family from raising funds for the treatment, stating that Sudiksha lacked the capacity to make such decisions.

The family, Thirumalesh Chellamal Hemachandran, Revathi Malesh Thirumalesh and her brother Varshan Chellamal Thirumalesh, were under a court order that restricted them from publicly naming Sudiksha for over a year, the group said. The restriction was lifted Friday by a ruling at the Family Division of the High Court.

Justice Peel has deferred the decision to lift the restrictions on naming the hospital, the hospital trust and the clinicians involved until next week, Christian Concern said, noting that Sudikshas case had been front-page news, culminating last week with her death.

Sudiksha was fully conscious and able to communicate throughout her illness. She had said she wanted to die trying to live, but the courts restrictions prevented her from doing so. Justice Roberts had ruled that Sudiksha did not have the capacity to make decisions about her treatment, despite evidence from two psychiatrists to the contrary.

In a statement, the family said, We are deeply disturbed by how we have been treated by the hospital trust and the courts. Had she been allowed to seek nucleoside treatment six months ago, it may well be that she would still be with us and recovering.

The family added, We are a Christian family who believe in life, love and forgiveness.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of Christian Concerns legal arm the Christian Legal Centre, said, This profoundly disturbing case has demonstrated the urgent need for an overhaul into how critical care decisions are made in the NHS and the Courts.

Sudikshas case was similar to those of Charlie Gard, Alfie Evans and Archie Battersbee, where the NHS had asked the Court of Protection to remove life-saving medical treatment, the group noted, commenting that unlike most cases, Sudiksha was conscious and had her own lawyers argue for her right to live and seek treatment abroad.

Sudiksha suffered from chronic muscle weakness, loss of hearing and kidney damage, requiring regular dialysis. The hospital had asked the Court to approve a palliative care plan, which would have led to her death within a few days from kidney failure.

Two psychiatric experts had told the Court that Sudiksha had the mental capacity to make decisions about her own medical treatment. However, the Court ruled that she was delusional for wanting to live, based on the hospitals assessment of her condition.

Sudiksha had grown up in a Christian family who spent all their savings on legal fees to resist the NHSs efforts to end her life. She had been in intensive care since her health deteriorated after contracting Covid in August 2022.

In February 2023, the hospital asked the Court to set aside a Lasting Powers of Attorney document that Sudiksha had issued, authorizing her parents to make decisions on her behalf. The Court then approved a palliative care plan, leading to her death within a few days.
This week in Christian history: Peter Cartwright dies, papal infallibility challenged

Throughout the extensive history of the Church, there have been numerous events of lasting significance.

Each week brings anniversaries of impressive milestones, unforgettable tragedies, amazing triumphs, memorable births and notable deaths.

Some of the events drawn from over 2,000 years of history might be familiar, while others might be unknown to many people.

The following pages highlight anniversaries of memorable events that occurred this week in Christian history. They include the approval of the creation of the Jesuit order, the death of Peter Cartwright, and a meeting of Catholics who opposed papal infallibility.

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The American church is falling for demonic spirits

The one thing most of us fail to do is to discern when were dealing with demonic spirits. However, its important to sharpen our ability to discern evil spirits and their workings. For this, having the gift of discerning of spirits is especially valuable, but dont ever doubt that we all have to develop this discernment, especially when working in deliverance ministry. In this spiritual war, the discerning of spirits is the tip of the sword.

One of the issues we see with discerning spirits is that many people leave the faith because they follow after other spirits instead of the Holy Spirit. Take a look at this verse:

Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 1 Timothy 4:1

In the verse above, the apostle Paul is writing to his spiritual son, Timothy, to give him a picture of the spiritual warfare at hand. Be reminded that the latter times that Paul references in this verse began at Pentecost and continues through today. Paul was living in the beginning of the last days when he said these words almost two thousand years ago. Now when people ask, Youve been saying that Jesus is going to return for two thousand years, where are all the signs of His coming? Where is He? I always respond, If you read the Bible, youll realize that it took Him four thousand years to show up the first time. True as that is, the prophetic timeline is suddenly accelerating at a startling rate, so wed better buckle up.

In our key verse, where Paul refers to those who shall depart from the faith, he is not talking about ungodly individuals who stick their middle finger in Gods face, spit on the Bible, and hate church. He is talking about believers who will depart from the church, from the truth of the Bible, from the preaching, from prayer, from fasting, and from deliverance and miracles. And the reason they will depart is shocking. They will give heed to seducing spirits. This, of course, is not a reference to the Holy Spirit thats spoken of in the first part of the verse. These are evil spirits, and these dark seducing spirits will eventually woo them into accepting doctrines of devils.

Doctrines of devils are false religions and other false teachings that dismiss the Bible: idol worship, the worship of man, the worship of objects, the worship of statues, the worship of beads, the worship of charms and amulets and crystals and horoscopes, etc.; and they will eventually defend every sort of perversion that goes against the Word of God. Church people will literally side with demons and occultism and witchcraft. If you havent seen that come full circle in our time, then youve not been paying attention. In short, Paul says there will be demonic activity in the church during the last days that will destroy the church.

The influence of demonic activity in the life of the American church is an absolute fact, and through all my efforts to battle against it, Ive discovered you cannot appeal to the conscience of a demon. It works to destroy the conscience of its host and has no conscience of its own. A demonic spirit is void of that emotional connection to God, so it causes people to live numb and dry and lukewarm and barren,and in this context we begin to understand that a demon is nothing more than a person without a body who has taken hold of a human body.

As we see more and more demonic influence in our culture, we need to heed Pauls warnings. The devil is going hard after the people of God, and no one is an exception. We must buckle up with the armor of God, stick close to His Word, and keep our eyes focused on Christ.
Behind the decline: Unraveling the forgotten reasons of fading neighborhood churches

No doubt youve heard the phrase, There goes the neighborhood. Historically, it has been associated with ethnic minorities moving into white neighborhoods. I dont believe most people use the phrase today in such a way. However, during the civil rights movement and the following decades, many white neighborhood churches changed locations, often moving to the growing suburbs where fewer minorities lived.

For the congregations that stayed, the fracturing of the neighborhood also meant the fracturing of the church. Many neighborhood churches struggled to understand the changing demographics and failed to reach their new neighbors. Many congregations struggled to find their place in what they viewed as a fragmented world.

The mission of every church is to go into a fragmented world and share the good news of Jesus that heals the brokenness. Historically, many neighborhood churches believed their meaning and identity would shift with changing demographics. Such thinking was antithetical to the Gospel. The white flight of churches was horrid, but it alone does not explain the decline of neighborhood churches. More was at play and is still affecting neighborhood churches.

A me-first mentality

Inward-focused churches always decline. Some more quickly than others. But spiritual navel-gazing always kills a church. People with a me-first mentality believe the church exists to meet their needs rather than a way for them to serve their community. When personal preferences are elevated above Gods mission, the church will turn inward, creating a culture of selfishness and entitlement.

The operating budget is often the first indication of inward movement, even before attendance begins to decline. When money that once was allocated for outreach evangelism shifts to ministries that serve the members, the church is moving inward. The me-first mentality can pertain to trivial matters such as the color of the paint or the carpet, or to more consequential issues such as ethnic minorities moving into the neighborhood. The result, however, is inevitably the same: An inward culture will always kill a neighborhood church.

Church bubble syndrome

When a church views its role as protecting members from the rough and tumble world of the surrounding community, walls will inevitably go up. Though these walls arent physical, they might as well beletting certain people know theyre not welcome. And when you stop welcoming one kind of person, it becomes much easier to stop welcoming others, as well. Some neighborhood churches declined because they tried to exist for only part of the neighborhood. Ironically, most would probably say, All are welcome! Ive even seen that phrase on church signs. But it doesnt take long to figure out who is truly welcome and who is not. Church bubble syndrome limits the reach of the gospel into the surrounding community, and God will not honor churches that limit his mission.

No expectation of growth

No church can grow indefinitely. Even massive churches with exponential growth curves will eventually slow down. Its a physical reality due to the size of their campuses. Its also a statistical and sociological reality. But far too few neighborhood churches have a culture and expectation of growth. If you examine a neighborhood church in decline, you will often find a congregation with an entrenched mentality. They want the church to stay the way it is. Visitors are welcome so long as there arent too many at once. Growth is viewed as a risk, and new people become a threat to the ideal size of the church.

Unnoticed demographic mismatches

In a recent consultation with a neighborhood church, I asked the leaders what percentage of their community was ethnic minorities. Their responses varied from about 5% to 15%. When I showed them the actual statistics, they were shocked. About 45% of the community was African American or Hispanic.

Then I asked them which generation was the largest in their community. Every leader said Baby Boomers, though in fact the Boomers were fourth, behind the Gen Xers, Millennials, and Generation Z. They had a hard time believing me.

Where do you go? With whom do you hang out? I asked. They all admitted their worlds were quite small, even within the neighborhood. They hung out at the same places and with the same people. These church leaders had not noticed the demographic change in their community because they unintentionally avoided it. Though they were not opposed to reaching a new segment of people, their patterns of living and an inward-focused church culture kept them from seeing the reality right before them.

Lack of vibrant prayer

One of the first books on revitalizing neighborhood churches, Basic Communities: A Practical Guide for Renewing Neighborhood Churches by Thomas Maney, was written in 1984. It was way ahead of its time. Maney correctly identifies prayer as the key to neighborhood church renewal. He notes that prayer prompts a congregation to move from indifference to enthusiasm, from being bored to being engaged. Neighborhood churches in decline almost always lack vibrant prayer.

Poor leadership coupled with apathy or antagonism toward the community

I dont know of a neighborhood church that is reliant on the personality of a nationally known charismatic leader. Growth or decline in these churches is based on issues at the local level and not the global platform of their pastors. But every church requires leadership. The most influential leader is typically the lead or sole pastor  the one preaching during worship services.

When leaders respond poorly to the surrounding culture, the church will tend toward one of two responses: apathy or antagonism. Some pastors even encourage these responses through poor leadership. A church that doesnt work to understand or listen to the community culture will inevitably stop caring for the neighborhood or will start hating the people of the neighborhood.

The community knows nothing about the apathetic church, while the antagonistic church is known for what they oppose. A healthy neighborhood church will be known for what they support, and will have leaders who respond graciously to changes in the local culture.

Unattractive facilities

Some neighborhood churches seem to care very little for their campuses. Theyve gained a reputation as eyesores rather than a point of pride in the community. Too many neighborhood churches are not investing in their God-given addresses. A church campus should be the most well-kept spot in the neighborhood. Why would someone visit a church when the campus looks more like a run-down gas station than a place where the people worship Almighty God? If the members dont care about their facility, how will they care for their neighbors?

Conversely, there are neighborhood churches that care more for their campus than they do for the surrounding community. They put up locks and chains and dont allow any outside use of their facilities. A run-down campus is unattractive because it is an eyesore, but an inaccessible campus is unattractive because it tells the neighbors theyre not welcome.

Neighborhood churches have the potential to be both nimble and flexible. Typically, they have smaller campuses and less deferred maintenance. Whereas larger regional churches must consider a broader demographic of people from various locations, ministries at neighborhood churches can be tailored specifically to the people right around the church. In the era of waning denominational loyalty, neighborhood churches can capture people based on their local presence rather than denominational preference. Though many challenges remain for neighborhood churches, a vibrant sense of mission is just waiting to be renewed. Your location is a key asset, and the future is bright.

I believe in a neighborhood church comeback so much that I wrote a book about it. The Surprising Return of the Neighborhood Church just released! If you lead or attend a neighborhood church or want to know more about this potential movement, you can pick up a copy now.

Originally published at Church Answers.
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BEDFORD HEIGHTS -- A gathering at Zion Memorial Park to remember those lost during the Holocaust was all the more special this year given that the site of the annual event is now a national landmark.

Sunday morning, hundreds paid their respects at the National Holocaust Memorial to the 6 million Jewish lives lost during the Holocaust. The Bedford Heights memorial was declared a national landmark by Congress and President Joe Biden last year.

The service, hosted by the Kol Israel Foundation and the Jewish Foundation of Cleveland, included a ceremony where local survivors lit six candles while attendees listened to stories about their lives during the Holocaust and and later after they immigrated to Northeast Ohio.

A seventh candle was lit to honor the children that were lost and an eighth was lit by a World War II veteran to honor the liberators.

There were prayers and psalms, along with a special moment to honor Bedford Heights Mayor Fletcher Berger, who was one of the forces instrumental to helping make the site the first National Holocaust Memorial.

This is a tradition that weve been doing for 62 years now, said Hallie Duchon, the executive director of the Kol Israel Foundation. Its a Jewish tradition to visit graves between Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and Yom Kippur, day of Atonement. We reflect upon the past and how we can improve in the coming years.

Yom Kippur this year begins Sunday at sundown and lasts until the following evening.

Duchon noted that beneath the memorial are three small caskets that contain remains of Holocaust victims from three different concentration camps. Those and other names are inscribed throughout the memorial.

Holocaust survivors Rose and Arthur Gelbart light one of six ceremonial candles in memory of the six million Jewish men, women and children who perished in the Holocaust.John Pana, cleveland.com

Prior to being designated a national memorial, many local survivors and their families visited the site each year.

In 2017, the freestanding memorial, which was dedicated in 1961, was designated an Ohio Historical Landmark thanks to the strong community of survivors that called Northeast Ohio home.

Art Gelbart, a Holocaust survivor that came to the United States at age 18 in 1947 after being liberated from a concentration camp at age 16, is one of many that continue to share their story.

I talk a lot to people, the kids especially, Gelbart said. In fact, Im going to do it again this coming month in Youngstown and in Cleveland. And I enjoy telling the younger people what really happened. But Im proud to have come to this United States at the age of 18 and served in the American Army because not many people in this world show the love that this country does for us.

According to his wife Rose, who is also a Holocaust survivor, Gelbart had been to three different concentration camps and endured a death march prior to his liberation. She, too, takes pride in being able to share her story.

Rose, who is the founder of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors, said that as a child in Poland, she had to hide because she did not have Polish identification papers, but she did recall witnessing the fires that claimed the lives of countless people.

I couldnt understand why, she said, adding that when she sees antisemtism on the news it makes her angry and upset. Why do you have to pick on a certain people? Why cant people just get along?

Each year, Kol Israel holds a fall service to remember the six million Jewish men, women and children who perished in the Holocaust. It takes place at the National Holocaust Memorial at Zion Memorial Park in Bedford Heights, Ohio. The memorial became the first freestanding Holocaust National Memorial in the United States in 2022.John Pana, cleveland.com

Duchon, whose grandparents were also survivors, said that she hopes people who attend the fall service sees the importance of Kol Israels message, which includes resilience, remembrance and most importantly Holocaust education.

When we say resilience, we mean that the survivors who came here had to leave everything behind, but they were able to rebuild new lives, she continued. And we remember all those who perished in the hands of the Nazis, and Holocaust education is at the forefront of what we do.

Bob Zelwin, president of Kol Israel agreed.

We need to educate people, he said. Racism, antisemitism. Its basically ignorance and lack of education. If you educate them, maybe theyll get a better understanding and hopefully that will change a lot of things. It all starts at home and not only children, but adults need to be educated as well.
Bank Nizwa, Omans pioneering Islamic bank, has announced its participation as a Collecting Bank for the OQ Gas Networks Initial Public Offering (IPO).

In line with the banks dynamic approach towards establishing strategic collaborations with key players across industries, Bank Nizwa has made subscribing to the IPO accessible to a wider audience through this move.

This collaboration enables Bank Nizwas retail customers to subscribe shares in the OQGN IPO through the banks user-friendly Mobile Application. Furthermore, Bank Nizwa corporate customers and non-Bank Nizwa retail customers can submit their bids through the banks branches.

Biggest IPO

OQ Gas Networks recently announced its intention to float 49% of its share capital via an IPO. Marking a significant milestone in Omans financial sector, the IPO is set to be the biggest to be listed on the Muscat Stock Exchange (MSX) with 2,122,005,720 shares offered for subscription.

A premium energy asset, the IPO will give local and international investors the opportunity to be a part of a prominent and strategically important venture in Omans energy landscape.

Saif Al Rawahi, Assistant General Manager Investment, Treasury, Government Relation and Project Finance at Bank Nizwa, said: As the countrys most-trusted Islamic bank, we at Bank Nizwa are proud to be the Collecting Bank for OQGNs IPO as it aligns with our dedication to supporting the economic development of Oman. We are excited to be able to make this offering accessible to our valued customers in a hassle-free, convenient and secure manner.

Institutions

Institutions will be able to start subscribing starting from September 26 to October 9, 2023, where minimum shares to subscribe will be 100,000 shares, and the offering price is 131-140 baisas per share. The second subscription category for individuals will start from September 26 to October 5, 2023, with a fixed price and a minimum of 1,000 shares. The offering price is 126 baisas per share.

As Collecting Bank for the OQ Gas Networks IPO, the bank provides its customers with the opportunity to make investments by verifying that all aspects of this collaboration are in accordance with Sharia guidelines.-- TradeArabia News Service
U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute 46th Annual Gala in Washington, U.S. September 21, 2023.

President Joe Biden will host a second summit with Pacific Island leaders this week, part of a U.S. charm offensive to block further Chinese inroads into a strategic region Washington has long considered its own backyard.

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific Islands, promise new money for infrastructure  including improving Internet connectivity via undersea cables  and honor regional leaders at an NFL game.

Biden held an inaugural summit with the islanders at the White House a year ago and was due to meet them again in Papua New Guinea in May. That plan was scrapped when a U.S. debt-ceiling crisis forced Biden to cut short an Asia trip.

At last year's summit with 14 Pacific Island nations, Biden's administration pledged to help islanders fend off China's "economic coercion" and a joint declaration resolved to strengthen their partnership, saying they shared a vision for a region where "democracy will be able to flourish."

The White House said this year's effort would focus on priorities including climate change, economic growth, sustainable development, public health and countering illegal fishing.

The United States will also officially recognize the Cook Islands and another small nation, Niue, for the first time during the summit.

In Baltimore on Sunday, the leaders will see a Coast Guard cutter in the harbor and be briefed on combating illegal fishing by the Commandant of the Coast Guard, an official said.

The leaders will also attend Sunday's football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts. Dozens of NFL players are of Pacific Islander heritage.
My six-hour high-speed train ride from Beijing to Shanghai one afternoon last week felt like a WeWork on wheels. In a packed, second-class train car of about 90 people, many were working on laptops and chatting on business phone calls. When I arrived in Shanghai around 8 p.m., there was a line with a 15-minute wait for taxis. And when I finally got to the hotel on the city outskirts an hour later, many people were just checking in. The counter by the receptionist was filled with food delivery bags, waiting for the hotel robot to bring them upstairs. I was in town for an event by Chinese electric car company Nio , which was vying with Huawei's big Connect conference for literal space and attention in a week of tech news. Electric car manufacturers are abuzz In the world of electric cars alone, Baidu -backed startup Jidu launched its car on Tuesday afternoon; Xpeng also unveiled its new G9 electric SUV. BYD on Wednesday announced its luxury SUV Yangwang U8 would start sales at one million-plus yuan ($150,000), while Arcfox on the same day released a mass-market car targeted at young parents. Leapmotor also launched two mass-market cars on the same day. Nio, which had just wrapped its fifth car release in four months the prior week, launched a smartphone on Thursday. The company also showed off what it was doing in autonomous driving software, artificial intelligence and factory automation. Customization is important for the premium customer, Nio CEO William Li said on stage in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. He noted the company offers a whopping 3.6 million combinations of colors and features for its cars. Li claimed that by increasing manufacturing efficiency with technology, it only takes Nio 21 days to deliver on a customer's order  a capability with which he said the company can build its mass-market brand. Fast-fashion giant Shein has used tech-integrated supply chains and big data analytics to respond quickly to  if not anticipate  what clothes consumers want to buy. Companies are spending even as economic worries linger Demand is China's problem today. Nio's car deliveries fell in the second quarter, while the company's spending on research and development has soared in the last two years. Huawei, another struggling company that's emphasized its commitment to R & D , announced during its Shanghai event it had a slew of artificial intelligence models for industry application. CFO Meng Wanzhou gave a speech about how AI services are the future for the company, according to a release . The company is also forging ahead in its EV brand Aito, which announced another car earlier this month. Huawei caused a stir several weeks ago when it quietly revealed its flagship phone, the Huawei Mate 60 Pro. In the vein of shocking if true, the device reportedly has a 5G-capable chip that has broken through the 7 nanometer barrier. But it's unclear how many Mate 60 Pro phones Huawei can make and at what cost. The company has been battered by U.S. sanctions and revenue has plunged so much it fell from first place among China's non-state-owned companies. JD.com has now held that spot for two years running. JD built its way to profitability by spending heavily on a logistics network  which let it roll out same-day or next-day delivery. When I passed through last week, the company was still building out its corporate campus on the outskirts of Beijing  a rare show of capex amid this year's dour sentiment. "The ability for the average individual Chinese to persevere and find a way is amazing. I mean people scramble. People figure it out. They know how to be industrious. They don't just sit back and Netflix and chill, whatever they do in the U.S.," said Peter Alexander, Shanghai-based founder of fund consultancy Z-Ben Advisors, who has been in China since 1996. "And I think that is an important cultural difference that just is completely missed by those that are analyzing," he added. Alexander expects the economy will rebound slightly toward the end of the year. Indeed, China's retail sales grew 4.6% in August compared to the previous year. That result beat July's 2.5% year-over year rate. However, the real estate sector continues to weigh down the economy. A competitive spirit, particularly in tech China's cutthroat competition hasn't been lost with the slowdown. Huawei reportedly released its Mate 60 Pro video during an Oppo phone launch, stealing the limelight. The news also hit just days before Apple's iPhone 15 release . Huawei has a domestic product launch scheduled for Monday. Giant American corporations are doing what they can to hold onto their market share. Rather than tea, the stewardess on the high-speed train brought around Starbucks-branded Americanos and lattes, which were also available through a mobile phone ordering service. Ahead of its new iPhone release, Apple made sure to spend on flashy urban billboard ads in China. Hundreds of people trekked out to a flagship Apple store in Beijing to pick up the new iPhone 15 on Friday. However, stock analysts were generally unimpressed with Nio's phone and tech announcements. "Though we acknowledge the company's progress in [its operating system] SkyOS and NOP [assisted driving software], we have a negative read on its mobile business," Nomura China autos analyst Frank Fan and a team said in a report Thursday. "We think that putting resources into mobile business, coupled with no new model rollout plan for the next 12 months and USD1bn of convertible bond issuance, will raise concerns over its development strategy and profitability given the soft monthly deliveries," the analysts said. They have a neutral rating with a target price of $7.50 a share. Bank of America on Thursday retained a buy rating with an expected $15 a share, noting Nio management's expectations that high R & D spending will boost competitiveness and lower costs in the long term. Despite its financial difficulties, Nio has pulled off miracles before, getting a $1 billion lifeline during the pandemic in early 2020 and going on to see its stock soar by more than 1,100% that year. "What drives Nio is experiences, regardless of our car, our phone or our services, including our battery-swapping services and post-sales services," Li told me in an interview Wednesday. "Our company is a very diverse and dynamic company. The user doesn't just buy a car, but actually lots of emotional experiences." The company's claim to market stickiness is the community it builds with its app and Nio House clubhouses. Nio ET5 sedan owner Angela Cai said she wasn't even considering Nio until this spring, when two friends told her about the community engagement and services. After buying her car in May, Cai said she got it in a week. While she hasn't had time to give the Nio phone a good look yet, she said she's a regular at the local Nio House, and invites family and friends there. "Now it's becoming a base camp of our life," Cai said.  CNBC's Michael Bloom contributed to this report.
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks with reporters as he arrives for the day at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. September 18, 2023.

Lawmakers over the weekend expressed few signs of movement on a budget resolution that would keep the U.S. government funded for the remainder of the fiscal year, and the clock is ticking.

Current spending laws are due to expire on Sept. 30. That means if Congress does not reach an agreement before 12:01 a.m. on Oct. 1, the government will shut down. House Republicans on Thursday sent the chamber into recess, delaying further developments in the negotiations.

"I don't know what to think," said Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican representative from California, is responsible for piecing together the splintered GOP caucus that is struggling to come to an agreement.

Durbin, D-IL, noted that the Senate had been "moving forward" in negotiating a deal before it was interrupted by disagreement from Republican Congress members and the "inability of the Speaker to get a majority for anything."

A primary obstacle ahead of McCarthy is a group of Republican hard-liners in the House who refuse to budge on further spending cuts.

"All of a sudden we're the bad guys because we want to balance our budget," Tennessee GOP Rep. Tim Burchett said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

Burchett is among the House Republicans who are, as he puts it, "sticking to our guns." He said he would not endorse a short-term bill called a continuing resolution, or CR, which would provide a temporary budget until the government can negotiate a more permanent deal for the new fiscal year.

"I've not voted for a CR, a continuing resolution. I didn't vote for one under President Trump, and I haven't voted for any in the past," said Burchett. "You have folks that come to Washington and say, 'Oh, I'm going to be a fiscal conservative, I'm going to be this,' and then they're not."

Some House representatives have come together in a bipartisan effort to avert a shutdown. Late Wednesday night, the Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 64 House representatives, equally split between Democrats and Republicans, proposed a budgetary framework endorsed by its members.

"All we're focused on is keeping the lights on," New Jersey Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." Gottheimer co-chairs the caucus alongside Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania.

But that symbol of bipartisan cooperation has not been enough to rally all 435 members of the House into an agreement.

If Speaker McCarthy is unable to unite his fellow Republicans, he could look across the aisle to secure the votes he needs to pass the budget. But turning to Democratic votes would come with its own wave of political backlash.

Tennessee's Burchett said that were McCarthy to allow a deal to pass via Democrats' votes, he would "strongly look at" giving his support to oust the speaker.

"Our financial ship is sinking," Burchett said.

A government shutdown would mean paused paychecks for millions of U.S. federal employees and a hiatus of many government services. Investors have also expressed worry about what a shutdown would mean for the fourth fiscal quarter in an already fragile stock market.

"Across the country, so many impacts would be felt. This has to be avoided," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to show that a continuing resolution, or CR, would provide a temporary budget until the government negotiates a more permanent deal for the rest of the fiscal year.
Los Alamos was the perfect spot for the U.S. government's top-secret Manhattan Project.

Almost overnight, the ranching enclave on a remote plateau in northern New Mexico was transformed into a makeshift home for scientists, engineers and young soldiers racing to develop the world's first atomic bomb. Dirt roads were hastily built and temporary housing came in the form of huts and tents as the outpost's population ballooned.

The community is facing growing pains again, 80 years later, as Los Alamos National Laboratory takes part in the nation's most ambitious nuclear weapons effort since World War II. The mission calls for modernizing the arsenal with droves of new workers producing plutonium cores  key components for nuclear weapons.

Some 3,300 workers have been hired in the last two years, with the workforce now topping more than 17,270. Close to half of them commute to work from elsewhere in northern New Mexico and from as far away as Albuquerque, helping to nearly double Los Alamos' population during the work week.

While advancements in technology have changed the way work is done at Los Alamos, some things remain the same for this company town. The secrecy and unwavering sense of duty that were woven into the community's fabric during the 1940s remain.

James Owen, the associate lab director for weapons engineering, has spent more than 25 years working in the nuclear weapons program.

"What we do is meaningful. This isn't a job, it's a vocation and there's a sense of contribution that comes with that," Owen said in an interview with The Associated Press following a rare tour of the facility where workers are preparing to piece together plutonium cores by hand. "The downside is we can't tell people about all the cool things we do here."

While the priority at Los Alamos is maintaining the nuclear stockpile, the lab also conducts a range of national security work and research in diverse fields of space exploration, supercomputing, renewable energy and efforts to limit global threats from disease and cyberattacks.

The welcome sign on the way into town reads: "Where discoveries are made."

The headline grabber, though, is the production of plutonium cores.

Lab managers and employees defend the massive undertaking as necessary in the face of global political instability. With most people in Los Alamos connected to the lab, opposition is rare.

But watchdog groups and non-proliferation advocates question the need for new weapons and the growing price tag.

"For some time Los Alamosans have seemed numbed out, very involved in superficial activities but there is a very big hole in the middle where thoughtful discourse might live," Greg Mello, director of the Los Alamos Study Group, a nonprofit that has been challenging the lab over safety, security and budget concerns, said in an email.

Town officials are grappling with the effects of expansion at the lab, much like the military generals who scrambled to erect the secret city on the hill in 1943.

The labor market is stressed, housing is in short supply and traffic is growing. There are few options for expansion in a town bordered by the national forest, a national park and Native American land, leaving county officials to reconsider zoning rules to allow developers to be more creative with infill projects.

Still, officials acknowledge it will take time for those changes to catch up with demand and for prices to normalize in what is already one of the most affluent counties in the U.S. With the lab being the largest employer, Los Alamos also boasts the highest per-capita levels of educational attainment with many residents holding master's degrees and Ph.Ds.

Owen is originally from Penasco, a Hispanic village in neighboring Taos County. His fascination with science was sparked by a high school field trip where he learned about explosions and implosions. It wasn't long before he landed a summer job at the lab and went on to earn engineering degrees that helped him move up through the ranks.

Los Alamos taps into regional schools as a generational pipeline. Grandfathers work as machinists. Mothers solder key components. And daughters become experts at tracking radiation.

Alexandra Martinez, 40, grew up in nearby Chimayo and is the latest in her family to work at Los Alamos. She chuckles when asked if she was born into it.

"That's what I wanted  the ability to do something great," said Martinez, a radiation control technician who is stationed at PF-4, the highly classified complex that is being transformed into a more modern plutonium pit factory.

She must pass through fencing topped with concertina wire and checkpoints manned by armed guards. The layers of security are more sophisticated than those from the Manhattan Project era, when all incoming and outgoing mail was censored and telephone calls were monitored.

Los Alamos became an open city when the security gates came down in 1957. Still, many parts  including historic sites related to the Manhattan Project  remain off limits. Tourists have to settle for selfies near the town square with the bronze statue of physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Across the street, rangers at the Manhattan Project National Historical Park visitor center answer questions about where scientists lived and where parties and town halls were held. A chalkboard hangs in the corner, covered in yellow sticky notes left by visitors. Some of the hand-written notes touch on the complicated legacy left by the creation of nuclear weapons.

It's a conversation that was reignited with the release of Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer." The film put the spotlight on Los Alamos and its history, prompting more people to visit over the summer.

The attention also boosted an ongoing effort to expand the federal government's radiation compensation program to cover people in several western states, including residents in southern New Mexico where the Trinity Test of the first atomic bomb was conducted in 1945.

Aside from pressing questions about the morality of nuclear weapons, watchdogs argue the federal government's modernization effort already has outpaced spending predictions and is years behind schedule. Independent government analysts issued a report earlier this month that outlined the growing budget and schedule delays.

For lab managers, the task has not been easy. Modern health and safety requirements mean new constraints Manhattan Project bosses never had to contemplate. And yet, just like their predecessors, Owen said officials feel a sense of urgency amid intensifying global threats.

"What's being asked is that we all need to do better in a faster amount of time," he said.
The home of mega-corporations like Coca Cola and Delta Airlines is also the best place to start your own business, according to new LinkedIn data.

Atlanta was recognized as the No. 1 U.S. metro area with the fastest year-over-year growth, 92%, in people founding their own companies, per the job search site.

The Atlanta metro area is growing "at a breakneck pace" thanks to a strong job recovery since the pandemic, reports Fox 5 Atlanta. And it was also recognized as the No. 1 place for young professionals to start a career, according to a report from Wallethub, based on metrics like availability of jobs, average starting salary, unemployment rate, median annual income, housing affordability and family-friendliness.

Also down south, No. 2 Austin has seen its own entrepreneurial boom during the pandemic as people fled pricey cities like San Francisco and New York, lured by the city's warm weather, low cost of living and lack of state income tax. In the last year, it saw an 84% increase in residents becoming founders.

Seattle rounds out the top three, with 75% year-over-year growth in its founder community. The city's outsized tech scene may be a potential breeding ground for the entrepreneurial to launch their own startups.

Here are the top 10 metros seeing the fastest growth in people starting their own businesses, according to LinkedIn:

Atlanta Austin, Texas Seattle San Francisco Chicago Boston Miami-Fort Lauderdale New York City Los Angeles Denver

Atlanta and Austin are both seeing a lot of inward migration, says George Anders, LinkedIn's senior editor at large, "as people in all kinds of professions decide that these are the Grade-A destinations in terms of finding success for their careers, families and work-life prospects."

Some newcomers may become entrepreneurs themselves, while existing residents may also see new people as prospective customers. "They don't have favorite restaurants or stores yet, so they're more willing to try yours," Anders says.

"They also need help buying homes, choosing schools, finding contractors and a whole lot more," he adds. "So that translates into a very promising customer base that new entrepreneurs can tap into."

Elsewhere in the country, the only representative for Silicon Valley  San Francisco  comes in at No. 4.

"Though the San Francisco Bay Areas remains one of the world's leading places for tech startups, it's possible or perhaps likely that smaller 'Main Street' businesses aren't opening at a nation-leading pace," Anders says.

Other pricey cities like New York City and Los Angeles crack the top 10, but are outnumbered by lower cost-of-living areas like Chicago and Miami.

Across the U.S., nearly 1 in 5 adults are in the process of starting a business or have done so in the last 3 years, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report and reported by The Washington Post.

Entrepreneurship is at its highest level since the survey began in 1999, and follows early predictions that Covid-19 job losses could spur more people to strike out on their own.

Several years later, "We're seeing an upward trend in entrepreneurship that's continued through the pandemic, and that's a really great sign," Donna Kelley, a professor at Babson College and the report's lead author, told The Washington Post. "It means businesses are introducing innovation, creating jobs and contributing to the competitiveness of the United States."

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Check out: Montana college town ranks No. 1 as the most fun city for young peoplewhat it's like to live there
I think about happiness a lot. Specifically, I think about what's keeping me from being happy. Those obstacles can include delayed trains, dry contacts or ClassPass' $28 missed workout fee. More often than not, it's my harsh inner monologue. My generation was raised on the idea that happiness is a choice, so I get mad at myself for feeling other emotions. That's why, when I heard about the University of Pennsylvania's "monk class" last spring, I wanted to test drive its curriculum. The formally titled "Living Deliberately" course requires students to "observe a code of silence" and "abstain from using all electronic communications" for a month, according to the university's website. Monks believe that silence frees up brain space, making you more available for religious epiphanies, Justin McDaniel, the class's professor, told me in June. The point isn't to cure or prevent sadness, McDaniel said. It's to feel less afraid of being sad, and more confident in your ability to navigate their emotions. Thirty days would be hard: My job depends on my voice, phone and laptop. So at the end of August, I took a 48-hour vow of silence and no technology, ranging from a Sunday afternoon to a Tuesday afternoon. At one point, I accidentally said "excuse me" to a neighbor doing laundry behind me  but otherwise, I made it the entire two days hours without speaking or using technology. And I learned something that upended my sense of happiness, and how to achieve it: Less is often more. Here's what that means.

When I'm stressed, social media and TV don't necessarily make me feel better

Whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I usually reach for my phone, turn on the TV or listen to something. I'm not entirely sure why  maybe it's a hope that distracting myself for long enough will help me move past it. Typically, the opposite happens: My thoughts multiply, and I go from overwhelmed to panicked. I recently started seeing a new doctor who, when looking over my chart, paused when she saw I reported struggling with anxiety and mild depression. Don't miss: Ivy League professor of ultra-popular 'monk class': These 3 changes can make you more resilient than most "That surprises me," she said. "You're so bubbly and confident." My sunny disposition, mostly unintentionally, masks my inner monologue. But during my experiment, I found it easier to listen to my self-talk. Without access to "Gilmore Girls," Instagram or the "Armchair Expert" podcast, I noticed the intrusive thoughts and shook them off more easily. Silence, it turns out, can be good for us. It can improve concentration, creativity and mindfulness, and helps lower blood pressure, reduce cortisol and improve insomnia, studies show.

Asking for help is great  but only when you actually need it

In the fall of 2020, I finished graduate school, ended a relationship, moved in with my parents and was unemployed as a pandemic raged on. It was a lot. Daily calls with a friend kept me in one piece. We spent hours laughing and crying on the phone together. Arguably, the experience taught me the wrong lesson  that whenever I feel something negative, I need to go into crisis mode and pour my emotions out to someone. "You have to learn how to ... sit with feelings of anger or sadness or loneliness without crowdsourcing your emotions to your friends," McDaniel said, adding that it often only takes "dealing with 30 seconds of discomfort." During my time in "monk mode," I still occasionally thought, "Woah. Does everyone I know secretly hate me?" Allowing myself to observe the thought without calling a friend to psychoanalyze it proved shockingly effective. I could figure out what triggered the feeling, and look at my emotions objectively. I don't hate anyone for being a little loud, slightly vain or caring what other people think of them, so why would people feel that way about me?

I feel better when I slow down
Taihan Cable & Solution Co, a South Korean cable manufacturer, has won a $60 million order from Bahrain to build high-voltage power grids, a report said.

The company said it has signed a deal with Bahrains Electricity and Water Authority (EWA) to install 400-kilovolt (kV) underground cables in Al Jasra on the western coast of the Kingdom of Bahrain on a turnkey basis, The Korean Economic Daily report said.

Under the terms, Taihan Cable will not only supply all necessary materials including high-voltage cables but also carry out the power grid construction and test operations, it said.

The order is Taihan Cables first in the kingdom and is expected to pave the way for additional deals in the country, the report said.

The deal follows Taihan completing multiple major cable and power grid construction projects in other Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait and Qatar over the last five decades.
The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manila's Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources "strongly condemn" China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Coast Guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities", he said.

"The (Philippine Coast Guard) will continue to work closely with all concerned government agencies to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains," Tarriela said.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.

Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under then-President Rodrigo Duterte. But tension has mounted again since his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., took office last year.

Also Read: US in talks with Vietnam for largest arms deal between former enemies that could vex China

Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 m (1,000 feet) long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.

Three Chinese Coast Guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said.

Filipino fishermen say China typically installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area, Tarriela said.

The Chinese boats issued 15 radio challenges and accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of violating international and China's laws, before moving away "upon realizing the presence of media personnel onboard the (Filipino) vessel", he said.
Its hard to imagine a less contentious or more innocent word than and.

But how to interpret that simple conjunction has prompted a complicated legal fight that lands in the Supreme Court on Oct. 2, the first day of its new term. What the justices decide could affect thousands of prison sentences each year.

Federal courts across the country disagree about whether the word, as it is used in a bipartisan 2018 criminal justice overhaul, indeed means and or whether it means or. Even an appellate panel that upheld a longer sentence called the structure of the provision perplexing.

The Supreme Court has stepped in to settle the dispute.

Its the kind of task the justices  and maybe their English teachers  love. The case requires the close parsing of a part of a federal statute, the First Step Act, which aimed in part to reduce mandatory minimum sentences and give judges more discretion.

In particular, the justices will be examining a so-called safety valve provision that is meant to spare low-level, nonviolent drug dealers who agree to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors from having to face often longer mandatory sentences.

Its much more than an exercise in diagramming a sentence. Nearly 6,000 people convicted of drug trafficking in the 2021 budget year alone are in the pool of those who might be eligible for reduced sentences, according to data compiled by the U.S. Sentencing Commission.

Overall, more than 10,000 people sentenced since the law took effect could be affected, according to Douglas Berman, an expert on sentencing at Ohio State Universitys law school.

The provision lists three criteria for allowing judges to forgo a mandatory minimum sentence that basically look to the severity of prior crimes. Congress did not make it easy by writing the section in the negative so that a judge can exercise discretion in sentencing if a defendant does not have three sorts of criminal history.

The question is how to determine eligibility for the safety valve  whether any of the conditions is enough to disqualify someone or whether it takes all three to be ineligible.

Also Read: US in talks with Vietnam for largest arms deal between former enemies that could vex China

Lawyers for Mark Pulsifer, the inmate whose challenge the court will hear, say all three conditions must apply before the longer sentence can be imposed. The government says just one condition is enough to merit the mandatory minimum.

Pulsifer pleaded guilty to one count of distributing at least 50 grams of methamphetamine. Two of the three conditions applied to Pulsifer, and that was enough for the trial court and the St. Louis-based 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to make him eligible for a mandatory sentence of at least 15 years. He actually received a 13 1/2-year sentence for unrelated reasons.

Now 61, Pulsifer is not scheduled to be released from prison until 2031, according to federal Bureau of Prison records.

Appeals courts based in Chicago, Cincinnati and New Orleans also have ruled against defendants. Courts in Atlanta, Richmond, Virginia and San Francisco have ruled to broaden eligibility for the safety valve reductions.

In one case in Texas, Nonami Palomares, who was caught with heroin at the U.S.-Mexican border, was given a mandatory 10-year sentence because she had a previous 20-year-old drug offense. She might otherwise have had two years knocked off her sentence.

But in San Diego, Eric Lopez had about 45 pounds of meth on him when he was arrested qualified for the safety valve, despite his own earlier conviction, and avoided an additional year behind bars. U.S. District Judge James Lorenz wrote in Lopezs case that the law was ambiguous.

Both Palomares and Lopezs cases could be affected by the Supreme Courts decision.

Linguists who specialize in the law submitted a brief in which they wrote that surveys they conducted found people thought the language was either ambiguous or should be read the way Pulsifers legal team argues.

FAMM, which advocates against mandatory minimum sentences, has joined criminal defense lawyers and the American Civil Liberties Union in a filing that argues that mandatory sentences are entirely at odds with what Congress sought to achieve in amending the safety-valve provision: that judges be allowed to use their discretion when sentencing low-level, nonviolent drug offenders.

Berman said the language of the statute alone points to a broad reading that would favor defendants. But the concern about the broad reading is that it basically covers everybody. I think its right that that wasnt Congress intent, Berman said, echoing arguments made by judges who sided with prosecutors.

On a court in which several justices across the ideological spectrum say they are guided by the words Congress chooses, with less regard for congressional intent, that might be enough to favor defendants. In addition, Justice Ketanji Brown Jacksons prior experience as a member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission also could be important to the courts resolution of the case.

The safety valve has been attractive both to prosecutors and defendants because it helps obtain convictions faster and allows for more nuanced prison terms, Berman said.

Congress could clarify the law, no matter which side wins. Even if Pulsifer prevails, judges will not be obligated to impose lower sentences, Berman said. They just will not be compelled to give mandatory ones.

A decision in Pulsifer v. U.S., 22-340, is expected by spring.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Senator Francis Escudero has urged his colleagues to pass a bill that seeks to require higher education institutions (HEIs) to waive college entrance exam fees for qualified students.

In a statement on Sunday, Escudero said Senate Bill No. 2441, or the Free College Entrance Examinations Act, does not disenfranchise private HEIs from collecting fees as it only aims to make college entrance exams free for a select group.

"It would only apply to small segment exam takers, income forgone can be recouped by payments made by other takers. And when qualified takers do proceed to enroll in the school, then the schools small investment will yield a higher return through tuition paid. It can be seen as a marketing device that can lure potential enrollees, he added.

Section 5 of the bill states that HEIs should waive their college entrance examination fee to graduating high school students with the following qualifications:

- must be a natural-born Filipino citizen

- must belong to the top 10% of his or her graduating class

- must belong to a family whose combined household income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority.

"Students belonging to a family whose income cannot afford 'in a sustained manner to provide for their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of life duly certified as such by the Department of Social Welfare and Development' will also be qualified to a free entrance exam," Escudero added, quoting Section 5C of the bill.

Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, sponsored the bill on Sept. 19.

READ: Finance chief seeks to filter beneficiaries of free college education
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Taguig City "unreasonably" rejected Makati City's proposal for a "smooth transfer" of health facilities and services in barangays affected by the Supreme Court decision on their territorial dispute, according to the latter's city administrator.

In a statement Sunday, Makati City administrator Claro Certeza said Taguig denied their proposed memorandums of agreement (MOA), impeding the transfer of Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) and eight barangay health centers and the health data of their patients.

"We have initiated a series of correspondence and MOA proposals to the City of Taguig aimed to facilitate the smooth transfer of Makati-owned health facilities to its jurisdiction," Certeza said. "However, these have been rejected outright, without valid reason."

The Makati official argued that Taguig is "adamant" about taking control of OsMak and the barangay health centers without respecting Makati's ownership rights.

Certeza cited Makati Mayor Abby Binay's letter to Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano as evidence that the former suggested an MOA for OsMak and offered to grant a credit line to Taguig in order to ensure that impacted residents could continue to access basic medical services at these institutions.

"Makati is even willing to allocate millions in funding for this credit line to Taguig to avoid any disruption in health care services. Yet, Mayor Cayetano refused to even consider the proposal, opting to put off any discussions regarding OsMak, purportedly in deference to the wishes of the Health Secretary," Certeza said.

According to Certeza, Cayetano in a letter justified her rejection of the OsMak proposal, citing Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa as having stated that he would "take the lead in any discussions regarding Ospital ng Makati, and that both cities must defer to his wishes."

He further said Taguig also refused Makati's proposed data sharing agreement which aims to safeguard the information of patients of the health centers in Cembo, Comembo, East Rembo, Pembo, Pitogo, Rizal, South Cembo, and West Rembo.

Certeza claimed that Cayetano also rejected another proposal that would have given Taguig the option to lease or buy the land for eight health centers, subject to Commission of Audit appraisal, citing Herbosa's instruction to "exclude the issue of ownership in the transition process."

"Makati is going out of its way to work out a smooth transition with Taguig, but it is apparently hell-bent on taking over and gaining control of city-owned public facilities without due process. It persists in unduly invoking the Supreme Court decision while refusing to obtain a writ of execution from the court of origin," Certeza said.

Taguig has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  The Philippines will continue to work with other nations for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the protection of those most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, the country's top diplomat said at the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) held in New York City on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila).

"We advocate the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with international law. This has always been our position with respect to the disputes in the West Philippine Sea, inasmuch as we are prepared to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights and territorial integrity," Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said in his speech.

Standing in for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Manalo reiterated the president's foreign policy that the Philippines remains a "friend to all and an enemy to none." But for multilateralism to endure, Manalo said all must adhere to the rule of law.

He also said that the push for peace embraces how the world has changed and the technologies that will continue to be available.

We call for UN partnerships that guarantee that new technologies are not weaponized, or misused in any way to subvert democracy and freedom, to challenge international humanitarian law, and to exploit the vulnerable and violate human rights and human dignity, he added.

Call for action against the ill effects of climate change

Manalo stressed the need to work together and help countries who bear the brunt of climate change.

"We need decisive, responsible, just and sustainable solutions that look after populations and protect persons that have contributed the least to global warming, but have the highest vulnerability by their geography. This is the meaning of solidarity on climate action," he said.

RELATED: 'Race against time': Climate change and the environment a year into Marcos presidency

He also noted that the mechanisms that push for development should consider the requirements of middle-income countries.

"Our partnerships should bridge development divides," he said. "Our collaboration for the future should make our societies more resilient, more cohesive, and more humane."

He said this should include caring fully for the health of all nations by way of vaccines and health services following lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. It should never happen again, Manalo said, that those who most need care will be last in line.

"We affirm that health is primordial to our human development agenda," he added.

A partner for human rights

Manalo also touched on the issue of human rights, mentioning that the Philippines took a lead role in the drafting of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, among others.

He said, at the core, human rights is about people, and dialogue on the matter "must be genuine, based on evidence, and depoliticized."

The secretary said the Philippines will remain a partner for peace.

"The Philippines has served as a pathfinder for consensus on issues such as climate change and human rights and on security cooperation. We will carry on as a bridge-builder," he added.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  An official of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has blamed China and its vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) for the pollution in the contested waters, after Beijing claimed that a Philippine military outpost on Ayungin Shoal was responsible for environmental damage in the area.

The destruction of corals goes far beyond drama. It is a violent act and a serious crime against humanity. Stop making allegation that BRP Sierra Madre is polluting the water, but blame it to your numerous Chinese Maritime Militia swarming the Philippines' EEZ, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela said Saturday.

This is in response to Chinas statement denying involvement in the destruction of corals in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, describing the Philippines statement as political drama from fiction.

The Philippines has accused the eastern superpower after it spotted Beijings militia vessels in WPS where environmental damage was observed.

China likewise accused the Philippines of causing ecological damage in the WPS because of the BRP Sierra Madre  a World-War II era ship deliberately grounded on the Ayungin Shoal in 1999 to serve as a military outpost over the hotly contested waters.

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on Saturday slammed the denial, saying Chinas statement exemplified its insincerity and hypocrisy.

READ: 'Insincere, hypocritical': Teodoro on China's denial of WPS reef destruction
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  The Philippines, the United States, and Japan discussed possible activities to strengthen their trilateral cooperation amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific region.

Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, and Foreign Minister of Japan Kamikawa Yoko met on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York and held a fruitful discussion on trilateral cooperation on Saturday.

DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza in a message to reporters on Saturday said that [T]he Ministers discussed possible activities for trilateral cooperation and will come up with a work plan.

In his address, Blinken said the three countries saw eye-to-eye on the strengthening of ties in a bid to maintain peace and stability in the region.

I think all three countries believe strongly that our collaboration, not only on a bilateral basis but on a trilateral basis, can produce very positive benefits not only for our countries but also for other countries and partners in the region and beyond, Blinken said Saturday.

Kamikawa stressed the importance of promoting multilayered collaboration with allies and like-minded nations to uphold order and rule of law.

Based on the recent severe strategic environment including the situation in the South China Sea, the three Ministers concurred to further strengthen coordination among the three countries and promote the materialization of the trilateral cooperation, Japans Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

Earlier this month, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., US Vice President Kamala Harris, and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio met in Jakarta, Indonesia to tackle maritime security in the South China Sea.

READ: PH, US, Japan leaders reaffirm cooperation in South China Sea dispute

Talk of strengthening cooperation between the three countries comes amid rising tensions in the South China Sea. This is in large part due to Chinas escalating aggression within the Philippines exclusive economic zone.

Some incidents include Chinas use of a military-grade laser and water cannons on Philippine Coast Guard vessels, and the eastern militias dangerous maneuvers which put Filipino lives at risk.

On Sunday, the Chinese Coast Guard installed floating barriers in the Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, preventing Filipino fishing vessels from entering the area.

READ: China installs floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal  PCG

Just a week before the barrier incident, Manila accused Beijing of harvesting and destroying corals in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal, both within the Philippines EEZ, after Chinese militia vessels were spotted lingering over the disputed waters. China has denied these accusations.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  All transactions at the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) were done over the counter due to a cyberattack over the weekend, an official of the state health insurer said Sunday.

"Sa ngayon kasi we temporarily shut down all of the systems to make sure ma-reconfigure natin lahat ng systems na naapektuhan," PhilHealth Senior Vice President for Health Finance Policy Israel Francis Pargas told CNN Philippines' Newsroom Weekend.

"Sa halip na merong sistema na ginagamit, babalik muna tayo sa manual operations," Pargas said.

[Translation: Right now we temporarily shut down all of the systems to make sure we can reconfigure all the systems that were affected. Instead of using a system, we will go back to manual operations.]

Members and their dependents are advised to present a copy of their PhilHealth identification card, member data record, or other supporting documents to access health benefits amid the temporary shutdown of its online system.

Meanwhile, Pargas told employers, along with professionals and self-employed individuals, to pay their premium contributions over the counter or to PhilHealth-accredited collecting agents.

"Ganun din po kung kailangan magpamiyembro at may mga question, kailangan po pumunta muna tayo sa opisina ng PhilHealth dahil down po ang ating website at member portal, so wala din tayong online transactions," Pargas said.

[Translation: Likewise, for membership questions, you must first go to the PhilHealth office because our website and member portal are down, so we do not have online transactions.]

On Saturday, PhilHealth informed the public of a temporary system downtime while it was investigating and "implementing containment measures" against a cyberattack.

The state health insurer assured that no personal or medical information had been compromised as it expressed hope that the systems will be back online on Monday, Sept. 25.

Pargas said PhilHealth, along with other government agencies, has identified around 72 workstations affected, mostly in its head office and NCR office.

The PhilHealth official added the public will be informed "as soon as possible" once they determined the cause of the incident.
Eagle Hills Diyar (EHD), a pioneering developer that is behind the Marassi Al Bahrain project, has awarded the construction contract for the building and development of Marassi Bay and Marassi Terraces to leading Bahraini construction company Kooheji Contractors.

The contract builds upon the existing partnership between Eagle Hills Diyar and Kooheji Contractors, and will see the latter undertake the construction of the two residential projects representing the very best in modern living within the Marassi Al Bahrain district, the company said.

The two developments will feature elegant indoor and outdoor facilities and will provide easy access to the beachfront in addition to Marassi Galleria, Bahrains premium retail destination.

Construction has already begun on both Marassi Bay and Marassi Terraces.

Dr Maher Al Shaer, Managing Director of Eagle Hills Diyar, stated: We are delighted to have signed this contract with Kooheji Contractors, a very highly regarded construction company with whom we have a longstanding relationship. With their reputation for professionalism and high-calibre work, we have identified them as our ideal partner for this project. We believe that together, we will successfully bring our vision for Marassi Bay and Marassi Terraces to life.

Eng Hayssam Youssef, Director of Marassi Al Bahrain, said: These two highly anticipated developments will soon be a key part of Marassi Al Bahrains iconic skyline, and residents who move into the completed blocks will find that they are perfectly located for travel, shopping and relaxation. We are working to redefine Bahrains real estate landscape, with Marassi Bay and Marassi Terraces representing the very best in elevated lifestyle and contemporary living within Marassi Al Bahrains inclusive beachfront community.

Abdulghaffar Al Kooheji, Kooheji Contractors Managing Director, said: "We are extremely pleased to have been awarded the construction contract for both Marassi Bay and Marassi Terraces. As leaders in this sector, we always strive for excellence in all our projects. Through this partnership, we look forward to embodying the exceptional architectural vision of our partner, Eagle Hills Diyar. As always, we remember that while we might chart the course, true success, blessings, and guidance come from Allah Almighty. In these new projects, we aim to uphold the same commitment that Kooheji Contractors has been known for since its inception." - TradeArabia News Service
Abu Dhabi is investing AED10 billion ($2.7 billion) in six programmes to more than double the size of its manufacturing sector to AED172 billion. This will create 13,600 skilled jobs and increase the emirates non-oil exports to AED178.8 billion by 2031, officials said.

"The programmes include Talent Development, Ecosystem Enablement, Industry 4.0, Circular Economy, Homegrown Supply Chain and Value Chain Development," said Eng Arafat Al Yafei, Executive Director of the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB)

One year after launching Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy (ADIS), the number of new industrial licences grew by 16.6%, and total capital investments by manufacturers operating in the emirate have increased by AED12.42 billion to AED384.06 billion by end of June 2023.

Working closely

"We are focused to continue working closely with our strategic partners such as the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) to raise awareness about programmes and incentives contributing to attracting talents and investments to benefit from ample opportunities in Abu Dhabi industrial sector, Al Yafei said at a workshop organised by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) and the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) in cooperation with the Industrial Development Bureau (IDB) of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

Meanwhile, the Abu Dhabi Chamber is committed to supporting the business community and contributing to the growth of the industrial sector in Abu Dhabi, said Ahmed Khalifa Al Qubaisi, CEO of the Abu Dhabi Chamber.

This key sector is advancing steadily especially following the launch of ADIS by Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, which aims to consolidate the Emirates position as the most competitive industrial hub in the region, he said.

Al Qubaisi added: As part of its role as a policy advocator, the Abu Dhabi Chamber leads the Industry Working Group, which aims to strengthen the ties between the industrial sector and government entities. The Working Group provides a platform for fostering constructive dialogue among key stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, thus driving the growth of the industry.

Boosting cooperation

This demonstrates our commitment to strengthening cooperation with all parties to uncover business development opportunities in the UAE and abroad, and drive the growth of the business community in the Emirate.

The workshop was held at the Abu Dhabi Chambers building, under the title Empowering Industrial Excellence: Strategies for Growth by MoIAT.

The workshop covered the most prominent national initiatives to support the industrial sector in the UAE, including UAEs Industrial Strategy Operation 300bn, ADIS, the National In-Country Value (ICV) Programme, the Industrialists Programme, and strategic agreements including the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development. The workshop also highlighted the support provided by the Abu Dhabi Chamber in line with its strategy to make Abu Dhabi the first choice in the Mena region for establishing and doing business by the year 2025.

Public and private sector

Salama Al Awadhi, Director of the National In-Country Value (ICV) Programme at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology, said: MoIAT collaborates with public and private sector partners to strengthen the role of the national industrial and technological landscape. This aligns the sector with the direction of global transformation.

It underlines the UAEs goal to enhance its industrial attractiveness in the region, supports local investors and small and medium-sized companies through the ministrys incentives and enablers, as well as caters to the ambitions of industry leaders and pioneers in the field. The National Strategy for Industry and Advanced Technology, Operation 300bn, forms the foundation of the ministrys initiatives and programmes to enhance the role of the industrial sector. It has achieved significant milestones over the past two years."

Al Awadhi added: Abu Dhabi is undergoing a successful industrial transformation in line with the Abu Dhabi Industrial Strategy, which reflects the emirates ambitions to advance the sector. This supports the industrial and technological business community by providing more incentives and opportunities. The ministry is committed to supporting this direction, which aligns with the UAEs development goals.-- TradeArabia News Service
The world of work is changing. And maybe that's not all bad. As an employer in the hospitality industry, though, I still can't help being surprised when new hires  often fresh out of school or university  inform me they'd really rather not work Fridays or weekends. 'That's the job, unfortunately,' I have to tell them.

I'm clearly not the only one to have been left occasionally bemused by 'Generation Z'  those people born between the late 1990s and the early 2010s.

Channel 4's chief executive Alex Mahon raised eyebrows this week by suggesting that the latest cohort of youngsters are a menace in the workplace as they 'haven't got the skills to discuss' or 'the skills to disagree'.

Research carried out by Channel 4 in 2022 also labelled nearly half of Gen Z as 'Young Illiberal Progressives', or 'Yips'  far more diverse in their sexuality, for instance, than previous generations but, paradoxically, less tolerant.

Of course, older people have been complaining about 'young people today' since at least the 5th Century BC, when the Greek philosopher Socrates lamented that the youth of Athens didn't show enough respect to their elders.

As an employer in the hospitality industry, though, I still can't help being surprised when new hires  often fresh out of school or university  inform me they'd really rather not work Fridays or weekends (file image)

Channel 4 's chief executive Alex Mahon raised eyebrows this week by suggesting that the latest cohort of youngsters are a menace in the workplace as they 'haven't got the skills to discuss' or 'the skills to disagree'

So is this just the same age-old complaint? Or are Gen Z really impossible to work with?

As a businessman, I come across many bright, confident and sociable youngsters. More than 60 per cent of the thousand or so people working for Various Eateries plc, the company I helped found, are under 23.

But I see both the good and the bad  and Alex Mahon has a point. Today's new generation of work-starters have a serious set of problems, on a scale I haven't seen before in 40 years of business.

When they join, many young waiters and bar staff are incapable of using their own initiative or even of smiling and making small talk with customers. So now we often have to tutor them in these basic life skills.

And it's certainly true that many  particularly those straight out of university  don't want to listen to views different from their own. Luckily there are few surer ways to find people with views different from your own than by working in a bar or restaurant.

The young people I meet often have a strong and commendable sense of justice, together with a belief that the world should be a fair and logical place. But a few shifts waiting on the general public usually changes those ideas quite quickly.

I remember one young woman who had to grin and bear it after she served a woman her strawberry ice cream, only to be asked why it was pink and told that she was a 'stupid girl'.

But alas, the customer is always right, even when they're very obviously not. And to someone weaned on the idea of undiluted justice, that's anathema.

One of the more remarkable things I've observed in recent years is how few of the young people who start work for us have ever had a job of any kind  whether a paper-round, serving in a shop on Saturdays or doing menial work in the university holidays.

They've never had any real-world experience to temper the completely unrealistic view of life they've been fed at school  and particularly at university.

Sure, schools and universities have a duty to build up a student's confidence and sense of self-worth. Yet in a society where too many teachers operate in fear of debate or of getting cancelled, and there's a prioritisation of 'self-care', this too often looks like coddling.

As a result, people now enter jobs thinking they can dictate their own terms. That is not how life works, and it never has been.

Everyone, from a bartender and a bricklayer to a barrister and a brain surgeon, has to start at the bottom, which usually means doing the lowliest tasks.

Sure, schools and universities have a duty to build up a student's confidence and sense of self-worth. Yet in a society where too many teachers operate in fear of debate or of getting cancelled, and there's a prioritisation of 'self-care', this too often looks like coddling

More generally, we need to ask ourselves why the British university system now so often clearly fails to provide a proper, realistic preparation for adult life and the world of work for so many of its graduates

They have to serve their time and earn their stripes by gaining the respect of their peers. That's the way of adult life.

Time and again, however, we see young people coming in for interviews and acting as if they're interviewing us; as if our company is there only to meet their needs in terms of pay, hours, responsibilities and flexible working from home.

And they often expect everything at once. A study this year found that 52 per cent those aged 18 to 24 expect an annual promotion, meaning bosses are having to invent new titles to keep them happy.

Even so, it's surely a mistake to demonise young people for failings for which we, the older generation, must bear much of the blame.

It's not the fault of the young, for example, that they lost key years of socialisation through the Covid lockdowns and the switch to online teaching that followed. (And there are plenty of young people who are bitter to have given up such key years of their lives to protect more vulnerable older generations  only for those people to turn round and call them 'snowflakes'.)

But far worse, in my view, is that they've been fed a whole lot of nonsense about what they can expect in the world of work  and the blame for that can't be laid at their door either.

Nonetheless, amid all the gloom about Generation Z, all is not lost.

I've seen numerous examples of people who at first struggled with social skills blossom in just a few short months. I've seen youngsters who initially shied away from the busiest evening shifts soon start to volunteer for them after realising that they are the most fun and most productive.

I've seen many quickly learn that customers may hold all sorts of views they themselves don't agree with  and come to accept this as a crucial lesson of adult life.

Very importantly, they learn not to take every opposing opinion, or even gratuitous rudeness, as a personal affront.

Young people seem to complain a lot about generational unfairness. But they haven't had it easy. For instance, the housing rental market has become highly dysfunctional and stratospherically expensive, which in many cases gives them little option but to live at home. This in turn gives them less incentive to find full-time jobs and take responsibility as self- sufficient adults.

So I think Alex Mahon's comments about Generation Z should be taken seriously, but not so much by them as by us, the Baby Boomer generation who have taken so many of the decisions that have shaped their lives.

We need to fix the housing problem so that young people have reasonable places to live at reasonable rents.

We need to gradually introduce them to the world of work so they can learn the social skills that years of lockdown and online learning prevented them from acquiring.

But most of all, we need to ask ourselves two things.

First, why do 50 to 60 per cent of university students study for degrees which do nothing to help their employment prospects?

Second why do they  far more so, in my experience, than people who start work straight from school  hold wholly unrealistic ideas about the workplace and ludicrously inflated impressions of the value of their qualifications?

More generally, we need to ask ourselves why the British university system now so often clearly fails to provide a proper, realistic preparation for adult life and the world of work for so many of its graduates.

All that is down to older generations, not theirs. And if it was all to be put right, then perhaps the young people of Gen Z would not be facing such a painful wake-up call.
For the sake of a fashionable dogma, much of our governing class seems determined to inflict harm to the economy and push up costs for hard-pressed households.

That unfortunate reality is captured in today's report that Ministers plan to use parts of our existing urban infrastructure, such as street lamps and bins, to create a network for charging electric vehicles. Six councils are to conduct pilot schemes at a cost of 1.3 million.

Yet for all the upbeat spin from Whitehall, there is a whiff of desperation about the initiative, which sounds a bit like the kind of 'cunning plan' that Baldrick might come up with in Blackadder.

At the heart of the policy lies the obsession with a switch to electric vehicles, enforced through a forthcoming ban on the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles.

But Britain looks like it will have nothing like enough effective charger points to support this change. That was one of the reasons for the Prime Minister's decision to push back the target for phasing out petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030 to 2035.

An unfortunate reality is captured in today's report that Ministers plan to use parts of our existing urban infrastructure, such as street lamps and bins, to create a network for charging electric vehicles (file image)

Britain looks like it will have nothing like enough effective charger points to support this change (file image)

The same concern drives this recourse to electrifying lampposts, bins and even benches. It is a pie-in-the-sky solution which comes nowhere near to matching the scale of the demand for high-powered chargers, were electric vehicles really to have a monopoly on roads.

I fear this will simply expand further the creation of an unfair, two-tier system, where the affluent  with garages or driveways  can have their own domestic charging points, costing as little as 9p per kilowatt. Others, in flats or reliant on street parking, have to use public facilities, charging up to 48p per kilowatt.

READ MORE: Drivers may soon be able to charge electric cars using bins and street lamps as ministers examine proposals to convert ordinary street objects into 'smart' versions Advertisement

The task of creating a network that would meet the projected need of the nation is a colossal one. A normal electric street lamp requires a power supply no higher than a kilowatt  fast electric vehicle chargers can demand 100 times as much.

Even basic, slow chargers, which take all night, use 7 kilowatts per hour. To upgrade the supply to meet the surge in demand would involve huge amounts of construction, excavating streets (probably with a diesel-powered digger), importing copper on an unimaginable scale and building new sub-stations.

We cannot pretend that we have the ability to roll out this kind of infrastructure development  look at the shambles of the HS2 rail link. Even if an upgraded charging network were built, we would face the difficulty of how to supply it.

At present, electricity accounts for just 20 per cent of energy use. The national electricity grid simply does not have the capacity to supply 100 per cent of our energy needs.

And our problem is heightened with increasing dependency on unreliable renewables like wind turbines. It remains a fantasy that we can produce all of our electricity from renewable sources.

To meet the vast demand, we would likely end up importing more electricity from Europe  including from Germany, whose own misguided green doctrine saw polluting coal-fired power stations reopened.
If you're a regular TikTok user, there's no doubt you will have come across 'Tube Girl,' the apps latest viral sensation.

Sabrina Bahsoon, 22, has taken social media by storm with her antics on the London Underground, filming herself dancing energetically and lip-syncing to music, no matter who's watching.

The videos have earned her over 17million likes and 470k followers, kick-starting a unstoppable trend and inspiring other Londoners to let loose on public transport.

MailOnline spoke to Sabrina about becoming an overnight internet celebrity and what's coming next for the new star.

'It was craziest thing that could ever happen to me,' she exclaimed, 'I had no idea that it would be this big, the global reach was insane and I never expected it.'

MailOnline spoke to Sabrina about becoming an overnight internet celebrity and what's coming next for the new star

Sabrina is originally from Malaysia but now lives in London after graduating from Durham University.

She explained: 'Even just making it in the UK was a huge thing. Then for it to take over the world...I'm still processing it.

The Durham grad has had a few viral videos on the app before, mostly to do with fashion, where she would show off outfits she wore to university - but nothing compared to the 'whirlwind' of the last few weeks.

Before becoming a social media star, she was a Maths, Business Studies and Law tutor:

'I had to say goodbye to one of my students so I arranged a meeting, and I was like. I'm so sorry. But I'm gonna have to stop tutoring and she was like, 'Are you tube girl?'

It all started with a love for music and an idea - when her friend wouldn't film a video for her, she thought why not do it herself?

'I was living alone in London for a bit, and I was spending most of my time listening to music and just jamming out of my own home.

'I heard the 'Where them girls at' audio on TikTok and saw people making really cool videos to it. They had cool camera movements and I was thinking okay, I can definitely make a video to this sound.

Sabrina Bahsoon, 22, has taken social media by storm with her antics on the London Underground , filming herself dancing energetically and lip-syncing to music, no matter who's watching

She was practicing in her house, then tried on the bus, then finally built up the confidence to do it on the tube, giving her the iconic nickname 'Tube Girl'

The videos have earned her over 17million likes and 470k followers, kickstarting a trend and inspiring other Londoners to let loose on public transport

'I asked a friend of mine to film the video for it, but he refused to film anything so complicated - so I thought 'Okay, I'll just have to do it myself.'

She was practicing in her house, then tried on the bus, then finally built up the confidence to do it on the tube, giving her the iconic nickname 'Tube Girl'.

'The wind was like blowing in my hair, I was like, you know what, I feel like I'm in a a music video right now. I need to get on my phone and just have a bit of fun with it'.

Although it seems like she has unwavering confidence, the 22-year-old admits she still 'gets nervous' when filming in front of people.

'When I'm with my team and they're like, 'Okay, let's do something', I'm like 'I can't have you watch'.

'It's because it's people I don't know in the tube. Everyone knows in London that everyone minds their own business so I never felt uncomfortable.'

She continued 'I don't really care about what other people think of me. I know that it's not what's important. What's important is that I'm enjoying myself.

'I got into that mentality after I graduated and finally started doing what I love because I really used to live my life for other people.

'I didn't see it as confidence at at first I just saw as I don't care about what people think, and I'm just gonna live for myself.'

Although it seems like she has unwavering confidence, the 22-year-old admits she still 'gets nervous' when filming in front of people

The Durham grad thinks that everyone having fun with the trend is 'the best thing' to come from her videos - her advice to fans is to own what they're good at and not live their lives for others

Sabrina's first tube video went viral in August, where she wrote that 'being the friend who lives on the other side of the city' means she has to hype herself up during her commute - even with other people in the carriage, she remains unfazed.

Using windows as wind machines and the carriage as her own personal stage, her music-video style clips triggered a wave of people plucking up the courage to film their own 'tube girl videos'.

The Durham grad thinks that everyone having fun with the trend is 'the best thing' to come from it:

'It's my favorite part about all of this, and I love watching all of them when I have the time. I literally just sit on my bed and go through every single one.'

Her advice to those who look up to her confidence is to own what they're good at and not live their lives for others:

'If you're giving weight to other people's opinions like you're not living your true self and you're not doing what you want to make yourself happy.

'Just think about what you want to do to make yourself happy, and then do anything it takes to get there, because, honestly, living your life for others isn't the way to go.

'Another big thing is to stop being so judgmental to other people. As soon as you're not judgmental, you're not gonna care about what others think of you.

'If I'm not giving a moment in my day to like judge other people and if they are, then that's their waste of time, because I'm not caring what they think'

'Really know your value really know what you're good at. Own it, and don't be so shy about what you're good at because being shy doesn't get you anywhere.

'Be like, Yeah, I am beautiful. I am smart, I am confident. Those are my strengths, and just be more outwardly about it.'

She advises fans 'Really know your value really know what you're good at. Own it, and don't be so shy about what you're good at because being shy doesn't get you anywhere'

The Durham grad thinks that everyone having fun with the trend is 'the best thing' to come from her videos

Since being thrust into the limelight, the 22-year-old has already experienced amazing career highs.

After walking the runway at London Fashion Week for MAC Cosmetics, she's going to be taking part in a digital campaign with fashion giant Hugo Boss for Milan Fashion Week, alongside other content creators.

The experience has been a 'whirlwind' - Hugo Boss reaching out to see if she was interested to actually closing it and getting her the plane all took place in the space of six hours.

With her new life yet to sink in, she added: 'I get recognised the most while I'm on the tube, which is funny. I love it. The last few days have been a little crazy and I wouldn't say that it's my normal yet.'

Sabrina's parents, who are both Malaysian, 'love' that this is becoming her career:

'They think that is the best thing ever. I'm trying to convince my dad to make one himself. They love music, they love dancing and I always had music in my house.

So the fact that I get to do this with music is amazing - and and my mom loves fashion as well so it's so cool.'

One user who posted her own video dancing on the tube, wrote 'shout out to tube girl, this takes GUTS'.

Another user also gave it a try, writing 'Day 1 of trying to become tube girl,' and 'I need to know what line she goes on coz her trains have handles'.

The trend has made it's way around the world, with someone recreating the iconic dancing on the Subway in New York.

A TikToker from the USA captioned their video 'Channeling tube girl because that's the type of delulu confidence we all need.'

The comments were in agreement, with people saying 'I love the tube girl community' and 'tube girl is an inspiration to us all'.
An expert has discussed whether or not polygraphs - also known as lie detector tests - are actually effective when it comes to detecting deception.

Dr Sohom Das, 44, is a forensic psychiatrist based in London. He is also a YouTube content creator, who runs a channel called A Psych for Sore Minds.

There, he covers a range of mental health and crime-related topics, as well as commentary on news and culture issues.

His YouTube biography describes him as a professional Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist and expert witness discussing his own real life (anonymised) cases.

In addition, it says: 'Dr Das (MBChB, BSc, MSc, MRCPsych) has 'personally assessed hundreds of patients in prisons, secure locked psychiatric wards and courts across the UK.'

Are polygraph tests reliable? The general consensus is that they are not effective when it comes to deception detection (stock image)

In a recent video, titled Are polygraph tests accurate or reliable enough?, he discusses the devices.

Some people and organisations state that polygraph tests can have a very high accuracy rate when it comes to showing whether someone is a liar.

However, polygraphs largely fell out of favour in the deception detection field in the early 2000s.

Polygraph tests measure fear-based arousal someone will show while answering crucial questions.

These physiological markers include things like sweating.

The idea that these markers will change while lying is based on the premise that anxiety around deception increases due to the liars fear of being caught.

Speaking in his video, Dr Das explains this.

He says: 'The main problem with the polygraph test is that they are not accurate and they only measure anxiety as opposed to measuring people actually lying.

HOW DO LIE DETECTOR TESTS WORK? The polygraph, the most common lie-detection instrument, works on the assumption that the body reacts involuntarily to the stress of lying. It measures reactions such as changes in skin conductance, pulse rate, blood pressure, and breathing while the subject is asked a series of questions. Using a number of sensors attached to the body, physiological changes can be used to determine whether someone is telling the truth. A major change in any pattern, also known as a 'response conflict', is thought to be a sign a person is lying by some. Advertisement

'The polygraphy will measure biological processes to determine whether the subject is experiencing physiological events such as an increase in blood pressure, or an increase in heart rate.'

Researchers have said that this does not proves someone is lying because liars do not necessarily show greater signs of arousal when addressing these questions.

On top of that, people telling the truth may be anxious while answering questions, and therefore show increased arousal.

This therefore means that physiological changes are not necessarily a reliable marker of deception.

As a result, polygraph tests cannot be used as evidence.

They cannot be used either as evidence in criminal court or as the basis for recalling offenders to prison.

Dr Sohom Das (pictured) is a London-based forensic psychiatrist who also makes YouTube content on his channel A Psych for Sore Minds

However, the results of polgraphy tests may be used in civil courts at the discretion of the judge

However, lie detector tests are sometimes used by law enforcement.

Dr Das explains this in his video, saying: 'They have been used to convince the perpetrator that they are completely accurate.

'So, they pressurise the perpetrator into confessing, so the perpetrator thinks they have to tell the truth and admits to the crime.

Dr Sohom Das can be found on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as YouTube.
Bardie Somerville, 25, reveals what it's like to be the only woman on a work site

Bardie Somerville is used to being the 'only girl' on a worksite - and has managed to work her way up from labourer and apprentice to manager in just seven years.

But that doesn't mean it's been easy for the idealistic 25-year-old, who admits being a woman in a trade comes with its own set of complications.

Speaking to FEMAIL, the young tradie said being a carpenter, electrician or plumber should be the same as following any other career - but as a woman, it's not.

'I think in general, as a woman, I am super aware when I step onto a [building] site for the first time,' she said.

'People make opinions of me and my work in a glance, so I really have to show up every time.'

Bardie Somerville is used to being the 'only girl' on a building site - and has managed to work her way up from labourer and apprentice to manager in just seven years

But that doesn't mean it's been easy for the idealistic 25-year-old, who admits being a woman in a trade comes with its own set of complications

'They will be dismissive or make me feel uncomfortable about being there. Then, two hours later, they will come over and tell me I "go alright for a girl".'

She explained she feels like she needs to work harder than her colleagues to make them see she deserves to be there and is more than capable in the role.

'When I show up on site I am not just showing up for me, I am showing up for all female tradies. I have had bosses hire other women after working with me,' she said.

'So it feels like if you have a bad day or don't show up in the best way, then maybe it will stop them from ever taking on another woman.'

Bardie says it took her years to turn up to work as herself instead of putting on a tradie persona

Bardie says she is lucky to work for an incredible company where negative behaviour towards women isn't tolerated, but says it is '100 per cent still out there'.

'A lot of the people who do have those opinions are leaving the industry, or will over the next few years,' she added.

She also alluded to the fact men are 'threatened' by women joining the workforce, which is why some of them make sites uncomfortable.

'They look at you like you are coming for their jobs,' she said.

When she does succeed she feels the need to downplay it, especially at work.

'There have been times when I have had great achievements, like apprentice of the year or different promotions and I feel like it isn't celebrated. Or they - the men on site - look down at it or brush it off,' she said.

'Some have even said things like, "Of course you get that - you are a girl - love to see men have the same opportunity."'

She says some men are quick to sexualise her, or judge her work before actually seeing it

She explained she wouldn't choose any other job: it is fun, she can spend a lot of time outside, and she loves her team.

The sexualisation of women on worksites is also an issue.

'Some blokes will take you away from the rest of the team, then make comments which are really uncomfortable,' she said.

'And it is hard because you know it is wrong, but you feel like if you complain you could be seen as a problem.

'You don't want to be the person who creates an issue, at the end of the day. In any other career, men women work together; trades are so much further behind.'

She added that when other tradies make sexualised comments, it makes her feel foreign - like she doesn't quite belong on a worksite.

This can result in women in trades trying too hard to fit in - at the expense of their own health and well-being.

'I think when people think of tradies, they think of people who drink a lot, talk a lot of crap and eat badly,' she said.

'So I did all of that. And I became really depressed.'

Once she decided to turn up on site as herself - without apology or adopting a 'tradie persona' - things became much better.

'It took me about three years, but after that everything improved, including my work,' she said.

Bardie doesn't regret becoming a carpenter, saying she wishes she realised earlier that trades were an option for young women

Instead of hitting the pub at 3pm and eating sausage rolls for lunch, Bardie reverted to her love of health and fitness and took control of her mental health.

Now she is able to embrace her strengths.

'Everyone on a site works as a team; I might not be as strong as someone else, but they might not be as good at something else as I am,' she said.

When Bardie first landed on a worksite, she was hoping to earn some cash labouring while studying fine arts at university.

She ended up dropping out of her degree to accept an apprenticeship.

'Everyone on a site works as a team; I might not be as strong as someone else, but they might not be as good at something else as I am,' Bardie said

'I wish I knew more about trades before. I probably wouldn't have gone to university,' she said.

Bardie loves being able to blend her love of art with her career in construction.

'Sometimes clients will pull up their Pinterest and show us ideas - but art can be expensive,' she said. 'I love being able to reverse engineer their ideas and make it happen.'

As a site boss, there are still hard days for Bardie.

Sometimes builders dismiss her; other times, site visitors will stroll straight past her and speak to an apprentice.

She will never regret learning how to be hands-on with the tools

Bardie is using her skills to renovate her own home - without paying through the nose for a carpenter

'It is definitely frustrating and pretty rude. But I have to be the bigger person and assume this person's not worked with a woman before,' she said.

Bardie has a lot of friends who are tradies - but admits that makes her think women are more common on worksites than they actually are.

'One of my old bosses hired a female apprentice, and I have worked with a female landscaper and one electrician,' she said.

Bardie is excited to prove women are valuable to the industry - and says it is a 'tiring' job but one she's proud to do.

The young woman is excited to share her knowledge with young tradies as they make their way up the ranks on her worksites.

She is also proud to have learned so many valuable skills on the tools.

She recently bought her own home - and is renovating it herself.

Bardie is excited to see where her career in the industry will take her, and says other women should consider an apprenticeship

Not only was the home affordable - because it needed so much work - but she's saving money by doing it herself.

'I am reminded about the savings every time I have to pay a trade, like an electrician or plumber, to come in,' she laughed.

Bardie is living 'on her worksite' and renovating half the house at a time.

'I have ripped my bathroom out, and some walls and ceiling in the bedrooms,' she said.

Once that is done, she will re-do the kitchen and living areas.

'I want women to know that being a tradie is an option,' she said.

About three per cent of all tradies in Australia are women.

Hacia Atherton, the founder of Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT), wants workplaces to use the female workforce more efficiently.

Not only was the home affordable - because it needed so much work - but she's saving money by doing it herself

She says it could be the solution to the trades shortage which continues to intensify as Australia records its lowest level of apprenticeship applications since the early 1990s.

'Its incredibly heartening to see the rise of women in trades, challenging the status quo and reshaping the industry landscape,' she said.

'Women and non binary peoples presence not only brings diverse perspectives and skills but also breaks long-standing stereotypes. Having a dedicated community for women in trades is paramount. It offers a safe space for sharing experiences, mentorship, and collective growth.

'This community stands as a beacon of support, ensuring every woman knows shes not alone on this journey. The future of trades is inclusive, and its a future Im excited about,' she finished.

With a vision to inspire one million women to embark on skilled trades apprenticeships, EWIT aims to elevate female participation from a mere 3 per cent to an impactful 30 per cent by 2030.
Porsche Centre Kuwait, Behbehani Motors Company, a leading automotive brand, has unveiled the much-anticipated Cayenne 2024.

Hosted under the theme "Further Together" at the opulent Grand Hyatt Hotel, the event was a melting pot of Porsche owners, automotive enthusiasts, and media representatives.

Hany Marie, General Manager, Porsche Centre Kuwait, said: The unveiling of the Cayenne 2024 marks a moment of triumph for Porsche Centre Kuwait and Behbehani Motors Company. With an impeccable blend of timeless design, cutting-edge technology, and exhilarating driving capabilities, this latest iteration is a testament to Porsches unwavering commitment to automotive excellence.

Highlighting the remarkable changes in the new Cayenne, he added: With comprehensive changes to the powertrain, chassis, design, and equipment, this new model has not only extended the on-road and off-road performance but also enhanced the luxury and comfort of everyday driving."

During the event, customers were treated to an exclusive opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of the Cayenne, exploring its five distinct variants adorned with captivating exterior colours and individualised interior colour combinations.

The 2024 Cayenne represents more than just a facelift; it embodies a well-considered evolution. With this new model, Porsche has gone beyond a surface-level update, fundamentally revamping the third generation of the Cayenne, with a highly digitalised display and control concept, new chassis technology, and innovative high-tech features.

The revised interior is characterised by a fully redesigned cockpit including a 12.6-inch instrument cluster with a free-standing design and variable display options.

The new Cayenne enriches the front passengers driving experience with a highly improved Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), optimising performance in all driving situations. In particular, comfort at slow speeds, control during dynamic cornering, and pitch and roll support have been noticeably improved in this new model, the company said. -TradeArabia News Service
Lady Kitty Spencer has been snapped enjoying the finest Milan Fashion Week has to offer as she stepped out at the Dolce & Gabbana Spring/Summer 2024 show before going to the label's after party.

The niece of Princess Diana, donned an attention-grabbing ensemble as she attended the show.

32-year-old Kitty, who is a global brand ambassador for the label, was among some major names at the event, including Kylie Jenner, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Maya Jama.

But she ensured she led the glamour with her leopard print fitted catsuit, topped with a coat in the same print. It is thought the coat may be faux fur, after the brand announced in 2022 that it would stop using controversial animal fur in its collections.

She paired the high neck catsuit and coat with a pair of pointed, high heeled boots in a matching animal print.

Kitty Spencer (pictured) who is the niece of Diana, Princess of Wales, is a model and global brand ambassador for Dolce and Gabanna

After the Dolce and Gabbana event, Kitty changed into a classic LBD, as she attended the show's after party

And the model took the coordinated look even further, toting a handbag which also bore the trademark print.

The Italian label is known for its leopard print, and offers a range of items boasting it, including cocktail dresses, shirts, jackets and even tights.

And model Kitty has rocked the look before, looking stunning in a 1,800 cocktail dress in the print in 2021, the year she was announced as a global brand ambassador for the label.

Attending the show last night, Kitty showed off her stunning model bone structure, sporting an up do with her hair pulled away from her face.

Her blonde locks were combed back tightly, and slicked down for a statement do, with her tresses then held in a ponytail which tumbled past her shoulders.

She sported a fresh, dewy base, with peach blush, a natural pink lip, and statement pink smokey liner on her top and bottom lids.

The bold look was completed with a large pair of statement earrings, large gold squares embossed with the label's branding.

The model is such a fan of the label, she even wore a D&G wedding dress, when she tied the knot with Michael Lewis during her 2021 nuptials in Rome (one of five stunning frocks she donned during the glamorous celebrations).

MODEL STYLE: The 32-year-old (pictured) showed off her stunning bone structure with her pulled back hairdo

Model Kitty Spencer (pictured) has been a global brand ambassador for Dolce and Gabbana since 2021

Lady Kitty (pictured) wore an eye-catching ensemble, donning a number of items which featured D&G's trademark animal print

The model finished her ensemble with a fresh make-up look featuring a dewy, fresh base and statement pink liner

Lady Kitty, then 30, wed the South African-born multi-millionaire Michael at the Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, a stunning country mansion with views out towards Rome, on July 24 that year.

And she walked down the aisle accompanied by her three brothers during the event, which has been described as the society wedding of that year.

Having delayed their wedding for two years due to the pandemic, the celebrations stretched across three days and were attended by close friends including the pop star Pixie Lott and the Marchioness of Bath.

And while some asked questions about the age gap between the model and her 62-year-old beau, others were curious about the absence of her father Charles Spencer.

It was reported at the time that the once-close father and daughter relationship may have cooled since Charles tied the knot with his third wife in 2011.

Lady Kitty's relationship with D&G goes back several years - she first appeared on the catwalk for the brand in 2017.

The model (pictured) has enjoyed a relationship with the brand for several years, and first walked the D&G catwalk in 2017

Following her appearance at the show, Lady Kitty (pictured) changed into a different outfit, and changed her make-up

By the time she was announced as a global brand ambassador, she had already attended many of the label's shows.

In addition, she was also known for wearing the label for red carpet appearances, on myriad occasions.

Speaking when the appointment was announced, Lady Kitty said: 'I am truly honoured to be appointed as global ambassador for Dolce & Gabbana. Domenico and Stefano celebrate lifes wonders: family, joy, beauty, colour and love.

'Working with them is always a new experience, a unique opportunity to rediscover Italian culture, art, savoir-faire and lifestyle.

'When I wear their pieces I feel their passion and I feel like the best version of myself.'
Princesses Maria Chiara and Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies are getting ready to take to the catwalk on Paris Fashion Week, they have revealed.

The Italian heiress sisters, who were born to Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro - who holds a claim to the now defunct throne of the former House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies - and Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro, shared snippets of their upcoming shows with Pierre Cardin.

Chiara, 18, and Carolina, 19, have spent the summer soaking up the sun in the French Riviera - while rumours swirled that Chiara was dating Prince Christian of Denmark (reports she has strenuously denied).

After announcing earlier this week that they had graduated from a fashion school in Paris, the sisters used their Instagram stories today to express their excitement for the 'legendary fashion designer' - and gave a glimpse into what the show, which will take place on Monday evening, will look like.

As the sisters prepare to become the face of Pierre Cardin's newest line, they will add catwalk models to their list of achievements - having also become TV stars this summer.

Italian heiress sisters Maria Carolina and Maria Chiara of Bourbon-Two Sicilies have revealed they'll be taking to the catwalk for Pierre Cardin at Paris Fashion Week

Last month the sisters announced they would be starring in 'Cote d'Azur: In the Privacy of Billionaires, Stars & Princesses' on the French streaming service, myCANAL.

In a snippet of the show shared on Instagram, Princess Carolina appeared to take a humble approach while shopping for sandals at a French market. 'I'm not interested in the brand,' she said.

During the clip, the sisters are seen enjoying the culture, restaurants and stunning views that the French town has to offer.

The siblings looked typically chic in casual but carefully curated outfits.

Chiara later shared a picture of her and Carolina in alike patterned boho-chic blue dresses alongside the writing: 'I hope you like it'.

The streaming platform explained: 'The Cote d'Azur fascinates the most fortunate, like princesses Carolina and Chiara de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles or Pierre-Jean Chalencon.'

Maria Carolina of Bourbon-Two Sicilies posted a photo on her Instagram story of herself behind the scenes

The news comes shortly after Chiara hit back at rumours she's dating Prince Christian of Denmark.

The Italian heiress, 18, took to her Instagram account to break her silence regarding speculation about her and the 17-year-old future King, insisting that 'while we all enjoy dreaming of fairytales, what truly matters is reality.'

She wrote: 'I would like to set the records straight with regards to the unfounded rumour that has been circulating about me. Prince Christian and I share a close friendship.'

The glamorous socialite added that 'at first, this situation made me smile' as she further discussed the 'inaccurate information'.

Princesses Maria Chiara (pictured left) and Maria Carolina of Bourbon- Two Sicilies (pictured right) have filmed for French television while on holiday in the glamorous St Tropez

Chiara (left), 18, and Carolina (right), 19, feature in 'Cote d'Azur: In the privacy of billionaires, stars & princesses' on the French streaming service, myCANAL

However, Chiara, the daughter of Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro, and Princess Camilla, Duchess of Castro, added: 'I believe it is now time to put an end to this rumour. When important events will occur in my life, I will be happy to share them with you.'

Her statement read: 'I would like to set the records straight with regards to the unfounded rumour that has been circulating about me. Prince Christian and I share a close friendship.

'However, some inaccurate information has been disseminated. At first, this situation made me smile; however, over time, this rumour has exceeded the limits of common sense and has spiralled becoming at odds with reality.

'I believe it is now time to put an end to this rumour. When important events will occur in my life, I will be happy to share them with you. While we all enjoy dreaming of fairy tales, what truly matters is reality.'

Speculation on whether the two were dating began in May when a group photo emerged on social media of the duo standing close together at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Chiara courted attention after a group photo emerged where she stood next to the future King of Denmark (pictured together in Monaco)

It was then reported that the prince - son of Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary - had hosted Chiara in Denmark in June, making the brave decision to introduce her to his grandmother, the Danish monarch.

'Chiara was in awe of the Queen  it's been a dream of hers to meet such an iconic female ruler and she's been practising her curtsies for months,' the source told Women's Day.

Chiara, who spent her summer in St Tropez with her sister Carolina, 20, then recently told Italian paper Corriere: 'We've known each other since we were little, my father Carlo is godfather to his younger sister.'

Her father Prince Carlo holds a claim to the now defunct throne of the former House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, a cadet branch of the Spanish royal family , which descends from the Capetian Dynasty and ruled over Southern Italy and Sicily during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Meanwhile, her mother, Duchess Camilla, born Crociani, is the daughter of Italian industry Tycoon Camilla Crociani and the actress Edy Vessel.

While Chiara seemingly likes to appear in the public eye, it seems Prince Christian has kept his private life quiet and has said he won't take a royal pension when he turns 18.

He will only take money from the royal grant if his father ascends the throne, and will remain limited in his royal duties until he turns 21.
This is the incredible moment an Oktoberfest waitress piles up a whopping 13 beers before carrying them over to customers.

Verena Angermeier was captured on TikTok juggling the pints at the famous annual festival in Munich, Germany.

Oktoberfest is the world's largest folk festival, celebrated for its famous beer event and travelling carnival, and is known to attract over six million people from around the world.

In the clip, Verena can be seen neatly arranging numerous heavy glasses full of beer as they are passed to her from behind the bar.

She then stacks a staggering 13 glasses into three rows, before steadily hoisting them into her hands and walking off, all the while with a huge grin on her face.

Super strength! This is the incredible moment an Oktoberfest waitress (pictured) carried a whopping 13 beers at the same time before serving it to customers

Verena Angermeier was captured on TikTok braving the shocking task at the famous annual festival in Munich, Germany .

Viewers were utterly mesmerised by the clip, with many branding it 'outstanding' and 'amazing'.

The clip opens with Verena standing at the bar with just one glass of beer in front of her, leaving no indication of the herculean task ahead.

She focuses squarely on the pints ahead of her and barely takes a moment to look up.

A number of beers are then slid across to her from numerous directions, which she stops and catches with precision.

With super speed, she neatly arranges them into small groups before stacking them one on top of the other.

She smiles and shouts something inaudible to her colleagues as she patiently waits for the remaining beers.

Then, once she has her hands full, she glances at the camera and flashes a cheeky grin before effortlessly sliding the, off the bar and sauntering off towards the waiting crowd of thirsty punters.

She stacked a staggering 13 glasses into three rows, before steadily hoisting them into her hands and walking off, all the while with a huge grin on her face

The video has racked up more than 53 million views since it was posted on the platform - and more than 13,000 people have left comments to express their shock at the super-strength of the waitress.

Pointing out the weight of the beers, one person wrote: 'I went to Oktoberfest and I had a bruise on my hand from drinking one at a time, they are so heavy'.

Clearly impressed, another viewer added: 'What in the? I cant even carry my coffee mug from the kitchen to the couch without a major malfunction!!!'

'RESPECT,' chimed another.

'Its not hard, its outstanding,' remarked another.

Viewers were utterly mesmerised by the clip, with many branding it 'outstanding' and 'amazing'

Oktoberfest - the world's largest folk festival is back once against for the 213th time, and it has not failed to attract millions from all over the world to Munich, Bavaria.

Roughly six million people visit the weeks-long festival every year, a number that has only grown since its inception in 1810, to try the best sausage and beer Munich has to offer.

Guests wear their best Bavarian threads, with gents often seen in lederhosen, while ladies don 'dirndls', a traditional dress that consists of a low neckline bodice, a blouse and a high-waisted skirt.

The first ever Oktoberfest began as a celebration of the wedding of Prince Regent Ludwig of Bavaria, the later King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen in 1810.

Festivities for the wedding, which took place almost exactly 213 years ago to the day, saw Bavarian citizens celebrate with an enormous horse race.

The region's population liked the race so much that they decided to do another one every year after that, with the festival evolving to include fairground rides and attractions in the years to come.

It was skipped in 2020 and 2021 as authorities grappled with Covid-19, but returned in 2022.

This year's event runs through to October 2. A one-litre stein of beer costs between 12.60 euros and 14.90 euros (10.86 to 12.84) this year, an increase of around six per cent from last year.
This is the hair raising moment a horse kicked back at a King's guard - but the hearty soldier remained surprisingly composed.

Shocking video footage on the King's Guard UK channel on YouTube shows the unknown soldier being aggressively kicked in the chest by a horse in front of him at what appears to be Horse Guard's Parade at St James's Park in London.

As part of the usual drill, the soldier dismounts from his own horse, before taking his position during the procession.

Viewers then see him kicked by the horse in front of him with both legs, causing him to wince in pain momentarily before reshuffling back to position as if nothing happened.

People expressed relief that the soldier was able to carry on, with one adding that he 'handled it well.

In the clip, the horses are lined up and a drill is carried out after the changing of the guard.

As tourists and royal fans gather to watch the royal guard in action, the guards dismount their horses on command.

One guard, whose horse is on the back line, reaches the ground and walks around the front of his horse.

However as he does so, the steed in front of him raises its back legs and kicks out, making contact with the guard in the chest.

A clip on The King's Guards YouTube channel shows an exasperated horse kicking out at a soldier

After the horse lifts his hind legs and kicks out at the guard, he steps back a few paces before quickly recovering

The Royal Guard's YouTube channel confirmed the guard, who barely flinched, had not been injured by the kick.

Ensuring the safety of his own horse, the soldier took a couple of steps back but remained in formation.

Commenting on the video, people praised the soldier for how he handled the kick.

One person wrote: 'Thank goodness for the chest plate. That could have been super bad and finishing out the duty... I mean that's top tier!'

Another wrote: 'God bless the guards. You could see him cringe some but he continued on. Hope he is ok.'

The frightening moment comes after an elderly military veteran witnessed the friendly side of a member of the King's Guard as he moved closer to her as she posed for a photo with her husband at Horse Guards Parade in Whitehall.

A video posted on social media shows the couple - both of whom were proudly displaying their medals - moving as close as they dare to the mounted soldier.

But, having apparently realised they have both served their country, the soldier, who is wearing his customary plumed helmet and armour, quickly urges his horse closer to them before allowing the woman to pat his steed's nose.

Beaming, the couple then move away and the soldier directs his horse back into position.

The video, which was originally posted on the popular Buska in the Park Youtube channel, was shared on Twitter yesterday and subsequently re-tweeted nearly 2,000 times.
READ MORE: What is Mohs surgery, used to remove Jill Biden's skin cancer

She has had basal cell carcinoma nine times in her face, back, legs, and stomach

A woman who thought she just had acne and bug bites turned out to have skin cancer nine times.

Molly, who goes by HR_Molly on social media, thought she just had a bug bite on her leg at first. But when it didn't go away, she sounded the alarm.

'I actually was starting to get this pit in my stomach that this could be skin cancer,' she said in a series of TikTok videos in July, which has more than one million views.

Molly sought help from a dermatologist, who claimed she had nothing to worry about. But when she brought up a blemish on her lip that wouldn't go away, the diagnosis changed.

Molly, who goes by HR_Molly on TikTok, shared a series of videos this summer detailing how she thought blemishes on her skin were just acne or bug bites. They turned out to be skin cancer

'That's probably skin cancer,' he said. 'I was not mentally prepared to start getting shocked in my face, to have them take a biopsy,' Molly said.

'It was scary and kind of mentally traumatizing.'

Since then, she has had the skin cancer basal cell carcinoma, the same cancer First Lady Jill Biden had removed earlier this year, removed nine times from her face, ears, back, legs, chest, and stomach. This form of skin cancer is highly treatable and rarely deadly.

Molly is now warning others to not 'skip the dermatologist,' regardless of skin tone or your level of skin exposure.

'You don't need a lot of sun exposure to get skin cancer,' she said.

'Regardless of the complexion of your skin or your family history, please see a dermatologist if you have access to that.'

Though sun exposure is the main cause of skin cancer, Molly said she has only used tanning beds a few times and hardly spent any time lying out in the sun.

She believes that her ancestry, which is part German, Irish, and Native American, may have predisposed her to the condition.

Skin cancer is most common in white skin, though a 2022 study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that American Indians and Alaskan Natives had significantly higher rates of skin cancers like melanoma compared to other minority groups.

'Your genetics load the weapon, and your environment pulls the trigger,' Molly said.

There are about 5.4 million skin cancer cases in the US each year, with the disease killing 9,500 people.

Molly's cancer, basal cell carcinoma, is the most common cancer in the US, with 3.6 million annual cases.

Molly has had basal cell carcinoma nine times in several places, including her face, ears, back, legs, chest, and stomach

These form from uncontrolled growth of basal cells, which are found at the bottom of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin.

In Molly's case, her cancers appeared as acne or bug bites, but it can take several forms. In most cases, basal cell carcinoma appears as a slightly transparent bump on the skin.

It can also look like a brown, black, or blue lesion, a scaly patch, or a scar-like lesion, according to the Mayo Clinic.

'Not all skin cancer will look like mine,' Molly said.

After her dermatologist spotted the first instance of skin cancer, Molly underwent a six-and-a-half-hour Mohs surgery.

Mohs surgery is performed in an outpatient setting and typically takes a few hours. Many patients remain awake for the surgery, which requires just local anesthesia to numb the area.

The objective of a Mohs procedure is to excise as much cancerous skin tissue as possible while also doing as little damage to the surrounding healthy tissue as possible. It's a gradual process, and layers of skin are removed in steps.

First, the surgeon uses a scalpel to remove the surface-level cancerous skin tissue with the understanding that there might be more cancerous tissue beneath the surface. Skin cancer is like an ice berg. The bulk of it is usually hidden under the surface.

The surgeon maps out where on the body the cancerous tissue was extracted, takes that tissue sample to the lab, dyes it, and cuts it into sections. Specialized technicians place those tissue samples on slides to be investigated under the microscope.

The doctor painstakingly examines the edges of each section of tissue for evidence of remaining cancer. If the surgeon finds cancer cells under the microscope, their location is marked on the map.

The process is repeated until the doctor can find no evidence of cancer in the sampled tissue.

Mohs surgery is performed on over 876,000 tumors every year in the US. It's successful 99 percent of the time.

Molly's cancer has returned eight more times in several areas of her body. To reduce scarring, she uses microneedling, laser treatment, facials, and Botox.

'Since then, I've had a bunch more skin cancer,' she said. 'It's always like, "Is it a pimple? Is it a bug bite? Is it an ingrown hair?"

She avoids going outside during peak UV times, which tend to be between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and always wears sunscreen outside.
A Nevada widow whose husband died from an accidental fentanyl overdose is shedding light on the harrowing impact of the drug.

Jacob Wade, 26, a former Marine, had been a devoted family man to his wife, Britain Tomlin, and children, Walker and Blakely, when he accidentally overdosed on a drug cocktail laced with fentanyl in February.

It's unclear what other drugs Mr Wade was taking, but accidental overdoses involving fentanyl have become an increasingly common tale in the US. Many victims don't even know they're taking it.

Ms Tomlin is now warning against the dangers of the drug, which kills one American every eight minutes.

'Fentanyl robbed us of a wonderful man  a devoted husband, a loving son, and a caring father,' she said.

Jacob Wade, 26, a former Marine, had been a devoted family man to his wife, Britain Tomlin, and children, Walker and Blakely, when he accidentally overdosed on a drug cocktail laced with fentanyl in February

Mr Wade was an aspiring entrepreneur who spent his free time fishing, hiking, and riding his dirt bike. He also regularly volunteered in his community, such as building homes for families in need

'I'm determined to raise awareness about the devastating fentanyl and opioid crisis, urging the government to step up its efforts in aiding those grappling with addiction.'

'We need more resources to support individuals battling substance abuse and to assist their families.'

Ms Tomlin and Mr Wade met in 2018 after he returned home from the military. The two shared an 'instant connection.'

'Before we knew it, we were married and embracing the arrival of our precious kids,' Ms Tomlin said.

Mr Wade was an aspiring entrepreneur who spent his free time fishing, hiking, and riding his dirt bike. He also regularly volunteered in his community, such as building homes for families in need.

But he also had a history of drug use that started when he was a teenager. It started with marijuana before escalating to harder drugs.

'Throughout our relationship, he put in tremendous effort to break free from his addiction, and there were moments when he believed he had conquered it. But then, he would fall back into old patterns, and the cycle would restart,' Ms Tomlin said.

'Drug dependency had transformed Jacob into a different version of himself  someone who no longer recognized the person he had become.'

'The actions he took while under the influence haunted him when he was sober, casting a shadow of sadness and self-disappointment.'

In the above graph, the height of each bar shows the total number of drug overdose deaths occurring in that year. As overdose deaths rose in the United States from 38,329 in 2010 to 106,699 in 2021, the percentage involving both fentanyl and stimulants rose from 0.6 percent to 32.3 percent

Deaths caused by fentanyl in the US surged in the 2010s. At the start of the decade, 2,666 Americans died of a fentanyl overdose. This figure shot up to 19,413 by 2016. Covid made the situation worse, with a record 72,484 deaths recorded in 2021

The Department of Homeland Security has declared fentanyl the 'single greatest challenge the US faces as a country.'

The potent synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine. It is used by doctors for patients in serious pain or with terminal illnesses.

It is cheap, highly addictive, relatively easy to smuggle into the US, and cost-effective for dealers to mix it into their supplies, which saves them money and can extend or boost the high that users experience.

But it takes a vanishingly small dose of fentanyl to cause a fatal overdose. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of five grains of salt, is enough to cause death.

Because it is cut into other popular drugs, many people who die of overdoses do not know they are taking fentanyl. Fentanyl has also been partially blamed for America's sharp fall in life expectancy over the past three years.

It's now found in everything from cocaine to molly and street benzodiazepines like Xanax.

The opioid being cut with virtually every street drug in the country killed a record 75,000 Americans in 2021 in the latest numbers, the equivalent of 1,500 lives lost weekly.

And deaths from fentanyl-laced drugs have risen 50-fold in just over a decade.

It was also linked to the death of Euphoria star Angus Cloud, 25, who died earlier this year from an accidental overdose of fentanyl, cocaine, and meth.

'It's so common to think addiction is just a choice. How could the people we love willingly go down that path of using drugs or risking their lives? They have so much to live for, and their choices affect many others,' Ms Tomlin said.

Angus Cloud, the 25-year-old Euphoria actor, was found unresponsive in his family home in Oakland, California, on July 31, and pronounced dead on the scene by responders. This week, his death was ruled an accidental overdose from cocaine, meth, and fentanyl

'We tend to label those who make such choices as selfish, self-destructive, irresponsible, and reckless. But the truth is that addiction doesn't stick to any specific type. It doesn't care if you're strong or weak, selfless or selfish, kind or heartless. It can hit anyone.'

Ms Tomlin said that her relationship with Mr Wade was strained at the time of his death. She had recently moved out with the kids and was temporarily staying with family.

On the day he died, he had stopped responding to her texts. Mr Wade's parents found him unresponsive.

'I couldn't go upstairs as paramedics were still trying to help him. My kids were in the car with our neighbors, witnessing the police, ambulances, and fire trucks gathered around our home,' Ms Tomlin said.

'Even today, my daughter, who was just three years old, remembers how her daddy was put on a stretcher and loaded into an ambulance.'

At the hospital, doctors informed her that Mr Wade had passed.

'I fell apart, dreading how to break the news to our children and his parents,' Ms Tomlin said.

'I spent about an hour with him, and before leaving, I took a necklace I had given him and left a bracelet with his mom. I whispered my final words and left, carrying the weight of that heart-wrenching day with me.'

After her husband's death, Ms Tomlin took to social media to bring awareness to fentanyl and drug overdoses.

"If you know someone struggling, don't wait  take action,' she said.

'Show them kindness and honesty, reach out as soon as possible, and keep checking in. Life's too short to let fear of judgment hold us back. Yes, my grief is always there, heavy and strong.'

'I'll carry Jacob with me wherever I go. But you know what? Despite all that pain, I've found ways to grow and experience real happiness.'

'My life isn't done yet. Jacob's memory lives on, cherished by everyone who loved him.'

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Narcan, the nasal spray that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses.

The medicine can now be sold over the counter without a prescription.
The review into the Nigel Farage debacle and the wider issue of 'debanking' at Coutts, the posh bit of NatWest, is landing anytime now with the bank's board.

This piece of work, commissioned by NatWest at the end of July from law firm Travers Smith, is not likely to placate Mr Farage or anyone else.

Nothing is likely to be published before the end of October. The board, led by chairman Sir Howard Davies, who has himself emerged tarnished from the affair, will take several weeks to digest the findings.

The intention is merely to release the key findings, along with recommendations and disciplinary actions the bank plans to take  and is obliged by regulations to reveal.

It will disclose any pay and bonus clawbacks for Dame Alison Rose, who is being paid a package of 2.4m under her contract, alongside the Travers Smith report, as it must do so under stock market rules.

A sign of the times: The review into the Nigel Farage debacle and the wider issue of 'debanking' was commissioned by NatWest at the end of July

However, there is no such requirement to reveal if Peter Flavel, the former CEO of Coutts, thought to have earned between 1.5m and 2m a year, is also being hit by retribution in the pocket.

We won't know anything until the Coutts annual report next year and that document is unlikely to give a full picture.

Leaving aside Farage's dismissal of the Travers Smith review as a whitewash by an establishment law firm, it is undeniably limited in its scope. The review is not, for instance, examining the chaotic nature of Rose's resignation, where Davies at first supported her and then backtracked after a late-night intervention by the Treasury.

Nor is it looking at how Davies, who steps down in the spring, handled the affair.

It is part of a long and depressing history of supposedly independent investigations into the failings of our banks. Almost without exception, these turn out to be a huge expenditure of time and money that result in no one being held to account.

Possibly the most egregious example is the probe into the managers at HBOS who were in charge when it went to the brink.

An inquiry that had cost City regulators 7.2m wound up last summer, 14 years after the event. It resulted in no action.

Similarly, an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority into the scandal at NatWest's former unit GRG, which was supposed to nurture troubled small and medium businesses back to health, decided in 2019 not to punish the bank. This was despite evidence of widespread mistreatment of customers after the 2008 crisis. The identities of managers accused of being responsible were kept under wraps.

Investigations can be hamstrung by 'Maxwellisation', which is named after the late tycoon Robert Maxwell, and gives people the right to respond to criticisms.

In the case of investigations into HBOS this resulted in 1425 representations from 35 people, which were followed by re-Maxwellising.

A new variant appears to be a reluctance to publish adverse findings against named individuals due to claims this may breach privacy or data protection laws.

Be that as it may, it can look as though the system is geared to the interests of bosses protecting themselves, as well as shielding firms and regulators from lawsuits.

That mentality was in evidence when the Bank of England argued individuals should not be named in a report into the 236m collapse of London Capital and Finance, which criticised governor Andrew Bailey.

The taxpaying public, which has supported NatWest for so long in the face of so many disasters, deserves better.
Store owners in Britain's shoplifting capital are living in a 'lawless' town where gangland bosses rule the streets and thieves openly sell their stolen goods.

Last week, MailOnline revealed the areas worst afflicted by shoplifting. Cleveland topped the rankings as the place with the most number of shoplifting crimes in the past five years per 1,000 people.

During the period 2018-2023, there were 32,378 reports of shoplifting in the region.

With a population of 570,000 according to the most recent census data, that works out at 56.80 crimes per 1,000 in population.

Shop owners and locals in Hartlepool, which falls under the protection of Cleveland Police, told MailOnline criminal gang bosses had taken charge and shoplifting was rife.

Store owners in Britain's shoplifting capital are living in a 'lawless' town where gangland bosses rule the streets and thieves openly sell their stolen goods. Pictured: Abik Romarajan, 23, works in LS Convenience store in Hartlepool

Avril Sprintall, 72, (pictured) a retired office manager, said: 'A lot of the shoplifting is just people trying to survive in a cost of living crisis'

Gareth Richardson, 39, (pictured) works at Tech and Games, which provides a repair service and also buys and sells goods. He says shoplifting is so rife thieves will open up DVD boxes and take CDs which are only worth about 1

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Cleveland tops the table as the place with the most number of shoplifting crimes in the past five years per 1,000 people

Residents said they never saw bobbies on the beat, and claimed Cleveland Police does little to protect the town from widespread theft.

Locals regularly see thieves with huge hauls being chased down the rundown streets by security guards.

Abik Romarajan, 23, works in LS Convenience store, where a massive TV screen providing views of the entire shop faces the counter.

There is also a glass screen emblazoned with 'NO ENTRY' signs to keep customers away from the till.

Abik said: 'We've taken a lot of precautions, including changing the layout of the shop, but we still have thefts.

'One person will hold the door of open, and another will run in, grab what they can, and run out again.

'It happens so quickly you barely have time to react. You get a lot of kids thieving. They go for the sweets. Anything that's easy to steal, anything that has sugar in it.

'Because of that, we have a rule whereby we only allow two children in at once.

Last week, MailOnline revealed the areas worst afflicted by shoplifting. Cleveland topped the rankings as the place with the most number of shoplifting crimes in the past five years per 1,000 people

During the period 2018-2023, there were 32,378 reports of shoplifting in the region

With a population of 570,000 according to the most recent census data, that works out at 56.80 crimes per 1,000 in population

Shop owners and locals in Hartlepool, which falls under the protection of Cleveland Police, told MailOnline criminal gang bosses had taken charge and shoplifting was rife

'I watch them very closely but they still take things. You try to speak to them and they are so rude. You have no power. What can you do?

'There's little point calling the police. To be fair to them, they can't get here quickly enough anyway.

'I tell the kids I'm going to ring the police, and they run out of the shop. At least it gets rid of them.'

Tom Ward, 24, who works at Cut Price Vape, on the same street, says his shop is beset by anti social behaviour and crime and claims the police aren't interested.

He said: 'I caught someone trying to break in.

'I arrived one morning, and opened up the front. I realised someone was trying to drill into the back door.

'This was at 8am, not in the dead of the night. People have no shame.

'We get shoplifters too. They come in in threes. One will talk to you and pretend they are interested in buying something. While you are distracted the others will steal.

'You also get kids coming in. This is a vape shop and they are underage so you have to ask them to leave. In retaliation they will then try and steal stuff.'

Abik Romarajan, 23, who works in LS Convenience (pictured) store said: 'We've taken a lot of precautions, including changing the layout of the shop, but we still have thefts'

He said: 'It happens so quickly you barely have time to react. You get a lot of kids thieving. They go for the sweets. Anything that's easy to steal, anything that has sugar in it'

Tom Ward, 24, who works at Cut Price Vape (pictured), on the same street, says his shop is beset by anti social behaviour and crime and claims the police aren't interested

Tom added: 'In Hartlepool, there is a shortage of police.

'The last time we reported a shoplifting offence we were told to upload a screenshot from CCTV to a link the police sent us.

'I even gave them the name of the shoplifter, as I knew who it was. But nothing happened.

'The shoplifters are getting away with it, 100 per cent. If it's not drug related, the police aren't interested.

'People here have given up on the police. They are having to sort out problems themselves.

'It's only at the point where someone gets their head kicked in that the police get involved.'

Another local said: 'There's no deterrent. The police don't do anything.

'The shoplifters openly trade, right where we're standing now. They sell the items on in broad daylight.

'It's damaging to the business owner and it pushes prices up.'

Another man added: 'It sounds about right that Cleveland is the worst in the country for shoplifting.

'It's the cost of living crisis. If you don't have food for your kids, what are you supposed to do?

'There are no police here. People can do what they want in this town.

'Shoplifting is rife. We have shoplifters knocking on our doors, trying to sell clothes.

'It's the big bosses, the gangs, who are in charge. It's lawless.'

Dawn Conroy, 49, is the manager of Eden Mobility in the town, which has scooters lined up on the pavement outside.

She said: 'We get people trying to steal the mobility scooters.

'The scooters are chained up, so thieves can't take them. If they weren't chained up they'd definitely be taken.

'We also have lots of cameras. It's not a massive problem for us, but it is for the town as a whole.

'I'm not shocked the Cleveland area is the worst in the country for shoplifting.

'We see shoplifters with big bags being chased down the street outside the shop by security guards.

'There's no shame, and there are no police around. The police should be back on the beat, you just don't see them. You used to feel safe.

'Sometimes CID will come in asking for our CCTV, but it's for more serious offences that have happened on the street, such as attacks or rape.

'They're not interested in shoplifting. It's difficult for the security guards. They're not able to physically get stuff back from the shoplifters.

'A lot of it is people on drugs. You don't know if they're carrying a knife.

'There's not enough support in the town and it's not getting dealt with. The town is going downhill and I don't even want to live here.'

Gareth Richardson, 39, works at Tech and Games, which provides a repair service and also buys and sells goods. He says shoplifting is so rife thieves will open up DVD boxes and take CDs which are only worth about 1.

He said: 'We have been here long enough to know who the regular shoplifters are.

'They are the type of people who would sell their niece's toy box.

Gareth Richardson, 39, works at Tech and Games. He told MailOnline: 'We have been here long enough to know who the regular shoplifters are. 'They are the type of people who would sell their niece's toy box'

He said: 'I had someone come in here once trying to sell a little toy box with the name 'Stephanie' on it. I thought, ''just give that back to Stephanie'''

He added: 'People come in here and try to sell stolen goods. We tell the police, but they're not bothered. They don't want to put the effort in for something which costs 100'

'I had someone come in here once trying to sell a little toy box with the name 'Stephanie' on it. I thought, ''just give that back to Stephanie''.'

Gareth added: 'There's no police presence any more. You never see police walk past.

'People come in here and try to sell stolen goods. We tell the police, but they're not bothered. They don't want to put the effort in for something which costs 100.'

Retired teaching assistant, Janet Carr, 58, said: 'I'm not surprised this area is the worst in the country for shoplifting.

'More needs to be done to help the shops. I don't know what the answer is, but something needs to be done. The police should take shoplifting more seriously.

Retired teaching assistant, Janet Carr, 58, (pictured) said: 'I'm not surprised this area is the worst in the country for shoplifting'

Alan Chambers, 70, (pictured) a retired plant hire manager, added: 'Shoplifting is rife in Hartlepool. There is a lot of unemployment and it's down to lack of money'

'I think the cost of living crisis and Covid have made the problem worse.'

Alan Chambers, 70, a retired plant hire manager, added: 'Shoplifting is rife in Hartlepool. There is a lot of unemployment and it's down to lack of money.

'At Tesco they steal tubs of Lurpak and packs of bacon. Stuff that's easy to sell on.

'Just a few months ago there were kids on my estate trying to sell on Lurpak for 2 a tub. We do not see police in Hartlepool any more.'

Chief Inspector Pete Littlewood, Cleveland Police's operational lead on retail crime, told MailOnline: 'Whilst shoplifting has increased in Cleveland, this is the same across the country and most likely a reflection of the impact of national social and economic changes.

Dawn Conroy, 49, (pictured) is the manager of Eden Mobility in the town, which has scooters lined up on the pavement outside

Chief Inspector Pete Littlewood, Cleveland Police's operational lead on retail crime, told MailOnline: 'Whilst shoplifting has increased in Cleveland, the picture is the same across the country and most likely a reflection of the impact of national social and economic changes'

'Cleveland is an area of significant social deprivation with high crime levels similar to larger city forces such as Greater Manchester, Liverpool and Northumbria. Our smaller geographical area, with a lower population than these large city areas, shows a higher number of incidents per thousand of the population in comparison with these other forces, so some caution should be applied when comparing forces against each other.

'Cleveland's charge and detection rate for shoplifting is above the national average, with 22.8% of reports ending in a charge to court. Whilst much work remains to be done in dealing with the issue of retail crime, those figures are testament to the work Cleveland Police Officers do to tackle the problem.

'The force is proactive in its approach to preventing, reducing and catching those who regularly steal from shops. Neighbourhood teams work closely with retailers, encouraging them to report crime when it happens, offering crime prevention advice, and ensuring that we have a clear picture of what is happening through the offer of retail crime forums.

'Efforts are also made to arrest the top five shoplifters each week, and officers regularly carry out problem solving work to prevent reoffending by making applications for Criminal Behaviour Orders. The Neighbourhood Teams take part in regular weeks of action to target retail crime, with a visible policing presence in shopping centres and engagement activity with both retailers and shoppers.

'All reports of shoplifting reported to Cleveland Police are recorded so that our statistics provide a full and frank picture of the scale of the problem across the force area. Where there are solvability factors such as a named suspect, CCTV evidence, witnesses or other reasonable lines of enquiry, then the report will be investigated.'
EXCLUSIVE

An escort who filmed a client performing a sex act on her without his knowledge before sending it to his fiancee two months later now claims the man is stalking her - as she's viciously trolled by fake accounts online.

Brooke Ariel Grace Baker, 31, said the man, who she met through escortsandbabes.com.au, unblocked her on social media recently and has started bombarding her online.

She believes that he may be behind a series of fake accounts that popped up over the weekend using her name and photo - including an Instagram account in her name which describes her as a 'smelly hooker'.

'Smelly hooker who fell in love with. aclient (sic) then filmed it and it to his FIANCE TO BE SPITEFUL n get money cuz [sic] that's what I do!' the bio for Baker's fake Instagram account read.

Fake ads in her name have also been posted to escorting website Locanto. 'Recently homeless and needing help... In Penrith but will travel,' one ad said.

'I used to escort but have put that behind me just am happy to have company as long as the reward it right.'

The man and former client at the centre of the video sought a restraining order against Baker in October after he and his fiancee received an anonymous email with a video of him performing oral sex on her in August last year.

Brooke Baker claims the man, who sought a restraining order against her, is now following her again on social media

A cruel social media page taunting former sex worker Brooke Baker has emerged, after she admitted in court to sending a video of a man performing a sex act on her, to his fiancee

Ads posted to user-to-user classifieds page Locanto have been advertising Brooke as a sex worker. She believes a troll is behind the ads

'He unblocks me on TikTok and votes on a poll I put on my story,' Baker told Daily Mail Australia.

'He'll get in contact with me every now and again and send things on email saying "I miss my best friend".'

After the couple received the video, they reported the matter to police, who issued an apprehended violence order to protect the man from Baker.

Despite pleading guilty to sharing the video without the man's knowledge or

consent, Baker claims that he was aware he was being filmed and paid for the intimate footage.

'It got sent from a random email so they [victim] automatically assumes I did it,' she said.

'He makes eye contact to the camera a number or times, he was aware he was being filmed.'

She said the man was booking her multiple times a day and they were 'inseparable' at the time it was filmed.

'He's ruined my life and has no remorse and everyone now thinks I'm a psycho escort... and I don't even escort anymore.'

However, despite her legal woes, she has vowed to 'never go back to escorting ever again'.

Baker said the saga has 'ruined her life': 'He has no remorse and everyone now thinks I'm a psycho escort... and I don't even escort anymore'

'He unblocks me on TikTok and votes on a poll I put on my story (above),' Baker told Daily Mail Australia

'He'll get in contact with me every now and again and send things on email saying "I miss my best friend", Baker claimed (above, a screenshot showing him viewing her profile)

The backlash since the saga was made public has meant Baker been forced to quit what she calls her 'dream job' at a local leagues club.

'I was being trained in bar gaming, functions and events at the leagues club,' she said.

'They said they didn't want that sort of influence in the club.'

Baker was previously found guilty of two counts of intentionally recording an intimate image without consent, despite not showing up to court.

Baker told Daily Mail Australia she couldn't afford legal representation and was instructed by her legal aid lawyer to plead guilty.

'To be honest I pleaded guilty just to get it over and done with not expecting the bullsh*t was put in the news... I can't afford the lawyers to fix this.'

The pair connected in 2018 through an online escort service.

The man booked Baker, who used the alias 'Amelia', and the pair organised to meet at the Meriton Suites in Parramatta.

However, Baker denies his version of events, saying they actually met on Valentine's Day 2022.

'He booked me three times that day and we became inseparable ,' she said.

Baker claims the man has multiple escorts on the go - and that she's the only one 'copping the fire of it all'

The relationship is understood to have turned sour when the victim stopped booking her services or answering her calls.

The court heard months later she spotted him stopped at traffic lights at an intersection and got into his car where the pair argued, with Baker only leaving after he told her he was driving to a police station.

She then sent him 244 texts and made 87 calls to his phone in one evening without him replying. After being found guilty of recording the video an AVO was issued preventing her from contacting him.

However, Baker also now disputes this, and says in both cases, 'another escort' was involved, not her.

'Several times he promised he was going to leave her [his fiancee]. He has multiple escorts that were trying to turn him into a boyfriend, but I am the only one that's copping the fire of it all,' she said.

Baker will remain on bail and her matters will return to court on October 24.
A Chinese-American actor who picked up minor roles in films for decades had a secret past as a San Francisco gangster, his niece has revealed in a new podcast.

Galen Yuen, who died in 2015, established himself as a minor role stalwart throughout the 1980s when he appeared alongside the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

But before becoming a thespian, Yuen was an established member of the Suey Sing gang which operated in Chinatown, pimping out sex workers and carrying a gun.

It was during this period of his life in the 1960s that Yuen battled drug addiction and went to jail as he was pulled into a life of crime.

The unknown past of the late actor has recently received new attention after his niece, journalist Maya Lin Sugarman, launched a podcast about his life.

Galen Yuen had established himself as a minor role stalwart and occasionally even wrote screenplays during his career on screen

Born into a Chinese immigrant family in Oakland in 1952, as a teenager he fell in with street gangs of the time when criminal activities ran rampant in the Bay Area.

According to his niece, Yuen was said to have acted as a pimp, and was known to start fights, as well as using guns to extort money from people.

After years of gang activity, Yuen later served time in jail in the early 70s, and the Suey Sing disbanded after one of its leaders was deported.

According to The San Francisco Standard, it is believed that the gang-related activities in Chinatown were largely eliminated following the arrest of Raymond 'Shrimp Boy' Chow ten years ago.

Despite this assumption, the standard say that the Suey Sing, Hop Sing, Hip Sing, Bing Kong and Chee Kung gangs are still prominent in the area.

After being released from prison, Yuen did not go to college but instead found a job working at an auto body shop while living with his mom in Oakland.

In 1985, Yuen had been watching the soap opera General Hospital when he noticed that the plots of the show would occasionally involve Asian Americans.

This realization caused him to pursue a new life in Hollywood and moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a new life.

As a teenager he fell in with street gangs of the time when criminal activities ran rampant in the Bay Area Chinatowns

In the words of his sisters, he moved to the city to 'get a fresh start' and that he was 'running from something'.

Sugarman said her late uncle was confident that he could be more authentic than other actors on the screen at the time because he had lived the life.

She said: 'And he realized, 'wait, like everything I just went through, I could do that on the screen.'

Moving to LA in the 1985, he launched his new career and according to his IMDB profile starred in 26 different TV and movie productions.

Whilst most of his roles were minor, he appeared alongside big Hollywood names including Arnold Schwarzenegger in Kindergarten Cop.

Frustrated with his continuous smaller roles in films, he started to write screenplays in an attempt to create more opportunities for himself.

His dream became a reality in 1998, when a script he penned was turned into the crime movie 'Crazy Six'.

The film starred Rob Lowe, Burt Reynolds, Ice-T and Mario Van Peebles and is set during a section of Eastern Europe after the fall of communism.

Galen Yuen and Werner Herzog in September 2005 on the set of Herzog's film Rescue Dawn

After the film was whitewashed, Yuen decided to use his tenacity that made him an effective criminal to help fellow Asian Americans in the industry.

Yuen formed the Asian Talent Force agency and attempted to help negotiate better roles and finances for fellow Asian Americans.

He went on to write Riot, a four-part TV movie about the unrest that followed the Rodney King verdict in 1992.

Later in his career, he also starred alongside Christian Bale in 'Rescue Dawn', which was directed by Werner Herzog.

Yuen never married and had no children, and died of a blood infection in 2015.
Jerusalem, Sep 24 (UNI) The Israeli military struck a military post belonging to the Hamas organization which rules the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to a statement released by the Israeli army.



The strike, carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle, came in response to a demonstration held by residents of the territory adjacent to the border with Israel.



"Hundreds of rioters have gathered adjacent to the security fence in the Gaza Strip... Soldiers were dispatched to the scene and operated against the violent riot using riot dispersal means and precise live fire," the statement read.



On Friday, the military also struck at Hamas targets after incendiary balloons were sent from the Gaza Strip and caused fire on the Israeli side of the border.



Palestinian protestors have been gathering at the border in the past week, burning tires and throwing explosive devices at Israeli troops.



The demonstrators and Hamas say the protests are in response to recent Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

UNI/XINHUA ARN
Never-before-seen pictures of Queen making the trailblazing I Want To Break free music video shows the incredible bond between the band members.

Candid images - all shot by veteran photographer Simon Fowler - show the sheer joy and fun of the group during the now-legendary filming of the promo.

The video stunned music fans when it came out and had the rockers dressed up as housewives in a suburban home.

In one of the newly-revealed pictures the band are shown in hysterics, with one crewmember wiping away tears of laughter as Freddie Mercury fools around behind a bewigged John Deacon.

Freddie appears to be pretending to be a hairdresser as John chuckles in his seat, as Brian May beams by a back wall as they stare into the mirror at their new look.

Later Brian can be seen clutching his curlers as he gazes into the distance as he is captured on film.

Roger Taylor also looks to be having a ball in one of the archive pictures, pouting in his schoolgirl-style costume.

Photographer Simon, who took pictures of the group throughout their career, opened up his archives to allow MailOnline to publish some of the incredible shots.

The band are seen having a great laugh backstage as they get ready to shoot the video promo

Roger Taylor in costume pouts as his picture is taken on the set of I Want To Break Free in 1984

He said he had no idea the theme of the video before he had turned up at Limehouse Studios in London to take the pictures.

Simon recalled: 'On Break Free I didn't get any idea of what it was going to be. I turned up and saw them and thought "Whoa, what is going on?".

'It was obviously a pastiche of Coronation Street. I remember on the day everybody was just fooling around laughing.

'It was so much fun that I was amazed that they actually got a video done.

'They had no concerns about doing anything that was unusual - they would just do it.

'They were just messing around in between the filming. I remember one funny moment when they were trying the stuff on and asking each other "what do you reckon of this wig?".

'That was the great thing about it, you have got Freddie with his big old 'tache, giving it all. 'It was without doubt the most fun shoot I have done.

'Every time I think about it I smile, the day just went so fast because everyone was having such a good time - it just whizzed by.

Simon revealed that the band preferred to be photographed all together for their promo shots

Brian May looks like he has awoken from a deep sleep with the curlers in this of Simon's shots

'When you get there I didn't know the story and the PR told me and I thought "that sounds great".

'I went backstage and the first thing I saw was them getting all their clobber done.'

Simon had photographed the band before after getting a phone call during the recording of their Hot Space album.

That record spawned the Under Pressure anthem and at first the photographer admits he had no idea who he would be going to shoot.

He recalled: 'I got a call out of the blue to do a job and originally thought they had said Cream at the time, which I thought couldn't have been right.

'Back in those days you would get millions of calls. I only realised later it was Queen and I was told I would only get ten minutes with them and it turned into three hours. It was for the album Hot Space.

'I think we just got on pretty well - I wasn't expecting much time at all and it was brilliant.

'Roger actually got me to do a bit of tapping when they were recording. I like to think I'm on Hot Space somewhere. It just went from there really.'

The band loved his work so he was invited back and ended up doing numerous shoots with them.

John Deacon - whose character in the video was miserable - laughs in a moment of down time

Freddie Mercury poses up on the set, leaning on a cabinet as he looks to the side of the room

But he counts his work on I Want to Break Free as one of the most exciting jobs of his career.

He admitted: 'I knew when I got called in for it, that it was going to be interesting.

'They wouldn't scrimp on stuff with the videos, they were big productions. If CGI was around then I am sure that would be what they were doing.

'When you were on set you would have to have eyes in the back of your head in some of the bigger productions, where there were cranes and stuff going round.

'When we went for lunch Brian was on the catering bus talking to me. He was still in the outfit with the curlers.

'I remember thinking "that's Brian May opposite me". It was so surreal. 'At the end of the day we saw the cut and it just looked great.

'I remember John taking a nap during the day, which he would have needed because the reality is they would have got there very early.

'They were trailblazers with videos, they really were. Queen were so unique in whatever they did. Brian with the sound and the guitar. I loved every minute of it

Veteran music photographer Simon Fowler is selling prints in aid of the Mercury Phoenix Trust

'Freddie was a trooper right up until the end. One of the things people don't notice about pictures of Queen is that you could never often get them out of the line-up

'They would not often move out of all four of them together for pictures.

'I think that's because they were a band but they were also incredible close friends too.

'They all had each others backs, none of them thought of themselves as the star - they were all equals.'

The behind-the-scenes pictures were brought back into the spotlight as Simon as he compiled Fine Art Prints of Freddie, Brian, Roger and John from The Miracle shoot.

They are being sold to help the fight against HIV and AIDS, with 50 per cent of proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

Simon added: 'I was thrilled to do this and just give something back and help a really great cause.

'I was delighted by the response and hope it can keep helping people.'

Prints of Freddie, Brian, Roger and John from The Miracle shoot can be found here
A furious pensioner has been filmed blasting council officials in Durham after 'confusing' road signs directed him into a bus lane causing him to be fined.

Drivers have slammed Durham County Council after they were given powers to slap motorists with hefty fines, forcing thousands to pay up for a litany of traffic offences.

Last October, the council was authorised to dish out 70 fixed penalty notices for driving offences, which was previously reserved for police officers.

Since the move, thousands have been hit with fines - and claim the 'confusing' city centre is not sign posted well enough to avoid them.

David Beaton, 69, from Birmingham, told MailOnline he was unfamiliar with the cathedral city and had simply been following his sat nav when the mistake occurred.

David Beaton said he had been following his sat nav when the mistake occurred

In the clip, David can be seen angrily remonstrating with a council official over the lack of signage

A massive 4932 drivers were fined between March 2022 and March 2023 for entering the bus gate

The pensioner, who had bus drivers honking their horns at him after pulling over, has slammed the council and claims the road is not sign posted properly.

In the clip, David can be seen angrily remonstrating with a council official over the lack of signage.

'You can all p*** off', he says as he realises he will be fined for his infraction.

He told MailOnline: 'This is the first time I've driven through Durham.

'I haven't got a clue where I am, the sat nav brought me down here. I don't know what's going on, I'm getting stressed to hell.

'This is the first time I've driven in Durham and it's going to be the last.

'I didn't see the sign because I'm following my sat nav. You should at least be able to see what you're looking for.

'I got out of the car to speak to a traffic warden but there's no-one here.

'I'm fed up with this.'

Since May 2022, councils have been able to apply for the powers to issue drivers with penalty charge notices

Offending drivers can be fined for incorrectly driving in a bus lane, stopping in a yellow box junction, banned right or left turns, illegal U-turns, going the wrong way in a one-way street and ignoring a Traffic Regulation Order

A massive 4932 drivers were fined between March 2022 and March 2023 for entering the bus gate, which was introduced in 2017.

24-year-old Joseph Higgins also accidentally drove through the North Road Bus Gate after misunderstanding the road markings.

The front end engineer, of Stirling, Scotland, said: 'It should be marked better. It should say 'bus only' not 'bus gate'.

'I didn't even realise I had gone through a bus lane.

'It's my first time in Durham, it's quite hard to drive around with all of the one way streets and bus lanes.

'It seems like the council are just trying to make money at the expense of motorists. It isn't fair.

'There should be more signs to warn drivers of where they can and can't go.'

Joseph Higgins also accidentally drove through the North Road Bus Gate after misunderstanding the road markings

Paul Bolton says locals were not informed of the changes and has seen an increase in fines over the last year

Since May 2022, councils have been able to apply for the powers to issue drivers with penalty charge notices.

Although Durham was the first council approved, 11 others have followed in its footsteps, including Luton and Oxfordshire.

Offending drivers can be fined for incorrectly driving in a bus lane, stopping in a yellow box junction, banned right or left turns, illegal U-turns, going the wrong way in a one-way street and ignoring a Traffic Regulation Order.

Paul Bolton, 47, claims locals were not informed of the changes and has seen an increase in fines over the last year.

The healthcare worker, of Durham, said: 'I know a couple of people who have been fined since it changed into a bus lane last year.

'People don't realise they can't go through it anymore.

'I've lived here for 17 years and it's only changed recently. Residents weren't informed of the change before it happened.'

Dave Lewin, Durham County Council's strategic traffic manager, said: 'We have a firm but fair approach to all parking and traffic enforcement and there's a clear and well-established appeals process for anyone who wishes to challenge a Penalty Charge Notice.

'This includes the option of referring the case to an independent adjudicator.

'The bus gates are on some of our busiest routes and are there to make it easier for public transport to run as reliably and punctually as possible. They are clearly marked and signed and the overwhelming majority of drivers manage to avoid using or obstructing them.

'Any surplus money raised from fines is put back into maintaining transport infrastructure across the county, including subsidising bus services or funding schemes for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.'
Pisces fish and chip shop in Boston, Lincolnshire was deemed a 'health risk'

A Lincolnshire chippy has been slapped with a four figure fine for not meeting the 'basic standards of cleanliness' and being deemed a 'health risk'.

Hygiene inspectors stumbled upon a grim scene when they looked around Pisces fish and chip shop in Boston, Lincolnshire.

Environmental Health Officers from Boston Borough Council found filthy work surfaces, walls and equipment, mouldy food, and chicken and kebab meat being stored at unsafe temperatures.

Some fridges were not working at all on three separate occasions between July and October 2022

The pictures also show there were flies found on food and work surfaces.

Hygiene inspectors stumbled upon a grim scene when they looked around Pisces fish and chip shop in Boston, Lincolnshire

Kebab meat was found being stored at unsafe temperatures

Pictures have revealed filthy work surfaces, walls and equipment and mouldy food

Since being taken over by new management, the takeaway currently has a Google reviews rating of 3.7/5

Yasin Nabi, who ran the chippy on Fenside Road until March this year, admitted that he had not met 'basic standards of cleanliness and hygiene' over the course of several months in 2022.

He pleaded guilty to various food hygiene offences at Boston Magistrates' Court, including breaching the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 Act.

The former owner has been banned from operating a food business and is now facing a whopping four figure fine of 2,972.

Councillor Callum Butler, Portfolio Holder for Environmental said: 'The public have a right to expect safe food, and we as Council work hard to safeguard Boston residents' health and wellbeing.

'This case reinforces the message that we will not hesitate to prosecute food businesses that show a disregard for the safety of their customers - food safety standards are there for a reason.

'The prohibition order should serve as a warning to other food businesses that we will use every means at our disposal to keep our residents safe.'

Pisces Fish and Chips is now under new ownership.

Since being taken over by new management, the takeaway currently has a Google reviews rating of 3.7/5.

The kitchen was covered in dirt, breaching the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 Act

Grime-apples! Mould was found on food inside the kebab shop when inspectors paid it a visit

The former owner has been banned from operating a food business and is now facing a whopping four figure fine of 2,972

The pictures also showed flies found on food and work surfaces

Pictured: A dirty chopping board found at the chippy by inspectors

Yasin Nabi pleaded guilty to various food hygiene offences at Boston Magistrates' Court

Councillor Callum Butler, Portfolio Holder for Environmental said: 'The public have a right to expect safe food, and we as Council work hard to safeguard Boston residents' health and wellbeing'

One review reads 'The food and service has improved 100% since the new management has taken it up. Absolutely brilliant now.'

Another wrote 'Good portions. Ordered for 5 people and all were happy. Delivery a bit late but I have placed big order and on busy day, so I assume normally is faster.'

The chippy's website reads 'Our Pisces Fish and Chip shop is cooked at the highest level, and turns our comfort classics into something truly wonderful.

'All our authentic Italian dishes are freshly homemade by our extremely skilled chefs.'
It has been described as one of the most credible alien abduction stories in history.

Now, 50 years on, new evidence has come to light which UFO experts say proves a close encounter took place on Mississippi's Pascagoula river.

On October 11th, 1973, two fishermen were enjoying an after-work jaunt when they heard a bizarre sound and saw flashing blue lights, which they first thought belonged to a police car.

Instead, a hovering oval-shaped craft emerged. Out of it, they told investigators, came their captors - three 'creatures' with 'robotic slit-mouths' which took them on board and physically examined them.

Co-workers Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson managed to escape the ordeal, dazed, confused and with little more than pin prick injuries.

Their wounds have been described as 'physical evidence', which UFO enthusiasts say debunks sceptics' claims that it was all in the men's heads. And now, for the first time, photographs of the injuries have been made public.

Calvin Parker and Charles Hickson claimed they were abducted by aliens while fishing in 1973

'Three puncture-type marks were noted on Charles Hickson's left arm', Dr Harder wrote after examining the men

On Parker, 'puncture-type marks of the same fashion were noted on the inside of his foot, as indicated in the photos'

The never-before-seen photographs and testimony from the men have been published by UFO researchers who say they are 'unprecedented' evidence of extraterrestrial life forms coming to earth.

Philip Mantle has been studying UFO sightings for decades and said he finds Parker and Hickson's case, now buoyed by the new evidence, the most believable he has come across.

'I have been investigating UFOs for forty years and have never come across anything like this anywhere. It is unprecedented, physical proof that something happened that night,' he told MailOnline.

Parker and Hickson were interviewed and examined by Dr James Harder in the hours after they were supposedly abducted and dragged into a 'strange-glowing object by humanoid beings'.

In a paper Mantle says was typed up by Dr Harder, an engineering professor and UFO enthusiast, the men are said to have been left with 'certain markings' on their bodies 'which both could not account for'.

The document, which Mantle says was shared with him by CUFOS, reveals the ufologist's methods of examination and what he found on the two men.

'Three puncture-type marks were noted on Charles Hickson's left arm... a close examination revealed that the epidermis had been penetrated as if by a needle-like device... at the same time, certain sections of the epidermis had been removed in a circular fashion.'

No other injuries were found, it says. On Parker, 'puncture-type marks of the same fashion were noted on the inside of his foot, as indicated in the photos.'

Again, 'no other marks or rashes were noted on the rest of the body, except for naturally occurring blemishes and pimples.'

Ufologists have long been fascinated by an alleged close encounter on Pascagoula River, Mississippi, in 1973

Mantle is insistent that the tiny cuts on the men's arms, feet and legs could not have come from any thicket or other rough surfaces they might have encountered on their fishing trip.

Mantle and fellow researcher Dr Irena Scott found the pictures after combing through the archives of various UFO groups, including the Center for UFO studies, who shared the documents with them.

Mantle has also extensively interviewed Parker himself, who sadly passed away last month aged 69.

Just 19 years old at the time, Parker was taken out fishing by a colleague, 42-year-old Charles Hickson, after his first day on a new job.

The men stayed until after sunset, and were about to collect more bait as they hunted for fish when they saw lights and the 'object' appear.

Out of the craft - which was said to be 3040ft across, 810ft high and 2ft off the ground - came three creatures described as 'humanoid in shape' and around 'five foot tall'.

'Certain sections of the epidermis had been removed in a circular fashion,' Dr Harder noted on October 13, 1973

In Mantle's summary of the men's various descriptions of their captors, he wrote: 'The creatures' skin was pale in colour and wrinkled, and they had no eyes that the men could discern, and slits for mouths.

'Their heads also appeared connected directly to their shoulders, with no discernible neck.

'There were three "carrot-like" growths instead - one where the nose would be on a human, the other two where ears would normally be.

'The beings had lobster-like claws at the ends of their arms, and they seemed to have only one leg (Hickson later described the creatures' lower bodies looking as if their legs were fused together) ending in elephant-like feet.

'Hickson also reported that the creatures moved in mechanical, robotic ways.'

In a paper Mantle says was typed up by Dr Harder on October 13, 1973, the men are said to have been left with 'certain markings' on their bodies 'which both could not account for

Both men said they were paralyzed and taken inside the UFO - where they underwent extensive physical examinations.

The men had originally wanted to keep their wild story under wraps, craving nothing more than a mundane life, with Parker's wedding just a month away at the time.

But after a bit of thought and some convincing of his pal, Hickson, a veteran of the Korean war, felt it his duty to report what they had seen.

They called up the local air base to get in touch with Project Blue Book, the US Air Force's UFO investigations programme, but were told that it was defunct.

Hickson was told to speak to the local authorities, and got in touch with Jackson County Sheriff's office instead.

Dr James Harder, an engineering professor at Berkeley and UFO enthusiast, who examined Parker and Hickson after their alleged abduction

They were brought in to be interviewed separately and together by police, with the transcripts of the meetings revealing their terror.

'We did everything we knew to try to break their stories,' Jackson County Sheriff's Captain Glen Ryder told The Washington Post in 1975.

'If they were lying to me, they should be in Hollywood.'

Mantle also cites various other tests conducted on the men, and what he says are piles of witness testimony from the night in question.

The men were taken for radiation testing, which returned negative, Mantle admitted, but other tests performed he says back up their accounts.

Parker, who was remained convinced of what he saw until his dying day, said in an interview before his death: 'We took polygraph tests, voice stress tests, been hypnotized three times, had more credible witnesses than any case around, and more credible people talkin'.

An artists' impression of the 'creatures' Hickson and Parker described - with 'robotic slit-mouths', 'lobster-like claws' and 'carrot-like growths' on their heads

'But see, back in the '70s, people thought you was crazy to have done somethin' or seen somethin' like that.'

As naysayers continue to label the encounter a 'hoax' five decades on, Mantle said he will not give up hope that the evidence he has compiled will be taken seriously.

He added that he is open to skepticism and admitted that the UFO community needs sceptics to keep them rigorous in their research, inviting anyone who doesn't believe the claims to read the evidence he has laid out in his new book, co-written with Dr Scott.

Beyond Reasonable Doubt: The Pascagoula Alien Abduction, came out on September 1 and can be bought on Amazon.
Amazon is launching a new $40 million affordable housing initiative targeted at expanding homeownership for moderate-income families in three cities where it has major operations.

The program aims to help about 800 families buy homes below market price with minimal down payments in the areas around Seattle, Nashville, Tennessee and Arlington, Virginia.

The pilot initiative, a partnership with the National Housing Trust, is targeted at households making less than 80 percent of the local median income, which for a family of four would be $80,000 in Nashville, $95,000 in Arlington and $100,900 in Seattle.

The program is part of a larger $2 billion Amazon pledge to create or preserve at least 20,000 affordable housing units near its hubs -- after the company and other tech giants were accused driving up home prices with their legions of well-paid workers.

Details of the new initiative, which will be administered through local partner organizations in each of the three cities, are still in flux, but NHT says that it plans to test concepts including shared equity ownership to keep home prices low.

Thresholds representing 80% of area median income for a family of four are seen above

Shared equity ownership involves a one-time investment that subsidizes the cost of the home, and then imposes restrictions on the resale value to keep it affordable for the next family that purchases it.

In some cases, it takes the form of a community trust that owns and maintains the land the home sits on, with the residents owning the physical house itself.

Amazon says that removing the cost of the land from the total cost of the home allows the price of homes to stay affordable for middle-class homeowners.

'Historically, those who are able to own homes are more likely to experience long-term economic stability, while those who can't are more likely to struggle financially,' said Senthil Sankaran, managing principal of the Amazon Housing Equity Fund.

'This new initiative will allow us to explore ways to help more moderate-income residents realize their dreams of homeownership and, in turn, help build wealth that can pass on to the next generation,' added Sankaran.

Amazon is headquartered in Seattle, which has long struggled with a shortage of affordable housing, and is building its second headquarters in Arlington, on the outskirts of Washington DC.

The company also runs its logistics operations from Nashville, where it has more than 2,500 corporate employees, and plans to hire up to 5,000.

Amazon employs more than 65,000 workers in the Seattle area and about 8,000 in Arlington, where it expects to grow its headcount to about 25,000 by 2030.

In June, Amazon opened phase one of HQ2, though it has indefinitely paused construction of the second phase of the project.

The two buildings comprising Amazon's second headquarters, HQ2, are seen after a grand opening ceremony, in Arlington, Virginia in June

An outdoor area is seen at the new Amazon headquarters in Arlington, Virginia

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, center is seen with Amazon executives during a grand opening ceremony at Amazon's second headquarters, HQ2, in Arlington on June 15

The new affordable housing initiative is not aimed at helping Amazon employees, but rather the teachers, first responders, and service industry workers who risk being priced out of homes as the retail giant's corporate campuses grow.

Amazon attracts thousands of well-paid workers to each of the areas where it opens a corporate base. They usually drive-up house prices and begin to gentrify poorer areas, whose longtime residents find they are no longer able to live where they grew up.

In Nashville, residents who qualify for the program could buy a below-market house with a down payment of just 1 percent, according to The Tennessean.

Amazon is partnering with The Housing Fund to administer the program in Nashville, where families making up to 120 percent of median income might qualify -- a threshold of about $120,000 for a family of four.

'Incomes are not keeping up with housing values so people could lose their homes because of rising property taxes,' The Housing Fund CEO Marshall Crawford told the newspaper, adding that the city has suffered a shortage of affordable housing.

'Now, Amazon is giving us additional resources to acquire properties. It was a major win for them to build a headquarters in Nashville and it's a major win for the residents for them to put money behind affordable housing.'

In Nashville, the median sales price for homes in $459,900, up 3.3 percent from a year ago and a 12.1 percent increase from December 2019, according to data from Redfin.

Arlington's median home price of $687,500 represents a rapid rise, up 7.4 percent from a year ago and a 15.7 percent gain from December 2019.

In Seattle, the median home sales price remains sky-high at $810,000, although that is down 4.5 percent from a year ago and a 2 percent drop from December 2019.

NHT says that each local partner will have their own homebuyer selection processes with specific criteria based on income, though the goal of the program is for the majority of homes to go to families making 80 percent or less of the median local income.

Amazon is headquartered in Seattle, which has long struggled with a shortage of affordable housing, and is building its second headquarters in Arlington (file photo)

Amazon's Seattle headquarters is seen above. Some Seattle residents have long blamed Amazon for rising home prices in the area, due to the company's influx of highly paid workers

Local partners in the Seattle area include Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties, which will provide flexible financing to support the construction of over 140 homes as well as a funding enabling 50 families to become homeowners in 2023.

The Habitat projects include cottages in South Park, condos in Capitol Hill and Columbia City and town homes in Burien, CEO Brett D'Antonio told the Seattle Times.

Habitat homes are available for households making 80 percent of county area median income or less, which in King County is 100,900 for a family of four.

Other Seattle-area partners are African Community Housing & Development and the Homestead Community Land Trust.

In the DC area, Amazon is partnering with Douglass Community Land Trust, which will use the funds to grow their development capacity for their home equity programs.

Some of the funds will support the group's 'Pay It Forward' program, in which the trust buys homes then resells them below market price to low- or middle-income households, according to the Washington Post.

However, when those homeowners eventually resell, they must do also do so below-market price.

That program is open to first-time homebuyers who make less than 80 percent of area median income, which in the DC area would be $95,300 for a family of four.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is being urged to urgently halve Australia's immigration intake to tackle the housing affordability crisis.

A record 454,400 foreigners moved to Australia in the year to March, on a net basis, as skilled migrants and international students flooded in.

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver is expecting that annual number to climb even higher to 500,000 when official population data for the June quarter is released.

He argued the permanent and long-term overseas intake needed to be slashed to 200,000 so the supply of new housing could keep up, as the population growth pace approached levels unseen since the 1950s.

'For years now there has been much discussion about poor housing affordability in Australia but debate about how immigration contributes to this issue is often lacking,' he said.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is being urged to halve Australia's immigration intake to tackle the housing affordability crisis (pictured is Sydney Wynyard train station)

READ MORE: Suburbs where foreigners are moving to in droves as immigration hits a record high and rents surge by double-digit figures in a year Foreigners are overwhelmingly moving to a cluster of suburbs in Sydney and Melbourne as immigration surges to a record high and apartment rents skyrocket. Sydney's inner south-west, covering Bankstown and Lakemba, took in the most migrants, along with Parramatta, a CoreLogic analysis of Census data from 2016 and 20 21 revealed Advertisement

Sydney's median house price is now so dear, at $1.36million, that someone with a 20 per cent mortgage deposit would still need to earn $181,000 a year to avoid being in mortgage stress, where a borrow owed the bank at least six times their salary.

That means an Australian needs to be in the top four per cent of income earners just to afford an ordinary house in Australia's most overcrowded city, and be paid almost double the average, full-time salary of $95,581.

The situation is also bad for tenants with SQM Research data showing Sydney's median house rent at $978 a week, following an annual surge of 15.6 per cent.

Dr Oliver calculated that Australia could be up to 285,000 homes short by mid-2024, as surging immigration outpaced the completion of new houses and apartments.

'It's impossible to escape the conclusion that immigration levels need to be calibrated to the ability of the home building industry to supply housing,' he said.

'This is critical. Current immigration levels are running well in excess of the ability of the housing industry to supply enough homes exacerbating an acute housing shortage and poor housing affordability.'

Dr Oliver pointed out government efforts to build more houses - including the $10billion Housing Australia Future Fund - were hard to achieve, given the surge in building costs.

'The surge in immigration is adding to the already large supply shortfall and threatening to swamp the extra supply commitments governments are making,' he said.

State governments are often left paying the bills for a rising population with NSW Premier Chris Minns declaring planning rules had to allow for more apartments in established Sydney suburbs to house the surging number of people.

'It means more urban in-fill, it means more apartments and units,' he told the ABC's 7.30 program on Tuesday.

'My job is to create the infrastructure and get rid of the red tape that's blocking that kind of housing supply for the state.

'If we can get that rolling, and at least come first on the east coast, we can ease some of the housing challenges, particularly young people face in New South Wales.'

Despite Sydney housing the vast bulk of new migrations, Mr Minns said he supported higher immigration - a position at odds with former NSW Labor premier Bob Carr who had advocated lower immigration in the 1990s.

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver says net overseas immigration needed to be halved to 200,000, down from levels close to 500,000 now, so housing supply could keep pace with population growth

'We're supportive of the commonwealth government's decision to lift immigration into New South Wales, notwithstanding the fact that we'll take, not the majority but the greatest number of inbound immigrants,' he said.

'A lot of that labour coming into the state will be directed to the housing market and we need them to build houses and apartments.'

Dr Oliver argued Australia had been able to build 200,000 new homes annually in the five years to 2022 and an annual net overseas migration intake of 200,000 was needed to closely match housing supply.

While lower than present levels, that kind of annual net overseas intake would be comparable with a decade ago when 206,000 migrants moved to Australia, with permanent overseas departures factored in.

It would also be double the level of late 1990s, before annual levels moved consistently into the six-figure range.

Australia's population grew by 2.2 per cent in the year to March but Dr Oliver is expecting that to rise to 2.5 per cent, which would be the fastest growth since the post-war 1950s.

Dr Oliver calculated that Australia could be up to 285,000 homes short by mid-2024, as surging immigration outpaced the completion of new houses and apartments (pictured is construction at Oran Park in Sydney's outer south-west)

Australia is now home to 2.1million temporary visa holders and employers are worried potential new rules, allowing sponsored skilled migrants to more easily switch jobs, could see an influx from regional areas to already overcrowded capital cities, with a higher proportion of overseas-born residents.

Shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan, who represents an electorate in western Victoria, said regional areas would be left without nurses, aged care staff, teachers, mechanics and chefs as potential visa changes led to even more overcrowding in big cities.

'More migrants will move to Australias capital cities, further worsening housing shortages and the rental crisis,' he said.

'Labors changes will see Australians in regional communities lose access to key services while people living in capital cities will face higher rents, worse congestion, and more demand on government services, like hospitals and schools.'
A migrant carries a tiny baby around a razor wire fence and up a steep Texas riverbank where he precariously hands the child to another man atop a shipping container.

Within minutes, a uniformed federal officer arrives to help.

He hoists up the others in the 30-person group as they leisurely scale the fortifications and illegally enter the country.

A visibly pregnant woman is next. She's guided to river on the Mexican side by a smuggler.

Nearby, Texas state border guards simply look on.

They know all too well that Mexican cartels and human traffickers take advantage of these desperate people and use their children like pawns  even posing as their parents to curry favor with U.S. immigration officials, who appear sympathetic.

Not that a harder line would achieve much - they're overwhelmed.

So nearly everyone is simply ushered through. Few tough questions are asked. Only a small percentage are expelled.

Once safely across, the U.S. government transports the undocumented to charities that spend tens of millions of donated dollars to put them on buses and planes to shuttle them off to the destinations of their choosing.

A migrant carries a tiny baby around a razor wire fence and up a steep Texas riverbank where he precariously hands the child to another man atop a shipping container.

A visibly pregnant woman is next. She's guided to river on the Mexican side by a smuggler. (Above, middle) Aurymar Barrios, a pregnant 21-year-old from Venezuela

Shockingly, along a stretch of the Rio Grande River outside of Eagle Pass, where corrugated metal boxes serve as futile barriers between the U.S. and Mexico, this is what passes for border security in Joe Biden's America.

Many of the thousands of migrants will make their way to cities across America, where the vast influx is suddenly causing deep concern even among Liberals, who once fought so passionately for their rights to asylum.

And all the while, the White House brazenly insist that the President has 'done more than anybody else' to secure the border.

The damning reality has been documented by DailyMail.com on a nearly week-long trip to Texas' 1,300-mile international boundary with Mexico.

It proves America's border is open wide - and that The White House's claims are laughable nonsense.

'THEY STEAL THE KIDS. THEY TAKE THEIR MONEY'

'We have a crisis. I don't care what the federal government says,' Sergeant Rene Cordova told DailyMail.com as he stands overlooking a murky stretch of the Rio Grande River outside of Eagle Pass.

It's here that hundreds, if not thousands, of illegal immigrants cross daily from Piedras Negras, a Mexican city on the south side of the river.

Cordova and other members of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) were dispatched to the region by Governor Greg Abbott to help provide some semblance of security.

On Thursday, an estimated 10,000 people over a 24-hour period waded the Rio Grande near this spot and walked into Eagle Pass.

Among them were hundreds of small children  a major concern for Sergeant Cordova.

'We're always watching out for kids that are being exploited,' he explained. 'We don't even know if that's their mother, their father.'

'We have a crisis. I don't care what the federal government says,' Sergeant Rene Cordova (above) told DailyMail.com as he stands overlooking a murky stretch of the Rio Grande River outside of Eagle Pass.

Nearby, Texas state border guards simply look on. They know all too well that Mexican cartels and human traffickers take advantage of these desperate people and use their children like pawns.

In August alone, roughly 91,000 people traveling in family units illegally entered the U.S. over the southwest border exceeding the previous record of 84,486 at the height of the migrant crisis during the Trump Administration.

'[Mexican cartel members and human traffickers] know that we are not going to separate families,' Cordova says, 'so they exploit that They steal the kids. They take their money.'

There's no way outmanned and overworked Texas border agents can screen everyone, so they pick and choose.

'We don't do a full check on all the migrants If we suspect something, then we'll probably run one. And then, most of the time, we're probably right.'

Sergeant Cordova recalls one case in which a coyote was trapped on the U.S. side of the river by a Texas patrol boat.

The smuggler 'grabbed one of the children' and tried to pose as the boy's father, but an alert DPS drone operator saw it all go down and the attempt was foiled.

Surely, not all attempts are.

'They just want to see what they can get away with and if they can, they will,' Cordova told us. 'They know the weaknesses more than we do.'

'TURN MYSELF IN SO I CAN GET LET IN'

In Piedras Negras, we spoke with a group of migrants outside a shelter just moments before they made their crossing.

Aurymar Barrios, a pregnant 21-year-old from Venezuela, said she was traveling with her partner, Reny Olivar, 22, to Dallas.

'Our first hope is to get processed and let into the U.S.,' said Olivar, speaking in Spanish.

Barrios has cousins with children who recently crossed from Piedras Negras and their success reassured her that they too should make the journey.

Henyer Loyo, 22, another Venezuelan in the group, said he wanted to reach Alexandria, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

'My biggest fear is to cross over and get returned,' he said. 'But my expectation is to turn myself in to Border Patrol and get processed so I can get let in.'

The latest statistics from U.S. Customs and Border Patrol suggest his hopes are well justified.

After a pandemic-era border policy put in place by the Trump administration was ended by a judge's order in May 2023 there were fears the border would deteriorate into complete lawlessness.

The rule, known as Title 42, allowed immigration officials to quickly expel illegal aliens. But without Title 42, how would the U.S. stem a historic migration from South and Central America?

The Biden White House vowed to strictly enforce a decades-old measure called 'expediated removal,' which is authorised by U.S. federal law.

In Piedras Negras, we spoke with a group of migrants (above) outside a shelter just moments before they made their crossing.

The Biden White House vowed to strictly enforce a decades-old measure called 'expediated removal,' which is authorised by U.S. federal law.

Henyer Loyo (above), 22, another Venezuelan in the group, said he wanted to reach Alexandria, Virginia or Washington, D.C.

'If anyone arrives at our southern border after midnight tonight,' warned Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as Title 42 was due to expire, 'they will be presumed ineligible for asylum and subject to steeper consequences for unlawful entry, including a minimum five-year ban on re-entry and potential criminal prosecution.'

But migrants like Henyer Loyo can likely rest easy. Illegal crossers are not being expelled in any significant numbers.

Customs and Border Patrol number show that only 14 percent of undocumented migrants caught crossing in July were subjected 'expedited removal,' that's down from 32 percent in April before Title 42 was scrapped.

We followed the Venezuelan group a few hundred yards down the street from the shelter onto a dirt, trash-strewn track to the riverbank.

A coyote rode ahead of them on an ATV and demanded that his photo was not taken.

The group stripped off their shoes and socks.

Barrios, who was visibly nervous, hesitated for a moment before wading into the water with help from her boyfriend and another man.

A few minutes later, they had made it to the US and presented themselves to the U.S. Border Patrol.

SO EASY A BABY COULD DO IT

The crossing we witnessed occurred near a stretch of the river where Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered state border guards to install a controversial 1,000-foot floating barrier as part of Operation Lone Star, the state's $9 billion project to tackle the migrant surge.

DailyMail.com saw first-hand how utterly useless the barrier was.

Several large groups of migrants crossed the shallow waters just yards from where the floating wall ends. They picked their way through razor wire and up the banks.

Shipping containers draped in razor wire lining on the U.S. side also did little to block their path.

A dramatic photograph captured by a DailyMail.com photographer shows a man hoisting a tiny baby wearing nothing but a white t-shirt and a diaper onto the corrugated container.

As they struggled a uniformed U.S. Border Patrol official, employed by the federal government, came over to help. He was soon lifting migrants over the barrier himself.

Migrants who cross illegally at Eagle Pass and neighboring border points are processed at a CBP facility nicknamed 'Firefly'. The sprawling 153,300-sq-ft site opened last year to replace a smaller facility which had been overwhelmed.

A dramatic photograph captured by a DailyMail.com photographer shows a man hoisting a tiny baby wearing nothing but a white t-shirt and a diaper onto the corrugated container.

As they struggled a uniformed U.S. Border Patrol official, employed by the federal government, came over to help. He was soon lifting migrants over the barrier himself.

Those who are detained and released are given a 'notice to appear', a document that orders them to show up in court to make their asylum claim.

For some, dates are as far away as 2026.

After processing at Firefly, migrants are passed into the care of charities like Catholic Charities in San Antonio, which has received tens of millions of dollars in funding to provide services like shelter, food and legal advice.

In an interview with DailyMail.com, the charity's president and CEO, Antonio Fernandez, said it has spent a staggering $30 million this year on transportation for migrants.

'We help everybody to get to the final destination,' Fernandez said. 'That's what we try to do.'

'People do not want to stay in Texas, most people are going to Chicago, Washington, DC, New York, Miami, and Atlanta. Those are the five cities where people are going right now.'

'DO YOU REALLY THINK THEY WANT TO FIX IT?'

Around 300 miles southeast in the border city of McAllen, Texas, other migrants told a similar story, but with a surprising twist.

McAllen's bus station is often used by hundreds of migrants every day.

Angelica Morales, 45, from Venezuela, was waiting here with her three daughters - aged seven, nine and 15 - for a bus to Houston, where they were then planning to travel on to relatives in Indianapolis.

They had crossed the border illegally and were processed by CBP. Her court date is in July 2026, she said.

After processing at Firefly (above), migrants are passed into the care of charities like Catholic Charities in San Antonio, which has received tens of millions of dollars in funding to provide services like shelter, food and legal advice.

Around 300 miles southeast in the border city of McAllen, Texas, other migrants told a similar story, but with a surprising twist. McAllen's bus station is often used by hundreds of migrants every day.

Angelica Morales (above), 45, from Venezuela, was waiting here with her three daughters - aged seven, nine and 15 - for a bus to Houston, where they were then planning to travel on to relatives in Indianapolis.

Border Patrol asked her only basic questions, she said, like the names of her contacts in the U.S. and where she was going.

They didn't ask if she had a reason not to have entered through a legal port of entry or if she had a credible fear of persecution or torture if she were to be returned to her home country.

If 'expediated removal' rules were being enforced at all, Morales would have been required to undergo that screening.

Clearly, that's not being done. And Sergeant Cordova is ready to throw up his hands.

'I don't think it's going to get any better because then you'd need to have somebody on top actually do something about it,' he told us we wrapped up our ride along.

'[The White House] knows there's a problem, but I've always asked: Do you really think they want to fix it?'
A chance discovery by a hiker on a remote Bosnian mountainside could finally reunite the remains of five World War II RAF airmen with their families -- nearly 80 years after they went missing in action.

In July 1944, one RAF Wellington bomber among a group of 13 sent from Regina, Italy to attack an oil refinery at Smederevo in Serbia failed to return and nothing more was heard from its crew.

Many allied aircraft were lost in the treacherous mountain ranges of Bosnia-Herzegovina, then occupied by the Nazi-supporting Independent State of Croatia.

The only gravestone for the five crew from 150 Squadron's flight HF736, and thousands more fliers missing in action was a huge memorial in Malta.

But now, Bosnian photographer and hiker Dzenad Dzino has managed to locate human bones and even a gold signet ring believed to belong to the crew, along with wreckage from the plane.

In July 1944, one RAF Wellington bomber (stock image used) among a group of 13 sent from Regina, Italy to attack an oil refinery at Smederevo in Serbia failed to return and nothing more was heard from its crew

Bosnian photographer and hiker Dzenad Dzino has managed to locate human bones and even a gold signet ring believed to belong to the crew, along with wreckage from the plane

The only gravestone for the five crew from 150 Squadron's flight HF736, and thousands more fliers missing in action was a huge memorial in Malta (pictured)

Dzino chronicled his search for the downed aircraft in a dramatic YouTube video and told how he had heard tales of a Spitfire which had crashed in the hills near the area's highest mountain Cvrsnica, which stands 2,228m (7,300ft) high

'Local people spoke of stories about a wrecked plane being found in the mountains and the aluminium being taken to be melted down and sold as tourist gifts,' he said

And armed with details supplied by his researches, MailOnline has now used RAF wartime records to establish the identities of the five airmen.

Only one Wellington with five crew went missing in the area at the time, and that was call-sign HF736, part of 150 Squadron, which went missing on the night of July 16, 1944.

We found the 150 Squadron Operations Record book at the National Archives, which stated that 13 aircraft left on the mission in poor visibility, but only 12 came back.

The notes recorded: 'Twelve A/C returned safely to base, one A/C captained by Sgt Munday failed to return  nothing was heard from him since take-off.'

But no-one seemed to know exactly where the spot was and it took him several more months before he was directed to the summit of a mountain called Plocno, where he began his search on a steep rocky hillside pocked by deep sink holes and crevices

After three hours, he stumbled on his first piece of rusting metal from the airframe, but still believed he had found a Spitfire

More pieces followed, including scraps from the engine, remains of wooden propeller shafts, shell casings and a control gauge

As he moved further up the mountain, he began to find personal effects, helmet straps, buttons and finally, human bones

He told his viewers: 'I feel bad handling all this stuff, but I hope we will be able to bring peace to the British airmen'

All recorded details of the ill-fated crew, all Sergeants and members of the RAF Volunteer Reserve, appear on the Allied Airmen Roll of Honour.

The Captain was Bryan Leslie Munday from Wembley, aged 23. Other members were: James Melville Charles Oakley, from St John's Wood, London; Lionel Arthur Walter Francis, 23, from Stanstead Abbots, Herts; Nevil Ward Brown, 22, from Beckenham, Kent; and Jack Charles Langley Stacey, 21, from Spalding, Lincs.

Dzino chronicled his search for the downed aircraft in a dramatic YouTube video and told how he had heard tales of a Spitfire which had crashed in the hills near the area's highest mountain Cvrsnica, which stands 2,228m (7,300ft) high.

'Local people spoke of stories about a wrecked plane being found in the mountains and the aluminium being taken to be melted down and sold as tourist gifts,' he said.

But no-one seemed to know exactly where the spot was and it took him several more months before he was directed to the summit of a mountain called Plocno, where he began his search on a steep rocky hillside pocked by deep sink holes and crevices.

After three hours, he stumbled on his first piece of rusting metal from the airframe, but still believed he had found a Spitfire. More pieces followed, including scraps from the engine, remains of wooden propeller shafts, shell casings and a control gauge.

As he moved further up the mountain, he began to find personal effects, helmet straps, buttons and finally, human bones.

After three hours, Dzino stumbled on his first piece of rusting metal from the airframe, but still believed he had found a Spitfire. More pieces followed, including scraps from the engine, remains of wooden propeller shafts, shell casings and a control gauge.

But now, Bosnian photographer and hiker Dzenad Dzino has managed to locate human bones and even a gold signet ring believed to belong to the crew, along with wreckage from the plane (stock image of Spitfire used)

MailOnline found the 150 Squadron (badge pictured) Operations Record book at the National Archives, which stated that 13 aircraft left on the mission in poor visibility, but only 12 came back

He contacted the British Embassy in Sarajevo, and the local police and the whole area was meticulously searched.

Then, when Dzino showed photographs of the plane's landing gear to military experts, he got his biggest surprise, when he was told that it wasn't a Spitfire, with a single pilot, but a Wellington with a crew of five.

Then he discovered the gold ring and a lucky black cat carved from stone, which he surmised was the pilot's good luck charm.

He told his viewers: 'I feel bad handling all this stuff, but I hope we will be able to bring peace to the British airmen. The black cat is an omen of bad luck in the Balkans, but the opposite in England.'

A detailed study of allied and Axis records was able to pin-point the aircraft. On July 30, 1944, the Nazi-aligned Croatian government recorded remains of an 'enemy' aircraft being found in the area with five decomposing bodies.

Whether any attempt was made to give the men a decent burial was not recorded, but given the number of human bones retrieved by Dzino's search on the rocky terrain, it seems unlikely.

Dzino told MailOnline that the discovery of the black cat figurine had particularly intrigued him.

'It raised a lot of question in my mind was it to protect the pilot from bad luck, or perhaps a gift from his child? It is an object that awakens our imagination, and I have become really attached to it.'

He said he fervently hoped it would be possible to trace the men's relatives.

'It would mean a lot to me. Bosnia was at war 30 years ago, and many families are still searching for the remains of their missing children.

'I know several families who share their pain, and I understand how much it would mean to them to receive any leads. I truly hope this story ends in the best possible way, with the airmen's families being found.'
A war-hero doctor forced out of the Army for his gender-critical views has been cleared of wrongdoing by an official inquiry.

Colonel Dr Kelvin Wright, 54, who saved hundreds of lives in Afghanistan, faced disciplinary proceedings after a junior officer complained about a Facebook post.

Col Wright had shared a quote from Helen Joyce, a director of the campaign group Sex Matters, that read: 'If women cannot stand in a public place and say "men cannot be women", then we do not have women's rights at all.'

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that a senior member of the Military Provost  the Army's custody and detention specialists  who was involved in the initial probe, joined the Army as a man but now identifies as a woman.

Dr Kelvin Wright, who was forced out of the Army for sharing a Facebook post - and now cleared of wrong-doing

Former reservist Kevin Wright, 54, (pictured) shared a quote on Facebook which read: 'If women cannot stand in a public place and say 'men cannot be women,' then we do not have women's rights at all'

The quote (pictured) Mr Wright posted was from Helen Joyce, a gender-critical journalist

That person incorrectly noted that Ms Joyce believes 'every trans person is a problem... and needs to be dealt with'.

Ms Joyce said: 'This person wants to paint me as genocidal. Trans people should be treated well.'

The complainant also claimed Col Wright, who quit the Army, was prejudiced for banning pronouns badges from uniforms.

Another grievance related to his wife saying of Strictly Come Dancing that she liked to see men and women dance together.

However, the inquiry's findings are full of praise for Col Wright, and said he had a legal right to express his beliefs.

Dr Ben Jones, of the Free Speech Union, which backed him, said: the complaint 'should never have been taken seriously'.

The MoD declined to comment on individual cases.
It's a home even the Crawleys could be proud of.

A Texas mansion oozing with charm, complete with quirky features such as a servant bell board, similar to that found on Downtown Abbey, is about to hit the market for $6.75 million.

But the property is far from historic, having only been built in 2017.

Set on six acres in the small city of Colleyville, about 15 miles from Dallas, it was constructed by Alfonso Chan, an engineer and patent lawyer, and his retired engineer wife, Sharon Chan.

The pair, originally from New York's Hudson River Valley, wanted to build something that had the ambiance of historic homes in the Northeastern U.S. and the old world country homes of England.

The Chans bought the land in 2009 for about $1.5 million and took another eight years before the five-bedroom, 10,500-square-foot mansion, designed by Dallas architect Larry Boerder, who specializes in classical architecture, was finally built.

A five-bedroom $6.75million mansion has gone on the market on the outskirts of Dallas

The roughly six-acre estate near Dallas was inspired by historic mansions of yesteryear

The home looks good at night time with the portico and outside steps brightly lit

The servant bell board is typically used to summon servants to a room, but the owners used it to get their children's attention

The bell board would be well known to viewers of period drama Downton Abbey

Designing the magnificent property took two years while the physical construction and final landscaping took a further five before the Chans and their two children could finally move in.

The landscaping in particular mimics that found at historic homes in the Hudson River Valley.

A meandering driveway leads up to the top of a hill before the home is finally unveiled amidst a canopy of trees.

After just six years, the Chans' two children have grown up and moved making it the ideal time for them to sell and look for somewhere smaller.

The home was built using limestone drawing influenced from the Gilded Age Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, New York.

The home was landscaped just eight years ago meaning the conifers are still young

There is ample room for parking with a huge driveway and garage for six cars

It's easy to turn cars around in this driveway complete with mini roundabout

The home also looks beautiful in this picture shot overhead by drone

The home has a resort feel with pleasant seating areas at the rear of the property near a lake

Another terrace offers a balcony from which the view can be enjoyed

There's plenty of room to sit outside an enjoy the warm Texas weathe

Those visiting the home will find a rich mahogany paneled hallway with a huge staircase

The hall way is large enough for a baby grand piano amid the wood paneled walls

A wooden floor lines this brightly lit dining room

The home looks to be from the 18th Century but in reality was only built in 2017

The kitchen area comes complete with marble flooring making for an easy cleanup

The Chans even installed a custom bell board in connecting it to various rooms throughout the home.

But rather than using it to call for service, Mom, Sharon, joked how the system allowed her to summon her kids from different parts of the house.

Long ago, if you were upstairs youd ring for tea or food or snacks, I thought it would be funny to flip it. So from my bell board, I can ring the kids downstairs,'  Sharon Chan told the Wall Street Journal.

Those visiting the home will find a rich mahogany paneled hallway with a huge staircase drawing inspiration from the Jeremiah Lee Mansion in Marblehead, Massachusetts and Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York - both properties were built in the 1700s.

Another part of the home sees a welcoming dining area for intimate family diners

The kitchen and breakfast room were inspired by Holkham Hall, a historic country house in England. There's plenty of food prep surfaces above a stone floored kitchen with double fridges

The laundry room is clean, bright and spacious

The bar room comes with built-in bookshelves used to store the glassware

The bar has a polished-nickel foot rail and mirror-backed glass shelving

A study is seen with hardwood floors and Venetian blinds

The owner said she wanted a home that reminded her of historic houses

Arched doors in the great room open to a covered porch

The elegantly furnished home measures about 10,500 square feet

The master bedroom has a seating area with plenty of light

If the bed isn't relaxing enough, a couple of beautifully upholstered armchair will surely do

Double sinks make for a happy marriage in the master bedroom's en suite bathroom

Other bathroom in the home also come complete with double sinks and white marbled tiling

A shower complete with four shower heads makes bath time a breeze

A walk-in closer with so much room you'll need to sit down as you make your choices

Arched doorways in the great room lead to a covered porch while marble fireplaces sit in the library and bar room complete with built-in bookshelves.

The bar features a polished-nickel foot rail and mirror-backed glass shelving making it the perfect place to entertain with room for up to 150 guests.

The kitchen and breakfast room draws inspiration from the aesthetics of Holkham Hall, a renowned English country house.

Holkham Hall Stately home was said to have inspired the Chans family to build their own house

The home was built using limestone drawing influenced from the Gilded Age Mills Mansion in Staatsburg, New York, pictured above

Those visiting the home will find similarities to the Schuyler Mansion in Albany, New York
Dar es Salaam, Sep 24 (UNI) At least nine people were killed and 23 others were injured on Friday evening when their mini-bus was rear-ended by a fuel tanker and plunged into a gorge on the outskirts of Mbeya city in Tanzania's southern highlands, the police said on Saturday.

Benjamin Kuzaga, the Mbeya regional police commander, said that the accident occurred along the Tanzania-Zambia highway. He added that eight of the victims died on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries while receiving treatment at the hospital.

During a news conference, he said that the fuel tanker was en route to the port of Dar es Salaam from Zambia, while the mini-bus was heading to Mbeya city from a suburb of Nsalaga in the region.

Kuzaga identified the deceased as four women and five men, saying that four of the injured persons were in critical condition.

Kuzaga also mentioned that the police had arrested the driver of the fuel tanker for questioning.

UNI/XINHUA ARN
An infant who was nearly gnawed to death by rats last week has been released from the hospital, cops said - the latest development in what officers in the Indiana suburb are calling one of the worst child neglect cases they've ever seen.

The child, aged just six months, suffered over 50 bites to his forehead, cheek, nose, thigh, foot, and toes as he slept in his crib in Evansville cops said - before being found by his father the next morning with all the fingers on his right hand missing.

Left bleeding out, the child required a blood transfusion, an affidavit chronicling the September 13 incident revealed - and was subsequently rushed to a hospital before being airlifted 170 miles away to Indianapolis.

There, specialists worked round-the-clock on the child's 'traumatic injuries', cops said upon announcing his release Friday - adding the damage done was mostly confined to the minor's right hand and forearm.

'All four of (the victim's) fingers and thumb on [that] hand were missing the flesh from the top of them, exposing fingertip bones,' cops wrote Monday after arresting the kids' parents and live-in aunt, who remained jailed Friday on neglect charges.

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An infant who was nearly gnawed to death by rats last week at this home in Evansville, Indiana, has been released from the hospital, cops revealed Friday - after the child was airlifted 170 miles away to Indianapolis for a live-saving medical procedure

The child's father David and Angel Schonabaum, aged 31 and 28, were booked into the Vanderburgh County Jail Thursday on multiple counts of neglect and other criminal charges for allegedly allowing the incident to unfold

Cops in the town near Kentucky say the trio, consisting of 31-year-old David Schonabaum, 28-year-old Angel Schonabaum, and 25-year-old Delania Thurman, who also lived at the Evansville residence, allowed the incident to unfold.

'Their excuse was that they did not hear the child cry,' Evansville PD's Sergeant Anna Gray explained Friday after the infant's release, remarking how he was nearly eaten alive.

'The home was overwhelmed with rodents,' she added of the domicile, which detectives wrote contained clutter and trash like discarded food items left inside the victims room - and also allegedly housed four other small children.

'Its kind of one of those situations where they were just not paying attention,' she continued in the department's official statement.

'The injuries were significant and the child was losing blood at a very high rate.

'[He] could have went into shock pretty early on.'

While the officer's statement did not shed much light on the child's condition, she did say that 'from what the doctors and nurses told the detectives, [he was] very near to death.'

She revealed: 'The child had lost so much blood that the child actually had to have blood transfusions as well.

'Several fingers had to be amputated.'

The affidavit filed alongside the Schonabaums' and Thurman's Monday arrests, meanwhile, provided some insight on the squalid conditions the child was subject to while living at the home South Linwood Avenue - which cops wrote was rife with trash, rodent footprints, and feces.

Police Det. Jonathan Helm wrote of how members of the force found the child after receiving a frantic 911 call from David - who allegedly woke up to the grisly scene around 6:30 am, not sure if his son was still alive.

'All four of (the victim's) fingers and thumb on his right hand were missing the flesh from the top of them, exposing fingertip bones,' Helm wrote, describing the damage the baby sustained overnight.

'The damage to (the victim's) index and pinky fingers were the most severe,' he added, noting the appendages 'were missing the flesh halfway down each finger.'

Delania Thurman, the boy's 25-year-old aunt, had been living at the house with her two own children for approximately four months, cops said

Cops in the town near Kentucky say the trio, consisting of 31-year-old David Schonabaum, 28-year-old Angel Schonabaum, and 25-year-old Delania Thurman, who also lived at the Evansville residence, allowed the incident to unfold

'Their excuse was that they did not hear the child cry,' Evansville PD's Sergeant Anna Gray explained Friday after the infant's release, remarking how he was nearly eaten alive

'The home was overwhelmed with rodents,' she added of the domicile, which detectives wrote contained clutter and trash like discarded food items left inside the victims room

Five children - including the victim - lived in residence, suspects told cops during their arrests Monday

The affidavit also describes the clutter and trash detectives observed both inside and outside the home after arriving at the scene - where they said they found several discarded food items inside the victims room.

Also discovered in the room where the infant slept were what investigators identified as a series of rodent foot prints left in blood - as well as rodent feces and several items in the room that appeared to be chewed on.

In other rooms, cops said they found more feces, as well as a series of rat traps and a bait box.

Cops further revealed that the home had a foul odor emanating from both its kitchen and basement, and that the child's parents had two other children living inside the residence, aged three and six.

It also showed how both David and Angel - who are both charged with neglect of a dependent for the incident - had a case open with the Indiana Department of Child Services over squalid conditions at the home since December, when one of their children was injured due to a 'lack of supervision'.

Cops said the service also began conducting twice-weekly visits to the family's home in April, where a caseworkers notes showed the house at that point was littered with trash, animal feces and dirty dishes.

But, the caseworker wrote at time, the condition of the home was 'slowly improving', and no action was sought against either of the parents.

The affidavit filed alongside the Schonabaums' and Thurman's Monday arrests, meanwhile, provided some insight on the squalid conditions the child was subject to while living at the home South Linwood Avenue - which cops said was rife with trash, rodent footprints, and feces

Police Det. Jonathan Helm wrote of how members of the force found the child after receiving a frantic 911 call from David - who allegedly woke up to the grisly scene around 6:30 am, not sure if his son was still alive

The affidavit also describes the clutter and trash detectives observed both inside and outside the home after arriving at the scene - where they said they found several discarded food items inside the victims room

Meanwhile, records show a Maglinger Home Based Services caseworker visited the home much more recently - four days before the father dialed 911 - but again, no action was taken.

It also show how an allegation of physical abuse was also made against David on June 17, and that the claim at the time was even substantiated by DCS.

However, since the family was already getting services at the time of the complaint, the decision was made to continue with the initial services, cops said.

Days earlier, on September 5, DCS another caseworker traveled to the home, police wrote, and spoke with Thurman - who told her the home had a 'normal amount of mice'.

The caseworker added that upon being questioned about what appeared to be bite marks on one of the kids' feet, she denied wounds were caused by rodents.

A few weeks before, early on in the summer, Thurman and her children began living at the home - which David told cops was actually owned by his cousin, and the clan supposedly allowed to live there under the sole stipulation of upkeeping the home.

Gray said Friday that all the children have since been placed in foster care, including the child just released from the hospital.

In a statement, she said of the countless neglect cases she's seen over two decades on the force, this one takes the cake.

'I've been on an officer for 20 years, and we've seen some serious neglect cases but nothing where it involved rats feeding off a child,' Gray said. 'It's horrible.'

David - who is facing three counts neglect of a dependent/child violations- and his wife, who is facing five, are currently being held on a $10,000 bond, while Thurman is being held on $2,500 bond.
Cheering and holding hands as they wade through waist-deep water, this is the astonishing moment a group of 100 migrants stormed across the Rio Grande.

The crowd surged past Border Patrol boats that were trying to stop them before being allowed through a razor wire thicket on the US side after a standoff that lasted for more than four hours.

Eagle Pass, Texas, has been overwhelmed with migrants in recent days, with more than 7,500 flooding into the tiny town of 28,000 people on Monday and Tuesday alone.

In response, Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered thickets of razor wire to be placed along the banks of the river  only for President Biden to demand it be cut down.

Pugilistic Abbot then had it replaced and doubled but will now have to reinstate the makeshift barrier for a second time after the migrant group was allowed through due to concern for their welfare in the searing 101-degree heat on Saturday.

This is the astonishing moment a group of 100 migrants stormed across the Rio Grande

Some of the babies were carried by National Guard and Border Patrol personnel who took the infants from their exhausted mothers as they struggled up the bank

Eagle Pass, Texas , has been overwhelmed with migrants in recent days with more than 7,500 flooding into the tiny town of 28,000 people on Monday and Tuesday alone

Although the flow of migrants into Eagle Pass has dropped dramatically in the last few days, some large groups are still arriving.

The 100-strong crowd had arrived in Piedras Negras on the Mexican side early on Saturday morning and made their way to an unshaded island in the middle of the river.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the group engaged in a standoff with Border Patrol and National Guard boats which circled and blocked them as they attempted to cross.

Then, after two hours, the migrants surged forward together and crowded onto a bank on the US side where they stood refusing to move for another two hours while they tried to find a way through Abbots razor wire hurdle - despite being repeatedly told to go back.

After nearly four hours in the river and on the bank, guards were eventually forced to cut through the razor wire and allow the group through due to concerns for their welfare.

A local law enforcement source told DailyMail.com the decision was made due to the fiery border heat and the extended time the group spent out in the open.

Although largely made up of men, a handful of the Venezuelan and Nicaraguan migrants were women and children  some of whom looked unwell and dehydrated by the time they were allowed into the US.

Some of the babies were carried by National Guard and Border Patrol personnel who took the infants from their exhausted mothers as they struggled up the bank.

National guard in boats and air boats and razor wire along the banks trying to]discourage the migrants from crossing the Rio Grand and entering the USA on September 23

The 100-strong crowd had arrived in Piedras Negras on the Mexican side early on Saturday morning and made their way to an unshaded island in the middle of the river

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the group engaged in a standoff with Border Patrol and National Guard boats which circled and blocked them as they attempted to cross

The migrants surged forward together and crowded onto a bank on the US side where they refused to move for two hours while they tried to find a way through the razor wire

After nearly four hours in the river and on the bank, guards were eventually forced to cut through the razor wire and allow the group through due to concerns for their welfare

Although largely made up of men, a handful of the Venezuelan and Nicaraguan migrants were women and children

Razor wire along the banks of Eagle Pass attempting to discourage the migrants from crossing the Rio Grand

Many of the women and children looked unwell and dehydrated by the time they were allowed into the US

The migrant group was the second large arrival of the day and came after another group of 100 crossed the river early Saturday morning.

DailyMail.com photos show the group beaming as they waited in line before being processed under the Camarillo Real International Bridge.

Abbot has spent most of the week fulminating about the fresh surge of migrants in Eagle Pass and El Paso and told Fox News on Wednesday that the Biden administration is being obstructionist.

He said: We have a President who is an obstructionist to Texas, which is trying to do our best to impede the flow of illegal immigrants by us building our own border wall, by us putting up these razor wire barriers and not allowing people to pass, by deploying the National Guard to make sure we repel migrants who are trying to get into the country.

And what do we have? We have Joe Biden interfering with my efforts to secure the border. Ive never seen a President flout the laws of the United States as much as Joe Biden, and Ive never seen someone like that obstruct a Governor who is actually trying to limit illegal immigration into our country.

Abbot was speaking as tiny Eagle Pass, a border town of 28,000 people, was overwhelmed by a huge influx of migrants  with more than 7,500 flooding in on Monday and Tuesday.

That flood has now turned into a trickle with just 800 arriving on Friday and even fewer on Saturday  despite the resumption of freight train services which had been temporarily shut down in a bid to ease the flow.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered thickets of razor wire to be placed along the banks of the river  only for President Biden to demand it be cut down

Abbot has spent most of the week fulminating about the fresh surge of migrants in Eagle Pass and El Paso and accused the Biden administration of being obstructionist

Migrants crossing the Rio Grand into Eagle Pass, Texas on September 23

DailyMail.com photos show the group of migrants as they waited in line before being processed under the Camarillo Real International Bridge

The Texas Division of Emergency Management has charterted fleets of buses to take groups of migrants to other states

The trains, nicknamed The Beast, are popular with migrants who see hitching a ride as a cheap and easy way to get to the US border.

Todd Bensman, a border expert from the Center for Immigration Studies, explained: Eagle Pass is an easy place to get to from farther south by freight rail, cargo train. So, it's just naturally a spot where people go.

And then also there's been a lot of success for families, immigrant families to get into the country if they can get past the Texans.

The Texans are kind of a problem for them, but they find that they still can get through pretty easily to Border Patrol.

Once they reach Border Patrol, they are going to let them into the country in a day or two.

Most of the earlier arrivals have now been moved on, with the Texas Division of Emergency Management chartering fleets of buses to take them to other states.

Eagle Pass is now among the departure points with Abbot saying it, along with the similarly overwhelmed El Paso, is a priority.

The majority of buses have gone to the northeast with 14,000 migrants sent to New York since April 2022, 11,900 to Washington DC and 8,700 to Chicago.

Since June 14, buses filled with migrants have also started arriving in Los Angeles, with 610 sent to the City of Angels so far.
The two leading lights of the No campaign have appeared together in a final video ad for the No campaign as polling shows the Indigenous Voice to Parliament heading towards defeat.

Warren Mundine and LNP Senator Jacinta Price, who have led the No campaign from the start, appear in the ad which will be run on high rotation in the crucial state of South Australia, which could decide the fate of the October 14 referendum.

To an upbeat guitar soundtrack Mr Mundine and Senator Price appear in Adelaide locations along with other Indigenous spokespeople and argue the Voice is a measure that will divide Australians in the minute-long commercial.

'Now we have a choice to make do we give into guilt and division or do we say no,' Mr Mundine said.

'No to those who want to divide us,' Senator Price added.

Leading Voice No vote campaigners Warren Mundine (pictured left) and LNP Senator Jacinta Price are making a final TV pitch to voters

The ad targets reinforces No campaign's frequent claim the Voice is led by non-Indigenous 'elites'.

'No to those people who think all Indigenous people think the same,' an Indigenous female spokesperson said.

READ MORE: No campaigner Andrew Thaler claims he was assaulted at rally after being spat on by ANU professor Advertisement

'We are not all the same and there's a lot of us Aboriginal people that are voting no.'

A No campaign spokesman told the Daily Telegraph they 'had known right from the start that Indigenous voices expressing concern about division would be critical when Australians came decide their vote'.

The spokesperson said South Australia, where the Yes campaign was launched, could be deciding state for the fate of the referendum.

'We will seek to blanket the state with advertising until referendum day, hoping they will vote against the voice of division,' the spokesperson said.

To be adopted the Voice needs to gain a majority of overall voters and also win a majority of states however the most recent polling shows it falling short in both those aims.

Victorian-based polling company Redbridge found that support for the Voice had fallen by five per cent in the last month to only 39 per cent nationally.

The Yes vote was also trailing in every state with only NSW showing some increase in support from 39 to 42 per cent, which was offset by a decline in Victoria from 45 per cent to 41.

Polling shows support for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament continues to fall with voters ranking it low on the priorities they believe governments should be focusing on

Redbridge also polled voters on how they ranked the Voice in terms of priority for the government and found only two per cent said it should be the major focus with only six per cent putting it in the top three issues.

Voters were far more concerned with bread and butter issues with cost-of-living being ranked in the top five issues by 92 per cent of those polled.

Housing affordability was considered the next most important issue with 73 per cent of people naming it as priority for government followed by the economy and jobs, which was nominated by 69 per cent.

Health funding, wages, climate change, the economy transitioning to renewable and national security were all rated as more important than the Voice with only roughly 15 per cent of voters putting it as a top-five priority.

This made the Voice considered only half as important as road and infrastructure funding, which was chosen by 31 per cent of voters.

RedBridge director Tony Barry said the polling was red flag for the Albanese government, which has been accused of focusing too much on the Voice to the detriment of other issues.

Theres a real risk for Albanese and Labor that the referendum cements the idea that the government has the wrong priorities and that it will then be punished, Mr Barry said.
Russell Brand was reportedly questioned by police in 2014 over claims he assaulted a masseuse after she was hired to give him a 500 birthday massage.

The alleged victim reportedly told police she was 'touched' by Brand, 48, at a 5million mansion in Oxfordshire, which she said traumatised her.

The allegations, reported by The Sun on Sunday, are the first known instance of the comedian being interviewed by police over assault allegations.

The masseuse contacted Thames Valley Police, who interviewed Brand. The comedian denied any wrongdoing and the case was dropped.

Today, Alice - an alleged victim who says she dated Brand at sixteen - also wrote in The Sunday Times further details of her experience with the comedian, who she says asked her for explicit photographs before learning of her age.

She used the platform to suggest changes to the law that would make it illegal for people over 21 to engage in sexual activities with people under 18, amid an ongoing debate about the appropriateness of sexual conduct between people with such an age gap.

It comes as Brand's old school has put out an appeal for former students to come forward with allegations after a classmate at central London's Italia Conti Performing Arts School accused the comedian of groping female pupils under a 'cloak of love'.

Comedian Russell Brand denied any wrongdoing and the case was dropped

Russell Brand is seen posing with Burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at The Brit Awards 2007 Valentine's Day photocall, Earls Court, London, on 13 Feb 2007

According to The Sun, the masseuse was hired to give Brand a massage at the Oxfordshire mansion in June 2014.

She claims she was touched by Brand before being forced out of the house, which she protested.

Police say Brand told them he was uneasy when the woman arrived and decided to back out of the massage - and was then escorted out of the house and left.

He said it was friendly but awkward.

Brand claimed CCTV supported his version of the story, and the police told Brand later they were not pursuing the matter.

Separately, Brand's old school is now appealing for alumnae to come forward with allegations of abuse.

It follows an allegation that the comic grabbed girls under his 'cloak of love' while studying at the prestigious central London performing arts school.

The school is said to be 'deeply concerned' about claims brought by Tony Brown, according to The Mirror.

Comedian Russell Brand has faced a number of allegations of misconduct following a four-year-long joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches, published last Saturday.

Brand denies all allegations of impropriety and has said all his relationships have been consensual.

Four women came forward, including one who claimed Brand raped her against the wall of his Los Angeles home in 2013.

Another woman alleged he sexually assaulted when she was 16-years-old and still at school.

In the wake of the scandal, a fifth woman filed a report to the Metropolitan Police, claiming she was sexually assaulted by the star in Soho, London, in 2003.

The force are investigating the claims.

A sixth woman accused Brand of locking her in a dressing room and pinning her to sofa with a 'glazed' look on his face. The alleged incident, as reported in The Sun, was said to have taken place in 2008 when the comic was 33, after a gig in West London.

On Thursday a seventh woman came forward claiming Brand exposed himself to her in an office where BBC Los Angeles operated from in 2008, before going to pre-record a programme for Radio 2 where he appeared to joke about the alleged incident.

An eighth woman, who was named Sarah to protect her identity, has claimed the comic had left her feeling 'vulnerable and intimidated' after he allegedly refused to get her a taxi until she performed a sex act.

Alice, who said she had a relationship with Brand at 16-years-old, has suggested consideration needs to be given to 'staggered consent' in law 'so that we don't have adults exploiting a 16 [or] 17-year-old's capacity for sexual determination'

Alice, who was sixteen at the time of her relationship with Brand, on Sunday spoke to The Sunday Times with further reflections on her experience.

She recalled how Brand had allegedly asked her to send images of herself in the bath until he found out her age - at which point he stopped.

Alice added: 'At that age I wasnt legally allowed to watch pornography for two more years. I couldnt vote; I couldnt drink; but I was free to date a man in his seventies if I wanted.'

'Like many 16-year-olds I was headstrong and thought I was so mature. He told me I was grown up and I believed it. My mum couldnt go to the police, much as she wanted to, because what would she have said? My daughter is 16 but in a relationship with an adult man? It wasnt illegal,' she continued.

She recalled how on their first date she was offered the wine menu - and responded that she didn't drink.

'Can't drink,' Brand was alleged to have chimed in.

The comments come amid a growing debate around the appropriateness of older men dating much younger women.

Polling by Ipsos revealed 31 per cent of men believe it acceptable for a 30-year-old man to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, while just 15 per cent of women agree.

When it comes to a 16-year-old girl being in a sexual relationship with a man aged 50 or older, more than one in 10 men (13%) thought this was acceptable compared to 3% of women.

Alice has suggested consideration needs to be given to 'staggered consent' in law 'so that we don't have adults exploiting a 16 [or] 17-year-old's capacity for sexual determination'.

She explained her position to The Sunday Times today: 'I believe 16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed to explore their sexuality but without undue influence from much older people. They should be able to make mistakes and learn from them, but it should be with an equal.

'[T]here should be staged consent  a change to the law. The age of consent could stay at 16, but I think it would be reasonable to recommend that it be a criminal offence for a person over the age of 21 to engage in sexual activities with someone under the age of 18. By doing this we might be able to strike a balance between shielding teenagers from harm while respecting their sexual autonomy.'

Women were slightly more likely to support raising the age of consent than men and to feel that older men in relationships with at least a 10-year age gap hold more power.

On Saturday, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 's Dispatches reported allegations of abusive and predatory behaviour including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse said to have been committed by the comedian between 2006 and 2013

Brand seen at BBC Radio 2 on December 5, 2014 in London. He denies all allegations

The BBC is also currently facing fresh questions over its role in the developing scandal as it investigates allegations over the comic's behaviour during stints working for the broadcaster.

The BBC has launched an investigation into the new claims about Brand's alleged behaviour in Los Angeles in 2008.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'We're very sorry to hear of these allegations and we will look into them.

'We are conducting a review to look at allegations of this nature and if the woman who has shared her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very keen to hear from her and anyone else who may have information.

'A key part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, if there was knowledge of Russell Brand's conduct while he worked on BBC radio, and what was done as a result.

'We will, of course, speak to the bureau team and anyone who was working there in 2008 as part of this.

'Further, the director-general has been very clear that some broadcasts from that period were, and are, inexcusable and totally unacceptable, and would never be aired today.'

Two former BBC bosses are also now facing fresh questions over their roles amid the wider investigation into Brand's alleged wrongdoings while working for the radio.

Lesley Douglas, who was in charge of BBC Radio 2 during Brand's stint, has been freed from confidentiality restrictions so her role can be examined.

New evidence will also 'raise questions about the judgment of Sir Mark Thompson', the BBC's former director-general, according to The Sunday Times.
Several Russian commanders were killed or seriously injured in a devastating Ukrainian missile strike against a military headquarters, it was claimed today.

Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, said at least nine Russian soldiers or sailors had been killed and 16 injured during an attack on Friday by Storm Shadow missiles on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Russian-occupied Crimea.

The strike, by as many as three missiles, was timed to coincide with a meeting of senior military leaders. Among those believed to be seriously injured was Colonel General Alexander Romanchuk, the commander leading the Kremlin's forces in southern Ukraine. Lieutenant General Oleg Tsekov, the commander of ground forces usually based in Arctic Russia, is also understood to be in a serious condition after the barrage.

General Budanov refused to confirm reports that Admiral Viktor Sokolov, commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet, had been killed in the attack.

Dramatic video footage emerged today showing the moment one of the missiles  supplied by Britain and France  slammed through the roof of the headquarters in the city of Sevastopol.

Plumes of smoke were seen coming from the Russian headquarters after the Ukrainian attack

Photos from the smoking ruins of the neo-classical building later showed widespread destruction.

A Ukrainian military statement last night claimed the attack left 'dozens of dead and wounded occupiers, including the top management of the fleet'.

A Russian social media channel said that at least 34 officers were killed in the strike.

Greg Bagwell, a retired air marshal and former deputy commander for operations with the RAF, said: 'Russia's hold on Crimea is increasingly untenable.'

John Foreman, a former British military attache in Moscow, said that the missile strikes exposed the lack of care taken by Russian commanders. He added: 'Another self-inflicted disaster for the incompetents of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.'

Oleg Tsekov is the commander of the 200th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade, part of the Coastal Forces of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy. He was reported as being one of the wounded

A Russian social media channel said that at least 34 officers were killed in the strike at the headquarters in the city of Sevastopol

The Sevastopol area came under further missile attack yesterday.

The city's Russian-installed governor, Mikhail Razvozhaev, said debris from one missile shot down by air defences had fallen near a pier, adding 'We earnestly ask everyone: stop sowing panic and pleasing our enemies... panic is their main goal.'

Russia occupied Crimea in 2014. Ukraine's navy recently claimed to have destroyed an S-400 air defence missile battery protecting the peninsula, degrading Russia's ability to defend against attacks.
The family of a young woman viciously mauled by her pet Rottweilers have made a bombshell claim 'there is more to this story'.

Nikita Piil, 31, suffered severe injuries to her arms and legs after she was viciously attacked by seven-year-old dog Bronx and four-year-old Harlem at her Success home, in Perth, on last Saturday afternoon.

Her sister Natasha launched a GoFundMe asking for any donations from the community to go towards future surgeries and rehabilitation fees.

'She loved and adored her dogs, and her friends and family have witnessed how much they loved her too,' Natasha wrote.

'Unfortunately she got caught in a crossfire calming her dogs down due to an incident within the neighbourhood. There's more to this story as to what the media has told.'

Nikita Piil (pictured) was rushed to Royal Perth Hospital with severe injuries to her arms and legs shortly before 5 pm last week after being set upon by her dogs

Nikita Piil (pictured) has been mauled by her dogs whom she shares lot of photos ofon social media

The fundraiser has drawn in more than $3,600, of the $15,000 target with a pledge to donate 100 per cent of the contributions towards Nikita's hospital needs.

'She has a long road ahead to recovery and every dollar counts, no matter how big or small,' Natasha wrote.

'We know that times are tough and we appreciate any donation to get her through this difficult time.'

READ MORE: Horrific new details emerge after beloved Rottweiler turns on owner in Success, Perth Advertisement

Nikita was viciously attacked by her two Rottweilers, seven-year-old Bronx and four-year-old Harlem, at her Success home in the city's south.

Police arrived at least 10 minutes after the neighbours first heard Ms Piil's screams, and officers shot Bronx. The dog was later euthanised by a vet.

Harlem was taken to a local pound, where he remains while the investigation into the attack continues.

Ms Piil remains in a serious but stable condition after suffering major blood loss as doctors desperately try to save her arm.

Ms Piil's Facebook posts dedicated to her beloved Rottweilers have resurfaced and have since been targeted by vile online trolls.

Her Facebook is littered with photos of her Rottweilers, including one of the dogs sitting next to dug-up artificial turf.

'My babies' Ms Piil captioned the photo alongside a black heart in 2020

In June, she captioned a photo of her dogs relaxed on the couch.

'My little kangaroo,' she wrote.

Days later, Mr Piil shared a Facebook video from a breeder of Rottweiler pups ready to be rehomed.

'Want them all. Always breeding the most beautiful babies,' she captioned the video.

Ms Piil got Bronx as a puppy in September 2016 and couldn't wait to wait to get him home and show him off on Facebook.

Nikita Piil has been hospitalised in a serious condition after being set upon by her Rottweillers Bronx and Harlem

'Baby Bronx is finally home! So incredibly in love with this little sleepyhead. Life is complete. #Rottweilerpuppy #mummysboy,' she captioned a photo of the sleeping puppy.

Mr Piil paid tribute to Bronx on his first birthday a year later.

'I couldn't ask for a more incredible, cheeky, loyal, intelligent and protective little mate. You're my whole world,' she captioned a photo of Bronx at the beach

READ MORE: Breeder who sold Rottweiler to woman savaged in vicious attack says victim's actions must have prompted attack Advertisement

The renowned dog lover also had a sign on her door which read: 'Beware of the Rottweiler'.

It remains unclear what prompted the dogs to attack their owner.

Since the nightmare attack, Ms Piil and the breeder who sold Bronx have faced cruel criticism online.

The breeder who sold Harlem to Ms Piil broke her silence to say she knew the dog to be 'placid' and believes the owner's actions must have triggered the attack.

The breeder, who requested to remain anonymous, said Harlem came from a family of show dogs and was known for being a 'very placid non-dominant dog' who was also really loving, and good-natured.

'It's not likely that a Rottweiler would attack anybody for no reason,' she told The West this week.

'In this instance, there must have been a dog fight between the two dogs and I feel that maybe the owner has gotten involved to try and separate the dogs and somehow gotten in between it.

'Watching any two dogs having a fight is traumatic for any owner. Especially trying to separate them on your own.'

The breeder also hit back at claims Harlem was bred for violence.

Bronx was put down by vets as Piil's other dog  four-year-old rottweiler Harlem  remains in a City of Cockburn facility while an investigation into why the pair attacked continues

'We don't breed dogs for fighting. We don't breed dogs for security. We mainly breed them for show and to place them in family units,' she said.

'The bloodlines of that dog are from show lines, so they are absolutely not known to [attack].'

She added online trolls accusing Ms Piil of neglecting the dogs were wrong, saying both dogs were 'very well-kept and very well-loved'.

Neighbour Bryn Spencer said he and another nearby resident heard Ms Piil's screams several minutes before they tried to breakup the attack.

However, the pair couldn't access her backyard without putting themselves in danger.

'I was hearing 'help, help, please help!',' Mr Spencer told Nine News

'I was contemplating jumping the fence and getting in there to try to rescue her but, obviously, there were two Rottweilers in there.

'I didn't have a knife, I didn't have anything really good to take this dog out.

'I only had a bat. All I could really do was watch this girl get mauled apart while I am smacking the fence.'

Nikita Piil once described her dog Bronx as her whole world  loyal, intelligent and protective  but on last week, something went horribly wrong

Another neighbour turned a hose on one of the dogs, which succeeded in momentarily distracting it.

'The dog stopped for a bit and it was looking at me deciding what to do next,' Mr Spencer said.

'I kept screaming at it and smacking the fence and then it decided, 'Stuff you' and it got the girl and dragged her behind the back corner.

Police attempted to taser Bronx but were unsuccessful and forced to shoot the dog in a desperate attempt to stop the attack with Ms Piil's life was in danger,

Bronx was later euthanised while Harlem remains in ranger custody.

'The dog will remain at the facility until investigations surrounding the incident are finalised,' City of Cockburn head of Community Safety and Ranger Services Michael Emery said.

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook has called for an inquiry into the circumstances leading up to the horrific attack.
A man suffering from cancer claims his bank told him it was his fault that scammers swindled tends of thousands of dollars out of him.

Sydney man Barry Casey, 69, who has 'three forms of cancer', was cheated out of $40,000 by scammers in May, 2022.

Upon reaching out to his bank of 64 years, the Commonwealth Bank, he claims he was told the money couldn't be recovered and that the loss of funds was his fault.

The Sydney man had relied on his savings to pay off mounting health costs for his treatments and has been struggling to keep up with his expenses ever since.

The saga started when Mr Casey was on holidays in the Phillipines and he received an email from scammers masquerading as workers from Amazon Prime.

Barry Casey (pictured), 69, who suffers from cancer, lost $40,000 to scammers pretending to be from Amazon Prime in 2022

The email thanked him for signing up for an Amazon Prime account and notified him that $99.99 would be debited out of his account in two weeks.

Mr Casey received these emails daily from that point onwards.

He returned to Australia feeling severely ill with fevers, 'wracking coughs' and sleeping issues.

At one point during his sleep-deprived state, Mr Casey decided to call the number the scammers had sent him in their emails.

A scammer who came on the phone claimed to be from Amazon Prime's fraud team and told him that the person who sent the emails was trying to steal his bank details.

They asked Mr Casey to send over his personal information and confirm his bank details in a bid to catch out the fake scammer.

READ MORE: Commonwealth Bank scam that Australians need to know about Advertisement

Mr Casey said the conversation rang 'alarm bells' and he initially tried to back out of the conversation several times.

But the Sydneysider admitted to falling for the man's convincing attitude and 'scare tactics' as he wasn't 'thinking straight'.

The conversation was passed between multiple scammers on the line pretending to be from Amazon's fraud team, where Mr Casey consistently gave out his information to stop the fake scammer.

He has soon provided his personal, bank and device details to the fraudsters.

'All the while, in the back of my mind, I'm trusting the bank. Thinking they won't allow this to happen. If this is a scam, the bank will recognise it. I had blind faith in the bank - unfounded, as it turned out,' he told 7News.

Mr Casey was told by the scammers not to open his bank details until they conducted their 'investigation' and was asked to fill out a NetBank verification code prompt, which he did.

A panicked Mr Casey rushed to his local Commonwealth Bank branch but was later told that nothing could be done and the loss in funds was 'his fault' (stock image)

He then went to sleep and shockingly found $40,000 missing from his account via three transactions.

A panicked Mr Casey rushed to his local Commonwealth Bank branch to see if the lost funds could be retrieved. He also filed a police report.

Unfortunately, the bank explained there was nothing they could do to help Mr Casey.

'It was only within 24 hours that the bank got back to me and said, basically, "it's your fault",' he said.

'I just immediately shut down. I berated myself about it and thought, you deserved this because you were so stupid.'

Customers can report suspected scams to CommBank's 24/7 Cyber Security Centre.

For anyone who has clicked on a suspected scam link, they should contact the bank immediately to let them know so the account can be locked.

The Commonwealth Bank is currently working on new scam detection, prevention and education initiatives to stop their customers being swindled by scammers.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Commonwealth Bank for comment.
Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into a 'colossal waste' of money

The second phase of the high-speed line could be axed in the coming days

The row over looming cuts to HS2 deepened last night following claims by the London Mayor that travelling between the capital and Birmingham could take longer on the new line than it does now.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line, from Birmingham to Manchester, and stop the London leg at Old Oak Common  six miles west of the original Euston terminus.

In a letter sent to Mr Sunak, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into 'a colossal waste of public money'.

He reveals that, according to Transport for London estimates, passengers who took HS2 from Birmingham to Old Oak Common, then used local public transport to get to Euston, would be travelling for one hour 22 minutes on a 'best case' scenario to reach the station, compared with the current scheduled time of one hour 21 minutes.

Former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron have led criticism of the new plan, with Mr Johnson saying that HS2 had been 'mutilated' by the Treasury.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line. A graphic of the line and each phase is pictured

Officials have watched in horror as the costs of the project have spiralled over the past decade.

READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt says the costs of HS2 are 'totally out of control' as he refuses to commit to building the Manchester leg of the project Proposals to make major cuts to the Government's flagship high-speed rail project would see the Birmingham to Manchester leg scrapped (Pictured: Artist impression of HS2) Advertisement

At the time of the 2010 Election, the budget was estimated at 20 billion; by 2021 it was up to 98 billion. Lord Berkeley, former deputy chairman of the Government's independent review into the project, has warned that it could even hit 107 billion.

While 2.3 billion has already been spent on the Manchester leg, Treasury officials working on a secret project, codenamed 'Redwood', have calculated that 34 billion would be saved by abandoning it now.

In his letter, Mr Khan says: 'Terminating the service at Old Oak Common would be a short-sighted decision which will have long-term implications, significantly downgrading the value of HS2... and leaving a ridiculous situation where a "high-speed" journey between Birmingham and Central London could take as long as the existing route, if not longer'.

Mr Johnson said: 'This is total Treasury-driven nonsense. We need to connect the Midlands with the North with HS2 because that is the way to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail. It makes no sense for HS2 to terminate at Old Oak Common rather than Euston.'

A Government spokesman said: 'The HS2 project is well under way with spades in the ground and our focus remains on delivering it.'

The number of cancelled train services on the TransPennine Express has increased since it was taken over by the Government, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Rail users and business leaders initially heralded the move to renationalise the beleaguered line in May, saying it would represent a fresh start for passengers following months of complaints.

In a letter sent to Mr Sunak, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into 'a colossal waste of public money'

Some 2,331 services were scrapped between May 28 and August 19, after civil servants seized control from transport company FirstGroup, compared with 1,963 services in the final three months of private ownership.

Spokesmen for TransPennine Express and the Department for Transport blamed strike action this summer and said cancellations were low on non-strike days.
The family of a sick teenager who died while fighting doctors' attempts to withdraw her life support have vowed to continue her legal battle in an extraordinary bid to prove the courts got it wrong about her.

Sudiksha Thirumalesh, 19, who suffered from a rare genetic disorder, died earlier this month in the midst of a months-long fight with an NHS trust, which cannot be named, while she was subject to a strict gagging order.

Just weeks before Sudiksha's death she had launched a legal appeal after a judge ruled that she did not have the 'mental capacity' to make decisions about her own medical care and that the courts should determine her future.

The ruling was made despite two court-appointed psychiatrists insisting that she did have 'capacity', with one noting that she was 'comfortable, smiling [and] alert'.

'Sudiksha was devastated by the decision, but she sadly died before her appeal could be heard in court,' her brother Varshan, 27, said last night. 'Even until her last breath she was fully conscious and she had full capacity. We feel the ruling wasn't right and we want to try to change that.'

Sudiksha Thirumalesh, 19, died earlier this month from a rare genetic disorder

Her family, who live in the Midlands, said they will now continue pursuing her appeal on her behalf.

Now watch the Mails exclusive documentary on Sudikshas awe-inspiring battle for life Just weeks before Sudiksha's death she had launched a legal appeal after a judge ruled that she did not have the 'mental capacity' to make decisions about her own medical care Advertisement

Varshan added: 'She was able to communicate her wishes. She would sometimes use her speaking valve or a notebook and pen. She would write questions to the nurses and could express her concerns.'

Sudiksha was hospitalised last year after contracting Covid. She died on September 12, just days after speaking anonymously in the Mail about her ordeal.

She said: 'My next stop is the Court of Appeal where I hope to establish my right to choose my own lawyers and to make my own medical decisions. This system urgently needs to change and I pray no one else will ever have to go through what I and my family have been made to suffer this past year.'

Sudiksha wanted to travel to North America for what she hoped would be potentially life-extending clinical trials of nucleoside therapy. While her doctors claimed that they would not stand in her way, the family say the gagging clauses prevented her from fundraising for the 1.5 million needed to make the journey and pay for the treatment.

As Sudiksha's condition worsened in recent months she was left reliant on a ventilator, a feeding tube and regular dialysis. However, doctors successfully argued that her refusal to accept their view that she was 'actively dying' was a sign of delusion, and so the Court of Protection should decide her fate. They said that the kindest course of action would be to 'de-escalate her intensive care'.

Following her death after a cardiac arrest, her mother Revathi, 55, said: 'We don't want this to happen to anyone else; Sudiksha must be the last case.'

The family went to the High Court on Friday to remove the strict reporting restrictions which had shrouded the case in secrecy. Before the hearing, Sudiksha could be identified only as 'ST'.

Sudiksha Thirumalesh with her brother Varshan and, right, in hospital as her condition deteriorated

Sudiksha Thirumalesh's family, who live in the Midlands, said they will now continue pursuing her appeal on her behalf

They were finally able to tell her story in an exclusive interview in yesterday's Daily Mail.

Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is supporting the family, said the judgment on Sudiksha's capacity must be 'overturned'.

'Sudiksha's case has revealed flaws in law and medicine when it comes to assessing whether a person has mental capacity to make choices on their own behalf,' she said. 'The lack of transparency in the system cannot go unchallenged.'

The family are still fighting to lift the restrictions on identifying the NHS trust, the hospital and the clinicians involved. Mr Justice Peel reserved judgment on the matters until tomorrow.
The brother of Stuart Lubbock who was found dead at Michael Barrymore's pool party has said his family fear they will never find justice following the death of the pathologist who botched the postmortem.

Stuart, 31, was found dead with severe internal injuries in Strike It Lucky star Barrymore's pool at his 2million home in Roydon, Essex, on March 31, 2001, after a party with just seven other guests.

Dr Michael Heath's postmortem told of of how Stuart had drowned but tests completed later concluded that he also had marks on his face that indicated possible asphyxiation.

This could have been caused from an arm held round him during possible sexual assault.

Dr Heath was at the helm of forensic investigations in thousands of major criminal cases, including the victims of Moors murderer Myra Hindley.

Stuart Lubbock (pictured), 31, was found dead in Barrymore's pool with severe internal injuries

Michael Barrymore (pictured outside the High Court in London in 2021) was hosting a party with seven other guests at his 2million home in Roydon, Essex, on March 31, 2001, when Stuart died

Stuart's brother Kevin Luddock (pictured) has said he fears the family will never see justice after the pathologist who blundered the portmortem died

But in 2001 his work on Stuart's death was found to differ from those of other pathologists.

In 2009 the General Medical Council (GMC) found Dr Heath guilty of serious misconduct, but ruled his fitness to practise was not impaired.

The Home Office pathologist resigned and shortly after it emerged that nine further murder and manslaughter convictions involving evidence given by Dr Heath were being reviewed.

Of the bungled postmortem, Stuart's brother Kevin, 55, said: 'Dr Heath should have been struck off years ago.

'Instead, his slap-dash judgements led to many wrong decisions at inquests, notably Stuart's.

'He has caused families untold pain and left many without answers. With his death, it's doubtful any families touched by Dr Heath will get any true justice, including ours,' he told the Sunday Mirror last night.

Terry Lubbock, who died of terminal cancer in 2021, fought for justice for more than 20 years following his son Stuart's death.

A man in his 50s was detained on suspicion of murder and sexual assault in March 2021 in the North of England after Essex Police said 'significant new information' had come to light.

But the force admitted in September of that year there was 'insufficient evidence to reach the level where there is a realistic chance of a successful prosecution' over the death in March 2001.

Mr Lubbock senior, a retired toolmaker who lived in Harlow, then released a harrowing statement laying bare his devastation at the lack of resolution.

Pathologist Dr Michael Heath (pictured outside the Epping Forest Coroner's Office) is under fresh investigation

Mr Lubbock had been attending a party at Barrymore's luxury home in Roydon with eight other people on March 31, 2001

Police believe Mr Lubbock was sexually assaulted and murdered with his body possibly moved from a jacuzzi to make it look like he had accidentally drowned

Litany of failings in high-profile cases led to scrutiny of top pathologist Dr Michael Heath carried out the post-mortem on 32-year-old Stuart Lubbock who was found dead in Michael Barrymore's pool in Roydon, Essex, in 2001. In 2006 the Home Office Advisory Board found Dr Heath bungled post-mortem examinations of two women, leading to their partners being accused of murder. Steven Puaca was jailed in 2002 for killing Jacqueline Tindsley. But his conviction was quashed in November 2005 when the Court of Appeal heard there was not enough evidence to support Dr Heath's conclusion she had died of asphyxia. Kenneth Fraser, accused of murdering Mary Anne Moore, was cleared in 2002 by a jury at a trial. Dr Heath said her death was not caused by falling down stairs but by impact with a sharp object, contrary to four other pathologists, according to The Telegraph. And unreliability of Dr Heath's evidence led to an appeal being granted for road rage killer Kenneth Noye, which later failed. Advertisement

The message on Twitter, which was accompanied by a photo of the gaunt pensioner lying on his care home bed, said: 'Someone knows who killed Stuart Lubbock. I will die of a broken heart. Stuart was murdered at the former home of Michael Barrymore in Roydon, Essex.'

A post-mortem examination found Mr Lubbock suffered internal injuries suggesting he had been raped.

Barrymore's career imploded in the aftermath of the death, which happened after he and his then partner, Jonathan Kenney, spent the night out in Harlow.

They went home with a small group of people they met in a club including butcher Mr Lubbock, 31, a divorced father of two.

Barrymore  who later apologised after fleeing before police arrived, saying that he had 'panicked'  has always denied any knowledge of what happened.

He, Mr Kenney, 51, and another guest at the party, former dustman Justin Merritt, 47, were arrested in 2007 but later released without charge.

The latest arrest came after police renewed their appeal for information last year and offered a 20,000 reward, later increased to 40,000.

It coincided with a Channel 4 documentary about the case.

DCI Jennings said at the time that one or more of the eight other people at the property were involved and others might know what happened.

Mr Lubbock's death was initially assumed to be an accident by officers, who failed to secure the crime scene.

A coroner recorded an open verdict in 2002 after failing to confirm the cause of death. Alcohol, ecstasy and cocaine were found in his bloodstream.

Barrymore, now a recovering alcoholic who lives in west London, has tried to rekindle his career without success, including a stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006.
Colin Burnett in The Common Reader:

To understand the origins of any franchise, look first to rightswho owns the intellectual property, how it is managed, and where the revenue generated from its exploitation is set to flow.

In February 1952, Ian Fleming (1908-1964), a former Naval Intelligence officer and manager of the foreign desk of the Kemsley newspaper group (including The Sunday Times), writes the first in a series of spy novels. He cribs the central characters name from a 1936 book entitled The Birds of the West Indies. Its author: James Bond. But who the fictional character James Bond would become, what international schemes he would solve, and what kind of life he would lead are not the only matters occupying Flemings thoughts. He wants his novels to sell, quickly, and for his young family to reap the financial rewards.

For that, he will need to carefully manage his new property. In September 1952, the United Nations passes the Universal Copyright Convention which decrees that any work which carries the symbol  will retain copyright control in all contracted states. In response to the Convention, Fleming moves swiftly to incorporate himself. He purchases a small theatrical production firm, Glidrose Productions, Ltd., and turns over all rights to his works.

This is where the Bond franchise truly begins.

More here.
British diplomats yesterday rushed to try to defend the decision to surrender the UK-owned Chagos Islands to a close ally of China, after Boris Johnson described it as a 'spineless' move.

The former Prime Minister revealed that the negotiations to hand the archipelago to Mauritius as part of a transfer of sovereignty of the British Indian Ocean Territory were 'a done deal'.

The islands include Diego Garcia, a highly sensitive Anglo-American military base that has been called 'the unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean'.

Writing in his Daily Mail column yesterday, Mr Johnson said: 'We are apparently about to perform a U-turn and abandon the British Indian Ocean Territory.

'Just as the Chinese are building runways over every reef and atoll they can find  places that have never been Chinese possessions  we are throwing in the sponge.

British diplomats yesterday rushed to try to defend the decision to surrender the UK-owned Chagos Islands to a close ally of China , after Boris Johnson described it as a 'spineless' move

The islands include Diego Garcia, a highly sensitive Anglo-American military base that has been called 'the unsinkable aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean'

'We are about to haul down the flag, casting doubt on a major western strategic asset.'

In May, in a report that said surrender of the territory was imminent, The Mail on Sunday highlighted that the plan had triggered 'serious concerns' in the White House due to the concentration of Western military hardware on Diego Garcia.

But diplomats insisted last night that whatever the outcome of the talks between the UK and Mauritius, a close ally of China, the base would continue to be operated by Britain and America.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: 'The UK and Mauritius have held five rounds of constructive negotiations on the exercise of sovereignty over the British Indian Ocean Territory/Chagos Archipelago, and officials will meet again soon to continue negotiations.

'The UK and Mauritius have reiterated that any agreement between our two countries will ensure the continued effective operation of the joint UK-US military base on Diego Garcia, which plays a vital role in regional and global security.'
For Jeni Larmour's 21st birthday in May, her mother Sandra organised a family lunch at a local restaurant. There was a chinking of glasses to toast the birthday girl and a brightly coloured balloon that read '21 Today'.

But tragically, there was a space at the table where Jeni should have been. The balloon that should have marked a young woman's coming of age was later placed at her gravestone, along with flowers from her many friends.

Because mere hours after arriving at Newcastle University in October 2020, Jeni, an architecture and urban-planning student who wanted to 'change the world', collapsed and died in her halls after taking ketamine.

She was just 18. At the inquest into her death, her mother said the drug had been supplied by another student, Kavir Kalliecharan. He initially claimed Jeni had provided him with the ketamine, before admitting possession. He denied being a supplier.

'It's nearly three years ago, but for me the pain is every day,' says Sandra, 50, an HR officer from County Armagh. 'There's no point even saying I think about her morning, noon and night because she's always at the forefront of my mind in everything that I do.

For Jeni Larmour's 21st birthday in May, her mother Sandra organised a family lunch at a local restaurant. There was a chinking of glasses to toast the birthday girl and a brightly coloured balloon that read '21 Today'

'As I drive home, if I see two birds in the sky, I'll think, 'That's me and Jeni flying about together.' If I see a rainbow, I'll say, 'Jeni has sent me that today.' On events like her birthday I do as much as I can to decorate her grave as I would her party. When I had my own 50th in May we sat around and said, 'Jeni should be here.'

'My sister gave birth to twins and they will never know Jeni. The heartbreak and the pain inside... it's like a hidden disability that I have to deal with daily.'

Ketamine  also known as 'Special K' or 'ket'  is, according to experts, the 'new ecstasy' among students. Used by vets as an anaesthetic, the white or pinkish powder is often referred to as a horse tranquilliser but it's also widely used as a prescription painkiller or sedative for humans.

And its popularity among the young as a recreational drug is growing. Crucially, for cash-strapped students, it is relatively cheap, costing as little as 3 for a dose.

'Ketamine gives an instant high and is used and abused on the party scene, particularly among the younger generation, including university students,' says Martin Preston, addiction specialist and chief executive of private rehab clinic Delamere.

'A lot of people believe it is less harmful than other substances because it is hard to develop a physical dependence on it. But while that's true, some users develop a tolerance so they need larger doses.

'Large amounts of ketamine can also have a powerful hallucinogenic effect, sometimes referred to as entering a 'K-hole'. This can make a person temporarily unable to interact with the world around them, due to the drug's dissociative effects, meaning users may feel detached from reality, which can be extremely dangerous.

'Ketamine abuse can also cause vomiting, heart problems and, if taken in frequent high doses, it can also cause the bladder to shrink. In some cases the damage is so severe that it is irreversible and a person may require a bag to bypass the bladder. When ketamine is mixed with alcohol it can increase the risk of heart attack, overheating and, in extreme circumstances, death.'

Today, as tens of thousands of young people head away from home  some for the first time  to university and college halls, it seems that they may be particularly vulnerable to the drug. Earlier this year, figures from the National Programme On Substance Abuse Deaths at St George's Hospital in South London showed that nearly one in ten people killed by ketamine is a student, yet among deaths from all drugs they make up less than one in 50 victims. The median age of death from ketamine is 29, while for all drug deaths it is 39.

Harris Khan, 24, was part of a drugs gang who were snared in an undercover police operation after they continued dealing following the death of three students have been jailed

Thomas Ibbotson, 21, was also part of the same gang Kahn was involved with

Faisal Ahmed, 21, was also arrested following the death of the student

Sandra, who is now helping universities and schools to educate young people and children about the dangers of ketamine, says her daughter's death has left a gaping hole in her family. 'Jeni was full of life with a big booming laugh, and people were drawn to her, she was like a magnet,' she says.

'She was really looking forward to starting her degree. We'd flown into Newcastle on the Thursday and chilled and watched a video and lay up on the bed chatting. On the Friday we went to the shops to buy household stuff and a few clothes for her new life at university. I dropped her off at 20 to five, and she was so excited to be going out with her new friends.

'As I was walking back to the hotel where I was staying close by, I remember thinking, 'Yes, this place is going to be great for Jeni.' I was really happy for her. I didn't realise that three hours and 20 minutes later my daughter would be lying unconscious and no one would be helping her.

'Next morning she wasn't answering her phone or texts. About 11.30am the police phoned and said they were coming to talk to me.

'My first thought was that Jeni would sort out whatever the problem was. But deep down I knew.

'My heart was pounding, and when I opened the door and saw the police officers' faces, all I could say was, 'Don't even say it!'

'I had been a ten-minute walk away from my daughter and she was lying there all that time. How could life turn around so quickly?'

Sandra discovered Jeni had gone out with friends but returned to her room at about 8pm to fetch her ID to allow her into pubs and clubs. She believes that what happened next could easily have been prevented.

'Jeni and I never really talked about drugs. She would say things like, 'Don't be silly Mammy, I wouldn't do that,' so I think that she had gone back to her room in all innocence to collect her ID and then had been persuaded to go to Kavir's room and take ketamine.

'I truly believe it's the first time she'd taken it, and not long afterwards she collapsed.

'When the other students arrived back around 10pm, she was already face down on the floor.

'No one did anything to help her. I'm so angry that at least three of the other girls had seen her like that and had an opportunity to save her life, but they didn't. They assumed she was drunk.

'I understand that Kavir had told at least one of them that they had taken ketamine, and so I hold that student more accountable than the others. They just left her lying there and went to bed.

'Kavir was on his feet and was able to help others who were drunk into their beds. He could change his T-shirt. But he couldn't help my daughter.'

Mere hours after arriving at Newcastle University in October 2020, Jeni, an architecture and urban-planning student who wanted to 'change the world', collapsed and died in her halls after taking ketamine

Sandra's ex-husband and Jeni's father David, 51, and their son Daniel, then 17, flew to Newcastle, and the family were allowed to see Jeni after the post-mortem.

'By then it was just a case of identifying her,' says Sandra. 'Our hearts were broken. The police knew straight away it was drugs-related, as they'd done a search of Kavir's room, but I'd never even heard of ketamine when it was mentioned  I had to Google it.'

The post-mortem recorded the cause of death as 'the effects of combination of alcohol and ketamine'. The combination was thought to have severely depressed her nervous system.

Kalliecharan, from Leeds, who was then 20, originally suggested that it was Jeni who had supplied the drugs. But he later pleaded guilty to possessing Class A and Class B drugs and was sentenced to two years on conditional discharge.

'I probably pity Kavir that he's got to live with Jeni's death on his conscience for the rest of his life, though I'm not sure at his age he's able to have much of a conscience,' says Sandra. 'Maybe when he has children of his own he will realise what he's done. I can't understand how his parents can't understand what he's done  not one of them has contacted me to offer their condolences.

'Now our house is completely changed. The noise and the laughter is gone. For me, I'm just tired all the time. I work, eat and sleep, and that's it.'

The rise in popularity of ketamine can be in no doubt.

In the year ending March 2022, the quantity confiscated by border forces rose by 884 per cent to 1.8 tons  the highest level on record. The proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds who have used ketamine is at a high of 5.8 per cent, nearly treble the rate of 15 years ago.

Soon after Jeni's death, Northumbria Police launched a sting operation targeting drug dealers. Last year, Faisal Ahmed of Washington, Tyne and Wear, Thomas Ibbotson of Stanley, County Durham and Harris Khan, of South Shields, South Tyneside, were found guilty of supplying ketamine and cocaine to the student population in Newcastle.

But there is little to suggest that drugs have now become hard to come by at the university.

Some have argued that the rise in ketamine's popularity among students happened around the same time as many began softening their drug policies by getting rid of zero tolerance approaches.

The process was slammed by former Home Secretary Priti Patel, who said: 'This is an absolute disgrace and poses a lot of questions on what's going on in our universities. Any parent would be very worried about sending their youngster to university if there is going to be an acceptance that students are going to take drugs.'

Newcastle University  where Jeni died  denies it takes a soft stance. 'We are not a drug-tolerant university: in line with other universities we take a harm-reduction approach,' it said in a statement.

'Our 2021 Drugs Policy enshrined our long-held practice of putting student safety first. Whenever we become aware that students are in possession of, or use, drugs, action is always taken. This action is proportionate and along a spectrum of support, safeguarding, disciplinary action and informing police. This can lead to expulsion from accommodation and/or the University and/or criminal prosecution.'

Sandra reluctantly accepts why universities have dispensed with their zero-tolerance policies.

'I'd like to say I don't agree with universities softening their approaches, but if you tell young people not to do something they're going to do it anyway, so I think their approach is probably the right one,' she says. 'I hate having to say that, because obviously abstaining completely is the right course of action and always will be.

'There is always more that can be done, but I believe they have been proactive since Jeni's death  it's just unfortunate that it took my daughter's death to cause that.'

Vicky Unwin, vice-chair of the drugs charity Transform Drug Policy Foundation, lost her 21-year-old daughter, Louise, who wasn't a student, in 2011 after she had taken ketamine. She can see why the drug is so popular among young people: 'The cost of alcohol is prohibitively expensive so people would rather now take ket than get drunk,' she says. 'If it were regulated, like alcohol or cigarettes, it would be a lot safer because people don't have any idea what it's mixed with  it could be anything from fentanyl [an opioid more powerful than morphine] to chalk.

'But it can cause terrible problems. I've known surgeons who have had to remove bladders because of it, so it can be a real danger. Teaching youngsters the dangers of these drugs so they can make informed choices is key.'

Lucy Marsh of The Family Education Trust argues the dangers are being underestimated: 'Taking ketamine can cause serious health issues, including kidney damage and memory loss  it can also be fatal. Rather than facilitating drug use, universities should have a zero-tolerance approach and crack down on those selling drugs on campus in order to keep young people safe.'

Fiona Spargo-Mabbs, who lost her 16-year-old son Daniel to drugs in 2014 and later founded the drug-education DSM Foundation, agrees. 'One of the specific concerns we have about ketamine at universities is that 74 per cent of students have used alcohol or drugs to medicate for mental health struggles, and ketamine is third on the list behind alcohol and cannabis. Students are using drugs as a coping strategy, and that can lead to a difficulty in stopping.

'Ketamine can be incredibly strong and can lead to the 'K-hole' experience, which can cause some very serious problems, particularly when you mix it with alcohol or cocaine. We think evidence-based drug education is vital.'

In the meantime, students are likely to continue to use ketamine in ever greater numbers. Which means another tragedy like Jeni's is waiting to happen.
Telecoms giant BT was last night under fire after a top executive declared that plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs in rural East Anglia while hiring new staff in major cities will boost its workforce diversity.

In comments leaked to The Mail on Sunday, Howard Watson, BT's chief networks officer, suggested that a 'significant factor' in choosing where to locate major offices was the ethnic diversity of the area.

One Tory MP yesterday accused BT of 'pandering to political correctness' and warned it could be illegally discriminating against white staff.

It comes as the MoS can reveal that BT's new chief executive, Allison Kirkby, could pocket up to 220,000 in bonus payments specifically linked to 'diversity and inclusion' targets.

BT unveiled controversial plans in July to cut up to 1,100 jobs from its 2,900-strong base in Martlesham, near Ipswich, as part of a major overhaul of its offices called the 'Better Workplace Programme'. Under the blueprint, some of the staff affected will be offered the chance to move to 'strategic hub' cities including London, Birmingham and Manchester.

A recording obtained by the MoS details Mr Watson telling staff the headcount reduction is a 'shocking number', but adds that BT would be able to recruit new workers in 'many more places' which would 'improve diversity inclusion over time'.

Telecoms giant BT was last night under fire after a top executive declared that plans to cut more than 1,000 jobs in rural East Anglia while hiring new staff in major cities will boost its workforce diversity (file image)

BT's new chief executive, Allison Kirkby, could pocket up to 220,000 in bonus payments specifically linked to 'diversity and inclusion' targets

Asked whether boosting diversity and inclusion was a key reason for relocating jobs, Mr Watson replies: 'That was a significant factor in the choice of the locations.'

Martlesham is 95.8 per cent white, according to latest figures  in contrast, Birmingham is 48.7 per cent white.

Former Government Minister Sir John Hayes said: 'BT shouldn't be pandering to political correctness. It needs to be clear if it is jeopardising workers' interests around an ideological agenda. That would be reprehensible and possibly illegal, too.'

The telecoms provider announced plans two years ago to more than double the share of its workforce from non-white backgrounds to 25 per cent by 2030, becoming the biggest British employer to impose such a target.

In March, the proportion of ethnic minority staff at BT was 13.4 per cent, with bosses aiming for it to jump to 16 per cent by 2025.

The annual bonus enjoyed by Ms Kirkby is  for the first time  partly connected to BT hitting its ambitious diversity targets and could contribute to a maximum pay-out of 2.2 million on top of her 1.1 million salary.

A BT spokesperson said its Martlesham office 'remains an essential site', adding: 'Our need to relocate roles reflects UK-wide efforts to focus investment into fewer, but more modern, buildings.'
A Utah television news anchor who interviewed the grief author mom accused of murdering her husband with a fentanyl-tainted Moscow Mule has spoken of the moment she received an email alleging Kouri Richins to be a killer.

Deena Manzanares who hosts KTVX's Good Things Utah interviewed the 33-year-old mother-of-three last April to discuss the book she had written for her sons on how to deal with the loss of their father.

But when the cameras stopped rolling, Manzanares said Richins blamed Covid for her husband's death.

The day after the interviewed aired on the local TV station, the entire news staff received an email in response stating: 'You know she killed her husband!!!'

Deena Manzanares who hosts KTVX's Good Things Utah interviewed the 33-year-old mother-of-three last April to discuss the book she had written for her sons on how to deal with the loss of their father

Deena Manzanares and Surae Chinn, the hosts of KTVX's 'Good Things Utah', spoke with Richins about her book on the show on April 4 last year - before she became the main suspect in her husband's murder trial

Richins is accused of poisoning husband Eric (pictured right), 39, by slipping him five times the lethal dose of fentanyl into the drink in March 2022

After her husband's death, the mother of three self-published a children's book titled 'Are You With Me?' about a deceased father wearing angel wings who watched over his sons.

Speaking to Dateline this weekend, Manzanares recalled the conversation.

'She said my husband passed away from COVID and he had a lung issue.'

Yet, Richins had been telling everyone around town how her husband had died from a brain aneurysm

'I come into work the next day, get on my computer, checking my emails, and there is an anonymous message that's come in to the entire station.

'I opened it up and all it says is capital letters and many exclamation points is 'You know she killed her husband!'' Manzanares explained.

'This is the moment things get so surreal. It was definitely creepy, it was definitely weird, but we didn't really give it another thought after the initial 'woah!''

The former real estate agent, Richins, who is also a Mormon, has been held in Summit County Jail since she was arrested on May 8 and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated murder and three counts of possession of a controlled substance.

Prosecutors claim she killed her husband of nine years, Eric Richins, with a cocktail laced with poison on March 3, 2022, before publishing an illustrated children's book about an angelic father watching over his sons.

Richins is seen promoting her book on a local Utah station in April this year. 'We have three little boys,' she told the interviewer, 'And my kids and I kind of wrote this book on the different emotions and grieving processes that we've experienced in the past year'

Eric's family told investigators shortly after he died they suspected his wife had killed the father-of-three

The 39-year-old ranch farmer was found dead at the foot of his bed at their home in the town of Kamas, near Park City, on March 4 last year.

Richins first approached Good Things Utah requesting to be a guest on the show in an email which Manzanares said was 'all about the promotion of her children's book' - adding she 'seemed 'excited to get that 15 minutes of fame'.

Manzanares described Richins' demeanor on set as 'cold' and 'stumbling' - but hosts put this down to her struggling with grief.

'She was a little bit cold, she wasn't super emotional, but we're trained to show our guests in the best light, we were trying to be on their side, and I'm thinking, she's probably numb, this has only happened a year ago,' she said.

'She was nervous, she was stumbling over her words, I thought it was nervous to be on live TV - but now I think she was nervous because she was lying.'

The host said she thought the email warning was 'bizarre' and 'didn't think anything of it' because they are accustomed to receiving the 'occasional crazy email'.

'I never in a million years would have thought this was all coming over the next months,' Manzanares said. 'It's truly shocking.'

The day after the broadcast the entire news team, including Deena Manzanares received an email from an anonymous source declaring, 'You know she killed her husband!!!'

When the cameras stopped rolling, Manzanares said Richins blamed Covid for her husband's death despite other people believing he had died from a brain aneurysm

Initially, the staff at the news station thought little of the creepy message

Richins, who has three sons - Carter, 9, Ashton, 7, and Weston, 5 - allegedly killed her husband of nine years on March 3 last year, and was promoting her $14.99 grief book, Are You With Me? the month before her arrest on May 8 this year.

Police believe she gave Eric, who was a ranch farmer, a lethal dose of fentanyl disguised in a Moscow Mule - a cocktail comprising vodka, ginger beer and lime juice.

An autopsy determined Eric died from a fentanyl overdose and that the level of the drug in his system was five times the lethal dosage.

A medical examiner indicated that the drug used was 'illicit' and not medical grade and was likely ingested orally, a charging document states.

Prosecutors have said that in the months before, Richins tried to make herself the sole beneficiary of her husband's life insurance policy.

But Eric had changed his will and power of attorney to give his sister, Katie Richins-Benson, 38, full control, because according to a police warrant he had been worried his wife might 'kill him for money'.

In May, the DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Kouri launched a legal dispute against his family within weeks of his death to secure an estate valued in excess of $3.6 million.

She claimed that Eric had tried to 'defraud' her by secretly transferring the family home, all personal property and interest in the masonry business he ran with friend and partner, Cody Wright, into a Trust owned by his sister in November 2020.

Richins also took out multiple life insurance policies on him worth close to $2 million, and attempted to 'drill into his safe' just 48 hours after he died, his family has said.

She also allegedly attempted to poison him on several other occasions - including in February 2022 when Eric broke out in hives after consuming a sandwich which Richins had placed on the seat of his truck alongside a love note on Valentine's Day.

In the days before Eric died, the couple had also been arguing about Richins' plans to purchase and flip a $2 million home in the days before, according to court documents.

A medical examiner said they found five times the lethal dose of fentanyl - a painkiller 100 times stronger than morphine - in Eric's system after he died on March 4 last year. Pictured: Richins and Eric with one of their sons

Kouri Richins, a Utah mother of three who authorities say fatally poisoned her husband, Eric Richins, then wrote a children's book about grieving, appeared in court earlier this month

On March 4 - the day before the alleged murder - Kouri signed the closing papers on the 10-acre property and invited her friends over for a party at her house where she was drinking and celebrating, affidavits for search warrants show.

Richins is also facing a lawsuit seeking over $13 million in damages for alleged financial wrongdoing before and after his death.

The lawsuit filed in state court by Katie Richins, the sister of Eric Richins, accuses Kouri Richins of taking money from her husband's accounts, diverting money intended to pay his taxes and obtaining a fraudulent loan, among other things, before his death.
A trip to the theatre on a Saturday night can be one of the most eagerly anticipated  and expensive  highlights of any social calendar.

But some of Britain's most famous stage stars have revealed that they view the Saturday night crowd with a degree of trepidation  because they often fall asleep.

Comedian and actor Reece Shearsmith said that when he starred in hit musical comedy The Producers in 2006: 'There were rows of people who have finally got sat, having had a long day of trooping around, and they're asleep. Rows and rows of people, like corpses.'

They tend to have had too much to drink beforehand, or have exhausted themselves by shopping and sightseeing ahead of the show.

Mr Shearsmith told Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon's podcast, Brydon &, that audiences' expectations are often higher on a Saturday night, too, saying: 'Saturday night is often, in theatre, a much harder task than you would think.

Comedian and actor Reece Shearsmith said that when he starred in hit musical comedy The Producers in 2006: 'There were rows of people who have finally got sat, having had a long day of trooping around, and they're asleep. Rows and rows of people, like corpses.'

'People have got their arms folded, slightly clenched, thinking: 'This is the thing we're doing on our Saturday night  we've given you this, it had better be good. Often there's a tense atmosphere.'

The expectation levels of audiences have also increased because of a rise in ticket prices, which tend to be most expensive on a Saturday night. Since the Covid pandemic, the average top ticket has hit 140.85  up by 21 per cent from 116.09 in 2019, according to theatre publication The Stage.

Dame Maureen Lipman, who recently won rave reviews in the one-woman show Rose, also told an upcoming edition of writer Gyles Brandreth's new podcast, Rosebud: 'We don't like Saturday nights in the theatre because that's when people think they should go to the theatre. It's always a dumb audience on a Saturday night.'

The League Of Gentlemen star Mr Shearsmith said theatre-goers are more likely to fall asleep if the seats are comfortable, as '[they] just settle down for the evening'. Fellow comedian Mr Brydon agreed, adding: 'When I'm on tour and we do the soundcheck I look, and if I see these beautiful, luxurious seats, I'm not happy. Because they're a night out in themselves.'

Dame Maureen Lipman, who recently won rave reviews in the one-woman show Rose, also told an upcoming edition of writer Gyles Brandreth's new podcast, Rosebud: 'We don't like Saturday nights in the theatre because that's when people think they should go to the theatre. It's always a dumb audience on a Saturday night

Getting the comfort balance right in a theatre is tricky, according to Mr Shearsmith. He said that when Mel Brooks, the creator of The Producers, visited the show, he warned that the auditorium should not have a temperature that is 'too comfortable'  but nor should it be too hot. Mr Shearsmith added: 'The comment around that time was that the theatre was too hot. [Brooks said] 'People can't laugh when they are too warm.' Hot is not funny.'

Of the best West End audiences, Mr Brydon said: 'I came to love matinees  particularly the Saturday matinee, which I think has an atmosphere all of its own. I think the audience are time-rich. They've probably had a little drink over lunch and they know that when [the show] finishes, they've got hours.'
A couple whose flight was ruined by a 'farting, snorting' emotional assistance dog has received compensation from the airline in a major victory.

New Zealand couple Gill and Warren Press were given $1,410 by Singapore Airlines following a dispute that lasted months with the carrier.

The support dog belonged to another passenger and sat next to the couple in premium economy as they flew 13 hours from Paris to Singapore in June.

The couple, who own a dog, claimed the problem wasn't the presence of the animal on the flight, but that they should have been warned in advance.

A couple whose flight was ruined by a 'farting, snorting' emotional assistance dog has received compensation from the airline

The dog sat next to New Zealand couple's premium economy seats as they flew 13 hours from Paris to Singapore

'I expect to see a baby. I expect young children. But I don't expect a dog,' Ms Press said.

Ms Press said the dog regularly farted and dribbled 'good' on her husband's leg who was wearing shorts.

'I heard this noise  a heavy snorting. I thought it was my husband's phone, but we looked down and realised it was the dog breathing,' Mrs Press told Stuff.

After requesting to move seats, the couple were informed the only available ones were at the back of economy so they decided to stay where they were.

They then endured an unbearable smell on the flight as the animal took up Mr Press's legroom and farted.

As the dog could not be put in the aisle, Ms Press said the canine was practically laying underneath her husband's legs.

The owner's pet got anxious which was why he was travelling in the cabin.

READ MORE: Qantas flight ban on snub-nosed dogs Advertisement

At first the couple received an apology and two $73 gift vouchers.

After filing a claim for compensation to the airline, they were offered travel vouchers worth $185 per passenger.

Mrs Press argued this was insufficient, arguing it didn't cover the difference in cost between premium and economy seats.

The couple plans to donate the money to an animal charity.

'The principal wasn't about the money, it was truly about making people accountable,' Ms Press said.

Singapore Airlines previously released a statement following the couple's complaints.

'SIA endeavors to notify customers who may be seated next to an assistance dog prior to boarding,' the airline said.

'In circumstances where customers seated next to an assistance dog request to be moved, we will assist to re-seat customers within the same cabin if space permits.'

Gill and Warren Press were given $1410 by Singapore Airlines after a dispute lasting months

'In this instance, we were unable to move Mr and Mrs Press within the same cabin as the Premium Economy Class cabin was full.'

A Singapore Airlines spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia it has been in touch with Mr and Mrs Press and 'apologises to [them] for their on board their flight from Paris to Singapore'.

'They have since accepted a refund of the difference in the fare between their original seats in premium economy class and their subsequent seats in economy class, as well as travel vouchers.

'SIA remain committed to offering the best possible travel experience for all of our customers.'
The 16-year-old schoolgirl who has accused Russell Brand of sexually assaulting her when he was 31 has called for changes to consent laws.

The woman, who is now 33, has also opened up about how the comic allegedly demanded explicit photos of her in the bath, which she refused to send, while she described how her parents were powerless to stop the pair from dating.

Brand, 48, is facing rape and sexual assault allegations from four women, including one who claims he raped at his Los Angeles home after she refused a threesome. He denies the claims and maintains all relationships he has had have been consensual.

The 16-year-old accuser, who is being called Alice, has also revealed how she felt compelled to finally speak out against the actor and comedian due to the 'gnawing guilt' that he could be targeting others.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, who first revealed the allegations in a joint investigation with The Times and Channel 4 dispatches, Alice said: 'When Russell and I began texting, he asked me to send some photos of myself in the bath.'

The 16-year-old schoolgirl who has accused Russell Brand of sexually assaulting her when he was 31 has revealed that she refused the comic's request to send him explicit photos of herself in the bath. Pictured: An actor portraying 'Alice'

Brand, 48, is facing rape and sexual assault allegations from four women, including one who claims he raped at his Los Angeles home after she refused a threesome

She claimed he asked her to send the photos in 2006, adding: 'I didnt oblige. When I told him my age, before our first date, he asked me never to send him any nude photographs.'

That's because it would have been a crime for Brand to receive sexually explicit photos of the teen, but he was legally allowed to date her.

Alice - who claims she was in an 'emotionally abusive and controlling relationship' with Brand for three months - added: 'There was nothing my parents could do to stop the relationship with Russell; no legal recourse.'

She recalled her mother trying to ground her and take her phone away and even going to Brand himself, but she pursed the relationship because she thought she was mature enough - something Brand allegedly convinced her.

Alice revealed how on their first date together, a waitress asked if they wanted to see a wine menu, she said she didn't drink, only for Brand to joke that she wasn't legally allowed to.

The comments come amid a growing debate around the appropriateness of older men dating much younger women.

Polling by Ipsos revealed 31 per cent of men believe it acceptable for a 30-year-old man to have sex with a 16-year-old girl, while just 15 per cent of women agree.

When it comes to a 16-year-old girl being in a sexual relationship with a man aged 50 or older, more than one in 10 men (13%) thought this was acceptable compared to 3% of women.

Alice - who alleged Brand 'forced his penis down her throat' and 'made her choke', only stopping after she punched him in the stomach - has suggested consideration needs to be given to 'staggered consent' in law 'so that we don't have adults exploiting a 16 [or] 17-year-old's capacity for sexual determination'.

Russell Brand is seen posing with Burlesque dancers Vanessa and Valeria at The Brit Awards 2007 Valentine's Day photocall, Earls Court, London, on 13 Feb 2007

On Saturday, The Sunday Times and Channel 4 's Dispatches reported allegations of abusive and predatory behaviour including rape, sexual assault and emotional abuse said to have been committed by the comedian between 2006 and 2013

Brand seen at BBC Radio 2 on December 5, 2014 in London. He denies all allegations

She explained her position to The Sunday Times today: 'I believe 16 and 17-year-olds should be allowed to explore their sexuality but without undue influence from much older people. They should be able to make mistakes and learn from them, but it should be with an equal.

'There should be staged consent  a change to the law. The age of consent could stay at 16, but I think it would be reasonable to recommend that it be a criminal offence for a person over the age of 21 to engage in sexual activities with someone under the age of 18.

'By doing this we might be able to strike a balance between shielding teenagers from harm while respecting their sexual autonomy.'

Women were slightly more likely to support raising the age of consent than men and to feel that older men in relationships with at least a 10-year age gap hold more power.

It comes as it has emerged Brand was reportedly questioned by police in 2014 over claims he sexually assaulted a masseuse after she was hired to give him a 500 birthday massage.

The alleged victim reportedly told police she was 'touched in a sexual way' by Brand, 48, at a 5million mansion in Oxfordshire, which she said traumatised her.

Brand (pictured in 2008) said that during his 'time of promiscuity, the relationships I had were absolutely always consensual' and that he was 'always transparent about that'

The allegations, reported by The Sun on Sunday, are the first known instance of the comedian being interviewed by police over sexual assault allegations.

The masseuse contacted Thames Valley Police, who interviewed Brand. The comedian denied any wrongdoing and the case was dropped.

In the wake of the four alleged victims speaking out, a fifth woman filed a report to the Metropolitan Police, claiming she was sexually assaulted by the star in Soho, London, in 2003.

The force are investigating the claims.

A sixth woman accused Brand of locking her in a dressing room and pinning her to sofa with a 'glazed' look on his face. The alleged incident, as reported in The Sun, was said to have taken place in 2008 when the comic was 33, after a gig in West London.

On Thursday a seventh woman came forward claiming Brand exposed himself to her in an office where BBC Los Angeles operated from in 2008, before going to pre-record a programme for Radio 2 where he appeared to joke about the alleged incident.

An eighth woman, who was named Sarah to protect her identity, has claimed the comic had left her feeling 'vulnerable and intimidated' after he allegedly refused to get her a taxi until she performed a sex act.

Brand has said the allegations made against him in the last week are part of a vendetta against him by the 'mainstream'.

On Friday night, he released a video on social media channels thanking his followers for their 'support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with'.

The BBC is also currently facing fresh questions over its role in the developing scandal as it investigates allegations over the comic's behaviour during stints working for the broadcaster.

Russell Brand on Big Brother's Little Brother on May 31, 2006. Brand presented Big Brother's Big Mouth for three years before choosing not to return for the eighth series of the show

Russell Brand pictured on Saturday evening leaving the Troubadour Wembley Park theatre in north-west London after performing a comedy set

The BBC has launched an investigation into the new claims about Brand's alleged behaviour in Los Angeles in 2008.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'We're very sorry to hear of these allegations and we will look into them.

'We are conducting a review to look at allegations of this nature and if the woman who has shared her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very keen to hear from her and anyone else who may have information.

'A key part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, if there was knowledge of Russell Brand's conduct while he worked on BBC radio, and what was done as a result.

'We will, of course, speak to the bureau team and anyone who was working there in 2008 as part of this.

'Further, the director-general has been very clear that some broadcasts from that period were, and are, inexcusable and totally unacceptable, and would never be aired today.'

Two former BBC bosses are also now facing fresh questions over their roles amid the wider investigation into Brand's alleged wrongdoings while working for the radio.

Lesley Douglas, who was in charge of BBC Radio 2 during Brand's stint, has been freed from confidentiality restrictions so her role can be examined.

New evidence will also 'raise questions about the judgment of Sir Mark Thompson', the BBC's former director-general, according to The Sunday Times.
The immigrant owner of the Bronx day care where a one-year-old died of fentanyl poisoning last week reportedly duped her ex-husband into a green-card marriage so she could gain entry into the United States.

Arrested this past Tuesday, 36-year-old Grei Mendez De Ventura was reportedly able to relocate from the Dominican Republic to the Big Apple thanks to the arrangement made nine years ago with a man relatives said she met through a mutual friend.

Speaking to The New York Post Friday, they claimed Mendez De Ventura - then just Mendez - went on to marry their loved one under false pretenses, before turning tail to live a life of debauchery prior to their divorce just two years later.

During that span, the man's sister claimed, Mendez De Ventura 'gave a very false impression' of her true intentions with her brother, before remarrying and starting up the daycare with her new husband - who is still being sought by cops.

Cops this week said he was likely the 'ring leader' in the covert drug operation unmasked at the Kingsbridge facility this past Tuesday, where one-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici died days before after inhaling trace amounts of the deadly drug.

Arrested this past Tuesday, 36-year-old Grei Mendez De Ventura was reportedly able to relocate from the Dominican Republic to the Big Apple thanks to the arrangement - made nine years ago with a man relatives said she met through a mutual friend

During that span, the man's sister claimed in an interview, Mendez De Ventura 'gave a very false impression' of her true intentions with her brother, before remarrying and starting up the daycare with her new husband - who is still being sought by cops

Cops this week said he was likely the 'ring leader' in the covert drug operation unmasked at the Kingsbridge facility this past Tuesday, where one-year-old Nicholas Feliz Dominici (seen here) died days before after inhaling trace amounts of the deadly drug

In the Post report, the father of Mendez De Ventura's first husband, Bronx resident Juan Ventura, called the murder suspect 'a very, very bad person' - while asking not to be identified.

Other family members, like Ventura's also unnamed sister, lamented how the woman - who is now facing federal murder charges - supposedly duped her brother with plans of marriage before leading a life consisting chiefly of clubbing and hookah.

Speaking to the paper, she claimed Mendez De Ventura put her family 'through hell'.

'She gave a very false impression to my brother that she wanted to be married, so he brought her over from the DR for marriage,' she said.

'But when she got here, she just wanted to smoke hookah [and] to drink a lot.

'My brother, hes not like that,' she said, speaking to the paper from the family's apartment in Fort George.

'She wasnt interested in the marriage for him, she just wanted to come to America,' she further claimed, stating the pair had first become acquainted through an unnamed third party.

'She didnt seem like she was interested in my brother at all when she got to America.'

After couple years of this sordid arrangement - during which Mendez De Ventura reportedly only visited the familys home twice - she said '[the couple] ended up getting divorced because of the terribleness of it all.'

'She didnt care to get to know her husbands family' she stated.

'He never wanted to be out and she just wanted to go out to clubs, get promiscuous.'

The man's father aired similar sentiments to the paper, claiming that even from his limited interactions with the suspect, he could tell she was 'a very, very bad person' not right for his son.

Citing hard-partying behavior already detailed by his daughter, the dad remarked: 'My son, who has an education, isnt into any of that.'

After the couple 'thankfully' divorced after a couple of years, according to the Post report, the Ventura family cut ties with the Dominican national - and said they hadnt heard heard her name until this past week when reports of the September 15 horror at Divino Nino Daycare first surfaced.

Speaking to The New York Post Friday, relatives recalled how Mendez De Ventura - seen here being walked out of the 52nd precinct after her arrest - went on to marry their loved one under false pretenses, before turning to live a life of debauchery prior to their divorce just years later

the father of Mendez De Ventura's first husband, Bronx resident Juan Ventura, called the murder suspect 'a very, very bad person'. Other family members, like Ventura's also unnamed sister, lamented how the woman duped her brother before leading a life of debauchery

After the couple 'thankfully' divorced after a couple of years, according to the Post report, the Ventura family cut ties with the Dominican national - and said they hadnt heard heard her name until last week when reports of the September 15 horror at Divino Nino Daycare surfaced

It comes days after drugs have been found at a Bronx day care where a one-year-old boy died of fentanyl poisoning last week - under a hidden trap door near where where the babies would regularly lay down to sleep

The discovery comes five days after cops unmasked Divino Nino Daycare in Kingsbridge as a secret drug mill, following a one-year-old's inhalation of the deadly opioid. It was not clear what substances aside from fentanyl were uncovered during the Wednesday bust

Earlier, cops found a kilogram of fentanyl was stashed on top of play mats at a Bronx daycare center which resulted in the death of a one-year-old boy

De Ventura, 36, and her alleged accomplice Carlisto Acevedo Brito, 41, have been hit with federal charges. Prosecutors would later claim De Ventura and her husband's cousin - who was renting the apartment's downstairs - 'used the day care center front to cloak' the unassuming facility's true intent: the mass production of fentanyl to later be sold for a profit.

Speaking to the Post, the family said that they were not only disgusted by the senseless circumstances surrounding the case, but by the name of Mendez De Ventura's facility - a reference to Jesus Christ.

Revealing Ventura 'has been in counseling because of all the damage [Mendez De Ventura] did to him,' his sister said the family finds the name offensive, and an insult to the late victim's name.

'We find it offensive that the name of the actual place is Divino Nino because thats baby Jesus, and we really believe very much in baby Jesus,' she said

'And for a child to die there, for me, thats really triggering.'

The paper was not able to secure a comment from Ventura, who the family said has since remarried and has a son of his own.

The interview comes just a few days after local cops and federal investigators uncovered a trove of drugs hidden at the facility, as well as several pill presses and a brick of fentanyl kept in secret compartments just feet away from where the kids laid their heads.

Cops said they had found enough highly potent fentanyl to kill 500,000 people.

The NYPD shared a statement Thursday afternoon that included photos of the secret stash, as both Mendez De Ventura and her accomplice - her husband's 41-year-old cousin who was renting the downstairs of the Morris Avenue apartment where the daycare is set - face potential life sentences for their alleged part in the scheme.

The statement revealed cops made the find during after their initial search of the facility, following the death and three hospitalizations.

'As part of an ongoing overdose fatality investigation in a Bronx daycare center on 9/15/23, a search warrant was conducted by @NYPDDetectives,' the tweet from the department read.

'A large quantity of Fentanyl, other narcotics, & drug paraphernalia was recovered in a trap floor in the play area at the daycare center.'

Cops did not specify what other types of illicit items were uncovered during the bust, but photos show several bags packed with several powderlike substances, some distinctly different from a package of fentanyl already seized days before.

That find came in the form of a kilogram sized brick, found to be fentanyl, located on top of children's playmats earlier in the week, as well as a 'kilo press' used to run the secret drug mill, a federal complaint associated with the ongoing case alleges.

Prosecutors would later claim De Ventura and her husband's cousin 'used the day care center front to cloak' the unassuming facility's true intent - the mass production of fentanyl to later be sold for a profit.

The complaint further alleges the drug duo would cut up the drugs to be pressed near the area where the children nap, likely leading to the unforeseen overdoses.

Just 2 milligrams of the stuff - which, for reference is similar in appearance to 10 to 15 grains of table salt - is considered lethal.

Pictured: Nicholas Feliz-Dominici, 1, died on Friday after ingesting fentanyl at a Bronx day care

A 'kilo press', which is typically used to recompress drugs in powder form was discovered and two other presses were found in the day care center

Law enforcement sources believe that the basement under the day care where Brito lived was actually a front for drugs

Sources familiar with the incident - which has earned national attention - told publications like the New York Post and PIX11 how De Ventura reportedly stood on the sidelines as her cohort cut the opioids before their alleged scheme came falling apart Friday, when some particles kicked into the air are believed to have been breathed in by the four youths.

That day, fed claims that Mendez called her husband, who is still being sought by police, two times before dialing 911 to report the overdoses.

The court documents also claimed she deleted more than 21,000 text messages from an encrypted phone app as police moved in on her location.

Authorities found a kilogram block of fentanyl in the same space the children occupied, the federal complaint stated.

'There, despite the daily presence of children, including infants, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children's playmats,' an affidavit signed by Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent Kyle Harrell said.

While Brito's room, which he rented for $200 a week, had equipment which pointed to a large-scale drug operation, according to police.

A 'kilo press', which is typically used to recompress drugs in powder form was discovered and two other presses were found in the day care center.

They are 'commonly used by narcotics traffickers at 'mills' or other locations where narcotic drugs are broken down, combined with fillers or other narcotics, and portioned for sale,' according to the affidavit.

A small memorial was seen placed at the door of a Bronx day care center Friday, just after the death was announced

'There, despite the daily presence of children, including infants, the defendants maintained large quantities of fentanyl, including a kilogram of fentanyl stored on top of children's playmats,' an affidavit signed by an Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent said

The pair had initially been arrested on state charges on Sunday night, which included murder, manslaughter and assault, and held without bail

Detectives said they had also recovered video of both the husband and other people fleeing the day care with bags of unknown contents in the initial confusion.

On Friday, before police arrived at the Morris Avenue apartment, De Ventura had called several people, including her husband, before calling 911 to get help for the children.

Detectives said they had also recovered video of both the husband and other people fleeing the day care with bags of unknown contents in the initial confusion.

De Ventura and Brito stored large quantities of fentanyl 'despite the daily presence of children, including infants,' the criminal complaint said.

The pair had initially been arrested on state charges on Sunday night, which included murder, manslaughter and assault, and held without bail.

But they are now in federal custody and face up to life in prison if they are convicted.

Damian Williams, US Attorney for Southern District of New York, said the case 'shocked the conscience of the city' in a press conference on Tuesday.

A third suspect is still being sought. Police have launched a manhunt for De Ventura's husband, who is believed to be the 'ring leader' in the drug operation, officials said.

De Ventura's attorney claimed she was unaware drugs were being stored in her day care by Brito.

Mayor Eric Adams expressed his sympathy Saturday to the child's mourning parents, as the case continues to garner national attention

The child's parents, Otoniel Samboy and Zoila Dominici Sena, are seen here in a photo from their social media. They have since started a fundraiser on GoFundMe to help with a funeral

She opened the Bronx day care earlier this year, and on September 6 passed a surprise inspection.

Divino Nino Daycare was registered under the city's Department of Children and Family Service since it was considered a home-based business.

The day care was registered to care for up to 8 children, between 6 weeks to 12 years old, records show.

Feliz Dominici's grief-stricken parents Zoila Dominici and Otoniel Feliz said the day care was recommended by Kingsbridge Heights Community Center.

The heartbroken couple, who are parents to four other children, were trying to come to terms with the unexpected and tragic death of their youngest child.

The boy's grief-stricken mother told CBS News in Spanish: 'Look at what happened. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken him.'

NYPD Chief of Detectives Joe Kenny said on Monday that police discovered 'a kilogram of fentanyl in an area that was used to give the children naps.'

He further explained, the fentanyl was 'laying underneath a mat where children had been sleeping earlier.'

US Attorney for the Southern District, Damian Williams spoke at Monday's announcement of the new federal charges

Frank A. Tarentino III (pictured) Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration's New York Division covering the State of New York spoke at a press conference on Monday about fentanyl and the babies that were exposed to the deadly chemical at a Bronx day care

According to Kenny, 'one grain, two grains of fentanyl can take down a grown man so even the residue itself for a small child, would cause the death.'

According to reports, there were no previous complaints made against Divino Nino Daycare.

But, some neighbors had their concerns about what was taking place behind the doors of the apartment. One longtime neighbor said she never saw any children - arriving or leaving- the residence.

'It was a day care for a year with no children. For one year, she had a day care with no children but people go in. But no babies?,' she told The New York Post.

She also revealed De Ventura would not allow her own child to stay in the apartment where other children were being cared for.

'A day care with no children and men coming in and out. Yes, we knew something. We knew something, something was not good happening there.'

'We all said, 'Drogas.' How could you not know?'

She alleged that De Ventura's day care started getting busier two months ago when she started getting some children, including a baby two months ago, and then two more children a few weeks before the tragedy.

Mayor Eric Adams, meanwhile, expressed his sympathy Saturday to the child's mourning parents, as the case continues to garner national attention.
Trump - who along with several other Republicans is beating DeSantis according to polls - is poised to skip the event, just as he did last month in Milwaukee

Donald Trump's campaign has slammed a leaked memo from Ron DeSantis's camp - in which staffers openly criticized the former president and touted their candidate as the best for the Republican nomination.

The memo, first reported on by CBS News, was sent to prospective donors Saturday, and repeatedly reassures supporters of the Florida firebrand's presidential bid that he still his potential to win it all ahead of next Wednesday's primary debate.

Set to take place in notoriously progressive California, the event will see DeSantis, 45, again face off with fellow Republicans who have surfaced as unforeseen threats to DeSantis's second-place status - after last month's noticeably Trump-less display.

This time around, Trump, 77, is also poised to skip the proceedings - instead electing to travel to Detroit to deliver a speech for current and former auto union members as the United Auto Workers strike enters its fourth day.

As for the letter in question - penned by DeSantis' campaign manager James Uthmeier - it reportedly contains pointed assertions like DeSantis 'is the only candidate who can beat both Joe Biden and [Trump]' and that his campaign is the only amongst the crowd of candidates 'built for the long haul'.

Donald Trump 's campaign has slammed a leaked memo from Ron DeSantis's camp - in which staffers openly criticized the former president and touted their candidate as the best for the Republican nod

The memo, first reported on by CBS News, was sent to prospective donors Saturday, and repeatedly reassures supporters of the Florida firebrand's presidential bid of his potential to win it all ahead of next Wednesday's primary debate

Intended to sway donors to the Florida governor's side of the tracks, the correspondence spurred a quick response from team Trump - who called the memo 'a desperate cry for help from a candidate who is flailing in the polls.'

Spokesperson Steve Cheung told CBS News in a statement after the outlet aired some of the more pandering contents of the letter: 'His campaign is living in a fantasy land devoid of reality.

'President Trump is crushing him in the polls, dominating him in early state operations, and the only one who consistently beats Biden in surveys,' Cheung said, before providing another jab at the man many pegged to be the party's frontrunner.

'Everyone is laughing at the joke of a campaign he's running,' he said, in a statement sent shortly after the station reported on the circulating letter.

The memo, meanwhile, contained a litany of other language intended to quell DeSantis donors concerns about his languishing campaign - as polls continue to show him performing a great deal worse than current pack leader Trump.

Not only that, but tepid, non-charismatic displays along the campaign trail - and last month's debate in Milwaukee - have seen DeSantis fall behind even further, to the point where most polls not only have him being beaten by the GOP's frontrunner, but several other Republican rivals as well.

Included in that class are figures like Vivek Ramaswamy - a 38-year-old pharma billionaire from Ohio - and ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, both of whom were previously pegged as non-threats to DeSantis and Trump by most pundits.

In another surprise, also surpassing DeSantis in recent weeks is New Jersey politco Chris Christie, whose stint as the state's governor has been widely ridiculed, and whose bid against Trump in 2016 famously fell flat.

A recent Fox Poll of 1,012 voters carried out between September 9-12 showed how Trump - despite facing four indictments - has actually widened his lead over other candidates, now winning 60 percent of support.

A recent Fox Poll of 1,012 voters carried out between September 9-12 showed how Trump - despite facing four indictments - has actually widened his lead over other candidates, now winning 60 percent of support

Tepid, non-charismatic displays along the campaign trail - and last month's debate in Milwaukee - have seen DeSantis fall behind even further, to the point where most polls not only have him being beaten by the GOP 's frontrunner, but several other Republican rivals as well

Included in that class are figures like Vivek Ramaswamy - a 38-year-old pharma billionaire from Ohio - and ex-South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley , both of whom were previously pegged as non-threats to DeSantis and Trump by most pundits.

Donald Trump is seen on Friday at a 'Pray Vote Stand' summit in DC. His team's response comes as he is set to skip another debate on September 30, still at the front of the pack

By comparison, the poll pegged DeSantis at 13 percent - a number that actually proves somewhat generous when looking at other surveys administered as of late.

A recent CNN-University of New Hampshire poll, for instance, placed Ramaswamy as Trump's closest second in their survey of 2,107 people - where he also received 13 percent of the vote compared to Trump's 39 percent.

Former South Carolina Gov. Haley, meanwhile, secured a near-identical 12 percent, while Christie - an outspoken critic of the former head of state - garnered 10 percent.

All stood higher than DeSantis, who sat at 10 percent.

Such polls show the shift in public opinion away from the more radical, big 'C' conservative who is DeSantis - whose staffers reportedly begged donors on Saturday to 'help echo the governor's message' on social media ahead and during the September 30 debate.

It also comes as the latest campaign finance quarter approaches its end - the same day as the hotly anticipated event.

The memo, meanwhile, also addresses how DeSantis' Republican rivals have steadily climbed the public rankings over the past month - but still insists the 'fundamentals' of the primary race 'have not changed since the last debate', which at the time was billed as a make-or-break moment for DeSantis, and a chance to reboot his campaign after weeks of dipping poll numbers and negative headlines.

He has found his support slipping among women - despite bringing his widely-liked wife Casey onto the campaign trail more and more often - with popularity among the demographic by 8 points since August.

Ramaswamy, a 38-year-old biotech millionaire who has never run for any elected office before, burst onto the scene at the first debate.

A Granite State poll from CNN Wednesday showed Nikki Haley in third place, far behind Trump, but neck-and-neck with Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A New Hampshire poll released Thursday found her in second place

Ron DeSantis gets his makeup touched up during a commercial break. He has caused a stir with his divisive declarations, and has lost a large portion of woman voters over the past month, polls show

He caused a stir with his divisive declarations: his surge in popularity was also accompanied by a surge in disapproval: his unfavourability rating rose 3 points among Republicans, and 12 points among all voters.

Haley, meanwhile, had an overall positive night at the debate: her favorability ratings rose 9 points, and her unfavourability ratings held steady.

Christie, who has centered his campaign on attacking Trump, also weighed in. He updated his famous 2016 attack on Marco Rubio, slamming Ramaswamy as 'a guy who sounds like ChatGPT.'

And Haley, who was United Nations ambassador under Trump, clashed with him over his failure to back Ukraine in its war with Russia.

'You have no foreign policy experience and it shows,' she told him.

But the blows only made Ramaswamy stronger, according to his allies.

'Seven career politicians took a swing at Vivek and they couldn't knock him down,' said his senior adviser Chris Grant.

Not only that but he managed to use the debate to introduce himself to an audience that might not have heard of him before.

'First let me address the question that is on everybody's mind at home tonight. Who the heck is this skinny guy with a funny last name and what the heck is he doing in the middle of the debate stage?,' he said during his first answer.

'I am not a politician. You are right about that. I am an entrepreneur. My parents came to this country with no money 40 years ago. I have gone on to found multibillion dollar companies.'

Jason Miller, senior adviser to Trump, said the performance was enough to kill off the DeSantis campaign.

'We saw Vivek Ramaswamy leapfrog Ron DeSanctus in real time this evening,' he said in the spin room after the debate.

'I think we're gonna wake up tomorrow and Ramaswamy is comfortably in second place.'
An ex-prostitute from Virginia, who sedated her two daughters with melatonin-laced gummy bears before fatally shooting them in head decided to carry out the murders after she was no longer able to use the girls as 'leverage' against her ex-husband.

Veronica Youngblood, 38, was arrested in August 2018 after shooting her daughters Sharon Castro, 15, and Brooklynn Youngblood, five, in their apartment in McLean, Virginia.

The former sex worker was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm use in March 2023. On Friday, she was sentenced to almost 80 years in jail.

Ron Youngblood, 52, says he believes the his ex-wife carried out the killings in a bid to inflict as much hurt as possible on him after she had made the decision to stay in Virginia while her ex-husband moved to Missouri.

'They weren't the most important things in my life  they were my life. That was all I really cared about. When she took that from me, it's something I'll never get back.'

After being convicted in March, Veronica Youngblood was sentenced to 78 years in prison for the murder of her two daughters that she shared with her husband, Ron Youngblood, now 52

Ron, left, had planned to move to Missouri with at least one of his children but his ex-wife decided to exact revenge instead, killing them both

Veronica Youngblood, left, and her daughter, Sharon Castro, who was shot on her back and chest and died at the hospital in 2018

'Those girls were leverage to her  leverage to get what she wanted from me. She obviously knew those girls were the most important things in my life,' Youngblood said to the New York Post.

While Veronica wanted to remain in Virginia, a judge decided that Ron could move to Missouri and take his only biological daughter, Brooklynn, along with him. She had married her husband in 2009.

'When the judge made the decision I could leave with Brooklynn, she saw that she had no more tools to use against me, so she decided to get rid of them,' he explained.

'She could do the one thing that could really hurt me and she had been trying it for years and she wasn't successful at it until she murdered my girls. I wouldn't put it past her that she would try to do something to me, but I never thought she would have done something to the girls.'

Brooklynn had died from a gunshot to the head while Sharon was shot once in the back and once in the chest, before later dying in the hospital.

Her ex-husband, Ron, 52, pictured, believes the murders were to cause him the maximum possible pain after his ex-wife decided to remain in Virginia while he moved to Missouri

Veronica Youngblood is shown with her daughters, Sharon Castro and Brooklynn Youngblood. She killed them in a horrific act of revenge

During trial, Veronica Youngblood pleaded not guilty on grounds of insanity but her plea was rejected.

The jury did not believe that 'mental illness' played a role in the Youngblood's decision to give her children sleeping pill gummies before shooting them dead in their beds.

In a twisted act of revenge, Veronica gunned down the girls as they slept in their McLean apartment after sedating them on August 5, 2018.

The couple's eldest daughter managed to survive long enough to call 911 and tell a dispatcher she had been shot by her own mother.

Jurors heard a recording of that call during Youngblood's two-week trial with jurors so disturbed by what they heard they asked whether they could receive trauma therapy because of how traumatic the call was.

As her teenage daughter lay dying, Veronica called Ron to say she hated him and that she had shot the children.

Youngblood killed her children in revenge for her ex-husband, Ron, left, plans to relocate with their youngest, Brooklynn, right. Veronica had married her husband in 2009

She told detectives that she planned to kill them and herself following a lengthy custody dispute.

At the time of her trial, Veronica was recorded telling investigators she was guilty and deserved the death penalty for killing her children.

Prosecutors said that she was manipulative and calculated.

In March of this year, Veronica was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of felony firearm use.

She pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, with her lawyer claiming that the Argentinian native heard voices, but the defense was rejected.

Before she was sentenced on Friday, Youngblood spoke for more than 30 minutes about her daughters and the difficulties she had raising them.

She told the judge through a Spanish interpreter: 'I've been a good mother, but something happened, I don't know how to explain it. Something exploded in my mind.'

Ron Youngblood's social media pages are full of photos of the children on whom he doted

He believes his children were killed by his ex-wife in order to inflict maximum pain on his life

During sentencing, the jury heard testimony that the killer mom grew up in poverty in Argentina, had been physically and sexually abused as a child by family members, turning to sex work to take care of her eldest daughter.

She met her now-former husband while he was stationed there in 2007. The two relocated to Virginia in 2015 but divorced a year later.

Defense lawyers had asked that the two murder sentences run concurrently instead of consecutively, which would have reduced the sentence from 78 years to 42 years.

Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Randy Bellows said he saw no reason to reduce the jury's recommendation of letting one sentence run after another.

Judge Bellows said at the sentencing: 'Mothers and fathers have many responsibilities, but none is more grave than keeping their children safe. Tragically, their mother became the instrument of their death.'

Prosecutor Kelsey Gill said that the killings were intentional and that Youngblood bought the gun she used only nine days earlier.

Gill said in court: 'There really aren't words that can describe the depravity with which Ms. Youngblood planned and carried out the execution of her children.

Public defender Dawn Butorac said she expects Youngblood to appeal.

Fairfax County Commonwealth's Attorney Steve Descano, whose office prosecuted the case, said in a statement after the sentence hearing: 'There is no outcome that can give these children back the lives that were taken from them, but todays sentence is a measure of justice for their family.'

Ron said that he had faith that the judge would impose that maximum sentence but will continue to mourn his two girls.
Nathan Thrall in The Guardian:

Huda Dahbour was 35 years old when she moved with her husband and three children to the West Bank in September 1995. It was the second anniversary of the Oslo accords, which established pockets of Palestinian self-government in the occupied territories. Jerusalem was still relatively open when they arrived in East Sawahre, a neighbourhood just outside the areas of Jerusalem that Israel had annexed in 1967. Huda was able to send her children to school within the city. They were under the age of 12, and Israel allowed them to enter without a special blue ID. But over time the restrictions grew, and from one day to the next Jerusalem was closed off to Palestinians by checkpoints, roadblocks and a tightening of the ever-more elaborate permit regime. On one occasion, the school bus was blocked from bringing the students home to Sawahre. Huda and half the parents of the neighbourhood spent the afternoon searching for their children, who finally showed up at sunset, after walking for several hours. Huda immediately took them out of their Jerusalem schools.

More here.
The survivor of a poisonous mushroom lunch that left three dead has been discharged from hospital in what's been described by his church as a 'miracle'.

Ian Wilkinson, 68, a local pastor, survived the poisonous beef wellington dished up by stay-at-home mum Erin Patterson in Leongatha, Victoria, on July 29.

He, along with his wife Heather, 66, her sister Gail and husband Don Patterson were invited over for lunch as part of a 'mediation' gathering to discuss Ms Patterson's relationship with her estranged husband Simon, who pulled out at the last minute.

The Pattersons, both aged 70, and Ms Wilkinson died days later.

Mr Wilkinson spent almost two months in hospital fighting for his life before he was released from the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, which was revealed on Saturday.

The Korumburra Baptist Church, where Mr Wilkinson preaches, relayed the good news to about 40 churchgoers at a service on Sunday.

Ian Wilkinson (pictured right with wife Heather Wilkinson) has been released from hospital after spending weeks recovering from a poisonous mushroom lunch that claimed the lives of three others including his wife

His recovery was described at the service as a 'miracle in itself'.

Churchgoers were urged to keep Mr Wilkinson in their thoughts and prayers as he continued on the mend.

Trevor Shaw told Herald Sun he was glad Mr Wilkinson had been making progress.

'It took great joy to us as a fellowship and those who loved him that he is back home,' he said.

'Everyone in this community and even the outskirts have felt and been praying seriously on their knees about his recovery.

'And those prayers have been answered, he's home. It's still in progress, but what a wonderful thing.'

Mr Shaw said the community hoped to find closure soon as they waited for the results of the police investigation.

He acknowledged it would be a difficult time for Mr Wilkinson after losing his wife.

A family statement was released confirming Mr Wilkinson had been discharged from hospital.

'The Wilkinson family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to the Leongatha, Dandenong and Austin Hospitals for their unwavering dedication and exceptional care that played a pivotal role in Ian's recovery,' it read.

'The medical team's expertise and compassion have been a source of comfort and hope throughout this journey.'

'The family also thanked the local community including members of the church and other loved ones.'

Erin Patterson (pictured) dished up a beef wellington lunch at her home that resulted in the deaths of three people. She has denied any wrongdoing

The above family tree shows the connections between the Pattersons and Wilkinsons embroiled in the unusual poisoning tragedy in Leongatha

The family also thanked the local community including members of the church and other loved ones.

'This collective kindness has been a pillar of strength for Ian and the family, reinforcing the sense of unity and compassion that defines our community,' they said.

Daily Mail Australia revealed last month Mr Wilkinson only likely survived because he was rushed to a hospital known for its expertise in treating patients suffering from poisonings.

READ MORE: How deadly death cap lunch has slowed down mushroom sales in Australia Advertisement

A hospital insider told Daily Mail Australia said that Mr Wilkinson had been transported to the Austin Hospital - recognised as the go-to hospital for Victoria's most critically ill patients - for one specific reason that likely saved his life.

'The Austin was not the natural hospital to go to. From Leongatha the closest hospital is Monash Medical Centre - that's where they normally go. They've basically gone to the hospital the farthest away they could,' the source said. 'The main intensive care unit, and you need the best, you go to The Alfred or Royal Melbourne. They haven't done that either. The state's poison centre is at the Austin, so that's why he's gone there.

'That says they're more interested in dealing with the mushrooms than the intensive care part of it.'

Erin Patterson had earlier told police that the mushrooms used in the lunch were a mixture of button mushrooms bought from a supermarket and dried mushrooms bought from an Asian supermarket in Melbourne months earlier.

The homicide squad is investigating the incident.

Ms Patterson has denied any wrongdoing and Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting she intentionally poisoned her four relatives.
A man who assaulted passengers and caused more than $7,000 worth of damage after smashing an aircraft window has been sentenced to 16 months behind bars.

The 24-year-old became aggressive towards passengers and cabin crew on a flight from Cairns in Queensland to Groote Eylandt, off the coast of the Northern Territory, on April 20.

During the flight he punched and damaged the aircraft, refused to follow the instructions of airline staff and assaulted fellow passengers, the Australian Federal Police said.

Footage of the second incident shows a man allegedly raising a bottle above his head and using it to strike another passenger

NT police arrested three passengers on the tarmac at Alyangula, on Groote Eylandt

He was one of four passengers arrested during two incidents on the flight.

The flight was forced to turn around after the first incident, the AFP said in a statement at the time.

After the first altercation a woman was charged before the plane took off again.

Then another incident broke out, resulting in another three passengers being charged when the plane landed in Alyangula on Groote Eylandt.

Upon landing, the Groote Eylandt man was arrested and charged with disorderly behaviour, contravening a domestic violence order, endangering the safety of an aircraft and committing affray and assault on an aircraft.

The man pleaded guilty to all five offences in Darwin Local Court on Thursday, the AFP said in a statement on Saturday.

'During the flight the man became aggressive towards passengers and airline staff before punching and damaging the aircraft,' the AFP statement said.

'The man refused to follow the instructions of airline staff and assaulted fellow passengers.

'Police and airline workers are there to ensure the safety of passengers and it's important for the public to treat everyone at the airport and on board aircraft with respect.'
A man has unleashed a withering spray at neo-Nazis who attempted to join a No march at the start of the weekend.

In the video posted on social media platform X the man shouts at the entirely black-clad group of around 20 men standing with their backs to the wall near Victoria's State Parliament on Saturday.

The men, who mostly wear black balaclavas and carry a large banner that reads 'Voice = Anti-White', are seen in the footage being kept away from the main march by metal barriers and a line of watching police.

'Is that right because I'm Turkish and I am Jewish?' the outraged activist shouts at the group. 'F*** man one word triggers you boys, one word Jewish.'

A man (pictured) has unleashed a withering spray at neo-Nazis who attempted to join a No march at the start of the weekend

Freedom rally made it pretty clear today in Melbourne. Nazis, YOU'RE NOT INVITED pic.twitter.com/LCPVFM983y  Dr Kaz (@tassiekaz) September 23, 2023

One of the men dressed in black answered back that it is because the man is Turkish.

'Because of something I dont get to choose youre judging me,' the activist responded.

'Do you deny that Jews control all the mainstream media?' a man from the group asked.

'Who am I to discern that mate, let alone make a banner in the march?' the activist said. 'You are living in a fantasy bro. I dont understand. I am perplexed.'

The man asks one of the group if they used to be a soldier before asking if he stood up for his country or for white people.

'What a f***ing joke bro,' the activist said in disgust.

One of the group asks their interrogator what he is doing in Australia leading him to launch into an epic spray.

'Mate, I dont get to f***ing choose I was born in Carlton,' he said.

'You think thats logically possible. You dont think the infrastructure of this country would f***ing fall over if people from migrant backgrounds (left)'

'What happens if you get rid of all the migrants? You get to jerk off all you white boys together what is the point

'This f***in country is built on migrants

'Your government that you fought for, migrated thousands of migrants back in the 60s and 70s for free and they paid for their f***ing education

'You are the f***ing minority, my friend and you are a weak, weak band all your f***ing boys, all 20 of you have f***ing nothing absolutely f***ing nothing.

'Snatching flags off people that are just here to express themselves.

'Youre all f**iing joke. Find a reason to actually hate on me. "Oh youre Turkish, you are Jewish" job done. F***ing ignorant, f***ing ignorant pieces of s**t.'

When asked what he is doing here the man replied: 'I am only here to tell other people to know thats it ok to tell you f yourself. I am attacking my ideas mate and you are going after me for something I cant control.'

In another video posted on X an elderly man dressed in an Australian army uniform with medals is seen arguing with a black-clad man as they try to join the protest.

'Dont have your f***ing masks on,' the elderly digger says. 'Take your masks off.'

Protests unfolded in Melbourne on Saturday as Australians marched in support of the No campaign

One of the unmasked men says they have their masks off because they have already lost their jobs.

'Dont bring it into the bloody rally that was organised before you got here,' the Digger replies.

After another person says the neo-Nazis are not welcome to join the march and the digger repeats the send-off.

'You are not invited to this rally,' he said.

READ MORE: No campaigner Andrew Thaler claims he was assaulted at rally after being spat on by ANU professor Advertisement

Police used pepper spray on some members of the group of men clad in black when they ran to stand on the steps of state parliament.

However, they moved on after receiving an order to do so and there were no arrests reported.

Meanwhile pandemonium broke out at the larger No campaign rally in central Sydney when former UAP MP Craig Kelly confronted a group of about 15 people who were attempting to storm the stage.

The group, who were associated with fringe right-wing Australia One party demanded that conspiracy theorist Dave 'Guru' Graham be allowed to speak at the event in Hyde Park.

'Let the people speak, let the people speak,' they chanted with a loudspeaker as Mr Kelly blocked them going on stage for the event which was primarily organised by NSW upper house Liberal Democrat MP John Ruddick.

There was a heavy police presence at the rally, including riot squad officers, but they were not called on to step in and the confrontation ended peacefully.

Mr Graham told Daily Mail Australia he was not being allowed to speak because he would 'tell the truth'.

Speakers at the two-hour rally, which began at 12pm, included Mr Kelly, NSW Liberal Democrat upper house MP John Ruddick, NSW One Nation representative Tania Mihailuk as well as Indigenous Elders Bruces Shillingsworth Snr and Auntie Glenda.

A fringe far right group tried to get on stage at the No campaign rally in Sydney but were blocked by former UAP MP Craig Kelly (pictured back centre_

A crowd listens to some of the speakers at the No campaign rally held in Sydney's Hyde Park on Saturday

Mr Ruddick said the periodic disturbances made throughout the day by the Australia One supporters should not detract from the event's success .

'They were about 15 loud people out of about 5000,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'All we wanted to do was speak about the referendum but they said "no, we want to talk about 12 other issues".
The prime suspect in the disappearance of Alabama student Natalee Holloway reportedly told a friend he and his father rented a boat and 'took care of things' two days after she vanished.

The exchange, seen by The Messenger, shows Joran Van der Sloot sent an email to someone named David G from his Yahoo! email address in 2010 in which he makes yet another sinister claim about what happened to the missing teenager.

Holloway, an 18-year-old from suburban Birmingham, disappeared during a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Her remains have never been found, though an Alabama judge declared her legally deceased in 2012, without settling the case.

Van der Sloot was extradited to the US in June from Peru and is charged over her disappearance and was the last person seen with her. He faces one count of extortion and another of wire fraud after allegedly offering to reveal the whereabouts of Holloway's in exchange for $250,000 from her family.

Joran van der Sloot (right) the prime suspect in the disappearance of Alabama student Natalee Holloway said he and his father (left) rented a boat and 'took care of things'

Holloway, an 18-year-old from suburban Birmingham , vanished during a high school graduation trip to Aruba. Her remains have never been found though an Alabama judge declared her legally deceased in 2012, without settling the case

Van der Sloot was extradited to the US in June from Peru and is charged over her disappearance and was the last person seen with her

The crimes are the only charges to have ever linked the Dutch citizen to Holloway's disappearance in May 2005.

While he is not charged with murder, he remains the chief suspect in the case.

Federal prosecutors obtained an email from the same account Van der Sloot used to contact Holloway's family, in which he described what happened in the days after she went missing.

'My dad got a boat two days later,' he wrote to David G. 'We went for a ride and took care of things. That's all I'm going to say.'

Police in Aruba have spoken to numerous boat operators on the island in a bid to uncover more information about Holloway's disappearance.

Investigators recently spoke to one to find out if he was involved in dumping the teenager's body.

'It's always seemed most likely that she was taken out on a boat,' an investigator told The Messenger.

'But the key is figuring out who would have taken him out there to do it. He and his father didn't have a boat of their own.'

Federal prosecutors have alleged Van der Sloot contacted Holloway's mother Beth Holloway through her lawyer in March 2010 and said he would reveal the location of the teenager's body for $250,000 with $25,000 paid upfront.

Beth and her attorney met up with him at an Aruba hotel during a recorded sting operation, gave him $10,000 in cash and wired $15,000 to his bank account, according to authorities.

Federal prosecutors obtained an email from the account Van der Sloot (pictured with his parents) used to contact Holloway's family, in which he described what happened after she went missing

'My dad got a boat two days later,' he wrote to his friend David G. 'We went for a ride and took care of things. That's all I'm going to say'

Van der Sloot allegedly changed his story about the night he was with Holloway.

He claimed he picked her up but she demanded to be put down so he threw her down where she hit her head on a rock and instantly died, according to prosecutors.

Van der Sloot then allegedly took Kelly to a house and said that his father Paulus van der Sloot, who has since died, buried Holloway in the building's foundation.

During a hidden camera interview with Dutch journalists in 2008, the suspect claimed the teenager had a seizure and died as they had sex on the beach.

He said a friend named Daury who helped him load her onto a boat before he subsequently dumped her body into the sea.

But Van der Sloot later claimed he lied to the journalists.

Federal prosecutors have alleged Van der Sloot contacted Holloway's mother Beth Holloway (right) through her lawyer in March 2010 and said he would reveal the location of the teenager's body for $250,000 with $25,000 paid upfront

Police in Aruba have spoken to numerous boat operators on the island to find out about Holloway's disappearance

The suspect was extradited from Peru where he was serving a 28-year sentence for the murder of a woman in 2010.

Van der Sloot was found guilty of murdering Stephany Flores, 21, in 2010 - who was killed five years to the day after Natalee's disappearance.

Peruvian prosecutors said van der Sloot killed Flores, a business student from a prominent family, while trying to rob her after learning she had won money at the casino where the two met.

They said he killed her with 'ferocity' and 'cruelty,' beating then strangling her in his hotel room. He pleaded guilty in 2012.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges in relation to Holloway's disappearance and is being held in a jail in Alabama. His trial has been delayed until at least November.
An investigation is underway after Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles was allegedly assaulted at her local markets.

Police are investigating after Ms Fyles was allegedly hit in the face with a cream pancake while at the Nightcliff Markets about 11.30am on Sunday.

According to a post on social media, the chief minister was attending the market when a 'disgruntled female ' walked up to her a 'smooshed a cream pancake right in her face'.

An investigation is underway after Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles was allegedly assaulted at her local markets

'She wiped it off, police called. Cream pie raving something about Fyles stopping her husband having a heart operation,' the Facebook user wrote.

It is understood the police are investigating the incident, which reportedly was unprovoked and left Ms Fyles upset.

This isn't the first time the chief minister has been attacked this year.

Ms Fyles was followed and allegedly harassed by anti-fracking protesters while competing in a running competition in Central Australia in May.

NT Police have been contacted for comment. No one has been charged over the incident.
Dozens of malnourished dogs and special needs rescue pups have been rescued in Arizona after being subjected to squalid conditions and alleged abuse by their carer.

April McLaughlin was arrested on Friday night following a raid by police officers who were forced to don hazmat suits in order to enter the home where 55 dogs had been kept because the smell was overwhelming.

The conditions were found to be so disgusting that McLaughlin had even resorted to keeping the bodies of dead dogs stored in her freezer.

Five dead puppies were found in the freezer right next to a stash of frozen microwave meals.

The raid by Chandler police was conducted after they received information from a vet on September 8 about the condition of three dogs kept at the home.

The Arizona Humane Society is seen on scene with the Chandler Police Department seizing more than 50 special needs pets, many of whom needed immediate medical attention

April McLaughlin is currently in the Maricopa County Jail and faces 110 counts of animal abuse and cruelty

Officers can be seen on sight as they attempt to take in what lies before them

The rescue in question is called the Special Needs Animal Welfare League. Other rescuers had previously made requests to have it investigated after fears the entire setup was a scam.

A Texas rescue reportedly sent a dog named Butters to the Chandler rescue, but when the team saw pictures of the disabled dog looking thin, they became concerned and went to investigate.

Officers had in fact visited the home in the past with the residence having been used as an animal rescue facility - but the dogs were all found to be in need of rescuing themselves.

When officers first arrived on scene they were so overcome by fumes that they required the help of the hazardous materials team.

Police officers conducted a raid that required them to wear hazmat suits to enter the home

One member of the police team can be seen patting a dog who was barking in distress

Some of the more than 50 dogs can be seen barking as they are kept behind locked cages

Officers are seen donning hazmat protective gear before venturing into the home

Dogs can be seen littered about the residence with some behind metal cages

Some dogs were found to have been living outside without adequate shelter

The poor treatment of the animals had been brought to the attention of other rescuers in the past

'We wanted to ensure there weren't hazardous fumes occurring at the residence with first responders inside a very small home, so that's why they were requested to ensure that everybody was safe inside the home,' Chandler Police Sgt. Emma Huenneke.

By the early hours of Saturday morning, a total of 55 dogs had been removed from McLaughlin's home.

Following McLaughlin's arrest on Friday night she was booked on multiple charges, including 55 counts of animal abuse, 55 counts of animal cruelty, and one count of vulnerable adult abuse with McLaughlin's elderly 83-year-old mother also living in the home.

The mother requested for her daughter's immediate release from jail.

This is the home of April Addison where 55 dogs were removed from the property

April Addison is seen in a video leaving her house with a dog in Chandler, Arizona

Officers can be seen wearing face masks and hazmat suits while carrying out the raid

Some members of the hazmat team were forced to wear oxygen tanks on their backs

McLaughlin appeared in court on Saturday at which point state prosecutors told a judge how the dogs were found in deplorable living conditions, with some living in filth and in their own feces, lacking access to water, and many likely having to be euthanized.

Authorities say the air quality in the home was so poor that firefighters had to wear specialized breathing equipment. The home itself will have to be demolished.

Despite being tipped off about the home in the past, Friday night's search was the first time that officers had entered the address after they were able to obtain a search warrant.

Video is seen of a dog being kept at Addison's 'rescue center' where dogs were in 'deplorable' condition

Other owners managed to track down some of the dogs which had been left in Addison's care

Another of the 55 dogs is seen having been rescued by Chandler Police and the Arizona Humane Society

Almost all of the dogs in the house were mixed breeds and special needs dogs

Many of the dogs had difficulties barking, were covered with tarps, while some were kept in stacked wire crates.

McLaughlin admitted to police that she had stored deceased dogs alongside food in the freezer but did not believe it was wrong to do so.

She is currently in custody at the Maricopa County jail on a $2,500 cash bond and faces a total of 110 misdemeanor charges with two counts for each accusation of animal abuse: one for cruelty/neglect and abandonment, and a second for failing to provide medical treatment.
A former White House aide who testified during last year's January 6 hearings that her boss destroyed potentially damning documents during Trump's waning days in office aired more claims about the amount of materials supposedly lit ablaze.

Cassidy Hutchinson makes the claim in her upcoming memoir about her time as a top aide to then chief of staff Mark Meadows, adding to allegations made by the 27-year-old on May 17, 2022, on behalf of the federal government.

At the time, Hutchinson - a former Trump supporter-turned star witness in the historic proceedings - claimed her boss Meadows would regularly toss documents into his fireplace in DC over the course of December 2020.

In her new book, titled Enough, she claims Meadows burned so many documents his wife complained to her about how expensive it had become to dry-clean the 'bonfire' aroma from the 64-year-old's suits as Trump's time as head of state came to a close.

Currently accused of committing several acts as part of a conspiracy to keep control of the White House, Meadows was one of 18 indicted alongside the ex-president in Georgia, where prosecutors say Trump's team tried to overturn local election results.

Made by Cassidy Hutchinson in her upcoming memoir about her time as a top aide to then chief of staff Mark Meadows, the allegations add to ones made by the 27-year-old on May 17 on behalf of the federal government.

In her new book Enough, she claims Meadows burned so many documents during Trump's last days that his wife Debbie (seen with the recently indicted political firurge in 2020) complained to her about how expensive it had become to dry-clean the 'bonfire' aroma from his suits

In her book, set to be released on Monday, Hutchinson provided a more detailed account on assertions she already leveled last year, as well as some new ones including Debbie Meadows alleged concerns about her outsized dry-cleaning expenses.

Previously, Hutchinson - at the the time considered the state's star witness - claimed Meadows burned documents 'roughly a dozen times' in his office's fireplace.

In her upcoming memoir - set to release 15 months after she entered and almost immediately after exited the American limelight - she further claimed Meadows would also regularly refuse to dispose of daily litter in government sanctioned 'burn bags', out of fear that someone from the 'deep state' might intercept the contents.

Instead, Meadows burned the documents in his own office - to the point that his wife complained to Hutchinson about the unbearable odor that would emanate from her husband's suits afterwards, and the cost of addressing the smell afterwards.

Other allegations made by Hutchinson in the new book - which recounts Hutchinson's so called grappling 'between [her] loyalty to the Trump administration or loyalty to the country' - are just as sensational, and come as the former president mounts a third attempt for the Oval office.

In it, she also accused fellow Georgia indictment victim - and then Trump attorney - Rudy Giuliani of groping her on January 6, 'like a wolf closing in on its prey' in a tent behind Trumps speech to supporters that day, just before the riots broke out.

She writes in one excerpt of the alleged assault, which she said happened 'maybe six rows from the stage': 'I [felt] his frozen fingers trail up my thigh'.

She recalled how she stormed away, but described feelings of betrayal she felt as a result - citing how she 'was surrounded by all these people I felt I could relate to.'

Other allegations made by Hutchinson in the new book - which recounts Hutchinson's so called grappling 'between [her] loyalty to the Trump administration or loyalty to the country' - are just as sensational, and come as the former president mounts a third attempt for office

In it, she accused fellow Georgia indictment victim - and then Trump attorney - Rudy Giuliani of groping her on January 6 , 'like a wolf closing in on its prey' in a tent behind Trumps speech to supporters that day, just before the riots broke out

In her vivid recollections, she also recalled how a frustrated Trump allegedly hurled his plate of lunch across the room after hearing Attorney General William P. Barr said he saw no evidence of fraud in the 2020 election - something she touched on already during her 2022 testimony

The new book, being billed as a retelling of Hutchinson's '[risking] everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington', is set to add to those claims come Monday, when it is released

Giuliani, 79, this week slammed Hutchinson's claims about him in the book as 'completely absurd' - whereas Meadows and Trump have yet to comment on the books soon-to-be-public contents.

As for the claims involving Meadows, the person she worked most closely with during her time in the Trump Administration, Hutchinson wrote that the official - who like Giuliani is seeking to have his trial moved to federal court - asked if she would 'take a bullet' for the president as his loss to Biden weeks before still loomed.

In her vivid recollections, she also recalled how a frustrated Trump allegedly hurled his plate of lunch across the room after hearing Attorney General William P. Barr said he saw no evidence of widespread fraud in the 2020 election - something she touched on already during her 2022 testimony.

'I grabbed a towel and started wiping the ketchup off of the wall to help the valet out,' Hutchinson recalled at the time.

She also wrote that with all their concerns about secrecy, the Trump administration during its final days was surprisingly unpoliced, with far-right Florida Republican Matt Gaetz showing up without an appointment to lobby Meadows for a pardon in his then ongoing sex trafficking case, which has since been tossed.

She also wrote ho more than a week after the insurrection - which led to five people's deaths - Hutchinson encountered Mike Lindell, the conspiracy-minded My Pillow peddler, roaming the White House unescorted, ranting to himself, 'We can still win.'

Back in May, the former aide said that a few times he would toss documents into the fire after he met with Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., who was at the forefront of Donald Trump's election fraud campaign.

Hutchinson, a key witness in January 6 committee hearings, testified on May 17 that Meadows would toss in documents when he added fresh logs to the fire in December 2020

A few times Meadows, who was one of 18 indicted last month on allegations of meddling in the Georgia 2020 election, would toss documents into the fire after he met with Rep. Scott Perry, she said, who was at the forefront of Trump's election fraud campaign

'He was in meetings all day long, so it was after meetings. I don't know specific documents. I know maybe three or four times - between two and four times, he had had Mr Perry in his office right before.'

Hutchinson added that the pair were discussing 'election issues,' specifically 'the vice president's role on January 6.'

Perry has been linked to efforts to install Jeffrey Clark as attorney general and use the Department of Justice to overturn the election.

Hutchinson said she was not aware what the documents were - whether they were copies or originals required to be retained by law.

She also shared that 'there were concerns brought forward' to Meadows ahead of January 6.

The new book, being billed as a retelling of Hutchinson's '[risking] everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington', is set to add to those claims come Monday, when it is released.
Shocking footage has captured the moment two hooded train surfers hitched a ride on the end of a carriage and came within centimetres of being electrocuted.

The pair were seen perched on the end of a train leaving from a Melbourne underground station.

A stunned commuter standing on the platform filmed the terrifying stunt as the train pulled away with one of the teenagers waving to the camera.

The pair are seen if the footage standing perilously close to power cables running above the carriage - with the lines carrying 1,500 volts of electricity.

Operator Metro Trains labelled the stunt 'stupidity of the highest order'.

The pair

READ MORE: Urban adventurers take a tour inside abandoned Australian shopping complex that cost $65million to build and has been left to rot for over a decade Advertisement

'Melbourne's rail network is not a playground, and those who treat it like one are only putting themselves at risk of serious injury or death,' a Mertro spokesperson told Nine news.

'Train surfing and coupler riding is stupidity of the highest order  and no stunt, thrill or social media post is worth a life.'

'Beyond the obvious risk to life, these incidents can stop train services in their tracks and cause significant and unnecessary disruption to passengers.'

Train-surfing can attract fines of more than $400 in Victoria.

Police are investigating the incident.

NSW authorities earlier this year launched a crackdown on the potentially deadly act of clinging to outside of speeding trains after there was 13 per cent spike in the 'extremely dangerous and stupid' crime .

Eleven people have died trespassing in Sydney rail corridors in the past five years.
Birmingham city council's historic headquarters could be turned into a hotel to help pay off its debts.

The Birmingham City Council House, which was built over a century ago, could be included as one of a number of assets to be sold to balance the books after the council announced bankruptcy earlier this month.

A Conservative source told the Sunday Express that the venue is 'in a prime location' in the heart of the city, surrounded by various bars, restaurants and shops, and could 'easily be sold off to a hotel chain'.

The Labour-run council has amassed a 760m bill for equal pay claims from female employees that it says it cannot settle, and is expecting an 87m deficit in this year's budget.

Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has called in officials to take over the running of the city after the local authority issued a section 114 notice - effectively declaring itself insolvent - nearly two weeks ago.

Birmingham city council's historic headquarters (pictured) could be turned into a hotel to help pay off its debts

The Birmingham City Council House, which was built over a century ago, could be included as one of a number of assets to be sold to balance the books after the council announced bankruptcy earlier this month

'Bankrupt' Birmingham City Council could be forced to sell prized assets to balance the books

A Conservative source told the Sunday Express: 'Birmingham council actually has a huge property bank which could raise more than enough money to pay off all its debts.

READ MORE: What might bankrupt Birmingham city council be forced to sell to pay its bills? Advertisement

'The council house is in a prime location at the heart of the city centre, close to the International Convention Centre, bars and restaurants and shops including Selfridges.

'It looks fantastic and could easily be sold off to a hotel chain.'

The council house, which is so large that it has its own postcode, is located in Birmingham's Victoria Square, which also features a statue of the late ruler, in the heart of the city.

Construction of the Grade II listed building was kicked off in 1974 by Sir Joseph Chamberlain, three time Mayor of Birmingham and father of Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain.

The are a number of other prized assets that the council could be forced to sell off - or even lease back to itself - to help prop itself up during the crisis.

This could include Birmingham Airport, which the council owns an 18.68 per cent stake in, the Library of Birmingham, which cost 189m to build, as well as the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.

Birmingham City Council is thought to own around 26,000 acres (10,520 hectares) of land across the city, and the largest council housing stock in the country - some 59,000 social housing properties.

In all, its property portfolio is estimated to be worth 2.4billion.

Michael Gove said the decision to send in Government officials to run Birmingham City Council was not a decision taken 'lightly'

Birmingham City Council owns an 18.68 per cent stake in Birmingham Airport, which it owns with six other West Midlands local authorities

The Library of Birmingham is Europe's largest public lending house - and cost 189m to build

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove said on Tuesday that commissioners were to be appointed to oversee administration of the council.

He added that an inquiry would be launched in due course to ascertain what went wrong in the beleaguered authority.

Mr Gove said: 'I do not take these decisions lightly, but it is imperative in order to protect the interests of the residents and taxpayers of Birmingham, and to provide ongoing assurance to the whole local government sector.'

The authority is set to put together a financial recovery plan on September 25 and ask the government for 'exceptional financial support' - most likely allowing them to borrow money to service debts or selling assets.

Andy Street, Conservative mayor of the West Midlands region, has called for the council to sell off assets in order to support itself through the crisis.

Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, Mr Street said that it was 'absolutely right' to consider selling off 'sites and land of strategic value'.

However, he has stopped short of calling for a fire sale of cultural assets. Birmingham City Council is estimated to own 26,000 acres of land in the city - around 40% of its total area.

Mr Street wrote: 'The idea of Birmingham City Council selling its cultural assets to help its finances seems a red herring - & something Id be totally against.

'An asset sale for an authority so rich in land is absolutely right - but Im sure the focus will be on sites & land of strategic value.'
A woman has been arrested over the 'abduction' of a mother who was last seen getting into a car outside a family centre with her two young children.

Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, left a north-west London centre for vulnerable mothers and children with her three-year-old daughter and newborn son on Tuesday.

Metropolitan Police have confirmed the children were removed from the family assessment centre against the wishes of staff because they were subjected to care protection orders.

The Essex mum, who has links to Thurrock and areas in Havering, got into a blue Ford Fiesta with her two children which then sped off.

The car has since been located, and a 30-year-old woman has been detained on suspicion of kidnap.

Rebecca Kelly, has made a tearful plea asking for sister Jamie-Leigh (pictured together) and niece and nephew home safe

Jamie-Leigh Kelly left a centre for vulnerable mothers and children in London against the wishes of staff with her two young children in tow

The woman is still being held by the police. A man in his 50s was arrested in connection with the inquiry on Wednesday on suspicion of kidnapping a child, and conspiring to kidnap, and is still being held in custody in Essex.

Jamie-Leigh's sister, Rebecca Kelly, has since made an emotional plea asking for sister and niece and nephew home safe.

Speaking to the Mirror, Rebecca said she was a 'brilliant mum' and that 'I'd tell her to come home, she can get help, we can provide help for her.'

'She's not alone. I just know that she's scared.

'She's a brilliant mum, she's not really got the support or help she's been crying out for. She'd never hurt her children, ever, she'd never put them at risk.'

Rebecca said she had tried to contact her sister but had not heard from her.

'I've messaged her on Snapchat, I've tried ringing her but her phone's off,' she said.

'I think she left her phone behind where she panicked, I've tried contacting her and put things on social media.'

Jamie-Leigh is described as white with green eyes, of slim build and about 5ft 4ins tall.

She was wearing a white jumper or long-sleeved t-shirt, white jogging trousers and white trainers.

They got into this blue Ford Fiesta which then left 'at speed' according to detectives. Police believe a woman was driving the car, which has not been traced

Earlier on Friday, Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who leads the Met's Public Protection command in East Area, said: 'We are making significant progress in our investigation but we remain extremely concerned about the welfare of Jamie-Leigh and her children, one of whom is less than one month old.

'Jamie-Leigh, I continue my direct appeal to you to contact with us so we can ensure the children are safe and well.

'We know you have no intention for the children to come to harm, so we are asking you to please pick up the phone and have a conversation with us so we can meet with you.

'The baby may need medical care as he is newborn, so please put him first and contact us.'

He added: 'We believe Jamie-Leigh continues to be assisted, and we ask anyone in Essex or London or further afield who may have information to call our incident room without delay, or dial 999 with any real time sightings. If you are helping Jamie-Leigh, it is not too late to do the right thing by the children and contact us.'
This is the terrifying moment a schoolboy is knocked to the ground by a car just seconds before another car misses him by inches.

The child, 12, was crossing the road on Cambridge Street, Coventry, when a red car swerved around the corner and knocks him to the ground before speeding off.

A second car follows suit and crashes into a parked black vehicle next to the boy only missing him 'by inches' before also driving away.

Paramedics were called to the scene and examined the boy but said he was lucky to have 'escaped serious injury', according to his father.

He told CoventryLive: 'He was crossing the road, and the car turned into him - he was hit by the red car which knocked him to the floor.

The boy (pictured) suffered a fractured ankle and has been wearing a boot since the accident on August 30

Footage shows the boy crossing the road on Cambridge Street, Hillfields, in Coventry when a red car swerves around the corner and knocks him to the ground. The car doesn't seem to stop and speeds off

'He was literally half on and half off the pavement and the second car hit a black car and missed him by inches.'

The father said he noticed that his son 'was limping' within the next few days and took him to the GP for leg pain. He was advised to take his son to the hospital for further checks.

There the boy was diagnosed with a fractured ankle and has been wearing a boot since the accident on August 30.

His father said the school boy was 'still complaining of the pain he's got' and that the collision left him 'scared and traumatised'.

'He has not left the house since that day on his own and he is quite scared. He does not want to cross roads, so there is a bit of trauma involved,' the man said about his son.

He added: 'It is going to take time for him to get over it.'

Police are investigating the collision, but haven't made any arrests yet, according to the Coventry Telegraph.

A second car follows suit and crashes into a parked black vehicle next to the boy, allegedly only missing him 'by inches'

West Midlands Police told MailOnline: 'We were called to Cambridge Street, Coventry, shortly before 11.45am on August 30 after a 12-year-old boy received a leg injury after being struck by a car.

'We are making enquiries and witnesses or anyone with any information should contact us via Live Chat or by calling 101 quoting log number 1548-300823.'

A spokesperson for West Midlands Ambulance Service said: 'A boy has escaped serious injury after being in collision with a car that had mounted a pavement.

'The incident happened at about 11.50am on Cambridge Street in Coventry on Wednesday (30 August).

'An ambulance and a paramedic officer were sent to the scene. On arrival, ambulance staff one car at the scene with no-one in it.

'The child had been able to mobilise immediately after the collision. He was assessed at the scene but was discharged into the care of family members with advice on what to do if his condition changed.'
Councils are to tell the Government they are 'full' and do not have any room to house any extra migrants while some are already at 'breaking point', it has been reported.

One of Rishi Sunak's five pledges for this year was to stop boats full of asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel.

The Illegal Migration Act was described as a 'vital step' in stemming the flow when the bill was given Royal Assent in July.

Under the new law, the Government is to set an annual cap on how many asylum seekers it will take in consultation with local councils.

That consultation must start by October 20, and, with the deadline looming, councils are set to tell the Government they are already 'full', reported The Telegraph.

The Illegal Migration Act was described as a 'vital step' in stopping small boats from crossing the English Channel. Under the new law, the Government is to set an annual cap on how many asylum seekers it will take in consultation with local councils

One of Rishi Sunak's five pledges for this year was to stop boats full of asylum seekers from crossing the English Channel

While a local government source said some are already at 'breaking point'.

Concerns have been raised by the Local Government Association about councils having to pledge numbers or to propose a cap.

Councillot Shaun Davies, chair of the LGA, said 'it might be difficult for councils to predict potential arrival numbers across both asylum and resettlement'.

He told The Telegraph: 'Their local communities may also have differing views on and capacity to support new resettlement routes.'

He said there needs to be a joined-up approach with new programmes but they need to recognise the pressures on services and that councils receive enough funding.

Earlier this month, leader of Runnymede Borough Council Tom Gracey, in Surrey, and the area's MP, Ben Spencer, both raised 'serious concerns' to house 300 asylum seekers in Chertsey, the BBC reported.

Mr Spencer said: 'I have serious concerns about the impact this inappropriate proposal would have on Chertsey, a town of 5,000 residents, and the surrounding area, particularly given the pressure services are already under.

While Mr Gracey added: 'Plans to place 300 people in one location will place an unmanageable burden on local services and our ability to provide the support these families may need.

'The site suggested was also intended to provide affordable housing for local residents. It cannot be that plans to support asylum seekers mean local residents miss out.'

While the leader of Sandwell Council this week wrote an open letter to the immigration minister Robert Jenrick to complain about the 'unfair' number of asylum seekers it has.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman has said Channel migrants will be moved back on board the Bibby Stockholm (pictured) as soon as 'processes' are complete - although she declined to say when that would be

Kerrie Carmichael wrote: 'However, this has become increasingly difficult as a result of the current unfairness in the national asylum seeker dispersal system.

'Sandwell has the third largest population of asylum seekers in the West Midlands. This means we continue to disproportionately shoulder the additional pressure on local resources at a time when doing so is more difficult with huge financial pressures on services resulting from the cost of living increases.'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'The UK has a proud history of providing protection for those who need it and we remain committed to supporting the most vulnerable, including those fleeing persecution. Over 350 local authorities across every region of the UK have welcomed resettled refugees into their communities under our safe and legal routes.

'It is important that we understand the capacity of the UK to support those arriving on our safe and legal routes ensuring that they can be accommodated and integrated effectively.

'That is why we have committed to introduce a cap on the number of people brought to the UK through safe and legal routes each year. The cap will be based on the UK's capacity and determined through consultation with local authorities.'

According to the latest Government figures for the end of June 2023, there were 134,046 asylum seekers awaiting a decision on their application.

In September this year alone, so far 3,895 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats.

Speaking at the time of the Illegal Migration Act being passed into law, Mr Sunak said: 'The public's priorities are my priorities. When it comes to making people's lives better, I am focused on action, not words.

'We are getting on with the job and today passed new laws which will play an important part in our efforts to stop the boats, support businesses to grow and allow the public to access essential services in the face of disruption.'
A council controlled by Labour has apologised for wrongly accusing two motorists and their legal representative of forging faulty penalty charge notices.

Newham Council had been putting out PCNs that were technically unlawful because the backs were blank.

But when expert Ivan Murray-Smith - who is a Tory councillor - challenged the fines for a pair of motorists the council accused them of an 'orchestrated fraud' and making bogus copies.

The Telegraph reports that London Tribunals published a scathing ruling last month concluding the council behaved in a 'wholly unreasonable' way in the case.

Edward Houghton, the adjudicator, found that the council's printers produced 'unarguably defective' legal documents.

Ivan Murray-Smith - who is a Tory councillor - challenged the fines for a pair of motorists, which prompted the council ro accused them of an 'orchestrated fraud' and making bogus copies

He continued to say that its staff failed to check them, then quashed the fines and Mr Murray-Smith and his two clients were awarded more than 455 costs, far in excess of the fines which came to a total of 390.

Newham Council formally apologised and began an investigation to address failings in handling the case after Mr Murray-Smith threatened legal action.

Three fines with blank pages were issued to Tahir Hamid and Nazma Yaqoob for alleged 'moving motoring offences' on Dec 6 last year.

Newham Council argued that the PCN evidence presented was probably fake photocopies because 'its printing is infallible and there is no possibility of a PCN being produced with one side blank'.

Newham Council formally apologised and began an investigation to address failings in handling the case after Mr Murray-Smith threatened legal action

But the adjudicator said the council's evidence amounted to 'this is what it has been told by its printing department'.

The ruling adds: 'The council informs me no manual check is made by any person before a PCN is posted. Its evidence shows large numbers of PCNs being generated in batches of 50.

'It seems to me inherently unlikely that any electronic or physical system is so reliable that errors cannot occur from time to time; and the evidence from the council is well short of what would be required to prove the contrary. It is equally well short of that compelling standard that would be required to prove the fraudulent conduct alleged as an alternative.'

Mr Murray-Smith said in a letter Newham's allegation that he had 'orchestrated such a fraudulent scheme with the objective of deceiving the tribunal and unlawfully depriving the council of funds' was 'very serious'.

A letter signed on behalf of Abi Gbago, the council's chief executive, responded: 'I would like to apologise on behalf of the council on what has happened in Mr Murray-Smith's case and can confirm our legal services under One Source will be responding to this complaint accordingly.

'I can assure you that this will be investigated by senior management who will address all matters that have been raised.'
Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into a 'colossal waste' of money

The second phase of the high-speed line could be axed in the coming days

Grant Shapps warned Rishi Sunak was prepared to take 'difficult long-term decisions' today as he signalled that the northern leg of the HS2 high-speed rail line could be scrapped.

Ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester next weekend the Defence Secretary declined to confirm the section of the 'very expensive railway line' connecting the city with Birmingham would be built.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether the northern terminus should be in the Midlands and the London end should be at Old Oak Common  six miles west of the original Euston terminus.

Critics including London Mayor Sadiq Khan have warned this would turn the project into 'a colossal waste of public money'.

Mr Shapps, the former transport secretary, told Sky News's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: 'It is the case that all of these big decisions where budgets are - in particular in the case of HS2 - inexorably going higher and higher and higher... It's absolutely right that the Government looks at it and says: ''hold on a minute, is this just an open-ended cheque or are we going to make sure that this project gets delivered to a pace and a timetable that actually works for the taxpayer?'''

Mr Shapps, now Defence Secretary, said a decision would be taken 'in due course' but 'what I can say is that we take those long-term decisions seriously, but we don't think that any amount of money - no matter how big the budget gets, you should just carry on ploughing it in - there has to be a point at which you say 'hold on a minute, let's just take a break here''.

Ahead of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester next weekend the Defence Secretary declined to confirm the section of the 'very expensive railway line' connecting the city with Birmingham would be built.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt are expected to decide in the coming days whether to axe the second phase of the high-speed line. A graphic of the line and each phase is pictured

Andy Burnham, the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester, said people in the north of England are treated like 'second-class citizens' by facing a choice between HS2 and a cross-Pennine east-west route.

He told Sky News: 'If they leave a situation where the southern half of the country is connected by modern high-speed lines, and the north of England is left with Victorian infrastructure, that is a recipe for the north-south divide to become a north-south chasm over the rest of this century.'

Labour has so far refused to confirm it would fund the line to Manchester if the Tories axe it, despite pressure from Mr Burnham.

In a letter sent to Mr Sunak, Mr Khan reveals that, according to Transport for London estimates, passengers who took HS2 from Birmingham to Old Oak Common, then used local public transport to get to Euston, would be travelling for one hour 22 minutes on a 'best case' scenario to reach the station, compared with the current scheduled time of one hour 21 minutes.

Former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron have led criticism of the new plan, with Mr Johnson saying that HS2 had been 'mutilated' by the Treasury.

Officials have watched in horror as the costs of the project have spiralled over the past decade.

READ MORE: Jeremy Hunt says the costs of HS2 are 'totally out of control' as he refuses to commit to building the Manchester leg of the project Proposals to make major cuts to the Government's flagship high-speed rail project would see the Birmingham to Manchester leg scrapped (Pictured: Artist impression of HS2) Advertisement

At the time of the 2010 Election, the budget was estimated at 20 billion; by 2021 it was up to 98 billion. Lord Berkeley, former deputy chairman of the Government's independent review into the project, has warned that it could even hit 107 billion.

While 2.3 billion has already been spent on the Manchester leg, Treasury officials working on a secret project, codenamed 'Redwood', have calculated that 34 billion would be saved by abandoning it now.

In his letter, Mr Khan says: 'Terminating the service at Old Oak Common would be a short-sighted decision which will have long-term implications, significantly downgrading the value of HS2... and leaving a ridiculous situation where a 'high-speed' journey between Birmingham and Central London could take as long as the existing route, if not longer'.

Mr Johnson said: 'This is total Treasury-driven nonsense. We need to connect the Midlands with the North with HS2 because that is the way to deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail. It makes no sense for HS2 to terminate at Old Oak Common rather than Euston.'

A Government spokesman said: 'The HS2 project is well under way with spades in the ground and our focus remains on delivering it.'

The number of cancelled train services on the TransPennine Express has increased since it was taken over by the Government, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Rail users and business leaders initially heralded the move to renationalise the beleaguered line in May, saying it would represent a fresh start for passengers following months of complaints.

In a letter sent to Mr Sunak, London Mayor Sadiq Khan says this would turn the project into 'a colossal waste of public money'

Some 2,331 services were scrapped between May 28 and August 19, after civil servants seized control from transport company FirstGroup, compared with 1,963 services in the final three months of private ownership.

Spokesmen for TransPennine Express and the Department for Transport blamed strike action this summer and said cancellations were low on non-strike days.
Locals in a historic market town have hired their own private security company to patrol the streets at night with dogs and marked cars after a spate of burglaries in the area.

Houses in the same neighbourhood in Kimbolton, rural Cambridgeshire, were burgled within just a few weeks - among them was Derek Suckling's home.

The pilot, 51, was working in America when his wife Natasha Armstrong called to tell him that their house had been the latest target by burglars.

'She was in the house on her own when they broke in through the patio door,' Mr Suckling told The Sunday Times.

The thieves took the family's Jeep, clothes, shoes and jewellery worth thousands of pounds in the burglary five years ago.

Houses in the same neighbourhood in Kimbolton (pictured), rural Cambridgeshire, were burgled within just a few weeks

Pilot Derek Suckling (pictured), 51, was working in America when his wife Natasha Armstrong called to tell him that their house had been the latest target by burglars.

Within just four weeks of their house being broken into, every house on the couple's street, Easton Road, 'had a break-in or attempted break in', according to Mr Suckling.

After the spade of burglaries homeowners took matters into their own hands and hired a private security company to patrol the streets with dogs and marked cars.

More and more residents started paying for the security service - including 90 per cent of the residents in the neighbouring hamlet of Stonely, according to Blueline Security.

They aren't the only ones: about 50 villages in the area have hired security guards for their neighbourhoods. This costs residents about 35 a month per household.

Blueline Security started working with residents in Kimbolton back in 2019. At the time only gated homes in London were patrolled and the company's main work was focused on surveillance and close protection.

This has changed since then, as 40 per cent of their customers are now employing them to patrol their neighbourhoods in Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

Ed Hill, who is the managing director of Intrepid Protection in London and ex-Royal Marines said his company's clientele was changing from the super-wealthy to wealthy people who have a 'lack of faith in the police and the judicial system'.

He said his employees don't use security vans or hi-vis jackets - instead they have 'ordinary' cars for their patrols, so they 'can intercept and intervene when there is suspicious behaviour'.

Mr Sucklin's home is the furthest from the central policing hubs in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire, he said.

After the spade of burglaries homeowners in Kimbolton (pictured) took matters into their own hands and hired a private security company to patrol the streets with dogs and marked cars

'You see a policeman out here about as often as you see Halley's Comet. In the aftermath of the burglaries, the community was really on edge,' he told The Sunday Times.

'The patrols have been a massive reassurance. We can also call or send a WhatsApp and get a car here within seven to ten minutes but sometimes, 70 seconds. It's about pushing criminality out of this area.'

He said so many neighbours came together to pay for the security patrol due to the 'strong sense of community' in Kimbolton.

Mr Suckling's Jeep resurfaced when it was spotted by a farmer in a field, who called the police.

It emerged that the Jeep had been used for other burglaries and the thief, who stole more than 160,000 in five months, was jailed for 12 years.

Before they hired security patrols, Mr Suckling said slept with bats and sporting rifles because they lived in 'permanent fear of the next break-in'.

He said at the time: 'These criminals are acting with impunity. They broke into a downstairs window that is adjacent to where my son sleeps.

'The fact that people are there is not a deterrent to them ... even when confronted.

'I have heard people in the village are sleeping with rifles, firearms and bats and weapons within reach because of fear of people entering their property.'
RAF Typhoon fighter jets have taken off from a regular road in a drill to test if they can outmanoeuvre the enemy.

Two frontline jets took off and landed on the single lane road in Tervo, Finland, on Wednesday.

The strip is usually used for normal road traffic but had been designed for an emergency landing to sustain aircraft activity.

Vladimir Putin declaring war on Ukraine in a show of 'Russian aggression' in Eastern Europe was one of the reasons given for the test as it shows the 'need to be able to disperse our aircraft and be more unpredictable'.

The RAF is currently focusing on ways to outmanoeuvre an adversary, to survive an attack, disperse to remote locations and continue operating with minimal support.

Two frontline jets took off and landed on the single lane road in Tervo, Finland. The Typhoons were operating out of Rissala Air Base and Tervo Road Base

The strip is usually used for normal road traffic but had been designed for an emergency landing to sustain aircraft activity

READ MORE: The number of RAF combat aircraft is so low they would be wiped out by 'attrition' if Britain went to war with Putin Advertisement

It was the first time RAF jets have flown during the Finnish Air Force's annual flying training, Exercise Baana.

The Officer Commanding of 41 Test and Evaluation Squadron was one of the two pilots to take part.

He said: 'This is an opportunity to work with one of our newest NATO partners on an exercise in Agile Combat Employment.

'The Finnish have worked hard for decades on disparate operations should they be attacked and need to disperse their aircraft.

'Once we landed on the strip we stopped to refuel before taking off again, I couldn't help but look around and think "I am sitting in a jet on a road in the middle of a forest in Finland".

'That was pretty crazy and definitely a first.'

The second pilot, Jim, declared it as 'a great step forward for RAF Typhoon capability'.

A small number of RAF personnel were on the ground to refuel and maintain the aircraft to ensure they could continue operating

The RAF is currently focusing on ways to outmanoeuvre an adversary, to survive an attack, disperse to remote locations and continue operating with minimal support

It was the first time RAF jets have flown during the Finnish Air Force's annual flying training, Exercise Baana. The Norwegian Air Force was also taking part for the first time

The Norwegian Air Force was also taking part for the first time, and tested its F-35A Lightning aircraft (pictured)

'What is great about this is it a novel way of employing the jet, improving our survivability against modern threats and operating from dispersed locations, and also doing that while working closely with our allies who are absolutely critical to future operations,' he said.

The Norwegian Air Force was also taking part for the first time, and tested its F-35A Lightning aircraft, a 5th generation fighter jet also operated by the UK and 15 other allied countries.

The RAF Typhoons were operating out of Rissala Air Base and Tervo Road Base for these trials.

UK defence attache in Finland wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: 'First ever RAF Typhoon operating from a Finnish road strip. Thanks to Karelia Air Command for sharing your expertise. RAF Agile Combat Employment in action.'
A young boy killed alongside his brother in the back of a car being driven by their uncle filmed the vehicle allegedly street-racing moments before the fatal crash.

Jimmy Martin Brito, 33, allegedly lost control and crashed his Subaru WRX while speeding along The Grand Parade in Monterey, in Sydney's south, on August 25.

His nephews Peter, nine, and Xavier Abreu, 10, died at the scene, while a nine-year-old girl in the front seat escaped with minor injuries and Brito was hospitalised.

Now it has emerged that harrowing footage found on a mobile phone inside the wreckage helped police track down the alleged driver of another vehicle who was allegedly involved in the street race.

That driver, Adam Yurun, 24 and his passenger Raquel Borg, 24, were both arrested and charged last week for their alleged roles in the fatal accident, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Xavier Abreu, 10, (left) and his brother Peter, nine, died when the Subaru WRX they were in slammed into a tree on Grand Parade in Monterey in Sydney 's south last month

Jimmy Martin Brito (pictured, left), 33, allegedly lost control and crashed his Subaru WRX during an alleged street race

Police allege Yurun and Borg witnessed the crash but fled the scene and did not speak to police until their arrest a month later.

A police statement of facts revealed the alleged street race began shortly after 9.30pm when Brito and Yurun met at 'The Loop' at La Perouse.

CCTV footage along the 19km journey from the start of the alleged race to the site of the crash allegedly shows Brito's Subaru and Yurun's Audi overtaking one another at speeds of up to 130km/h.

'A video filmed inside the Subaru showsAs both vehicles exit the Sydney Airport Tunnel...the children inside the Subaru can be heard telling the driver, Jimmy Martin Brito which lane to travel in,' the facts reportedly state.

It adds: 'The Subaru overtakes the Audi. The distinct sound of the Subaru revving its engine can be heard.

'The Audi continues in lane one, overtaking the Subaru...the Subaru immediately accelerates to a point where the front of the vehicles draw level.'

But police allege that, while attempting to navigate a right-hand bend, Brito mounted a kerb and smashed into a tree, killing his two nephews instantly.

Footage reportedly filmed by one of the brothers allowed police to track down the driver of another vehicle in the allged street race. Adam Yurun (pictured), 24 and his passenger Raquel Borg, 24, were both arrested and charged last week for their alleged roles in the fatal accident

Police prosecutors told the court experts estimate the vehicle was travelling at at least 136km/h at the time of the crash

Brito, who has been charged with five offences over the incident, was denied bail when he appeared via video link in Sutherland Local Court on 7 September.

Yurun has reportedly been charged with two counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death, organise, promote race between vehicles and two counts of fail to stop and render assistance after impact causing death. he faces court again on November 30.

Borg, his female passenger, has been charged with concealing a serious indictable offence. She faces court on October 17.
A body has been found in the search for a 74-year-old hiker who was last seen more than two weeks ago at a campsite on the Isle of Skye.

Francis Johnson was last seen on September 6 when he travelled to the Isle of Skye from his home in Dorset.

A search operation has been underway and yesterday a body was found nearly 1,500 ft up on the south bank of Sgurr nan Gobhar, in the Cuillin Hills.

It took just one hour for the body to be found, but another four for it to be stretchered off the hill.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: 'The body of a man has been found on the Cuillin range in the Isle of Skye during searches for a missing person.

Francis Johnson (pictured) has been missing since early September, and was last seen at a campsite on the Isle of Skye

The body was found on the south bank of Sgurr nan Gobhar, in the Cuillin Hills (Stock)

He is yet to be formally identified but the family of Francis Johnson, 74, who had been reported missing in the area, have been informed.'

Some 30 members of mountain rescue teams were involved with recovering the body on Skye on Saturday.

Neil Urquhart, team leader of Skye Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) said the discovery was made by a member of the team who noticed 'something that did not appear natural'.

'She was looking through binoculars and saw something that did not appear natural. It was only by using a large drone from Cairngorm MRT, and getting right by the remains could you tell it was a body,' he said.

'If our team member had not seen it would have been so easy to miss. She id incredibly well. We would also like to thank all the other teams who came to help. It also follows Friday's search.'

Mr Johnson was an experienced walker and camper.

He left his home in Dorset on September 4, and travelled to the West coast of Scotland, booking into various campsites.

His camping equipment and car are still at the site, after he was last spotted in Glenbrittle.

Saturday's search involved Skye, Kintail and Cairngorm mountain rescue teams, Search & Rescue Dog Association and a coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway, which was diverted to airlift a woman hillwalker to hospital after getting injured in Wester Ross.

She was with a walking group in the Torridon area, and was airlifted by a coastguard search and rescue helicopter from Stornoway to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. Her condition is unknown.

It comes as 10 members of Glencoe MRT resumed their search for a 56-year-old man who went missing on September 9.

Hopes of finding Charles Kelly alive have now disappeared after a major search last weekend by more than 50 rescue team members, search dogs and a coastguard rescue helicopter also drew a blank.

Searchers admit they are 'baffled' by Mr Kelly's disappearance.

His rucksack was found but the water bottles were empty.

Mr Kelly left his home in Tillicoultry, Clackmannanshire, to go hillwalking and contacted his family around 8pm the next day.

Last week, Glencoe MRT said they were scaling down the search for Mr Kelly, after spending 10 days looking for him.
An XL Bully 'campaigner' who stood up for them and urged people to stop 'blaming the wrong end of the leash' has been mauled by one of the dogs after its owner set it on him.

Married father-of-three Ben Czyzyk, 38, from Wolverhampton, had puncture wounds and deep bruising after the brutal attack on Friday night.

His nightmare unfolded in the Tettenhall area of the city when he saw the XL Bully off its lead just after 10pm.

When he asked the owner to bring the animal under control he set the muscular mutt onto him and also attacked him himself.

It came just nine days after Mr Czyzyk, who is a dog owner but not of an XL Bully, put a social media post up with a picture of one of the dogs saying: 'Any breed can be taught to be aggressive. It's time we quit blaming the wrong end of the leash.'

Police were this afternoon still hunting the owner and the dog after they fled from the scene when officers arrived. Mr Cryzyk had 12 fractures in one eye socket from the attack.

Ben Czyzyk, 38, was set upon after the dog's owner ordered that it attack him on Friday night

Mr Czyzyk showed pictures of his wounds after the dog attack on Friday in Wolverhampton

Mr Czyzyk said today: 'I was out and about enjoying my evening when I came across a very vicious dog owner.

'When asked to put his dog on a lead he proceeded to tell his dog to attack which he also did.

'I think I got a couple of defensive shots in but I was no match for a XL Bully and his vicious owner.

'Thank you to all the hospital staff who helped me.'

Mr Czyzk had been walking with family when he had seen the dog looking out of control near the School Road part of Tettenhall.

When he made the reasonable request to the owner the animal was set onto him and started sinking his teeth into his ankles.

The violence saw him dragged to the floor, when the owner then started kicking him in the face and head.

A relative told MailOnline: 'We were so shaken by what happened.

'The dog attacked his ankles and then the owner battered him on the ground.

American XL Bully dogs will be banned in the UK by the end of the year. This is a stock picture

Mr Czyzk had heavy bruising on his ear too and showed off a bite mark inflicted on his hand

Mr Czyzyk had posted this meme supporting the dogs just days before the nightmare unfolded

'The police did turn up and took details but the owner and the dog had fled the scene.

'Ben is still recovering, so isn't up to talking about it in full at the moment.

'We still don't think they should be banned, they need to be registered and looked after properly.

'These dogs shouldn't be used as weapons and that's what this user was using his as - a weapon.'

West Midlands Police confirmed it was investigating the case.

A spokesperson said: Officers attended and found the man in his 30s with injuries to his face and leg.

'Thankfully they are not believed to be life-changing. He was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital for further checks.

'We are continuing with house-to-house enquiries and reviewing CCTV and doorbell footage from the area as part of our on-going investigation.'

Details of the attack come just a day after hundreds of XL Bully owners massed in London yesterday to protest at Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plans to ban the breed.

The dogs have become public enemy number one after a series of attacks in recent months.

People take part in a protest in central London, against the Government's decision to add XL bully dogs to the list of prohibited breed

One of the placards read 'Don't bully our bullies' while another declared 'stop bullying our best friends'

The breed is set to be banned by the end of the year following a series of attacks, including that of father-of-two Ian Price from Staffordshire, who was killed by two XL Bullies after they jumped out of a neighbour's window earlier this month.

Owners are in a panic and abandoning their pets, or begging vets to change official records to say 'Staffies' because they're worried their dogs will be put down.

Most say their dogs are completely safe and insist it is the minority of the animals which are actually dangerous.

But while the owners were out in force in London they did not have any of their pets with them.

Before the event, the message went out: 'Please do not take your dogs to protest.

An extremely provocative t-shirt featured a photoshopped picture of the Prime Minister

Many of the protesters were wearing branded clothing and the placards looked professional

'The police will antagonise and seize your dog.'

They are understood to have taken the decision due to the mix of fears the dogs could be taken and an obvious PR disaster possibility if one became aggressive.

Many of the protesters held banners aloft as they marched on Parliament to promote their cause.

One of the placards read 'Don't bully our bullies' while another declared 'stop bullying our best friends'.

An extremely provocative t-shirt featured a photoshopped picture of the Prime Minister.

The image showed Rishi Sunak in a dog muzzle with the slogan 'Muzzle Rishi, don't bully our breed'.

Michelle West, of Northfleet had made placards for the rally outside Westminster showing her dog Ossie with seven-year-old daughter Elizabeth.

She told Kent Online: 'People need to take responsibility for their dog. They are blaming the wrong end of the lead.

'I've never known a dog so affectionate and soppy.

These dog lovers blamed bad owners rather than the animals for the series of scandals recently

This dog owner said the animals were not responsible and said it was the owners' faults

'He just wants to be near you all the time and loves being cuddled and squeezed.'

Mr Sunak has 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 American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities, particularly our children,' he said.

'I share the nation's horror at the recent videos we've all seen. 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.

She proudly held the sign aloft next to others wearing T-shirts which read 'save our babies'

'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.'

In the last week, West Midlands county has seen two horrific attacks by thought-to-be XL Bullys.

Mohammed Sami Raza was left covered in blood with horrendous injuries to his arms and legs after the mutt pounced on him in Bentley Drive, Walsall.

In another attack on Monday, two rottweilers charged into a family home and killed two beloved cats - leaving the occupant and her children screaming for help.

Chilling doorbell footage showed the family happily greet their beloved pets from the car in Solihull. Moments later the two big dogs ran into the driveway and into the house, before wrecking the kitchen and killing both cats.

Any ban will include an amnesty for existing owners as long as their pets are registered, neutered and muzzled when in public.

Government officials stressed by requiring all owners to get their bully dogs neutered, the breed would simply die out. There are currently no plans for a cull.

American bullies are a relatively new breed, having originated in the 1980s. They are mixed breed bulldogs, typically American pitbull terriers crossed with American, English and Olde English bulldogs.

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.

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.
Comedian then joked about it on the radio

An Australian woman has told how Russell Brand allegedly cornered her in a bathroom and said 'I'm going to f*** you' before flashing his penis in her face - and then boasting about it moments later on the BBC.

Rachel, who works in the TV industry, encountered Brand in Los Angeles when the comedian was visiting her office complex to record a radio show for the BBC in June 2008.

She claims she answered the door and let Brand and his entourage into the building where they were met by a BBC producer.

Fifteen minutes later, she passed the studio where they were recording on her way to the bathroom to source medication for a sinus issue.

'I opened up a cupboard where the first aid kit was kept along with our medicines and when I turned around there was a groin in front of me,' the woman told 60 Minutes.

Russell Brand (pictured) allegedly exposed himself to a woman before joking about it on a radio broadcast minutes later

Brand had allegedly followed her into the bathroom.

'What are you doing in here?,' she recalled asking him.

'And he goes, "oh, you're a bit of alright, aren't you, you're a bit alright'.

He allegedly told her he would call her 'Betty'.

'I said "but that's not my name" and he said "I'm going to f*** you" and I went "no, you're not" and he went "yeah, I am".

'Before you know it, his penis was on his hand and he was pretty much serving it to me as you would a dish or as you would serve someone some food.'

Rachel, which is a pseudonym to protect her identity, said Brand repeatedly told her he would 'f***' her.

She was saved by a knock at the door calling Brand back into the studio.

Rachel, which is a pseudonym to protect her identity, said Brand repeatedly told her he would 'f***' her

Russell Brand jokes on air about 'exposing himself to a woman 25 minutes ago' - the full remarks Brand: Also, Lucy Lawless, the Xena: Warrior Princess actress and also star of Bedtime Stories, the film I'm doing, is coming down. She'll surprise you, Matt, because you'd think the actress playing Xena: Warrior Princess, you'd think: 'Oh, she'll be a nice bit of crumpet, dolly bird, you know, bit daft, nothing between her ears, lovely knockers'...she's rough as horse muck. (laughs) No, she's smart as a whip, she's bright as a button. Morgan: Have you got a crush on her? Brand: Sort of but like, you know where it's a woman where you respect them or something? Morgan: Why, because she's a bit in control of herself? Brand: In control of herself... Morgan: Not the ones you like! Brand: Oh no, this won't do. I won't be able to drag her off into a cubicle and show her my pubicles, that would never do. Morgan: How long ago did you do that last? Brand: It's been a long while, Matt, since old Russy Brand... Morgan: (interjecting) It's been 25 minutes since he showed his willy to a lady. Brand: (laughing) Very easy to judge! Very easy to judge! Morgan: The receptionist Brand: (laughing) Look Morgan: Receive this! Brand: How am I supposed to ring that little bell? With my finger? Morgan: He got told off for ringing a bell. Minutes later he was showing his willy. As a form of excuse for his behaviour - 'See, look, this is what I'm hung with!' Advertisement

Shaken and upset by the ordeal, she texted the BBC producer to tell him what happened.

To her horror, he allegedly responded: 'Yes I know, he's talking about it on air.'

Just minutes into the pre-recorded show with fellow comedian Matt Morgan, Brand started bragging about exposing himself to Rachel.

'I won't be able to drag her off into a cubicle and show her my pubicles, that would never go,' joked Brand.

Morgan asks him: 'How long ago did you do that last?'

Brand claims it's 'been a long while', Morgan interjects: 'Just 25 minutes since he showed his willy to a lady... to a receptionist.'

Incredibly, the segment was reportedly broadcast by the BBC.

'What I'm struggling with when I look back [is] how no one ever called me,' said Rachel.

'They didn't listen to the output and go, "Oh my god, Russell has just exposed himself to someone".'

'It made me sick but I felt it corroborated my story that he is a predator, he is a leech, he is not a very nice men so in a way I felt vindicated because it was there and he actually admits to doing it.'

Earlier this week, Morgan issued a statement to the BBC's News At 10 about the alleged flashing incident.

'I was not aware until now of the nature of this encounter. I've expressed my regrets now looking back at the impact of the [radio] show, and this is a further example,' Morgan said.

'The recent coverage has been very distressing to read and I reiterate my absolute condemnation of any form of mistreatment of women.'

Morgan added that he'd stopped working with Brand several years ago and during the time they worked together he was 'not aware' of any allegations of serious sexual misconduct against Brand.

Rachel's claims follow earlier allegations of Brand's behaviour exposed in a joint investigation by The Sunday Times and Channel Four's Dispatches.

Several women have come forward to make allegations against the comedian, which they claim happened at the height of his fame.

The shocking allegations, said to have occurred between 2003 and 2013, include the alleged rape of a woman at his home in Los Angeles and the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old schoolgirl.

Brand has denied the accusations, claiming all of his relationships had been consensual.

He dismissed the allegations as part of a vendetta against him by the 'mainstream' media.

On Friday night, he released a video on social media channels thanking his followers for their 'support and for questioning the information that you have been presented with'.

He went on to announce he would be returning his show on Rumble  an online video platform  after adverts on his YouTube channel were suspended in light of the allegations.

In a rambling speech, he accused the British Government of demanding that big technology platforms censor his online content and took a swipe at his former employer the BBC for its 'trusted news initiative' that tackles fake news.

Rachel told 60 Minutes she feels deep shame and regret for never making an official complaint at the time.

In a statement, the BBC said they are looking into her allegations.

Popstar Katy Perry and Russell Brand began dating after meeting at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, and tied the knot in October 2010. Pictured at the MTV Video Music Awards in August 2011

'We are conducting a review to look at allegations of this nature and if the woman who has shared her story is willing to speak to us, we would be very keen to hear from her and anyone else who may have information,' the statement said.

'A key part of the review is to understand what complaints were made at the time, if there was knowledge of Russell Brand's conduct while he worked on BBC radio, and what was done as a result.

'We will of course speak to the bureau team and anyone who was working there in 2008 as part of this.

'Further, the Director General has been very clear that some broadcasts from that period were, and are, inexcusable and totally unacceptable, and would never be aired today.'
Dame Jenny Harries has suggested the UK will act more like Sweden and adopt a voluntary approach to social distancing when the next pandemic hits.

The chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency said in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph that keeping people informed on any future outbreaks will help build trust with the public and reduce the likelihood of imposing strict measures.

She explained that people can be trusted to make sensible decisions about limiting contact on their own, with data showing that later on in the Covid pandemic, footfall figures reduced even when there were no lockdowns in place.

The 64-year-old told the Sunday Telegraph: 'What we saw with omicron and later waves of the pandemic, and even now, is that people are good at watching the data and they will take action themselves.

'You can see it in footfall going down. People actually start to manage their own socialisation, and the waves flatten off and come down.'

Dame Jenny Harries (pictured) has suggested t he UK will act more like Sweden and adopt a voluntary approach to social distancing when the next pandemic hits

Harries said that keeping people informed on any future outbreaks will help build trust with the public and reduce the likelihood of imposing strict measures

Confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK and Sweden between May 2020 and November 2021

Harries said that she doesn't buy into the 'groupthink agenda', that is the idea that the UK's mamagement of the pandemic was unchallenged by individuals.

She added that the UK's pandemic plan was 'pretty advanced' compared to many other parts of the world that 'had no plans at all'.

In Sweden, logged one of the lowest pandemic death tolls in Europe despite its refusal to impose lockdowns, according to World Health Organization estimates.

The Scandinavian nation became an international outcast when it defied scientific advice and chose not to shut down in 2020  instead relying on people's common sense and light social restrictions.

Of the 194 countries looked at by the UN health agency, Sweden's pandemic death rate was 66 per 100,000  well below the average of 90.

It also puts Sweden below most other major European nations that locked down several times, such as Italy (133), Spain (111), Britain (109), Portugal (100), the Netherlands (85), Belgium (77) and Germany (73).

Harries was also asked about South Korea, who responded to the pandemic by closing its borders to some parts of China, implementing rapid testing and isolating any infected people.

This strategy, which is seen as a success story in dealing with the Covid outbreak, meant that it avoided strict public lockdowns like those seen elsewhere across Europe.

Harries said: 'I think this is where we need to be really careful because the culture in South Korea was very different

'In South Korea, they have had a different experiencecommunities, individuals and governments build on the experience and the culture that they have.'

Harries recently opened a new super-lab at Porton Down where experts are working on a high-security project to develop prototype vaccines to tackle the world's next deadly pandemic within 100 days of it breaking out.

The ambitious target would smash the 362 days it took to develop a Covid jab, potentially stopping crippling lockdowns in future.

Harries recently opened a new super-lab at Porton Down where experts are working on a high-security project to develop prototype vaccines to tackle the world's next deadly pandemic within 100 days of it breaking out

British scientists at the facility are currently leading the charge to create a vaccine for world's next deadly virus when it hits

Experts working on the high-security project at Porton Down, the top-secret government laboratory, to develop prototype vaccines to tackle 'Disease X' when it hits

Scientists agree it is only a matter of time until the next major pandemic which will be caused by the ominously dubbed 'Disease X' and has been put among the biggest threats to life this year.

British scientists at the facility are currently leading the charge to create a vaccine for world's next deadly virus when it hits.

It is geared to work with the world's deadliest live viruses, with more specialist 'high-containment' labs than anywhere in Europe.

Working alongside academics and industry, it is the only site in the UK equipped to create a vaccine from start to finish.

At the time of its launch Harries said Britain is already primed to launch a 'very slick and rapid response' to the next global threat.

Speaking at the Vaccine Development and Evaluation Centre earlier this year, she said it signalled a 'step change in terms of pandemic response', adding: 'The risk [of another pandemic] is growing.

'The 100-day mission is to identify a pathogen of pandemic potential and within 100 days, you have vaccines to try and manage that.

'This is shifting from being super ready to respond to actually trying to stop [pandemics] happening.

'For previous vaccines it would have been five to ten years. For Covid it was 362 days, so to get to 100 days is really stretching the ambition. But if we're going to prevent pandemics then that's exactly what we need to do.'
A homeless Florida woman who was mauled to death and dragged into a waterway by a huge alligator had been arrested just months ago for trespassing in wetlands.

Sabrina Peckham, 41, was found in the jaws of the alligator after being dragged by the 14-foot beast into a canal on Friday in Largo, Clearwater. Her formal cause of death is yet to be determined.

'No matter how you put it, no one deserves to die like this,' her daughter wrote on social media.

Two months before her death, Peckham was arrested on July 14 for trespassing on a county wetland just half a mile from where she was mauled, reports WFLA. She was ordered to pay $500 for that incident.

This was not the first time that she was apprehended for trespassing, as she has multiple misdemeanors to her name dating to 2014, records show. Peckham also had a history of theft convictions and run-ins with the police.

Several local residents spotted the gruesome sight of Peckham's death on Friday afternoon, and as the alligator dragged its prey away and began to record the scene while alerting the Largo Fire Department.

Sabrina Peckham was named as the homeless Florida woman who was mauled to death and dragged into a waterway by a huge alligator

Sabrina Peckham (left) pictured with her daughter Breauna Dorris. Peckham, 41, was found in the jaws of the alligator after bein g dragged by the 14-foot beast into a canal on Friday in Largo, Clearwater. Her formal cause of death is yet to be determined

Several local residents spotted the gruesome sight of Peckham's death on Friday afternoon, and as the alligator dragged its prey away and began to record the scene while alerting the Largo Fire Department

Emergency responders, together with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, managed to pull the alligator from the water before shooting it dead, with officials describing it as having been 'humanely killed' following the horrific attack

Peckham's daughter, Breauna Dorris, announced the sad news on social media.

She wrote, along with posting about the family's GoFundMe: 'The past 24 hours have been filled with grief and sorrow and unbearable pain for our family.

'My mother, Sabrina Peckham was the victim of the alligator attack at McCay Creek (rainbow village). Please understand that we do not have all information yet as the medical examiners report is not yet finished.

'Some details I would like to share is that my mother did not 'taunt' the alligator as some are saying in the news outlets comments.

The Florida alligator was found with a dead body clamped between its jaws as it made its way down a canal near Clearwater

Emergency responders, along with the Florida FWC successfully removed the alligator from the water and subsequently euthanized it

'My mother was a part of the homeless population that lived in the nearby wooded area. It is believed that she may have been walking to or from her camp site near the creek in the dark and the alligator attacked from the water.

'We expected to have many many more years with her. Unfortunately god has called her home sooner than our hearts were ready.'

Dorris addressed her mother in a heartfelt statement: 'To my mother: I love you more than I ever expressed, I miss you more than you'll ever know and I pray that you are looking down over me and your grandchildren.

'Please protect us. I'm so sorry this happened to you. I pray you are at peace and you are no longer struggling or hurting. I pray you found momo and pop and you all are watching down from above.'

Jennifer Dean, who lived nearby to where the woman was killed, said: 'A lot of my neighbors were out here and they're the ones that told me about the gator.

The 14-foot reptile held its victim tightly between its powerful jaws as is paddled down the waterway, in the small town of Largo

'While we were standing here we heard a shot, I assume they killed the gator.'

Once the alligator was dead, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office were then able to retrieve the victim's body from the water.

'I could tell there was a body in his mouth, so I started recording,' JaMarcus Bullard said to Bay News 9.

'I came down to the fire department and reported it to them,' he said.

Investigators also took time to examine the gator, which measured almost 14 feet in length.

It's believed the deadly reptile had come from a nearby alligator-infested lake known as Ridgecrest Park.
Voters are concerned about President Joe Biden or former President Donald Trump serving another term in 2024  but the two remain the far front-runners for a rematch in next year's election.

Nearly three-fourths of voters are concerned with Biden's age and almost two-thirds of the same polling bloc have worries about Trump's ongoing legal woes, according to a new NBC News poll released Sunday.

But the latest survey also shows Trump widening his lead over the rest of the Republican primary field  with second place Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis trailing by 43 points  meaning it's still unlikely any other Republican will clinch the nomination.

Looking ahead to the 2024 general election, a hypothetical head-to-head rematch between Biden and Trump, shows the two in a dead-lock earning 46 percent each among registered voters.

The lead Biden had over Trump seems to be disappearing as the campaign season trails on. In a June NBC News poll, Biden had a four-point lead over Trump, 49 percent to 45 percent.

A new poll shows that three-fourths of voters are concerned with President Joe Biden's age while two-thirds are worried about former President Donald Trump's legal woes

The poll shows Biden and Trump in a dead-heat with 46 percent support each. Biden, 80, is running nearly unopposed - with just two longshot bids in the Democratic primary

Additionally, a separate Washington Post/ABC News poll also released Sunday shows Trump bearing Biden by 10 percent. This is an outlier among mainstream polls, with most showing either a tie or Biden with a slight advantage.

The NBC News survey shows Biden holding just a one-point lead over DeSantis, 46% to 45%, which is well within the poll's margin of error.

And in a shock result, Biden trails former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley by 5 points, 46% to 41%.

In the NBC News poll, Haley outperforms the two GOP frontrunners with independents and college-educated voters. Still, 30 percent of all voters say they aren't familiar with Haley.

Meanwhile, Biden's age, 80, is still a growing concern, with 74 percent of voters in the NBC News survey saying his age is worrisome as the general election season comes into view.

Sixty-two percent of voters are also worried about the four indictments levied against Trump since the beginning of the year  two of which are related to the ex-President's attempts to overturn Biden's 2020 victory.

Notably, among those who say they want to vote for Biden in 2024, a whopping 58 percent claim that their vote is more because they want to cast a ballot against Trump than for Biden. On the other side of the spectrum, 57 percent of Trump voters say the same about want to vote against another term for the current President.
Hillary Clinton says she doesn't believe Donald Trump when he says that he wouldn't use his presidential powers to pardon himself if he wins another term in the White House.

The 2016 rival to Trump told President Joe Biden's former Press Secretary Jen Psaki that she doesn't 'believe him on anything.'

It comes after Trump said in an interview with NBC News host Kristen Welker last weekend that he could have already pardoned himself before he left office if he really wanted to and said it's 'unlikely' he would do so if he becomes president again.

Sitting down for a wide-ranging interview for MSNBC's Sunday show Inside with Jen Psaki, Clinton also bashed House Republicans for their impeachment inquiry against Biden.

She claimed the GOP is manufacturing 'a political problem that they can try to use for their own benefit.'

Hillary Clinton said Sunday she doesn't believe anything that Donald Trump says - and bashed Republicans for creating 'a political problem that they can try to use for their own benefit' by launching an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden

Trump said last weekend that it was 'unlikely' he will pardon himself from the four different sets of indictments against him, claiming he is innocent of the charges he is accused of

'They just want to, you know, be able to grandstand and try to cause President Biden problems,' she added. 'I mean, it's not a real threat. It's a terrible bother. But more than that, it is a real confession by the Republican party: They have no agenda. They have no interest in trying to bring people together to solve problems.'

Clinton also praised Kamala Harris for doing 'a much better job than she gets credit for' as the first female vice president  and warning that if Russian President Vladimir Putin 'has a chance,' he will interfere in the 2024 election.

Psaki asked Clinton during Sunday's interview: '[Trump] recently said that he is very unlikely  it would be very unlikely that he would attempt to pardon himself. Do you believe him?'

'I don't believe him on anything,' Clinton shot back.

'Why would I start believing him on that?' she continued during her sit-down interview on Psaki's MSNBC Sunday show. 'You know, the thing about him  and I'm not the only person who's noticed this  is he engaged in what psychologists call projection.'

'So, whenever he accuses somebody else of doing something, it's almost guaranteed he's doing it himself or he's already done it,' the former Secretary of State and once-America's First Lady explained. 'Or whenever he denies thinking about doing something or doing it, it's almost guaranteed he is thinking about it or he's already done it.'

Speaking with NBC's Meet the Press last weekend, Trump said: 'I could have pardoned myself. Do you know what? I was given an option to pardon myself. I could have pardoned myself when I left.'

Clinton sat down with Biden's former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki for an interview Sunday where she also praised Vice President Kamala Harris for doing 'a much better job than she gets credit for'

He added: 'I was told by some people that these are sick lunatics that I'm dealing with. Give yourself a pardon, your life will be a lot easier.' I said I would never give myself a pardon.'

Trump is facing four separate sets of charges  two of which are related to his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. All of the indictments were handed down this year starting with allegations he gave porn star Stormy Daniels a hush-money payment.

The ex-President has repeatedly said that he doesn't have an interest in pardoning himself, claiming that he is innocent of the charged crimes.

Welker pressed Trump, asking if he still wouldn't pardon himself 'if you were reelected in this moment.'

'Well, I think it's very unlikely,' Trump replied. 'What, what did I do wrong? I didn't do anything wrong. You mean because I challenge an election, they want to put me in jail?'
The leader of the Liberal Democrats refused to rule out propping up a Labour government today - after one of his top lieutenants said the party still wanted to take Britain back into the EU.

Sir Ed Davey, who served as a minister in the Coalition under David Cameron, swerved questions about whether he would be willing to work with Sir Keir Starmer.

In a BBC interview during the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth he claimed he had 'fought the Conservatives all my life', claiming he stood up to them while in Government.

But he warned his predecessors had been 'distracted from the task in hand' by focusing on what they would do if there was a hung parliament.

It came as one of his top team appeared to go rogue over Europe. Layla Moran, who challenged Mr Davey for the leadership after the 2019 election, told a conference fringe that the party wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.

'We want to rejoin. We want, as part of it, to get back into the Single Market,' the Telegraph reported her as saying.

'We recognise that, in order to do that, we have to do stuff before, to get to that relationship. How do we talk about it in a way that doesn't push people away, so where is that sweet spot?'

However, Sir Ed this morning told the BBC that rejoining was 'currently not on the table'.

Sir Ed Davey, who served as a minister in the Coalition under David Cameron, swerved questions about whether he would be willing to work with Sir Keir Starmer.

Knocking down the blue wall? This morning Sir Ed told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'There's no way we could deal with the Conservatives. They've ruined our country.'

It came as one of his top team appeared to go rogue over Europe. Layla Moran, who challenged Mr Davey for the leadership after the 2019 election, told a conference fringe that the party wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.

'We want Britain to be at the heart of Europe but were also deeply realistic about whats going to have to be done to enable us to improve our relations with Europe,' he said.

This morning Sir Ed told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'There's no way we could deal with the Conservatives. They've ruined our country.

'I fought them in Government every day... at the moment I'm just focusing on removing Conservative MPs and electing as many Liberal Democrat MPs as we can.

'That's why we're focusing on the NHS, focusing on the cost of living, focusing on the environment.'

Pressed on whether he would agree to a deal with Labour, he said: 'I've worked with a lot of Liberal Democrat leaders and when they have focused on that question they have been distracted from the task in hand.'

His remarks came after Sir Keir last week called for a closer UK relationship with the EU if he takes power.

His remarks to a conference in Montreal about less 'divergence' from Brussels were seized on by the Tories, who said they went much further than he has previously been prepared to admit.

Cabinet ministers said the footage obtained by Sky News raised questions as to what Sir Keir thought was 'the point' of Brexit if Britain did not diverge.

But speaking to broadcasters today an angry-looking Sir Keir stood by what he said, saying he would looked at possible sector-by-sector improvements to the deal when it comes up for discussion in 2025.

He told reporters in the City of London there was 'no case for rejoining the EU, no case for the customs union or single market' and laws would be 'made in this country for the public interest'.

But he added: 'That does not mean that a Labour government would lower standards on food or lower the rights that people have at work.

'That's been consistent Labour Party policy for years. Incidentally, that's also Government policy.'
US Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona called out American parents who he said are 'misbehaving in public' and acting as though they 'know what's right for kids,' adding that he doesn't have much respect for them.

In a sit down interview with the Associated Press, Cardona commented on the state of education in the US, including the recent decision by the Supreme Court to ban race-based admissions and the president's attempt to relieve student debt.

Furious backlash to Cardona's comments was immediate as crowds online took them to mean he was firing at the parents who spoke up at school board meetings across the country to limit COVID-19 mandates, and ban critical race theory and sexually explicit books from their children's school libraries.

Regarding the currently fraught nature of education debates of the present, Cardona said there used to be 'civility' during conversations that featured different viewpoints.

'We could disagree. We could have healthy conversations around what's best for kids.'

'I respect differences of opinion. I don't have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and then acting as if they know what's right for kids,' he said.

'I respect differences of opinion. I don't have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and then acting as if they know what's right for kids,' Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in an interview that is receiving backlash

Cardona added that he also does not respect 'people that have a problem when were trying to provide some support for those who are buried in debt complain about a 10 thousand dollar support for thousands of their constituents but are Ok taking over a million dollars in loan forgiveness themselves as an elected official.'

'That hypocrisy - I want to call it out at the top of this conversation because there is a team that is fighting for kids and a team that is fighting against kids,' he said.

Nicole Neily, the president of Parents Defending Education showed open disdain on X (formerly Twitter) for the secretary and his position.

Cardona, she wrote, 'dismissed thousands of American parents who have been speaking out at school board meetings.'

'Actions speak louder than words - and they reveal that Secretary Cardona does not, in fact, respect differences of opinion,' she told Fox.

'Look no further than the fact that in 2022, Cardonas Education Department chose to shut down its faux parents council stacked with rubber-stamping elites rather than add any members who would provide viewpoint diversity, and was named by a board member of the NSBA [National School Boards Association] as the instigator of its now-infamous letter.'

In September of 2021, the NSBA sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting the federal government investigate school boards meetings where parents were speaking up.

The letter suggested that school officials were facing threats of violence at school board meetings and asked that the parents being examined under the PATRIOT Act as 'domestic terrorists.'

Subsequent to the receipt of that letter, Merrick Garland's Justice Department issued a memorandum that instructed the FBI to lead the effort to create a task force to address threats against school officials and create a centralized way to report such things.

Following a massive wave of uproar over the letter, the NSBA apologized and said it wouldn't do anything like that again.

The father was left beaten and bloodied after he was ejected from the Loudoun County School Board meeting in June 2021

Smith was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He said he tried to contain himself after teachers falsely asserted they had not received reports of sex assaults in the girls' toilets

The outrage surrounding the letter coincided with the momentum leading up to the election of Virginia Governor, Republican Glenn Youngkin, who had predicated a good deal of his campaign on fighting for the rights of parents to have a say in the children's education.

One such parent was Scott Smith, who was previously apprehended by law enforcement officers and given a 10-day suspended sentence for disorderly conduct after he was dragged out of a school board meeting for protesting a high school's policies after his teenage daughter was raped by a transgender student in the bathroom.

Smith's daughter was raped by an unidentified 15-year-old who became known as the 'boy in a skirt.' A month after the May 2021 attack, the school board of Loudoun County held a meeting during which it was stated that gender-fluid bathrooms were not a problem.

Smith became furious, and in a clip that went viral and has had a long shelf-life, was confrontational with school and law enforcement officials and was eventually charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

Earlier this month, Governor Youngkin announced that he had pardoned Smith, saying that his administration 'right a wrong.'

'He should've never been prosecuted here. This was a dad standing up for his daughter.'

'His daughter had been sexually assaulted in the bathroom of a school, and no one was doing anything about it.

'This was a gross miscarriage of justice.'

Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin said 'Mr. Smith did what any father would do' as he issued a formal pardon earlier this month

Youngkin said school had 'covered it up' and told Fox that parents must have the final say over their children's education.

'Mr. Smith did what any father would do, what any parent would do, which is stand up for their child,' Youngkin told Fox News Sunday.

'I spoke with Mr. Smith on Friday, and I had the privilege of telling Mr. Smith that I will pardon him, and we did that on Friday.'

Cardona's comments about parents believing they know what's best for children directly contradict Youngkin's position on the issue, and it is believed that Cardona was making reference to people like and including Smith when he spoke about those acting out at school board meetings.
This is the moment a biker loses his patience and starts dragging eco clowns out of the road after they hold up traffic in Berlin.

Climate activists from the German group called Letzte Generation - translated as Last Generation - staged a slow march blockage in Berlin this week, causing traffic in Germany's capital to come to a halt.

Footage shows an enraged cyclist attacking the activists by grabbing one man from behind and dragging him off the road.

The cyclist reportedly lost his cool after the activists wouldn't let him pass through their slow march.

In the video, the cyclist and another man in a red shirt can be seen pushing the long-haired older protester until he falls to the ground.

Footage shows an enraged cyclist attacking the activists by grabbing one man from behind and dragging him off the road. The cyclist reportedly lost his cool after the activists wouldn't let him pass through their slow march. In the video, the cyclist and another man in a red shirt can be seen pushing the long-haired older protester until he falls to the ground

While the eco zealot is trying to get up, the biker targets another protester, a woman, and pushes her out of the road. Meanwhile the man in the red shirt attempts to push several activists onto the opposite sidewalk so the honking cars can pass through

Meanwhile the man in the red shirt attempts to push several activists onto the opposite sidewalk so the honking cars can pass through. One of the cars blocked by the group eventually mounted the pavement to get past while the others sounded their horns

While the eco zealot is trying to get up, the biker targets another protester, a woman, and pushes her out of the road.

Meanwhile the man in the red shirt attempts to push several activists onto the opposite sidewalk so the honking cars can pass through.

One of the cars blocked by the group eventually mounted the pavement to get past while the others sounded their horns.

The video was posted to X, formerly Twitter, by Letzte Generation with the caption: '25 slow-walk blockades in Berlin. The climate crisis is already escalating. The first tipping points have been reached.

'2045 is too late. 2030 free of fossil fuels is necessary. That's why we are protesting.'

This isn't the first time interactions between climate activists and annoyed road users have turned violent in Germany.

A shocking video taken earlier this month showed an enraged motorist resorting to violence to break up a street-blocking protest by the activist group.

The man was seen leaping into the B36 highway near the Victoria Tower in Mannheim. He began punching and kicking a series of activists from the Letzte Generation movement.

Police have now arrested the 29-year-old suspect, according to German newspaper Bild.

The assailant, wearing a white vest and grey jogging bottoms, was one of several angered motorists who confronted the eco-zealots who had donned orange uniforms and sat on the tarmac, backing up three lanes of cars.

When the demonstrators remained seated and refused to move he snapped, lashing out with fists and feet of fury and dragging them away.

Mannheim Police found out about the attack the following day and arrested the suspect in Ludwigsburg, where he was taken for interrogation.

But Aimee van Baalen, the group's spokeswoman, remains steadfast in their commitment to continue similar protests despite the controversy.

The infuriated motorist grabs the protester's hair before hitting him in the face

He returns to kick and slap another member of the group

She maintains that Letzte Generation will not be deterred by opposition and is resolute in its mission to bring attention to climate change.

In July, three protesters were dragged out of the way by a furious lorry driver working for low-carbon energy company Air Liquide - only to rush back in front of the lorry before one of them was knocked flying.

Air Liquide is the Paris Olympics' official hydrogen supporter and works to innovate 'the development of low-carbon hydrogen and biomethane for the energy transition'.

The driver of the lorry at first jumps out to push and drag the activists out of his way.

When they sit back in position, he slowly starts driving forward - and then shunts the activist closest to the pavement.

The man is seen yanking the protester out of the road as other annoyed motorists look on

The driver is pictured trying to drag the protestor sitting in the road out from under the lorry

The force is enough to send the young man flying back and bystanders come to his aid.

The lorry driver is seen throwing his hands up in frustration and stops the lorry before leaping out of the cab again to pull the protesters aside.

Air Liquide provided the following statement to MailOnline: 'On July 12, Air Liquide was made aware of an altercation in Stralsund, Germany, between a third-party contract driver of Air Liquide Medical Gases and local protesters.

'Images display unacceptable behaviour from the driver that is not aligned with Air Liquide's values in any way.

'The third-party contractor has been notified that Air Liquide will no longer accept the services of this individual.'
A Royal Navy sailor who shot his girlfriend with a BB gun and attacked two other women has escaped being sent to prison because a magistrate did not want him to lose his job.

Harley Moore, 18, fired at his partner and hit her in the foot at their home in Deal, Kent, when he flew into a jealous rage after she went on a trip to London with another man.

Although 'shaken up', the next day the couple went out drinking in the coastal town with her friend, but Moore became irate again.

His girlfriend ran into the The Sir Norman Wisdom Wetherspoon after he was 'practically foaming at the mouth and spitting at me'.

Moore followed her into the pub toilets, 'pinned her up against the wall', and then tried to hit her but missed, Margate Magistrates' Court heard.

Harley Moore, 18, fired at his partner and hit her in the foot at their home in Deal, Kent, when he flew into a jealous rage after she went on a trip to London with another man

The next evening the couple went out drinking with her friend. But he turned irate again and his girlfriend ran into the The Sir Norman Wisdom Wetherspoon after he was 'practically foaming at the mouth and spitting at me'

The victim told police: 'He went to hit me and missed - but he caught me with his nails.

'Then he turned around and hit [my friend], causing her to fall backwards.'

A female Wetherspoon employee intervened and pointed him towards the door, but he pushed her arm away.

Moore's girlfriend suffered a scratch to her face while her friend was left with a bruised back.

Moore admitted four counts of assault by beating when he appeared in court on Thursday.

In a victim impact statement, Moore's girlfriend said: 'The whole incident has made me feel very shaken up and upset because I never imagined he could hit me.

'I am shocked that someone I thought I loved could do this to me and my friend.'

But magistrates refused to hand him a community service order because it would mean him losing his job in the Navy where he is a junior able seaman on the HMS Prince of Wales.

Chair magistrate David Gibbons said: 'We in no way wish for Mr Moore to lose his job - we wish him the best with that.

'But we can't let his job mean that he escapes justice.'

He told the defendant: 'Mr Moore you're aware our hands have been tied in what we can do to punish you for this.

The sailor was on leave from his duties on HMS Prince of Wales (pictured), which will act as the nation's flagship, at the time of the attacks

'The incident was severe and you were unpleasant to three different people.

'While the offences are deserving of a community order, it has become apparent that this is unworkable, so we will be going down the route of a conditional discharge.

'This will be for three years. Should you commit another offence within that time you can be punished for today's offence and any new offences.'

Defending Moore, Ian Bond said the sailor was on leave from his duties on HMS Prince of Wales, which will act as the nation's flagship, at the time of the attacks.

He said Moore had been upset that his girlfriend had gone on a trip to London with another man.

Describing the assault with the BB gun, he said: 'It fires very small plastic rounds - about the size of a pea, a petit pois.

'Mr Moore said: "I'm sorry - I was trying to shoot your shoe".

'But the next day things are still simmering and this young man has behaved as badly as he did because of his frustration and because he'd had too much to drink.

'He's genuinely remorseful.'

Chief Petty Officer Darrell Binner attended court with Moore and said disciplinary action is also being taken by the Navy.

He said: 'The Navy takes a very seriously dim view of what Mr Moore has done and he will receive appropriate punishments from his commanding officer.

'That could mean a dock in his pay, extra duties or even being discharged.

'He is returning to Portsmouth while transportation is arranged to get him back on the ship - the vessel is operational and it requires a full crew.

'The Navy would not be able to comply with a court order for him to complete community service.'

Moore was ordered to pay 200 compensation to his girlfriend, 100 each to her friend and the pub worker, as well as court costs of 85 and a 26 victim surcharge.

Magistrates also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of the BB gun.
New Jersey has been accused of sparking terror fears and confusing residents with a new statewide 'see something, say something' roadway campaign.

The campaign, which was launched September 1 in New Jersey, projects the eerie message 'suspect terrorism?' on billboards along the state's major interstates - telling drivers what to do if they suspect terrorist activities.

Although the messaging is from state officials, some of the thousands of drivers who pass the signs every day have become worried about what it might actually mean.

Locals have said the signs, as well as confusing them, have made them question 'what's going on we aren't told about.'

It's understood that the signage is illuminated on the highways during rush hours.

The campaign, which was launched September 1 in New Jersey, projects the eerie message 'suspect terrorism?' on billboards along the state's major interstates

Laura Brunetti, who lives in Manalapan, New Jersey, said: 'This has actually put me into a more cautious mode'

New Jersey's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness said the signage is to remind people to 'be aware of their surroundings' because the public are the 'first line of defense against terrorism.'

'The goal of the campaign over the next few months is to remind residents and visitors, who may be traversing New Jersey's highways for vacation, holiday shopping and other festivities, of the importance of being aware of their surroundings and of reporting suspicious activity,' Director Laurie Doran said.

'The public is one of our first and best lines of defense in the fight against terrorism.

'Our 'See Something, Say Something' initiative bolsters the State's security efforts and plays a key role in helping to identify threats and to prevent attacks.'

The campaign will run until February and include nearly 200 signs along major New Jersey roads.

NJ Department of Transpiration Commissioner and NJ Turnpike Authority Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said: 'Safety and security are everyone's responsibility.

'Using Variable Message Signs on the New Jersey Turnpike and our Interstate Highways will help remind millions of motorists if they 'See Something, Say Something' when driving through our State.'

The campaign will run until February and include nearly 200 signs along major New Jersey roads

'We are happy to support this important public information campaign by displaying the 'See Something, Say Something' message on the digital Variable Message Signs over the New Jersey Turnpike,' turnpike Executive Director James Carone said.

'The nearly 700,000 drivers who use the Turnpike on an average day have an important role to play in protecting public safety.

'These signs encourage them to speak up if they see suspicious activity.'

Some people were more suspicious about the campaign and wondered why it was now suddenly targeting New Jersey.

Laura Brunetti, who lives in Manalapan, New Jersey, told News 12: 'This has actually put me into a more cautious mode.

'Yes I would say something if I saw something, but this makes me think that there's an underlying thing going on that's not public yet.'

One person wrote on social media: 'Drivers in New Jersey have been greeted with roadway signs that read, 'Suspect Terrorism? See Something, Say Something,' with a tip line number to report threats. Hmmmm....what do they know that we don't know??

Another added: 'Hmmm... Wonder why they thought this was necessary?

A third person, who drives through New Jersey frequently, stated: 'I love having an anxiety disorder and driving through New Jersey and seeing SUSPECT TERRORISM? in yellow lights over every major highway.'

One person on X added: 'Here in NJ, the state has lighted signs on highways saying "suspect terrorism call...".

'When I first saw the sign a couple of weeks ago and then this past Sunday, I wondered what's going on we aren't told about.'

A user also said that the billboards caused fearmongering: 'All the suspect terrorism? signs on all major NJ roadways all starting right before 9/11 its Fear Mongering plain and simple.'
Chris Christie isn't interested in trying to fill embattled Sen. Bob Menendez's congressional seat  even if his 2024 presidential run is unsuccessful.

It comes as even Democratic members are calling for the New Jersey senator's resignation following bribery claims.

The Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.), stopped short Sunday morning of calling for Menendez to step down.

A federal grand jury indicted the senator and his wife Nadine Arslanian Menendez over corruption allegations in an investigation that focused on a luxury car, $400,000 in gold bars and cash, plus payments toward a home mortgage allegedly received by the couple.

While even those within Menendez's own Party seem not to want him in the Senate any longer, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says he won't be the one to take his place.

'I have no interest in being in the United States Senate,' Christie told Meet the Press host Kristen Welker in a Sunday morning interview.

Currently Christie is among the crowded field of Republican candidates vying for the GOP presidential nomination against far-frontrunner Donald Trump.

Presidential hopeful Chris Christie says he has no interest in serving in the U.S. Senate as he gave a decisive 'no' when asked if he will run for embattled Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez's Senate seat in 2024

Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and his wife Nadine Arslanian are accused of having an inappropriate relationship with businessmen that used the Senator's position for their enrichment. The couple are pictured at the White House in May 2022 - both deny the corruption charges against them

WATCH: Fmr. N.J. Gov. Chris Christie rules out a run for Senate if Sen. Menendez (D) runs for re-election.@GovChristie: I had a chance to appoint myself to the U.S. Senate  If I didnt appoint myself, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it. pic.twitter.com/QoKd3C4Rgv  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 24, 2023

It's highly unlikely that Christie, who polls toward the middle to back of the pack, will be Republican's candidate in 2024. But he made it clear that his alternative plan is not to join the U.S. Senate.

Welker pressed: 'You rule it out completely?

'Yes, I have,' the former governor and one-time Trump adviser said. 'I have throughout my entire career. I had a chance to appoint myself to the United States Senate, Kristen, in 2013 when Frank Lautenberg passed away and I was governor.'

'If I didn't appoint myself to the United States Senate, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it,' he explained.

Menendez is a two-term senator and son of Cuban immigrants  and is up for reelection in 2024. Before becoming a senator, Menendez served in the House since 1991 representing at different times two separate New Jersey districts.

He denied on Friday corruption charges against him and claims the indictment is racially motivated. He refused to resign.

'Those behind this campaign simply cannot accept that a first generation Latin American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. senator,' he said in a statement claiming he stands 'falsely accused.'

Durbin, who ranks just behind Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, stopped short of calling for his resignation  but was critical of the senator's alleged actions that led to the charges.

'This is a very serious charge,' Durbin told CNN during an interview with State of the Union host Dana Bash on Sunday morning.

He compared the charges to the seriousness of the indictments against former President Trump.

'In terms of resignation,' Durbin added, 'that's a decision for Sen. Menendez and the people of New Jersey.'

Many Democrats are calling for the resignation of Menendez - or at least for him not to run for reelection in 2024. But the Senate's No. 2 Democrat, Sen. Dick Durbin, stopped short of calling for Menendez's removal on Sunday

The indictment against Menendez claim the senator and his wife had an improper relationship with three New Jersey businessmen: Wael Hana, Jose Uribe and Fred Daibes, who allegedly paid the couple in exchange for Menendez to use his influence in Washington D.C. to their benefit.

The couple face three criminal counts each  conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud, and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

Menendez also stands accused of providing 'sensitive U.S. Government information and took other steps that secretly aided the Government of Egypt .'

The three businessmen are also facing charges of conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud.

Menendez said prosecutors in the Southern District of New York 'misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office' in the indictment against him.

'I have been falsely accused before because I refused to back down to the powers that be and the people of New Jersey were able to see through the smoke and mirrors and recognize I was innocent,' he said in a statement on the charges.

The senator added he would not be 'distracted by baseless allegations' but continue his work as senator. He has agreed to step down as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Russian air strikes have killed two people and wounded three others in Ukraine's Kherson province - as Putin's barbaric onslaught has entered its 20th month.

Russian forces struck the city of Beryslav, destroying an unspecified number of private houses.

A woman was killed and three people were wounded, including a police officer, according to the region's governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

Another air strike also killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Mr Prokudin said without specifying the type of weapons used in the attack.

The communities hit are both located in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Kherson region, where the Dnieper River has marked a battle line since November 2022, when Russian forces retreated across it, boosting the invaded country's morale.

Russian air strikes have killed two people and wounded three others in Ukraine 's Kherson province. Pictured is a destroyed building in Beryslav

A woman has been killed in the strike while three people were wounded, including a police officer. Pictured is the aftermath in Beryslav

Kherson's governor told of how Russian forces struck the city of Beryslav earlier today, destroying an unspecified number of private houses

The Russians regrouped on the river's eastern bank and regularly shell cities and villages across the river, including the city of Kherson, the regional capital that was occupied early on in the war but retaken by Ukrainian forces more than 10 months ago.

Meanwhile in Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an administrative building in the city of Kursk and 'insignificantly damaged' the roof, regional governor Roman Starovoit reported. He did not report any casualties or say what the building housed.

Unconfirmed media reports both in Russia and Ukraine said it was the offices of the Kursk branch of Russia's main security agency, the Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB.

READ MORE: As Zelensky faces battle to win further funding from countries, a look at which nations are handing over the most cash and weaponry to Ukraine Advertisement

The Kursk region of Russia borders Ukraine and is also a frequent target of attacks. The drone strike today took place as residents commemorated the anniversary of the regional capital's founding.

There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian authorities, who usually do not acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was travelling home from North America, where he addressed the UN General Assembly and paid his first war-time visit to Canada.

In a social media statement on Saturday, Mr Zelensky said he stopped in Poland on his way back to Ukraine to give state awards to two Polish volunteers.

Mr Zelensky apparently did not meet with any Polish officials, but in a post on X, formerly Twitter, he thanked Poland for 'its invaluable support and solidarity that helps defend freedom of our entire Europe'.

Poland has taken in large numbers of Ukrainian refugees and been a fierce supporter of neighbouring Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the country on February 24, 2022.

However, a trade dispute has recently tested the relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw.

The Ukrainian government this month filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia for banning imports of Ukrainian farm products, which are important for the war-weary country's battered economy.

The three European Union member nations bristled at the move. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded by saying his country was 'no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons'.

His remarks left many wondering if the Western resolve to support Ukraine in the war with Russia is waning.
Inmates working at First Date star Fred Siriex's prison training restaurant have been kicked off the course after a drug smuggling operation was uncovered.

Prisoners had been working in the staff canteen as part of a charity project set up by the TV star where offenders are put in charge of cooking and serving at jails, leading to a diploma at the end of the course.

On the whole the initiative, which operating at two prisons, has proved hugely successful, with up to 90 per cent of those on the course finding working once released.

But the plan backfired when a prison officers at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in west London suspected some cons were taking drug deliveries after narcotics were thrown over the wall of the prison's restaurant.

After launching an investigation into the course, 15 inmates who were part way through training were banned, with the prison reviewing its security and installing nets to catch any more drugs that might hurled over the wall.

Inmates working at First Date star Fred Siriex's prison training restaurant have been kicked off the course after a drug smuggling operation was uncovered. Pictured: Sirieix during a visit to a jail cookery course

Siriex is said to be 'gutted' by the alleged incident but sources close to him said he 'won't be deterred and is expanding the plan to more jails'

The plan backfired when a prison officers at HMP Wormwood Scrubs in west London suspected some cons were taking drug deliveries after narcotics were thrown over the wall

A source told the Mirror: 'Fred was gutted. This is a brilliant scheme and it is a shame some of the prisoners had to be removed. Fred won't be deterred and is expanding the plan to more jails.'

Despite there being no concrete proof linking any of the trainees to the drug collection - and no drugs being found in the restaurant - none of the inmates were allowed back.

Instead a new group of inmates were selected to start working in the restaurant which will award them a City & Guilds Level 2 Diploma in catering and front-of-house qualifications and a high chance of employment after release.

A spokesman for The Right Course, the charity started by Sirieix to administer the scheme, said: 'The cohort were removed from the practical side of working in the restaurant in case they were involved in any way.

'But they were still supported to complete their qualification from the classroom. A new cohort started in the restaurant once the nets were in place.

'It happened in February. Things were thrown over the external wall - as all prisons have to deal with unfortunately - landing near the staff restaurant.

'This required additional nets to be added and security took the correct stance on removing all learners from the course in case they were involved. Security is the main priority.'

A prisons service spokesperson said: 'Thanks to the efforts of hardworking staff and our 100m security crackdown we are finding and stopping more contraband behind bars.'

So far, a total of 180 prisoners have completed Siriex's prison course, with courses also running at HMP Lincoln (pictured) and HMP Isis, in Thamesmead, south east London

The Ministry of Justice said it has invested 100 million since 2019 on measures such as enhanced gate security, kitted out with x-ray body scanners, which has driven out the finding of drugs, weapons and other contraband.

As of October last year, X-ray scanners had picked up 28,626 illicit contraband items.

A spokesman said it could not say which type of drug had been found by the restaurant 'for security reasons'.

So far, a total of 180 prisoners have completed Siriex's prison course, with courses also running at HMP Lincoln and HMP Isis, in Thamesmead, south east London.

A fourth jail is due to begin the scheme this month, plus three more by December.

Nine out of ten of those who have stayed in contact with Right Course following their release have found employment in hospitality or other industries, with the charity continuing to help them find jobs after their sentences.

As the charity loses contact with a number of former participants, the known employment rate is at least two out of every three who participated.

Its results stand way ahead of other job-targeted rehabilitation projects, which have on average only seen five to 10 per cent of inmates leaving to find jobs, although it has the advantage of a national shortage of workers in hospitality.

The aim is to stop the scourge of re-offending through work, and only two of the 180 past students are known to have reoffended, although figures are incomplete because of data protection restrictions on information.

Sirieix made a documentary called Served, filming inmates in the scheme from May, which went on to the Ministry of Justice's YouTube channel this month

Gordon, Gino and Fred's Road Trip presenter Sirieix hailed the restaurant scheme's success as 'incredible', but he said his goal is for 100 per cent of trainees to find work in the outside world.

He said: 'There are 90 prisons in the UK. We need to open more and do it at scale and at pace, so we would not just be a charity.

'It's difficult. You work in a highly stressful environment. Health and safety is paramount.

'But even though I'm not happy we're still the best of what's available because most prisoners in most prisons are in their cells for 23 hours a day. I mean what hope do you have of redemption, of getting somebody a job, of inspiring somebody if this is the kind of treatment that you give people.

'We have to believe in redemption, in forgiveness, we have to believe in giving people second chances. For some people it will be the third, it will be the fourth or the fifth chance.

'If you've ended up in prison it's because something somewhere down the line has failed. It could be your parents, it could be your community, it could be your parents.

'We just can't bury our heads in the ground because never mind the crime people commit, it takes a lot of money to send people to prison, look after them.'

Sirieix made a documentary called Served, filming inmates in the scheme from May, which went on to the Ministry of Justice's YouTube channel this month.

Revealing his inspiration, Sirieix said: 'I started a charity before that and as a result of that charity I met a lot of people within the MoJ (Ministry of Justice), probation office, police and all that, so visiting prison, and I visited Isis which is in Thamesmead and I met the governor.

'I went to the staff canteen and I thought we could transform that into a training restaurant for the prisoners, run by the prisoners, they would be cooking and they would be serving, and it would be for the staff of the prison. We opened the first restaurant and then we saw it was successful.'
Two men and a woman were arrested after four gunshots were fired in Greater Manchester during a 'targeted' attack in the early hours of this morning.

Police descended on St Helen's Road in Leigh shortly after 1am following a flurry of reports from locals who heard gunfire.

Investigators have said the shots were allegedly fired in 'retaliation' at a stolen vehicle during an attempted ram attack.

Greater Manchester Police stated the men, aged 30 and 27, and the woman, 27, remain in custody for further questioning.

Forensic officers and tactical arms specialists were pictured at the scene today combing the area for evidence.

Pictures from the scene show a number of police cars on St Helen's Road in Leigh, Greater Manchester

Forensic officers were seen in Leigh, Greater Manchester, this morning as they investigate reports of gunshots

A forensic examiner collects a swab for evidence in Leigh, Greater Manchester

Police have carried out patrols in the area throughout the day to reassure the public

Locals told media that they were shocked to learn of the shooting and they had heard 'screeching' noises during the night.

Detective Superintendent Simon Hurst from GMP's Wigan District said: 'This is a obviously a concerning incident for the local community but we strongly believe it was a targeted and isolated attack.

'Thankfully no one has been seriously injured, including any members of the public, and despite the concern around a viable firearm being used we have made good progress in the early stages of our investigation.

'A number of scenes will remain in place throughout today whilst we conduct further enquiries and provide reassurance patrols.

'If anyone has information or detail about this incident we are investigating, please make direct contact by calling 0161 856 7094 or 101 quoting log 228 of 24/09/2023. Alternatively, details can be passed on anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.'
A man has died after being gored by a bull at a festival in eastern Spain, while another man was hit in the leg by the same animal.

The Spanish man, who has not been named, was pierced in his side by the creature during a bull running festival in the town of Pobla de Farnal in the Valencia region on Saturday.

The man, who local media report was 61 years old, was taken to hospital, but died from his injuries later, Spanish authorities have said.

Officials also revealed a second man was in hospital in a stable condition after being gored by the same bull, which was called Cocinero - which translates as 'Chef' or 'Cook'.

The two people who were hurt by the bull are believed to have been part of the group who organised the festival on Saturday, September 23, Levante-EMV reports.

The man, who is believed to be in his 60s, was killed after being gored by a bull yesterday. Pictured: The bull in question running through the streets of Pobla de Farnal

Authorities say the man died last night, while a second man was also injured by the bull which was called Cocinero

The man was attacked at around 7.30am and received four horn wounds, including one that injured his lung and liver. He died several hours later at a local hospital, the paper reports.

Local media reports that the council suspended a procession and fireworks display which had been due to take place tonight, following the incident.

The event was part of controversial tradition which sees bulls released onto the streets and runners dashing ahead of them.

READ MORE HERE: Footage shows distressed bull with its horns on fire being led through the street in Spain as PETA slams 'atrocious tradition that must be banned' Advertisement

The events are popular, but many activists say they are dangerous and cruel, and debates over whether they should be abolished have become more heated in recent years.

More than 1,820 towns in Spain hold events like this every year,according to a recent survey by animal rights groups AnimaNaturalis and CAS International.

Animal rights groups have long called for bull running and bull fighting events in Spain to be cancelled.

Earlier this month horrifying footage came to light showing a distressed bull with its horns on fire being dragged down a street.

The bull, known as a 'toro embolado' - or 'bull with balls' - is a sight that can be witnessed in many Spanish towns during bull running events.

It sparked calls from non-profit organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) for the practice to be outlawed and outrage on social media.

In August shocking video showed a Spanish teenager being gored by a raging bull during a similar event in Castalla, Alicante Province.

The 19-year-old was left with multiple bruises and horn gashes after the animal pinned him against a wall and then threw him into the air like a rag doll.
A woman has been arrested after Jamie-Leigh Kelly's three-year-old daughter and new born baby boy were found in Essex - 90 miles away from where the family was last seen before vanishing.

Ms Kelly, 31, was seen leaving a Family Assessment Centre for vulnerable mothers and children in Colindale, north west London at 7.40pm on September 19 with her two children.

Metropolitan Police said the family left in a blue Ford Fiesta which drove away 'at speed'.

Both infants were found at an address in Harwich in Essex and were taken into police protection before being sent to hospital as a precaution.

Last night officers searching for the missing mother arrested a 31-year-old woman who attended an east London police station, the Met Police said. The woman was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, (pictured) is still missing as her three-year-old daughter and newborn baby boy were found today

It comes as a 63-year-old woman was arrested at the address in Essex earlier today on suspicion of child abduction, assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice. She remains in custody at an east London police station.

Two other people have also been charged as part of the investigation, the Met said.

Ashely Hawkins, 52, of Alex Guy Gardens, Dagenham, and Jordan Hardy, 30, Connor Road, Dagenham, are both due to appear at Southend Magistrates' Court tomorrow charged with two counts of child abduction.

Police are no longer appealing for information about the whereabouts of Ms Kelly.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is overseeing the investigation, said earlier today: 'We are very pleased, and of course relieved, to have found the two children after extensive enquiries over the past few days. They are safe and well and receiving precautionary medical attention.

The blue Ford Fiesta that Ms Kelly got in with her two children in Colindale, north-west London on Tuesday

Ms Kelly's sister, Rebecca Kelly, previously made an emotional plea asking for her sister, niece and nephew to arrive home safe.

Speaking to the Mirror, Rebecca said she was a 'brilliant mum' and that 'I'd tell her to come home, she can get help, we can provide help for her.'

'She's not alone. I just know that she's scared.

'She's a brilliant mum, she's not really got the support or help she's been crying out for. She'd never hurt her children, ever, she'd never put them at risk.'
A police officer was killed while another was left injured after 'masked professionals armed with heavy weapons' allegedly backed by Serbia opened fire on a patrol in a small Kosovo village in the early hours of Sunday morning.

The prime minister of the conflict-ridden eastern European country, Abin Kurti, accused Serbia of backing a group of around 30 gunmen who opened fire on a police patrol in the village of Banjska, 35 miles north of Kosovo's capital Pristina.

Local police said that three of the assailants were killed during the spat, which saw three police units being dispatched to a bridge at the entrance of the village, which lies close to Kosovo's border with Serbia, that was being blocked off by two trucks with no licence plates.

Responding officers said they came under fire from weapons that included hand grenades and bombs, authorities said.

Local cops and military figures were seen patrolling the area as the shooting took place

One cop was killed, while another was left injured, during the shooting in the small Kosovo village

Armed unidentified gunmen were seen in the area in the small hours of Sunday morning

Sporadic shooting took place over 12 hours in the area, according to local media reports.

One local told a Kosovo media outlet: 'It was a real little war: first some gunfire, then silence, shootings, detonations.'

Kurti said in a Facebook post: 'Organised crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state.

The 48-year-old world leader also said of the attack: 'The government of the Republic of Kosovo and its state institutions are ready and co-ordinated to respond to crime and criminals, terror and terrorists.'

The country's president Vjosa Osmani, who is currently in New York at the United Nations General Assembly, denounced the killing and the 'attacks against the Republic of Kosovo's sovereignty.'

A priest at the local Orthodox monastery was seen being shouted at by one of the alleged attackers

Kosovo's prime minister Albin Kurti (pictured) accused Serbia of backing the attack

'Such attacks testify once again the destabilising power of the criminal bands organised from Serbia which for a long time .. are destabilising Kosovo and the region,' she said.

But other political figures admonished the country's leadership for pointing fingers so quickly.

Serbia's parliamentary speaker Vladimir Orlic said Mr Kurti 'was quick to blame the Serbs,' and accused him of wanting an 'escalation' in the field.

'[Kurti] said it was some kind of organised action by professionals,' Mr Orlic told local Prva television station. 'They must have been identified and he knows who they are and what they are, and everything is clear.'

The 12-hour long attack, which no one has yet claimed responsibility for, also drew international condemnation.

The head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, and EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the violence.

'More innocent lives are at risk in ongoing hostilities in the surroundings of Banjska Monastery,' Borrell said, adding that EU and NATO missions in Kosovo were liaising with authorities. 'These attacks must stop immediately.'

Serbia and Kosovo have been at odds with each other for decades.

Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians.

Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognise the move.

Several unmarked trucked with no licenses were seen blocking off a road in the small town

Serbia and Kosovo have locked horns for decades, but have made attempts to work with each other in recent years

Both countries have made moves to work with each other in recent years, though the success of these moves is questionable and tensions still remain high between the two states.

Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated dialogue meeting in Brussels between Mr Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic ended in acrimony.

In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end months of political crises. Mr Kurti and Mr Vucic gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that have still not been resolved.

The EU warned both countries that the commitments that Serbia and Kosovo made in February 'are binding on them and play a role in the European path of the parties,' which refers to their chances of joining the 27-nation bloc.

NATO still retains 3,700 peacekeeping troops in Kosovo, the remainder of an original 50,000-strong force deployed in 1999.

But in May, tensions in northern Kosovo left 93 peacekeepers hurt in riots.

The northern Kosovo area, close to the Serbian border and filled with ethnic Serbs, is still heavily linked with Serbia.

Local administration and public servants, teachers, doctors and big infrastructure projects in the region are paid for by Belgrade.
A row has broken out in one of Britain's wealthiest towns as 'appalled' locals fight back against attempts to install an 'eyesore' modernist fountain.

Ilkley, which lies in Yorkshire's 'Golden Triangle, has become a battleground between residents who want it to stay true to its traditionalist roots and those who want to inject a dose of modern life to the picture-perfect town.

Backed by charity Improving Ilkley, a fountain is set to be installed at the heart of the town which saw a boom in the Victorian era as the wealthiest in society flocked to dip in its waters.

But this has sparked fury among some residents, after the winning design was revealed to be a modernist feature made from twisted metal, instead of a more traditional fountain, the Observer reports.

Now a campaign against the new plans has seen them put on hold, with the charity decrying the effect of 'a lot of negative noise coming from a small group of people'.

The modern design put forward for a new fountain in the heart of Ilkley in Yorkshire, which has divided opinion in the town. Pictured: An artist's impression of what the fountain could look like under the chosen plans

Juliet and Jamie Gutch (pictured) designed the fountain to be a representation of sphagnum moss, a type of plant that grows on Ilkley Moor close to the town

Roger Yaxley (pictured) has led the campaign against the design for the new fountain in Ilkley

The fountain was chosen after Improving Ilkley asked for designs for a new fountain, with 17 entries eventually being reduced to three by a panel of locals, the Civic Society and Manor House museum.

These were then published in the local press to get people's opinions on the designs, before the winning design was revealed.

Among those against the modernist fountain is Roger Yaxley, who said he was 'appalled' when it was chosen.

Mr Yaxley, who has lived in the town for seven years, said: 'I know for a fact that the majority of Ilkley doesn't want this modern creation.

'We're all pretty old in Ilkley, and this is not what people want.'

It's not the first time he has had run-ins with town officials - in 2019 he was given an enforcement notice by the council after making unauthorised alterations to the slower bed outside Ilkley train station.

The strength of Mr Yaxley's campaign, along with the decision to submit a rival design that has a more historic look to it, has caused the plan to be put on hold by Improving Ilkley.

However, the couple behind the winning design say it is only a 'small number of people' who have come out against the plans.

Campaigners have submitted a counter-design which they think is more in keeping with the town's aesthetic. Pictured: An artist's impression of what the fountain could look like under Mr Yaxley's plans

Juliet and Jamie Gutch designed it to be a representation of sphagnum moss, a type of plant that grows on Ilkley Moor close to the town.

Being fed by water running off the moors, and using only gravity to power it, Juliet said they wanted it to be 'part of a shift in perspective', adding: 'We loved the idea of playing with scale and celebrating this tiny plant right at the centre of the town.'

She added: 'It seems like a small number of people are now in opposition to our design, and we don't really want to get into a position of conflict where it's a binary choice between us and a traditional stone fountain, so the project really does have to be paused while people find a way to resolve this.'

The decision to pause the plans for the fountain might not be the end of the problem though, as it was chosen to fit in with a long-term plan with Bradford Council, which owns the area where it is set to be installed.

Louise Hepworth-Wood from the charity told the Observer: 'We've taken the decision to pause everything while we just speak to everyone again about the proposals.

'There's a lot of negative noise coming from a small group of people.

'We have already gone through all the proper processes to get to this point but at this stage things have been derailed somewhat by a strong vocal minority.'
Viewers were left scratching their heads on Sunday morning as Democrat radical Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained why she still owns a Tesla despite claiming she planned to replace it with a union-made model.

The New York Congresswoman faced a backlash in 2021 when it emerged she had bought a $35,000 Model 3 from Elon Musks defiantly non-unionized company, despite several run-ins with the worlds richest man.

Last year she said she would love to switch to an electric car from a unionized workforce, but viewers were left little wiser after she was challenged about her delay on CBSs Face the Nation yesterday.

Is it a problem with the quality, is it a problem with the style, is the market just not there? asked host Margaret Brennan.

Er no look our car was purchased during the pandemic when travel, mass, before a vaccine had come out so travel between New York and Washington the safest way we had determined was an EV, she explained.

The radical Democrat Congresswoman from New York was unabashed left viewers baffled with her explanation

AOC has had her Tesla Mark since at least 2021 despite repeated promises to trade it in for a car from a unionized workforce

Face the Nation viewers were not impressed by what they hear with some accusing her of producing a 'word-salad'

But that was prior to some of the new models coming out on the market that had the range available, but were actually looking into trading in our car now and hopefully we will soon.

Rows broke out on social media as viewers tried to tease out the meaning behind the words with some admitting the effort defeated them.

If that makes sense to you, quit day drinking and go lay down, tweeted @JerichoXVI.

AOC makes word salad for breakfast, claims she bought a Tesla because the jab was not available so it was safer that way, added @BerryRazi.

Apparently AOC only got Tesla was because. The vaccine wasnt out yet? wrote Above the Best.

Absolutely hilarious. She said the reason she bought a Tesla was because the vaccine had not come out yet, added another.

News of the Squad members Tesla emerged in 2021 when it was seen parked illegally outside a Whole Foods in Washington DC.

She had already slammed the company over the millions it received in subsidies.

When we as a public choose to invest in new technologies, we deserve a return on that investment,' she said in December 2018.

'For far too long, we gave money to Tesla, we gave money to a ton of people and we got no return on our investment that the public made in creating technologies, and it's about time we get our due because it's the public that funded and financed a lot of innovative technologies.

The Congresswoman has had her own personal run-in with Tesla's Elon Musk on social media

Face the Nation host Margaret Brennan quoted the Congresswoman's remarks back to her

Some accused the Squad member of hypocrisy while others warned she will get a bad deal if she makes good on her promise

Her antipathy deepened and became oddly personal as she engaged in a direct spat on Twitter with the company owner who told her to stop flirting with him.

Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform, she wrote in a tweet.

'Stop hitting on me, Im really shy,' Musk replied, adding a blushing emoji.

'I was talking about Zuckerberg, but ok,' she replied, before deleting the tweet a minute later.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey got a bigger splash than he bargained for when he went kayaking as his party's annual conference got underway in Dorset.

Sir Ed looked every bit the experienced rower as he got into the small boat in Sandbanks near Bournemouth alongside MP Wendy Chamberlain for a slick photo op.

But the temptation was too much for parliamentary candidate Josh Babarinde - who tipped over the kayak - plunging both MPs underwater. Luckily, the Lib Dem leader saw the funny side as he clambered to his feet in the sea and began splashing with Mr Babarinde.

As the footage was uploaded to X, formerly known as Twitter, by BBC Politics reporter Jack Surfleet, users were quick to comment.

The incident comes after Sir Ed Davey refused seven times yesterday to say whether his party wants to rejoin the EU  and did not rule out a power-sharing deal with Labour.

Ed Davey (right) and MP Wendy Chamberlain get a soaking as Lib Dem candidate Josh Babarinde (left) tips them both into the water

Sir Ed plunged into the water after prospective MP Josh Babarinde got up to some mischief

Sir Ed (centre) took to the water in a kayak at Sandbanks at the start of the Liberal Democrat conference season in Dorset

Luckily, the Lib Dem leader saw the funny side and laughed off the incident as he clambered to his feet in the sea and began splashing Mr Bararinde

He had insisted that re-entering the EU was 'off the table'. But he admitted foreign affairs spokesman Layla Moran, who said the party still wants to 'get back into' the EU, was 'right'.

Sir Ed failed to give a straight answer on the party's stance on Brussels seven times in an interview with the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire. Asked if it was policy to rejoin the EU, he said: 'I've been really clear Britain must be at the heart of Europe.' Pressed again, he added: 'What it means is we've got to start where we are at the moment and rebuild those relationships.'

Sir Ed Davey, who served as a minister in the Coalition under David Cameron, swerved questions about whether he would be willing to work with Sir Keir Starmer.

In a BBC interview during the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth he claimed he had 'fought the Conservatives all my life', claiming he stood up to them while in Government.

But he warned his predecessors had been 'distracted from the task in hand' by focusing on what they would do if there was a hung parliament.

It came as one of his top team appeared to go rogue over Europe. Layla Moran, who challenged Mr Davey for the leadership after the 2019 election, told a conference fringe that the party wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.

'We want to rejoin. We want, as part of it, to get back into the Single Market,' the Telegraph reported her as saying.

'We recognise that, in order to do that, we have to do stuff before, to get to that relationship. How do we talk about it in a way that doesn't push people away, so where is that sweet spot?'

However, Sir Ed this morning told the BBC that rejoining was 'currently not on the table'.

Sir Ed Davey, who served as a minister in the Coalition under David Cameron, swerved questions about whether he would be willing to work with Sir Keir Starmer.

Knocking down the blue wall? This morning Sir Ed told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'There's no way we could deal with the Conservatives. They've ruined our country.'

It came as one of his top team appeared to go rogue over Europe. Layla Moran, who challenged Mr Davey for the leadership after the 2019 election, told a conference fringe that the party wanted Britain to rejoin the European Union.

'We want Britain to be at the heart of Europe but we're also deeply realistic about what's going to have to be done to enable us to improve our relations with Europe,' he said.

This morning Sir Ed told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'There's no way we could deal with the Conservatives. They've ruined our country.

'I fought them in Government every day... at the moment I'm just focusing on removing Conservative MPs and electing as many Liberal Democrat MPs as we can.

'That's why we're focusing on the NHS, focusing on the cost of living, focusing on the environment.'

Pressed on whether he would agree to a deal with Labour, he said: 'I've worked with a lot of Liberal Democrat leaders and when they have focused on that question they have been distracted from the task in hand.'

His remarks came after Sir Keir last week called for a closer UK relationship with the EU if he takes power.

His remarks to a conference in Montreal about less 'divergence' from Brussels were seized on by the Tories, who said they went much further than he has previously been prepared to admit.

Cabinet ministers said the footage obtained by Sky News raised questions as to what Sir Keir thought was 'the point' of Brexit if Britain did not diverge.

But speaking to broadcasters today an angry-looking Sir Keir stood by what he said, saying he would looked at possible sector-by-sector improvements to the deal when it comes up for discussion in 2025.

He told reporters in the City of London there was 'no case for rejoining the EU, no case for the customs union or single market' and laws would be 'made in this country for the public interest'.

But he added: 'That does not mean that a Labour government would lower standards on food or lower the rights that people have at work.

'That's been consistent Labour Party policy for years. Incidentally, that's also Government policy.'
The famous fundraisers of the Pearly Kings and Queens society descended on London today in their glittering buttoned outfits to mark their annual Harvest Festival celebrations.

Members of the charitable society were seen clad in black jackets adorned with the classic white buttons which sparkled in the sun.

The tradition of the Pearly Kings and Queens was started in the 19th century by Henry Croft, who was born on the May 24, 1861 in a Victorian workhouse.

As a young man who worked to raise money for other orphans, Henry began wearing a suit adorned with flashy buttons to attract attention and increase donations.

His clever thinking proved so successful that soon other charities were asking for his help and so began the society of Pearly Kings and Queens.

The famous fundraisers of the Pearly Kings and Queens society descended on London today in their glittering buttoned outfits (pictured)

Fndraisers danced around the maypole for the festival in London today

Children also dressed up in support of the Harvest Festival service at the Guildhall in London today

Paula Hemsley, Pearly Queen of Harrow walked with her grandchildren during the festival

Today the tradition is still being passed down through the families, and London's streets are frequently aglitter with rays of selfless charity.

The Pearly Kings and Queens gathered at the Guildhall Square today as they paraded to St Mary-le-Bow church to celebrate the harvest festival.

Many mayors and sheriffs attended throughout the day to celebrate the tradition which dates all the way back to Victorian times.

Huge lines of fundraisers were seen dressed from head to two in bejeweled outfits as they marched through the city for a charitable cause.

The tradition began more than a century ago as a way to raise money and add a dash of cheer and cheekiness to ordinary London life.

Pearly Kings and Queens have become icons of working class culture with 'royal families' now in every borough in the capital.

A fundraiser looked elated as she supported the festival wearing a dazzling hat

The tradition began more than a century ago as a way to raise money and add a dash of cheer and cheekiness to ordinary London life

Pearly Kings and Queens have become icons of working class culture
Press Release

September 23, 2023 Bong Go files bills institutionalizing the OFW Hospital and designating OFW Wards in public hospitals; supports proposal to put lounges in airports for migrant workers Senator Christopher "Bong" Go highlighted the critical importance of Senate Bill No. 2414, known as the "OFW Ward Act," in addressing the healthcare needs of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families. Alongside his healthcare initiatives, Go, also expressed his support for the establishment of OFW lounges at international airports across the country. "Mayroon tayong bill na layuning maglalagay po ng OFW Ward sa bawat DOH hospital para may sariling ward po na dedicated sa kanila," he stated in an ambush interview on September 21 after attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the Super Health Center in San Mateo, Rizal. If passed into law, every hospital under the Department of Health (DOH) across the country will have a specialized ward for OFWs and their family members who require hospitalization. The DOH will decide the bed capacity for these OFW Wards, taking into account the concentration of OFWs in the local community that the hospital serves. Go also discussed the ongoing operations of the OFW Hospital in San Fernando City, Pampanga. "'Yung pinangarap natin na magkaroon sila ng sariling ospital naisakatuparan po ito, nandidyan po sa San Fernando, Pampanga may sarili na silang ospital, at mayroon na rin silang Malasakit Center dyan sa OFW Hospital," he added. The OFW Hospital, a donation from the provincial government of Pampanga, commenced its operations in May 2022. It consists of six floors and can accommodate 100 beds, primarily intended for the use of OFWs and their eligible dependents. Go has also filed Senate Bill No. 2297, seeking to institutionalize the OFW Hospital and ensure its continuous operation. The bill aims to improve healthcare services for OFWs and their families by strengthening the existing facility and allocating necessary funds for its maintenance and operation. Go was also one of the authors and co-sponsors of the Senate version of Republic Act No. 11641 which created the Department of Migrant Workers. The law streamlined the organization and functions of all government agencies related to overseas employment and migration through the creation of the DMW. The DMW serves as a one-stop-shop for both documented and undocumented OFWs, offering services from pre-employment to reintegration. In addition to healthcare, Go also expressed his support for the proposal to establish OFW lounges at international airports across the Philippines. "Of course, suportado natin ito," said Go. "Noong panahon ni dating pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte, naglagay nga po tayo ng heroes lounge para po sa mga sundalo natin at kapulisan na nagbuwis ng buhay, nagsasakripisyo sa gyera sa Marawi noon pa. Ngayon naman po, suportado ko ito kung saka-sakaling maglalagay ng OFW lounge para sa ating mga OFWs. Bakit hindi?" he added. Go emphasized the importance of recognizing OFWs as "modern day heroes," asserting that they deserve dedicated spaces where they can rest, both in hospitals and airports. "More than 10 million overseas Filipinos po nagsasakripisyo, nagtatrabaho sa ibang bansa para may maisuporta sa kanilang pamilya. Bigyan po natin sila ng importansya parati," he said. The initial proposal for OFW lounges was introduced by Representative Marissa Magsino through House Resolution No. 1305. The lounges are designed to offer essential amenities during flight delays or cancellations, providing a comfortable environment for OFWs to rest and rearrange their flight schedules. "So, sang-ayon po ako kung maglagay po ng OFW lounge sa ating mga airport kung saan po pwede silang makapagpahinga, disenteng makapagpahinga sila," concluded Go.
Four British women are reportedly set to sue toxic influencer Andrew Tate after alleging he choked and coercively controlled them, with one claiming she was raped.

The self-proclaimed misogynist is said to have carried out the abuse between 2013 and 2016, before he rose to prominence on social media.

Each woman claims they were choked until the blood vessels in their eyes burst while one said the YouTuber once texted her saying 'I love raping you'.

Tate - who is already awaiting trial in Romania on charges of human traffic and creating a criminal gang to exploit women - denies all allegations and has threatened to pursue them for defamation.

Of the four women, three went to the police at the time but following a four-year investigation, the Crown Prosecution Service did not bring a charge.

Four British women are reportedly set to sue toxic influencer Andrew Tate after alleging he raped, choked and coercively controlled them

Each woman claims they were choked by Tate until the blood vessels in their eyes burst while one said the YouTuber once texted her saying 'I love raping you'

The women now believe a civil case is their only option, according to The Sunday Times. They reportedly plan to sue Tate for personal injury and physical harm.

The claim is set to be made within the coming weeks.

Over the last decade the women have watched Tate's following on social media rise, claiming they have even seen children copying his mannerisms and soundbites such as 'slap, grab choke, shut up, b****h, sex'.

Tate is banned from YouTube, Instagram and Facebook because of his misogynistic comments but is still allowed on Twitter, where he was 7.8 million followers.

Matthew Jury, who is representing the women at McCue Jury & Partners said Tate's profile had grown since the women first came forward, with millions now following him on social media.

The solicitor said Tate has had 'this insidious influence on vulnerable young men and boys, and the knock-on impact their behaviour has on women'.

Jennifer Sayles, one of the lawyers in the team, told the newspaper the four women suffer from 'bouts of depression and anxiety' particularly when 'Tate crops up in their lives'.

Tate is banned from YouTube, Instagram and Facebook because of his misogynistic comments but is still allowed on Twitter, where he was 7.8 million followers

Tate, his brother Tristan, 35, and two Romanian women - Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel - are all facing of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Romania

A spokesperson for Tate said the women's allegations 'stem from a letter submitted by Matthew Jury, in which he suggested mediation through financial compensation', adding: 'It is important to emphasise that this letter does not constitute a formal legal case.'

In a letter in response to McCue Jury & Partners, Tate denied the allegations and wrote: 'If proceedings are brought, I shall resist any attempt to claim anonymity for all or any of the complainants.'

He went on to add he was 'contemplating proceedings against the complainants' for defamation'.

Tate, his brother Tristan, 35, and two Romanian women - Luana Radu and Georgiana Naghel - are all facing of human trafficking and sexual exploitation in Romania. Tate is also charged with raping a woman. He denies all allegations.

All four were released from house arrest earlier this month and placed under judicial control.

Tate rose to fame after a short-lived appearance on Big Brother before he was axed after alleged footage of him abusing a woman emerged online.

He went on to become an influencer targeting young teenage boys, masquerading as offering lifestyle advice - much of which has been deemed as sexist and promoting violence against women.
The city of El Paso, Texas is at a 'breaking point' as more than 2,000 illegal immigrants cross the southern border into the city every day.

Mayor Oscar Leeser said Saturday that the city 'only has so many resources and we have come to ... a breaking point right now.'

The arrival of thousands and thousands of Venezuelan asylum seekers is a growing portion of a larger swell of migrants who are entering the country through border cities near San Diego, El Paso, and Eagle Rock.

Leeser said his city has plans to open a new shelter. El Paso's current shelter only houses 400 people, and must also be available for use by the city's homeless population.

On Saturday, the city also chartered five buses to take migrants to New York, Chicago, and Denver.

An aerial view of migrants waiting to be processed in El Paso, Texas last week

Migrants walk along the north embankment of the Rio Grande as they look for an area to breach the concertina wire set by the Texas National Guard outside of El Paso

New York and Chicago are both currently suffering under the weight of the sheer number of migrants flooding each city daily. Their Democratic leaders are being forced to develop plans on the fly, though neither city has yet proposed a functional plan to combat the issue.

Republican governors in Texas and Florida have been criticized for sending migrants who come across their borders to liberal cities like New York and Sacramento.

Leeser, who is a Democrat, said all of the migrants entering his city were getting on buses voluntarily to the city of their choosing.

The mayor added that President Joe Biden has been a good partner as he faces the emergent and dire immigration situation in his city.

He added, however, that he believes the country's immigration system is broken.

'I think it's really important to note that we have a broken immigration system,' he said. 'It's the same thing over and over again.'

Just six weeks ago, about 400 people were crossing into El Paso per day, but the past few days have brought 2,000 or more.

The massive influx has required the city to work with US Border Patrol to provide shelter for 6,500 people, according to Leeser.

Some two-thirds of those crossing into El Paso currently are single men. About 32 percent are families, and just two-percent are unaccompanied children.

In an aerial view, migrants are seen grouped together while waiting to be processed on the Ciudad Juarez side of the border on September 21, 2023 in El Paso

Migrants breach concertina wire set by the Texas National Guard at the border between Ciudad Juarez and El Paso

In the last handful of days, El Paso has seen an influx of some 2,000 migrants per day

The city's leadership says it is at absolute capacity and cannot handle any more migrants streaming across the border

About 400 miles to the east, Eagle Pass, Texas is facing a similar problem.

The border town has been overwhelmed with migrants in recent days, with more than 7,500 flooding into the tiny town of 28,000 people on Monday and Tuesday alone.

A 100-strong crowd arrived in Piedras Negras on the Mexican side early on Saturday morning and made their way to an unshaded island in the middle of the river.

Exclusive DailyMail.com photos show the group engaged in a standoff with Border Patrol and National Guard boats which circled and blocked them as they attempted to cross.

Then, after two hours, the migrants surged forward together and crowded onto a bank on the US side where they stood refusing to move for another two hours while they tried to find a way through Abbots razor wire hurdle - despite being repeatedly told to go back.

After nearly four hours in the river and on the bank, guards were eventually forced to cut through the razor wire and allow the group through due to concerns for their welfare.

A local law enforcement source told DailyMail.com the decision was made due to the fiery border heat and the extended time the group spent out in the open.

Although largely made up of men, a handful of the Venezuelan and Nicaraguan migrants were women and children  some of whom looked unwell and dehydrated by the time they were allowed into the US.

Some of the babies were carried by National Guard and Border Patrol personnel who took the infants from their exhausted mothers as they struggled up the bank.

This is the astonishing moment a group of 100 migrants stormed across the Rio Grande

Some of the babies were carried by National Guard and Border Patrol personnel who took the infants from their exhausted mothers as they struggled up the bank
One turkey will be strictly off the menu this Christmas after becoming best friends with an animal lover, following him everywhere from the pub to the dentist.

56-year-old Dave Brooker, from Wouldham, Kent, goes everywhere with his beloved pet turkey Trouble Version Two - or T2 for short - and has followed him everywhere since she was born two years ago.

Mr Brooker has even sworn off eating turkey for Christmas, adding that it would be like eating a dog, after striking the unorthodox friendship with the festive bird that he says is like a child to him.

Baffled locals have spotted Mr Brooker sat alongside T2 in his car when they stop at traffic lights, or when he feeds her her favourite snack - the meat from a scotch egg - in the middle of a Tesco's car park.

She can often be seen casually sitting in the White Horse pub in Maidstone with a packet of cheese & onion crisps.

56-year-old Dave Brooker, from Wouldham, Kent, goes everywhere with his beloved pet turkey Trouble Version Two - or T2 for short

The pair who have developed a strong bond with each other are inseparable and even sleep in the same room together at their home.

'She's like my child,' Mr Brooker admits.

'There's a mutual bond. She's good company and entertaining - sometimes I even think she's part human.'

The unlikely duo's story began when Mr Brooker, who keeps turkeys for their eggs, was forced to care for newborn T2 before he could return her to her mother, Trouble.

'Her mum was sitting on a dozen eggs and the weather turned awful,' he explained.

'The first two that hatched died, so I set up a brooder to get the turkeys strong enough to go back under their mum.

'T2 was the first one out and I fed her for 10 or 11 hours.

'She was on her own with me checking on her and must have thought I was her parent.

'The others all went back underneath the mother quite easily, but not T2.

The pair who have developed a strong bond with each other are inseparable and even sleep in the same room together at their home

The unlikely duo's story began when Mr Brooker, who keeps turkeys for their eggs, was forced to care for newborn T2 before he could return her to her mother, Trouble

T2 has joined her friend at the White Horse pub in Maidstone since she was just a baby

'Ever since, she literally goes everywhere with me.'

One of T2's favourite outings is to the car park of the Tesco store in Tovil, Kent, where she feasts on her favourite snack.

'I feed her in the car park because she loves the sausage meat on scotch eggs,' Mr Brooker, who also owns three horses, explained.

'She absolutely adores that and it's her treat when she goes to Tesco.

'We also go to the White Horse in Maidstone; she's been going there since she was a baby.

T2 can often be seen casually sitting in the White Horse pub in Maidstone with a packet of cheese & onion crisps

Mr Brooker has a video of T2 walking along the bar when she was just a little chick

'I've got a video of her walking on the bar as a little chick.'

Indeed the only time the pair are separated is when Mr Brooker goes to work as an online order picker for Tesco.

T2 is such a feature in her owner's life she even accompanies him to the dentist.

'I was at the dentist recently and I asked the receptionist if she could turkey-sit for me,' Mr Brooker said.

'She thought it was a joke, but then I brought T2 in. They all loved it.

The only time the pair are separated is when Mr Brooker goes to work as an online order picker for Tesco

Mr Brooker said that the pair share a mutual bond sometimes he even thinks she's part human

'Most people think it's really strange, but it's actually a really good talking point.'

T2 is fast becoming a normal sight amongst locals, who frequently spot her sat alongside her owner in his car at traffic lights or at the pub for a pint.

Mr Brooker added a Somalian man who recently noticed T2 in the pub said she reminded him of his childhood days when he kept turkeys on his family's farm.

'She draws quite a fair bit of attention from people,' he admitted.

'But she's very well-behaved. At the pub, she sits on her blanket and stays there.

T2 is fast becoming a normal sight amongst locals, who frequently spot her sat alongside her owner in his car at traffic lights or at the pub for a pint

Baffled locals have spotted Mr Brooker sat alongside T2 in his car when they stop at traffic lights, or when he feeds her meat from a scotch egg in the middle of a Tesco's car park

Mr Brooker said all the other hatchlings that were in his care went back underneath the mother quite easily, but not T2, who he says is like a child to him

'Unlike most dogs who would run around, you sit her down with a pack of cheese & onion crisps and she's happy.

'She's very tame, very sociable and well-behaved. She doesn't wander off and she lets people pet her.

'Quite often I'll be feeding her in Tesco car park and kids will come over, and adults.

'It just helps people think about turkeys in a different way, because most people actually haven't seen a live turkey.'

Mr Brooker added he sometimes gifts people turkey eggs to let them try them, as he still keeps a flock of eight at the home of a friend.

Mr Brooker added he sometimes gifts people turkey eggs to let them try them, as he still keeps a flock of eight at the home of a friend

Mr Brooker's companion has had such an impression on him in their short two years together that he now chooses to abstain from eating turkey at Christmas

But T2 is the only one who lives in his home with him and even shares his bedroom.

Mr Brooker's companion has had such an impression on him in their short two years together that he now chooses to abstain from eating turkey at Christmas, and refers euphemistically to December as the time of year when all the turkeys 'go on holiday'.

'I don't eat turkey anymore,' he said. 'I used to, but I couldn't now. Not with a pet turkey. It would be like someone eating dog.

'When you keep an animal it's quite hard... maybe if you're a farmer you can switch off to it, but I'm a bit of a softy.

'Turkeys are interesting birds and they look prehistoric. T2's my little velociraptor.'

Mr Brooker added that his bond with T2 is as important as dogs and their owners, saying: 'Some people might find it very strange, but some people have 70 cats and they don't even clean up after them.

'I went through a bad spell of anxiety and depression back in 2014, and it's helpful to have a bond like this with an animal.

'People are worried she'll run away when I feed her in the Tesco car park - but she'd never do that.

'If we were all the same the world would be boring, and there's a lot weirder things that happen than a man keeping a turkey.

'She just makes people smile, which I think is fantastic.'
French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France did not recognise the coup leaders as legitimate.

With tensions mounting, Mr Macron said in an interview with France-2 television that he told the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on Sunday that 'France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France. And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities'.

He added: 'And we will put an end to our military co-operation with the Niger authorities because they don't want to fight against terrorism anymore.'

He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year.

TV speech by French President Emmanuel Macron

Protesters display flags as they take to the streets during a rally against the French military in Niamey

He noted that France's military presence in Niger was in response to a request from Niger's government at the time.

Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to the deposed president, told The Associated Press that Mr Bazoum requested that Mr Macron withdraw the French ambassador 'in order to reduce tension'.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to France's policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there.

France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

The military co-operation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup. The junta leaders claimed that Bazoum's government wasn't doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency.

The junta in August gave French Ambassador Sylvain Itte 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity.

The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.

In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of 'obstructing' the West African nation's full participation at the UN's annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies.

Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africa's 'gendarme' may finally be over, as the continent's priorities shift.

French Barkhane Air Force mechanics maintain a Mirage 2000 on the Niamey

Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a 'harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the US deployments in Niger, though as we have seen the US and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger'.

Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Centre for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist organisations.

'France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesn't have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term,' he said.

Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Niger's new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops.

'This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron,' said Mr Saidou.

Mr Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave.

France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a 'massive' anti-French disinformation campaign.
Furious locals gathered outside a three-star hotel which is set to close in order to house asylum seekers in a move that will cancel hundreds of events as a result, including one woman's 26th birthday party.

Dozens of residents holding placards arrived at Chichester Park Hotel in Chichester, West Sussex on Sunday afternoon claiming they had 'no say' in the decision.

Many of those at the protest said celebratory events had been cancelled after the sudden announcement that the hotel, which is said to be a 'big part of the community', will close tomorrow.

A counter-protest also took place outside the hotel, which saw group chanting support for the arrival of potential refugees in the area.

Police attended to ensure both protests remained peaceful throughout the two hour demonstration, which saw the groups stand on opposite sides of the busy road next to the hotel.

Dozens of residents holding placards arrived at Chichester Park Hotel, in Chichester, West Sussex, this afternoon claiming they had 'no say' in the decision

Many of those at the protest said celebratory events had been cancelled after the sudden announcement that the hotel, which is said to be a 'big part of the community'

Counter protesters held up signs that said 'refugees welcome here' and 'choose love'

It comes as the Home Office said small-boat migrants must be booked into hotels of at least three-star quality with cost of housing rising to 8 million a day.

A grandmother of eight who attended the protest, said: 'Most people in Chichester are fed up with it all being done underhand - we don't have a say in it. We are angry and upset and I'm fed up.

'I've come here ever since I was a kid, it was always here, it's a part of Chichester.'

Chloe Bridger believes her 26th birthday party in January at the hotel has been cancelled but she hasn't been informed.

'I have my party here every year,' the carer said. 'It's home from home, it's like a family because all the staff know us and and are really friendly with us.

'I had my last birthday here, my 21st and my wedding reception. To not be told your event's been cancelled - it's awful.'

Her father in law, Gareth, was set to have a joint celebration alongside her birthday to celebrate he and his wife's 27th anniversary.

The 51 year old, who is also a carer, said: 'Every function out family has had has been in here.

Those against the closure held up signs that read 'house our homeless first'

A counter demonstration held by Stand Up to Racism was held on the opposite side of the road

Others held up signs that said 'enough is enough' and 'protect our children'

A counter-protest also took place outside the hotel, which saw group chanting support for the arrival of potential refugees in the area

The hotel is set to close tomorrow on September 25

Locals were seen holding different placards that read 'house our homeless first' and 'protect our children'

'It has sentimental value. They must have known this was coming and in the pipeline so why were they taking bookings.'

Grace, who did not wish to give her surname, is a swim teacher that used to work in the hotel which has a big swimming pool inside.

'More children are going to lose out on learning a vital life skill,' she said. 'It's another small business that has been shut down.

'There aren't enough spaces in other local swim schools now for all the children that won't be able to use this one now. It makes no sense.'

Sarah Bayley, who is a receptionist at a different hotel, had her Christmas do cancelled.

Shayne Miller, 54, got married at the hotel years ago and also believes it's a 'big part of the local community'.

George Hibberd, who arrived with a sign that said 'Refugees are welcome here' with a heart drawn on, was part of the counter-protest group

The 30 year old said: 'It's not refugees fault that they're in the situation they're in. We are here to show solidarity with them.'

Police attended to ensure both protests remained peaceful throughout the two hour demonstration

Stand Up to Racism organised a counter protest on the opposite side of the road

Dozens of residents holding placards arrived at Chichester Park Hotel, in Chichester, West Sussex, this afternoon claiming they had 'no say' in the decision

Mr Hibberd, who used to be an easyJet pilot before packing it in to work as a campaigner at Just Stop Oil, added: 'This goes way beyond frustration about wedding events being cancelled.'

Jane Allen was also part of the group gathering to show support for any potential refugees housed in the hotel, but admitted the hotel had sentimental value for locals.

The 74 year old grandmother said she had stopped at the venue for a cup of tea after a cremation service for her mother.

'It does serve the community well,' she said. 'I'm not necessarily saying 'fill it up with refugees' - it's not as clear cut as that. But there's no need for hatred.'

The group welcoming refugees left the protest site first, before the other group dispersed shortly afterwards.

Opposition to the government plans are strong as a petition to stop the hotel being turned into a 'migrant hostel' has been signed over 4,500 times.

Another protest is planned to take place on the morning of September 30.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The number of people arriving in small boats is down compared with last year but we must go further to stop the boats in the first place.

'That is why we are determined, through the Illegal Migration Act, to ensure that anyone arriving in the UK illegally is detained and swiftly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.

'We are also working hard to reduce the unacceptable use of hotels by moving asylum seekers into alternative, cheaper accommodation, doubling them up in hotel rooms, and clearing the legacy backlog.'
He is more often found wearing a kilt than donning trousers in Scotland.

And it appears King Charles has been keen to give his collection an outing  by wearing at least five different tartans in the space of two months.

In early August the King attended the Mey Highland Games in John o Groats, in Edward Stewart tartan.

He was then spotted at Balmoral wearing the Stewart Hunting tartan.

The King is comfortable in a kilt

The 74-year-old looked dapper in traditional Highland wear during his stay at Balmoral

King Charles has shown off an array of tartan during his visits to Scotland over past two months, including the Weathered Royal Stewart, pictured left

At the start of this month he wore the new King Charles III tartan to the Braemar Gathering before donning a Hunting Rothesay tartan at Crathie Parish Church.

Five days later he returned to the church in a Weathered Royal Stewart tartan.

The tradition for Royals to wear tartan while in Scotland dates back more than a century.
Tucker Carlson has denied that he is launching a television show in Russia after a bizarre advertisement with his face and name popped up on Vladimir Putin's state TV.

Firebrand presenter Carlson, 54, said he had no idea his likeness was even being used until it was brought to his attention by a journalist.

According to BBC media monitoring expert Francis Scarr, a Russian advert showing Carlson's face said: 'The high-profile American presenter is moving to another level. Here.'

It was spotted on Russia's rolling news channel Rossiya 24 - insinuating that Carlson has landed himself a new job in Putin's state.

Another screengrab showed the word 'Tucker' followed by the phrase 'at the weekend' in Russian - along with a showreel of him speaking to the camera.

Firebrand reporter Tucker Carlson, 54, said he had no idea his likeness was even being used until it was brought to his attention by a journalist

The presenter vehemently denied that he has a Russian show on television.

He told Insider: 'I'd never ever heard of the TV channel before some reporter texted me about it this morning.'

When he was asked if he would ever consider partnering with Russian state TV, Carlson replied, 'Of course not. I'm an American.'

Father-of-four Carlson was abruptly fired from FOX News in April, where he brought in $77.5million in advertising revenue just last year.

He now plans to build up his own media empire - and now hosts his own shows on X, formally known as Twitter. It is unclear exactly how much he makes from his once-a-week episodes, but recent episodes have been viewed hundreds of millions of times.

He was paid around $20 million annually at Fox, and had his contract renewed in 2021 - yet reportedly only learned of his departure ten minutes before Fox released a blunt, three-paragraph statement.

'Fox News Media and Tucker Carlson have agreed to part ways,' the announcement read. 'We thank him for his service to the network as a host and prior to that as a contributor.'

Father-of-four Carlson was abruptly fired from FOX News in April, where he brought in $77.5million in advertising revenue just last year

Another screengrab showed the word 'Tucker' followed by the phrase 'at the weekend' in Russian

Carlson was not told why he was being forced out by Fox CEO Suzanne Scott, who reportedly said the decision was made 'from above'.

Carlson divided opinion - and drew fierce criticism, especially from the left - with his on-air polemics on everything from the 2020 presidential election to the Black Lives Matter movement.

But he hasn't always been known as a right-wing firebrand. His career, which began in the mid-1990s, has included work for a wide range of publications, including a long stint at CNN, and he's also the author of several books.

As a print journalist, he wrote for publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal and Esquire. But, at the time, there were limits to who he was willing to work for.

In 1999, Carlson said he feared being written off as a wing nut' if he joined The American Spectator, a conservative magazine. His TV break came in 2000 when he joined CNN and co-hosted The Spin Room.

Carlson was recognizable by his trademark bow tie. He started wearing the neckwear in 1984 while a student at prep school - and only dropped it in the 2000s after a stranger who took issue with the attire 'screamed obscenities' at him while walking through Penn Station in New York.
Rep. Eric Swalwell said the House is acting like they are a 'law firm with just one client' - former President Donald Trump as he slammed Speaker Kevin McCarthy for barreling toward a government shutdown.

The Democratic lawmaker claimed that while McCarthy has the 'title' of Speaker, far-right factions of the Republican Party are really running the show in the House of Representatives.

His comments to MSNBC host Jen Psaki come just days before the House must reach a deal to avoid a government shutdown by passing all 12 appropriation bills for the annual funding of federal agencies.

'The House, unfortunately, has become a law firm, with just one client, Donald Trump,' Swalwell said in noting those running the lower chamber have their priorities elsewhere than avoiding a shutdown.

'And, again, it's at the expense of American people,' he noted, adding that 'people are going to feel the pain' of a shutdown in coming weeks.

Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said Republicans in the House are treating Congress like it's a law firm with a single client in Donald Trump

While the House needs to pass appropriations before September 30 to avoid a shutdown, Republicans have focused-in on other issues. Earlier this month, McCarthy announced when coming back into session after August recess an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden.

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said Sunday that he's open to voting to oust Speaker McCarthy if he can't reach a deal in time to prevent a shutdown.

Meanwhile, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) predicts the shutdown is inevitable at this point as Republicans refuse to band together behind a single deal  and a MAGA-arm of the Party persists in wanting Speaker McCarthy out.

'Kevin McCarthy is a spectator speaker,' Swalwell insisted. 'He may have the title, but Donald Trump and Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, they all share the job.'

'And the problem is, is that McCarthy is only worried about his own job, and keeping it, and not the jobs of your viewers  the millions who would be affected if we don't pay our troops, if we don't pay border agents, if we don't pay air traffic controllers,' the lawmaker said during his MSNBC interview Sunday morning.

'McCarthy could simply bring forward the same legislation that Senator Schumer and McConnell have worked on in the Senate, that President Biden would sign, and be an adult and put the country first, and we would fund the government before funding run out.'

'But, instead, the House Republicans are failures.'

A government shutdown could be just days away as the spending bill for the last fiscal year runs out on September 30.

Meanwhile, McCarthy is having trouble juggingling the desires of moderate Republicans and hard-right factions of the Party, let alone deal with the flurry of deviating priorities of the Democrats.

Asked in a CNN State of the Union interview on Sunday morning whether he would support booting McCarthy from his speaker role, Rep. Burchett replied: 'That would be something I would look strongly at.'

'If we do away with our duty that we said we're going to do,' Burchett told CNN host Dana Bash. 'They're all talking about this promise that he made with Biden a year ago What about the promise we made to the American public that we were going to be responsible Americans?'

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said Sunday that he would be open to voting out House Speaker Kevin McCarthy if he isn't able to strike a deal to keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown

'We are going to be governing over a pile of rubble if we're not careful,' the Tennessee Republican added. 'Our financial ship is sinking  and the American public needs to realize, all these fancy titles, C.R.s and omnibus, to confuse the American public is not working. The curtain's off. We need to do our duty. We should be back in Washington right now and dealing with it. But what are we doing? Well, they sent us home.'

Despite the tightening deadline, the House recessed for a long weekend instead of staying in Washington, D.C. to advance at least some of the a dozen appropriation bills set forward to avoid a shutdown.

The government is funded each year by 12 appropriations bills, each covering different agencies or groups of agencies. In recent years, some or all of these bills have been rolled into a single 'omnibus' package and approved together.

Any parts of the government whose appropriations have not been approved and signed into law by midnight on September 30 could shut down. With less than a week until that deadline, it's likely the federal government will go into at least a partial shutdown.

Rep. Waters says she's sure a few agencies will need to close their doors until appropriations are approved for the next fiscal year.

'We're headed for a shutdown,' Waters said in an interview with MSNBC's the Sunday Show with Jonathan Capehart.

Meanwhile, Democrat Rep. Maxine Waters is certain there will be a government shutdown due to the 'disarray' and 'chaos' of the Republican Party

She added: 'The Republican Party is in complete disarray. It is chaotic.'

'The Speaker is on his knees begging, but he sold his soul when we had 15 roll calls that was taken in order for him to get to be speaker, and now he has no control. We're headed for a shutdown.'

Waters was referencing the fact that the House had to hold 15 separate votes to actually approve McCarthy as Speaker when Republicans gained control of the lower chamber in the 2022 midterms.

Now, that chaos is catching up with Waters' California colleague.

Despite months of trying to get separate factions of the Party to work together, now the lawmakers are blaming their leader in the House for the inability to get legislation passed.
Author Sophie Heawood has launched a public appeal to help find a mother from Hackney, east London who has gone missing.

The Hungover Games writer issued the plea on X, formally known as Twitter, calling on anyone with information to contact the police.

Vanessa, who was last seen in dark top and leggings in the Richmond Road area near to where she lives, is said to have gone missing on Saturday and has reportedly not been seen since.

Photos online show the missing mother with blonde hair and blue eyes. Anyone who has seen her is urged to get in touch with the police by contacting 101.

Sharing a photo of the missing woman, known as Vanessa, she wrote: 'A friend of friends, a mother, has gone missing from London Fields, Hackney.

Vanessa, who was last seen in dark top and leggings, is said to have gone missing on Saturday and has not been seen since

Doorbell footage shows the missing mother in the vicinity of Richmond Road, near to where she lives, on Saturday 23 September around 11am

'Missing person Vanessa has been missing since 11am Sat 23rd September. Last seen in vicinity of Richmond Road where she lives, in dark top and leggings. Please contact police with any info at all.'

Ms Heawood shared a photo of blonde-haired Vanessa wearing a green patterned top alongside what appears to be doorbell camera footage of the missing woman walking along a residential road.

Tom Gatti, who is the executive editor of culture, books, ideas and print at the New Statesmen, tweeted: 'Looking for our friend Vanessa from Hackney, who has been missing since Saturday morning.'

Others have also taken to social media to help with the search. One said: 'Vanessa has been missing since yesterday morning (Saturday 11am) please could any Hackney folks (and east London) share this in local groups?'

Another added: 'Vanessa has been missing since 11am Saturday 23rd Sept. Last seen in the vicinity of Richmond Road where she lives, wearing a dark top and leggings.

The Hungover Games writer issued the plea on X, formally known as Twitter , calling on anyone with information to contact the police

Tom Gatti, who is the executive editor of culture, books, ideas and print at the New Statesmen, tweeted: 'Looking for our friend Vanessa from Hackney, who has been missing since Saturday morning'

'Please if anyone has seen her can you send a DM and we will pass onto the family or contact the police on 101.'

MailOnline has contacted the Metropolitan Police Force.

Ms Heawood is a bestselling author who wrote her memoir, The Hungover Games: A True Story.

The book details Heawood's life as a single mother working as a celebrity interviewer in Hollywood, living off the Sunset Strip before moving back to East London.
Desperate cancer patients in Scotland are being forced to raid their life savings to pay for vital surgery or risk dying on NHS waiting lists.

Many are having to travel hundreds of miles for life-saving procedures in England as they sit on lengthy waiting lists north of the Border.

Patients have told how they had to fork out up to 30,000 for private surgery or risk dying while they waited for treatment.

It comes after it was revealed last week more than 1,700 cancer sufferers were turning to private hospitals for chemotherapy.

Humza Yousaf was yesterday blamed for fuelling the crisis by failing to provide the NHS with the staff and resources required to recover after Covid.

Margaret McCaul spent 27,000 for private surgery to remove tumour after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer

Scottish Tory health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane singled out Humza Yousafs flimsy recovery plan and dire workforce planning by successive SNP health secretaries.

He added: Cancer is a devastating diagnosis for any patient to receive and it should never have reached the point where brave individuals are having to fund their own treatment.

Cancer Research UKs public affairs manager in Scotland, Dr Sorcha Hume, said: Its unacceptable that people in Scotland are still waiting too long.

NHS staff are working incredibly hard, but years of chronic workforce shortages and a lack of specialist equipment means patients are not receiving the care and treatment they urgently need.

She added it was crucial the Scottish Governments new cancer strategy was fully funded and implemented to address these issues and transform cancer services for the future.

One patient forced into raiding her life savings is Margaret McCaul, who was diagnosed in August last year with advanced high-grade ovarian cancer.

She spent 27,000 on invasive surgery to remove her ovaries, fallopian tubes, womb, and other affected organs and tissue after being told she would need to wait three months on the NHS.

Last night she branded it disgusting that she and others like her were having to resort to such measures just to stay alive.

First Minister Humza Yousaf has been accused of failing to reduce waiting lists and boost workforce during his time as health minister

She said: Cancer doesnt wait for the NHS to get its act together on waiting lists. Cancer doesnt care if you can afford to pay.

It kills if left untreated and the Scottish Government is allowing this to happen.

'We shouldnt have to go to London or elsewhere to have it done. It was either that or wait 12 weeks.

The 50-year-old, of Newmains, Lanarkshire, added: While we were in a position to be able to do what we did, it was still our life savings that we used. But not everyone will be in a position to do that.

Mrs McCauls latest test results reveal no evidence of the disease in her body.

But, with a high chance of it recurring, she worries what the future will hold. She said: To be honest, Im not sure I would be able to afford it again.

Another ovarian cancer sufferer, Irene Hartshorn, from Ayr, said if she had not gone down the private route she would be dead by now.

The 68-year-old was told it could take several weeks to get the results of a crucial biopsy as there was a lack of pathologists to analyse it.

Mrs McCaul underwent a four-hour operation at Hammersmith Hospital in London four months after her diagnosis

Her sister in London paid tens of thousands of pounds for her to be treated privately.

When she finally got her biopsy result, it confirmed she had advanced high-grade ovarian cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes and chest. She said: If I had waited, I think I would be dead by now.

Like Mrs McCaul she was told the NHS waiting time was 12 weeks and there was no surgeon in Scotland able to perform the operation. Ms Hartshorn, who had her surgery earlier this year, said: Youve got to be so proactive.

If I had just sat and let things happen, I dont think Id be here. Both women, and others in their support group, were told the reason for the lengthy wait was to allow surgeons to synchronise their schedules, as there was no specialist able to perform it on their own in Scotland.

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton believes the First Minister, who in his previous role as health secretary was meant to ensure the NHS got back on its feet after Covid, has to tale responsibility for the cancer crisis.

He said: Its plain to see Humza Yousafs Recovery Plan is just not working.

The Scottish Government said it is investing 40million over five years to support cancer services and improve waiting times.

A spokesman added: We are treating more patients on our urgent pathways than last year with more than nine out of ten people with a cancer diagnosis treated within 31 days and a median average waiting time of four days.
Terror suspect Daniel Khalife may have been able to escape from jail because a mock inspection meant prison officers took their 'eyes off the ball'.

A two-day trial, in preparation for an official visit by HM Prisons inspectors, was due to start on the day Khalife is accused of escaping  September 6.

The former soldier, 21, allegedly strapped himself under a food delivery lorry with clips and makeshift straps from bed sheets.

Following a dramatic four-day manhunt, a lone undercover officer pulled Khalife from a bicycle along a canal in Northolt, west London, and he was remanded in custody at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The disclosure comes after it emerged 80 officers at HMP Wandsworth in south London failed to show up for work on the day Khalife is said to have escaped. It meant nearly 40 per cent did not clock in for their shifts.

Daniel Khalife, pictured here while in the Army in 2019, allegedly escaped prison on the day of a mock inspection

The 21-year-old, pictured here in a court sketch at Westminster Magistrates' Court on September 11, has pleaded not guilty to escaping prison

Khalife is alleged to have strapped himself underneath a food delivery lorry to escape HMP Wandsworth (pictured)

Tonight sources said the situation may have been exacerbated by preparations for the mock inspection, suggesting officers may have had their 'eyes off the ball'.

READ MORE HERE: Daniel Khalife pleads not guilty to escaping from Wandsworth prison while he was on remand after being charged with terror offences Advertisement

One source said: 'It was widely known in the prison that a mock inspection was taking place because official inspections are such a big deal and the governor wanted to make sure they were fully prepared.

'It's more than a little ironic a prisoner managed to leg it on the very day the prison was supposed to be at the top of its game.'

Tory MP Paul Maynard, who sits on the Commons justice committee, said the claims were concerning and called on officials to investigate them.

He added: 'It's clearly a troubled prison and officials must get to the bottom of what happened.'

The Ministry of Justice said: 'The investigation is ongoing.'

Before his escape, Khalife had been on remand at the category B prison awaiting trial for offences of breaching the Official Secrets Act and carrying out a bomb hoax at his barracks in Stafford. He denied the two charges.

He has been charged with escaping from jail and transferred to a Category A prison, thought to be Belmarsh in southeast London. He pleaded not guilty to the offence at the Old Bailey on Thursday.
Hundreds of foreign criminals are ditching electronic tags to go on the run.

Around one in ten foreign national offenders who are supposed to be monitored by GPS has absconded.

Some 406 tagged criminals have vanished since 2021 when then-home secretary Priti Patel made the devices a condition of release, Home Office data shows.

The figures, obtained under Freedom of Information requests, show there are currently 316 offenders not wearing a tag when they should have one on at all times.

That is a 10 per cent rise on the number last June, when 289 immigrants were found to be not wearing their tag despite a 'live order'.

Around one in ten foreign national offenders who are supposed to be monitored by GPS has absconded (file image)

It has raised concerns about the monitoring of dangerous offenders. Earlier this year, figures revealed hundreds of wanted foreign criminals, including rapists and killers, are roaming the streets after the number who have absconded rose six-fold in the last decade.

When the scheme was launched in August 2021, officials hoped GPS surveillance would ease pressures on prisons and allow criminals and illegal migrants to be held securely in the community.

...and cut them off with scissors Albanian criminals and migrants are sharing videos boasting about how easy it is to remove ankle tags with just a pair of kitchen scissors. Offenders have filmed themselves cutting off the plastic trackers, with a comment on one social media clip asking: If I cut mine off and changed my address, would that work or am I still in trouble? The suspect replies: When you cut it off, dont go back home lol [laugh out loud]. One TikTok user called LocalAlbo shared a clip of himself cutting through his tag. When the alleged offender is asked, Where are the police? He replies: In the police station, lol. I took it off myself. In another, a suspect said the punishment of 28 days in jail was nothing. Advertisement

More than 4,000 foreign national offenders have been tagged with the scheme. But the number of bail breaches suggests many are not complying with conditions.

Since June 2022, there have been 52,445 breaches of immigration bail detected by tag  for example, by breaking a curfew. The FoI does not say whether this figure includes other types of offenders.

Anyone removing or breaching their tag faces jail or deportation.

A number of videos on TikTok show Albanian criminals snipping off the tags. One Albanian charged with growing 800 cannabis plants at an illegal farm boasted on social media how easy it was to cut off his tag with kitchen scissors. The shameless suspect said: 'So, I am a criminal... f*** it.'

Last year Albanians accounted for 28 per cent of all tagged foreign national offenders, according to data obtained by the Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration. As of March 2022, there were 465 Albanian criminals with tags, more than four times the 106 Jamaicans and 75 Poles being monitored.

There are some legitimate reasons why a criminal may not be wearing a tag, including awaiting replacement of faulty equipment.

Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK, which campaigns for tougher border controls, said: 'This is seriously concerning, not least because it is not a new development. Why do our law enforcers continue to tag and bail people who are only too ready to remove tags and disappear into the criminal undergrowth?'

A Home Office spokesman said: 'Decisions to tag people on immigration bail are made on a case-by-basis, which take into consideration the individual's mental and physical health, and every decision to tag someone is reviewed after three months.'

Officials said they undertake a range of measures to trace and locate criminals who abscond.
Rishi Sunak took the decision last week to ditch key policies in the march towards net zero.

They threatened to unfairly punish the people who could least afford to bear the burden, he said.

The ban on new petrol and diesel cars, introduced by Boris Johnson, has been pushed back to 2035.

Also delayed till then is the prohibition on new gas boilers, with a 2,500 boost to the 5,000 grant available to those who want to ditch their home boiler for a heat pump.

These struck me as sensible concessions. I would have gone further, ditching both bans altogether and getting climate targets off the statute books, but the Prime Ministers shift is not to be sniffed at.

Net Zero Minister Mairi McAllan has admitted Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks delay to a series of green policies will have an impact on SNPs pledges

Even if it is, as Richard Littlejohn put it, merely a surrender to sanity.

At Holyrood, the SNP/Green Government would love to yoke Scotland to unrealistic goals that would punish ordinary people but give politicians, policymakers and activists a warm glow of virtue. But even they are having to rethink.

This is the Scottish Government, lets not forget, which has missed its emissions targets in eight of the past 12 years.

It is also the Government that opposes exploring new oil and gas fields in the North Sea while importing these fuels from overseas, which sends much more carbon dioxide chugging into the atmosphere.

Destroy

Reflecting on the Battle of Ben Tre during the Vietnam War, a US Army major reportedly said: It became necessary to destroy the town in order to save it.

For Scottish ministers, it has seemingly become necessary to increase carbon emissions in order to reduce them.

I was reminded of their record on these matters while listening to the reaction to the Prime Ministers speech. Delivering the response was Mairi McAllan, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero. Seldom has a ministers job title so crisply summed up their contribution to public life.

After berating Sunak for an unforgivable betrayal of current and future generations, McAllan assured us: Although we have met some targets and missed others, at our last count, we missed the target by only 1.2 per cent.

Because, of course, thats how it works. The ecosystem awards points for effort. McAllan accused the Prime Minister of being on the wrong side of history before telling Holyrood that ministers were urgently assessing Sunaks statement, which would have a potentially significant impact on preparation of the Scottish Governments climate change plan.

Sounds like the Prime Minister will have company on that wrong side of history.

The truth is that Scottish ministers, or at least the thin smattering of sensible ones, will be thanking their lucky stars for Sunaks volte-face. It lets them back away from their excitable rhetoric and pin it all on UK ministers. Its a familiar tale: the SNP fails to deliver, its base and wider society give them a free pass, and everyone blames big bad Westminster.

But a softening of targets was bound to happen. The original blueprint involved more financial and lifestyle pain than the public is prepared to tolerate  and you cannot transition to net zero without taking the public along with you.

The polling shows the environment is a higher priority for voters than ever before. It also shows that, while the public supports transformative measures to reduce emissions, this support exists more in the abstract than in the practical details.

Ashamed

When the latter are explained to them, voters become less keen on sweeping change. But that doesnt mean you impose change, it means you design the change so it secures the consent of the governed. Its a newfangled notion called democracy.

Look, Im as concerned about climate change as the next person. We only have one planet and it is our moral duty to pass it on to the next generation in a better condition than we found it. But eco-fundamentalists act as though there is only one way to address the climate emergency and every other approach is complacent or a sell-out to big oil.

The answer to climate change is not the sackcloth and ashes routine the SNP pretends to believe in and the Greens actually do believe in. Its not the sort of eco-masochism that says human progress is a terrible, destructive activity and now we must limit our ambitions and live modest, miserable lives to atone for our despoiling of nature.

Progress is a good thing. The first industrial revolution was one of the great leaps forward of human history.

It unleashed a dynamo of innovation that generated previously unimaginable wealth, opened up the potential of technology, and modernised everything from public works to transportation.

Mr Sunak delayed ban on new petrol and diesel cars to 2035, as well as pushing back prohibition on new gas boilers

Much of this was only possible because of fossil fuels. We drilled and extracted and burned our way to prosperity and modernity.

We should not be ashamed of it. The alternative was poverty, misery, ill-health and idleness.

Now we understand better the ecological damage done by fossil fuels. We know alternatives will have to be found and weve already found some of them in wind, solar, hydro and electrical power.

We should also be finding them in nuclear power but, oddly enough, this is one green technology self-professed environmentalists are not keen on.

We will achieve net zero, and when we do it wont be because of bans and badgering but because the market will have delivered carbon-neutral options that are preferable to the fossil fuel alternatives.

Markets work so well because they cater to material demand, not professed values, and demand is running ever higher for products and services that combine low emissions with low costs and convenience.

Most people dont have the spare cash to splash out on an electric car or a heat pump, but where there are incentives and rewards for risk, companies will innovate and bring out affordable technologies that help us meet our climate goals.

The fight for our climate is of the utmost importance. But it will be won by entrepreneurs and engineers, not politicians and prohibitions.
He once cut his injured climbing partner loose over an icy cliff to save himself in an terrifying episode later turned into award-winning film.

Now, nearly 40 years later, Simon Yates has survived another near-catastrophe  plunging 300ft down a precipice on a 20,000ft mountain this summer.

Mr Yates, whose decision to cut a rope sending Joe Simpson hundreds of feet into a ravine in Peru in 1985 gripped viewers of 2003 film Touching The Void, suffered his latest brush with death in Tajikistan in July.

Mr Yates, 60, fell and disappeared on Patkhor Peak after a poorly secured rope came loose.

The father-of-two, who suffered five broken ribs and two crushed vertebrae, told the Sunday Times: 'I just thought 'That's it, I'm gone, this is the end'.'

Nearly 40 years after his brush with death inspired movie Touching the Void, Simon Yates has survived another near-catastrophe  plunging 300ft down a precipice on mountain climb this summer

It occurred when Mr Yates and his partner Mick Fowler were making their way back from an unsuccessful attempt to reach Patkhor Peak's summit.

They had rigged up their rope to abseil down a steep wall of ice but failed to connect it to a back-up anchor.

'It gave way and he fell backwards, cartwheeled through space and disappeared,' said Mr Fowler, 67, also a father-of-two.

On this occasion Mr Yates, who in 1985 was to learn that Mr Simpson miraculously survived after he severed the rope between them, found himself relying on his partner.

Mr Fowler managed to find him and they spent two nights on a glacier while suffering from food poisoning before help arrived.

Mr Yates yesterday claimed the latest death-defying episode hadn't triggered memories of events nearly 40 years earlier. He said: 'I didn't think about Peru once.'

He added he hadn't spoken to Mr Simpson in years, explaining: 'We never had much in common.'

Mr Simpson was contacted for a comment.
Convicted rapists will be forced to serve their full sentence as part of a 'gear change' on crime to be unveiled by Rishi Sunak.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been asked to draw up proposals for a change in the law which would put an end to the possibility of early release from prison for people convicted of the most serious sexual offences.

A Tory source said the plan was 'nailed on' to be included in the King's Speech in November, and is likely to feature in a major speech on crime by the Prime Minister in the coming weeks.

The new push is part of a wider 'gear change' by No 10 which is designed to reveal 'the real Rishi', and which began with his dramatic plan last week to put the brakes on the rush to net zero.

He will set out more details of his pitch to voters ahead of next year's general election in his speech to the Conservative Party Conference which begins in Manchester this weekend.

Rishi Sunak will set out more details of his pitch to voters ahead of next year's general election in his speech to the Conservative Party Conference. Pictured: The Prime Minister at Downing Street on September 13

Koci Selama, pictured here in his police mugshot, was jailed for 36 years for the murder of Sabina Nessa. The Prime Minister announced last month he would seek to change the law to ensure that all sexually-motivated murderers receive whole life sentences

Unveiling his green gamble last Wednesday, the Prime Minister said it was 'the first in a series of long-term decisions to deliver change'.

He added: 'I have spent my first year as Prime Minister bringing back stability to our economy, your Government and our country. And now it is time to address the bigger, longer-term questions we face.

'The real choice confronting us is do we want to change our country and build a better future for our children, or do we want to carry on as we are. I have made my decision  we are going to change.'

Rapist on licence attacked again... weeks after release Ashley Shuck (pictured) attacked two women after being released on licence Less than a month after being released from jail on licence, a convicted rapist brazenly went on to carry out sex attacks on two women. Ashley Shuck, 30, was released from prison in May 2017 after serving only half of his eight-year sentence for raping an 18-year-old. Just weeks after he was freed in June that year, he went on to commit further serious offences in Kidderminster, Worcestershire. He targeted a 28-year-old early in the morning while they stayed at her friend's home. Afterwards, he went on to attack a 77-year-old in her own home. He then forced the elderly woman at knifepoint to drive around the county for more than two hours after the attack. Shuck, of Worcester, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape, two of sexual assault and one of kidnapping. He was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum tariff of ten and a half years. He was also made the subject of a lifetime sexual harm prevention order at Worcester Crown Court. He was placed on the sex offenders' register for the rest of his life. Advertisement

One ally of Mr Sunak said he felt the PM's early time as both Chancellor and prime minister had been 'shaped by circumstances'.

'As Chancellor he had to deal with Covid immediately; as PM he had to deal with the economic mess,' the source said.

'Then he had to take action on things like waiting lists, Northern Ireland and small boats legislation.

'A lot of that is now in train and there is a chance for him to set out the long-term changes he wants to make and how we are going to get there.'

Government sources confirmed crime, education and public service reform are among the areas where Mr Sunak is drawing up plans for radical change.

The Prime Minister has also begun the process of what one source described as 'getting the barnacles off the boat' ahead of the next election by ditching contentious measures.

A proposed ban on importing hunting trophies was quietly dropped last week. A ban on so-called gay conversion therapy is also set to be shelved following a backlash about the potential 'unintended consequences' for parents and teachers dealing with trans children.

Mr Sunak is still considering whether to amend Labour's Equality Act in order to enable tougher guidance for schools on banning so-called 'social transitioning' to a new gender.

But insiders believe that with time running out ahead of the next election, it is more likely to become a manifesto promise. The new approach on crime is expected to include a major focus on tackling violence against women and girls.

Mr Sunak announced last month that he will change the law to ensure that all sexually-motivated murderers receive whole life sentences.

The move followed the murders of Zara Aleena and Sabina Nessa, whose killers got life with a minimum of 38 and 36 years respectively. The PM said at the time he 'shared the public's horror at the cruelty of crimes we have seen recently'.

'People rightly expect that, in the most serious cases, there should be a guarantee that life will mean life. They expect honesty in sentencing,' he added.

Now Mr Sunak is planning a further change in the law designed to make rapists serve longer in prison.

Despite public concern, most prisoners are automatically released after serving just half their sentences.

Ministry of Justice figures show that since 2016, 112 sex attackers have gone on to commit further serious offences while released early on licence.

In 2017, Worcestershire rapist Ashley Shuck was convicted of the rape and kidnap of an elderly woman and the sexual assault of another woman just weeks after being released halfway through an eight-year sentence for a previous rape.

Justice Secretary Alex Chalk has been asked to draw up proposals for a change in the law. Pictured: Mr Chalk outside the Cabinet Office on September 12

Last year's Police, Crime and Courts Act ended automatic early release for all sexual offences that carry a maximum life sentence, including rape and sexual assault of a child aged under 13.

Those given a sentence of four years or more are now required to serve at least two-thirds of it before being considered for release. But a Government insider confirmed that will now go further by ending early release for the most serious sexual criminals.

The average prison sentence for rape in 2022 was ten and a half years, the latest figures show  up from just over eight years in 2010.

This includes both attackers who received life sentences with a minimum jail term and those who got 'determinate' sentences which allow for early release.

The Prime Minister is expected to put tackling crime at the centre of the King's Speech in November.

Ministers have come under pressure over the issue from Labour, particularly on rape, where only 1.6 per cent of cases reported result in someone being charged. But senior Tories believe that Labour are vulnerable on crime.

Tory researchers have been combing through Sir Keir Starmer's record as director of public prosecutions for evidence of a soft approach which could be deployed during the election campaign.

A Government source said a final decision on which measures will be included in the King's Speech on November 7 will not be made until later in the autumn.
She relayed the questions she was hearing from the public

Natalie Barr has grilled a senior Albanese government minister over the public's confusion about the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament - as polls show the Yes vote slipping to its lowest level yet.

The journalist spoke about the referendum with Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek and North Queensland Liberal National Party Senator Matt Canavan on Channel Seven's breakfast show Sunrise on Monday.

The latest Newspoll shows support for 'Yes' at 36 per cent, down two points in three weeks, while 'No' has risen to 56 per cent, up three points from the previous poll, marking the lowest support and highest opposition levels yet.

Barr referred Ms Plibersek to the questions she was receiving from the bewildered public who were still questioning the extent of the Voice to Parliament's powers.

'Tanya, do you accept you have a problem?' she began.

'Because people are saying to me that questions aren't being answered there. There are these great big motherhood statements,' Barr explained.

'But people are saying to me: 'Will this have the ability to shut down mines in WA? Can you guarantee the Voice to Parliament won't slow down the actions of government? Will a decision time after time be taken to court?

Sunrise host Nat Barr (pictured) has grilled the Albanese government over the confusion about the Indigenous Voice to Parliament

'Can you guarantee that decisions that are made by ministers and by the government won't get bogged down in the court?

'That's what everyday Australians are saying to me. Do you think your campaign is answering those questions?' Barr asked.

Ms Plibersek reassured Barr and those questioning the reach of the Voice that the body does not have veto power over the government and that the parliament will 'always be the ultimate decision-maker'.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan interjected, attacking the response as being 'not true'.

'That's not true because the High Court will decide,' Senator Canavan said. 'You won't decide. You can't give those guarantees. The High Court will decide on our Constitution.'

Ms Plibersek fired back: 'This is the exact scare campaign that is the problem...'

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek (pictured) reassured Barr and those questioning the reach of the Voice that the body does not have veto power over the government

Barr jumped in and cut her off, saying: 'Matt, you have your say and then we'll get Tanya to respond. What do you see the problem as?'

Senator Canavan said many Australians are concerned about the list of 'unanswered questions' that Barr highlighted earlier on in the show.

'It will be an unelected judge in the High Court that will decide whether or not the Voice has actual traction on these issues,' he said.

'We are very proud of our Constitution. As the 10th oldest constitution in the world, it's been changed just eight times in our history.

'There is a rightly very high bar for change and I don't think the government has met that because they haven't been able to expand these issues, they haven't provided the detail and it seems like Australians, as usual with constitutional change, are rightly cynical about the government putting changes on this.'

Senator Canavan said many voters are 'cynical about governments pushing additional change, and I think rightly so'.

'We could have a voice. I don't know why we have to change our Constitution.'

The latest Newspoll shows support for 'Yes' at 36 per cent, down 2 points in 3 weeks, while 'No' has risen to 56 per cent, up 3 points from the previous poll, marking the lowest support and highest opposition levels yet (pictured, Anthony Albanese speaks during a Yes rally)

Earlier in the interview, Ms Plibersek acknowledged that support for the voice could be stronger.

'Look, obviously we'd love the numbers to be stronger but I'm focused on the next three weeks of the campaign and I'll be out every day talking to people about why I'm voting yes,' she said.

'I'm voting yes to reconciliation, voting yes to listening and, most importantly, voting yes to better results. We know we get better results when we make decisions with the people who are affected. Our democracy works better when we are listening.'

The Indigenous Voice will give advice to the Parliament and the Albanese government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The Voice referendum will be held on October 14.
More than half of the countrys most popular beaches have been blighted with dangerous levels of sewage this year.

Fifty of Scotlands 89 designated bathing waters have breached safety limits for faecal bacteria at least once when they were tested since May  with dangerous limits even being logged in swimming spots rated as excellent by the environment regulator.

The highest levels were found at Lower Largo beach in Fife, where it was at least 50 times the safe limit on three occasions, according to figures compiled by website The Ferret.

Freshwater bathing spots at Luss Bay, on the banks of Loch Lomond, and Dores beach, near Loch Ness, also returned very high levels of dangerous bacteria.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, has accused the SNP-Green government of letting Scottish Water bosses off the hook and demanded an end to the sewage scandal.

Lower Largo beach in Fife was found to be 50 times safe limit on three occasions, according to analysis of Sepa data

The MSP said: Its time ministers stopped excusing these filthy practices when levels of faecal bacteria on our beaches are reaching 50 times the safe limit.

No wonder people are thinking twice before dipping their toes in.

The contamination mostly happens after heavy rain causes sewers to overflow or animal faeces to be washed from the land into water.

Sewage spills have led to major public health concerns, with a risk of significant infections for swimmers, surfers and other users.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) monitors designated spots which receive more than 150 daily visitors over the summer months.

The 89 spots analysed were sampled between five and 18 times between May and mid-September.

The tests checks for concentrations of E.coli and intestinal enterococci (IE), found in faeces.

European standards require bathing waters to be rated either excellent, good, sufficient or poor.

Swimming must be advised against at any coastal water rated poor. Fourteen of the waters where European safety limits were breached at least once were among the 38 spots where water quality was ranked as excellent by Sepa, The Ferret said.

Luss Bay beach on the banks of Loch Lomond tested positive for bacteria which would be unsafe for bathers and wild swimmers

Dores beach, near Loch Ness returned high levels of dangerous bacteria as MSPs demand end to sewage scandal

The Scottish Daily Mail previously revealed there were 14,008 overflows last year  equivalent to 38 a day  and that only one in 20 discharge pipes were actually monitored.

It has been revealed that 19,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools could have been filled with contaminated water last year.

Last night Mr Cole-Hamilton added: Scottish Liberal Democrats are leading the calls for all sewage discharges to be recorded and published to uncover the true scale of the problem, legally binding targets to tackle sewage dumping and measures to upgrade Scotlands Victorian sewage systems.

He added: Its time to end the sewage scandal.

Scottish Water said it had spent 2.7billion over the last decade to improve the drainage system, and that not all contamination is linked with discharges from its sewers.

A spokesman added: We check our assets performance before and during the bathing season and carry out any remedial action required.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: We take the issue of sewage pollution incidents very seriously.

'Eighty-seven per cent of Scotlands entire water environment is assessed by Sepa as having a high or good classification for water quality  up from 82 per cent six years ago.
A former software engineer who worked at cryptocurrency exchange FTX's sister trading firm Alameda Research has told of the moment he realized it was about to go collapse, after a company credit card used to order takeout wouldn't go through.

It was November last year when Aditya Baradwaj was working in the firm's Hong Kong offices awaiting news of FTX's fate after the $32 billion company filed for bankruptcy.

Workers at the firm had long been showered with extravagant perks thanks to 31-year-old FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried.

As colleagues waited anxiously for news of what was happening, on November 9, 2022, the group decided to order food - but to their shock the card was declined.

It signaled the beginning of the end for the troubled trading company.

Aditya Baradwaj, a, former software engineer working at a trading firm associated with FTX realized the company was on the brink of collapse when they couldn't order food using a company credit card

At a meeting held by Caroline Ellison, 28, the CEO of Alameda Research and SBF's ex-girlfriend, she confirmed how Bankman-Fried had allowed Alameda to use FTX user's deposits

'We ordered our lunch in the afternoon, same as usual. When we went to order our food in the evening, the app says 'credit card declined.' That's the moment where we realized, holy s**t, the company is probably broke,' Baradwaj told the New York Post.

'We were afraid. This thing was making international news. My friends and family were calling me, I'm getting all these calls. I'm sitting in a hotel in Hong Kong, and I don't want to get thrown in Chinese jail.'

Just how desperate the situation had become was made shockingly clear when Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda Research and Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend held a company-wide meeting.

Some workers joined via video link while others sat on bean bags in the office as Ellison broke down in tears.

'I guess, mostly I wanna say, like, I'm sorry. This really sucks,' Baradwaj recalls 28-year-old Ellison as she cried.

Bankman-Fried has pleaded not guilty to charges that he siphoned company funds to make lavish real estate purchases, splash out political donations, and prop up his hedge fund

'In my mind, there was one central event, which is Caroline's confession,' Baradwaj said

Baradwaj said that Caroline Ellison, 28, the CEO of Alameda Research, had been a good boss and 'seemed like a kind person'

'I think my current default plan is that Alameda will likely wind down once we can, like, repay all of our creditors and sort of wind down a bunch of our, like, whatever remaining obligations we have,' Ellison explained to the gathered workers.

'Who made the decision on using [FTX] user deposits?' one Alameda employee asked Ellison.

'UmSam, I guess,' she responded.

Ellison's conversation with the employees is likely to play a pivotal role in the upcoming federal trial that sees Bankman-Fried facing charges of allegedly embezzling billions of dollars in customer funds.

'After that meeting, we all left the office, and we never spoke to Caroline after that,' Baradwaj said. 'Caroline even attempted to strike up a conversation with someone, and she was ignored. No one wanted to engage with her.'

'He's definitely guilty. We know he's guilty because Caroline basically admitted it, and this was back in mid-November, in the heat of the moment, before she had consulted any lawyers, even before the bankruptcy. She confessed to us, and there's a recording of the confession,' Baradwaj explained to The Post.

'In my mind, there was one central event, which is Caroline's confession,' Baradwaj stressed.

On the day of the meeting there was no capital available for trades and no guidance coming from Bankman-Fried over how to proceed.

As soon as the meeting ended, Baradwaj along with his blindsided colleagues quickly made plans to leave the country and get out of Hong Kong.

Two days later, on November 11, FTX, Alameda and its affiliated entities filed for bankruptcy.

Until the final meeting, Baradwaj said Ellison had been a kind person and an effective manager, forgiving of errors and someone who looked to create a pleasant social environment within the company.

Disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried is set to remain in jail ahead of his October trial after a US appeals court upheld a judge's decision to deny his release

'My impression of Caroline, right up until the very end when she confessed to us what they'd been doing, was that she was a good boss,' Baradwaj said. 'She seemed like a kind person.'

Ellison has since pleaded guilty to fraud charges, and is expected to testify against Bankman-Fried.

In her writings, she has described feeling 'unhappy and overwhelmed' with her job and 'hurt/rejected' from a breakup with Bankman-Fried.

Ellison told a New York court last year that she ran Alameda Research and essentially had access to an 'unlimited' amount of FTX client money.

Ellison confessed she agreed with Bankman-Fried to give 'materially misleading financial statements' in order hide the arrangement - which she knew was illegal.

She confessed she agreed with Bankman-Fried to give 'materially misleading financial statements' in order hide the arrangement - which she knew was illegal.

The first signs of trouble began to occur one week earlier on November 2 when a leaked Alameda Research balance sheet drew questions about FTX and its affiliates solvency, setting off a wave of withdrawals.

At one stage, Ellison is said to demanded Alameda's traders withdraw capital from other exchanges in order to ensure FTX was able to meet the withdrawal requests.

'Her urgency in delivering this message was unlike anything we had ever seen from her before. We could sense that something was amiss. We had never before needed to drain capital from the exchanges we traded on and essentially halt our trading activities,' Baradwaj explained.

Bankman-Fried was arrested at his home in the Bahamas and indicted on charges of securities fraud, money laundering, and campaign-finance violations.

He has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of fraud and conspiracy stemming from the collapse of FTX.

'Mr. Bankman-Fried maintains his innocence and looks forward to his day in court,' said Bankman-Fried spokesperson Mark Botnick in a statement.

Bankman-Fried is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn

Bankman-Fried is alleged to have siphoned company funds to make lavish real estate purchases, splash out political donations, and fund risky trades at Alameda Research, his cryptocurrency hedge fund.

Prosecutors accuse him of looting billions of dollars in FTX customer funds to plug losses at Alameda, buying luxury real estate and donating to U.S. political campaigns.

His trial on federal fraud charges is scheduled to begin October 3 in Manhattan. If convicted he faces more than 100 years behind bars.

Several other former FTX executives have pleaded guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges and are cooperating with investigators.

The lawsuit alleges that Bankman, a Stanford University law professor and expert in tax law, and Fried, a retired Stanford law professor, participated in the wrongdoing that led to the collapse of FTX and resulted in both criminal and civil investigations.
Buckingham Palace has denied reports that King Charles could be forced to let Prince Harry stay at Kensington Palace next time he visits the UK.

The dispute comes amid alleged tensions surrounding the Duke of Sussex's role as counsellor-of-state, which makes him one of seven members of the royal family who could deputise for the King if he is abroad or unwell.

By law, counsellors of state, which also include Princess Anne and Prince Edward, are required to have a home in Britain but California-based Harry, is effectively homeless in the UK after being evicted from Frogmore Cottage earlier this year.

In a bid to resolve the issue, sources claimed royal courtiers have discussed leasing a property on a royal estate to Harry and Meghan.

Royal sources told The Sunday Times that one option is an apartment at Kensington Palace, where Prince William and Kate have a home and private office. But these suggestions were quickly shut down.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are effectively homeless when visiting the UK now after being evicted from Frogmore Cottage earlier this year

Buckingham Palace has denied reports that King Charles could be forced to let Prince Harry at Kensington Palace next time he visits the UK

Royal sources said that Prince Harry could end up having a place to stay at Kensington Palace but Buckingham Palace has denied such reports

A friend of Charles said: 'The King can see that to remove Harry as a counsellor of state would be seen as an act of antagonism and he does not want to do that.

'If, as a consequence of that, somewhere on the royal estate needs to be earmarked as a pied-a-terre for his son, that seems a reasonable thing to do.'

Buckingham Palace refuted the idea, telling the newspaper bluntly: 'These claims are not true'.

It is understood that the King does not want to remove Prince Harry and Prince Andrew as counsellors of state to avoid escalating tensions within the royal family, believing it would be unlikely that either would ever have to step into his shoes.

It comes as it emerged Prince Harry was denied a room at Windsor Castle earlier this month during his fleeting visit through London.

The Duke flew into London from the US for the WellChild Awards and asked if he could stay at Windsor, while his father Charles was staying at Balmoral to mark the anniversary of the Queen's death.

It is believed he wanted to stay at the Castle to visit the Queen's grave at St George's Chapel the next day, but his request was shut down.

The Prince was told he would need to book in advance in the future if he wanted to either stay in a royal residence or visit King Charles while in the UK.

It comes as it emerged Prince Harry was denied a room at Windsor Castle earlier this month during his fleeting visit through London. Pictured: The Duke after leaving St George's Chapel where the Queen is buried earlier this month

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not visit the UK together on their way to the Invictus Games in Germany

King Charles was unable to meet Harry on his fleeting visit as he was in Balmoral with Queen Camilla

The Duke's office first contacted Buckingham Palace after confirming his attendance at the London-based awards ceremony and said he would love to see his father and stay with him if at all possible, The Sunday Telegraph reported.

Harry was told, however, that he would need to put in a formal request.

After sending the specific dates and timings of his trip, during which he only had a 24-hour window in the UK before leaving for the Invictus Games in Germany.

The Palace explained that the King would be at his Balmoral estate in Scotland where Harry was welcome but both parties decided it would be impossible with the time constraints.

After this option failed, Harry asked if he could stay in Windsor but due to the short notice this could not be arranged.

Harry stayed in a hotel for the night instead. He was allowed to visit the Queens grave, which he did privately.

Meanwhile, it emerged that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex tried to gag teachers and school pupils, some as young as five, from a deprived school while filming for their Netflix documentary.

A non-disclosure agreement was set up as they visited Public School 123 in New York in 2021, email exchanges between the Sussexes' Archwell Foundation and city officials showed.

The document stated that those who signed the agreement could not make negative remarks about the couple. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex was yesterday contacted for comment.

Buckingham Palace has been approached by MailOnline for comment.
He is worried the bandit may melt the artifact down for bronze despite its historical significance

Gallery owner Fayez Barakat says there is no other piece quite like it

A thief was caught on security camera hauling the heavy statue into the back of a moving truck

A thief slipped into a ritzy Los Angeles art gallery to steal an ancient statue worth $1.5million - with the daring heist caught on security camera.

The bronze sculpture depicting a cross-legged Buddha was swiped from the Barakat Gallery in Beverly Grove around 3.45 am on September 18.

The 250lb artifact dates back to Japan's Edo Period, spanning 1603 to 1867, and was believed to have been commissioned for the centerpiece of a temple.

Footage captured the moment a Budget moving truck pulled up to the driveway gate.

The hoodie-wearing driver stepped out, busted open the gate and scurried past the cameras on his way into the gallery. Using a dolly, he moved the statue into truck.

The entire process took around 25 minutes, according to gallery owner Fayez Barakat.

'I prize it so much,' he said of the statue. 'I had it in the backyard of my home and when I moved into this gallery, I put it in the backyard of the gallery for everybody to admire and enjoy.'

West Hollywood's Barakat Gallery is down one ancient artifact, as a bronze Buddha statue was stolen on September 18

Security footage captured the moment a thief broke open the driveway gate and headed into the gallery, only to return in under 30 minutes towing the sculpture on a dolly

The gallery is located in Beverly Grove, a busy shopping and dining destination in Los Angeles

Barakat Gallery features the largest ancient art collection in the world for sale, with other locations in London, Seoul, Abu Dhabi and Hong Kong.

The West Hollywood site opened in January 2017 and features a 7,000-square-foot showroom spread across two stories. The gallery sells a myriad of artifacts ranging from sculptures to jewelry plus a library with a selection of texts related to history, art and anthropology.

But the stolen sculpture was precious, as Barakat said he acquired it over 55 years ago and there is no other artifact like it in the world.

Gallery director Paul Henderson described it as the 'prize piece' out of nearly 200 pieces in the collection.

'It's four feet tall, it's hollow cast bronze and it's a stunning piece,' he told KTLA 5. 'It's really aesthetically arresting and it's shocking to see something like this go missing.'

The theft is the first Henderson has experienced after working at the gallery for over a decade.

He suspected the ancient artifact would be virtually impossible to sell without getting caught.

'You can't go on the market. You can't take it to a pawn shop and sell it for a few thousand dollars, it's just not possible,' he said.

'It's like a museum heist type thing where, what are you going to do with this object right now? We're all very curious and really puzzled, to be honest.'

Gallery owner Fayez Barakat says he is 'heartbroken,' as the piece is one of a kind

The gallery specializes in ancient artifacts and has around 200 items in its collection

The statue is valued at $1.5million and was acquired 55 years ago. Gallery director Paul Henderson describes it as the 'prize piece'

Barakat Gallery is a family tradition that started over a century ago. The Barakats were artifact dealers in the Middle East who expanded their business worldwide

Considering all possible outcomes, Barakat expressed fear that the thief might melt the centuries-old statue down for bronze.

'I'm heartbroken,' the gallery owner said.

'Whoever stole it, maybe that person understood the value. Probably they commissioned somebody, a thief of some kind, to just go ahead and steal it.'

Barakat is a fifth-generation art dealer with a family legacy stretching back 125 years.

The Barakat family historically sold artifacts in the Middle East. To account for a growing collection, they opened their first gallery in Jerusalem in the 1950s and have since expanded to other cities across the globe.

Every item at Barakat is legally excavated and recorded, and advertised as 'museum-quality.'

The owner hopes the thief will be found soon and is offering a reward to anyone who returns the sculpture. No arrests have been made.

The Edo period one of richest in terms of Japanese art. One of the most recognizable pieces from this era is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, a woodblock print by famed artist Katsushika Hokusai.

It depicts a cresting wave with three boats navigating the rough waters. A print of the work, originally titled Under the Wave off Kanagawa, sold at auction for nearly $3million last year.

Christie's, the auction house that sold the piece, is putting a complete set of another 46 prints by the same artist up for sale next March.

The auction house said it expects the prints, which date back to the 19th century, to bring in an amount 'in the millions.'
A liberal Democrat women's rights group has criticised 'censorious forces' in the party for banning them from advertising their event in party conference literature.

Liberal Voice for Women, which seeks to 'advance the rights and interests of women and girls' from within the party, claimed its advert was declined 'at the last minute'.

It had hoped to advertise last night's pamphlet launch on 'Liberals and Women's Rights' and discuss 'the importance of the material fact of sex for women and girls'.

The event was chaired by ex-presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Mail columnist Dame Jenni Murray. The group says officials have never let them run a fringe event on the conference site or have a stall, citing a culture problem in the party.

Chairman Dr Zoe Hollowood said: 'There are some censorious forces at work in the party which means ... party members never get to learn about the issues and even Lib Dem politicians are sheltered from reality.'

The event was chaired by ex-presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour and Mail columnist Dame Jenni Murray (pictured)

Liberal Voice for Women had hoped to advertise last night's pamphlet launch on 'Liberals and Women's Rights' and discuss 'the importance of the material fact of sex for women and girls' (Stock Image)

A party spokesman said: 'No groups are allowed to hand out promotional material within the conference centre. This rule applies to everyone.' But Dr Hollowood responded: 'This is about the fact we placed a booking for an advert and at the last minute our booking was declined. No reason was given, and we have asked.

'It's very hard to put our point of view across with all of the active suppression going on.'

Dame Jenni told the event: 'I fear a cult is persuading the NHS to exclude the word 'mother' from maternity care  what is going on there? So many people fear speaking the truth.'
Marching through Westminster is intended to show unity among the people and rattle politicians' resolve.

But this was not the case with two simultaneous marches in London on Saturday  which suggested a country divided.

As XL bully owners protested against plans to ban the breed, they seemed to turn their anger away from the Government and towards blue-clad EU Rejoiner activists.

One man in the dog owners' group was heard screaming 'traitors' at the pro-EU mob as a woman laughed in support.

Many turned to social media to poke fun at the chaos  suggesting the protests were failing to make a difference. One wrote: 'Well, I don't like XL bullies and I don't like 'Rejoin' protesters... but which is worse? There's only one way to find out... FIGHT!!!'

XL bully owners protested against plans to ban the breed through Westminster

The XL protesters seemed to turn their anger away from the Government and towards blue-clad EU Rejoiner activists (pictured)

One man in the dog owners' group was heard screaming 'traitors' at the pro-EU mob as a woman laughed in support

The Rejoiners were also harangued by anti-Ulez protesters who criticised their ongoing attempts to overturn the 2016 referendum. One shouted: 'You lost, that's it. How many years ago? Six years ago.' The pro-EU group also attracted mockery online for their interpretive dancing outside the Houses of Parliament.

Comments included: 'Politics is about persuasion. A demonstration is about 'demonstrating' political power! Where does creative dance fit in?'

Others wrote: 'It's things like this that made Brexit so attractive to many in the first place.' XL bully fans were also ridiculed online for leaving their pets at home amid fear of a PR disaster if one became aggressive. A message went out beforehand: 'Please do not take your dogs to protest. The police will antagonise and seize your dog.'

Rejoiner Max Hardy said on X, formerly Twitter: 'It's been quite the political education.'
Hundreds of Australians are stranded at a popular island destination after multiple flights were cancelled.

At least 26 Air Vanuatu flights to Australia and New Zealand have been either cancelled or rescheduled since Friday.

Passenger Eva Wiland said she was meant to fly out at 7am on Sunday, but the flight was cancelled the day before with very little detail.

Hundreds of Australians are stranded at a popular island destination after multiple flights were cancelled

At least 26 Air Vanuatu flights to Australia and New Zealand have been either cancelled or rescheduled since Friday

'We were told not to go to the airport. Not to try to get another flight at the airport because its closed,' she told Today on Monday.

'We have no information.'

Flights from Port Vila to Auckland, Sydney and Melbourne have all been impacted, with the first flight expected to depart the island on Tuesday.

The airline issued a statement to their website on Sunday advising passengers that an engineering issue was the cause of the mass flight cancellations.

'Air Vanuatu wishes to inform guests that due to an ongoing engineering requirement on our aircraft a number of our services are being impacted over the coming days,' the statement said.

They have advised passengers to keep checking their website for updates.
Olivia Avauena-Sorrenson

A 15-year-old girl has gone missing from her home in Sydney's south-eastern suburbs.

Olivia Avauena-Sorrenson was last seen in Maroubra about 11.30am on Saturday but has not been seen since.

Police hold concerns for her welfare due to her age.

Police described Olivia as being of Caucasian appearance, about 155cm tall, of a medium build, with long brown hair and brown eyes.

She was last seen wearing a black hooded jumper, black tracksuit pants, black sneakers, a black beanie, and a black shoulder bag.
Bashed man with a stick for looking at him

EXCLUSIVE

Gavin 'Capable' Preston was known to bash a bloke for simply looking at him the wrong way.

It was behaviour that likely contributed to the notorious thug being riddled with bullets in a public execution that shocked the nation.

Daily Mail Australia has obtained court records dating back decades that detail the shocking violent road Preston travelled to his September 9 execution outside a cafe in Keilor, in Melbourne's north-west.

It comes as a Herald Sun report revealed that a murder contract of up to $1million had been placed on his head.

Gavin Preston spent much of his life behind bars. He had enjoyed a decent upbringing and appeared to have no real reason to embark on the life he did

Gavin 'Capable' Preston earned his nickname for being capable of anything. On September 9 he was shot dead while sipping on an orange juice

By August 13, 1992, Preston had already been well prepared for his future life behind bars.

Growing up in the western suburbs, Preston had spent his teenage years in and out of juvenile detention for various acts of violence.

No dill, Preston made it clear back then that he was not a product of drugs or bad upbringing.

For whatever reason, he was simply born bad.

Over the next 30 years, many a man would be taught that fact the hard way.

Some never survived.

County Court of Victoria records outline Preston's matter-of-fact reactions to his violent deeds.

After bashing a shopkeeper half to death, Preston said his victim 'deserved a hit - but not like I hit him'.

Gavin Preston (left) was a feared prisoner who was known to shave the heads of other inmates in acts of intimidation

Gavin Preston never blamed drugs or his parents for the wicked life he chose

It was November 30, 1991 when Northcote shopkeeper Philip Stoios made the mistake of tangling with the hot-headed youngster.

Preston had been there to pick-up his girlfriend when he objected to Mr Stoios's request to move himself off the packing bench.

A short argument turned into a swift sharp headbutt to his face and a threat to call the police.

'If you are going to have me charged, I'd better do a proper job,' Preston informed the shopkeeper.

A proper job he did, knocking Mr Stoios to the ground before repeatedly booting him in the groin and head.

The shopkeeper was left with horrific injuries that kept him in hospital for days.

Greg Wilson did even less to earn the ire of Preston.

Mr Wilson had been on his way home from the footy when he made the mistake of looking at him on the street.

Without hesitation, Preston produced a stick and beat him senseless.

Upon sentence, Preston expressed a rare show of remorse for what he had done to Mr Wilson.

'I feel sorry I hit him. I did the wrong thing. I've had this problem for a while,' he told the court.

Preston had once tried to help Matthew Johnson (pictured) kill an inmate in jail. The pair would fall out in the years before Preston was murdered

Matthew Johnson in the seconds before he murdered Carl Williams, who had been exposed as a rat by the Herald Sun newspaper he was reading here

That problem, was a pure love of inflicting violence upon men.

After being sentenced over a jailhouse beating to more jail time in 1998, Preston spoke candidly to his sentencing judge about what it was that drove him to do the things he did.

'There's not a great deal I can say. Like, I think when people make pleas they mainly say, "Oh, you know, I did it because I had a drug problem".

'Well, I'm not suggesting that. And other people say, "Oh, you know, I was a victim of an unhealthy childhood". Well, I'm not going to say that either,' Preston said.

By then, Preston had been mingling with some of the baddest people in the country, including jailhouse lunatic Matthew Johnson - the man who would go onto murder gangland boss Carl Williams.

Due to his propensity for extreme violence, much of Preston's time in jail was spent caged in solitary confinement, given just one or two hours a day where he could catch some sunlight.

'I will be in high security units for a long time, I have been in them in the past in a long time and one day I have to get off the merry-go-round,' Preston advised the judge.

'The longer I stay in jail the longer I'm subject to these environments. The longer I'm in these environments with the people that I have to share these environments with, the less chance of getting off the merry-go-round.'

Preston had shaved an inmate's head within Pentridge Prison - the now closed jailhouse that once held Mark 'Chopper' Read.

It was an act of intimidation Preston would continue to carry out behind bars all the way up to his release in April this year.

In another jailhouse attack, Preston and Johnson put a prison guard through a terrifying ordeal when they attempted to smash their way through protective glass to reach a protected prisoner.

A gunman (left) takes aim at Gavin Preston outside a Keilor cafe

Gavin Preston lays dead on the ground after being blasted by a masked gunman on September 9

Johnson, who was hellbent on killing their target, was armed with a mattock and Preston had a knife.

Six prisoners had been stuck in the unit with the guard when the men attempted to smash their way through the reinforced glass window.

The inmate was only saved due to the guard's wise decision to barricade them all in the same cell and wait for help to arrive.

Preston had been serving hard time through most on the 1990s and it only became harder in 1996 when he was convicted of an armed bank robbery.

The court heard his mate had entered the St Albans bank armed with a .22 rifle, which he threatened to use on terrified women and children.

Preston, aged just 24 at the time, jumped the counter and made off with $22,000 in a stolen car.

When caught, the defiant crook not only refused to speak to detectives, but remained silent throughout his trial and subsequent plea upon being found guilty.

The only thing he allowed his lawyer to say in his defence was that he was not on drugs and that his parents weren't to blame.

Preston was murdered outside Sweet Lulus cafe in Keilor by assassins who remain at large.

Word of Preston's funeral has been kept private, with mystery surrounding whether or not he has finally been laid to rest.
Britain should follow America's lead and create its own UFO taskforce to investigate potential extraterrestrial sightings, experts have said.

They accused the UK Government of failing to take the issue seriously enough and warned that it could have serious implications for the country's defence capabilities.

Nick Pope, who investigated UFOs for the British military in the 1990s before the unit was disbanded, said it was 'outrageous' that ministers are not taking 'meaningful action' to probe unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAPs)  more commonly known as unidentified flying objects.

'The Ministry of Defence (MoD) needs to restart UAP investigations, a task force of some sort needs to be set up, and the Defence Committee needs to start holding the MoD to account on UAP, as the Armed Services Committees are doing in the US Congress, in both the Senate and the House,' he told MailOnline.

Mr Pope accused defence officials of 'falling back on a lazy, closed-minded "it can't be, so it isn't" mindset', meaning potential foreign threats to UK shores could be missed.

Is anyone out there? Britain should follow America's lead and create its own UFO taskforce to investigate potential extraterrestrial sightings, experts have said (stock image)

READ MORE: Meet NASA's UFO boss Mark McInerney 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 Advertisement

The MoD closed its UFO desk in 2009 and nothing has ever replaced it.

Prior to this, it carried out what at the time was a highly-secretive and extensive UFO investigation of more than 10,000 possible sightings over several decades  many of which were by military personnel.

Known as the Project Condign report, it concluded that 80 per cent of the sightings were easily explained, 19 per cent were secret military craft and just 1 per cent were mysterious in origin.

However, the MoD accepted that there are always going to be UAP and that those which are unexplained are likely an 'an unknown kind of plasma' and not of concern.

'The MoD has consistently stated that no UFO/UAP sighting has ever shown a threat to the UK, therefore they are of no defence significance and as a result the MoD is not interested,' said Philip Mantle, the former director of investigations at the British UFO Research Association.

He told MailOnline that for this reason it would be 'pointless' to set up a UFO taskforce.

'The MoD are not interested and science in general usually gives the subject a wide berth,' Mr Mantle added.

'One thing that is clear, however, is that the UFO phenomenon, whatever it may be, does not recognise any international borders, therefore any such study surely must be international in scope rather than national.'

In the US, NASA last week released its highly-anticipated report into more than 800 potential alien sightings over a period of three decades.

The space agency's independent panel of experts stressed that there was 'no reason to conclude' that any were extraterrestrial in origin, but warned that mysterious flying objects were a 'self-evident' threat to American airspace.

Mr Pope said that if the US was worried about this then Britain, as an NATO ally, should be too.

In the US, NASA last week released its highly-anticipated report into more than 800 potential alien sightings over a period of three decades. NASA chief Bill Nelson (pictured) announced that a new director for UFO research would help implement the panel's recommendations

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

He added: 'The UK can make a significant contribution to the wider search for the truth about UAP, by leveraging its world class intelligence community imagery analysis resources and capabilities.

'The bottom line is that we need action.

'Just as lawmakers in the US  Republicans and Democrats alike  are taking up this issue, UK Parliamentarians should start asking the MoD some hard questions, not accept boilerplate responses, and ensure that meaningful action is taken by setting up a task force modeled on the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office.'

A petition has also been set up calling for the UK to set up an investigatory office on UFOs/UAPs but has so far attracted just 1,500 signatures since May.

It requires 10,000 for the Government to respond to it and 100,000 to be considered for debate in Parliament.

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

The petition states that the office 'would be primarily to research and investigate reports of UFOs (unidentified flying objects) and UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) over the United Kingdom and also assist and support witnesses.'

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.

A separate UFO investigation by the Pentagon is also under way, but with the intelligence and military communities.
Yoghurt was 99 per cent effective at reducing the odour-producing compounds

It's natural to feel self-conscious after some particularly pungent garlic bread or a chicken kiev.

But simply eating some natural yoghurt could help get rid of the stink of garlic on your breath, scientists say.

Researchers have discovered that proteins found in whole-milk plain yoghurt work well to neutralise the sulphur-based compounds that cause the smell.

A team from Ohio State University placed equal amounts of raw garlic in glass bottles before adding yoghurts of differing fat, protein and water content.

They discovered yoghurt was 99 per cent effective at reducing the major odour-producing garlic compounds.

Simply eating some natural yoghurt could help get rid of the stink of garlic on your breath, scientists say (Stock Image)

Analysis revealed yoghurts with high levels of protein were most effective at reducing garlic smells, as well as yoghurts with a high butter fat content.

Dr Sheryl Barringer, senior author of the study, said: 'High protein is a very hot thing right now. Generally, people want to eat more protein.

'An unintended side benefit may be a high-protein formulation that could be advertised as a breath deodoriser in addition to its nutritional claims.

'We know proteins bind flavour...in this case, it could be a positive.'

The researchers also tested yoghurt's 'deodorising' effects on fried garlic but, in the process, discovered that frying the garlic significantly reduced most of its odour-causing volatile compounds anyway.

Dr Barringer and her team believe their study sets a good basis to explore different proteins which could soon be formulated to create the perfect garlic-breath eradication product.

Researchers discovered yoghurt was 99 per cent effective at reducing the major odour-producing garlic compounds (Stock Image)

In the meantime, however, Dr Barringer suggests Greek yoghurt - which has a higher protein value than the whole milk plain yoghurt - may be the most effective way to rid yourself of garlic breath.

Flavoured yoghurts would also likely work and, whatever is used, should be consumed shortly after garlic has consumed.

'Have your garlic and eat the yoghurt right away', she added.

The findings were published in the journal Molecules.
One former nanny said the job revealed how the wealthiest of the wealthy live

Nannies and former nannies to the rich are sharing their experiences on TikTok

Life in the fold of the super-rich comes with serious perks, these nannies and former nannies reveal.

Theyre taking to TikTok to lift the veil on the reality of au pairing for the super-rich - and shedding light on the luxurious benefits that are part and parcel of the role.

Working holidays on private yachts, flying by private jet, VIP access to theme parks and meals cooked by private chefs can be all in a days work, they reveal.

One example is Ginger Rose Smith, 27, who recently shared a video about her experience working as a nanny for a Middle Eastern royal family who were spending time in Los Angeles. It taught her how the wealthiest of the wealthy live, she reveals.

Ginger Rose, who is no longer a nanny, was employed in the position five years ago to support herself while she was doing an unpaid internship in the city. Speaking to MailOnline Travel, Ginger Rose says that VIP access to some of the most elite shops, events, and shows was one of the biggest perks of the role. She says: We'd go shopping at the Nike store and they would literally close the store down for us to shop there.

Many nannies and former nannies to the world's millionaires and billionaires are taking to TikTok to share their experiences in the profession. Above is Ginger Rose Smith, who formerly worked as a nanny for a wealthy family in Los Angeles

The most luxurious experience she had, she reveals, was when she accompanied the family on a trip to the Universal Studios Hollywood theme park. I got to see how the one per cent attends these sort of experiences, she says, adding: We had a personal guide [and] got to cut straight to the front of every line.

Ginger adds that when they went on rides at the theme park, no other park visitors were allowed on the ride at the same time. That day was pretty crazy, she says.

Another bonus was the free stuff she was gifted. Ginger says: I cleared out one of their spare rooms and they told me I could keep anything I wanted - I found a box filled with gift cards and over $400 (322) worth of quarters.

And meals cooked by the familys private chef were another plus. I would get to work in the morning and their private chef would ask me what I wanted to eat. There was always a million staff coming and going, she says.

Chef-prepared dishes are something Sami Jean Williams also enjoys daily in her role as a nanny  she frequently shares videos of these lunches and dinners with her 27,000 followers on TikTok.

Ginger Rose says that when she visited Universal Studios Hollywood with a family she nannied for from the Middle East, the public were barred from going on the rides with them

Originally from Prince Edward Island in Canada, Sami has spent the Past two years working for uber-rich families  with billionaires among her employers - in the U.S.

In her videos, Sami, who is currently working for a family in Miami, reveals that other perks of the job include travelling by private jet, swimming in families' private pools and holidaying with families on their private yachts. Some families take you on vacation if they want you to help, she explains.

A video she shared of a yacht holiday on the job  titled life is good  has racked up more than eight million views, with one user, Bella, declaring Samis role the dream job. And 'user423541' commented: 'Some people live incredible lives.'

Valerie DaBaldo documents her day-to-day life as a nanny on TikTok. 'The biggest perk is definitely the endless adventures and events I get to experience,' she reveals

Another North American TikToker, Katrina Martin, also offered insight into the glamorous holidays that can be part of the role in a series of viral videos.

In one clip, which has racked up more than 3.2million views, she admits: 'My experience as a nanny was terrible, to say the least, but the one kind of interesting thing from my experience was that they took me with them on a family vacation to Turks and Caicos. We flew there on a private jet and we stayed in this insane villa - I've never seen anything like it.

'It was giant. The staff there later told us that celebrities like Drake, Rihanna [and] countless Victoria's Secret models had all stayed there.'

And luxury travel is a perk similarly enjoyed by nanny Valerie DaBaldo, 19, who is a university student and works as a live-in nanny in the summertime. Greece, Florida and Long Beach Island on the eastern coast of the U.S are among the destinations she has travelled to as part of the role.

Describing how wealthy host families travel, she tells MailOnline Travel: They dont take ordinary trips, its always top of the line... the biggest perk is definitely the endless adventures and events I get to experience with [my host family] because they can afford to bring a nanny along.

She adds: 'I also gain access to limited clubs and country clubs just by being their nanny.'

And the homes she stays in as a live-in nanny are equipped for a pampering lifestyle. She says: Wealthy people have an endless amount of luxurious technology and access to luxurious places. The home I stay at now has two saunas, a steam room, [a] home gym and a personal [masseuse] that we can call whenever.'

Documenting her life as a nanny on TikTok, Valerie shared one video showing her enjoying the walk-in shower in her host family's '$9million (7.3million) beach house' that has racked up nearly 40,000 views. Another shows her unwinding in their infrared sauna, while others show her sunbathing by the pool or on the beach during her time off work.

She also frequently shares outfit videos with her followers on TikTok, from bikinis for the beach to more laid-back looks for running errands.

Valerie says that while working, she spends most travelling days exploring with [the familys children], at the pool or beach. She adds: My role as a nanny mainly comes at night when theyd like to visit a theme park or when they need a ride somewhere.

Documenting her life as a nanny on TikTok, Valerie shared one video (left) that shows her unwinding in her host family's infrared sauna. She frequently shares outfit videos with her followers on TikTok, from bikinis for the beach to more laid-back looks for running errands

Valerie says: 'The home I stay at now has two saunas, a steam room, [a] home gym and a personal [masseuse] that we can call whenever.' Some of the destinations Valerie has travelled to in her role as a nanny include Greece, Florida and Long Beach Island on the eastern coast of the U.S

Naturally, this exposure to luxury also applies to nannies hired by A-list stars, TikToker Rachel DiBease reveals.

Now a model and content creator, she spent several years working as a nanny for famous families in the U.S and tells her followers: As a celebrity nanny you are exposed to a different kind of wealthy.

In one TikTok video, she reveals how she received gifts such as a Gucci bag from one of her employers and in another, she describes how one of the high-profile families she worked for 'had an elevator put in [to their home], a bowling alley, a sauna, a game room with Skee-Ball [arcade machine]... just everything'.

What about pay? New Jersey native DiBease worked as a medical assistant before becoming a nanny and admits that the career change quadrupled her annual salary.

She says that in the U.S, nannies working for celebrities and high-profile clients are paid annual salaries that range from $75,000 (61,000) to $175,000 (142,000). They are very high paying, almost always six-figure positions, she admits.

This set salary isn't the only financial perk to the role. DiBease says: I trialled with families who were open to giving me a living stipend if I lived in New York or California where the cost of living is really expensive that's something that a lot of families offer. Paid time off and a 401(k) - a retirement savings plan - are also common, she explains.

So how do you become a high-profile nanny? There are nanny agencies designed specifically for high net-worth families, DiBease reveals. Among them are agencies such as 'The Nanny League' and 'Elite Nannies'.

When it comes to interviewing for the role, DiBease notes that wealthy families really look for individuality from their nannies. It also helps if youre bilingual, she adds.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was in high spirits he cosied up to his partner Heather Milligan at the 118th Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, on Saturday.

The Austrian-American star, 76, made a typically energetic appearance at the iconic annual event, even taking to the stage to conduct the orchestra.

The Hollywood star looked in his element on stage as he showed off a huge smile and waved for the camera.

He beamed alongside his gorgeous girlfriend Heather, 48, as she donned a typically folkloristic dress for the occasion.

The physiotherapist looked stunning in an authentic purple and white dirndl - an authentic outfits that women wear in occasion of the Oktoberfest.

Couple: Arnold Schwarzenegger, 76, put on a colourful display as he cosied up to his partner Heather Milligan, 48, at the 118th Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, on Saturday

Looking great: The Austrian-American star made a typically energetic appearance at the iconic annual event

The Elite OrthoSport founder accessorised with an antique pink mini bag and wore a gold watch.

Heather wore her platinum locks in a perfect blow-dry, as she also looked radiant.

Meanwhile Arnold ditched the men's typical Oktoberfest tracht - and wore denim teamed with a khaki polo T-shirt.

He donned a camel jacket, and showed a chunky metal ring.

The couple has been together for about a decade, and were first romantically linked back in 2013 - after they were spotted on several dates together around Santa Monica.

The duo both looked over the moon as they posed and celebrated among the crowd, and were captured holding up huge beer glasses.

The bodybuilding champion was seen in the Marstall Tent, which is described by the festival as 'the youngest of the large Oktoberfest tents' which is 'lovingly decorated' with 'good food and friendly service.'

Arnold's appearance at the annual tradition was not the first of the week, as he was also seen attending it on Thursday.

In his element: The Terminator sensation was captured in his highest spirits while conducting the orchestra

Protagonist: Arnold appeared to be over the moon while having fun on and off the stage

Authentic: He beamed alongside his gorgeous girlfriend Heather as she donned a traditional dress for the occasion

Gorgeous: The physiotherapist looked stunning in an authentic purple and white dirndl - an authentic outfits that women wear in occasion of the Oktoberfest

Look: Meanwhile Arnold ditched the men's typical Oktoberfest tracht - and wore denim teamed with a khaki polo T-shirt

Having fun: The duo both looked over the moon as they posed and celebrated among the crowd, and were captured holding up huge beer glasses

The Austria-born star was clad in an Oktoberfest ensemble of a brown coat over a black shirt with Bavarian Herren Lederhosen as he entered the facility alongside Heather.

The physical therapist donned a magenta dirndl dress over a long-sleeved white top.

It comes after after British TV presenter Anna Richardson claimed she was blackballed in her industry for two years after claiming the True Lies actor had groping her and sued him for libel.

The Naked Attraction presenter reflected on the professional fallout she faced when she appeared on Simply Be's Shaping Success YouTube series.

Richardson said that Schwarzenegger touched her breast when she interviewed him on ITV series Big Screen in 2000 while he was promoting his new film, The Sixth Day.

Richardson initially made the claims in an October 2, 2003 report from the Los Angeles Times that quoted six women as saying the film star had past groped them when Schwarzenegger was running for governor of California.

She told the paper that in previous encounters the actor had been 'a perfect gentleman' but said the interview at The Dorchester hotel in London 'was quite different.

'He kept looking at my breasts, kept asking if I worked out,' Richardson said. 'I went to shake his hand and he grabbed me onto his knee and he said, "Before you go, I want to know if your breasts are real."'

Richardson, who was 29 at the time, said she looked around the room for help, but no one came to her assistance.

She continued: 'At that point, he circled my left nipple with his finger and he said, "Yes they are real."'

Schwarzenegger's campaign team refuted the allegations at the time, claiming it was Richardson who provocatively approached the star, cupping her right breast and saying, "What do you think of these?"'

In response to accusations from several women who alleged to have been groped by the Hollywood star, he apologized for having 'behaved badly sometimes' and doing some things that 'were not right, which I thought were playful.'

Schwarzenegger said he would address specifics of the allegations after the election but later dismissed the claims as 'old news' and announced he would not appoint an investigator to look into the women's claims.

Following the publication of the LA Times article, Richardson sued Schwarzenegger and his top aides, Sean Walsh and publicist Sheryl Main for libel, claiming that their denials implied that she had 'deliberately and dishonestly fabricated' the allegations.

The libel lawsuit was settled out of court, with lawyers for Schwarzenegger and Richardson stating: 'The parties are content to put this matter behind them and are pleased that this legal dispute has now been settled.'

Schwarzenegger prevailed in the October 2003 election to replace then-Democratic Governor Gray Davis, as well as alternate Democratic candidate Cruz Bustamante. He held office as California's 38th governor from 2003 to 2011.

Richardson reflected on the incident when she appeared on Simply Be's Shaping Success YouTube series.

Asked by host Fleur East to recall a positive moment that had 'shaped her' in life, Richardson confessed: 'This comes with a negative moment, it's a yin-yang thing.

'I had to interview Arnold Schwarzenegger in a sort of junket situation which is when you're kind of in a sausage factory line of journalists. You go to a hotel, the star's sitting there, you do a four-minute interview with them about their film and then you leave again.

'And during this particular interview with Arnie - and I have to choose my words very carefully here - but there was an incident. Or there was an alleged incident between us and subsequently I took legal action and sued Schwarzenegger and his team for libel.

'So I have to be very careful about what I say but I sued him and we settled out of court. Now this is a great big story that's kind of wrapped up in about 10 seconds of explanation but that moment defined me afterwards.'

Revealing the impact it had on her career, Richardson confessed she was out of work for two years and ended up in debt.

She continued: 'I spent a long time out of work which was really difficult.

Confession: Anna Richardson has revealed that she was out of work for two years after she accused Arnold Schwarzenegger of groping her and sued him for libel

Accusation: The Naked Attraction presenter alleged that Arnold Schwarzenegger touched her breast when she interviewed him in 2000 while he was promoting his new film

During the incident: Richardson, who was 29 at the time, said she looked around the room for help, but no one came to her assistance (pictured in 2000)

Controversy: Schwarzenegger faced a stream of groping allegations during his 2003 gubernatorial campaign in California. Pictured in August of 2003 in Fresno, California

'So I went from presenting a show and working in television to signing on and people in my local job center going, "Are you that girl that does that show?".. and I'm like "Yeah I'm that girl, can I just get my housing benefit?"

'So it was very difficult times but that taught me real resilience and to be unafraid to stand up to what I considered to be an injustice.'

Richardson also spoke about the significance of speaking out prior to the 2017 #MeToo movement.

She explained: 'I think that women have been carrying this message for decades and it's been falling on deaf ears; but certainly in terms of my situation and what allegedly happened, I took legal action, and this was well ahead of the #MeToo movement.'

Richardson continued: 'So when the whole #MeToo thing happened I felt really frustrated about that. I thought, seriously? Are we seriously here again 15 years later talking about this? It's still going on but I was there 15 years prior.

'I think there's something about women and people, speaking truth to power and saying this isn't ok actually.'

Speaking out: Richardson told host Fleur East of the aftermath 'it was very difficult but that taught me real resilience and to be unafraid to stand up to what I considered to be an injustice'

Asked how she found the courage to speak out, Richardson revealed: 'It was a strange knowing that I have to do this.

'This thing that has happened is not right and it's about speaking truth to power and saying "I don't care who you are. I don't care what threats you come out with".

'This is about standing up and saying, this is wrong, this is unacceptable and I need to put this right.'

Richardson went on to note: 'There's something in this country, in this culture and as women, we're very afraid to say I'm not happy about this or we need to talk about this.

'Particularly with wanting to confront, we're told as women that you're not allowed to confront, you should be quiet.

'Whereas if you're a guy, it's acceptable to do that. I've raged against that being forced into a box as a woman, that is something that will get to me. I almost can't help myself to speak out about something that's an injustice or not right.'

Richardson was able to re-enter the television industry working behind the scenes as a producer and later resumed presenting.

She has hosted a series of shows of Channel 4, including Supersize vs Superskinny, The Sex Education Show and Secret Eaters.
Kenzie Greaves left FIFO work behind this year when she realised she could earn a much bigger salary on OnlyFans instead of toiling away in the Perth mines.

The New Zealand-born beauty, 24, who moved to Australia six months ago, initially made adult content on the side to offset the 'ridiculous' cost of living.

But once she started raking in thousands more than she was making in the mines, Kenzie decided to jump ship to the X-rated platform full time - and she hasn't looked back.

'The pay for FIFO was so bad, everybody raves about how good it is but it's s**t, and I was making so much more [on OnlyFans] even when I wasn't doing it full-time,' Kenzie told Daily Mail Australia this week.

She added: 'It depends on what role you are in and how long you've been there, but it's not as much as people think. It's very over-glamourised.'

OnlyFans model Kenzie Greaves, 24, (pictured) left FIFO work behind this year when she realised she could make thousands of dollars more than she did in the Perth mines

Kenzie revealed she earned 'about $1,500 a week' working 90 hours when she was doing FIFO for one week on, one week off.

Now, she rakes in a whopping $15,000 a week on average from OnlyFans subscriptions and content she films with other male and female creators.

Despite her massive success, Kenzie said she never thought her OnlyFans account would grow as big as it has when she first started.

She opened the account while working as a carpenter and later a personal trainer in New Zealand so she could supplement her low income and make ends meet.

'Everybody knows that the wages and the living cost there are ridiculous. My job that I was doing just wasn't cutting it, so I started a side hustle for extra money,' she said.

The New Zealand-born beauty turned to OnlyFans to offset the 'ridiculous' cost of living

Six months ago, Kenzie was still filming content for OnlyFans on the side when she moved to Perth to work in the mines.

She said she chose the FIFO industry so she could make money and meet new people as she acclimated to living in Australia.

However, things quickly took a turn when she arrived on site for the first time to find all her new workmates and bosses already knew who she was.

'Apparently my name got spread around quite quick and everyone searched my Instagram and then obviously there's the [OnlyFans] link in my bio,' she said.

'So it's pretty obvious... It only took about three days before people were already on it and showing it around.'

She opened the account while working as a carpenter and later a personal trainer in New Zealand so she could supplement her low income and make ends meet

Kenzie revealed she earned 'about $1,500 a week' working 90 hours when she was doing FIFO work, but now rakes in $15,000 a week

Despite being confronted by her male colleagues about her sex work, Kenzie kept her eye on the prize and pushed through it, deciding she would keep working until she could make OnlyFans a full-time gig.

'I've worked in male-dominated industries my entire life so it didn't really bother me to be honest. I just own it,' Kenzie said.

'If people are going to judge then they're not the type of people I want to be around.

'I'm making so much more money doing [OnlyFans] so I just was like, "Okay cool, well you guys are the ones paying my bills if you're subscribing so go for it, show it around."'

The former mine worker said she worked nonstop to make money while stationed in the Perth FIFO camp.

When she wasn't working in the mines, she was replying to her OnlyFans subscribers and posting content for them.

During her weeks off, she would bulk film content to post while she was living in the camp.

She even once filmed content while wearing her work uniform in the camp and said it was 'a big hit'.

Now, she rakes in a whopping $15,000 a week on average from OnlyFans subscriptions and content she films with other male and female creators

'It was pretty difficult because I was working 90 hour weeks for FIFO,' Kenzie said.

'I would wake up at two in the morning, I would reply to all my DMs before I went to the gym before work, and then I would reply on my breaks at work, and then at night time I would be uploading new content and replying as well.

'I did one week on, one week off. My weeks off would be when I would make the videos for when I was away.'

The former mine worker said she worked non-stop to make money while stationed in the Perth FIFO camp - replying to subscribers and filming content during her few breaks

It wasn't long before Kenzie started raking in way more money than she was earning from her day job and decided to quit.

She said her workmates and bosses all 'hated' her for leaving the mines to make a living as a sex worker, but she revealed they are all now subscribed to her page.

Kenzie said she is much happier doing OnlyFans full-time than she ever was working in New Zealand or the Perth mines, and wants to keep doing it for at least 10 years.

'It's so enjoyable and lets me live the life I want to live. So I don't see myself doing anything else right now,' she admitted.
Bling Empire star Leah Qin has revealed that she was not a paid 'a penny' for her time on the hit Netflix reality series - and was forced to spend thousands out of her own pocket for her appearances on the show.

The 26-year-old real estate developer, who featured alongside Cherie in multiple episodes during the show's run from 2021 to 2022, opened up just weeks after fellow star Kevin Kreider revealed that he was paid less than a UPS driver for all three seasons.

Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com about the reality of how finances were handled with cast members, Leah explained that many had to pay for their own parties, wardrobes and hair and make-up, with Leah splashing 'six figures'.

'I did not get paid. Not a penny. Zero,' the reality star confirmed.

She stated that due to the rush to begin filming, she was provided with an 'appearance release' by Jeff Jenkins Productions but was not able to adjust the terms before getting in front of the camera.

Bling Empire star Leah Qin has revealed that she was not a paid any money for her time on the hit Netflix reality series

She explained: 'They gave me an appearance release and then my lawyer is like, "Hmm, let's, let's talk about this" and they said "Let's just film first and then we will deal with it later"... They implied my contract will be revisited later.'

DailyMail.com has approached Jeff Jenkins Productions for comment.

All three seasons of the unscripted docu-series which followed the lives of wealthy, materialistic East and Southeast Asian Americans based in the Los Angeles area, before it was shelved last year.

While fans might have expected the show's extravagant parties to have been paid for by Netflix, however the cost came of the cast's own pocket.

Leah added: 'Our cast had to pay for our own events, you know, their own parties, our own wardrobe.'

In fact, the reality star herself spent 'about six figures' on a variety of costs.

She continued: 'For example, my makeup artist charges me $600 to $800. If you come with me the whole day to a location, it will be over $1000. For one day.

'I did film over 20 scenes so you can do the math.'

Reflecting on how she felt about having to spend her cash at the time, Leah admitted: ' At that point I wasnt really thinking about making money through being on a reality show. But people must be respected for their work and their dedication.

Leah with the Bling cast - from left to right - Don Morris, Mimi Morris, Christine Alexandra Chiu, Gabriel Chiu, Devon Diep and Kevin Kreider

The real estate developer says she was forced to spend thousands of her own hard-earned cash for her appearances on the show

'People throw themselves out there, being open to the public about their own story. I do feel we deserve that respect.'

She added: 'When you're on a show called Empire, you always wanted fashion that's on point, right? So, we bought on season fashion so that's why, there was way more spending on that.'

Adding her thoughts about the current battle to ensure reality stars receive fairer wages, Leah stated: 'I believe that everybody who puts their hard work to contribute to society deserves to get paid and respected.'

As for discussing pay with other cast members, Leah added: 'It's very tough to understand everybody's situation but I do hear people talk about it here and there...

'I read the article with Kevin and what he said about the payment is what I heard. In my personal experience, for multiple reasons, I did not get paid.'

Indeed, her co-star Kevin exclusively told DailyMail.com that he was unable to afford to buy a car while filming the series due to the criminally low wages.

Bling Empire followed the lives of wealthy, materialistic East and Southeast Asian Americans based in the Los Angeles area

Kevin was part of the main cast and first appeared on screen with the late billionaire heiress, Anna Shay, who died 'unexpectedly' in June following a stroke, aged 62.

The hit show was made up of an entirely Asian cast and followed a group of super wealthy Asian Americans as they navigated their way through life.

However, Kevin didn't share the same flush background as his co-stars and was positioned as an outsider who was often treated to lavish gifts from Anna.

'UPS workers were paid more than I was, and they have benefits,' he told DailyMail.com. 'That's how little we got paid.'

For context, a UPS delivery driver can expect to make around $18 per hour, with a warehouse package handler set to take home a similar wage. The minimum wage in the state of California is $15.50, compared to $15 national minimum wage.

'I heard how much a friend of mine was making for a pilot and he wasn't even the main lead, yet he made more than I did in a whole season of Bling Empire,' Kevin continued. 'I worked my ass off for Bling. I mean, I was literally filming almost every day.

The self-made real estate mogul (pictured in June with other members of the cast) explained that many of the cast even had to pay for their own events and parties while filming

Leah opened up just weeks after fellow star Kevin Kreider revealed he was paid less than a UPS driver for all three seasons

'We had to be available for almost a whole year. I dragged my ass to like three, six-hour interviews. So, when you put the hours together, I worked probably lower than minimum wage.'

His comments came after former Love Is Blind star Nick Thompson revealed he is on the brink of losing his home after being paid less than minimum wage for appearing in season two of the Netflix dating program.

Amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes, it was declared in August 2023 that the Screen Actors Guild  American Federation of Television and Radio Artists was standing by Real Housewives of New York alum Bethenny Frankel and fellow reality stars in their mission to unionize.

Netflix pulled the plug on Bling Empire and its spin-off Bling Empire: New York earlier this year, with Leah blaming 'fake made-up drama' for its demise.

She is now focusing on the future - including her hopes to launch a reality show focused on self-made entrepreneurs.

The project is currently on pause due to the ongoing strike, but the star will work as a producer.

'My own show is about entrepreneurs,' she stated. 'They have their drama, but they are leaders. I cant tell you the cast, but I can tell you that everyone is googleable.'

The 26-year-old is currently developing a new reality series showcasing the lives of entrepreneurs

She continued: 'A lot of them come from San Francisco. They know how to handle things. I think this is going to be inspiring for the audience.

'Right now, there are a lot of shows that showcase that show flashy life and money. There is a good amount of people whose everyday life is not like that.'

The TV star added: 'I grew up without money and had to struggle to survive. There is a lot more sweat and effort to get where we are today. I am going to show a part of this.

'It is surrounding my life and I will make sure that everyone on cast is paid. All the people on my show are self-made. They all have an underdog story.

'We are on pause because of the strike but we look forward to putting the pilot together. I am hoping the pilot will be done by the end of 2024.'
Cally Jane Beech has revealed her decision to have a boob job came about because she needed a confidence boost and felt she 'didn't have volume' in her breasts.

The former Love Island star, 31, who says she has spent 15,000 on her appearance, told how she felt her breasts dropped in size after she came off the pill.

Speaking to MailOnline, she said: 'It was my first surgery, and I was really nervous, but I'm glad I did it. I felt like I needed that confidence.

'I didn't have the volume up here (points to her upper chest) and I think it was because I was on the pill for a long time, so I naturally had that full look.

'But I wanted to come off the pill and go on a non-hormonal based contraception, and when I did, my boobs just dropped right down in size, and I imagine it was the from the hormones I was taking on the pill before.

Candid: Cally Jane Beech has revealed her decision to have a boob job came about because she needed a confidence boost and felt she 'didn't have volume' in her breasts

Surgery: The former Love Island star, 31, who says she has spent 15,000 on her appearance, told how she felt her breasts dropped in size after she came off the pill

'So I went on the copper coil, and I felt like Id lost a lot of volume, and I thought Im going to get that confidence back now that my body is at its natural body, so I thought Ill get a boob job.

'My sister-in-law also wanted one done, so we went together.'

Cally Jane, who took part in the first series of Love Island in 2015, insisted she did not overdo the surgery and has only gone up two cup sizes.

She said: 'I think I was a B cup, and now Im a D cup. I didn't want it to be too much because I've had them biggish in the past from the pill and again it's been too much for me.

'I remember wanting to come off the pill just because I hated how big it was making my boobs  I found it really unbalanced. So it was important I got a good match.'

Cally Jane confirmed she has also had lip filler and Botox in the past but wants to try and 'grow old gracefully'.

Asked how much she has spent on surgery and tweakments, Cally Jane said: 'Not a massive amount to be fair  Im quite a good saver. Id say Ive spent about 15,000 all in all.'

While the star doesn't have any immediate plans to have more surgery, that might change if she has another child.

Co-parenting: Cally Jane has a daughter, Vienna, with ex Luis Morrison and claims he only sees her 'now and then'

Couple: Cally Jane is now engaged to former SAS: Who Dares Wins star DJ O'Neal, announcing the happy news on Monday

Cally Jane is mother to daughter Vienna with her ex Luis Morrison, who she met on Love Island. They were the first-ever contestants to have a child in 2017.

When asked how co-parenting is going, she responded: 'Not the best, but she's got a good little family unit with me.

She claims he only sees Vienna 'now and then' and added 'its very minimal' but she's not going to force him.

'Its just a weird one, and shes not missing out on anything because she has me,' Cally Jane said.

Cally Jane is now engaged to former SAS: Who Dares Wins star DJ O'Neal, announcing the happy news on Monday.

The star found love with DJ in November 2022, just two months after her split from boyfriend Nathan Malcolm.

She said: 'We met five years ago at a beach club in Ibiza. He was with some friends, and so was I and we just had a conversation, and then we bumped into each other again last year - five years on and I remembered him. It was really random.

She went on to explain: 'Hed just had a divorce and I was just out of relationship, and it was an awkward thing, because we spoke about our relationships the first time we met.

'It was like that very friendly and kind of genuine conversation. Yet the second time we met, we were single and available, and we saw each other differently I think.

'People used to say to me when you know, you know, and I used to think that was such a cliche and weird saying, but since us two coming back together five years later  Im a believer, and Im a believer in fate more so because of that. Hes amazing!'
Dawn French is set to bring her very rudely named show to Australia next year as she tours the country in April and May.

The Vicar of Dibley star, 65, will bring her Dawn French is a Huge Tw*t show across the country, after previously touring to packed houses in London.

'This show is so named because unfortunately, it's horribly accurate. There have been many times I have made stupid mistakes in a spectacular display of tw*ttery,' she told Perth Now.

'I thought I might tell some of these buttock clenching embarrassing stories to give Australian audiences a peek behind the scenes of my work life... roll up!'

She added her show's title tells people exactly what they can expect, as she will be making a fool of herself on stage for the audience's amusement.

Dawn French, 65, (pictured) is set to bring her very rudely named show to Australia next year as she tours the country in April and May

'Book early to see the telly vicar lady be a total tw*t on stage, live in front of your very eyes and ears.'

'I'll show people all these moments - when I've sent emails to people who really shouldn't have seen them, for example  and how they played out in real life.'

French will be performing in Perth on April 10 and 11, Adelaide on April 16, Canberra on May 3, and then head to other major Australian cities.

The Vicar of Dibley star will bring her Dawn French is a Huge T**t show across the country, which she has previously performed to packed houses in London

Back in June, Dawn showed off her stunning natural hair transformation after ditching her iconic brown bob.

She told her social media followers at the time she trimmed off her hair with the help of her husband Mark Bignell, even comparing her to The Chase star Anne Hegerty.

Sharing a duo of snaps of her new shorter tresses, Dawn penned: 'Hair update. 3 shades of grey (working up to the 50)'.

'This show is so named because unfortunately, it's horribly accurate. There have been many times I have made stupid mistakes in a spectacular display of tw*ttery,' she told Perth Now

'I've chopped even more off. I'm thinking Im giving it solid Jamie Lee Curtis. Husband says I'm giving it full Anne Hegerty. Righto. In your face husband, coz BOTH are Ishtar'

Dawn initially ditched her trademark style in favour of a bold new look to embrace the fact that she was going grey and shared her hair transformation with her followers.

The comedian lives in England with her husband Mark Bignell and has one daughter, Billie, from her previous marriage to comedian Lenny Henry.
Ashley Graham, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Alessandra Ambrosio led the stars attending the Dolce & Gabbana party during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday.

Model Ashley, 35, showcased her famous curves at the event as she slipped into a figure-hugging black sleeveless midi dress.

The beauty cinched her waist with a matching strap while she added height to her frame with a pair of animal print heels.

Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Ashley completed her look with a pair of gold hoop earrings.

Rosie, 36, cut a glamorous figure at the bash as she arrived in a sheer long-sleeved dress that highlighted her toned pins.

Stunning: Ashley Graham led the stars attending the Dolce & Gabbana party during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday

Wow: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley cut a glamorous figure at the bash as she arrived in a sheer long-sleeved dress that highlighted her toned pins

Sultry: Alessandra Ambrosio ensured all eyes were on her as she put on a leggy display in a black mini dress for the evening

The model also sported a beige corset and a pair of cream short shorts which she paire d with white open-toed stilettos.

Carrying a white clutch bag, the former Transformers star acessorised with a pair of earrings.

Alessandra, 42, ensured all eyes were on her as she put on a leggy display in a black mini dress for the evening.

The Victoria's Secret model also wore a black coret top with a sheer detail while she wrapped up in a black blazer.

Also wearing a pair of sheer tights, the Brazilian beauty added height to her frame with black heels.

Wearing her tresses in a poker straight style, Alessandra added to her look with a pair of Dolce & Gabbana earrings.

Also in attendance at the event was Lucy Hale who looked incredible in a silver shimmering mini dress.

The garment featured a high collar while the Pretty Little Lies star paired it with a matching clutch bag.

Style: The model also sported a beige corset and a pair of cream short shorts which she paire d with white open-toed stilettos

Beauty: Also in attendance at the event was Lucy Hale who looked incredible in a silver shimmering mini dress

Radiant: Ashley showcased her famous curves at the event as she slipped into a figure-hugging black sleeveless midi dress

Supermodel: Alessandra also wore a black coret top with a sheer detail while she wrapped up in a black blazer

Flawless: Olivia Culpo opted for a white blouse along with a black mini dress with a floral embellishment

Party: Ashley let her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders for the evening

Sensational: Maya Jama effortlessly turned heads in a sleeveless metallic midi dress that highlighted her incredible figure

Also wearing black heels, Lucy added a touch of sophistication to her look by styling her locks into a sleek updo.

Olivia Culpo opted for a white blouse along with a black mini dress with a floral embellishment.

The model also sported a black blazer along with a pair of matching gloves and sheer tights.

Wearing her brunette locks in a slicked back style, Olivia added to her outfit with black heels and a pair of earrings.

Elsewhere, Maya Jama effortlessly turned heads in a sleeveless metallic midi dress that highlighted her incredible figure.

The Love Island host boosted her frame with a pair of black heels while she also wore a pair of sheer gloves.

Carrying a gold clutch bag, Maya completed her look for the star-studded bash with a pair of black tights.
Rebecca Rittenhouse proudly announced her engagement to Kyle Robiskie in an assortment of romantic Instagram photos uploaded on Saturday.

The Maggie actress, 34  who previously dated Gossip Girl alum Chace Crawford  sweetly captioned the latest carousel of snaps with: 'Some questions aren't hard to answer.'

In the first black and white image, the star could be seen flashing a cheerful smile while looking away from camera. She excitedly held up her left hand to show off a stunning diamond ring.

Another picture was taken of the newly engaged couple as they stood next to each other. The businessman, 32, held a small box in his hand as a candid snap was taken of the two during the special moment.

The third image was an additional black and white photo of the lovebirds as they sent adoring gazes towards each other.

Engaged! Rebecca Rittenhouse, 34, proudly announced her engagement to Kyle Robiskie in an assortment of romantic Instagram photos uploaded on Saturday

Thrilled: The Maggie actress, who previously dated Gossip Girl alum Chace Crawford, sweetly captioned the latest carousel of snaps with, 'Some questions aren't hard to answer'

Lastly, Rebecca shared a closeup picture of her engagement ring as her hand gently rested on top of her fiance's. The beauty tagged Retrouvai in the image - a Los Angeles based jewelry designer.

Social media users and celebrities jumped to the comment to send their well wishes to the happy couple.

Keleigh Teller typed out, 'love you guys,' followed by champagne glass emojis, while Vampire Diaries actress, Nina Dobrev, wrote, 'Omg Rebecca!!!! CONGRATULATIONS.'

Glee alum, Matthew Morrison, added, 'This is wonderful!! So happy for you! ,' while Firefly Lane star, India de Beaufort, penned, 'This wedding will be my new Pinterest board. I am TOO excited.'

Former Disney channel star, Brenda Song, also flocked to the comment section and typed out, 'Aaaah! Congrats Rebecca!!!!!,' while Octavia Spencer wrote, 'Congratulations omggggg.'

Kyle also shared the photos to his own Instagram page on Saturday in celebration of the big milestone - but chose to not add any caption to let the adorable snaps speak for themselves.

Rebecca has kept her budding romance with Robiskie private and mainly out of the public eye. However, the pair seemingly were first linked sometime late last year in October, per People.

Earlier this month, The Mindy Project actress uploaded a slew of black and white images to her main Instagram page while attending a Beyonce concert with pals, and Kyle also appeared in a few photos from the night.

Adorable: The third image was an additional black and white photo of the lovebirds as they sent adoring gazes towards each other

Diamond ring: Lastly, Rebecca shared a closeup picture of her engagement ring as her hand gently rested on top of her fiance's

Beforehand, Rittenhouse dated The Boys actor, Chace Crawford, from 2015 until their official split in late 2018.

The former couple first crossed paths on set of Blood & Oil and began dating soon after. However, they went their separate ways after three years together.

Crawford confirmed the breakup in April 2019 when he gave an update on his relationship status to Us Weekly. 'I've been dating around a little bit, but, you know, nothing serious.'

However, in 2021, Chace and Rebecca sparked up romance rumors once again when they were seen enjoying a getaway to Capri, Italy with a group of close pals.

At the time, sources informed TMZ that the pair were 'not back together' but have 'remained close since their split in late 2018.' The insiders further noted that the actors are still 'great friends.'

Previous relationship: Beforehand, Rittenhouse dated The Boys actor, Chace Crawford, from 2015 until their official split in late 2018; seen in 2022 in Austin

First linked: Rebecca has kept her budding romance with Robiskie private and mainly out of the public eye, however, the pair seemingly were first linked sometime late last year in October, per People; seen in 2019 in Beverly Hills

While talking to WWD last year in July 2022, Rittenhouse opened up about her dating life while discussing her role in the Hulu series, Maggie.

'I'm not married. If you're in your thirties and you're unmarried, but you do want to have a family, but you also have a careerwe're still not at the point in the world where things are the same for women as they are for men,' she stated.

'And you start to feel a lot of pressure about your decision making. "Is this the right person to be with? Should I freeze my eggs? Should I prepare to do things on my own? Is the person I'm with the right partner for me?"'

Along with starring in Maggie and The Mindy Project, Rebecca is known for other roles in projects such as Once Upon A Time In Hollywood as well as The Handmaid's Tale.
WWE star Mark 'The Undertaker' Calaway is headed Down Under next year as a drawcard for an extravagant wrestling show to be held in Western Australia.

The wrestling legend, 58, will appear at the WWE's Elimination Chamber extravaganza show at Perth's Optus Stadium on Saturday, February 24.

It is expected that the retired wrestling icon's appearance at the iconic WWE show will bring many of the sport's fans to Western Australia next year.

As he is retired, it is unlikely The Undertaker will be wrestling at the show and it is expected he will share stories about his career with the audience, reports The Sunday Times.

'It's very intimate and there are no phones allowed. I want this to be special for the people who go out and buy these tickets,' Calaway said in a statement.

WWE star Mark 'The Undertaker' Calaway, 58, (pictured) is headed Down Under next year as a drawcard for an extravagant wrestling show to be held in Western Australia

'I have stories of my debut and some of the things that were going on backstage the night I debuted. Anything from backstage, things that happened, I tell stories of things that happened with me and Hulk Hogan.'

Western Australia Premier Roger Cook announced on Thursday his state had secured the iconic WWE event, saying it will put WA on the 'world stage'.

While it's unclear what other WWE stars will be heading to the country to the event, it will likely be headlined by Adelaide-born wrestling star Rhea Ripley, 26.

The wrestling legend will appear at the WWE's Elimination Chamber extravaganza show at Perth 's Optus Stadium on Saturday, February 24

Ripley debuted as a main member of the main roster in WWE in 2021 and has risen to fame ever since, enjoying individual and tag team title reigns and remaining a member of the villainous faction The Judgement Day.

Also rumoured to be joining the show is Grayson Waller, 33, who is from Sydney and was called up to the main roster earlier this year.

Other Australian stars in the company include Bronson Reed and Indi Hartwell.

It is expected that the retired wrestling icon's appearance at the iconic WWE show will bring many of the sport's fans to Western Australia next year

The Elimination Chamber traditionally sees matches involving six competitors or teams in the match, with two starting inside the ring with four more locked in pods around it.

At regular intervals a different pod is opened, with that competitor entering the match until all six of them have been introduced.

Performers are eliminated one at a time and the winner is the last one standing at the end of the match, with the result often being that they will be crowned champion of whatever title is on the line.

The early assumption is that Ripley will defend her title in an Elimination Chamber match in her home country.

Fans can register their interest in attending the event through through the WWE's pre-sale registration link.

As he is retired, it is unlikely The Undertaker will be wrestling at the show and it is expected he will share stories about his career with the audience, reports The Sunday Times
The producers of Downton Abbey could not have created a better wedding scene, with glamorous star Michelle Dockery at the centre of a glorious, joyous celebration in the late summer sunshine.

Beaming with happiness, the actress married Jasper Waller-Bridge  brother of Fleabag creator Phoebe  at a star-studded ceremony in West London yesterday.

The bride, who played Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV drama, was surrounded by Downton co-stars including Elizabeth McGovern, Lily James, Hugh Bonneville and Jim Carter, famous as unflappable head butler Carson.

But Ms Dockery risked being upstaged by her new sister-in-law. Phoebe was dressed in a stunning pink 1,945 Etro double breasted suit and matching deep neck waistcoat, priced at 440.

And the Hollywood look was completed with a giant diamond ring on her engagement finger, a wide-brimmed woven hat, black necktie and sunglasses.

Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery has found love again as she married Jasper Waller-Bridge, seven years since the death of her former fiance

The groom's sister Phoebe Waller-Bridge (right), whose known for the BBC series Fleabag, was in attendance in a stunning, bright pink three-piece suit

Michelle's now sister-in-law Phoebe wore a stunning, bright pink three-piece suit to the wedding she attended alongside her partner Martin MacDonagh, an Irish playwright

Wedding guests were dressed in an array of bright colours at today's wedding ceremony

It was a poignant day for Ms Dockery, coming almost eight years after her fiance, the Irish publicist John Dineen, died at the age of 34, following a 15-month battle against a rare form of cancer. The couple met in 2013 and although they never made it down the aisle, Ms Dockery told one interviewer: I do consider myself a widow.

Four years after his death, The Mail on Sunday first revealed that Ms Dockery had found love again, meeting Mr Waller-Bridge  a former talent agent for the likes of Holly Willoughby and Ant and Dec  through mutual friends in 2019. Soon afterwards, they spent time together at the Rome film festival.

Yesterday, they left St Nicholas Church in Chiswick, West London, as man and wife. The 41-year-old bride was wearing a simple but elegant  and, at 100,000, pricey  bespoke Emilia Wickstead satin gown, and carrying a pear-handled 995 Aspinal of London bag, while the groom, who is in his mid-30s, was in a traditional three-piece navy suit.

Before the ceremony, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 38, who attended with her partner, the 53-year-old playwright Martin McDonagh, and older sister Isobel, a composer, led guests from the nearby George and Devonshire pub, where they had gathered for a drink, and into the church.

The event served as a reunion for the Downtown cast, who were last together when they filmed last years second big-screen outing. Also there were Joanne Froggatt, who played Anna Bates, Laura Carmichael (Lady Edith), Imelda Staunton (Maud Bagshaw), Allen Leech (Tom Branson) and Lesley Nicol (Mrs Patmore). The shows creator, Julian Fellowes, 74, was also there with his wife Emma Joy Kitchener, a former lady-in-waiting.

Michelle's beautiful gown was held up as the newly-weds left the ceremony earlier today

Fellow Downton actor Lily James was also in attendance, wearing a cream coat and clasping a black bag

Downton Abbey stars Hugh Bonneville and Jim Carter attended the ceremony too

Actress Lily James (pictured) wore a long lemon coloured coat to the London wedding today

Michelle is thought to have been introduced to Jasper, 35, in Los Angeles in 2019 through his sister Phoebe, 38, who wrote Killing Eve

Dashing bride Michelle Dockery appeared overjoyed as her guests threw confetti today

Other acting luminaries at the 45-minute ceremony included Phantom Thread star Lesley Manville and Happy Valley and McMafia star James Norton.

The Crawley clan would have been proud of the fashion choices.

Lily James was dressed in a smart 1,495 Galvan Boyfriend coat, and a 2,995 Erdem Evelyn floral-print ruffled gown. Ms Froggatt wore a more modestly priced 149 Ghost dress and 120 Topshop blazer  but blew the budget on a 1,140 polkadot Manolo Blahnik clutch.

Ms Manville wore a 646 Diane Von Furstenberg Stassie jacket and matching 455 trousers.

Additional reporting: Eliza Scarborough
The Project panelist Michael Hing has said he 'understands' why the Channel 10 current affairs program has been subject to criticism over the years.

The comedian joined Channel 10's flagship current affairs show in December 2022, and spoke to Sydney Morning Herald on Friday ahead of his upcoming comedy show Long Live The Hing.

Briefly touching on his opinion of the program, Hing said: 'After 10 years, everyone knows about The Project. Some people think it's this leftist communist propaganda show. Other people think it's this racist, alt-right show.'

'There's been a real variety of panellists and guests and hosts, so I can understand the criticism that people have of it not agreeing with their values,' the former Triple J announcer added.

The Project, which is produced by Rove McManus' production company Roving Enterprises, has been accused of 'going woke' in recent years thanks to an increase in left-leaning news coverage.

The Project panelist Michael Hing (left, with co-host Georgie Tunny) has said he 'understands' why the Channel 10 current affairs program has been subject to criticism over the years.

Last year, OzTAM ratings revealed Channel 10's flagship current affairs program had lost almost a third of its audience since 2011.

The struggling show saw its metro ratings plummet to an all-time low of just 367,000 last year.

That's a 30 per cent decline from its five-city audience of 538,000 a decade earlier.

The comedian joined Channel 10's flagship current affairs show in December 2022, and spoke to Sydney Morning Herald on Friday ahead of his upcoming comedy show Long Live The Hing

In 2021, a leading TV commentator claimed Channel 10 is losing viewers because of The Project.

Rob McKnight, a former 10 executive who now runs industry website TV Blackbox, said the views expressed on The Project don't resonate with everyday Aussies.

He told Daily Mail Australia that despite its slick production and top-tier talent, The Project is 'very woke, and that doesn't connect with mainstream Australia.'

'There's been a real variety of panellists and guests and hosts, so I can understand the criticism that people have of it not agreeing with their values,' the former Triple J announcer said. (L-R: The Project's Sam Taunton, Waleed Aly, Sarah Harris)

McKnight explained: 'My take is that most Australians are centre-right in their politics which is why talkback radio does so well.

'But The Project skews too far to the left and doesn't reflect Betty from Bankstown or Irene from Ipswich. It really feels inner Melbourne and not relatable.'

He said the presenters are all 'great talent', but at some point the show just 'stopped connecting' with the mainstream - 'and that kills any brand'.

Long Live The Hing special airs on Thursday, September 28, at 8.30pm on 10.
Paris Fury has refuted traveller stereotypes.

In a new interview, the wife of undefeated heavyweight champion Tyson Fury detailed the unexpected life skills that women are taught by their elders.

Paris, 33, insisted that female travellers - who often leave education after primary school - don't 'just learn how to cook and clean.'

The mum-of-seven revealed that her own mother, Lynda Mulroy, taught her a huge range of skills that go way beyond 'how to shine silver or polish dishes.'

Paris said she was taught how to drive, use the bank, do businesses and paperwork, get into college, do job interviews and run a home.

Dispelling myths: Paris Fury, 33, has refuted traveller stereotypes as she detailed the unexpected life skills that women are taught by their elders

Real talk: Paris - who is mum to three daughters (pictured) and four sons - insisted that female travellersdon't 'just learn how to cook and clean'

Passing on knowledge: Paris revealed that her own mother, Lynda Mulroy, taught her a huge range of skills that go way beyond 'how to shine silver or polish dishes'

Paris told The Sun: 'I've come from a strong line of women, and we didn't just learn how to cook and clean.

'My mum taught me how to drive, she taught me how to use the bank, do businesses, get into college.'

Paris explained that as well as assisting her with homework, her mother showed her how to do paperwork and job interviews.

The mum-of-seven said: 'I think travellers have this stereotype that all the women know is how to clean.

'I wasn't just taught how to shine silver or polish dishes, I was taught how to run a home, a business and be a strong, independent woman.'

It comes after Tyson admitted he tried to pay Netflix to pull out of his family documentary while half way through filming.

The undefeated heavyweight champion, 35, revealed that he tried to 'pay his way out' of the series, At Home With The Furys.

The show followed the retired boxer and his childhood sweetheart wife Paris, 33, and their six children. The couple welcomed their seventh child, a baby boy, earlier this month..

The Furys: Tyson and Paris, 33, and their six children - Venezuela, 13, Prince John James, 11, Prince Tyson II, seven, Valencia, five, Prince Adonis Amaziah, four, two-year-old Athena

Family: It comes after Tyson and wife Paris announced they have welcomed their seventh child, a baby boy

Tyson told Queensberry promotions: 'I wanted to get rid of the filming. I couldn't take it any more, it was overwhelming.

'I tried to pay my way out of it, but I couldn't, so we got through it.

'I was happy I didn't because it's turned out to be a number one hit and a fantastic show  a fantastic insight in[to] a crazy family and the mind of a mental, crazy person.'

Despite actually enjoying the final Netflix docu-series, Tyson did complain that the streaming service didn't film 'the whole reality'.

He added: 'You need to film me in the bath,' which Netflix declined.

Tyson and Paris, who met as teenagers and married in 2008, are parents to Venezuela, 13, Prince John James, 11, Prince Tyson II, seven, Valencia, five, Prince Adonis Amaziah, four, two-year-old Athena and they recently welcomed a baby boy but have yet to announce his name.
Peter Kay has revealed his desire to revive his classic comedy Phoenix Nights as a film.

The comedian 50, admitted that he has been working on storylines and plots in recent years, more than two decades after it was first shown on TV.

Writing in his new book, T.V.: Big Adventures on the Small Screen, Peter said: 'I still write down ideas.

'I had an idea only today of Brian getting Young Kenny to paint an enormous letter 'H' on the roof of the club so he can advertise they've got a helicopter pad.

'The chance of a helicopter ever landing is, of course, zero.

Exciting: Peter Kay has revealed his desire to revive his classic comedy Phoenix Nights as a film

Comedy: The comedian 50, admitted that he has been working on storylines and plots in recent years, more than two decades after it was first shown on TV

'As the years pass, I'm becoming more like Brian, but if Phoenix Nights rose again it'd have to be for something very special, maybe a film?

'Perhaps Brian could get visited by three ghosts. Now, wouldn't that be an idea?'

If the film did grace UK cinemas, it would be 20 years since the eponymous social club first opened its doors, sparking the careers of both Kay, who played wannabe businessman Brian Potter, and co-star Paddy McGuinness.

The series ran from 2001 to 2002 and followed Peter's character as he tried to make his club the biggest in Bolton after the last two burned down.

Peter also added that he wanted to film a Christmas special of spin-off Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere with his former co-star.

They have written an episode which sees the two bouncers work in a grotto, dressed as elves, where they are 'overly aggressive' with the kids.

Peter added: 'Just reminiscing about it again makes me realise how much of a joy it might be to film it one day and work with Paddy again.'

Earlier this year, co-star Paddy teased a possible return of his much loved sitcom Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere.

Hit: The series ran from 2001 to 2002 and followed Peter's character as he tried to make his club the biggest in Bolton after the last two burned down

Club: If the film did grace UK cinemas, it would be 20 years since the eponymous social club first opened its doors, sparking the careers of both Kay and co-star Paddy McGuinness (left)

The comedian and pal Peter starred in the Channel 4 comedy show back in 2004, which ran for just six episodes.

But in a March radio interview, Paddy hinted that they wouldn't rule out bringing back the Phoenix Nights spin-off show, teasing: 'Never say never.'

The TV star also told how he and stand-up legend Peter had already written a number of Christmas specials for the show, but never got around to releasing it at the time.

Speaking on Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp, Paddy said: 'We do talk about it and what have you, but, I don't, I can't, I can't see it at the minute, but we never say never, but it's good to talk.

'Like Max and Paddy for instance, we wrote a couple of Christmas specials, and we still got them.

'And we never got around to doing on for whatever the reason were back in the day. But we've actually got them!'

The Take Me Out host then went on to confirm that there are scripts ready and waiting in the wings should they ever be needed.

He then joked: 'These days, I'm inherently lazy. So I like doing as little as possible for as much money as possible.'

Radio presenter Chris Stark then attempted to persuade Paddy to push ahead with the show, saying: 'But the Christmas special, hang on a minute, like you're sitting on, there's a Max and Paddy that's been made. But your saying you're too...you didn't say lazy?'

Paddy then confirmed 'Lazy...', to which Chris replied: 'Okay, you said it. You're too lazy to put it out? What do we need to do?'

Dropping hints: Earlier this year, co-star Paddy teased a possible return of his much loved sitcom Max and Paddy's Road To Nowhere

Comeback? The comedian and pal Peter starred in the Channel 4 comedy show back in 2004, which ran for just six episodes

Paddy then explained: 'No, the thing is, with anything, if you're doing a scripted comedy show, it does take a long time.

'So to do something like, you have literally got to kind of blank out 12 months of your life and genuinely at the moment. I mean, he's on tour.

'I've got all kinds of stuff going on, and it's just sort of going "right, let's get together. Let's get our diaries together. And let's blank out for that time".'

The series, a spin-off of Peter Kay's Phoenix Nights, follows doormen Patrick 'Paddy' O'Shea and Maxwell 'Max' Bygraves as they tour the UK in a campervan.

The duo were on the run from a club patron who threatened to have them killed by a hitman in Phoenix Nights.

Peter and Paddy reprised their roles in a 2005 parody fitness DVD while they also starred in Phoenix Nights Live in Manchester in 2015 for Comic Relief.
Erin McNaught has been 'soft launching' a new relationship with dance music producer, Stace Cadet, following divorce with English musician Example.

According to a report in The Sunday Telegraph this week, the model, 41, has been spending time with the Adelaide-based electronic musician.

Stace, real name Stasi Kotaras, was spotted cuddling up to the model and sharing a kiss in an intimate photo together.

The pair haven't made any formal announcement but they have shared a number of flirty exchanges on Instagram.

'Last little chunk of life. It's been good to me,' McNaught captioned a slew of photos, with a love heart emoji.

Erin McNaught has been caught in a flirty exchange online with dance music producer Stace Cadet, as reported by The Sunday Telegraph this week. Pictured

Stace, real name Stasi Kotaras, was spotted cuddling up to the model and sharing a kiss in an intimate photo together. Pictured

'Yes it has,' Stace Cadet replied, with a wink and two heart emojis.

The mother-of-two left a fire and heart emoji on his post about doing a 'little mix' for the 'legends at Triple J'.

Erin and her ex-husband, rapper Example, real name Elliot Gleave, announced their split in October last year.

The pair were married from 2013 to 2022.

Erin and her ex-husband, rapper Example, real name Elliot Gleave, announced their split in October last year. The pair were married from 2013 to 2022. Pictured

The rapper is now seeing art advisor Daisy Cox, who has relocated to Australia to be with him.

Example wrote that their romance came to a 'natural end' after 11 years together and said that he and Erin will still be happily co-parenting their sons Evander, aged seven, and Ennio, aged five.

In a joint Instagram statement, the couple explained: 'At the start of the UK summer we decided to separate. We have had an amazing 11 years together, but just a few too many adventures.

The rapper is now seeing art advisor Daisy Cox, who has relocated to Australia to be with him. Pictured

'Obviously we spent a lot of time behind the scenes trying to figure things out, but we came to the realisation that perhaps our time as a couple had just come to a natural end.

'So we have decided to go our separate ways whilst there is still an abundance of love and respect for one another.

'We have been co-parenting happily and effectively now for almost half a year and our boys are surrounded with love.'

Continuing his statement, he penned: 'Due to Elliot's busy summer schedule over 14 weeks in Europe, Erin and the boys flew to London for 4 weeks so Elliot wouldn't have to go months without seeing Evander and Ennio.

'We had an amazing family holiday, and look forward to more in the future. We have had incredible support from our closest friends and family, who are proud of how are handling this separation.

'We have turned off commenting to protect ourselves, our children and closest friends and family. Please do not feel the need to text or DM us whoever you are.'
Louise Redknapp has pulled out of an Eternal reunion after two members of the band refused to play LGBTQ+ festivals and Pride on the tour.

Eternal, who shot to stardom in the nineties, were planning a huge reunion tour next year, with the highlights including performances at Pride and Mighty Hoopla.

Both festivals celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, however the tour dates apparently did not go down well with band members Easther and Vernie Bennett.

The sisters allegedly did not want to play the gigs because they believe the gay community is being 'hijacked' by the trans community.

It has been revealed Louise and her team received a message from Vernie and Easther, stating they would not be involved in any Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.

I'm out! Louise Redknap p has pulled out of an Eternal reunion after two members of the band refused to play LGBTQ + festivals and Pride on the tour (Lousie performing at Brighton Pride in August)

Backing out: Eternal, who shot to stardom in the nineties, were planning a huge reunion tour next year, with the highlights including performances at Pride and Mighty Hoopla

Louise's publicist, Simon Jones, said: 'A message was sent to the team putting together the Eternal reunion stating that if it was to go ahead, neither Vernie nor Easther would perform at Pride shows or LGBTQ+ festivals.

'This was because the duo felt that the gay community was being hijacked by the trans community and they do not support this.

'Louise is a huge supporter and ally of the LGBTQ+ community and both herself and Kelle told the duo they would not work with anyone who held these views, and as such the reunion as a four would not be going ahead.

'The team behind the proposed Eternal reunion are gay including management, PR and tour promoter, and neither myself nor any of the team would work with artists who held such views about the trans community.'

Easther and Vernie have been contact by MailOnline for comment.

Louise, who recently confirmed she is dating new boyfriend Drew Michael, has performed as a solo artist at many Pride events over the years.

Earlier this summer she took to the stage alone at Brighton Pride in August.

The Eternal tour was set to be the first time the original line-up had performed together since Louise quit in 1995 to pursue a solo career.

They soared to stardom in the early nineties with hits such as Stay and I Wanna Be The Only One.

Louise's other former bandmate and Loose Women star Kelle Bryan has also reportedly pulled out of the reunion tour for the same reasons.

Claims: Both festivals celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, however the tour dates apparently did not go down well with band members Easther and Vernie Bennett (pictured 1994)

The band stayed together for another five years after Louise quit, before splitting and reuniting in 2014 on ITV's The Big Reunion without her.

Earlier this week, Louise paid tribute to her time with the band, taking to Instagram to honour their 30th anniversary.

She wrote: 'Where it all began 30 years ago today Stay was released. I remember it like yesterday Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls.

'I remember it like if was yesterday the first radio play sat round my mums kitchen table missing the que to hit record when it played, to going to America to shoot the video and so many more incredible memories.

'Stay is such a timeless song Easther absolutely KILLING that opening note as she does and Im so proud this was where it all started for us! Im so lucky I got to record this song myself for my Greatest Hits this year and girls I hope I did you proud.

'Happy 30th Anniversary to my Eternal girls Kelle, Easther and Vernie and most importantly THANK YOU to each and every one of you that has been there with us from day 1 buying every record, coming to every show and being so supportive over the last 30 years.'
Kate Moss put on a glamorous display as she enjoyed a night out in Mayfair with Count Nikolai von Bismarck.

The supermodel, 49, and Count Nikolai, 36, put on a cosy display as they walked arm-in-arm through the streets of London.

Kate looked stunning for the night-out in a black sheer top and blue denim jeans.

She paired her look with a stylish black blazer and boosted her enviable frame with black heeled boots.

The couple were spotted arriving for a late lunch at Claridge's Hotel before leaving as darkness fell.

The two appeared extremely comfortable in each other's company as they puffed on cigarettes and strolled together.

Rumours of Nikolai's split from Kate first started swirling when he was spotted heading to a hotel with model Camille Rowe in July.

Back on? Kate Moss put on a glamorous display as she enjoyed a night out in Mayfair with her rumoured ex-boyfriend Count Nikolai von Bismarck

Close: The supermodel, 49, and Count Nikolai, 36, put on a cosy display as they walked arm-in-arm through the streets of London

Before this week, Nikolai and Kate were last seen together in September 2022 and neither have spoken about the status of their relationship.

Kate famously skipped usual haunt Glastonbury in June while Nikolai opted to attend with friends.

But this week, Kate was seen heading to the Fendi runway show at Milan Fashion Week with Count Nikolai, their first sighting together this year.

Last week, Kate opted to snub the Vogue World after party, while Nikolai was pictured partying at the event with her friend Rita Ora and Rafael Pavarotti.

Kate has called Count Nikolai, 36, her boyfriend since 2015 and has daughter Lila, 19, from a previous relationship with Jefferson Hack.

Opening up to Harper's Bazaar last year, Kate spoke about her relationship with Nikolai.

She said: 'Being in love makes me feel beautiful. My daughter Lila inspires me to be the best person I can be.

'My favourite moments are when all the family are sitting down together having lunch on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the country.'

Day out: Kate looked stunning for the night-out in a black sheer top and blue denim jeans. The couple were spotted arriving for a late lunch at Claridge's Hotel

Chic: She paired her look with a stylish black blazer and boosted her enviable frame with black heeled boots. The pair enjoyed a leisurely late lunch before departing as evening fell

Stylish: The stunner wore her blonde locks naturally wavy and toted a grey bag on her arm

Relaxed: Meanwhile, Count Nikolai looked equally stylish in a white shirt and black jumper, layered with a brown blazer coat and black jeans

Low-key: The two appeared extremely comfortable in each other's company as they puffed on cigarettes and strolled together

History: Rumours of Nikolai's split from Kate first started swirling when he was spotted heading to a hotel with model Camille Rowe

Rumours: Nikolai and Kate had last been seen together in September 2022 and neither have spoken about the status of their relationship

In 2016, it was reported that Kate had split from Nikolai, after his partying ways became too much for her.

The model is said to have previously argued with her beau over his refusal to calm his wild partying down, according to The Sun, but they later got back together.

The reports came at the same time her divorce from ex-husband of four years, Jamie Hince was finalised.

The Croydon-born beauty married The Kills guitarist in 2011 but split in 2015 after four years of marriage.

Kate previously dated Babyshambles rocker Peter Doherty - they met at the model's 31st birthday party in 2005 and instantly hit it off.

Kate was in a relationship with Jefferson Hack between 2001 and 2004 and the pair welcomed a daughter, Lila in 2002.
Dina Broadhurst is certainly not short on admirers.

And the nude artist, 45, proved why when she flaunted her sensational figure in a bandeau bikini on Sunday.

The star slipped into the skimpy Hunza G bikini worth $285, as she posed at her home in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Dina showed her svelte figure, including her ample chest and flat stomach, in the bikini as she soaked up the sun.

Dina let her brunette tresses cascade past her shoulders as she sat on her balcony and enjoyed the sunset.

'Nude artist' Dina Broadhurst, 45, flaunted her sensational figure in a skimpy bandeau bikini on Sunday. Pictured

The star slipped into the skimpy Hunza G bikini worth $285, as she posed at her home in Sydney 's eastern suburbs

'Sweet & salty,' Dina captioned the photos.

The sighting comes after Dina was seen canoodling with property investor Tony Benjamin at Bondi Beach.

Tony is said to have previously been in a professional and romantic relationship with Potts Point jeweller Chrissi James, who confirmed her shock when she saw paparazzi photos of the pair together on Daily Mail Australia.

Chrissi said she had seen the flirty photos and appeared upset when contacted by Daily Mail Australia.

'I don't want to comment, it's not a great situation to be in,' she said.

Chrissi is understood to still be working alongside Tony, managing the pair's Sydney holiday rentals - III Rooms.

Friends close to Dina have confirmed she and Tony were in a relationship 10 years ago, and the pair recently rekindled their romance and have been dating for around three months.

Dina showed her svelte figure, including her ample chest and flat stomach, in the bikini as she soaked up the sun. Pictured

The sighting comes after Dina was seen canoodling with property investor Tony Benjamin at Bondi Beach. Tony is said to have previously been in a professional and romantic relationship with Potts Point jeweller Chrissi James

The shock romance comes one year after Tony and his on-again-off-again partner Chrissi went on a romantic holiday to Paris, the city of love.

Meanwhile, Dina recently split from her longtime partner Max Shepherd.

Max, 31, moved into Michael Clarke's bachelor pad in Vaucluse, and he nursed his heartbreak with a trip overseas.
Kanye West is breaching Italian law by wearing a face mask in public during his extended Italian holiday with partner Bianca Censori, MailOnline can exclusively reveal.

Under anti-terror and public order legislation wearing anything that hampers an individuals identification is illegal and punishable by a maximum fine of up to 2,000 Euros.

During the couples six week stay in Italy the controversial rapper has been seen wearing a mask in Venice, Florence and most recently in Milan where they attended Fashion Week.

Officials in Venice are already investigating Kanye and Bianca after they were caught in a compromising position in a water taxi last month.

They sparked controversy after she was snapped in an outfit that exposed her bare buttocks, while she was kneeling in front of him.

Controversial Kanye West (pictured) may be in breach of Italy's anti-terror laws, according to a top lawyer

West has been seen wearing a dark mask throughout his extended holiday in Italy with his 'wife' Bianca Censori, including at Milan Fashion Week

The pair stirred controversy among locals in Florence, Italy, as they went shopping in the city

In other snaps Kanye, 46, was seen seated in the back of the water taxi with Australian Bianca, 28, nestling her head in his lap.

Venice police have already identified the driver of the boat and have also asked for photographers to hand over the images which were seen all over the world.

Now it has emerged that Kanye could face further investigation for breaching article 533 of Italian law introduced in 1977 to fight domestic terrorism.

In 2005 following a spate of Islamic inspired atrocities the law was further updated banning the wearing of crash helmets as well as full face coverings.

The only exceptions are for religious reasons and a written authority must be obtained by the individual from local authorities.

West and Censori are already under investigation after being caught in a controversial position in a Venetian water taxi last month

Bianca Censori (pictured) was seen smiling as she and her 'husband' went shopping in Florence

According to the law, it is forbidden to use any article which will hamper an individuals identification, in a public place or in a that is open to the public, with a justifiable motive.

The contravention of said article is punishable by a fine of 1,000 Euro up to a maximum of 2,000 Euro.

Kanye was last seen in public on Friday evening in Milan where he gave an interview to a local radio station after attending a show by the designer Zanotti.

Again, he was interviewed while wearing a full face covering and it follows a similar appearance in Florence where he was pictured wearing the same outfit.

There he and Bianca carried out a raucous photoshoot  while he sported a black face mask and hooded jacket  and she wore one of her now infamous nude outfits.

Kanye jetted to Milan from Florence on his own and Bianca has not been seen since Friday.

Kanye could be fined up to 2,000 euros for constantly wearing a dark covering over his face

West has been 'married' to Censori since early 2023, though neither of them have yet filed for a marriage licence

Lawyer Angelo Russo told MailOnline: Wearing any item that covers your face and makes it difficult for a person to be identified by the forces of public security is an offence.

The law was introduced initially during the 1970s when Italy was suffering from domestic terrorism and then tightened further following international terror attacks.

Obviously there are exceptions wearing a scarf or balaclava over your face during the winter would be tolerated.

But wearing a full face covering at any other time, particularly in good weather, would not be seen as a reasonable and the police would have permission to stop and question the individual.

Officials in Venice are investigating whether any offence contrary to public decency was committed by the couple and if so, this is punishable by a fine.

Venice has a long list of bylaws for public decorum including swimming in canals, having open air picnics and sprawling out on the steps of public buildings.

No one from Milan police was immediately available for comment to MailOnline.
There is no playbook for finding out your husband is a rapist, after being married for twelve years and having a daughter together.

But theres something about Bijou Phillips, wife of fellow Scientologist and star of That 70s Show Danny Masterson, thats not quite adding up.

Twelve days after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the rape of two women in the early 2000s, Phillips finally filed for divorce.

It came as a shock to many following the case because Phillips had spent the last six years standing by his side  Masterson was first accused in 2017 and charged in 2020.

In fact, Phillips didn't just play the run-of-the-mill dutiful wife, she went above and beyond: kissing Masterson while on a trial lunch break, walking arm-in-arm with him into court, penning a desperate letter to the judge begging for leniency in his sentencing, saying she cant accept that her husband is a rapist, that the man I married has only been an extraordinary husband to me and a devoted father to our daughter.

Something about Bijou Phillips, wife of fellow Scientologist and star of That 70s Show Danny Masterson, is not quite adding up. (Pictured: Couple walking arm-in-arm into court in May).

Twelve days after Masterson was sentenced to 30 years in prison for the rape of two women in the early 2000s, Phillips finally filed for divorce. It came as a shock to many following the case because Phillips had spent the last six years standing by his side. (Pictured: Phillips last week without her wedding ring).

Last week, sources close to Bijou gave DailyMail.com exclusive insight into the sudden change of heart:

Recently friends and family have told [Bijou] to be a mom first and to consider divorce because it really shows her daughter that eventually people need to be held accountable for what they do, even if it is someone they love.

Sounds about right. Though Im not sure why it took nearly two weeks and a host of loved ones to get her to this obvious conclusion about her rapist husband.

But, before we declare her mom of the century, read on

Bijou is also seeking to protect her assets and protect her future.

She doesn't want to lose money and land and housing over a future civil lawsuit against Danny, the source said.

Ah! There we have it, monetary incentives. Though, in all fairness, nobody can blame a mother for seeking to shore up her child's future financial security.

But wait, theres more

'Bijou will never say anything negative about Danny's parenting skills, he is incredible in that department, the source added. Bijou loves Danny, always will, and really hopes that his sentence is eventually lessened and or reversed.'

What?

Its this flurry of inconsistencies that proves to me Team Bijou has shot an epic misfire.

There are so many questions.

Does Bijou truly want to teach her 9-year-old a vitally important lesson, that even once-beloved fathers and high-powered TV stars have to be punished accordingly, rightfully cut off for crimes as disgusting as Mastersons violent rapes?

Last week, a source close to Bijou said she is now divorcing Masterson because it 'shows her daughter that eventually people need to be held accountable for what they do. Yet the source also said: 'Bijou loves Danny, always will, and really hopes that his sentence is eventually lessened and or reversed.'

Its this flurry of inconsistencies that proves to me Team Bijou has shot an epic misfire. There are so many questions. Does she truly want to teach her 9-year-old a vitally important lesson, that even once-beloved fathers and high-powered TV stars must be punished for crimes as disgusting as Mastersons violent rape - or not?

Or does she believe his 30-years sentence  for the assault of women he had drugged  is too harsh or even unjust? That such a man is an 'incredible' exemplar of fatherhood?

What sort of lesson would that teach young girls?

On Saturday we discovered another piece of this bizarre puzzle. For it has now been revealed that Bijous divorce papers claim she and Masterson have been living apart for the past five years  and that their daughter has resided solely with Bijou in Santa Ynez, California.

This begs another question, then, after the steadfast public loyalty, the letter to the judge, the final kiss Masterson blew to a weeping Bijou as he was hauled away after sentencing, the reports that she was left feeling as if she was grieving a death was it all an act?

Sources close to Bijou also claimed after the trial that she was a shell of her former self trying to figure out life and what it will be like for her now that she isn't able to be with Danny the way they were.

The way they were? Hadnt they been living apart for the last five years?

The trustworthiness of Bijous divorce filing is surely on shaky ground.

Masterson's last Instagram post in October 2022 might provide some elucidation.

In the post he gushed about his joy at coming home to his 3 perfect ladies (Bijou, their daughter and his dog) after just a few days away in LA.

Coming home, or coming to visit your estranged wife and daughter?

Will the real Bijou Phillips please stand up?

For while her PR machine is clearly working overtime to solidify her image as the GOOD MOM, the dutiful wife taking the moral high ground despite it all, I cant help but feel that his stew of Team Bijou briefings really doesnt add up.

Bijous divorce papers also claim she and Masterson have been living apart for the past five years. This begs another question, then, after the steadfast public loyalty, the final kiss Masterson blew to a weeping Bijou as he was hauled away after sentencing (pictured), the reports that she was left feeling as if she was grieving a death was it all an act?

Masterson's last Instagram post in October 2022 (pictured) might provide some elucidation. In the post he gushed about his joy at coming home to his 3 perfect ladies (Bijou, their daughter and his dog) after just a few days away in LA. Coming home, or coming to visit your estranged wife and daughter? Will the real Bijou Phillips please stand up?

Bijou's only positive outlook on things stems from her trust in Danny and the appeal process.... she completely trusts he never did what he was charged for... she is looking to the appeal process for justice to be served, sources also told DailyMail.com Saturday.

Yet this is a woman who sat and listened in court to the hideous, visceral testimonies of Masterson's victims.

Jane Doe 1 testified she was raped by the star at his house in 2003, that he gave her something to drink before throwing her into his jacuzzi, where she said her vision went blurry.

Later, he shoved his fingers down her throat to make her vomit before dragging her into his shower and forcibly soaping her breasts. She punched him but couldnt fight back. He then took her to his bed, smothered her with a pillow until she fell unconscious and raped her.

At one point, Masterson pulled a gun from his nightstand, telling her to shut the f*** up as he threatened her with the weapon.

Youd be hard pushed to find a more horrific tale.

And while we can sympathize with the mother of Mastersons child, and the difficulty of hearing and accepting such vile acts, Bijou urgently needs to provide some clarity on where she now stands.

Yes, this is devastating for all the lives Masterson has ruined  but his victims and their loved ones must be the priority. And, perhaps, Bijou and Danny's young daughter, too  who will now grow up without a father, and with a mother who seems perilously close to a detrimental obsession with her public persona.

Bijou owes it to them to tell the truth and let this sick, sadistic saga finally end.
Rosie Huntington-Whitely looked nothing short of sensational as she attended the Dolce & Gabbana party during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday.

The model, 36, looked sensational in a sheer blazer and midi skirt, highlighting her toned pins and enviable figure.

Underneath she opted for a beige corset and a racy pair of cream shorts.

The stunner paired her stylish look with white open-toed stilettos and toted a cream clutch bag in hand.

Wearing her blonde tresses straight, the former Transformers star accessorised with a pair of silver drop earrings.

Wow! Rosie Huntington-Whitely looked nothing short of sensational as she attended the Dolce & Gabbana party during Milan Fashion Week on Saturday

Earlier that evening, Rosie joined Kylie Jenner and Maya Jama at the front row of glamour at the Dolce & Gabbana show.

While famous models have been storming the runways, a whole host of modelling talents have also been among the celebrity front rows (Frows) during Fashion Week.

And the Dolce & Gabbana show was no change as huge names in the modelling industry descended on the front row, showing off their fashion credentials in head turning looks.

TV personality Kylie, 26, cut a glamorous figure in a black button-up mini dress with a white collar as she sat alongside Rosie and actress Halle Bailey on the front row.

She kept her essentials in a small Dolce & Gabbana handbag as she showed her support for the luxury fashion house while watching the runway show.

Model Rosie was also seen looking as elegant as ever as she sat alongside Kylie on the glamorous front row.

The blonde bombshell, who is in a relationship with Jason Statham, put on a very leggy display in a white blazer mini dress, which she styled with white stockings.

She gave herself a few extra inches in a pair of pointed heels and toted her essentials in a small cream handbag to complete her bombshell look.

Gorgeous: The model, 36, looked sensational in a sheer blazer and midi skirt, highlighting her toned pins and enviable figure

Revealing: Underneath she opted for a beige corset and a racy pair of cream shorts

Model: The stunner paired her stylish look with white open-toed stilettos and toted a cream clutch bag in hand

Show-stopping: Wearing her blonde tresses straight, the former Transformers star accessorised with a pair of silver drop earrings

A week earlier, Rosie made an appearance at London Fashion Week with Jason.

Rosie and Jason have been together since 2010 and got engaged in 2016 - although they have insisted they are in no hurry to rush their wedding preparations.

Back in 2018 when their son was born, Rosie told ET that the wedding wasn't a 'huge priority.'

She said: 'We're looking forward to that time. It's also not a huge priority for us; we're so happy.

'I think it will be fun to do it when the baby's grown up a bit and he can be involved in the wedding.'

Rosie has previously described the 'shift in identity' she experienced after becoming a mother, which felt like 'mourning the loss of [her] old life'.

Speaking in an interview with Net-A-Porter's PORTER magazine in 2021, she explained: 'For a period after I had my first son, there was a real shift in identity, and a sort of mourning of the loss of your old life, and who you were.'

Expanding on the transition from model to mother, Rosie added: 'I just remember feeling like the rug was pulled out from underneath me.

'I'd had all these years of being really independent, being able to come and go as I wished, being self-employed to a degree, calling the shots, and then suddenly having [something] that really anchored me to home life.'
Kourtney Kardashian is expected to be one of the items on the agenda when the Malibu City Council meets Monday.

The 44-year-old reality star  who has already decorated her own home in Halloween decorations  is accused of renting another home and lying on city permits about why she needed it, via her event planner.

According to TMZ, mayor Bruce Silverstein accused the event planner of claiming to use the home for a baby shower in order to get a permit, but instead used it as a promotional party for her wellness brand, Poosh.

DailyMail.com has reached out to a representative for Kourtney for comment.

A source tells DailyMail.com that, contrary to the mayor's statement, the event was never described as a baby shower on the permit request.

Agenda item: Kourtney Kardashian is expected to be one of the items on the agenda when the Malibu City Council meets Monday. The 44-year-old is accused of renting a house in Malibu and lying on city permits about about why she needed it (Pictured in New York in May)

The mayor issued a statement entitled: 'City of Malibu Continues to Place Celebrities and the Uber Wealthy Over Residents: City Staff Sells Out to Kardashian and Grants Emergency Expedited Permit for Large Event in a Vacant Single-Family Home in Private Neighborhood.'

He wrote: 'As an elected official, however, I am appalled by the situation, and it helps me understand what residents throughout the city are dealing with.'

The mayor said the alleged practice was 'Not a good look for the city  although it is a great ad to non-residents who want to come here and destroy the residents' peaceful enjoyment of their homes.'

He then stated he believed the permit had been obtained under false pretenses.

'I understand that the event has been represented to be a baby shower that is being hosted by the owner of the property.'

Photos from the Poosh Instagram show the theme from the party was 'Poolside with Poosh.'

The account showed a blueprint of the house and the various activities planned, including a nail salon, massages and a hair salon.

'Both of those representations are contrary to what the event planner told me  which was that the house is being rented for an influencer event,' the mayor wrote.

Brands represented at the party included Kendall Jenner's 818 Tequila and a Wet Bar.

Valmont Cosmetics, along with more mainstream brands such as Cover Girl and Sally Hansen nail polish also reportedly paid to be part of the festivities.

Another alleged misrepresentation is that the permit claimed reportedly claimed 94 guests would attend the 'baby shower.'

By contrast, mayor claimed some 600 guests showed up during the course of the event.

However, an event attendee claimed there were no more than 100 people attending the event, which was put on for friends of Poosh.

A video in the company's Instagram Stories shows someone who looks like Kourtney getting out of a high end rental car, walking into the event and taking viewers on a virtual tour.

Purpose: The mayor claims the house was rented for a 'baby shower' but was actually used for an 'influencer event' by Poosh. Photos on the Poosh Instagram page show a blueprint and what kinds of activities would be taking place throughout the house

No show: Video from Poosh's Instagram Stories show someone who looked similar to Kourtney going into the party and giving a virtual tour, though they were revealed to be a different person at the end of the video. The mayor claims Kourtney did not attend the party

She had a black bob similar to Kourtney's current style, though a brief glimpse at the end of the clip as she turned revealed that she was not the KUWTK star, as she didn't have Kourtney's baby bump, and her face was partially shown at the end as well.

Silverstein alleges that, despite the misleading video, Kourtney never showed up at the event.

The mayor is asking for an internal investigation into the permit and how it was obtained.

He also wants to know if any city employees were 'complicit' in the alleged fraud.
Cate Blanchett and Lily Allen both made very stylish appearances at the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday.

Actress Cate, 54, looked sensational as she graced the red carpet in a stylish black jumpsuit which fitted like a glove.

The star, who is an Armani brand ambassador, dazzled in the daringly plunging one-piece which boasted sequin embellishment and eye catching cape sleeves.

Cate added inches to her statuesque frame with a pair of towering Aquazzura black boots as she posed for pictures at the star-studded event.

Flashing her gorgeous smile, the star showed off her radiant palette of makeup and styled her blonde tresses in luxurious curls.

Glamorous: Cate Blanchett , 54, (L) and Lily Allen, 38, (R) both made very stylish appearances at the Giorgio Armani show during Milan Fashion Week on Sunday

Stunning: Actress Cate, 54, looked sensational as she graced the red carpet in a stylish black jumpsuit which fitted like a glove

Meanwhile British songstress Lily, 38, looked gorgeous in a pink satin co-ord which she appeared to have dyed her glossy locks to match.

The look featured wide legged trousers and matching blouse layered with a long black coat.

The Smile hitmaker sported radiant make-up and opted for stylish accessories with pointed heels and a chic clutch.

The Ocean's 8 star Cate later beamed for photos alongside French actress Juliette Binoche, 59.

Juliette looked effortlessly stylish as she tucked a white T-shirt into a pair of black wide legged trousers and a long black leather jacket.

Cate's collaboration with the luxury brand was signed for a whopping $10million dollars in 2013 and she has featured on a number of adverts ever since.

Speaking about aligning her views with Armani and their take on beauty, she previously said: 'I think often we have a very narrow field of focus when we talk about beauty, but I find beauty in unexpected places...

'And through collaborations of various kinds over the years, my lens has widened  and I'm really grateful for that'.

Speaking about the fragrance Si, she said: 'With fragrance you can create an atmosphere; its very emotionally, subconsciously charged...

'Anything that can help inhabit a character or atmosphere on set I will do. Finding a scent for a character allows you to operate on a much more subconscious level.

Perfection: Cate added inches to her statuesque frame with a pair of towering black boots as she posed for pictures at the star-studded event

Beauty: Flashing her gorgeous smile, the star showed off her radiant palette of makeup and styled her blonde tresses in luxurious curls

Saucy: The plunging frock teased a glimpse of cleavage

Incredible: Flashing her gorgeous smile, Cate showed off her radiant palette of makeup complete with blushed cheeks and a swipe of pink lipstick

Pals: Cate looked stunning as she beamed for photos alongside French actress Juliette Binoche, 59

Dressed to impress: She added inches to her frame in a pair of towering black boots as she posed for pictures at the star-studded event

Star power: The ladies took their seats in the star-studded front row

Smile: (L-R) They posed for the cameras before the models took to the catwalk

Gorgeous: Cate looked incredible in the outfit which hugged every inch of her figure

Her appearance comes after Cate enjoyed a rare outing with her son Roman in NYC.

Cate shares sons Roman, Dashiell, 21, and Ignatius, 15, as well as adopted daughter Edith, eight, with Upton, 57 - with whom she tied the knot in 1997.

The award-winning actress made her film debut in 1997 in the project titled Paradise Road, but rose to prominence after being cast with the leading role in the historical drama, Elizabeth (1998).

Throughout the course of her successful career thus far, Blanchett has been nominated for a total of eight Oscars and won two - Best Supporting Actress for The Aviator and Best Actress for Blue Jasmine.

While talking to Page Six last year in April, Cate admitted that despite her fame, her children are 'disinterested' in their mother's stardom.

Think pink!Meanwhile British songstress Lily, 38, looked gorgeous in a pink satin co-ord which she appeared to have dyed her glossy locks to match

Chic: The look featured wide legged trousers and matching blouse which was layered with a long black coat

Glam: The Smile hitmaker sported radiant make-up with lashings of eye-liner

Fashion: She opted for stylish accessories with pointed heels and a chic clutch.

'They have no idea, no idea,' she informed the outlet. 'I told them, "Oh I'm going to New York for 36 hours. I'll be back on Wednesday" One of them is getting an award at school, and they went, "Oh, OK, have a good time."'

The star expressed that her four kids are 'disinterested' in her fame, but 'in the best possible, healthiest way.'

She recently celebrated the release of a recent project titled, The New Boy, which premiered in Australia on July 6. The beauty portrayed the leading role of Sister Eileen in the movie - which was both written and directed by Warwick Thornton.

The premise follows, 'The mesmeric story of a nine-year-old aboriginal Australian orphan boy who arrives in the dead of night at a remote monastery run by a renegade nun,' per IMDB.
Gigi Hadid landed back in New York City after a quick trip to Milan Fashion Week in Italy.

The model, 28, walked in the Versace show alongside Vittoria Ceretti, 25, the current girlfriend of her ex-fling Leonardo DiCaprio, 48.

The mom of Kai, three, with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, looked chic and comfortable in a black sweater and baggy olive green pants.

A gold chain was visible on her neck and she wore her hair pulled back into a bun.

She rocked white Adidas trainers with black stripes as she rolled her mustard-colored suitcase and large Louis Vuitton duffel bag through the terminal.

Quick trip: Gigi Hadid landed back in New York City after a quick trip to Milan Fashion Week in Italy

The Next in Fashion host had a catwalk run-in with Ceretti during the Versace show, which also featured Gigi's pal Kendall Jenner, 27.

Earlier this month, DailyMail.com revealed that Leonardo had been dating Vittoria for at least two months after they were seen kissing in an Ibiza nightclub recently.

Sources close to the actor said he is 'besotted' with Vittoria who, at the age of 25, is 23 years his junior.

They also say the Italian model is being referred to as his 'girlfriend.'

A few days ago, Gigi and the Oscar winner arrived in Milan on the same commercial airline flight.

She walked through the terminal about 10-15 minutes before The Wolf of Wall Street star did.

Gigi started seeing the Titanic actor last year after his split from Daisy Jones And The Six star Camila Morrone, 26, whom he dated for five years.

The nearly 50-year-old actor has a long history of only dating women 25 and under and hasn't changed his ways as he nears a half century of life.

Catwalk: The model, 28, walked in the Versace show alongside her ex-fling Leonardo DiCaprio's current girlfriend Vittoria Ceretti, 25

Back home: The mom of Kai, three, with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, looked chic and comfortable in a black sweater and baggy olive green pants

The Romeo + Juliet actor was ready to make an exception to his age rule for Gigi but she broke it off not long after they got together.

According to Us Weekly, Leo 'really saw himself dating' the model.

'[Her] first priority is her child,' the source told the outlet. '[She] doesn't want to date someone seriously unless she can introduce them to her child.'

However, the former flings are 'still in touch' with each other and remain on friendly terms.
? En esta fecha renovamos nuestro total respaldo a las Fuerzas Armadas en su lucha frontal contra el narcoterrorismo, la gestion del riesgo de desastres y la colaboracion con la @PoliciaPeru en favor de la seguridad ciudadana. pic.twitter.com/K8oXJseFwn
She's been Britains golden girl ever since her hit comedy Fleabag launched her to global superstardom.

But unlike her chaotic alter ego, things certainly seem to be going the right way for Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose company earned 16m last year.

The actress and writer, 38, could also be about to get the happy ending that alluded Fleabag as she has fuelled speculation that she is engaged to filmmaker and playwright Martin McDonagh.

Waller-Bridge, who has been dating Oscar winning McDonagh, 53, since 2017, sparked rumours that they are set to wed by wearing an enormous diamond ring on her engagement finger at her brothers wedding at the weekend.

And the star certainly didnt seem to be keeping a low profile in a bright pink Etro suit, costing 1,945, a matching 400 waistcoat and a black necktie.

Curious" Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who has been dating Martin McDonagh since 2017, sparked rumours that they are set to wed by wearing a ring on her engagement finger at her brothers wedding

There it is: Unlike her chaotic alter ego, things certainly seem to be going the right way for Waller-Bridge , whose company earned 16m last year

I do: Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery has found love again as she married Jasper Waller-Bridge, seven years since the death of her former fiance

She was joined by her filmmaker other half as her brother Jasper Waller-Bridge married Downton Abbey actress Michelle Dockery at St Nicholas Church in Chiswick, West London.

Waller-Bridge and McDonagh are considered one of the film worlds most prolific power couples who regularly support each other on the red carpet.

The actress was on hand to celebrate with her partner at this years Oscars, where his film The Banshees of Inisherin was nominated for nine awards.

Its really useful being with someone who I think is a genius, it just ups your game, she previously said of her relationship.

Waller-Bridge, who most recently appeared on the big screen opposite Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, has had a successful year with her finances as well as in her love life.

According to Companies House, her company PMWB Limited made nearly 16m in the financial year ending last November.

She won Golden Globes, Emmys and a BAFTA for smash hit Fleabag and was nominated for her work writing and producing Killing Eve.

Hard to miss: Waller-Bridge wore a bright pink Etro suit, costing 1,945, a matching 400 waistcoat and a black necktie as she joined partner Martin McDonagh at the wedding over the weekend

Happy couple: Dockery is thought to have been introduced to Jasper in Los Angeles in 2019 through his sister, who wrote Killing Eve and Fleabag

Make way: Actress Lily James (pictured) wore a long lemon coloured coat to the London wedding

He looks familiar: Downton Abbey stars Hugh Bonneville and Jim Carter attended the ceremony too

There she is: The groom's sister Phoebe Waller-Bridge (right), looked stunning in her bright pink three-piece suit

Lovely: Dashing bri Dockdeery appeared overjoyed as her guests threw confetti

She has since been a co-writer on the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die, and appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story. She signed a 60 million three-year deal with Amazon in 2019.

Waller-Bridge was previously married to Irish filmmaker Conor Woodman, but they split in 2017 after three years of marriage.

A spokesperson for Waller-Bridge did not respond when asked if the star was engaged earlier this month.

But it would certainly signal that she has moved on after her divorce from her first husband, Irish author and documentary maker Woodman, 49, was finalised last year.

She has, until recently, remained tight-lipped over her latest relationship with McDonagh who, aged 53, is 15 years her senior.

They were first spotted together at a screening of McDonagh's Oscar-winning movie Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri in 2017.

Happy couple: Waller-Bridge, 38, and Martin McDonagh, 53, have been dating since 2017

In the black: Waller-Bridge, who most recently appeared on the big screen opposite Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, has had a successful year with her finances

When asked if they read each other's work, Waller-Bridge, who helped polish the script for the latest Bond movie, No Time To Die, replied: 'We don't really share anything beforehand . . . I just really, really fancy him.

'So if you show someone something, and you fancy them, it can become this blur.'

Having admired his work long before she met him, she admitted he has had a huge influence on her.

'It's really useful being with someone who I think is a genius, it just ups your game,' she said.

'I would always have wanted Martin McDonagh to think of my work as good, whether I was with him or not. I will find out now, either way.'
Bobby Brazier could seriously cash in after appearing in the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing it's been reported.

The EastEnders actor, 20, who took to the dance floor for the very first time on Saturday, could soon become the new 'nation's sweetheart' before heading off to Hollywood, according to PR experts.

With one telling The Sun: 'Strictly will show the US how versatile he is and no doubt make him even more appealing, he could be the star of the next hit drama to come from across the pond.'

Bobby, who plays Freddie Freddie Slater in the soap, recently scooped the Rising Star Award at the National Television Awards and following his stint on Strictly could soon be in high demand.

PR guru Carla Speight said: 'He's likely to find himself with a 'golden handcuffs' style contract, after a short bidding war between the channels'.

Money bags: Bobby Brazier, 20, could seriously cash in after appearing in the latest series of Strictly Come Dancing it's been reported

Exciting: The EastEnders actor who took to the dance floor for the very first time on Saturday, could soon become the new 'nation's sweetheart' before heading off to Hollywood, according to PR experts (pictured with Strictly partner Dianne Buswell)

She pointed to the likes of Sarah Lancashire's career who was reportedly earned 1.3M in a deal with ITV making her the highest-paid television actress in 2000.

Carla said: 'Bobby will easily double that with the right channel and the right jobs.

It come after Strictly viewers spotted an awkward moment between Bobby and Dianne Buswell during Saturday episode.

Fans were left in hysterics after they caught Bobby getting confused with the Strictly timetable and reportedly thought he was dancing on Sunday evening.

When hosts Tess Daley and Claudia Winkleman said goodnight to the audience and viewers at home, Bobby looked baffled.

The hunk , who has previously admitted that he has never watched the show before, discretely asked Dianne if they were dancing tomorrow.

A grinning Dianne shook her head and said 'next week' as Bobby acknowledged that he now knew the timetable.

Impressive: Bobby, who plays Freddie Freddie Slater in the soap recently scooped the Rising Star Award at the National Television Awards (pictured) and following his stint on Strictly could soon be in high demand

Wowza: PR guru Carla Speight said: 'He's likely to find himself with a 'golden handcuffs' style contract, after a short bidding war between the channels' (Bobby pictured on the soap)

Famous footsteps: She pointed to the likes of Sarah Lancashire's career who was reportedly earned 1.3M in a deal with ITV making her the highest-paid television actress in 2000 - saying he could earn DOUBLE (Sarah Lancashire pictured earlier this month)

One viewer gushed to Twitter with the video footage and wrote: 'Did Bobby ask if theyre dancing tomorrow and Dianes like b**** pls I love how he has no idea whats going on.'

The pair gave an emotional performance on the ballroom for the first time, dancing to the foxtrot as they swept across the dancefloor to All About You by McFly.

And it seems the routine pulled at the heartstrings as Bobby's dad Jeff Brazier shed a tear by the end of the performance.

As he stood to receive the judges comments, Tess pointed to the father in the audience who was visibly overcome with emotion after watching his eldest son.

Jeff raised Bobby, 20, and his brother Freddie, 19, as a single father after their mother Jade Goody tragically died of cervical cancer back in 2009.

The Big Brother star passed away at just 27 years old, leaving behind Bobby and Freddie who were just four and five-years old at the time.

Bobby joked earlier this week during an appearance on This Morning that he had never even watched Strictly before signing up for the show and had never heard of any of the dances.

But none of that seemed to matter on Saturday night as he wowed the judges with their sweet foxtrot.

Blunder: It come after Strictly viewers spotted an awkward moment between Bobby and Dianne Buswell during Saturday episode

LOL: Fans were left in hysterics after they caught Bobby getting confused with the Strictly timetable and reportedly thought he was dancing on Sunday evening

Overwhelmed: Dad Jeff was visibly overcome with emotion after watching his eldest son dance the foxtrot with Dianne

Strictly: Week One Leaderboard Nigel Harman and Katya Jones - Paso Doble to Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana - 32 points out of 40 Layton Williams and Nikita Kuzmin - Samba to Touch by Little Mix - 29 points out of 40 Ellie Leach and Vito Coppola - Jive to Can't Tame Her by Zara Larsson - 29 points out of 40 Bobby Brazier and Diane Buswell - Foxtrot to All About You by McFly - 29 points out of 40 Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice - Viennese Waltz to Pointless by Lewis Capaldi - 29 points out of 40 Angela Rippon Kai Wrrington - Cha Cha to Get The Party Started by Shirley Bassey - 28 points out of 40

Annabel Croft and Johannes Radebe - Cha Cha to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel - 28 points out of 40

Angela Scanlan and Carlos Gu - Tango to Prisoner by Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa - 23 points out of 40 Eddie Kadi and Karen - Quickstep to Two Hearts by Phil Collins - 22 points out of 40 Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Lauren Oakley - Cha Cha to Boom Shack A Lack by Apache Indian - 22 points out of 40 Jody Cundy and Jowita Przysta - Quickstep to I'm On Top Of The World by Bobby Darin - 21 points out of 40 Adam Thomas and Luba Mushtuk - Cha Cha to Waffle House by Jonas Brothers - 19 points out of 40 Zara McDermott and Graziano Dr Prima - Cha Cha to Crush by Jennifer Page - 19 points out of 40 Nikita Kanda and Gorka Marquez - Waltz to Run To You by Whitney Houston - 18 points out of 40 Les Dennis and Nancy Xu - Tango to Don't You Want Me by Human League - 16 points out of 40 Advertisement

And it's not the first time Bobby has moved his dad to tears recently after he swelled with pride as his son accepted the award for Rising Star at the National Television Awards earlier this month.

The budding actor is carving out a career for himself on the screen with his role as Freddie Slater on EastEnders.

After his name was announced, Bobby immediately hugged his father, 44, who looked overjoyed at his son's success.

Bobby credited his win to Jeff while on stage, saying: 'This has very little to do with me and everything to do with my dad.

'Over the course of the last 20 years I've heard him say, "because I can". It was a mantra of his and him just saying that, "because I can". Because I can, why not?'
James Norton cut a stylish display in a white shirt and navy trousers at the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival on Sunday.

The Happy Valley star, 38, looked dapper as he posed on the red carpet when he arrived at the Spanish festival in Dior men attire.

The actor appeared happy and relaxed as he strutted his best polka face for the photographers.

He sported a chunky gold chain necklace and wore a pair of shiny black patent boots.

James was pictured posing for photos with his hands in his pockets and also gave a sweet smile for the cameras.

Dapper: James Norton, 38, cut a stylish display in a white shirt and navy trousers at the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival on Sunday

Stylish: The Happy Valley star looked dapper as he posed on the red carpet when he arrived at the Spanish festival

Last month James joined his A Little Life co-stars at the play's wrap party at 1 Hotel in Mayfair.

The West End play had divided critics and left audiences traumatised by its graphic on-stage portrayals of suicide, self-harm and paedophilia.

One attendee at Richmond Theatre, where the stage re-telling of Hanya Yanagihara's 2015 book opened before transferring to The Savoy, said they made the decision to leave at the interval after the 'relentless misery' became too much for them.

Another audience member called the adaptation, brought to stage by director Ivo Van Hove, 'possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play I've ever seen.'

The performance, which lasts a whopping 3 hours and 40 minutes and will soon transfer to the Savoy Theatre, has a star-studded cast, including James, It's A Sin actor Omari Douglas and Bridgerton's Luke Thompson.

The book, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2015, became a word-of-mouth hit and won the author a following of dedicated fans.

The novel is 814 pages long and follows four classmates from a small US college who move to New York and their relationships with one another, as well as complex issues including sexual abuse, disability and addiction.

After attending early performances fans of the play took to social media to express their shock at just how 'raw' the production is.

Chilled: The actor appeared happy and relaxed as he strutted his best polka face for the photographers

Happy: James was pictured posing for photos with his hands in his pockets and also gave a sweet smile for the cameras

Trendy: He sported a chunky gold chain necklace and wore a pair of shiny black patent boots

Cast: (L-R) Omari Douglas, Luke Thompson, James Norton and Emilio Doorgasingh

Say cheese: One attendee said they made the decision to leave at the interval after the 'relentless misery' became too much for them (L-R) Luke Thompson, James Norton, Nathalie Armin and Omari Douglas

One wrote: '#Only made it to the interval of 'A Little Life'. 1 hour 50' of relentless misery was more than enough for me....(I gather it didn't end 'happily') #Alittlelifeplay.'

A fellow audience member wrote: '#ALittleLifePlay is brutal. Relentlessly brutal. But also brilliant theatre. The entire cast shines. But it's James Norton who is the powerhouse. Barely off stage for more than 3.5 hours, this may be his best work. Award winning stuff. But not for the faint hearted!'

Another added: 'Possibly the most upsetting, unflinchingly brutal and explicit play I've ever seen which is definitely not for the faint of heart. The entire cast soars and James Norton is an absolute powerhouse in this heartbreaking epic.'

One theatregoer penned on Twitter: 'It feels wrong to say you enjoyed something when the content is so raw & difficult, but I am extremely glad I got to see this masterpiece brought to life in such a thoughtful way.'

The novel became a critically acclaimed bestseller, with celebrity fans including Dua Lipa who said the book 'changed her life' on her podcast.

The play left critics divided with Daily Mail's Luke Jones in his four-star review said the show was 'A little grim but worth the pain'.

While The Independant's Alice Saville gave the production two stars and branded it a 'A naive and psychologically incurious narrative of abuse'
She's one of Britain's brightest acting stars  and now Lily James is gleaming in her latest role as an ambassador for ethical diamonds.

The actress, 34, who is already the face of Charlotte Tilbury and Sky Mobile, has lent her name to the Natural Diamond Council and visited Botswana, where the jewels are sourced.

Ms James struck a series of poses for the NDC's new campaign shot in New York City, showing off her jewellery with four different outfits.

In one picture, she wears a chic black dress with a diamond choker, ring, bangles, and earrings.

She follows in the footsteps of Bond girl Ana de Armas, the previous face of the brand. Ms James said: 'After visiting Botswana and seeing the positive impact the diamond mining industry has on the surrounding communities and ecosystems... It made me want to be even more intentional with the diamond jewellery I wear. I love to go full out on the red carpet but also pare my diamond jewellery down and wear it with jeans.'

Dazzling: Lily James is gleaming in her latest role as an ambassador for ethical diamonds

Ambassador: Actor : Ms James meets schoolchildren while in Botswana

Rock star: The actress admires a rough-cut gemstone. She is already the face of Charlotte Tilbury and Sky Mobile

In a separate behind-the-scenes video of the project, the actress, who has served as the council's global ambassador since September last year, added: 'Botswana was so inspiring on so many levels. It was the trip of a lifetime. I went with my mother and it was really special.

'I was fortunate enough to go to these amazing schools and talk to the kids and hear the teachers talk about how the roads have changed and all the hospitals they now have access to.'

The campaign comes after diamond jewellery sales plummeted from pandemic highs and as competition from lab-grown diamonds rises.

While diamonds from Africa have, in large part, had a horrific history, the NDC has tried to reinvent the industry with its ethical narrative. However, it has come under fire for 'flawed' claims about the carbon footprint of mined diamonds compared with that of lab diamonds.
The O.C. star Mischa Barton has been unceremoniously mocked by some of Australia's top comedians following her debut on the Amazon reboot of Neighbours last week.

While the American actress' fame has faded since her O.C. glory days, fans were still surprised that the former Hollywood 'it girl', 37, would choose to join a relatively low-budget production like Neighbours.

Mischa appeared on Monday's episode of Channel 10 comedy show Have You Been Paying Attention? to promote her new role, but ended up being brutally roasted live on-air.

Playing the role of guest quizmaster, Mischa asked the panel to name the show she was currently appearing on.

Comedian Anne Edmonds quickly replied: 'Bondi Career Rescue', as fellow panelists Kitty Flanagan, Sam Pang and Jason Leong broke into roars of laughter.

The O.C. star Mischa Barton, 37, (pictured) has been unceremoniously mocked by some of Australia's top comedians following her debut on the Amazon reboot of Neighbours last week

'That's not nice... it's 'Where Are They Now?'' funnyman Ed Kavalee joked.

Mischa's character Reece Sinclair has already made quite a splash with her raunchy antics on Ramsay Street.

In her first scene, Reece attempting to get help with her bags as she checks into the Lassiters Hotel owned by Paul Robinson.

Mischa appeared on Monday's episode of Channel 10 comedy show Have You Been Paying Attention? to promote her new role, but ended up being brutally roasted live on-air

Comedian Anne Edmonds quickly replied: 'Bondi Career Rescue', as fellow panelists Kitty Flanagan, Sam Pang and Jason Leong broke into roars of laughter (all pictured)

'That's not nice... it's 'Where Are They Now?'' funnyman Ed Kavalee joked

After being snubbed by the receptionist who was struggling to get her computer working, Paul assigned Byron Stone (Xavier Molyneux) to help Reece with her luggage.

Reece is seen getting onto the elevator with the hunky hotel worker, who moonlights as a male escort, and things immediately get steamy between the pair as they share a smooch.

Mischa began her career as a child actress in Hollywood films like The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill, which were both released in 1999.

However, she became a bona fide superstar when she was cast as troubled teenager Marissa in the hit TV series The O.C., which ran from 2003 to 2007.

The Amazon Prime reboot of Neighbours is already screening on Channel 10 and 10Play and is set to drop on the streaming giant on September 25.

In her first scene, Reece attempting to get help with her bags as she checks into the Lassiters Hotel owned by Paul Robinson

After being snubbed by the receptionist who was struggling to get her computer working, Paul assigned Byron Stone, played by Xavier Molyneux (pictured), to help Reece with her luggage
Maya Jama made sure to have all eyes on her as she stunned in a sexy gold midi dress while arriving at the Dolce & Gabbana afterparty in Milan on Saturday night.

The Love Island presenter, 29, commanded attention in the chromed sleeveless garment which boosted her toned curves.

The TV host oozed vintage glamour as she toted her sensational look with racy mesh gloves and black tights underneath.

Maya wore classy black stiletto heels, and carried the essentials in a gold handbag.

The bombshell looked incredible as she styled her chocolate tresses in a vintage bouffant up-do, enhancing her elegant look.

Jaw-dropping: Maya Jama, 29, made sure to have all eyes on her as she stunned in a gold midi dress while arriving at the Dolce & Gabbana afterparty in Milan on Saturday night

Glamour queen: The Love Island presenter commanded attention in the chromed sleeveless garment which boosted her toned curves

The star posed up a storm as she turned the street into her personal catwalk, while making her way out of the car.

It has been a busy week for Maya, as earlier in the day she attended the Dolce & Gabbana show during Milan Fashion Week - and was also unveiled as the face of the brand earlier this year.

The stunner has wowed fans with a string of incredible outfits from the past two series - and it seems to have caught the eye of top fashion designers.

Maya looked incredible as she arrived in a figure-hugging black dress as she joined the likes of Kylie Jenner, Alessandra Ambrosio and Izabel Goulart on the front row.

The television presenter's lycra polo neck dress highlighted her toned physique and it featured a thigh-slit.

Maya teamed the look with thigh-high vinyl boots, cat eye sunglasses and a matching bag.

While famous models have been storming the runways, a whole host of modelling talents have also been among the celebrity front rows (Frows) during Fashion Week.

Believed to be worth thousands, the Dolce & Gabbana deal has catapulted the Bristol-born beauty to the forefront of fashion.

Oozing class: The TV host oozed vintage glamour as she toted her sensational look with racy mesh gloves and black tights underneath

Stunning: She put on a confident display

Flawless: She was glowing after the big night

All smiles: She looked in great spirits

Height: She wore huge black heels

Making her mark: Earlier in the day, Maya has wowed fans with a string of incredible outfits from the past two series - and it seems to have caught the eye of top fashion designers

Walk this way: The television presenter's lycra polo neck dress highlighted her toned physique and it featured a thigh-slit

All in the details: She teamed the look with thigh-high vinyl boots, cat eye sunglasses and a matching bag

The stunner was Vogue's August cover star and mingled with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Dame Helen Mirren at the brand's decadent unveiling of their latest Alta Moda collection in Puglia in July, posing for selfies with Dolce himself.

A source close to the star revealed: 'This is an amazing deal for Maya and it takes her career to the next level.

'It has been in the works for a while, and she is so happy that it is finally done, and she can tell people. It's the start of something really big for her and Dolce & Gabbana.'

Maya took over as Love Island presenter from Laura Whitmore, 38, earlier this year and has previously hosted BBC makeup series Glow Up, Walk the Line and Crouchy's Year-Late Euros: Live.

She is also at the forefront of campaigns for Rimmel London and modelling for the likes of designer brand Self-Portrait.

Milan Fashion Week follows New York and London events in which designers have been presenting their creations for spring/summer 2024.

Milan Fashion Week includes 62 physical fashion shows of spring summer collections.

It runs until September 25 and will feature shows from high-end labels including Giorgio Armani, Prada, Dolce & Gabbana and Versace.

It also marks the debut of Sabato De Sarno as creative director of Gucci, Peter Hawkings as creative director of Tom Ford, and Simone Bellotti as creative director of Bally.

Earlier this week, Maya gave a glimpse at 'what she eats in a day' as she joked it's 'all carbs and vibes' during a 70 hour travel day on Tuesday.

Fun: The TV favourite gave a glimpse at 'what she eats in a day' as she joked it's 'all carbs and vibes' during a 70 hour travel day on Tuesday

The Love Island host poked fun at herself while eating her way through her long flight after filming for the dating show's upcoming spin-off series.

Sharing update to her Instagram Story, Maya enjoyed a McDonald's before boarding her plane, writing: 'I have no shame.'

The presenter then shared a selfie as she took her seat and sipped on a glass of wine and added: 'Waved in my little cave. Cling cling. Only 70 hours to go', she said.

Taking her followers thorough her day she uploaded a photo of a full English breakfast, before enjoying a plate of ravioli and then some pasta.

Maya wrote: 'Might as well have done a "what I eat in a 20+ hour travel day." It's all carbs and vibes.'
State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has signed an agreement to sell crude oil it produces from Mumbai offshore fields to HPCL  the second such agreement in as many months, as Indias top oil and gas producer prefers term contracts over auctions where refiners hammer deep discounts.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, ONGC said it has inked term agreement with HPCL for sale of crude oil from Mumbai offshore.

While it did not give details, sources aware of the matter said the pact for sale of about 4.5 million tonnes per annum of crude oil to Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltds (HPCL) Mumbai refinery.

This is the second term agreement sealed for sale of Mumbai Offshore crude oil post marketing freedom, ONGC said.

Last month, ONGC had signed a similar pact to sell 4 million tonnes per annum plus an optional 0.5 million tonnes of crude oil to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).

ONGC produces 13-14 million tonnes per annum of crude oil from its fields in the Arabian Sea, off the Mumbai coast.

In June last year, the government abolished a rule that said oil from blocks awarded prior to 1999 must be sold to government-nominated customers, mostly state refiners.

The old rule had led to producers such as ONGC and Oil India not getting the best market price.

Subsequent to that rule change, ONGC started quarterly auctions of crude oil produced from Mumbai High and Panna/Mukta fields in the western offshore.
In case China succeeds in cultivating relations with the Taliban regime, it will be easier to exert its authority in these troubled areas

China is at it again. Nothing can deter it from indulging in Anti India and Anti US grandiloquence besides projecting itself as a certain replacement of America as Super Power hence making relentless efforts to enhance its relevance and area of influence in Asia as well as other countries in the world.

Against this backdrop, undaunted by the image of the Taliban infamous for its medieval mindset, anti-women dictate, tendency to harbour terrorists etc. China is poised to adopt a new strategy and long-term plan to create trouble for India and the United States which is evident from its recent decision to open a new mission in Kabul with immediate effect.

China has recently announced the appointment of Zhao Zhaohui as full-time ambassador to Afghanistan which makes it the first country in the world to establish a direct relationship. Several nations including India had embassies in Kabul but the volatile situation changed after the Taliban took over this troubled country.

China is eyeing mineral wealth

Experts say that China has ignored world opinion to have any official diplomatic relations with the Taliban but posting of a full-time ambassador amounts to indirect recognition and such a step could not be taken even by neighbouring Pakistan which used to claim the Savior of the Kabul regime. China has been adopting a Soft policy towards the Taliban which was aimed at alluring the new regime in its debt trap to exploit immense mineral wealth. Chinas company Gochin expressed its willingness on April 13, 2023, to invest 10 billion USD in Afghanistans Lithium deposits which had been confirmed by the Talibans Ministry of Mines and petroleum.

The Chinese company has assured the Taliban regime that it will create 10 lakhs indirect and 120,000 direct jobs in this country. Similarly, Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co (CAPEIC) signed a $540 million deal to extract oil from northern Afghanistans Amu Darya basin In January 2023 which is under the plan to go for a bigger kill of vast mineral wealth valuing about one trillion. As per calculations of a joint team from the Pentagon, US Geological Service and USAID, Afghanistan's mineral deposits are worth at least $900bn. As per data, vast mineral wealth in Afghanistan is untapped so far which includes Gold, Copper, Iron, Graphite.

China targets the US

China is keen to send the message to the world that it can spread its influence in other nations like the United States which is under its ambition to become a superpower. It intends to expand its China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor through Afghanistan which may create security concerns for several neighbors. China may soon start oil exploration.

Analysts opine that it will not be easy to succeed in Afghanistan which is known as the graveyard of empires and witnessed defeats of several nations including the United States. The Soviet Union was defeated in the 20th century though Chinas entry was based on its policy to exploit minerals hence it is trying to create an impression of subsequently benefiting the people of Afghanistan in the job sector besides earning huge revenues.

China has abandoned Pakistan and is directly trapping the Taliban regime which has already fallen to its prey. Talibans desperate effort to survive is also a contributory factor in developing close ties with China which has pounced upon this rare opportunity. China will target Afghanistan to expand its Belt and Road initiative which involves an investment of billions of USD and the Taliban may accept it as a possible methodology for generating employment and a path of development that may prove to be a Mirage.

Given a wishful thinking of Pakistan, efforts were made to sell to the world that it would dictate the Taliban regime hence it manipulated to keep India out of the Doha dialogue which prepared a roadmap of US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan. But turmoil and strained ties between Pakistan and the Taliban have changed the entire scenario. Pakistan has been at the forefront since 2021 when the Taliban assumed the reign of power in Kabul but its joy-ride to needle India proved to be short-lived as the former has accused the latter of promoting and supporting the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan(TTP) which killed 179 people in Pakistan in 2022. Piqued over the grand success of G20 in New Delhi, China may like to capture the Taliban who desperately need dome protector following their failure to get international recognition though two years have elapsed since they took over the reign of power in Kabul on August 15, 2021. Xis absence at the G20 did not make much difference and India produced the Delhi declaration which was unanimity thereby enhancing its stature in the world diplomatic arena. Due to a huge investment of about Rs 22,350 crore in various projects, education and social sectors, India faces the unimaginable challenge of dealing with the Taliban if they walk into the trap laid by China. Second, Indias north-south corridor may be affected after the active involvement of China in Afghanistan. Taliban have appreciated Indias investment in Afghanistan in the past but nothing is certain about future investment. Chinese Muslims are fleeing owing to persecution in their home province Xinjiang to seek sanctuary in Afghanistan. In case, China succeeds in cultivating relations with the Taliban regime then it will make it easier for China to exert its authority in these troubled areas.

(The writer is political analyst and senior journalist; views are personal)
Frequent elections impose enormous social and economic costs on the nation, which leads to corruption and disruption

The Union Government has set up a committee under the chairmanship of the former President of India, Ramnath Govind to examine holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha (LS), state assemblies, panchayats and other local bodies. Even as the committee has kicked off the deliberations (its first meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2023) the idea is being staunchly opposed by many political parties. The opposition isnt new as in 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a meeting on June 19 that year to discuss One Nation, One Election (ONOE), it was boycotted by about 50 per cent of the parties who were invited.

What are the grounds for opposition?

A major ground for their opposition is that this will be an onslaught on the federal polity. hence, unconstitutional. The parties argue that in a scenario of simultaneous poll to both the LS and all the state assemblies, the national issues will dominate over the state-specific subjects. This may yield fortuitous benefits to the dominant national party as the voter wont be able to clearly articulate his/her choice while casting a vote for electing members of the assembly.

The national party getting a clear majority in the LS who does not enjoy the confidence of the state subjects on local issues will thus get to rule the states as well. Most opposition parties fear that BJP which enjoys a clear edge at the national level will be able to install its governments across the country. This will violate the federal character of the constitution which envisages running the affairs of the state in sync with local needs and aspirations.

The above line of argument is completely flawed. It presumes that while voting at the same time for the Parliament and the Assembly, the choice of the voter will get obliterated to favour the dominant national party (read: BJP). How could a mere act of asking her to press the button for choosing candidates for two entirely different elections - one for the LS and the other for the state Assembly - around the same time lead to obliteration? It grossly underestimates the ability of the voter to make educated and informed choices on national and local issues. That this isnt the case; that the voter is intelligent enough to make the right choice is amply corroborated by the results of LS polls in 2019 when elections to some State Assemblies, viz Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, were held co-terminus.

Despite an overriding national narrative favouring Prime Minister Modi, voters in these States showed clear preference for regional parties, namely the YSR Congress and the Biju Janata Dal, who got an absolute majority in the assembly. Just because the voters exercised franchise at the same time for both the LS and the State did not deter them from giving overriding importance to local issues. The fallacy of the oppositions argument may be seen from another angle.

In the above example, apart from securing a clear majority in the state Assembly, the YSR Congress and the Biju Janata Dal also cornered a major chunk of seats from the state in the LS. Now, if one were to believe opposition that voters choice gets distorted (courtesy, the same timing) then are we to say local issues are dominating over the national issues?

The crux of the matter is: that the voter is intelligent enough to make a distinction. While voting for a candidate in the LS election, she is guided by national issues whereas, in the Assembly election local issues dominate her mind. She wont mix up things just because she has to press the relevant buttons around the same time. There is nothing unconstitutional in holding simultaneous elections.

The founding fathers of the Indian constitution had contemplated simultaneous elections only. Indeed, things were on the right track till the mid-60s, when the then ruling dispensation disturbed the apple-cart by the premature dissolution of some state assemblies (1968/1969) and LS (1970). Over time, the mismatch got aggravated with the dissolution of many more assemblies. If, during the initial phase (from 1952 to 1967) when elections to both the LS and state assemblies were held concurrently, everything was hunky dory, how come now, restoration of that very dispensation be construed as an assault on federalism.

The existing system wherein a State Assembly goes to polls almost every other year imposes unprecedented social and economic costs on the nation. It is not just the official expense of conducting elections (in a big state like Maharashtra, it can go up to Rs 1,000 crores) but also several thousand crores being spent by political parties. In turn, this gives a boost to corruption and other unethical practices even as parties seek to raise funds to support the mammoth expenditure.

Then, there is a continuous distraction from issues of governance even as the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) - each time an election exercise is taken up - leads to the stoppage of all major policy decisions that impede development work. The delay in project implementation and resulting cost escalation (a case in point, the delay in completion of the dedicated freight corridor project) imposes an unsustainable fiscal burden.

A third indeed the most devastating impact has to do with almost every political party promising more and more sops to win elections. After the five guarantees promised by the grand old party in Karnataka did the trick, it is giving guarantees in almost all state elections due this year. Others such as AAP are following suit. Such sops have the potential of denuding the state exchequer.

Finally, given the political parties in election mode year after year, no incumbent Government at the Centre has the gumption to implement hard reforms, particularly considering that the party at the helm has stakes in the states as well. A case in point is fertilizer subsidy which the then finance minister Arun Jaitley promised to prune drastically; yet fertiliser subsidy not only continues but has increased by leaps and bounds (during 2022-23, it was Rs 255,000 crore). To end these maladies, the subsisting system has to go and the ONOE restored in sync with the intent of the authors of the Indian Constitution. This will enable both the Centre and States to focus on governance for a full five years without any distraction. This will help save thousands of crores in election expenses, ensure continuity of policy decisions enabling unhindered project execution and development work, drastically curtail election-oriented populist sops and give a boost to the implementation of hard reforms. Opposition parties have pointed towards uncertainties that could arise if the ruling party loses the vote of confidence before its mandated term. But they need to recognise that this can at best be a rare situation and not a matter of routine (the public gives a mandate to a government to run its full-term and all stakeholders should ensure that this is honoured). Still, such a scenario (albeit rare) can be addressed by either electing a new leader (who enjoys the confidence of the House) or holding a fresh election for the residual term.

Apart from required constitutional amendments, the switchover to ONOE will entail some increase in expenses on procuring extra EVM and VVPAT. But that is a very small price for achieving monumental socio-economic gains.

(The writer is a policy analyst)
At least 80 high-profile corruption cases, including those against former prime ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif and ex-president Asif Ali Zardari, would be revived following a recent landmark ruling by the Supreme Court, according to a media report on Friday.

These are among the hundreds of cases closed as a result of amendments made to the anti-corruption laws by the previous government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led by Nawaz Sharif. The hearing for these cases would begin soon, officials sources said.

An apex court bench, headed by former Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, had on September 15 declared the amendments to the anti-graft laws void and directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to revive within seven days the closed cases against public office holders.

The apex court had announced its reserved decision on jailed former prime minister Imran Khans plea filed last year, challenging the amendments made to the accountability laws by the then government led by Shehbaz Sharif.

NAB prosecution has submitted the record of 80 cases to the accountability court in Islamabad, the Dawn newspaper reported. Several others have been returned to the accountability courts of Rawalpindi and Quetta.

According to official sources, about 2,000 cases, which were earlier closed, are being reopened against officials and businessmen after the intervention by the apex court.

The 80 cases transmitted to the local accountability court included the Park Lane case against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Zardari, Universal Services Funds, in which former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani and others are suspects; the Rental Power Projects case against former premier Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and the case of Benazir Income Support Programmes former chairperson Farzana Raja.

The cases against former prime minister Shaukat Aziz and fake accounts cases against Zardari and Omni Groups directors also stand revived.

The Supreme Court had in its order directed: The NAB and / or all other fora shall forthwith return the record of all such matters to the relevant fora and in any event not later than seven days from today, which shall be proceeded with in accordance with law from the same stage these were at when the same were disposed of / closed / returned, according to the report.

Former premiers Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif would also face cases that were closed due to the amendments made by the government led by the PML-N party before it recommended the dissolution of the National Assembly last month ahead of the general elections.

Incidentally, Nawaz Sharifs return from London next month, ending his almost four-year exile, is possibly in question with the corruption cases against him restored, a senior leader of PML-N said on Thursday. PML-N thinks that these may cause some legal implications for the three-time former prime minister ahead of his planned return and lead the party in the general elections.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, ARMENPRESS. Several Russian media outlets have spread disinformation falsely claiming that demonstrators in Yerevan breached into the Government headquarters on September 20 and stumbled upon American paratroopers there.

Neither has any protester breached into the government building nor were there any U.S. paratroopers there, the Prime Ministers Office told ARMENPRESS.

No demonstrator breached into the Government building that day, and furthermore, there was no American paratrooper there, the Prime Ministers Office said in a statement. The Russian media report is an absolute disinformation, it added.
Pakistans top election body has said that it is not possible to give an exact date for general elections due to technical reasons, a day after the countrys political parties demanded an exact polling date from the election commission.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has come under fire for its failure to announce a specific date for the upcoming elections after it announced on Thursday that polls would be held in the last week of January 2024.

A senior ECP official said that it was not technically possible to make an official announcement for the date of the general elections.

He said that doing so will demand a kick-start to a formal process that must follow specific timelines in the lead-up to the election, the Dawn newspaper reported on Saturday.

Elaborating on this justification, the official said that under Section 57 of the Elections Act, the announcement of a polling date should be followed by issuing an election schedule, which sets the entire electoral cycle in motion.

This cycle involves the filing of nomination papers, their scrutiny, and decisions and appeals on their acceptance or rejection. Each step has to be completed under a set timeline.

The ECP is facing criticism for its failure to hold elections within 90 days of the dissolution of Parliament on August 9.

Commenting on the uncertainty surrounding the election date, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Qamar Zaman Kaira said that a level playing field and a clear and transparent election process were essential. Jailed former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party also questioned the ECP's authority to announce the election date. A media report quoted PTI leader Ali Zafar as saying, The election commission's election date is beyond the constitutional date.

The constitution mandates that elections should be held within 90 days of the assemblies dissolution.

However, the ECP said it has valid reasons for the delay as it has been determining new electoral districts on the basis of a new census. The delimitation will be completed on November 30.

Then a 54-day period would be given for filing of nominations which would be followed by elections, according to the ECP. But the logic given by the ECP has failed to stop criticism.

The Dawn newspaper reported that PATTAN and Coalition38  a body of more than 150 civil society organisations and labour unions  issued a joint statement regretting that the ECP had further deepened the prevailing uncertainty by giving an extremely vague statement about the next general elections.

They said the ECPs statement was violative of Article 48(5a) of the Constitution, which binds the president to announce a date for general elections within 90 days of the dissolution of an assembly.

They also regretted with deep anguish that the ECP had eroded its credibility and the public's trust by taking u-turns and violating the orders of the superior courts.

We also note with deep concern that the ECP, instead of holding elections within 90 days of the dissolution of National Assembly, began delimitation of constituencies which was not only based on a flawed and highly politicised population census but [was] also not mandatory under the Constitution, the statement issued by the civil society coalition said.
Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, whose killing led to a row between India and Canada, was not a religious and social figure but a terrorist who was involved in running terrorist training camps and funding terror acts, sources have said.

Nijjar was a close associate of Gurdeep Singh alias Deepa Heranwala, who was involved in the killing of around 200 people in Punjab during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Heranwala belonged to the banned Khalistan Commando Force.

Nijjar, who was killed by unidentified assailants on June 18 at a parking lot of a Sikh gurdwara in British Columbia, had escaped to Canada in 1996 fearing arrest by police here and indulged in illegal activities like drug smuggling and extortion in Canada to arrange funding for terrorist activities, sources said.

Nijjar was also involved in training youths at a terror camp in British Columbia to carry out attacks in India, they said.

Over the years, Nijjar assumed the role of Operation Chief of Khalistan Tiger Force, or KTF, a banned terror group.

In 2020, he was accused by the government of being actively involved in operationalising, networking, training and financing KTF members.

In 2012, Nijjar visited Pakistan and came in touch with Jagtar Singh Tara, chief of Babbar Khalsa International, another banned terror group.

Tara supplied him arms and trained him in assembling IED in 2012 and in 2013. He sent US-based Harjot Singh Birring to Canada to train Nijjar in operating hand-held GPS device.

Nijjar also sent 1 million Pakistani rupees to Tara, sources said.

In 2014, Nijjar planned a terror attack on Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa in Haryana on directions of Tara. However, the attack could not take place because Nijjar was denied Indian visa, they said.

Nijjar allegedly muscled his way into the post of president of the local gurdwara in Surrey in Canada in 2021, forcibly deposing his cousin, Raghbir Singh Nijjar, the incumbent, with threats of violence.

The National Investigation Agency has registered several cases against Nijjar as well as issuing an Interpol Red Corner Notice for raising a module in Canada involving Khalistani separatist Mandeep Singh Dhaliwal.

Nijjar was also the head of Canada chapter of Sikhs For Justice, another banned terrorist organisation.

He had also organised violent anti-India protests in Canada and threatened Indian diplomats, sources said.

Nijjar had also given a call to ban Indian Embassy officials to participate in various programmes organised by local gurdwaras in Canada.

India and Canada are embroiled in a diplomatic row over the killing of Khalistani Nijjar in June.

The row erupted following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegations of a potential involvement of Indian agents in his killing.

India on Tuesday rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

In reflection of hardening of its position, India on Wednesday advised all its nationals living in Canada and those contemplating travelling there to exercise utmost caution in view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes as well as criminal violence in that country.

India on Thursday announced temporarily suspending issuance of visas to Canadian citizens in view of security threats faced by its high commission and consulates in Canada.
Tightening its noose around Canada-based designated individual terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannu, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday confiscated the house and land of the self-styled general counsel of the outlawed Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) outfit in Amritsar and Chandigarh.

This is the first time that the NIA has confiscated the properties of an absconding accused under a relevant section of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The action, which comes as a big boost to the countrys crackdown on the so-called Khalistani terror and secessionist network being operated from various countries, including Canada, followed confiscation orders passed by the NIA Special Court, SAS Nagar, Mohali.

Pannu has been on NIAs radar since 2019, when the anti-terror agency had registered its first case against the terrorist, who has been playing a major role in promoting and commissioning terror acts and activities, and spreading fear and terror in Punjab and elsewhere in the country through his threats and intimidation tactics, the agency said.

Non-bailable warrants of arrest were issued against Pannu by the NIA Special Court on February 3, 2021, and he was declared a Proclaimed Offender (PO) on November 29 last year.

NIA investigations have revealed that Pannus organisation, Sikhs for Justice, was misusing cyberspace to radicalise gullible youth and to instigate them to undertake terrorist crimes and activities.

It further emerged during the NIA investigations that Pannu was the main handler and controller of the SFJ. Sikhs for Justice was declared as an Unlawful Association by the Government of India, vide a notification dated July 10, 2019.

Pannu, who was declared a designated individual terrorist by the Centre through a notification dated July 1, 2020, has been actively exhorting Punjab-based gangsters and youth over the social media to fight for the cause of independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, the NIA said in a statement.

Recently, Pannu has been in the news for issuing blatant threats to senior Indian diplomats and government functionaries in public forums. He had also threatened Canadian Hindus a few days back, asking them to leave Canada and claiming that they had adopted a jingoistic approach by siding with India.

The properties confiscated on Saturday include 46 kanal agricultural land situated in Village Khankot, Amritsar, and 1/4th share of House Number 2033, Sector 15/C, Chandigarh.

These properties were earlier attached following orders passed by the government in two different cases. The properties have now been confiscated on the courts orders under section 33(5) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, in the case RC-19/2020/NIA/DLI dated April 5, 2020, registered under sections various sections of the Indian Penal Code and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The case was originally registered as FIR number 152 dated October 19, 2018, at Police Station Sultanwind, Amritsar (City) and later transferred to the NIA.

A total of 10 accused, including Pannu, have so far been charge-sheeted in the case.
Rejecting Pakistans caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar ul Haq Kakars statement on Kashmir, India has termed that country as home and patron to the largest number of proscribed terrorist entities and urged Islamabad to take action against perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks.

Making this assertion in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) late on Friday, First Secretary in Indias Permanent Mission to the UN Petal Gahlot also asked Pakistan to refrain from engaging in technical sophistry.

She enunciated Indias stand in its Right of Reply in the UNGA after Kakar raised the Kashmir issue in his address at the General Debate during the high-level 78th session of UNGA.

Pakistan has been the home and patron to the largest number of internationally proscribed terrorist entities and individuals in the world. Instead of engaging in technical sophistry, we call upon Pakistan to take credible and verifiable action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attacks, whose victims await justice even after 15 years, Gahlot said in the scathing response.

She said Pakistan needs to take three-fold action for there to be peace in South Asia. First, stop cross-border terrorism and shut down its infrastructure of terrorism immediately. Second, vacate Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation, and third, stop the grave and persistent human rights violations against the minorities in Pakistan.

In his address earlier, Kakar said Pakistan desired peaceful and productive relations with all its neighbours, including India. Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India, he said.

Gahlot reiterated that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Matters pertaining to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh are purely internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our domestic matters.

The Indian diplomat asserted that as a country with one of the worlds worst human rights records, particularly when it comes to minority and womens rights, Pakistan would do well to put its own house in order before venturing to point a finger at the worlds largest democracy.

India stressed that Pakistan has become a habitual offender when it comes to misusing the august forum of the United Nations to peddle baseless and malicious propaganda against India.

The First Secretary in Indias Permanent Mission to the UN said the member states of the United Nations and other multilateral organisations are well aware that Pakistan does so to deflect the international communitys attention away from its own abysmal record on human rights.

Citing a glaring example of the systemic violence against minorities in Pakistan, Gahlot referred to the large-scale brutality perpetrated against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala in the countrys Faisalabad district in August 2023, where a total of 19 churches were gutted and 89 Christian houses burnt down.

Similar treatment has been meted out to the Ahmadiyyas whose places of worship have been demolished.

The condition of women belonging to minority communities in Pakistan, notably Hindus, Sikhs and Christians, remains deplorable, she said.

According to a recent report published by Pakistans own human rights commission, an estimated 1000 women from minority communities are subjected to abduction, forced conversion and marriage in Pakistan every year, Gahlot added. A Pakistani diplomat took the floor to exercise Islamabads Right to Reply to Indias response.

India fields its young diplomats posted at its Permanent Mission in New York to give scathing and hard-hitting responses to Pakistans Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers, who repeatedly raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in their annual addresses to the high-level General Assembly sessions.
A verbal brawl ensued between the ruling Trinamool Congress and the Bengal Opposition parties, including the BJP and the Left, after Mamata Banerjee upon her arrival from an official trip of Spain and Dubai claimed that this was the most successful trip in terms of States business interest during her tenure as Chief Minister.

Hours after Mamatas assertion of her unprecedentedly successful foreign sojourn, Bengal Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari accused the TMC with hobnobbing with corruption (read corrupt people) inviting an immediate backlash from the Bengal ruling outfit.

TMC spokesperson and a member of Mamatas 12-day mission to Spain and Dubai hit back saying she was more trustworthy than (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi alleging how he embarked on foreign trips when Manipur burnt.

Earlier Ghosh had compared the Prime Minister with Roman emperor Nero.

Adhikari had earlier written on the X (earlier Twitter) that Those who have tried to make an attempt to draw a parallel between Prime Minister  Narendra Modis foreign trips with  Mamata Banerjees foreign vacation  let me tell you the difference  his strategic trips was aimed to enhance the glory of the country in the world but the other trip of the Chief Minister was tinged with corruption.

Contrasting the Prime Ministers success in the G20 Summit post which India was being regarded as Viswa Mitra (friend of the world), Adhikari said, Mamatas success was limited to her hobnobbing with the G420 Group (apparently the INDIA alliance).

Former BJP State president Dilip Ghosh too attacked Mamata for claiming success saying, In the past too she had made foreign trips but what was the result  a big zero  let us see what comes this time round.

Hitting back, TMC spokesperson Ghosh said how the Prime Minister toured the world when Manipur was burning.

He said, PM Narendra Modi embarked on foreign trips when Manipur was burning. He jetted out to the United States. France and UAE but didnt bother to visit Manipur even once. Spare us the charade! We all know which leader is trustworthy and who is not!

Taking a jibe at Adhikari for dropping the word corruption, TMC leader Bratya Basu said look who is talking about corruption the man who was seen accepting cash in the Narada scam the man whose name figures in FIRs is today lecturing others on corruption.

The Left on the other hand stuck to Mamatas foreign trip asking her to make public the details of her meetings and the number of proposals of investments that she had received.

Every year she hosts mega business summits attended by a galaxy of businessmen but nothing comes up after that  this time also there will be nothing because she has been identified with among the investors as a person who drives away industries like the one she did at Singur and Nandigram 

People have not forgotten how she used dynamites to blast off the massive shed at Tata Motors how she thwarted the attempts to make a chemical hub at Nandigram by inciting a false movement  all to come to power  and this is the same BJP that allied with her and shared the dais with her then, said CPI(M) Central Committee member Sujan Chakrabarty.
In an unprecedented development, five women constables of the Uttar Pradesh Police have submitted applications to the office Director General of Police seeking permission for gender change. Among these applicants is a female constable currently stationed in Gorakhpur, a revelation that has raised concerns and prompted discussions among officers.

While this marks the first instance of its kind in the police department, authorities are now exploring how to address this complex issue.

Reports indicate that the Allahabad High Court had previously declared gender change a constitutional right in a similar case, adding a legal dimension to the matter.

However, the DGPs office has taken a proactive approach by requesting that letters be issued to police district captains where these women constables are deployed, facilitating counseling sessions for them to better understand their circumstances and decisions.

One of the constables, Karishma (name changed), is posted in Gorakhpur. She revealed that she submitted an application to the DGPs office, where she also underwent enquiries about her situation.

Karishma cited gender dysphoria as the primary reason for her request, and she attached a medical certificate to support her application.

As of now, there has been no official decision from the Lucknow headquarters regarding this matter.

However, Karishma expressed her intent to pursue legal action if a favourable resolution is not reached, emphasising her desire to undergo gender transition. Karishma, a resident of Ayodhya, joined the Uttar Pradesh Police force in 2019 and was initially posted in Gorakhpur.

Her journey towards gender transition began in February 2023, when she approached various authorities, including the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Additional Director General (ADG), and the Gorakhpur headquarters.

She explained that her experiences included the gradual realisation of changes in her hormone levels, prompting her desire to transition from female to male.

To facilitate her request, Karishma sought counseling from a prominent doctor in Delhi, who diagnosed her with gender dysphoria. She attached the doctors report to her application for gender change. Once she obtains the necessary permission, Sonam plans to initiate the gender transition process.

In recent times, Karishmas demeanour and behaviour have evolved to align more with traditional male characteristics. She adopts a masculine hairstyle and clothing style, even riding a Pulsar motorcycle.

Karishmas daily attire consists of pants and shirts, and she enjoys shooting, exemplifying her inclination towards traditionally male activities.

Her childhood experiences were marked by discomfort when wearing skirts or engaging in activities stereotypically associated with girls.

The case of the female constable in Gonda mirrors Karishmas, as she has also submitted an application to the Allahabad High Court for gender change.

In response, the Allahabad High Court asserted that sex change is a constitutional right of an Indian citizen, emphasising that denying or failing to acknowledge this right in modern society would only exacerbate Gender Identity Disorder Syndrome.

The court directed the UP Director General of Police (DGP) to promptly address the female constables application. Karishma and four others now harbor hope that they will receive justice, inspired

by the High Courts decision, marking a significant step forward in recognising transgender rights.
Rotary Ranchi and Rotary Ranchi Mid Town, Ranchi North and Ranchi South will jointly conduct operations for children with holes in the heart under the Rotary Gift of Life campaign. Children between the age of one month to 18 years who have a congenital hole in the heart or narrowing of the valve will be treated free of cost at the famous Amrita Hospital in Kochi (Kerala). For this, screening of such children will be done on 3-4 October at Raj Hospital, Ranchi. The screening will be done by the renowned Dr. Brajesh P Kotail and his team from AIIMS Kochi. For the screening, the parents of the concerned child will have to bring all the documents of previous treatment, test reports, echocardiograph, ECG and chest X-ray reports

The campaign christened as Gift of Life campaign, run by the Rotary Club, will provide free surgeries for children with congenital heart defects or valve issues in Kochi, Kerala. Children aged one month to 18 years will receive treatment at the renowned Amrita Hospital in Kochi.

Dr. Brajesh P. Kotayil, a prominent cardiologist from AIIMS Kochi, and his team will conduct screenings at Raj Hospital in Ranchi on October 3rd and 4th. Parents of the children undergoing screening will need to bring their childs previous medical records, test reports, echocardiography, ECG, and chest X-ray reports.

Rotary Ranchi spokesperson Praveen Rajgarhia said in the press conference that Open Heart Surgery for children will be conducted free of cost by Rotary. The service work is being carried out through its 104 clubs and 4000 Rotary members located at various places throughout Jharkhand and Bihar. Rotary International is determined to discharge its social responsibilities. Important efforts are being made by the organization to provide medical facilities to the deprived sections of the country.

Manju Gambhir, President of Rotary Ranchi Mid Town said that Rotary has set the target of conducting operations for needy children in Jharkhand and Bihar. Serving people and establishing peace is the main objective of Rotary.

Rotary is a 118-year-old organization established with the aim of education, health and human service.

Yogesh Gambhir, former governor of Rotary District 3250, said that parents can bring their child to Raj Hospital Ranchi every Tuesday or Saturday from 10 am to 12 noon and can get a free consultation from renowned doctor Dr Rajesh Jha. If necessary, such children will be operated by Rotary without any cost.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday emphasised the importance of universal access to quality education and healthcare while addressing a gathering at an event in Delhi. He expressed the view that if one were to envision an ideal society akin to 'Ram Rajya,' it should encompass the provision of excellent and free education as well as healthcare services for all its citizens.

The Chief Minister inaugurated a new outpatient department (OPD) building at the Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, which is run by the Delhi government. He also took the opportunity to interact with patients at the facility.

Speaking at the inauguration of a new OPD building at Aruna Asaf Ali hospital, Kejriwal also said that everybody should have access to good education and healthcare and the AAP-led Delhi government is trying to work in that direction.

Healthcare and education are the focus areas of the Delhi government and expansion is going on in a major way, he said, adding that there are currently around 10,000 beds at all city government-run hospitals put together. Eleven new hospitals are being built and the infrastructure of old facilities is being upgraded, he said, adding 16,000 new beds will be added.

Drawing a connection to the upcoming Dusshera and Diwali festivals, Kejriwal mentioned the veneration of Lord Ram. He acknowledged the ideal of 'Ram Rajya' and, while admitting that it might be a distant goal, emphasized that it should encompass the fundamental principles of providing excellent and free education and healthcare to all members of society, regardless of their economic status.

"'Ram Rajya' is being spoken of. I cannot say that we can reach near 'Ram Rajya'. But if we imagine 'Ram Rajya', it should have good and free education and good and free healthcare for all," Kejriwal said.

Good education and healthcare should be there for all, whether rich or poor and "our government is trying to work in that direction", he added.

Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, local MLA Parlad Singh Sawhney and senior officials of the health department were also present on the occasion. Kejriwal also said building of new hospitals and augmenting of infrastructure and facilities at existing hospitals will align Delhi's health system with international standards and the WHO's parameters.

The Delhi government has spent approximately Rs 22.8 crore to construct the three-storey new OPD block at Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital, apart from the ground floor. The block houses 25 consultation rooms, two elevators, and two staircases. It took nearly a year to complete this construction, the chief minister's office (CMO) later said in a statement.

The old block lacked required space and other facilities. The new block is spacious, centrally air-conditioned with availability of rooms for specialists, he said. Previously, around 800-1,000 patients were coming to the hospital daily, now this number could increase 2-3 times after the opening of the new OPD block, the chief minister said.

"On one hand, we tried to improve the condition and quality of government hospitals, built many mohalla clinics and polyclinics...On the other side, we have managed to provide healthcare facilities for free. All medicines, tests, treatment, and operations are free in government hospitals," he added.

Located along Rajpur Road, Aruna Asaf Ali Hospital is a 100-bed multispecialty hospital providing round-the-clock services, and 45 major surgeries and 38 emergency surgeries are conducted at it per month, it said. The CMO in the statement shared data about the upcoming 11 hospitals.

The 11 hospitals being built will have 10,000 beds. These include hospitals at Siraspur (1,164 beds), Jwalapuri (691 beds), Madipur (691 beds), Hastsal (691 beds), Shalimar Bagh (1,430 beds), Sultanpuri (525 beds), Chacha Nehru Bal Chikitsalaya Annexe (610 beds), GTB Hospital Annexe (1,912 beds), Sarita Vihar (336 beds), Guru Gobind Singh Hospital Annexe (1,565 beds) and Kirari (485 beds), the statement said.

Under brownfield projects, 10 hospitals being taken up, adding 6,505 beds. These projects include a new block at Lok Nayak Hospital (1,570 beds) and augmentation of beds at Satyawadi Raja Harish Chandra Hospital, Narela (773 beds); Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Rohini (1063 beds); among other hospitals, besides a casualty block at Lok Nayak Hospital (with 384 beds), the statement said. Currently, 537 Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinics are functional, out of which five are Mahila Mohalla Clinics, it added.
Heavy rainfall continues to disrupt life in the state, Khirkiya in Harda district received a record 8 inches of rain in 5 hours on Saturday morning. Many of its houses were filled with water. In Tamalwadi village of Khirkiya, a young man was swept away along with his bike while crossing a drain.

Two gates of Bhadbhada Dam had to be opened at 3 am on Saturday. Due to heavy rains in the catchment area and Sehore district, the water level in the Upper Lake started rising on Friday morning.

This happened after 20 years, when the gates of Bhadbhada were opened in September instead of July-August. Earlier this had happened in 2003. The gates were opened only in July last year.

The Kolans river has swollen and reached dangerous level. On Friday, the river water spread over a radius of about 5 kilometers on one side of the Bhopal-Sehore-Dewas highway. The surrounding fields were flooded. The highway from Bhopal side remained closed for more than 4 hours.

It rained heavily in Bhopal from 6 am on Saturday and when the level of Upper Lake is full, 2 gates of Bhadbhada Dam had to be opened at 3 pm on the intervening night of Friday-Saturday. Narmadapuram also received heavy rain in the afternoon.

Two rain systems are active in the state. In 24 hours, heavy and light rain fell in 10 districts including Betul, Chhatarpur and Shivpuri. Many rivers and streams came into spate. According to meteorologists, the rainy season will continue for the next two days. After this the activity will decrease. There will be light rain till the last week of September.

It rained heavily for about five hours on Saturday morning in Khirkiya of the district. The roads were flooded due to heavy rain. Due to blockage of drains, many houses were flooded. The rain which started at seven in the morning continued till around 12 in the afternoon.

The agricultural market in Mandsaur was flooded due to 40 minutes of heavy rain on Friday night. Water accumulated under the garlic shed. Piles of garlic were seen floating in the water. Farmer Shyambabu Dhakad, who brought produce from Kuti village (Malhargarh, Mandsaur), told that water came into the shed from all sides. Unhel's farmer Dinesh Dhakad told that he had brought 7 quintals of garlic. He suffered a loss of Rs 30 to 35 thousand. One farmer lost all his 25 bags of garlic. There would have been a loss of Rs 25 lakh in the entire market.

It rained heavily for 40 minutes on Friday night in Mandsaur. Water accumulated under the garlic shed in the agricultural market. Piles of garlic were seen floating in the water.

Till Thursday, a total of 7 districts of the state  Bhopal, Guna, Ashoknagar, Damoh, Satna, Rewa and Sidhi were included in the red zone. About 3 inches of rainfall was recorded in Bhopal during the night. With this, Bhopal district has come out of the red zone.
The Special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court of judge PK Sharma will pronounce the judgement in Love Jihad and torture of Ranchi resident and national shooter Tara Shahdeo on September 30.

The hearing of this case has been completed in the special CBI court. The court of CBI Special Judge PK Sharma has fixed September 30 as the date of verdict. The verdict will be given in the eight-year long harassment, dowry harassment and forced religious conversion case of Tara Shahdeo.

On the same day, the fate of accused Ranjit Singh Kohli alias Rakibul Hasan, who is facing trial, his mother Kausher Bibi Rani and former Registrar (Surveillance) of Jharkhand High Court Mushtaq Ahmed will be decided.

The love jihad incident had come to light in August 2014, when Tara had claimed that she was pressurised and tortured by her in-laws to accept Islam after she married a person, who she thought was a Hindu. She was barely married for a month before she had to walk out of it to save her dignity and choice of following her religion.

Both were married as per Hindu rituals but Tara said that just a day after the wedding, she came to know that Ranjit was not a Hindu. His real name was Raqibul Hassan Khan and he was a Muslim. Due to this reason, this incident was reported as a possible case of Love Jihad back in 2014.

The court has already granted her divorce. Shahdeo had filed the case with the Hindpiri police station accusing Hassan of marrying her by pretending as Hindu and then forcibly trying to convert her. The CBI took over the case in 2015 and started a probe.

On the orders of Jharkhand High Court, CBI took over this case in 2015. The ongoing debate in this matter has been completed. The testimony by CBI was completed on 25 February. After this the court recorded the statement of the accused. After recording the statement, the defense side testified in its own defence. The debate in the case continued after the testimony closed. Which was completed. Charges were framed against the three accused in the case on July 3, 2018. 26 witnesses have been presented by CBI.

CM Hemant Soren has also been a witness in the Tara Shahdev torture case. On May 3, 2023, Ranjit Kohli was asked by the court to submit the list of witnesses. Hemant Soren's name was also in the list of witnesses submitted by Ranjit Kohli. On 16 May 2023, JMM District President Mushtaq Alam appeared as the representative of CM Hemant Soren. Mushtaq Alam told the court that he did not recognize Rakibul Hasan. He said that in the year 2013, an Iftar party was organized at the CM's place. For this, the invitation card from the CMO goes to the party office. From there the senior leaders of the party collect the card from the office in-charge. One of them must have given the card to Rakibul or somehow got the card himself and attended the Iftar party. After this he is linking his relationship with the CM.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 24, ARMENPRESS. The first group of the evacuated persons from Nagorno-Karabakh has arrived to Armenia, a local official in the Tegh Municipality of Syunik Province, Arshaluys Avetisyan, told ARMENPRESS.

The refugees are being met in the International Committee of the Red Cross center in Kornidzor.

Right now, a registration process is underway, their priority needs are being assessed, Avetisyan added.

According to preliminary information there are approximately 30 evacuees in the first group, but the number can be specified only after the registration process is completed.

The Tegh Municipality is ready to receive, accommodate and provide essential means to the evacuees, Avetisyan said.
As part of the preparations for the groundbreaking ceremony (GBC), Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued a directive to all district magistrates asking them to submit investment-related reports within a month.

He has also instructed all the district magistrates and divisional commissioners to hold investment-focused review meetings and fix accountability at every level so that a large number of investment projects can be implemented through GBC.

Notably, Uttar Pradesh garnered investment proposals exceeding Rs 36 lakh crore during Global Investors Summit, 2023. Throughout this period, investors expressed keen interest in investing in all 75 districts of the state.

In a high-level meeting, the chief minister has directed all district magistrates and divisional commissioners to focus on providing land through land banks for investors. He emphasised the need to make GBC as grand as GIS-23 and instructed them to work with utmost transparency and end the pendency at the earliest.

The chief minister stated that the current environment in the state is the best for investments. Even smaller districts like Mirzapur, Kasganj, Maharajganj, Sant Ravidas Nagar, Balrampur, Hathras, Ayodhya, Gonda, Barabanki and Sultanpur have received big investment proposals.

In view of the proposals, the chief minister has instructed officials to hold one-on-one meetings with all investors and address issues or investment barriers, if any.

Additionally, all district magistrates have been instructed to submit investment-related reports to the Chief Ministers Office within a month. The chief minister said that he would personally review the report. During this process, the chief minister also stressed taking strict action in cases of negligence.

During the meeting, officials presented a report to the chief minister regarding Section 80 (conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural land), which showed a rapid increase in applications to convert agricultural land to non-agricultural land after GIS-23.

So far, 42,706 applications have been received from various districts of the state. Out of these, 85 per cent of the total applications have been processed, accounting for 36,327. Currently, there are 6,388 pending applications. Among these, 1,224 pending applications fall within the 45-day time limit, while 5,121 pending applications are beyond the time limit.

Similarly, investors have submitted 1,017 application letters through Nivesh Mitra portal. Out of these, 89 per cent of the total applications have been processed, accounting for 904 applications.

There are 113 pending applications, with 104 of them falling within the time limit while nine pending applications are beyond the time limit. Of these, two applications are pending in Kushinagar, one each in Bahraich, Barabanki, Bulandshahr, Lucknow, Shravasti, Siddharthnagar and Sitapur.
The Congress has said that if the State government does not reveal the name of the VIP allegedly connected to the Ankita Bhandari murder case, its leaders will tonsure their heads and send the shaved hair by post to the chief minister. The former Pradesh Congress Committee president Ganesh Godiyal said this while addressing the media at the Congress State office here on Sunday.

Responding to the Bharatiya Janata Partys reaction to the Uttarakhand Mahila Congress head Jyoti Rautela and another party member shaving their heads recently in protest, Godiyal said that the Sanatan Dharma followed by the Congress is that of the heart and humanity while that followed by the BJP is politically motivated. Whenever the BJP finds itself in a weak position it resorts to religion. The BJP State president cited Sanatan Dharma while calling the shaving of heads by our two women leaders unfortunate but ignored the Vedic verses which state that the gods rejoice in a place where women are respected. The respect accorded by the BJP to women is evident in Manipur and in cases like the Ankita Bhandari murder case in Uttarakhand- both States governed by the BJP.

Responding to BJP accusing the Congress of playing politics in the Ankita Bhandari case, Godiyal said that the Congress is a political party and will indulge in politics in public interest. He said that it is not only the Congress but even the parents of the victim and multitudes in Uttarakhand who want to know the identity of the VIP involved in the Ankita Bhandari murder case. If the State government doesnt reveal the name of this VIP soon, our party leaders will get their heads tonsured and send the hair to the chief minister as a mark of protest, said the former PCC president.










In a review meeting on Sunday Jharkhand Director General of Police (DGP), Ajay Kumar Singh directed the police officials of Dhanbad district and Bokar district to curb organized criminals and illegal mining.



During the review meeting Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Sanjeev Kumar and Dhanbad Superintendent of Police (SP), Ajit Kumar and Bokaro Superintendent of Police (SP), Priyadarhi Alok were present. Singh also said that the operations should be conducted against organized criminal gangs, crime control, law and order maintenance, illegal mining, coal smuggling and Naxalites in the Bokaro range. Apart from this, he discussed the cases registered under murder, dacoity, robbery, theft, housebreaking, snatching, Arms Act, kidnapping for ransom, rape, POCSO Act and their execution.



During the review meeting, the DGP said that Jharkhand Government has directed to take all possible action against those gangsters who are extorting money while operating their gangs from outside the State or from foreign countries. Instructions were given to cancel the bail of the criminals released from jail, to punish the criminals by conducting speedy trials and to announce rewards as per rules against the absconding criminals, he added.



During the meeting Singh also received updated information about the action taken to control crime. He directed to trace the criminals associated with drugs and narcotics network and illegal liquor business and reach out to the last criminals involved and take the strictest action against them. Besides, instructions were also given to completely stop illegal mining of coal, iron, sand and stone and to take necessary action against it.



The DGP directed to make adequate lighting arrangements around bus stands, tempo stands and other public places, so that there is no gathering of criminals and anti-social elements and even small crimes can be controlled. He emphasized the need for strict monitoring of social media to prevent misuse by anti-social elements.
Punjab Government has given approval to elect the president of NRI Sabha Punjab. The election will be held on January 5, 2024.

As per the guidelines of NRI Sabha, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has decided to hold the election of the president of NRI Sabha Punjab on January 5, 2024, the state NRI Affairs Minister S. Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Sunday.

The Minister said that Punjabs NRI Sabha works as an agency of the State Government for the welfare of the Indian diaspora of the State. He said that the term of the president of this Sabha has ended in March 2022. Most of the diaspora Punjabis usually come to India in the month of December and they stay here till March. So, this is the right time to hold elections, he said.

Dhaliwal said that the NRI Sabha works under the patronage of the Government of Punjab and the main objective of the Sabha is to work for the welfare and interests of the NRIs of Punjab. He said that the main objective of NRI Sabha Punjab is to redress the grievances of migrant Punjabis, protect their rights and properties.

Notably, NRI Sabha Punjab is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, with the approval of the Government of Punjab and the Chief Minister of Punjab is the chief patron of the Sabha. The Commissioner, Jalandhar Division, is the chairman of the Sabha while all the Deputy Commissioners are the chairman of the district units of the council of the NRI Sabha.
Under the fifth phase of Sankalp Yatra, Bharatiya Janata Party State President and former Chief Minister Babulal Marandi addressed public meeting at Chaibasa Assembly targeting the State government and called for making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for the third time in 2024 and forming the BJP government in Jharkhand.

He said that the crowd at the meeting and the enthusiasm of the people present shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party is going to come with an overwhelming majority in 2024. He said that Modi ji dedicated the government to villages, poor, farmers, labourers, youth and women. He said that Prime Minister Modi ji comes from a poor family, hence he cares about the poor. As soon as he became the Prime Minister, he got Izzat Ghar toilets constructed for the sisters, gave gas connections and now he has given a big gift by bringing reservation bill for women in Lok Sabha and Assembly.

Under this bill, 33% sisters will get the benefit. Earlier, on Raksha Bandhan, a big gift of subsidy on gas was given to the sisters. Under this scheme, 75 lakh new sisters are also to be added, whereas during the Congress period, lobbyists used to get gas connections.

He said that Prime Minister Modi ji launched Vishwakarma Yojana for artisans during Vishwakarma Puja. Under this, a budget provision of Rs 13 thousand crore has also been made. He said that for the first time a Prime Minister has worried about barbers, carpenters, blacksmiths and cobblers. He said that Prime Minister Modi ji sends grains to the poor but Hemant Soren is black marketing the grains.

He said that Indira Gandhi did nationalize banks but for big houses and capitalists. Prime Minister Modi ji connected every poor person with banks by opening Jan Dhan accounts. During the Covid period, when factories were closed yesterday, Modi ji did the work of depositing money directly into the accounts. He said that JMM Congress kept playing in the lap of RJD but BJP took the dream of a separate state and the works of road bridges, electricity and development to every village in Jharkhand. He said that during the Congress rule, there were bomb blasts every day but Modi ji eliminated the terrorists by entering their houses. He said that law and order has broken down in Jharkhand.

The fear of law among criminals has ended under Hemant government. To create a crime free state. The police, which was supposed to maintain law and order during Hemant government, is busy in recovery at the behest of Hemant government. Engaged in recovering sand from vehicles. Whereas in other states sand is being transported illegally.

He said that there has been looting of coal, sand, stones and land under JMM/Congress alliance government. No work is done in the government offices of Anchal, Block and District without payment. One has to pay for making everything from birth certificate to death certificate. To get the name added to the ration card, one has to enter it. Government officials have to recharge Hemant Sarkar to remain in office like mobile recharge. He said that during my rule, 150 corrupt officials were arrested and sent to jail, but State government is busy protecting the corrupt officials. He said that for corruption-free governance, JMM/Congress government has to be overthrown.
On the third day of the inaugural Uttar Pradesh International Trade Show being held at the India Expo Centre and Mart in Greater Noida, several sessions were conducted with the goal of offering a worldwide platform for Uttar Pradeshs products.

These sessions emphasised the significance of innovation in establishing industries within the state, explored the potential of startups, and instilled in the youth the entrepreneurial spirit while underscoring the importance of effective time management in the industry.

While experts from various sectors gave success mantras to the investors, they also gave information about the opportunities being provided by the Yogi Adityanath government. Additionally, the managing director of Mumbai Dabbawala emphasised the critical role of logistics, supply chain management and time management in business.

The trade show is not only offering local exhibitors a global platform but also providing global buyers with an opportunity to engage with Uttar Pradesh.

Distinguished experts from Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU) graced the session. Maheep Singh, head of the Innovation Hub, Ritesh Saxena, Innovation Hub manager and Vandana Sharma provided valuable insights into how innovation can enhance the industrial landscape of Uttar Pradesh. They elaborated on critical aspects, including the Innovation Hub, the Startup Policy-2020 in Uttar Pradesh and funding mechanisms.

Maheep Singh said the growing prominence of Uttar Pradesh as a major industrial hub, highlighting that investors keen interest in this unique trade fair, was a testament to the states emphasis on innovation. He underscored that fostering innovation was crucial to attracting investments, adding that a comprehensive ecosystem was being nurtured within the state in this regard.

The second session focused on Academia Industry Partnership.

experts from Sharda, Shiv Nadar and Amity University of Gautam Buddha Nagar participated in this session. The session featured a detailed discussion on the importance and possibilities of higher education in the state.

The third session featured a motivational programme centered on the crucial aspects of logistics, supply chain management and time management.
In the upcoming Kharif marketing season, the Uttar Pradesh government has set a target to procure paddy worth over Rs 15,000 crore.

Officially the paddy procurement will commence on October 1 and continue till February 2024, starting with western UP and later covering the eastern part as well.

According to Principal Secretary (Food and Civil Supplies) Alok Kumar, the state has set a target to procure 70 lakh metric tons of paddy under the minimum support price (MSP) scheme.

The MSP for common variety and grade-A paddy has been fixed at Rs 2,183 per quintal and Rs 2,203 per quintal, respectively. This translates into procurement of Rs 15,000 crore worth of paddy if the state achieves its target.

We will accord priority to small and medium farmers, whose net harvest is less than 60 quintals, so that they do not face a distress sale situation, Alok Kumar said.

The state food commissioner has been entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring that small and medium farmers do not resort to distress sale or face hurdles at the procurement centres. Since Lok Sabha elections are due in early 2024, the state government is taking steps to keep farmers in good humour by ensuring prompt payment.

Meanwhile, about 4,000 paddy procurement centres will be set up in the state, of which 200 centres will be run by the Food Corporation of India (FCI). Around 1,600 centres will be set up by the UP Cooperative Federation, followed by the 1,350 by the Food department.
Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Sunday said that farmers would get bills for tube wells but the government would now pay them.

He called upon the Bharatiya Janata Party workers to start preparing for the parliamentary elections to form the government at the Centre for the third time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2024.

Soon after landing at the police lines on Joya Road in Amroha on Sunday morning, Mauryas convoy reached the BJP district office. He was welcomed and greeted by the party leaders, office-bearers and workers. While raising the slogan of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Maurya said that there was goonda raj in the state during the previous Samajwadi Party regime and police stations and government offices were controlled by brokers of the SP. He said that 50 per cent of the development budget was looted in the name of commission in the SP regime and tenders were issued but roads were not built.

Maurya said that there was a change since the formation of the BJP government in the state. Development is taking place everywhere without discrimination. The benefits of all the schemes are reaching the beneficiaries directly, he pointed out.

Maurya said that in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the BJP would take its victory chariot forward by registering a historic victory on all 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP. This election is the election of the coming 100 years, therefore the party workers will have to start preparations with full dedication from now on, he said.

The deputy chief minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the most popular leader of the world. When one listens to him, ones body is filled with new energy and enthusiasm, he added.

Maurya said in 2022, all political parties united to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party, but the results showed that the people believed that the BJP had taken the country and the state on a new path of development. Now youths are getting employment and solving the problems of sugarcane farmers is the priority of the government, he said.

The deputy chief minister further said that in the BJP regime, women were being protected while goons and mafia were going to jail. Now no one migrates from Amroha or any other district of UP, rather, goons and mafias have migrated, he said.

Maurya also listened to the problems of the party workers. On the demand of a party worker, Maurya promised to make Ganga Ghat of Tigri fully concrete.
Four masked men allegedly looted a jewellery shop in Delhis Rohini area, police said on Sunday.

The 48-year-old shopowner  a resident of Pitampura  said in his complaint at Vijay Nagar police station that he was calculating the days collection on Friday when a man wearing a mask and a helmet entered the shop around 7 pm. He was followed by three other masked men.

Sensing trouble, the victim locked himself in the shops locker room, he claimed.

After some time, shop employee Bajrang knocked on the door and informed the victim that the accused had taken away gold, silver, Rs 75,000 in cash and other valuables, he told the police.

The police have registered an FIR under various provisions of the Indian Penal Code and launched an investigation.

They are scanning footage from CCTV cameras installed nearby. No arrests have been made in the case so far.
Taking serious note in delay by the Delhi Government in the appointment of Special Public Prosecutors( SPPs) for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act cases, Lt Governor(LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena has recalled all proposals for appointments and referred the same to Home Ministry for speedy disposal.

Giving details of this development, officials said here on Saturday Invoking Rule 19 (5) of the Transaction of Business of GNCTD Rules, 1993 in public interest, Saxena recalled all the files and referred the same to Home Ministry for necessary appointments or notifications under section 24(8) of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

These extremely important files had been pending at the level of the Home Minister, GNCTD since February 2023, after having moved between him and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in January 2023, they said.

The LG has taken serious note of the delay by GNCTD to issue notification for appointment of SPPs thereby resulting in stalling the progress of trials in POCSO cases in various special courts of the National Capital for the last nine months.

The CBI in December 2022 had requested for issuance of notification for appointment of CBI senior public prosecutors or prosecutors under section 32 of the POCSO Act for trial of POCSO cases in various courts in Delhi and a reminder was sent on March 15, this year. Saxena noted that the file in this regard had been inordinately delayed, while it kept moving from the Minister-in-charge to the Chief Minister.

The file with a proposal to this effect has been pending since January this year. Initially the file was submitted by the Home Department to the Minister-in-Charge on January 11 this year and subsequently it was forwarded to the Chief Minister on January 16, who returned it to the Minister-in-Charge on February 6, officials said.

The officials further said that Kailash Gehlot is the Minister-in-Charge (Home Department) since March 9, 2023.

Gehlot replaced Satyendar Jain, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in money laundering case.

The cases relating to Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act are sensitive in nature and as per law the trial in these cases are to be completed within one year from the date of cognisance of offence and the delay in appointment of SPPs will adversely affect the case of investigating agency and may give undue benefits to the perpetrators of crime against innocent children.

The L-G House officials also said that it was noted that such sluggish and insensitive approach in dealing matters relating to cases of rape and POCSO Act, tantamount to extending undue benefits to perpetrators of such heinous crime.

Owing to the delay, the Home Department moved for approval of the L-G in this matter. Accordingly, Saxena accorded approval to the proposal for obtaining the nod of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India, for appointment notification of SSP or PP of CBI as SPPs in the POCSO cases, the officials said.

They further said that since the issue of appointment was pending at the level of Minister-in-Charge since long, Principal Secretary (Home), proposed that the matter be referred to MHA for invoking the powers of Central Government under section 24(8) of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and approval of MHA be obtained and conveyed to the CBI.
AUBURN  Sisters Michele Jones Galvin and Adrianne Jones Roderick attended the Thompson Memorial AME Zion Church as children, so they were excited to hear updates on the building's status on Saturday.

More than 35 people attended a media event recognizing International Underground Railroad Month at the New York State Equal Rights Heritage Center in Auburn on Saturday. The event included an update on the rehabilitation of the AME Zion Church on Parker Street, which hosted the 1913 funeral for Harriet Tubman.

Before the event began, Jones Galvin and Jones Roderick, who are both related to the iconic abolitionist, said their mother, the late Joyce Stokes Jones, took them to the church when they were younger. Jones Roderick said she was looking forward to hearing about progress made with the church and other endeavors.

During the event, Ally Spongr, president of the board of directors for the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State, talked about efforts to get the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Corridor designated as a New York State Scenic Byway.

The corridor has received more than $500,000 in funding and the consortium is about to start work on a corridor management plan in October, Spongr said. Once that plan is finalized internally, it needs to be sent to the state for approval in order for the corridor to be acknowledged as a byway.

Spongr told the crowd that management will "set the stage for byway designation," and elements such as the sights and the stories that will be told.

"It's a couple-year project here that we're embarking on but we're so excited to do so and we're excited to get involved with each and every one of you and others that we know well, others we haven't met yet, in order to really bring these stories even more to the forefront, reach more people and be able to create meaningful experiences that propel us into the future through stories of Harriet Tubman and so many others," she said.

Other speakers at the event, which was hosted by the Cayuga County Office of Tourism, included Melody Smith Johnson, owner of the co-working space Melody's, and Karen Kuhl, executive director of the tourism office.

Ahna Wilson, superintendent of the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, summarized recent work on the church, where a fire was caused by a lightning strike in 2019. Wilson previously said the opening of the church, which is part of the park, has been delayed to spring or summer 2024. She told attendees about restoration efforts throughout the building plus work like a ramp and other accessibility considerations. The National Park Service, which owns the building, is trying to be conscious of Tubman's legacy, the descendants of the church's congregation, the Parker Street neighborhood and Auburn in general.

"We want to make sure that we're telling that story of the community around the Thompson AME Zion Church and how important that community was to that location," Wilson said.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that there will be no shortfall in public welfare and development works in Udaipura area of Raisen district. Chouhan, while addressing the citizens today after the Bhoomi Pujan of Chinki Barrage and Bauras Barrage project, Bhoomi Pujan of 61 other development works and dedication of 4 works, said that Rs 2 crore each will be provided for three tehsils of Raisen district, Deori, Udaipura and Bareilly. A new bridge will be built on Narmada River in Udaipura.

The Chief Minister also announced the opening of college in Deori and making Bareilly Nagar Panchayat a Nagar Palika. With this, SDM office will start in Udaipura. Chouhan also distributed benefits to various beneficiaries.

Chief Minister Chouhan said that the previous government had deprived the people of development. Now development and public welfare works are being done on the Narmada river in Raisen area. These projects will provide irrigation to area of 3 lakh 26 thousand acres. Today, dedications and foundation stones worth more than six thousand crores were done. The cost of Chinki Barrage and Bauras Barrage project is Rs 5839 crore.

Chouhan said that in case of non-availability of water from the canal, it will be possible to supply water to the fields of farmers through pipeline. The production of farmers will increase due to irrigated agriculture. Now it has become easier to deliver water to the high and low lands. The hardships of the citizens are being addressed. Students are being provided facilities like laptop, scooties for education. Now this facility will be given to those who score more than 60 percent marks.

The Chief Minister said that Mukhyamantri Ladli Bahna Yojana is a social revolution. This world's unique scheme is in Madhya Pradesh. 1.32 crore sisters in the state will now get Rs 1250 every month. Due to this, an amount of Rs 16 thousand crore will be spent every year. The amount of the scheme will be increased as soon as financial arrangements are made. A campaign to change the lives of sisters is going on in the state.

Chouhan said that people left out of housing schemes will be provided the benefits of the new housing scheme. Farmers are being given an amount of Rs 12 thousand every year. The previous government did not give any relief to the farmers. Irrigation revolution will work to change the lives of farmers. Chouhan said that after seeing the cheerless faces of the farmers, he had prayed to Lord Mahakal. Now copious rainfall is occurring.

Chouhan said that students of government schools appearing for NEET exam for MBBS will be benefitted by giving 5 percent reservation. Arrangements have been made to provide medical and engineering education in the state through Hindi medium. The government will bear the electricity expenses of the poor for using up to one kilowatt of electricity. Chouhan said that the state government will leave no stone unturned for regional development.

Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary, MP Rao Uday Pratap Singh, Deendayal Antyodaya Samiti President Rampal Singh, District Panchayat President Yashwant, District Panchayat Vice President Sundari Devi and many public representatives were present in the programme.










Ranchi Police has arrested four cyber criminals who committed fraud of Rs 1.12 crore in the name of lottery. All the cyber criminals have been arrested from Sukhdevnagar police station area.



The arrested cyber criminals include Jyotish Kumar, Mohan Kumar, resident of Nawada district of Bihar, Ajit Kumar, Neeraj Kumar, resident of Irgu Toli, Ranchi. The police also recovered 85 ATM cards, 18 bank passbooks, 23 mobiles, Rs 1.39 lakh cash and many other items.



Addressing a press meet on Sunday Ranchi City Superintendent of Police (SP), Rajkumar Mehta said that Shobha Menon, a resident of Ernakulam, was duped by cyber criminals in pretext of a lottery worth Rs 1.5 crore. In return, cyber thugs withdraw Rs 1.12 crore from her account in various ways. In this regard, Shobha had lodged an FIR in Ernakulam police station on July 26, 2023. On the basis of the FIR lodged, Ernakulam police reached Sukhdevnagar police station in Ranchi. With the help of Sukhdevnagar police, all four criminals were arrested. Police interrogated all four cyber criminals. The accused told the police that they had been living in a rented house in Irgu Toli for a year. During interrogation, the accused also informed that their gang members are all over the Country including Jharkhand, he added.



Members of cyber criminal gangs open accounts in various banks on the basis of fake documents. In return they gets Rs 20,000 from the gang. After this, the members of the gang give other types of fraud including lottery to the people and deposit the defrauded amount in that account. After withdrawing it through ATM card, they send it to the concerned cyber thug. In return they also get a separate commission, said Mehta.
Madhya Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission has ordered a hospital to pay Rs 85 lakh in a case of 2004 in which a girl lost her eyesight due to negligence of hospital.

The matter pertains to Ayushman Children Hospital located in Jabalpur. Here, due to negligence in operating the incubator, a child lost her eyesight forever.

Deepesh Joshi, lawyer of the innocent's father Shailendra Jain, said that this is a historic decision. Till now, such a huge compensation amount has not been imposed on any hospital due to negligence. This decision was given on September 14 by the bench of State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission members AK Tiwari, Shrikant Pandey and DK Srivastava. Earlier, in the case of a stone clinic, the commission had imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh.

Deepesh Joshi told that in 2004, when Shelendra Jain's daughter Sakshi was one year old, she complained to the Commission about the negligence of the hospital. Sakshi was a premature baby at the time of birth.

On the advice of doctors, he was kept in an incubator at Ayushman Children's Hospital. However, after a few days the girl recovered and her parents took her home. After some time she realized that she could not see anything. Many eye doctors were consulted regarding this.

Then it was found that the girl had retinopathy of prematurity.

Deepesh Joshi told that after all the tests of the girl were done, it was found that the girl has retinopathy of prematurity. This happened due to excessive dose of oxygen in the incubator. The negligence of the hospital has come to light in this regard.

Madhya Pradesh State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission said, 'Due to the negligence of the hospital and doctors of the victim girl Sakshi Jain, it has been concluded that her vision has been lost for life and she has become blind. The possibility of it allegedly having an impact on her future life also cannot be ruled out.

Even from the social point of view, she will not be able to get the same place and respect as she would have been able to make her place in the society if she had had a normal life. She will need help for many tasks and her ability to earn a living will also be affected due to lack of eyesight.
Cadila Pharma phase I clinical trial for chicken pox shot: SEC recommends nod FOR trial

The Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on vaccines, which reviews proposals and advises the Drugs Controller General (India) in matters for biologicals and post approval change proposals, has recommended granting nod to Gujarat-based Cadila Pharmaceuticals to conduct phase I clinical trial for its chicken pox vaccine.

The decision was taken in a recent meeting last month of the SEC after the company submitted a revised phase I clinical trial protocol for grant of permission to conduct the trial for Varicella-Zoster Virus (VZV) vaccine.

The pharma firm had earlier submitted its proposal for grant of permission to conduct Phase I clinical trial of its Varicella-Zoster virus (VZV) vaccine along with preclinical data and it was considered in a SEC meeting held on May 16.

The SEC, during then, after detailed deliberation recommended that the company should submit single dose toxicity data as per the provisions of the New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019.

Further, it recommended, the firm should revise the phase I clinical trial protocol with some changes such as the volume of blood to be withdrawn for analysis should be reduced.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Varicella (chickenpox) is an acute, highly contagious disease caused by varicella-zoster virus (VZV), a member of the herpesvirus family.

"Only one serotype of VZV is known, and humans are the only reservoir. Following infection, the virus remains latent in neural ganglia and in about 10-20% of cases it is reactivated to cause herpes zoster, or shingles, generally in persons over 50 years of age or immunocompromised individuals," it said.

This robot can navigate living lung tissue to detect tumoR

Scientists from the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill and Vanderbilt University in the US have developed a robot that can autonomously traverse human lungs, enabling physicians to reach tumours that are extremely small and hide deep within tissues.

The robot with an autonomous steerable needle can go from "Point A" to "Point B" while avoiding important structures, such as tiny airways and blood vessels, in a living laboratory model.

"This technology allows us to reach targets we can't otherwise reach with a standard or even robotic bronchoscope," said Jason Akulian, from the UNC Department of Medicine. "It gives you that extra few centimeters or a few millimeters even, which would help immensely with pursuing small targets in the lungs," he added.

The robot, detailed in the journal Science Robotics, is made of several separate components. A mechanical control provides controlled thrust of the needle to go forward and backward and the needle design allows for steering along curved paths. The needle is made from a nickel-titanium alloy and has been laser etched to increase its flexibility.

QCI calls for healthcare quality interventions in rural areas

The Quality Council of India (QCI) has highlighted the importance of initiating healthcare quality interventions in rural areas and tier 2 and tier 3 cities with the launch of Digital Health Accreditation Standards for Hospitals among others.

In order to achieve the goal of patient safety, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) has recently released new standards including 1st Edition of Digital Health Accreditation Standards for Hospitals, Entry Level Certification Standards for Dental Clinics, Care Home Accreditation Standards and 3rd Edition of Accreditation Standards for Dental Service Providers among others to ensure patient safety at the grassroots level.

The NABH is a constituent board of QCI, set up to establish and operate accreditation programmes for healthcare organisations.

Jaxay Shah, chairperson, QCI, said, We believe that quality change begins at the very foundation of our healthcare system, not limited to only metropolitan cities but also in the rural and tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India.

Dr RP Singh, secretary general, QCI said, Recognizing the profound significance of quality and well-being of patients, a robust quality ecosystem in healthcare is not only crucial for elevating our healthcare industry but also for positioning it firmly on the global map.

Dr. Atul Mohan Kochhar, CEO, NABH emphasized on the intricate link between technology and patient safety.

Neuberg Diagnostic strengthens its position in sector

Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited, a prominent player in the diagnostics sector with a global presence, has announced the successful merger of Neuberg Supratech Reference Laboratory, Ahmedabad, and Neuberg Anand Reference Laboratory, Bangalore, into Neuberg Diagnostics Private Limited. This merger has been facilitated through an NCLT court-based process, further solidifying Neuberg Diagnostics' position as a frontrunner in the diagnostic industry.

Dr GSK Velu, chairman and managing director of Neuberg Diagnostics said, "The merger marks a significant step forward in our journey to provide unparalleled healthcare solutions. By integrating these renowned laboratories, we reinforce our commitment to delivering excellence in diagnostics and patient care."

TechEagle, AIIM Jodhpur bid to reachout to tribals

TechEagle, India's leading drone delivery company, announces partnership with AIIMS Jodhpur to deliver healthcare essentials for the tribal population. Its state-of-the-art, hybrid e-VTOL Drone, Vertiplane X3 took off for its maiden flight from Sirohi carrying medicines to Waloriya, a location habited by the tribal population. AIIMS, Jodhpur is recognised as a Centre of Excellence (COE) for Tribal Health by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Vikram Singh Meena, founder & CEO of TechEagle said, Time is the most crucial dimension when we talk about emergency healthcare as every second is important in such a scenario and by deploying innovative solutions such as drones a lot of time could be saved and in turn lives.
Hitting out at the Modi government, former Union law minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday said the earliest the women's reservation can come into effect is 2034 Lok Sabha elections, alleging it was brought with an eye on the upcoming state and Lok Sabha polls.

The Rajya Sabha MP made the remarks in his new 'Dil Se' initiative under which he will engage fortnightly in a conversation with a journalist on important issues.

In the first episode he posted on social media, Sibal took questions on the women's reservation bill, the row over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali, and his views on the new Parliament building.

Asked about Bidhuri's remarks, Sibal said the BJP MP must be "expelled" from parliament.

"I have not seen this in my 30-year-long career in parliament. Never seen such foul language, such venom and I was even surprised and shocked by the person presiding, who said I would look at the record and then delete it. I just don't understand this," Sibal said in an apparent reference to Congress' K Suresh who was in the chair when the incident happened in the Lok Sabha last week.

People like this should be expelled from Parliament, Sibal said, on Bidhuri.

"Imagine if a member of that (of Danish Ali's) community had done a similar thing, what would have happened and what the presiding officer would have done," Sibal said.

"That is the kind of venom we have built in the society, that people of a particular community can say anything and get away with it," said Sibal, who was the Union law minister between May 2013 and May 2014.

Asked about the women's reservation bill that was passed by the parliament last week, Sibal said he doubts government was genuine in wanting to pass the bill immediately.

"Had they been genuine in 2014, it would have been done," he said.

Asked when the bill could come into effect, Sibal said, "Not in 2029. I will tell you why. The last delimitation was done in 1976 then we had the 84th constitutional amendment which said that we will have a freeze on delimitation. Now 2026, if you start doing a census, as you know it is a huge exercise, we have over 1.4 billion people, it will take one to one and half years.

"Not only that, if you are going to include caste which is going to be the demand of a large section of north India and I don't think the BJP will be able to resist that demand because if they resist that demand, they are going to lose the election, it would take much longer," he said.

He said that delimitation was a long drawn and enormous exercise to stress that the earliest one could have possible reservation for women was 2034.

Asked whether the bill was brought with an eye on state and Lok Sabha polls, Sibal said, "Without a doubt. In 2023, why would they have a special session for doing this."

"The government has not answered that in parliament. The question to be asked is that the Prime Minister and the law minister should explain why they did not do it in 2014, there is no answer," he said.

"Why now, I feel there is a general fatigue that has set in as far as this government is concerned and I think they want to catch some issue that will take them to the 2024 elections, this is one of them," he said.

On whether the bill will work to the government's advantage, Sibal said, it may or may not, as he suggested the opposition to focus its campaign on questioning the Centre why it did not bring the bill when it had the chance to do it in 2014.

"The backwards within the backwards that have not been included in the bill, I think will get alienated and we will have a chasm there, they can't afford that, not to include the backwards but they can't afford to include them also because there is a backlash there as well. For them it is Hobson's choice," Sibal said.

On the new Parliament building, Sibal said, "It is fine, it is like any other seven-star structure. I would have liked a more cozy place. I would have liked a parliament where I would have felt close to my colleagues."

Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA I and II, quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party's support.

He has floated a non-electoral platform 'Insaaf' aimed at fighting injustice.
The following companies are subsidiares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.: 2235158 Alberta Limited, A.J. Amer Agency, AHC Digital LLC, AIX Limited, AJG Coal LLC, AJG Financial Services LLC, AJG Meadows LLC, AJG North America ULC, AJG RCF LLC, AJGRMS of Louisiana LLC, ARM RE Ltda., AVIATION INSURANCE SERVICES, AVRECO, Ace IRM Insurance Broking Group, Acumus Holdings Limited, Acumus Interco Limited, Acumus Ltd, Adams & Associates International, Adaptive Marketing LLC, Adco General Corporation, Advanced Benefit Advisors, Aequus Trade Credit, Affinity Marketing Group, Ahrold Fay Rosenberg, Aires Consulting Group, Alesco Risk Management Services Limited, Alize Limited, Allied Claims Administration Inc., Alternative Market Specialists, Altman & Cronin Benefit Consultants, American Freedom Carriers Inc., American Security Services Corp., American Wholesalers Underwriting Ltd, Andrew-Anthony Insurance Agency, Anthony Hodges Consulting Limited, Antrobus Investments Limited, AquaSurance, Argentis, Argentis Financial Group Limited, Argentis Financial Management Limited, Argus Benefits, Armstrong/Robitaille/Riegle, Artex (SAC) Limited, Artex Cedar Hill, Artex Corporate Services (Malta) Limited, Artex Corporate Services Limited, Artex Holdings (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Holdings (Malta) Limited, Artex Insurance (Guernsey) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance (Tennessee) PCCIC Inc., Artex Insurance Brokers (Malta) PCC Limited, Artex Insurance ICC Limited, Artex Intermediaries Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Bermuda) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Cayman) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Gibraltar) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Guernsey) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (International) Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (Malta) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Artex Risk Solutions (UK) Limited, Artex Risk Solutions Inc., Arthur J Gallagher (Norway) Holdings AS, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AUS) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (Illinois), Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Insurance Brokers of California Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher (Aus) Pty Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Bermuda) Holding Partnership, Arthur J. Gallagher (Life Solutions) Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Arthur J. Gallagher (U.S.) LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Asesoria S.A.C., Arthur J. Gallagher Australasia Holdings Pty Ltd., Arthur J. Gallagher Brokerage & Risk Management Services LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Broking (NZ) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Financial Services Professionals Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Group Quebec ULC, Arthur J. Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance Brokers Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Latin America LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Management (Bermuda) Limited, Arthur J. Gallagher Real Estate Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services (Hawaii) Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services of Utah Inc., Arthur J. Gallagher School Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Service Company LLC, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Ltd, Ashmore & Associates Insurance Agency, Atlantic Risk Management Corp., Atrex Insurance (Cayman) SPC Limited, Avantek Pty Ltd, Axe Insurance PCC Limited, BIS Insurance Services, Baker - Tillys employment benefits solutions, Ballard Benefit Works, Bankers Financial Benefits, Barmore Insurance Agency, Behnke & Co. Inc., Bellisle Pty Ltd, Belmont Associates Consultants, Belmont Insurance Holdings Limited, Belmont International, Belmont International Limited, Benefit Development Group, Benefit Management Group, BenefitLink Resource Group, Benefits Planning & Insurance Agency, Benefits Unlimited, Bennett & Shade Co., Bergvall Marine, Bergvall Marine A.S., Besselman & Little Agency, Big Savings Insurance Agency Inc., Blenheim Park Ltd, Blenheim Park Services Limited, Blue Holdings Pty Ltd, Blue Horizon Insurance Services, Blue Water Benefits, BluePeak Advisors, Blueleaf Consulting Pty Ltd., Bluewater Incorporated Cell Insurance Company, Bollinger Inc., Bollinger Insurance Services Inc., Bowen Miclette Britt & Merry of Arkansas Inc., Brendis & Brendis, Brim AB, Broker Benefit Services, Brokerage Professionals, Brown Hobbs & McMurray Insurance, Bultman/Bell Associates Inc., Burkwald & Associates, Burns-Fazzi Brock & Associates, Bushong Insurance Associates, C&B Consulting Group, CGM Gallagher Insruance Brokers (Trinidad & Tobago) Limited, CJM Solutions Inc., CMA Solutions LLC, Cairnstone Financial, California Insurance Center, Capital Bauer Insurance Agency, Capitol Benefits Group, Capsicum CRLA LLP, Capsicum Re Brasil Participacoes Ltda, Capsicum Re Latin America Corretora De Resseguros Ltda, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Bermuda Limited, Capsicum Reinsurance Brokers Miami Inc., Carefree Marketing Inc., Carpenter Cammack & Associates, Cashan & Co., Castle Insurance Associates, Centennial Insurance Agency, Charity First Insurance Services Inc., Charles Allen Agency, Charter Lakes Insurance Agency, Chris Schroeder Insurance, Christie-Phoenix, Cintran Claims Canada Limited, Classic Insurance Services, Cleaveland Insurance Group, Cohen & Lord Insurance Brokers, Cohn Financial Group, Coleman Group Holdings Limited, Coleman Holdings Limited, College and University Scholastic Excess Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Commercial Insurance Brokers, Complete Benefit Alliance, Complete Financial Balance, Complete Financial Balance Pty Ltd, Consolidated Casualty Specialties LLC, Construction Risk Solutions, Contego Underwriting Limited, Contego Underwriting Ltd, Continental Excess & Surplus, Convergence Risk Services Ltd, Copper Mountain Assurance Inc., Cornwall & Stevens Co., Corporate Benefit Advisors, Corporate Life Consultants, Countrywide Accident Assistance Limited, Coverdell & Company Inc., Coverdell Canada Corporation, Cowles and Connell, Craig M. Ferguson & Co., Crist Elliott Machette Insurance Services, Crombie Lockwood (NZ) Limited, Davis-Poston & Associates, Denman Consulting Services, Detlefs Johnson & Partners, DiBrina Group, Dickinson & Associates, Discount Development Services L.L.C., Discovery Benefit Solutions, Dodson-Bateman & Co., Donald P. Pipino Co. Ltd., E. S. Susanin Inc., EHE Holdings LLC, EHS Holdings Limited, Elantis Premium Funding (NZ) Limited, Elantis Premium Funding Limited, Elite Benefits Insurance Marketing Services, Employee Benefits Analysis Corp., Employee Benefits of The Carolinas, Encore Insurance & Bonding, Everett James, Evolution Risk Services Limited, Evolution Technology Services Limited, Evolution Underwriting Group, Evolution Underwriting Group Limited, Evolution Underwriting Limited, Excel Insurance Services, FYI Direct Canada Corporation, FYI Direct LLC, Farallone Pacific Insurance Services, Fenchurch Faris Limited, Fidelity Benefits & Insurance Services, Financial Profiles Inc., Finergy Solutions Pty Ltd, First Agency, First Iowa Insurance Agency, First Premium Inc., First Premium Insurance Group, Fish & Schulkamp, Fishermans Insurance Services, Foley Healthcare Limited, Fortress Financial Solutions Pty Ltd, Fortress Insurance LLC, Foundation Strategies, Fox Lawson & Associates, Franklin-Case Agency LLC, Fraser MacAndrew Ryan Limited, Friary Intermediate Limited, Fuller & O'Brien, G.S. Chapman & Associates Insurance Brokers, G.S. Levine Insurance Services, GBS (Australia) Holdings Pty Ltd, GBS Administrators Inc., GBS Insurance and Financial Services Inc., GBS Retirement Services Inc., GBS Specialty Markets LLC, GGB Finance 1 Limited, GGB Finance 2 Limited, GGB Finance 3 Limited, GGB Finance 4 Limited, GPL Assurance, GPL Assurance Inc., Gabor Insurance Services, Gale Smith & Co. Inc., Gallagher (Bermuda) Insurance Solutions Ltd., Gallagher - Grace/Mayer Insurance Agency, Gallagher Bassett Aires Inc., Gallagher Bassett Canada Inc., Gallagher Bassett Insurance Services Ltd., Gallagher Bassett International Ltd., Gallagher Bassett NZ Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Inc. , Gallagher Bassett Services Pty Ltd., Gallagher Bassett Services Workers Compensation Victoria Pty Ltd., Gallagher Benefit Services (Canada) Group Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services (Holdings) Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Inc., Gallagher Benefit Services Management Company Limited, Gallagher Benefit Services Pty Ltd, Gallagher Benefits Consulting Limited, Gallagher Bomford Couch Wilson, Gallagher Burgess, Gallagher Canada Acquisition Corporation, Gallagher Caribbean Group Limited, Gallagher Clean Energy LLC, Gallagher Communications Limited, Gallagher Community Clinic RPG LLC, Gallagher Consulting Ltda, Gallagher Corporate Services LLC, Gallagher Coyle, Gallagher CyberRisk, Gallagher Energy Risk Services Inc., Gallagher Fiduciary Advisors LLC, Gallagher Holdings (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Bermuda Company Limited, Gallagher Holdings Four (UK) Limited, Gallagher Holdings Three (UK) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (Barbados) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Kitts & Nevis) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Lucia) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers (St. Vincent) Limited, Gallagher Insurance Brokers Jamaica Limited, Gallagher International Cash Management s.r.l., Gallagher International Holdings (US) Inc., Gallagher Investment Advisors LLC, Gallagher Inwest Group, Gallagher Koster, Gallagher Lambert Group, Gallagher Madison Risk & Insurance Services, Gallagher Mauritius Holdings, Gallagher Mississippi Brokerage LLC, Gallagher RE Colombia Ltda Corredores de Reaseguros SA, Gallagher Risk & Reward Limited, Gallagher Risk Group LLC, Gallagher Risk Placements Pty Ltd, Gallagher SKS, Gallagher Service Center LLP, Gallagher-Tarantino, Galtney Group, Game Day Insurance Inc., Gardner & White Corp., Gardner Marine Agency, Garza Long Group, Gatehouse Consulting Limited, Gault Armstrong Kemble Pty Ltd, Gault Armstrong SARL, Giles Group, Giles Holdings Limited, Giles Insurance Brokers, Gillis Ellis & Baker Inc., Goodman Insurance Agency, Grandy Pratt Co., Greenseed Alternative Mangaers Platform Ltd, Grossman & Associates, Group Benefits of Arkansas, Group Insurance Associates, Gruppo Marcucci, HLG Holdings Limited, HMG-PCMS Limited, HPF Investments LLC, HR Owen Insurance Services Limited, Hagan Newkirk Financial Services, Hagedorn & Company, Hardman & Howell Benefits, Harlequin Insurance PCC Limited, Hartstein Associates Inc., Healthcare Professionals Purchasing Group LLC, Healthcare Risk Solutions, Heath Lambert Group Ltd., Heath Lambert Limited, Heath Lambert Overseas Limited, Heiser Insurance Agency, Henderson Phillips Fine Arts Insurance, Herbruck Alder & Co., Heritage Insurance Brokers (CI) Limited, Hesse & Partner AG, Hesse Consulting, Hexagon ICC Limited, Hexagon Insurance PCC Limited, Hill Chesson & Woody, Hogan Insurance Services, Home & Travel Limited, Honour Point Limited, Horseshoe Corporate Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services Ltd, Horseshoe Fund Services USA Inc., Horseshoe ILS Services UK Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Advisors US LLC, Horseshoe Insurance Advisory Ltd., Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings Ltd, Horseshoe Insurance Services Holdings US Inc., Horseshoe Management (Gibraltar) Limited, Horseshoe Management (Ireland) Ltd, Horseshoe Management Ltd., Horseshoe PCC Limited, Horseshoe Re Limited, Horseshoe Services (Cayman) Ltd, Horseshoe Services (Pty) Ltd, Horton Insurance Agency, Housing Authorities Services Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Human Resource Management Systems, I-Protect Underwriting Pty Ltd, IBIS Advisors, IBS Reinsurance Singapore Pte Ltd, ILS Fund Services Ltd., ISG International, ITI Solutions, Igloo Insurance PCC Limited, Independent Benefit Services, Independent Fiduciary Services, Ink Underwriting Agencies Limited, InsSync Group Pty Ltd, Inspire Underwriting Limited, Instrat Insurance Brokers, Instrat Insurance Brokers Pty Ltd, Instrat Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Insurance Acquisitions Holdings Limited, Insurance Associates Inc., Insurance Dialogue Limited, Insurance Dialogue Ltd., Insurance Plans Agency, Insurance Plus Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Insurance Point, Insurance Risk Managers of Missouri Inc., Insure My Villa Limited, Insure Pty Ltd, Integrated Healthcare Strategies, InterNational Insurance Group, InterPacific Underwriting Agencies, Intermountain Financial Benefits, Interstate Insurance Underwriters, JPGAC LLC, James F. Reda & Associates, James R. Weir Insurance Agency, Jenkins and Associates, Joe E. Martin Inc., John P. Woods Co. Inc., Jones Brown, Jones Brown Group Inc., Jones Brown Insurance Solutions Inc., Joseph Distel, Joseph James & Associates Insurance Agency, Just Landlords Insurance Services Ltd, KDC Associates, KRW Insurance Agency, Kahl Insurance Services, Kaler Carney Liffler & Co. Inc., Kane Group - Insurance Management Operations, Kelly Financial, Kent Kent & Tingle and RBS, Keyser Benefits Corp., Kingspark Enterprises Pty Ltd, L&R Benefits, LSG Insurance Partners, Learn About Money Limited, Lewis & Associates Insurance Brokers, Leystone Insurance & Financial, Life Plans Unlimited, Lincoln Financial Management, Longfellow Financial, Lucas Fettes Limited, Lucas Fettes and Partners Limited, Lutgert Insurance, MA Underwriting Pty Ltd, MDM Insurance Associates, MG Advanced Coal Technologies-1 LLC, MGA Insurance Services, MRS Holdings Ltd., Madison Scott & Associates, Managed Healthcare Solutions, Mannequin Insurance PCC Limited, Marchetti Robertson & Brickell Insurance, Marine Insurance Service, Martin Gordon & Jones Inc., McDowall Associates Human Resource Consultants, McIntyre Risk Management, McLean Insurance Agency, McNeary, McPherson Benefits Group, McRory & Co., Mecacem Insurance SPC Ltd, MedInsights Inc., Melton Insurance Associates, Memberworks Canada LLC, Merit Insurance, Metcom Excess, Metzler Bros. Insurance, Meyers-Reynolds & Associates, Mid America Group, Midwest Surety Services, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers, Mike Henry Insurance Brokers Limited, Mike Henry Insurance Funding Limited, Miller Buettner & Parrott, Miller-Harrison Insurance Services, Milne Alexander Pty Ltd, Minvielle & Chastanet Insurance Brokers, Monument Insurance (NZ) Limited, Monument Llc, Monument Premium Funding Limited, Mortgage Insurance Agency, Murphy Consultants, Mutual Insurance Services, NationAir Aviation Insurance, National Administration Co., National Ethics Association, National Transportation Adjusters, Nelson/Monarch Insurance Services, Nicoud Insurance Services, NiiS/Apex Group Holdings, Nonprofit Insurance Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Noraxis Capital Corp, Nordic Forsakring & Riskhantering AB, North Alabama Insurance, Nourse Insurance Brokers, O'Gorman & Young, OAMPS (UK) Limited, OAMPS Gault Armstrong Pty Ltd, OAMPS Limited, OAMPS Special Risks Ltd, Offshore Market Placements Limited, Optimum Talent, Orb Financial Services, Orb Financial Services Limited, Osprey Insurance Brokers Limited, Oval Group, Oval Healthcare Limited, Oval Insurance Broking Limited, Oval Limited, Oval Management Services Limited, Oxygen Insurance Managers, P2 Group, PEN Insurance Management Advisors Ltd, PT IBS Insurance Broking Service, Pacific Insurance Agency, Palmer Atlantic Insurance, Palmer Atlantic Insurance Ltd, Palmer Atlantic Risk Services Ltd., Park Row Associates, Parkstar Enterprises Pty Ltd, Parmia Pty Ltd, PartnerSource, Pastel Holding (NZ) Company, Pastel Holdings Pty Limited, Pastel Purchaser (NZ) Limited, Pastel Purchaser Pty Limited, Pavey Group Holdings (UK) Limited, Pavey Group Holdings Limited, Pavey Group Limited, Pearson Dunn Insurance Inc., Pen Underwriting Canada Limited, Pen Underwriting Group Pty. Ltd., Pen Underwriting Limited, Pen Underwriting Pty Ltd, Persing Dyckman & Toynbee Inc., Personal Advice Services Pty Ltd, Petty Burton Associates, Pointer Insurance Agency, Portmore Insurance Brokers (Wilshire) Limited, Portmore Insurance Brokers Limited, Potter-Holden & Co., Powell Insurance Agency, Premier Insurance Services Inc., Premier Risk Services, Premium Finance Corporation, Preston-Patterson, ProSource Financial, Professional Agents Risk Purchasing Group LLC, Professional Claims Managers, Proinova AB, Proinova Agency AB, Pronto California Agency LLC, Pronto California General Agency LLC, Pronto Florida Claims LLC, Pronto Florida General Agency LLC, Pronto Franchise LLC, Pronto General Agency Ltd, Pronto General Agency Management LLC, Pronto Holdco Inc., Pronto Holding California LLC, Pronto Holding Florida LLC, Pronto Insurance Agency of Laredo Inc., Pronto Premium Finance LLC, Property & Commercial Ltd., Property Insurance Initatives Limited, Property and Commercial Limited, Protected Insurance Company, Protection Plan Association Inc., Protek Group Limited, Providium Consulting Group, Ptarmigan Underwriting Agency Limited, Ptarmigan Underwriting UK Limited, Purple Bridge Claims Management Limited, Purple Bridge Finance Limited, Purple Bridge Group Limited, Purple Bridge Investments Limited, Purple Bridge Online Services Limited, Purple Bridge Publishing Limited, Quantum Underwriting Solutions Limited, Quillco 226 Limited, Quillco 227 Limited, R. L. Youngdahl & Associates, R.G. Speno Inc., R.W. Scobie, RA Rossborough (Guernsey) Ltd., RA Rossborough (Insurance Brokers) Ltd, REGENCY Group inc., RGA Referencing Limited, RGA Underwriting Limited, RIL Administrators (Guernsey) Ltd., RJ Dutton Inc., RSM Insurance Services Limited, Reassurance Holdings Inc., Rebholz Insurance Agency, Reid Manson Ltd., Reimbursement Services, Rentguard Limited, Reward Management Limited, Reynolds & Rodar Insurance Group, Riley & Associates, Rio 587 Limited, Rio 588 Limited, Risk & Reward Group, Risk Management Partners Limited, Risk Placement Services Inc., Risk Planners, Risk Services (NW) Limited, Risk Services (NW) Ltd., Risk Solutions Group Limited, Robert A. Schneider Agency, Robert Keith & Associates, Roberts & Roberts Insurance Service, Robinson-Adams Insurance, Rossborough Healthcare International Ltd, Rossborough Insurance (IOM) Ltd., Rossborough Insurance Services Ltd. (Jersey), S. A. Freerks & Associates, SEG Insurance Ltd, SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers, SHILLING Ltd, SKANCO International, SMERI AB, SRS Underwriting Pty Ltd, Secure Enterprises Pty Ltd, Securitas Re, Sellers Group, Sentinel Indemnity LLC, Septagon Insurance PCC Limited, Shuford Insurance Agency, Sigma II Insurance Agency, Sinclair Billard and Weld Limited, Sobieski & Bradley, Solid Benefit Guidance, Spanjers Insurance Agency, Spataro Insurance Agency, Specialised Broking Associates, Specialty Risk, Stackhouse Poland, Stackhouse Poland Bidco Limited, Stackhouse Poland Group Limited, Stackhouse Poland Holdings Limited, Stackhouse Poland Midco Limited, Stackouse Poland Limited, Stanton Group, Stark Johnson & Stinson Inc., Steel Agency, Strata Solicitors Ltd, Strategic Health Plans Corp., Strathearn Insurance Brokers, Strathearn Insurance Brokers (Qld) Trading Trust, Strathern Insurance Group Pty Ltd, Strathern Integration Holdco Pty Ltd, Strathern Unit Trust, Strong Financial Resources, Summit Insurance Group, Sunday and Associates, Sunderland Insurance Services, Super Advice Corporate Services Pty Ltd, Taylor Benefits, Texas Insurance Agency, Texas Insurance Managers, The BeneTex Group, The Buchholz Planning, The Chapman Group, The Commonwealth Consulting Group, The Daniels Group Inc., The EHE Group LLC, The EHE Insurance Agency LLC, The Eagle Insurance Agency LLC, The Eriksen Group, The Forker Company, The Gleason Agency, The Great Lakes Agency, The HR Group, The Hawk Agency, The Human Capital Group, The Lance Group, The Levitt/Kristan Co., The MW Bagnall Company, The Old Greenwich Consulting Group, The Parks Johnson Agency, The Plus Companies Inc., The Presidio Group, The Producers Choice, The Rains Group, The Splinter Group, The Titan Group, The Treiber Group, The Woodsmall Companies Inc., Title & Covenant Brokers Ltd., Title Investments Limited, Tom Sherwin Insurance Agency, Total Reward Group, Total Rewards Group (Holdings) Limited, Towle Agency, Transwestern, Tri-State General Insurance Agency, Triad Insurance Agency, Triad USA, Tribeca Strategic Advisors, Trinder & Norwood, Trip Mate, Trissel Graham & Toole, Tropp & Co., Tudor Risk Services, Tyloma Holdings Limited, Uni-Care Inc., Unison Inc., Universico Group, Unoccupied Direct Limited, V2V Holdings LLC, VEBA Service Group, Vasek Insurance Services Limited, Velo ACU LLC, Velo Holdings Inc., Verbag AG., Vertrue LLC, Victory Insurance Agency, Vincent L. Braband Insurance, Vital Benefits, Voluntary Benefits Solutions, W. E. Kingsley Co. Inc., WM. W. George & Associates, Walker Taylor Agency, Welling Associates, Wesfarmers Insurance - Insurance Brokerage Operations, Western Benefit Solutions, White & Company Insurance, Whitehaven Insurance Group, William Gallagher Associates Insurance Brokers, William H. Connolly & Co., Williams Insurance Agency Inc., Williams-Manny Insurance Group, Winn & Company Insurance Brokers, Wischmeyer Benefit Partners, Woodbrook Underwriting Agencies, Woods & Grooms, WorkCare Northwest, Worksite Communications, Y. S. Liedman & Associates, YOA Capsicum Reinsurance Broker Limited, Zenor Limited, Zuber Insurance Agency, and e3 Financial.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Brinker International: BI INTERNATIONAL SERVICES LLC, BI MEXICO HOLDING CORPORATION, BIPC GLOBAL PAYROLL COMPANY LLC, BIPC INVESTMENTS LLC, BIPC MANAGEMENT LLC, BRINKER AIRPORTS LLC, BRINKER ALABAMA INC., BRINKER ARKANSAS INC., BRINKER ASIA INC., BRINKER BRAZIL LLC, BRINKER CANADIAN HOLDING CO. ULC, BRINKER CANADIAN RESTAURANT CO. ULC, BRINKER CB LP, BRINKER CB MANAGEMENT LLC, BRINKER FHC B.V., BRINKER FLORIDA INC., BRINKER FREEHOLD INC., BRINKER GEORGIA INC., BRINKER INTERNATIONAL PAYROLL COMPANY L.P., BRINKER LOUISIANA INC., BRINKER MICHIGAN INC., BRINKER MISSISSIPPI INC., BRINKER MISSOURI INC., BRINKER NEVADA INC., BRINKER NEW JERSEY INC., BRINKER NORTH CAROLINA INC., BRINKER OF BALTIMORE COUNTY INC., BRINKER OF CARROLL COUNTY INC., BRINKER OF CECIL COUNTY INC., BRINKER OKLAHOMA INC., BRINKER OPCO LLC, BRINKER PENN TRUST, BRINKER PROPCO FLORIDA INC., BRINKER PROPERTY CORPORATION, BRINKER PURCHASING INC., BRINKER RESTAURANT CORPORATION, BRINKER RHODE ISLAND INC., BRINKER SERVICES CORPORATION, BRINKER SOUTH CAROLINA INC., BRINKER TEXAS INC., BRINKER VIRGINIA INC., CHILIS BEVERAGE COMPANY INC., CHILIS INC. a Delaware corporation, CHILIS INC. a Tennessee corporation, CHILIS INTERNATIONAL BASES B.V., CHILIS OF BEL AIR INC., CHILIS OF KANSAS INC., CHILIS OF MARYLAND INC., CHILIS OF WEST VIRGINIA INC., Grady's Inc., MAGGIANO'S OF ANNAPOLIS INC., MAGGIANO'S OF HOWARD COUNTY INC., MAGGIANO'S OF KANSAS INC., MAGGIANOS BEVERAGE COMPANY, MAGGIANOS HOLDING CORPORATION, MAGGIANOS INC., MAGGIANOS OF TYSONS INC., MAGGIANOS PROPERTY CORPORATION, MAGGIANOS TEXAS INC., PEPPER DINING HOLDING CORP., PEPPER DINING Inc., and PEPPER DINING VERMONT INC..

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The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Morningstar US Dividend Growth index. The fund tracks an index of US stocks that are selected by dividends, dividend growth and payout ratio, then weighted by dividend dollars. DGRO was launched on Jun 10, 2014 and is managed by BlackRock.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is a prominent American supplier of scientific instrumentation, reagents, consumables, and software services. The company was formed in 2006 through the merger of Thermo Electron and Fisher Scientific, established players in the scientific and laboratory equipment industry. Headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, Thermo Fisher Scientific operates in the life sciences, healthcare, and analytical technologies sectors.

The company's history dates back to 1956 when Thermo Electron was co-founded by George N. Hatsopoulos and Peter M Nomikos, focusing on analytical and laboratory products. Fisher Scientific, founded in 1902 by Chester G. Fisher, supplied laboratory equipment, chemicals, and services. The merger in 2006 created Thermo Fisher Scientific, combining their expertise and product portfolios to provide comprehensive solutions to scientific and healthcare communities.

Thermo Fisher Scientific's mission is to enable customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer through its innovative products and services. They strive to advance research, enhance healthcare and support analytical applications globally. The company offers a wide range of products and services under the brand names of Thermo Scientific, Fisher Scientific, and others. Their offerings include advanced instruments, consumables, reagents, software, and services tailored for research, diagnostics, and industrial applications. Thermo Fisher Scientific's products are utilized by academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, biotech firms, healthcare providers, and research organizations worldwide.

Thermo Fisher Scientific's management team is led by Mr. Marc N. Casper, who serves as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. Under his leadership, the company has grown remarkably and expanded its global footprint.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has exhibited strong financial performance in recent years. The company's annual revenue and net income have been increasing yearly. The net profit margin stands at over 10%, demonstrating the company's ability to convert revenue into profit efficiently. The company maintains a healthy financial position with a debt-to-equity ratio indicating that it relies less on debt financing and holds a strong balance sheet confirming its financial stability and ability to meet short-term obligations.

Thermo Fisher Scientific's valuation metrics show positive signs. The market has expressed confidence in the company's future earnings potential, and that confidence is reflected in its valuation metrics. This indicates that investors are optimistic about the company's future growth prospects. Thermo Fisher Scientific's stock has demonstrated solid performance, which suggests investors' positive sentiment toward the company. However, various factors, including macroeconomic conditions, industry trends, and company-specific developments, can influence market performance.

Thermo Fisher Scientific operates in the measuring and controlling devices industry, specifically life sciences tools and services. The company is a dominant player in this industry, benefiting from its vast product portfolio and global reach. Its comprehensive offerings and strong customer relationships provide a competitive advantage over peers. With a diverse customer base and innovative solutions, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for advanced scientific and healthcare products. Thermo Fisher Scientific enjoys a competitive edge in the industry due to its extensive product range, technical expertise, and established market presence. The company's continuous investments in research and development enable it to introduce cutting-edge products that cater to evolving customer needs. Additionally, strategic acquisitions have expanded its capabilities, strengthening its competitive positioning.

The company has numerous growth opportunities in the life sciences, healthcare, and industrial sectors. The rising demand for innovative research tools, diagnostic solutions, and analytical instruments presents attractive prospects for Thermo Fisher Scientific. The company's strong global presence allows it to tap into emerging markets and cater to a diverse customer base. Thermo Fisher Scientific possesses several competitive advantages, including its vast product portfolio, research capabilities, and established reputation in the industry. Its ability to provide end-to-end solutions across multiple sectors sets it apart from competitors. Moreover, strategic partnerships and acquisitions have facilitated access to new technologies and expanded its customer base, bolstering its competitive position.

Despite its strengths, Thermo Fisher Scientific faces certain risks and challenges. Market competition from established players and emerging companies could impact market share and pricing power. Global economic conditions and regulatory changes may influence the company's operations and profitability. Moreover, unexpected events like supply chain disruptions or technology shifts could pose challenges. Thermo Fisher Scientific employs robust risk management strategies to mitigate potential risks. These include diversifying its product portfolio, investing in research and development, and maintaining financial stability. The company continuously monitors market dynamics to adapt to changing trends and demands. Additionally, strong governance and compliance practices ensure adherence to regulatory requirements.
Samsara Inc. is a leading provider of industrial Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for fleet management, safety, and compliance. The company's mission is to increase the efficiency and security of its customers' operations through innovative IoT technology. Samsara's products and services include GPS tracking, ELD compliance, video telematics, and environmental monitoring. Its target market includes transportation, logistics, construction, and energy industries. Samsara is headquartered in San Francisco, California and has additional offices in Europe and Asia. The company has received several awards, including the Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies" in 2020.

Samsara's management team is led by Chief Executive Officer and co-founder Sanjit Biswas, who has over 15 years of experience in wireless networking and IoT technology. The executive team includes Chief Technology Officer and co-founder John Bicket, Chief Financial Officer Dominic Philips, and Chief Operating Officer Kiren Sekar. The management team has a strong track record of success, with prior experience at companies such as Google and Cisco.

Samsara has experienced strong revenue growth in recent years, with revenues up yearly over the past several years. The company's net losses have also been decreasing annually. Samsara's gross profit margin has been improving, currently around 45%. The company's balance sheet took a hit in 2022 when the company reported negative cash flow for the first time.

Samsara's stock trades at a price-to-sales ratio much higher than industry peers. The price-to-earnings ratio is negative due to its current net loss.

Samsara's stock has been volatile over the recent past, reaching as high as $28 in Q1 2022 and hitting a low of $9 in Q4 2022. The company's stock price has been impacted by a variety of factors, including broader market trends, changes in investor sentiment, and news related to the company's financial performance.

The IoT solutions market for fleet management, safety, and compliance is highly competitive, with several established players such as Verizon Connect, Geotab, and Omnitracs. However, Samsara has a competitive advantage in offering a comprehensive suite of solutions that includes hardware, software, and services. The company has also differentiated itself by investing heavily in research and development to improve the performance and reliability of its products. One potential risk for the industry is increased regulation related to data privacy and security.

Samsara has several growth opportunities, including expanding into new verticals such as healthcare and education. The company has also recently launched several new products, such as its AI-powered routing solution, which can increase efficiency and reduce customer costs. Samsara has also expanded its global presence with new offices in Europe and Asia.

One potential challenge for Samsara is increased competition in the IoT solutions market. The company will need to continue investing in research and development to stay ahead of its competitors. Another potential risk is increased regulation related to data privacy and security. Samsara must stay abreast of regulatory changes and ensure its products and services remain compliant. Finally, any global economic downturn could impact the company's revenue growth.

Despite the potential risks and challenges, Samsara has several strategies to mitigate these factors. The company has a solid and experienced management team with a proven track record of success, which helps to instill investor confidence. Additionally, the company has a diversified product and service offering, reducing its dependence on any market or customer.

Another factor that could mitigate potential risks and challenges is Samsara's focus on innovation and technology. The company continuously invests in research and development to improve its products and services, which could give it a competitive advantage in the long run.

Samsara has had a good financial position, which should sustain it through any short-term challenges. In 2022 the company reported cash on hand changing from positive $510 million to negative $710 million, a one-year difference of $1.2 billion. This lack of financial flexibility restricts the company's ability to invest in growth opportunities or make strategic acquisitions.

In terms of growth opportunities, Samsara has several avenues for expansion. The company has successfully penetrated the transportation and logistics market, and there is still significant room for growth. Additionally, Samsara has recently launched new products and services, such as its AI Dash Cam and Safety, which could help it expand into new markets.

Samsara has a solid competitive position in the industry. The company has established itself as a leader in IoT technology, with a comprehensive product and service offering covering various sectors. Samsara's ability to provide end-to-end solutions for its customers sets it apart from many competitors and gives it a significant competitive advantage.
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and internationally. The company's Instrumentation segment offers monitoring and control instruments for marine, environmental, industrial, and other applications, as well as electronic test and measurement equipment; and power and communications connectivity devices for distributed instrumentation systems and sensor networks. Its Digital Imaging segment provides visible spectrum sensors and digital cameras for industrial machine vision and automated quality control, as well as for medical, research, and scientific applications; and infrared and X-ray spectra for use in industrial, government, and medical applications, as well as micro electromechanical systems and semiconductors, including analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. This segment also offers thermal imaging systems, visible-light imaging systems, locater systems, measurement and diagnostic systems, and threat-detection solutions. The company's Aerospace and Defense Electronics segment provides electronic components and subsystems, as well as communications products, such as defense electronics, environment interconnects, data acquisition and communications equipment for aircraft, components and subsystems for wireless and satellite communications, and general aviation batteries. Its Engineered Systems segment offers systems engineering and integration, technology development, and manufacturing solutions for defense, space, environmental, and energy applications; and designs and manufactures electrochemical energy systems and electronics for military applications. The company markets and sells its products and services through a direct internal sales force, as well as third-party sales representatives and distributors. The company was founded in 1960 and is headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California.
Antero Midstream (NYSE:AM) pays an annual dividend of $0.90 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 7.38%. AM has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 123.29%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on EPS estimates, AM will have a dividend payout ratio of 92.78% in the coming year. This indicates that the company may not be able to sustain their current dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for AM.
AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides various specialty insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. It operates through two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment offers property insurance products for commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, and onshore energy installations; marine classes covering offshore energy, cargo, liability, kidnap and ransom, fine art, specie, and hull war; and terrorism, aviation, credit and political risk, and liability insurance products. It also provides professional insurance products that cover directors' and officers' liability, errors and omissions liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, crime, professional indemnity, medical malpractice, and other financial insurance related coverages for commercial enterprises, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and other professional service providers. In addition, this segment offers accidental death, travel, and specialty health products for employer pet insurance and affinity groups. The Reinsurance segment offers reinsurance products to insurance companies, including catastrophe reinsurance products; property reinsurance products covering property damage and related losses resulting from natural and man-made perils; professional lines; credit and surety; and motor liability products. This segment also provides agriculture reinsurance products; engineering coverages for various types of construction risks and risks related to erection, testing, and commissioning of machinery and plants during the construction stage; marine and aviation reinsurance products; and personal accident, specialty health, accidental death, travel, life, and disability reinsurance products. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.
Boston Properties (NYSE:BXP) pays an annual dividend of $3.92 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 7.35%. BXP has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 92.67%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, BXP will have a dividend payout ratio of 53.26% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for BXP.
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.
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.
Bank of America has a rich history dating back to 1800 and even earlier. It was begun by immigrants as a group of separate and unrelated banks that, over the years, merged and grew together. One such is the Bank of Italy which was founded in 1904 by Amadeo Giannini to serve Italian immigrants that were facing discrimination. He later buys out the Banca de America e de Italia (Bank of America and Italy) which was also located in San Francisco. Over the years additional mergers and changes in Federal banking legislation, as well as the boom brought on by WWI and then WWII, helped boost the bank to national prominence.

Things turned sour, however, in 1998 with a major bond default that led to yet another merger, this time with Charlotte, NC-based Nations Bank to officially become the Bank of America that exists today. At the time, the merger was the largest bank merger in history and the company has only grown in the time since.

Other additions to the new Bank of America include MBNA (a major credit card operator), Fleet Boston (then the US 7th largest and one of its oldest banks), and Merril Lynch, now Merril, which was added to the group in 2008 to provide an investment banking branch. Together the company dominates as one of the Big Four Banks in America. Bank of America lays claim to nearly 11% of all US deposits which ranks in line with its peer group and Bank of America Securities is listed as the worlds 3rd largest investment bank.

Today, Bank of America Corporation provides banking and financial services for individuals, small businesses, institutions, corporations, and governments worldwide. The bank operates in three segments Consumer Banking, Global Wealth & Investment Management, and Global Banking bringing in a combined revenue greater than $90 billion in 2022.

As of 2022, Bank of America serves approximately 67 million consumer and small business clients with approximately 4,200 retail financial centers. The bank also operates more than 16,000 ATMs and digital banking platforms with approximately 41 million active users.

Its Consumer Banking segment offers traditional banking and investment products for retail clients. These range from deposit accounts to savings, credit cards, consumer loans, and IRAs. The Global Wealth & Investment Management segment offers investment and wealth management solutions including, brokerage, banking, and trust and retirement products. The Global Banking segment provides lending products and services, including commercial loans and leases for businesses of all varieties. The Global Markets segment offers market-making, clearing, settlement, and custody services, as well as risk management, derivatives, and FX exchange services.
GE is a multi-national conglomerate that was originally incorporated in 1892. The company was founded by Thomas Edison as the Edison General Electric Company and shortened its name to General Electric following a merger with two other early electric pioneers. The name was later shortened again to GE. The company is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts but has operations on a global scale. One of the original 12 Dow stocks, the company was a component of the index for 122 years until its ousting in 2018.

Originally intended to make and market Edisons incandescent lamp and following products, the company grew over the years through mergers, acquisitions, and natural expansion into newly created fields. Among the many early accomplishments is the creation of RCA and NBC which will both become forces of their own. Other major innovations include the worlds first turbine superchargers, industrial gas turbine engines, and the first jet engine. In the field of computing, General Electric Company is credited as being one of the 8 major computer companies of the 1960s and shares responsibility for todays digital world. In regard to its employees, two were awarded the Nobel Prize for their work with the company.

Today GE operates as a high-tech industrial company in Europe, China, Asia, the Americas, the Middle East, and Africa. The company operates through four segments including Power, Renewables, Aerospace, and Healthcare although there are plans in the works to split the company into three separate entities. The three new companies would be GE Vernova (power and renewables), GE Health, and GE Aerospace. The spin-offs are expected to be completed by 2025.

The Power segment offers a variety of turbine engines for power production as well as the full range of services from plant construction to retrofit and refit. The Renewables segment is focused on solutions for renewable energy including wind and hydro and the technology to operate them. The Aviation segment manufactures aircraft engines of all varieties and the Healthcare segment offers technology for imaging, monitoring, diagnostics, and drug discovery to health and medical facilities.

General Electric is committed to helping the world transition to a greener way of life and is exiting the new-build coal-fired power industry. Instead, its advancements in wind, grid efficiency, and natural gas are being deployed around the world helping to reduce emissions and generate cleaner energy for businesses, industry, and communities. The company is targeting 2030 for its own carbon neutrality and 2050 for net zero emissions.
TransAlta Corporation engages in the development, production, and sale of electric energy. It operates through Hydro, Wind and Solar, Gas, Energy Transition, and Energy Marketing segments. The Hydro segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 922 megawatts (MW) of owned hydro electrical-generating capacity located in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The Wind and Solar segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 1,878 MW of owned wind and solar electrical-generating capacity, as well as battery storage facilities located in Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick, and Quebec in Canada; and the states of Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wyoming in the United States. The Gas segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 2,775 MW of owned gas electrical-generating capacity, and facilities located in Alberta and Ontario in Canada; Michigan, the United States; and Western Australia. The Energy Transition segment has a net ownership interest of approximately 671 MW of owned coal electrical-generating capacity, as well as operates the Skookumchuck hydro facility in Centralia; and engages in the highvale mine and the mine reclamation activities. The Energy Marketing segment is involved in the trading of power, natural gas, and environmental products. It serves customers in various industry segments, including commercial real estate, municipal, manufacturing, industrial, hospitality, finance, and oil and gas. The company was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Press Release

September 24, 2023 CHIZ ASKS SENATORS: PASS BILL WAIVING COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAM FEES Sen. Chiz Escudero has asked his colleagues to pass Senate Bill No. 2441, which mandates private Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to waive entrance examination fees and charges of qualified students applying for college admission. The bill was among those he sponsored at the floor on September 19 (Tuesday) as Chairman of the Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education. To be known as the "Free College Entrance Act," the measure will enable thousands of poor yet deserving young Filipinos the opportunity to get a college degree and have a brighter future, Escudero pointed out. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education said Section 5 of SB 2441 requires HEIs to waive their college entrance examination fees to graduating high school students with the following qualifications: (a) Must be a natural-born Filipino citizen; (b) Must belong to the top 10% of his or her graduating class; (c) Must belong to a family whose combined household income falls below the poverty threshold as defined by the National Economic and Development Authority. Students belonging to a family whose income cannot afford "in a sustained manner to provide for their minimum basic needs of food, health, education, housing and other essential amenities of life duly certified as such by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)" will also be qualified to a free entrance exam. "Thus, only the truly impoverished will be granted the privilege. Some entrance exam fees are equivalent to minimum day's wage that taking the former will mean meals foregone. No family should starve for a day because food money has been traded for examination fee," Escudero stressed. "For the poor, this is not a free ride for the whole college experience. It does not swing the school portals open. It merely allows them a foot on the door," he added. With listed qualifications under Section 5, the Bicolano senator said the proposed law does not disenfranchise private colleges from collecting fees. "In short this is not a blanket waiver of fees. It only exempts a small subset of fee-exempt entrance takers, as enumerated in Section 5," Escudero said. "As it would only apply to small segment exam takers, income forgone can be recouped by payments made by other takers. And when qualified takers do proceed to enroll in the school, then the school's small investment will yield a higher return through tuition paid. It can be seen as a marketing device that can lure potential enrollees," he added. SB 2441 also authorizes the Commission on Higher Education to determine and impose appropriate sanctions against non-complying private HEIs. Aside from Escudero, the proposed measure is authored by Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., Mark Villar, Manuel Lapid, Lawrence Go, Raffy Tulfo and Sherwin Gatchalian as per Committee Report No. 122.
Michael Miller didn't know it, but he was about to be fired.

On Aug. 9, Miller attended a meeting of the Cayuga County Legislature's Planning and Economic Development Committee to provide an update on the Cayuga Economic Development Agency's work.

As executive director of CEDA for over a year, it was one of Miller's responsibilities. His report included the number of businesses the agency helped in the previous month (52) and other activities, such as participating in informational meetings about Micron's planned central New York investment.

That evening, CEDA board of directors Chairman Kevin Miles asked the executive director for a meeting the next morning, Miller said in an email to The Citizen.

When Miller arrived for the meeting, Miles was not there. But Miller was informed that he was out as CEDA's executive director.

Miller said the only explanation given for his termination was "misalignment with the board."

The surprise firing has led to questions about CEDA's future, especially since Miller's predecessor, Bradly Broadwell, was also fired. Broadwell's tenure lasted two months, from April to June 2022. He told The Citizen he did not receive an explanation for his firing.

Two weeks after Miller's ouster, an ad hoc committee formed to examine CEDA's status. The committee began meeting earlier this month.

Cayuga County Legislator Aileen McNabb-Coleman read a statement from CEDA's board of directors at the county Legislature meeting in August. McNabb-Coleman, who is the county Legislature's representative on the agency's board, announced the creation of the committee.

In its statement, the board said it "recognizes the challenges the organization is currently facing and understands how recent decisions have caused deep concern in the community regarding the organization's capacity to be an effective partner in the community's economic development strategies."

With the ad hoc committee focused on CEDA's direction, county lawmakers are raising questions. At the county Legislature's Planning and Economic Development Committee this month, Legislator Mark Strong sought more information about the agency's leadership situation.

CEDA received $375,000 from the county in the 2023 budget. The funding level has been the subject of debate in the past, including last year when CEDA requested $410,000, a $35,000 increase. But the Republican majority defeated an amendment to the budget that would've increased funding for the agency. Funding was kept flat for this year.

"There's a lot of money out there," Strong said. "They are going through executive directors ... and other than I know that they've been fired, I don't have any reasons why. I think this board or body deserves to know that."

McNabb-Coleman provided a summary of the ad hoc committee's meetings, two of which involved CEDA staff. She said those meetings were to "make sure that (the staff) is stabilized" and to listen to their questions. But she told the legislative committee that no decisions have been made about the agency's future.

"We're all sort of wrapping our heads around what's going on and making sure that the jobs that we've agreed to complete are being completed and that folks that are staffing CEDA know exactly what needs to be done," McNabb-Coleman said.

For now, Maureen Riester, CEDA's economic development specialist, is overseeing daily operations. She handled one of Miller's former duties by presenting the agency's report at the county Legislature's Planning and Economic Development Committee meeting this month.

While the ad hoc committee could produce ideas for CEDA's future direction, the agency is governed by a 15-member board of directors led by Miles, the director of the Sullivan Center for Business and Entrepreneurship at Wells College. Miles did not respond to The Citizen's request for comment. Other board members include Cynthia Aikman (vice president), Demetrius Murphy (secretary) and Ryan Pine (treasurer). Pine is one of CEDA's board members who was named to the ad hoc committee.

Miller told The Citizen that his proudest accomplishment was "opening up CEDA's engagement with the community, specifically taxpayers, partners, clients, businesses and our key stakeholders, whom CEDA serves (and) collaborates with."

During his year as executive director, Miller said he largely had the board's support. However, he continued, it was clear there was "a lack of full board engagement, a lack of understanding of CEDA's mission to the community and CEDA's role in economic development."

"I'm encouraged to learn that a task force has been set up to address these and other issues," Miller said.
iShares MSCI EAFE Growth ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Growth 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 Growth Index (the 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 consumer staples, industrials, consumer discretionary, materials, healthcare, financials, information technology, energy, telecommunication services and utilities. 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.
ONE Gas (NYSE:OGS) pays an annual dividend of $2.60 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.24%. OGS 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 9 consecutive years, indicating the company has a new, but growing committment to grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 63.41%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, OGS will have a dividend payout ratio of 61.32% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for OGS.
Procter & Gamble Co, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, is a multinational consumer goods corporation founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. The company has a rich history of innovation and has become a household name in many countries worldwide. Proctor & Gamble Co is a consumer staples stock. A consumer staples stock is a type of stock that offers investors a more stable and steady growth pattern that is minimally affected by economic factors.

With a market capitalization of over $327.9 billion as of February 2023, Procter & Gamble is one of the largest companies in the world. The company operates in over 70 countries, with its products sold in more than 180 countries globally. Its brand portfolio includes household names such as Tide, Pampers, Gillette, Head & Shoulders, Crest, and Olay.

Procter & Gamble's business is divided into five segments: Beauty, Grooming, Health Care, Fabric & Home Care, and Baby, Feminine & Family Care. The Beauty segment includes SK-II, Pantene, and Herbal Essences. The Grooming segment comprises brands such as Gillette, Venus, and Braun. The Health Care segment includes brands such as Oral-B, Vicks, and Pepto-Bismol. The Fabric & Home Care segment includes Tide, Downy, and Swiffer brands. The Baby, Feminine & Family Care segment includes brands such as Pampers, Always, and Tampax.

Procter & Gamble's products are sold through various channels, including retail stores, online retailers, and direct-to-consumer channels. The company has also invested in e-commerce capabilities and digital advertising, recognizing the importance of these channels in reaching consumers.

Procter & Gamble has a long history of innovation and investing in research and development. The company's R&D efforts are focused on improving its existing products and developing new products that meet the evolving needs of consumers. Procter & Gamble also invests heavily in marketing and advertising, recognizing the importance of building strong brands that resonate with consumers.

Recently, Procter & Gamble has made sustainability a key focus area. The company has set ambitious goals to reduce its environmental footprint, such as using 100% renewable electricity at all its plants by 2030. Procter & Gamble has also committed to reducing its plastic packaging waste to reduce its use of virgin plastic by 50% by 2030.

Procter & Gamble has a strong financial position, a solid balance sheet and a history of strong cash flows. The company has a long record of paying dividends, with over 130 years of uninterrupted dividend payments. Procter & Gamble has also implemented a share buyback program, repurchasing over $30 billion of its shares in the past three years.

Despite its size and global reach, Procter & Gamble faces competition from various large and small companies. The consumer goods industry is highly competitive, with companies constantly vying for market share and consumer attention. Procter & Gamble must continue to innovate and invest in its brands to stay ahead of its competitors.
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.
EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP), a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 20,000 to 100,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. The Company's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 59 million square feet.
Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. engages in the design, engineering, manufacture, and marketing of commercial aerostructures worldwide. It operates through three segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment offers forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections and systems, nacelles, struts/pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats flight control surfaces, wing structures, and fully functional and tested wing systems. This segment primarily serves commercial and business/regional jet programs. The Defense & Space segment engages in the fabrication, bonding, assembly, testing, tooling, processing, engineering analysis, and training on fuselage, strut, nacelle, and wing aerostructures; provision of missiles and hypersonics solutions, such as solid rocket motor throats, nozzles, re-entry vehicle thermal protections systems; forward cockpit and cabin, and fuselage work on rotorcraft aerostructures; and classified programs. This segment primarily serves U.S. Government defense programs. The Aftermarket segment provides maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services; fuselage, strut, nacelle, and wing aerostructures spare parts; repair services for radome, flight control surfaces, and nacelles; rotable assets trading and leasing; and engineering services. This segment primarily serves both Commercial and defense and space programs. The company was formerly known as Mid-Western Aircraft Systems Holdings, Inc. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1927 and is headquartered in Wichita, Kansas.
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.

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Cruelty comes in many ways, and the deluded Democrats indeed are masters of cruelty by declaring that Joe Biden is okay and that nothing is wrong with him. It may actually be a blessing for Joe that he is so far advanced in his dementia that he cannot recall the extreme levels of corruption he and his son have committed.

The Biden presidency was basically the third presidency of Barack Obama. Every day he receives pages of stuff he has to say or do, and he follows that through without question, albeit with a demented manner, a Capitol Hill insider revealed.

Even though everything is heavily scripted and coordinated by large teams of staff, things can easily go wrong. For the Democrats it is great to have Barack Obama back again dictating his gay trans ideologies as well his open borders system of killing America, a country he detests with a vengeance, however sometimes the Obama puppet (Joe Biden) breaks free and starts babbling off script.

Recently, at a White House meeting, Joe Biden suddenly went off script and his handlers who were off-screen were literally seen tearing out their hair as the puppet president started babbling nonsense to the Venezuelan President visiting the White House.

Imma get ice cream! (staring blankly at a pillow) Jerks level Walmart talk me. Cmon man, give me a break, will ya? Treblinka anus hole. Rubba dubba dove ma momma is here she tell me I can go play outside now. Coo coo ca choo! Poultry, red paint and shower curtain rails suck my brain, or is that plastic hmm, maybe concrete trains? Nama nama nama Jamaica! One, thirty-four and twenty plenty of eels. Brick soup empty, Mr. Trimble! Oh, my gawd! Its a Leprechaun, he just told me something! Yes, yes, uhuh, okay I got it! We gotta nuke Great Britain cuz they stole our cheddar cheese. Shame on these Limeys! (Bidens face goes red, and he starts raging) They stole my chicken. They stole my potato soup. NUKE! NUKE! NUKE! BA-A-A-A-A-S-TARDS! Filipinos, they are all so wiry. (The Venezuelan president goes to shake Bidens hand before he leaves, but Joe Biden drops on all fours and scoots around the Oval Room) They wont get me. If I hear another order through my earpiece, I will scream. Obama back off man! Eaaargh! Ballet dancer, nig nog, shambles, burrito!
Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Smriti Irani, was the chief guest at the BJP Sankh Naad social media volunteers on Sunday. (Image: Murali Krishna)

Visakhapatnam: Union Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Smriti Irani, was the chief guest at the BJP Sankh Naad social media volunteers meet here on Sunday.

BJP state president Daggubati Purandheswari, MP GVL Narasimha Rao, and Sankh Naad social media state in-charge Daval Patel were present at the in-camera meeting. Smriti Irani gave guidance and direction to the volunteers but did not speak to the media.

State BJP president Purandeshwari told the media after the meeting, "We would explain to the people the financial and other support provided by the Modi government to the AP. The Polavaram, the special status and the steel plant issues are the main concerns of AP. It is very painful that the central government is being criticised for its denial of the special status to AP. "BJPs policy is that the government should govern and not interfere with the business."

She said, "There is anarchy in AP. Poor quality alcohol is sold here and this is taking the lives of the people. No investment is coming to AP. Rather, industries are moving away from here. We will be spreading all this information through Sankh Naad's social media."

Purandeswari stressed that the Modi-led government at the Centre was not corrupt. "PM Modi hasnt been involved in a single scam. A corruption-free governance is possible only with the BJP. Very soon BJP will emerge as a formidable force in AP. By passing the 33 per cent women's reservation bill, PM Modi has created history."
NEW ORLEANS  Louisiana folklorist Nick Spitzer and Mississippi blues musician R.L. Boyce are among nine 2023 National Heritage Fellows set to be celebrated later this month by the National Endowment for the Arts, one of the nations highest honors in the folk and traditional arts.

Spitzer and Boyce are scheduled to accept the NEAs Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, which includes a $25,000 award, at a Sept. 29 ceremony at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. The Hawes award recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.

Spitzer, an anthropology professor at Tulane Universitys School of Liberal Arts, has hosted the popular radio show American Routes for the past 25 years, most recently from a studio at Tulane in New Orleans. The show has featured interviews with Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, Dolly Parton, Fats Domino and 1,200 other figures in American music and culture.

Each two-hour program reaches about three quarters of a million listeners on 380 public radio stations nationwide.

American Routes is my way of being inclusive and celebratory of cultural complexity and diversity through words and music in these tough times, Spitzer said.

Spitzers work with roots music in Louisianas Acadiana region has tied him to the state indefinitely. He founded the Louisiana Folklife Program, produced the five-LP Louisiana Folklife Recording Series, created the Louisiana Folklife Pavilion at the 1984 Worlds Fair in New Orleans and helped launch the Baton Rouge Blues Festival. He also is a senior folklife specialist at the Smithsonians Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage in Washington.

Boyce is a blues musician from the Mississippi hill country. His northern Mississippi approach to playing and song structures are rooted in the past, including traditions centered around drums and handmade cane fifes. Yet his music is uniquely contemporary, according to Boyces bio on the NEA website.

When I come up in Mississippi, there wasnt much. See, if you saw any opportunity to survive, you grabbed it. Been playing Blues 50 years. Playing Blues is all I know, Boyce said in a statement.

Boyce has played northern Mississippi blues for more than half a century. He has shared stages with blues greats John Lee Hooker, a 1983 NEA National Heritage Fellow, and Howlin Wolf.

The other 2023 heritage fellows are: Ed Eugene Carriere, a Suquamish basket maker from Indianola, Washington; Michael A. Cummings, an African American quilter from New York; Joe DeLeon Little Joe Hernandez, a Tejano music performer from Temple, Texas; Roen Hufford, a kapa (bark cloth) maker from Waimea, Hawaii; Elizabeth James-Perry, a wampum and fiber artist from Dartmouth, Massachusetts; Luis Tapia, a sculptor and Hispano woodcarver from Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Wu Man, a pipa player from Carlsbad, California.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addresses the India-UN for Global South event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, in New York. (Image: PTI)

New Delhi: External affairs minister Dr S. Jaishankar has highlighted the persistence of "double standards" in the world, where influential countries resist pressure for change, and those with historical influence have weaponised their capabilities. He made these remarks during a ministerial session titled 'South Rising: Partnerships, Institutions, and Ideas,' hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, United Nations India, and the Reliance Foundation. At another event, he described India's G20 Presidency as "challenging," given the sharp East-West polarisation and deep North-South divide.

"I think more than political will, there is political pressure for change. There is a growing sentiment in the world, and the global South embodies it. But there's also political resistance. Those occupying influential positions, notably in the UN Security Council, resist change. Those economically dominant today leverage their production capabilities, and those with institutional or historical influence have weaponised many of those capabilities. They may express the right sentiments, but the reality still reflects a world with double standards," Dr Jaishankar stated.

Speaking at another event titled 'India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development' during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, the external affairs minister reiterated the challenges faced during India's G20 Presidency due to East-West polarisation and North-South divisions.

"We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, which took place under the theme 'One Earth, One Family, One Future.' It was a challenging summit, a challenging presidency. We confronted a sharp East-West polarisation and a deep North-South divide. However, we were determined as the G20 presidency to ensure that this organisation, upon which the world had placed great hope, returned to its core agenda of global growth and development," he explained.

Dr Jaishankar emphasised that India, with a few months remaining in its G20 Presidency, will continue to be a partner, contributor, collaborator, and possibly an inspiration in addressing developmental challenges both during and after the presidency.
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease, and critical care and surgical monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of heart valves; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases. The company also provides the PASCAL and Cardioband transcatheter valve repair systems for minimally-invasive therapy. In addition, it offers surgical structural heart solutions, such as aortic surgical valve under the INSPIRIS name; KONECT RESILIA, a pre-assembled aortic tissue valved conduit for patients who require replacement of the valve, root, and ascending aorta; and HARPOON Beating Heart Mitral Valve Repair System for patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation. Further, the company provides critical care solutions, including advanced hemodynamic monitoring systems to measure a patient's heart function and fluid status in surgical and intensive care settings; and Acumen Hypotension Prediction Index software that alerts clinicians in advance of a patient developing dangerously low blood pressure. The company distributes its products through a direct sales force and independent distributors. Edwards Lifesciences Corporation was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.
JPMorgan Chase & Co. is the 5th largest bank in the world and the largest in the U.S. The current company is the result of a series of mergers that began in the earliest days of American banking history and include more than 1,200 original banks. The oldest predecessor is The Bank Of The Manhattan Company which was founded in 1799 by Aaron Burr. At the time, The Bank Of The Manhattan Company was the 3rd oldest bank in the U.S. and the 31st oldest in the world. The Chase Manhattan Bank, a precursor to JPMorgan Chase, was later formed when The Bank Of Manhattan Company purchased Chase Bank which was established in 1877.

JPMorgan & Co came to life in 1895 in order to finance the United States Steel Corporation. Itself a result of merger, the company also financed other early American businesses as well as aided the federal government by backing a bond offering. It wasnt until the year 2000 and after several more mergers that JPMorgan Chase & Co was born. It will be four more years before the merger with Bank One which is notable because it brings CEO Jamie Dimon into the picture.

JPMorgan Chase & Co was instrumental in aiding the US government during the 2008 financial crisis. It backed the accounts of several major banks including Bear Stearns and eventually took over their operations. Today, JPMorgan Chase & Co operates as a financial services company worldwide with operations on every continent and in more than 60 countries.

JPMorgan Chase & Co operates through four segments that are Consumer & Community Banking (CCB), Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB), Commercial Banking (CB), and Asset & Wealth Management (AWM). Services are available in branches in 48 of the 50 US states and around the world. Services are available via ATM, online, mobile, and telephone.

The CCB segment offers traditional banking services to consumers that include but are not limited to deposits, loans, mortgages, and lines of credit. The CIB segment provides investment banking products and services to businesses, institutions, and governments that range from prime brokerage, insurance, corporate strategy, and access to capital markets, to lending, cross-border financing, and derivative instruments. The CB segment provides financial services for small, medium, and large businesses including commercial real estate banking of all types.

The AWM segment provides investment management solutions to institutional and retail investors. This segment also provides retirement products, brokerage, trusts and estates, and investment management products.
Exxon Mobil Corporation is the largest direct descendent of John D. Rockefellers Standard Oil and one of the worlds largest companies. Its earliest roots lie with Vacuum Oil which got its start in the 1860s. Vacuum Oils primary product was kerosene, an important advancement for heating and lighting in rural America. Vacuum Oil was later merged with Standard Oil of New Jersey which was the parent operation of the Standard Oil empire prior to its breakup. Standard Oil of New Jersey would merge with other independent operators over the next few years until settling on the brand Exxon for most of its operations.

Meanwhile, Standard Oil of New York was operating under much the same impetus, merging and growing, until it became known as Mobil. Then, in 1999, the two giants became one with a merger of equals that on paper had Exxon buying Mobil. Now, the combined company operates under the Exxon, Mobil, and Esso brands as an international vertically integrated energy and petrochemical business.

Today, the company explores and produces crude oil and natural gas and their derivative products globally. As of 2022, it was ranked 6th on Forbes Fortune 500 list and 12th on the Global 500 list but it has held positions from #1 to #10 over the years. In terms of its operations, it is the worlds second-largest oil refiner and the largest refiner outside of China. In terms of reserves, ExxonMobil claimed about 18.5 million barrels of oil and oil equivalents at the end of 2021 and was ranked 15th globally.

ExxonMobil operates through three segments that are the Upstream, Downstream, and Chemical segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces oil and oil equivalents and represents roughly 70% of the income. The Downstream segment gathers, receives, stores, transports and refines oil and equivalents and their derivatives. The Downstream segment also markets and delivers fuel products to consumers and businesses. The Chemicals segment produces the full range of petrochemicals including plastics, resins and synthetic rubber.

ExxonMobil is committed to advancing sustainable and carbon-free energy solutions. The company is targeting 2050 for net-zero emissions and its 2030 interim targets are in alignment with the Paris Accord, the EU's Global Methane Pledge, and US Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan. The companys plans include investing $15 billion into reducing greenhouse emissions by 2028.






Johnson & Johnson is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical company that started in the early 1870s. Robert Wood Johnson began training as a pharmacist at 16 and founded his 1st company in 1873. That company would be disbanded by 1886 when Johnson joined his brothers to form today's entity. The companys first line of products was sterile surgical dressings which were soon followed up by household products and medical guides.

Today, Johnson & Johnson is one of the worlds largest companies. It is ranked 36th on the 2021 Fortune 500 list and is a Dow Jones Industrial Average member. The company operates via 250 subsidiaries with operations in 60 countries and product sales in 175. As of 2021, annual sales were in the range of $95 billion and growing. The company is also a leader in equality and the advancement of womens rights. Johnson & Johnsons workforce was nearly 50% female by 1910, and many held significant positions of responsibility.

Among the companys many advances in health care is the advancement of sterile conditions to prevent postoperative and secondary infections. Products include sterile gauze, cotton and dressings, and the development of the industrial sterilization process. However, the product that launched the company to success was the combination of a sterile dressing with tape. The company called the new products Band-Aids, which is now synonymous with small, prepackaged bandages. Another major win for the company was Johnson & Johnson Baby Soap.

Today, Johnson & Johnson operates in 3 segments: Pharmaceutical, Consumer Health and MedTech. The Consumer Health segment alone covers brands like Aveeno, Listerine, Tylenol, Zyrtec, Band-Aid and Neosporin, which are among the worlds most recognizable brands. The companys purpose is to blend science and ingenuity to change the trajectory of health for humanity profoundly.

The Pharmaceutical segment offers products in all segments of the healthcare spectrum and has partnerships to develop new drugs with at least 10 other major healthcare providers and dozens of smaller research facilities. Products are offered wholesale to retailers and through healthcare systems. The MedTech segment develops and manufactures various healthcare devices and diagnostic tools. Among the many recognizable products from this segment are ACUVUE contact lenses.

Johnson & Johnson went public in 1944 and began paying dividends soon after. The company began increasing its dividend payment in 1962 and has increased it yearly. The company is a member of the Dividend Aristocrat Index and qualifies as a Dividend King with more than 50 years of consecutive annual increases. The company employs more than 142,000 individuals and serves more than 1 billion daily. Regarding the companys health, its track record of dividend payments is backed up by a AAA credit rating. Johnson & Johnson is one of only 2 US corporations with such a rating and is more trusted than the US government.

The company announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies in 2021. The move is expected to be complete in late 2023 and will result in a Consumer Health company and a Pharmaceutical company.










ALBANY, N.Y.  As more than 100,000 migrants arrived in New York City over the past year after crossing the border from Mexico, Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul have begged President Joe Biden for one thing, above all others, to ease the crisis:

Let them work, both Democrats have said repeatedly in speeches and interviews.

Increasingly impatient leaders of Bidens party in other cities and states have hammered the same message over the last month, saying the administration must make it easier for migrants to get work authorization quickly, which would allow them to pay for food and housing.

The Biden administration took one step toward granting that demand Wednesday, extending a temporary legal status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans in the U.S. that will make it easier for them to get work permits.

But expediting work permits isnt so easy, either legally or bureaucratically, experts in the process say. Politically, it may be impossible.

It would take an act of Congress to shorten a mandatory, six-month waiting period before asylum-seekers can apply for work permits. Some Democratic leaders say the Biden administration could take steps that wouldnt require congressional approval. But neither action seems likely. Biden already faces attacks from Republicans who say he is too soft on immigration, and his administration has pointed to Congress' inability to reach agreement on comprehensive changes to the U.S. immigration system as justification for other steps it has taken.

The Homeland Security Department has sent more than 1 million text messages urging those eligible to apply for work permits, but it has shown no inclination to speed the process. A backlog of applications means the wait for a work permit is almost always longer than six months.

Those steps pleased Hochul and Adams, who said late Wednesday that he hoped the administration would also extend Temporary Protected Status to migrants from countries besides Venezuela. That designation is most commonly given to places where there is an armed conflict or natural disaster.

As frustrations have mounted, Hochul has said her office is considering whether the state could offer work permits, though such a move would almost certainly draw legal challenges. The White House has dismissed the idea.

Immigrants are frustrated as well. Gilberto Pozo Ortiz, a 45-year-old from Cuba, has been living, at taxpayer expense, in a hotel in upstate New York for the past three months. He says his work authorization is not yet in sight as social workers navigate him through a complex asylum application system.

I want to depend on no one, Ortiz said. I want to work."

In Chicago, where 13,000 migrants have settled in the past year, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker wrote Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to ask for parole for asylum-seekers, which, they say, would allow him to get around the wait for a work permit.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who declared a state of emergency over the migrant influx, wrote Mayorkas that work permits represent an opportunity to meet employer needs, support our economy, and reduce dependency among new arrivals. And 19 Democratic state attorneys general wrote Mayorkas that work permits would reduce the strain on government to provide social services.

The federal government has done virtually nothing to assist cities, said Chicago Alderman Andre Vasquez, chair of the City Councils Committee on Immigrant and Refugee Rights.

In the meantime, migrants unable to get work permits have filled up homeless shelters in several cities.

With more than 60,000 migrants currently depending on New York City for housing, the city has rented space in hotels, put cots in recreational centers and erected tent shelters  all at government expense. The Adams administration has estimated that housing and caring for migrants could cost the city $12 billion over three years.

This issue will destroy New York City, Adams said at a community event this month. Were getting no support on this national crisis, and were receiving no support."

Advocates for migrants have objected to Adams apocalyptic terms, saying he is exaggerating the potential impact of the new arrivals on a city of nearly 8.8 million people.

But protests against the migrants have escalated. Ten people were arrested recently on Staten Island when demonstrators blocked a bus carrying migrants. A police spokesperson said nine people were charged with disorderly conduct and one with assault.

Asked about the Staten Island protest in a television interview, Adams said he would not be bullied by anti-migrant protests but added, I understand the frustration that New Yorkers are going through and I understand the frustration that asylum seekers are experiencing as well.

Republicans have seized on the discord, putting Democrats on the defensive ahead of next years presidential elections.

Muzaffar Chishti, a lawyer and senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute, said the calls for expedited work authorizations are more about political optics than practical solutions.

They dont want to tell the electorate theres nothing we can do. No politician wants to say that. So they have kind of become the new squeaky wheel, saying, `Give us work authorization,' he said. Saying that is much easier than getting it. But its sort of, you know, a good soundbite.

One step that most agree would be helpful is to provide legal assistance to migrants to apply for asylum and work authorization, though that has also proved challenging.

Nationwide, only around 16% of working-age migrants enrolled in a U.S. Custom and Border Protection online app have applied for work permits, according to the White House. Since the introduction of the CBP One app in January through the end of July, nearly 200,000 asylum-seeking migrants have used it to sign up for appointments to enter the U.S. at land crossings with Mexico.

Federal officials recently began sending email and text message notifications to remind noncitizens that they are eligible to apply. New York City officials have also begun to survey asylum seekers to determine if they are eligible.

Another option would be to expand the number of nations whose citizens qualify for Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. That designation is most commonly given to places where there is an armed conflict or natural disaster.

The White House, though, might be reluctant to take steps that could be interpreted as incentivizing migrants to come to the U.S.

Photos: Chicago, other cities say shelters full, budgets hit by immigration uptick
Derry City and Strabane District Councils popular autumn lecture series Island Voices returns to the Tower Museum later this month.

The programme features a series of lunchtime lectures exploring the life and legacy of marginalised literary figures from the Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions in the North West.

In from the Edge will reflect on the life and work of three seminal Donegal writers - Sarah Leech, Seosamh Mac Grianna and Frances Browne  each of whom, despite having faced adversity and, at times, exclusion in their lives have, in more recent times, been recognised for the unique contribution they have made to the literary worlds of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots. The programme features three lectures in total, one taking place each month between September and November.

The first lecture in the series takes place on Thursday, September 28 and features Dr Pauline Holland who will explore the life and legacy of Sarah Leech (1809-1830) - a 19th century Donegal poet who battled poverty, illness and discrimination to become the only known published Irish female weaver poet, and one of the most prominent of the Ulster-Scots tradition.

The second lecture in the series takes place on Thursday, October 26 and features writer Pol O Muiri who will explore the life and work of Seosamh Mac Grianna (1900-1990) - one of the leading writers of Irish in the 20th century, who, despite being viewed as an outsider in life, has in more recent times, been recognised as a leading and innovative voice in Irish language literature.

The third and final lecture in the series takes place on Thursday, November 23 and features Raymond Blair, author of The Best of Frances Browne.

Frances Browne (1816-1879) was a native of Stranorlar who despite being struck blind by smallpox at a very young age, carved out a literary career that led her to be known in her own lifetime as the blind poetess of Ulster.

Speaking ahead of the programme, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Cllr Patricia Logue, said: I am delighted to see the Island Voices lecture series programme continue to grow and provide opportunities for audiences throughout the city and district to learn about our shared linguistic heritage.

The languages of Irish and Ulster-Scots are unique to our people and to this place, and events such as Island Voices help us all to develop a deeper understanding of the value of our indigenous languages and the contribution they make to life here.

I would like to encourage as many people as possible to attend and wish the programme continued success.

Pol O Frighil, from Derry City and Strabane District Councils Languages Team, which organises the event, added: This year weve dedicated our programme to remembering the life and work of three Donegal writers - Sarah Leech, Seosamh Mac Grianna and Frances Browne.

PICTURED ABOVE: The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Patricia Logue pictured launching the 2023 Island Voices Lecture Series in the Guildhall. The popular series returns to the Tower Museum later this month with a trio of lunchtime lectures exploring the life and legacy of marginalised literary figures from the Irish and Ulster-Scots traditions in the north-west. Included in the photo from left, is Pauline O'Neill, Good Relations Officer, DCSDC, Pol O'Frighil, Event Organiser, DCSDC Languages Team and Erin Hamilton, Irish Language Officer, DCSDC.

The theme - In from the Edge  was chosen to articulate the efforts being made by modern audiences to ensure that each of the writers is appropriately recognised, and we hope that our programme adds to this greater public understanding of the unique contribution these writers have made to the literary traditions of English, Irish and Ulster-Scots.

All talks in the series are free but booking is essential. To book your place please contact the Tower Museum, T: (028) 7137 2411 or email tower@derrystrabane.com

Further information: Pol O Frighil, Languages Team, Derry City and Strabane District Council, pol.ofrighil@derrystrabane.com

The Island Voices series is funded by Derry City and Strabane District Councils Good Relations Programme.

View the full programme at: www.derrystrabane.com/islandvoices
HIGHLIGHTS The design of the Google Pixel 8a looks quite similar to the Google Pixel 8 series.

The right side houses the power and volume rockers.

The images show that the smartphone has curved edges and houses a dual camera setup on the rear.

Google is expected to launch its upcoming Google Pixel 8 series on October 4, 2023. The California-based tech company will launch two smartphones under the Pixel 8 lineup. This includes the Google Pixel 8 and the Google Pixel 8 Pro. And as is the trend, a year later, Google released the a series under the same lineup as an affordable alternative to the flagship Pixel.

Now, ahead of the unraveling of the Pixel 8 series, we have got some news on next years Pixel 8a. Images have surfaced online and it is suspected that these are of the Google Pixel 8a. If these images are indeed of the Google Pixel 8a then the design looks quite similar to the Google Pixel 8 series.

Also read: Google Pixel 8 hardware leak suggests it will excel at night photography

The images show that the smartphone has curved edges and houses a dual camera setup on the rear. On top of that, even the camera island is in the same colour as the flagship smartphones in the Google Pixel 8 series. On the front, we can spot a punch-hole display.

The right side houses the power and volume rockers. But lets not get our hopes too high, Google is gearing up for the Pixel 8 series launch at the moment and theres a lot of time at hand.

Also read: Google Pixel 8 series: Tipped to launch in four colours at a higher price

A while back, the Google Pixel 8a appeared on the Geekbench listing revealing its GPU, processor, and RAM. The smartphone is codenamed Akita and will likely feature a Tensor G3 chipset, just like the Pixel 8 series.

The previous Pixel a phone, the Google Pixel 7a was released in May 2023, so if the timeline is followed even the Google Pixel 8a will hit the global market around the same time. For what its worth, the images circulating on the internet could just be of a prototype.
Three people including a child have died in three separate road collisions overnight.

Gardai are appealing for witnesses to any of the collisions, which occurred in Co Donegal, Co Dublin and Co Kerry.

The first fatal collision occurred in Bundoran, Co Donegal shortly after 9.20pm (September 23) whereby a 9-year-old pedestrian was struck by a vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene a short time later.

The vehicle involved failed to remain at the scene.

The second collision occurred in Lisselton, Co Kerry shortly after 2am this morning (September 24) involving a taxi and a pedestrian on the R553.

The man in his 20s was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later.

His body has been removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Kerry.

The driver - a male in his 40s - did not require immediate medical treatment.

The third collision involving a motorcycle and pedestrian occurred in Tallaght, Dublin 24 shortly before 2.45am at a roundabout on Whitestown Way.

The motorcyclist, a male in his early 20s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The pedestrian, a male also in his 20s, was taken by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital. His injures are not life threatening.

The road is presently closed for an examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

Any road users with camera footage (including dash cam) or anyone with any information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, Ballyshannon Garda Station on 074 9858530the, Listowel Garda Station on 068 50820, Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Photo: File
Irish celebrity chef Richard Corrigan has praised the work of sheep farmers after he herded a flock over a London Bridge, saying its a really tough life.

The Co Meath-born star walked over Southwark Bridge alongside the sheep on Sunday as part of the 10th London Sheep Drive fundraising event.

The three-time Great British Menu winner said the drive is deeply symbolic for the City of London as it echoes an ancient right for freemen to herd livestock into London without paying a toll.

He said: We brought the sheep over the bridge, a deeply symbolic thing for the city of London.

Its founded on the the wool merchants and this great wealth.

As a Freeman of the City of London, Corrigan has an ancient right to lead the sheep over the River Thames.

He was accompanied by former lord mayor of London Sir Andrew Parmley and sheriffs of the city of London for his walk.

Corrigan said he had been taken back by the opportunity to guide the sheep as he noted his lifes work has been in the capital.

Reflecting on the farming industry, he added: Ive huge respect for these sheep farmers, its a really, really tough life.

Corrigan explained he had personal experience with the challenges as he grew up on a farm and assisted with their care every year.

Cleaning their hooves, paring their hooves, dosing them and dipping them, its the most laborious task, he added.

If anyone knew exactly the effort that goes in the farming sheep, you would really cherish every morsel you put into your mouth.

Corrigan earned first Michelin star when he was head chef of Stephen Bull in London in 1994 and has opened up a number of his own restaurants across the capital.

He has also appeared on a number of cooking shows including BBC Ones Saturday Kitchen and RTEs Corrigan Knows Food.
A nine-year-old boy who died in a road incident in Co Donegal was visiting from Northern Ireland.

The child has been named locally as Ronan Wilson from Kildress, Co Tyrone.

Irish police (gardai) said emergency services were called to Bundoran at around 9.20pm on Saturday after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on Atlantic Way.

The pedestrian, a boy aged nine years, was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later, they said.

The vehicle involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene.

On Sunday evening, gardai said a man in his 20s had been arrested for an alleged offence under the Road Traffic Act in relation to the collision in Bundoran on Saturday evening.

The male is currently detained at a Garda Station in Donegal under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, they said.

Gardai have seized a vehicle in connection with the investigation which will undergo technical examination.

Earlier Gardai appealed for witnesses.

Investigating Gardai are also appealing to those with video footage, including dash cam recordings, from Atlantic Way and Sea Road, and the general area at the time, to make it available to them, they said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Ballyshannon garda station on 074 9858530 or the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.

SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said the local community in Kildress is broken-hearted following the death of the nine-year-old.

He has appealed for anyone with dash cam footage from near the scene of the incident on Atlantic Way at 9.20pm on Saturday night to come forward to police.

The whole community in Kildress and across Tyrone is broken-hearted today. The Wilsons are a well-known local family and this tragedy has shocked us all, he said.

My thoughts are with Ronans family and friends as they come to terms with this devastating news. I know everyone in Kildress and further afield will be thinking of them and will rally around them in the days ahead.
Archaeologists say they have discovered the oldest wooden structure ever found. A team of scientists have found well-preserved wood in Zambia that dates back at least 476,000 years: older than our own species, Homo sapiens. Link to the article from the website of the University of Liverpool, whose team contributed to the research, here.

Expert analysis of stone tool cut-marks on the wood show that these early humans shaped and joined two large logs to make a structure, probably the foundation of a platform or part of a dwelling. This is the earliest evidence from anywhere in the world of the deliberate crafting of logs to fit together. Until now, evidence for the human use of wood was limited to its use for making fire, digging sticks and spears.

It is rare to find wood in a site as ancient as this one because it usually rots away, but high water levels preserved the wood.

This discovery challenges the prevailing view that Stone Age humans were nomadic. At Kalambo Falls these humans not only had a perennial source of water, but the forest around them provided enough food to enable them to settle and make structures.

Note that the article refers to "humans," but these beings predate Homo sapiens (and were possibly Homo erectus?).

This discovery is consistent with discoveries in the Rising Star cave system in South Africa, where a team of researchers found evidence that small-brained hominins buried their dead, used fire, and created art about 300,000 years ago (which I wrote about here): Non-Homo sapiens hominin species may have created culture and technology more complex than we would have imagined.

The research was published in the journal Nature.

h/t Rick Mandler
A company that is planning a solar farm on 300 acres of land near Castlebellingham, is to hold a community information event between 2pm and 8pm on 26th September 2023 at the Darver Community Centre, Darver.

Lightsource bp, a subsidiary of BP, and understood to be one of the largest developers of solar energy projects in the world is planning the solar development.

It will be outlining its proposal at the event to fund, develop and build a 80MWac solar installation on 300 acres of land at the townlands of Derrycammagh and Bawn, near Castlebellingham, County Louth.

Lightsource bp is inviting residents from the surrounding area to attend the community information event, where further information will be made available on the proposals.

The community information event will be held at the Darver Community Centre and residents are invited to drop in at any time between 2pm and 8pm.

The Lightsource bp team will be on hand to discuss the planning proposal and gather feedback from the local community.

The proposed solar installation will provide enough clean renewable energy to 21,100 homes, saving 32,200 tonnes of carbon emissions every year, the equivalent of taking 29,900 large family cars off the roads.

Lightsource bp says that this project is a key facet of its mission to rapidly accelerate the transition to a low carbon future.

As well as generating clean energy, Lightsource bp says that its solar installations are designed so that they also act as a haven for local wildlife.

A bespoke Biodiversity Management Plan will be developed in conjunction with the planning application, and this will ensure that the plan enhances the site as much as possible for local wildlife.

As part of this initiative, Lightsource bp says that its planting, seeding and habitat creation plans will focus on native species.

The company says it is also eager to hear from wildlife enthusiasts and local schools who may be interested in playing a role in the ongoing monitoring of wildlife on the site, as part of the companys drive to contribute positively to all the communities hosting its projects.

The proposed layout for the solar installation at Derrycammagh has been designed so that most of the open grassland on the site will be suitable for grazing small livestock, allowing the land to retain the potential for agricultural use.

Lightsource bp says it is committed to supporting the rural economy and benefitting local communities, and this site has been designed with these priorities in mind.

Wide grassy avenues will be left between the rows of solar panels, to reduce shading and optimise the amount of sunlight each row of panels receives.

This will leave around 70% of the solar installation as open grassland, suitable for grazing livestock, while the panels can provide shade, shelter and protection for sheep, geese or chickens.

The proposed fields have been chosen because they are close to the required 110kV overhead lines, and are in a flat landscape with excellent mature hedgerow screening which would limit any surrounding views of the solar installation.

Katy McGuinness, Head of Environmental Planning UK & Ireland, Lightsource bp said: Solar energy is not only clean and renewable, but it also generates domestic electricity.

This makes solar an important part of meeting the global rise in energy demand efficiently and more sustainably, which is a core aspect of Lightsource bps sustainability mission.

We want to ensure that local communities in and around the proposed location have all the information they need about this project.

Were holding this information event to speak to elected representatives, local businesses and residents of the local community, and to gather feedback.

This event is also a great way for the community to ask any questions they may have about the project or solar energy in general.

Residents can obtain further information on the project, at any time, by getting in touch with the Lightsource bp team via ireland@lightsourcebp.com quoting Derrycammagh.
Councillors at the Louth County Council September meeting voted to adopt the local authority's Draft Development Contribution Scheme, which will see the levy charged for the building of a house increase by 115% to 11,646 per unit and the levy charged for commercial developments increase to 90 per square metre of site size.

Prior to councillors making a decision on the scheme, Cllr Emma Cutlip proposed amendments which were accepted by the Chief Executive relating to reliefs available for certain types of development.

The proposed scheme did not receive support from all councillors, with Cllr Dolores Minogue saying that she could not get her head around a massive leap in the levy amount.

Cllr Minogue said that it would be the house buyer who would pay for it, with the Fine Gael councillor adding that young people can't get onto the local authority's housing list because they were earning too much, and that if they went to the bank to get money they can't get it, and put forward that the levy be left as it currently is.

Chief Exectutive Joan Martin told the meeting in response that when she was appointed in 2014, the levy was about 8,500, and she made the decision to bring a scheme to the Council that reduced the levy substiansially, which meant a very substiantial reduction in the local authority's income.

She added that this was done because house building at the time was non existent after the banking crisis, and to help encourage house building.

Ms Martin said that the Council's levy scheme had been artificially low as a result for a number of years and what they were now doing was brining it into line with what she thought was the average around the country.

The Chief Executive said that by not adopting the scheme, the councillors would be giving up very substantial amounts of income for the Council, which could amount to 20 million over five years.

Ms Martin also added that the money raised went towards capital items including roads, footpaths, urban regeneration, as well as social amenities including playgrounds.

Councillor Cutlip proposed that relief of 75% be allowed for Town Centre Regeneration projects, developments which fall within the D1 regeneration zones, and also for derelict sites.

Cllr Cutlip also proposed a new relief of 50% to be applied to the provision of new Creche, Childcare, and Early Years Education facilities.

A number of councillors spoke on the matter, both in support of the work that the Council would be able to carry out due to the increased levy and some against. Sinn Fein councillor Tom Cunningham saying the cost would be passed onto the buyer, and the amount of the increase in levy being opposed by Fine Gael councillor Robert Nash.

Cllr Minogue proposed an amendment that the levy be set at 7,500, with her proposal going to vote. The vote was defeated however, with just the four Fine Gael councillors, Dolores Minogue, John Reilly, Robert Nash and Paula Butterly voting for it and the rest against it, with two abstaining.

A vote was then taken on the Council's proposed scheme, with 21 councillors voting for it, the four Fine Gael councillors voting, against and one abstention.

In comments on her amendments to the scheme that were adopted, Cllr Cutlip said There are buildings literally falling onto the streets of Drogheda and Dundalk and if the council is serious about addressing dereliction, we must take every opportunity to facilitate the renovation of these sites.

She added, furthermore, with population booming across the county, and a crisis in childcare and early years sector, we must take every opportunity to assist the sector, including reducing the costs of building or fitting out premises.
Two women from Louth have been nominated for Women Mean Business Awards 2023.

Mary Kelledy from supply chain company Overhaul has been nominated for Business Woman of the year, while Dr. Niamh Shaw, Founder & CEO of Dream Big Limited has been nominated for the Women in Technology award.

From Dundalk, Mary Kelledy, has worked at Irish-founded Overhaul since early 2020.

Overhaul is a software-based, supply-chain visibility, risk, compliance and insurance solution for some of the worlds leading brands with headquarters in the US and an Irish base in Dundalk.

Mary boasts an illustrious career spanning over two decades.

From her beginnings as an engineer to her current instrumental role within Overhauls leadership team, she has been a driving force behind the successful orchestration of multifunctional projects, all aimed at propelling the company to new heights.

Barry Conlon, CEO and Founder of Overhaul, said:

Mary is more than a leader; she exemplifies what every woman in the supply chain industry can aspire to be. She is a testament to the potential for women in this industry, echoing the belief that diversity, unity, and resilience lead to success.

Her leadership transcends traditional boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on Overhauls growth trajectory and solidifying her place in the annals of the industrys distinguished leaders.

Dr. Niamh Shaw is an Irish engineer, scientist, writer and performer, recently voted one of Irelands leading science communicators and STEAM specialists and is CEO of Dream Big Limited.

She is a regular contributor on TV and radio about science topics and her space adventures having appeared on The Tommy Tiernan Show, The Late Late Show on RTE One and The Seven OClock Show on TV3.

She has also made projects with European Space Agency, British Council, Arts@CERN, Lottie Dolls, ESERO Ireland, The Ark Childrens Centre & more.

With over 10 years experience in broadcasting, theatre and communications, Dr. Niamh Shaw merges the Arts with Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Dr Shaw provides keynote speeches, communications training, family and theatre content for arts & science festivals and public events. She believes that we are many things at once, and is a proponent of creative multidisciplinary lifelong learning to create happy and progressive civilisations of the future.

Winners from the Women Mean Business Awards 2023 will be announced on 9th October, 2023.
WHEN Alison Hammond took part in The Great Stand Up To Cancer Bake Off back in 2020, she admitted her skills were rudimental.

She said: Im not gonna lie, Im not really a baker. I just cant be bothered to measure. I do know 4oz of sugar, butter and flour, and two eggs, makes a really good sponge. I know that from home economics at school.

Alison ultimately lost the star baker apron to Joe Sugg, but the shows bosses decided she did belong in the tent, even if at one point she got confused by the oven doors.

So, when Matt Lucas announced he was standing down as the co-host of The Great British Bake Off, they knew who they wanted to step in, as the new series starts on Channel 4 on Tuesday (September 26) at 9pm.

Her co-presenter Noel Fielding agreed Alison, whose role on This Morning has made her one of the UKs best-loved presenters, would be the ideal choice.

He said: Im absolutely pumped we are working together.

We are gonna spend the whole time giggling like naughty school kids.

This years batch of bakers may have reason not to feel quite as daunted as contestants in previous years. Although they will still have to impress judges Paul Hollywood, with his famed steely gaze, and the straight-talking Prue Leith, we have been promised that this time around, the bakes should be a little more familiar.

Producers have picked up on feedback from viewers that some of the challenges were gettin too complicated - and that a few even committed the cardinal sin of being more about cooking than baking.

Paul Hollywood told The Guardian: We chose this years challenges very carefully to be approachable.

In a way, weve returned to the philosophy of the first three series. There are some beautiful classic ones and theyve been a big success.

Executive producer Kieran Smith also confirmed that nationality themed weeks have been ditched after some raised eyebrows at last years Mexican Week, and he believes Alisons presence has also helped restore Bake Offs general sense of infectious joie de vivre.

He said: Alison gives it a real lift. Its warmer, kinder, sillier. Its one of the best series weve ever done.

So, hopefully the bakers wont be too on edge as they get stuck into the traditional opener of cake week.

Theyll make a vertical layer cake in the signature challenge, whip up an iconic chocolate cake for their technical, then produce a sponge showstopper featuring a menagerie of animals.

That will test their architectural skills as well as their baking, but on this show, the creations dont just have to look good - they have to taste amazing too.
THE DELTA Ladies United Cork group will host a mental health day for the community.

The event will consist of an interactive presentation by mental health professionals that may help those in attendance identify signs that someone is going through mental struggles.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the talk.

Delta Ladies United Cork Secretary Susan Otu wants as many new people to attend the meeting as possible.

A lot of people see family members act a certain way, but they may not understand what is going on. Some people do not understand that these are mental health issue and access to help is available.

The event is open to everyone, she said.

The event will take place at My Place Youth Centre, on the Mill Road in Midleton from 1pm to 3pm on September 29.

For more information contact Susan at otu.susan@icloud.com or see Delta Ladies United Cork on Facebook.
Friday, September 22 marked 20 years since Clonakilty was declared Irelands first official Fairtrade town.

While there are now over 50 Fairtrade towns in Ireland, the West Cork town was the first in the country to achieve this title two decades ago.

In order to achieve the Fairtrade status, all of Clonakiltys supermarkets agreed to stock Fairtrade products, and many of the towns' businesses, hotels, cafes and organisations did the same.

A ten month effort 20 ago saw a steering committee petitioning the local council, giving talks in schools and churches, and canvassing local businesses to switch to Fairtrade products.

To celebrate this milestone birthday the local Fairtrade Committee, in conjunction with the Guitar Festival, hosted a celebratory event at The Green Dot Cafe, Pearse Street on Saturday, September 23 at 4pm.

There was music by The Sus Four, (thanks to the support of Cork County Council), speeches by key figures in the movement, an introduction to fairtrade chocolate-making by a local producer, a birthday cake and complimentary Fairtrade tea.

A Clonakilty Fairtrade town rep described the event as "a community celebration and a chance to reflect on the last 20 years, an opportunity to say thank you, and look to the future."

Saturday, September 23 also marked the 94th birthday of the chairperson of the Fairtrade committee at the time, Jennifer Sleeman, who tirelessly campaigned for the town to make changes.

Jennifer told The Irish Times in 2003: This time last year there were no Fairtrade products available in Clonakilty. It seemed to me it was a very important thing to do...I did feel a great deal of support within the town as people heard of it.
AN inspirational artist is set to go down in history as the first West Cork woman with Down Syndrome to feature on a billboard in the iconic Times Square.

The image of talented young blacksmith Jessie Waschkowitz from Castletownbere stood out proudly against the backdrop of Manhattans skyscrapers. A photograph on her Instagram page shows her toasting the occasion in front of a projected image of the billboard.

Jessie had caught the eye of the National Down Syndrome Organisation in the US through her strong social media presence. They subsequently approached her requesting permission to display her image on one of Times Square's iconic billboards. She featured as part of an initiative celebrating the achievements and possibilities for people with Down Syndrome.

Jessie Waschkowitz from Castletownbere pictured with an image of her billboard in Times Square.

Jessie's day-to-day life includes the running of a fashion line, Born Transcendent, which she runs with her father Reinhard, and a career as a blacksmith. The artist forges a range of pieces from sculptures to jewellery, which she sells online. The West Cork woman says she owes it all to the help and support of her family. She also extended her gratitude to the National Down Syndrome Organisation for recognising her work as an artist.

Reinhard spoke of how proud he is of his daughters achievements.

She empowered herself by stepping out and believing in herself and her message," he said. "There is a true empowerment in feeling and recognising the importance and depth of your message. This is what Jessie felt and what moved me so much. Sometimes we think that people with Down Syndrome dont get the ins and outs of life fully but Jessie deeply and fully understood and embraced the value and importance of her message, that were all different. We are all perfect.

"Every time she is explaining her art and her message she says 'were all different and we are all perfect'. She just wants to express this with her sculptures," he added.

"Her work has helped her become stronger and more confident.

"I could see that Jessie was willing to deal with any reaction for the sake of spreading this message to everybody. For me, there have been very moving moment because Jessie lives what she expresses and sees her value for this world. She also feels the contribution of her message to this world."

It has been an exciting year for Jessie, who sold her work at the 2023 Olympic Games in Berlin in recent months.

To find out more about Jessies business visit borntranscendent.com. Readers can follow her Instagram page @borntranscendent.
James Cox

"Thugs" who threatened and assaulted politicians at a demonstration outside Leinster House on Wednesday should be prosecuted, according to a government TD and senator.

Fianna Fail TD Jim O'Callaghan and Fine Gael Senator Barry Ward spoke to BreakingNews.ie about the scenes outside the Dail, and both said prosecutions should come after the incident.

Mock gallows were erected outside Leinster House featuring images of politicians across the political divide, including Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.

Demonstrators stopped politicians, journalists and Leinster House staff from leaving the building for two hours and shouted abuse, including death threats, as they left the building.

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae was also shoved by protesters as he left the building escorted by two gardai, with footage of the incident going viral.

Fianna Fail justice spokesperson O'Callaghan told BreakingNews.ie: "What distinguished the protest on Wednesday from any I've seen outside the Dail is that this was a protest that included threats to kill, acts of assault. There was criminal behaviour going on."

Mr O'Callaghan said Mr Healy-Rae was "clearly assaulted".

"You don't need to be actually physically hit, he was assaulted and so was the woman working for him. People are perfectly entitled to stop him and express their opinion and to make a strong point, but you can't assault someone, TD, senator or anyone else.

"People should face the consequences of assaulting people and breaking the law."

Protesters outside Leinster House, Dublin. Photo: PA Images

He said he was not surprised at the 13 arrests arising out of the demonstration so far as he had not witnessed "such lawlessness outside the Dail before".

Mr Ward said some of his colleagues have spoken about the murders of British politicians Jo Cox and David Ames. "I don't believe that will happen here any time soon, but I certainly wouldn't want to bank on it. We need to make it clear this won't be tolerated and there will be consequences."

Mr Ward, who is vice-chair of the Oireachtas Justice Committee, wrote a letter to Garda Commissioner Drew Harris after the incident asking for clarification on "what steps will be taken to protect our democratic institutions".

He explained that he has "full confidence in An Garda Siochana". However, he feels a "marker has to be put down" to ensure demonstrations like the one on Wednesday do not escalate.

I have written to @gardainfo Commissioner #DrewHarris about the appalling scenes outside #LeinsterHouse today.



The credibility of An Garda Siochana is at stake if strong action is not taken to ensure this behaviour is not repeated and our democratic institutions are protected. pic.twitter.com/HaAzOkfAs1  Barry Ward   (@barrymward) September 20, 2023

"I don't purport to be a public order policing expert, but my concern is twofold: Firstly, this can't happen again and gardai need to take steps to make sure no self-appointed group of thugs is again entitled to essentially disrupt the ability of elected representatives to go home or into the Dail.

"The second is my concern if action isn't taken it emboldens them, and they will do it again and escalate and people will get hurt."

One measure reportedly being considered by gardai is barriers to create a 1.6km exclusion zone around Leinster House.

Both Mr O'Callaghan and Mr Ward felt this would be a mistake.

They pointed out that Irish politicians are very accessible, adding that anything to further separate constituents from their public representatives would be a negative.

They also pointed out that the "vast majority" of protests that take place outside the Dail are peaceful.

"Leinster House belongs to the people, and they should be allowed to raise issues with public representatives however they see fit within the law," Mr Ward said.

On the mock gallows, Mr O'Callaghan said: "Bringing along a gallows is an incitement to violence. There is legislation in place for prevention of incitement to hatred since 1989, so people need to be aware that it is there already.

"You can't at any meeting threaten to kill somebody, it's a criminal offence under section 5 of non-fatal offences."

I would encourage all the people who were outside the Dail on Wednesday to put themselves forward for election.

Mr Ward said it was "unsavoury and unwarranted". However, he said his concern was at the verbal and physical abuse.

"There is a qualitative difference between the gallows, signs and the abuse to which people were subjected. The gallows was unsavoury and unwarranted.

"But when you look at the jostling of people which amounted to assault, in my view, the intimidating verbal abuse, threats to kill and seriously harm, also an offence, those things are much more concerning. They show people who have no regard for public order, for the law.

"It was unpleasant for the people featured in it, but I'm less concerned about the signs than the actions."

It was unclear what the protest was over. It started with the new hate crime legislation bill but anti-refugee and anti-transgender groups also converged outside the Dail.

Both Mr O'Callaghan and Mr Ward pointed out that the groups had no elected mandate.

Mr O'Callaghan said: "I would encourage all the people who were outside the Dail on Wednesday to put themselves forward for election. Members of Dail Eireann have their failings, but we are there because hundreds of thousands of people voted for us, and they can vote us out at the next election.

"A question that should be put to them is, 'if you want to change our political system, put yourself forward for election'... see how you get on before the electorate."

"There was no coherence in what they were saying... that's why I'd call it public disorder, not a protest," Mr Ward said.

Protesters outside Leinster House, Dublin. Photo: PA Images

"Protests are about a specific policy or plan and a suggestion as to what the Government should do about it. They had neither of those things.

"It wasn't a coherent plan or policy they were asking the Government to implement. These groups represent ideologies that are unsound, they're based on misinformation, and unfortunately, I'm sorry to say some of them are driven by existing members of the Oireachtas who continue to peddle misinformation about the hate speech bill but also about issues around LGBT persons and immigration.

"There are a lot of people in Leinster House who propagate myths and, of course, that leads to misinformation.

"Irish people are absolutely right to hold public representatives to account, but the people outside on Wednesday were calling everybody traitors, not just government TDs or senators. Everyone was a traitor, even those who are not politicians.

"'You're all traitors and should be arrested'. For what? We don't know. If the gardai weren't there it could have escalated into a more serious assault, injury or worse."

Both Mr Ward and Mr O'Callaghan pointed out that the 200 or so who took part were in a minority, and that the protest was small by comparison to others.

"The days of using violence against people because of their politics are over in Ireland and should remain at an end," Mr O'Callaghan said.
What Is a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP)?free live blackjack 84 poker table

A thrift savings plan (TSP) is a retirement investment program open only to federal employees and members of the uniformed services, including the Ready Reserve. It is a defined-contribution (DC) plan that offers federal employees many of the same benefits that are available to workers in the private sector.

A TSP closely resembles a 401(k) plan offered by private employers.

Key Takeaways

A thrift savings plan is similar to a 401(k) plan for federal employees and uniformed services personnel.



Participants in a TSP can get an immediate tax break for their savings.

They can also choose to invest in a Roth for freedom from taxes after retirement.

Plan participants can put their money into any of six investing options.

You can roll over a 401(k) and IRAs into a TSP if you leave the private sector to work in a public one. If you leave a public service job with a TSP, you can also roll it over to a 401(k) or IRA.

Click Play to Learn About Thrift Savings Plans

How a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Works

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There are several ways to invest in a Thrift Savings Plan. These can include:

Automatic payroll contributions

Agency matching contributions

Tax-deferred contributions into a traditional TSP (withdrawals are taxed in retirement)

After-tax investments in a Roth TSP (withdrawals are untaxed in retirement)

No matter the type of TSP or contribution structure you choose, the contribution limit is $20,500 for 2022 and $22,500 in 2023 (the same as for 401(k) plans). Employees who are age 50 and over can also make catch-up contributions of $6,500 in 2022 and $7,500 in 2023.

Employees new to federal employment can roll over 401(k) and individual retirement account (IRA) assets into a TSP. Rollovers can go in the opposite direction if federal employees move to the private sector.

A thrift savings plan (TSP) is a defined-contribution retirement plan that has many of the advantages of private-sector plans.

The TSP Investment Options

The TSP offers a choice of six funds in which to invest:

The Government Securities Investment (G) Fund

The Fixed-Income Index Investment (F) Fund

The Common-Stock Index Investment (C) Fund

The Small-Capitalization Stock Index Investment (S) Fund

The International-Stock Index Investment (I) Fund

Specific Lifecycle (L) funds, designed to include a mix of securities held in each of the other five individual funds

The F, S, C, and I funds in the TSP are index funds currently managed by the BlackRock Institutional Trust Company under contract by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB). This independent government agency administers the TSP and acts as a fiduciary that is legally liable to manage the TSP prudently and in the best interests of participants and their beneficiaries.

Index funds in the TSP are designed to mimic the return characteristics of the corresponding benchmark index. For example, the C Fund is invested in a stock index fund replicating the S&P 500 Index, which is made up of the stocks of 500 large- to medium-sized U.S. companies. L funds are invested in the five individual TSP funds, and their asset allocations are based on the individual investors time horizon.



$22,500

The maximum annual contribution to a Thrift Savings Plan in 2023. If you are 50 or older, you can add an extra $7,500.

TSPs vs. IRAs

This is not an either/or proposition because you can have both a TSP and an IRA at the same time. One chief difference between them is their respective contribution limits. For 2023, the annual limit is $22,500 for a TSP ($27,000 for those over 50); for an IRA it is much less$6,500 ($7,500 if you are over 50)and that is a combined total if you have multiple IRAs. Thus, a TSP allows you to build your retirement funds at a faster pace than an IRA does.

Another big difference is in the employer match. The federal government provides a sliding percentage scale of matching contributions for your TSP. Even if you contribute nothing, it will contribute 1% of your annual salary to your TSP. The scale tops out at a 5% government match if you contribute 5% of your salary to your TSP, thus doubling the amount of money invested. Because an IRA is something you set up for yourself, with no employer involved, there are no matching contributions.

The investment fees also differ. TSP fees are quite low, usually around 0.05%, and transparent. In the private sector, IRA investment fees can range from 0.5% to 2.5%, depending on the kind of fund, and it can sometimes be difficult to know exactly how much they are in aggregate. However, IRAs offer a greater variety of investment opportunities than TSPs do, limited as they are to the six funds discussed above. This allows the IRA holder to be more aggressive in their investment strategies than the TSP holder.

Some final differences have to do with withdrawals. Traditional IRAs and TSPs, as well as Roth TSPs, have required minimum distributions (RMDs) that start at age 72. (Only Roth IRAs are not subject to RMDs.) With an IRA, you are allowed to take whatever withdrawals you like, without a penalty, starting at age 59. TSPs only allow you to withdraw monthly, quarterly, or annually, and you can request that the payment be a specific dollar amount or an amount based on your life expectancy and account balance that is recomputed annually.

IRAs have an early withdrawal penalty of 10% for any money taken out when you are younger than 59. However, if you retire at age 55 or older, TSPs will waive the 10% penalty. Even better, if you qualify under Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) special provisions, this age drops to 50.



How Do I Contact TSP Administrators?

You can call their toll-free Thriftline at 877-968-3778, Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET. There is also an international phone line at 404-233-4400 that is not a toll-free line. The TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) line for the hearing impaired is 877-847-4385.

The general mailing address is Thrift Savings Plan, P.O. Box 385021, Birmingham, AL 35238. If you have an online account, there is a Message Center that allows you to send and receive messages. Response time is two business days.

Finally, for specific inquiry categories (loans, death benefits, court orders, federal tax levies, press requests, and more) there are individual post office boxes and/or email addresses listed on the TSP website.

Is a TSP the Same Thing As a 401(k)?

Not exactly, though they are structured similarly and have the same contribution limits. A TSP is what the federal government offers instead of a 401(k), which is the type of plan offered by private employers. It is possible to have both if you have worked for both a government and a private employer. However, the total contribution to these retirement plans cannot exceed the annual contribution limits set by the Internal Revenue Code.

Is a TSP Better Than an IRA?

TSPs and IRAs both have benefits. With a TSP, you can contribute considerably more money each year, expect matching contributions from the federal government, and pay lower investment fees.



You have greater control over your investments with an IRA, and there are no limits on withdrawals from it upon retirement. You can borrow from your TSP (up to $50,000), but you cannot typically borrow from an IRA account.



Unlike with an IRA, you can request a complete withdrawal of your TSP account in monthly payments, an annuity lifetime payment, or a lump sum amount if you leave your job in federal service. In addition, you can combine these options.

What Happens to My Thrift Savings Plan If I Quit My Job?

If you quit your job, your Thrift Savings Plan will remain as is if the balance is $200 or more, and it will continue earning. You can control the account and make adjustments to your investments but you cannot make any more contributions.

CorrectionJune 16, 2022. This article has been edited to highlight that it is possible to have both a 401(k) and a TSP in some circumstances.
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Celsius and Fahrenheit are two important temperature scales. The Fahrenheit scale is used primarily in the United States, while Celsius is used throughout the world. The two scales have different zero points and the Celsius degree is bigger than the Fahrenheit.

However, there is one point on the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales where the temperatures in degrees are equal. This is -40 C and -40 F.If you can't remember the number, there is a simple algebraic method to find the answer.

Key Takeaways: When Does Fahrenheit Equal Celsius?

Celsius and Fahrenheit are two temperature scales.

The Fahrenheit and Celsius scales have one point at which they intersect. They are equal at -40 C and -40 F.

The simple method to find when two temperature scales are equal to each other is to set the conversion factors for the two scales equal to each other and solve for temperature.

Setting Fahrenheit and Celsius Equal

Rather than converting one temperature to another (which is not helpful because it assumes you already know the answer), you can set degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit equal to each other using the conversion formula between the two scales:

F = (C * 9/5) + 32

C = (F - 32) * 5/9

It does not matter which equation you use; simply usexinstead of degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit. You can solve this problem by solving for x:

C = 5/9 * (F - 32)

x = 5/9 * (x - 32)

x = (5/9)x - 17.778

1x - (5/9)x = -17.778

0.444x = -17.778

x = -40 degrees Celsius or Fahrenheit

Working using the other equation, you get the same answer:

F = (C * 9/5) + 32

x - (x * 9/5) = 32

-4/5 * x = 32

x = -32 * 5/4

x = -40

More About Temperature

You can set two scales equal to each other to find when any of them intersect. Sometimes it's easier to just look up the equivalent temperature. This handy temperature conversion scale may help you out.

You can also practice converting between temperature scales:
Bachelor of Arts New Word List Save This poker online gambling real moneyWord!See Bachelor of ArtsFirst recorded in 157080 Save ThisWord!See Bachelor of ArtsFirst recorded in 157080

Words nearby Bachelor of Arts

How to use Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Arts nouna degree conferred on a person who has successfully completed his or her undergraduate studies, usually in a branch of the liberal arts or humanitiesa person who holds this degree 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

bachelorette, bachelorette party, bachelor girl, bachelorhood, bachelorism, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, bachelor party, bachelor's-button, bachelor's-buttons, bachelor's degreeDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Definition of Palindrome

Thewilliam hill online slots term palindrome is derived from two Greek words, palin, which means again, and dromos, which means way, or direction. It is defined as a number, a word, a sentence, a symbol, or even signs that can be read forward as well as backward, or in reverse order with the same effects and meanings.

In English, Ben Jonson was the first writer to introduce this term in the middle of the 17th century. There are two types of palindrome: word-unit palindrome, and one-line palindrome. Some words, such as civic, radar, level, rotor, and noon are word-unit palindromes, while the sentence, Was it a car or a cat I saw? is an example of one-line palindrome.

Categories of Palindrome

Palindromes are of many Categories, depending upon the requirements of the subject. The most commonly used Categories of palindrome are given here:

Character by Character

Name Palindrome

Word Palindrome

Number Palindrome

Line-unit Palindrome

Word-unit Palindrome

Examples of Palindrome in Literature

There are many examples of Palindrome in prose, poetry, and criticism. Let us take a look at some examples:

Example #1: The Funny Side of English(By O. A. Booty)

Lewd did I live & evil I did dwel.

This is the first sentence using a palindrome that appeared in the English language, back in 1614. In this sentence, the words read the same forward and backward.

Example #2: The Life of a Poet(By W. H. Auden)

T. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad. Id assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot-toilet.

Palindrome can be seen in this sentence where the same names are given to T. Eliot in the beginning, putrid tang, and also at the end of the sentence gnat dirt upset on drab pot-toilet.

Example #3: Unknown writing(Credited to W. H. Auden)

Norma is as selfless as I am, Ron.

Palindrome is used as the author says that Norma and he both are unselfish.

Example #4: Doppelganger (By James A. Lindon)

Entering the lonely house with my wife

I saw him for the first time

Peering furtively from behind a bush  Blackness that moved,

A shape amid the shadows,

A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes

Revealed in the ragged moon  A closer look (he seemed to turn) might have

Revealed in the ragged moon

A momentary glimpse of gleaming eyes

A shape amid the shadows,

Blackness that moved. Peering furtively from behind a bush,

I saw him, for the first time

Entering the lonely house with my wife.

The above poem gives the perfect example of a palindrome, as it reads in the same manner from the first to the last line, as it does from the last line to the first line.

Example #5: Inspiration(By Memory Trace)

Open floodgates,

once restrained tightly,

suddenly form rippled waters,

expressive thoughts flowing freely,

by frightful heart attending faithfully

INSPIRATION

faithfully attending heart frightful by

freely flowing expressive thoughts,

waters rippled form suddenly,

tightly restrained once,

floodgates open.

This type of poetry is also called mirrored poetry, where palindrome sentences are used, each of which read backward as well as forward  not by the letter, but by the word.

Example #6: Famous Names

Some famous names as fine palindromes:

Lon Nolwas a Prime Minister of Cambodia

Nisio Isinwas a Japanese novelist

Robert Treborwas an actor

Stanley Yelnatsis a character of the movie Holes

Function of Palindrome

The purpose of using palindromes in writing, words, numbers, and sentences is to create light entertainment and fun. However, some supporters have taken great initiatives in finding long palindromes that cover many sentences and in poetry. In ancient times palindromes appeared in magic spells, and many have taken this reversibility as a convention.

Palindromes can be traced in classical and modern music poetry for rhythmical effect, in acoustics, and in dates as well. Even several religious texts are full of palindromes. It is not just a chance that, biologically, our genes are also palindromes  that their order is the same, forward and backward. A further interesting point is that numbers also fall in order to create palindromes, such as 88, 99, 101, 111, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, and 171 which can be read backward and forward in the same way.
Airbnbs are empty. At least thats what it seems like to some Airbnb hosts,shib in binance moon reddit crypto even though the company reported its most profitable quarter ever on Tuesday.

Some social media users have been speculating for weeks that the Airbnbust is upon us, as one viral tweet read. The conversation has swept across a number of social platforms, from Twitter to Facebook to Reddit, and it includes other short-term rental platforms like VRBO, too.

Their concerns have meritsome short-term rental hosts are weathering a steep decline in occupancy rates as the holiday season approaches. But its not because people dont want to travel. Instead, market analysts say many U.S. Airbnbs are sitting empty because so many wealthier people and investors listed short-term rentals on the site, in the wake of a pandemic-fueled boom.

The number of available short-term rental listings in the U.S. skyrocketed to 1.38 million in September. Thats a 23.2% year-over-year increase, according to rental analytics firm AirDNA.

That means hosts are feeling the pinch of a high-supply marketand consumers could be poised to get better deals, after months of soaring prices for lodging.

Explaining the soaring supply

2021 was a bumper year for short-term rentals in the U.S., largely thanks to pent-up demand after lockdowns giving a huge boost to domestic travel, says Jamie Lane, AirDNA vice president of research. Over the past few months, supply has increased to catch up to and even overtake demand growth, pushing occupancy down as bookings are spread across more properties.

This is due in part to the number of wealthier homebuyers who purchased a second home since the start of the pandemic. Bolstered by then-low interest rates, extra savings, and the ability to work from anywhere, white-collar workers turned out in droves to buy vacation properties in the last two years.

A report this week by property broker Pacaso found that sales of luxury second homes and investment properties were up approximately 235% from April to June of this year compared to pre-pandemic levels. Those are homes that sold for $1 million or more that are designated for seasonal or recreational use. Pacasos researchers found that sales of these properties had increased nearly 25% year-over-year in that time period.

More from TIME

Last year, months of pent-up travel demand triggered a major spike in short-term rental bookings in many second-home hotspots. These occupancy highs resulted in a surge in short-term offerings, as former long-term landlords shifted to short-term in pursuit of higher returns and institutional investors began scooping up masses of properties to rent out on Airbnb and other platforms.

A lot of the supply in these markets shifted away from the for-sale market and long-term rental market towards the short-term rental market amidst a surge of demand for Airbnbs and other vacation rentals, says Taylor Marr, deputy chief economist for real estate brokerage Redfin.

Now, Marr says, things have changed: The rapid surge in mortgage rates and the resulting fewer homeowners motivated to sell now have kept home prices high and the affordability crisis raging.

The deal with high demand

Hosts complaining of low bookings werent imagining things: Occupancy rates fell in 31 of the top 50 largest U.S. short-term rental markets from July through September, according to AirDNA. In August, AirDNA reported that markets where supply had grown by more than 50% had an average occupancy decline of over 10% and saw revenues drop by 8%. Properties that are in markets with the greatest supply growth are seeing the biggest declines in performance, Lane says.

But as some Airbnb hosts experience declining occupancy ratesand as the countrys economic outlook is uncertainAirbnb is by and large having a banner year.

Demand is still rising every month, and so are Airbnbs bookings and revenue, says Lane. Although hosts in some markets are seeing a correction after a pandemic-driven boom, on the whole, demand remains very strong and we arent yet seeing an Airbnb bust.'

Airbnb itself says that in turn, hosts are finding success booking guests on the platform. Amidst new economic pressures, more people are looking to leverage the space they have to earn extra income, and quickly, with most newly activated listings getting booked faster compared to a year ago, says Airbnb spokesperson Liz DeBold Fusco.

However, even though people still want to book Airbnbs, there are far more to choose from. This has resulted in lower occupancy rates in certain markets putting the squeeze on some hosts.

Jim Ewing is an Airbnb host whose social media post about his propertys occupancy rates sparked the original viral tweet about an Airbnb bust. Hed posted to an Airbnb Superhosts Facebook group about his struggles. Ewing told TIME that his property in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., dropped from 80% occupancy to 0% this past springand hasnt rebounded since. We havent had a single booking since June, he says.

The city of Desert Hot Springs, where Ewing began listing his Airbnb property last October, is located in Coachella Valley. Thats one of the markets where occupancy rates have fallen by the greatest percentage in the past three months, according to AirDNA.

When we first listed last October, we had every weekend covered. And then November through April, we had anywhere from 70-80% occupancy every month, he says. This year, weve had no one in October and we have no one booked for NovemberSo its been extremely slow.

The upside for travelers

For now, the high supply of Airbnbs hasnt dropped vacation rental prices for travelers. AirDNA reports that, in September, average daily rates posted their largest year-over-year growth rate since April. September also marked the first month since April where average daily rate growth outpaced the inflation rate.

However, in mountain and lake destinations where occupancy rates have dropped, daily average growth rate was significantly lower in September. According to AirDNA, that means that if occupancy rates continue to drop in more destinations, price rates are likely to be pushed down as hosts bid to get more bookings.

The short-term rental market is far more competitive than it used to be, says Neal Carpenter, the owner of short-term rental consulting service The Air Butler. Carpenter has been an Airbnb host for eight years and currently hosts 17 units all located within 10 minutes of downtown Nashville, Tenn.

In Nashville, a listing that may have performed pretty well five years ago probably isnt competitive anymore if the host hasnt made updates to the property, the amenities, the photos, all those sorts of things, he says.

For travelers, increased supply means the ability to be more discerning about the properties and, by extension, hosts theyre giving their business to. If a host is being unfair to guests by assigning them menial chores or making them pay unreasonable fees, its not going to benefit their business, Carpenter says. If you [as a host] are asking people to do more than whats fair and reasonable and common, thats a problem, Carpenter says. If youre trying to charge exorbitant cleaning fees and profiting, thats questionable behavior.

Providing personalized customer service will have a knock-on effect on future bookings as guests will always look for properties that have great reviews, Lane says. We are seeing properties with good reviews, reasonable cleaning fees, and popular amenities able to maintain and even grow their occupancy levels, he says. Its becoming more important for hosts to pay attention to their performance and guest reviews.

Whats next for Airbnb prices

If interest rates continue to rise, investing in short-term rentals will become an increasingly less-attractive prospect, Lane says. That could result in the supply growth rate slowing, which means that this oversupply could be temporary.

The growth of short-term rental listings is causing nightly prices to fall and reducing the profitability of owning these vacation rentals, which should result in more long-term rental supply, helping to bring rents back down, Marr says.

In the meantime, Neal says that Airbnb hosts need to put [themselves] in travelers shoes if they want their property to stand out in a crowded field. If youre noticing a dip in bookings, look at your competition and make consistent updates to your property, he says.

For some hosts, this tougher landscape means its time to get out of the short-term rental game. Ewing says that hes currently looking for a long-term tenant for his property instead of continuing to rent it out for shorter periods on Airbnb.

It seems like a lot of people are kind of fed up with Airbnb and theyre angry about how some hosts treat them now, he says. Im curious to see if my timing for leaving the short-term market is the right move, and if in six months or 12 months, Airbnb becomes a bad investment for people.
We recently reported that New York Times Opinion columnist David Brooks had posted a photo of a burger and fries and a drink, opining how expensive his meal was. He wrote, "This meal just cost me $78 at Newark Airport. This is why Americans think the economy is terrible."

The backlash was swiftUsing the platform's "Community Notes" feature, sleuthy folks quickly revealed that the most outrageously expensive part of the meal was the whiskey, not the actual food. The Community Note reads: "Based on the similar table, glass, chair, sheet and cut of fries, this is the Smokehouse Restaurant in Newark Airport Terminal A. The burger and fries cost $17."

So, really, David Brooks spent $17 on food and about $50 on a glass of whiskey.

X user Evan Sutton sums up the critique: "The funniest thing about @nytdavidbrooks transparent attempt to make his $50 airport whiskey into a story of working class economic pain is the internet sleuths who immediately found the price of his burger based on the visual evidence in the photo."

Brooks has recently issued a mea culpa. Politico explains:
A book series expounding the moral issues of officials,twitter crypto hack the first-ever publication on the topic in China, was released for sale Monday in Beijing as part of government-backed efforts to promote integrity among civil servants.

The four-book series embodies the results of research conducted by experts with the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences at the request of Beijing authorities two years ago, according to a report published by the Beijing Daily.

The books record the development of theories about officials morality through Chinese history and provide case studies, as well as highlight the importance of raising officials moral standards in modern society, an official with the Beijing Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) was quoted as saying in the report.

The major difference between good and bad officials simply lies in whether they perform duties with a conscience, says the prologue of the series.

Nowadays, the CPC, as the ruling party, must value virtues of officials and it is a general trend for officials to abide by professional ethics, according to a passage in one of the books.

The book also points out a moral official in modern China should always serve the people as well as be loyal, pragmatic, fair-minded and incorruptible, while always improving oneself.

The series will serve as anti-graft reading material for all Communist Party cadres in Beijing, according to the report.

Xinhua

China publishes books on moral issues of officialsadded by chinatimesonline on

View all posts by chinatimesonline 
buffalo gold jackpots newshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decide [ dih-sahyd ]/ dsad / New Word List Save This Word!See synonyms for: decide / decided / decides / deciding on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity. Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-sahyd ]/ dsad /Save This Word!See synonyms for: decide / decided / decides / deciding on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

verb (used with object), decided, deciding.to solve or conclude (a question, controversy, or struggle) by giving victory to one side: The judge decided the case in favor of the plaintiff.to determine or settle (something in dispute or doubt): to decide an argument.to bring (a person) to a decision; persuade or convince: The new evidence decided him.

verb (used without object), decided, deciding.to settle something in dispute or doubt: The judge decided in favor of the plaintiff.to make a judgment or determine a preference; come to a conclusion.

OTHER WORDS FROM decide

Words nearby decide

WHEN TO USE What are other ways to say decide? To decideis to settle something in dispute or doubt. How is it different from resolveand determine? Find out on Thesaurus.com. Words related to decide C14: from Old French decider, from Latin decidere, literally: to cut off, from caedere to cut C14: from Old French decider, from Latin decidere, literally: to cut off, from caedere to cut

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 decide13501400; Middle English deciden
What Is a Personal Guarantee?all currency market cap

The term personal guarantee refers to an individuals legal promise to repay credit issued to a business for which they serve as an executive or partner. Providing a personal guarantee means that if the business becomes unable to repay the debt, the individual assumes personal responsibility for the balance. Personal guarantees provide an extra level of protection to credit issuers who want to make sure they will be repaid.

Key Takeaways

A personal guarantee is an individuals legal promise to repay credit issued to a business for which they serve as an executive or partner.

Personal guarantees help businesses get credit when they aren't as established or have an inadequate credit history to qualify on their own.

Enforcing personal guarantees also mitigates the risk to creditors since they have a legal claim to an individual's assets.

Business owners should read the terms and conditions of any credit application carefully for language that highlights personal liability.

How Personal Guarantees Work

Personal guarantees are used in credit deals to secure funding for businesses. They are used by new and small businessesgenerally, for companies that may not be as established or for those with inadequate credit history to qualify for loans and other credit on their own. When a personal guarantee is given, the principals of the company pledge their own assets and agree to repay a debt from personal capital in case the company defaults. In short, the business owner or principal becomes a cosigner on the credit application.

Here's how it works. Lenders may require business owners or executives to provide a personal guarantee in order to access credit if the company is too new or has a bad credit history. The business principal includes their own credit history and profile as part of the credit application which forms the primary basis for underwriting. When a personal guarantee is used, the applicant includes their Social Security Number (SSN) for a hard credit inquiry as well as details about the individuals personal income. This information is in addition to the company's employer identification number (EIN) and financial statements.

An executive may also pledge their own personal assetschecking accounts, savings accounts, cars, and real estateand agree to repay a debt from personal capital in case the company defaults as part of their personal guarantee. Not only does this make credit more accessible to businesses, but it also mitigates the risk to creditors since they have a legal claim to the individual's personal assets. It also improves the terms which will be based on the profile of both the business and the individual in the underwriting process.

Small business owners and executives normally make a substantial initial investment using their own capital. That's one of the reasons why they offer personal guarantees to get creditbecause they have a vested interest in the launch and development of their businesses. As such, businesses may be required to pay creditors monthly installment payments rather than generating a return for equity investors.

Special Considerations

Although well-established businesses with significant commercial credit profiles may be able to obtain credit without a personal guarantee, they may still use them in their applications. Credit with a personal guarantee can be a low-cost way for a business to obtain funds. But if the business isn't able to generate enough revenue and earnings, an individual could suffer significant losses. Remember, if a personal guarantee is used, the principal is personally liable if a default occurs. It gives creditors a legal right to all of an individual's pledged personal assets.

The New York Timesreport on former President Trump's taxes indicates that he took this route, personally guaranteeing "loans and other debts totaling $421 million" by 2018. This provided a benefit, as welltaking responsibility enables a business owner to use those losses to offset current and future taxes they owe.

Having said this, business owners should be especially careful when they apply for credit as terms may require a personal guarantee. Applicants should look for language in the credit application such as you, as an individual and the authorizing officer of the company...are agreeing to be jointly and severally liable with the company for all charges to the account.

SBA Loans

Many private lenders require personal guarantees before they advance any credit to certain types of businesses. What many people may not realize is that the Small Business Administration (SBA) also requires principals to offer personal guarantees in order to get an SBA loan. Anyone with an interest in a business of 20% or more must provide the SBA with an unconditional personal guarantee. These loans are backed by the SBA but are issued by the administration's lending partners.

The Small Business Administration requires a personal guarantee from anyone with an interest of 20% or more in a company.

Types of Personal Guarantees

There are two common types of personal guaranteeslimited and unlimited. Limited guarantees allow lenders to collect a certain amount of money or a certain percentage of the outstanding balance from a principal or business owner. These guarantees are common when there are multiple principals who can pay a certain portion of the debt. For instance, if a business defaults on its loan, the lender can go after each principal for 25% of the balance.

Unlimited guarantees, however, require that the principal is liable for the full outstanding balance. Personal guarantees required by the SBA are considered unlimited guarantees. So if a business can't fulfill its obligations on a loan with a personal guarantee, the lender can go after the principal to recoup the full outstanding balance. If there aren't enough liquid assets availablethrough checking and other, similar accountsthe lender can seize other assets such as real estate or vehicles.
What Is a Private Investment in Public Equity (PIPE)?gold digger pokies cropbytes farm

Private investment in public equity (PIPE) is the buying of shares of publicly traded stock at a price below the current market value (CMV) per share. This buying method is a practice of investment firms, mutual funds, and other large, accredited investors. A traditional PIPE is one in which common or preferred stock is issued at a set price to the investor, while a structured PIPE issues common or preferred shares of convertible debt.

The purpose of a PIPE is for the issuer of the stock to raise capital for the public company. This financing technique is more efficient than secondary offerings due to fewer regulatory issues with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Key Takeaways

Private investment in public equity (PIPE) is when an institutional or an accredited investor buys stock directly from a public company below market price.

Because they have less stringent regulatory requirements than public offerings, PIPEs save companies time and money and raise funds more quickly.

The discounted price of PIPE shares means less capital for the company, and their issuance effectively dilutes the current stockholders' stake.

How a Private Investment in Public Equity Works

A publicly-traded company may utilize a PIPE when securing funds for working capital to fund day-to-day operations, expansion, or acquisitions. The company may create new stock shares or use some from its supply, but the equities never go on sale on a stock exchange.

Instead, these large investors purchase the company's stock in a private placement, and the issuer files a resale registration statement with the SEC.

The issuing business typically obtains its fundingthat is, the investors' money for the shareswithin two to three weeks, rather than waiting several months or longer, as it would with a secondary stock offering. Registration of the new shares with the SEC typically becomes effective within a month of filing.

Special Considerations for PIPE Buyers

PIPE investors may purchase stock below the market price as a hedge of protection against the share price going down after news of the PIPE gets out. The discount also acts as compensation for a certain lack of liquidity in the shares, meaning there can be delays in selling or converting the shares to cash.

Since this offering was a PIPE, the buyers cannot sell their shares until the company files its resale registration statement with the SEC. However, an issuer generally cannot sell more than 20% of its outstanding stock at a discount without receiving prior approval from current shareholders.

A traditional PIPE agreement lets investors purchase common stock or preferred stock that is convertible to common shares at a predetermined price or exchange rate. If the business is merged with another or sold soon, investors may be able to receive dividends or other payoffs. Dividends are cash or stock payments from companies to their shareholders or investors. Because of these benefits, traditional PIPEs are typically priced at or near the stocks market value.

With a structured PIPE, preferred stock or debt securities convertible to common stock are sold. If the securities contain a reset clause, new investors are shielded from downside risks, but existing stockholders are exposed to the greater risk of dilution in share values. For this reason, a structured PIPE transaction may need prior stockholder approval.

Advantages and Disadvantages of PIPEs

Private investment in public equity carries several advantages for issuers. Large amounts of shares are typically sold to knowledgeable investors over the long term, ensuring the company secures the funding it needs. PIPEs can be particularly advantageous for small-to-medium-sized public companies that may have a hard time accessing more traditional forms of equity financing.

Because PIPE shares do not need to be registered in advance with the SEC or meet all the usual federal registration requirements for public stock offerings, transactions proceed more efficiently with fewer administrative requirements.

However, on the downside, investors may sell their stock in a short amount of time, driving down the market price. If the market price drops below a set threshold, the company may have to issue additional stock at a significantly reduced price. This new share issue dilutes the value of shareholders investments, which can lead to a lower stock price.

Short sellers may take advantage of the situation by repeatedly selling their shares and lowering the share price, potentially resulting in PIPE investors having majority ownership of the company. Setting a minimum share price below which no compensatory stock is issued can avoid this problem.

Fast source of capital funds

Less paperwork and filing requirements

Lower transactional costs

Discounted share prices (for investors)

Diluted share value (for current stockholders)

Buyers limited to accredited investors

Discounted share price (less capital for company)

Potential need for shareholder approval

Real-World Example of a PIPE

ProsCons

In February 2018, Yum! Brands(YUM), the owner of Taco Bell and KFC, announced it was purchasing $200 million of takeout company GrubHub's stock through a PIPE. In this case, Yum! drove the PIPE to forge a stronger partnership between the two companies to increase sales at its restaurants through pickups and delivery.

The added liquidity allowed GrubHub to grow its U.S. delivery network and to create a more seamless ordering experience for customers of both companies. GrubHub also expanded its board of directors from nine to 10, adding a representative from Yum!
She told students the story of how she came to value education so dearly.

Before 2010, the bank essentially turned a blind eye to large cash deposits and withdrawals, which cost them dearly.

Jordan is in an even more delicate position, and a country that ISIS would dearly like to swallow.

An autopsy found highly toxic cyanide levels in the blood of the not-so-dearly departed.

Right now, it is failingand failing those of us that love it dearly. Israel Must Take a More Diplomatic Approach Toward Iran|David Patrikarakos|December 17, 2013|DAILY BEAST

He had once loved dearly, and he had sought to forget the one he had so loved because of the Custom of the Country and its law. The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux

He seems to love his little master very dearly and often rides on his shoulder while Alila is working. Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade

It happened that he loved the daughter of a neighbour very dearly and she returned his love. Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade

In spite of the character bestowed upon her by her old friend, Mrs. Barford dearly loved a bit of gossip. The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
Like many homophones in English, wasteand waistare frequently misused, in many cases leading to unfortunate and embarrassing blunders.

One of these words refers to a part of the human body, while the other deals with unwanted or excess material. Read on to find out which is which, and whether you use wasteor waistin a given context.

What is the Difference Between Waste and Waist?

In this article, I will compare wastevs. waist. I will use each word in a sentence example to illustrate the proper context. Then, at the end, I will show you a helpful trick to use in choosing waistor wastefor your writing.

When to Use Waste

What does waste mean? Wastecan fulfill many grammatical functions. It is sometimes a noun, sometimes an adjective, and sometimes a verb.

As a noun, wastemeans excess material.

Pulling staples from documents which should not have been stapled is a waste of my time.

Chefs and owners of restaurants know that reducing waste to a minimum is the key to keeping food costs in line, which is another, practical reason to eat what we have on-hand before we toss it out: not wasting saves money. The Dallas Morning News

As an adjective, wastedescribes the quality of excessiveness in such material.

Waste materials should be properly labeled for disposal.

As a verb, wastemeans to throw away something that is still useful.

You waste aluminum when you send drink cans to the landfill instead of the recycling center.

As you can see, wastehas many grammatical functions within the sentence.

When to Use Waist

What does waist mean? Waistis a noun that describes the middle of something, especially the area of the human body between the hips and ribcage.

This new belt doesnt fit around my waist.

The couple put their arms around each others waist.

Repetitive surgery has left multiple scars all along my waist.

There was a proposal presented to the UIL at the June Legislative Council meeting to eliminate any block below the waist. That would drastically change football. The Houston Chronicle

Waistis never a verb. It is also not an adjectivein situations where waistdescribes another noun, it is more properly combined with the noun to form a compound word, e.g., waistline or waistband.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Here is a helpful trick to remember waist vs. waste in your writing.

In sentences where the word functions as a verb or an adjective, wasteis correct. Waistis not used in these ways.

As nouns, wasteand waistare easy to differentiate. Notice the Iin waist. Assuming you are a person with both a ribcage and hips, you have a waist. By repeating the phrase Ihave a waist to yourself, you will remember that waist refers to a part of the body, whereas wasterefers to excess material, both of which contain the letter E.

If you feel that you have a bit of excess material around your waist, you should consult a dietician and/or a personal trainer. Unfortunately, that is outside the purview of this article.

Summary

Is it waste or waist?Wastecan be many parts of speech, but in all situations it deals with excess material. Waistis a noun that refers to a part of the human body.

Waste is excess material.

Waist is a part of the human body.

To remember to use waistto describe a part of the human body, consider the phrase I have a waist. Since Iand waist are both spelled with an I, it is easy to remember contexts in which it is appropriate to use waist.

If you are still having trouble, you can check this article to give yourself a quick reminder.
What Is the Federal Housing Administration (FHA)?best casino games online free

The term Federal Housing Administration (FHA) refers to a U.S. agency that provides mortgage insurance to FHA-approved lenders. The FHA was established in 1934 by the U.S. government and became part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1965.

The FHA funds its operations with income generated through mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs). FHA loans allow lower down payment minimums and lower credit scores than traditional lenders. This opens up homeownership to thousands of Americans who otherwise couldnt qualify for a mortgage. The mortgage insurance protects lenders against losses from mortgage defaults, so if a borrower does default, then the FHA pays the lender.

Key Takeaways

The Federal Housing Administration (FHA) offers mortgage insurance to approved lenders.

The agency was established in 1934 and became part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in 1965.

The FHA home loan program is designed for borrowers who cant make large down payments, have lower credit scores, and dont qualify for conventional mortgages.

Borrowers with FHA loans must purchase FHA mortgage insurance.

Mortgage insurance premiums (MIPs) collected from FHA-insured loans help pay for the program.

Understanding the FHA

The FHA is one of the worlds largest mortgage insurers, protecting FHA-approved lenders from lossesespecially if the borrower defaults. It was established in 1934 to help stimulate the U.S. housing market. The underlying idea was that more people would qualify for mortgages to buy homes if lenders were provided with insurance. As noted above, the agency came under the purview of HUDs Office of Housing in 1965.

The FHA insures mortgage loans in the United States and U.S. territories for the following property types:

Single-family homes

Multifamily properties

Residential care facilities

Hospitals

Most FHA loans require a lower minimum down paymentas little as 3.5%, which means that loans are insured for up to 96.5%. Approved FHA lenders can also provide loans to people with lower credit scores than most conventional loan lenders. These benefits make FHA loans popular with first-time homebuyers. Qualifying borrowers must also purchase mortgage insurance. These premiums are made to the FHA, which it uses as self-generated income.

When a borrower stops paying their mortgage, the lender can file a claim through the FHA. The agency pays the mortgage company the remaining principal balance on a loan using the above-mentioned MIPs that it collects. This allows lenders to offer larger loans to borrowers.

There are limits on how much you can borrow. FHA loan limits are set by the region where you livelow-cost areas have a lower limit than the usual FHA loan, and high-cost areas have a higher limit.

Special Considerations

The FHA requires borrowers to pay two types of MIPs:

The first is the up-front MIP, which is 1.75% of the loan amount in 2022.

The second is the annual MIP, which is charged monthly. These payments range from 0.45% to 1.05% of the loan amount.

Payment amounts differ depending on the loan amount, the length of the loan, and the original loan-to-value (LTV) ratio. Originally, the annual MIP was automatically removed once borrowers hit 78% LTV based on the original purchase price. After the subprime mortgage crisis, the FHA was facing a fiscal crisis and in 2013 implemented a rule that the annual MIP remains over the life of the loan. As a result of the change, most borrowers with FHA mortgages will refinance through a traditional mortgage once they hit 80% LTV. Even if their credit scores have not improved significantly, they are more likely to be approved for a conventional loan now that they have 20% equity in their property.



MIPs also help fund other FHA programs that benefit homeowners, renters, and communities at large.

History of the FHA

Bank failures caused home loans to decline, decreasing homeownership significantly during the Great Depression. Default and foreclosure rates skyrocketed, as loans were limited to 50% of a propertys market value and mortgage terms (including short repayment schedules coupled with balloon payments) were difficult for many homebuyers to meet. As a result, the United States was primarily a nation of rentersonly one in 10 households owned their homes.

Congress enacted the National Housing Act of 1934 to help restructure the federal banking system. Its primary purpose was to improve housing standards and conditions, provide a method of mutual mortgage insurance, and reduce foreclosures on family home mortgages. The legislation created the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corp. (FSLIC), a former government institution whose responsibilities are now part of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC), and the FHA. These acts increased the market for single-family homes and built more affordable housing and mortgages.



The FHA website offers informative consumer resources, including a home-buying guide.

Criticism of the FHA

FHA programs provide substantial U.S. economic stimulation via community and home development, which flows down to local communities in the form of jobs, schools, and other sources of revenue. Even though it also ensures that lenders are protected and helps borrowers get larger loans, the FHA isnt without criticism.

Critics say that borrowers are bound by strict requirements, such as the up-front and annual MIPs. Some experts argue that homeowners may be better off going with a conventional mortgage if they qualify. Thats because they may save money in the long run through private mortgage insurance (PMI) premiums provided by conventional lenders.

Lenders of conventional mortgages require borrowers to purchase PMI when they cant come up with a 20% down payment. PMI can be canceled once a borrower pays down enough of the mortgages principal. MIP is collected for 11 years or until the end of the loan term, whichever comes first, regardless of the equity in the home.

Historically, the FHA implemented policies like redlining, in which officials would literally draw a red line around neighborhoods that were predominantly Black and viewed as unsafe and refuse to lend to borrowers in those neighborhoods. This practice, among others, prevented generations of Black citizens from taking advantage of the same programs as their White peers. This barrier to becoming homeowners and building generational wealth exacerbated the racial wealth inequity that we still see today.

What does the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) do?

Congress created the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) in 1934 during the Great Depression to stimulate the housing market. The FHA guarantees home loans issued by approved lenders. The loans are designed for borrowers with lower-than-average credit scores and who dont have the cash to come up with a big down payment.

How do FHA loans work?

Qualified borrowers can borrow up to 96.5% of the value of a home. Homebuyers are required to purchase mortgage insurance. Premium payments are made to the FHA, and if a borrower defaults on a mortgage, then the FHA pays the lender.

Do FHA home loans have income limits?

FHA loans do not have income limits. There are limits on how much you can borrow, which are based on the region where you live.

The Bottom Line

The FHA was originally created to stimulate the economy by encouraging home buying and home construction, and to help lower-income Americans become homeowners. When viewed in that light, the program has been a resounding success.

However, early policies like redlining have prevented millions of Black Americans from experiencing the generational wealth that cheap homeownership gave the post-World War II generation of their White peers. While the program continues today and has attempted to rectify some of its past misdoings, changes following the subprime mortgage crisis make FHA loans less of a hand-up bargain than they once were.
What Is Personal Finance?ohm crypto value

Personal finance is a term that covers managing your money as well as saving and investing. It encompasses budgeting, banking, insurance, mortgages, investments, and retirement, tax, and estate planning. The term often refers to the entire industry that provides financial services to individuals and households and advises them about financial and investment opportunities.

Individual goals and desiresand a plan to fulfill those needs within your financial constraintsalso impact how you approach the above items. To make the most of your income and savings, its essential to become financially savvyit will help you distinguish between good and bad advice and make intelligent financial decisions.

Key Takeaways

Few schools have courses on managing your money, so it is important to learn how through free online articles, courses, blogs, podcasts, or books.

The core areas of managing personal finance include income, spending, savings, investments, and protection.

Smart personal finance involves developing strategies that include budgeting, creating an emergency fund, paying off debt, using credit cards wisely, saving for retirement, and much more.

Being disciplined is important, but its also good to know when you shouldn't adhere to the guidelines.



The Importance of Personal Finance

Personal finance is about meeting your personal financial goals. These goals could be anythinghaving enough for short-term financial needs, planning for retirement, or saving for your childs college education. It depends on your income, spending, saving, investing, and personal protection (insurance and estate planning).

Not understanding how to manage finances or be financially disciplined has led Americans to accumulate enormous debt. In August 2022, household debt had increased by $2 trillion since December 2019. In addition, the following balances increased from the first quarter of 2022 to the second:

Credit card balances : Up by $46 billion

: Up by $46 billion Auto loans : Up by $33 billion

: Up by $33 billion Consumer loans and store cards : Up by $25 billion

: Up by $25 billion Total non-housing : Up by $103 billion

: Up by $103 billion Mortgages: Up by $207 billion

Student loans remained unchanged, at about $1.59 trillion.

Americans are taking on an ever-increasing amount of debt to finance purchases, making managing personal finances more critical than ever, especially when inflation is eating away at purchasing power and prices are rising.



Areas of Personal Finance

The five areas of personal finance are income, saving, spending, investing, and protection.

Income

Income is the starting point of personal finance. It is the entire amount of cash inflow that you receive and can allocate to expenses, savings, investments, and protection. Income is all the money you bring in. This includes salaries, wages, dividends, and other sources of cash inflow.

Spending

Spending is an outflow of cash and typically where the bulk of income goes. Spending is whatever an individual uses their income to buy. This includes rent, mortgage, groceries, hobbies, eating out, home furnishings, home repairs, travel, and entertainment.

Being able to manage spending is a critical aspect of personal finance. Individuals must ensure their spending is less than their income; otherwise, they won't have enough money to cover their expenses or will fall into debt. Debt can be devastating financially, particularly with the high-interest rates credit cards charge.

Saving

Savings is the income left over after spending. Everyone should aim to have savings to cover large expenses or emergencies. However, this means not using all your income, which can be difficult. Regardless of the difficulty, everyone should strive to have at least a portion of savings to meet any fluctuations in income and spendingsomewhere between three and 12 months of expenses.

Beyond that, cash idling in a savings account becomes wasteful because it loses purchasing power to inflation over time. Instead, cash not tied up in an emergency or spending account should be placed in something that will help it maintain its value or grow, such as investments.

Investing

Investing involves purchasing assets, usually stocks and bonds, to earn a return on the money invested. Investing aims to increase an individual's wealth beyond the amount they invested. Investing does come with risks, as not all assets appreciate and can incur a loss.

Investing can be difficult for those unfamiliar with itit helps to dedicate some time to gain an understanding through readings and studying. If you don't have time, you might benefit from hiring a professional to help you invest your money.

Protection

Protection refers to the methods people take to protect themselves from unexpected events, such as illnesses or accidents, and as a means to preserve wealth. Protection includes life and health insurance and estate and retirement planning.

Personal Finance Services

Several financial planning services fall under one or more of the five areas. You're likely to find many businesses that provide these services to clients to help them plan and manage their finances. Some of these services are:

Wealth Management

Loans and Debt

Budgeting

Retirement

Taxes

Risk Management

Estate Planning

Investments

Insurance

Credit Cards

Home and Mortgage

Personal Finance Strategies

The sooner you start financial planning, the better, but its never too late to create financial goals to give yourself and your family financial security and freedom. Here are the best practices and tips for personal finance.

The 2022 Investopedia Financial Literacy Survey surveyed 4,000 adults and found that most Americans are concerned about personal finance basics, retirement funding, and investing in crypto.

1. Know Your income

It's all for nothing if you don't know how much you bring home after taxes and withholding. So before deciding anything, ensure you know exactly how much take-home pay you receive.

2. Devise a Budget

A budget is essential to living within your means and saving enough to meet your long-term goals. The 50/30/20 budgeting method offers a great framework. It breaks down like this:

Fifty percent of your take-home pay or net income (after taxes) goes toward living essentials, such as rent, utilities, groceries, and transport.

Thirty percent is allocated to discretionary expenses, such as dining out and shopping for clothes. Giving to charity can go here as well.

Twenty percent goes toward the futurepaying down debt and saving for retirement and emergencies.

Its never been easier to manage money, thanks to a growing number of smartphone personal budgeting apps that put day-to-day finances in the palm of your hand. Here are just two examples:

YNAB (an acronym for You Need a Budget) helps you track and adjust your spending to control every dollar you spend.

Mint streamlines cash flow, budgets, credit cards, bills, and investment tracking from one place. It automatically updates and categorizes your financial data as information comes in, so you always know where you stand financially. The app will even dish out custom tips and advice.

3. Pay Yourself First

Its important to pay yourself first to ensure money is set aside for unexpected expenses, such as medical bills, a significant car repair, day-to-day expenses if you get laid off, and more. The ideal safety net is three to 12 months of living expenses.

Financial experts generally recommend putting away 20% of each paycheck every month. Once youve filled up your emergency fund, dont stop. Continue funneling the monthly 20% toward other financial goals, such as a retirement fund or a down payment on a home.

4. Limit and Reduce Debt

It sounds simple enough: Don't spend more than you earn to keep debt from getting out of hand. But, of course, most people have to borrow from time to time, and sometimes going into debt can be advantageousfor example, if it leads to acquiring an asset. Taking out a mortgage to buy a house might be one such case. Still, leasing sometimes can be more economical than buying outright, whether renting a property, leasing a car, or even getting a subscription to computer software.

On the other hand, minimizing repayments (to interest only, for instance) can free up income to invest elsewhere or put into retirement savings while youre young when your nest egg gets the maximum benefit from compounding interest. Some private and federal loans are even eligible for a rate reduction if the borrower enrolls in auto pay.

Student loans account for $1.59 trillion of consumer debtif you have an outstanding student loan, you should prioritize it. There are myriad loan repayment plans and payment reduction strategies available. If youre stuck with a high interest rate, paying off the principal faster can make sense.

Flexible federal repayment programs worth checking out include:

Graduated repaymentprogressively increases the monthly payment over 10 years

Extended repaymentstretches out the loan over a period that can be as long as 25 years

Income-driven repaymentlimits payments to 10% to 15% of your income (based on your income and family size)

5. Only Borrow What You Can Repay

Credit cards can be major debt traps, but its unrealistic not to own any in the contemporary world. Furthermore, they have applications beyond buying things. They are crucial to establishing your credit rating and a great way to track spending, which can be a considerable budgeting aid.

Credit needs to be managed correctly, meaning you should pay off your entire balance every month or keep your credit utilization ratio at a minimum (that is, keep your account balances below 30% of your total available credit).

Given the extraordinary reward and incentives offered these days (such as cashback), it makes sense to charge as many purchases as possibleif you can pay your bills in full.

Avoid maxing out credit cards at all costs, and always pay bills on time. One of the fastest ways to ruin your credit score is to constantly pay bills lateor even worse, miss payments.

Using a debit card, which takes money directly from your bank account, is another way to ensure that you will not be paying for accumulated small purchases over an extended period with interest.

6. Monitor Your Credit Score

Credit cards are the primary vehicle through which your credit score is built and maintained, so watching credit spending goes hand in hand with monitoring your credit score. If you ever want to obtain a lease, mortgage, or any other type of financing, then youll need a solid credit report. There are a variety of credit scores available, but the most popular one is the FICO score.

Factors that determine your FICO score include:

Payment history (35%)

Amounts owed (30%)

Length of credit history (15%)

Credit mix (10%)

New credit (10%)

FICO scores are calculated from 300 to 850. Heres how your credit is rated:

Exceptional: 800 to 850

Very good: 740 to 799

Good: 670 to 739

Fair: 580 to 669

Very poor: 300 to 579

To pay bills, set up direct debiting where possible (so you never miss a payment) and subscribe to reporting agencies that provide regular credit score updates. In addition, you can detect and address mistakes or fraudulent activity by monitoring your credit report. Federal law allows you to obtain free credit reports once a year from the Big Three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Reports can be obtained directly from each agency, or you can sign up at AnnualCreditReport.com, a federally authorized site sponsored by the Big Three.

Some credit card providers, such as Capital One, will provide customers with complimentary, regular credit score updates, but it may not be your FICO score. All of the above offer your VantageScore.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the three major credit bureaus are providing free credit reports weekly through at least December 2022.

7. Plan For Your Future

To protect the assets in your estate and ensure that your wishes are followed when you die, be sure you make a will anddepending on your needspossibly set up one or more trusts. You also should look into insurance and find ways to reduce your premiums, if possible: auto, home, life, disability, and long-term care (LTC). Periodically review your policy to ensure it meets your familys needs through lifes major milestones.

Other critical documents include a living will and a healthcare power of attorney. While not all of these documents directly affect you, all of them can save your next of kin considerable time and expense when you fall ill or become otherwise incapacitated.

Retirement may seem like a lifetime away, but it arrives much sooner than expected. Experts suggest that most people will need about 80% of their current salary in retirement. The younger you start, the more you benefit from what advisors call the magic of compounding interesthow small amounts grow over time.

Setting aside money now for your retirement not only allows it to grow over the long term but also can reduce your current income taxes if funds are placed in a tax-advantaged plan, such as an individual retirement account (IRA), a 401(k), or a 403(b).

While your children are young, take the time to teach them about the value of money and how to save, invest, and spend wisely.

If your employer offers a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, start paying into it immediately, especially if your employer matches your contribution. By not doing so, youre giving up free money. Take time to learn the difference between a Roth 401(k) and a traditional 401(k) if your company offers both.

Investing is only one part of planning for retirement. Other strategies include waiting as long as possible before opting to receive Social Security benefits (which is smart for most people) and converting a term life insurance policy to permanent life.

8. Buy Insurance

As you age, it's natural for you to accumulate many of the same things your parents dida family, home or apartment, belongings, and health issues. Insurance can be expensive if you wait too long to get it. Health care, long-term care insurance, life insuranceit all increases in cost the older you get. Additionally, you never know what life will send your way. If you're the sole breadwinner for the family, or you and your partner both work to make ends meet, a lot depends on your ability to work.

Insurance can cover most of the hospital bills as you age, leaving your hard-earned savings in your family's handsmedical expenses are one of the leading reasons for debt. If something happens to you, life insurance can give those you leave behind a buffer zone to deal with the loss and get back on their feet financially.

9. Maximize Tax Breaks

Due to an overly complex tax code, many people leave hundreds or even thousands of dollars sitting on the table every year. By maximizing your tax savings, youll free up money that can be invested in your reduction of past debts, enjoyment of the present, and plans for the future.

You should start saving receipts and tracking expenditures for all possible tax deductions and tax credits. Many office supply stores sell helpful tax organizers that have the main categories already labeled.

After youre organized, youll want to focus on taking advantage of every tax deduction and credit available, as well as deciding between the two when necessary. In short, a tax deduction reduces the amount of income on which you are taxed, whereas a tax credit reduces the amount of tax that you owe. This means that a $1,000 tax credit will save you much more than a $1,000 deduction.

10. Give Yourself a Break

Budgeting and planning can seem full of deprivations. Make sure you reward yourself now and then. Whether its a vacation, a purchase, or an occasional night on the town, you need to enjoy the fruits of your labor. Doing so gives you a taste of the financial independence youre working so hard for.

Last but not least, dont forget to delegate when needed. Even though you might be competent enough to do your own taxes or manage a portfolio of individual stocks, it doesnt mean you should. Setting up an account at a brokerage and spending a few hundred dollars on a certified public accountant (CPA) or a financial plannerat least oncemight be a good way to jump-start your planning.

Personal Finance Skills

The key to getting your finances on the right track is using skills you likely already have. Its also about understanding that the principles that contribute to success in business and your career work just as well in personal money management. Three key skills are finance prioritization, assessing the costs and benefits, and restraining your spending.

Finance Prioritization :This means that you can look at your finances, discern what keeps the money flowing in, and make sure that you stay focused on those efforts.

:This means that you can look at your finances, discern what keeps the money flowing in, and make sure that you stay focused on those efforts. Assessing the Costs and Benefits : This key skill keeps professionals from spreading themselves too thin. Ambitious individuals always have a list of ideas about other ways that they can hit it big, whether it is a side business or an investment idea. While there is a place and time for taking a flier, running your finances like a business means stepping back and honestly assessing the potential costs and benefits of any new venture.

: This key skill keeps professionals from spreading themselves too thin. Ambitious individuals always have a list of ideas about other ways that they can hit it big, whether it is a side business or an investment idea. While there is a place and time for taking a flier, running your finances like a business means stepping back and honestly assessing the potential costs and benefits of any new venture. Restraining Your Spending:This is the final big-picture skill of successful business management that must be applied to personal finances. Time and again, financial planners sit down with successful people who still manage to spend more than they make. Earning $250,000 a year wont do you much good if you spend $275,000 annually. Learning to restrain spending on non-wealth-building assets until after youve met your monthly savings or debt reduction goals is crucial in building net worth.

Personal Finance Education

Personal money management isn't one of the most popular topics in educational systems. Many college degrees require some financial education, but it isn't geared toward individuals which means that most of us will need to get our personal finance education from our parents (if were lucky) or learn it ourselves.

Fortunately, you dont have to spend much money to find out how to manage it better. You can learn everything you need to know for free online and in library books. Almost all media publications regularly dole out personal finance advice, too.

Online Blogs

Reading personal finance blogs is a great way to start learning about personal finance. Instead of the general advice youll get in personal finance articles, youll learn exactly which challenges real people face and how they address them.

Mr. Money Mustache has hundreds of posts full of insights on escaping the rat race and retiring early by making unconventional lifestyle choices. CentSai helps you navigate myriad financial decisions via first-person accounts. Million Mile Secrets and The Points Guy each teach you how to travel for a fraction of the retail price using credit card rewards. These sites often link to other blogs, so youll discover more sites as you read.

Of course, we cant help tooting our own horn in this category. Investopedia offers a wealth of free personal finance education. You might start with our special sections on budgeting, buying a home, and planning for retirementor the thousands of other articles in our personal finance section. And dont forget to listen to The Investopedia Express with Caleb Silver, our weekly podcast, and sign up for Investopedia newsletters.

At the Library

You may need to visit your library in person to get a library card if you dont already have one, but after that, you can check out personal finance audiobooks and e-books online without leaving home. Some of the following best sellers may be available from your local library: I Will Teach You to Be Rich, The Millionaire Next Door, Your Money or Your Life, and Rich Dad Poor Dad. Personal finance classics such as Personal Finance for Dummies, The Total Money Makeover, The Little Book of Common Sense Investing, and Think and Grow Richare also available as audiobooks.

Free Online Classes

If you enjoy the structure of lessons and quizzes, try one of these free digital personal finance courses:

Morningstar Investing Classroom offers a place for beginning and experienced investors alike to learn about stocks, funds, bonds, and portfolios. Some of the courses youll find include Stocks Versus Other Investments, Methods for Investing in Mutual Funds, Determining Your Asset Mix, and Introduction to Government Bonds. Each course takes about 10 minutes and is followed by a quiz to help you make sure that you understood the lesson.

offers a place for beginning and experienced investors alike to learn about stocks, funds, bonds, and portfolios. Some of the courses youll find include Stocks Versus Other Investments, Methods for Investing in Mutual Funds, Determining Your Asset Mix, and Introduction to Government Bonds. Each course takes about 10 minutes and is followed by a quiz to help you make sure that you understood the lesson. EdX is an online learning platform created by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It offers at least three courses that cover personal finance: How to Save Money: Making Smart Financial Decisions from the University of California at Berkeley, Personal Finance from Purdue University, and Finance for Everyone: Smart Tools for Decision-Making from the University of Michigan. These courses will teach you how credit works, which types of insurance you might want to carry, how to maximize your retirement savings, how to read your credit report, and what the time value of money is.

is an online learning platform created by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It offers at least three courses that cover personal finance: How to Save Money: Making Smart Financial Decisions from the University of California at Berkeley, Personal Finance from Purdue University, and Finance for Everyone: Smart Tools for Decision-Making from the University of Michigan. These courses will teach you how credit works, which types of insurance you might want to carry, how to maximize your retirement savings, how to read your credit report, and what the time value of money is. Planning for a Secure Retirement is an online course from Purdue University. Its broken up into 10 main modules, and each has four to six sub-modules on topics such as Social Security, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, and IRAs. Youll learn about your risk tolerance, think about what kind of retirement lifestyle you want, and estimate your retirement expenses.

is an online course from Purdue University. Its broken up into 10 main modules, and each has four to six sub-modules on topics such as Social Security, 401(k) and 403(b) plans, and IRAs. Youll learn about your risk tolerance, think about what kind of retirement lifestyle you want, and estimate your retirement expenses. Personal Financeis a free online video course from Missouri State University through iTunes. This basic course is good for beginners who want to learn about personal financial statements and budgets, how to use consumer credit wisely, and how to make decisions about cars and housing.

Podcasts

Personal finance podcasts are a great way to learn how to manage your money if youre short on free time. While youre getting ready in the morning, exercising, driving to work, running errands, or preparing for bed, you can listen to expert advice on becoming more financially secure. In addition to The Investopedia Express with Caleb Silver, you may find these valuable:

The Dave Ramsey Show is a call-in program that you can listen to any time through your favorite podcast app. Youll learn about the financial problems that real people are facing and how a multimillionaire who was once broke himself recommends solving them.

is a call-in program that you can listen to any time through your favorite podcast app. Youll learn about the financial problems that real people are facing and how a multimillionaire who was once broke himself recommends solving them. Freakonomics Radio and NPRs Planet Money both make economics enjoyable by using it to explain real-world phenomena such as how we got from mealy, nasty apples to apples that actually taste delicious, the Wells Fargo fake-accounts scandal, and whether we should still be using cash.

and both make economics enjoyable by using it to explain real-world phenomena such as how we got from mealy, nasty apples to apples that actually taste delicious, the Wells Fargo fake-accounts scandal, and whether we should still be using cash. American Public Medias Marketplace helps make sense of whats happening in the business world and the economy.

helps make sense of whats happening in the business world and the economy. So Money with Farnoosh Torabicombines interviews with successful business people, expert advice, and listeners personal finance questions.

The most important thing is to find resources that work for your learning style and that you find interesting and engaging. If one blog, book, course, or podcast is dull or difficult to understand, keep trying until you find something that clicks.

Education shouldnt stop once you learn the basics. The economy changes, and new financial tools like the budgeting apps mentioned earlier are always being developed. Find resources you enjoy and trust, and keep refining your money skills through retirement and beyond.

What Personal Finance Classes Cant Teach You

Personal finance education is a great idea for consumers, especially people starting out who want to learn investing basics or about credit management; however, understanding the basic concepts is not a guaranteed path to financial sense. Human nature can often derail the best intentions to achieve a perfect credit score or build a substantial retirement nest egg. These three key character traits can help you stay on track:

Discipline

One of the most important tenets of personal finance is systematic saving. For example, say your net earnings are $60,000 per year, and your monthly living expenseshousing, food, transportation, and the likeamount to $3,200 per month.

There are choices to make surrounding your remaining $1,800 in monthly salary. Ideally, the first step is to establish an emergency fund or perhaps a tax-advantaged health savings account (HSA).

To be eligible for a health savings account, your health insurance must be a high-deductible health plan (HDHP).

Establishing an emergency fund takes financial disciplinewithout it, giving in to the temptation to spend rather than save can have dire consequences. In the event of an emergency, you may not have the money to pay the expensesleading you to finance them through debt.

Once you have your emergency stash, you'll need to develop investing disciplineits not just for institutional money managers who make their living buying and selling stocks. Average retail investors tend to do better by setting an investment target and abiding by it rather than buying and selling stocks trying to time the market.

A Sense of Timing

Timing can be crucial. For instance, imagine you're three years out of college, have established your emergency fund, and want to reward yourself. A Jet Ski costs $3,000, but you want to start investing also. "Investing in growth stocks can wait another year," you say. "I have plenty of time to launch an investment portfolio."

However, putting off investing for one year can have significant consequences. The opportunity cost of buying a personal watercraft can be illustrated through the time value of money.

The $3,000 used to buy the Jet Ski would have amounted to nearly $49,000 in 40 years at 7% interest, a reasonable average annual return for a growth mutual fund over the long haul. Thus, delaying the decision to invest wisely may likewise delay the ability to reach your goal of retiring at age 65.

Doing tomorrow what you could do today also extends to debt payment. If you were to put the Jet Ski on your credit card, the $3,000 credit card balance would take 222 months (18.5 years) to pay off if you only made minimum payments of $75 each month. And dont forget the interest youre paying: at an 18% annual percentage rate (APR), it comes to $3,923 over those months. So, if you were to plunk down the $3,000 to pay the balance rather than let it compound, you'd see substantial savingsnearly $1,000.

Emotional Detachment

Personal finance matters are business, and business should not be personal. A difficult but necessary facet of sound financial decision-making involves removing emotions from a transaction.

Making impulsive purchases feels good but can significantly impact long-term investment goals. So can making unwise loans to family members. Your cousin Fred, who has already burned your brother and sister, will likely not pay you back, either. The smart thing to do is decline his requests for helpyou're trying to make ends meet also.

The key to prudent personal financial management is to separate feelings from reason. However, when loved ones are experiencing real trouble, it pays to help if you canjust try not to take it out of your investments and retirement.

Many people have loved ones who always seem to need financial helpit is difficult to refuse to help them. If you include planning to assist them in real emergencies using your emergency fund, it can make the burden easier.

Breaking Personal Finance Rules

The personal finance realm may have more guidelines and tips to follow than any other. Although these rules are good to know, everyone has their own circumstances. Here are some rules prudent people, especially young adults, are never supposed to breakbut can break if necessary.

Saving or Investing a Set Portion of Your Income

An ideal budget includes saving a portion of your paycheck every month for retirementusually around 10% to 20%. However, while being fiscally responsible is important and thinking about your future is crucial, the general rule of saving a given amount for retirement may not always be the best choice, especially for young people just getting started.

For one thing, many young adults and students need to consider paying for their biggest expenses, such as a new car, home, or postsecondary education. Taking away 10% to 20% of available funds would be a definite setback in making those purchases.

Additionally, saving for retirement doesnt make much sense if you have credit cards or interest-bearing loans to pay off. The 19% interest rate on your Visa card probably would negate the returns you get from your balanced mutual fund retirement portfolio five times over.

Finally, saving money to travel and experience new places and cultures can be especially rewarding for a young person whos still unsure about their life path.

Long-term Investing/Investing in Riskier Assets

The rule of thumb for young investors is that they should have a long-term outlook and stick to a buy-and-hold philosophy. This rule is one of the easier ones to justify breaking. Adapting to changing markets can be the difference between making money or limiting your losses and sitting idly by and watching your hard-earned savings shrink. Short-term investing has its advantages at any age.

Common investing logic suggests that because young investors have such a long investment time horizon, they should be investing in higher-risk ventures; after all, they have the rest of their lives to recover from any losses that they may suffer; however, you dont have to take on undue risk in your short- to medium-term investments if you dont want to.

The idea of diversification is an important part of creating a strong investment portfolio; this includes both the riskiness of individual stocks and their intended investment horizon.

At the other end of the age spectrum, investors near and at retirement are encouraged to cut back to the safest investmentseven though these may yield less than inflationto preserve capital. Taking fewer risks is important as the number of years you have to earn money and recover from bad financial times dwindles, but at age 60 or 65, you could have 20, 30, or even more years to go. Some growth investments could still make sense for you.

What Is Personal Finance?

Personal finance is the knowledge, instruments, and techniques used to manage your finances. When you understand the principles and concepts behind personal finance, you can manage debt, savings, living expenses, and retirement savings.

What Are the 5 Main Components of Personal Finance?

The five main components are income, spending, savings, investing, and protection.

What Is an Example of Personal Finance?

One of the key ideas behind personal finance is not to spend more than you make. For instance, if you make $50,000 a year but spend $65,000, you'll end up with debt that continues to compound because you'll be spending more than you make to pay for past expenses.

Why Is Personal Finance So Important?

The concepts behind managing your personal finances can guide you in making intelligent financial decisions. In addition, the decisions you make throughout your life on what to buy, sell, hold, or own can affect how you live when you can no longer work.

The Bottom Line

Personal finance is managing your money to cover expenses and save for the future. It is a topic that covers a broad array of areas, including managing expenses and debt, how to save and invest, and how to plan for retirement. In addition, it can include ways to protect yourself with insurance, build wealth, and ensure wealth is passed on to the people you want it to pass to.

Understanding how to manage your finances is an important life-planning tool that can help set you up for a life without debt; you gain control of financial stresses and have a way to manage the expensive surprises that life can throw at you.
Public healthcare insurance isthe basic guarantee for the human rights of life and health, and the Communist Party of China (CPC) has continually given top priority to healthcare at the grass-roots level, which is reflected in the achievements of a series of medical reforms over the last decade. Basic medical and health services have become more equitable and accessible, narrowing the gaps in resource allocation, service capability, and health conditions between urban and rural areas and among different regions and groups, which ensures a healthier, long lived population in the country.This is the third part of our five-issue coverage on how Chinese life has changed so astonishingly for the better since the 18th CPC National Congress - and how the CPC led by Xi Jinping has fulfilled its original mission of seeking happiness for the Chinese people.

Photo: Global Times
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Density is the measurement of the amount of mass per unit of volume. In order to calculate density, you need to know the mass and volume of the item. The formula for density is:

density = mass/volume

The mass is usually the easy part while finding volume can be tricky. Simple shaped objects are usually given in homework problems such as using a cube, brick or sphere. For a simple shape, use a formula to find volume. For irregular shapes, the easiest solution is to measure volume displaced by placing the object in a liquid.

This example problem shows the steps needed to calculate the density of an object and a liquid when given the mass and volume.

Key Takeaways: How to Calculate Density

Density is how much matter is contained within a volume. A dense object weighs more than a less dense object that is the same size. An object less dense than water will float on it; one with greater density will sink.

The density equation is density equals mass per unit volume or D = M / V.

The key to solving for density is to report the proper mass and volume units. If you are asked to give density in different units from the mass and volume, you will need to convert them.

Question 1:What is the density of a cube of sugar weighing 11.2 grams measuring 2 cm on a side?

Step 1:Find the mass and volume of the sugar cube.

Mass = 11.2 grams

Volume = cube with 2 cm sides.

Volume of a cube = (length of side)3

Volume = (2 cm)3

Volume = 8 cm3

Step 2: Plug your variables into the density formula.

density = mass/volume

density = 11.2 grams/8 cm3

density = 1.4 grams/cm3

Answer 1:The sugar cube has a density of 1.4 grams/cm3.

Question 2:A solution of water and salt contains 25 grams of salt in 250 mL of water. What is the density of the salt water? (Use density of water = 1 g/mL)

Step 1: Find the mass and volume of the salt water.

This time, there are two masses. The mass of the salt and the mass of the water are both needed to find the mass of the salt water. The mass of the salt is given, but the only the volume of water is given. We've also been given the density of water, so we can calculate the mass of the water.

density water = mass water /volume water

solve for mass water ,

mass water = density water volume water

mass water = 1 g/mL  250 mL

mass water = 250 grams

Now we have enough to find the mass of the salt water.

mass total = mass salt + mass water

mass total = 25 g + 250 g

mass total = 275 g

Volume of the salt water is 250 mL.

Step 2: Plug your values into the density formula.

density = mass/volume

density = 275 g/250 mL

density = 1.1 g/mL

Answer 2:The salt water has a density of 1.1 grams/mL.

Finding Volume by Displacement

If you're given a regular solid object, you can measure its dimensions and calculate its volume. Unfortunately, very few objects in the real world can have their volume measured this easily! The rest of the time, you need to calculate volume by displacement.

How do you measure displacement? Say you have a metal toy soldier. You can tell it is heavy enough to sink in water, but you can't use a ruler to measure its dimensions. To measure the toy's volume, fill a graduated cylinder about half way with water. Record the volume. Add the toy. Make sure to displace any air bubbles that may stick to it. Record the new volume measurement. The volume of the toy soldier is the final volume minus the initial volume. You can measure the mass of the (dry) toy and then calculate density.

Tips for Density Calculations

In some cases, the mass will be given to you. If not, you'll need to obtain it yourself by weighing the object. When obtaining mass, be aware of how accurate and precise the measurement will be. The same goes for measuring volume. Obviously, you'll get a more precise measurement using a graduated cylinder than using a beaker, however, you may not need such a close measurement. The significant figures reported in the density calculation are those of your least precise measurement. So, if your mass is 22 kg, reporting a volume measurement to the nearest microliter is unnecessary.

Another important concept to keep in mind is whether your answer makes sense. If an object seems heavy for its size, it should have a high density value. How high? Keep in mind the density of water is about 1 g/cm. Objects less dense than this float in water, while those that are more dense sink in water. If an object sinks in water, your density value better be greater than 1!

More Homework Help

Need more examples of help with related problems?
Brian Lovell, a judge in Garfield County, Oklahoma, went full rootin'-tootin' last week, opening fire on parked cars while driving his own and crashing it "intentionally" thereafter. He told officers someone had cut him off; he was charged with misdemeanor reckless driving, the least conceivable thing someone might be charged with after turning Austin into a scene from Mad Max. "A felony count of engaging in deadly conduct with a firearm was forwarded to a grand jury for consideration."

According to an Austin police affidavit, officers were called just after 4 p.m. on Sept. 11 by a witness who reported a man firing "approximately five times while driving down the street," striking at least one of the parked vehicles. About 90 minutes later, police responded to a call about a crash less than 2 miles from the shooting scene, where a woman said a man had deliberately collided into the rear of her vehicle twice.

The law: "misdemeanor reckless driving." The reality: a sweating stick of human dynamite eager to kill whoever picks it up next.
China and Australia held the 14th round of human rights dialogue Tuesday at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra.

Thebig fish casino update dialogue has become a wide-ranging discussion between delegates including parliamentarians and senior officials from a range of agencies from both countries.

Dr Heather Smith, deputy secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said that through the dialogue, both governments have an opportunity for a frank and constructive exchange of views at a senior level on a range of human rights issues, including progress in human rights technical cooperation.

Cui Tiankai, vice minister of Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, leader of Chinese delegation, said in a press conference after the dialogue that both countries have attended the human rights dialogue for over a decade, which has contributed much to bilateral trust and cooperation.

China will strengthen cooperation with Australia in broader fields in the future with people to people communication being an important part, he added.

When answering questions from the Xinhua correspondent, Cui said some Western media prefer to pick the negative part to make news stories, especially in the human rights area. But China has an open mind and confidence to deal with real problems in our society. We are grateful for their suggestions and different opinions.

People of my generation have experienced very hard times in China, but things have changed a lot nowadays. Changes are taking place in China everyday, the Chinese people are living a better life day by day. This is the fact no one can deny, said Cui.

And perhaps it is not China that could not keep up with changes in the world, it is rather some people in the world that can not keep up with changes in China, he added.

The Members of the Chinese delegation are from the State Ethnic Affairs Commission, the All China Federation of Trade Unions, the All China Womens Federation, the State Council Information Office and the State Administration of Religious Affairs.

The Chinese delegation also had meetings with Australian non- government organizations on Monday.

Xinhua

14th Australia-China human rights dialogue held in Canberraadded by chinatimesonline on

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Debussy,slots online free spins Claude [ (duh-byooh-see, deb-yoo-see, day-byoo-see) ] New Word List Save This Word! [ (duh-byooh-see, deb-yoo-see, day-byoo-see) ]Save This Word!

A French composer of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, known for his free rhythms and indefinite keys. His music is often compared to the paintings of the impressionists (see impressionism). The piano piece Claire de lune (Moonlight) and the orchestra piece La Mer (The Sea) are two of Debussy's best-known works.

Words nearby Debussy, Claude

How to use in a sentence Some of these critics, notably Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, and Eric Rohmer, later became filmmakers of international repute. Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Alfred Hitchcocks Fade to Black: The Great Directors Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST Jean-Claude Bensoussan got into the prison wedding business 12 years ago. Saying Yes to the DressBehind Bars|Caitlin Dickson|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Saying Yes to the DressBehind Bars|Caitlin Dickson|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST The first commission member to be forced out was Claude Peterson, a Vietnam vet who had signed the petition. In 2005, Iowa Nice Ernst Helped to Oust Veterans From Local Board After They Opposed Her Candidacy|Ben Jacobs|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST

In 2005, Iowa Nice Ernst Helped to Oust Veterans From Local Board After They Opposed Her Candidacy|Ben Jacobs|October 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST I remember being with Christo and Jeanne-Claude when they were doing Running Fence in Sonoma County, Northern California. Graffiti Artists Turn on Banksy: The Rise of Art Hate|Anthony Haden-Guest|August 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST The anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss saw the Amazon rainforest, as he saw most things, as a complex structure. Exploring the Amazon, While We Still Can|Darrell Hartman|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Exploring the Amazon, While We Still Can|Darrell Hartman|May 15, 2014|DAILY BEAST Claude de Vert died; he devoted much attention to the ceremonies of the church of Rome, of which he wrote a history. The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell The other one, Mr. DevenishClaude(she looks up and down as before) he's rather, rather poetical. First Plays|A. A. Milne

First Plays|A. A. Milne Her surviving relative and guardian was her uncle, Claude-Joseph Pillerault. Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe Claude Vignon, the great critic, especially appreciated this woman's intellectual depravity. Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe

Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe The vehicle stopped at the corner of St. Claude Street, where it hid along the trees twenty paces off. Balsamo, The Magician|Alexander Dumas

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondebug, debunk, deburr, debus, Debussy, Debussy, Claude, debut, debutant, debutante, debye, dec-The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright  2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
What Is the GI Bill?crypto coin reddit betus free play

The GI Bill, also known as the Serviceman's Readjustment Act of 1944, was enacted by Congress and signed into law by former President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide various benefits to World War II veterans. Today, the GI Bill refers to any U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education benefit, such as education grants and stipends, earned by active-duty service members, veterans, and their families.

Key Takeaways

The GI Bill was a federal effort to provide financial and social benefits to World War II veterans after they returned home.

There have been several iterations of the bill since its inception, and today it provides education benefits to active service members and honorably discharged veterans.

These benefits have been extended to vocational and technical training programs.

Other military benefits, such as the Yellow Ribbon Program, are available for what the GI Bill does not cover.

Understanding the GI Bill

Although the GI Bill was purposed for WWII veterans, benefits are currently available to honorably discharged veterans and their dependents, under certain circumstances. Many types of training are covered under GI Bill benefits. College programs include associate, bachelor, and advanced degrees. Vocational and technical training, including non-college degree programs, also are covered. On-the-job training and apprenticeships, as well as licensing and certification reimbursement, are included. Flight training, correspondence training, work-study programs, tuition, and tutorial assistance also are covered. Survivors and Dependents Assistance provides education and job training for spouses and children of veterans.

The Yellow Ribbon Program can pay tuition costs not covered in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Tuition Assistance Top-Up provides additional assistance with education costs. The $600 Buy-Up Program provides more money for monthly GI Bill payments. Tutorial Assistance will help pay for a tutor for those using VA educational benefits.

History of the GI Bill

The GI Bill in its original form, the Servicemens Readjustment Act of 1944, was designed to provide benefits, including small business loans, mortgages, and education grants, to veterans following WWII; however, it has since been updated. The GI Bill is considered one of the most significant pieces of 20th-century legislation passed by the U.S. Congress. Much of the impetus for the bills passage stemmed from the experience of veterans after WWI when returning service members were not aided in re-entering civilian life and the workforce. The lack of support and the advent of the Great Depression led to public protests, including the Bonus Army marchers in 1932. The GI Bill increased the number of college-educated Americans following the war, as many veterans who would have rejoined the workforce instead opted for degrees. In 1947, considered the peak of the GI Bill's use, roughly 49% of college admissions were for veterans.

The original GI Bill ended in 1956, at which point more than half of veterans had opted to receive technical training or attend college. The G.I. Bill has been updated several times since 1944, including the Montgomery GI Bill of 1984, the Post 9-11 G.I. Bill of 2008, and the Vocational Rehabilitation and Education Program. The Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty (MGIB-AD) provides benefits for veterans who served at least two years on active duty. The Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR) covers benefits for members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps or Coast Guard Reserve, Army National Guard or Air National Guard. The Post-9/11 GI Bill helps pay for school or job training for those who served on active duty after Sept. 10, 2001.
Languages are prone to evolve. Evolution of language occurs for any number of reasons, including geographical isolation of a group of speakers, natural change over time, and the need for new words to describe concepts that didnt exist in the past.

In some cases, two different communities decide they want to speak different versions of a shared language simply to differentiate themselves from each other. By some accounts, part of the drive behind forming American and British forms of English was this exact reason. Americans wanted a distinctly American form of English, while the British have been more than happy to reinforce these differences to highlight their own linguistic superiority.

Thus, American and British writers often conjugate the verb get differently.

What is the Difference Between Got and Gotten?

In this post, I will compare got vs. gotten. 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 memory tool that can help you choose either got or gotten correctly in your own writing.

When to Use Got

Is it got or gotten? Got is a conjugation of the verb get, which means to obtainsomething.

One might get coffee from a cafe, for instance. To get something could also mean to obtain understanding, as in the phrase I just dont get math.

Conjugations of Got:

I/we get: first person singular and plural present

You get: second person singular and plural present

He/she/it gets: third person singular present

They get: third person plural present

Getting: present participle

Got: simple past

Got can also be the past participle of get.

For example,

There has got to be a better way to solve this riddle.

Hes finally gotten rid of his chicken pox!

When to Use Gotten

What does gotten mean? Gotten is another way to conjugate get as a past participle.

For example,

I wouldnt bring up Marks drugs use with Sheila, shes gotten very angry when we tried to talk to her about it in the past.

Americans are more likely to use gottenthan are the British, who are more likely to use gotin this tense. The charts below show the relative usage of gottenvs. gotwithin each language community.

American English:

British English:

While these charts arent exhaustive in their literary scope, they only look at books published in English since 1800, they still paint a clear picture of a long-term usage trend.

American English: Got vs. Gotten

As the above charts show, American writers are more likely to use the word gotten than their British counterparts. But this graph doesnt show the full story of this words use, as there is a usage difference in American English between got and gotten.

As the Oxford English Dictionary notes,

Gottenusually implies the process of obtaining something.

Got implies the state of possession or ownership.

Lets look at a few examples to illustrate this.

He has gotten two tickets to the Super Bowl.

He hasnt got any money to go to the concert.

The first example is about acquiring tickets to the Super Bowl. The second example is a description of someones ability to pay for something.

Trick to Remember the Difference

Got is your only option for a simple past tense form of get. As a past participle, however, there is a slight difference in American English usage.

Gotten is used when talking about the acquisition of something.

Got is used when talking the state of ownership of something.

Since gotten is spelled with an N, like the word acquisition, you can remember that that word is used when talking about how something has been acquired..

Summary

Is it gotten or got? The verb get is conjugated as a past participle as either got or gotten.
In a recent press interview,betfair live bellator odds bovada Eric Sjoden, senior advisor for international affairs at lAutorite Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), Frances gambling regulator, underlined that the authorities must develop a closer relationship with operators in the market for the benefit of the players.

The Excessive Advertising Issue

The gambling market in France was in turmoil following one of the biggest competitions in European football, the 2020 UEFA European Championship which was eventually held in 2021 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. That competition saw most operators in France engage in a frenzy of advertising, which prompted ANJ to crack down on gambling marketing.

In 2022 ANJ made significant moves towards reducing the number of gambling ads, justifying those measures by saying that they should protect young people and vulnerable groups.

However, the measures were not imposed by the authorities on the market. ANJ launched a public debate, asking both the public and the operators to have their say before eventually deciding the next steps.

Eric Sjoden explains that this is the way ANJ wants to deal with the French gambling market, engaging in constant dialogue both with the operators and the general public. We speak with them about problem gambling, regarding AML, so its normal for us to speak with them in regards to advertising and advising,Eric Sjoden added.

Constant Communication

The dialogue is kept alive as each year ANJ requires all licensed operators to submit action plans regarding fraud, money laundering, safe gambling, and terrorism financing. This allows for ongoing dialogue between the regulator and operators because after the latter submits the action plans the ANJ replies with recommendations.

However, some of these action plans receive plain rejections from ANJ if they are not good enough. Earlier this year the French regulator dismissed six such plans, belonging to casinos and gaming clubs.

This is our idea of regulation,Eric Sjoden explained. The ANJ advisor added that the French regulator dishes out fewer sanctions than regulators in other European countries and that is because operators on the French market have a better understanding of the regulation framework.

Sjoden also revealed that ANJ is currently working on two new tools for the French gambling market, a guide on tracking gambling harm and an instrument under the regulators control which would allow to set up loss limits.

The French authorities are also preparing to legalize online casinos through Bill 1248, which was introduced in May 2023 by Philippe Latombe, a representative of the Democratic Movement party. The bills purpose is to take players to legal online casinos instead of offshore operators that dont have responsible gambling measures in place.

Source: France focus: Is the market a success yet?. iGaming Business. September 5, 2023.
What Is the Fed Balance Sheet?pion gaming slot

The Fed balance sheet is a statement listing the assets and liabilities of the Federal Reserve System. Details of the Fed's balance sheet are disclosed by the Fed in a weekly report called "Factors Affecting Reserve Balances."

Key Takeaways

The Fed balance sheet is a listing of the Federal Reserve's assets and liabilities.

The Fed's assets and liabilities are disclosed in a weekly report by the Fed.

The Fed's balance sheet has grown dramatically since 2008 to support the economy after the global financial crisis and again following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Understanding the Fed Balance Sheet

The Fed is the central bank of the United States, founded by Congress in 1913 to ensure the stability of the nation's financial and banking systems in times of crisis.

For much of its history, the Fed's balance sheet was a sleepy topic. Issued every Thursday, the weekly balance sheet report counts the assets and liabilities of the Federal Reserve by type just as a corporate balance sheet does, providing a consolidated statement of the condition of all 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks.

The Fed's assets consist primarily of government securities it has bought and credit extended to banks and other financial institutions. Its liabilities, meanwhile, include bank and Treasury reserve balances on deposit with the Fed as well as U.S. currency in circulation.

The weekly balance sheet report became more important as a financial and economic indicator after the 2008 financial crisis, when the Fed initiated a policy of quantitative easing (QE). The Fed balance sheet gave analysts added insight into the scope and scale of Fed market operations. In particular, it allowed analysts to monitor the pace of asset purchases.

The Fed Balance Sheet and Quantitative Easing (QE)

QE is a monetary policy in which a central bank purchases large quantities of government bonds or other securities on the open market in order to hold down long-term interest rates and signal loose monetary policy.

The Fed (and other central banks) have used quantitative easing, also known as large scale asset purchases, to support economic growth beyond what could be achieved by lowering short-term interest rates to zero.

The policy has drawn political criticism but has become an increasingly common response to economic and credit crises, used effectively by the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan alongside the Fed.

Special Considerations

The Fed's balance sheet may look somewhat like a corporate one, but central banks are unique in their unlimited supply of currency. In contrast to a corporation, the Fed and other central banks exist not to make money but to ensure economic and financial stability.

The Fed's role is akin to that of the bank in the board game Monopoly: its goal is not to win but to supply enough money to keep the game going. The right amount of assets for the Fed is that which best enables it meet its mandate.
In recent years the Isle of Man has become an increasingly important hub for online casino and sportsbook operators and for casino software and content providers, mainly thanks to its reputable licensing process.

In fact, an operator which holds an Isle of Man B2C License can be regarded as a trustworthy entity as it must stick to strict rules and regulations in order to obtain the aforementioned license. Authorities in this jurisdiction also offer B2B licenses, with top providers like Yggdrasil already applying and obtaining such certification.

There are major changes happening to iGaming jurisdictions all over the world, but the Isle of Man license has remained a symbol of reputation for online casino operators, certifying their compliance both with industry standards and legal requirements.

Moreover, any operator holding an Isle of Man B2C License is required to safeguard the deposits of players and make sure they receive their winnings if they prove to be true and fair.

Operators holding a license in the Isle of Man are also required to uphold principles of fairness, transparency, and security, making sure that they protect the interests of all parties involved. License holders have to submit reports to the Isle of Man Supervision Commission every three months, and in those reports they have to include vital information in regard to Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism reporting, as well as financial data.

Access to Multiple Markets

Holding a license in the Isle of Man allows online casino and sports betting operators to enter multiple markets on different continents, including Asia, Africa and South America. These are pre-regulated markets which can be very lucrative for operators.

Moreover, the Isle of Man has a special status, and it can offer appealing financial incentives, which include corporation and capital gains tax of 0%. Dividend taxes are also non-existent in this jurisdiction.

Operators licensed in the Isle of Man can choose any software provider they like with no restrictions whatsoever, and they are also free to pick between the numerous payment service providers available on the market.

In general, an operator which applies for a license in the Isle of Man should not have to wait more than twelve weeks between making the submission and the actual hearing regarding the respective license.

Among the most popular online casinos which hold an Isle of Man B2C License we can mention 188Bet Casino, 5Dimes, Luckbox Casino, King Dice Casino, CasiYou Casino and Spin-Ace Casino.

Source: The Crucial Role of the Isle of Man B2C License. European Gaming. September 11, 2023.
M.S., Applied Ecology, Indiana University Bloomington

B.S., Biology and Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

For centuries, the practice of naming and classifying living organisms into groups has been an integral part of the study of nature. Aristotle (384BC-322BC) developed the first known method of classifying organisms, grouping organisms by their means of transport such as air, land, and water. A number of other naturalists followed with other classification systems. But it was Swedish botanist, Carolus (Carl) Linnaeus (1707-1778) that is considered to be the pioneer of modern taxonomy.

In his book Systema Naturae, first published in 1735, Carl Linnaeus introduced a rather clever way to classify and name organisms. This system, now referred to as Linnaean taxonomy, has been used to varying extents, ever since.

About Linnaean Taxonomy

Linnaean taxonomy categorizes organisms into a hierarchy of kingdoms, classes, orders, families, genera, and species based on shared physical characteristics. The category of phylum was added to the classification scheme later, as a hierarchical level just beneath kingdom.

Groups at the top of the hierarchy (kingdom, phylum, class) are more broad in definition and contain a greater number of organisms than the more specific groups that are lower in the hierarchy (families, genera, species).

By assigning each group of organisms to a kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, they can then be uniquely characterized. Their membership in a group tells us about the traits they share with other members of the group, or the traits that make them unique when compared to organisms in groups to which they do not belong.

Many scientists still use the Linnaean classification system to some extent today, but it is no longer the only method for grouping and characterizing organisms. Scientists now have many different ways of identifying organisms and describing how they relate to each other.

To best understand the science of classification, it will help to first examine a few basic terms:

classification - the systematic grouping and naming of organisms based on shared structural similarities, functional similarities, or evolutionary history

- the systematic grouping and naming of organisms based on shared structural similarities, functional similarities, or evolutionary history taxonomy - the science of classifying organisms (describing, naming, and categorizing organisms)

- the science of classifying organisms (describing, naming, and categorizing organisms) systematics- the study of the diversity of life and the relationships between organisms

Types of Classification Systems

With an understanding of classification, taxonomy, and systematics, we can now examine the different types of classifications systems that are available. For instance, you can classify organisms according to their structure, placing organisms that look similar in the same group. Alternatively, you can classify organisms according to their evolutionary history, placing organisms that have a shared ancestry in the same group. These two approaches are referred to as phenetics and cladistics and are defined as follows:

phenetics - a method of classifying organisms that is based on their overall similarity in physical characteristics or other observable traits (it does not take phylogeny into account)

- a method of classifying organisms that is based on their overall similarity in physical characteristics or other observable traits (it does not take phylogeny into account) cladistics - a method of analysis (genetic analysis, biochemical analysis, morphological analysis) that determines relationships between organisms that are based solely on their evolutionary history

In general, Linnaean taxonomy uses phenetics to classify organisms. This means it relies on physical characteristics or other observable traits to classify organisms and does consider the evolutionary history of those organisms. But keep in mind that similar physical characteristics are often the product of shared evolutionary history, so Linnaean taxonomy (or phenetics) sometimes reflects the evolutionary background of a group of organisms.

Cladistics (also called phylogenetics or phylogenetic systematics) looks to the evolutionary history of organisms to form the underlying framework for their classification. Cladistics, therefore, differs from phenetics in that it is based on phylogeny (the evolutionary history of a group or lineage), not on the observation of physical similarities.

Cladograms

When characterizing the evolutionary history of a group of organisms, scientists develop tree-like diagrams called cladograms. These diagrams consist of a series of branches and leaves that represent the evolution of groups of organisms through time. When a group splits into two groups, the cladogram displays a node, after which the branch then proceeds in different directions. Organisms are located as leaves (at the ends of the branches).

Biological Classification

Biological classification is in a continual state of flux. As our knowledge of organisms expands, we gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences among various groups of organisms. In turn, those similarities and differences shape how we assign animals to the various groups (taxa).

taxon (pl. taxa) - taxonomic unit, a group of organisms that has been named

Factors That Shaped High-Order Taxonomy

The invention of the microscope in the mid-sixteenth century revealed a minute world filled with countless new organisms that had previously escaped classification because they were too tiny to see with the naked eye.

Throughout the past century, rapid advances in evolution and genetics (as well as a host of related fields such as cell biology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, and biochemistry, to name just a few) constantly reshape our understanding of how organisms relate to one another and shed new light on previous classifications. Science is constantly reorganizing the branches and leaves of the tree of life.

The vast changes to a classification that have occurred throughout the history of taxonomy can best be understood by examining how the highest level taxa (domain, kingdom, phylum) have changed throughout history.

The history of taxonomy stretches back to the 4th century BC, to the times of Aristotle and before. Since the first classification systems emerged, dividing the world of life into various groups with various relationships, scientists have grappled with the task of keeping classification in sync with scientific evidence.

The sections that follow provide a summary of the changes that have taken place at the highest level of biological classification over the history of taxonomy.

Two Kingdoms (Aristotle, during 4th century BC)

Classification system based on: Observation (phenetics)

Aristotle was among the first to document the division of life forms into animals and plants. Aristotle classified animals according to observation, for example, he defined high-level groups of animals by whether or not they had red blood (this roughly reflects the division between vertebrates and invertebrates used today).

Plantae - plants

- plants Animalia - animals

Three Kingdoms (Ernst Haeckel, 1894)

Classification system based on: Observation (phenetics)

The three kingdom system, introduced by Ernst Haeckel in 1894, reflected the long-standing two kingdoms (Plantae and Animalia) that can be attributed to Aristotle (perhaps before) and added third kingdom, Protista that included single-celled eukaryotes and bacteria (prokaryotes).

Plantae - plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores)

- plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores) Animalia - animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes)

- animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes) Protista - single-celled eukaryotes and bacteria (prokaryotes)

Four Kingdoms (Herbert Copeland, 1956)

Classification system based on: Observation (phenetics)

The important change introduced by this classification scheme was the introduction of the Kingdom Bacteria. This reflected the growing understanding that bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes) were very much different from single-celled eukaryotes. Previously, single-celled eukaryotes and bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes) were grouped together in the Kingdom Protista. But Copeland elevated Haeckel's two Protista phyla to the level of kingdom.

Plantae - plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores)

- plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores) Animalia - animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes)

- animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes) Protista - single-celled eukaryotes (lack tissues or extensive cellular differentiation)

- single-celled eukaryotes (lack tissues or extensive cellular differentiation) Bacteria - bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes)

Five Kingdoms (Robert Whittaker, 1959)

Classification system based on: Observation (phenetics)

Robert Whittaker's 1959 classification scheme added the fifth kingdom to Copeland's four kingdoms, the Kingdom Fungi (single and multi-cellular osmotrophic eukaryotes)

Plantae - plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores)

- plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores) Animalia - animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes)

- animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes) Protista - single-celled eukaryotes (lack tissues or extensive cellular differentiation)

- single-celled eukaryotes (lack tissues or extensive cellular differentiation) Monera - bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes)

- bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes) Fungi (single and multi-cellular osmotrophic eukaryotes)

Six Kingdoms (Carl Woese, 1977)

Classification system based on: Evolution and molecular genetics (Cladistics/Phylogeny)

In 1977, Carl Woese extended Robert Whittaker's Five Kingdoms to replace Kingdom bacteria with two kingdoms, Eubacteria and Archaebacteria. Archaebacteria differ from Eubacteria in their genetic transcription and translation processes (in Archaebacteria, transcription, and translation more closely resembled eukaryotes). These distinguishing characteristics were shown by molecular genetic analysis.

Plantae - plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores)

- plants (mostly autotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes, reproduction by spores) Animalia - animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes)

- animals (heterotrophic, multi-cellular eukaryotes) Eubacteria - bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes)

- bacteria (single-celled prokaryotes) Archaebacteria - prokaryotes (differ from bacteria in their genetic transcription and translation, more similar to eukaryotes)

- prokaryotes (differ from bacteria in their genetic transcription and translation, more similar to eukaryotes) Protista - single-celled eukaryotes (lack tissues or extensive cellular differentiation)

- single-celled eukaryotes (lack tissues or extensive cellular differentiation) Fungi - single and multi-cellular osmotrophic eukaryotes

Three Domains (Carl Woese, 1990)

Classification system based on: Evolution and molecular genetics (Cladistics/Phylogeny)

In 1990, Carl Woese put forth a classification scheme that greatly overhauled previous classification schemes. The three-domain system he proposed is based on molecular biology studies and resulted in the placement of organisms into three domains.
What Is a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA)?daily banker bets bucks vegas line

A commodity trading advisor (CTA) is an individual or firm that provides personalized advice regarding the buying and selling of futures contracts, options on futures, and retail off-exchange forex contracts or swaps.

Advisors who give such advice are required to be registered as a CTA by the National Futures Association (NFA), the self-regulatory organization for the derivatives industry.

Key Takeaways

A commodity trading advisor (CTA) is a person or entity registered to provide advice regarding commodities trading.

Advisors must meet specific proficiency requirements to be registered as a CTA.

CTA registration requires CTAs to advise on all forms of commodity investments.

With some exceptions, CTA registration is required by the National Futures Association (NFA).

The NFA was created by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to register CTAs and ensure compliance with CFTC regulations and NFA rules.

Understanding a Commodity Trading Advisor (CTA)

In 1922, the Grain Futures Act was passed, regulating futures trading. It was later replaced by the Commodity Exchange Act of 1936, which further regulated commodities and futures trading and required certain trading to be done on exchanges.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission Act of 1974 was enacted to amend the Commodity Exchange Act. It created the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and marked the first use of the term commodity trading advisor (CTA).

Investing in commodities often involves the use of significant leverage and, therefore, requires a higher level of expertise to trade properly to avoid the potential for large losses. The CFTC has gradually expanded the requirements for CTA registration over time. It established the NFA to handle CTA registration and ensure that registered members complied with CFTC regulations and NFA rules.

A CTA is a financial advisor who provides advice specifically related to commodities trading. To obtain the CTA registration, applicants must meet certain proficiency requirements, including passing the Series 3 National Commodity Futures Exam. Certain criteria, if met, can exempt advisors from CTA registration.

The Great Salad Oil Swindle of 1963 led to the bankruptcy of 16 firms, including two Wall Street brokerages and a subsidiary of American Express. It sparked a cry for tighter regulation of the commodity futures markets.

Exemptions From Registration

Registration as a CTA by the National Futures Association is required for individuals or firms that provide advice on commodities trading unless one of the following criteria is met:

Advice is given to 15 people or less over the previous 12 months and the individual or firm does not hold itself out to the public as a CTA.

The individual or firm is registered with the CFTC and the advice given concerning commodities investing is incidental to the individual's profession or the firms business.

The advice provided is not based on knowledge of, or targeted directly to, a customers trading interests or trading account.

Requirements

Generally, CTA registration is required for principals of a firm as well as all employees who take orders from or give advice to the public. CTAs are required to provide advice regarding all forms of commodity investments, including futures contracts, forwards, options, and swaps.

CTA Fund

A CTA fund is a hedge fund that uses a managed futures strategy. It invests in futures contracts and uses a variety of trading strategies. These may include systematic trading and trend following. However, fund managers can actively manage investments using discretionary strategies, as well. CTA funds offering a managed futures strategy must be registered with the CFTC and NFA.

What's a Commodity Trading Advisor?

A commodity trading advisor, or CTA, is a person or firm that advises clients in the use of derivatives as investments. CTAs are required to be registered by the National Futures Association, the industry's independent, self-regulatory organization.

What Are Futures Contracts?

Futures contracts are a type of derivative. They involve a standardized contract to buy or sell a certain security at a specific price and at a specified time in the future. Futures are used by investors to hedge the value of securities they have positions in and to speculate on price movements.

What Is the National Futures Association?

The National Futures Association (NFA) is the derivative industry's sole self-regulatory organization. It was established by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to conduct the registration of commodity trading advisors. As part of its goal to protect the interests of the investing public, it also monitors the actions of CTAs to ensure that they follow its rules.
61-year-old retired firefighter John Gregson, who lives in Douglas, Massachusetts, recently was driving to the dentist and saw what he thought was roadkill in the middle of the road. As a longtime animal lover and animal rescuerhe says that when he was a firefighter in North Providence that he "pulled more animals from fires than" he did peoplehe stopped to investigate and saw that the animal in the road was an opossum that had been hit and killed by a car. Upon closer inspection, he saw that mama opossum's pouch was moving, so he reached in and rescued six baby opossums. He brought them home, cleaned them up, kept them warm, and then searched around to figure out who to call for help.

He found Ashley Makridakis, a state-licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator with Fresh Start Wildlife Rehabilitation in Subury, MA. She's dealt with many opposums and was happy to take in these new babies. They will remain at Fresh Start Wildlife for a few months until they can be released into the wild.

To see John, Ashley, and the babies, click through to WJAR for a video.
William Hill last week launched an enhanced version of its William Hill Sports Book App and desktop operation in Iowa in line with the expiration of an in-person registration requirement in the state that finally enabled Iowans to open wagering accounts online.

The sports betting operator announced late last week that its improved and upgraded app can be downloaded and its customers can open new accounts using it from anywhere around the state. They can also sign up via William Hills companion desktop version.

The bookmakers digital product is designed to facilitate sports fans in finding their favorite markets and making and tracking their bets seamlessly and quickly.

Iowa Poised for Sports Betting Boom as In-Person Registration Is No Longer Required

William Hills betting app was built on the companys proprietary platform and offers Iowa sports bettors access to a wide array of markets and bet types,including the hugely popular in-play betting. As digital registration is now allowed, the app provides bettors with the opportunity to quickly and securely open accounts and deposit and withdraw funds via different approved payment methods, including debit cards, online banking, and PayPal, among others.

Including Iowa, William Hill now offers mobile sports betting in eight US stateswhere the activity is legal, with Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New Jersey, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. being the other seven.

Iowa Expansion

Legal sports betting first went live in Iowa in August 2019 and William Hill was the first locally licensed operator to launch a digital sportsbook. Through its exclusive partnership with Caesars Entertainment Inc. as well as through partnership with other operators running land-based casinos around Iowa, William Hill operates sportsbooks at six gambling venues in the state.

Most recently, the company opened retail betting facilities at Caesars Horseshoe and Harrahs properties in Council Bluffs.

When sports betting became legal in Iowa a year and a half ago, the fact that bettors had to open accounts at physical gambling facilities in order to be able to wager online was strongly opposed by the sector. Critics of the measure argued that it would muffle participationand hurt betting revenues.

Now as the requirement has been lifted, industry analysts believe the states betting market will see a significant surge. During the first full fiscal year of legal betting in Iowa, the states sportsbooks handled $368 million in bets and generated $25 millionin revenue. The state surpassed last years totals during the first five months of the current fiscal year, with figures showing that the local sportsbooks, both digital and retail, netted more than $27 millionin revenue.

The bulk of that came from online betting as state bettors were urged to avoid physical gambling venues. Analysts believe that digitally placed bets could account for as much as 90%of the states market as bettors can open accounts remotely.

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noun Scot.a dangling, matted lock of wool on a sheep.

Words nearby daglock

British Dictionary definitions for daglock

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 daglockFirst recorded in 161525; dag+ lockdagger, daggerboard, daggers drawn, at, daggle, daggy, daglock, Dagmar, dago, dagoba, Dagobert I, DagonDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022C17: see dag 1, lock 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
What Is Swing Trading?southland gaming and racing casino

Investopedia / Madelyn Goodnight

Swing trading is a style of trading that attempts to capture short- to medium-term gains in a stock (or any financial instrument) over a period of a few days to several weeks. Swing traders primarily use technical analysis to look for trading opportunities.

Swing traders may utilize fundamental analysis in addition to analyzing price trends and patterns.

Key Takeaways

Swing trading involves taking trades that last a couple of days up to several months in order to profit from an anticipated price move.

Swing trading exposes a trader to overnight and weekend risk, where the price could gap and open the following session at a substantially different price.

Swing traders can take profits utilizing an established risk/reward ratio based on a stop loss and profit target, or they can take profits or losses based on a technical indicator or price action movements.

What is Swing Trading?

Understanding Swing Trading

1:29

Typically, swing trading involves holding a position either long or short for more than one trading session, but usually not longer than several weeks or a couple of months. This is a general time frame, as some trades may last longer than a couple of months, yet the trader may still consider them swing trades. Swing trades can also occur during a trading session, though this is a rare outcome that is brought about by extremely volatile conditions.

The goal of swing trading is to capture a chunk of a potential price move. While some traders seek out volatile stocks with lots of movement, others may prefer more sedate stocks. In either case, swing trading is the process of identifying where an asset's price is likely to move next, entering a position, and then capturing a chunk of the profit if that move materializes.

Successful swing traders are only looking to capture a chunk of the expected price move, and then move on to the next opportunity.

Swing trading is one of the most popular forms of active trading, where traders look for intermediate-term opportunities using various forms of technical analysis.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Swing Trading

Many swing traders assess trades on a risk/reward basis. By analyzing the chart of an asset they determine where they will enter, where they will place a stop loss, and then anticipate where they can get out with a profit. If they are risking $1 per share on a setup that could reasonably produce a $3 gain, that is a favorable risk/reward ratio. On the other hand, risking $1 only to make $0.75 isn't quite as favorable.

Swing traders primarily use technical analysis, due to the short-term nature of the trades. That said, fundamental analysis can be used to enhance the analysis. For example, if a swing trader sees a bullish setup in a stock, they may want to verify that the fundamentals of the asset look favorable or are improving also.

Swing traders will often look for opportunities on the daily charts and may watch 1-hour or 15-minute charts to find a precise entry, stop loss, and take-profit levels.

It requires less time to trade than day trading.

It maximizes short-term profit potential by capturing the bulk of market swings.

Traders can rely exclusively on technical analysis, simplifying the trading process.

Trade positions are subject to overnight and weekend market risk.

Abrupt market reversals can result in substantial losses.

Swing traders often miss longer-term trends in favor of short-term market moves.

Day Trading vs. Swing Trading

ProsCons

The distinction between swing trading and day trading is, usually, the holding time for positions. Swing trading, often, involves at least an overnight hold, whereas day traders close out positions before the market closes. To generalize, day trading positions are limited to a single day while swing trading involves holding for several days to weeks.

By holding overnight, the swing trader incurs the unpredictability of overnight risk such as gaps up or down against the position. By taking on the overnight risk, swing trades are usually done with a smaller position size compared to day trading (assuming the two traders have similarly sized accounts). Day traders typically utilize larger position sizes and may use a day trading margin of 25%.

Swing traders also have access to a margin or leverage of 50%. This means that if the trader is approved for margin trading, they only need to put up $25,000 in capital for a trade with a current value of $50,000, for example.

Swing Trading Tactics

A swing trader tends to look for multi-day chart patterns. Some of the more common patterns involve moving average crossovers, cup-and-handle patterns, head and shoulders patterns, flags, and triangles. Key reversal candlesticks may be used in addition to other indicators to devise a solid trading plan.

Ultimately, each swing trader devises a plan and strategy that gives them an edge over many trades. This involves looking for trade setups that tend to lead to predictable movements in the asset's price. This isn't easy, and no strategy or setup works every time. With a favorable risk/reward, winning every time isn't required. The more favorable the risk/reward of a trading strategy, the fewer times it needs to win in order to produce an overall profit over many trades.

Real-World Example of Swing Trade in Apple

Image by Sabrina Jiang A Investopedia 2020

Using a historical example, the chart above shows a period where Apple (AAPL) had a strong price move higher. This was followed by a small cup and handle pattern which often signals a continuation of the price rise if the stock moves above the high of the handle.

In this case:

The price does rise above the handle, triggering a possible buy near $192.70.

One possible place to put a stop loss is below the handle, marked by the rectangle, near $187.50.

Based on the entry and stop-loss, the estimated risk for the trade is $5.20 per share ($192.70 - $187.50).

If looking for a potential reward that is at least twice the risk, any price above $203.10 ($192.70 + (2 * $5.20) will provide this.

Aside from a risk/reward, the trader could also utilize other exit methods, such as waiting for the price to make a new low. With this method, an exit signal wasn't given until $216.46, when the price dropped below the prior pullback low. This method would have resulted in a profit of $23.76 per share. Thought of another waya 12% profit in exchange for less than 3% risk. This swing trade took approximately two months.

Other exit methods could be when the price crosses below a moving average (not shown), or when an indicator such as the stochastic oscillator crosses its signal line.

What Are the "Swings" in Swing Trading?

Swing trading tries to identify entry and exit points into a security on the basis of its intra-week or intra-month oscillations, between cycles of optimism and pessimism.

How Does Swing Trading Differ From Day Trading?

Day trading, as the name suggests, involves making dozens of trades in a single day, based on technical analysis and sophisticated charting systems. Day trading seeks to scalp small profits multiple times a day, not holding any trades overnight. Swing traders do not close their positions on a daily basis and instead may hold onto them for weeks or months, or even longer. Swing traders will also tend to incorporate both technical and fundamental analysis.

What Are Some Indicators or Tools Used by Swing Traders?

Swing traders will use tools like moving averages overlaid on daily or weekly candlestick charts, momentum indicators, price range tools, and measures of market sentiment. Swing traders are also on the lookout for technical patterns like the head-and-shoulders and cup-and-handle.

Which Types of Securities Are Best-Suited for Swing Trading?

While a swing trader can enjoy success in any number of securities, the best candidates tend to be large-cap stocks, which are among the most actively traded stocks on the major exchanges. In an active market, these stocks will often swing between broadly defined high and low points, and the swing trader will ride the wave in one direction for a couple of days or weeks and then switch to the opposite side of the trade when the stock reverses direction. Swing trades are also viable in actively traded commodities and forex markets.
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noun, plural baccies.Older Use. tobacco.

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How to use baccy baccy/ (bk) / nounBritish an informal name for tobacco 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 baccyFirst recorded in 182535; shortening of tobacky (an informal U.S. regional term)Bacchylides, bacci-, bacciferous, bacciform, baccivorous, baccy, bach, bacha, Bacharach, bachata, bachelorDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
What Is a Texas Ratio?axie infinity like games 2022

The Texas ratio was developed to warn of credit problems at particular banks or banks in particular regions. The Texas ratio takes the amount of a bank's non-performing assets and divides this number by the sum of the bank's tangible common equity and its loan loss reserves. A ratio of more than 100 (or 1:1) indicates that non-performing assets are greater than the resources the bank may need to cover potential losses on those assets.

Key Takeaways

The Texas ratio assesses a banks financial position.

The ratio is non-performing assets divided by the sum of a banks tangible common equity and loan loss reserves.

The higher the Texas ratio the more financial trouble a bank might be in.

A high Texas ratio, however, doesnt mean the bank will go bankrupt.

How the Texas Ratio Works

The Texas ratio was developed as an early warning system to identify potential problem banks. It was originally applied to banks in Texas in the 1980s and proved useful for New England banks in the early 1990s. The Texas ratio was developed by Gerard Cassidy and other analysts at RBC Capital Markets. Cassidy found that banks with a Texas ratio of greater than 100 tend to fail.

During the 1980s Texas saw an energy boom. Banks financed the surge, but soon the oil surge died down and banks started to struggle. As a result, Texas saw the greatest number of bank failures from 1986 to 1992 in the nation.

As part of the Texas ratio, non-performing assets include loans that are in default or real estate the bank has had to foreclose on. These could become expenses for the bank. On the other side, tangible equity does not include intangibles that cannot be used to cover losses, such as goodwill.

Special Considerations

The Texas ratio is useful for investors as well as customers. Banking customers will assess the Texas ratio to ensure their money is safe. This is especially important if a customer has money outside the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) coverage limits$250,000.

The Texas ratio, like many financial ratios, is best utilized with other analyses. A high ratio doesnt mean the bank will go bankrupt, as many banks can operate with high Texas ratios.

Example of the Texas Ratio

A bank has $100 billion in non-performing assets. The banks total common equity is $120 billion. The Texas ratio is calculated as non-performing assets divided by tangible common equity. The ratio is 0.83 or 83%, or $100 billion / $120 billion. Although this is somewhat high, its best to look at the ratio in the historical context. Is the ratio rising or falling? If its falling then the bank may have a solid plan for keeping non-performing assets in check.

There are a number of banks right now (as of March 2020) that have Texas ratios of over 100%. This includes First City Bank in Florida with a 646.6% Texas ratio and The Farmers Bank in Oklahoma at 134.0%. Both of these banks have assets between $75 and $150 million.
Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur said over the weekend that it has cut ties with sponsor 1xBet. The announcement comes shortly after the Russian gambling operators UK website was suspended.

The Spurs decision to ditch the controversial brand as their sponsor also arrives on the heels of a recent warning by the UK Gambling Commission. The regulator warned the club along with Chelsea and Liverpool that they are all facing prosecution and hefty fines if they continue to promote a business that is no longer licensed to provide gambling services on the territory of the UK.

Under a long-term agreement signed last August between Tottenham and 1xBet, the operator became the football clubs Official Betting Partner for Africa. Liverpool and Chelsea announced in July that they have signed similar multi-year sponsorship agreements with 1xBet, under the terms of which it became their official global partner.

The Russian gambling company operated in the UK as a white-label partnerof gaming and betting technology and platform provider FSB Technology (UK). 1xBets UK-facing website was suspended last month and the UK Gambling Commission is currently investigating both the gambling operator and FSB.

UKGC Urges Clubs to Cut Ties with 1xBet

The Sunday Timesreports that the commission has warned Tottenham, Liverpool, and Chelsea to nix their sponsorship deals with 1xBet. In a letter, the regulator told the three football clubs that they could face unlimited fines and up to 51 weeks imprisonment, if they choose not to cut ties with the controversial bookmaker.

Tottenham was the only of the three clubs to act immediately and terminate its long-term deal with 1xBet in the wake of the Gambling Commissions warning. Liverpool did not comment on the matter when approached by The Sunday Times, and Chelsea said that it was monitoring the situation.

The gambling watchdogs letter to the three football clubs is its first proper intervention amid massive backlash over football being sponsored by the gambling industry.

Commenting on the latest developments, Matt Zarb-Cousin of the Campaign for Fairer Gambling told The Sunday Timesthat it is shocking and an absolute debacle that the three football clubs failed to do the most basic due diligence checkson 1xBet before signing up for these multimillion-pound deals.

The Sunday TimesInvestigation

1xBets troubles in the UK were prompted by a recent investigation by The Sunday Timesthat detailed the operators questionable advertising practices. The newspaper found out that it the 1xBet brand was involved in the promotion of betting on childrens sports, cockfighting, and even of a pornhub casino that featured topless dealers. In addition, The Sunday Timesreported that 1xBet was among the biggest advertisers on websites that stream illegally Premier League matches and on torrent websites.

1xBets UK operation was suspended last month and its local partner, FSB, said that it was reviewing its relationshipwith the Russian operator. 1xBet is blacklisted in a number of countries, including its homeland as well as Poland and Israel, among others.

The gambling operator previously said that any illegal advertising activity relating to its brand should be blamed on its affiliates. 1xBet has also said that they take very seriously the allegationsthat the brand has been promoted on illegal websites and they have launched investigation into the matter.

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The Chief who went through World War I and then managed to get back into World War II.

My father was in an intelligence unit for the U.S. Navy, as he had been in World War II.

As Sutton shows in his book, the important shift took place gradually, from the end of the Civil War until World War II.

In particular, it applies to immigrants who lost their U.S. citizenship after their involvement in World War II was discovered. Nazis, Sunscreen, and Sea Gull Eggs: Congress in 2014 Was Hella Productive|Ben Jacobs|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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Leo II, pope, died; an able and resolute pontiff; established the kiss of peace at the mass, and the use of holy water. The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Photo: VCG

TheChinese market has proven to be a reliable engine that many multinational firms cannot afford to lose or even neglect in a tough time, as the latest earnings reports of many world-renowned brands reveal.From vehicles to consumer goods, multinationals such as BMW, Yum China and L'Oreal logged robust market growth in China in the third quarter of this year. The market boosted their corporate revenues facing headwinds, including the lingering COVID-19 pandemic, disrupted supply chains, weak consumer sentiment and rising production costs.For many car manufacturers, China remained a significant source of demand in the third quarterThe BMW Group cited strong sales in China as one of the drivers behind a year-on-year rise in revenues by more than one-third to nearly 37.2 billion euros ($38.74 billion). "Contributing to this were solid pricing for new and used cars, a favorable product mix, and, in particular, revenues from the Chinese joint venture," the company said in a press release.Sales fell 0.9 percent to 587,800 units, but business in China was strong, up 5.7 percent. Europe, on the other hand, saw an 11.1-percent decrease.Another automobile giant, Volkswagen Group, saw its recovery in China accelerate with a 26-percent increase in deliveries, according to its financial report. In particular, regional demand for battery electric vehicles continued to grow, and deliveries more than doubled year-to-date to 112,700 units.The catering industry has been one of the hardest-hit by the epidemic. However, Yum China's revenues rose 11 percent to $2.68 billion, and the company opened 239 net new stores in the third quarter.With the volatile COVID-19 situation, delivery remained a popular option, which contributed approximately 38 percent of KFC and Pizza Hut's company sales in China in the third quarter, up 4 percentage points year-on-year, it added.According to food and beverage multinational Danone, its China, North Asia and Oceania divisions posted year-on-year sales growth of 6.8 percent. In China, infant milk formula sales registered competitive growth on a high base, while adult nutrition and pediatric specialties reported another quarter of outstanding growth.French beauty giant L'Oreal Group said that sales in the Chinese mainland rose 20.5 percent to 27.94 billion euros. The company said it strengthened its position in e-commerce in China, topping the rankings on the emerging TikTok platform, with L'Oreal Paris being No.1 in skin care.Eyeing China's huge and more open market, improved business environment, high-quality development and sustained economic recovery, many multinationals are doubling down on their investments in the world's second-largest economy.Data from the Ministry of Commerce showed that foreign direct investment actually used in the Chinese mainland expanded 15.6 percent year-on-year to surpass 1 trillion yuan ($141 billion) in the first three quarters of 2022.Yum China announced on its website that it aims to open approximately 1,000 to 1,200 net new stores and make capital expenditures of $800 million to $1 billion this year."Looking ahead, we are confident about unlocking the long-term opportunities in China. The strong performance of our new stores gives us the confidence to open new and profitable stores at a robust pace," Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China, was cited in the report as saying.Last month, L'Oreal China launched two pioneering projects in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, by laying the foundation stone of its first direct-to-consumer intelligent center and announcing the opening of its new healthy beauty workshop in the Suzhou factory.According to a recent survey by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, foreign-funded companies in China remain upbeat about the market and speak well of China's business environment and macroeconomic policies.In the third quarter, foreign enterprises' satisfaction ratings on market access, promoting market competition, obtaining business premises and acquiring financial services all increased, the survey showed.Chinese authorities recently unveiled a wide range of measures, including opening more sectors to foreign investment by issuing a new catalog of industries for foreign investment and facilitating the implementation of the negative list for foreign investment to transform opening-up policies into concrete projects.Xinhua
Definition of Antithesis

Antithesis kentucky derby 2020 winner oddsis a literary device that refers to the juxtaposition of two opposing elements through the parallel grammatical structure. The word antithesis, meaning absolute opposite, is derived from Greek for setting opposite, indicating when something or someone is in direct contrast or the obverse of another thing or person.

Antithesis is an effective literary and rhetorical device, as it pairs exact opposite or contrasting ideas by utilizing the parallel grammatical structure. This helps readers and audience members define concepts through contrast and develop an understanding of something through defining its opposite. In addition, through the use of parallelism, antithesis establishes a repetitive structure that makes for rhythmic writing and lyrical speech.

For example, Alexander Pope states in An Essay on Criticism, To err is human; to forgive divine. Popes use of antithesis reflects the impact of this figure of speech in writing, as it creates a clear, memorable, and lyrical effect for the reader. In addition, Pope sets human error in contrast to divine forgiveness, allowing readers to understand that it is natural for people to make mistakes, and therefore worthy for others to absolve them when they do.

Examples of Antithesis in Everyday Speech

Antithesis is often used in everyday speech as a means of conveying opposing ideas in a concise and expressive way. Since antithesis is intended to be a figure of speech, such statements are not meant to be understood in a literal manner. Here are some examples of antithesis used in everyday speech:

Go big or go home.

Spicy food is heaven on the tongue but hell in the tummy.

Those who can, do; those who cant do, teach.

Get busy living or get busy dying.

Speech is silver but silence is gold.

No pain, no gain.

Its not a show, friends; its show business.

No guts, no glory.

A moment on the lips; a lifetime on the hips.

If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.

Common Examples of Antithesis from Famous Speeches

Antithesis can be an effective rhetorical device in terms of calling attention to drastic differences between opposing ideas and concepts. By highlighting the contrast side-by-side with the exact same structure, the speaker is able to impact an audience in a memorable and significant way. Here are some common examples of antithesis from famous speeches:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. (Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream)

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. (Abraham Lincoln The Gettysburg Address)

Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not.' (Edward Kennedy quoting Robert F. Kennedy during eulogy)

We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom, symbolizing an end as well as a beginning, signifying renewal as well as change. (John F. Kennedy Presidential Inaugural Speech)

You see, for any champion to succeed, he must have a team  a very incredible, special team; people that he can depend on, count on, and rely upon through everything  the highs and lows, the wins and losses, the victories and failures, and even the joys and heartaches that happen both on and off the court. (Michael Chang Induction Speech for Tennis Hall of Fame)

Examples of Proverbs Featuring Antithesis

Proverbs are simple and often traditional sayings that express insight into truths that are perceived, based on common sense or experience. These sayings are typically intended to be metaphorical and therefore rely on figures of speech such as antithesis. Proverbs that utilize antithetical parallelism feature an antithesis to bring together opposing ideas in defined contrast. Therefore, antithesis is effective as a literary device in proverbs by allowing the reader to consider one idea and then its opposite. It also makes for lyrical and easily remembered sayings.

Here are some examples of proverbs featuring antithesis:

Cleanliness is next to godliness.

Beggars cant be choosers.

Easy come, easy go.

Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.

Keep your friends close; keep your enemies closer.

Like father, like son.

Where theres smoke, theres fire.

An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.

Be slow in choosing, but slower in changing.

Give them an inch and theyll take a mile.

If you cant beat them, join them.

Keep your mouth closed and your eyes open.

One mans junk is another mans treasure.

Out of sight, out of mind.

Where theres a will, theres a way.

Utilizing Antithesis in Writing

As a literary device, antithesis allows authors to add contrast to their writing. This is effective in terms of comparing two contrasting ideas, such as a characters conflicting emotions or a settings opposing elements. In literature, antithesis doesnt require a pairing of exact opposites, but rather concepts that are different and distinct. In addition, since antithesis creates a lyrical quality to writing through parallel structure, the rhythm of phrasing and wording should be as similar as possible. Like most literary and rhetorical devices, overuse of antithesis will create confusion or invoke boredom in a reader as well as make the writing seem forced.

Antithesis and Parallelism

Both terms demonstrate a fundamental difference. An antithesis comprises two contradictory ideas and parallelism does not necessarily comprise opposite ideas or persons. It could have more than two ideas or persons. As the name suggests that parallelism is a condition where is an antithesis is an opposition. For example, man proposes, God disposes, has two contradictory ideas. However, it is also a parallel sentence. Furthermore, parallelism occurs mostly in structure and less in ideas. Even similar ideas could occur in parallelism, while an antithesis has only dissimilar ideas.

Antithesis and Juxtaposition

As far as juxtaposition is concerned, it means placing two ideas together that are dissimilar. They need not be opposite to each other. In the case of antithesis, they must be opposite to each other as in the case of man proposes, God disposes. Not only these two ideas are dissimilar, but also they are opposite. In the case of juxtaposition, a poet only puts two ideas together and they are not opposed to each other.

Use of Antithesis in Sentences

As soon he dies, he becomes a dead living. Most people do not understand the value of money when the poor put money ahead of them. Some people make money, while some waste it. Although they have gone leaps ahead, they have also stepped back just in the nick of time. The public comes forward when there is prosperity and moves back when there is adversity.

Examples of Antithesis in Literature

Antithesis is an effective literary device and figure of speech in which a writer intentionally juxtaposes two contrasting ideas or entities. Antithesis is typically achieved through parallel structure, in which opposing concepts or elements are paired in adjacent phrases, clauses, or sentences. This draws the readers attention to the significance or importance of the agents being contrasted, thereby adding a memorable and meaningful quality to the literary work.

Here are some examples of antithesis in well-known works of literature:

Example 1: Hamlet(William Shakespeare)

Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice; Take each mans censure, but reserve thy judgment.

In Shakespeares well-known play, he utilizes antithesis as a literary device for Polonius to deliver fatherly advice to his son before Laertes leaves for France. In these lines, Polonius pairs contrasting ideas such as listening and speaking using parallel structure. This adds a lyrical element to the wording, in addition to having a memorable and foreboding impact on the characters and audience members with the meaning of each line.

Despite the attempt by Polonius to impart logical thinking, measured response, and wise counsel to his son through antithesis, Laertes becomes so fixated on avenging his fathers death that his actions are impulsive and imprudent. Poloniuss antithetical words are not heeded by his son, resulting in the death of several characters including Hamlet and Laertes himself.

Example 2: Paradise Lost (John Milton)

Here at least

We shall be free; the Almighty hath not built

Here for his envy, will not drive us hence:

Here we may reign secure, and in my choice

To reign is worth ambition though in Hell:

Better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven.

In Miltons epic poem, he explores the Fall of Satan as well as the temptation and subsequent Fall of Man. This passage is spoken by Satan after he has been condemned to Hell by God for attempting to assume power and authority in Heaven. Satan is unrepentant of his actions, and wants to persuade his followers that Hell is preferable to Heaven.

Satan utilizes antithesis in the last line of this passage to encourage his rebellious followers to understand that, in Hell, they are free and rule their own destiny. In this line, Milton contrasts not just the ideas of Hell and Heaven, but also of reign and servitude as concepts applied to the angels, respectively. Pairing these opposites by using this literary device has two effects for the reader. First, Satans claim foreshadows his ability to use his words describing independence to tempt Eve, resulting in her and Adams expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Second, this antithesis invites the reader to consider Satans thought-process and experience to gain a deeper understanding of his motives in the poem.

Example 3: Fire and Ice (Robert Frost)

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what Ive tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.

In his poem, Frost utilizes antithesis to contrast fire and ice as elements with devastating and catastrophic potential to end the world. Frost effectively demonstrates the equal powers for the destruction of these elements, despite showcasing them as opposing forces. In this case, the poets antithesis has a literal as well as figurative interpretation. As the poem indicates, the world could literally end in the fire as well as ice. However, fire and ice are contrasting symbols in the poem as well. Fire represents desire, most likely in the form of greed, the corruption of power, domination, and control. Conversely, ice represents hate in the form of prejudice, oppression, neglect, and isolation.

The presence of antithesis in the poem is effective for readers in that it evokes contrasting and powerful imagery of fire and ice as opposing yet physically destructive forces. In addition, the human characteristics associated with fire and ice, and what they represent as psychologically and socially destructive symbols, impact the reader in a powerful and memorable way as well. Antithesis elevates for the reader the understanding that the source of the end of the world may not be natural causes but rather human action or behavior; and that the end of the world may not be simply the destruction of the earth, but rather the destruction of humankind.

Example 4: The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives so that nation might live. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

These three examples from the address of Abraham Lincoln show the use of contradictory ideas put together in one sentence. They show how he mentions living and dead putting them side by side. This antithesis has helped Lincoln as well as America to come out of the ravages of the Civil War.

Function of Antithesis

An antithesis helps make an idea distinct and prominent when it contradicts another idea in the first part of the argument. This contrastive feature helps make readers make their argument solid, cogent, and eloquent. Sentences comprising anthesis also become easy to remember, quote, and recall when required. When an antithesis occurs in a text, it creates an argumentative atmosphere where a dialectic could take place and helps writers and speakers hook their audience easily with antithetical statements.

Synonyms of Antithesis

Antithesis has no exact synonyms but several words come closer in meanings such as opposite, reverse, converse, reversal, inverse, extreme, another side of the coin, or flip side or contrast.
A man accused in a robbery spree in 2021 at hotels and a store in Amherst, Buffalo and the towns of Lancaster and Tonawanda has pleaded guilty to all 10 counts against him, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn announced.

Abdi Kadir, 25, of Buffalo, entered his pleas before Erie County Court Judge Suzanne Maxwell Barnes to nine charges of first-degree robbery and one count of first-degree burglary, all Class B violent felonies. He faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 19 as a second-time violent felony offender. He remains held without bail.

Prosecutors said that between May 11 and May 19, 2021, Kadir displayed what looked like a gun as he robbed hotels on Transit Road in Lancaster, Millersport Highway and Flint Road in Amherst and Sheridan Drive in Tonawanda, and a wine store on Rhode Island Street in Buffalo.

During the Millersport Highway robbery, prosecutors said, Kadir at gunpoint stole a gun from a security guard who had blocked his vehicle after seeing him pushing a safe on a rolling chair in the parking lot.

The spree ended after Kadir robbed another hotel on Sheridan Drive, then stole a purse and a cellphone from the owners residence. The owner called 911 and Town of Tonawanda police picked him up nearby.

- Dale Anderson
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Definition of Inference

Inference,sky bet super 7 deadwood slot demo as a word, means a conclusion that a person reaches after having a piece of evidence to support it. It is mostly used as a noun for the process of inferring some results. As a literary term, it means either the readers, or the authors use clues to understand what is going to happen in a narrative or a storyline.

Types of Inference

There are mainly two types of inferences. The first one is deductive which means to make a reason before inferring a conclusion. The second is inductive which means infer some conclusion before reasoning and then finding an evidence to support it.

Examples of Inference in Literature

Example #1

Animal Farm by George Orwell

This single farm of ours would support a dozen horses, twenty cows, hundreds of sheep-and all of them living in a comfort and a dignity that are now almost beyond our imagining. Why then do we continue in this miserable condition? Because nearly the whole of the produce of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. There, comrades, is the answer to all our problems. It is summed up in a single word-Man. Man is the only real enemy we have. Remove Man from the scene, and the root cause of hunger and overwork is abolished for ever.

This passage occurs in the speech of Old Major, the old boar of Animal Farm who delivers a speech to make the animals understand that their life is miserable and that they need to revolt against this injustice. Orwell has used the deductive method and reasoned, calling the animals comrades that the answer to all of their problems lies in removing man from the scene. He calls it a single word-Man, capitalizing the initial letter, M.

Example #2

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway

In the late summer of that year we lived in a house in a village that looked across the river and the plain to the mountains. In the bed of the river there were pebbles and boulders, dry and white in the sun, and the water was clear and swiftly moving and blue in the channels. Troops went by the house and down the road and the dust they raised powdered the leaves of the trees. The trunks of the trees too were dusty and the leaves fell early that year and we saw the troops marching along the road and the dust rising and leaves, stirred by the breeze, falling and the soldiers marching and afterward the road bare and white except for the leaves.

This passage shows that the narrator of A Farewell to Arms making a deductive reasoning after every thought. He sees the road, the leaves and trees and concludes that the road has turned dry and white due to either soldiers march or autumn seasons. This reasoning shows his inference. Hemingway himself has used this strategy implicitly to force readers to make reasoning on their own.

Example #3

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by Oscar Wilde

His evenings were his own; and he pored over a ragged translation of The Count of Monte Cristo. The figure of that dark avenger stood forth in his mind for whatever he had heard or divined in childhood of the strange and terrible. At night he built upon the parlour table an image of the wonderful island cave out of transfers and paper flowers and coloured tissue paper and strips of the silver and golden paper in which chocolate is wrapped. When he had broken up this scenery, weary of its tinsel, there would come to his mind the bright picture of Marseille, of sunny trellises, and of Mercedes.

This passage shows that the person whom the narrator is referring to is a well-read person who can read and understand. It is clear from the title of the book what he reads and it is also clear from the deductive reason that Wilde makes that he would think about Marseille and Mercedes as a result of this reading. Therefore, it is a good example of deductive inference.

Example #4

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nails. They wore high boots, with their trousers tucked into them, and had long black hair and heavy black moustaches. They are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessing. On the stage they would be set down at once as some old Oriental band of brigands. They are, however, I am told, very harmless and rather wanting in natural self-assertion.

Although the first line shows the narrator describing the Slovaks, the last two sentences show his reasoning and conclusion though it is based on the information that he gets from some other people. This is an example of an indirect inference.

Functions of Inference

Inference has various functions. It helps the writers make their readers think critically about their narratives and understand their messages. It also helps writers write a good narrative that tests and checks the readers abilities. Sometimes writers understand inferencing from characters and sometimes from the authors. In both cases, readers learn how to infer and become good critical thinkers.

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You may have heard that humans only use 10 percent of their brain power, and that if you could unlock the rest of your brainpower, you could do so much more. You could become a super genius, or acquire psychic powers like mind reading and telekinesis. However, there is a powerful body of evidence debunking the 10 percent myth. Scientists have consistently shown that humans use their entire brain throughout each day.

Despite the evidence, the 10 percent myth has inspired many references in the cultural imagination. Films like "Limitless" and "Lucy" depict protagonists who develop godlike powers thanks to drugs that unleash the previously inaccessible 90 percent of the brain. A 2013 study showed that about 65 percent of Americans believe the trope, and a 1998 study showed that a full third of psychology majors, who focus on the workings of the brain, fell for it.

Neuropsychology

Neuropsychology studies how the anatomy of the brain affects someones behavior, emotion, and cognition. Over the years, brain scientists have shown that different parts of the brain are responsible for specific functions, whether its recognizing colors or problem solving. Contrary to the 10 percent myth, scientists have proven that every part of the brain is integral for our daily functioning, thanks to brain imaging techniques like positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Research has yet to find a brain area that is completely inactive. Even studies that measure activity at the level of single neurons have not revealed any inactive areas of the brain. Many brain imaging studies that measure brain activity when a person is doing a specific task show how different parts of the brain work together. For example, while you are reading this text on your smartphone, some parts of your brain, including those responsible for vision, reading comprehension, and holding your phone, will be more active.

However, some brain images unintentionally support the 10 percent myth, because they often show small bright splotches on an otherwise gray brain. This may imply that only the bright spots have brain activity, but that isnt the case. Rather, colored splotches represent brain areas that aremoreactive when someones doing a task compared to when theyre not. The gray spots are still active, just to a lesser degree.

A more direct counter to the 10 percent myth lies in individuals who have suffered brain damagethrough a stroke, head trauma, or carbon monoxide poisoningand what they can no longer do as a result of that damage, or can still do just as well. If the 10 percent myth were true, damage to perhaps 90 percent of the brain wouldnt affect daily functioning.

Yet studies show that damaging even a very small part of the brain may have devastating consequences. For example, damage to Brocas area hinders proper formation of words and fluent speech, though general language comprehension remains intact. In one highly publicized case, a Florida woman permanently lost her capacity for thoughts, perceptions, memories, and emotions that are the very essence of being human when a lack of oxygen destroyed half of her cerebrum, which makes up about 85 percent of the brain.

Evolutionary Arguments

Another line of evidence against the 10 percent myth comes from evolution. The adult brain only constitutes 2 percent of body mass, yet it consumes over 20 percent of the bodys energy. In comparison, the adult brains of many vertebrate speciesincluding some fish, reptiles, birds, and mammalsconsume 2 to 8 percent of their bodys energy. The brain has been shaped by millions of years of natural selection, which passes down favorable traits to increase likelihood of survival. It is unlikely that the body would dedicate so much of its energy to keep an entire brain functioning if it only uses 10 percent of the brain.

The Origin of the Myth

The main allure of the 10 percent myth is the idea that you could do so much more if onlyyou could unlock the rest of your brain. Even with ample evidence suggesting the contrary, why do many people still believe that humans only use 10 percent of their brains? Its unclear how the myth spread in the first place, but it has been popularized by self-help books, and may even also be grounded in older, flawed, neuroscience studies.

The myth could be aligned with messages espoused by self-improvement books, which show you ways to do better and live up to your "potential." For example, the preface to the notorious "How to Win Friends and Influence People" says that the average person develops only 10 percent of his latent mental ability. This statement, which is traced back to psychologist William James, refers to a persons potential to achieve more rather than how much brain matter they used. Others have even said that Einstein explained his brilliance using the 10 percent myth, though these claims remain unfounded.

Another possible source of the myth lies in silent brain areas from older neuroscience research. In the 1930s, for instance, neurosurgeon Wilder Penfield hooked electrodes to the exposed brains of his epilepsy patients while operating on them. He noticed that particular brain areas triggered the experience various sensations, but while others seemed to cause no reaction. Still, as technology evolved, researchers found that these silent brain areas, which included the prefrontal lobes, had major functions after all.

Resources and Further Reading
Mehran Karimi Nasseri,new au betting companies an Iranian refugee who lived for 18 years in Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and whose intriguing tale inspired the 2004 Steven Spielberg film The Terminal, died on Saturday in that same airport.

The cause of death, in Terminal 2F at about noon, was a heart attack, a representative for the airport said in a statement. His exact age was not immediately known, but he was in his late 70s.

Mr. Nasseris attachment to the airport lasted until his final days. He had been staying at a nursing home this year, but returned to the airport in mid-September to live as a homeless person in the public space of the airport, the representative said.

With his trimmed mustache and soft voice, Mr. Nasseri became a peculiar fixture in Terminal 1 of the airport as he hauled piles of his belongings, stacked neatly on a luggage cart. He resided in the airport from 1988 to 2006, initially because of legal hurdles to prove his refugee status, and later by choice.

He lived between a pizzeria and an electronics store, planting himself on a red plastic bench that he made his home. On a coffee table, he had a hand mirror; an electric shaver, which he used every morning; and a collection of press clippings that told of his status as an odd figure in France.

His days were punctuated by the rhythm of flights and the presence of travelers, whose numbers swelled in the morning and dwindled at night, leaving him mostly alone to sleep on his preferred curved bench. Airport employees would routinely give him their meal coupons, and flight attendants would give him toiletries left over by first-class passengers.

Image Tom Hanks in a scene from The Terminal (2004).Credit...DreamWorks, via Everett Collection

The New York Times Magazine noted in a 2003 profile of Mr. Nasseri that he seemed both settled  and ready to go.

I realize I am famous, Mr. Nasseri said in that article. I wasnt interesting until I came here.

His story became a bizarre tale in immigration history, and some details about his background proved difficult to pin down because of his changing claims about his origins. (In the same article, he denied that he was Iranian and deflected questions about his childhood in Tehran.)

Airport officials said they had confirmed that Mr. Nasseri was born in Iran, in the town of Masjid-i-Sulaiman, in 1945.

Early on, he said he was expelled from his homeland for antigovernment activity in 1977 because, as a student in England, he had protested against the government of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. When he returned to Iran, he found himself imprisoned and soon exiled, he said.

He bounced around Europe for a few years with temporary refugee papers before arriving in Belgium, where he was given official refugee status in 1981. Mr. Nasseri traveled to Britain and France without difficulty until 1988, when he arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport with a one-way ticket to London, a few clothes, about $500 and no passport.

He told the airport authorities that his papers had been stolen at a Paris train station. Waiving the usual rules, the authorities let him fly to Heathrow Airport in London. But there, British immigration officials refused to let him enter the country, and he was returned to Charles de Gaulle.

Mr. Nasseri could not prove who he was or offer proof of his refugee status, so he moved into a holding area in the airport for travelers without papers.

He was there for days, and then weeks and months. As the months turned into years, Mr. Nasseri became trapped in a legal twilight zone. In the 1990s, the French authorities insisted that he was on French soil illegally, but they could not deport him because no country would accept him.

In 1999, he got permission to leave the airport and go wherever he wished in Europe. But he did not want to go anywhere, the airports medical director told The Times that year, because he was scared to leave this bubble world that he had been living in.

Image Mr. Nasseri sleeping in Terminal 1 in 2004.Credit...Stephane De Sakutin/Agence France-Presse  Getty Images

Finally getting the papers has been a huge shock to him, as if he was just thrown from his horse, said Dr. Philippe Bargain, the airports medical director. When you wait 11 years for something and suddenly in a few minutes you sign some papers and its done  imagine what a shock that is.

He had made a home at Charles de Gaulle: Airport employees would call him Alfred or Sir, Alfred  a nickname rooted in a mistake that appeared in a letter from British immigration officials. He would wash up in the passenger bathrooms and take his clothes to the cleaner at the airport.

As his story spread throughout French news media and then to outlets across the world, reporters noticed the enthusiasm with which Mr. Nasseri would speak about the airport.

His residence there appeared to depend on the kindness of strangers. People who heard his story sent him money in the mail. A traveler once gave him a sleeping bag and a camping mattress.

In the Spielberg film, Tom Hanks plays a refugee who is rendered stateless and becomes stuck in New York at Kennedy Airport after a military coup in his fictional homeland.

Charles de Gaulle Airport said in its statement on Sunday that its entire staff and community had cared for Mr. Nasseri as much as possible for many years.

But the airport noted that we would have preferred that he find a real shelter, as he was suffering from psychological problems.

Still, it appeared that Mr. Nasseri was content with his surroundings, living inside a place associated with both freedom and frustration.

The airport is not bad, he told The Times in 1999. It is very active and functions every day. I see different passengers every week from all over the world.

Christine Chung contributed reporting.

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What Is a Generation Gap?draftkings sportsbook how to bet

A generation gap refers to the chasm that separates the beliefs and behaviors belonging to members of two different generations. More specifically, a generation gap can be used to describe the differences in thoughts, actions, and tastes exhibited by members of younger generations versus older ones.

The differences may be in politics, values, pop culture, and other areas. While generation gaps have been prevalent throughout all periods of history, the breadth of differences of these gaps has widened in the 20thand 21stcenturies.

Key Takeaways

A generation gap is defined as the different thoughts and worldviews held by different generational cohorts.

The generation gap between individuals can be used to explain differences in the worldviews and actions observed among those of different age groups.

The current living generations are the Greatest Generation, the silent generation, baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, and Generation Z.

Businesses often aim to understand the different characteristics of each generation to better create and market their products and services.

Employers seek to reduce the generational gap within the workplace by employing a variety of techniques.

Understanding Generation Gaps

Generation gaps play big roles in businesses. This is because in order to sell to different groups companies must find ways to balance the needs and views of individuals from those groups. Businesses must be aware of the changing demographics and genders of their client base, which can affect their business cycles and bottom lines.

The term "generation gap" was first used in the 1960s. During that time, the baby boomers, those born between 1946 and 1964, were growing apart from their parents in their beliefs and opinions.

Sociologists use nomenclature to refer to different generational segments. For example, members of Gen Z, born between 1996 and 2012, are called digital natives because they have lived with digital technology their entire lives.

By contrast, older generational members are termed digital immigrants and tend to be less comfortable with the personal usage of technologies. Consequently, technology companies market products differently to each age group.

Generational segments go by other handles: the greatest generation is also known as "radio babies"; the silent generation has also been called "traditionalists." Baby boomers are also known as the me generation.

How Generations Are Distinguished

The current living generations have been divided into the following six major groups:

Greatest generation Silent generation Baby boomers Generation X Millennials Generation Z

Each generation has its own characteristics regarding vernacular, technological influences, workplace attitudes, general consciousness, and ways of life.

Greatest generation

As Great Depression and World War II survivors, they were instrumental in shaping the United States into an economic and military power. This group is defined by patriotism, teamwork, and drive. They were born from 1901 to 1927.

Silent generation

Born 1928 to 1945, older members of the silent generation fought in Korea, while younger ones danced to Elvis and early rock 'n' roll, and formed the leadership of the civil rights movement. More traditional and rules-following than the baby boomers, they are also called the traditionalist generation, although that may be a misnomer for this group.

Baby boomers

They witnessed increasing social and economic equality and came of age as the country was split by differing views on politics, war, and social justice. The boomers participated in some of the greatest social changes in the countrys history, during the 1960s and 1970s, with the Civil Rights Movement and the Womens Movement.

Generation X

Born between 1965 and 1980, Gen-Xers grew up with emerging technologies and political and institutional incompetence. They witnessed Watergate, Three Mile Island, and the Iranian hostage crisis. But they also observed major technological advancements. Mimeograph machines evolved into high-speed copiers, and fax machines gave way to email. Heavy adding machines were replaced by handheld calculators, and computers shrank in size and processing speed.

Millennials

Born between 1981 and 1996, millennials have always known cable TV, pagers, answering machines, laptop computers, and video games. Technological advancements in real-time media and communication have driven their expectation for immediacy. They are the generation that bridges the gap of growing up in a world before and after the Internet.

They have also seen untold tragedy in their youth, with events like the Columbine High School shootings of 1999 and the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Millennials were hit hard by the 2008 Great Recession, hurting the long-term outlook of their finances.

Those born on the edge of the Gen-X and Millennials are sometimes referred to as X-ennials.

Generation Z

Generation Z is the generation after the millennials, born between 1997 and 2012. This generation consists of individuals in young adulthood, teenagers, and children. This is the first generation that grew up with the Internet as a fact of life, not knowing a world without email, immediate access to information, or mobile phones.

The cohorts of Gen Z are more likely to be the children of immigrants than millennials are: 22% versus 14%, respectively.

Generation Z was expected to do well financially, coming of age in a strong economy. The economic crisis of 2020 upended that stability and what comes next is still to be determined. This generation is racially and ethnically diverse and is similar to millennials in terms of its social and policy beliefs. Both generations are progressive and believe in social equality and the importance of climate change.

Special Considerations

Understanding the different generations is critical for businesses to know who they should market to and how. The first step is understanding the product or service offered by your business and who its target audience is. From there, learning the best way to market to them, without involving stereotypes, is an important step to success.

Businesses must stay true to their identity. If a company is not perceived as hip or young, then using hip or young lingo to market to Generation Z, for example, will be seen as inauthentic and may backfire.

Millennials and baby boomers are the largest generations.

Baby boomers are also the wealthiest while millennials are reaching middle age and will have more wealth to spend. Understanding these types of characteristics of a generation will help in marketing. Also, knowing what these generations need at a certain point will help.

For example, baby boomers are nearing retirement or are retired, so aspects of retirement in marketing a product may be helpful. Millennials are fairly young, in their mid-twenties to forties, so addressing topics such as buying a house or first car or starting a family may appeal to them.

In addition, a business needs to know where to market. Baby boomers grew up in an age without smartphones or the Internet. Though many are tech-savvy, many also still read physical newspapers and watch cable TV. If you are marketing to baby boomers, that might be an area to consider.

On the other hand, Generation Z grew up with smartphones and tablets in hand, so marketing digitally to them would be the smart move.

Generation Gap FAQs

What Is Generation Gap?

A generation gap is the thoughts, beliefs, and ideologies that separate one generation from the next. These can encompass beliefs on politics, business, race, and pop culture.

What Causes Generational Gaps?

Generational gaps are simply caused by age and the situation of the world at the time one generation has grown up. For example, the beliefs and perceptions of those who grew up during World War II may be different from those who grew up in the 1960sthough to be sure, similarities will remain.

What Are the Generation Gaps Called?

Some of the different generation gaps are the traditionalists, the baby boomers, Generation X, millennials, and Generation Z.

Is the Generation Gap No Longer a Gap?

There are many studies conducted on this topic. There will always be different generations, simply because people are born at different times. Similarly, the world and society are always changing, which will inadvertently change the perception of individuals depending on the period they grew up in. Studies do also show that the differences in generational gaps are minimal. Individual differences also play a role, as do socio-economic factors.

How Can We Bridge the Generation Gap?

There are ways to bridge the generational gap in certain situations in the workplace. Encouraging multi-generational teamwork is one tactic. Creating clear cultural values, such as highlighting the importance of the quality of the work rather than where the work is done (office versus remotely), is another. Incorporating many communication channels that work for all individuals, organizing mentorship programs, and emphasizing respect above all else are also useful tools.

The Bottom Line

A generation gap consists of the differing beliefs on politics, religion, society, pop culture, that exist between different generations. These beliefs are shaped by the state of the world in which the individuals belonging to each generation grew up.

Businesses often try to understand the different generations so that they can create and market products successfully. Businesses also try and understand these differences to close the generation gap among employees, hopefully building cohesive and efficient workplace.
Some of the concern over student debt is likely driven by the startling headline numbers.

Big discounts and cheap credit keep them coming back for more; and keep millions in perpetual debt.

The U.S. got a relatively good dealthree Cuban spies were returned to their country in the swap.

Asprey was inspired to swap out butter for traditional coffee creamers while on a trip to Nepal.

These low-income students take on debt and are also the least likely to finish. The Student Loan Crisis That Isnt About Kids at Harvard|Monica Potts|November 30, 2014|DAILY BEAST

It is painful to add, that the latter years of his life were passed in prison, where he was confined for debt. The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell

It sent gold to Paris as fast as it could be shipped and insured, and so seems to have liquidated its debt. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

This rascal was owed a debt for the indignity he had offered the sahib in the village, and now he was paid in full. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

In conclusion, I must distress my friend J. M. Barrie (who gave me a first chance) by acknowledging my great debt to him. First Plays|A. A. Milne
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A sequence of radioactive decay processes, in which the decay of one element creates a new element that may itself be radioactive. The chain ends when stable atoms are formed. For example, uranium-238 decays into thorium-234, which in turn decays into palladium-234, and so on until stable iron is produced at the end of the chain. Also called decay sequence

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How to use in a sentence Before anti-vaxxers, there were anti-fluoriders: a group who spread fear about the anti-tooth decay agent added to drinking water. Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST

Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST As a means of preventing tooth decay in those cities that do fluoridate, the practice certainly looks like a success. Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST

Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST You expect soldiers of all ranks to understand the need to respect the chain of command, regardless of personal feelings. We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST Their decay proceeded without a ready supply of oxygen, producing hydrocarbons like methane instead of oxygen-bearing molecules. Methane on Mars: Life or Just Gas?|Matthew R. Francis|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST Say what you want about Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F), the chain has done something special. Muslims & Jews Unite vs. Abercrombie & Fitch|Dean Obeidallah|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST

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Bella Donna|Robert Hichens The General in command of the station was a feeble old man, suffering from senile decay. The Red Year|Louis Tracy

The Red Year|Louis Tracy Then he closed the spring with a snap, and she let him pass the chain over her hand once more. Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson

Rosemary in Search of a Father|C. N. Williamson It will hold tenaciously there, the last of its race, days after the decay of its greener and more healthy-looking mates. Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various The decay and ruin of nearly all the "old families" in Ireland are among the penalties of disregarding it. Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondecathlon, decating, Decatur, decatyl alcohol, decay, decay chain, decay constant, decay time, Decca, Deccan, deccan hempThe American Heritage Science Dictionary Copyright  2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
What Is Loan Servicing?tab nrl odds new spins no deposit

Loan servicing refers to the administrative aspects of a loan from the time the proceeds are dispersed to the borrower until the loan is paid off. Loan servicing includes sending monthly payment statements, collecting monthly payments, maintaining records of payments and balances, collecting and paying taxes and insurance (and managing escrow funds), remitting funds to the note holder, and following up on any delinquencies.

Key Takeaways

Loan servicing is a function carried out by the bank or financial institution that issued the loan, a third-party vendor, or a company that specializes in loan servicing.

Loan servicing functions include collecting monthly payments, paying taxes, and other aspects of the loan that occur from the time the proceeds are dispersed until the loan is paid off.

Securitization of loans made loan servicing less profitable for banks.

Loan servicing is now an industry in and of itself and companies are compensated by receiving a small percentage of loan payments.

How Loan Servicing Works

Loan servicing can be carried out by the bank or financial institution that issued the loans, a non-bank entity specializing in loan servicing, or a third-party vendor for the lending institution. Loan servicing may also refer to the borrower's obligation to make timely payments of principal and interest on a loan as a way to maintain creditworthiness with lenders and credit-rating agencies.

Loan servicing was traditionally seen as a core function held within banks. Banks issued the original loan, so it made sense that they would be responsible for handling the administration of the loan. That was, of course, before widespread securitization of loans changed the nature of banking and finance in general. Once loansand mortgages in particularwere repackaged into securities and sold off a banks books, the servicing of the loans proved to be a less profitable business line than the origination of new loans.

So the loan servicing part of the loan life cycle was separated from origination and opened up to the market. Given the record-keeping burden of loan servicing and the changing habits and expectations of borrowers, the industry has become especially dependent on technology and software.

Loan Servicing Example

Loan servicing is now an industry in and of itself. Loan servicers are compensated by retaining a relatively small percentage of the outstanding balance, known as the servicing fee or servicing strip. This fee usually amounts to 0.25 to 0.5 percentage points of each periodic loan payment.

For example, if the monthly mortgage payments are $2,000 and the servicing fee is 0.25%, the servicer is entitled to retain $5or (0.0025 x 2,000)of each payment before passing the remaining amount to the note holder.

Special Considerations

Mortgages represent the bulk of the loan servicing market, which amounts to trillions of dollars worth of home loans, though student-loan servicing is also big business. As of 2018, just three companies were responsible for collecting payments on 93% of outstanding government-owned student loans amounting to $950 billion from about 30 million borrowers.

Meanwhile, the trend among big mortgage loan servicers is to slowly back away from the marketplace in response to growing regulatory concerns. In their place, smaller, regional banks, and non-bank servicers are moving into the space.

Loan servicing has traditionally been performed by lenders (big banks), but smaller, regional players, and non-bank service providers are moving into the space.

The mortgage meltdown during the 2007-2008 financial crisis brought increased scrutiny on the practice of securitization and the transfer of loan servicing obligations. As a result, the cost of loan servicing has increased compared to the levels seen before the crisis, and there is always the potential for more regulation.

Meanwhile, some loan servicers have embraced technology to try to reduce compliance costs and there has also been a refocus by some banks on servicing their own loan portfolio to keep the connection with their retail clients.
Press Release

September 24, 2023 Poe to techies: Work for digital inclusion Sen. Grace Poe said the technology-savvy Filipino youth is in the best position to spearhead the country's digital transformation that leaves no one behind. Speaking before a forum dubbed Tech for Good 2023 at the Asian Institute of Management, Poe said the government can make good use of the zeal and adroitness of the youth to bring digitalization to speed, fullness and relevance. "It's well known that in matters of technology, government tends to fall behind the curve. So, we need brilliant guys like you to bring us up to speed," Poe said. The head of the Senate public services committee said the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a social disruption that put to fore the importance of the internet. "The internet and its related technologies have remained a key part of our post-pandemic reality. Digital technology and the business models it enables now define our lives and the choices we make," she said. Citing data from a Temasek and Google study, Poe said the Philippine Digital Economy moved $20 billion worth of merchandise in 2022. And the Bangko Sentral estimates that monthly digital payments have grown fourfold, from 523 million in 2019 to 2.04 billion last year. But Poe stressed technology should go beyond wallet applications. "In fact, tech must contribute to social reform. It must address the inequity of our systems and reevaluate traditional ways of doing things. For digital growth, without digital inclusion, will only deepen the social divide," she said. Despite the technology around, Poe rued that as many as 80% of households are still waiting for an internet connection. "The challenge, therefore, is to use technology for good and to drive equitable growth and national progress in all fields," she said. The young generation can lead the role in the brave new digital world, Poe said, adding that government must play supporting role. "We will work to create an environment which will enable you to lead the mission of digital inclusion," she said. Poe said one area young techies and professionals can help is in modernizing legislation, and in building a legal firewall that she said will not strangle innovation. She cited the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), which is leading the fight against cybercrime. "The CICC is a small fish in a big pond. Their 320 million proposed budget, which has zero confidential funds, is a drop in the government coffers. They have a staff complement of only 53 individuals, one of whom is the only certified chief information security officer," she said. "And yet this small agency is leading the fight against cybercriminals. Just last year, they helped arrest three members of a foreign terrorist group. They raided a cyberscam den, which netted 800 computers, 2,000 mobile phones, and thousands of pre-registered SIM cards," Poe added. "Which goes to show: It really takes only a few good and competent people, to do a lot of good in this world. We will work on giving this agency what they need to succeed," Poe said. Poe vowed to continue pushing for legislative initiatives to boost digitalization like her bill on E-Government Services Act, which mandates the use of Information Communication Technology to enhance the delivery of government services. It will also mandate the formulation of an "E-Government Master Plan". Poe also filed the Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Act, which if passed will provide a framework for ensuring the security and reliability of the country's digital ecosystem. She said the proposed law would create a legal and digital firewall against those who would abuse technology.
A Buffalo man who engaged in sexually explicit communications with someone he thought was a 13-year-old girl and then drove to Rochester to have sex, has been sentenced to six years in prison, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced.

U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci Jr. handed down the penalty for Mohammed Uddin, 36, who was convicted of attempted receipt of child pornography.

Prosecutors said Uddin had online and text conversations for about three weeks with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.

According to prosecutors, he sent pornography, talked about virginity, discussed having sexual relations and tried to have sexually explicit photos and videos of the girl sent to him.

After planning to meet the girl at her home in Rochester for sex, he drove there on Aug. 18, 2022, and was taken into custody. Investigators seized his cellphone and candy that he had purchased as a gift.

The case was investigated by the FBIs Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force and the Monroe County Sheriffs Office.

- Dale Anderson
A British man who won 1.7 million from major bookmaker Betfred in 2018 only to be denied his winnings is seeking a summary judgment in the High Court, saying the two and a half years after his big win have felt like hell on earth.

Andy Green from Lincolnshire said he hit a jackpot playing Frankie Dettoris Magic Seven Blackjackwith Betfred in January 2018.

After a long playing session on his phone, Mr. Greens online account was credited with a win exceeding 1.7 million, but when he tried to withdraw the money he had his request denied.

Playtech, Betfred Sign Four-Year Casino, Live Casino, Bingo, Poker Content Delivery Deal

The gambler placed several more bets with his winnings and took a screenshot to prove that he was not able to withdraw the rest. A Betfred director reached out to Mr. Green and told him that the bookmaker rejected his claim to the win saying it was the result of a software glitch.

According to Betfreds terms and conditions, a document spanning 49 pages, which Mr. Green had ticked when he had opened his account with the operator, it has the right to void all pays and playsin the event of a malfunction.Betfred pointed out that by ticking the box, Mr. Green had agreed to that. However, the gamblers lawyers claim otherwise.

Betfred Did Not Produce Evidence to Prove Software Error

Mr. Greens solicitor, Peter Coyle, said that although the bookmakers T&Cs are incredibly complicated and span across numerous different documents, we are confident that, on their proper construction, the terms simply dont allow for Betfred to withhold payment.

When he tried to claim his winnings, Mr. Green was offered instead a 30,000payment as a token of goodwillas long as he agreed not to talk about the incident. Mr. Green refused that offer and the bookmaker increased it to 60,000, which he also refused.

Mr. Green said that you wouldnt treat an animal like Ive been treated by Betfredand that the last two and a have years since he won the big prize but could not collect it have felt like hell on earth.

Betfred licenses online casino games from Playtech. The major gambling provider has refused to confirm the nature of the software malfunction that prevented Mr. Green from being paid out his winnings.

Under UK gambling law, Playtech was obligated to inform the Gambling Commission about the incident. Mr. Greens solicitor said that the description of the incident that Playtech provided was only four lines long and did not really specify the nature of the glitch.

Mr. Coyle went on that despite his repeated requests, Betfred and Playtech failed to prove there was any malfunction at all.

Mr. Green is suing Betfred for 2 million,including the interest he would have accumulated from his 2018 win. His legal team is seeking a summary judgment from the High Court, which means that a judge could rule on the case without a trial. At this point, the judge has a reserved judgment, which means that they could rule in Mr. Greens favor without a trial, rule in Betfreds favor without a trial, or order a trial at a later stage.

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Young ethnic Yi people recite the poem "Leopard." Photo: Courtesy of the Daliangshan International Theatre Festival



Ethnic Yi people perform the song collection "Going to the Market." Photos: Courtesy of the Daliangshan International Theatre Festival

Featuring elements such as clothing with accentuated shoulder pads, sheepskin drums, fire worship, and yueqin (a moon-shaped string instrument), an international theater festival that originated from deep in the mountains of Southwest China hopes to introduce China's ethnic groups to the world.After years of obstacles created by the pandemic pushed it online, the Daliangshan International Theatre Festival returned to an in-person event on November 11. With vigorous mountains as the theater's background and a steep valley as seats for the audience, the theater festival aims to shine a light on 14 ethnic groups in Southwest China's Sichuan Province through drama performances aimed at audiences from home and abroad.The mountainous Daliangshan region is home to dozens of ethnic groups. The Daliangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture in particular is a core region for the Yi ethnic group. Over 2,000 years ago, this region gave birth to one of the most ancient calendars in China, the Yi ethnic group's traditional 10-month solar calendar.The 2022 festival was unveiled with a recitation of Yi poet Jidimajia's symphonic poem "A Welcome Speech to the World."In the center of a round wooden stage in the valley, a man dressed in traditional Yi clothing and holding a lamp, walked out of doorway shaped like the Yi totem that represents life and birth and began reciting the poem. The music from a symphony orchestra combined with the original poem reverberated throughout the valley in a true testament to the ethnic group's originality.In addition, modern drama and foreign plays will also be displayed during the festival, including a Chinese version of the Italian opera Turandot and a production of Hamlet by the Xi'an Theater, showing a fusion of ancient and modern art."The theater festival here has made the place more alive. I hope the place can become the next international theater just like the Festival d'Avignon," said Flora Boillot from the Consulate General of the Republic of France in Chengdu, Sichuan.In 2019, to boost the cultural and creative industry in Daliangshan, the local government invited 25 well-known artists from around the world to found the theater festival.Taking advantage of the region's natural geography, the Daliangshan International Theater Festival was launched four years ago."In the past few years, great changes that have taken place in Daliangshan have also brought inexhaustible inspiration to artists. From operas that tell the story of Daliangshan's poverty alleviation to dramas that reflect the original ecological environment of the ethnic Yi people, artists have burst into vigorous creativity. Holding a theater festival here has given Daliangshan a chance to see the world, while attracting the world's attention here," a representative from the Daliangshan Culture and Tourism Investment Group said.The dramas and shows at the festival have showcased the central government's poverty alleviation efforts. Hear Suoma, a drama inspired by the people living in the region's "cliff village" and how a government campaign helped lift them out of poverty, is being staged at the festival to help more people to learn about the touching stories that have taken place in the region.
bobby casino promo codeshows grade level based on the word's complexity. decongestive [ dee-kuhn-jes-tiv ]/ di knds tv / 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-kuhn-jes-tiv ]/ di knds tv /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

adjective Medicine/Medical.relieving or tending to relieve congestion.

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How to use in a sentence It is incorrect to ascribe decongestive or anticongestive action in the true sense to Atophan (cinchophen). The Propaganda for Reform in Proprietary Medicines, Vol. 2 of 2|Various

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decision support system New Word List Save This circus circus reno special predictzWord! Save ThisWord!

nouna system in which one or more computers and computer programs assist in decision-making by providing information

Words nearby decision support system

How to use in a sentence Unless there is a court decision that changes our law, we are OK. Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST I do not support gay marriages being recognized in Florida, he wrote Andrew Walther of Sanford. Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Jeb Bushs Unseen Anti-Gay Marriage Emails|Jackie Kucinich|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST Other major news outlets made the same decision, hiding behind a misplaced sense of multicultural sensitivity. Why We Stand With Charlie HebdoAnd You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Why We Stand With Charlie HebdoAnd You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST If the Israel model ban were directed towards disordered eating, Ravin says she would support it whole-heartedly. How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans Underweight Models|Carrie Arnold|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST The decision not to run the cartoons is motivated by nothing more than fear: either fear of offending or fear of retaliation. Why We Stand With Charlie HebdoAnd You Should Too|John Avlon|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

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Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings. The reformers of the earlier period were not indifferent to the need for centralized organization in the banking system. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

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Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu Aguinaldo withheld his decision until Paterno could report to him the definite opinions of his generals. The Philippine Islands|John Foreman

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondecinormal, decipher, decision, decision-making, decision procedure, decision support system, decision table, decision theory, decision tree, decisive, decisivelyCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Aqua regia is an extremely corrosive mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acid, used as an etchant, for some analytical chemistry procedures, and to refine gold. Aqua regia dissolves gold, platinum, and palladium, but not the other noble metals. Here's what you need to know to prepare aqua regia and use it safely.

Fast Facts: Aqua Regia

Aqua regia is a corrosive acid mixture made by combining nitric acid and hydrochloric acid.

The usual ratio of acids is 3 parts hydrochloric acid to 1 part nitric acid.

When mixing the acids, it is important to add the nitric acid to the hydrochloric acid and not the other way around.

Aqua regia is used to dissolve gold, platinum, and palladium.

The acid mixture is unstable, so it is usually prepared in small amounts and used immediately.

Reaction to Make Aqua Regia

Here is what happens when nitric acid and hydrochloric acid are mixed:

HNO 3 (aq) + 3HCl (aq)  NOCl (g) + 2H 2 O (l) + Cl 2 (g)

Over time, nitrosyl chloride (NOCl) will decompose into chlorine gas and nitric oxide (NO). Nitric acid auto-oxidizes into nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ):

2NOCl (g)  2NO (g) + Cl 2 (g)

2NO (g) + O 2 (g)  2NO 2 (g)

Nitric acid (HNO 3 ), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and aqua regia are strong acids. Chlorine (Cl 2 ), nitric oxide (NO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) are toxic.

Aqua Regia Safety

Aqua regia preparation involves mixing strong acids. The reaction produces heat and evolves poisonous vapors, so it's important to follow safety protocols when making and using this solution:

Make and use aqua regia solution inside a fume hood, with the sash down as much as is practical to contain the vapors and protect against injury in case of splashing or glassware breakage.

Prepare the minimum volume needed for your application.

Make sure your glassware is clean. In particular, you don't want any organic contaminants because they can produce a vigorous or violent reaction. Avoid using any glassware that may be contaminated with a chemical containing a C-H bond. Do not use the finished solution on any material containing an organic.

Wear safety goggles.

Wear a lab coat.

Wear gloves.

If you get drops of any of the strong acids on your skin, wipe them off immediately and rinse with lots of water. If you spill acid on clothing, remove it immediately. In the case of inhalation, move immediately to fresh air. Use the eyewash and seek emergency medical attention in case of eye contact. In the case of ingestion, rinse the mouth with water and do not induce vomiting.

Neutralize any spills with sodium bicarbonate or similar compound. Remember, it's best to neutralize a strong acid with a weak base and not a strong base.

Prepare Aqua Regia Solution

The usual molarratio between concentrated hydrochloric acid and concentrated nitric acid is HCl:HNO 3 of 3:1. Keep in mind, concentrated HCl is about 35%, while concentrated HNO 3 is about 65%, so the volumeratio is usually 4 parts concentrated hydrochloric acid to 1 part concentrated nitric acid. A typical total final volume for most applications is only 10 milliliters. It's unusual to mix up a large volume of aqua regia. Add the nitric acid to the hydrochloric acid. Do not add hydrochloric to nitric! The resulting solution with be a fuming red or yellow liquid. It will smell strongly of chlorine (although your fume hood should protect you from this). Dispose of leftover aqua regia by pouring it over a large amount of ice. This mixture may be neutralized with a saturated sodium bicarbonate solution or 10% sodium hydroxide. The neutralized solution may then be safely poured down the drain. The exception is used solution that contains heavy metals. A heavy metal-contaminated solution needs to be disposed of according to your local regulations. Once you have prepared aqua regia, it should be used when it's fresh. Keep the solution in a cool location. Do not store the solution for an extended length of time because it becomes unstable. Never store stoppered aqua regia because pressure build-up could break the container.

Another potent acid solution is called "chemical piranha." If aqua regia isn't suitable for your needs, piranha solution may be what you need.
NEW YORK  Thefree cryptocurrency api man who had to clean up the mess at Enron says the situation at FTX is even worse, describing what he calls a complete failure of corporate control.

The filing by John Ray III, the new CEO of the bankrupt cryptocurrency firm, lays out a damning description of FTXs operations under its founder Sam Bankman-Fried, from a lack of security controls to business funds being used to buy employees homes and luxuries.

Never in my career have I seen such a complete failure of corporate controls and such a complete absence of trustworthy financial information as occurred here, Ray said. From compromised systems integrity and faulty regulatory oversight abroad, to the concentration of control in the hands of a very small group of inexperienced, unsophisticated and potentially compromised individuals, this situation is unprecedented.

Ray was appointed CEO on November 11, after the company was near collapse and its previous management sought legal counsel on what to do next. Bankman-Fried was persuaded to give up control of the company by his lawyers as well as his father, Joseph Bankman, a professor at Stanford Law School, according to Thursdays filing.

Since his resignation, Bankman-Fried has sought out news outlets for interviews and has been active on Twitter trying to explain himself and the firms failure.

Read More: Crypto Is Crashing. This Time, Blame FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried

In an interview with the online news outlet Vox, Bankman-Fried admitted that his previous calls for regulation of cryptocurrencies were mostly for public relations.

Regulators, they make everything worse, Bankman-Fried said, using an expletive for emphasis.

In a terse statement, Ray said that Bankman-Frieds statements have been erratic and misleading and Bankman-Fried is not employed by the Debtors and does not speak for them.

Ray noted that many of the companies in the FTX Group, particularly those in Antigua and the Bahamas, didnt have appropriate corporate governance and many had never held a board meeting. Ray also addressed the use of corporate funds to pay for homes and other items for employees.

In the Bahamas, I understand that corporate funds of the FTX Group were used to purchase homes and other personal items for employees and advisors. I understand that there does not appear to be documentation for certain of these transactions as loans, and that certain real estate was recorded in the personal name of these employees and advisors on the records of the Bahamas, he said.

So far, debtors have found and secured only a fraction of the groups digital assets that they hope to recover, with about $740 million of cryptocurrency secured in new cold wallets, which is a way of holding cryptocurrency tokens offline, said Ray.

Ray was named CEO of FTX less than a week ago when the company filed for bankruptcy protection and its CEO and founder Bankman-Fried resigned. The embattled cryptocurrency exchange, short billions of dollars, sought bankruptcy protection after the exchange experienced the crypto equivalent of a bank run.

In its bankruptcy filing, FTX listed more than 130 affiliated companies around the globe. The company valued its assets between $10 billion to $50 billion, with a similar estimate for its liabilities.

Bankman-Fried was recently estimated to be worth $23 billion. His net worth has all but evaporated, according to Forbes and Bloomberg, which closely track the net worth of the worlds richest people.

FTXs failure goes beyond finance. The company had major sports sponsorships as well, including Formula One racing and a sponsorship deal with Major League Baseball. Miami-Dade County decided Friday to terminate its relationship with FTX, meaning the venue where the Miami Heat play will no longer be known as FTX Arena. Mercedes was planning to remove FTX from its race cars starting last weekend.
What Is Property Management?poker set shopee 7 and 11 in craps

Property management is the daily oversight of residential, commercial, or industrial real estate by a third-party contractor. Generally, property managers take responsibility for day-to-day repairs and ongoing maintenance, security, and upkeep of properties. They usually work for the owners of investment properties such as apartment and condominium complexes, private home communities, shopping centers, and industrial parks.

Their main roles are to manage routine tasks delegated to them by the owners and to preserve the value of the properties they manage while generating income.

Key Takeaways

Property management is the oversight of real estate by a third party.

Property managers can manage various types of property: residential, commercial, industrial, and property for special purposes.

Property managers are generally responsible for the day-to-day operations of the real estate, from screening tenants to arranging for repairs and maintenance.

Owners pay property managers a fee or a percentage of the rent generated by the property.

Every state has its own laws regulating the activities of property managers.

Understanding Property Management

Property developers generally want to move on to the next project as soon as each one is completed. Even if they continue to hold title to the property, they prefer to delegate the day-to-day operations to an outside company.

The responsibilities of a property manager generally involve the following:

Screening potential tenants

Drafting, signing, and renewing leases on behalf of property owners

Collecting rent

Maintaining properties including landscaping and snow removal

Arranging for necessary repairs to properties

Setting up and adhering to budgets for property maintenance

Understanding state and national landlord-tenant laws and regulations

Marketing properties

Supervising other employees

Handling taxes

The companies must comply with any state and local landlord-tenant laws and regulations.

Owners pay property managers a fee or a percentage of the rent generated by a property while it is under their management.

Types of Property Management

Just as property comes in many types, so do property managers. Some firms are specialized in providing management for a particular type of property, others offer management services over a range of property types. A huge range of property types can be managed.

Residential Property Management

Residential property managers are typically hired for rental properties, and manage the rental process. They can be hired to manage:

Single-family homes

Vacation rentals

Multi-family homes

Townhouses

Condominiums

Apartments

Manufactured homes

REO properties

Commercial Property Management

Commercial property owners have different needs from those who own residential property. Commercial property management can apply to:

Public accommodations like hotels

Retail properties like malls, restaurants, and gas stations

Office properties like real estate brokerages or doctors offices

Co-working spaces where professionals rent work space by the day or the hour

Industrial Property Management

Industrial properties that can benefit from management include:

Heavy manufacturing facilities such as automotive plants and steel mills

Light manufacturing factories such as food packaging

Warehouses

Distribution facilities

Special-Purpose Property Management

There are also numerous types of property that don't neatly fit into the categories above, but that require management nonetheless. These include:

Theaters

Sports arenas

Resorts

Senior care facilities

Schools and universities

Places of worship

Who Needs a Property Manager?

Several types of property owners can benefit from the services that property managers offer.

Landlords, for example, hire property management firms for a variety of reasons. Some may have multiple rental properties in their portfolios and lack the time or expertise to maintain the properties and deal with individual tenants. Some owners only have an interest in owning rental properties and earning profits from them. When this is the case, they hire professional property managers. Absentee landlords also make use of property management services. Some property management companies cater to individual landlords who rent out a single property such as a vacation home.

Property owners who participate in affordable housing programs tend to use property management services because their rental properties are subject to complex federal guidelines that require specialized expertise. Certain real estate brokers also operate as property managers. For example, a broker in a resort town may provide buyer and seller agent services as well as property management services. When this is the case, the real estate broker lists, shows, leases, and maintains vacation rentals for a number of property owners.

Property managers are different from community managers, which deal with common areas rather than individual units and don't necessarily deal directly with landlords.

Special Property Management Considerations

Property management licensing requirements vary by state. Most states require property management companies to be licensed by the local real estate board, so property owners need to make sure that the firms they hire are properly licensed.

For instance, property managers in Florida are required to have real estate brokers licenses in order to operate in their states. That's because some of their responsibilities are deemed real estate activity. Holding a real estate broker's license allows property managers to list rental properties in the multiple listing service (MLS) and to market the properties by standard real estate marketing methods. Holding a real estate broker's license also allows the property management company to place a real estate board lockbox on a property's door so that other licensed agents can show the property.

Florida also requires property managers to hold a broker's license if they deal with rentals or leases and receive a commission for their services. Property managers who manage the properties they own in the state, however, don't need a license to do so.

Managers in Massachusetts don't require a broker's license. That's because certain duties considered to be real estate activities, such as listing and leasing properties, may be secondary to the main duties performed by the property manager.

Is a Property Manager Worth It?

It depends. Managing property can be costly, and take a lot of time. If the cost of a property manager is less than the opportunity cost of managing properties yourself, it's probably a good investment. However, this is an equation every investor will have to work through for themselves.

Who Benefits From Hiring a Property Manager?

Any property manager who doesn't want to deal with the day-to-day management of property can potentially benefit from property management. This can include a residential property owner who doesnt want the headaches of dealing with tenants, or commercial property owners who prefer others to source and manage tenants, leases, and maintenance.

Are Property Managers Regulated?

Yes. Property management licensing requirements vary by state, but most states require property management companies to be licensed by the local real estate board. Property owners should make sure that the firms they hire are properly licensed.

The Bottom Line

Property management is the oversight of real estate by a third party, normally a professional property manager or property management company. Property managers can manage many different types of property: residential, commercial, industrial, and property for special purposes.

Property managers are generally responsible for the day-to-day operations of the real estate, from screening tenants to arranging for repairs and maintenance, and are paid via a fee or a percentage of the rent generated by the property. Every state has its own laws regulating the activities of property managers, so it's important that property owners check that potential property managers are properly licensed for their state.
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Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, University of Tennessee at Knoxville

B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Hastings College

Fahrenheit and Celsius are the scales most often used for reporting room, weather, and water temperatures. The Fahrenheit scale is used in the United States, while the Celsius scale is used worldwide.

Indeed, most countries around the world measure their weather and temperatures using the relatively simple Celsius scale. But the United States is one of just a few remaining countries that use Fahrenheit, so it's important for Americans to know how to convert one to the other, especially when traveling or doing scientific research.

Key Takeaways: Fahrenheit to Celsius

Fahrenheit is the common temperature scale in the United States, while Celsius is in use worldwide.

The formula for converting Fahrenheit to Celsius is C = 5/9(F-32).

Fahrenheit and Celsius are the same at -40. At ordinary temperatures, Fahrenheit is a larger number than Celsius. For example, body temperature is 98.6 F or 37 C.

How to Convert Temperatures

First, you need the formula for converting Fahrenheit (F) to Celsius (C):

C = 5/9 x (F-32)

The notation C represents the temperature in Celsius, and F is the temperature in Fahrenheit. After you know the formula, it is easy to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius with these three steps.

Subtract 32 from the Fahrenheit temperature. Multiply this number by five. Divide the result by nine.

For example, suppose the temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit and you want to know what the figure would be in Celsius. Use the above three steps:

80 F  32 = 48 5 x 48 = 240 240 / 9 = 26.7

So the temperature in Celsius is 26.7 C.

Fahrenheit to Celsius Example

If you want to convert a normal human body temperature (98.6 F) to Celsius, plug the Fahrenheit temperature into the formula:

C = 5/9 x (F - 32)

As noted, your starting temperature is 98.6 F. So you would have:

C = 5/9 x (F - 32)

C = 5/9 x (98.6 - 32)

C = 5/9 x (66.6)

C = 37 C

Check your answer to ensure it makes sense. At ordinary temperatures, a Celsius value is always lower than the corresponding Fahrenheit value. Also, it's helpful to keep in mind that the Celsius scale is based on the freezing and boiling points of water, where 0 C is the freezing point and 100 C is the boiling point. On the Fahrenheit scale, water freezes at 32 F and boils at 212 F.

Conversion Shortcut

You often don't need an exact conversion. If you're traveling to Europe, for example, and you know the temperature is 74 F, you might want to know the approximate temperature in Celsius. Here is a quick tip for making an approximate conversion:

Fahrenheit to Celsius: Subtract 30 from the Fahrenheit temperature and then divide by two. So, using the approximation formula:

74 F  30 = 44

44 / 2 = 22 C

(If you go through the previous formula's calculations for the exact temperature, you arrive at 23.3.)

Celsius to Fahrenheit: To reverse the approximation and convert from 22 C to Fahrenheit, multiply by two and add 30. So:

22 C x 2 = 44

44 + 30 = 74 C

Quick Conversion Table

You can save even more time by using predetermined conversions. The Old Farmer's Almanac offers this table for making quick conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

Fahrenheit Celsius -40 F -40 C -30 F -34 C -20 F -29 C -10 F -23 C 0 F -18 C 10 F -12 C 20 F -7 C 32 F 0 C 40 F 4 C 50 F 10 C 60 F 16 C 70 F 21 C 80 F 27 C 90 F 32 C 100 F 38 C

Note how the Fahrenheit and Celsius scales read the same temperature at -40.

Invention of Fahrenheit

While you're mastering these conversions, it might be interesting to learn how the Fahrenheit temperature scale came into existence. The first mercury thermometer was invented by German scientist Daniel Fahrenheit in 1714. His scale divides the freezing and boiling points of water into 180 degrees, with 32 degrees as water's freezing point, and 212 as its boiling point.

On Fahrenheit's scale, zero degrees was determined as the temperature of a temperature-stable brine solution of ice, water, and ammonium chloride. He based the scale on the average temperature of the human body, which he originally calculated at 100 degrees. (As noted, it's since been adjusted to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.)

Fahrenheit was the standard unit of measure in most countries until the 1960s and 1970s when it was replaced with the Celsius scale in a widespread conversion to the more useful metric system. In addition to the United States and its territories, Fahrenheit is still used in the Bahamas, Belize, and the Cayman Islands for most temperature measurements.
With no big winner in Tuesday nights drawing the US Mega Millions jackpot is still in record territory and could award the second-highest prize ever for the draw at $1.35 Billion on Friday the 13th. Nobody bought a ticket for Tuesdays drawing that matched all six winning numbers including the Mega Ball.

The numbers in Tuesdays drawing were 7, 13, 14, 15, 18, and Mega Ball 9. That jackpot would have been for $1.1 billion if taken as a 30-year annuity. Each time a drawing is held and there is no jackpot winner, the prize grows relative to the number of ticket sales, so its always possible that interest will explode and the prize for a successful ticket could exceed $1.35 billion this weekend.

Its not necessary to pick all 6 numbers to become a millionaire, however, the second-tier prize can award at least a million dollarsand if the optional Megaplier bet is purchased it can become a lot more.

No Big Winner, 16 Millionaires Made

In Tuesday nights drawing, 16 tickets were soldthat were eligible for the second-tier prize of $1 million to $3 million.

If a single ticket is sold for Fridays drawing with all 6 numbers matching, its cash value would be about $708 million  most winners take the cash option rather than 1/30th of the advertised value per year for 30 years.

Even if no winning jackpot ticket is sold for Fridays drawing, and the prize is rolled over again, its only possible but not likely that the jackpot will reach number one territoryon Tuesday. The all-time Mega Millions record jackpot is currently $1.537 billion, so ticket sales would need to nearly double between this week and Tuesday in order to beat that number.

The record $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot record was won in South Carolina in 2018.

Friday the 13th Will Be Somebodys Lucky Day  But How Lucky?

Remember, the game made 16 millionaires on Tuesday night and its bound to provide similar results to a handful of lucky players on Friday. But will a jackpot ticket be sold? Theres no way to know!

The lottery said in a news release early Wednesday, While many consider Friday the 13th an unlucky day, it has been rewarding for Mega Millions players over the years, with six previous jackpots won on such a day. Theres a chance for another this Friday, and its a big one!

According to CNN, Michigan has been the state to producethe most Friday the 13th drawing winners. Four jackpots were won in the state in 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2017, with the most recent one, in 2017, shared with a Rhode Island winner.

Other jackpots won on Friday the 13thwere in New York in 2009 and in Ohio in 2015.

The last Mega Millions jackpot was won for $502 million on October 14  Friday will be almost three months to the day without a jackpot winner.

And while 16 tickets were sold for Tuesdays drawing worth at least a million dollars, there have actually been 68 millionaires made by Mega Millions in those three months.

More Than One Way to Skin a Cat

Mega Millions tickets are sold at retail kiosks and over the counter in 45 states, as well as the District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands.

You still have a shot at becoming a Mega Million billionaire, and you dont have to live in one of the retail states to play. Trusted online concierge services, sometimes known as lottery messenger services can pick up a ticket for you, as one did for an Iraqi man a few years ago. The messenger service flew him to lottery headquarters in Oregon and saw that he was paid.

Other online lottery models exist as well as such as bookie models and insurance models wherein customers simply bet on the odds, not the actual lottery draw itself.

The largest lottery jackpot ever paid in the U.S. was from a single winning Powerball ticket sold in November worth $2.04 billion.

Source: Mega Millions jackpot soars to $1.35 billion  2nd largest in history  after no winner claimed Tuesdays prize, CNN, January 11, 2023
bet365 quora gaa all star bettingshows grade level based on the word's complexity. dancehall [ dans-hawl, dahns- ]/ dnshl, dns- / 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.[ dans-hawl, dahns- ]/ dnshl, dns- /Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounragga.

Words related to dancehall dancehall/ (dnshl) / nouna style of dance-oriented reggae, originating in the late 1980s 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 dance hallAn Americanism dating back to 185560Dictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
A Buffalo man with four previous felony convictions has pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges, U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced.

Ivan Morales, 48, entered his plea before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra Jr. to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms.

He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life and an $8 million fine when he returns Jan. 16 for sentencing.

Prosecutors said a search warrant was executed Oct. 13, 2022, at Morales residence on Ideal Street and officers seized suspected marijuana, a digital scale and about $2,546 in cash.

Another search of an apartment associated with Morales on Shanley Street turned up about 1.5 kilograms of cocaine, suspected MDMA pills, eight firearms, ammunition and 250 $100 bills, prosecutors added.

Ross noted that Morales had been convicted on felony charges in state and federal courts in 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2020 and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.

- Dale Anderson
What Are Contingent Convertibles (CoCos)?365 poker login spin247 free spins

Contingent convertibles (CoCos) are debt instruments primarily issued by European financial institutions. Contingent convertibles work in a fashion similar to traditional convertible bonds. They have a specific strike price that, once breached, can convert the bond into equity or stock. The primary investors for CoCos are individual investors in Europe and Asia and private banks.

CoCos are high-yield, high-risk products popular in European investing. Another name for these investments is an enhanced capital note (ECN). The hybrid debt securities carry specialized options that help the issuing financial institution absorb a capital loss.

In the banking industry, their use helps to shore up a bank's balance sheets by allowing it to convert its debt to stock if specific capital conditions arise. Contingent convertibles were created to help undercapitalized banks and prevent another financial crisis like the 2007-2008 global financial crisis.

The use of CoCos has not been introduced in the U.S. banking industry. Instead, American banks issue preferred shares of equity.

Key Takeaways

Contingent convertibles (CoCos) have a strike price, where the bond converts into stock.

Contingent convertibles are used in the banking industry to shore up banks' Tier 1 balance sheets.

A bank struggling financially does not have to repay the bond, make interest payments, or convert the bond to stock.

Investors receive interest payments that are typically much higher than traditional bonds.

Contingent Convertibles (Cocos)

Understanding Contingent Convertibles

1:07

There is a significant difference between bank-issued contingent convertibles and regular or plain vanilla convertible debt issues. Convertible bonds have bond-like characteristics, paying a regular rate of interest, and have seniority in the case of the underlying business defaulting or not paying its debts. These debt securities also let the bondholder convert the debt holding into common shares at a specified strike price, giving them share price appreciation. The strike price is a specific stock price level that needs to be triggered for the conversion to occur. Investors can benefit from convertible bonds since the bonds can be converted to stock when the company's stock price is appreciating. The convertible feature allows investors to enjoy both, the benefits of bonds with their fixed interest rate, and the potential for capital appreciation from a rising stock price.

Contingent convertibles expand on the concept of convertible bonds by modifying the conversion terms. As with other debt securities, investors receive periodic, fixed-interest payments during the life of the bond. Like convertible bonds, these subordinated, bank-issued debts contain specific triggers that detail the conversion of debt holdings into common stock. The trigger can take several forms, including the underlying shares of the institution reaching a specified level, the bank's requirement to meet regulatory capital requirements, or the demand of managerial or supervisory authority.

Brief Background of CoCos

Contingent convertibles became popular in the investing scene to aid financial institutions in meeting the Basel III capital requirements. Basel III is a regulatory accord outlining a set of minimum standards for the banking industry. The goal was to improve the supervision, risk management, and regulatory framework of the critical financial sector.

As part of the standards, a bank must maintain enough capital or money to be able to withstand a financial crisis and absorb unexpected losses from loans and investments. The Basel III framework tightened the capital requirements by limiting the kind of capital a bank may include in its various capital tiers and structures.

One type of bank capital is Tier 1 capitalthe highest-rated capital available to offset bad loans on the institution's balance sheet. Tier 1 capital includes retained earningsan accumulated account of profitsas well as common stock shares. Banks issue shares to investors to raise funding for their operations and to offset bad debt losses.

Contingent convertibles act as additional Tier 1 capital allowing European banks to meet the Basel III requirements. These convertible debt vehicles allow a bank to absorb the loss of underwriting bad loans or other financial industry stress.

Banks and Contingent Convertibles

Banks use contingent convertibles differently than corporations use convertible bonds. Banks have their own set of parameters that warrant the bond's conversion to stock. The triggering event for CoCos can be the bank's value of Tier 1 capital, the judgment of supervisory authority, or the value of the bank's underlying stock shares. Also, a single CoCo can have several triggering factors.

Banks absorb financial loss through CoCo bonds. Instead of converting bonds to common shares based solely on stock price appreciation, investors in CoCos agree to take equity in exchange for the regular income from the debt when the bank's capital ratio falls below regulatory standards. However, the stock price might not be rising but falling instead. If the bank is having financial difficulty and needs capital, this is reflected in the value of its shares. As a result, a CoCo can lead to investors having their bonds converted to equity while the stock's price is declining, putting investors at risk for losses.

Benefits of Contingent Convertibles for Banks

Contingent convertible bonds are an ideal product for undercapitalized banks in markets across the globe since they come with an embedded option that allows banks to meet capital requirements and limit capital distributions at the same time.

The issuing bank benefits from the CoCo by raising capital from the bond issue. However, if the bank has underwritten many bad loans, it may fall below its Basel Tier I capital requirements. In this case, the CoCo carries a stipulation that the bank doesn't have to pay periodic interest payments, and may even write down the full debt to satisfy Tier 1 requirements.

When the bank converts the CoCo to shares, it may move the value of the debt from the liability side of its balance sheet. This bookkeeping change allows the bank to underwrite additional loans.

The debt has no end date when the principal must return to investors. If the bank falls into financial hardship, it can postpone the payment of interest, force a conversion to equity, or in dire situations, write the debt down to zero.

Benefits and Risks for Investors

Due to their high yield in a world of safer, lower-yielding products, the popularity of contingent convertibles has grown. This growth has led to added stability and capital inflow for the banks that issue them. Many investors buy in the hope that the bank will one day redeem the debt by buying it back, and until they do, they will pocket the high returns along with the higher-than-average risk.

Investors receive common shares at a conversion rate set by the bank. The financial institution may define the share conversion price at the same value as when the debt was issued, the market price at conversion, or any other desired price level. One downside of share conversion is that the share price will be diluted, further reducing the earnings per share ratio.

Also, there's no guarantee the CoCo will ever be converted to equity or fully redeemed, meaning the investor could be holding the CoCo for years. Regulators that allow banks to issue CoCos want their banks to be well-capitalized and as a result, may make selling or unwinding a CoCo position quite difficult for investors. Investors may have difficulty selling their position in CoCos if regulators do not allow the sale.

European banks can raise Tier 1 capital by issuing CoCo bonds.

If necessary, the bank can postpone interest payment or may write down the debt to zero.

Investors receive periodic high-yield interest payments above most other bonds.

If a CoCo is triggered by a higher stock price, investors receive share appreciation.

Investors bear the risks and have little control if the bonds are converted to stock.

Bank-issued CoCos converted to stock will likely result in investors receiving shares as the stock price is declining.

Investors may have difficulty selling their position in CoCos if regulators do not allow the sale.

Banks and corporations that issue CoCos have to pay a higher interest rate than with traditional bonds.

Real-World Example of a Contingent Convertible

ProsCons

As an example, let's say Deutsche Bank issued contingent convertibles with a trigger set to core Tier 1 capital instead of a strike price. If Tier 1 capital falls below 5%, the convertibles automatically convert to equity, and the bank improves its capital ratios by removing the bond debt off its balance sheet.

An investor owns a CoCo with a $1,000 face value that pays 8% per year in interestthe bondholder receives $80 per year. The stock trades at $100 per share when the bank reports widespread loan losses. The bank's Tier 1 capital falls below the 5% level, which triggers the CoCos to be converted to stock.

Let's say the conversion ratio allows the investor to receive 25 shares of the bank's stock for the $1,000 investment in the CoCo. However, the stock has steadily declined from $100 to $40 over the past several weeks. The 25 shares are worth $1,000 at $40 per share, but the investor decides to hold the stock, and the next day, the price declines to $30 per share. The 25 shares are now worth $750, and the investor has lost 25%.

It's important that investors who hold CoCo bonds weigh the risk that if the bond is converted, they may need to act quickly. Otherwise, they may experience significant losses. As stated earlier, when the CoCo trigger occurs, it may not be an ideal time to purchase the stock.
What Is a Bail Bond?casino mate mobile app

A bail bond is an agreement by a criminal defendant to appear for trial or pay a sum of money set by the court. The bail bond is cosigned by a bail bondsman, who charges the defendant a fee in return for guaranteeing the payment.

The bail bond is a type of surety bond.

The commercial bail bond system exists only in the United States and the Philippines. In other countries, bail may entail a set of restrictions and conditions placed on criminal defendants in return for their release until their trial dates.

Key Takeaways

A bail bond cosigned by a bail bondsmen is posted by a defendant in lieu of full payment of the bail set by the court.

The bail bond serves as surety that the defendant will appear for trial.

Judges typically have wide latitude in setting bail amounts.

Bail bondsmen generally charge 10% of the bail amount up front in return for their service and may charge additional fees. Some states have put a cap of 8% on the amount charged.

The bail system is widely viewed as discriminatory to low-income defendant and contributing to the mass-incarceration of young African-American men.

How a Bail Bond Works

A person who is charged with a crime is typically given a bail hearing before a judge. The amount of the bail is at the judge's discretion. A judge may deny bail altogether or set it at an astronomical level if the defendant is charged with a violent crime or appears likely to be a flight risk.

Judges generally have wide latitude in setting bail amounts, and typical amounts vary by jurisdiction. A defendant charged with a nonviolent misdemeanor could see bail set at $500. Felony crime charges have correspondingly high bail, with $20,000 or more not uncommon.



The commercial bail bond system exists only in the United States and the Philippines.

Once the amount of the bail is set, the defendant's choices are to remain in jail until the charges are resolved at trial, to arrange for a bail bond, or to pay the bail amount in full until the case is resolved. In the last instance, courts in some jurisdictions accept title to a home or other collateral of value in lieu of cash.

Bail bondsmen, also called bail bond agents, provide written agreements to criminal courts to pay the bail in full if the defendants whose appearances they guarantee fail to appear on their trial dates.

Bail bondsmen generally charge 10% of the bail amount up front in return for their service and may charge additional fees. Some states have put a cap of 8% on the amount charged.

The agent may also require a statement of creditworthiness or may demand that the defendant turn over collateral in the form of property or securities. Bail bondsmen generally accept most property of value, including cars, jewelry, and houses as well as stocks and bonds.

Once the bail or bail bond is delivered, the defendant is released until trial.

The Disadvantages of the Bail Bond System

The bail bond system has become part of the larger debate over mass incarceration, especially of young African-American men, in the U.S.

The bail bond system is considered by many even in the legal profession to be discriminatory, as it requires low-income defendants to stay in jail or scrape together a 10% cash fee and the rest of the bail-in collateraleven before they stand trial for any crime. PrisonPolicy.org says that about 536,000 people are being held in jails in the U.S. because they cannot afford bail or a bail bondsman's services.

Four statesIllinois, Kentucky, Oregon, and Wisconsinhave outlawed bail bondsmen and instead require a 10% deposit on the bail amount to be lodged with the court. In 2018, California voted to eliminate cash bail requirements from its court system.

Bail Bond Example

Suppose that New York resident Melissa has broken the law, and the court has set her bail at $25,000. Although Melissa doesn't want to stay in jail while her court case is being reviewed, she doesn't have the $25,000 in cash. As such, Melissa decides to reach out to a bail bondsman in order to post a bail bond.

In return for their services, the bondsman is paid 10% of the bond, or $2,500. For the remaining $22,500, the bondsman secures an equivalent amount in collateral from Melissa or someone in her family. Melissa complies with the court's requirements and shows up to her court dates, so she receives the $22,500 in collateral back at the end of the trial, $2,500 less than what she would have received had she paid the bail herself.



What Can Be Used as Collateral for a Bail Bond?

Bail bondsmen accept various forms of collateral, including real estate, cars, credit cards, stocks, bonds, and jewelry.

What Happens if I Cannot Post Bail?

Unfortunately, if you are unable to pose bail, you will likely remain in jail until after your case is resolved.

Will I Get My Bail Money Back?

That depends. In New York, for example, the bail money will be returned at the end of your case if you make all of your court appearances. If you are found not guilty or if your case is dismissed, you will get 100% of the bail money back. However, if you are convicted, it will be returned less a 3% fee. Additionally, you must make allof your court appearances or else you may forfeit your bail.
Americas third pandemic Thanksgiving may feel like the most normal holiday gathering in a while. AAA expects travel over the long weekend to reach 98% pre-pandemic levels,play 21 free super bowl moneyline with an estimated 54.6 million people driving and flying to see loved ones. In fact, 2022 is on track to be the third busiest Thanksgiving since AAA started tracking these travel numbers in 2000.

At the beginning of the pandemic, celebrating Thanksgiving meant either virtual or very small in-person gatherings. Now that COVID-19 vaccines and medications are available, it makes it easier to see more family, which is a beautiful thing, says Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergy and immunology specialist at the Chicago Allergy Center and a national spokesperson for the American Lung Association. But that doesnt mean you shouldnt do your best to keep everyone safe this yearparticularly since this Thanksgiving comes amid a new set of Omicron subvariants, a heavy flu season, and high RSV infection rates among children and older adults.

Mora tells TIME how shes approaching this holiday season. Im trying to follow exactly what Im telling patients, she explains. Our precautions should revolve around the most vulnerable person thats going to be at our Thanksgiving table: so that grandparent whos having chemotherapy, that parent with diabetes, or a child who has asthma, or that brand-new baby.

For Moras family, their precautions revolve around my dad whos 76. Hes pretty healthy, but we want to make sure to keep him healthy. The first step is to make sure everyone is up-to-date with their shots. Im the type of doctor thats very proactive with her family, says Mora, which means she makes sure everyones flu vaccinated and has COVID-19 updated boosters, including the kids.

Read More: Cold Weather Can Be Dangerous for the Human Body. This Winter Worries Experts

Moras sister and her children will be visiting from California, and will have gotten their shots before traveling. Shes asking that all her family members wear a mask while traveling: Mask on the plane, mask at the airport, mask at the train station, mask on the train as well, because all of that is going to be key in keeping our family members safe.

Donald Milton, professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Maryland, is also hosting family this year who are traveling, and they are taking a similar approach. We consistently use N95s when in public places with possible close contact and/or low indoor air quality, he says. On top of this, we will use HEPA filters and DIY Corsi-Rosenthal boxes to reduce risk of transmitting COVID and flu, he says, adding that everyone, including the 8-month old grandchild, has been vaccinated and boosted multiple times when eligible.

Those gathering for Moras Thanksgiving will also be doing a mini quarantine in the week leading up to Thanksgiving dinner, she says; this means trying to limit the amount of people that theyre in contact with. So no big events. Trying not to go to bars, not going to restaurants, shopping at the grocery store when theres not going to be a lot of people, Mora explains. Im a 7 A.M. grocery shopping kind of girl.

Then, on the day prior to gathering, everyone will take a COVID-19 rapid test, says Mora. The same goes for Miltons family: We will ask everyone to test on two consecutive days, including the morning of the gathering or prior to arrival and stay away if they have either a positive test or symptoms, he says.

Its also worth taking a few additional precautions once the holiday is over. Mora recommends wearing a mask for a week afterwards if it was a big family reunion or family festivity, just to make sure that nobody unwittingly spreads viruses. Also, consider doing a rapid test five days after the gathering or if people start feeling sick. Taking all these precautions to minimize the risk of infection will be key, she says, to getting throughand enjoyingthe holidays.
Exact Rhyme Definition

Exact rhyme is crazy time rtpa poetic device used to repeat the same stressed vowel sounds as well as consonant sounds that follow the vowel. It is used in poems and texts to create musical and pointed effects. Hence, the writers intentionally stress some syllables to emphasize some sounds that appeal to the readers. In this way, a powerful rhythm is created and makes the text enjoyable giving it a unique flow.

Examples of Exact Rhyme from Literature

Example #1

Song of the Witches From Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Double, double toil and trouble;

Fire burn and caldron bubble.

Fillet of a fenny snake,

In the caldron boil and bake;

Eye of newt and toe of frog,

Wool of bat and tongue of dog,

Adders fork and blind-worms sting,

Lizards leg and howlets wing,

Macbeth is one of the most popular compositions in English literature. The song is sung by three witches who are casting a spell on Macbeth. The whole text revolves around their foul play and prophecies. However, Shakespeare has used exact rhyme in the poem to make it appealing to the readers. In the words such as, Trouble/bubble and snake/ bake, one can quickly identify the stressed consonant and vowels sounds at the end of each verse such as the use of /d/ and /b/ sounds in the very first line and again /b/ sound in the second line.

Example #2

Little Bo-Peep by Mother Goose

Little Bo-Peep has lost her sheep,

And cant tell where to find them;

Leave them alone, and theyll come home,

Bringing their tails behind them. Little Bo-Peep fell fast asleep,

And dreamt she heard them bleating;

But when she awoke, she found it a joke,

For they were still all fleeting. Then up she took her little crook,

Determined for to find them;

She found them indeed, but it made her heart bleed,

For theyd left their tails behind them.

Little Bo-Peep, a famous nursery rhyme, comprises the agony and guilt of a young girl who loses her flock of sheep and never meets them again. She finds the tails of her sheep hanging from a tree. This heart-wrenching incident snatches all her joys and leaves her mourning for her beloved flock. There are many examples of exact rhyme in this poem such as Bleating/fleeting, should/could and peep/sleep. It is due to the exact rhyme the poet has given a soft and a lyrical touch to the poem. The use of /b/ and /t/ sounds in the first and then last lines also show the use of consonant sounds to create musical quality.

Example #3

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every days

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

The poem deals with the subject of love and affection. The poet counts how she expresses her love for her beloved. She describes the depth of her love and explains how her love will eventually get better and stronger with time. Also, she believes that the power of love will not vanish but will grow deeper after their death. Elizabeth has used exact rhyme in this poem to give her poetry a more conventional format. For example, height/right, light/right and ways/days where the use of vowel sounds is very much prominent and add musical quality to all the lines.

Example #4

Hush little baby, dont say a word by Mother Goose

Hush little baby, dont say a word,

Papas gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird wont sing,

Papas gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns to brass,

Papas gonna buy you a looking glass. And if that looking glass gets broke,

Papas gonna buy you a billy goat. And if that billy goat wont pull,

Papas gonna buy you a cart and bull.

This famous poem is also a lullaby. It deals with love and attachment of the parents with their children. It is written from the perspective of a mother who tries to console her child and promises that his/her daddy will buy a lot of presents. However, the use of exact rhyme in the text makes it appealing and enjoyable. Also, it allows easy memorization and creates a soothing and musical sound effect when reading out loud.

Functions of Exact Rhyme

Exact rhyme works as a tool that allows the writers to connect certain words in the poem. Its appropriate use gives uniqueness to the text. This conventional style of poetry is widely exercised in childrens literature to make learning fun for them. It also acts as a mnemonic device that can quicken up the memorization process. Additionally, the repetition of the identical sounds strengthens the importance of the ideas presented.

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What Is Good This tiktokleakroom peytonWeek (GTW)?

Good this week (GTW) is a type of order that remains active until the end of the week in which it is issued. If the order is not executed prior to the end of the week, it will be automatically canceled.

Key Takeaways

A good this week (GTW) order is one that expires automatically at the end of the current week.

GTW orders are relatively rare, as they aren't typically offered on discount brokerage platforms.

More common order types include market orders, limit orders, and Good 'Til Canceled (GTC) orders.

Understanding Good This Week (GTW)

A GTW contingency is typically added to a limit or stop order. GTW orders are not commonly found on discount brokerage platforms. Instead, they are typically offered by full-service brokers, which allow greater customization of their clients' trades.

GTW offers a middle-ground between orders that last for the current trading day versus those lasting indefinitely. However, investors who use GTW orders must be mindful to ensure that their order is not out of sync with important events that might affect the price of the security they are trading.

For example, suppose it is Wednesday and the investor believes that a Monday news release will cause a given stock to rise. If the investor wishes to buy the stock before the news is released, they may place a GTW order. The order would then be valid until the end of Friday but would become invalid if it is not executed before the end of that day. If the investor fails to realize that the order was not executed, they may miss out on their anticipated gain the following week.

Most traders are unlikely to have used GTW orders before, since they are not commonly offered by brokers. Instead, most brokers offer market orders, limit orders, and Good 'Til Canceled (GTC) orders. GTC orders are similar to GTW orders, except that they will remain active indefinitely unless they either execute or are canceled by the investor. In our above example, a GTC order may have been beneficial for the investor because the order could have been executed on Monday prior to the news being released.

GTW Example

Suppose you are a stock market investor who buys individual securities using a full-service brokerage account. As a full-service client, you have access to several order types, including market orders, limit orders, GTW orders, and GTC orders.

You are convinced that shares in XYZ Corporation are likely to rise in the near future, based on an anticipated product announcement. You have decided to purchase shares in XYZ in anticipation of this news, but are unsure of the best way to proceed.

Considering your options, you note that a market order would involve specifying how many XYZ shares you wish to purchase and then purchasing the shares at the best available price. However, in the unlikely event that market sentiment suddenly changes around the time that you place your order, you could end up paying significantly more than you expected.

Limit orders, on the other hand, would allow you to specify a maximum price you are willing to pay for the security. On the other hand, that restriction makes it less likely that the order will necessarily be executed.

Lastly, you consider GTW and GTC orders. You remember that GTW orders would act as market orders but would last until the end of the week you place the trade. GTC orders could potentially last even longer because they have no set expiration date at all.

Taking all these facts into account, you decide to place a GTW order and make a note in your calendar to double-check whether the trade has been executed on the last day of this week.
Have you ever been watching a nature show on television and not known the names of some animals? There are millions of different animals, and many of them have their own unique names.

Even some common animals can be confusing. For instance, an opossum and possum. Many people dont know these are actually two different animals. Or, take todays two animals: the hare and the rabbit.

What is the Difference Between Hare and Rabbit?

Sometimes, people use hareand rabbitinterchangeably, and most of the time, it doesnt make a big difference. Both animals are members of the Leporidae family, so they are already relatives. Plus, they share a lot of the same features.

But, it is important in scientific and technical contexts to know the difference because, after all, these are different animal groups.

In this article, I want to comparehare vs. rabbit. Lets take a look at these two animals and see exactly what makes them different.

When to Use Hare

What is a hare? A hare (scientific name Lepus) is a type of large rodent, usually found in grassland or open woodland. The hare species can be found all across the globe, and they are native to Africa, Eurasia, North America, and the Japanese archipelago.

As I mentioned above, the hare and the rabbit share the same family. They are both members of the family Leporidae, but they are different species within that family. Imagine a goat and a sheep. These are both different animals, but they belong to the same family. This is the case with the hare and the rabbit.

Interesting Grammatical Notes on Hares:

A hare less than one year old is called a leveret.

The collective noun for a group of hares is a drove.

Features of the Hare

Going solely on appearance, hares are larger than rabbits, with larger ears and larger hind feet. Depending on the season, the fur on a hare can change color, too. Certain species of hares will change from white fur in the winter to reddish-brown fur in the spring and summer.

Their typical pregnancy lasts 42 days, which is slightly longer than that of a rabbit (30-31 days), but the biggest difference between the two is how they are born.

Newborn hares are born fully developed. They are covered in fur with open eyes.

Newborn rabbits, however, are born undeveloped. They have no fur, their eyes are closed, and they have no ability to regulate their temperature. In biology, this phenomenon of being born undeveloped is known as being born altricial.

The two animals also have different nests. A hare spends its life completely above ground, while rabbits make burrows underground, which is where they have their babies.

When to Use Rabbit

What is a rabbit? A rabbit (scientific name oryctolagus cuniculus) is another type of rodent, usually smaller and more social than a hare.

More than half of the worlds rabbit population can be found in North America, but they are also native to southwestern Europe, Southeast Asia, some islands of Japan, and in parts of Africa and South America.

Interesting Grammatical Notes on Rabbits:

The male is called a buck.

The female is called a doe.

A young rabbit is called a kittenor kit.

The difference between a bunny and a rabbit is informal. Bunnies usually imply a young, small rabbit. See here for a further discussion.

Features of the Rabbit

Unlike the hare, which lives solitarily or in pairs, the rabbit lives in groups, making it a much more social creature. This is probably why people have taken to domesticating rabbits and not hares.

Compared with hares, rabbits are generally physically smaller. They share similar habits, diets, and are also quick breeders. As mentioned above, rabbits dig burrows underground to bear young, and their offspring remain immature for much longer.

Also, the fur of a rabbit stays the same color year round, contrasting with that of a hare.

Bugs Bunny  Rabbit or Hare?

Now that you know the difference between a rabbit and a hare, what is Bugs Bunny? Is this famous cartoon character a hare or a rabbit?

Bugs Bunny claims to be a hare, but he is famous for hiding in his burrows to escape Elmer Fudd, so he appears to have a conflicting story.

Summary

Is it hare or rabbit? A hare and a rabbit are two different kinds of small woodland rodents. They appear superficially similar, but they are different species.

If your writing requires taxonomically precise animal identification, you should be sure to learn the biological differences between these animals.

In most informal situations, though, people will know what you mean if you just use rabbit.

If you still need help, you can always reread this article for a quick refresher of rabbit vs. hare.
decipher

New Word List

Definition of decipher

decipher/ (dsaf) /

verb (tr)to determine the meaning of (something obscure or illegible)to convert from code into plain text; decode

Derived forms of decipher decipherable, adjectivedecipherability, noundecipherer, noundecipherment, noun

Thisshows grade level based on the word's complexity.[ dih-sahy-fer ]/ dsa fr /Save This Word!See synonyms for: decipher / deciphering on Thesaurus.comThis shows grade level based on the word's complexity.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
Floridas Republican Governor Ron DeSantis spa casino near me fanduel spreadssoundly won re-election on Tuesday night, according to the Associated Press, positioning him for potential national ambitions or a future bid for the presidency.

DeSantis faced Democrat Charlie Crist, who himself served as a Republican Governor of Florida from 2007 until 2011. (He became a Democrat in 2012.)

Governor Ron DeSantis speaks during a rally in Miami, Nov. 7, 2022. Andres Kudacki for TIME

A rising star in the GOP, DeSantis defined his first term as governor with resistance to pandemic-era restrictions and brash right-wing stances on Americas culture wars. His funding vastly outpaced Crists, and he focused his campaign on criticizing Democrats for what he described as the woke agenda. Widely considered to be a future Republican presidential contender, the conservative firebrand made headlines this year for his stances on LGBTQ issues, handling of immigration policy, and investigations into alleged voter fraud. He repeatedly drew liberal ire and swallowed media cycle after media cycle, leaving Crist and his moderate approach largely ignored.

While hes been re-elected to another four years in office, it remains unclear if hell serve all of themin a recent debate DeSantis, 44, did not answer when Crist pressed him to commit to a full four-year term rather than run for President in 2024. Former President Donald Trump, a registered Florida voter who is also mulling a presidential bid, told reporters on Tuesday that he had voted for DeSantis re-election, although he had mocked the governor at a rally just days before, potentially teeing up the primary dynamics for next cycle.

Signs for Governor Ron DeSantis are seen near a polling site at the John F. Kennedy Library in Hialeah, Florida, Nov. 8, 2022. Andres Kudacki for TIME

In September, DeSantis found himself in the national spotlight once again for spending taxpayer dollars to relocate about 50 migrants from Texas to Marthas Vineyarda move that came as a shock to the Marthas Vineyard community who didnt initially know who sent them. DeSantis has continued to defend the stunt, describing it as an advertisement that undocumented immigrants arent welcome in Florida.

Ive got enough refugees coming in from blue states fleeing that bad policy, DeSantis joked at an event this weekend, according to the news site Florida Politics.
decd. New Word List Save This learn and earn free cryptoWord! Save ThisWord!

abbreviationdeceased.

Words nearby decd.

British Dictionary definitions for decd.

decd

abbreviation fordeceased

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondecay constant, decay time, Decca, Deccan, deccan hemp, decd., dece, decease, deceased, decedent, decedent estateDictionary.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
A 36-year-old Buffalo man is in critical but stable condition in Erie County Medical Center after he was shot by a police officer during a confrontation early Saturday in the Black Rock neighborhood, Buffalo Police spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge reported.

According to the report, the incident occurred after Northwest District offices responded to call about a suicidal man about 4:20 a.m. in the 500 block of Tonawanda Street, near Hertel Avenue.

DeGeorge said others were in the house as officers approached a man with a gun in an upstairs room and ordered him to put the weapon down.

After the man ignored the order several times, an officer shot him in the shoulder area, DeGeorge said. He noted that the man was holding a pellet rifle during the confrontation.

After a search warrant was issued, detectives said they found numerous illegal firearms in the house. Charges of criminal possession of a weapon are pending against the man, who is in police custody at ECMC.

DeGeorge noted that, in accordance with department policy, the officer involved has been placed on administrative leave pending an Internal Affairs Division investigation of the incident.

- Dale Anderson
decimal currency New Word List Save This best online casinos australia 2020Word! Save ThisWord!

nouna system of currency in which the monetary units are parts or powers of ten

Words nearby decimal currency

How to use in a sentence Then the gift card is shopped online in a gray market to collect cold currency. The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The Insane $11 Billion Scam at Retailers Return Desks|M.L. Nestel|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST Russia depends on oil exports for almost 70 percent of its foreign-currency earnings and almost 50 percent of its annual budget. How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST At currency auctions, it traded at around 64.45 rubles to the dollar and 78.8 to the euro. How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST

How Crimea Crashed the Russian Economy|Anna Nemtsova|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST Currency problems are procyclical, which is to say that they create their own momentum. Putin Cant Bully or Bomb a Recession|Daniel Gross|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST The Arabs offered the Nazis a haven, as well as a market for all their nefarious dealings in arms and black market currency. Hitlers Henchmen in Arabia|Guy Walters|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Hitlers Henchmen in Arabia|Guy Walters|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST It stands at one extreme of our currency, with a dollar of gold set aside behind each dollar of paper. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips Between these two extremes the Federal Reserve note, a new form of currency, has been introduced. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips But the sheer quantity of the inflated currency and false money forces prices higher still. The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock That is, a demand for more currency in the hands of the public could have been supplied by the bank, but was not. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips But in one respect the currency notes helped to maintain the country's gold standard. Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips

QUIZWILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!Questiondeciliter, decilitre, decillion, decimal, decimal classification, decimal currency, decimal fraction, decimalize, decimal notation, decimal place, decimal pointCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition  William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986  HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
oddschecker horses poker in gta 5shows grade level based on the word's complexity. decimal classification 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.Save This Word!This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.

nounDewey decimal classification.

Words nearby decimal classification

How to use decimal classification decimal classification nounanother term for Dewey Decimal System 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 decimal classificationFirst recorded in 187580decile, deciliter, decilitre, decillion, decimal, decimal classification, decimal currency, decimal fraction, decimalize, decimal notation, decimal placeDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
Definition of a Platitude

Platitude means statements that are repeated,yukon gold casino canada sign in obvious, simple, and easily understood with little meaning or expression. Etymologically, the word platitude comes from the French language made up of two different words plat and tude which means flatness. However, it has encompassed vast meanings in it, specifically in the figurative sense it means the banal quality of some saying or aphorism. Since the 17thcentury, the French language has used it as a common remark or a trite sentence.

Definitionally, it is a statement having moral content that has become trite and stale due to overuse despite having imperious status in some ethical framework. The reason for this status is that it simply repeats a sentence that has become trite due to overuse. It is often used when a person does not want to invite the wrath of others and ends the discussion on some generalization or over-simplification of the subject under debate.

Flaws or Weak Points of a Platitude

As the name also indicates its position vis-a-vis its semantic value, platitudes are of significant value in language or literature on account of several reasons stated below.

They give a wrong or false impression of the person using them as evidence of his wisdom. They are even worse than using cliches. They make people accept stupid and nonsense as facts and truths. They become nonsense and useless tautologies. Significant points become trivial due to over-usage.

Difference between Platitude and Cliche

Although cliches and platitudes are considered the same thing, they are different in nature. A cliche is an overused statement that is insightful. However, platitude is a simplified phrase though may not be original or insightful. Yet, both are common expressions, both are overused and both are unoriginal.

Some General Examples of Platitudes

You feel young as you are young. Crime boomerangs on the criminals. It does not matter what you are doing as long as you are having fun with it. Love begets love. Who laughs last, laughs best. Somebody always needs somebody. Life is not a bed of roses. Life is a walking shadow. Man is mortal. A dog is a loyal animal. The jury is still out. Health is wealth You can bank on that. Beauty is as beauty does. The Midas touch. Honest is the best policy.

Examples of Platitude in Literature

Example #1

Platitude: The Worlds Secrets Hidden Behind The Word Clicheby Tristan Stone Williams

This book not only differentiates between both of these terms but also cites examples from different reliable sources. Williams has broken down the ways into systems, showing that you can use platitudes and cliches on different occasions to suit your purpose to become more exact and precise. He is of the view that you should not shun these trite words and phrases; rather you should enjoy using them with different amendments and changes.

Example #2

From A Modern Comedyby John Galsworthy

Well, its a platitude that a woman always wants some other soul  only people have forgotten it. Look at the Sistine Madonna! The baby has a soul of its own, and the Madonnas floating on the soul of the baby. Thats what makes it a great picture, apart from the line and color. It states a great platitude; but nobody sees it.

John Galsworthy has used platitude and tersely explained it in this passage taken from A Modern Comedy, his phenomenal book. The platitude of The baby has a soul of its own shows his use of this platitude and its understanding. He compares it with the painting and then concludes that the line and color in the painting it this platitude a great one.

Example #3

From Crossroads are for Meeting: Essays on the Mission and Common Life of the Church in a Global Society by Philip William Turner

It is another slogan-turned-war-cry to say that mankind has come of age. It is certainly a platitude to assert that all over the world human societies are showing the symptoms, welcome or unwelcome, of healthy adolescence; a passionate affirmation of autonomy; an impatience with authority, especially when imposed from outside; an energy and self-assurance that promise something.

This passage occurs in the book of Philip William Turner. It explains a platitude in very terse and brief pointers. He is of the view that although the use of platitude shows that mankind has come of age, the real situation is quite different. They, in fact, are the reflection of the entire social fabric, showing different emotions, feelings, and sentiments toward different things in different contexts. That is why they become mostly overused, trite, and often stale.

Example #4

A Dictionary of Platitudes by Gustave Flaubert

This is an interesting book. It is an encyclopedia of platitudes that some people call fun while some others call it a humorous compendium. Its quality lies in the collection of all platitudes used during the time of Flaubert. He has listed all of them in alphabetical order after collecting them from the world classics.

Functions of Platitude

A platitude shows the moral side of a problem, making aware the speakers as well as the listeners about their positions during a debate. However, it is interesting that they are often used when the situations get tense, and the parties may come to blows if such over-simplification of the complex situations do not emerge through such trite statements that sum up the solution and yet leave the parties unsatisfied about their situations. They often work wonders where conflicts arise.

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What Is Productivity?best sites to gamble on sports

Productivity, in economics, measures output per unit of input, such as labor, capital, or any other resource. It is often calculated for the economy as a ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) to hours worked.

Labor productivity may be further broken down by sector to examine trends in labor growth, wage levels, and technological improvement. Corporate profits and shareholder returns are directly linked to productivity growth.

At the corporate level, productivity is a measure of the efficiency of a company's production process, it is calculated by measuring the number of units produced relative to employee labor hours or by measuring a company's net sales relative to employee labor hours.

Key Takeaways

Productivity, in economics, measures output per unit of input.

When productivity fails to grow significantly, it limits potential gains in wages, corporate profits, and living standards.

The calculation for productivity is output by a company divided by the units used to generate that output.

Auto giant Toyota and online marketplace king Amazon are prime examples of businesses with an impressive level of productivity.

Productivity in the workplace refers simply to how much "work" is done over a specific period of time.

Productivity

Understanding Productivity

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Productivity is the key source of economic growth and competitiveness.

A countrys ability to improve its standard of living depends almost entirely on its ability to raise its output per worker (i.e., producing more goods and services for a given number of hours of work). Economists use productivity growth to model the productive capacity of economies and determine their capacity utilization rates. This, in turn, is used to forecast business cycles and predict future levels of GDP growth.

In addition, production capacity and utilization are used to assess demand and inflationary pressures.

4 Types of Productivity Measures

Labor Productivity

The most commonly reported productivity measure is labor productivity published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is based on the ratio of GDP to total hours worked in the economy. Labor productivity growth comes from increases in the amount of capital available to each worker (capital deepening), the education and experience of the workforce (labor composition), and improvements in technology (multi-factor productivity growth).

However, productivity is not necessarily an indicator of the health of an economy at a given point in time. For example, in the 2009 recession in the United States, output and hours worked were both falling while productivity was growing (hours worked were falling faster than output).

Gains in productivity can occur both in recessions and in expansionsas it did in the late 1990sso one needs to take economic context into account when analyzing productivity data.

Total Factor Productivity

There are many factors that impact a countrys productivity. Such things include investment in plant and equipment, innovation, improvements in supply chain logistics, education, enterprise, and competition.

The Solow residual, which is usually referred to as total factor productivity, measures the portion of an economys output growth that cannot be attributed to the accumulation of capital and labor.

It is interpreted as the contribution to economic growth made by managerial, technological, strategic, and financial innovations.

Also known as multi-factor productivity (MFP), this measure of economic performance compares the number of goods and services produced to the number of combined inputs used to produce those goods and services. Inputs can include labor, capital, energy, materials, and purchased services.

Capital Productivity

Capital as a productivity measure looks at how efficiently physical capital is being used to create goods or services. Physical capital includes tangible items, such as office equipment, labor materials, warehouse supplies, and transportation equipment (cars and trucks).

Capital productivity is calculated by subtracting liabilities from physical capital. You then divide the sales number by the difference. A higher capital productivity number shows that physical capital is being used efficiently in the creation of goods and services while a lower capital productivity number shows the opposite.

Material Productivity

Measuring productivity by materials looks to measure output by the materials consumed. Materials consumed can be heat, fuel, or chemicals in the process to create a good or service. It analyzes the output generated per unit of material consumed.

Productivity and Investment

When productivity fails to grow significantly, it limits potential gains in wages, corporate profits, and living standards. Investment in an economy is equal to the level of savings because investment has to be financed from savings. Low savings rates can lead to lower investment rates and lower growth rates for labor productivity and real wages. This is why it is feared that when savings rates in the U.S. are low, it could hurt productivity growth in the future.

A big question is what role quantitative easing and zero interest rate policies (ZIRP) have played in encouraging consumption at the expense of saving and investment. For instance, during periods of lax monetary policy where credit is accessible and affordable, consumers are more likely to incur debt and decrease savings in pursuit of mortgages, loans, or other major purchases. It is only when monetary policy is tightened and rates rise that the economy encourages saving and ultimately future investment.

Important

Productivity is largely determined by the technologies available and management's willingness and know-how to make process improvements.

Companies can also choose to spend money on short-term investments and share buybacks rather than investing in long-term capital. Some economists call for corporate tax reform to better incentivize investment in manufacturing, infrastructure, or long-term assets. For now, entities may still pursue long-term investment endeavors to maximize efficiency and productivity; however, for some, it may be easier and worth more to pursue short-term capital strategies.

Last, some economists may argue the pre-pandemic society will continue to bolster productivity growth in the future. The reasoning behind this theory is workers can now focus more on "higher-value" tasks relying on technology, mobility, and scalability. As more entities shift away from strictly on-premises operations, greater infrastructure investments are needed to handle a hybrid or fully-remote entity.

How to Calculate Productivity

The calculation for productivity is straightforward: divide the outputs of a company by the inputs used to produce that output. The most regularly used input is labor hours, while the output can be measured in units produced or sales.

For instance, if a factory produced 10,000 widgets last month while being billed for 5,000 hours worth of labor, productivity would simply be two widgets per hour (10,000 / 5,000).

Sales can also be used as a measure of output. For that factory, let's say 10,000 widgets translates into $1 million dollars in sales. One simply needs to divide the $1 million figure by 5,000 labor hours in order to get the productivity number: $200 in sales for each hour of labor.

Real-World Example

Auto manufacturing giant Toyota offers a prime example of high-end productivity in real life. The company has very humble beginnings but has grown to become one of the largest and most productive car manufacturers in the world. Its "Toyota Production System" (TPS) is one of the main reasons for that.

TPS includes a few of the following principles:

An environment of constant learning and improvement

Standardizing systems for consistent quality

The elimination (not just reduction) of waste

By enacting TPS practices into its manufacturing every day, Toyota ensures the company is continually improving, operating at a high standard, and resources are not being lost.

What Are the 4 Essential Components of Productivity?

Productivity can be looked at in a variety of ways, particularly if one is referring to the productivity of an individual or of a corporation. For an individual, the four essential components of productivity include (1) strategy, or the ability to plan, (2) focus, or the ability to pay attention to one task at a time, (3) productive choosing, or the ability to choose the most important tasks and make the right choices, and (4) consistency, the ability to work at a consistent pace and incorporate all of the above in your tasks.

What Is Productivity in the Workplace?

Productivity in the workplace refers simply to how much "work" is done over a specific period of time. Depending on the nature of the company, the output can be measured by things like customers acquired, phone calls made, and, of course, sales gained. An overarching goal of a company should be to maximize productivity without sacrificing product quality and being efficient with company resources.

How Can You Improve Personal Productivity?

Some basic ways to increase personal productivity on a daily basis include:

Listing tasks in order of importance and tackling them one by one

Completing your most hated tasks before all the others

Taking well-calculated breaks to boost overall production

Exercising regularly

Eating a healthy diet





What Factors Affect Productivity?

In the workplace, factors that affect productivity include compensation (salary/wage), work environment, training, career development opportunities, wellness, diversity, increased responsibility, and management quality.

How Do You Show Productivity at Work?

Ways to show productivity at work are setting goals, focusing on one task at a time, meeting deadlines, being on time, taking breaks, focusing on the largest tasks first, blocking out your calendar, having productive meetings, and delegating tasks.

The Bottom Line

The concept of productivity is simple: at a given level of input, there is a given level of output. More productive societies and processes will yield more output at the same level of input.

Whether it is viewed from an economic standpoint, company standpoint, or personal standpoint, being able to measure and track productivity can be crucial to long-term success.
Quick Custom Intelligences newest software resolves both a personal quest and gaming operators need to measure player fondness for individual games,harrington casino phone number company co-founder Andrew Cardno says.

This market-basket analyzer is telling you the most important thing on your floor: what your customers like and which customers like it, Cardno said of the QCI AGI53 Platform, the third phase of the companys data management software. AGI refers to its integration with large-language models of artificial general intelligence. The new software, to be showcased at Octobers Global Gaming Expo in Las Vegas, includes all functions available with QCIs Enterprise platform introduced about two years ago and adds several features enabled by AGI.

Cardno, who has experience in retail analytics, said retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and supermarkets rely on market-basket analysis not only to know what customers buy but also to understand what else might interest them. However, applying the concept to the gaming world has been stymied because of a fundamental difference between traditional retailers and casinos: While stores set prices for each item they sell, casino players  not operators  decide how much to spend on a game.

Market-basket analysis in the gaming world is not just what people play, its how much they play it, said Cardno, adding that hes worked 20 years on how to adapt the market-basket concept for casino use. In gaming, spend is a choice. So, unlike every other product in the world, price is determined largely by the buyer.

Cardno said QCI, after an eight-figure R&D investment since its founding in 2020, at last has developed the industrys first method of measuring player devotion to each slot title on a casino floor.

Its a very important discovery, he continued. The essence of the selling-engagement process is understanding the collection of things people like. In retail, for example, the purchaser of a TV also might be interested in higher-margin items such as HDMI cables, power strips, a sound system, or a video game console. In a casino, the AGI53 Platform can identify slots that appeal to similar groups of players so machines could be grouped together or suggested as an additional game a player might enjoy.

Rather than seeing just flashing lights or attractive artwork, players develop a bond with their favorite games, Cardno explained. Theyve spent hours on them. They have a very personal experience. They remember when they won, they remember the mix. And thats what the market-basket analyzer lets you see.

Another element of the QCI AGI53 Platform is Power Pack, which he described as a dynamic dashboarding and programming environment. It allows users to easily manage data and tasks without requiring customization. Its a full AI engine and understands deep, deep, deep kinds of queries, Cardno said.

For example, hosts could use Power Pack for insights into player tendencies and quickly set up a campaign for specific players. He illustrated the process by using AGI53 with QCIs simulated casino, devised as part of a previous version of the software and based on the activities of 500,000 people, 4,000 gaming machines, and three hotels. Cardno pretended to be a host asking questions of Mozart, the nickname for the AGI53 interface. He likened Mozart to a copilot who helps people write a database query that yields the information they want.

Being intentionally obtuse, Cardno typed in a request for names of badish players. Mozart wanted clarification: Did he mean those who have been inactive for a time or those with low volume? Inactive, he responded, and Mozart asked for a time period, such as three, six, or nine months. 90ish days, Cardno answered. A list popped up in seconds, and Mozart asked if he would like to see which machines those people played. Within minutes, he could have Mozart email or text each person with a bounce-back offer or other incentive. The potential uses seem endless.

You can even ask vague questions like What should I do today? he said. This is a really intelligent agent that knows what you want. Weve got new advanced kinds of analysis, new graphs, new response mechanisms. Hundreds of new metrics have been added. Its a huge release.

QCIs clients include 159 operators with about 500 sites, accounting for more than $24 billion in annual gross gaming revenue. Cardno predicted AI will help every level of casino employee, including hosts, managers, marketers, slots managers and technician, and its impact is only beginning.

Nothing can compete with AGI, he said. Its going to be doing game design, marketing campaign design, slot floor layout design. Its going to be replying to your emails. Everything you could imagine, inside and outside a resort, is an opportunity for AGI.
What Is Jobs Growth?crazy winners online casino

Jobs growth is measured in the U.S. by the number of employees added to nonfarm payrolls monthly, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). It is a key indicator of the pace of economic expansion. Nonfarm payrolls are part of the Employment Situation Summary published by the BLS, the widely followed statistical release better known as the monthly jobs report.

Key Takeaways

Jobs growth is measured by the monthly change in nonfarm payrolls as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A monthly increase of between 50,000 and 110,000 nonfarm payrolls is the steady-state jobs growth rate that is in line with the gradual expansion of the labor force.

Jobs growth figures are released monthly and are subject to revisions over the next two months as additional survey results are collected.

These figures often move financial markets as one of the most important and timely economic indicators.

Farm employment and agricultural jobs aren't included in these calculations.

Understanding Jobs Growth

Jobs growth refers to the net increase in the number of nonfarm payrolls during the previous month. This number is widely followed because employment is crucial for economic performance.

A 2016 analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco estimated a monthly increase of between 50,000 and 110,000 nonfarm payrolls, or a monthly growth rate between 0.033% and 0.072%, to be the steady-state jobs growth rate that is in line with the gradual expansion of the labor force. Bigger gains suggest growth above the trend, while smaller ones or outright losses may signal a slowdown.

That said, it is important to remember that the jobs growth numbers in the Employment Situation Summary are estimates. The numbers for a given month are revised in each of the next two monthly reports based on additional survey submissions. A monthly nonfarm payroll increase of about 100,000 is considered statistically significant.

263,000

The rise in total U.S. nonfarm payroll employment in September 2022. The unemployment rate, derived from a separate survey, dropped 0.2 percentage points to 3.5%.



How Jobs Growth Is Measured

The Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles jobs growth data by surveying about 145,000 businesses and government agencies accounting for about a third of total U.S. nonfarm employment. The Employment Situation Summary provides data from this "establishment survey" tracking nonfarm employment by industry as well as a separate household survey of employment status. The two surveys provide headline-making figures on jobs growth and unemployment.

Although nonfarm payrolls are subtotaled by industry, the most commonly reported number is the net change in U.S. payrolls from the preceding month, which estimates the number of jobs added outside the agricultural sector. Farm employment is excluded from the establishment survey because it is too seasonal and harder to estimate.

Because of how important it is to the economy, jobs growth is closely watched by the Federal Reserve as it makes changes to its monetary policy.

How Jobs Growth Is Used in Investing

As a comprehensive measure of U.S. employment and one of the earliest economic reports for a given month, the Employment Situation Summary often moves financial markets. In addition to tallying nonfarm payrolls, the establishment survey estimates average weekly hours workeda measure of labor demandas well as average hourly earnings, an early indicator of labor cost inflation.

Because of the report's importance to investors and policymakers, traders compare the numbers in it to the consensus of analysts' forecasts to get an early sense of whether, for example, nonfarm payroll gains in the latest month exceeded or trailed market expectations.

Since the numbers fluctuate from month to month and are subject to significant revisions, it takes more than a single report to establish a trend. Investors must also consider jobs growth in the context of other economic indicators. Despite those limitations, the monthly jobs growth remains a key indicator of how the economy was faring very recently.

Where Do You Get Jobs Growth Numbers?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) gets jobs growth data from a survey of 145,000 businesses and government agencies, which account for about a third of the total U.S. nonfarm employment.

What Jobs Have the Highest Growth Rate?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the fastest-growing jobs from 2021 to 2031 will be nurse practitioners, wind turbine service technicians, ushers, lobby attendants, and ticket takers, motion picture projectionists, and restaurant cooks.



How Many Jobs Are Needed for Growth in the U.S.?

A monthly increase of between 50,000 and 110,000 nonfarm payrolls is considered to be the steady-state jobs growth rate that is in line with the gradual expansion of the labor force as determined by a 2016 analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
What Is a Gold Option?mohegan sun facebook page

A gold option is an options contract that utilizes either physical gold or gold futures as its underlying asset.

A gold call option would give the holder the right, but not the obligation, to buy bullion at a future date at a set price, while a put option would grant the holder the right to sell it at a predetermined price level. The option agreement terms will list details such as the delivery date, quantity, and strike price, which are all predetermined.

Key Takeaways

Gold options are options contracts that utilize either physical gold or gold futures as their underlying instrument.

Call options on gold give the contract holder the right to buy the metal at a preset price before it expires.

Put options work in the opposite way, granting the right to sell at a predetermined price level.

Gold options trading in the U.S. are listed on the CME COMEX and use gold futures, which represent 100 troy ounces of gold, as the underlying asset.

Understanding Gold Options

A gold option is a derivative that has physical gold, or futures on physical gold, as the underlying asset.

The gold options contract is an agreement between two parties to facilitate a potential transaction on a quantity of gold. The contract lists a preset price, known as the strike price, and an expiration date.

There are two primary types of options contracts: put options and call options. However, there are four types of participants as both the call and put can be either bought or sold.

Types of Gold Options

Call gold options: Give the holder the right, not the obligation, to buy a specific amount of gold at the strike price until the expiration date. A call option becomes more valuable as the price of gold increases because they locked in a buy at a lower price. When you buy the call, you have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the gold. If, on the other hand, you sell the call, you do not have a choice and must sell the gold at the predetermined price when the person holding the opposite side of the contract demands delivery up to the expiration date.

Give the holder the right, not the obligation, to buy a specific amount of gold at the strike price until the expiration date. A call option becomes more valuable as the price of gold increases because they locked in a buy at a lower price. When you buy the call, you have the right, but not the obligation, to purchase the gold. If, on the other hand, you sell the call, you do not have a choice and must sell the gold at the predetermined price when the person holding the opposite side of the contract demands delivery up to the expiration date. Put gold options:Give the owner the right, but not the obligation, to sell a specific amount of gold at the strike price until the expiration date. A put option becomes more valuable as the price of gold decreases because they locked in a sell at a higher price. If you buy the put, you have the right, but not the obligation, to sell the gold. Meanwhile, when you sell a put, you do not have a choice and must purchase the gold at the predetermined price from the person holding the opposite side of the contract.

If neither the holder of the call or put options exercise their rights, the contract will expire as worthless.

Gold Options vs. Gold Future Contracts

A gold option is similar in some ways to a gold futures contract in that the price, the expiration date, and the dollar amount are preset for both. However, with a futures contract, there is an obligation to uphold the agreement and either buy or sell the agreed-upon quantity of gold at the agreed-upon price.

Conversely, an investor who holds a gold option has the right, but not the obligation, to claim the relevant position, which will depend on if they hold the call option or the put option.

Gold Options Contract Specifications

Gold options contracts trade on various derivatives exchanges around the world. In the U.S., investors can find gold options listed on the COMEX exchange.

COMEX is the primary futures and options market for trading metals such as gold, silver, copper, and aluminum. Formerly known as the Commodity Exchange Inc., COMEX merged with the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) in 1994 and became the division responsible for metals trading. Today, COMEXand the NYMEX more broadlyoperates as a division of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME).

COMEX gold options actually use gold futures, rather than physical gold directly, and so are cash-settled. These gold futures have a contract size of 100 troy ounces each and require physical delivery if not closed out.

It is possible to experience significant losses with gold options.

The Condition for Exercising Gold Options

As with other types of options, an investor would only want to exercise their gold option rights if the market conditions make it beneficial.

If at the time the buyer can use, or exercise, their option, gold is trading at a price significantly higher than the strike price, the investor would benefit by exercising their option. The investor could then turn around and quickly sell that gold on the open market for a quick profit.

Should, on the other hand, gold be trading at or near the strike price, the investor may break even or perhaps even take a loss, once their initial cost to purchase the option is factored in.
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adjective Anatomy, Zoology.having or characterized by a decidua.(of a placenta) partly formed from the decidua.deciduous (def. 2).

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How to use in a sentence The surface of the chorion is covered evenly with minute villi, constituting a diffuse non-deciduate placenta. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6|Various

Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 6|Various A zonary deciduate placenta indicates an increase both in area and in complexity. The Works of Francis Maitland Balfour, Volume 1|Francis Maitland Balfour

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The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard The mammae are thoracic; the placenta discoidal and deciduate. The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia|Frank Evers Beddard Placenta deciduate and dome-like, composed of an aggregation of numerous discoidal lobes. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10|Various

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noun Pathology.the presence of bacilli in the blood.

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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 bacillemiabacill- + -emiaBach trumpet, bacill-, bacillaemia, bacillary, bacillary dysentery, bacillemia, bacilli, bacilluria, bacillus, bacillus Calmette-Guerin, Bacillus thuringiensisDictionary.com UnabridgedBased on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary,  Random House, Inc. 2022
In 2021, Buffalo Schools called the $289 million pandemic relief money it received transformational for the second-largest district in New York State.

That stimulus was not for saving. It was to support schools across the country to better respond to Covid-19.

Buffalo Schools used the funds to transition to virtual learning, then safely reopen to students. It also helped combat two years of learning loss, expand partnerships and institute programs benefiting students social-emotional wellness following pandemic trauma, isolation and inequities.

As the school year hits full speed, though, a question looms.

With 'transformational' money to spend, Buffalo schools make big plans The district plans to spend $173.42 million for expanded instructional initiatives, $38.93 million to open schools safely; $38.92 for student emotional and social well being and support services, and $38.12 million for information technology upgrades and digital resources.

What happens when the money runs out next fall?

We know that the cliff is coming, Superintendent Tonja M. Williams said Thursday in a meeting with The Buffalo News Editorial Board.

Buffalo hasnt had trouble spending the money allotted in the American Rescue Plan and three tiers of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).

In fact, the district has spent it very quickly. The $90 million for the 2023-24 school year, the last of three relief years, had already been earmarked in June. It sustains major expenditures, including 300 teaching and staff positions, as well as after-school programming and summer school for the entire district.

About $6 million can be carried into future years, Buffalo Schools Chief Financial Officer Jim Barnes said.

'We don't go back': Buffalo Schools superintendent on quest for student achievement Buffalo Schools Superintendent Tonja M. Williams' goals for the coming school year are focused on two words: action and accountability.

The end of federal funding belies the reality that Buffalo schools remain in the thick of pandemic recovery. Social-emotional needs jockey with academic shortfalls for highest priority.

Theres a districtwide demand for more social-emotional supports  counselors can barely accommodate the deluge  and math scores, which recently showed that only 13% of economically disadvantaged third-graders are proficient at grade level, were sobering.

I dont believe after three years the needs are different  these needs are still going to be there for the children, Williams said.

Robots, drones and 3D printers: Buffalo Schools takes step forward with WozEd The Buffalo School Board is on a quest to spend $289 million in federal Covid-19-relief funds to better Buffalo schools. On Wednesday, the board got almost $3 million closer to that goal via a career pathway that begins as early as kindergarten.

The superintendent said partnerships with organizations such as Say Yes Buffalo are crucial for continued progress, especially since the end of Covid-19 relief is expected to limit hiring.

I wish I could say that were going to see a huge increase in hiring school counselors, social workers and psychologists, Williams said, commending the ability of community organizations to reach entire families.

Barnes provided a financial update in March for 2022-23 that revealed some areas in which employees were hired with Covid-19 funds: teachers, administrators, guidance counselors, attendance workers, trades instructors, security guards and clerical workers, which totaled about $22.5 million for one year.

In that same year, about $50 million total was spent on building improvements, IT equipment and security equipment.

Worries over the future of those 300 positions are already cropping up at board meetings. Central District representative Paulette Woods on Wednesday voted against moving forward with plans for a new commissary, or kitchen facility where district meals would be prepared, because the project would require $11 million from the districts general fund.

'Instilling hope': Say Yes Buffalo receives $10 million state donation for scholarships State Sen. Tim M. Kennedy at a meeting with The Buffalo News Editorial Board on Thursday announced a $10 million investment into the Say Yes endowment fund. Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes was his partner in the effort.

Thats what education needs first: teachers, Woods said. We are going to have a difficult choice with 300 positions funded out of ESSER funds, so I strongly recommend we modify that.

Creativity could reduce some of the tough choices, Williams said.

How can we do some train-the-trainer pieces so that the systems dont change, the programs dont change, the interventions dont change, but it doesnt require necessarily more people or all of the people that are there to stay? she asked. She said applying for grants, state lobbying efforts and appeals to legislators are other funding sources that could soften the financial blow.

Buffalo Schools has been applauded by state officials for its transparency regarding use of Covid-19 funds.

Buffalo was the only one of the Big Five districts reviewed [that] has provided regular public updates on the status of those measures at the individual school level, which are important for helping parents understand the effectiveness of fund distribution to individual schools, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli wrote in November 2022. DiNapolis report showed Buffalo Schools spent about 30% of its Covid money on academic recovery, which put it smack in the middle of the Big Five.

Cuts or restructuring are unavoidable, but Williams wants an organized approach.

That keeps me up at night, she said. I think all of the districts across New York State that had this extra money, this shot to help with learning loss and social-emotional wellness and all of those things, are feeling the same way, but were being proactive about that.
What Is Personal Income?top slot wins bet356 apk download

Personal income refers to all income collectively received by all individuals or households in a country. Personal income includes compensation from a number of sources, including salaries, wages, and bonuses received from employment or self-employment, dividends and distributions received from investments, rental receipts from real estate investments, and profit sharing from businesses.

Key Takeaways

Personal income is the amount of money collectively received by the inhabitants of a country.

Sources of personal income include money earned from employment, dividends and distributions paid by investments, rents derived from property ownership, and profit sharing from businesses.

Personal income is generally subject to taxation.

Understanding Personal Income

The term personal income is sometimes used to refer to the total compensation received by an individual, but this is more aptly referred to as individual income. In most jurisdictions, personal income, also called gross income, is subject to taxation above a certain base amount.

Personal income has a significant effect on consumer consumption. As consumer spending drives much of the economy, national statistical organizations, economists, and analysts track personal income on a quarterly or annual basis.

In the United States, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) tracks personal income statistics each month and compares them to numbers from the previous month. The agency also breaks out the numbers into categories, such as personal income earned through employment wages, rental income, farming, and sole proprietorships. This allows the agency to make analyses about how earning trends are changing.

Personal income tends to rise during periods of economic expansion and stagnate or decline slightly during recessionary times. Rapid economic growth since the 1980s in economies such as China, India, and Brazil has spurred substantial increases in personal incomes for millions of their citizens.

Personal Income vs. Disposable Personal Income

Disposable personal income (DPI) refers to the amount of money that a population has left after taxes have been paid. It differs from personal income in that it takes taxes into account.



Analyzing after-tax income is important, as this is the money that the population is effectively left with to spend, save, or invest.



Only income taxes are removed from the personal income figure when calculating disposable personal income.

Personal Income vs. Personal Consumption Expenditures

Personal income is often compared to personal consumption expenditures (PCEs). PCEs measure changes in the price of consumer goods and services. By taking these changes into account, analysts can ascertain how changes in personal income affect spending.

To illustrate, if personal income increases significantly one month, and PCEs also increase, consumers collectively may have more cash in their pockets but also may have to spend more money on basic goods and services.

Is personal income before or after taxes?

Personal income represents all payments made to individuals before tax. Its not disposable income, which reveals how much people actually have left to spend, save, or invest after income taxes have been deducted.

How do you calculate personal income and disposable income?

To calculate personal income, all income collectively received by individuals or households in a country needs to be tallied up. That is not only gross pay from work but also dividends, rental income, interest, and so forth.

Disposable income is then calculated by taking the personal income number and subtracting personal income taxes.

What is the difference between gross national income (GNI) and personal income?

Personal income focuses on how much money a countrys inhabitants are earning. Gross national income (GNI), on the other hand, reveals the total amount of money earned by a nations residents and businesses.
What Is a Global Recession?sycuan gas station phone number

A global recession is an extended period of economic decline around the world. A global recession involves more or less synchronized recessions across many national economies, as trade relations and international financial systems transmit economic shocks and the impact of recession from one country to another.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) uses a broad set of criteria to identify global recessions, including a decrease in per capita gross domestic product (GDP) worldwide. According to the IMFs definition, this drop in global output must coincide with a weakening of other macroeconomic indicators, such as trade, capital flows, and employment.

Key Takeaways

A global recession is an extended period of economic decline around the world.

The IMF uses several criteria to analyze the occurrence, scale, and impact of global recessions.

Global recessions involve synchronized recessions across many interconnected economies.

The effect of a global recession on individual economies varies based on several factors, including their degree of connection to and dependence on the global economy.

Understanding Global Recessions

Macroeconomic indicators have to wane for a significant period of time to classify as a recession. In the United States, it is generally accepted that GDP must drop for two consecutive quarters for a true recession to take place, based on analysis by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), which is considered the national authority in declaring and dating business cycles. For global recessions, the IMF plays a role similar to the NBER.

While there is no official definition of a global recession, the criteria established by the IMF carry significant weight because of the organizations stature across the globe. Unlike the NBER, the IMF does not specify a minimum length of time when examining global recessions. In contrast to some definitions of a recession, the IMF looks at additional factors beyond a decline in GDP. There must also be a deterioration of other economic factors, which include trade, capital flows, industrial production, oil consumption, the unemployment rate, percapita investment, and per-capita consumption.

Ideally, economists would be able to simply add the GDP figures for each country to arrive at a global GDP. The vast number of currencies used throughout the world makes the process considerably more difficult. Though some organizations use exchange rates to calculate the aggregate output, the IMF prefers to use purchasing power parity (PPP)that is, the amount of local goods or services that one unit of currency can buy rather than the amount of foreign currency it can buyin its analysis.

History of Global Recessions

Up until 2020, according to the IMF, there have been four global recessions since World War II, beginning in 1975, 1982, 1991, and 2009. In 2020, the IMF declared a new global recession, which it dubbed the Great Lockdown, caused by the widespread implementation of quarantines and social distancing measures during the COVID-19 outbreak. This is the worst global recession on record since the Great Depression.

Contagion and Insulation

The impact and severity of the effect of a global recession on a country vary based on several factors. For example, a country's trading relationships with the rest of the world determine the scale of impact on its manufacturing sector. On the other hand, the sophistication of its markets and investment efficiency determine how the financial services industry is affected.

The interconnection of trade relations and financial systems among countries can help to spread an economic shock in one region into a global recession. This process is known as contagion.

Example of a Global Recession

The Great Recession was an extended period of extreme economic distress observed around the world between 2007 and 2009. World trade plunged by over 15% between 2008 and 2009 during this recession. The scale, impact, and recovery of the downturn varied from country to country.

The U.S. experienced a major stock market correction in 2008 after the housing market collapsed and Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy. Economic conditions had already turned down by the end of 2007 and major indicators such as unemployment and inflation hit critical levels with the collapse of the housing bubble and ensuing financial crisis.

The situation improved a few years after the stock market bottomed in 2009, but other nations experienced much longer roads to recovery. Over a decade later, the effects can still be felt in many developed nations and emerging markets.

According to economic research conducted for the NBER, the United States would have suffered limited shocks to its economy if the 2008 recession had not originated within its borders. This is mainly because it has limited trading relationships with the rest of the world in comparison to the size of its domestic economy.

On the other hand, a manufacturing powerhouse such as Germany would have suffered regardless of the robustness of its internal economy because it has a vast number of trade linkages with the rest of the world.
AMSTERDAM  By the time her extraordinarily wealthy grandmother died last month,40 super hot online game 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.

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What Is a Judgment Lien?casino el camino menu

A judgment lien is a court ruling that gives a creditor the right to take possession of a debtor's real or personal property if the debtor fails to fulfill his or her contractual obligations. This lien may be made against an individual or business and allows the creditor to access assets such as the debtor's business, personal property, and real estate to satisfy the judgment.

A plaintiff who obtains a monetary judgment is described as a judgment creditor, while the defendant becomes a judgment debtor.

Key Takeaways

A judgment lien is a court ruling that gives a creditor the right to take possession of a debtor's property if the debtor fails to fulfill his or her contractual obligations.

Judgment liens are nonconsensual because they are attached to property without the owner's consent or agreement.

Creditors must record liens via a county or state filing in most states.

These liens can be attached to real or personal property, orif the debtor has none at the time of judgmentto future acquisitions.

Understanding Judgment Liens

If you owe money to a creditor and don't pay, that party may sue you for the balance. If the court rules against you, the creditor can file a judgment lien against you. A judgment lien is considered a nonconsensual lien. That's because it is attached to a piece of property without the owner's consent or agreement.

In most states, the judgment creditorthe winner of the lawsuitmust record the lien via a county or state filing. In a few states, if a court enters a judgment against a debtor, a lien is automatically created on any real estate the debtor owns in that county.

Once a judgment lien is filed with the appropriate authority, it becomes attached to any personal or real property. Personal property refers to assets such as cars, appliances, or furniture. Real property, on the other hand, refers to things like homes and other buildings, or land. The property must be registered in your name, so if you have a debt that goes unpaid, the judgment lien cannot be attached to your spouse's property. If you do not own any property at the time the lien is filed, it can be attached to any future acquisitionsprovided the lien doesn't expire.

One downfall to liens on personal property is that a large portion of personal property has no title. Therefore, liens are not officially recorded, and personal property could be sold off to a third party who is unaware of the liens existence.

In most states, judgment liens must be filed by the creditor through the county or state.

Special Considerations

There are a few ways you can satisfy or avoid a lien altogether. The firstand most obviousoption is to repay the debt. If you pay off your obligation, the creditor will remove the lien. This is done by filing a release through the same place the lien was recordedthe county or state.

It is possible for you to avoid a nonconsensual judgment lien on a property or vehicle in bankruptcydeemed lien avoidanceif the following conditions hold true:

The lien must have been derived from a court-issued money judgment.

The judgment debtor must be entitled to claim an exemption in at least some of his or her equity in the property.

The lien would result in a loss of some or all of this exempt equity if the real estate or vehicle was sold.

Using lien avoidance can be an advantage if and when available. This can be particularly beneficial if a lien can be fully wiped out, although still helpful in the case of partial lien avoidance.

Judgment Liens vs. Property Liens

While judgment liens are awarded by courts without the consent of the debtor, property liens are a little different. These liens are permitted by the debtor, who voluntarily gives up the right to his or her property. If you borrow a large sum of moneysay for a mortgage or a carthe lender may require a form of security or collateral. That's because the financial risk is too high. In order to complete and fund the loan, the creditor may put a lien on your property. By doing so, the creditor ensures it can foreclose on that piece of property if you default on your financial obligation.

Examples of Judgment Liens

If one person injures another in an accident through negligence, the injured person may decide to sue for damages. If the person affecting the accidents insurance does not cover the injured partys required reparations, a judgment lien may be placed against the negligent person's property. The creation of this judgment lien secures payment of the claim. If the debt is not paid, the judgment creditor has the authority to take additional steps. These could include seeking enforcement of the judgment by garnishing wages and potentially seizing a bank account.

Here's another example. A judge may place a lien on a debtor's car for nonpayment of a car loan. In this scenario, if the debtor does not pay his or her creditor within a certain time period, the car would be used to pay off the remaining debt. If there's a balance left over, the debtor is on the hook for that. This example extends to trucks, motorcycles, or other motor vehicles.
Too many people do not realize that in this day and age, literacy is still an enormous problem that negatively impacts over 147,000 people in our region.

This year, more than ever before, Literacy Buffalo Niagara will make tangible, measurable differences in area literacy rates over the next 12 months.

We will announce new programming we have designed to attack the growing issue of low health literacy  a $238 billion problem that leads to poor health outcomes for the 40% of Americans who struggle in this area. Older adults, people of color, refugees, those with low income and less education suffer higher rates of low health literacy.

Promoting health literacy improves health outcomes, as well as health care safety and quality. At the same time, it reduces health disparities and health care costs.

Working with community and government partners, and with a generous grant from the Highmark Blue Fund, we will launch the steps that will lead to health equity in our region, creating a community where all people can attain positive health outcomes. We will offer free community-based opportunities for adults to increase their health literacy, including one-on-one tutoring at accessible, neighborhood locations.

We will also focus on health literacy in our Digital Literacy programming since low digital health literacy is a dangerous and costly problem. Health care has changed dramatically with the widespread use of technology, leaving some people and groups behind. Studies show that the level of education attained, economic status, poor computer skills, literacy skills, age and ability to pay for the technology all play a role in determining understanding and use of digital health technologies.

Last week, during National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, Literacy Buffalo Niagara encouraged the entire region to work together to increase adult and family literacy in our community. There are simple actions that people can take that will make a significant difference. Right now there are 35 people waiting to upgrade their literacy skills  some are our neighbors, friends and family. Volunteering to tutor another person can be life changing. Call us at 716-876-8991 or visit literacybuffalo.org.
Air quality in Ireland 2022

Summary: Air quality in Ireland is generally good, however, there are concerning localised issues that are impacting negatively on the air we breathe. Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2022, but it did not meet the new health-based WHO guidelines in 2022. Ireland and Europe should move towards achieving the health-based WHO air quality guidelines.

Published: 2023 ISBN: 978-1-80009-070-5 Pages: 10 Filesize: 10,711 KB Format: pdf Download

View the report in digital format

Irelands ambition to move towards the health-based WHO air quality guidelines will be challenging but will have a significantly positive impact on health

Air quality in Ireland is generally good, however, there are concerning localised issues.

Ireland met all of its EU legal requirements in 2022, but it did not meet the more stringent health-based World Health Organisation (WHO) Air Quality guidelines.

It is estimated that there are approximately 1,300 premature deaths annually in Ireland due to poor air quality from fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ).

). The choices we make in how we heat our homes and how we travel directly impact the quality of the air we breathe.

The report shows that, while air quality in Ireland is generally good and compares favourably with many of our European neighbours, there are concerning localised issues which lead to poor air quality. Ireland met EU legal air quality limits in 2022, however it did not meet the more stringent health-based World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines for a number of pollutants including: particulate matter (PM), nitrogen Dioxide (N0 2 ), sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) and ozone (O 3 ) due mainly to the burning of solid fuel in our towns and villages and traffic in our cities.

Poor air quality has a proven negative impact on peoples health. There are an estimated 1,300 premature deaths in Ireland per year due to particulate matter in our air. In 2022 air monitoring results from EPA stations across Ireland show that fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ), mainly from burning solid fuel in our homes, and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) mainly from road traffic, remain the main threats to good air quality. High levels of these pollutants are often associated with cold, still weather from late autumn through to early spring, when generally short-term incidents of poor air quality occur.

The report identifies that using less solid fuel and cleaner fuels to heat our homes and reducing our use of cars to go to school, work and play are actions that will contribute towards achieving the WHO guidelines. The report further identifies the critical role for local authorities in enforcement, implementation of existing plans and investment in infrastructure to encourage cleaner and healthier air quality choices:

Local authorities must provide more resources to increase air enforcement activities and implement the new solid fuel regulations.

Dublin local authorities must fully implement the Dublin Region Air Quality Plan 2021 to improve Nitrogen Dioxide levels in Dublin Region.

Investment in clean public transport infrastructure across the country must be maintained and increased.

More safe footpaths and cycle lanes must be created to continue to increase active travel as a viable and safe alternative to car use and associated nitrogen dioxide emissions.

Feach ar an tuairisc i nGaeilge

https://www.epa.ie/media/epa-2020/environment-amp-you/air/AQ-Report-2022-front.JPG
Bad Bunny insists he doesn't need to "clarify" to anyone if he's dating Kendall Jenner or not.

Bad Bunny says he will always protect his private life

The 29-year-old rapper, actor and occasional WWE wrestler refuses to confirm if he's romancing the 27-year-old reality star after they have been spotted together in public multiple times this year because he keeps his personal life private.

Speaking to Vanity Fair magazine, he said: "I'm not really interested in clarifying anything because I have no commitment to clarify anything to anyone.

"I am clear and my friend Jomar is clear and my mother is clear.

"They are the only ones to whom I have to clarify anything.

"As for Juliana Dominguez from Mississippi" - a random fan's name, I'm pretty sure - I have nothing I need to clarify to her. Never. About anything."

The 'Where She Goes' star insists that just because he is a celebrity, it doesn't mean he doesn't have the right to a private life.

Bunny added: "There are people who say that artists have to put up with it.

"I don't have to accept anything and everything because I wanted to be an artist. At the end of the day, you listen to me because you want to. I don't force you to."

Speaking on the rumours previously, he told Rolling Stone magazine; I know something is going to come out. I know [people are] going to say something. People know everything about me, so whats left for me to protect? My private life, my personal life.

Asked if there is anything he wants to clarify about his relationship status and romance with Kendall, the 'Where She Goes' hitmaker insisted he wants to keep some parts of his life private.

He added: "Thats the only answer. In the end, the only thing I have is my privacy.

When it comes to the huge interest in his personal life, Bunny - whose real name is Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio - acknowledged that his fans will "always" be keen to "know more".

He said: "I keep living. Fans are always going to want to know more, but I dont focus on that. Im always going to keep living my way.
Vogue Williams wants to move back to Ireland one day.

Vogue Williams wants to return to Ireland one day

The 37-year-old star  who has children Theodore, five, Gigi, three, and Otto, 17 months, with husband Spencer Matthews  is very happy in London with her family at the moment but shes hoping to spend [the] future back in her home country.

She told Britains HELLO magazine: I want to spend more time with the kids in Ireland because its such a chilled place, I feel automatically relaxed when I go there.

I would love to be able to spend my future there.

But in the grand scheme of things, that wont be any time soon.

We love London at the moment, but you just never know.

Vogue adores being a mother and loves the personality differences in her children.

She said: I would love to keep them at the age they are as theyre so fascinating.

They are hilarious and all so different.

I just want them to have a great childhood and enjoy themselves.

While the My Therapist Ghosted Me presenter admitted shes very organised, she is happy to go with the flow when it comes to her family.

She said: Every day a ball is dropped but you have to be chill about it as well.

Its so important to me that I have time with the kids every day and Im lucky that I dont have a nine-to-five job, so I get to spend a lot of time with them.

Vogue believes it is important to carve out time for just her and Spencer without the kids.

She said: Its a couple of hours out of our day where we just literally hang out together. We are big on date nights, as well as spending time with friends and family.
Pre-Wedding Bliss

Sufi Night

Arrival In Udaipur

The Grand Venues

Stunning Sangeet Night

The much-anticipated union of Bollywood actorin the picturesque city of Udaipur. Theirwere a delightful blend of tradition, elegance, and romance, leaving fans and well-wishers in awe. Here, we'll take a closer look at some of our favorite moments from their grand celebration.If reports are to be believed, the couple kick-started their pre-wedding celebrations with ardas and, seeking blessings and setting the tone for their special journey together. These moments of quiet reflection and spiritual connection added a beautiful layer of depth to their celebration.Apparently, amarked the beginning of their pre-wedding revelries, where family and close friends gathered to celebrate their love. The soulful music and intimate atmosphere set the stage for the grand festivities to come.arrival in Udaipur was a sight to behold. The warmth of the welcome they received at the airport was heartwarming, and it symbolized the love and anticipation that surrounded their wedding.The wedding itself took place near the enchanting Lake Pichola of Udaipur. The, whilea stunning location in the middle of Lake Pichola. The baraat's unique journey from the Taj Lake Palace to The Leela Palace by boat added a touch of fairy tale charm to the celebration.on their Sangeet night. The actress opted for awith a cape and kept her look simple and fuss-free with a choker, and straight hair. Raghav looked dashing in a black ensemble.Congratulations to the newlyweds, and may their journey ahead be filled with love, laughter, and endless happiness.
In a landmark move, the European Union (EU) has reached a provisional agreement to update and extend existing regulations on commercial practices. This step is targeted at banning greenwashing and providing consumers with more transparent information about product durability.

The agreement between the Parliament and the Council aims to curtail deceptive environmental claims and manipulative marketing tricks that exploit consumer consciousness about sustainability. It seeks to expand the existing EU list of banned commercial practices, adding a number of problematic marketing habits related to greenwashing and early obsolescence of goods. The end goal is to protect consumers from being misled and enable them to make informed purchasing decisions, as per a press release by the European Parliament.

EU has provisionally agreed to update its commercial practices regulations to combat greenwashing and improve consumer transparency. Revised rules will ban vague environmental claims, unsubstantiated durability assertions and deceptive offsetting schemes. The move aims to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions and protect them from being misled.

The updated rules will ban several specific kinds of misleading claims such as generic environmental claims like environmentally friendly or eco unless backed by certified proof of excellent environmental performance; commercial communications about products with design features that limit their durability without providing full information, claims based on dubious emissions offsetting schemes, sustainability labels that are not backed by approved certification schemes or established by public authorities; and durability claims that are not substantiated by evidence.

The EU also mandates that guarantee information be made more prominent, as many consumers are unaware of the standard two-year guarantee for goods sold within the bloc. Additionally, a new label will be introduced to highlight products that offer extended guarantees.

The rules not only extend the list of banned practices but also mandate transparency measures that would affect a wide range of industries from technology to fashion.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)
Nayanthara

Actress/Producer

Biography: Nayanthara , aka Lady Superstar , is a South Indian actress who has acted in many Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu movies. After several commercial successes such as Chandramukhi, Ghajini, Billa, and Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Nayanthara has established herself as one of the most promising and sought-after actresses in South India. Personal Life Nayanthara was born on November 18, 1984 into an Orthodox Syrian Christian family in Tiruvalla, Kerala. She did her schooling in both Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as her father was an Air Force official. She joined Balikamadom High School in Thiruvalla for +2, then joined Marthoma College in Thiruvalla for her Bachelor's degree in English Literature. Diana Mariam Kurien is her legal name at birth. At Chennai's Arya Samaj Temple, Nayan accepted Hinduism. Career She co-starred alongside Mohanlal in Naatturajaavu and in Fazil's Vismayathumbathu. She was also cast with Mammootty in Thaskaraveeran (dubbed into Tamil as Yuvaraj) and Raapakal. She has also starred in several Tamil and Telugu movies. She was cast opposite Sarath Kumar in Ayya and with Rajinikanth in Chandramukhi. Her later films, such as Vallavan (Tamil), Gajini (Tamil), Yogi (Telugu), etc., all flopped except Ghajini and Vallavan. She regained her throne in Kollywood through Billa in 2007. Her next movie, Yaaradi Nee Mohini, was a stupendous success. Comeback in 2012 However, after her break-up with Prabhu Deva, she made a comeback; she began shooting for Krish's Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum with Rana Daggubati in March 2012, after an 11-month sabbatical. She portrayed the role of a journalist in this movie, and her performance was also praised, with a reviewer from Sify citing that "Nayanthara does not play the normal commercial glam-doll for a change, and she is good." As a reporter, she looked good, and her chemistry with Rana was perfect. Greeku Veerudu, her first release in 2013, co-starred Akkineni Nagarjuna. Her performance was also praised, with a reviewer from Sify citing that "Nayanthara looks beautiful in trendy costumes as well as in designer sarees." Her chemistry with Nagarjuna is equally nice and perfect. After a long time, Nagarjuna found his best pair. She has also appeared in Vishnuvardhan's Valai, opposite Ajith Kumar, Raja Rani, opposite Arya, and S. R. Prabhakaran's Idhu Kathirvelan Kadhal, opposite Udhayanidhi Stalin, and Shekhar Kammula's Anamika. Relationships & Controversies While shooting for her Tamil film Vallavan, she was romantically linked with the film's director and co-actor, Silambarasan Rajendar. She initially denied the reports. In November 2006, however, she confirmed that she and Silambarasan had broken up, going on to add that she would not work with him again. During the making, in 2008, and after the release of her film Villu, reports suggested that she was in a relationship with its director, Prabhu Deva, with some sources even claiming that both had secretly married in June 2009. She had tattooed his name on her wrist and began appearing with him in public while keeping silent and refusing to comment about the issue, neither denying nor confirming the relationship. In September 2010, Prabhu Deva openly confessed his love for Nayantara and further stated that he would marry her soon. In 2012, Nayantara confirmed that she had ended her relationship with Prabhu Deva. Marriage Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan have been in a relationship ever since they worked together on Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in 2015 and are engaged. The couple got married on June 9, 2022, in Mahabalipuram. On October 20, 2022, the couple announced the birth of their twin children by sharing the kids' photos online.

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Renowned Malayalam Filmmaker K G George Passes Away at 77: The world of cinema is somber as celebrated Malayalam filmmaker K. G. George, known for his influential contributions to the industry, departed on Sunday at the age of 77. He was residing in an old-age home in Kakkanad.

Mohanlal And Priyadarshan's Reunion In 'Haram': M G Sreekumar Spills The Exciting Details

K. G. George had been ailing due to a stroke and was under medical treatment before his demise. His remarkable journey as a filmmaker earned him numerous accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam for his debut masterpiece, 'Swapnadanam,' in 1975.

In 2015, the government of Kerala recognized his immense contributions to Malayalam cinema by honoring him with the prestigious J. C. Daniel Award, reserved for those who have indelibly impacted the industry.

Tribute From Joy Mathew

Actor Joy Mathew paid tribute on his social media platform with these words: "Although the curtain of life has fallen, the creations of this master craftsman, which revitalized the sensitivity of Malayali cinema, cannot be concealed behind any curtain. Regards, George Sir."

K. G. George's illustrious filmography includes 'Swapnadanam' (1976), 'Vyaamoham' (1978), 'Rappadikalude Gatha' (1978), 'Iniyaval Urangatte' (1978), 'Onappudava' (1978), 'Mannu' (1978), 'Ulkkadal' (1979), 'Mela' (1980), 'Kolangal' (1981), 'Yavanika' (1982), 'Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback' (1983), 'Adaminte Vaariyellu' (1984), 'Panchavadi Palam' (1984), 'Irakal' (1985), 'Kathakku Pinnil' (1987), 'Mattoral' (1988), 'Yaathrayude Anthyam' (1989), 'Ee Kanni Koodi' (1990), 'Elavamkodu Desam' (1998).

He was an integral part of the revolutionary wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, contributing significantly to the industry's evolution. 'Elavamkodu Desam,' released in 1998, marked the culmination of his illustrious career.

Mammootty's Heartfelt Farewell To Director K G George, His Career Mentor

K. G. George's legacy as a pioneering filmmaker and his indomitable influence on the world of Malayalam cinema will be remembered and cherished by cinephiles and industry professionals alike.
A quotation by Picasso: Every child is an artist; the problem is staying one when you grow up.

At 17, senior year, I was the youngest person ever accepted to the prestigious Western New York Exhibit at the Albright (not yet Knox) Art Gallery. In a local news article, I was called the baby of the show with work reminiscent of Bemelmans. My art teacher, Herb Rowswell, was a maverick Buffalo artist who encouraged his students to aim high. My painting was a watercolor titled LItalie. It sold before the show opened for the sum of  wait for it  $25.

When I was at Buffalo State College, time between classes was spent across the street at the gallery. When it was time to face the world and start a career, all of it got pushed aside. Eventually marriage, motherhood and other, different job options, became my life. Puttering with paints never made it into my schedule.

Watercolor has a reputation as a tempestuous medium, involving the effort to contain runny water on a flat surface with only a small brush. Saturation, humidity and evaporation all play their roles as you finesse the water. Some colors mingle, creating new hues; others just misbehave. If you start too soon, marks disappear. If you overwork, well  best not to go there.

When I finally was able to exit the workforce, my clear ambition was to paint. I wish I could say I picked up where I left off three decades earlier, but so much was gone. Missteps filled my paper, but with time and patience acceptable watercolors started showing up.

As children, we created art as freely as breathing but as we age, critics natter and we listen to it all. Well-meaning outsiders or worse, our own naysaying inner voices are loud. I learned to just do the work and have faith that in time things would click. The two-year lockdown due to Covid 19 was a gift. At last, relieved of duties, obligations, schedules, I answered to nobody. I found a way to block the horror of the times.

My husband and I took to the car to mimic being active members of society. I began sketching daily from the car doing parking lots, designs inspired by the yellow lines on the pavement, storefronts, restaurants and vehicles. I painted trees, kids, people in boats, on bikes, and running. The dog park was standard fare and a gift.

When a website for artwork containing signs cropped up, I met that challenge and gave new respect to road, window, handwritten and electric signs. All were subjects Id never imagined interesting, and probably would not have chosen, but by working daily, my confidence and abilities grew.

Sharing and passing on knowledge was a natural next step. There is an aura of mystery around watercolor. Many people want do it. One thing that saddens me is a person saying they will start later, after retirement, or when the kids grow up. Why postpone the joy of creating when with a No. 2 pencil, an eraser and dollar store sketch pad you can begin? Add a paint box and brush from an art store. With an artists eye, the world is transformed. You never see it same way again. Art can be yours if you take a tiny gamble. The rewards are boundless and the word boredom is gone from your vocabulary.
Renowned Malayalam Filmmaker K G George Passes Away at 77: In a sombre moment for the world of cinema, celebrated Malayalam filmmaker K. G. George, known for his influential contributions to the industry, passed away on Sunday at the age of 77 in an old-age home located in Kakkanad.

K. G. George, who had been ailing due to a stroke, was undergoing medical treatment prior to his demise. His exceptional work as a filmmaker earned him numerous accolades, including the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam for his debut creation, 'Swapnadanam,' in 1975.

The government of Kerala recognised his immense contributions to Malayalam cinema by bestowing upon him the prestigious J. C. Daniel Award in 2015, an honour reserved for those who have left an indelible mark on the industry.

Mammootty's Heartfelt Farewell To Career Mentor K G George

In response to the news, actor Mammootty, who held deep appreciation for Mr. George's work, expressed his sorrow in a heartfelt social media post, bidding farewell to the filmmaker who had touched his heart. In his social media post, actor Mammootty said, 'One more person who was close to my heart says goodbye. Regards, George sir.'

K. G. George's illustrious filmography includes 'Swapnadanam' (1976), 'Vyaamoham' (1978), 'Rappadikalude Gatha' (1978), 'Iniyaval Urangatte' (1978), 'Onappudava' (1978), 'Mannu' (1978), 'Ulkkadal' (1979), 'Mela' (1980), 'Kolangal' (1981), 'Yavanika' (1982), 'Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback' (1983), 'Adaminte Vaariyellu' (1984), 'Panchavadi Palam' (1984), 'Irakal' (1985), 'Kathakku Pinnil' (1987), 'Mattoral' (1988), 'Yaathrayude Anthyam' (1989), 'Ee Kanni Koodi' (1990), 'Elavamkodu Desam' (1998)

He was an integral part of the revolutionary wave in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s and 1980s, contributing significantly to the industry's evolution.

'Elavamkodu Desam,' featuring Mammootty and released in 1998, marked the culmination of his illustrious career. Notably, it was through K. G. George's 'Mela' in 1980 that Mammootty secured his first major role in Malayalam cinema, a milestone that would forever change the trajectory of his career.

K. G. George's legacy as a pioneering filmmaker and his indomitable influence on the world of Malayalam cinema will be remembered and cherished by cinephiles and industry professionals alike.
Shiv Thakare New Show: Shiv Thakare, famously known as the 'Marathi Manus,' embarked on his showbiz journey as a contestant on MTV Roadies Rising in 2017. Since then, he has made significant strides in his career, consistently making headlines, especially after emerging as the runner-up in Bigg Boss 16 earlier this year.

Although Shiv Thakare gained fame by winning the second season of Mahesh Manjrekar's Bigg Boss Marathi, it was his participation in the Salman Khan-hosted Bigg Boss 16 that catapulted him to nationwide recognition. Currently, he is entertaining fans once again with his participation in Colors TV's Khatron Ke Khiladi 13 hosted by Rohit Shetty.

For those who are unaware, KKK 13 is slated to bid adiue to the viewers next month and Shiv is one among the final five contestants of the stunt-based show. While there are still some weeks left for the grand finale of Khatron Ke Khiladi, the latest reports suggest that the reality TV star is already in talks for another non-fiction show.

IS SHIV THAKARE PARTICIPATING IN JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA 11?

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Bigg Boss 17 New Promo: When Will BB 17 Premiere On Colors? Makers Announce Confirmed Date & Time

As per the ongoing buzz, Shiv Thakare is now in talks to participate in Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11. Yes, you read that right! For those who are unaware, the hugely popular celebrity dance reality show is returning to Sony TV after being aired on Colors TV for several years. It is slated to being next month.

Interestingly, Shiv Thakare too has confirmed being approached for the eleventh season of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa but revealed that things are not yet finalised and currently talks are going on. Reacting to the reports of him doing the dance reality show, he told Pinkvilla, "Well, nothing has been finalized yet."

JHALAK DIKHHLA JAA 11: CELEBS APPROACHED FOR NEW SEASON

Besides Shiv, the makers of JDJ 11 have reportedly offered the show to several known names including Ayesha Singh, Sumbul Touqeer Khan, and Ulka Gupta. However, the makers are yet to official unveil the contestants list.
In diesem Report stellen wir Ihnen 3 Top-Aktien aus dem Energie-Sektor vor, die Sie unbedingt auf Ihre Watchlist setzen mussen. Lassen Sie sich diese kostenlose Analyse nicht entgehen!

Wolftank: Wolftank Group announced that it has signed a cooperation agreement with Matrix Service Inc. (Matrix Service), a subsidiary of Matrix Service Company, a top tier contractor to clients across the energy and industrial markets. The agreement brings Wolftank's mobile hydrogen refueling solutions to the U.S. while extending Matrix Service's work across the hydrogen value chain to include the Mobility sector, in addition to its previously well-established expertise in cryogenic storage tanks and terminals. In this context, the Wolftank Group will provide technical expertise and equipment, while Matrix will perform fabrication and assembly of Wolftank's Hydrogen Smart Containers (HSC) used for dispensing hydrogen for passenger and commercial vehicles. Wolftank ...

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.
Mobile internet services in Manipur were restored after a 143-day blackout, making it the second-longest internet shutdown in India, following the 552-day blackout in Jammu and Kashmir.

This development coincided with the relaxation of a total curfew for a day in the Imphal East and West districts, where recent clashes and law-and-order issues had disrupted peace amid five months of ethnic unrest.

The Imphal valley will remain under a night curfew, with the government evaluating the possibility of extending the relaxation of restrictions. The blackout had been imposed on May 3 to curb the spread of fake news, propaganda, and hate speech.

Manipurs Chief Minister, N Biren Singh, mentioned that the situation had improved over the past two months, resulting in a decrease in security incidents due to the presence of security forces in vulnerable areas.

The restoration of mobile internet services was met with enthusiasm, especially among students who are now considering returning to the state. Similar to the approach in Jammu and Kashmir, internet services in Manipur were gradually reinstated. Broadband services resumed conditionally on July 24, while mobile data was reinstated for government officials on August 30.

The decision to restore mobile internet services was influenced by a rise in extortion, kidnappings, and crimes committed by individuals impersonating police officers. The Assam Rifles informed Manipur police about insurgent groups and miscreants in the Imphal valley obtaining Tata 407 trucks from the market and modifying them to resemble paramilitary vehicles, complete with fake insignias. There were also reports of insurgents posing as security personnel during attacks on villages.

Recently, an NIA court in Imphal East granted bail to five men arrested on September 16 for impersonating police officers and carrying firearms. Chief Minister Biren Singh highlighted the governments efforts to establish the rule of law in various regions of Manipur, with a focus on combating drug smuggling, poppy cultivation, and the influx of illegal immigrants from Myanmar. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of addressing the welfare of those displaced by the conflict.

Since May 3, the official death toll has reached 176, with the latest reported killing on September 17 being an Army sepoy named Serto Thangthang Kom, who was found shot in the head in Imphal East district after being abducted from his home in Imphal West. Currently, 96 bodies, including nine unidentified ones, remain unclaimed in three Manipur hospitals.

There are 1,108 reported injuries, and 32 individuals are missing. According to the police, 5,172 cases of arson have been reported, resulting in the destruction of 4,786 houses. Additionally, vandals have damaged 254 churches and 132 temples. Of the 4,000 weapons stolen from state forces armouries, 1,359 have been recovered, along with 15,000 rounds of ammunition.
Two people lost their lives and three others were left blind after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in Bihars Muzaffarpur district on Sunday.

Police said the deceased were identified as Umesh Shah and Dharmendra Ram.

Police said after receiving word of the suspected spurious liquor deaths, a team reached the spot to carry out further investigation.

The police informed further that two people were arrested in connection with the suspected spurious liquor deaths.

We received information that two people died after health took a turn for the worse all of a sudden. Preliminary inquiry has revealed that they had consumed countrymade liquor. We have arrested two persons in connection with these deaths, Muzaffarpur SP Abhishek Dixit told ANI.

In April earlier this year, spurious liquor claimed the lives of 27 people in Bihars Motihari.

Motihari SP Kantesh Kumar Mishra suspended five station house officers (SHOs), 2 Anti-Liquor Task Force (ALTF) personnel, and 9 police watchmen (chowkidars) in the wake of the suspected hooch deaths.

Speaking on the deaths, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, provided they give a written undertaking to abide by the states prohibition policy.

The deaths are unfortunate. Well provide Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the deceased from the CM Relief Fund. However, they should also give us an undertaking in writing that they are in favour of the liquor ban currently in force in the state and that they are against liquor addiction, the Bihar CM said.

Nitish Kumars government imposed the liquor ban across the state under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, of 2016.
On 31 July, 2022, a retired physician residing with his grandkids in Kabul, was seated on the balcony of his house, enjoying the morning sun. As the CIA would later reveal, Ayman al-Zawahri, the leader of Al Qaeda, liked to read alone in the morning. To know what happened next, lets quote from a press statement released two days later by the Pentagon.

Zawahiri was killed in an over-the-horizon operation in downtown Kabul, where he was residing as a guest of the Taliban. The house was struck by two Hellfire missiles in a precision, counterterrorism operation at 6:18 a.m. Kabul time on Sunday. Zawahiri was the only casualty His death deals a significant blow to al-Qaida (sic) and will degrade the groups ability to operate, including against the US homeland.

New York Times called Zawahiri one of the worlds most-wanted terrorists, while Al Jazeera referred to him as an Egyptian surgeon. Maybe it is a matter of perception.

Interesting to note on that very day, August 2, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau cheered the CIA drone strike on Zawahiri, congratulating the US for carrying out an extrajudicial, unlawful killing of an Egyptian national on foreign soil. In a tweet Trudeau, devoid of any moral compunctions that he has shown over the killing of a Khalistani terrorist, claimed, The death of Ayman al-Zawahiri is a step toward a safer world.

The death of Ayman al-Zawahiri is a step toward a safer world. Canada will keep working with our global partners to counter terrorist threats, promote peace and security, and keep people here at home and around the world safe.  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) August 2, 2022

It is said that hypocrisy is the price vice pays to virtue. The escalating diplomatic crisis between India and Canada reveals the blatant duplicity that lies at the heart of the Wests rules-based order that runs on the unwavering principle of White is always right.

When it comes to the West, their enemies are terrorists who enjoy no human rights, nor do the nations where they find shelter have any claims to sovereignty. After killing ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in Syria, Donald Trump boasted: He died like a dog God bless America. The West clapped in unison.

These rules click in place, however, when a member of the Global South is affronted. While the Wests concerns are non-negotiable, and the terrorists they are going after are traced to the far corners of the earth and hunted down accompanied by instant justification of their actions by the western media  even legitimate concerns of, say, India are subject to the rules set by the West that never seem to match the bar.

Suddenly, the terrorists who carry out targeted killings, fund terror and narcotics networks and carry out secessionist activities are mere community activists, plumbers, temple leaders, fatherly figures living an honest life and victims of state repression.

As Seema Sirohi wrote on X, these are rules-based order with Western characteristics.

The same Trudeau who celebrated the taking out of Zawahiri, became the protector-in-chief of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar due to domestic political compulsions. Even though New Delhi had shared with Ottawa a dossier containing relevant details of over a dozen criminal cases filed against Nijjar and intelligence on other terrorist activities he had been involved in against India over two decades, the Trudeau regime kept ignoring the evidence, kept cold-shouldering extradition requests and virtually gave Nijjar a free hand to make Canada the staging ground for a revival of the Khalistani movement aimed at violently ripping India apart.

As AEIs Michael Rubin points out in 1945, while within the United States, Pakistans efforts to promote a Khalistan separatist narrative largely manifest themselves in a few gadflies and conspiracy-addled activists In Canada, however, the campaign has grown more malevolent. Khalistani militants regularly extort money from the Sikh business community under threat of violence. Their tactics mirror what the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Tamil Tigers did in the 1980s and 1990s among the Kurdish and Tamil diasporas in Europe.

Evidently because Khalistanis were getting political protection, even encouragement from the Canadian political establishment. Nijjars Khalistani antecedents were well-established. Dossiers on him shared with Ottawa by New Delhi, which are now emerging on public domain, paint an unflattering picture.

No matter what the Canadians would have the world believe, Nijjar was a terrorist, an extortionist, a racketeer and a murderer. He ran militant camps in Mission Hills, British Columbia, where he trained Khalistani extremists on using AK-47s, sniper rifles, and pistols, and was designated as an individual terrorist under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act by Indias Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020,.

According to reports in Indian media quoting from the dossier prepared by Indian intelligence, Nijjar was radicalized by Pakistan-based KTF (Khalistani Tiger Force) chief Jagtar Singh Tara and cultivated by the ISI. His activities are a long, exhaustive list of targeted assassinations of political leaders and cops, ransom and kidnappings carried out through the KTF module whose members were spotted, trained, funded and operationalized by Nijjar. Videos abound in social media of Nijjar boasting about the Khalistani legacy of assassinating former Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi.

This is what Canadian citizen Hardeep Singh Nijjar would exhort from Khalistani Gurdwaras!

Assassinating Indian PM, Chief of Army Staff, Sikh CM of Punjab.. being a human bmb etc is proud legacy of their movement!

Any comment: @JustinTrudeau, @theJagmeetSingh, @PierrePoilievre? https://t.co/51elDbjW0M pic.twitter.com/aImjSzt2Xa  Puneet Sahani (@puneet_sahani) September 20, 2023

Along with gangster-turned-terrorist Arshdeep Singh Dala, whose agents killed a local Congress leader in Punjabs Moga district last Wednesday, Nijjar also operated an immigration racket and extorted money from businessmen in Punjab. The NIA lodged several cases against him, the Interpol had a notice issued against his name and he also carried a cash award on his head.

Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, a soldier and a military historian, writes in Indian Express that Government of India has on quite a few occasions raised the issue of Canada providing shelter to anti-India elements in that country. Those involved in heinous crimes of terrorism and killing are provided political asylum there. When I met Trudeau as Chief Minister of Punjab on behalf of the Government of India in February 2018 at Amritsar, I handed over a list of nine A-category terrorists to him for action. But the Canadian government chose to ignore the list completely.

Nijjars acquiring of Canadian citizenship is an equally intriguing story. Reports in Indian and Canadian media reveal that Nijjar fled to Canada in 1998 on a forged passport in the name of Ravi Sharma, but his application for political asylum through fabricated stories of police torture was rejected by the Canadian authorities on grounds that the doctors report misspelt injuries as intesticlals. The honest plumber proved quite resourceful in a foreign land. He arranged for another application within 11 days of that setback by entering a marriage agreement with a divorced Sikh woman. This application, too, was rejected over suspicion that it was fake.

The community activist then lodged another appeal, and to quote from Canadian media outlet Globe and Mail, Neither Balraj (his son) nor Pannun (his lawyer) could say what exactly happened next, and there are no public records that detail precisely how he became a Canadian citizen. But federal immigration minister Marc Miller confirmed this week that Nijjar acquired Canadian nationality on May 25, 2007 (Miller first said this took place in 2015 before correcting the date). Nothing to see here.

Incidentally, Nijjar, whom an Interpol notice calls a key conspirator in the 2007 bombing of a cinema in Ludhiana, has also been named in the plots to kill Hindu religious leader Kamaldeep Sharma in Jalandhar and a temple explosion in Patiala. Why was this criminal mastermind being shielded from deportation to India and was even receiving protection from Canadian intelligence officers, with whom he had regular meetings?

Worth noting that though Canada consistently rebuffed Nijjars extradition attempts despite both country being signatories of a treaty, the Khalistani terrorist was put on a no-fly list by Ottawa in 2017-18, a move replicated by the United States in 2019.

The relevant question then becomes why would Trudeau go to the extent of levelling an extraordinarily serious charge of complicity in murder against a sovereign nation without furnishing even a modicum of proof, and in the process making an adversary out of a key economic power and a fellow democracy for the sake of a bona fide terrorist?

After all, it is the same Trudeau who uttered not even a pipsqueak when a dissident Pakistani human rights activist, Karima Baloch, who was granted asylum in Canada in 2016 was found dead in Toronto four years later. The indications that Baloch, who was involved in in insurgency movement in Pakistans restive Baluchistan province, was killed by Pakistani agents were strong, but Trudeau did not open his mouth, leave alone levelling allegations against Pakistan.

Some have suggested bruised ego as part of Trudeaus motivation, but the reason goes deeper. In a previous piece, I had laid out the reasons behind Trudeaus protective arm toward Khalistani elements in his party and constituency and why the Canadian prime ministers political survival is tied to appeasement of Khalistani votebank.

Read: Why is Trudeau regime backing Khalistanis at the cost of degrading India-Canada ties? Its all about political survival

Theres more evidence of that phenomenon from a former foreign policy advisor to Trudeau, on how the Canadian PM  whose ratings are now well below his rival Pierre Poilievre according to the latest opinion poll  is critically dependent on the Khalistani votebank which he is loathe to lose to Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP).

Omar Aziz, who served the government in 2017, writes in Canadas Globe and Mail, Canada should have at least begun to take steps to ensure our land was not used for terrorist financing  a reasonable demand The only problem was, Trudeau did not want to lose the Sikh vote to Jagmeet Singh. So we dug in our heels What I saw in government was how Canadas ethnic domestic battles were distorting our long-term foreign policy priorities, and politicians, who never understood South Asia or India anyway, were pandering in lowest-common-denominator ways in B.C. and Ontario suburbs, and playing up ethnic grievances to win votes.

Yet the Khalistani votebank is only one part of the story. A far more consequential development that has gone totally under the radar due to the Trudeau-induced diplomatic crisis with India, is the charge from Canadas opposition that Trudeau is a China sympathizer. The country that stands to gain the most from Canadas fracas with India is China.

Conservative leader Poilievre, whose star is on the rise, has mounted stringent criticism against Trudeau that he has turned a blind eye to Chinese governments intervention in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections, allegations that have emerged in Canadian media quoting national security documents. Beijing has denied all charges. The Opposition leader, according to a report in Canadian outlet CBC, has accused Trudeau of working in Chinas interests and against Canada and of covering up, even encouraged it to continue.

After a lot of ultimately unsuccessful stalling tactics, Trudeau, on September 7, was forced to launch a public investigation into whether China or Russia had anything to do with Liberal Partys gains in 2019 and 2021 that led to Trudeau retaining power, bowing to Oppositions relentless pressure. China was not amused, and threatened Ottawa with consequences through a stern statement.

A few days later after returning home from a disastrous trip to New Delhi for the G20 summit, Trudeau made a dramatic announcement in the Canadian Parliament bringing malicious charges against India while refusing to share any evidence, and the entire China issue that had been an uncomfortable episode for Trudeau was instantly dead and buried. It may not be a coincidence.

Suddenly, the issue of China opening police stations in Quebec through which Chinese Canadians have been victims of the possible activities conducted by these centres, a matter that is being probed by the Canadian police, is forgotten. Trudeau did not make it an issue, a tactic he had steadfastly employed while China had taken two Canadian citizens as hostage to release Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Trudeaus reticence to call out China was noted, and he had been at the receiving end of barbs from the Opposition.

Could that explain why Trudeau decided to go ballistic on India, so that Beijing  that stands to gain if he remains in power  is moved out of focus?

Tasha Kheiriddin, A Canadian columnist, writes in National Post that For over a year now, Trudeau has been on the defensive about foreign interference in Canadian elections by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). In response, he criticized leaked intelligence documents for containing inaccuracies Our public inquiry into foreign interference finally kicked off  and suddenly, theyre not the focus anymore. There are other bad states doing bad things. The crisis also torpedoes Canadas Indo-Pacific Strategy, unveiled in November 2022, which criticized Chinese policies and sought to build stronger ties with India. Now, that hope is dead, and with it, a small part of Indias plan to counter Chinas influence in the Indo-Pacific.

While Trudeau ups the ante against India through media leaks about possessing intelligence on Indias alleged involvement with the murder that refers to communications involving Indian officials themselves, including Indian diplomats present in Canada, he has crucially refused to release any real evidence, and has demanded that India cooperate in the probe.

In an interview to New York Times published Saturday, Trudeau made some incendiary remarks, claiming that he would like to see a number of people thrown in jail, convicted. A series of lessons learned and changes made to the way the Indian government and the intelligence services operate, to a question on the Nijjar issue.

India has refuted the allegation in strongest of terms, clarified that not a single proof has been shared with New Delhi, and in rare departure from strategic ambiguity, has called Canada a safe haven for terrorists, for extremists, and for organized crime that should be worried about its international reputation.

While both sides take confrontationist positions, with Canada seemingly boosted by back-to-back statements from America, a few points must be made clear.

First, Canada needs to share clear, actionable intelligence with India on the allegations, not empty bombast over credible allegation and potential links. Ottawa unfortunately has refused to share evidence but still wants India to cooperate, which leads to the fantastic conclusion that India will gather proof against itself so that Trudeaus theory is proven. So far Canada has not provided any evidence of Indias direct involvement in the Nijjar case.

Second, if Ottawa chooses to play the media game through leaks, it must know that two can play this game. Such insinuations prove nothing.

Third, the burden of the proof, especially in light of these outrageous and malicious charges, lies entirely with Trudeau. Whether or not India has indeed carried out the execution will depend on evidence, not moral bombast. India has totally rejected the charges so the issue is hypothetical. Still, it must be made clear that the Wests sermonizing on transnational repression, as Antony Blinken put it, is a classic case of pot calling the kettle black.

If, and it is a big IF, India was forced to bring the terrorist to justice, it would be a morally and legally justified way of conducting statecraft. It is more common than the theatrical western outrage on display, where the main grievance seems to be not that India has done it, but that it had the audacity to do it against a FVYE nation.

I have some news for the shocked western leaders. Countries put self-interest ahead of ideals and values. When it comes to territorial integrity, India has no space for bargaining. Read the first paragraph of this piece again.

Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Youth is about hope, joy, enthusiasm, inculcating deep friendships and relying on the ecosystem of communities and families. It is also a time to learn deep human values of love, compassion, cooperation and gratitude.

So far, in 2023, an average of three cases of suicide per month are reported in Kota.

What is really going on? Are we failing our youth? Are we trapped in the wrong narration of education and competition (interestingly, they have become synonyms these days)?

Kota has an annual Rs. 10,000 crore education industry. Lacs of students go there every year to climb up the ladder of competition quickly. And in this hustle, everybody has forgotten about basic psychological needs and human values.

A few immediate noticeable causes of the growing suicide trends are:

Kotas eternal environment of peer pressure, parental expectations and high competition. G rowing attention deficit among young students because of spending more time on social media platforms. Short-format content on social media reduces their patience level, which triggers their stress and anxiety more quickly, leading to taking extreme steps. This trend is growing more in the post-pandemic world, as during the pandemic when classes were online, students were spending more time on the screens and less time in face-to-face interaction. Now, their ability to openly talk about their issues has reduced and there is a growing social awkwardness in young people.

Kota is a microcosm, a small representation of our ailing and imposed education system. This western education system is based on divisiveness, competition and individual performance. It is not inclusive, cooperative or holistic. I read somewhere that, People are hired because of their technical skills but are fired because of their human skills.

The current education system that we are following in India is a cunning imposition by our earlier British masters. They destroyed our holistic gurukul and community-based education systems because they wanted to create a herd of educated slaves. These educated officers could then be used to fulfill their white masters agenda of highest tax collection, using their local understanding and language to benefit the British empire and of course, never asking questions. It is unfortunate that we are still following this damaging legacy in the name of western education.

What is happening in Kota is not a surprise but a result of this divisive education system. This unbearable pressure to perform is not something that is happening only in higher competitive exams, it starts to build up at the school level. And, what is happening in Kota, is the culmination of this unsustainable pressure model.

Life is not built on the philosophy of Survival of the fittest, it was a wrong statement given by Charles Darwin, actually this statement did not even come from Charles Darwin, it was originally given by Herbert Spencer, an English sociologist and philosopher. Nonetheless, both of them were Britishers and were active during the time of British Raj, so the whole thought process was class-driven and imperialistic. They probably were of the opinion that Britishers are the fittest race and deserve to dominate the world and make others their slaves. From this mindset came the philosophy of Survival of the fittest. And our current education system is entirely based on this. But actually, if you look at nature, the principle is NOT Survival of the fittest but Survival of the KINDEST. Natures entire ecosystem is based on kindness, support, cooperation and nurturing each other.

In nature, every species actually supports the other species to live and grow. Even a cow knows to leave some grass on the field and not eat all of it from the root itself, for the grass needs to keep growing for the cow to keep feeding on it. Nature knows that mutual growth is very important for everyone to survive. But in human life, we are just trying to kill the competitors, and in order to do that, we take excessive stress and pressure on ourselves, which is neither sustainable nor life affirmative.

Forming excessive police teams to keep a check on student suicide or installing spring-loaded ceiling fan rods is not the solution to this growing stress on our young generation.

It is high time that we reimagine our education system based on natures principle of Survival of the Kindest. We must also build a strong eco-system in all places like Kota to regularly engage students with life-essential skills of Meditation and Yoga along with cultivating a range of human values in the youth.

In every adversity lies an opportunity. Today, Kota can reverse this suicide pattern and become a model of physical, mental, emotional, intellectual and spiritual well-being to achieve desired success and fulfillment in life. Let us work together for the sake of our youth and learn from Bharats ancient knowledge systems.

The author is an ex-corporate CEO and a successful entrepreneur. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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The term Axis of Evil was first used by US President George W Bush, less than 5 months after the 9/11 attacks to describe Iran, Iraq and North Korea. The term is a portmanteau of the Axis powers of World War II and the Evil empire, a term used by Ronald Regan to describe the Soviet Union. The G20 in Delhi has hastened the consolidation of a new-China led-Axis of Evil. An axis of evil of states which seek weapons of mass destruction, support terrorism, destroy civil liberties and collaborate to undermine electoral democracies worldwide under Xi Jinpings leadership.

IMEC

The immensely successful G20 in New Delhi also included the announcement of the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor (IMEC), bringing together India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, the European Union, Germany, France and Italy all under one trade and connectivity alliance under the leadership of the United States. US President Joe Bidens visit to Delhi was followed by his visit to Vietnam, in Chinas backyard, a further irritant to Beijing. The IMEC clearly steers clear of countries which may compromise a US led alliance. Pakistan with its history of an all weather friendship with China and support to cross border terrorism in India has been avoided as has Iran and Afghanistan. Despite its good relations with India, Iran has been known to collaborate with Pakistan on terror plots within India especially when targeting Israeli interests. Iran is also very close to Russia and China. Israel fears that Russia may soon arm Iran with missiles in exchange for drones and other assistance the Islamic Republic provides.

Turkey was also bypassed much to its shock and chagrin. A 2020 report by the Indian R&AW designates Turkey and charities close to the Erdogan family as the second largest sponsor of terrorism in India after Pakistan. Erdogans Islamic brotherhood party closely supports Hamas and other terrorist organisations that regularly attack Israel and receive aid from Iran to wipe Israel off the map. It is often reported how Pakistani illegal migrants cross over to Greece from Turkey and with direction from Iran target Israelis on holiday or Israeli and Jewish assets in Europe.

Erdogan has also held Europe hostage on the refugee crisis as he has held NATOs expansion hostage for his own personal interest. He was, however, surprised to learn that Turkey was excluded from IMEC. After initially opposing the IMEC, he quickly backpedalled by announcing, We are saying that there is no corridor without Turkiye. Turkiye is an important country for manufacturing and trade. The most convenient line of travel from east to west passes through Turkey. Indeed, it was the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire in 1453 that closed the land route between India and Europe and started the competition between European powers to find a navigable sea route between the continents. The IMEC also avoids Egypt and will reduce reliance on the Suez Canal for trade between India and Europe. While the IMEC is a trade alliance it has been structured also as a de facto security alliance against Islamic extremism avoiding and countering the nations that may support it.

For India, the pivot is from the Russia-Iran-India International North South Transportation Corridor (INSTC) and its investment in the Chabahar port in Iran. Indias investment in Chabahar is to counter Chinese dominance in the Indian Ocean. China has invested heavily in the Gwadar port in Pakistan to create a presence in the Indian ocean. Chabahar is amongst a handful of Iranian projects which are exempt from US sanctions as it connects Afghanistan and India by a sea connection through Iran avoiding Pakistan. Indias challenges in financing Chabahars development due to sanctions on Iran have already complicated the project. The announcement of IMEC may lead to Iran turning towards China for support. Iran will also try convincing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates of the efficiency of the International North South corridor (INSTC) after the first train with Russian goods arrived at Bandar Abbas in August, from where they were to be shipped to Saudi Arabia.

Xi moves his axis

All these geopolitical moves have deeply affected China which has started moving pieces on the global chess board to oppose these developments. Prior to the G20 summit in Delhi, China had tried to use the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit to push BRICS to be an alternative to the Group of 7 (G7).Host South Africa and Brazil moderated the expansion by watering down Chinese leader Xi Jinpings ambitions of stacking BRICS with Chinas vassal states and launching a BRICS currency to counter the US dollar.

While Biden strived to bring together a virtuous group of allies to consolidate the US led alliance in Delhi, Modi strove to create rapprochement between Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and Biden. This must have upset the Chinese establishment which has worked hard to create peace between Iran and China with the hope of continued Saudi patronage as well as the contract to build the kingdoms nuclear energy program. In an age of optics, the Modi-Biden-MBS photo at the G20 summit has put serious question marks on Chinas claims to have countered the US influence in the middle east. This is a big loss of face to Xi Jinping at home where he faces economic and political problems.

China appoints an ambassador to the Taliban

Just three days after the G20 summit and two days after the 9/11 anniversary, China named its first ambassador to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The timing was not casual. China is the first country to name an envoy to the Islamic Emirate since the Talibans capture of Kabul two years ago. Putting it at odds with the rest of the world, it announces Chinas intention of collaborating with a terrorist regime to access raw materials while creating strategic depth in central Asia for itself. It also expects that the move will hasten the implementation of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which has been delayed partially due to Pakistans governance and economic problems and partially due to security concerns. The Tehrik-e-Taliban, Pakistan as well as Baloch separatist groups have created a security nightmare for China. The development of the existing Karakoram highway, which passes through the Khunjerab pass linking Peshawar with Kabul, is considered a feasible route to connect Kabul with the CPEC and ultimately with China. Afghanistan shares a 92 km border with China through the narrow Wakhan corridor, extending from Badakhshan to East Turkestan (Xinjiang). While the corridor has three passes, their precarious geographical location deems any direct induction of Afghanistan into the BRI improbable in the short to medium term, however both sides admit to the importance of developing the Wakan corridor as a priority.

From Afghanistan, a terrorist emirate to another pariah regime in Latin America. Venezuelas Nicolas Maduro was on a seven-day long state visit to China from 8 September. On 13 September, Xi Jinping had his first sit down meeting with Maduro since 2018. China is Venezuelas primary sponsor and Xi also announced with Maduro the elevation of the China-Venezuela relationship to an all-weather strategic partnership, probably a stage below the no limits friendship China shares with Russia. Maduros visit furthered Chinas propaganda by Maduro eulogising Chinese models. Maduro said that Venezuela supports the joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Venezuelan side also supports the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by Xi Jinping, Global Times, Chinas government mouthpiece reported.

Venezuela is a heavy weight in Latin America and is a security headache for the United States influencing regimes, drug cartels and illegal immigration from South America which directly affect the United States. In the upcoming elections, uncontrolled illegal migration from South America may tip the balance in gubernatorial and the Presidential elections. Venezuela may eventually be a key mover in deciding who gets elected in DC.

The most interesting visit of the month was probably by the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Russia. In his traditional bullet proof train, Kim rolled into the Russian Far East to probably conclude arms deals.

Meeting with Russian President Putin after his meeting with Kim, Belarusian leader and Putins ally Lukashenko suggested a trilateral partnership between Russia, Belarus and North Korea. Beijing is North Koreas main sponsor and Russia is now heavily dependent on China after global sanctions and a long war in Ukraine. Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi recently visited Moscow and China keeps a close eye on the Moscow-Pyongyang relationship. Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad on Thursday arrived in China.

Chinas axis of evil now includes Russia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Venezuela and these states have started consolidating mutual relationships to help China maintain its Belt and Road Initiative as well as counter Western democracies.

While the IMEC announcement has stirred rivalries in Asia and Europe, China and Xi Jinping have chosen a show of force with quick actions in Afghanistan, Venezuela and North Korea. Xi has lost face once with the US-Saudi rapprochement in Delhi, he will lose face again when Italy will formally announce its intention to exit the BRI in November. For Xi, the BRI is his legacy, and he will go to all lengths, even creating a new axis of evil to protect it.

People will go to vote in 2024 in the two largest democracies of the world, India and the US. The European Union, Mexico, Bangladesh among others will all vote for their next governments. The axis of evil led by China and Russia will do their best to interfere with this result. For the IMEC to succeed it is important for elections to be free and fair in all these countries. What is at stake is not just a trade alliance, but the future of all these republics. The struggle between democracies and autocracies has now started. First and above all, the Republics must be safe.

The author is an Indo-Italian entrepreneur and has over 24 years of leadership and entrepreneurial experience across a wide range of disciplines including pharmaceuticals, technology, renewable energy, strategic consulting, not-for-profit and development in over 30 countries. He is also the founder of the Dialogue on Democracy. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views.

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will hold a pre-arranged meeting in Spain next month despite Bakus lightning offensive against Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan said on Sunday.

The talks on 5 October in Grenada will include French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Council chief Charles Michel, the Armenian Security Council said in a statement, adding that officials will meet to prepare the talks next week.

France, Germany and the European Union have been key players in attempts to resolve the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh.

The ethnically Armenian region is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan but has been run by a separatist administration for three decades.

The rebels agreed to disarm under the terms of a ceasefire reached on Wednesday.

Pashinyan and Aliyev last met in July in Brussels.
Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan Sunday took a veiled swipe at long-standing ally Russia, calling his countrys current foreign security systems ineffective.

Pashinyans nationally televised comments signalled a major foreign policy shift away from Moscow, where criticism of Armenia has also grown.

The systems of external security in which Armenia is involved are ineffective when it comes to the protection of our security and Armenias national interests, Pashinyan said days after Azerbaijans resounding victory in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), a Russian-dominated group comprised of six post-Soviet states.

Like NATO, the group pledges to protect other members that come under attack.

But bogged down in its own war in Ukraine, Russia refused to come to Armenias assistance in the latest Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, arguing that Yerevan itself recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan.

It has become evident to all of us that the CSTO instruments and the instruments of the Armenian-Russian military-political cooperation are insufficient for protecting external security of Armenia, he said.

We must transform and supplement the instruments of Armenias external and domestic security, in cooperation with all the partners who are ready for mutually beneficial steps, Pashinyan said.

He added that Armenia should ratify the so-called Rome Statute, a treaty which established the International Criminal Court, of which Russia is not a part.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his Ukraine policies.

The decision is not directed against CSTO and the Russian Federation, Pashinyan said of his desire to join the ICC.

It comes from the interests of the countrys external security, and taking such a decision is our sovereign right.
Armenia requested the United Nations on Saturday to dispatch a mission to secure the safety of ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan reclaimed the area and vowed to protect minority rights.

For the second time since the rapid Azerbaijani operation in the mountainous terrain, the enemies senior diplomats battled at the United Nations, as Western nations expressed concern.

Armenia, which has vivid memories of mass deaths during the Ottoman Empires last days that Armenians, the US, and many historians consider genocide, has accused Turkish ally Azerbaijan of preparing ethnic cleansing.

After failure of preventing genocide in Rwanda, the United Nations managed to create mechanisms for prevention, thus making the never again a meaningful pledge, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said.

But today we are at the brink of another failure, he said in a speech to the UN General Assembly.

He called for the United Nations to send a mission immediately to Nagorno-Karabakh to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground.

When the two senior diplomats attended a special Security Council session on Thursday, Azerbaijans foreign minister, Jeyhun Bayramov, accused Armenia of misinformation.

Bayramov also addressed the General Assembly on Saturday, saying that Azerbaijan, which is predominantly Muslim, will respect Armenians, who are Christian.

I wish to reiterate that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens, Bayramov said.

We continue to firmly believe that there is a historic opportunity for both Azerbaijan and Armenia to establish good neighborly relations and coexist side by side in peace, Bayramov said.

US calls for protections

Russia, which sent peacekeepers after earlier violence in 2020, on Saturday was supervising the disarmament of ethnic Armenian fighters.

If the surrender is completed, it could effectively end a conflict that has erupted periodically since the fall of the Soviet Union.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who had led three rounds of talks seeking a diplomatic solution, voiced deep concern for the ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh in a telephone call with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

Blinken told him that the United States is pressing Azerbaijan to protect civilians and uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and to ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.

Azerbaijans swift offensive, which killed some 200 people, has sparked protests in Armenia against Russia, which had been tasked with guaranteeing the truce after the 2020 fighting.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking to reporters at the United Nations, accused Western powers of pulling the strings to undermine Moscow but also said, Unfortunately, the leadership of Armenia from time to time adds fuel to the fire itself.

Lavrov pointed to one senior Armenian politician who said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had handed Nagorno-Karabakh over to Azerbaijan.

It is ludicrous to accuse us of this, Lavrov said while adding that he expected Armenians to maintain in Moscows orbit and not ally with those who swoop in from abroad.

A declaration signed in 1991 in Kazakhstans largest city Almaty, then known as Alma-Ata, stated that the existing borders of newly independent countries that had been Soviet republics were inviolable.

The declaration meant that Nagorno-Karabakh was part of Azerbaijan  pure and simple as that, Lavrov said.
According to two persons involved with the negotiations, the Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over the largest arms transfer in history between the ex-Cold War enemies, a deal that might irritate China and marginalise Russia.

One of the people said that a package that could be put together within the next year could complete the newly upgraded partnership between Washington and Hanoi by selling a fleet of American F-16 fighter jets as the Southeast Asian nation faces tensions with Beijing in the disputed South China Sea.

The agreement is still in its early stages, with specific details to be worked out, and it may not be completed. However, it was a major focus of formal Vietnamese-US meetings in Hanoi, New York, and Washington during the previous month.

According to the other source, who declined to be identified, Washington is considering creating special financing arrangements for the pricy equipment, which may assist cash-strapped Hanoi in shifting away from its usual dependence on lower-cost, Russian-made armaments.

The White House and the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry did not reply to calls for comment.

We have a very productive and promising security relationship with the Vietnamese and we do see interesting movement from them in some US systems, in particular anything that can help them better monitor their maritime domain, perhaps transport aircraft and some other platforms, said a US official.

Part of what were working on internally as the US government is being creative about how we could try to provide better financing options to Vietnam to get them things that might be really useful to them.

A major US-Vietnam arms deal could aggravate China, Vietnams larger neighbour, which is wary of Western efforts to box in Beijing. A long-simmering territorial dispute between Vietnam and China is heating up in the South China Sea and explains why Vietnam is looking to build up maritime defences.

They are developing asymmetric defensive capabilities, but (want) to do so without triggering a response from China, said Jeffrey Ordaniel, associate professor of international security studies at Tokyo International University and director for maritime security at Pacific Forum International, a think tank. It is a delicate balancing act.

Ordaniel said Washington should shift funds set aside for financing militaries in the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific region so partners like Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan can afford the weapons they need to resist Beijing.

The Biden administration has said it is trying to balance geopolitical competition with China, including in the Pacific, and responsibly managing the two superpowers relationship.

Earlier this month, Vietnam upgraded Washington to Hanois highest diplomatic status, alongside China and Russia, when US President Joe Biden visited the country.

The diplomatic turnaround marks a sharp pivot nearly a half-century after the end of the Vietnam War.

Since an arms embargo was lifted in 2016, US defense exports to Vietnam have been limited to coast guard ships and trainer aircraft, while Russia has supplied about 80% of the countrys arsenal.

Vietnam spends an estimated $2 billion annually in arms imports, and Washington is optimistic that they can shift a share of that budget over the long term to weapons from the United States or its allies and partners, especially South Korea and India.

The cost of US weaponry is a major obstacle, as is training on the equipment, and is among the reasons the country has taken in less than $400 million of American arms over the past decade.

Vietnamese officials are well aware that they need to spread the wealth, the US official said. We need to lead the charge in helping Vietnam get what it needs.

Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine has complicated Hanois longstanding relationship with Moscow, making supplies and spare parts for Russian-made arms harder to acquire. Nonetheless, Vietnam is also actively in talks with Moscow over a new arms supply deal that could trigger US sanctions, Reuters has reported.
Posters that urged violence against Indian diplomats at a Gurdwara in Surrey, Canada, have been removed after local authorities stepped in. This action comes as relations between Canada and India deteriorated due to allegations of Indias involvement in the murder of a Khalistani terrorist earlier this year.

Sources indicate that the Surrey Gurdwara was instructed to take down the posters that called for the killing of three Indian diplomats. Authorities recognized the seriousness of the situation and the negative perception of such messages originating from Canadian soil.

Furthermore, the Gurdwara has been advised against using loudspeakers for any extremist announcements.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, aged 45, who led the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and was one of Indias most-wanted terrorists, was fatally shot by two unidentified individuals outside a Gurdwara in Surrey, located in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, on June 18.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of involvement in the killing on Monday. In response, New Delhi dismissed these claims as ridiculous and biased and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat, mirroring Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official related to the case.

On Thursday, India urged Canada to take strong action against terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its territory. India also suspended visa services for Canadians as tensions escalated between the two nations over Nijjars killing, pushing their relationship to an all-time low.

Additionally, India called on Canada to reduce the size of its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing for parity in the number and rank of diplomatic personnel. Canada currently has more diplomatic staff in India than New Delhi has in Canada.
A woman in the United States Arizona has been arrested for shooting her husband during an argument about ending their marriage. This information comes from a report in People Magazine.

The Prescott Police Department shared on social media that the woman, Christina Pasqualetto, faces serious charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated assault, forgery, and theft.

The incident occurred on September 20 when the 62-year-old woman drove from Gilbert to her former home in Prescott, where she used to live with her husband, Jon Pasqualetto.

Jon was now the only person living in the house since they had been separated for several months. She arrived at the house shortly before midnight, and they had a heated argument about their divorce. Pasqualetto told the police that she didnt want a divorce and shot him while he was in bed.

The 80-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to his wrist and was taken to a nearby hospital. He was later transported to a hospital in the Phoenix area for further treatment, but his injuries were not life-threatening.

The Prescott Police Department stated in a press release, When he informed her that he still wanted a divorce and had no intention of changing his mind, she produced a handgun and shot him while he was still in bed.

The police explained that after a physical altercation, Jon managed to knock down the woman, causing her to drop the gun, which allowed him to escape from the house. He went to his neighbors house to call 911. The police added, During this time, the victim used his hands and elbows to defend himself and escape the situation. Eventually, he managed to get away and ran to a neighbors house to call 911.

According to the police, the man revealed that he had changed the locks on the house before the incident, but the keys and other items were missing. He also told the police that Pasqualetto had stolen checks and forged a check for 10,000 about a week earlier and cashed it. After authorities found a deposit slip matching the transaction, the 62-year-old admitted to forgery and theft when questioned.
A 10-year-old lad from Florida and his 11-year-old sister decided to embark on a journey to California, covering a whopping 200 miles (about 320 kilometers) in their mums car before being intercepted by sheriffs deputies, as disclosed by authorities.

The siblings had made this daring escape after their mum confiscated the girls gadgets as a form of punishment, according to official sources.

The Alachua County Sheriffs Office narrated that deputies spotted the kids vehicle cruising along Interstate 75 near Gainesville in northern Florida shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday. A few hours earlier, in the city of North Port, situated in the southwest part of the state, their mother had reported both the car and her children as missing.

The deputies, initially suspecting car theft, cautiously brandished their firearms and ordered the cars occupants to exit.

To their great surprise, the deputies witnessed a 10-year-old boy stepping out of the vehicle, accompanied by his 11-year-old sister, stated the department in an official release.

The children explained to the deputies that the girl had become quite upset when their mum confiscated her electronic gadgets as a consequence of her misbehavior. Consequently, the boy took it upon himself to drive her all the way to California. Detectives conducted interviews with the children, concluding that there was no evidence to suggest any mistreatment by their mother or anyone else in their household.

The mother chose not to pursue legal charges, and as a result, the children were reunited with her.

For privacy reasons, the identities of the mother and children have not been disclosed.
French rapper MHD, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his involvement in the murder of a young man named Loic K in Paris back in 2018.

A court in the capital city found 29-year-old MHD guilty of playing a role in the gang-related killing of 23-year-old Loic K. The tragic incident unfolded when Loic K was struck by MHDs Mercedes and subsequently attacked and fatally stabbed by a group of around 12 individuals.

Throughout the trial, MHD, known for his unique blend of trap and West African music called Afro trap, consistently asserted his innocence. He told the packed courtroom in Paris, I have maintained my innocence in this case from the very beginning, and I will continue to do so. He argued that the case against him was built on unfounded rumors and denied being present at the scene of the murder.

However, evidence presented during the trial included a video recorded by a local resident from their window during the incident in the summer of 2018. This video quickly established that the car involved belonged to MHD. Furthermore, witnesses identified him by his distinctive haircut and clothing.

In addition to MHDs conviction, five of his co-defendants received prison sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years, while three others were acquitted. It remains uncertain whether those sentenced to prison plan to appeal.

MHD, who enjoys a substantial following on social media, previously worked as a pizza delivery driver in Paris before pursuing a professional career in music.
Iranian authorities have arrested 28 people linked to the Islamic State group for plotting to target Tehran during the anniversary of last years protests, the intelligence ministry said on Sunday.

The protests erupted after the death in custody on September 16, 2022, of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd arrested for allegedly flouting the Islamic Republics strict dress code for women.

In recent days, during a series of simultaneous operations in Tehran, Alborz and West Azerbaijan provinces, several terrorist bases and team houses were attacked, and 28 members of the said terrorist network were arrested, the ministry said on its website.

These elements are affiliated to the professional crime group of Daesh (Islamic State group) and some of them have a history of accompanying takfiris in Syria or being active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Kurdistan region of Iraq, it added.

In Shiite-dominated Iran, the term takfiri generally refers to jihadists or proponents of radical Sunni Islam.

The intelligence ministry said two security personnel were wounded during the arrest operations, and a number of bombs, firearms, suicide vests and communications devices were seized.

It said it had neutralised a plot to carry out 30 simultaneous terrorist explosions in densely populated centres of Tehran to undermine security and incite riots and protests on the anniversary of last years riots.

The months-long demonstrations saw hundreds of people killed, including dozens of security personnel, in what Tehran called riots fomented by foreign governments and hostile media.

On Thursday, a court sentenced to death a Tajik IS member convicted over a deadly gun attack on a Shiite Muslim shrine in August.

The attack on the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in Shiraz, the capital of Fars province in the south, came less than a year after a mass shooting at the same site that was later claimed by the IS group.
The Israeli army said it launched new drone strikes on the Gaza Strip Sunday targeting two military posts of the Islamist group Hamas after a protest by Palestinians turned violent.

The latest strikes are among a series that have come amid near-daily demonstrations at the border by Palestinians after Israel closed the Erez crossing from Gaza.

The Israeli army struck two military posts belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Bureij and Jabalya areas where violent riots were taking place, the army said in a statement.

An explosive device was hurled from the centre of Bureij toward soldiers, adjacent to the security border in the Gaza Strip, it said, adding that the troops did not suffer any injuries.

The Hamas-controlled health ministry in Gaza said that five Palestinians had been injured by Israeli bullets during a demonstration along the border.

Gaza has been rocked by daily protests since Israeli authorities closed the Erez Crossing, the only gateway for pedestrians entering Israel from the coastal enclave.

Protesters have often resorted to burning tyres, throwing stones and petrol bombs at Israeli troops, who have responded with tear gas and live bullets.

Thousands of Palestinian workers from Gaza have been prevented from entering Israel by the closure of the crossing, which an Israeli NGO, Gisha, condemned as collective punishment.

Israel has issued work permits to some 18,500 Gazans, COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for Palestinian civil affairs, told AFP on Tuesday.

Since 13 September, six Palestinians have been killed and dozens wounded during violence at the border, according to figures from the health ministry in Gaza.

Israel has imposed an air, land and sea blockade on the impoverished Palestinian enclave ever since the Islamist group Hamas seized control in 2007.

Armed conflict sporadically erupts between Israel and militants in the Gaza Strip.

In May, an exchange of Israeli air strikes and Gaza rocket fire resulted in the deaths of 34 Palestinians and one Israeli.
A 14-year-old girl in Pakistan reportedly killed her father on Saturday, accusing him of sexually assaulting her for the past three months in the Punjab province. The tragic incident occurred in Lahores Gujjarpura area.

In her statement to the police, the girl explained that she had endured ongoing abuse from her father for three months. Feeling trapped and desperate, she made the harrowing decision to end her suffering by fatally shooting her father with his own firearm.

The girls father lost his life immediately as a result of the shooting. Officer Kazmi has affirmed that a comprehensive investigation will be conducted before any charges are filed against the suspect.

This incident has garnered significant attention, particularly following a recent ruling by a Pakistani court. Just a day prior, the Gender-Based Violence Court in Lahore, presided over by Additional Sessions Judge Mian Shahid Javed, had sentenced a man named M. Rafique to death for the sexual assault of his underage daughter.
The Philippines accused Chinas coast guard on Sunday of erecting a floating barrier in a disputed area of the South China Sea, preventing Filipinos from accessing and fishing there.

Manilas Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn Chinas installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Coast Guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities, he said.

The (Philippine Coast Guard) will continue to work closely with all concerned government agencies to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains, Tarriela said.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

China claims 90 per cent of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.

Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under then-President Rodrigo Duterte. But tension has mounted again since his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., took office last year.

Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 m (1,000 feet) long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.

Three Chinese Coast Guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said.

Filipino fishermen say China typically installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area, Tarriela said.

The Chinese boats issued 15 radio challenges and accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of violating international and Chinas laws, before moving away upon realizing the presence of media personnel onboard the (Filipino) vessel, he said.
Armenia is prepared to accept all ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh, and the likelihood of their departure is increasing, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in a speech to the country on Sunday.

The Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh still face the danger of ethnic cleansing, Pashinyan said, TASS reported. Humanitarian supplies have arrived in Nagorno-Karabakh in recent days, but this does not change the situation.

If real living conditions are not created for the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh in their homes and effective mechanisms of protection against ethnic cleansing, then the likelihood is increasing that the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will see expulsion from their homeland as the only way out.

The 120,000 ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will flee to Armenia because they do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and are afraid of ethnic cleansing, the breakaway regions leadership told Reuters on Sunday.

Our government will lovingly welcome our brothers and sisters from Nagorno-Karabakh, Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan also stated that the security blocs to which Armenia belonged were inefficient, plainly criticising Russia, Armenias major big-power ally.
The Venezuelan government extended an invitation to journalists to visit the Tocoron Penitentiary Center in the Aragua state last Saturday. This comes shortly after security forces retook control of the prison, which had been under the sway of criminal gangs for many years.

Tocoron prison, one of the largest in the nation, had previously been directly administered by inmates, with many belonging to the formidable transnational criminal gang known as the Tren de Aragua. This gang takes its name from the Aragua state, where Tocoron is situated, as reported by the Venezuelan Information Ministry.

Last Wednesday, Venezuelan security forces, including the Army and National Guard, executed a special operation involving over 11,000 personnel to regain control of the prison complex.

Venezuelas Interior Minister, Remigio Ceballos, hailed the operation as a complete success. During the media tour on Saturday, Ceballos disclosed that security forces had apprehended 80 high-ranking members of the Tren de Aragua gang after securing the prison.

Ceballos categorically refuted media claims that the government had negotiated with gang leaders prior to the operation, stating, We have completely dismantled the leadership group of the so-called Tren de Aragua. They are no longer in control, as conveyed to CNN en Espanol.

Journalists were shown areas where inmates had constructed a swimming pool and multiple eateries within the prison premises in recent years. Authorities released images of weapons confiscated from inmates after the raid, including automatic rifles, machine guns, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.

According to the Venezuelan Information Ministry, thousands of inmates were relocated to other prisons following the operation. However, family members of inmates contested these assertions, asserting that they have had no contact with their loved ones since the day of the operation.

I havent received any updates since all this began last Wednesday, remarked Claribel Rojas, the sister of a Tocoron prison inmate, during an interview with CNNe on Saturday. I came here yesterday and today, but no one provides any information.

While it is not unusual for criminal gangs to wield influence within Venezuelan prisons, the Tocoron Penitentiary had garnered notoriety within the country and, in recent years, had come to symbolize the Venezuelan governments struggle to regain control.

The Tren de Aragua stands as Venezuelas most formidable criminal organization. Over recent years, it has expanded its operations into Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Argentina, as reported by the US State Department.
Hundreds of protesters gathered in London over the weekend to stage their protest against the Governments proposed ban on XL bully dogs.

Demonstrators gathered in Trafalgar Square, holding signs that read protect our bullies and muzzle Rishi, following a recent incident where a man was bitten by a dog believed to be an XL bully in a park in south London.

The victim, a man in his forties, was attacked in Pasley Park, Walworth, shortly after 6 pm on Friday. He was taken to the hospital with injuries to his arm, as reported by the Metropolitan Police.

Protesters marched through the city, chanting slogans like save our bullies and sit for your dog. One protester even wore a t-shirt featuring a photoshopped image of Rishi Sunak wearing a muzzle.

Notably, demonstrators did not bring their XL bully dogs to the protest. Ahead of the event, activists received a warning message that stated, police may confront you and confiscate your dog.

Michelle West, from Northfleet, was one of the participants in the rally. She shared her perspective, saying, People should take responsibility for their dogs. They are blaming the wrong end of the leash. Ive never encountered a dog as affectionate and gentle as mine.

This protest comes just two weeks after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that XL bullies would be added to the list of prohibited breeds under the Dangerous Dogs Act due to a series of recent attacks. Owners of American XL bullies will not be required to cull their pets, but Downing Street has stated that measures will be implemented to manage the existing population of these dogs. The ban is expected to take effect by the end of the year.

Ness Lyons, a writer and lawyer, witnessed an XL bully attack in her local park and shared her experience on social media. She wrote, Earlier this evening, an XL bully leaped a fence and attacked a man in my local park. My son partially witnessed it. The man sustained severe bites in several places, including his abdomen. The police and ambulance arrived, but it took an hour. It was horrifying. The owner quickly fled with his dog.

No arrests have been made, but the Metropolitan Police have stated that their inquiries are ongoing.

Ian Price, aged 52, was attacked by two dogs believed to be XL bullies in Staffordshire in September.

Its worth noting that the XL bully, a breed developed from the American pit bull terrier, is not officially recognized as a specific breed by the Kennel Club.

On Monday, the Prime Ministers official spokesperson announced that a transition period would be introduced regarding the ban, with further details expected to follow after a consultation on the plan.
A second shipment of Ukrainian wheat reached Turkey via the Black Sea on Sunday, according to maritime traffic monitoring sites, despite Russian threats to attack boats heading to or from its neighbour and enemy.

The Palau-flagged bulk carrier Aroyat  laden with 17,600 tonnes of wheat  left the port city of Chornomorsk on Friday bound for Egypt.

Ukraine is testing a new sea route that avoids using international waters and follows those controlled by NATO members Bulgaria and Romania, following Russias withdrawal from a UN-backed grain export deal.

According to the website, Marine Traffic and Vessel Finder, the Aroyat was at the southern exit of the Bosphorus Strait at 0300 GMT on Sunday.

It was to head towards the Dardanelles Strait to reach the Mediterranean.

A first ship loaded with 3,000 tonnes of wheat, and also flying the flag of Palau, left Chornomorsk without incident on Tuesday and arrived in Istanbul on Thursday.

Russia and Ukraine are two major agricultural powers whose supplies are crucial for global food security.

Moscows invasion of its neighbour in February last year  and subsequent international sanctions  have destabilised global supplies and markets.

Ukrainian forces have been aiming to undermine Moscows military control of the Black Sea, including with attacks on Russia-annexed Crimea.

Sevastopol, home to Russias Black Sea fleet, has been targeted by increasingly frequent drone and missile attacks, with Kyiv claiming to have damaged several Russian warships.
Human rights lawyers, in collaboration with Ukraines public prosecutor, are in the process of creating a report on war crimes. This report will be submitted to the international criminal court (ICC) and accuses Russia of deliberately causing starvation during the 18-month-long conflict.

The primary goal is to gather evidence of instances where Russian forces used hunger as a weapon of war. If successful, this could lead to the first-ever prosecution of its kind, potentially indicting the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

Yousuf Khan, a senior lawyer at the law firm Global Rights Compliance, explained that the use of food as a weapon occurred in three phases. The first phase began with the initial invasion when Russian forces besieged Ukrainian cities and disrupted food supplies.

One of the documented incidents took place on 16th March 2022 in Chernihiv. At that time, 20 civilians lost their lives as Russian fragmentation bombs exploded near a supermarket where Ukrainians were waiting in line for bread and food.

Khan also highlighted the siege of Mariupol as a focus of investigation. During this period, food supplies were deliberately cut off, and humanitarian relief routes were either blocked or bombed. This made it incredibly challenging, if not impossible, for starving civilians to escape.

The second phase involved the destruction of essential resources such as food, water, and energy supplies across Ukraine during the conflict. Khan described these actions as targeting objects crucial for the survival of the civilian population. He argued that these were not accidental consequences but deliberate actions with foreseeable outcomes.

Cities like Mykolaiv in the south faced severe water shortages early in the conflict after Russian forces captured the pumping station supplying their water. Residents had to rely on daily deliveries to ensure access to drinking water and sanitation.

The third element of these allegations involves Russian efforts to restrict the export of Ukrainian food. Khan mentioned instances where Russia attacked grain facilities along the Danube and displayed aggression in the Black Sea. Ukrainian officials reported that a significant amount of food, around 270,000 tonnes, was destroyed in late July and early August.

These accusations of Russia intentionally causing starvation in Ukraine carry strong emotional resonance due to the historical context. In 1932-33, millions perished in the Holodomor, an enforced famine orchestrated by Joseph Stalins Soviet government.

These allegations have gained renewed attention following a UN Security Council resolution in 2018 that condemned the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Additionally, revisions to the ICCs Rome Statute in 2019 expanded the range of cases that can be brought before the court.

Global Rights Compliance (GRC) is collaborating with Ukrainian prosecutors on this project until the end of the next year. The plan is to submit a report under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, which allows third parties to provide information on alleged war crimes to the ICCs prosecutor. The final decision on whether to proceed with a prosecution will rest with the prosecutor in The Hague.
Tens of thousands of protesters marched throughout France Saturday in rallies planned by the left to protest police violence, with fights breaking out on the outskirts of the Paris event.

The countrywide demonstration comes just under three months after a police officers point-blank execution of a minor at a traffic stop prompted more than a week of riots in Paris and elsewhere.

Demonstrators of different ages marched across the capital, holding signs that said, Stop state violence, Dont forgive or forget, or The law kills.

Demonstrators targeted article 435-1 of the Internal Security Code, which was established in 2017 and gives officials more licence to fire if a suspect refuses to cooperate.

They were responding to a call by the radical left including the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI).

Unions said some 80,000 people joined the protests across France, including 15,000 in Paris, but the interior ministry put the number at 31,300 nationwide, with 9,000 in Paris.

Unacceptable violence

The government denounced unacceptable violence on the margins of the march in Paris after officers were trapped in their police vehicle when it was attacked, an AFP correspondent said.

Hundreds of hooded people wearing black broke away from the main march of several thousand people in Paris.

They smashed the windows of a bank branch and threw objects at a police car stuck in traffic, an AFP reporter said.

Paris police said the car was attacked with a crowbar and that anti-riot officers were forced to intervene.

Police said three officers were slightly injured.

A video later published by the BFMTV channel and shared on the internet showed a group of masked protesters running after the car, repeatedly kicking it, as one man smashes a window with a crowbar.

An officer gets out and brandishes his service weapon, but does not fire it and gets back in the vehicle.

We see where anti-police hatred leads, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X, formerly Twitter, denouncing unacceptable violence against the police.

La  manifestation  parisienne a connu des violences inacceptables contre les forces de lordre. On voit ou mene la haine anti police. https://t.co/X63bj0bhcH  Gerald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) September 23, 2023

Paris police chief Laurent Nunez said three people had been arrested over the incident.

In total, six people were arrested throughout France, according to a report by the Ministry of the Interior.

'Injustice destroys families'

Among those marching in the northern city of Lille was 27-year-old Mohamed Leknoun, whose brother Amine was killed in August 2022 after refusing to obey police orders.

"All this injustice destroys families," he told AFP.

He deplored the fact that he had not been informed of any progress in the investigation since the police officer who fired the fatal shot was indicted.

The march came days after the IGPN, the inspectorate responsible for investigating police misconduct, released its annual report on the use of force by officers.

It showed that in 2022, 38 people died as a result of police action, including 22 who were shot dead. Thirteen of those deaths involved cases of someone refusing to comply with a police order.

In July, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination -- made up of 18 independent experts -- flagged concerns about the "excessive use of force by law enforcement" in France.

It also called for the government to "adopt legislation that defines and prohibits racial profiling".
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan on Monday, Turkish media reported Sunday.

The two allies said in June they wanted to step up efforts to open a land corridor linking Turkey to Azerbaijans main territory via Nakhchivan and Armenia, a longstanding and complex project.

The meeting follows a lightning Azerbaijani offensive which recaptured the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, mainly populated by ethnic Armenians.

The Turkish president has repeatedly expressed his support for Azerbaijans army this week.

Azerbaijan Thursday held a first round of reintegration talks with the ethnic-Armenian rebels after they agreed to lay down their arms in the face of the day-long military assault.

Some experts believe Azerbaijan could now seek to push its advantage and launch operations in southern Armenia to create territorial continuity with the Nakhchivan exclave.
Many Metropolitan Police firearms officers have given up their guns in protest against the decision to accuse one of their colleagues of murdering rapper Chris Kaba, according to reports.

Kaba, aged 24, lost his life in Streatham Hill, in the south-east of London, last September when he was shot through a car windscreen.

The marksman facing the murder allegation, referred to only as NX121 due to a court order protecting their identity, appeared in Westminster Magistrates Court and the Old Bailey on Thursday.

Scotland Yard has confirmed that a number of officers have chosen to step away from their armed duties while they think about their situation, and noted that this number has grown in the past 48 hours.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley expressed understanding for the anxiety among firearms officers following the decision by the Crown Prosecution Service. He said that he met with 70 of them to reflect on the events of this week and acknowledged why many are contemplating the potential consequences of their rapid decisions, made years earlier, now subject to scrutiny, and the toll this might take on them and their families.

Tony Long, a former Metropolitan Police firearms officer who was cleared of the 2005 killing of Azelle Rodney, voiced widespread concern among officers that NX121 might lose anonymity. He also conveyed feelings of betrayal due to a perceived lack of support from Scotland Yards senior management.

Reports suggest that the capital is now left with a minimal armed police presence, prompting the Yard to consider seeking assistance from other counties under mutual aid agreements and from the military.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police stated, Senior officers, including the Commissioner, have been meeting with firearms officers in recent days as they reflect on the CPS decision to charge NX121 with murder. Many are concerned about how this decision affects them, their colleagues, and their families.

They fear it signals a change in how their actions in the most challenging situations will be judged. As a result, a growing number of officers have decided to step back from their armed duties. We are in ongoing discussions with these officers to support them and to fully comprehend their legitimate concerns.

The spokesperson further emphasized that the Met still maintains a significant firearms capability and continues to deploy armed officers across London, including at locations such as Parliament, diplomatic premises, and airports. Their primary goal remains the safety of the public, and they are closely monitoring the situation while considering contingency plans if necessary.
In a historic move, India has embarked on its quest to establish itself as a global semiconductor hub. US-based Micron Technology recently laid the foundation for its massive Rs 22,500 crore (USD 2.75 billion) chip assembly and test facility in Sanand, Gujarat, as it had promised earlier.

This move comes just three months after Prime Minister Narendra Modis meeting with Sanjay Mehrotra, the President and CEO of Micron Technology.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw marked this as a milestone towards PM Narendra Modis commitment to developing a semiconductor ecosystem in India.

The facility, known as the Assembly, Test, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) unit, will occupy 93 acres in the Sanand GIDC-II industrial estate and is expected to be operational within 18 months.

Micron has pledged up to USD 825 million (Rs. 661.2 crores approx.) for this semiconductor assembly and test facility, with substantial government support. Tata Projects confirmed that it has bagged the contract to build the plant.

This colossal project is set to generate approximately 5,000 direct job opportunities and create an additional 15,000 community job prospects over the next five years.

Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar declared this initiative a historic moment, marking Indias ascent in the semiconductor industry. He said to IANS that:
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Press Release

September 24, 2023 Poe: Improved PPPs to give Pinoys jobs, better infrastructure Sen. Grace Poe said effective implementation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects is the way forward in giving Filipinos better infrastructure projects and opportunities for employment. Delivering the keynote address in a Stratbase forum, Poe said the Philippines is now on a more solid footing to utilize PPPs in revitalizing infrastructure programs. "Through PPPs, the government can do more with less. PPPs offer stable funding for capital-intensive infrastructure projects with the promise of efficient and innovative services," the chairperson of the Senate committee on public services said. Poe said PPPs can provide parallel, if not better, advantages than official development assistance (ODA). "By requiring value-for-money proposals, the better quality and longer life cycles of PPP projects make it more cost-effective than those solely financed by the national budget or ODA," she added. The senator acknowledged the government is facing "a taut and tight budget" that leaves little fund to be cut or realigned for capital outlays. "Funding infrastructure should not be done via taxes or debts alone, as there is a third way, the PPP," she said. The senator stressed the successful implementation of PPPs rests on having a consistent regulatory framework, and in balancing the interests of all parties concerned, especially the public. "We need to transform PPPs from a vehicle of mutual interest to a solid pillar in nation-building. The main factor should always be public welfare. Filipinos shouldn't have to choose between affordable and efficient services," she said. "Infrastructure growth should generate better-paying and higher-quality jobs for Filipinos, not displace our workers," she added. In giving PPPs fresh push, Poe proposed a streamlined approval process of projects, strengthened project planning, and improved procedures for solicited and unsolicited proposals. Local government units will be capacitated to undertake them. There shall also be preference for the use of Filipino labor and materials. The government is also called on to ensure that climate resilience and sustainability policies guide the planning and implementation of PPP projects. Poe said much hope lies on the PPPs in improving transportation and connectivity in the country. "There is hope that we can finally transform NAIA into a world-class airport through the upcoming modernization project," she said, adding that Filipinos are also awaiting the development of regional airports. "While we can build on what's been tried and tested, I challenge our private partners here today to also carve out new project areas reflective of our current needs," she added. Poe called for strong collaboration among government agencies, policy experts, scholars, business sector and foreign chambers of commerce for a robust and transparent environment for infrastructure investments. "While there are vast opportunities to explore, I must caution that PPPs are not the answer to all our infrastructure needs. There will always be projects better suited for other means. But with the proper planning and the right projects, we can maximize the true potential of PPPs," Poe said.
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Australia



The most prominent star on the Australian flag is the Commonwealth Star, which has seven points representing the six original states of Australia and the territories, signifying unity among them. Next to the Commonwealth Star, there is the Southern Cross, a constellation unique to the southern hemisphere.



It consists of five stars - Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, and Epsilon Crucis - which are arranged in a cross-like pattern and are symbolic of Australia's geographical location in the southern hemisphere.

2. Turkey



The flag of Turkey features a prominent white star and a crescent on a red background. The star and crescent design is often attributed to a dream of the Ottoman house's founder, Osman I, in which he saw a moon rising from the father of the woman he was meant to marry.



The star and crescent design is common on many flags, and the star is often said to be a representation of the planet Venus.

3. Ethiopia



The flag of Ethiopia is a distinctive tricolor featuring green, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, with a blue circle and a five-pointed star in the center. The blue circle represents the sky and peace, while the five-pointed star, often known as the "Star of David," represents the connection between Ethiopia and the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, as well as the country's early Christian heritage. The flag of Ethiopia is a distinctive tricolor featuring green, yellow, and red horizontal stripes, with a blue circle and a five-pointed star in the center. The blue circle represents the sky and peace, while the five-pointed star, often known as the "Star of David," represents the connection between Ethiopia and the biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, as well as the country's early Christian heritage.

4. Israel



The flag of Israel consists of two horizontal blue stripes, symbolizing the Jewish prayer shawl known as the "Tallit," with a blue Star of David in the center. The Star of David, also known as the "Magen David" in Hebrew, is a six-pointed star that has deep historical and cultural significance to Judaism.



It is a symbol of Jewish identity and unity, with its two interlocking triangles representing the harmonious relationship between God and humanity.

5. United States



The flag of the United States features 50 white stars on a blue field, arranged in nine rows of alternating five and six stars, and 13 horizontal stripes of red and white. The stars represent the 50 states of the nation, while the 13 stripes represent the original 13 American colonies.



The stars are symbolic of the unity and solidarity among the states, signifying the cohesive nature of the American Union. The blue field represents the Union itself, and the stars, which vary in number as new states are added, reflect the growth and expansion of the United States.

6. Panama



The flag of Panama consists of four quarters and two stars, with each solid corner representing a different political party (Conservatives and Liberals), while the white represents the peace between them. The blue star represents purity and honesty, while the red star represents authority and law.

7. Cuba



The flag of Cuba features a single white star on a field of red, situated to the left of five alternating blue and white stripes. The star symbolizes the country's aspiration for independence and sovereignty. The blue stripes represent the three historical divisions of Cuba during its struggle for independence from Spanish colonial rule, while the two white stripes represent the purity and aspiration of the Cuban people.

8. China



The flag of China features a large yellow star in the upper left corner, next to four smaller yellow stars, all against a bright red background. The large star symbolizes the Chinese Communist Party, which has played a pivotal role in the country's history since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.



The four smaller stars represent the four social classes of Chinese society during the early stages of communist rule: the working class, the peasantry, the urban bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie. Together, the five stars are arranged in a way that symbolizes unity among these classes under the leadership of the Communist Party. The flag of China features a large yellow star in the upper left corner, next to four smaller yellow stars, all against a bright red background. The large star symbolizes the Chinese Communist Party, which has played a pivotal role in the country's history since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.The four smaller stars represent the four social classes of Chinese society during the early stages of communist rule: the working class, the peasantry, the urban bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie. Together, the five stars are arranged in a way that symbolizes unity among these classes under the leadership of the Communist Party.

9. Venezuela



The flag of Venezuela features a horizontal tricolor of yellow, blue, and red, with a set of eight white stars in the blue stripe. They represent the eight provinces that supported Venezuela's fight for independence from Spanish colonial rule during the Venezuelan War of Independence.



These provinces were Caracas, Cumana, Barcelona, Barinas, Margarita, Merida, Trujillo, and Guayana. The yellow stripe stands for Venezuela's wealth and abundance, the blue stripe symbolizes its coastline and the Caribbean Sea, while the red represents the blood shed by those who fought for independence.

10. Pakistan



The flag of Pakistan features a green field with a white vertical stripe along the hoist side, which contains a crescent moon and a five-pointed star. The green color represents the Muslim majority in Pakistan and is also a symbol of growth and prosperity.



The white stripe stands for the non-Muslim minority communities in the country. The crescent moon, a common Islamic symbol, reflects progress, while the five-pointed star represents light and knowledge.

11. Burkina Faso



The flag of Burkina Faso includes to stripes of red and green with a yellow overlapping star in the center. The red represents revolution, while the green represents the country's abundance. The star represents the guiding light of the revolution, another reference to the country's break from colonization.

12. Chile



The flag of Chile consists of two horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner that contains a white five-pointed star. The white represents the snow-covered Andes Mountains and the purity of intentions in the country's struggle for independence.



The red represents the bloodshed and sacrifices made by those who fought for Chile's freedom. The blue square represents the Pacific Ocean, which borders the country to the west. The white star within the blue square symbolizes a guide to progress and honor. The flag of Chile consists of two horizontal bands of white and red, with a blue square in the upper hoist-side corner that contains a white five-pointed star. The white represents the snow-covered Andes Mountains and the purity of intentions in the country's struggle for independence.The red represents the bloodshed and sacrifices made by those who fought for Chile's freedom. The blue square represents the Pacific Ocean, which borders the country to the west. The white star within the blue square symbolizes a guide to progress and honor.

Source: Author trident This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
amasan1 at 24-09-2023 09:44 PM (1 month ago) (m)

Unknown assailants have killed a 70-year-old Fulani leader of Panyam District in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Adamu Idris Gabdo.

The state chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Nuru Abdullahi, who confirmed the killing said the incident happened Saturday evening, September 23, 2023, when the deceased was returning from a visit to the district head of Panyam.

The MACBAN chairman accused Mwaghavul youths in the area of the killing, but the spokesperson for Mwaghavul Development Association, Mr. Lawrence Kyarshik, denied the allegation.

Unknown assailants have killed a 70-year-old Fulani leader of Panyam District in Mangu Local Government Area of Plateau State, Adamu Idris Gabdo.The state chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Nuru Abdullahi, who confirmed the killing said the incident happened Saturday evening, September 23, 2023, when the deceased was returning from a visit to the district head of Panyam.The MACBAN chairman accused Mwaghavul youths in the area of the killing, but the spokesperson for Mwaghavul Development Association, Mr. Lawrence Kyarshik, denied the allegation.

The Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of Mangu LGA, Hon Markus Artu, also condemned the killing.

The council chairman in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos on Sunday, described the killing as barbaric and an act of criminality by enemies of Plateau who were against the peace enjoyed in the state.

Hon. Artu assured the people of Mangu that the security operatives were on the trail of the perpetrators of the evil act and would soon be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.

The entire Mangu Council authority has distanced itself from the incident. The people of Mangu have since resolved to live in peace with each other, irrespective of tribe or religion and would not allow anyone to come between them, he said.

"The incident was a deliberate act by hoodlums who are bent on throwing the council area into another round of chaos at a time when relative peace has been achieved and the people are returning to their ancestral homes due to many efforts made by the state government under the leadership of state Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, the council chairman added.

While urging the Fulani herders to remain calm, the MACBAN chairman called on the security agencies to ensure the recovery of Ardos corpse. The Transition Implementation Committee Chairman of Mangu LGA, Hon Markus Artu, also condemned the killing.The council chairman in a statement made available to newsmen in Jos on Sunday, described the killing as barbaric and an act of criminality by enemies of Plateau who were against the peace enjoyed in the state.Hon. Artu assured the people of Mangu that the security operatives were on the trail of the perpetrators of the evil act and would soon be arrested and made to face the wrath of the law.The entire Mangu Council authority has distanced itself from the incident. The people of Mangu have since resolved to live in peace with each other, irrespective of tribe or religion and would not allow anyone to come between them, he said."The incident was a deliberate act by hoodlums who are bent on throwing the council area into another round of chaos at a time when relative peace has been achieved and the people are returning to their ancestral homes due to many efforts made by the state government under the leadership of state Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, the council chairman added.While urging the Fulani herders to remain calm, the MACBAN chairman called on the security agencies to ensure the recovery of Ardos corpse.

Post Reply I am an investigative reporter at Gistmania, I conduct fact-finding investigative journalism. Posted: at 24-09-2023 09:44 PM (1 month ago) | Hero
Former FBI Agent Pleads Guilty to Concealing Loan From Former Intelligence Officer

By Keida Kostreci September 23, 2023

Former FBI official Charles McGonigal pleaded guilty on Friday to accepting $225,000 from Albanian-American Agron Nezaj, a former Albanian intelligence officer who McGonigal admitted was helping him foster relationships in Albania to help lay the groundwork for future business opportunities in the country.

According to court documents, Nezaj became an informant for the FBI's investigation into McGonigal's contacts in Albania.

In Washington, McGonigal faced a nine-count indictment charging him with failing to report cash payments, contacts with foreign officials and trips to Europe he took with Nezaj in 2017 and 2018 that neither he nor the FBI paid for.

The guilty plea was entered in U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia in Washington, based on a deal between prosecutors and McGonigal's lawyers. He pleaded guilty to one count of the indictment a concealing material evidence a and prosecutors dropped the other eight counts.

The settlement means the case will not go to trial.

McGonigal apologized to the court for his actions.

"Before I left the FBI in September 2018, I was planning to launch a security consulting business with a friend. I knew that my government contacts and international relationships might be useful to me when I later launched the business," he told U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

"I did not disclose an approximately $225,000 loan I received from my friend and prospective business partner in the U.S. for several meetings I attended with foreign nationals. These meetings were an effort to develop potential business relationships for my future consulting business. And the loan was intended to help start the business," McGonigal said.

Those contacts included several meetings in 2017 and 2018 with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in the presence of Nezaj and an adviser to the prime minister, who had business interests in arranging the meetings.

In one instance, McGonigal opened a criminal investigation in New York into a U.S. lobbyist who was working for an Albanian opposition party. According to the indictment, he received this information from the Albanian prime minister's office. The indictment does not identify the American lobbyist nor the Albanian party.

But on November 14, 2017, lobbyist Nick Muzin a an ex-Trump aide a filed on the lobbying activity on behalf of the Albanian Democratic Party, the main opposition party, with the Department of Justice. While lobbying for a foreign political force is not illegal for a registered lobbyist, Muzin had filed that activity months after an initial filing that was not complete.

The payment he received eventually became the subject of an investigation in Albania over the suspect origin of the money.

McGonigal told the court he had an ongoing relationship with the prime minister.

Rama has denied any wrongdoing.

McGonigal's lawyer Seth DuCharme said after the hearing that his client takes full responsibility for his actions and looks forward to putting the case behind him.

"While he may have had or did have, I think, some pretty legitimate interests that aligned with the United States in keeping up those relationships, he also clearly had a personal interest," DuCharme said.

McGonigal led the FBI's counterintelligence division in New York before retiring in 2018.

In a separate case in New York, McGonigal pleaded guilty in August to a conspiracy charge, admitting that after leaving the FBI he agreed to work for Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska. McGonigal went to work for Deripaska, whom McGonigal had once investigated, to dig up dirt on the oligarch's wealthy rival in violation of U.S. sanctions on Russia. He faces up to five years in prison when he is sentenced in mid-December.

The District of Columbia court charge carries a maximum of five years in prison, but prosecutors will likely seek a more lenient sentence as part of the plea agreement.

The judge said McGonigal will be sentenced in February and said he will not be able to appeal it.

Some information for this report was provided by Reuters and The Associated Press.

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Poland and Lithuania counter hybrid attacks on the border

Poland - Ministry of National Defence

20.09.2023

- Thank you that today we could meet, we could discuss Polish-Lithuanian cooperation, which is model and exemplary. We are in constant contact, and at least once a year there are meetings of defense ministers of Poland and Lithuania. There have already been four rounds, so we exchange experiences, share insights, information and cooperate very closely. We met today in a unique place, namely, at the tri-junction. Here is the border of Poland, Belarus, and next there is the border of Lithuania and Belarus, and the border of Poland and Lithuania. A unique place because of, on the one hand, our Polish-Lithuanian friendship - which we are greatly pleased about - and, on the other hand, because of the hybrid attacks carried out from the territory of Belarus that affect Poland and Lithuania" Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said during a meeting with Lithuania's defense minister.

On Wednesday, September 20, Mariusz Blaszczak, Minister of National Defense, met with Arvydas Anusauskas, Minister of Defense of Lithuania, in Gruszki.

We have been facing these attacks for two years now. Both in Poland and in Lithuania authorities are countering these attacks using border securities. Our Polish-Lithuanian military cooperation is very close. The Polish Armed Forces, for instance, will be carrying out the Air Policing mission starting this December. The Polish Air Force will be on duty in the skies over Lithuania and the Baltic States. We are very pleased with this cooperation involving joint exercises of the Polish and Lithuanian forces. We are also open to any recommendations from the Lithuanian side

- Minister Blaszczak said

We meet at the border. This is an incredibly strategic place on the map, as it is the place between the Konigsberg region, Russia and Belarus, countries that work closely together and that threaten the independence of their neighbors. The Russian empire has always, whether it was white or red or is now Putin's, threatened the nations that live in the neighborhood.(...) In one respect I envy the minister - the attitude of the Lithuanian opposition. Because when Lithuania faced a hybrid attack from Belarusian territory the Lithuanian opposition supported the government. Unfortunately, in Poland, the opposition does not support the government. It was against the construction of a fence on the border with Belarus

- said the minister of the Polish ministry of defense, who together with the Lithuanian defense minister met with soldiers at the tri-junction of the Polish, Lithuanian and Belarusian borders.

Poland and Lithuania have long cooperated and supported each other in defending the borders against hybrid attacks. A meeting of the heads of the defense ministries was devoted to the issues of continuing this cooperation and border protection, as well as other threats from Russia. After the meeting, the ministers traveled to the tri-junction of the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus.

We are stronger together. Naturally, we are very appreciative of the NATO summit in Vilnius, which brought some very clear change in terms of the approach of the Alliance countries to the threats posed by Russia. Now, we are jointly executing those decisions that were made in Vilnius, but we are also open to any Lithuanian proposals to strengthen Polish-Lithuanian military relations. They serve the purpose of deterring the aggressor

- emphasized the head of the Polish Ministry of National Defense.

***

For the past 2 years, Polish soldiers have been involved in supporting the Border Guard and Police in repelling hybrid attacks on our border inspired and executed by Russian and Belarusian authorities. They effectively stop the onslaught of migrants being sent here and prevent them from entering Poland uncontrolled.

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Don't turn back the clock, work together and 'get the future right', urges Prime Minister of Malta

22 September 2023 - To make multilateralism work in this age of insecurity we need to ensure that a much wider group of voices are heard - in this United Nations, and around the globe, the Prime Minister of Malta said on Friday.

Robert Abela told leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly's annual debate that the voices of all countries - large and small, rich and poor - and of all elements for civil society must be heard and play a role in building and sustaining a better world.

"We must build a new age of security. Not by trying to turn the clock back. But by getting the future right!"

Going to highlight the importance of "rebuilding trust to achieve sustainability for all", he underscored Malta's commitment to diplomacy and multilateralism.

Malta is deeply committed to nurturing international relations and that his country, conscious of its unique geographic position at the crossroads of Europe and Africa, steps us in a pivotal role, building bridges and understanding between different traditions.

He added, "Earlier this month we were proud to be just such a bridge." Trusted by both sides, the country hosted talks between the United States Security Adviser and China's Foreign Minister.

Russian aggression

Regarding the war in Ukraine, he stated that Malta's response to the Russian aggression against Ukraine and other crises around the world has been guided by the value of neutrality which is in enshrined in Malta's constitution.

He added that Malta's neutrality means that the nation will continue to be directly opposed to military aggression and unilateral action against the members of the international community and the rules-based order.

Talking about the consequences of the war, he said, "the already precarious situation of global food security has been made worse by the invasion of Ukraine and an estimated extra 122 million people have been pushed into hunger since 2019."

The Prime Minister urged Russia to rejoin the Black Sea Initiative and to stop disrupting delivery of vital food supplies leaving Ukraine to feed the world's most needy.

Good neighbourliness

Closer to home, Mr. Abela said that the situation in Libya is the most pressing issue in the Mediterranean region. As such, Malta wishes to see peaceful, stable, and prosperous Libya through a Libyan led political process and urged the international community to encourage this process.

Stressing that the Libyan people need to recover and rebuild after the tragic devastation of storm Daniel, he stressed the importance of a lasting settlement in Libya, that will not only give Libyans the effective government they deserve but will also be imperative for peace in the whole Mediterranean region.

Climate action

"The time for excuses is long over," the Prime Minister said. Climate change is a very real emergency, the consequences of which are being felt in every part of the world.

Current pledges and current targets are not sufficient to keep the 1.5C objective of the Paris Agreement within reach.

Adding that for a maritime nation like Malta, the sea plays a profound part in Malta's national life, he said "Rising sea levels are a severe threat to the security, the livelihood and indeed, the very existence of island countries like ours... which is why we have made climate and oceans the number one priority during our term at the United Nations Security Council."

He emphasized, "We must preserve the sovereignty of the coastal states, no matter what the ravages of the sea. As island nations, we turn to the world, but we don't turn our backs on each other."

Small island developing States

Talking about how Malta experienced many of the same challenges which are currently being faced by developing countries, Mr. Abela shared how they have made raising awareness of the unique vulnerabilities of small island developing States a top priority and why supporting sustainable development for island nations is a cornerstone of Malta's foreign policy.





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Shun path of confrontation and work together for the SDGs, urges Bangladesh leader

22 September 2023 - The Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Friday appealed to world leaders gathered at the UN "to shun the path of war and confrontation, and to work collectively for enduring peace ... and economic prosperity for our people and future generations."

Sheikh Hasina said that achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries has been greatly impeded by lingering impacts of the pandemic, the effects of an existential climate crisis, and the wide ramifications of the war in Ukraine affecting global food, financial, and energy securities have greatly impeded the.

Looking ahead to next year's Summit of the Future to reset the global push to attain the SDGs, she said: "We must make all efforts to collectively address the common challenges of humanity to secure a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all."

Bangladesh's development

Addressing the annual debate of the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister went on to say that Bangladesh has been transformed from a lower-middle income country to a middle-income country and noted that the country's poverty rate has reduced from 41.5 per cent in 2006 to 18.7 per cent in 2022.

She outlined the efforts her Government has taken to expand social safety net coverage to ensure social and financial security of destitute women, widows, the elderly, persons with disabilities, persons of third gender and other marginalized segments of the society.

She noted, "in the current fiscal year, a total of $12 billion have been allocated for the social safety net programmes."

Emphasizing on Bangladesh's commitment to ensure women empowerment and gender equality within a stipulated timeframe, she said: "We have given special attention to overall education including female literacy... Starting from the primary to higher education, about 23 million students are being provided with stipend, scholarship and one time grant. More than half of those recipients are female."

Climate Action

Turning to climate change, Ms. Hasina pointed out that despite contributing less than 0.47 per cent of global emissions, Bangladesh is one of the most climatically vulnerable countries in the world. She added that adverse effects of climate pose serious threats to the country's security and economic prosperity.

Calling upon the major emitters to submit and implement ambitious NDCs, she said: "The developed economies must fulfill their $100 billion commitments... We also demand an urgent operationalization of loss and damage funds as agreed in COP27."

Highlighting he Government's commitment to the cause, she noted "we established the 'Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund' back in 2009 to finance climate adaptation and allocated 480 million US dollars to this fund so far from our own resources."

Keeping the peace

Bangladesh continues to participate in UN peacekeeping operations, and as of now 188,000 men and women from Bangladesh have served in 55 peacekeeping missions in 40 countries.

Expressing concern at the continued prevalence of terrorist threats which are now taking new shapes due to misuse of information and communication technology, Ms. Hasina said that "My Government maintains a 'zero tolerance' policy against terrorism and violent extremism."

Turning to the Rohingya crisis, the Prime Minister stated that it has been six years of the mass displacement of the Rohingyas, saying that "the refugees want to return to their own country, Myanmar, and live a peaceful life there."

She requested the international community to bring those destitute people hope of a brighter future in their own land and thereby foster safety and stability in the region.

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Haitian Prime Minister calls for urgent deployment of multinational force to quash gang violence

22 September 2023 - Addressing the UN General Assembly on Friday, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry again appealed for international support to combat rampant gang violence - one element of the multi-dimensional crisis affecting his country.

Armed groups control areas of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and some towns, blocking roads, driving citizens from their homes, and forcing the closure of schools, hospitals and businesses.

Lives in danger

The "non-exhaustive" list of violations and crimes they have committed includes massacres, kidnappings, pillaging, sexual violence, human trafficking and child recruitment, he said.

Insecurity has reached a critical point in recent weeks, sparking a new humanitarian crisis, with more than 16,500 displaced people "spontaneously occupying" more than 25 schools in the capital.

"The daily life of the people of Haiti is very difficult," said Mr. Henry, speaking through an interpreter.

"That is why the Security Council, which has the power and the necessary authority under Chapter Seven of the [UN] Charter, must take urgent action by authorizing the deployment of a multinational support mission to underpin security in Haiti."

A critical first step

The proposed force would support the Haitian National Police to defeat the gangs and restore peace and order.

He hailed countries and organizations that have expressed commitment and solidarity, particularly Kenya, which has offered to lead the effort, and the regional bloc, CARICOM.

Mr. Henry said use of force is an initial first step to creating an environment for the State to function again.

However, he emphasized that social and economic development must also be addressed to find a solution to the extreme poverty at the heart of the many issues confronting Haiti.

Multiple challenges

The Caribbean nation, which shares territory with the Dominican Republic, has suffered major shocks in recent years, including three earthquakes, cyclones, and the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021.

Since then, Mr. Henry has been serving as interim leader of Haiti, where roughly half the population lives below the poverty line and nearly five million people face food insecurity.

Social inequalities and the unequal distribution of resources have created a huge gap between the poor masses and the small minority that controls 90 per cent of all wealth in the country, he said. Meanwhile, extreme poverty and unemployment provide "fertile ground" for gang recruitment.

Mr. Henry called for Haitians at home and in the diaspora "to work hand-in-hand with the Government to combat the gangs, restore security, and, as true democrats, to seek power via the ballot box."

He said despite the situation in the country, the interim government is determined to hold elections as soon as practically possible.

The Prime Minister also addressed the emerging crisis with the Dominican Republic, which has closed its borders with Haiti following a dispute over the construction of a canal on the Dajabon or Massacre River.

"I wish to state that the Republic of Haiti is not at war with anyone," he said. "Haitians are a generous people who have always shown solidarity and who believe in dialogue and the ability to fairly share shared resources in full mutual respect."

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Ensuring collective action for human rights and justice in Sudan

Government of Norway

Speech/statement | Date: 23/09/2023

By Minister of Foreign Affairs Anniken Huitfeldt

Foreign Minister Huitfeldt's statement at the UN General Assembly high-level side event on Sudan, Thursday 21 September in New York.

When the Sudanese people mobilized for peace, justice and freedom in 2018, one of their main concerns was accountability for the killings. And for the grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law under the Bashir regime.

Since the outbreak of war in April, there have been nonstop reports of new and shockingly brutal abuses and violations. As well as of acts that may amount to war crimes.

We cannot stand idly by. The civilian population of Sudan are targeted, killed, and being forced to flee their homes. They urgently need protection.

Protection is not just an issue for this moment alone. It is also crucial if there is to be any hope of for durable peace in the future. The same applies to accountability.

We know from our experience with peace and reconciliation efforts that accountability is key to sustainable peace. Old wounds do not heal if they are not treated. They can become infected, and they may spread.

Accountability and transitional justice are critical. Even if it they are sensitive issues.

We will be impartial, but we cannot be neutral when it comes to addressing human rights abuses and violations. Or violations of humanitarian law. Impunity sows the seed of further conflict.

Right now, lack of access is making it hard to independently verify what is going on inside Sudan., and to gather evidence. It is even harder to secure accountability in the short term.

But it is still important that we continue to watch and document. We have found tools before and, unfortunately, it seems we need them again.

Action now will prepare the ground for the investigations that must come, nationally or internationally. So that victims can have a voice and agency in the future - should they want it.

Transitional justice can take many forms - from truth and reconciliation commissions to international tribunals. It is up to the victims and communities to decide what they need. The most serious crimes, however, must be prosecuted.

Thank you.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs



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Sweden's National Statement at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Government Offices of Sweden

September 2023

National Statement at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) delivered by Minister for Foreign Affairs Tobias Billstrom on behalf of Sweden.

New York, September 2023

Check against delivery

Mr President, Excellencies,

Looking back, we - the international community - did not acknowledge the signs for what they were.

The war in Georgia in 2008, and the aggression in Ukraine since 2014 and in Syria since 2015, clearly show that Russia has no scruples about using military force to reach its political ambitions; recreate its former colonial empire and undermine the European security order as well as the UN Charter.

Mr President,

We open this year's General Assembly at a time when a permanent member of the Security Council, a body tasked with the maintenance of international peace and security, has proven its complete disregard for human life. In Ukraine and globally.

Russia is weaponising food and aggravating the global food crisis, most recently by reimposing its blockade against grain deliveries across the Black Sea, deliberately destroying Ukrainian grain and port infrastructure. In doing so, Russia is limiting the supply of food to many, including the world's most vulnerable.

Meanwhile, the EU's Solidarity Lanes - the efforts to build alternative export routes for food from Ukraine - have become a lifeline. Ukraine exports more than three million tonnes of grain every month through the Solidarity Lanes. Sweden and the EU have also increased our humanitarian food aid globally and boosted support for local food production.

In blatant violation of international law, Russia is attempting to deny Ukraine its right to exist as a sovereign nation. If we allow this to happen, Russia will only continue its imperial ambitions. This will not stop with Ukraine. Ukraine's soldiers are fighting not only for Ukraine's survival, but also for our security and for the respect for territorial integrity.

It is the sovereign right of every state to make its own security policy choices. Exercising this right, Sweden has applied for NATO membership - a historic decision that ends Sweden's military non-alignment, which dates back to 1812. Our NATO membership will increase the security of our country and - together with Finland's membership - improve the stability in the entire Euro-Atlantic area.

Sweden will fulfil its commitments under the North Atlantic Treaty and to all other Allies.

Mr President,

This Assembly has repeatedly condemned Russia's blatant violations of international law, including the UN Charter. The Ukrainian people have suffered from attacks against schools, hospitals and civilian infrastructure.

Russia has abducted thousands of Ukrainian children. The list of Russia's crimes against international law in Ukraine is long.

Russia must, and will, be held to account.

Accountability, including for the Crime of Aggression, is a condition for justice to the victims and a deterrent against future violations. Sweden supports the establishment of a tribunal for the crime of aggression committed against Ukraine.

The UN Charter also forms the basis of Ukraine's Peace Formula, which is receiving support from a growing group of countries in all regions. We welcome initiatives that will contribute to a just and lasting peace based on international law.

This is in the interest of all of us.

Mr President,

The world is indeed in a very different place compared to when the 2030 Agenda was adopted eight years ago. The pace of poverty reduction has slowed down, humanitarian needs are rising and climate change is accelerating. The SDG Summit earlier this week was a much-needed opportunity to regain momentum towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sweden is a committed partner of and contributor to the UN Development System and a substantial donor of humanitarian assistance. It is imperative that the UN Development System continue to strive for increased effectiveness and efficiency, especially at country level.

Swedish official development assistance is generous. We are one of only a handful of countries in the world that reach the UN target of 0.7 per cent of Gross National Income in development assistance.

Development assistance must work catalytically alongside trade, private investment, improved access to capital and domestic resource mobilisation. Strong national institutions remain a precondition for development.

Multilateral Development Banks play a critical role in achieving the SDGs, working with innovative financing and mobilising financing at scale - both private capital and domestic resources. We support the adaptation of their business model to better address global challenges, while keeping poverty reduction and climate change at the core of their mandate.

Sweden's international development assistance responds to the multiple challenges the world is confronting today and contributes to positive development. Sweden's development assistance is relevant, long-term, efficient and transparent.

The Swedish Government focuses on poverty alleviation and health interventions for the most vulnerable, providing democracy assistance to defenders of human rights and democracy on all continents. We invest in women's and girls' rights and opportunities across the globe.

Mr President,

Climate change is accelerating. This July was the hottest month on record, with extreme weather causing widespread damage.

When the world meets for COP28 in Dubai in November this year, we must unite around higher ambitions. Sweden welcomes the Secretary-General's strong personal commitment to push the global climate agenda forward.

We are pleased that the incoming United Arab Emirates' Presidency is framing climate action as a driver for prosperity and growth.

We must mobilise more climate finance, both public and private, and enhance support to local resilience and climate adaptation. Sweden will continue to do its part, and we call on other countries to increase their contributions.

Climate finance is a key element of Swedish development assistance. The ground-breaking solutions provided by Swedish businesses in areas such as battery production and fossil-free steel are driving climate action in Sweden and supporting the climate transition globally. The synergies between innovation, trade and the private sector are fundamental to achieving the green transition and reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

Mr President,

Emerging technologies, including Artificial Intelligence, are transforming our world. They offer unprecedented possibilities, including to accelerate our efforts on climate change, global health and the Sustainable Development Goals.

This fast-moving development also entails challenges for international security and human rights. Shaping a shared vision of new technologies, based on the values of the UN Charter, will be key to harness their potential and mitigate the risks.

Together with Rwanda, Sweden is co-facilitating the process in the General Assembly of developing a Global Digital Compact that will outline shared principles for an open, free and secure digital future for all.

Mr President,

75 years ago, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted.

We know for a fact that human rights, democracy and the rule of law are determinants of development. Countries with high levels of democracy have 94 per cent lower infant mortality, and provide 40 per cent more electricity and have 23 per cent more access to safe water than autocracies. Building societies that are democratic, respect human rights and uphold the rule of law will be crucial for how fast we achieve the 2030 Agenda.

Let me particularly underline that women's and girls' enjoyment of human rights - including sexual and reproductive rights - is a key condition for development, and a prerequisite for democracy. Human rights are - and must be - universal. They are not a privilege for the few. They belong to everyone, everywhere.

Mr President,

In recent months, Sweden has witnessed disrespectful burnings of the Quran. These desecrations are being carried out by extremists and provocateurs that seek to sow division between Muslims and non-Muslims.

We must not let these provocateurs succeed.

The Swedish Government is firm in strongly rejecting any act of intolerance. The offensive acts committed by individuals at demonstrations in Sweden do not reflect the opinion of the Swedish Government nor that of the majority of the Swedish people.

Over the years, Sweden has received a great number of Muslims and has strived to integrate the newcomers and their children into our society. Sweden remains in close dialogue with the Muslim world and has invited the Secretary-General of the OIC to visit Sweden.

The rights to freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and freedom to demonstrate are constitutional rights in Sweden. These freedoms have served our society and our social cohesion well and made us an open and free society.

The Swedish Government has decided to carry out an inquiry to review the Public Order Act, which governs the Swedish Police Authority's scope to deny a permit application to hold a public gathering.

We must stand together to combat all forms of racism, intolerance and hatred.

Mr President,

Russia's illegal war of aggression against Ukraine jeopardises nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and beyond. Russia's threats to use nuclear weapons, its declared readiness to conduct a nuclear test and its announcement about deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus are all deeply irresponsible.

The expansion of nuclear arsenals without transparency, the abandonment of arms control agreements and regional proliferation threats give cause for serious concern.

Multilateralism is our best chance to address these challenges and realise the objectives enshrined in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. All states must help drive progress.

Mr President,

Our geographies are linked; our challenges are shared. And as much as our challenges are shared, so are our opportunities. And we must strive to fulfil them together.

This is not the first time the world is faced with numerous and difficult challenges. They will demand a lot from us: extensive collaboration, pragmatism and hard work. Compromises and a shared determination.

History shows us that dark times can be overcome.

Next year's Summit for the Future provides us with the opportunity to confirm our commitment to the UN Charter and a rules-based international order as we tackle the challenges ahead.

Future generations should, to a greater extent, be able to live in security, enjoy human rights and live in prosperous societies. It is our job and our responsibility to make it happen.

Thank you.

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Minister Rau takes part in high-level week opening 78th UN General Assembly session

Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Republic of Poland

23.09.2023

On 19-22 September 2023, Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau accompanied President Andrzej Duda during the general debate opening the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The head of the Polish MFA held a number of bilateral and multilateral meetings and took part in several high-level events. These included a meeting of EU foreign ministers, a ministerial event devoted to the crime of aggression and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, as well as an informal meeting that brought together top diplomats of the Central European Initiative countries. Minister Rau also attended a tripartite meeting of the OSCE Troika and, at the invitation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, a meeting of foreign ministers of transatlantic states.

The main topics discussed during Minister Rau's talks with his counterparts and consultations with his partners included the multidimensional crisis resulting from the Russian aggression against Ukraine, Russia's accountability for its crimes, and the principles of effective multilateralism. The head of the Polish MFA also talked about global solutions promoting peace and international security, human rights, and sustainable development in the context of next year's Summit of the Future.

The top Polish diplomat pointed out the global consequences of Russia's aggression against Ukraine in the humanitarian, food, energy, and financial dimensions. He recalled that the aggression requires a multidimensional and strong response from the international community, and called for enhanced cooperation to hold Moscow accountable for its crimes.

Referring to the main theme of this year's session, i.e. rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity by accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, Minister Rau presented Poland's achievements in this regard and expressed readiness to share our solutions.

While in New York, the head of Polish diplomacy signed two important documents on behalf of Poland. The first is an agreement between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the UN on the establishment of the United Nations Office for Project Services office in Warsaw. The other document is an agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction.

MFA Spokesperson

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Russia: Armenian forces in Nagorno-Karabakh begin surrendering weapons

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 3:52 PM

Russia has announced that Armenian troops fighting against Baku's rule in Azerbaijan's Nagorno-Karabakh region started to give up their weapons to the Russian peacekeepers following a Moscow-mediated ceasefire.

"The armed formations of Karabakh have begun handing over weapons and military equipment under the control of Russian peacekeepers," Russia's defense ministry, which has around 2,000 peacekeeping troops in Karabakh, said on Saturday.

Russia's defense ministry said so far some 800 guns, 5,000 rounds of munitions and six armored vehicles were handed over to the Russian peacekeepers by the Armenian troops.

Representatives of the Armenian secessionists confirmed that they are in peace talks with the Baku government under the supervision of Moscow.

The two sides aim to organize the exit of the secessionist troops in the enclave to Armenia, and the return of civilians displaced by the fighting to the enclave.

The fighting flared up on Tuesday after Azerbaijan launched a military operation in the region, accusing the Armenian-backed troops there of "systematic" shelling, "reconnaissance activities," fortification of defensive positions, and "high-level of combat readiness."

Later, however, the fighting pro-separation Armenian forces reported that the mediation efforts commenced by the command of the Russian peacekeeping contingent stationed in the region had resulted in both sides agreeing to the ceasefire.

However, Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the "situation remains tense" in the disputed territory despite the Russian-brokered ceasefire largely in place. "There is a hope for some positive dynamics," he told a cabinet meeting Friday.

Pashinyan has blamed the Russian peacekeepers stationed around Karabakh for failing to stop Azerbaijan's Tuesday offensive. However, six Russian peacekeepers were killed in the fighting.

"For a sustainable resolution to the conflict, the rights and security of the population in Karabakh must be guaranteed," his spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said in a statement.

The Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, with some 120,000 ethnic Armenians living in it, is located in Azerbaijan and linked to Armenia by a road dubbed the Lachin Corridor.

The 4,400 sq km region is disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan; however, Baku is internationally recognized as having sovereignty over the territory.

Peace talks between the two fighting sides over Nagorno-Karabakh, which both want full control of, are scheduled on Thursday in the Azerbaijani town of Yevlakh.

In the meantime, as international pressure mounts on Azerbaijan to re-open the Lachin Corridor, Baku said it had started sending in urgently needed aid to the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave on Friday.

Russia said it had delivered more than 50 tonnes of food and other aid to the enclave. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it had supplied 28,000 diapers as well as blankets and fuel and said it would send more.

However, an AFP reporter in the main city of Stepanakert said food, water, medicine and fuel were scarce and displaced people had arrived in the city from surrounding villages.

Also, Armenians reported that they were hiding in their basements as the Azerbaijani forces set camp on the outskirts of the city.

Azerbaijan launched its military offensive almost three years after it went to war with Armenia over the disputed forested mountainous region.

The new fighting erupted hours after Azerbaijan said four police officers and two civilians were killed in mine blasts in Karabakh, with authorities blaming separatists.

Baku had demanded that the separatist political authorities in Karabakh disband before any talks are held about the future of the region.

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Lebanese troops exchange tear gas, smoke bombs with Israeli forces

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 2:46 PM

Tensions have once again escalated at Lebanese border with the Israeli occupied territories, with the two sides exchanging tear gas and smoke bombs following provocative actions by the occupying regime.

In a statement on Saturday, the Lebanese army said that the regime forces stationed on the outskirts of the Shebaa Farms, which have been under Israeli occupation since 1967, have fired smoke bombs at the Bastra area of southern Lebanon, prompting it to respond to the attacks.

"Elements of the Israeli enemy violated the withdrawal line and fired smoke bombs at a Lebanese army patrol that was accompanying a bulldozer removing an earthen berm erected by the Israeli enemy north of the withdrawal line, the blue line, in the Bastra area," the Lebanese army said.

"The Lebanese patrol responded to the attack by firing tear bombs...forcing them to withdraw to the occupied Palestinian territories."

Andrea Tenenti, the spokesman of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Lebanon said there has been tension in the border area today, stating that "UNIFIL is in touch with the parties to decrease tensions and prevent a misunderstanding."

"At the moment we are on the ground, monitoring the situation and trying to bring calm back to the area," he noted.

The latest development comes two months after Israel cut off Lebanon's strategic border village of Ghajar by erecting a fence, fueling fresh tensions in southern Lebanon.

The Lebanese government has warned that the occupying troops must withdraw immediately and the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has strongly condemned the aggression.

Ghajar, which lies in a strategic corner where the boundaries between Syria, Lebanon and occupied Palestinian territories meet, was occupied by Israel in the 2006 war. Some 2,000 people live there.

Most of the villagers still consider themselves Syrian Shia Muslims, the community of which Syria's President Bashar al-Assad is part.

In November 2010, the Israeli cabinet approved a plan to withdraw from the northern part of the village. Until this day, however, Israel has not withdrawn from the village.

The former head of the Operations Division of the Israeli occupation army, Reserves Major General Israel Ziv has already warned about the possible "collapse" of the regime's army during any upcoming war with Lebanon, in reaction to the tensions in the northern parts of the divided border village of Ghajar.

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Taliban Hyping Huge Mining Deals, But Afghanistan Still Far From Cashing In

By Abubakar Siddique September 23, 2023

The Taliban has been celebrating since the Islamist group that rules Afghanistan signed seven mining contracts promising to attract more than $6.5 billion in investments late last month.

But experts are skeptical about whether the contracts, signed on August 31 with Afghan-based companies aligned with foreign partners from China, Iran, Turkey, and Britain, can be implemented.

They question whether large-scale mining investments are even possible as the Taliban's cash-strapped government remains unrecognized because of its extensive human rights abuses and its banning of women from schools, work and public life.

Illegitimacy

The Taliban's lack of legitimacy also hangs over whether its accelerated efforts to boost mining revenue can deliver as a dire humanitarian crisis deepens in Afghanistan. Experts say few Afghans can benefit from opaque deals that circumvent established international standards.

"Large-scale development of Afghanistan's mineral resources would take more capital than large firms are willing to commit in the absence of diplomatic recognition," says Jeff Rigsby, a former U.S. military contractor and aid worker who lives in Kabul.

While looking for business opportunities in Afghanistan since 2022, Rigsby has closely followed the Taliban's effort to exploit the country's mineral resources.

"The Taliban has not always done due diligence in the past when [it's] announced investment deals in other sectors," he said. Rigsby added that little is known about the foreign firms signing the recent contracts to extract copper, gold, lead, zinc, and iron from several Afghan provinces.

"There is no transparency regarding these contracts," noted Abdul Qadeer Mutfi, a former adviser to the Afghan Mining and Petroleum Ministry. "The Taliban wants to end the government's financial problems by selling the minerals as raw materials to various countries."

Mutfi said that Taliban mining contracts do not follow standard practices, which will deprive Kabul of international arbitration since the Taliban government is not recognized.

"Afghanistan might follow many African countries in experiencing a resource curse," he said, alluding to the experience of several African nations in which large-scale exploitation of natural resources has not translated into growth and prosperity.

"After drugs, minerals are a significant source of funding conflict," he said.

The Taliban, however, claims to be striving for self-sufficiency by developing the country's natural resources. Its leaders have repeatedly projected mining, irrigation, and trade projects as a way out of the current economic and humanitarian crisis.

According to the UN, more than 30 million Afghans out of a total estimated population of 40 million need humanitarian assistance. With international funding declining, the world body has warned that millions of Afghans will not have enough food and that as many as 3 million face starvation.

Abundant Minerals

But Rigsby sees little Taliban success in developing new mines by pointing out that the extremist group has been exporting coal to Pakistan from existing mines and has revived an oil exploration deal with Chinese firms that the former pro-Western government in Kabul first concluded more than a decade ago.

In January, the Taliban government signed a contract with the Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Company (CAPEIC) to invest $540 million until 2026 to explore oil and gas in Afghanistan's northern Amu River basin. This revived a 2012 contract with the state-owned company China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Surveys estimating Afghanistan's potential mineral resources to be worth more than $1 trillion generated a lot of headlines in 2010. But the accuracy of this estimate has recently been questioned. The country's poor infrastructure, absence of advanced technology, a trained workforce, and the high cost of extraction remain significant obstacles.

Nevertheless, the country has vast deposits of iron, copper, coal, lithium, marble, chromite, cobalt, and gold. And, in addition to gas and petroleum, the mountainous country has large reservoirs of lapis lazuli and other gemstones.

Since returning to power two years ago, the cash-strapped Taliban has attempted to turn Afghanistan's natural resources into a cash cow.

"From these investments you can imagine how many minerals we have and how they can boost our revenues," said Shahbuddin Delawar, the Taliban's mining and petroleum minister, after signing the deals on August 31.

He said in an interview that the Taliban government has so far concluded 116 small and 27 large mining contracts. He said during the last fiscal year, which ended in March, the government earned more than $220 million in mining revenue.

"The sale of minerals has increased because of transparency and an end to smuggling," he told the BBC.

China

His upbeat assessment, however, is not backed by the evolving extractive industry on the ground. The Chinese state and private firms -- who are one of the major international investors in Afghan mining -- appear reluctant to begin working.

The China Metallurgical Group Corporation has yet to start a $2.83 billion contract for copper mining in the eastern Logar Province. The 30-year lease contract was signed in 2007. Taliban attempts to push the Chinese to begin underground mining to protect the vast Buddhist archaeological sites in the region have been unsuccessful.

"The Chinese presence here in the mining sector seems minimal, although some Chinese traders are exporting or smuggling minerals in small quantities," noted Rigsby.

In a recent report, the research group Afghanistan Analyst Network concluded that the larger Chinese projects will take years to materialize.

"They will generate little immediate income for the ailing Afghan economy," the report said.

Mutfi argues that in the absence of accountability, supervision, community engagement, and independent political and civil-society oversight, only Taliban leaders will benefit from exploiting Afghanistan's natural resources.

"We are facing a significant loss," he said.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-mining- deals-taliban-poverty-mineral-wealth/32605965.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.

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Karabakh Separatists Say They Are Implementing Withdrawal Deal As Aid Arrives Through Lachin

By RFE/RL's Armenian Service September 23, 2023

Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic Armenian separatist leaders on September 23 said they are implementing the terms of a cease-fire agreement made three days earlier with Azerbaijani officials, including evacuations of injured civilians to Armenia with the help of Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The separatists said that, as part of the September 20 agreement, aid was to be delivered from Armenia to Stepanakert -- the de facto capital of the breakaway region under ethnic Armenian control -- through the Lachin Corridor, for decades the main link between Karabakh and Armenian.

Also as part of the agreement, separatists said, talks would take place on "the political future" of the region, which has an estimated population 120,000 people, many of whom are now suffering from shortages of food, fuel, and electricity.

The separatists' statement also said work was under way to restore power to the region, with a target date of September 24.

Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh reported that Karabakh separatists in the ethnic-Armenian populated territory have begun handing over their weapons as part of a deal worked out with Baku following Azerbaijan's lightning offensive this week.

Russian peacekeepers said that more than 800 firearms, grenades, mortars, anti-tank guided missiles, and anti-tank missile systems had been handed over, and the process would continue over the weekend.

The deal was worked out during a meeting between representatives of Karabakh's ethnic Armenian population and Azerbaijan held in the western Azerbaijani city of Yevlax on September 22.

The separatists had earlier said that they are in Russian-mediated talks with Baku to organize the withdrawal of their forces.

A witness told Reuters that an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) aid convoy was seen at the Armenia-Azerbaijan border early on September 23 for the first time since Baku seized the region.

The Red Cross said it was supplying fuel, blankets, and 28,000 diapers in the initial shipments to the territory.

AFP journalists and ICRC officials at the border confirmed on September 23 that Red Cross aid had entered the region along the Lachin Corridor.

The aid group's vehicles "have passed through the Lachin Corridor to bring to the community around 70 metric tons of mainly humanitarian supplies and food supplies," ICRC spokeswoman Zara Amatuni told AFP, speaking in Kornidzor at the final checkpoint on the Armenian side of the border.

Armenian civilians have begun gathering at the Kornidzor checkpoint in hopes of receiving news of relatives in Karabakh, AFP reported.

U.S. Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who is leading a congressional delegation to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, called for international observers to monitor the situation and said people in Karabakh were "very fearful."

"I am certainly very concerned about what's happening in Nagorno-Karabakh right now. I think there needs to be some visibility," Peters told reporters.

Peters had earlier condemned the Azerbaijani government's "military aggression and violence toward the Armenian people."

"The Azerbaijani government has made it clear, their goal is to erase the historic presence of Armenians in this region," he said during his visit to the region.

Azerbaijan has claimed that the 24-hour offensive on September 19-20, which it describes as an "anti-terrorist operation," has brought the breakaway region back under its control.

The offensive was halted on September 20 after Karabakh's ethnic Armenian leadership accepted a proposal by the Russian peacekeeping mission, although sporadic fighting has been reported.

Baku has said it envisages an amnesty for Karabakh Armenian fighters who give up their arms and seeks to reintegrate the territory's ethnic Armenian population. Some separatist fighters have vowed to continue to resist Azerbaijani control.

"I wish to reiterate that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens," Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov said in a speech to the UN General Assembly on September 23.

Yerevan's response to the Azerbaijani offensive has led to protests in the Armenian capital, with opposition leaders seeking the ouster of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and accusing the government of inadequate support for Nagorno-Karabakh's ethnic-Armenian population.

Pashinian has expressed hope that Karabakh Armenians will be allowed to return to their homes, while saying that Yerevan would accept an influx of ethnic Armenians if they chose to leave the territory.

Anti-government demonstrations in Yerevan and at least two other cities over the past two days have led to the detention of scores of people who expressed anger that Pashinian's administration had not done more to prevent Azerbaijani forces from accomplishing their swift victory in the Karabakh region.

Authorities said more than 80 people were charged in the capital with disobeying police orders on September 22, and reports said at least a further 20 people were detained on September 23.

Armenian opposition groups, led by a so-called National Committee, claimed that more than 350 supporters had been detained. The group called for Pashinian to resign his office.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Pashinian in a phone call on September 23 that Washington continues to support Armenia's "sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity" and that it has "deep concern for the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh."

Spokesman Matthew Miller said Blinken "underscored the United States is calling on Azerbaijan to protect civilians and uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and to ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law."

Pashinian and many Armenians blame Russia -- which traditionally has served as the Caucasus nation's protector in the region -- for failing to use its peacekeeping force to protect ethnic Armenians in Karabakh.

During a special meeting of the UN Security Council this week, council members including the United States and Russia called for peace, while Armenian and Azerbaijani officials traded barbs.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as Azerbaijan's but has had de-facto independence since breaking away in a war in the 1990s.

During a short but bloody war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured much of the territory as well as seven surrounding districts that had been controlled since the 1990s by ethnic Armenians with Yerevan's support.

With reporting by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, AP, Reuters, and AFP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/nagorno-karabakh- separatists-withdrawal-armenians-azerbaijanis/32605872.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.

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At Least 32 People Died, Dozens Injured Due to Truck Bombing in Central Somalia

Sputnik News

20230923

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - At least 32 people died and dozens were injured as a result of truck explosion at a border checkpoint in the central Somalian city of Beledweyne, Somalian media reported on Saturday.

A suicide bomber packed the truck with explosives that blew it up at the checkpoint, with the blast becoming the deadliest terrorist act committed in the country this year, the Garowe Online news website reported.

The explosion significantly damaged the surrounding buildings, according to the footage published on social media.

Earlier this month, Islamic group Al-Shabaab killed over 160 Ethiopian Soldiers in western Somalia. While the group operates in central Somalia as well, no one has taken responsibility for the attack yet.

Reports from earlier in the day stated that the number of dead around a dozen but Col Isaq Ali Abdulle, the head of police in Beledweyne, has since confirmed that the death toll rose to 32 as more bodies were found in the rubble. He added that the death toll could rise higher as rescue efforts continue.

At least five police officers are among the dead, Somali officials added. Yesterday, the Somalian Government requested that the UN delay its drawdown of peacekeepers in the region, citing setbacks with militant forces in the area.

 Sputnik

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News / National

by Staff reporter

Matebeleland South province, which had shifted its support from the ruling Zanu-PF to the opposition during the 2000 and 2008 elections, has now reverted to backing the ruling party. Several factors have contributed to this shift, including the opposition's failure to effectively communicate its policies, its inability to attract prominent politicians as it did in the past, and Zanu-PF's tactics of vote-buying and intimidation.In the 2000 elections, Matebeleland South had eight seats in the House of Assembly, and the opposition MDC secured six of them. However, in subsequent elections, the opposition's influence in the province gradually declined.In 2005, the MDC again won more parliamentary seats than Zanu-PF, with the opposition securing four seats. In the 2008 elections, the opposition gained even more ground, winning nine out of 12 House of Assembly seats in Matebeleland South.However, by the 2013 elections, the opposition failed to secure a single parliamentary seat in the province, with Zanu-PF winning all of them. This decline in opposition support continued in the 2018 elections, where only one out of 13 National Assembly seats was won by the opposition.Several factors have contributed to this shift in allegiance. Firstly, the opposition has struggled to articulate a clear vision for a new Zimbabwe, making it challenging for voters to believe in their platform. Zanu-PF, as the incumbent party, has also distributed food and other incentives, which has attracted more followers. Additionally, allegations of intimidation and violence against opposition supporters by Zanu-PF have pushed people towards the ruling party.Some political analysts also point to the absence of charismatic opposition leaders who could inspire hope for change. The death of MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and subsequent leadership struggles weakened the opposition's appeal.Furthermore, the opposition has faced challenges in organizing and mobilizing voters, particularly in rural communities where Zanu-PF has a stronghold. Many rural voters have limited access to information and are less exposed to opposition campaigns and messaging.Zanu-PF's deep roots in local communities and its willingness to address people's concerns have also played a role in its continued support. The ruling party emphasizes that "Zimbabwe is built by its citizens," and it engages with the community to understand their needs.In conclusion, Matebeleland South's return to supporting Zanu-PF can be attributed to a combination of factors, including the opposition's communication challenges, Zanu-PF's distribution of incentives, allegations of intimidation, leadership issues within the opposition, and the ruling party's strong presence in local communities.
Secretary Blinken's Call with Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan

US Department of State

Readout

Office of the Spokesperson

September 23, 2023

The below is attributable to Spokesperson Matthew Miller:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan today about Azerbaijan's military actions in Nagorno-Karabakh and reaffirmed U.S. support for Armenia's sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity. The Secretary expressed the United States' deep concern for the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh. He underscored the United States is calling on Azerbaijan to protect civilians and uphold its obligations to respect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the residents of Nagorno-Karabakh and to ensure its forces comply with international humanitarian law.

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15 Killed in Truck Bombing in Central Somalia

By Mohamed Olad Hassan September 23, 2023

At least 15 people were killed in a truck bombing Saturday in the central Somali town of Beledweyne, among the dead are five police officers. Witnesses and officials said a big truck loaded with explosives detonated in the afternoon near a security checkpoint, damaging buildings.

"The explosion rocked the entire city and sent huge plumes of black smoke into the air," Abdi Mumin, a resident in the town told VOA.

Speaking to VOA, Beledweyne District Commissioner Omar Osman Alasow confirmed the attack and the death of a number of civilians.

"Our security forces, who had been tipped about the truck, were in the middle of inspection when it detonated," he said. "Three government soldiers and nearly a score of civilians were killed in the attack and many others injured."

Witnesses put the number of police officers killed in the attack at five.

Beledweyne Deputy District Commissioner Abdullahi Salah said that rescue operations were still in progress.

"We cannot provide an exact number of casualties. We are working to find out the exact number of injured people as well as to recover bodies from the rubble," he said. "The death toll could be high."

Media reports say at least 40 people were injured in the blast. Some of those in critical condition have been airlifted to hospitals in Mogadishu for treatment.

The target of the attack is still unclear, but Salah confirmed the explosive-laden truck was at a nearby taxation and security checkpoint.

Police officer Ahmed Aden told Reuters that other police fired at the truck in a failed attempt to keep it from ramming the checkpoint.

Center of uprising

Beledweyne, about 300 kilometers (186 miles) north of Mogadishu, has been the center of a recent local community mobilization against al-Shabab.

Local officials including the former governor of the Hiran region, Ali Jeyte Osman, led community forces who fought alongside Somali government forces, seizing dozens of villages from the militant group.

This week, as a part of preparation for a large anti-al-Shabab offensive, regional politicians including Osman met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in the central town of Dhusamareb and discussed plans to further strengthen military pressure on al-Shabab.

Deadliest attack in years

Today's explosion is believed to be the deadliest attack in the town since June 2009, when more than 20 people, including then Somalia National Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden, were killed.

Al-Shabab militants have admitted carrying out the attack.

The explosion comes hours after the Somali National Army said they killed more than 30 al-Shabab militants in a two-day operation in the Shabellow area in the southern Mudug region, central Somalia.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 23 September 2023 - Day 577

Su M Tu W Th F Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that since February 2022, three successive commanders of one of Russia's most prestigious airborne regiments have either resigned or been killed.

The 247th Guards Air Assault Landing Regiment commander Colonel Vasily Popov was likely killed in the heavily contested Orikhiv sector in early September 2023. Only weeks before, in August 2023, his predecessor, Colonel Pytor Popov, likely resigned his command. Independent Russian media sources claim he acted in protest over the military's failure to recover the bodies of Russian casualties.

In the early weeks of the invasion, then 247th commander Colonel Konstantin Zizevsky was killed near Mykolaiv. The experience of the 247th highlights the extreme attrition and high turnover in Russia's deployed military, even amongst relatively senior ranks.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of September 23, there were 15x combat engagements. Also, the Russian Federation launched another strike at Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 type kamikaze drones. As a result of combat operations, the Air Force along with the air defense of other units of the Defense Forces shot down 14x out of 15x Shaheds. Russian forces launched 5x missile strikes, 44x air strikes, 22x MLRS strikes at the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian targets. Unfortunately, Russian terrorist attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. Residential buildings and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed or damaged.

The operational situation in the east and south of Ukraine remains difficult.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. There are no signs of offensive groups being formed. Certain units of the Belarusian armed forces are performing tasks in the areas bordering Ukraine.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: Russia maintains its military presence in the border areas, continues shelling Ukrainian settlements from the territory of Russia. More than 20x settlements suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Tur'ya, Bleshnya, Prohres, Yanzhulivka, Hrem'yach (Chernihiv oblast), Novovasylivka, Marchykhyna Buda, Iskryskivshchyna, Zapsillya, Pozhnya (Sumy oblast), Udy, Morokhovets', Neskuchne, Budarky, Topoli (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: the Russian adversary launched air strikes in the vicinity of Syn'kivka, Ivanivka, Kyslivka (Kharkiv oblast) and Nadiya (Luhansk oblast). More than 10x settlements, including Berestove, Masyutivka, Kucherivka, Ivanivka, Kyslivka (Kharkiv oblast), suffered Russian artillery and mortars shelling.

Lyman axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully repelled a Russian attack in the vicinities of Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast). The Russian adversary launched air strikes at the settlements of Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast) and Serebryanka, Spirne, Vesele (Donetsk oblast). More than 10x settlements including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Novosadove, Tors'ke, Hryhorivka, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne (Donetsk oblast), suffered Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Bakhmut axis: Russian forces tried to regain lost ground near Klishchiiivka (Donetsk oblast), but was unsuccessful. The occupiers launched an air strike in the vicinity of Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast). More than 15x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortars fire, including Vasyukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, Bila Hora, New York (Donetsk oblast).

Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces are successfully holding the line. The Russian invaders launched an air strike in the vicinity of Avdiivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at the settlements of Keramik, Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Tonen'ke, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: during the day of September 23, the Ukrainian defenders successfully repelled 9x Russian attacks in the vicinities of Mar'inka and Pobjeda (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike near Mar'inka (Donetsk oblast). The invaders fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevel's'ke, Oleksandropil', Krasnohorivka, Pobjeda, Novomykhailivka, Katerynivka (Donetsk oblast).

Shakhtars'ke axis: Russian forces launched air strikes near the settlements of Vuhledar, Urozhaine and Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). About 10x settlements, including Vodyane, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortars fire.

Zaporizhzhia axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct the offensive operation. In particular, in the vicinity of Verbove (Zaporizhzhia oblast), Ukrainian defenders are forcing Russian forces out of their positions and consolidating the line. The Russian occupiers launched an air strike near Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Chervone, Zaliznychne, Hulyaipole, Novoandriivka, Shcherbaky, Kam'yans'ke (Zaporizhzhia oblast).

Kherson axis: the Russian invaders launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kozats'ke, Mykolaivka, Ol'hivka (Kherson oblast). The Russian occupiers fired artillery and mortars at about 10x settlements, including Novooleksandrivka, Dudchany, Zmiivka, Tokarivka, Veletens'ke, Kizomys (Kherson oblast).

At the same time, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to conduct the offensive operation on Melitopol' axis and offensives (assaults) on Bakhmut axis, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, and exhausting Russian forces along the entire front line.

During the day of September 23, the Ukrainian Air Force launched 8x air strikes on the concentrations of troops, weapons, and military equipment, 4x strikes against anti-aircraft missile systems of the Russian adversary.

Missile troops hit 1x concentration of troops, weapons, and military equipment, 1x anti-aircraft missile system, 5x artillery systems and 1x radar station of the Russian invaders.

The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in the period from 17 to 23 September 2023, the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation carried out 12 group strikes with long-range ground-based and air-launched precision weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles against facilities for the repair of aircraft and armoured vehicles, oil refineries, storage depots for ammunition, precision weapons, and weapons of foreign manufacture, centres for the reconnaissance and training of Ukrainian militants, as well as locations where foreign mercenaries were stationed.

As a result of the strikes, significant damage was inflicted on the logistics system of the AFU groups operating in Kherson and Zaporozhye directions, the capabilities of the enemy's repair and recovery bodies were reduced, and part of the stocks of cruise missiles and depleted uranium ammo, launchers of multiple-launch rocket launchers, and anti-aircraft missile systems transferred by the West to Ukraine were destroyed.

In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces have repelled 28 attacks launched by assault groups of the 53rd and 110th Mechanised, 79th Air Assault, and 3rd Assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces close to Kleshcheyevka, Avdeevka, and Maryinka (Donetsk People's Republic) during this period.

Over the past week, as a result of air, missile, and artillery strikes in this direction, the enemy's losses amounted to more than 1,455 Ukrainian troops killed and wounded, 16 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 25 motor vehicles, 15 field artillery pieces, and three MLRS combat vehicles. In addition, three ammunition depots and two military echelons of the 37th AFU Marine Brigade were destroyed at loading stations.

In South Donetsk direction, Russian units have repelled five enemy attacks with concerted action during the week, continuing to defeat clusters of AFU manpower and hardware. The enemy's losses in this direction amounted to over 950 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, 14 armoured fighting vehicles, 32 motor vehicles, and five field artillery pieces. In addition, two ammunition depots were wiped out.

As a result of the significant losses and the low morale, the Kiev regime is withdrawing units of the 38th Marine Brigade and the 110th Territorial Defence Brigade of the AFU to rear areas to restore combat capability.

In Zaporozhye direction, Russian troops repelled eight attacks by combined assault groups of the 71st Jeager, 47th Mechanised, and 46th Airmobile brigades of the AFU near Rabotino and Verbovoye (Zaporozhye region). During the fighting, more than 515 Ukrainian servicemen, 24 armoured fighting vehicles and 19 motor vehicles were destroyed. In addition, 35 enemy field artillery pieces were neutralised as part of counter-battery warfare.

In Kupyansk direction, Russian units continued to hit the manpower and equipment of the 14th, 30th and 32nd mechanised and 25th airborne brigades of the AFU in the areas of Sinkovka, Ivanovka, and Berestovoye (Kharkov region). More than 215 Ukrainian troops, six armoured fighting vehicles, 18 motor vehicles, 24 field artillery guns, and one U.S.-made M1097 Avenger missile system were destroyed in this area.

In Krasny Liman direction, units of the 63rd and 67th mechanised brigades and the 12th Special Operations Brigade made unsuccessful attempts to attack the positions of Russian troops near Yampolovka and Torskoye (Donetsk People's Republic) Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk People's Republic) and Serebryansky forestry. As a result of courageous action by units of the Tsentr Group of Forces, air strikes, artillery fire and heavy flame-throwing systems, 15 enemy attacks were repelled.

The enemy's losses in this direction amounted to up to 435 Ukrainian servicemen killed and wounded, 15 armoured fighting vehicles, 16 motor vehicles, and eight guns.

In Kherson direction, the enemy made unsuccessful attempts to seize bridgeheads on islands and the left bank of the Dnepr River. In military operations, the AFU have lost up to 445 Ukrainian troops, nine armoured fighting vehicles, 35 motor vehicles, 11 field artillery guns. In addition, eight sabotage and reconnaissance groups were disabled.

During the week, the enemy attempted to strike facilities on the Crimean Peninsula with cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. In the course of repelling the attacks, Russian air defence systems destroyed five cruise missiles, one Neptun anti-ship missile, and 37 attack drones.

Fighter jets of the Russian Armed Forces and air defence system have destroyed the following aircraft over the past week: Su-24m, Mig-29, and two Su-25 ground-attack aircraft of the Ukrainian Air Force near Novovladimirovka (Nikolayev region) and Novorozovka and Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region).

In addition, Russian strike drones hit a Ukrainian Mig-29 fighter jet at the Dolgintsevo airfield (Dnepropetrovsk region), as well as two ST-68 radar stations for detecting low-altitude aerial targets near Volnyansk (Zaporozhye region) and P-18 and PRV-16 radar stations for detecting aerial targets near Novopetrovka (Kherson region).

Air defence and electronic warfare systems have shot down and suppressed 257 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles during the week and intercepted 46 HIMARS MLRS shells, nine Storm Shadow cruise missiles, two JDAM air bombs, and three HARM anti-radiation missiles.

In total, 477 airplanes and 249 helicopters, 7,067 unmanned aerial vehicles, 438 air defence missile systems, 12,071 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,154 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 6,502 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 13,351 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

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Xi meets Nepalese PM in Hangzhou as two countries deepen BRI cooperation

Global Times

By Liu Yang and Chen Qingqing Published: Sep 23, 2023 10:17 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda of Nepal on Saturday on the sidelines of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou. Xi appreciated the Prime Minister's commitment to promoting the development of friendly relations between China and Nepal and firm support for cooperation between the two countries in building the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

This is your first visit to China after your third term as Prime Minister of Nepal, and I am confident that it will yield fruitful results and provide new impetus to the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, Xi said.

China attaches great importance to China-Nepal relations, and is willing to strengthen its development strategy synergy with Nepal, deepen practical cooperation in various fields, enhance the exchange of experience in governance and promote new progress in China-Nepal relations, Xi said.

Experts noted that Prachanda's visit in China will further enhance the friendship between China and Nepal, and the two sides will achieve tangible cooperation in a number of areas including hydropower construction and people-to-people exchanges under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

As a country located between India and China, Nepal's diplomatic stance is to maintain a balance between the two countries, but it has to consider the reality that India views South Asia as its sphere of influence and cannot treat Nepal as an equal, some experts said.

"Due to those concerns, Nepal seeks to strengthen its relations with China to balance the influence of India. But unlike India, China does not ask Nepal to take sides between China and India. China treats Nepal as an equal, which India does not," Long Xingchun, a professor at the School of International Relations at Sichuan International Studies University, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson from Chinese Foreign Ministry, told the press conference on Thursday that Prime Minister Prachanda is carrying out an official visit to China from Saturday to September 30.

Prachanda has visited China many times and made important contribution to the growth of China-Nepal relations. During the visit, after meeting with President Xi, Chinese Premier Li Qiang and China's top legislator Zhao Leji will hold talks and meet with him respectively. The two sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on deepening traditional friendship, expanding mutually beneficial cooperation and international and regional issues of mutual interest, Mao said.

"The visit is also the first by Nepal's Prime Minister in three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a strong boost to bilateral relations," Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University, told the Global Times on Saturday.

Qian noted that the visit also demonstrated Nepal's willingness to ride the "express train" of China's development as Nepal ramps up efforts to boost its economy after of the pandemic. The two sides are expected to achieve fruitful cooperation results in fields like hydropower construction, infrastructure construction, environment cooperation as well as human exchanges, the expert said.

"The cooperation potential between China and Nepal is immense. Particularly through the BRI and the construction of the China-Nepal railway, China can offer Nepal more investment and industrial transfers than India can, thus fostering Nepal's economic growth," Long said.

Before the Nepalese Prime Minister visited China, 15 tons of turmeric powder was imported from Vietnam and brought to the Nepali capital of Kathmandu via the Tianjin port in northern China and the Zhangmu-Tatopani border point, a move that "represents the dawn of a new era" in bilateral trade relations.

"It signifies the beginning of a transformative journey toward enhanced economic cooperation, increased trade volumes and shared prosperity," Madhu Kumar Marasini, secretary of Nepal's ministry of industry, commerce and supplies, said at the commencement ceremony.

The transit arrangement "provides us with a crucial alternative trade route and diversifies our trade options, reducing our reliance on a single transit route," Marasini said.

"Nepal is also a beneficiary of the BRI, through which Nepal has become land-linked from a landlocked country," Qian noted.

The Pokhara International Airport, which the Chinese government helped build in Nepal, is a typical example. The project started in July 2017, and China provided a soft loan to Nepal for this project, which not only created a new model of development cooperation between the two countries, but also effectively guaranteed the smooth implementation of the project.

On January 1 this year, the airport was inaugurated. During the ceremony, Wang Xin, a counselor at the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, said that the new airport has become a symbol for China and Nepal to build the BRI together.

The new airport is not only an aviation hub that facilitates the movement of people between Nepal and China and other countries in the world, but also a friendship project that witnesses the true love and friendship and mutual assistance between China and Nepal, and has become a vivid practice and a powerful testimony to the building of a China-Nepal community with a shared future and the realization of common development and prosperity hand in hand, Wang noted.

Besides India, the US has been trying to strengthen its relationship with Nepal in recent years, particularly through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) program. But some experts said the US engagement in Nepal is opportunistic, and is chiefly aimed at containing China, rather than a long-term commitment to the South Asian country

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China will continue to support UN's central role: Chinese VP

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 19:01, September 23, 2023

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- China will continue to support the United Nations in playing a central role and continue to advance the reform of the global governance system, Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said here Thursday.

Han made the remarks when meeting with Dennis Francis, president of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York.

China has always been a firm supporter and active contributor to the cause of the United Nations, and firmly supports genuine multilateralism, Han said.

The UN General Assembly is the most universal and representative charter body of the United Nations, Han said, adding that China will continue to support the work of the UN General Assembly and its president.

The vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, put forward by Chinese President Xi Jinping, has gained the support of more and more countries and become the consensus of the international community, Han said, noting that China is committed to safeguarding world peace and stability, and promoting global economic recovery and sustainable development.

For his part, Francis said China is an important partner of the United Nations, and an advocate and leader of multilateralism. He thanked China for its long-term valuable support to the work of the UN General Assembly.

The UN General Assembly is ready to strengthen cooperation with China in areas such as sustainable development to jointly address global challenges, Francis said.

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China ready to work for regional peace with South Korea: President Xi

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 2:40 PM

Chinese President Xi Jinping has expressed willingness to work with South Korea for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.

Citing the president, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported on Saturday that Xi will seriously consider visiting Seoul to support dialogue between the two Koreas.

President Xi has not visited South Korea since 2014.

Xi had reportedly said that his government supports dialogue between the two Koreas and will continue efforts for peace and security on the peninsula.

Nuclear tensions on the Korean peninsula have continued to build through 2023.

North Korea, which has been under harsh sanctions by the United States, keeps developing its nuclear program, while Seoul and Washington keep holding joint military drills in the region.

North Korea says the United States' deployment of military assets on the peninsula is provocative.

China Central Television (CCTV) separately reported that the Chinese president had told South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Saturday that his government is willing to work to promote a strategic partnership between Beijing and Seoul.

Xi held talks with the South Korean prime minister in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou before the opening ceremony of the Asian Games on Saturday.

He told Han that China attaches great importance to the positive willingness of South Korea to commit to cooperation.

The Chinese leader also asked Han to meet halfway to maintain the direction of friendly cooperation.

Seoul is scheduled to host trilateral talks later next week, involving senior officials from China, Japan, and South Korea, to pave the way for the first summit of their leaders in four years.

The Chinese president told Han that he would welcome such a summit.

Even though China is South Korea's top trading partner, Seoul's tightening ties with Washington indicate its interest in countering China, which in the past two decades, has reemerged as a major power, with the world's second-largest economy and a world-class military.

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Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un Sends Reply Message to President Xi Jinping

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

Pyongyang, September 24 (KCNA) -- Kim Jong Un , general secretary of the Workers' Party of Korea and president of the State Affairs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, sent a reply message to Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and president of the People's Republic of China, on September 21.

The respected Comrade Kim Jong Un in the message expressed deep thanks to Xi Jinping for his warm congratulations on the occasion of the 75th founding anniversary of the DPRK.

The invariable support and encouragement of the Chinese party, government and people are powerfully inspiring our party, government and people in their struggle to defend and advance socialism victoriously, the message said.

It expressed the belief that the two parties and two countries would closely promote their solidarity and cooperation and that the DPRK-China friendly and cooperative relations would steadily develop in conformity with the requirements of the new era and the desire of the two peoples in the future, too.

It wished Xi Jinping good health and steady and good success in his responsible work of leading the Chinese party, government and people to accomplish the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics. -0-

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INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT LEAVES FOR ADMM PLUS EWG ON COUNTER TERRORISM FIELD TRAINING EXERCISE 2023 IN RUSSIA

India - Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Defence

Posted On: 23 SEP 2023 10:38AM by PIB Delhi

Indian Army Contingent consisting of 32 personnel from a Battalion affiliated to the RAJPUTANA RIFLES departed for ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus Expert Working Group (EWG) on Counter Terrorism Field Training Exercise (FTX) 2023 scheduled to be conducted from 25th to 30th September 2023 in Russia. It is a multinational joint military exercise being hosted by Russia as a co-chair of the EWG along with Myanmar. It was preceded by Table Top Exercise of the ADMM Plus EWG on Counter Terrorism at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from 2nd to 4th August 2023.

Since 2017, the ADMM Plus meets annually to allow dialogue and cooperation among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Plus countries. The inaugural ADMM Plus was convened in Ha Noi, Vietnam on 12th October 2010. This year ASEAN member states along with Plus Group will be participating in the exercise.

The exercise will comprise of a number of counter terrorism drills including destroying of terrorist groups in a fortified area. The main objective of the exercise is strengthening and promoting regional cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism.

ADMM Plus EWG on Counter-terrorism 2023 will provide Indian Army with a platform to share their expertise and best practices in counter-terrorism operations besides increasing cooperation between other 12 participating countries. Indian Army looks forward to an enriching professional experience from the exercise.

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SC,RSS, GKA



(Release ID: 1959817)

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Iran, Maldives decide to resume diplomatic ties

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 23, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian and Maldives foreign ministers in a meeting decided to re-establish their diplomatic relations in line with the interests and ideals of their two nations.

The foreign ministers of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Maldives met on Friday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Following a meeting on Friday between Amirabdollahian and Ahmed Khaleel, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Maldives, on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Maldives, in alignment with the interests and aspirations of their peoples, reaffirmed their decision to restore diplomatic relations.

The two Governments have agreed to further develop the friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty, equality, mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence.

Both countries have resolved to strengthen cooperation on a wide range of areas including investment, trade, seamless of travel and people-to-people contact, science, and technological innovation.

The two countries agreed to develop friendly relations between them based on mutual respect for sovereignty, equality, mutual benefit and peaceful coexistence.

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Iran's top diplomat meets Saudi counterpart in New York

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 23, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has met with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, on the sixth day of his visit to New York.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday.

The two foreign ministers exchanged views on issues of mutual interest between Iran and Saudi Arabia and discussed regional developments.

This marks the fourth meeting between Amirabdollahian and bin Farhan since Tehran and Riyadh agreed to restore their diplomatic relations in March.

Prior to this, the two diplomats had met in Beijing, Tehran, and Riyadh.

On Saturday, Amirabdollahian also met with Hissein Brahim Taha, the secretary-general of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

According to IRNA, citing the official Saudi news agency, the two sides discussed Iran's cooperation with the OIC and ways to enhance joint initiatives.

They also deliberated on issues of mutual interest, including the Palestinian cause, the situation in Afghanistan, and the organization's efforts to counter Islamophobia.

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Iran enjoys critical geopolitical position: President Raisi

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 23, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- President of the Islamic Republic Ebrahim Raisi has said that Iran is a country with great potential and has a sensitive geopolitical situation.

In an interview with Russian network Russia Today cited by the IRNA on Saturday, the Iranian president noted that Iran possesses numerous capabilities within itself, and that it is considered a hub for energy and various sorts of connections.

The Islamic country can connect the east and the west as well as the north and the south, Raisi said, adding that this is a country with facilities and capacities; however, it has most notably a faithful population with the capability of making decisions, and the people succeeded in attaining a global rank in terms of resistance and steadfastness.

According to the Iranian chief executive, in the new global order that is emerging throughout the world, Iran is considered one of the chief players and it possesses a key position, and the resistance movement in the West Asia region has its roots in the Islamic Republic of Iran.

If the potential in Iran and the capabilities in BRICS group come together, they would be able to form a powerful force, he argued.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Raisi underscored that in the war between Ukraine and Russia, Iran believes the conflict should come to an end as soon as possible, and that Iran tries to play the role of a peace broker between Russia and Ukraine.

He argued that Kiev is heavily equipped with the United States and Europe; so, the support naturally encourages the Ukrainians to continue the confrontation. The president asked who - the Ukrainians or the Europeans - benefit from the prolongation of the war.

However, he said, certain Western states accuse Iran because of nowadays' conditions of the Islamic country, but Tehran tries to clarify its stance and respond to such accusations in different occasions.

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Iran, Saudi FMs meet for fourth time since rapprochement

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 6:28 PM

Top diplomats from Iran and Saudi Arabia have met for the fourth time since a rapprochement between the countries was announced in China in March this year.

The meeting between Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian and Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan was held on Saturday in New York on the sidelines of a United Nations General Assembly meeting.

Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement that Amir Abdollahian and bin Farhan had discussed issues of mutual interest, including bilateral ties and regional developments, during the meeting held at the office of Saudi Arabia's Permanent Mission to the UN.

The two top diplomats expressed satisfaction with the reopening of embassies and the exchange of ambassadors in Tehran and Riyadh.

Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran is prepared to organize and sign a comprehensive cooperation document with Saudi Arabia, building up on the ideas exchanged during his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in August.

He also put a premium on the establishment of a Joint Economic Commission to expand economic and trade relations between the two countries.

Amir-Abdollahian also stressed the need to activate air and sea transportation routes to facilitate travel and trade between the two countries.

Bin Farhan, in turn, expressed satisfaction with the speed at bilateral relations have progressed since rapprochement in March, and said Riyadh was eager to strengthen bilateral cooperation with Tehran.

The two diplomats had met for the first time in early April in Beijing after China brokered a dAtente that allowed Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore their normal diplomatic relations after some seven years.

Bin Farhan then traveled to Tehran in mid-June to follow up on efforts to reopen Saudi Arabia's embassy in Iran.

The Saturday meeting in New York came more than a month after Amir Abdollahian held talks with bin Farhan in Riyadh.

It also came weeks after Iran and Saudi Arabia declared the official reopening of their respective embassies as part of the rapprochement deal.

It was on September 6 that new Iranian and Saudi ambassadors were dispatched to respective diplomatic missions in Riyadh and Tehran.

Analysts believe the rapprochement between Iran and Saudi Arabia would have major implications for peace and stability in the West Asia region.

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Iran, Maldives resume diplomatic ties in alignment with interests

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 4:44 PM

Iran and the Maldives have resumed their diplomatic relations in alignment with the two countries' interests and aspirations of their peoples.

In a statement on Saturday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said the restoration of mutual ties comes following a meeting between Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Maldivian counterpart Ahmed Khaleel on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday.

According to the statement, Iran and the Maldives "agreed to further develop the friendly relations between the two countries on the basis of mutual respect for sovereignty, equality, mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence."

Both countries are resolute on strengthening cooperation on a wide range of areas such as investment, trade, seamless of travel and people-to-people contact, science, and technological innovation, it added.

Tehran and Male decided to restore relations after Iran and Saudi Arabia signed a China-brokered agreement in March to resume ties after a seven-year hiatus.

Riyadh closed its diplomatic missions in Tehran in 2016 after they were ransacked by protesters enraged by the Saudi execution of top Shia cleric Nimr Baqir al-Nimr.

Later in May 2016, the Maldives, a staunch supporter of Saudi Arabia, decided to sever ties with Iran, claiming that Tehran's policies was detrimental to regional peace and security.

In a statement published by the Government of Maldives on March 10, the country welcomed the joint trilateral statement by Saudi Arabia, Iran and China announcing the resumption of diplomatic relations between Tehran and Riyadh and the reopening of their embassies and missions.

"In light of these positive and welcoming developments the Government of Maldives has decided to resume diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran," it added.

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Iran FM: US seriousness could lead to JCPOA revival

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 3:11 PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian says the 2015 nuclear deal can be revived and its parties will return to full compliance with their commitments if the US administration shows seriousness.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks in a meeting with a number of American experts, ambassadors and retired politicians in New York on Saturday on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

He said Iran's policy is to return to the nuclear deal -- formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- as an international agreement, however, the US administration is "playing with time."

"If the US administration is serious, the [nuclear revival] negotiations can be concluded in a short time and then all the parties will return to the JCPOA and their full commitments," the top Iranian diplomat emphasized.

JCPOA talks have been on pause since August last year, with Iran blaming a lack of political will on the part of US President Joe Biden's administration to undo the damage caused to the multilateral nuclear deal by the previous US administration.

Former US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the UNSC-endorsed agreement in May 2018, imposing severe economic sanctions against Tehran while Iran was adhering to its commitments under the deal and even continued to do so for a year after the US withdrawal.

Tehran scaled back its commitments to the JCPOA in a series of pre-announced and clear steps after witnessing the other parties' failure to secure its interest under the agreement.

The Iranian foreign minister further criticized the US administration for pursuing a contradictory approach to Tehran with "fundamental" differences in what the White House practices and what it preaches.

However, the Iranian administration and nation pay heed to the US attitude and not its words, Amir-Abdollahian said.

He slammed the Biden administration's continuation of the sanctions policy against Iran, saying, "Even simultaneous with the implementation of the recent agreement [with Tehran] on exchange of prisoners, the US administration carried out unconstructive sanctions measures and proved that it is not willing to correct its past wrong and ineffective behavior."

The White House has always made a miscalculation in dealing with Tehran, including its support for last year's riots in Iran, he added.

Amir-Abdollahian emphasized that Iran has always sought to reduce tensions in the region and across the world.

After two years of high-stakes negotiations, Iran and the US agreed to free prisoners as part of a deal that also included the release of billions of Iranian assets illegally frozen in South Korea.

The funds, owed to Iran for exports of oil and gas, had been frozen in South Korean bank accounts since 2018 after the Trump's administration withdrawal from the JCPOA.

On Monday, Iran and the US freed 10 prisoners -- five Iranians and five Americans -- after the US government unblocked the transfer of $6 billion in frozen Iranian oil funds held in South Korea.

Speaking to senior American media managers on Monday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raeisi said the prisoner swap between Iran and the United States was purely carried out on humanitarian grounds.

"Definitely, any step that is taken [by the United States] to fulfill their commitments will be confidence-building for us," he added.

Some observers see the exchange of prisoners between Iran and the US as a possible gate to a broader agreement between the two countries.

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UN chief welcomes prospect of Iran forces serving as peacekeepers: Official

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 2:32 AM

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has reportedly welcomed a proposal made by Iran's President Ebrahim Raeisi for the country's forces to act as peacekeepers around the world.

Mohammad Jamshidi, the Iranian president's deputy chief of staff for political affairs, announced the development in a post on X, the social media network that was formerly known as Twitter, on Friday.

Raeisi put forward the proposal to the UN chief during the Iranian chief executive's earlier trip to New York, to which he had traveled to address the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

"Dr. Raeisi put forward two proposals to the UN secretary-general, which were welcomed by him (the UN chief)," Jamshidi wrote.

He identified the first proposal as an "application of the capacities and capabilities [that are offered] by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic towards participation in peacekeeping operations."

Meeting with Guterres on Monday, the Iranian president expressed the Islamic Republic's readiness to cooperate with the United Nations in its efforts aimed at promoting global peace and preventing oppression against nations.

This is not the first time the Islamic Republic has proposed contributing to the world body's peacekeeping missions.

Back in 2016, Gholam-Ali Khoshrou, Iran's former UN ambassador, told the General Assembly that the country could provide security forces and logistical support to such missions.

According to Jamshidi, Raeisi also presented Guterres with another proposal that was similarly met with the UN chief's approval, namely the appointment of capable Iranian diplomats and experts to various positions across the world body.

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Iraqi Prime Minister highlights national priorities focused on people

22 September 2023 - A spirit of consensus prevails in Iraq, with a broad political coalition now governing the nation, encompassing all aspects of society, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al Sudani said on Friday.

Addressing the annual high-level general debate of the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister empahasized that the coalition has adopted a programme with crucial priorities aimed at immediate implementation for the benefit of the Iraqis.

These priorities include the creation of employment opportunities, the eradication of poverty, the fight against corruption, and the enactment of economic reforms, he said.

On the holding of local elections, he said that after a 10-year hiatus, the Federal Government is working with the region of Kurdistan and all other regions of Iraq on "equal footing".

Tackling corruption

Acknowledging that his country has faced a "corruption pandemic", Mr. al Sudani stressed that the Government is focused on eradicating "this disease".

He expressed his belief that there is a symbiotic relationship between corruption and terrorism. It is vital to pursue those who spread corruption, he said, adding that the money they have stolen must be returned.

The Prime Minister highlighted Iraq's intensifying efforts to combat drugs and any related activities, noting "it is no secret that there is a direct relationship between terrorism and drugs." he said.

Committed to international law

The Prime Minister further noted the desire for Iraq to be a part of the solution to any international and regional problem, and that it is committed to international law and respects all UN resolutions.

It will also pursue friendship with its neighbours and will not be a launching point of aggression against any other State.

Mr. al Sudani warned of the consequences of religious extremism, something that Iraq knows well, and denounced it in all forms. "Burning the holy Qur'an is a hate crime," he stressed.

Climate action

Turning to climate change, he noted that "the land of Mesopotamia" is suffering from drought, cautioning "the cradle of civilization must not be allowed to die of thirst."

Iraq is working on exerting more efforts between relevant regional States to form a negotiating bloc and to manage cross-border water resources.

He stressed the need to mobilize international efforts to ensure the sustainability of water sources. On a national level, Iraq has taken steps to lower emissions and combat pollution. However, institutions are needed to deal with mounting climate challenges.

Iraq's youth population

Young people constitute 60 per cent of the country's population and are its "best investment," he continued, noting several programmes to support students and the youth, including on job prospects.

Prime Minister al Sudani also recognized the role of women in helping Iraq achieve victory against terrorism.

He also noted that his country has become a secure environment for investors, and as a pivotal State in the global oil market, is working on establishing a regional corridor to facilitate transportation and trade.

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Baghdad implements all clauses of security agreement with Tehran, says Iraqi FM

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 2:26 PM

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein says his country has implemented all clauses of a security agreement with neighboring Iran that entails the complete disarmament and re-location of anti-Iran terrorist groups operating in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Hussein made the remarks in an exclusive interview with the US government-owned Arabic-language Alhurra satellite TV channel on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday.

The top Iraqi diplomat went on to highlight the political and security aspects of the pact, stating that Iran's cessation of artillery bombardments on the positions of secessionist groups in the Kurdistan region was among the conditions of the agreement.

Iraq, in return, is obligated to remove armed elements from border areas. The central government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have managed to successfully undertake the task, Hussein noted.

Earlier in the day, Chief of General Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri, said Tehran has given Iraq several more days to fully implement the March agreement to relocate and disarm anti-Iran groups.

He noted that the agreement stipulated that such groups be disarmed by September 19, but this has not happened yet.

"What happened during this six-month respite was that [they] just distanced a bit from the borders of our country," he said while thanking the Iraqi government for its efforts to disarm the separatists.

The presence of Kurdish terrorist groups, including the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Komala, Kurdistan Free Life Party, and the Kurdistan Freedom Party, has been a source of tension between Iran and Iraq for years, with these groups often carrying out terrorist attacks on Iranian soil.

Following last year's riots, triggered by the death of Iranian woman Mahsa Amini, these groups intensified their subversive operations against Iran and smuggled weapons to their local agents.

That prompted Iran to push Iraq to put an end to terrorist activities of the anti-Iran groups, leading to the March agreement.

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Libyans 'rise above old wounds' and divisions after extreme floods, says Youth Minister

20 September 2023 - Fatalla Elzuni, Libya's Minister of Youth, in an address on Thursday to the UN General Assembly, expressed deep sympathy and offered his condolences to Libyans "in the throes of a disastrous tragedy" following the devastating rains and floods that hit the east of the country last week.

Mr. Elzuni called the devastating floods that struck the Libyan district of Jabal al-Akhdar this month "a terrible spectacle," stating the torrential rains claimed the lives of thousands while many more remain missing.

"I wish to begin by expressing my condolences to the people of Libya. I wish to do so personally. I convey my full sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the victims of the flooding and torrential rains in the region of Jabal al-Akhdar, especially in the towns of Derna, Bayda, and Sousse," he told delegates at the General Assembly's annual high-level debate.

Mr. Elzuni, speaking on behalf of the President of Libya's Presidential Council, who had remained in the country due to the floods, also extended his condolences to the people and Government of Morocco over its recent earthquake.

"I ask God to speed the recovery of the injured."

International support

Although the Libyan Government has gone to great efforts to cope with the disaster by evacuating people, burying the dead, rescuing those buried in rubble, and addressing public health concerns, "the scale of the disaster has fully surpassed all local capacity," Mr. Elzuni revealed.

He appealed to the international community to live up to its responsibility and provide Libya assistance in the aftermath of the "disastrous tragedy", especially to avoid potential public health crises.

Stating that "the greatest values are born from the greatest suffering," he emphasized that, since the tragedy, Libyans have set aside political differences in order to transcend divisions of the past and set a positive course toward the future.

This is "a lesson that we need to pass on to our children to avoid repeating the errors" of past generations, he noted.

Setting an example

He stressed that the Libyan people have set an example through solidarity, national cohesion, and responsibility, and that their voices must be heard.

Mr. Elzuni also claimed that Libya's response to the crisis symbolized the birth of a new era and emphasized the need to hold democratic elections to ensure a unified authority.

"It is time for democracy to begin in Libya, grounded in the will of the people, and in sincerity," he said.

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Lavrov at UNGA Explains How US and Allies Fuel Conflicts, Escalate Crises in the World

Sputnik News

20230923

The United States and its allies continue to fuel international conflicts, stoke tensions on the Korean Peninsula and engage in acts of brinkmanship, such as staging joint drills that involve the use of nuclear weapon scenarios on Russian territory, Moscow's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

The United States and European powers have a habit of not fulfilling their obligations, with the West essentially being an "empire of lies," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his address at the UN General Assembly.

"Having grown accustomed to looking down on the rest of the world, the Americans and the Europeans keep making promises and taking on obligations, including those of the written and legally binding variety, and then simply do not fulfill them. As Russian President Vladimir Putin previously said, the West is a veritable 'empire of lies'," Lavrov said.

The Russian foreign minister also took note of the sentiment voiced by several other speakers who addressed the UN General Assembly before him, about the world undergoing irreversible changes.

"A new world order is being born before our very eyes," he remarked. "The outlines of the future are being created in the struggle between the global majority, that seeks a fairer distribution of global riches and a civilizational diversity, and those few who use neocolonial methods of subjugation to retain their vanishing domination."

The inability to negotiate and refusal to accept the principles of equality have long become the West's trademark of sorts, Lavrov added.

"A series of recent joint exercises between the United States and European NATO allies, including scenarios involving the use of nuclear weapons on the territory of Russia, has been unprecedented since the end of the Cold War," Lavrov said during his address at the UN General Assembly.

"The declared goal is to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia, and this obsession has completely blinded the eyes of irresponsible politicians who feel a sense of their own impunity, while at the same time losing an elementary sense of self-preservation," Lavrov added.

US, Western Allies Continue to Fuel Conflicts

The United States and its Western allies continue to fuel international conflicts that divide the world.

"For Russia, it is obvious that there is no other way. However, the United States and its subordinate 'Western collective' continue to fuel conflicts that artificially divide humanity into hostile blocs and prevent the achievement of common goals. They are doing everything to prevent the formation of a truly multipolar, just world order," Lavrov said during his address at the UN General Assembly.

The head of the Russian Foreign Ministry recalled that in 2021, Russian proposals for mutual security guarantees in Europe without changing the non-bloc status of Ukraine were "arrogantly rejected." "The West continued to systematically militarize the Russophobic Kiev regime, which was brought to power as a result of a bloody coup and was used to prepare for the outbreak of a hybrid war against our country," the minister noted.

As Lavrov emphasized, Western leaders have never been embarrassed that NATO's approach to the borders of the Russian Federation grossly violates the OSCE commitments taken at the highest level not to strengthen their own security at the expense of others, and also not to allow military-political dominance in Europe by any country or group countries or organizations. "The Soviet and then Russian leadership were given specific political assurances regarding the non-expansion of the NATO military bloc to the east. The corresponding records of the negotiations are in our and Western archives. They are freely available. But these assurances of Western leaders turned out to be a deception; they had no intention of fulfilling them," the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted.

On Situation in the Balkans

The sad story of the non-fulfillment of the Minsk agreements on the Donbass republics is repeating itself with Serbia and Kosovo, Lavrov said.

"The whole world sees how the sad history of the Minsk agreements on Ukraine, which envisioned a special status for the Donbass republics and which Kiev openly sabotaged with Western support, is repeating itself in the Balkans. And now the European Union does not want to force its Kosovo proteges to implement the 2013 agreements between Belgrade and Pristina on the creation of the Community of Serbian Municipalities of Kosovo, which has special rights to its language and traditions," he stated.

"NATO providing arms and assistance to the Albanians of Kosovo in building an army of their own is a gross violation of the fundamental resolution 1244 of the UN Security Council," Lavrov remarked.

He also criticized the incessant attempts by the "Western minority" to "Ukrainize" the agenda of international discussions and thus effectively put on a back burner matters related to a number of "unresolved regional crises, many of which drag on for years and even decades."

On Situation in the Korean Peninsula

Russia is concerned by the fact that the US and its allies are escalating the situation on the Korean Peninsula, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

"The escalation of military hysteria by Washington and its Asian allies on the Korean Peninsula, where US strategic capabilities are accumulating, is alarming. Russian-Chinese initiatives to prioritize humanitarian and political tasks are rejected," Lavrov said during his address at the UN General Assembly.

Influence of Global South Growing

The United States and its allies should recognize the real economic and financial weight of the Global South countries, Russia's top diplomat said.

"Overall, there is an urgent need to reform the existing global governance architecture as soon as possible. It has long failed to meet the requirements of the era. The United States and its allies should abandon artificial restraints on the redistribution of voting quotas in the IMF [International Monetary Fund] and the World Bank, recognizing the real economic and financial weight of the countries of the Global South. The work of the WTO [World Trade Organization] Dispute Settlement Body should also be immediately unblocked," Lavrov said during his address at the UN General Assembly.

US and EU Destabilizing South Caucasus

The European Union and the United States are destabilizing the region of the South Caucasus, trying to enforce their mediation upon Armenia and Azerbaijan.

"Now Brussels is imposing its 'mediation services' on Azerbaijan and Armenia, bringing destabilization to the South Caucasus together with Washington," the top Russian diplomat said at the UN General Assembly.

He added that Russian peacekeepers will contribute in every possible way to the de-escalation and establishment of peaceful life in Nagorno-Karabakh.

A Sputnik

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Russian Foreign Minister hits out at West's 'empire of lies'

23 September 2023 - Russia's Foreign Minister told the UN General Assembly on Saturday that a new world order is being born through a struggle between a neocolonial minority and a "global majority" seeking to end decades of Western domination.

Sergey Lavrov said power was slipping through the hands of the old order, dominated by Washington, which has long rejected the principle of equality.

Americans and Europeans "make all sorts of promises...and then just don't fulfil them", he told delegates.

Quoting President Vladimir Putin, he said the West was "truly an empire of lies" which even during the battle against Nazism in World War Two, had plotted an offensive against their Soviet allies.

Soviet and then Russian leaders "were given concrete political assurances regarding the non-expansion of the NATO military alliance to the east", which turned out to be pure deception.

Washington and Brussels have ceaselessly sought to expand their interests and alliances to subordinate the Global South and East, rejecting Russia's desire for mutual security guarantees, he stated.

West's 'hybrid war against our country'

Turning to Ukraine, he said the West had "continued its ongoing militarisation of the Russophobic Kyiv regime", brought to power via a "bloody coup" in 2014 and took that opportunity to "wage a hybrid war against our country."

The aim since then, has been the strategic defeat of Russia he argued, with the US-led offensive now stretching into outer space and disinformation online.

Mr. Lavrov said it was "obvious" that its creation of subordinate alliances was "targeted against Russia and China" in a bid to sabotage more "inclusive" regional forums.

He said even in terms of culture, the anti-colonial "global majority" has had enough of the Western "yoke" and attacks on their religions, traditional values and sovereignty.

He saw Russia and China as defenders of a new multipolar architecture - the ascendent world order - and now the West is doing all it can to block it.

'Coercive measures'

The Russian Foreign Minister decried US-led use of unilateral sanctions and "coercive measures", defending Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and others, while Washington continues its effort to "Ukrainize" the international agenda.

He said it was time for full reform of "global governance architecture" including UN-led international financial mechanisms and the United Nations' key bodies - together with what he said was a Secretariat biased in favour of capitals in NATO and the European Union.

Mr. Lavrov spoke up for Security Council expansion to include Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He said reform needed to be based on a new, balanced consensus, giving the example of the BRICS bloc of economic powers - set to expand beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.

Avoid 'large scale war'

Mr. Lavrov closed his case with an appeal for compromise, saying "humanity is at a crossroads...It is in our shared interest to prevent a downward spiral into large scale war."

He invoked the Secretary-General's call for world leaders to meet and negotiate in the spirit of compromise at this year's UN General Assembly, "when designing our common future for our common good."

"This is an excellent response to those who divide our world up into democracies and autocracies and dictate their neocolonial rules to others", he concluded.

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Opinion / Columnist

Knowledge Hakata is a political analyst and can be contacted on waterlessprings@gmail.com

Following Zimbabwe's August 2023 general elections, 60 women were seconded into parliament through the proportional representation system, of these sixty, 33 are from Zanu Pf while 27 are from CCC. Considering that few women were making it via the direct ticket into both the Parliament and Senate, the proportional representation came at a good time so as to enable more participation of women in Zimbabwean politics.Zimbabwe being typically a male dominated political arena, the appointment of a young mayor in Masvingo signifies a dynamic shift in Zimbabwean politics and we might see more new faces especially the degreed young females in the next general elections. The coming in of such educated young female politicians is good news for good governance.The recent appointment of a young and energetic female Mayor in Masvingo is totally a game changer in the dynamics of Zimbabwean politics. The CCC leadership should be commended for giving the young leaders a chance as they will be able to bring new ideas that will shape progressive policies that will benefit the Masvingo residence.The issue of water shortages and reduction of the quality of water delivered are a potential disaster to the welfare of citizens of Masvingo city. Provision of sufficient water needs to be coupled with increased stakeholder involvement, institutional development and capacity. The issue of refuse collection is another aspect that the new mayor should look into, as refuse collection in Masvingo city is now a time bomb and the city is slowly replicating Harare on prolonged uncollected and removed refuse and the aspect of waste management should be one of her to do list as well.For too long Zimbabwe's political arena have been dominated by the guerrillas who feel entitled to occupy all the critical leadership positions in Zimbabwe and the elevation of the new Mayor of Masvingo Her Worship Shantel Chawara is totally a game changer and above all President Chamisa means serious political business in grooming the young political brooms.In Epworth another young female lady Annah Sande was also elected to become the new Epworth Local Board Chairperson. Epworth being one of the most populated and underdeveloped places near Harare, the appointment of the new chairlady can also span-new ideas that can be able to remove Epworth from its poor development quagmire.The new Epworth Local Board Chairperson will not have an easy term as she will be battling to end serious drug and substance abuse from the highly unemployed youths while at the same time tackling high crime rate which has turned Epworth to be a dangerous place both to work and live within. Commonly known as the hive of crime rate due to its accommodativeness to low-income earners surely the new chairperson will not have an easy five years ahead but the elevation of a young and vibrant lady will defiantly bring in a glimpse of rare hope.With a lot of undocumented home owners, the new chairperson should brace up for a mountain task as she tries to negotiate with the government so that such home owners can be given their overdue tittle deeds. Poor development has also characterised the dormitory suburb and the new chairperson should push for development so that the secluded suburb can copy with the modern housing structures.Above all the leader of the main opposition CCC President Chamisa has done extremely well in empowering young leaders both to take up the leadership roles in both local authorities and in Parliament.
Addressing UNGA, Russian FM slams West's 'empire of lies', says Kiev peace plan not feasible

Iran Press TV

Sunday, 24 September 2023 12:19 AM

Russia's foreign minister has denounced the West as "an empire of lies," whose overbearing attitude has become intolerable for the rest of the world.

Sergei Lavrov made the remarks in an address to the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Saturday.

The top diplomat cited examples of Western officials' past and present deceitful behavior to prove unreliability of Western states.

Emphasizing that the West is "truly an empire of lies," Lavrov said Americans and Europeans "make all sorts of promises...and then just don't fulfill them."

He added that even during the battle against Nazism in World War Two, Western countries plotted an offensive against their Soviet allies.

Lavrov added that Soviet and then Russian leaders "were given concrete political assurances regarding the non-expansion of the NATO military alliance to the east," which turned out to be pure deception.

The top diplomat then censured the West for its globally divisive methods.

"The US and its subordinate Western collective are continuing to fuel conflicts, which artificially divide humanity into hostile blocs and hamper the achievement of overall aims," Lavrov said.

The Russian foreign minister condemned Western countries for doing "everything they can to prevent the formation of a genuine multipolar world order," adding, "The rest of the planet is sick of it ... They don't want to live under anybody's yoke any more."

Hitting out at Zelensky's "peace plan"

Following his address to the UN General Assembly, Lavrov took part in a press conference, dismissing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's global peace summit proposal as unfeasible.

He also lashed out at Ukraine's 10-point plan to end the war with Russia, saying, "It is not possible to implement this. It's not realistic and everybody understands this, but at the same time, they say this is the only basis for negotiations."

The plan calls for cessation of hostilities and Russian military's withdrawal from those Ukrainian regions that have joined Russia through referendums. Moscow has rejected ceasing its operations while its forces are under attack by Ukraine, which is being fed with state-of-the-art Western weapons on a near-daily basis.

"West fighting against Russia in Ukraine"

Elsewhere in his remarks, Lavrov said through their support for Ukraine, Western countries are directly fighting against Moscow.

"You can call it anything you want, but they are fighting with us, they are straight-up fighting with us," Lavrov told journalists, adding, "We call it a hybrid war, but that doesn't change things."

Western countries are "de facto fighting against us, using the hands and bodies of Ukrainians," Lavrov emphasized, pointing to the billions of dollars in Western military equipment provided to Kiev.

He added that the United States and Britain are also providing Ukraine with intelligence support through the presence of their military advisors.

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China, Syria leaders announce 'strategic partnership'

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Sep 23, 2023

Tehran, IRNA -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad on Friday, emphasizing that the leaders would unveil a new "strategic partnership".

This marks President Assad's first official visit to China in nearly two decades, a trip aimed at securing financial support for the reconstruction of war-torn Syria.

The meeting took place in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, with Chinese state media confirming the event. President Assad is also scheduled to attend the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Saturday.

"Today, we will jointly announce the establishment of the China-Syria strategic partnership, which will become an important milestone in the history of bilateral relations," President Xi stated during the meeting.

He further emphasized China's commitment to working with Syria, supporting each other, promoting friendly cooperation, and jointly defending international fairness and justice.

Analysts predict that a significant focus of President Assad's visit will be discussions around financing Syria's reconstruction efforts.

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China urges lifting of 'illegal unilateral sanctions' against Syria

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 4:14 PM

China has called on countries to lift their "illegal unilateral sanctions" imposed on Syria amid efforts by Beijing to increase its economic engagements with Damascus.

A joint Chinese-Syrian statement published by the foreign ministry in Beijing on Friday said that China will try its best to help Syria's reconstruction efforts more than a decade after the Arab country became involved in a devastating war with foreign-backed militants.

"China opposes interference by external forces in Syria's internal affairs... and urges all relevant countries to lift illegal unilateral sanctions against Syria," said the statement.

The statement came during a six-day visit by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to China, a first since the start of the Syrian war in 2011.

President Assad and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping pledged after a meeting on Friday to upgrade the level of ties between China and Syria to a strategic partnership.

Xi also welcomed Assad to a Saturday lunch banquet in the presence of foreign officials who have traveled to China to attend the opening ceremony of the Asian Games in Hangzhou.

During the banquet, President Xi made a reference to sanctions imposed by the West on Syria by criticizing the "cold war mentality and bloc confrontation."

Experts say President Assad is seeking China's investment and funding for a massive reconstruction program that also involves plans to boost Syria's economic situation.

They say China can also benefit from better ties with Syria as the Arab country can contribute to the Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing's global infrastructure project, through its strategic location on the Mediterranean Sea where China has a sizable trade activity.

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Iranian, Russian, Turkish FMs meet in New York to discuss Syria crisis

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 10:40 AM

Amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to tackle the Syrian crisis, foreign ministers from Iran, Russia and Turkey have held a tripartite summit in the Astana format to secure peace and stability in the Arab country.

The joint meeting was held on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, and was attended by Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.

UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen was also present at the talks, which took place at the permanent mission of Iran to the UN.

Speaking at the event, Amir-Abdollahian lambasted the worsening humanitarian situation in Syria, attributing part of the misery inflicted on the Syrian people to the unilateral Western sanctions and the looting of Syria's assets and natural resources, which have markedly targeted the nation's women and children among others.

He denounced the anti-Syria sanctions as "illegal" and underlined the need for their complete removal.

The top Iranian diplomat further said reconstruction of war-torn Syria should not be treated as a tool in order to exert pressure on the Damascus government, adding that resolution of the Syrian refugee crisis requires recovery of essential infrastructure and availability of water, electricity and other services to all.

He also emphasized that the international community must assume its responsibility to alleviate the suffering of the Syrian nation.

"We (the parties) view the unilateral sanctions imposed against Syria as a violation of the international and humanitarian law, the UN Charter, and an obstacle to the distribution of aid among Syrian locals and refugees," Amir-Abdollahian said, adding that they also "support the safe, honorable and voluntary return of Syrian refugees and restoration of their rights."

He also stressed the need for political dialogue on the Syrian crisis under the auspices of the United Nations, reiterating unwavering support for the fight against terrorism and extremism in Syria.

The Iranian foreign minister also emphasized that parties will continue their cooperation to counter the threat of terrorism at the same time as respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria.

Iran and Russia, as the allies of the Syrian government, as well as Turkey, which sides with the opposition, set up the Astana peace process in January 2017 intending to put an end to the Syrian conflict through the involvement of the Syrian government and the opposition.

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Saint Lucia, Tuvalu voice support for Taiwan's U.N. inclusion

ROC Central News Agency

09/23/2023 04:39 PM

New York, Sept. 22 (CNA) The leaders of Saint Lucia and Tuvalu, two of the 13 countries that formally recognize the Republic of China (Taiwan), voiced their support Friday for Taiwan's inclusion in the United Nations and its participation in international organizations.

In an address during the General Debate of this year's General Assembly, Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip Joseph Pierre said the people of the ROC on Taiwan should be allowed to continue their right to self-determination and exercise "their democratic freedoms without threats to the autonomy and with a place in the international forum."

Prime Minister Kausea Natano of Tuvalu, meanwhile, called for the U.N. to ensure the participation of everyone worldwide, including the people of Taiwan.

"We must make the necessary arrangement for Taiwan to meaningfully participate in relevant U.N. specialized agencies and mechanisms," Natano said.

Such an arrangement was necessary, he said, because "Taiwan is widely known for being an able, trustworthy and willing partner greatly contributing to collective efforts that address pressing global issues under the purview of these U.N. agencies."

Ariel Henry, prime minister of Haiti, another of Taiwan's formal diplomatic allies, focused on the continuing unrest in his country in his address to the world governing body Friday and did not touch on Taiwan again this year.

He appealed for international support to combat rampant gang violence -- one element of the multi-dimensional crisis currently affecting the Caribbean nation.

Since the General Debate began on Sept. 19, eight of Taiwan's diplomatic allies -- Guatemala, Paraguay, Palau, Eswatini, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Saint Lucia, and Tuvalu -- have voiced their support for Taiwan.

According to the event's agenda, representatives of three other formal allies -- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Belize -- were to deliver their statements on Saturday.

(By Ozzy Yin and Ko Lin)

Enditem/ls

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Taiwan slams Syria for 'part of China' claim in joint statement

ROC Central News Agency

09/23/2023 10:25 PM

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs fired back at Syria Saturday after the West Asian country referred to Taiwan as an inalienable part of China in a joint statement.

According to a press release from the ministry, Taiwan was referred to as "an inalienable part of China" in the statement released on Friday after a meeting between China's President Xi Jinping (cea) and his Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad.

The statement also read that Syria "supports every effort made by the Chinese government for unification," according to the ministry.

In its press release, the ministry condemned China for constantly degrading Taiwan's sovereignty and Syria for standing by the authoritarian Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

The ministry reiterated that only the government elected by Taiwanese citizens through a democratic election can represent Taiwan.

It added that it has long been recognized internationally that the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the People's Republic of China are not subordinate to each other.

The authoritarian CCP government should recognize and respect this reality and fact, and cease from imposing its concocted "one China principle" on other countries, the ministry added.

(By Novia Huang and Bernadette Hsiao)

Enditem/cs

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The Ministry of Defence won an international arbitration against a foreign supplier for more than a 3 million

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

2023-09-21 17:55:00 | ID: 70760

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine won a dispute in international arbitration for a 3 million for low-quality body armours for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The dispute arose out of a foreign economic contract for the supply of body armours, signed with a foreign supplier in 2022 to meet the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The Ministry of Defence fully complied with its obligations under the contract and paid the cost of the goods on time. However, several times the supplier offered a product not in conformity with the contract in terms of quality and the agreed sample.

As such, the Ministry of Defence refused the low-quality product and demanded that the supplier return the cost of the product and pay fines.

In March 2023, the Legal Department of the Ministry of Defence filed a lawsuit to international arbitration to collect the value of the undelivered goods, fines and annual interest.

After the trial, which lasted for about six months, the arbitration tribunal decided to recover from the foreign supplier in favour of the Ministry of Defence the full value of the undelivered goods, penalties and annual interest, totalling more than a 3 million, as well as obliged the supplier to pay the arbitration fee.

The Legal Department of the Ministry of Defence continues working to protect the rights and interests of the Ministry of Defence.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meets with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy

Prime Minister of Canada - Justin Trudeau

September 22, 2023

Ottawa, Ontario

Today, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The Prime Minister welcomed the President to Canada and expressed the solidarity of all Canadians with the people of Ukraine as they continue to resist Russia's brutal and unjustifiable war of aggression.

Prime Minister Trudeau reaffirmed Canada's commitment to stand with Ukraine and to support it with as much as it takes, for as long as it takes. The two leaders discussed the situation on the ground, including progress in Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive. Prime Minister Trudeau reiterated his support for President Zelenskyy's ongoing diplomatic efforts toward a just and sustainable peace, including the key principles of the Ukrainian Peace Formula.

The Prime Minister reiterated Canada's pledge to contribute to a stable and prosperous Ukraine for generations to come and highlighted Canada's further military assistance to Ukraine, including a commitment of $650 million over three years for armoured vehicles produced in Canada for Ukraine's long-term security. He informed the President that Canada would again provide substantial macro-economic support in 2024.

The leaders agreed to work with international partners to establish a working group of eminent individuals who will provide advice to decision makers on the seizure and forfeiture of Russian assets.

The Prime Minister and the President highlighted the close people-to-people ties between their two countries, with a Ukrainian-Canadian community of 1.3 million people, as well as more than 175,000 Ukrainians and their family members welcomed by Canada since Russia's brutal and unjustifiable war began.

Prime Minister Trudeau and President Zelenskyy discussed the modernized Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement (CUFTA), which was signed later in the day. The new CUFTA supports long-term security, stability, and economic development in Ukraine, while also ensuring high-quality market access terms for Canadian businesses participating in Ukraine's economic recovery and creating good middle-class jobs in both countries. The two leaders also agreed for Canada and Ukraine to further cooperate on energy security.

President Zelenskyy thanked Canada and Canadians for their continued support. The Prime Minister and the President reaffirmed their intention to remain in close and regular contact.

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The discussion of the promising areas for the capabilities implementation in corruption detecting took place at the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

2023-09-22 09:20:00 | ID: 70770

During the meeting at the Ministry of Defence, promising areas for the capabilities realization in detecting corruption risks in the leading areas of the Ministry of Defence during martial law were discussed. The meeting was attended by Colonel of Justice Serhii Stepanian, Head of the Corruption Prevention and Detection Department of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, Olena Tregub, Executive Director of The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) NGO, and Svitlana Musiiaka, Head of Research and Policy of NAKO.

The participants of the meeting focused on issues related to defence procurement, management of land and non-core assets of the Ministry of Defence, rear, medical and housing provision, implementation of international aid in the security sector, development of anti-corruption programs, support and interaction with the Transparency International Ukraine international NGO, organisation of public discussions on Government Defence Integrity Index (GDI) of the Ministry of Defence, etc.

The representatives of the Ministry of Defence outlined clear prospects for further fruitful cooperation with NAKO experts to fulfil the tasks and measures of the State Anti-Corruption Program 2023-2025, the Anti-Corruption Program of the Ministry of Defence and for further strengthening the system of corruption prevention and detection in the Ministry of Defence.

The NAKO assured comprehensive support, including support in implementation of tasks and measures of integrity building and achieving zero tolerance for corruption in the Ministry of Defence. These tasks and measures are determined by the Minister of Defence of Ukraine, are based on NATO standards, and comply with international requirements.

Along with external monitoring of anti-corruption activities of the Ministry of Defence, The Independent Anti-Corruption Commission (NAKO) provides expert, educational, methodical, and practical assistance to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine in anti-corruption activities.

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US to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles reaching 300km

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 5:57 PM

The United States has agreed to give Kiev missiles with a range of up to 300 kilometers, further escalating the Ukraine war.

The US media reported on Saturday that US President Joe Biden plans to give Ukraine advanced long-range missiles to fight the Russians.

Sources familiar with the matter said Biden plans to send Kiev ATACMS missiles with a range of up to 300km that could hit Russian targets way behind the frontline between the two warring neighbors.

According to NBC News and the Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed US officials, Biden, who declared on Thursday that his administration would continue to support the war against Russia, promised the visiting Ukrainian president that Kiev would be given "a small number" of the ATACMS.

The Washington Post cited several people familiar with the matter as saying that the ATACMS allocated for Kiev will be armed with banned cluster bomblets rather than the regular single warhead.

On Thursday, Biden also announced that the first US Abrams tanks allocated for Ukraine will arrive there next week.

Media reported Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has for months been pushing for tanks, missiles and aircraft to strengthen Kiev's forces against the better-endowed Russians.

The US has already supplied Kiev with more than $100bn worth of weapons and munitions.

Biden insists that Russia's military campaign in Donbas -- aimed to defend the pro-Moscow Russian-speaking people in the region -- is a threat to world democracy, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would look to invade another country to stop NATO's encroachment if it successfully takes Ukraine.

However, US politicians from the opposing GOP Party have rejected the Democratic president's argument.

Republicans maintain that the West's ongoing proxy war against Russia -- spearheaded by Zelensky, a comedian-turned-politician, who lacks any real military and diplomatic experience other than that he obtained on screen -- is in vain, and Ukraine's president will never ever bring victory for the senile Biden.

In this regard, Republican lawmakers, as well as some leading presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump, have pushed for stopping the supply of weapons and munitions for Kiev.

The skeptics say Zelensky's chances of defeating Russian troops are next to nil, insisting that it is not in the interest of the US nation for American tax payer money to be sent to Ukraine in the form of financial aid, weapons and munitions to be burned in the frontline or deep behind by Kiev's forces in their futile fight against the stronger Russian troops.

Ahead of Zelensky's US visit, Republican lawmakers wrote to Biden declaring their opposition to continued spending on Kiev.

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Ukraine says Russian naval commanders killed in Crimean HQ during missile attack

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 23 September 2023 11:20 AM

Ukraine says dozens of Russian naval officers, including "senior" ones, have been killed in a missile attack against Moscow's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

The Ukrainian army said in a statement Saturday that the Russian navy officers were killed a day earlier after it launched a missile attack against the headquarters, which was engulfed in a huge fire following the aerial attack.

"The details of the attack will be revealed as soon as possible and the result is dozens of dead and wounded occupants, including senior fleet commanders," the Ukrainian army said.

It said the strike was carried out when "a meeting of the Russian navy's leadership" was going on.

According to Ukraine's intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, "at least nine people" were killed, including generals. He declined to say whether Western-made missiles were employed in the attack.

Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17, 2014, and formally applied to fall under Russian sovereignty following a referendum that had been declared illegal by Kiev. Moscow later annexed the region. Ukraine has vowed to take back Crimea.

The general leading the counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia area claimed on Saturday that the Ukrainian army has broken through Russian lines in southern Ukraine.

Ukraine launched its counteroffensive in June, but progress has been slower than expected, with heavily mined territory.

Talking to CNN, General Oleksandr Tarnavskiy acknowledged that the advance had been slower than Ukraine hoped.

"On the left flank (near the village of Verbove) we have a breakthrough and we continue to advance further," he said.

US to send ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine: Report

President Joe Biden informed his visiting counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, that Washington would provide Kiev with Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) long-range missiles, NBC News reported on Friday.

Ukraine has repeatedly urged its Western allies to provide it with ATACMS missiles, which have a range of up to 300 kilometers, roughly four times the range of the missiles used by the mobile HIMARS systems that the US began sending to Ukraine last year.

However, it is not yet clear which model of the ATACMS Kiev will be receiving. There are various models of this type of missile, some with a range shorter than 300 kilometers.

The White House, which hosted Zelensky on Thursday, did not comment on the possible donation even though it announced a new $325 million military aid package for Kiev.

At a press conference in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the Ukrainian president declined to comment on the NBC report, but stressed that Washington was Kiev's biggest supplier of weaponry.

"We are discussing all the different types of weapons - long range weapons and artillery, artillery shells with the caliber of 155 mm, then air defense systems," he said, speaking through an interpreter, during an official visit to Canada.

Ukraine says the ATACMS missiles will help its forces strike Russian positions far behind the front lines.

The US has been leading a coalition of Western states arming Ukraine since the war with Russia began in February last year.

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Ukrainian Military Claims Russian Navy Commanders Killed In Sevastopol Attack; De Facto Crimean Authorities Say Fresh Attack Thwarted

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service September 23, 2023

The Ukrainian military says that a missile attack on Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula on September 22 targeted "a meeting of the Russian Navy's leadership" and resulted in high casualties, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stopped in Poland on his way back home after his major diplomatic push in the West.

"The details of the attack will be revealed as soon as possible and the result is dozens of dead and wounded occupants, including senior fleet commanders," the Ukrainian military said on September 23.

In comments to Voice Of America, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed the attack, in which at least one cruise missile struck the Black Sea Fleet's headquarters, killed "at least nine people" and that 16 were injured, including high-ranking officers.

"Among the wounded is the commander of the group, Colonel-General [Oleksandr] Romanchuk, in very serious condition. The Chief of Staff, Lieutenant-General [Oleg] Tsekov, is unconscious. The number of casual military servicemen who are not employees of the headquarters is still being determined," Budanov was quoted as saying in VOA's September 23 report.

Romanchuk commands frontline forces defending Russian-occupied parts of southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya region and was promoted to the rank of colonel-general in 2023, according to VOA. Tsekov was identified as the commander of coastal forces of the Russian Navy's Northern Fleet.

RFE/RL was not able to verify Budanov's or the Ukrainian military's casualty claims.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Telegram on September 22 that five cruise missiles involved in that day's attack had been shot down. The ministry claimed that one Russian soldier was missing, after having earlier reported the death of one soldier.

Moscow has not issued updated information regarding casualties or commented on the Ukrainian military's claims that a meeting of Russian naval commanders was targeted.

RFE/RL's Crimea.Realities, a regional outlet of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, reported early on September 23 that a powerful explosion was heard in Sevastopol, prompting air-raid warnings.

On the morning of September 23, Russian authorities in Crimea confirmed that Sevastopol had again come under attack.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Moscow in 2014, said that preliminary information indicated that Russian air defense forces had shot down a missile and that debris had fallen along the shore of Sevastopol Bay.

In a follow-up Telegram post, Razvozhayev declared that the "missile danger is clear."

On September 22, following the attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, Razvozhayev had denied reports by multiple Telegram channels that thermal power plants near Sevastopol had been struck in a Ukrainian missile attack.

Razvozhayev alleged that Ukrainian media were "trying to sow panic among citizens" by reporting the attacks.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea as its counteroffensive in the east and south of the country grinds on.

As Kyiv continues to defend its military strategy amid Western criticism, a commander of Ukraine's Tavria force fighting in the Zaporizhzhya region told CNN on September 22 that Ukraine had made a breakthrough near the rural settlement of Verbove.

"On the left flank [near Verbove] we have a breakthrough and we continue to advance further," Oleksandr Tarnavsky said.

"Not as fast as it was expected, not like in the movies about the Second World War," he said, but "the main thing is not to lose this initiative [that we have]."

Verbove is part of the Surovikin Lines -- triple-layered defenses named for the Russian general who ordered their construction last year to thwart any Ukrainian effort to breach and try to outmaneuver Russian forces along a 1,200-kilometer front line.

On September 23, the Ukrainian military said Russia had launched 15 Iranian-made Shahed drones against Ukraine's frontline forces in the Zaporizhzhya region and in the neighboring Dnitropetrovsk region to the north.

In the southeastern Kherson region, officials said on September 23 that at least one person had died and three were injured due to Russian shelling, which hit residential, medical, and educational buildings over the previous day.

Meanwhile, Zelenskiy stopped in Poland on his way back to Ukraine on September 23 amid a simmering feud with Warsaw, which has been a major diplomatic ally in the war with Russia, taking in refugees and providing arms to Kyiv.

Tensions have risen between the two nations after Kyiv sharply criticized Warsaw when it extended its ban on Ukrainian grain products to protect Polish farmers from falling prices.

At the UN General Assembly in New York, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that "I want to tell President Zelenskiy that he must never insult Poles again, as he did the other day during his appearance at the United Nations."

Zelenskiy attempted to ease tensions when he made a stopover in Poland after his trip to the United States and Canada.

"I believe that all the challenges on our common path are nothing compared to the strength that exists between our peoples," Zelenskiy said in a video posted on his Telegram channel.

Zelenskiy handed out awards to a journalist who helped transport wounded children to Polish hospitals and to a man who had assembled a medical team to help wounded soldiers near the front line, according to Reuters.

He did not appear to meet with Polish officials.

With reporting by Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-russian-black- sea-fleet-attacked-crime-sevastopol/32605919.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.

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Ukrainian Parliament Chairman Defends 'Anti-Oligarch' Law, Says It Has Made Impact Before Implementation

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service September 23, 2023

The chairman of the Ukrainian parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk, has defended the country's "anti-oligarch" law but said that Kyiv has agreed to defer its implementation in keeping with the recommendations of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission.

Stefanchuk told RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service in an exclusive interview on September 22 that he did not believe the law, passed in 2021, was perfect. But he said that the effectiveness of the legislation would be shown once implemented, adding that it had already had a positive impact.

The law essentially gives tycoons the choice of refraining from politics or selling their media assets and lists people who meet certain criteria, such as having significant economic or political weight, to be registered as oligarchs.

Stefanchuk pointed to the sale of properties by "a lot" of oligarchs as evidence of the law's effectiveness.

However, the law -- part of a broader "de-oligarchization" campaign by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy -- has been criticized at home and abroad as a "populist" measure that could be abused to target political opponents or their backers.

The law was subjected to a review by the Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe, which concluded in June that the legislation took a "personalized approach" that could not be considered a democratic response to the problem of oligarchization.

In order for the Ukrainian authorities to "fight oligarchic influence," the commission offered a number of recommendations, including that the implementation of the anti-oligarch law be deferred, media pluralism be reinforced and ownership made more transparent, and the independence and effectiveness of key regulatory authorities strengthened.

"We agreed with the European Commission that the implementation of the law will be suspended until the end of the war," Stefanchuk said, referring to the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine launched 19 months ago. "And the implementation of the law includes the creation of a register of oligarchs."

Stefanchuk added that even without the implementation of the law, the Ukrainian parliament, or Verkhovna Rada, had already created new legislation that would "comprehensively protect Ukraine from oligarchs."

"We already passed a new law on changes to the Antimonopoly Committee, which clearly addressed all the requirements that the Venice Commission recommended," he said. "We passed a corresponding law on changes to the reporting of political parties, which also addressed all these things. We are now at the stage of registering a law on lobbying, in which all things related to [the Venice Commission's recommendations] will also be clearly stipulated."

Ukraine's anti-graft efforts have attracted attention with a series of high-profile arrests over the past year as President Zelenskiy tries to portray himself as an anti-corruption crusader.

Ukrainian leaders have for decades promised to tackle corruption, but the issue has grown in urgency since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the prospect of Kyiv joining the European Union and NATO have gained traction.

Earlier this month, the Ukrainian authorities arrested former Zelenskiy ally Ihor Kolomoyskiy, a tycoon and media mogul who was once Ukraine's third richest man.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-anti-oligarch- law-stefanchuk-venice-commission/32605997.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.

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Russia Ready for Talks on Ukraine, But Will Not Consider Ceasefire Proposals - Russian FM Lavrov

Sputnik News

20230923

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine but will not consider any proposals of a ceasefire, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Saturday.

"Yes, we are ready for negotiations [on Ukraine]. But we will not consider any proposals for a ceasefire because once we considered it, you deceived us," Lavrov told reporters after his address at the UN General Assembly.

Speaking about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's 10-point "peace formula", Sergey Lavrov said it is absolutely not realizable, although the West regards it as the only basis for peace in Ukraine.

"We are guided by the ugly reality, and it is such that Zelensky and everyone who leads him from Washington, London and Brussels firmly say with one voice, 'There is no other basis for peace other than Zelensky's formula.' And Zelensky's formula, I don't even know, you can describe it in different ways, but it is absolutely not realizable, and everyone understands this," Lavrov told a press conference after his address at the UN General Assembly.

No one in the West wants to seriously show their understanding of the Ukraine crisis, the top Russian diplomat said, adding that "since they want to resolve the issue on the battlefield, it will be [resolved] on the battlefield."

Answering the question from a journalist, the Russian Foreign Minister said that he was surprised by the statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres alleging that Russia was kidnapping children in Ukraine.

On Wednesday, during a meeting of the UN Security Council on Ukraine, Guterres accused Russia of "forcibly relocating Ukrainian civilians, including children, to territory under Russian control or to Russia," but he did not provide any concrete evidence.

"I think many were surprised by the secretary-general's speech at a meeting of the Security Council, where he suddenly, unexpectedly, in addition to other statements that did not correspond to reality about what was happening in Ukraine, suddenly decided to make a very extensive passage on the topic of children a missing, kidnapped, hidden, those who are being starved and much, much more," Lavrov told reporters after his address at the UN General Assembly, adding that the UN chief should substantiate its remark and Russia waits for facts.

Moscow does not hide the names and locations of Ukrainian children who ended up in Russia due to the conflict, and if relatives want to take them away, nothing prevents this, the minister added.

About Grain Deal

Russia does not reject the proposals of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the resumption of the grain deal, they are simply not realistic, Sergey Lavrov said.

"We explained to the secretary-general why his proposals [to restore the grain deal] cannot work. We do not reject them, they simply cannot be implemented," Lavrov told reporters.

Speaking about Ukrainian grain, the Russia's top diplomat suggested that the European Commission purchase it and send to Africa.

"If the European Commission has been spending tens and tens of billions of dollars on [helping] Ukraine, why couldn't [Brussels purchase] this grain that Ukraine wants to sell, but the EU countries don't want [to import] because of competition ... Let the European Commission buy this grain and send it to Africa," Lavrov told journalists during the press conference.

Crisis of European Security Continues

"In contacts with our colleagues from countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, we spoke in detail, answering their questions, about specific aspects of the current phase of the European security crisis, which arose as a result of the West turning Ukraine into anti-Russia for many years ... This European security crisis continues. We hope that some conclusions will still be drawn from what is happening by those politicians who are in the habit of noticing and analyzing facts," Lavrov told journalists.

On Saudi Arabia Possibly Obtaining Nuclear Arms

Russia considers Saudi Arabia's statements on possible having of nuclear weapons as a fact, but no one in the world wants the emergence of new nuclear powers, Sergey Lavrov said.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an interview with an American broadcaster earlier this week that Saudi Arabia will have to obtain a nuclear weapon if Iran is able to develop one.

"I heard what was said: if Iran has nuclear weapons, then we, Saudi Arabia, will also be forced to think about it. I take this as a statement of fact: no one wants new nuclear states to appear on the planet," Lavrov told reporters after his address at the UN General Assembly.

A Sputnik

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Russian Reconnaissance Team Destroys Leopard Tank in Special Op Zone With Fully-German Crew

Sputnik News

20230923

LUGANSK (Sputnik) - A Russian reconnaissance team has destroyed a German-supplied Leopard tank of the Ukrainian military with a crew comprised of Bunderswehr soldiers in the Zaporozhye direction, the team lead with the moniker Legend told Sputnik on Saturday.

"When we curbed another offensive and ATGM-ed [destroyed with an anti-tank guided missile] the Leopard, we moved out to the burned vahicle hoping to seize the 'tongue.' Then we saw that the crew's driver-mechanic was severely injured and the others were dead. Once he awoke, the mechanic started yelling 'nicht schieAYen' ["do not shoot" in German]," the head of the reconnaissance team said.

"The mechanic repeatedly stated that he was not a mercenary but a Bundeswehr serviceman, and that he and the rest of the crew were members of the same unit of the German army," the Russian fighter said, adding that while receiving medical aid, the German soldier named his brigade and its dislocation site.

The tank's driver died from wounds minutes after he was found despite efforts to save him.

A Sputnik

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Four Ukrainian Attacks Repelled in Donetsk Direction - Russian Military

Sputnik News

20230923

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Four attacks by Ukrainian assault groups have been repelled in the Donetsk direction, a spokesman for Russia's South group of troops, Georgy Minesashvili, told Sputnik.

"In the Donetsk direction, units of the South group of forces repelled 4 attacks by assault groups of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Severnoye, Maryinka, Kleshcheevka. Operational-tactical and army aviation, missile forces and artillery hit facilities of the fifth assault, 24th mechanized, 53rd and 59th motorized infantry brigades, 37th marine brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces," Minesashvili said.

He said a train with Ukrainian weapons and military equipment in the area of Rodinskoye, as well as two weapons depots and two command posts were destroyed, adding that manpower and military equipment were also hit.

Minesashvili also said that Russian forces hit enemy troops using Solntsepyok ("scorching sunlight") heavy flamethrower systems.

"Crews of Solntsepyok heavy flamethrower systems cause fire damage to enemy manpower concentrated in Krasnogorovka, Kleshcheevka, Malo-Ilyinovka," he said.

The spokesman also specified that Russian air defenses destroyed seven Ukrainian drones in the Donetsk People's Republic.

Last week, Yan Gagin, adviser to the acting head of the Donetsk People's Republic, told Sputnik that Ukraine had lost around 70,000 soldiers since the start of its counteroffensive this summer.

A Sputnik

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Additional financial aid, training of pilots for F-16, and exchange of technical experience: Rustem Umerov has summarised the results of the visit to Canada

Ministry of Defence of Ukraine

2023-09-23 08:27:00 | ID: 70769

Ukrainian delegation led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Canada. The Minister of Defence of Ukraine, Rustem Umerov, informed about the results of the meetings with Canadian partners.

"Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the allocation of additional 650 million CAD for assistance to Ukraine over three years to purchase armored vehicles, including evacuation vehicles. Canada will also send instructors to train Ukrainian pilots on the F-16, the Minister of Defence noted.

He also said that he had a meeting today with the Minister of National Defense of Canada, Bill Blair, and the Chief of Defense Staff of the Canadian Forces, General Wayne Eyre.

I am grateful for the aid package announced during Ramstein meeting and for additional 33 million CAD to strengthen Ukraine's air defence. Canada is a powerful driver of support for Ukraine - it shares technical experience and transfers potential within the framework of the PROTECT project.

According to Rustem Umerov, since the beginning of the large-scale invasion of the russian federation, Canada has provided 1.8 billion CAD in military aid to Ukraine.

Since 2015, Canada has trained more than 37,000 of our defenders as part of Operation UNIFIER, which continues today.

We appreciate this! Thank you! We are moving forward to Victory!", emphasized the Minister of Defence of Ukraine.

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President of Ukraine had a meeting with President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan

President of Ukraine

23 September 2023 - 16:03

At Shannon Airport (Ireland), President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held an unscheduled meeting with President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

The Head of State expressed gratitude for the consistent support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity by Sudan.

The interlocutors discussed common security challenges, in particular the activities of illegal armed groups financed by Russia.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy invited Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to support the Grain From Ukraine humanitarian initiative, which aims to supply food to the most vulnerable countries in Africa, and to join the Global Peace Summit.

The two leaders also discussed possible platforms for intensifying cooperation between Ukraine and the countries of the African continent.

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Unity helps us all become stronger, reinforce freedom and move towards victory - Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with representatives of the Canadian community

President of Ukraine

23 September 2023 - 13:48

During a working visit to Canada, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska, together with Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, met with Canadian parliamentarians, representatives of political, business and expert circles, academia and the Ukrainian community.

" NNN! I am so proud to hear it in Canada. These words unite the whole Canada, all the people, all communities and cities.  NNN! This is how unity sounds. I am proud that we achieved unity like this. It is so inspiring!" the Head of State noted.

According to Volodymyr Zelenskyy, unity helps us all become stronger, reinforce freedom and move towards victory, which will surely come.

"I am so proud that Ukraine inspires, that Ukrainians inspire and so do Canadian Ukrainians. I thank you - all of you - that you are active. You let others feel Ukraine's vibe, the vibe of " NNN" - the vibe of people who never surrender," the President addressed the Ukrainian community in Canada.

The Head of State thanked the grandparents of Canadians of Ukrainian descent who saved the Ukrainian identity and contributed to making Canada a great country. He expressed confidence that Canada would never lose Ukrainian energy.

"You are helping to protect Ukraine even now, when we are defending and will definitely defend our independence. You help volunteers. You have sheltered our people. Canada trains our warriors. Canada gives weapons to Ukraine to move forward, to push back Russia. And I thank you for this - thank you all!" Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized.

He expressed confidence that one day both nations would celebrate Ukraine's victory in unity.

"Bullets and bombs can cause a lot of damage, but they can never take away the sense of community. I felt it when I was in Kyiv during the war. I feel it here in Canada. Because Canadians and Ukrainians have had a special bond for generations. So many Canadians of Ukrainian descent helped build our country, and now Canada and Canadians will help rebuild Ukraine for generations to come," said Justin Trudeau.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Olena Zelenska also spoke with the participants of the event.

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Ukraine's Peace Plan, Grain Deal 'Not Realistic,' Lavrov Says

By VOA News September 23, 2023

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted Saturday that the Black Sea Grain Initiative allowing safe passage for Ukrainian exports will not be revived and castigated Ukraine's proposed 10-point peace plan, calling both "not realistic."

Lavrov addressed the United Nations General Assembly at the annual gathering of world leaders at U.N. headquarters in New York. In a week of global diplomacy, Ukraine and its Western allies sought to rally support for Kyiv on its defensive war against Russian aggression.

"It is completely not feasible," Lavrov said of the peace plan initiated by Kyiv. "It is not possible to implement this. It's not realistic and everybody understands this, but at the same time, they say this is the only basis for negotiations."

Lavrov said the conflict would be resolved on the battlefield if Kyiv and the West persisted in that position.

Lavrov also said Moscow left the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which had allowed the safe passage of Ukrainian agricultural exports, because promises made to Russia had not been fulfilled.

He said the latest U.N. proposals to revive that export corridor also were "simply not realistic."

Lavrov also lashed out at "the U.S. and its subordinate Western collective," for stoking conflicts "which artificially divide humanity into hostile blocks and hamper the achievement of overall aims. They're doing everything they can to prevent the formation of a genuine multipolar world order," he said.

Lavrov addressed the U.N. General Assembly four days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President Joe Biden.

During his speech, Zelenskyy accused Russia of weaponizing food, energy and even children against Ukraine and "the international rules-based order" at large.

Biden struck a similar note, while urging world leaders to keep up support for Ukraine: "If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?" he mused.

Pope Francis suggested Saturday that some countries were "playing games" with Ukraine by first supplying weapons and then mulling on whether they should back out of their promises.

The pope's comments to a reporter's question, aboard a plane returning from the French port city of Marseilles, reflected frustration that his efforts to bring about peace in Ukraine had not succeeded.

Francis has condemned the international arms trade in general but said last year that it is morally legitimate for nations to supply weapons to Ukraine's defensive war against Russian aggression.

Several countries, including the United States, face domestic political pressure to stop or reduce spending on military aid to Ukraine.

During a stopover in Poland Saturday, Zelenskyy presented state awards to two Polish volunteers in Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression. He honored Bianka Zalewska, a journalist who helped transport wounded children to Polish hospitals, and Damian Duda, who gathered a medical team to help wounded soldiers near the front line.

During his visit he did not meet with Polish officials as the relations between Ukraine and Poland are strained over Poland's ban on Ukraine's grain imports.

Zelenskyy offended his neighbors when he told the United Nations General Assembly in New York that Kyiv was working to preserve land routes for grain exports, but that the "political theater" around imports was only helping Moscow.

Ukraine targets Sevastopol

Meanwhile, Ukraine targeted the Crimean-occupied city of Sevastopol on Saturday morning, leaving the city of 500,000 under an air alert for about an hour after debris from intercepted missiles fell near a pier, the Russian-installed regional governor Mikhail Razvozhayev wrote on the messaging app Telegram.

It was the second missile assault in as many days after Friday's Ukrainian strike on the headquarters of Russia's navy in Crimea that reportedly left dozens dead and wounded, including senior fleet commanders.

In an interview Friday with VOA's Ukrainian Service, Ukraine's intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said at least nine people were killed and 16 were injured, among them, Russian generals.

"Among the wounded is the commander of the group, Colonel-General [Alexander] Romanchuk, in a very serious condition. The chief of staff, Lieutenant General [Oleg] Tsekov, is comatose," he said.

Alexander Romanchuk is the commander of a group of Russian forces in the Zaporizhzhia region and was promoted to the rank of colonel-general in 2023. Tsekov is the commander of the 200 OMSBR Coastal Forces of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy.

Budanov did not confirm reports about the alleged death of the commander of the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation, Admiral Viktor Sokolov.

Budanov's claims could not be independently verified.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks, while its counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said Thursday.

Military experts say it is essential for Ukraine to maintain its attacks on targets in Crimea to degrade Russian morale and weaken its military.

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New York, NY, Sept. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Zion Market Research has published a new research report titled Early Childhood Education Market By Application (Less Than 3 Years, 3 To 5 Years, And 5 To 8 Years), By Product Type (Physical School Buildings And Distance Education Institutions), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030 in its research database.

According to the latest research study, the demand of global Early Childhood Education Market size & share in terms of revenue was valued at USD 249.38 billion in 2022 and it is expected to surpass around USD 467.83 billion mark by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 8.21% during the forecast period 2023 to 2030.

What is Early Childhood Education? How big is the Early Childhood Education Industry?

Report Overview:

The global early childhood education market size was worth around USD 249.38 billion in 2022 and is predicted to grow to around USD 467.83 billion by 2030 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of roughly 8.21% between 2023 and 2030.

Early childhood education (ECE), sometimes known as nursery education, is a subfield of education that focuses on the initial stages of formal education for children in the age range beginning with birth and continuing through the age of eight years. This would be equivalent to a study that lasted until the third grade if we were to use standard terminology. ECE, or early childhood education, is an essential component of a child's development and plays a role in the child's psychological, biological, and emotional growth throughout this time period. Early childhood education guarantees that children are presented with informed concepts and the appropriate teachings at a time in their lives when they are most impressionable and most likely to learn from their environment.

Early childhood education covers a wide variety of activities that concentrate on the social and cognitive development of children. While some educational institutions may choose to focus on preparing children for school, others may opt to work on the emotional and physical preparation of a kid instead. Early childhood education is a broad field that encompasses a variety of activities. The majority of the time, early childhood education is disregarded as fun or as not being of higher relevance. On the other hand, ECE enables children to leave the safety and security of their homes and learn to explore the outer world on their own while still being supervised by their teachers and caretakers.

Get a Free Sample PDF of this Research Report for more Insights with a Table of Content, Research Methodology, and Graphs - https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/sample/early-childhood-education-market

(A free sample of this report is available upon request; please contact us for more information.)

Our Free Sample Report Consists of the Following:

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About 228+ Pages Research Report (Including Recent Research)

Provide detailed chapter-by-chapter guidance on Request

Updated Regional Analysis with Graphical Representation of Size, Share, and Trends for the Year 2023

Includes Tables and figures have been updated

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Zion Market Research research methodology

(Please note that the sample of this report has been modified to include the COVID-19 impact study prior to delivery.)

Global Early Childhood Education Market: Growth Factors

Increasing levels of discretionary money in developing countries to fuel market expansion

It is anticipated that the rising rate of per capita income or revenue that can be spent freely in developing nations like Africa, India, China, and others will be beneficial to the early childhood education market around the world. These countries are, for the most part, experiencing an increase in the number of work opportunities as well as an increase in the number of members who generate an income. This, in turn, enables them to increase the amount of money they spend on their children's education. In addition to this, there has been a significant rise, all across the world, in the number of educational institutions that offer programs for very young children. This encompasses both publicly funded and privately owned establishments. The increasing number of actions made by local governments to facilitate early childhood education is a significant factor that also contributes significantly to the ECE system's higher revenue levels. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) was one of the programs that the central government of India said it will begin offering in May 2023 in order to fulfill the goals outlined in its National Education Policy for 2020. Anganwadi employees are the target audience for the training program that will be implemented in all 13.3 lakh Anganwadi centers across the country.

A greater understanding among parents of the ways in which early childhood education (ECE) might foster higher growth

The value that early childhood education (ECE) may bring to a child's overall growth and development is starting to dawn on more and more parents. The early childhood education (ECE) centers that conduct the programs are more than just playgrounds since they provide children with significant learning and growth opportunities. When both parents are employed, or when one parent is employed but the other is responsible for the child's care, early childhood education institutions take on an even greater level of significance. Children can spend a few hours in the care of qualified professionals who not only assist them in developing new necessary habits but also help them make new friends. This allows parents to leave their children in the care of skilled professionals while they go to work. ECE centers have been the first experience for children who were born during the pandemic and who did not come into touch with the outside world or other children for a significant portion of their infancy period. This prevented them from participating in group activities and enjoying the company of other children.

Early Childhood Education Market: Implications of Limiting Factors

The lack of standardization in ECE programs is likely to be a growth inhibitor for the market.

Early childhood education does not adhere to a defined curriculum, which is especially prevalent in establishments that are administered by private organizations. Every early childhood education center approaches the education of children in their own unique manner, incorporating a wide variety of teaching strategies and activities. It is difficult for parents to conduct qualitative assessments of the effectiveness of a program in terms of producing results, which makes this a significant challenge for the early childhood education business. In addition, the expense of early childhood education (ECE) is fast rising in certain regions, such as metropolitan centers, which makes it challenging for parents who have limited financial resources or who have more than one kid. According to some sources, the expense of providing early childhood education in India's tier I cities can vary anywhere from 60,000 to 150,000 Indian Rupees (INR).

Opportunities Available on the Early Childhood Education Market

Increasing the use of digital technology in ECE to generate new chances for growth

The use of current digital technology in early childhood education centers, such as computers, tablets, smartphones, interactive whiteboards, digital storytelling, and interactive learning platforms, has led to an increase in the degree to which these facilities are becoming increasingly digitized. Some educational facilities even resort to the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) in order to present young people with a whole new universe of opportunities and educational content. Due to the fact that children from all over the world are able to take part in these activities, the operation of digital early childhood education institutions is constrained by geographical borders.

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Report Scope

Report Attribute Details Market Size in 2022 USD 249.38 billion Projected Market Size in 2030 USD 467.83 billion CAGR Growth Rate 8.21% CAGR Base Year 2022 Forecast Years 2023-2030 Key Market Players Montessori schools and associations, Bright Horizons Family Solutions, Primrose Schools, KinderCare Education, Scholastic Corporation, The Goddard School, Pearson Education, Childtime Learning Centers, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), Learning Care Group, Teachstone, Head Start, Council for Professional Recognition, National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Lakeshore Learning Materials, Waldorf schools and associations, Zero to Three, Sesame Workshop, Bright Horizons Foundation for Children, PBS Kids, and others. Key Segment By Application, By Product Type, and By Region Major Regions Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East &, Africa Purchase Options Request customized purchase options to meet your research needs. Explore purchase options

Early Childhood Education Market: Segmentation Analysis

The early childhood education market around the world may be broken down into three distinct categories: by application, by product type, and by area.

The global market can be broken down into three categories, based on application: less than three years, three to five years, and five to eight years. The 5 to 8 years sector, which owned around 43.1% of the overall market in 2022, saw the greatest increase in growth from the previous year. Children of this age are at their peak readiness to learn about their surroundings, interact with new people, and broaden their horizons by venturing out into the world. They have reached the point, both mentally and physically, where they are ready to leave the security of their homes and place themselves under the care of qualified specialists. In addition, because this is an age group in which impressions are easily formed, it is desirable for pupils to be acclimated to academic learning while simultaneously putting an emphasis on overall development.

The early childhood education sector can be divided into two categories, "physical school buildings" and "distance education institutions," according to the type of product offered. In 2022, the segment that was most concerned with physical school buildings was the one that brought in the most revenue. It was responsible for more than 63.5% of the total money that was brought in. The primary goal of early childhood education is to encourage parents to take their children out of the house and introduce them to new people so that the children can form relationships with those individuals. This goal can only be accomplished in traditional school settings where children of varying socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, and personalities can interact with one another while engaging in educational pursuits. In addition, the increasing use of digital and interactive media in early childhood education has contributed to schools of this type creating a stronger interest among children.

The global Early Childhood Education market is segmented as follows:

By Application

Less Than 3 Years

3 to 5 Years

5 to 8 Years

By Product Type

Physical School Buildings

Distance Education Institution

Browse the full Early Childhood Education Market By Application (Less Than 3 Years, 3 To 5 Years, And 5 To 8 Years), By Product Type (Physical School Buildings And Distance Education Institutions), And By Region - Global And Regional Industry Overview, Market Intelligence, Comprehensive Analysis, Historical Data, And Forecasts 2023  2030" Report At https://www.zionmarketresearch.com/report/early-childhood-education-market

Competitive Landscape

Some of the main competitors dominating the global Early Childhood Education market include -

Montessori schools and associations

Bright Horizons Family Solutions

Primrose Schools

KinderCare Education

Scholastic Corporation

The Goddard School

Pearson Education

Childtime Learning Centers

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH)

Learning Care Group

Teachstone

Head Start

Council for Professional Recognition

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

Lakeshore Learning Materials

Waldorf schools and associations

Zero to Three

Sesame Workshop

Bright Horizons Foundation for Children

PBS Kids

Key Insights from Primary Research:

As per the analysis shared by our research analyst, the global early childhood education market is estimated to grow annually at a CAGR of around 8.21% over the forecast period (2023-2030)

In terms of revenue, the global early childhood education market size was valued at around USD 249.38 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 467.83 billion, by 2030.

The early childhood education market is projected to grow at a significant rate due to the rising disposable income in emerging economies

Based on application segmentation, 5 to 8 years was predicted to show maximum market share in the year 2022

Based on product type segmentation, physical school buildings was the leading segment in 2022

On the basis of region, North America was the leading revenue generator in 2022

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Key questions answered in this report:

What is the market size and growth rate forecast for Early Childhood Education industry?

What are the main driving factors propelling the Early Childhood Education Market forward?

What are the leading companies in the Early Childhood Education Industry?

What segments does the Early Childhood Education Market cover?

How can I receive a free copy of the Early Childhood Education Market sample report and company profiles?

Key Offerings:

Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20232030

Market Dynamics  Leading Trends, Growth Drivers, Restraints, and Investment Opportunities

Market Segmentation  A detailed analysis By Application, By Product Type, and By Region

Competitive Landscape  Top Key Vendors and Other Prominent Vendors

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Regional Analysis:

North America is projected to deliver the best results during the coming market for The global early childhood education market is expected to witness the highest growth in North America since the region holds high importance for ECE programs. There are several types of entities in North America that provide early childhood education including private or public schools along with community-based centers and other programs. For instance, the United States runs the Head Start and Early Head Start programs. These facilities are funded by the federal government and completely free. The curriculum is designed to promote school readiness in infants, preschoolers, and toddlers and has specific eligibility criteria depending on family income and needs. The Early Head Start program provides extensive support to families with children below the age of 3 and pregnant women. On the other hand, the awareness about the benefits of ECE in the US is high, encouraging more parents to send their children to early education centers. Asia-Pacific is projected to emerge as a fast-growing region with a growing middle-income population and a rising number of private players offering sophisticated ECE programs for young children.

By Region

North America U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe France UK Spain Germany Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific China Japan India South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific

The Middle East & Africa Saudi Arabia South Africa Rest of the Middle East & Africa

Latin America Brazil Argentina Rest of Latin America



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No energy to think about F1 future now says Sargeant

Logan Sargeant may have ended his Formula 1 career at Suzuka.

Logan Sargeant, Japanese GP 2023

 Williams

Although the well-financed Felipe Drugovich, Mick Schumacher and Red Bull-backed Liam Lawson are all loudly knocking on the door, Williams appeared determined to give its American rookie another chance in 2024.

It is the final vacancy on next year's grid, with Sargeant in pole position and simply under instruction by team boss James Vowles to have clean weekends and make progress.

He then crashed heavily in Suzuka qualifying on the exit of the chicane.

It's difficult, said the 22-year-old. "On the one hand you want to be aggressive, on the other you don't want to make any mistakes.

I'm not trying to put the car in the wall. I can't say anything else. I'm trying to do my best, he told Viaplay.

"The hard thing is that I know I have the pace, but these little mistakes cause me a lot of problems.

Honestly, I don't have the energy now to think about my future. All I care about is doing my best every time.

Former F1 driver Timo Glock said on Sky Deutschland: "I'm curious to see what James Vowles does next. He's always been standing behind him and saying we have to give Logan time.

"But there are so many mistakes now that it's hurting the team in terms of budget. You can see on the faces of the mechanics that they're suffering too.

The question now is whether he is still viable for the team. In my opinion, there are enough options for Williams, Glock added.

Ralf Schumacher, meanwhile, said of Sargeant: "Sorry, but he's in the wrong series. You shouldn't be making mistakes like this in Formula 1.

He's overwhelmed. He tries to force it but it doesn't work that way in F1.

It is believed Mercedes boss Toto Wolff tried to convince Vowles that Schumacher is Williams' best bet for 2024 by sending his former Mercedes colleague Mick's simulation data.

Vowles was reportedly not impressed, while Red Bull's Christian Horner also thinks the Williams boss will not want to sign Liam (Lawson) for one year only .

It's given us a lot to think about, Horner added, because he's done everything he needed justify a permanent seat. But we only have two seats per team.

It's more likely that Lawson will simply sit on the reserve bench throughout 2024 in the hope of making the big step up for 2025.

Daniel Ricciardo wants to go back to Red Bull - that's his goal, said Dr Helmut Marko. "To do that, he has to show appropriate performances.
How to do business in the AfCFTA

Graphic.com.gh Business News Sep - 24 - 2023 , 20:37

The Centre for Regional Integration in Africa (CRIA) and the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), in collaboration with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), are organising the 2023 Regional Integration Issues Forum (RIIF) as a conference for African SMEs, under the theme "Breaking Business Barriers for AfCFTA Acceleration" with support from Afreximbank and endorsement from the AfCFTA.

The conference is on September 27 and 28, 2023 in Accra. It is a hybrid event that allows for both in-person and virtual attendance.

The RIIF is a sensitisation mechanism and an interface platform for stakeholders involved in regional integration and continental trade initiatives.

The 2023 RIIF aims at increasing awareness of the AfCFTA and its benefits for SMEs, as well as to strengthen SMEs' capacity to engage in intra-African trade.

The conference will bring together about 150 participants from Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Togo, and Zimbabwe, among other countries.

The participants include business owners of SMEs, private sector executives, international and African trade experts, AfCFTA Secretariat representatives, regional business councils, academics, research institutions and think tanks, development institutions, financial institutions, African thought leaders and business influencers, and the media.

The SME conference will feature a keynote address by the Secretary General of the AfCFTA Secretariat, interactive panel discussions, breakout sessions, networking segments, training sessions, and company site visits.

The 2023 RIIF SME conference will showcase practical ways in which AfCFTA provides opportunities to mobilise resources and stakeholders, build capacity, scale-up businesses, develop inclusivity for intra-African trade, create jobs, expand national economies, and develop a sustainable continental market and ecosystem that effectively meets the needs of African people.

The conference is in support of the African Unions theme for 2023: Year of AfCFTA: Acceleration of the African Continental Free Trade Area Implementation.

Additional RIIF conferences and training initiatives will be planned in other regions of the continent to build the capacity of business leaders to understand the AfCFTA and gain access to intra-African cross-border trade.

The first phase will begin in West Africa, where the Pan African Payment Settlement System (PAPSS) has been piloted to ensure financial ease of doing business across African borders and markets.

The two-day SME conference is strictly by invitation. It will, however, be streamed live on zoom and CRIA and ACBF social media pages.

We have been convening the RIIF in partnership with ACBF since 2017 and, this year, GIMPA has joined us in organizing the 2023 RIIF SME conference. The initiative has also attracted strategic support from Afreximbank and the AfCFTA Secretariat. Regional Integration and intra-African trade are key strategies for transforming our economies and no single entity can do it all. said Prof Lehlohonolo Tlou, Executive Director of CRIA. The conference is an important opportunity to join forces in building the capacity of SMEs to engage in intra-African trade and to contribute to the success of the AfCFTA. We believe working together can create a prosperous future for all Africans.

The AfCFTA provides tremendous opportunities for African SMEs. The RIIF 2023 conference is designed to help SMEs understand and leverage these opportunities, and to overcome barriers that they may face, she added.

Capacity building plays a vital role in addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the AfCFTA and breaking the business barriers for its acceleration, and this Conference is contributing to such efforts, acknowledges M. Mamadou Biteye, Executive Secretary of ACBF. He added, ACBF recognizes that without the necessary capacities, African countries and businesses, SMEs in particular, may struggle to fully leverage the benefits of AfCFTA. The ACBF Strategic Plan 2023-2027 includes Trade as an Engine of Economic Development as one of four key impact areas that we will focus our work on over the next five years. We will provide targeted capacity building support to governments, policymakers, institutions, private sector entities, SMEs and individuals involved in the AfCFTA implementation process.
Talk less and put in the work, Samini

Arnold Asamoah Baidoo Showbiz News Sep - 24 - 2023 , 12:57

SAMINI is all over the place  and thats a good thing. Seemingly, hes done with his well-touted schooling for a degree and is now back to serious music business, hopefully.

Congratulations to him for graduating with a Degree in Project Management after four years of studying at the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). Since accomplishing that feat in July, Ghanaians have shown him much love, admiration and appreciation for his ability to stay in school for four years to garner the honour  but its enough. The narrative of bagging a Degree has been played out and its time to focus extensively on the music.



Samini is granting interviews, speaking on all manner of subjects and making the headlines. That is the way to go; make the interviews, make the headlines and get your name out there but after all is said and done, there must be something to back up the plenty talk.



In his most recent interviews, he seems quite impetuous; bragging about having the biggest song in the last four years among the likes of Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and Stonebowy, branding them as kids, and his ability to single-handedly sell out the O2 Arena, among other attention-grabbing remarks.



Legendary Status Intact

Saminis position as a true legend in African music is indisputable. From working his way to become the most featured artiste in the early 2000s to becoming Ghanas most prized asset in music in the late 2000s and beyond  Samini broke barriers, elevated his music and brand to greater heights and hoisted the flag in terrains that were not reached.



Aside producing hit songs; he hosted some of the biggest concerts, shared the stage in Ghana with several high profile international artistes as an independent artiste and showed the way in how to manage a structured fan base.



He signed the most lucrative endorsement deals and raised the bar when it comes to celebrity endorsement and partnership with corporate entities.



In his prime, any Samini-assisted track was a guaranteed hit and if he should ever mount the stage to do Ghanas version of Verses, he would have no competition especially with musicians in his era. He was that guy!



Its refreshing to have these young guns clamour and relish getting nods from international awards but it must be told that, before all that, Samini went, saw it all and conquered. From MTV EMAs, the MOBOs, MTV Africa Music Awards, Headies, and Channel O Music Awards to many others  his footprints are etched!



Stop Living In Past Glory

Listening to Samini talk in recent interviews is quite bewildering as one is not sure if he is just being boastful, trying feverishly to make the headlines or he actually means whatever he says.



Yes, Samini has really achieved alot but to still gloat about such in this age when those who came after you have equally made enormous gains and have surpassed those achievements is something else. You need to humble yourself and know your place and be appreciative of how far the others have come.



The fact is; Samini still believes he is the Samini of 2006 who won a MOBO. He talks with such swagger as though he is still the Samini that won the MTV Award in 2009 or that guy who won the Headies in 2011. So, he speaks in 2023 and refers to the likes of Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and Shatta Wale as kids. Slow your roll, boss!



In one of his recent interviews with Berla Mundi on TV3, he confidently asserted that when it comes to hit songs, none of the big artistes, namely Sarkodie, Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, surpass his hit track, 'My Own', which was released six years ago.



Samini is really telling the rest of the world that, in the last six years, none of these artistes, who have dominated the scene in the best form possible,  did not produce any song that was/is bigger than his song? Ridiculous!



Lets assume the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards(VGMA) is a true testament of the performance of songs and artistes in terms of popularity and audience appeal in the year under review and Saminis My Own was in contention for the 2018 edition. His song could only make it to the Reggae/Dancehall Song of the Year category and couldnt even make it to the Song of the Year slot.

The following songs were, according to the metrics of the VGMA, more popular than My Own: Ebonys Sponsor, KiDis Odo, Kuami Eugenes Angela, Shatta Wales Taking Over, Fancy Gadams Total Cheat, Wutahs Bronya, Sarkodies Painkiller, King Promises Oh Yeah, Magnoms My Baby, Captain Planets Obi Agyi Obi Girl, Joe Mettles Bo No Nii and guess what, Patapaas One Corner.

Fix Your Fan Base

In the Berla Mundi interview, the host prodded that some critics are saying his career has dipped and Samini repudiated the claim, acting all appalled and wanting to show that he is still that Samini, the Batman.



The truth is; Samini is still a force to reckon with but his dominance has dipped, no relevant shows in the past years, no hit songs in the last years and no critical mention all these years  yet he sits there thinking the Samini of 2010 is still that guy in 2023. Get real, brother!



High Grade Family as a fan base was such a formidable unit; an envy of many and served as a blueprint for others to follow, yet his inability to sustain and elevate that support group saw even the core fans join other recognised fan base.



Support is crucial in this business and the likes of Sarkodie, Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy have been able to remain consistent and relevant all these years not only for their hard work but most predominantly, having such dedicated and committed fan base that are willing to support every move.



The talk about completing school and now coming back to music is good but the first thing he needs to do is re-galvanize that fan base; that group that would stream his new songs, pay to watch his concerts, support every corporate entity that would partner him and would be willing to defend his cause regardless of how outrageous it looks or sounds.



Samini makes a post, a statement on social media and you hardly get any true member who identifies him/herself as a member of the High Grade family defend him and his legacy. Thats sad!



Let the Work Do the Talking

Talk is good for show business but also in this business, the work counts the most. If truly, he wants to compete with these guys, especially the ones he refers to as kids, he must step it up because these kids do not sleep. They have been grinding for years, staying consistent with major moves and carrying their fan base on that stretch.



Listen to him;



By myself I will fill it, with the right investment, I will fill it you are talking to Batman before I became Samini. Batman, the MOBO Award winner. Kenya King knows Batman. You are talking to people who know that brand. They know that act from that time, it is thriving and still functioning.



It is interesting to see how Samini is relying on past glory to prop himself up in his talk of selling out an Arena like O2.



The only Africans to sell out the O2 are Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy and most recently, Asake. In the last five years since Samini went to sleep, Wizkid produced two albums, collaborated with the likes of Beyonce, Justin Beiber, H.E.R and others; and got nods from the Grammys, BET, NAACP Image Awards, Soul Train Music Awards and many others.



In that span, Davido released three albums, connected with the likes of Popcaan, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Lil Baby, Young Thug and others while getting critical mention at MTV EMAs, MOBO and the Billboard. Burna Boy, during the period of Saminis inactivity also released three albums, connected with the likes of Diddy, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and a deluge of other international stars.



Simmer down with the talk and show the work, please!
Children in Ho abuse emergency contraceptive tablets

Alberto Mario Noretti, HO Life Sep - 24 - 2023 , 12:46

The Ho Municipal Directorate of Health Services has expressed concern over the alarming trend of girls , as young as 10 and 12 years old abusing emergency contraceptive pills in the Ho Municipality.

Senior Staff Nurse Cynthia Danku, in charge of HIV/AIDS at the Family Health Unit of the directorate, revealed that these children were purchasing the pills without prescription and using them after unprotected sexual activities, without following the appropriate dosage instructions.

This situation has made it challenging to obtain accurate statistics on the number of children involved in this behaviour due to the unrestricted access to the pills.

Ms Danku stated that the dangers associated with this practice includes infertility and ovarian cancer .

In an interview with The Mirror, Ms Danku explained that emergency contraceptives are intended for rape victims to prevent pregnancy and are not meant for use by children who should not be engaging in sexual activities.

According to her, individuals who wanted to prevent unwanted pregnancies must consider family planning methods which are available at various health facilities.

However, it is better and safer for children to avoid sex, she cautioned.

Ms Danku also threw light on the HIV situation in the municipality and the wider Volta Region, explaining that out of the 16,990 people living with HIV in the region, 2,007 were in the Ho Municipality alone.

Among them are 1,268 females, 603 males and 136 children who include those in the 014-year group as well, she added.

She stressed the importance of raising awareness about safe sexual practices, particularly among young people, given the high number of reported cases of HIV.

To address this issue, Ms Danku said there was the need to continue and intensify sex education efforts within the community, focusing especially on children.

It is crucial for everyone to remain vigilant in addressing these concerning trends.
OccupyGhana condemns arrest of protesters

GraphicOnline Sep - 24 - 2023 , 09:17

In the wake of Thursday's 'Occupy Jubilee House' demonstration, civil society group OccupyGhana has issued a condemnation of the arrests made during the event.

The organization asserted that these detentions constituted a direct infringement on the demonstrators' fundamental rights to freely express themselves and gather.

"In a democratic society, we firmly uphold the belief that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of freedoms of expression and assembly," stated OccupyGhana in a release on Friday. "These rights, enshrined in the Constitution, should be unwaveringly upheld and respected by all state institutions."

The group further contended that the police should have explored alternative, less confrontational means of managing the situation. They argued that the manner in which the arrests were carried out raises legitimate questions about the appropriateness of the response by law enforcement agencies.

"It is important to note that these arrests took place during a time when potential traffic disruptions would have been minimal," they pointed out. "Furthermore, we are reliably informed that there was no court injunction served to the demonstrators, indicating that their right to protest remained fully protected under the law."

OccupyGhana is now demanding a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the protesters' arrests, emphasizing the importance of upholding justice and safeguarding the rights of peaceful demonstrators. The group also urged the police to adhere to the rule of law and respect the constitutional rights of all citizens.

"In the interest of nurturing a democratic society where dissenting voices are not merely tolerated but celebrated and respected, we call upon all stakeholders, including the Ghana Police Service and the government, to engage constructively with citizens exercising their constitutional rights," they urged.

"We are informed that those who were arrested have now been released, which is a positive development," the statement added.

OccupyGhana cited a Supreme Court ruling from approximately 30 years ago in the case of "NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY v INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE," which upheld the fundamental freedom of assembly, including the freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations. They argued that provisions in the former Public Order Decree, which required a prior police permit to demonstrate, were inconsistent with the current Constitution.

"The situation where the statutory requirement to now notify and cooperate with the police is being interpreted, applied and enforced as a de facto permit to demonstrate is unconstitutional and must give way to a more nuanced, liberal and permissive understanding of the constitutional rights of citizens to peacefully assemble and express their views," they asserted.

On Thursday, the police arrested 49 demonstrators who had joined hundreds in an attempt to picket at the Jubilee House, the seat of government. These arrests occurred at the 37 Military Trotro Station, where the demonstrators had convened for their planned protest.

The protestors are advocating for reforms aimed at reducing the cost of living, curbing corruption, and enhancing governance.

The police have stated that the Jubilee House is a security installation, and are thus in discussions with the organizers regarding a potential change in location for future picketing.

Read the entire statement below;

OCCUPYGHANA CONDEMNS ARRESTS OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS

Our ref: OG/2023/023

OCCUPYGHANA PRESS STATEMENT

Accra, 22 September 2023

OCCUPYGHANA CONDEMNS ARRESTS OF PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATORS

OccupyGhana, in resolute advocacy for good governance, the rule of law, and the protection of civil liberties, strongly voices its concerns regarding the recent arrests of peaceful demonstrators by the Ghana Police on a public holiday, who were subsequently reported to be processed for unlawful public gathering.

In a democratic society, we firmly uphold the belief that the right to peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of freedoms of expression and assembly. These rights, enshrined in the Constitution, should be unwaveringly upheld and respected by all state institutions.

The recent arrests have raised serious questions about the appropriateness of the response by law enforcement agencies. Instead of opting for peaceful dialogue and cooperation with the demonstrators, the police chose to resort to arrests. It is important to note that these arrests took place during a time when potential traffic disruptions would have been minimal. OccupyGhana firmly asserts that alternative, less confrontational approaches could and should have been pursued to effectively manage the situation.

Furthermore, we are reliably informed that there was no court injunction served to the demonstrators, indicating that their right to protest remained fully protected under the law.

About 30 years ago, the Supreme Court held in NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY v INSPECTOR-GENERAL OF POLICE, in relation to the fundamental freedom of assembly including the freedom to take part in processions and demonstrations, that provisions in the erstwhile Public Order Decree that required a prior police permit to demonstrate were inconsistent with the current Constitution. The situation where the statutory requirement to now notify and cooperate with the police is being interpreted, applied and enforced as a de facto permit to demonstrate is unconstitutional and must give way to a more nuanced, liberal and permissive understanding of the constitutional rights of citizens to peacefully assemble and express their views.

We are informed that those who were arrested (which should not have happened in the first place) have now been released, which is a positive development.

OccupyGhana implores the Ghana Police to uphold the rule of law and show due respect for the constitutional rights of all citizens. We call for a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding these arrests to ensure justice is served and the rights of peaceful demonstrators are diligently safeguarded.

In the interest of nurturing a democratic society where dissenting voices are not merely tolerated but celebrated and respected, we call upon all stakeholders, including the Ghana Police Service and the government, to engage constructively with citizens exercising their constitutional rights. Together, let us ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.

Our firm commitment remains rooted in our mission to advocate for transparency, accountability and the unwavering protection of civil liberties in Ghana.

In the interest of God and Country.

-ENDS-
We are not against demonstrations - Ghana Police Service

GraphicOnline Sep - 24 - 2023 , 16:23

The Ghana Police Service has affirmed its stance on demonstrations, asserting that it supports peaceful protests in all forms.

In a statement signed by ACP Grace Ansah-Akrofi, the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service, it was clarified that the Service has a longstanding history of providing security for demonstrators in previous instances.

Following the conclusion of the three-day demonstration organized by the Democracy Hub, the Police expressed gratitude to the public, particularly those in Accra, for their support and cooperation while the Police executed their duty of maintaining law and order during the protest.

NEWS RELEASE:

POLICE STATEMENT FOLLOWING THE END OF A THREE-DAY DEMONSTRATION BY DEMOCRACY HUB GROUP pic.twitter.com/ZcJVcpuPQl  Ghana Police Service (@GhPoliceService) September 23, 2023

The Service also expressed appreciation to the organizers for their cooperation during the demonstrations. They also expressed an interest in convening a debriefing session with the organizers, with the intention of cultivating productive engagements for future demonstrations.

The Police would also like to apologize to members of the public who were inconvenienced in one way or the other, especially those who were caught up in the vehicular holdups during the demonstration. As the demonstration has come to an end, we look forward to meeting with the organizers for a debriefing session with them with the aim of fostering a more fruitful engagement in the future, the statement said

On Wednesday, September 20, the police filed an injunction application seeking to prevent the group from proceeding with their planned protest.

In defiance of the police's orders, the group leaders insisted on going ahead with the protest. However, on Thursday, September 21, the police prevented the group from assembling at Jubilee House.

A total of forty-nine protestors were detained during this process.

On Friday and Saturday, the group continued their protest, with the police blocking them from marching to the Jubilee House.
Dr Akoto team confident in party elections committee

Severious Kale-Dery Politics Sep - 23 - 2023 , 12:04

The campaign team of Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, one of the flag bearer hopefuls of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has reposed its trust and confidence in the election committee of the party.

"We believe in the election committee and we believe in the one that will be elected. We all know that the real choice is there.

"What we saw on August 26 was to satisfy some people's ego, but the real one will happen on November 4," the National Campaign Coordinator of the team, Peter Oteng Darko, told the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra.

Fantastic job

Mr Darko commended the party elections committee, the Electoral Commission (EC) and security personnel for "a fantastic job.

"The election committee did a fantastic job. Per the regulations that they put across for this election, ideally, we should have had the best election so far.

"All the regulations were followed to the letter," Mr Darko told the Daily Graphic.

Marred election

He, however, alleged that the beauty of the election was marred in some of the regions with coercion, intimidation and influence of officialdom.

"You could see that people were coerced and forced to vote in a certain pattern.

"So, there were some levels of force in the whole process," Mr Darko alleged, adding, for instance, that the heavy presence of government officials in the voting centre in the Ashanti Region made it difficult for people to vote with their conscience.

Speaking in support of the complaints by one of the candidates, Alan Kyerematen, Mr Darko said in all the three regions of the former Northern Region, the election rules were flouted, with delegates displaying their votes to the regional chairman before putting them in the ballot boxes.

Real deal

He, however, said he was of the belief that the August 26 election was for the party to reduce the aspirants to five in consonance with the party's election rules.

"For us, the important thing is that we are part of the five and the real deal will be on November 4, when we will be dealing with about 210,000 delegates, a number nobody can manipulate," Mr Darko said.

He expressed worry that what happened on August 26 was a potential danger for the party, stressing," what we saw was not the true will of the people.

"We lost it when the National Council of the party decided that the election should be held in the various regions," he said.

Mr Darko explained that in the national election, close to 5,000 delegates voted and that was even held in one voting centre in Accra, "but this election of a little over 900 delegates, we had to vote at the regional level.
The vast majority of NFTs are now worthless - Report

www.theguardian.com Technology Sep - 23 - 2023 , 18:01

Tens of thousands of NFTs that were once deemed the newest rage in tech and dragged in celebrities, artists and even Melania Trump have now been declared virtually worthless.

According to a new report by dappGambl that reviewed data from NFT Scan and CoinMarketCap, 69,795 out of 73,257 NFT collections have a market cap of 0 Ether, leaving 95% of those holding NFT collections  or 23 million people  with worthless investments.

NFTs, or non-fungible tokens, are a form of crypto asset that is used to certify ownership and authenticity of a digital file including an image, video or text.

The report comes nearly two years after the craze for NFTs swept up celebrities and artists alike, with many rushing to purchase NFT collections of the Bored Ape Yacht Club and Matrix avatars.

In March 2021, the crypto entrepreneur Sina Estavi made headlines when he paid $2.9m for an NFT of the first tweet from the former Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. Meanwhile, in December 2021, the former first lady launched an NFT collection named Melanias Vision which included a limited edition digital artwork of her eyes.

The drastic downward market shift surrounding such crypto assets underscores the need for careful due diligence before making any purchases, especially one of high value, the report said.

This daunting reality should serve as a sobering check on the euphoria that has often surrounded the NFT space. Amid stories of digital art pieces selling for millions and overnight success stories, it is easy to overlook the fact that the market is fraught with pitfalls and potential losses, it added.

The report revealed that 79% of all NFT collections have remained unsold, as there is not enough demand to keep up with the supply in what researchers have described as a highly speculative and volatile market.

To analyze the current state of top NFT assets, dappGambl researchers looked at the top 8,850 NFT collections according to CoinMarketCap.

They found that 18% of these top collections had a floor price of zero, essentially being worthless. Forty-one per cent of the top collections had been priced between $5 and $100, which may indicate a lack of perceived value attached to these assets, the report revealed. Moreover, less than 1% of the collections were worth more than $6,000, a stark shift from the million-dollar deals that dominated a $22bn market in 2021.

The study also analyzed the costly environmental impact surrounding the minting process of NFTs. Researchers identified 195,699 NFT collections with no apparent owners or market share and found that the energy required to mint the NFTs was comparable to 27,789,258 kWh, resulting in an emission of approximately 16,243 metric tons of CO2.

To put the staggering number into context, the report revealed that 16,243 metric tons of CO2 is equivalent to the yearly emissions of 2,048 homes. It is also equivalent to the yearly emissions of 3,531 cars or the carbon footprint of 4,061 passengers flying from London to Wellington, New Zealand.

In addition, the report revealed that the number of dead NFTs could even be higher.

MacContract on Ethereum has a floor price of $13,234,204.2, but its all-time sales is only $18, the report said, adding: This stark discrepancy between listed floor prices and actual sales data exposes a significant issue in the NFT market  inflated valuations that dont reflect genuine buyer interest or real-world transactions.

It becomes clear that a significant portion of the NFT market is characterized by speculative and hopeful pricing strategies that are far removed from the actual trading history of these assets, it said.

Despite the volatility of the NFT market, dappGambl researchers said that they believed NFTs still had a place in the future.

In order to survive market downturns and have lasting value, NFTs need to be either historically relevant such as first-edition Pokemon cards, true art or provide genuine utility, they said in the report.
A bill seeking to allow businesses on Guam to get conditional one-year licenses gained support from business owners, based on Fridays public hearing and via letters to a legislative committee.

John Sablan, owner of Sportsland, an outdoor shooting range, shared his support of Bill 168-37 and its author, Sen. Dwayne San Nicolas, even as the one-stop center under the Department of Public Works is temporarily closed.

For the most part, the process of obtaining a business license is rather easy and doesnt take too long to complete. With the one-stop center in the DPW compound, this process became a bit faster as all agencies were located in one building, Sablan in a written statement on Sept. 20.

Sablan said the bill outlines the government requirements to issue a conditional license should the business owner fail to meet some requirements.

This gives the business owner time to correct the infraction while still being able to operate and generate revenue, Sablan wrote.

He said the usual process of renewing a license involving different government agencies led to the closure of his firing range business.

Working in tandem with each other, the government has unlawfully and unfairly shut down the only outdoor shooting range. The problem lies with certain individuals not following the law and failing or not willing to do their jobs, Sablan said. The Department of Land Management thought there was a problem with my renewal and chose not to sign off on the renewal application. They didnt or wouldnt provide a reason for not clearing the application.

A Sept. 21 legal opinion from Attorney General Douglas Moylan stated that the agencies denial of Sportslands business license was proper, considering public safety and zoning concerns.

However, the AG said a binding agreement could be worked out for the business to continue to operate at a safer location.

Sablan, in his letter to senators on Bill 168, said DLM did not afford him the opportunity to correct any infraction.

DLMs lack of a written reason caused my business license to expire, resulting in the DRT issuing a Notice of Violation for not renewing the license. They did not afford me due process, Sablan said.

Sablan concluded that while they are closed, they are still at risk of going bankrupt because they are continuing to pay financial obligations while not generating any revenue.

Any middle schooler would know what happens when you keep taking money out of the bank and not replacing it. While the government is deciding on a route to take, Sportsland should be open. And allowed to generate revenue and pay taxes, he said. We already let go of three full-time employees, each with their own obligation. Five other businesses also stopped operating because of the lack of a venue. Combined, they have canceled over 200 tourist reservations since we closed. What a shame for the island when we are trying to recover from COVID and Typhoon Mawar.

Romana Barcinas, co-owner of Monas Crystals, echoed the need for a one-stop business license application location.

I never knew that it was going to be a lot of paperwork when I was opening this business, said Barcinas, a resident of Santa Rita-Sumai. When you have to go to different locations, it takes extra time, especially when I already have a full-time job.

Zach Lewisan, co-owner of Isla Artisan, echoed support for the bill. He plans to set up a physical store in the future.

I think its a great idea because it promotes entrepreneurship. Anyone who has a dream could follow it, said Lewisan, a resident of Asan-Maina. Its a long process that we have to go through. The permits are all important, but it takes time and money.

Lewisan said temporary licenses would allow businesses to operate and recoup some money due to the start-up and operational costs of businesses.

This would help our island grow and help our economy become more self-dependent rather than relying too much on tourism, he added.

Bill 168-37 is San Nicolas most recent economic proposals, in addition to the lottery proposed in Bill 145-37.

Although the number of visitors from across the globe visiting the island are increasing, theres still room for improvement, the senator said.

The senators office is yet to engage in communications with the Department of Revenue and Taxation, according to Isaiah Aguon, San Nicolas director of communications and outreach.

Aguon also clarified that the application for the conditional business license would additionally need evidence of an expired license or a lack of a license.

The conditional license would also only be awarded once per business in its lifespan.

If the bill passes into Guam law, a business would only be able to obtain a one-time one-year conditional business license, said Aguon.
Department of Public Works employees string up a steel cable, as a guyline, in the branches of trees growing in the buffer medians along Marine Corps Drive in Hagatna, on June 23, 2022.
Guam has taken a significant stride in advancing healthcare accessibility and expertise with Dr. Paul Muna Aguons groundbreaking achievement at Guam Memorial Hospital, according to a press release from Adelup.

Aguon recently performed the first Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography, or ERCP, and Endoscopic Ultrasound, or EUS, procedures at the hospital, the statement said.

He is pioneering advanced gastrointestinal care on the island, eliminating the need for costly and inconvenient travel abroad, the statement added.

Endoscopic procedures such as ERCP and EUS are vital in diagnosing and treating complex gastrointestinal conditions. Adelups statement said Aguons historic accomplishment in performing these procedures at GMH signifies a turning point in local healthcare, providing patients with access to state-of-the-art gastrointestinal care that was previously only available overseas.

GMHA is thrilled to have achieved the accomplishment of having the first ERCP procedure performed in our hospital. Dr. Muna Aguon is an exceptional doctor providing the first of its kind procedures for our community. A proud son of Guam, Dr. Muna Aguon is a tribute to our people, Hospital Administrator and CEO Lillian Perez-Posadas said in a statement.

ERCP is a specialized endoscopic technique used for diagnosing and treating disorders of the bile ducts and pancreas.

EUS is an essential tool for detecting and staging various gastrointestinal diseases, including pancreatic cancer. Aguons pioneering procedures will significantly enhance GMHs diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities, the statement said.

It also added that this achievement marks a historic moment in the advancement of healthcare services in the region, enhancing local access to high-quality gastrointestinal care.

Patients seeking a consultation with Aguon will require a referral from their primary provider, the statement said. GMHAs Outpatient Gastroenterology Specialty Clinic is located on the 2nd floor, adjacent to the ICU, and is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Government of Guam tax revenue exceeded its 11-month target by $56 million through August but special fund revenue could be missing its forecast by $11 million, based on the latest data from Adelup.

Indications are pointing to the General Fund once again ending the fiscal year with a bang.

However, theres so far a $10.4 million decrease in the Healthy Futures Fund thats collected from tobacco and alcohol taxes.

Amid Typhoon Mawar recovery efforts, massive federal government aid, and military-related construction, the government of Guam collected $841.5 million in taxes, beating its projection of $785 million by over 7% in the first 11 months of fiscal 2023.

Theyre also nearly $55 million more when compared to the actual revenue collected during the same months in the prior fiscal year.

These numbers are based on the latest preliminary consolidated revenues and expenditure report from the Bureau of Budget and Management Research.

But two members of the Legislatures appropriations committee on Saturday cautioned against celebrating just yet.

While this excess revenue sounds really good, theres also a decrease in special funds. And before celebrating the excess funds, the reality is that the government is behind in its payment to Guam Memorial Hospital by $22 million and public schools, even with federal funds, still lack resources to have the classrooms fixed so children can go back to campus, Sen. Joanne Brown said.

Besides, she said, these are still unaudited numbers, and a portion of them have already been spoken for. Prior excess revenue covered the 22% base pay raises for many GovGuam employees.

For the month of August alone, General Fund revenue reached $67.6 million, or $14.6 million more than what was projected.

Most of the 11-month actual revenue in excess of forecast came from withholding and corporate income taxes and business privilege taxes.

GovGuam forecast $394 million in income taxes from October to August, but ended up collecting $424 million or $30 million more.

Business privilege tax collections also beat the target by nearly $28 million. The forecast was only $310 million but the actual collection was $338 million.

A $4.5 million drop in Section 30 funding and a decline in individual income tax tempered the gains a bit for the 11-month period. Section 30 funding comes from taxes collected from military personnel and other federal employees on Guam and is remitted to GovGuam for its use.

While most want us to believe that there is $56 million in excess revenue, the reality is there is only about $20 million once we factor in the additional appropriations that went to (the Local Employers Assistance Program), (Guam Power Authority) credits, and essential government agencies, Sen. Telo Taitague said.

An excess in projections should be viewed cautiously, the senator said, adding that $20 million isnt a whole lot to be excited about, considering the expenses mounting around us with an ailing hospital and unsafe school campuses.

Were grateful for any support from federal disaster assistance but we cant operate too optimistically with federal support propping us up, Taitague said. A balanced financial picture should factor in the sluggish growth of our special funds, some of which are millions behind adopted projections.

The General Fund, she said, will have to cover any shortfalls in these programs that help the sick and educate the children, cutting into some of the projects funded through unaudited excess revenues.

With the visitor industry continuously recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and Mawar, the governments Tourist Attraction Fund is tracking a $9.6 million excess collection compared to what was forecast. This funding is derived from hotel occupancy taxes.

Customs and Quarantine Agency Inspections Services Fund also beat the target special funds by $3 million, and the Solid Waste Operations Fund, by $2.7 million.




Haiti - Justice : 349 victims or relatives of 3 massacres file complaints





Deeply concerned by the various attacks carried out against the population of Carrefour-Feuilles since the beginning of August 2023, the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH) has assisted certain victims with a view to filing complaints with the judicial authorities.



From August 4th to September 12, 2023 alone, the RNDDH counted in Carrefour-Feuilles 104 people victims of assassination and forced disappearances, 2 cases of collective rape perpetrated on a mother and her daughter, 14 people injured by bullets and 35 houses which were systematically looted before being burned, destroyed or squatted.



On September 15, 2023, 78 of the victims identified filed a complaint with the Court of First Instance (TPI) of Port-au-Prince (file # 419-09/23 at the registry of the Cabinet of Instruction) for assassination, attempted assassination , criminal conspiracy, theft, destruction and fire.



Still with the assistance of the RNDDH, two other separate complaints were filed respectively before the TPI of Croix-des-Bouquets and Port-au-Prince.



On May 22nd, 2023, 113 victims and relatives of victims of the massacre which was perpetrated from April 24 to May 6, 2022 at the Plaine du Cul-de-Sac by armed bandits who are members of the "400 Mawozo" gang and the "400 Mawozo" base, seized the Prosecutor's Office of Croix-des-Bouquets (file # 0100/2023, which was sent to the Office of the investigating magistrate Andre Saint-Isert, requesting the latter to initiate proceedings against the armed gangs mentioned above for criminal conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, assassination and attempted assassination, forced displacement, disappearances, rape, arson, looting, destruction of other people's property.



On May 23rd, 2023, 158 victims and relatives of victims of the Cite Soleil massacre perpetrated from July 7 to 17, 2022 by the coalition of armed gangs (G-9 (]Family and allies) during which at least 53 women and girls were killed. were collectively raped, filed a complaint before the TPI of Port-au-Prince (file # 194-05/23 which was sent to the Office of investigating magistrate Johnson Simon) for theft, collective rape, assault and battery and attempted assassination on their person; assassination on their parents, offspring and spouses criminal association, looting, fire and destruction of their homes.



In these various complaints, the victims and relatives of victims of Plaine du Cul-de-Sac, Cite Soleil and Carrefour-Feuilles have questioned the responsibility of the Haitian State which did not intervene in in order to avoid the massacres denounced, despite the numerous calls for help which were launched to the Superior Council of the National Police (CSPN) led by the de facto Prime Minister Ariel Henry.



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Haiti - Cooperation : Promises from South Korea





Thursday September 21, 2023, on the sidelines of the 78th General Assembly of the United Nations, Prime Minister a.i. Ariel Henry met with Yoon Suk-yeol President of the Republic of South Korea in the premises of the permanent mission of South Korea to the United Nations.



Prime Minister Ariel Henry took the opportunity to request South Korea's support for the multinational intervention mission to support the Haitian Police to restore security in Haiti.



President Yoon Suk-yeol promised to contribute to strengthening the operational capacities of Haitian public security forces through cooperation between the police of the two countries.



Bilateral cooperation was at the center of the discussions. Among the areas discussed during this meeting, is a partnership in the field of health, the sharing of digital technology and the strengthening of Korean investments in our country.



In this context, the South Korean President promised to encourage other entrepreneurs to come and invest in Haiti and hoped that Peace and stability would return to Haiti with a view to creating an environment conducive to future investors.



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Haiti - Education : Minister Manigat meets with more than a hundred school directors





Friday September 22, 2023, in order to have the broadest possible idea of the situation of schools in Carrefour-Feuilles and the surrounding area, Nesmy Manigat, the Minister of National Education, accompanied by Etienne Louisseul France, Departmental Director of Western Education, spoke for two hours with more than a hundred directors of public and private schools, who are encountering great difficulties in resuming their activities for the 2023-2024 academic year.



This meeting should provide a better understanding in detail of the complexity of the situation in these schools. Many of them have premises which have been the subject of acts of looting, which have been set on fire and lost everything that was there such as benches, tables, cupboards, sanitary equipment and all archives.



"It is a duty for the State and society, in close cooperation with international partners, to work so that all children return to school and stay in school to learn without fear maintained Manigat, even if he recognizes that the situation is serious; affirming [] depending on the means available and the way in which it can do it, the Ministry will not stop fighting for this. It is the responsibility of the State to continue to act to protect children's right to life as well as the right to school."



The Minister recalled that the census which collects data on the situation of students, teachers displaced by acts of violence and the schools which welcome them is continuing.



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Haiti - News : Zapping...





RN#1 blocked by armed men

Saturday September 23, 2023, heavily armed individuals, members of the Chen Mechan gang led by Claudy Celestin, according to testimonies from local residents, completely blocked all access roads to the RN#1 near Bon Repos with vehicles across the streets...



Arsonist of an armored vehicle arrested

Charles Jean Kenson (26 years old), alias "Papouch" has been arrested during a police intervention by agents of the Mapou Sub-Police Station, Municipality of Belle-Anse (South-East Department). Charles Jean Kenson confessed to having participated in the fire of an armored vehicle of the Haitian National Police, at Drouillard (West Dept.)



EEH : New Governance

At the center of a vast arms and ammunition trafficking scandal https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-37154-haiti-flash-seizure-of-weapons-and-ammunition-imported-under-cover-of-the-franchise-of-the-episcopal-church-of-haiti.html which led to the incarceration of several of its senior officials and the issuance of a wanted notice against its President, the father Mardoche Vil https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39506-haiti-arms-trahaiti-arms-trafficking-the-reverend-father-fritz-desire-placed-in-policefficking-the-reverend-father-fritz-desire-placed-in-police-custody.html the Episcopal Church of Haiti has an ad hoc Permanent Council for new governance within the EEH. It is chaired by the Reverend Father Jean Jeannot Joseph.



Mexico: Training of FAdH

Saturday, September 23, was signed the renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Secretariat of National Defense of Mexico, the Secretariat of the Navy and the Ministry of Defense of Haiti, as an act of commitment of Mexico to continue to provide support and training to the Armed Forces of Haiti (FAd'H). Note that that same day, 110 officers of the FAdH and 12 officers of the Haitian National Police returned to Haiti after four weeks of intensive training in Mexico, as part of bilateral cooperation programs.



250,000 Haitians driven from their homes

Between May and August 2023, nearly 250,000 Haitians had to flee their homes across the country, including no fewer than 200,000 in the metropolitan area due to armed violence, according to a report from the Platform of Haitian Human Rights Organizations (POHDH).



Justice: Training in investigation of sexual violence

The High Council of the Judicial Power (CSPJ) in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the School of Magistracy (EMA) carried out this week a two-day training on the techniques of Investigation into sexual violence for the benefit of Magistrates.



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A total of 19 TIRs loaded with 400 tons of "humanitarian aid" sent by Armenia to "save" the Armenian minority in Garabagh from the so-called "humanitarian blockade" on July 26 started returning back to Yerevan, Azernews reports.

Some two French TIRs also joined the 19 Armenian TIRs.

This is another confirmation of the complete failure of Armenian misinformation, false and smear policy, fictitious "humanitarian crisis", and "blockade of the Armenian minority in Garabagh Armenians". At the same time, Azerbaijan showed its place to pro-Armenian forces and Western circles supporting the separatists.

It should be noted that the local anti-terrorist measures initiated by the Azerbaijani Army in Garabagh resulted in the surrender of the separatists. Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian residents of Garabagh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent, an agreement on a full ceasefire was reached and on September 20, 2023 at 13:00 local anti-terrorist measures were stopped.

According to the reached agreement, the units of the Armenian armed forces and illegal Armenian armed groups located in Azerbaijan's Garabagh lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts and are completely disarmed. Units of the Armenian armed forces leave the territories of Azerbaijan, illegal Armenian armed groups are released.

In parallel, all weapons and heavy equipment are handed over.

It is ensured that the above-mentioned processes are carried out in coordination with the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

As proposed by the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a meeting was held with the representatives of the Armenian residents of Garabagh on September 21, 2023 in Yevlakh.




Public meetings set on Saluda Grade Trail

Two public drop-in meetings have been scheduled on the Saluda Grade Trail during which people can learn more about the proposed trail and share their goals, ideas and concerns.

We are excited about the opportunity to meet with the community to discuss the next phase of use for this iconic rail corridor," said Kristin Cozza, Trails and Greenways Coordinator for Conserving Carolina. "We want to ensure that this project reflects the community's vision and priorities.

The first public meetings will take place:

5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 17, at the Inman library in Inman, S.C.

5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, at Polk County High School in Columbus.

During the drop-in meetings participants may circulate through various stations, where they will have opportunities to give input on various aspects of the trail. The input will inform the overall vision for the trail. RSVP for the public meetings is encouraged but not required. To RSVP visit saludagradetrail.org.

The Saluda Grade Trail is a proposed 31-mile rail trail that would follow the route of the historic Saluda Grade rail, running through Campobello, Inman and Landrum in South Carolina and Tryon, Saluda and Zirconia in North Carolina. The Saluda Grade Trail is being spearheaded by a coalition of nonprofits in the Carolinas Conserving Carolina; PAL: Play, Advocate, Live Well; and Upstate Forever.

The coalition has engaged the firm Traffic Planning and Design, Inc. to conduct an economic impact and feasibility study, which began this summer. After the public meetings, the coalition will launch an online survey. For updates on the trail, including opportunities for future public input ot to sign up for emails, visit saludagradetrail.org.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrived at Sao Paulo International Airport on Saturday (local time), starting an official visit to Brazil from Sept. 23-26 at the invitation of the countrys President Lula da Silva.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh arrives in Brazils Sao Paulo airport on Sept. 23, 2023. Photo by Nhat Bac

During the trip, PM Chinh and President Lula da Silva are scheduled to have talks, hold a joint press conference, and witness the signing and handover of cooperation documents between the two countries. The Vietnamese leader will also have meetings with leaders of the National Congress of Brazil, the parliamentary friendship group of the South American country, some local political parties and friendship organizations, and the state of Sao Paulo.



He will also visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Brazil, meet with the Vietnamese community here, open a photo exhibition on late President Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam, attend a business forum between the two countries, and receive executives of some leading Brazilian enterprises.

The visit is expected to set up new orientations for promoting the Vietnam - Brazil comprehensive partnership and identify concrete cooperation projects and areas, thereby developing bilateral relations, especially in economy, trade and investment, in a substantive and effective manner.



Later the same day, PM Chinh visited the Embraer aerospace company in Sao Jose dos Campos city of Sao Paulo.



Embraer President and CEO Francisco Gomes Neto gave the Vietnamese leader an introduction of his firm, which is the worlds third largest producer of commercial aircraft, after Boeing and Airbus, and strong at manufacturing under-130-seat planes. In Vietnam, it has handed over five E190 aircraft to Bamboo Airways.

He highly valued the potential of the Vietnamese market, which is suitable for existing aircraft models of Embraer.



Neto expressed his hope for the Vietnamese Governments continued support for Embraer to seek cooperation opportunities and expand its market in the country, adding that the group is ready to implement aircraft maintenance and repair services in and provide aerospace technological solutions for Vietnam.



Highlighting the fast development and potential of Vietnams aviation sector, PM Chinh held that the new-generation aircraft models of Embraer could be a solution helping Vietnamese airlines concurrently expand their fleets and ensure flight efficiency and safety.

He said he believes in a bright future of aviation cooperation between the two countries, asking Embraer to expand collaboration and investment to develop its business ecosystem in Vietnam.



The Government leader suggested the group discuss cooperation and business chances with Vietnamese airlines, consider providing aircraft maintenance and repair services, participate in the training of aviation manpower in Vietnam, provide technological solutions for the Southeast Asian country to improve the aviation governance capacity, increase automation, and help with the forecasting and prevention of aviation-related risks.
The Indian Meteorological Departement (IMD) has issued a yellow alert to the North Karnataka region and predicted heavy rainfall on Sunday. This is said to be a crucial downpour for the region as districts like Bidar, Vijayapura and Kalaburgi are badly hit by the drought and even the state government declared a few taluks as drought hit. Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri, Koppal and other regions in the belt are also likely to see the rain. Karnataka rains: IMD issues yellow alert in parts of the state amid drought(Pic for representation)

Also Read - Bengaluru Bandh on September 26: Farmer groups call for a strike amid Cauvery water sharing dispute

The Met department has also predicted severe rainfall in Coastal Karnataka, covering Dakshina Kannada, Mangaluru and Udupi districts. Meanwhile, light showers have occurred at a few parts of Bengaluru, and they are likely to continue for the next few days.

The Karnataka government on Thursday declared 195 taluks in the state as drought-hit, owing to weak monsoon. Among them, it announced that 161 taluks have been declared as severely drought-hit and 34 taluks as moderately drought-hit.

The government order further stated that monsoon arrival was delayed by about a week in June in Karnataka and the rainfall in June was at 56% deficit than in normal rainfall years.

However, rainfall improved in July and the state recorded 29% excess rainfall. Again, weak monsoon prevailed over the state in August, recording a deficit rainfall of about 73% than that of normal years. The poor rainfall in August in Karnataka was the lowest rainfall recorded in the last 125 years, the order said. Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and deputy CM DK Shivakumar also said that the state received deficit rainfall this year and it will run out of water if they release Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. However, the Cauvery water boards directed the state government to release water to Tamil Nadu.

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Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has accused the BJP of putting obstacles such as delimitation in implementing the Womens Reservation Bill. Women Reservation Bill: Karnataka CM accuses BJP of putting obstacles

Also Read - Women-led development and the Womens Reservation Bill

Alleging that the BJP has displayed its hypocrisy by putting barriers like delimitation, the chief minister said, "This bill was a fraud done to women."

The bill, named as 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam was passed in the Lok Sabha on September 20 and was cleared by the Rajya Sabha a day later. The bill will grant reservations to women on one-third of seats in Lok Sabha and state assemblies.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah brushed aside apprehensions of a delay in the implementation of the proposed law and asserted that the next government will conduct a census and delimitation exercise soon after the elections, setting in motion the process to make women's reservation a reality.

Shah indicated that women's reservation will become a reality after 2029.

Addressing a seminar on "Women's Reservation" organised by Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Samata Vidyalaya, Karnataka State Federation of Backward Castes and Karnataka Exploited Communities Federation at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Siddaramaiah doubted the implementation of the bill in the near future.

"The BJP has shown it's hypocrisy by putting a barrier of delimitation and census for women's reservation bill fixing its lifespan. The implementation of the bill may not happen anytime soon because of this reason," Siddaramaiah said.

If the BJP had a sincere concern to give reservation to women, it would not have put up so many obstacles, he said.

The Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fixed an expiration date of 15 years for the women's reservation bill. The validity of the bill is 15 years from the date of its enactment. That means now the bill has been implemented. It has only 15 more years to live, the chief minister charged.

According to him, the Centre has put two obstacles -- census and delimitation--, it will take 15 years to overcome these obstacles. Thus, the lifetime of this bill would be expired before its implementation.

"The Prime Minister had earlier said in his speech that God had sent him to implement reservation for women, but this is a fraud done to women," the chief minister charged.

"This reservation for women, which is said to have been implemented by Modi, will not be implemented even in 2024. It will not be implemented in 2029 either. It will not come into effect even in 2034. By then, the purpose of the bill will be over," Siddaramaiah said.

"Don't falsely believe that women's reservation has been implemented and give false applause. We still have to continue to fight for women's reservation and social justice," he said.

Siddaramaiah pointed out that the women's reservation bill was drafted by Congress, as it has always been in favour of women's reservation and social justice.

The chief minister also favoured reservation for backward class women in the bill besides enhancing the quota for women up to 50 per cent in place of 33 per cent.

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For the first time in Punjab, an ombudsman  appointed under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (MGNREGA) Act  has ordered the disbursal of unemployment allowance to over 300 workers in 13 villages of Patiala district. However, this may not be the end of woes for the unemployed workers as the Punjab government, even after 18 years of implementation of the Act, does not have rules pertaining to disbursement of the allowance. The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee gives legal guarantee of at least 100 days of work, in a financial year, to adult members of a rural household who demand employment and are willing to do unskilled manual jobs. (HT Photo)

As per the MGNREGA Act, the Centre pays the wages of workers while the state pays the unemployment allowance if it fails to provide work.

The Act gives legal guarantee of at least 100 days of work, in a financial year, to adult members of a rural household who demand employment and are willing to do unskilled manual jobs.

It is learnt that last year, the office of MGNREGA Commissioner Punjab had made attempts to disburse the unemployment allowance but failed to do so in the absence of rules. Hundreds of MGNREGA workers had given written complaints to the ombudsman, last year, over the issue.

Notably, the ombudsman is responsible for redressal of grievances and disposal of complaints relating to implementation of Act.

When contacted, Ombudsman Gurnetar Singh confirmed that the state has no rules for disbursal of unemployment allowance and said, I had received over 100 complaints over the past few years. Of these, I have already disposed of 56 complaints. The remaining complaints will be disposed of soon.

He added that he had already ordered block development panchayat officers (BDPOs) to identify the officials responsible for violation of the Act.

Rajkumar Kansuha, state president of Democratic MGREGA Front, said, It has been almost two decades since the Act was passed, but the bureaucracy of the state failed to draft rules for unemployment allowance and issue a notification in this regard.

HT made several attempts to contact the states rural development and panchayats minister Laljit Bhullar but he remained unavailable for comments. Joint development commissioner, department of rural development and panchayats, also did not respond.

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After spending five years in Philippines jail due to case of mistaken identity, 60-year-old Kapurthala resident Baldev Singh has finally returned home and reunited with his family. Baldev Singh (HT photo)

He was rescued after the Indian Embassy at Philippines managed to provide legal documents related to actual identity of Baldev Singh after Rajya Sabha member Balbir Singh Seechewal raised the matter during his visit to Manila in March this year.

Baldev Singh went to Manila on tourist visa in 2018 for 15 days but during his return flight, he was de-boarded from plane by Philippines immigration and police officials for carrying out investigation into the criminal cases committed by victims namesake Baldev Singh.

I was taken into custody on the accusations levelled against my namesake, whom I never met. Little did I know that responding to immigrations officials calling my name in the airplane would turn my 15-day journey into five years in jail, said Baldev Singh, who visited Seechewal on Sunday.

He added that he had just gone on a short trip and was returning before the stipulated time. But due to my lack of knowledge about the local language and only responding positively to my name uttered by immigration authorities, made me go through rigorous punishment in Manila jail despite being innocent, he said.

He said during these five years, he had gone through acute mental trauma as he hardly had any communication with any other inmates in the jail due to communication gap. The mental trauma could be gauged from the fact that he had developed some sort of speech disorders and short memory loss as he hardly knew about how long he had remained in jail.

He only knew that he talked to his family members when given a chance and narrated the mental trauma he was going through.

Following this, his family members were in constant touch with Rajya Sabha member Seechewal for the past one year. During his visit to Manila, Seechewal raised the issue with ambassador Shambhu S Kumaran on March 2.

Baldevs children said though they were happy that their father reunited with the family, it is shocking to see his mental condition.

It is difficult for him to express anything properly as he is not able to speak properly. Our father had gone to Manila only to see ways of expanding his work but suffered only due to mistaken identity, they said.

Meanwhile, Seechewal appreciated the Indian Embassy in Manila and Indian expatriate Jagmohan Singh.

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With 362 cases in nine months, the districts dengue count has already surpassed the total number of cases recorded in the corresponding period last year. Mohali had logged 316 cases till September last year. Almost 155 cases have been reported this month. With 362 cases in nine months, the districts dengue count has already surpassed the total number of cases recorded in the corresponding period last year. Mohali had logged 316 cases till September last year. Almost 155 cases have been reported this month. (Shutterstock Photo/ Representational image)

Out of these, 266 cases are from urban areas while 96 are from rural areas.

Mohali civil surgeon Dr Mahesh Kumar Ahuja said teams of health workers inspected 1,75,310 houses and found dengue larvae and mosquitoes in 4,247 houses. As many as 5,61,669 containers, including coolers, fridge trays, pots, empty tires and boxes, were inspected, and larvae were found in 5,893 containers. A total of 1,540 challans have been issued so far.

While 122 cases emerged from Kharar, 111 cases were reported from Mohali city. Gharuan village reported 76 cases.

Dr Mahesh along with a team of senior health officials visited Max Hospital and supervised the inspection of containers, pots, coolers, refrigerators, boxes and other items. During the drive, mosquito larvae were found at three sites on the hospital premises. The hospital authorities were directed not to allow water to accumulate anywhere.

Dr Mahesh said that on the instructions of the Punjab government, the health department conducted the drive this morning simultaneously from 9 am to 10 am in the district.

He said that wherever larvae were found in hospitals, labs etc., a warning was given, and a penalty would be imposed if larvae were found again.

He urged residents to cooperate for the prevention of dengue and said though the health department is making efforts in this direction, the district could be made dengue-free only with the help of the people.

People should wear clothes that cover their entire body. If there is any suspected dengue case, the person should immediately visit the nearest hospital. Dengue testing and treatment is available free of cost in government hospitals across the district, he said.

He said the health department helpline No. 104 can be contacted any time.

Symptoms to watch out for

*Sudden high fever

*Severe headaches

*Pain behind eyes

*Severe joint and muscle pain

*Skin rash

*Fatigue

*Nausea

*Vomiting

Dos and donts

*Remove water from coolers and other small containers at least once a week

*Keep overhead tanks covered

*Use mosquito nets or mosquito repellents while sleeping during daytime

*Emptying and drying of water storage utensils on a weekly basis is important

*Keep surroundings clean and dry to prevent mosquito breeding

*Dispose of plastic, coconut shells and empty tins and cans

*Spray insecticides on outdoor containers and water puddles in and around your home

*Do not wear clothes that expose your arms and legs.

*Children should not be allowed to play in shorts and half sleeved clothes.

*Do not allow water to stagnate in bird feeding pots.

*Do not leave toilet pots uncovered while going out of station.

*Do not use vessels below flowerpots during these months as water stagnates in them if left unchanged.

*Do not give steroids or antibiotics to dengue patients.

*Avoid platelet transfusion unless there is an active bleed or the platelet count is less than 10,000.

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Elections to appoint the president of the NRI Sabha Punjab will be held on January 5, states NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said on Sunday. Punjab states NRI affairs minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said on Sunday that Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Maan has decided to hold the polls in January as most of the diaspora come to India in December and stay till March. (ANI)

Dhaliwal said Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Singh Maan has decided to hold the polls in January as most of the diaspora come to India in December and stay till March.

The NRI Sabha, the minister said, works as an agency of the state government to ensures the welfare of the Indian diaspora, redress the grievances of migrant Punjabis, and protects their rights and properties.

He said the term of the president of the sabha had ended in March.

The NRI Sabha Punjab is a society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 with the approval of the state government and the Punjab CM is the chief patron of this sabha. He said the commissioner, Jalandhar Division, is the chairperson of the sabha while all deputy commissioners are the chairpersons of the district units.

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Though Punjab government is making all-out efforts to bring down stubble burning this season, it may fall short on supplying baler machines  an agriculture equipment used to bale paddy strawwhich is a crucial part of the state ex-situ management plans. The reason why balers are in short supply is that there are only two export-oriented manufacturing units in the country, one each in Pune and Rajkot, and these units are unable to meet the requirement of Punjab. (HT File)

Balers are in high demand this season in view of its profitability and over 6,800 farmers, custom hiring centres (CHCs) and village panchayats applying for the machines on subsidy. The government itself had aimed to make available 1,300 balers but it may fall short of this target too.

We will not be able to supply all 1,300 balers. I think 1,000 to 1,100 is the possibility, said state agriculture department joint secretary Jagdish Singh.

The reason why balers are in short supply is that there are only two export-oriented manufacturing units in the country, one each in Pune and Rajkot, and these units are unable to meet the requirement of Punjab.

Speaking on the economics of it, the state agriculture department joint secretary said, Paddy sells for about 250-300 a quintal during harvest in October-November months, and goes up to 500-600 a quintal in off-season. Every acre under paddy generates about 25 quintals of straw which fetches about 6,000 to 15,000, depending on the need and supply. This essentially means that farmers can make almost as much from selling the residue as they can from selling paddy.

Punjab already has around 1,000 entrepreneurs in the state working to collect, supply and sell paddy stubble and about 1,000 are expected to join in this season.

We want to expand our business, but balers are in short supply, said Yadwinder Singh of Muktsar who collects paddy straw from Punjab and sells it as dry fodder in Gujarat and Rajasthan. He already owns two balers and has applied for four more. Lets see how much we get this time, he said.

There are other challenges such as space for storage and there is no streamlined system to sell it, he added.

Paddy straw is also used as biomass fuel in furnaces, boilers and thermal plants, besides in ethanol production. The state agriculture department is giving 11 different machines on subsidy including smart seeder, baler, crop reaper, reverse plough, mulcher, chopper, shrub master, straw rake, super SMS, surface seeder and zero till drill to manage paddy stubble so that farmers desist from burning it. The machines are for in-situ (mixing straw in the soil) and ex-situ (evacuating from the fields).

Indigenously manufactured baler costs Rs. 15-18 lakh and individual farmers are offered 50% subsidy while CHCs get 80% subsidy on all the machines.

A total of 200 lakh tonnes of paddy stubble is produced along with 200 lakh tonnes of paddy. About 60% straw is utilised or mixed in the soil and rest (80 lakh tonnes) is set ablaze, which leads to severe environment and health hazard. The smoke rising from the paddy fields forms a smog jacket over the skies of north Indian states  particularly national capital  New Delhi.

According to Pritpal Sharma of Bhikhi, Mansa, who is in the business of paddy straw aggregation since 2004, said that machinery shortage is hampering the business. According to him, he plans to collect 12 lakh tonnes of straw from across the state as he works with young entrepreneurs who collect straw for his company, and he pays them the cost.

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The vigilance bureau on Sunday booked former finance minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manpreet Singh Badal and five others, including a PCS officer, on corruption charges in a land allotment case. Former finance minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Manpreet Singh Badal (File)

A case under IPC sections 420, 467, 468, 471, 120-B and 13(1) of Prevention of Corruption Act and Information Technology Act has been registered against Manpreet Badal and others, said a top VB functionary, adding that raids are being conducted to arrest those named in the FIR.

The other accused have been identified as Bikramjit Shergill, then MC commissioner and Bathinda Development Authority chief administrator, Rajiv Kumar, Amandeep Singh, Vikas Arora and Pankaj, a then BDA superintendent.

While Rajiv and Amandeep have been arrested, operation is underway to arrest Vikas and Pankaj.

The complaint was filed by former MLA Sarup Chand Singla who had alleged irregularities in the purchase of a property in a prime location in Bathinda city. Singla, who too had switched from the Shiromani Akali Dal to the BJP, had filed a complaint before vigilance in September 2021 alleging that during his tenure as finance minister in the previous Congress regime, Manpreet had abused his position by converting commercial plots in the Model Town into residential plots for himself.

According to the VB, the case pertains to change of land use of commercial plot to residential in Bathinda that was later allegedly sold to Manpreet via proxy. The bidding of the plot was done from a single IP address, said the VB, adding that Rajiv and Vikas purchased the plot in the bidding, and later transferred it to Manpreet at a lower price.

The vigilance said the plot in question was sold by concealing facts, and a day after the bidding, Manpreet and the purchaser entered into a sale agreement even as the bidding process was not approved. All the three different bids are made from a single IP address, which indicates that it was a proxy bid to procure commercial plot at residential prices, it added.

Its a watertight case as electronic evidences have been generated, confirmed the VB functionary.

Manpreet is the sixth minister in the previous Congress government who has been booked in a corruption case.

In July, Manpreet had appeared before the vigilance bureaus Bathinda zone office, where he was questioned for more than four hours. On his part, the veteran politician has been terming the complaint a political vendetta. Its a bundle of lies. There was no irregularity in the plot allotment, he had said.

On Friday, Manpreet filed a pre-arrest bail application in the Bathinda district court.Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder, who represented Manpreet, said along with the bail plea, they had submitted a transcript of chief minister Bhagwant Manns recent public address where he allegedly stated that the five-time legislator will be sent behind the bars. The bail application states that CM is trying to mount pressure on the VB. Badal duly accepted VBs summons and appeared before its Bathinda zone office on July 24 and submitted all details related to the plot allotment. The probe is a result of political vendetta and the police administration may be abused to harass Manpreet on fabricated grounds, said Bhinder.

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An increasing number of Indian cities are turning to artificial intelligence (AI)-powered robots to tackle many water and sanitation-related challenges, ranging from cleaning manholes and inspecting sprawling underground water pipeline networks for leaks to cleaning water bodies. The Bandicoot robot being used to clean a manhole in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. (SOURCED)

For instance, Nagpur, which initially rejected robotic scavengers three years ago, now wholeheartedly embraces them. Thane has incorporated robots for water storage tanks cleaning, while Mumbai deploys them to clean manholes and water bodies. Chennai is using robots for water pipeline inspections, and in Shillong, robots are being deployed to clear floating trash from the famous Umiam Lake. Start-ups led by young engineers are at the forefront of developing these cutting-edge robotic solutions.

We have deployed three Bandicoot robots in the past 11 months, which have cleaned about 9,000 drainage chambers. These robots have emerged as a sustainable solution in our efforts to eliminate manual scavenging, says Prithviraj BP, CEO, Nagpur Smart City, a special-purpose vehicle of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC).

Clearbot, a robotic boat, collecting trash from the Umiam Lake in Shillong (Sourced)

Bandicoot, a robot developed by Genrobotics, a Kerala-based award-winning start-up, harnesses the power of AI to clean manholes, eliminating the need for sanitation workers to expose themselves to highly hazardous environments. The robot is equipped with human-like arms and a range of gas sensors to identify and assess sewage conditions inside drainage chambers. But Nagpur is not the only city to have adopted it.

Trivandrum was the first city to deploy our robots four years ago. Today, from Leh to Trivandrum, our robots are cleaning manholes in 200 cities across the country. Until a few years back, it was a challenge to convince authorities, but they became receptive post Covid-19 when cities confronted a severe crisis, says Vimal Govind, co-founder, and CEO, of Genrobotics.

Robots are being deployed not just for cleaning manholes. The Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) has deployed them to address leakage issues within its aging water distribution network. We were grappling with significant leakage issues in certain areas and urgently needed a solution to assess whether existing pipelines should be replaced. Manually identifying defects with precision was next to impossible, says Thiru R Vijaikumar, an engineer with the CMWSSB.

Endobot, an AI-powered robot, solved the problem. It crawled inside the water pipelines in the area and helped identify contamination points, cracks, leaks, encrustations, and broken pipe walls.

The data collected was processed and mapped using Swasth, our GIS-based platform, which provided a comprehensive understanding of the pipeline networks condition. The findings revealed that there were many damaged pipelines throughout the network, with an average of 1 defect every 6 meters, says Moinak Banerjee, co-founder, Solinas Integrity, an IIT Madras incubated climate-tech start-up.

Our AI-powered robot can measure water flow, pressure, nature of leakage, and inclination of underground pipes. It eliminates the need to dig up roads, and repetitive inspections, helping reduce the cost of identifying the pipelines condition and corrective actions to improve the water distribution networks efficiency, adds Banerjee.

Asim Bhalero, the co-founder of Fluid Robotics, another company that provides solutions for water pollution and waste-water problems in cities, says that on average, most tier-1 cities have about 3,000 to 4,000km of wastewater pipelines, and some, like Delhi, have about 8000km of pipeline. But 80% of the wastewater that leaves our homes and offices goes untreated, directly into water bodies or groundwater reserves, and it is largely because the pipeline network is highly underutilised due to leakages, with only 40 percentage of the sewage reaching the treatment plant, he says.

Bhaleros company collaborated with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to clean up Powai Lake. Our robot equipped with AI-enabled cameras, ultrasound sensors, and lasers not only inspects pipelines for damage, such as cracks or faulty joints but also maps the entire pipeline network. We used this data to help BMC to intercept and redirect wastewater away from the lake, he says.

Similarly, his company, which has helped cities such as Pune, Hyderabad, and Jaipur to inspect and map their pipeline network has found that 50% of urban drinking water is lost due to leakages in the distribution system, which in many cities, is over 100 years old. It also does not help that most cities dont have their underground pipeline infrastructure mapped, making it impossible for them to effectively manage their water infrastructure, he says.

Clearbot is another start-up addressing the critical issue of water pollution. The eponymous robotic boat it has developed collects floating trash and removes hyacinths from water bodies. It has been deployed on a pilot basis in cities such as Shillong, Varanasi, and Bangalore. In Bangalore, for instance, it is currently deployed in the Jigani Industrial Area to clean the floating trash from the local lake. In August, we conducted a pilot project in Shillong, clearing approximately 250 kg of trash from Umiam Lake in just three hours, says Sidhant Gupta, co-founder, Clearbot.

The robotic boat takes a simple instruction  go clean  to initiate its process. It can detect various types of trash, avoid collisions with other boats, recharge itself using solar power, and even park autonomously. Moreover, it can transmit valuable data remotely, providing insights into the quantity and nature of the trash.

Currently, Clearbot can collect approximately 80kg of trash in one hour. But we are about to launch a new version capable of collecting up to 200kg of trash per hour, says Gupta.

Technological advances in robotics for smart cities have now inspired an entire field of research called Robot-City Interaction (RCI), where the integration of robots in urban ecosystems and how they can improve life is a major field of study.

Experts believe that robotics and AI have the transformative power to address diverse urban challenges and optimise city operations, paving the way for autonomous cities in the future.

Prabhu Rajagopal, a professor of mechanical engineering and Faculty in charge of the Centre for Innovation at IIT Madras, says that in the past few years, India has made significant progress in robotics and AI. These innovations are primarily driven by start-ups that have devised a wide range of solutions that span from underwater robots designed to inspect river crossings and bridges to drones that can inspect skyscrapers in cities, he says. Robotic technologies are finding applications across sectors. I believe that in India, robots will take over most of the hazardous tasks, says Rajagopal.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Manoj Sharma Manoj Sharma is Metro Features Editor at Hindustan Times. He likes to pursue stories that otherwise fall through the cracks. ...view detail
The Womens Reservation Bill could be implemented any time after 2026 after the population census and delimitation of Parliament and Assembly seats, Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Sunday, brushing aside the Oppositions claims of the government delaying the process. Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal. (File Photo)

The minister also said that the Congress had dropped the Bill when it was in power to save its government and added that the Opposition, who failed even to bring the bill during their tenure, was making it an issue unnecessarily.

The census and the delimitation will play an important factor in deciding the reserved seats as per the terms of the bill. The bill could be implemented any time after 2026. The opposition, who failed even to bring this bill during their tenure, is making it an issue unnecessarily, Meghwal told reporters in Jaipur.

When the UPA govt came in 2004, dont know why but they decided to pass it (Womens Reservation Bill) in Rajya Sabha first. In Lok Sabha, Congress could not gather strength as on one side there was power and on the other side, there was this bill. The Congress dropped the Bill to save its government, he said.

Meghwal also said that the BJP had prioritised womens representation since the very beginning. We will try to increase it in our party organisation as well, he added.

Noting that the bill was passed with a full majority in Rajya Sabha as well as in Lok Sabha except for two votes, he added: It is a moment of sheer happiness for all the women out there. It became possible only because of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who always encouraged the women empowerment in India.

Referring to Modis visit to Jaipur on Monday to officially conclude the BJPs ongoing Parivartan Yatra that covered over 9,000 km across the state, Meghwal said, It would be a proud moment for us as the women will organise the entire program and will also welcome him by raining flowers.

Responding to Meghwals allegation, Congress spokesperson Swarnim Chaturvedi said, It was the BJP and their aides who opposed the Womens Reservation Bill during the UPA tenure. If they wanted to implement it in reality, why dont they do it now? There is no certain deadline yet.

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Family discord over inheritance is increasingly leading to violence and lawsuits in Vietnam.

Mai Hoa, 37, from the Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap, said she and her family were forced to move out of their home only three days after her father passed away because her uncle wanted to take the land lot her father inherited from her grandmother.

"My grandmother stated in her will that my father would inherit a 250-meter-square piece of land from her, while my uncle would have a 150-meter-square lot and another plot of land," Hoa said.

"But my uncle told me to give him the ownership certificate and transfer the ownership to him in three months."

Hoa turned down her uncle, saying that her father was the one who legally inherited the land from her grandmother and paid the land value tax. Thus, she and her siblings were the legal inheritors after her father passed away, she said.

"But he still forced us to move out."

Hoas mother passed away just a few months after her father did. The woman and her siblings had to move to HCMC and rent a home instead of living in their familys old house.

Hoa cannot even visit her fathers house now without notifying local police as she is afraid her uncle will hurt her.

According to local courts, fights over inheritance have become increasingly common over the past few years, with many of them starting off as minor fights and then escalating to bigger clashes, including some that have led to severe physical and emotional violence.

Local courts estimate that fights over inheritance have become more common over the past few years. Photo illustration by Unsplash

Hung, from the northern Hai Duong province, accidentally broke his cousins arm during a fight over inheritance last year.

As his parents passed away when he was a child, Hungs grandparents lived with his uncle. Consequently, they stated in their will that they would let his uncles son inherit their 3,900-meter-square property after they passed away, aiming that the land could serve as a financial resource for Hungs uncles family and contribute to expenses the family would have to pay for the two elderlies.

But thats not how things ended up playing out, according to Hung.

"My uncles family forced my grandparents to move out and threw their belongings into the street after they got the ownership certificate of the land," he said.

"The neighbors notified me over the phone, and I got into a fight with my uncles son after coming back. I broke his arm during the fight, though that was not intentional."

Hungs cousin then ended up being arrested by local police for fighting and constituting a breach of the peace, while his grandparents then rejected their relationship with his uncles family, dividing the large family into two factions.

"My uncle didnt even join my family when we held the commemoration of my fathers death," he said. "His four daughters didnt invite me to their wedding ceremonies either."

The situation is partly the result of how making a will to divide ones properties is still considered an unusual thing to do in Vietnam.

Lawyer Le Hong Hien, member of the Hanoi Bar Association, said it is undeniable that not everyone in Vietnam is creating a will while they are still alive. Among those who do, dividing the rights and responsibilities among their children unfairly, or based on rituals instead of based on laws, is also popular. For example, a common "rule" in dividing properties among the children is to prioritize the sons over the daughters.

These are the foundations of many fights among family members over inheritance, some of which even end up with wholly broken families squabbling pitifully in court.

Both the material and mental consequences of such fights, even when the cases do not end up in court, can be immense.

They have been so for Hoa.

"I will never give them [my uncle and his family] a hand when something bad happens to them," she said. "To me, they have become estranged."

Meanwhile, those that take their battles to court, like in the case of Hung, may exchange their whole future for something that they cannot even eventually put a hand on.

"My cousin has spent three months in custody," he said. "I dont know how he will end up yet, since a trial for him has not been held."

But there is one thing that Hung already knows: his cousins and his nephews future are changed forever. Despite now having a bad relationship with his uncles family, Hung still feels pity for his nephew.

"It may be hard for him when he is about to get married in the future [since the womans family may not want to have an imprisoned inlaw]," he explains.

"So, dont exchange your kids and grandkids futures just for a piece of land."
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was advised by doctors at the state-run SSKM hospital in Kolkata on Sunday to restrict her movement and take rest for 10 days after a routine checkup of the leg injuries she suffered in June this year, officials said. File Photo of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. (HT Photo/Samir Jana)

Banerjee returned to Kolkata on Saturday after a 11-day tour of Spain and Dubai where she went to seek investments to the state. She went to SSKM Hospital for a routine checkup and left around 7pm.

The chief minister has been advised to take rest for 10 days. Medicines have been prescribed. Her condition will be monitored by doctors, Dr Monimoy Banerjee, director of SSKM Hospital, told the media.

In June, Banerjee suffered injuries in her legs and waist while getting off a chopper that had to make an emergency landing at the military airbase in Siliguri to avoid running into a storm. Banerjee was travelling from Jalpaiguri and Bagdogra when adverse weather prompted the pilot to land at the airbase.

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Kolkata: The first-year student of Jadavpur University, allegedly ragged and sexually abused before he jumped to his death in the hostel on August 9, ran frantically from one room to another in a completely naked state trying to hide from his tormentors, the internal probe carried out by the university has found. Supporters of Left Front student organisations protest in front of the Jadavpur University campus in Kolkata over the death of a first-year student. (ANI Photo)

In its report, the seven-member committee has also said that first-year students were often forced to shout sexist remarks and make lewd gestures towards the women that lived in the police quarters that are adjacent to the hostel, and after one such episode, the 17-year-old victim had broken down.

Also Read | Jadavpur University: Probe panel finds inaction in most ragging cases

The report, a copy of which HT has seen, was submitted to JUs interim vice-chancellor Buddhadeb Sau last week. The 46-page report, compiled after questioning 85 people, including hostel inmates, university officials, hostel superintendents and security guards, throws light on rampant ragging and abuse in the hostel. So far, 12 former and current students have been arrested in the case, and their accounts are not part of the report since they are in custody.

The report says that one of the boarders heard a loud cry at around 11.30pm on August 9 and rushed to the second floor corridor, and saw the victim completely naked, desperately trying to enter a toilet, and then rushing into room no. 65. Even as the victim tried to close the door of the room, Md Arif and other seniors pushed open the door, and pulled him out. Thereafter, he was reportedly offered a bottle of water, which he gulped a bit, and then threw the bottle at Arif. All this while the victim was standing stark naked in front of many seniors on the 2nd floors well-lit lobby, facing utter humiliation, the report said. Arif, a third-year student, is one of the 12 people arrested.

The committees report, however, is unclear about the final sequence of events that led to his fall. Information regarding the victims movements, just prior to his fatal fall... Many have reported to have seen him run towards the end of the corridor with Md Arif following him, but thereafter, the depositors seem to have lost sight of the final fall..., the report said.

Also Read | Jadavpur University puts 10pm curfew on hostellers; no entry to outsiders

The report said that the victims easy and smiling demeanour was replaced by rather tense and jittery body language by August 8 when he came to attend the orientation programme. He left midway from the programme without collecting his food packet, accosted by two hostel seniors.

The committee found that every night, first-year students that came to live in the hostel were forced to shout sexist remarks and lewd abuse targeting women who lived in the police quarters adjacent to the hostel. The victim was initially reluctant to do this but was forced to multiple times. After one such time, one person that deposed said, the victim burst into tears, complained of stomach pain, and was given an antacid. Around 8.20pm, he was seen in the dining room profusely sweating. He is learnt to have told an inmate that he was very scared as seniors were drinking alcohol in the room. The next session of ragging started around 9pm in room 104, said a committee member.

The committee also found that a general body meeting of the hostel was held at 11pm where all freshers were asked to come except the victim. He was held back by some seniors in the hostel. As it seems, the victim was singled out for ragging, which was carried out in a systematic, planned manner, deliberately isolating him for severe ragging, while the rest of his batchmates were far from him attending to the hostel GB, said the report.

The probe panel has recommended expelling four university students, who are among 12 arrested and has also confirmed that after he was taken to the hospital early on August 10, a series of general body meetings were held by the accused where a narrative of what to say to the police and the media was constructed.

On Saturday, JU authorities started installing 29 CCTV cameras in at least 10 strategic locations. Also, freshers have already been shifted to a separate hostel following UGC guidelines. A new set of rules have been prepared to restrict movement of visitors.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joydeep Thakur Joydeep Thakur is a Special Correspondent based in Kolkata. He focuses on science, environment, wildlife, agriculture and other related issues. ...view detail
A Myanmarese student studying at Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal, who had gone missing and was suspected of being abducted, was rescued from Talsari in Odisha on Saturday, police said. Visva-Bharati University in West Bengal (File Photo)

31-year-old PhD student Panchara Thai went missing on Thursday from his rented accommodation outside the campus at Santiniketan in West Bengals Birbhum district.

Police while confirming that Thai was abducted over some old business rivalry, said that they have arrested 12 people in connection.

We have arrested 12 people. The victim has been rescued. Investigation is going on, said a senior police officer of Birbhum district.

The victims friend had informed the university authorities that some people had come to their house and taken Thai away, following which police were pressed into action.

Police said that while four accused are from Birbhum, and eight are from the East Midnapore district, which shares its border with Odisha.

Mahua Banerjee, the universitys official spokesperson, told HT on Friday that the Myanmar embassy has been informed about the incident.

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A 79-year-old woman, who was bed-ridden for the last seven years, was allegedly assaulted by her caretaker the night before she died at Baguiati in the northern fringes of Kolkata earlier this month, police said. (Representative Photo)

The accused told the police that she was not being able to sleep at night because the victim kept disturbing her. The incident came to light after family members scanned the CCTV footage a week after the womans death.

The septuagenarian woman, identified as Kala Mishra, used to stay alone in a flat while her family members and relatives lived in the same campus in other flats. She died on September 11.

We received a complaint from the family. The accused has been arrested on charges of murder. The CCTV footage shows that the victim was slapped and blanket put on her face after around midnight, said a senior police officer of Bidhannagar city police.

After performing her last rites, the family members were scanning through the CCTV footage installed in her room almost a week later, said police.

They saw that the caretaker was slapping her, pinching her and even placing a blanket on her face. They lodged a complaint with the police and a Fir was registered under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code, police said.

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A doctor posted at a Community Health Centre (CHC) was allegedly beaten to death by a local politician over a land dispute under City Kotwali limits of Sultanpur on Saturday, police officials said on Sunday. CHC doctor beaten to death in Sultanpur, wife blames local politician (Pic for representation)

The killing raised a storm with the victims family refusing to cremate the doctors body till chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited them.

Following the decision of doctors family to not cremate him, a huge police force has been deployed near his house in Sakhauli Kalan village in the Lambhua tehsil.

The officials said a FIR of murder (section 302 of the IPC) has been filed against one named person and other unidentified people and efforts were on to arrest the accused.

Sultanpur superintendent of police (SP), Somen Barma said the deceased was identified as Dr Ghanshyam Tripathi, 56, posted at the Jaisinghpur community health centre of Sultanpur for the past three years. Barma said the victims family members claimed he was beaten up by one Ajay Singh over a land dispute.

A police official said doctors wife Nisha Tripathi made the following statement. Some people who live in Narayanpur killed my husband over a land dispute and named one Ajay Singh in the FIR lodged in the matter, Nisha said according to the police official.

This official said the complainant also stated the accused is associated with a political party and that the doctors wife informed the police that her husband had purchased a piece of land located behind a Saraswati Shishu Mandir and there was commotion over it every day.

This official said the wife of the deceased further stated that her husband came to the house in the evening and left the house after having some snacks. She said that her husband returned after some time on an e- rickshaw in an injured state and told her that he was beaten up and later placed in a e-rickshaw for home in an injured state. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed during the treatment.

(with agency inputs)

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Bharatiya Janata Party MP Varun Gandhi has said he may be emotionally connected with the Amethis Sanjay Gandhi Hospital named after his father, but it has nothing to do with his demand for an impartial inquiry for justice as it takes generations to build an institution serving the poorest of the poor. Varun Gandhi said he was ready to speak to Pathak who was also the health minister of Uttar Pradesh. (HT FILE)

I have an emotional attachment with the institution named after my father and instituted by my grandmother late Indira Gandhi. But this has nothing to do with my plea or my demand for justice, said Varun Gandhi while speaking to the Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview on phone.

Whether the institute is named after my father or not, it has an emotional reaction in me. But this does not have anything to do with my request, said Varun Gandhi who on September 22 wrote a letter to Uttar Pradesh deputy chief minister Brajesh Pathak requesting him to reconsider the decision to suspend the registration of the hospital.

Varun Gandhi said he was ready to speak to Pathak who was also the health minister of Uttar Pradesh.

It is my respectful submission that institutions take an entire lifetime to build. It takes a generation to build up an institution. It is incumbent upon the government if they want to overhaul an institution or shut it down. But first provide an alternative to infrastructure which is already in place. Uttar Pradesh is a populous and a poor state. It is not easy for the people of Amethi and the people of surrounding districts to come down to Lucknow or to Allahabad (now Prayagraj) every time, specially in case of an emergency, he said.

Gandhi said, I am not bringing politics into it. It is demand for justice. Do not punish the people. Punish the person who has made a mistake. You are punishing the poorest of the poor. They are already having a marginal existence.

He said he was questioning the manner in which action has been taken against the hospital.

I am questioning the arbitrary nature of the action. I am all for bringing the institute to accountability. But the action has to be proportionate. It cannot be that you shut down an institution for crime of one person.

About medical negligence that allegedly led to the death of a woman who underwent treatment at the hospital and was referred to Lucknow later, he said If a doctor has performed a negligent act, I am completely in favour of instituting an inquiry and suspending that doctor or even overhauling that department. But punishing an institution for the negligent act of one doctor is punishing those millions of people who are dependent on that institution.

I would like to say that in the state of Uttar Pradesh these incidents happen almost every day in every single health institution. It is not freak occurrence in a corner of U.P. So are we going to punish all the institutions like this? My submission in that you must look at overhauling, you must look at accountability, you must look at punishing the guilty. I am not against that process. My simple point is that by punishing the person guilty sends a positive message. But when you look at shutting down an entire institution that is going to take a generation to rebuild. Those people will be completely devoid of having any infrastructure.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Umesh Raghuvanshi Umesh Raghuvanshi is a journalist with over three decade experience. He covers politics, finance, environment and social issues. He has covered all assembly and parliament elections in Uttar Pradesh since 1984. ...view detail
A Navi Mumbai-based social activist has filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court (HC) questioning State Information Commission (SIC) grounds cited while denying certified copies of the letter of support and other documents produced by Eknath Shinde government during the government formation following the resignation of then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. HT Image

Social activist Santosh Shrimant Jadhav, 43, has filed the writ petition on September 20. The Public information Officer (PIO), who is also the Secretary to the Governor, the first appellate officer, also the deputy secretary to the Governor, and the State Information Commissioner are named as respondents for allegedly wilfully barring information sought under the ambit of section 74 of the Evidence Act - which deals with documents that are in public domain.

The documents being sought from the authorities are related to the formation of the government which led to Eknath Shinde getting sworn as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra 14 months ago.

I had filed the first application asking for the documents concerning the formation of the government on July 27, 2022. Since August, each of the authorities concerned has consistently denied this information on baseless grounds, said Jadhav.

The activist states that he didnt face any resistance in procuring similar documents submitted following the formation of Uddhav Thackeray-led government. The documents I sought in September regarding the swearing in of Uddhav Thackeray were provided without any hassle. This raises questions on the grounds for denying access to public documents pertaining to the incumbent government, said the activist.

The activist in his petition has not only challenged the basis on which the application was denied, but also has alleged that the Governors office of dereliction of its duties in maintaining proper records. One of the reasons cited for not providing the required public documents is that the Governor is a party to judicial proceedings pertaining to the formation of the new government and all the documents are personally with him. To ascertain the authenticity of the claim, through RTI, I sought for the notes of handing over files and documents to the Governor and there were no records whatsoever. This amounts to dereliction of duties by officers entrusted with keeping the records , he said.

In the petition, the activist has sought a directive from HC to government officials to provide the information sought. The details sought and the legal proceedings have no connection. Therefore there can be no contempt of court either. Governor is a public authority and is entitled to maintain transparency in the public interest, said the activist.

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Maulana Mahmood Madani, head of one of the two factions of the Jamiat Ulama I Hind, was in Mumbai for a discussion on a topic titled Current Situation, Challenges and Solutions, with activists working on communal harmony. The Jamiat is the largest body of Deobandi ulema in the country. Founded in 1919, the organisation is famous for its participation in the freedom struggle, for which thousands of ulema had to pay with their lives, and its opposition to Partition. Maulana Mahmood Madani was in Mumbai to meet activists working on communal harmony and engage with them on the topic Current Situation, Challenges and Solutions. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

In an interaction with General Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan, at a media conclave held in Delhi in 2009, Madani had told him: Indian Muslims are capable of solving their problems... We don't need your advice... Don't try to alienate Indian Muslims by your remarks, here or in Pakistan. The sharp exchange between the Indian Maulana and Pakistan's ex-president is still remembered and has been viewed millions of times on YouTube.

The Jamiat has held numerous conventions against terrorism. In 2008, it flagged off a peace train from Deoband with 8,000 maulanas on it and issued a fatwa against terrorism.

The 59-year-old Maulana, who was featured as Person of the Year 2023 in the list of The Worlds 500 most influential Muslims drawn up by the Jordanian Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, spoke to Jyoti Punwani on the mood of his community and how his organisation handles the current situation.

What is the mood of the ordinary Muslim you meet?

It is one of hopelessness, and resulting from that, of anger. When these two emotions combine within a single community, then by and large, there is a danger of the community wanting to go in a third direction. Elements who may constitute even less than 0.1 %, may then take over the community under the garb of offering a solution.

Does this mood exist among Muslims in the south too, and in Bengal?

All over India. Not just in India, theres a concern even in the global Muslim society about whats happening here. Muslims overseas are increasingly questioning our role, asking us whats the point of having such a large organisation if we cant do anything.

On social media, we are called cowards and subjected to all kinds of abuse, especially by the youth.

How do you deal with this mood and abuse?

We are constantly being asked why we dont react. Our reply is -- theres a need for a response, not a reaction. Its difficult to explain the difference to people. However, we keep trying to go to the people and talk to them, both those who are educated, as well as the common Muslim, who may not be well-educated.

Our first aim is to arouse hope among them; to tell them that the ground reality is not what it appears to be, what those in the government or their supporters are portraying it as. We have found that a dialogue helps; people do understand.

Whats your opinion of the way political parties have responded to whats happening with Muslims today?

Im very disappointed, perhaps more disappointed with them than with anybody else. They havent fulfilled their responsibility. This is not just a minority issue. It concerns the country; it concerns those who constitute the majority.

Theres a famous saying going around these days. We got azadi of all kinds, political freedom, freedom of religion, everything. But it seems we also got the freedom to be fools.

The majority community is being made a fool of by those spreading hatred against Muslims.

What expectations do you have from the INDIA Alliance?

None. Id rather not say anything more.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat keeps making seemingly conciliatory statements such as theres no need to look for a shivling in every mosque". Have you engaged in a dialogue with him?

No. But we have supported those who have done so. If we oppose a dialogue, well be faulted for being unwilling to talk. We say the options of a dialogue should always be open, with everyone.

Recently, one of the petitioners in the Gyanvapi Masjid matter asked for a settlement between both sides; the other petitioners however rejected this. Are you open to a settlement?

No comment.

But you just said the options of a dialogue should always be open'.

No comment. Whatever I say will be used as a tool by others; its better that I stay silent.

In February, the Jamiat passed a resolution against the UCC. But the government hasnt even presented a draft. Shouldnt you have waited for them to do so before opposing it?

Our statement does say, please bring a draft.

Then why oppose it even before that is done? This is the kind of reaction the BJP wants from you.

I agree, that was their agenda.

You were among the most vociferous critics of the Supreme Courts triple talaq judgment. Do you regret that now?

No. There are reasons for the stand we took. The way the government projected the judgment, as if it was its own achievement, sent the message to people that the custom of triple talaq was as common among Muslims as untouchability is among Hindus. But the 2011 Census showed that the incidence of divorce is less among Muslims than it is among Hindus. (This figure has been disputed  editor.) In a community where the procedure is so easy, the incidence is less; and where the procedure is cumbersome, the incidence is more. Given this, the way PM Modi projected the issue was wrong.

We are not supporters of triple talaq. It should never happen. We believe that efforts must be made to keep the relationship intact till the very end, because of the effect of divorce on children. But the option of talaq must remain only to be used as a last resort. We have to educate the community that this is the worst form of divorce and must be avoided. But that is the communitys job, not the governments.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has been promising to educate the community on the rights of married Muslim women from the time of the Shah Bano issue; were still waiting for it to do so.

Isnt it the Boards success that the incidence of talaq is going down compared to other communities? But I agree, we didnt do as much as we should have. And we have been punished for that.

Are you as disappointed with Hindus as you are with political parties?

No. Our experience with Hindus has been magnificent. Not just high society Hindus, but those I meet on the street, in trains, at the airport. All the time, people come and greet me, they tell me they watch my debates. These reactions comfort me like a cool breeze.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met a delegation of 21 farmers at Gautam Buddha University guest house on Sunday during which the latter thanked him for allowing them to claim compensation and rehabilitation benefits for the government land acquired for the construction of Noida international greenfield airport at Jewar. A delegation of 21 farmers met chief minister Yogi Adityanath at Gautam Buddha University guest house on Sunday. (HT Photo)

The CM was attending the Moto GP Bharat event at Budha International Circuit. He also met chief executive officers of top global companies and garment businessman.

Our government is working for the welfare of farmers and the needy. So, we took the decision in their favour, said the CM.

The farmers came from several places, including Ranhera, Veerampur and Mudrah.

After meeting the CM, one of the members of the delegation, Meghraj Jatav, said, We had only 9 bighas of land, our main source of income to feed our family. But when this land was acquired for the airport, we were not given any compensation. The tehsil officials denied us any relief saying that the land that we were using belonged to the government. Hence, we wont get any benefit. But the UP CM took a brave decision and granted us compensation. So, we wanted to thank him.

After the land was acquired for the airport and the farmers did not get any compensation, a farmers protest erupted. Following this, the boundary wall that was being constructed around the airport site was halted. It posed a hurdle to the development of the airport, which is slated to become operational by 2024-end, said officials.

The Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL) officials said work on the 2km stretch of the airport boundary wall was not being constructed due to safety and security concerns.

Finally, the UP cabinet on August 1 passed a policy decision allowing all farmers to become eligible for compensation for government land under the category of Shor (government land meant for natural water bodies and forest etc) if the government acquires the same for public projects.

Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh had demanded that these farmers must get the compensation and the UP CM accepted the demand because it was impacting hundreds of farmers who cumulatively had 14 hectares of land.

The NIAL and the Gautam Budh Nagar administration had started distributing the compensation and other benefits to all farmers, who were using the Shor land, paving the way for the construction of the boundary wall.

We were using the government land for last 45 years, and it was taken away. Before the UP government granted us the compensation, I had no money to get my daughters married, said Ramprasad, another farmer.

MLA Singh, who was at the meeting, said, The UP governments decision for the farmers, whose land was acquired for the airport, will also benefit others whose land has been taken for a government project in any area of the state. This decision was a much-needed step for the needy farmers, who were given the possession of the government land 45 years back by mistake.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Vinod Rajput Vinod Rajput writes on environment, infrastructure, real estate and government policies in Noida and Greater Noida. He has reported on environment and infrastructure in Delhi, Gurgaon and Panchkula in the past. ...view detail
GREATER NOIDA Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, who spent a day in Greater Noida to attend the Moto GP Bharat event on Sunday, also met with a delegation of 21 farmers who wished to express their gratitude for a decision that transformed their lives. CM Yogi arrived at Greater Noidas Gautam Buddha University at 11 am, engaged with CEOs of top global companies and garment businessmen, attended the Moto GP event at the Buddha International Circuit, and, notably, met with the farmers who had sought his time. Yogi Adityanath (HT File)

The farmers were elated and eager to convey their appreciation to the CM personally, as Yogi Adityanath allowed them to claim compensation and rehabilitation benefits for government land they had been using for the past 45 years. This land had been acquired for the construction of the Noida International Greenfield Airport at Jewar, and officials had previously denied these farmers any compensation, citing the lands government ownership.

However, these farmers staged protests and obstructed the construction of the airports boundary wall, impeding the airports development, which is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2024, according to officials from Noida International Airport Limited (NIAL). A 2km-long section of the airport boundary wall remained unfinished due to the farmers agitation, causing safety and security concerns on the site.

On August 1, 2023, the U.P. cabinet passed a policy decision that rendered all farmers eligible for compensation for government land categorized as Shor (government land intended for natural water bodies and forests, etc.) when acquired for public projects. This decision was a boon for the farmers, and Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh had insisted on their compensation. CM Yogi accepted the demand as it affected hundreds of farmers who collectively owned 14 hectares of land obstructing the airport project.

Our government is committed to the welfare of farmers and the needy; hence, we made this decision in their favor, said CM Yogi during his meeting with the farmers held at Gautam Buddha Universitys guesthouse at around 1 pm. Farmers from Ranhera, Veerampur, Mudrah, and others expressed their gratitude to the CM during the meeting.

We had only nine bighas of land, which was our primary source of income for sustaining our families. However, when this land was acquired for the airport, and we were denied compensation, we lived in fear, devoid of income and alternative livelihoods. Tehsil officials rejected our compensation claims, citing government ownership of the land. We are immensely grateful to U.P. CM for his courageous decision, which has brought us happiness, said Meghraj Jatav after meeting CM Adityanath.

NIAL and the Gautam Budh Nagar administration promptly initiated the distribution of compensation and other benefits to all farmers who had been using the Shor land, thereby clearing the path for the construction of the boundary wall.

I had no means to fund my daughters weddings before the U.P. government allowed us compensation, despite our 45 years of utilisation of government land, which was eventually acquired for the airport, said Ramprasad, another farmer.

Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, present at the meeting, emphasised, The decision by the U.P. government, aimed at benefitting airport farmers, will also extend its benefits to other farmers whose land is acquired for government projects across the state. This decision was a much-needed step to assist needy farmers who were erroneously granted possession of government land 45 years ago.

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Jermine Jacob and Edison Bondal have gone viral for giving 100 guests at their wedding in the Philippines generous gifts, including Michael Kors watches and 18K gold jewelry.

Bride Jermine Jacob and groom Edison Bondal at their wedding in Tagaytay, the Philippines. Photo from Jacobs Facebook

The bride, Jacob, said in a Facebook post that she and her husband, Bondal, wanted to show their gratitude to their guests, who took out time in their schedules to celebrate the couples big day in Tagaytay, reported Filipino news portal PhilStar.

According to Filipino news site Preview Philippines, the couple owns an online businesses that sells designer items.

Bride Jermine Jacob and groom Edison Bondal holding the gifts for guests at their wedding in Tagaytay, the Philippines. Photo from Jacobs Facebook

The newlyweds do not come from wealthy families, according to sources. They even had it so hard a couple of years ago when they worked in the United Arab Emirates as migrant workers that they could not invite anyone to their initial nuptials, according to reports.

Thus, when they could finally have a more complete ceremony this time, their desire to thank the guests who came to celebrate their big day was even stronger, sources said.

It has been reported that the couple also specifically asked their guests not to bring any gifts for them.
Manish Shukla, 30, quit a plum job of a software engineer in US to set up a startup in Prayagraj some eight years back. Now, the laundry business of this truck drivers son, has spread to five cities of Uttar Pradesh and the companys annual turnover is quite impressive. Manish Shukla at his Naini-based plant in Prayagraj (HT photo)

Manish, a resident of Dagwa Jari of Bara area located in trans-Yamuna region of Prayagraj, often faced flak from his relatives due to his unconventional choice of business. However, he believed in himself, persisted and ultimately tasted success.

Manishs father Ravi Shankar Shukla drove a truck to meet the expenses of his sons education. The college management too provided some financial support. After completing his B Tech from a private engineering college in 2012, Manish got the job of a software engineer in US.

But he soon realised that this job wasnt giving him satisfaction.

So, after working abroad for three years, I returned to Prayagraj in 2015 and started a laundry startup named Washing24offering convenient online based laundry services for homes, apartment buildings, offices and other locations, he said.

My grandfather Chandram Prasad Shukla also had a dream that I would start my own business one day, he shared.

He slowly built up his business, roping in private hospitals and educational institutions too. During Covid outbreak, I got the opportunity to work with hospitals on a large scale and recently I bagged big tender from railways too, he added.

Today, apart from Prayagraj, Manishs laundry operates from Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi and Mirzapur too. He has set up a plant in Naini area of Prayagraj and he is now employing 500 people in five cities. His elder brother Arun has also joined him in looking after the business.

Chairperson of Skill Development Program, MSME Vibha Mishra, whom Manish credits for her support during his initial struggle period, said, When Manish came to me years ago, I spotted the resolve in him and tried to provide every kind of support from my level. Today I feel happy seeing him taste success.

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The sleuths of the Customs department seized gold worth over 1 crore smuggled through the Indo-Bangladesh border of Meghalaya and arrested three persons, including a woman, in connection with it on Saturday, officials said. Customs officials said that 14 pieces of gold, packed in two plastic pouches, were recovered from a vehicle intercepted at Jhalupara, Shillong, on Saturday. (Sourced)

Officials said that responding swiftly to credible intel that a sizable quantity of gold of foreign origin smuggled through the international border would be transported in a vehicle to Guwahati, sleuths of the Commissioner of Customs (Preventive) (CCP), Shillong intercepted a Mahindra XUV500 SUV at Jhalupara, Shillong on Saturday.

The vehicle had one occupant who was based in Rangia in Assam, though originally from West Bengal.

On interrogation, he confessed that smuggled gold of foreign origin was in his possession. Thereafter, 14 pieces of gold, which were packed in two plastic pouches were recovered. Total weight was 1632.450 grams valued at 1,01,78,326, said a communique issued by the office of the CCP, Shillong.

Specific details of a middleman who had handed him 7 pieces were gathered and on a swift follow-up action, the officers of CCP intercepted the said person at Jhalupara.

He further revealed that he had collected the gold from a lady at a shop at Barabazzar Shillong. A further operation at the said shop resulted in recovery of Rs. 9.5 Lakh which is suspected be the sale proceeds of smuggled gold, which was also seized.

The lady was also interrogated, and it was revealed that the gold was smuggled from the Indo-Bangladesh border, the statement said.

Three persons have been arrested and further investigation is in progress, it added.

According to the communique, last month the sleuths of CCP Shillong had seized 5 gold biscuits weighing 582.70 grams from a person travelling in a Maruti 800 car, which was intercepted near Jorabat.

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PRAYAGRAJ Mahakumbh 2025 will be organised in a larger area in the Sangam area, while Artificial Intelligence will be used for the first time for crowd management and security at the religious event. Representative pic (HT File)

Important decisions regarding preparations for Mahakumbh were made during the Traffic Advisory meeting held under ADG Zone Bhanu Bhaskar and Divisional Commissioner Vijay Vishwas Pant on Saturday.

Officials stated that Kumbh 2019 was organised in an area of 3200 hectares, but Mahakumbh will be held in an area of 4000 hectares.

Mela Officer Vijay Kiran Anand mentioned that, in anticipation of a large number of pilgrims and visitors at Mahakumbh, the area has been increased by 800 hectares.

The parking area has also been expanded from 1200 hectares to 1800 hectares. To improve traffic arrangements, ICCC (Integrated Command and Control Centre) will be equipped with the latest technologies and facilities.

ADG Zone Bhanu Bhaskar issued instructions for the deployment of officials for parking arrangements and satellite towns, identifying locations for the installation of CCTV cameras, and training of police personnel for mela duty.

ADG suggested putting up route maps for pilgrim facilities to ensure efficient navigation. To prevent fire incidents, large tents will be constructed using a three-dimensional model. Fire department officials mentioned that this will provide clear exit routes for pilgrims in case of fire.

Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma suggested operating dial 112 from the mela control room for enhanced security and traffic management under the guidance of experienced officials.

Officials announced that 1000 shuttle buses will be used to transport elderly and differently-abled pilgrims to Sangam, with the possibility of increasing the number of buses as per requirements.

Additionally, under the temporary surveillance system, 676 CCTV cameras will be installed, with 12 of them being ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) and Artificial Intelligence-based cameras.

There will be 120 parking lots equipped with 720 AI cameras with the capability to count vehicles. Image and video messages will be conveyed through 40 VMD (Video Motion Detection) screens. Bus and railway stations will also be equipped with 126 CCTV cameras, and the staff at the call centre will be increased from 20 to 40.

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The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW) will hold a roadshow (symbolic) in Varanasi on September 25, paving the way for the highly anticipated 3rd Global Maritime India Summit 2023 (GMIS). The event is scheduled at the Trade Facilitation Centre in Varanasi. (File photo for representation only)

Union minister of ports, shipping and waterways and ministry of Ayush, Sarbananda Sonowal, will chair the meeting to be joined by representatives from governments of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, stated a press release.

UPs minister of transport Daya Shankar Singh, principal secretary, transport government of UP, Lakko Venkateshwarlu, transport secretary of Jharkhand Kripa Nand Jha, transport secretary of West Bengal Dr Saumitra Mohan, and transport secretary of Bihar Sanjay Kumar Agarwal will attend the meeting.

Anchored by the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the Varanasi meeting will be a platform to explore the maritime sectors growth, foster collaboration, and unlock opportunities for stakeholders in this vital sector. The event is also expected to witness presence of Nepals physical infrastructure & transport minister Prakash Jwala.

Our focus on waterways, from the Gati Shakti Initiative to the ambitious Jal Marg Vikas Project, signifies a resolute dedication to unlocking the vast potential of our maritime sector. This transformative era is not only about strengthening our industry but also about embracing sustainability and environmental stewardship. The Global Maritime India Summit 2023 is where these aspirations will converge, partnerships will flourish, and our shared vision will materialize, stated Sonowal in a press statement.

Sanjay Bandopadhyay, IWAI chairman, said, At the Global Maritime India Summit 2023, we will converge to explore groundbreaking ideas, forge collaborations, and chart a course towards a brighter future. Together, we will create a legacy that transcends generations, one that defines a new era of waterway development in India and beyond. Join us on this transformative journey, and lets shape a future where waterways are not just a source of life and culture but also the driving force behind a thriving and sustainable nation.

UP Ayush ministers public relations officer Gaurav Rathi said that Ayush minister Dayashankar Mishra Dayalu will welcome union Ayush minister Sarbananda Sonowal on the occasion.

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An elderly couple fell victim to a violent home invasion, leaving them battered and their home vandalised in the middle of the night. A case has been registered at Hadapsar police station under sections of 458, 394, 380 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The incident occurred on Saturday between 12:30 am and 4am at Tranquility Society, Kodre Nagar in Manjri.

As per the complaint filed by Roshan Jaywant Mali, 48, he resides with his parents in a two-storied bungalow.

On Saturday, three unidentified men barged into their bungalow by breaking the grill of the sliding window. Later, the accused by using sharp weapons threatened the complainants mother and father and robbed gold ornaments, cash and other valuables worth 1,34,750.

According to police, the thieves vandalised the home during the ordeal. Furniture was overturned, and rooms were ransacked. The intruders were intent on causing fear and chaos as they searched for valuables.

In this incident, the complainants mother was injured when the thieves were removing her bangle.

Police said they have initiated a probe and analysis of CCTV footage of the nearby locality is going on to ascertain the identity of the accused.

A case has been registered at Hadapsar police station under sections of 458, 394, 380 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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In another incident, a tea seller from the Camp area of Pune city was assaulted by a group of three to four individuals over a Ganesh festival donation dispute. The incident occurred on Saturday at Shrinath tea stall in Camp. The mandal workers demanded  1,000 donation, which the complainant found unreasonable and beyond his means. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

The accused have been identified as Nilesh Dashrath Khanse, 39, from Camp and Avinash Rajendra Pandit, 32, from MG Road.

According to the police, on Saturday the victim was at his tea stall when members of 15 August Ganesh Mandal approached him over donation.

The complainant had willingly offered to contribute 151 to support the festivities.

However, the situation took a distressing turn when one of the mandal workers demanded 1,000 donation, which the complainant found unreasonable and beyond his means.

Upon his refusal to comply with the hefty demand, the Mandal worker, along with several accomplices, subjected the complainant to a violent assault.

According to police the accused thrashed, abused the complainant and threatened that they would ensure he could no longer conduct his business in the area. The tea seller was left traumatised and approached the police.

Local police swiftly responded to the incident, launching an investigation into the assault and arrested two accused in the case.

A case has been registered at Lashkar police station under sections 384, 323, 504, 506 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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SCERT Assam DElEd Entrance Result 2023: State Council Of Educational Research And Training (SCERT), Assam has announced results of the DElEd entrance examination (DElEd Pre-Entry Test or PET) today, September 24. Candidates can check it on scertpet.co.in. SCERT Assam DElEd PET Result 2023 Highlights (PTI)

Assam DElEd entrance result direct link.

Result of PET-2023 will be declared on 24th September 2023, 12:00 PM onwards, reads a message displayed on the result portal.

After results, the online counselling process will be conducted. Candidates can check the schedule on the website.

When available, the direct link to check results will be shared here. Check all the latest updates in this live blog.
Actor Priyanka Chopra has hailed the Womens Reservation Bill that was passed in Parliament recently stating that it is a step in the right direction. Taking to Instagram Stories on Sunday, Priyanka shared a screenshot of an article. The headline read, "Women's reservation bill gets Parliament seal." (Also Read | Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill visit the new Parliament; praise Women's Reservation Bill) Priyanka Chopra shared a post on Instagram about the Womens Reservation Bill.

Priyanka praises Womens Reservation Bill

Sharing it Priyanka wrote, "Inspiring a new age with this historic milestone (National Flag emoji)." She also wrote, "The passing of the women's reservation bill- 'Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam' is indeed a step in the right direction, but the crucial next phase is its swift and effective implementation. Here's to an India that truly supports and empowers its women!"

Priyanka shared a screenshot of an article.

Kirti Kulhari, Harnaaz Sandhu had too hailed the Bill

Earlier, actor Kirti Kulhari praised the Womens Reservation Bill that was passed in Parliament on Thursday calling it an extraordinary thing that happened in our country. Talking to reporters, Kirti had said, It's a historic moment for the entire nation...In the coming years, the new generation will get an environment that has gender equality. I would say it's an extraordinary thing that happened in our country. I'm thankful to Anurag Thakur (Union Minister) for inviting us here and making us a part of it."

Actor Hrishitaa Bhatt also shared her views on the bill. Hrishitaa had said, It's a matter of pride for every woman...I'm proud to be an Indian woman. If there would be 33 per cent of women in India (in leadership positions) then we're going forward globally."

Miss Universe 2021 Harnaaz Sandhu had also shared her views on the bill, "I think women belong to all those places where decisions are being made...It's a great decision. It's a testimony to India's commitment to women-led development. I'm happy that I got to experience being here in the new Parliament building."

About Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam

Rajya Sabha passed the Bill with all 215 members voting in its favour. The Lok Sabha scripted history on Wednesday as it passed the Bill reserving a third or 33 per cent of seats for women in national and state legislatures with an overwhelming majority. The Bill seeks to grant one-third of its seats to women in both the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. The Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam is the first bill passed by Lok Sabha during the special session after it shifted to the new Parliament building on Tuesday.

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Actor Song Joong Ki is among the many celebrities who attended Ahn Hye Kyungs wedding in Seoul on Sunday. It's a private ceremony, attended by selected guests, and the wedding has been hosted by none other than the Descendants of the Sun actor. Several photos from the wedding have now surfaced online. Also read: Blackpinks Jennie and Song Hye Kyo come together for selfie at Met Gala 2023 Song Joong Ki attends Ahn Hye Kyungs wedding in Seoul, South Korea.

Song Joong Ki at Ahn Hye Kyung wedding

For the wedding, Song Joong Ki opted for a dapper look in a dark blue suit, paired with a white t-shirt. Ahn Hye Kyung looked beautiful as ever in a white lacey gown. Her groom opted for a quintessential black suit. All of them came together for a pic where Song Joong Ki is seen flashing heart finger signs at the camera on the stage.

Inside Ahn Hye Kyungs wedding

The photo also captured a glimpse of the wedding decor as the venue was decked up with colourful flowers. Going by another photo, Song Joong Ki also took to the pulpit to seemingly share a speech for the newlyweds. He also clicked pictures with several other wedding guests at the venue.

Reportedly, Ahn Hye Kyung married her non-celebrity boyfriend, who seems to be the cinematographer of the K-drama Vincenzo. Vincenzo starred Song Joong Ki in the lead and was one of the highest-rated dramas of the year.

Song Joong Ki is close friends with Ahn Hye Kyung. The former MCB weather presenter rose to fame with Kick A Goal. She first announced the news of her wedding on Instagram. On September 1, she wrote, "After dating for about a year, my husband-to-be and I made a promise to become each other's life partner. I really feel like the way he fills in my shortcomings and imperfections without hesitation is quite beautiful."

Song Joong Ki recently returned to Seoul to lead the wedding ceremony. Confirming the same, the actors agency HighZium Studio said that the actor would be seen at the ceremony. The agency said, Song Joong Ki will be hosting Ahn Hye Kyungs wedding, which will take place today. He was last seen in the K-drama Reborn Rich.

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The three proposed criminal laws are people-centric and, once implemented, any delay in the criminal justice system will cease to exist within one decade, Union home minister Amit Shah said on Sunday. Union home minister Amit Shah during the concluding session of the 'International Lawyers' Conference 2023 organised by the Bar Council of India, in New Delhi, Sunday. (PTI)

The home minister was referring to the proposed criminal laws  Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS-2023), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS-2023) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA-2023), which were introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11 to replace the British-era Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.

Addressing the two-day International Lawyers Conference organised by the Bar Council of India, Shah said that the existing criminal laws gave power to the British to punish people, whereas the proposed laws focus on justice.

Due to the existing criminal justice system, there is a lot of delay in rendering justice. For a poor man , getting justice becomes all the more difficult, he said.

He added: Indias criminal justice system was imprinted with colonial law. All three new bills do not have colonial imprint but have the flavour of Indian soil. The central point of these three proposed laws is to protect the constitutional and human rights of citizens as well as their personal rights.

The home minister said that the new laws were coming after almost 160 years with a completely new approach and new system.

Shah said that the government was also in the process of creating three ecosystems necessary to support them.

These include, the recently approved 7,000-crore allocation for e-courts third phase, 3,500-crore for interoperable criminal justice system (ICJS) to digitally convert all data available with police stations, prisons and courts, and the technological initiatives forming part of the proposed criminal laws, he said.

If these three initiatives and the three new ecosystems are introduced and brought together in our criminal justice system, I assure you that this refrain about delay in the criminal justice system will cease to exist within one decade, Shah added.

Various reforms for timely and speedy justice have been proposed under the three laws that are pending consideration before a Parliamentary standing committee. Shah enumerated these reforms which include summary trial for cases punishable up to 3 years, time-limit of 60 days for filing charge sheet, 90 days for further investigation, pronouncement of judgment within 30 days of completing arguments, and deemed sanction for prosecuting public servants after 120 days (about 4 months).

In addition, the new laws seek to end the adjournment culture, allows trial to proceed against proclaimed offenders in their absence and grants legal validity to electronic and digital records, among a host of other significant changes.

The old laws (present IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act) sought to protect the British rulers. Its main purpose was to make them (British) more powerful as their objective was to punish and not to deliver justice. In the new criminal laws, you will find not a single trace of colonial past but the real essence of India, Shah said. Our three laws are not to punish but to give justice to every citizen. Here, punishment is one of the stages to deliver justice, he added.

The two-day conference was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday in the presence of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and other judges of the Supreme Court. Shah was speaking at the valedictory function of the event also attended by Union environment and labour minister Bhupender Yadav along with justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul of the Supreme Court, other top court judges, and bar leaders of global law associations.

The home minister said that the focus of introducing legal reforms is to ease the burden on the legal system and to make laws citizen centric. For this purpose, he said that any law at its inception cannot be treated as final and it is important for any government or law-making agency of Parliament to keep an open mind to reform any law and introduce changes in it with time and keeping pace with the problems faced during its implementation.

In this spirit, he referred to the changes introduced by the Government in the insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC) or the goods and service tax (GST) Act and said, The intent of law makers is to create a smooth and convenient system relevant to the times. It is not to establish supremacy of those who bring the law, Shah said.

He urged the lawyers and other stakeholders to examine the three new criminal laws based on the practical day-to-day realities they face while dealing with these laws and send their suggestions to the Union home secretary. After our Constitution was made, the person of every small part of India is our citizen. The center point in these three laws is protection of every citizens constitutional rights, human rights and personal rights.

Union environment and labour minister Bhupender Yadav in his speech said that the legal reforms introduced by the Government are aimed to improve ease of living. He stressed on the significance of legislative drafting in new laws, a point stressed by PM Modi in his speech at the event on Saturday, and suggested that instead of using legal maxims, judgments and legal literature can focus on ancient Indian wisdom in the context of our country and left it to BCI and the judges to examine how it can be possible.

On the occasion, BCI honoured five legal luminaries with Vidhi Ratna awards. The recipients this year were former Attorney Generals K Parasaran, Late Soli J Sorabjee, doyen of the bar Late Ram Jethmalani, constitutional expert Fali Sam Nariman and senior advocate KK Venugopal, who retired as the countrys Attorney General in September last year. The awards were handed over by the home minister.

Bar Council of India (BCI) chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said that these awards will be an annual feature to recognize the contributions by Indian lawyers to the field of law and legal practice both within and outside the country.

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National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue (second, right) visits Bangladesh's Beximco Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (Photo: VNA)

Meeting with the companys leaders, NA Chairman Hue hailed the firms exports of some products to Vietnam, a market with a population of 100 million people, and stressed the possibility for Beximco to tap into a larger market of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with 650 million consumers.

Mentioning the company's major business fields of pharmaceuticals and apparel, the NA Chairman said these are two spheres where Vietnam and Bangladesh have advantages and should promote cooperation.

Vietnam has paid due attention to and encouraged medical projects, products and solutions which play an increasingly important role in the post-COVID-19 period, he said, underscoring that incentives have been given to projects on research and production of medicinal materials, and technology application to produce medicines.

The top legislator highlighted Vietnams new and breakthrough policies to improve the quality of medical examination, and create a legal foundation for activities in the medical field.

Vietnam is able to produce most of medicines for domestic consumption, however, it has to import materials for production, he said, suggesting Beximco study cooperation opportunities with Vietnamese partners in the field, and consider the construction of a joint venture in Vietnam.

Beximco leaders said they will study Chairman Hues recommendations, and commited to effectively carry out cooperative activities with Vietnam.

Beximco has been listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange since 1985, and the London Stock Exchange since 2005. The company, which has a quality management system in line with global standards, has focused on R&D activities to improve production efficiency./.
Amid strains in ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) will hold a meeting led by general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in Chennai on Monday to decide on its future course of action. Amid strains in ties with BJP, AIADMK will hold a meeting led by Edappadi K Palaniswami to decide path ahead. (ANI)

AIADMKs alliance with the BJP is broken, the states main opposition party reiterated on Sunday. The stance came two days after five AIADMK leaders met BJP national president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Friday to discuss the stand-off over state BJP president K Annamalais statement against AIADMK leaders.

On September 18, AIADMKs organising secretary D Jayakumar had announced that the party was calling off its alliance with the BJP. The reason for the breakup was attributed to Annamalai making disparaging comments about Dravidian reformist stalwart CN Annadurai, after whom the AIADMK is named.

Also Read: AIADMK says no alliance with BJP in Tamil Nadu after rift widens

Leaders who met with Nadda said they wanted Annamalai to be reined in, according to an AIADMK leader present in the meeting on conditions of anonymity.

There is no change in our stand that we do not have an alliance with the BJP, Jayakumar said on Sunday. It would not be right to elaborate since we have a meeting tomorrow.

A meeting will be held with all MPs, MLAs and district secretaries on Monday, the AIADMK said in a circular.

Responding to a query on whether its action would attract the ire of federal agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Jayakumar said, AIADMK will not be threatened.

Also Read: Those who agree with our ideology will align with us, says AIADMK's Velumani

Palaniswami has not yet spoken on the alliance and neither has the party issued any statement. There will be more clarity after we discuss this tomorrow, said a second AIADMK leader, not wishing to be named. Party cadre are not happy that our leaders are being insulted.

While BJP leaders said this was a pressure tactic by the AIADMK as the former has sought more seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Annamalai said that only certain people have issues with him and there was no issue between the allies.

Congress MP S Thirunavukarasu said the strain in ties between the AIADMK and BJP will help the INDIA bloc. This split is good for us, said Thirunavukarasu. The question is if it was the central leadership of the BJP that has conveyed to Annamalai to criticise their own ally. This could be a pressure tactic to create problems and use another group of people to solve the created problem. Such things are common before elections.

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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
NEW DELHI: The Indian Army will hold its annual Army Day parade at Lucknow on January 15, 2024, in line with the three services now organising their flagship ceremonial events outside the national capital, officials aware of the matter said on Sunday. Army Day parade was traditionally held in Delhi before it moved to Bengaluru this year (PTI)

The parade was traditionally held in Delhi before it moved to Bengaluru this year.

After conducting the parade in Bengaluru, the army is now ensuring that each of its six operational commands gets a chance to host the parade, said one of the officials cited above. The aim is to increase public engagement, foster national unity, and showcase the might and discipline of the army before diverse audiences, he added.

The air force and the navy are also following a similar approach.

This years Air Force Day parade will be held at Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh on October 8 when the Indian Air Force celebrates its 91st anniversary. The parade was traditionally held at the Hindan air base till 2021 before the event was taken outside the national capital. It was held in Chandigarh last year.

Also, this years Navy Day celebrations will be held at the Sindhudurg Fort off the Maharashtra coast, built by Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 17th century. India celebrates December 4 as Navy Day to commemorate the navys attack on Karachi harbour during the 1971 war with Pakistan.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the navys new ensign at the commissioning ceremony of aircraft carrier Vikrant, with the flag drawing inspiration from the seal of the Maratha king and the Cross of St George being dropped. Modi described the move as getting rid of the burden of a colonial past.

Navy Day celebrations were held in Visakhapatnam last year, the first time outside New Delhi.

Key conferences of the armed forces, including the Combined Commanders Conference, have also been held outside New Delhi after the NDA government came to power nine years ago.

On April 1, Modi assessed the operational readiness of the armed forces in the backdrop of the lingering border row with China, carried out a security review, and asked the military to stay prepared for new and emerging threats, at the Combined Commanders Conference held in Bhopal.

Before that, on March 6, defence minister Rajnath Singh addressed the inaugural session of a top navy meeting on board Indias first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, with the move bringing into sharper focus the countrys steps towards achieving self-reliance in the defence manufacturing sector.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to distract people from the idea of caste census by triggering controversies through its lawmakers Ramesh Bidhuri and Nishikant Dubey, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday. Speaking at a media conclave in New Delhi, the former Congress president said the lesson from the Karnataka assembly elections was that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at a media event in New Delhi.

Gandhi was responding to a question related to the prospects of Congress in the upcoming state elections. He asserted that Congress is "probably winning" Telangana, certainly winning Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and very close in Rajasthan which we think well be able to win.

We learned a very important lesson in Karnataka, and the lesson was that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative, Gandhi said at The Conclave 2023 organised by Pratidin Media Network.

And so what we did in Karnataka, we fought the election in a way where the BJP could not define the narrative. What you're seeing today, Bidhuri, and then suddenly this Nishikant Dubey, this is all the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the caste census, he added.

A major controversy erupted this week after BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri hurled communal slurs at a fellow lawmaker from the Bahujan Samaj Party, Danish Ali, on the floor of the House. Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary K C Venugopal visited the BSP leader and expressed solidarity with him.

Later in a tweet, Gandhi posted pictures with Ali and said, Nafrat ke bazaar mein mohabbat ki dukaan (shop for spreading love in market of hate).

Gandhi said the Congress is controlling the narrative in the states where the elections are due later this year, claiming that the BJP put in thousands of crores of rupees to control it during the Bharat Jodo Yatra but couldn't it.

The opposition is 60% of India's population and BJP is in for a surprise in 2024, he added.

Gandhi alleged that the opposition parties are facing attacks from several corners - from media as well as financially.

"Go and ask any businessman in India what happens to them if they support an opposition party. If they were to write a cheque for any opposition party, ask them what happens to them. So we are facing a financial attack, a media attack and we're doing pretty well. We are not fighting now a political party, we are fighting the Indian state and we are fighting to defend the idea of India. And that is why we have given our name INDIA."

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Around 400 additional personnel of the Border Security Force and Central Reserve Police Force have been airlifted to Manipur in the past three days, officials said, even as the state government is repurposing the Churachandpur campus of the BSF as a temporary prison as the two regular jails are nearing capacity in the northeastern state that has seen ethnic violence since May. Deployment of BSF, CRPF personnel increased in strife-hit Manipur. (PTI)

The work to prepare the temporary jail started on Sunday, a day after the state government declared the premises of the BSFs subsidiary training centre in Churachandpur as a temporary prison under the Prisoners Act ,1984.

The development is significant in the backdrop of chief minister N Biren Singhs appeal to the public on September 22, urging them return looted arms within 15 days, after which central and state forces would launch a drive to recover them.

Also Read: Life limps back to normalcy in Manipur capital as curfew relaxed

Of the 5,668 weapons and nearly 600,000 rounds of ammunition looted from government armouries in May and June, police have recovered only 1,329 weapons and around 14,000 munitions. The government was willing to take a considerate view on those who submitted the weapons within 15 days, Singh said on Saturday.

In the past few days, additional personnel of the central paramilitary forces were brought to Manipur in a C 130J and A 321 aircraft, an official said, requesting anonymity The C 130 J aircraft landed thrice with additional reinforcements, he added.

The need for a temporary prison has arisen as the two jails in Manipur are nearing their holding capacity. The two jails will soon be filled to their capacity. Once the combing operation starts in the next 13 days, the two jails will not be able to hold additional inmates. The inmates with heinous crimes may be lodged in the two jails, but the new ones could be taken to the BSF campus in Churachandpur, said a prison official, declining to be named.

Also Read: Mobile net services resume in Manipur after over four months

The Sajiwa Central jail, which has a capacity of 850, currently has around 700 inmates, the prison official said. The womens jail in Imphal has 115 inmates against a capacity of 350. Before the ethnic clashes started on May 3, there were less than 100 prisoners in Sajiwa, while the womens jail held just three inmates.

An area inside the sprawling campus of the BSF in Churachandpur has been identified to lodge prisoners. The temporary prison will be run by the state government, while the security will be provided by the central and state security forces, the prison official said. Two officials from the state government have already been given additional charge of superintendent and jailor of the temporary jail. In June, the CRPF camp housed three prisoners temporarily when they could not be transported because of the clashes that time.

At least 176 people have died in the ethnic clashes in the border state since May 3. The clashes between the Kuki and Meiteis erupted during a protest against a court-ordered tweak to the states reservation matrix. The violence quickly engulfed the state where ethnic fault lines run deep, displacing nearly 50,000 people, who fled burning homes and neighbourhoods into jungles, often across state borders.

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BSP MP Danish Ali who was abused by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri in the Lok Sabha on Friday sought action against Nishikant Dubey for accusing Danish Ali of insulting PM Modi first. If what Nishikant Dubey is saying is true, there must be a video of that, the Muslim MP said. Amid the controversy over who said what in the Lok Sabha that triggered Bidhuri's all-guns-blazing attack on Danish Ali, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla alleging that Danish Ali incited Bidhuri using objectionable words against PM Modi. Danish Ali refuted the charge and said he actually was trying to save the dignity of the post of the PM. "... Is it true that all the BJP MPs were sitting and laughing there? This means that they did not come in support of the PM... They did my verbal lynching on the house... Now they are trying to lynch me outside..." Danish Ali said. Danish Ali (left) asked where is the video proof of what Nishikant Dubey wrote in his letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker.

Row over offensive remarks: Danish Ali is also a part of SP; Parliament must act against BJP MP, says Akhilesh

What BJP MP Nishikant Dubey said on Danish Ali-Bidhuri exchange

In his letter to Om Birla, Nishikant Dubey said he condemned Bidhuri's words for Danish Ali, but there was provocation from Danish Ali's side. Dubey said Danish Ali uttered some derogatory words about PM Modi without the microphone which instigated Ramesh Bidhuri. When Shri Danish Ali was busy instigating Bidhuri with his intemperate comments, he made a highly objectionable and derogatory remark against our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Jee. In his desperation to denigrate the ruling dispensation and the Prime Minister's achievement of landing Chandrayaan3 on the moon, he screamed across the aisle, without the microphone..., Dubey said.

Danish Ali refuted the claim and said he has not stooped so low that he would utter these words about PM Modi.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh immediately apologised for Ramesh Bidhuri's remarks but the issue snowballed into a major controversy with opposition MPs questioning why Ramesh Bidhuri was not suspended. The BJP issued a showcause notice to Ramesh Bidhuri.

Rahul Gandhi went to Danish Ali's residence amid the controversy in a show of support. On Sunday at a media event, Rahul Gandhi said the entire episode is a diversionary tactic by the BJP from the idea of the caste census. "What you're seeing today, Bidhuri, and then suddenly this Nishikant Dubey, this is all the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the Caste census," Rahul Gandhi said.

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The central government will provide material support in the form of food and medicines instead of cash compensation to people displaced by ethnic violence in Manipur, the Union home ministry has told the Mizoram home department, officials aware of the matter said. The central government will provide aid to Mizoram to help Manipur refugees. (ANI)

The home ministry has informed us verbally, and no formal letter for the assistance has been given to us. The state home department requested all district collectors to prepare a list of requirements, Mizorams home commissioner H Lalengmawia said on Sunday. In our proposal to the ministry, we have prepared a list of requirements for six months supply of rice, pulses, potato, edible oil, onion, medicine, medical equipment and others.

The home department has sent the proposal to the ministry on September 22, he said.

A large number of people have fled their homes in Manipur rocked by ethnic violence between the Meitei and Kuki communities to the neighbouring state of Mizoram. Close to 12,000 people have taken shelter in Mizoram, according to official data.

The response to the plea for assistance came after four months since Mizoram chief minister Zoramthanga on May 23 wrote a letter to Union home minister Amit Shah, seeking assistance of 10 crore to provide aid to the internally displaced persons seeking shelter across the 11 districts of Mizoram.

The state finance department had disbursed 5 crore from the exchequer for humanitarian assistance and relief to the displaced persons, according to officials of the home department. The executive committee of displaced persons in Mizoram has also received donations of over 81 lakh from Mizorams government employees.

After ethnic conflict erupted between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur on May 3, Mizoram has seen a massive influx of people fleeing violence in the neighbouring state. Some districts have established relief camps, while those taking shelter in the capital district of Aizawl are put up at Young Mizo Association Halls. The office of the Central Young Mizo Association is being used as a transit camp.

The states food, civil supplies and consumer affairs department had also issued several quintals of rice to the displaced people. Mizoram hosts 11,973 displaced persons from Manipur as on September 23.

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PATNA: A Dalit woman was allegedly assaulted, stripped and forced to drink urine because she failed to pay 1,500 interest on a 9,000 loan, in Patna district of Bihar, police said on Sunday. An officer familiar with the case said the woman has sustained head injuries in the incident and is currently hospitalised, while the six accused are currently absconding. Dalit woman allegedly forced to drink urine after being assaulted and stripped in Patna district of Bihar on Saturday night. (Representative Image)

DSP, Fatuha S Yadav said that the police received an information that a woman was assaulted in which she received head injuries in the incident and admitted to the hospital for treatment. The cause of the incident was for an interest of 1500. Woman came to the police station on Saturday night and gave a written complaint. Her allegations in the complaint are being verified by the police. The raids are on to arrest accused involved in the incident.

Woman said in her complaint that the incident took place at around 10 pm when she was going to fetch water from pump. About six persons caught me and made me naked and then brutally assaulted me. One of the accused took urine and pushed it into my mouth. They also started assaulting with lathi in which received head injuries. i somehow escaped from the spot and reached the police station, the woman has alleged in her complaint, police said.

BJP spokesperson Yogendra Paswan condemned the incident and slammed the chief minister Nitish Kumar and deputy chief minister Tejaswi Yadav over the incident.

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New York: External affairs minister S Jaishankar has said that Indias challenge and success was getting the G20 to talk about what the world wanted to talk about and steering the global conversation back to global growth and development issues affecting the global south that had got drowned due to the pandemic and the war. EAM S Jaishankar calls on Cambodian PM Hun Manet in New York on Saturday. (Dr. S Jaishankar Twitter)

But he also warned that while the global south embodies this political pressure for change, there is political resistance with the dominant actors weaponising institutional and economic and capabilities and espousing double standards. And it wasnt just those countries in the global north but others who may not think of themselves as the north which were resisting change, he said.

Also Read: Jaishankar kicks off intensive bilateral engagements in New York with close partners

Speaking at a ministerial panel on the theme of South Rising: partnerships, institutions and ideas in New York on Friday evening, asked about his assessment on how India is being viewed after meeting close to 20 counterparts in 36 hours in the city where the world has congregated for UN General Assembly high-level week, Jaishankar said that on Indian presidency of G20, there were two responses.

Some remained surprised that a declaration happened and were curious about how it happened; many others, including fellow countries of the global south, were appreciative that India got the G20 to get back to the job for which it was created  global growth and development.

Later in the conversation, Jaishankar was asked about one of his most quoted statements on Europe  where he had said it was time for the continent to stop thinking that the worlds problems werent its problems but Europes problems were the worlds problems  and whether there was enough political courage visible to make a change in global governance as sought by the global south.

Also Read: From global north to south, Jaishankar continues bilateral engagements

The minister said that his statement on Europe was made in a particular context. In its own interactions with countries of the global south, five issues often came up  debt, Sustainable Development Goals resourcing, climate action resourcing, digital access, nutrition and gender. It was PM Narendra Modi who said, Lets first talk to people who are not on the table, leading to India convening the voice of global south summit; this gave Delhi credentials and empirical evidence to raise these issues. But then Jaishankar also credited all G20 members, including European states, for listening and responding to reason.

On the question of the presence or absence of political courage to effect change, Jaishankar said more than political will, there was political pressure to change and the global south embodied it.

Those who are occupying positions of influence, we see this in the UN Security Council most of all, are resisting the pressure to change. Those who are economically dominant today are leveraging their production capabilities and those who have institutional influence or historical influence have actually weaponised a lot of those capabilities as well, the minister said. He then added that while all countries mouth the right principles, the reality was that it is still a world very much of double standards and offered Covid-19 as an example.

This resistance against change came not just from the global north, but also countries that may not consider itself a part of the global south, Jaishankar said, in a possible reference to China. I think this whole transition will really be in a sense the global South putting more and more pressure on the international system.

Responding to a comment by Grammy winner Ricky Kej on the power of music of the global south, Jaishankar also spoke there was a process of cultural rebalancing, based on recognising the diversity of the world and giving other cultures and traditions their due respect. The global south would like to see their heritage, way of life, cultures, literature, traditions recognised as a part of this change.

The event was hosted by Observer Research Foundation and Reliance Foundation, along with UN India and the Permanent Mission of Indian to UN.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Prashant Jha Prashant Jha is the Washington DC-based US correspondent of Hindustan Times. He is also the editor of HT Premium. Jha has earlier served as editor-views and national political editor/bureau chief of the paper. He is the author of How the BJP Wins: Inside India's Greatest Election Machine and Battles of the New Republic: A Contemporary History of Nepal. ...view detail
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot will lead a Congress march for nine days from Wednesday to cover 18 districts to deliver the message of Mission 2030 to the public, according to a government statement on Sunday, days after the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) completes its Parivartan Yatra on Monday in the poll-bound state. Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot to lead Congresss nine-day long march from September 27. (PTI)

Gehlot will stop at 50 locations and engage with people and seek their invaluable insights into the mission initiative, which aims to propel Rajasthan among the top development states of India by 2030, the statement said. The yatra will start on September 27 from Birla Auditorium in Jaipur and take a two-day break from October 1 due to Gandhi Jayanti.

When Mission 2030 was launched, in August 2023, the chief ministers government invited suggestions through different modalities with an aim to incorporate the aspirations of the people in his vision to transform Rajasthan into a beacon of progress, the statement said.

The government has collected 7.4 million suggestions through its Jan Kalyan App, doorstep surveys by the Congress partys community volunteers, using a toll-free phone number, and organizing essay competitions to understand the aspirations of the people.

The chief minister will engage with different communities, including women and youth, across the state. As the Yatra progresses, the emphasis will be on fostering dialogue, and understanding the unique challenges faced by local communities through town halls and public gatherings, the statement said, adding that this inclusive approach underscores Gehlots commitment to create a future where every citizens voice is not only heard but actively shapes the development trajectory of Rajasthan.

He will visit Jaipur, Sikar, Churu, Nagaur, Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Pali, Sirohi, Jalore, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Dungarpur, Banswara and Chittorgarh during the yatra.

The BJP said the Congress has panicked after its Parivartan Yatra that exhorts people to bring in a regime change. There is only one suggestion for Gehlot for Mission 2030  to resign from the chief ministers post, BJP MLA Vasudev Devnani said. The Congress is scared of Parivartan Yatra, which is why they are taking out this rally.

The BJP on September 2 began its Parivartan Yatra, which will conclude in Jaipur on Monday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public meeting. The yatra has covered around 9,000 km across the state and four national leaders, including party president J P Nadda, home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh and transport minister Nitin Gadkari, inaugurated four rallies that were brought out on four routes in the state.

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Shashi Tharoor of the Congress on Sunday targeted the Narendra Modi government after a study claimed that the unemployment rate among graduates under 25 years of age touched a huge 42 per cent post-Covid in the country. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.(PTI)

Quoting a news report by Live Mint, which cited the study the State of Working India 2023 by Azim Premji Universitys Centre for Sustainable Employment, Tharoor wrote on X platform, Grim news. And the governments only answer is to wield its weapons of mass distraction so that Indians will argue over everything but unemployment and the unaffordability of essential items.

Also Read: Congress flags unemployment and poverty as lingering challenges

Post-Covid the unemployment rate is lower than it was pre-Covid, for all education levels. But it remains above 15% for graduates and more worryingly it touches a huge 42% for graduates under 25 years, the study claimed.

weak growth in real labour earning

It also outlined the post-Covid unemployment scenario in India, stating that open unemployment rate in India has declined to 6.6 per cent in 2021-22 but there has been very weak growth in real labour earning".

According to the study, the percentage of workers with regular wage or salaried employment showed an upward trend starting in 2004. For men, this figure increased from 18 per cent to 25 per cent, while for women, it rose from 10 per cent to 25 per cent.

Between 2004 and 2017, there were approximately 3 million new regular wage jobs generated each year. This number increased to 5 million per year between 2017 and 2019. However, this pace has decreased since 2019 due to the growth slowdown and the pandemic, it added.

It said that the unemployment rate has dropped from over 40 per cent for those under 25 years to below 5 per cent for graduates who are above 35 years old. "This indicates that eventually graduates do find jobs but the key questions are, what is the nature of jobs they find and do these match their skills and aspirations?" the report said.

(With inputs from PTI)

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. In accordance with the request of representatives of Armenian residents at a meeting held on September 21 in the city of Yevlakh to provide fuel and lubricants for kindergartens, emergency medical services and fire services, 24 tons of gasoline and 40 tons of diesel fuel were sent via the Barda-Aghdam-Askeran-Khankendi road on September 23, the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports.

At the invitation of the Presidential Administration of the Republic of Azerbaijan, point person for contacts with Armenian residents of Karabakh Ramin Mammadov met on September 21, 2023 with representatives of Armenian residents of Karabakh Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan launched anti-terrorist measures in Karabakh on September 19 in order to completely expel Armenian illegal armed formations from its territory.

As a result, in less than 24 hours, the Azerbaijani Army managed to take control of more than 90 combat positions of the Armenian armed forces units. At the same time, seven combat vehicles, one tank, four mortars, and two infantry fighting vehicles were captured as trophies by the Armenian Armed Forces units.

Thus, an agreement on the cessation of anti-terrorist activities was reached at 13:00 (GMT+4) on September 20.
US ambassador to Canada David Cohen has claimed that shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners had informed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a news conference in Ottawa.(Bloomberg)

Nijjar, a designated terrorist, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara he led in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver, in June.

The Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

India and Canada's relationship saw its lowest point after Trudeau said on Monday that there were credible allegations of Indian involvement in the killing of Nijjar  the allegation India has outrightly rejected.

Since then both countries have expelled some top diplomats.

Latest updates on India vs Canada diplomatic tensions:

1. In an interview with CTV News network, David Cohen said, There was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped lead Canada to (make) the statements that the prime minister made.

He (Cohen) made this comment while denying a Washington Post report alleging that weeks before Trudeaus bombshell declaration, Ottawa asked its closest allies, including the US to publicly condemn the murder and that overture was rebuffed, the CTV said.

Very bluntly, I will say that  and you know me well enough  that Im not in the habit of commenting on private diplomatic conversations Look, I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think thats as far as Im comfortable going, Cohen was quoted as saying.

2. Cohen's comments came hours after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is deeply concerned about the allegations raised by Trudeau against India and Washington was closely coordinating with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see accountability in the case. Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.

3. Earlier, Trudeau claimed that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence that it may have been behind the killing of Nijjar on Canadian soil and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the very serious matter. He, however, did not elaborate on the evidence that he says has been shared with India.

4. On Saturday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the property of banned outfit Sikhs for Justices chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu at his ancestral village of Khankot in Amritsar and Chandigarh. Official sources said a property confiscation notice was put up outside Pannus house in Sector 15, Chandigarh. The action was taken under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The NIA confiscated 26 kanals of agricultural land belonging to Pannu at Khankot in Amritsar in connection with a terror case registered in 2020. Pannu, who is facing around 22 criminal cases in Punjab, including three of sedition, is known to be operating from Canada.

5. On Thursday, Trudeau said Canada was not looking to provoke or cause problems with India as he urged New Delhi to take the matter extremely seriously and work with Ottawa to uncover the truth.

6. CBC News, citing sources, reported on Thursday that the Canadian government has amassed both human and signals intelligence in a months-long investigation of Nijjar's death. The intelligence includes communications involving Indian officials themselves, including Indian diplomats present in Canada, according to Canadian government sources. Canada's allegations of India's involvement in the killing are based on both human and signals intelligence and inputs from an ally from Ottawas Five Eye intelligence network, the report claimed.

7. New Delhi has suspended visa services for Canadian nationals indefinitely amid heightened tensions between the two countries even as Ottawa said it was temporarily adjusting staff presence in India to ensure the safety of diplomats following threats received on social media.

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Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin has censured Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for alleging that India had links with the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar and claimed that the Khalistani extremist was not simply a plumber and "he had blood on his hands". A sign outside the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple is seen after the killing on its grounds in June 2023 of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar, in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. (REUTERS)

Rubin, a senior fellow at American Enterprise Institute, also termed Trudeau's claims as shameless and cynical, urging the US not to play into the hands of people who are looking at the Khalistani movement as a movement for ego, profit and politics, news agency PTI reported.

Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was one of India's most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of 10 lakh on his head. The killing of Nijjar, whom India had designated as a terrorist in 2020, sparked a huge diplomatic row between New Delhi and Ottawa, since Trudeau's explosive allegations of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the incident on June 18 in British Columbia.

India has angrily rejected the allegations as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

'Canadian PM made a huge mistake': Michael Rubin

Rubin, speaking at a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute think-tank, claimed Trudeau is playing into the hands of people who are looking at the Khalistani movement as a movement of ego and profit. He also warned that the Canadian prime minister has made a huge mistake by alleging India's possible involvement and criticised him for not backing his allegations with evidence so far.

Prime Minister Trudeau I think has made a huge mistake. He has made allegations in a manner which he hasn't been able to back. Either he was shooting from the hip and he doesn't have the evidence to support the accusations he made against the government. There is something there, in which case he needs to explain why this government was sheltering a terrorist, the former Pentagon official said.

What is striking about Trudeau's "shameless action and cynical action" is that while he's making a statement now, the killing of Karima Baloch that was carried out allegedly with Pakistani assistance is a police matter and has not been taken to the Prime Minister's Office, Rubin said.

Baloch, a Pakistani human rights activist found murdered in Toronto. Canadian police took the lead on the case. There were suggestions of the Pakistani government's complicity.

"So, the question then becomes why the discrepancy if not populist political posturing? ... That might help Justin Trudeau in the long term but that's not what leadership is. We really need our politicians on both sides of the aisle here and in Canada, (there is a) need to be much more responsible because they're playing with fire," he said.

It seems, Rubin said, that some outside hands are trying to revive the Khalistan movement. "I don't think it will work," he said, adding he would not want the US to give legitimacy to this sort of "cynical manoeuvres by outside powers".

"It would be a mistake to suddenly see a separatist movement and argue that this is legitimate. And I worry less so with the United States but more so with what we see in Canada right now with Justin Trudeau, that same knee-jerk reaction playing into the hands of people who are looking at the Khalistani movement as a movement for ego, a movement for profit and for politics," he said.

Rubin added, "As a former consumer of intelligence, I can say that oftentimes the intelligence we see whether it's a telephone intercept or something else, isn't as black and white, isn't as cut and dry. I mean, certainly, that was the case with regard to the Iraq War.

He further said: So when you have a situation like this, perhaps Prime Minister Trudeau raised the issue, but there wasn't necessarily consensus on what he meant. And regardless, let's not fool ourselves, Nijjar was not simply a plumber, any more than Osama bin Laden was a construction engineer. He had blood on his hands from multiple attacks.

Michael Rubin reacts to Antony Blinkens statement

On US State Secretary Antony Blinkens statement that the US always stood against transnational repression, Rubin said: We are actually being hypocritical if Secretary Blinken makes that statement, because after all, what we are talking about isn't transnational repression. We are talking about transnational terrorism, and what the United States did to Qasem Soleimani...is really no different than what India is alleged to have done in this case.

Blinken on Friday said Washington was deeply concerned about the allegations made by Trudeau about the Indian government's involvement in the killing of Nijjar. He said the US wanted to see accountability and called it important that the investigation runs its course and leads to the result.

Separately, Rubin while writing in The National Interest, an American bimonthly international relations magazine, said President Joe Biden is right to avoid giving immediate support to Trudeau, PTI reported.

Attack on India's consulate in San Francisco

In July, India's consulate in San Francisco was attacked by Khalistan supporters, who tried to set the diplomatic facility on fire, in the second such act of violence within months.

A video by Khalistan supporters, dated July 2 posted on X, showed the act of arson at the Indian Consulate. The video, with the words violence begets violence emblazoned over it, also showed news articles related to the death of Nijjar.

Shared intelligence from Five Eyes informed Trudeau's India allegation: US ambassador

US ambassador to Canada David Cohen confirmed that "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June, CTV News reported.

Intelligence-sharing network Five Eyes includes the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

"I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen told CTV News in an interview to be aired on Sunday.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Spiritualism has always been Indias strength and Jharkhand has a lot to offer to tourists in terms of spirituality as there are different kinds of religious places in the state, said tourism development corporation general manager Alok Prasad. Tourism development corporation general manager Alok Prasad said Jharkhand is gradually becoming a preferred travel destination due to its unique topography (HT Photo)

Prasad who was speaking during a seminar on Fuelling Innovation in Jharkhand Tourism  as a part of the Hindustan Times Tourism Conclave  also discussed the safety aspect for inbound tourists saying that they now feel safewhile visiting the state and it is gradually becoming a preferred travel destination due to its unique topography.

The tourists feel safe visiting the state and there are no hindrances. Jharkhand is gradually becoming a preferred travel destination due to its unique topography... and for religious tourism.

Under the Centres Prasad (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive) scheme in the state, religious tourism has prospered. There are different kinds of religious places in Jharkhand... for Buddhism, Jainism and Hinduism. For Jainism, it (the state) is considered one of the most important places not just in India but the world. Religious tourists are the most popular kind of tourists in Jharkhand, he said.

Talking about the states potential in terms of spirituality, he said,Spiritualism has always been Indias strength since the ancient times. If we talk about Jharkhand, the state has a lot to offer to the people who come in search of spiritualism.There are many spiritual places where devotees from all over the country visit such as Baidyanath Dham Temple.

Additionally Prasad said Jharkhand also has rich potential for adventure tourism. The state has a rich potential for adventure tourism such as trekking and camping, he added further

Replying to a query if there was a lack of road and infrastructure in the state, Prasad said: Roads are much better in Jharkhand in comparison with other states, and connectivity in terms of trains and airways is also good.

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It has been two weeks since Prime Minister Narendra Modi surprised observers by announcing on Day One of the G20 summit in New Delhi that all twenty member nations had achieved consensus on the New Delhi G20 Summit Leaders Declaration. The announcement capped nine months of frenzied activity which involved thousands of meetings, consultations, and side events associated with Indias presidency. This week on Grand Tamasha, a weekly podcast coproduced by HT and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, host Milan Vaishnav sat down with commentator Ashok Malik to discuss the larger implications of Indias triumph. Malik, now in the private sector, previously served as policy advisor to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and speech writer and spokesperson for former President Ram Nath Kovind. Grand Tamasha this week highlights implications of Indias triumph at G20 meet. (HT Photo)

Malik stressed the significance of India ensuring that consensus among the fractious group was achieved, not just for India but for the organization as a whole. It was important for the G20 to establish that it was still resilient, still viable, and still had utility and value in this post-Ukraine, post-COVID, and post-geopolitical rift world, remarked Malik. And particularly, that it could still be of use to the vast concourse of humanitythe 125 odd countries of the Global South. Malik suggested that Indias success at the G20 will have lasting impacts on Indias global image: The world became more acutely aware of Indias ability to be a problem-solver, a bridge, a negotiator, and a force for international reconciliationin the best manner possible.

Malik also stressed that Indias foreign policy engagement also has greater domestic salience than ever before, an important development in an election year. According to him, this is a function of the massive changes Indias economy has experienced since the 1991 liberalization. The common Indians interest in foreign policy has grown with international engagement. It is not a negative response to international engagement, its actually a positive response, Malik explained. In 1991, some 15 percent of Indias GDP was dependent on external trade, that number is around 45 percent today. Of course, the economy is much, much larger: it was around $300 billion in 1991 and today its around $3.5 trillion. A much wider proportion of a much larger economy today is dependent on international trade.

One of the highlights of the summit took place not in the summit hall, but on the sidelines, when the United States, India, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and others announced a new India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC). Many observers believe this corridor serves as an explicit counter to Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, Malik argues that theres an important difference between IMEEC and BRI, namely the formers on economic viability. These will be projects that have an economic rationale because all of the regions and countries concerned are going through enormous economic transformation and expansion, stated Malik. He used the example of how UAE and Saudi Arabia are investing enormously in a post-oil economy, which could mean anything from renewable energy to financial hubs and new citiesto healthcare and other emerging technologies. There is also the normal passage of manufactured goods on this route from India to Europe and the reverse flow. The countries involved in the [corridor] have proven economic capacities and markets. These are projects that, in the end, can be viable, noted Malik.
Tamil Nadus strength is in its spiritual and heritage tourism and the government is allocating funds in equal measures for revamping temples, mosques and churches to expand the sector in the state, tourism development corporation managing director Sandeep Nanduri said. Tourism development corporation managing director Sandeep Nanduri called for investors to consider Tamil Nadu as a leading destination for investments (HT)

Speaking virtually during the one-day Hindustan Times Tourism Conclave, Nanduri confirmed that chief minister MK Stalin will soon launch the state tourism policy.

Tamil Nadus strength is spiritual and heritage tourism. We have over 80,000 temples and out of these six are part of UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) heritage sites. These (places) attract a lot of inbound tourists, he said during the seminar titled Fuelling Innovation in Tamil Nadu Tourism.

We consciously promote our temple tour packages and try to create good infrastructures in these temples. In the last couple of years, the government has also identified certain key temples and investment has already gone to upgrade these temples. The state is also spending on infrastructure of other religious places like dargahs and churches... right from Chennai and all the way to Kanyakumari, Nanduri said.

Talking about the state tourism policy, Nanduri called for investors to consider Tamil Nadu as a leading destination for investments.

Very soon the CM is also going to launch the tourism policy, which I cant reveal now... but investors can look forward to Tamil Nadu as a leading destination for investments. We are also planning to promote the state as a coastal destination and with the support of the new policy, we are looking forward to a lot of public-private partnerships, Nanduri added.

Nanduri said that the state was also trying to bolster tech based tourism. He added, We are going to update our tourism app and we have recently upgraded and relaunched the website.

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India-Canada news Highlights: Days after triggering a diplomatic spat over the killing of Khalistan terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is yet to present any substantial evidence to back his credible allegations of India's role in the murder. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the G20 Summit in New Delhi. (AP)

While Trudeau has claimed that Canada shared the information on allegations with New Delhi "weeks ago", India has denied the allegations and said it has been provided no specific information regarding it. Meanwhile, as the escalation refuses to die down, India on Friday bluntly told Canada to act against pro-Khalistan elements with links to organised crime that are targeting Indian diplomats.

Additionally, in a crackdown on Sikh separatists domestically, the National Investigation Agency on Saturday confiscated the properties of pro-Khalistan outfit 'Sikh For Justice' founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. Pannun was a close ally of Nijjar, who headed Canada's unit of the outfit, until being gunned down in June near Vancouver.

Trudeau on Monday charged credible allegations of a potential link between Indian government agents and the slaying of Nijjar, which have led to a series of fallouts, including both countries expelling diplomats.
With Pakistan soon to acquire eight Chinese Yuan class submarines between 2023-2028, pressure has mounted on Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) to conclude a deal for building three additional diesel-electric Kalvari class submarines with French Naval Group this year so that its submarine building capacity (currently 11) does not turn idle by the end of the year. Kalveri, Shishumar and Sindhugosh class of Indian Navy patrolling in Indian Ocean.

MDL is giving finishing touches to last of the six Kalvari (Scorpene) class submarine, INS Vagsheer, before commencement of sea trials, and has begun negotiations with Naval Group for the additional three submarines which will have features that are operation specific and with indigenous torpedos and air independent propulsion (AIP) for longer endurance. It is understood that the heavyweight indigenous torpedo and AIP are currently being tested in France for operational validation.

As of now Pakistan has one old French Agosta 70 (called PNS Hurmat) and another old and upgraded Agosta 90 B (called PMS Hamza) with French single use MESMA AIP operational . It also has four Yuan class diesel-electric submarines to join this year. The Yuan class submarines will induce a paradigm shift in Pakistans sub-surface fleet as the 039 B submarine is equipped with AIP and, possibly, submarine-launched cruise missiles.

For the three additional submarines, MDL is in talks with Naval group so that the new platforms will have much more advanced features than those of the Kalvari class, which were ordered by India in 2005 on the basis of A B Vajpayee governments 30-year submarine plan in 1999. The three subs, the acceptance of necessity for which were accorded by the Modi government in July, will possibly be seven meters longer than Kalvari class subs if the Navy wants a pure diesel-electric submarine, with additional batteries for staying submerged for longer periods or will be 10 meters long to house the AIP unit designed by DRDO. The new three submarines will have advanced optronics, electronic warfare suites and heavy weight torpedos with a range of 40 kilometers and higher explosive content. The new boats will also have advanced/upgraded SM-39 Exocet missiles with future boats equipped with SCALP 1000 km range submarine-launched cruise missiles. But there is more to this.

With Naval Group signing an MoU this July with MDL to build submarines in Mumbai dockyards to export to other countries, there is much excitement within the yard as through this joint venture India will export Scorpene class submarines to Indonesia, Malaysia and others. Naval Group has also signed an MoU with Kolkata based GRSE to build surface combatants such as destroyers and frigates under a joint venture and export these to third countries. This will ensure that the machine tooling capacity of the two dockyards does not erode for want of work orders.

With Indias submarine force strength going down with ageing Shishumar (HDW) class and Sindughosh (Kilo) class submarines facing spare parts issues on account of Russias Ukraine war, the Indian Navy needs more sub-surface combatants to protect its 7500 km coastline as well as pose deterrence threat to Pakistan and China. The Indian Kalvari class ships frequently patrol Pakistans Makran coast, some six hours from Mumbai, and were operationally deployed outside Karachi and Gwadar harbor during Operation Balakot in 2019.

While the US Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas told the Malabar partners during 2023 exercise off the coast of Sydney that the US expects a military emergency in Taiwan in 2027, the Indian Navy is quite clear that Chinese patrols or carrier-based strike force with nuclear powered conventionally armed submarines will start patrolling the Indian Ocean by 2025-2026. It is for this very reason that Indias indigenous submarine building capacity needs to be promoted, say experts, adding that as it is the lynchpin of PM Narendra Modis Atmanirbhar Bharat plan in defence and security.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Shishir Gupta Author of Indian Mujahideen: The Enemy Within (2011, Hachette) and Himalayan Face-off: Chinese Assertion and Indian Riposte (2014, Hachette). Awarded K Subrahmanyam Prize for Strategic Studies in 2015 by Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) and the 2011 Ben Gurion Prize by Israel. ...view detail
India may have suspended visa services for Canadian nationals, applications for issuance of fresh Overseas Citizen of India or OCI have not been impacted. High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, India (Representative Photo)

While there was confusion about whether recent Canadian citizens who have surrendered their Indian passports and others of Indian origin could apply for a new OCI card, a senior Indian official said, Suspension is only for visa services. OCI services not affected by the suspension.

The suspension was put in place on Wednesday night amid turmoil in the relationship between Canada and India and after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made a statement in the House of Commons on Monday that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder of Khalistani figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.

Responding, Foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in New Delhi earlier that no specific information has been received from Canada.

The reason given by BLS International, which has the third-party contract to process applications in Canada, was that it was due to operational reasons and visa services would remain suspended till further notice.

While the External Affairs Ministry had said OCI services would not be impacted, it was unclear whether that applied to current OCI holders or fresh applicants as well.

On Thursday, Bagchi, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs said, The question is not about travel to India. Those who have valid visas, those who have other kind of documents like [Overseas Citizen of India cards] are free to travel to India.

He had blamed the failure of Canadian authorities to act on the incitement of violence against Indian diplomats for the suspension of visa services. Thats whats making us stop temporarily the issuance of visas or providing visa services, he added. The secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ has called for a shutdown of Indian missions on Monday.

However, an official said there will be greater scrutiny of OCI applications, particularly in the context of some persons of Indian origin in Canada being involved in pro-Khalistan activities.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has asserted that the credible allegations related to the potential link between Indian agents and the killing of Khalistani figure Hardeep Nijjar were communicated to New Delhi weeks ago.

Trudeaus charges have led to a series of fallouts, including both countries expelling diplomats.

Emboldened by Trudeaus allegations, the secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ has called for shutting down Indias mission in Canada on September 25 and for the expulsion of Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anirudh Bhattacharyya Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb. ...view detail
The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor that was proposed during the G20 Summit would go on to become a cornerstone of global trade for times to come, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while addressing the 105th episode of Mann Ki Baat on Sunday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (File Photo)

When India was very prosperous, silk routes were widely discussed in the country and the world. Now in modern times, India has suggested another economic corridor during the G20. It is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and history will remember that India initiated this corridor, PM said.

The PM noted that the highest number of letters he received these days were on the success of the Chandrayaan 3 and the G20 summit and that the success of both had doubled the happiness of every Indian. In the backdrop of the summit, a G20 University connect programme would also be held in Delhi, the PM noted, which would involve students from the top colleges of the country, which he too would participate in.

Speaking on the World Tourism Day which will be held on September 27, PM Modi noted that the G20 summit would go on to influx foreign tourism in India. Attraction towards India has increased immensely in the past few years and after the successful organisation of G20, people have become more interested in India. More than one lakh delegates came to India for the G20 summit. They got acquainted with Indias diversity and carried back great expertise that will boost tourism in India.

Recalling the time when world leaders who were in attendance of the G20 summit visited the Gandhi memorial to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, PM Modi urged countrymen to join for a cleanliness drive on October 1, in the run up to Gandhi Jayanti, which he said would be a tribute to the father of the nation. He also urged people to buy some Khadi products on October 2.

During the G20 summit, who can forget the sight when world leaders reached Rajghat together to pay homage to Bapu. This beautifully proves how relevant Bapus thoughts are even today across the world. I am also happy that many programs related to cleanliness have been planned across the country on Gandhi Jayanti. Swachhata hi Seva campaign is underway with great enthusiasm. The Indian Swachata League is also reaching great participation. A big event on cleanliness will be organised on Sunday, October 1 at 10am. You too should take out time and join hands in this cleanliness campaign in your neighbourhood. The act of cleanliness will also be a true tribute to Gandhi ji. Also buy at least some Khadi products on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the PM said.

In the previous episode, the 104th, Modi delved into the historic Chandrayaan-3 mission focusing on the successful soft landing the Vikram lander made on the Moons South Pole. He also extended greetings for World Sanskrit Day, celebrated on August 31, emphasising the languages significance and its status as one of the worlds oldest languages and referred to it as the mother of many modern languages. Modi commended the efforts to promote Sanskrit in recent times.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. Trucks with 400 tons of humanitarian aid sent on July 26 from Armenia under the pretext of saving the Armenian population of Karabakh from the humanitarian blockade are moving from Lachin back to Armenia, Trend reports from the scene.

Besides 19 Armenian trucks, 2 French ones were sent back.

Trend presents these footage:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday that the India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become a basis of world trade for the coming centuries and history will remember that it was envisioned in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses during the Sansad Sanskritik Mahotsav and inauguration of Atal Awasiya Vidyalayas, in Varanasi on Saturday. (ANI Photo)(PMO India )

In his monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, Modi recalled the "Silk route", an ancient trade corridor used by India when it was a prosperous and great trading power, and said the country suggested the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor at the recent G20 Summit. (Mann ki Baat LIVE)

The successful summit after the success of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission doubled every citizen's happiness, he said while noting that the two accomplishments have figured most in the messages he has received from people.

India's leadership was acknowledged by the world as it succeeded in making the African Union a member of the G20, he said.

Bharat Mandapam, the venue which hosted the G20 Summit, has become a "celebrity", the prime minister said, noting that people have been clicking selfies with the state-of-the-art conference hall.

Noting that the World Tourism Day falls on September 27, he said tourism is said to create maximum employment with minimum investment, adding that goodwill matters a lot in drawing tourists.

India's goodwill has risen over the last few years, he said, adding that it has only gone up further with the G20 meetings as over one lakh foreign delegates travelled to different parts of the country and witnessed its diversity and heritage.

Modi said it was a matter of immense pride that Santiniketan associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka were recently declared world heritage sites.

Such sites number now 42 in India and it is the country's efforts to have more and more places associated with its culture and heritage recognised as the World Heritage Sites.

With Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary falling on October 2, he said no one can forget the sight of world leaders paying homage at his memorial during the G20 Summit, a recognition as to how his ideas remain relevant globally.

Modi expressed happiness at many cleanliness programmes being planned to mark his birth anniversary with the Union government departments launching 'Swachhta hi sewa' programme.

Noting that a big cleanliness programme will be organised at 10 am on October 1, he urged people to join the exercise in their neighbourhood or any public place.

It will be a true tribute to Gandhi ji, he said and asked people to buy some khadi products.

With the festival season coming up, he asked people to remember 'vocal for local' and buy 'Made in India' products.
Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha Kodikunnil Suresh on Saturday wrote to Speaker Om Birla demanding immediate suspension of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri over the communal slurs he used against BSP lawmaker Danish Ali on the floor of the House. Suresh also demanded that the matter be referred to the privilege committee, stressing that a member of Parliament behaving like a hatemonger in the hallowed halls of our democracy is a shocking aberration which must never be tolerated. BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri speaks in the Lok Sabha during a special session of Parliament in New Delhi on Sept. 21 (PTI)

Suresh, as a member of the panel of chairperson, was presiding over the Lok Sabha proceedings when the incident occurred Thursday. The members of the panel preside over House proceedings when both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are not present.

"Ever since I have assumed the responsibility of being on the panel of Chairpersons in the Lok Sabha, it has been my endeavour to ensure the spirit of the constitution and uphold the values of the August House," the MP said.

"However, the most appalling and unfortunate incident that shook the very core of every value to which we all stand guard, took place in the new Parliament House where Ramesh Bidhuri, a BJP MP misbehaved and brought immense shame to the house."

He said he was conducting the affairs of the House when Biduri "started using vulgar expletives, communal remarks and made vile and disgusting comments directed against Danish Ali ".

"Since the translation services were not optimal and the House was erupting in protest, I could not make out the exact meaning of the utterances of Ramesh Biduri, but sensing the situation, I immediately ordered for the expunging of all terms, usages and expletives from the record that were spoken by Ramesh Bidhuri, and ensured the hate-filled remarks are permanently expunged and removed," he said.

Amid the Oppositions uproar against Bidhuri for his communal slurs at Danish Ali, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claimed on Saturday that Ali allegedly provoked Bidhuri by targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In a letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Dubey maintained that Bidhuri used inappropriate and said, whatever Ramesh Bidhuri uttered in the House on that date against another member of Parliament was inappropriate and I also oppose the usage of any such words by any MP against another member or their religious-cultural beliefs.

Dubey also claimed when Danish Ali was busy instigating Bidhuri with his intemperate comments, he made a highly objectionable and derogatory remark against PM Narendra Modi. In his desperation to denigrate the ruling dispensation and the PMs achievement on landing Chandrayaan 3 on the moon, he screamed across the isle without the microphone but could be clearly heard saying that Neech ko neech nehi kahenge toh kya kahenge.

While Ali and other Opposition leaders cited video footage of Bidhuri calling Ali a Bhadwa (pimp), Katwa (circumcised) and Mullah Atankvadi (Muslim terrorist), Dubeys allegations were not immediately supported by any proof.

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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
Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh on Sunday discussed a plan to extend the India-Myanmar border fencing by 70 km during a meeting with Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and other senior officials of the state. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the chief minister said the additional fencing along the international border will be done to check the cross-border illegal immigration and drugs smuggling. Manipur CM N Biren Singh during top official-level meeting on border fencing(Twitter)

The meeting was held a day after he urged the Centre to permanently close the Free Movemement Regime which allows people on either side of the border to travel up to 16 km inside the other country.

"Held a meeting with the officials of BRO and deliberated the plan to begin construction of an additional 70 km of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border. I was joined by Chief Secretary, DGP and officials from the Home Department. In view of the rise in illegal immigration and drugs smuggling from the neighbouring country, safeguarding our porous borders has become an urgent necessity.

Less than 10% of Manipur's 400-km international border with Myanmar is fenced which leaves the region open for cross-border illegal activities. Due to difficult topography of the region among other reasons, fencing the entire border is challenging. However, it is believed that fencing of areas where most illegal activies are carried out can be done easily.

On Saturday, Biren Singh said the FMR has made it difficult to control the illegal influx from Myanmar. Our governments priority is to stop illegal influx from Myanmar for that we need immediate border fencing. Now Union home minister already sanctioned and Im told that the work order has also been issued to BRO for about 60 km (border fencing activities) subject to confirmation, he said.

The internet facility in the state, which was banned as a precautionary measure in the wake of the ethnic violence, was restored for the public from Saturday. He said an adequate number of paramilitary forces was sent by the central government and accordingly we have deployed it at vulnerable areas that are the reason why no unwanted incidents were reported in the last one month.

As a part of India's Act East Policy, FMR gives permission to enter 16-km inside both countries without visa. The rationale of this pact was to enable trade and business as well as to allow people from ethnically similar communities, in both countries, to move freely. However, the move has faced criticism as it unintentionally enabled cross-border illegal activities.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people, especially students, to participate in the ongoing Chandrayaan 3 MahaQuiz. "I will request students to participate in Chandrayaan-3 mahaquiz which will help them to explore about country's lunar mission," Modi said on the 105th episode of his monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat. PM Narendra Modi salutes ISRO scientists for Chandrayaan 3's success.

On August 23, India scripted history after the Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-3 soft landed on the Moon's south pole. After landing, both the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover, and payloads onboard had performed experiments one after the other so as to complete them within 14 Earth days (one lunar day), before pitch darkness and extreme cold weather engulfed the Moon.

The lander and rover  with a total mass of 1,752 kg  were designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days) to study the surroundings there. However, the ISRO is hoping they can be revived, now that the Sun has risen again on the Moon, and that they carry on with the experiments and studies there.

"When the lander of Chandrayaan-3 was about to land on the Moon, crores of people were simultaneously witnessing this event every moment through different mediums. More than 80 lakh people watched the event on ISRO's YouTube Live Channel - a record in itself. This shows how deeply millions of Indians are attached to Chandrayaan-3," Modi said on the show.

What is ISRO's Chandrayaan 3 MahaQuiz?

The ISRO is currently organising the Chandrayaan 3 Maha Quiz on the MyGov platform part of the celebrations honouring India's remarkable feat in space exploration.

This MyGov quiz on Chandrayaan 3 aims to engage students in understanding the significance and successful outcomes of this lunar mission, which has put India on the global stage  in the field of space research and technology.

Chandrayaan-3 MahaQuiz: How To Register?

To participate in the Chandrayaan 3 Mahaquiz, the citizens need to create an individual account on MyGov.

Here are the steps to register for Chandrayaan 3 Mahaquiz: Click on https://isroquiz.mygov.in

Click on the button "Participate Now".

Enter details such as name, mobile number, DOB, email ID, gender, country, state, and district.

Click on "Proceed."

An OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number.

Input the OTP and start the quiz.

Objective of the Chandrayaan-3 quiz

The aim of the Chandrayaan 3 Maha Quiz is to celebrate the success of Indias lunar mission and encourage students to explore more about Chandrayaan 3. The quiz comprises 10 MCQ-type questions, which can be attempted in five minutes or 300 seconds.

Candidates who successfully complete the quiz are rewarded with an e-certificate. There are additional cash prizes for candidates who attempt all the quiz questions correctly.

A candidate can attempt the quiz only once. Multiple entries by the same candidate will be disqualified.

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Although India has suspended visa services for Canadian nationals, applications for issuance of fresh Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards have not been impacted, an official said. HT Image

While there was confusion whether recent Canadian citizens who have surrendered their Indian passports and others of Indian origin could apply for a new OCI card, an Indian official said, Suspension is only for visa services. OCI services not affected by the suspension.

The suspension was put in place on Wednesday amid turmoil in the relationship between Canada and India after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in the House of Commons on Monday that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the murder of Khalistani radical Hardeep Singh Nijjar on June 18.

The reason given by BLS International, which has the third-party contract to process applications in Canada, was it was due to operational reasons and visa services would remain suspended till further notice.

While the foreign ministry had said OCI services would not be impacted, it was unclear whether that applied to current OCI holders or to fresh applicants as well. The question is not about travel to India. Those who have valid visas, those who have other kind of documents like (Overseas Citizen of India cards) are free to travel to India, ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said on Thursday.

Bagchi had blamed the failure of Canadian authorities to act on the incitement of violence against Indian diplomats for the suspension of visa services. Thats whats making us stop temporarily the issuance of visas or providing visa services, he added. The secessionist group Sikhs for Justice has called for a shutdown of Indian missions on Monday.

There will, however, be greater scrutiny of OCI applications, particularly in the context of some persons of Indian origin in Canada being involved in pro-Khalistan activities, the official said, declining to be named.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anirudh Bhattacharyya Anirudh Bhattacharya is a Toronto-based commentator on North American issues, and an author. He has also worked as a journalist in New Delhi and New York spanning print, television and digital media. He tweets as @anirudhb. ...view detail
Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said the BJP is in for a surprise in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Taking part in the same media conclave where Rahul Gandhi hinted at this election surprise, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "I think he (Rahul Gandhi) joined the psephology business? I don't know about it". "There will be no surprise. Indian people are very predictable. Let the surprise be in the moon or the sun, not in India. He (Rahul Gandhi) always underestimates the people of India. Indian people are more stable and more predictable. Surprise business does not happen in politics," Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Rahul Gandhi said Congress is surely winning Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and probably Telangana too.

Rahul Gandhi chooses between Messi-Ronaldo, Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma: Here are his answers

"People look for the government for five years. Indian people are mature, more politically sensitive. And they take decision much beforehand. So I don't think there is any surprise," Himanta Biswa said.

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Rahul Gandhi made some predictions for the upcoming state elections and also the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as Congress and several other opposition parties have formed the INDIA bloc to fight the BJP. Rahul Gandhi said the Congress is certainly winning Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and probably Telangana. In Rajasthan, there is a 'very close contest', Rahul Gandhi said. Speaking on the Lok Saba election, he predicted the surprise that Himanta dismissed later.

Bidhuri a distractionBJP in for a surprise: Rahul Gandhi on poll narrative

"I would say, right now, we are probably winning Telangana, we are certainly winning Madhya Pradesh, we are certainly winning Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan, we are very close, and we think we will be able to win. That is what it is looking like, and by the way, that is also what the BJP internally is saying," Raul Gandhi said.

In a counter, Himanta said he thinks the 2024 elections will be better than 2019. "Modiji is at his best now. I think the result will be better in 2024. But let us not join the number game because the mood of the Lok Sabha election has not yet set in," Himanta said.

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Bhubaneswar: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday said he would rate Prime Minister Narendra Modi eight out 10 on foreign policy and various other parameters. Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaiks BJD has been consistent in its support to the central government led by the BJP (Sarangadhara Bishoi)

I would give the PM eight out of 10 marks because of what he has done for foreign policy and in various other matters too, Patnaik said when he was asked to rate Modi at a literary festival in the state capital. Also, there has been less corruption in this government. He has helped in rooting out corruption and is trying his best to serve the people of our country.

We have cordial relationship with the Centre. We want the development for our state. It is important to have Centres partnership in the development, he added.

Patnaiks Biju Janata Dal has been consistent in its support to the central government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, although it ended a poll alliance with the saffron outfit ahead of the 2009 state assembly elections. The regional party has not joined the opposition INDIA bloc.

The BJD has always supported holding simultaneous elections for the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Patnaik said, supporting the Centres new initiative on the matter. The Union government has established a panel led by former President Ram Nath Kovind to deliberate on the issue.

Patnaik said his government is transforming Odisha society. Our education, our health care, our agriculture, everything is witnessing a paradigm shift on the foundation of a transformative governance. Our women feel empowered, delivering strong leadership in every part of our society. Our people are more confident of their future now than they were ever before, said Patnaik, who has served as chief minister for over 23 years.

This newfound self-confidence is generating another core value of our society leading to Ama Odisha, Naveen Odisha, he said.
Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday visited the flood-affected areas in Nagpur as the heavy rainfall brought life to a standstill and claimed four lives in rain-related incidents. Fadnavis visited homes to interact with flood-affected families in the vicinity of Ambazari Lake, the city's largest waterbody, which breached its boundaries on Saturday due to heavy rains. An area is severely waterlogged following incessant rains, in Nagpur on Saturday. (ANI Photo)

The National Disaster Response Force and its state counterpart SDRF are undertaking rescue and relief operations across Nagpur, he informed.

"As many as 10,000 homes have been affected. Mud has entered houses. The administration is providing medicines and help in cleaning up flood-affected areas. The level of damage is serious. The amount of rainfall was higher than carrying capacity of the area," the deputy chief minister told reporters.

"We could have minimised the damage if some measures were taken earlier. The IMD had given an orange alert but it could not predict this much rain would fall in such a short time. There is always something to learn from such disasters," he said.

Late Saturday night, Fadnavis and Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who is the local MP, chaired a meeting to review the situation. Fadnavis announced a compensation of 10,000 for flood-affected families and those whose small roadside establishments were damaged in heavy rains in Nagpur and up to 5 lakh for bigger shops. He told reporters that flood water entered as many as 10,000 houses.

The continuous rainfall overwhelmed the city's drainage systems, quickly turning streets into fast-flowing rivers. The situation escalated rapidly, as water levels surged, submerging low-lying areas, and leaving residents stranded in their homes.

Visuals from the affected areas showed water gushing into homes and residential areas on Saturday and roads looked like rivers after the city received about 90 mm of rain between 2am and 4am. An elderly woman lost her life due to the downpour. Transportation systems came to a grinding halt, businesses were forced to close their doors and schools and colleges were shut as the city coped with the flood-like situation.

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Amid an escalating India-Canada diplomatic row, a top US diplomat in Canada, David Cohen, confirmed on Saturday the shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners led Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to make allegations against India in the killing of Khalistani militant Hardeep Singh Nijjar. High Commission of Canada in New Delhi, India (Representative Photo)(HT_PRINT)

Following Cohen's comments, The New York Times cited sources to report that The United States  one of the Five Eyes nations  provided Canada with intelligence after Nijjar was gunned down in June near Vancouver.

The Canadian allegations made by Trudeau on Monday, which India angrily rejected as "absurd" and motivated," have led to a fallout between the two nations  hitting the lowest in their relations in decades. (India Canada news LIVE updates)

What is 'Five Eyes'  the intelligence alliance?

1) The Five Eyes, founded in 1941, is an intelligence alliance comprising nations including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the US.

2) These countries are parties to the multilateral UK-USA Agreement, a treaty for joint cooperation in signals intelligence.

3) These partner nations exchange a wide spectrum of intelligence within one of the world's most tightly-knit multilateral agreements as part of the collaboration.

4) The Five Eyes agreement parties are diverse societies, governed by rule of law and robust human rights and are bonded by a common language. These characteristics aid the partners in sharing information with one another to protect their shared national interests, the Canadian government's website states.

5) Following its origin, the agency later enlarged its core group to Nine Eyes and 14 Eyes alliances as well, encompassing more countries as security partners. The Nine Eyes group expands to cover the Netherlands, Denmark, France and Norway, whereas the 14 Eyes bloc further includes Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain and Sweden.

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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
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday asked whether Rahul Gandhi will speak against Sharad Pawar as he met with Gautam Adani on Saturday in Ahmedabad. Calling this a politics of convenience and blackmail, Himanta said he (Rahul Gandhi) blackmails in the name of a businessman so that the businessman gives money to the Congress. "That's why he takes Adani's name repeatedly. But his ally Sharad Pawar was seen at Adani's house. Will he speak against Sharad Pawar. You can judge the double standardness of Rahul Gandhi. If I had been seen with Adani today, he would have finished me right and left," Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Sharad Pawar and Gautam Adani together inaugurated a factory in Gujarat on Saturday.

"Just imagine the scenario that a central minister of the NDA government going to a place to inaugurate something of Adani's today. What would have been the reaction of the Congress? Now why is silent when Sharad Pawar is repeatedly seen with Adani? It is a politics of convenience, it is a politics of blackmailing," the Assam chief minister said.

Both Rahul Gandhi and Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday attended a media conclave on Sunday. "He is talking about money and businessman in a platform where he should talk about poverty, his so-called idea about India. You can just imagine how desperate he is," Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Speaking at The Conclave 2023, Rahul Gandhi said, "The BJP has basically created a friendly monopolist. His name is Mr Adani. I assume you have heard his name. You are even a bit hesitant. Essentially BJP is handing over the key industries in our country to this gentleman. And he also controls a significant chunk of the media in the country. While there are other monopolists as well, he is the main one. There is a massive concentration of wealth that this gentleman has and there is a huge amount of money that the BJP is generating from this. So there is media control, then there is financial control. Please go and ask any businessman what happens to them if they support an opposition party, if they were to write a cheque for any opposition party. So we are facing a financial attack and a media attack. And we are doing pretty well. We have banded together. I have not seen the opposition working like this before."

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. Weapons and ammunition were seized in the direction of the Yukhari Veysalli village in Azerbaijan's Khojavend district, the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan said, Trend reports.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [which haven't been withdrawn from Azerbaijan's Karabakh, contrary to the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian, and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.
Union law minister Arjun Ram Meghwal on Sunday took a dig at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on matter pertaining to women's reservation Bill and the debate over its implementation. He asked whether Rahul Gandhi would not oppose if the premature implementation of the Bill reserves the seat, which he represents, for a woman. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Law and Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal(PIB)

Referring to the 42nd Constitution amendment, Meghwal said the process of delimitation, that sets the boundaries of different states based on a decadal census which eventually ensures the appropriation of representatives from each constituency, has been freezed till 2026. After the process of delimitation, it is believed the number of MPs in the Lok Sabha will increase to over 800 representatives.

"Delimitation is 'freezed' under Article 82 of the Constitution till 2026. How can it be conducted before? If you see, Rahul Gandhi is an MP from Wayanad. If we reserve that seat for woman, won't he criticise us? That's why a delimitation committee will decide which seat will be reserved (for women)," the Union law minister said at a press conference.

He further launched attack at the Congress for introducing the Bill in the Rajya Sabha when the party was in power, only to drop it when it was came to Lok Sabha. "Don't know why Congress tabled it (Women's Reservation Bill) in Rajya Sabha first (in 2009). After the Bill was passed (in Rajya Sabha), it was tabled in Lok Sabha. However, the Congress dropped the Bill to save its government," he said.

The Bill, which ensures at least one-third, or 33%, reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, was passed in both the Houses during the special session in Parliament which was held from September 18 to 22. One of the Articles of the 108th Constituion (Amendment) Bill mentions the reservation will be enacted after the delimitation process is completed following a decadal census.

While supporting the Bill, the Opposition has since contended the provision of delimitation calling it another jumla of the BJP government considering the upcoming general election. Calling it a diversionary tactic, the Congress urged the government to remove the delimitation clause from the Bill.
The Milan fashion world has become a designer carousel. Powerhouse Gucci and Swiss luxury brand Bally both introduced designers this season, while Tod's bade their creative director farewell and Moschino is in an interim phase. The question on everyone's minds: Where will former Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele, who has been out of circulation since stepping down last November, next pop up? Rumors are flying. Some scenes from Milan Fashion Week womenswear preview shows for Spring-Summer 2024 on Saturday: Naomi Campbell wears a creation as part of the Dolce & Gabbana women's Spring Summer 2024 collection presented in Milan, Italy, on Saturday. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)

DOLCE & GABBANA TAKE LINGERIE OUT OF BEDROOM

The fashion crowd at the Dolce&Gabbana show almost revolted as Billie Eilishs Barbie anthem What Was I Made For looped yet again, 45 minutes after show time. Eilish can blame Kylie Jenner, who was late for the show, for having Milan fashionistas want the song off their playlists. With Jenner comfortably seated, the curtain opened on a Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbanas latest collection, exploring to the tiniest detail the beauty and artisanal qualities of corsetry, and all manner of lingerie. (Also read: K-Pop group Enhypen turn Milan streets into catwalk in Prada outfits, 3D hand-stitched shoes )

Sheer tailored dresses did the job of showing off the workmanship. But even more mainstream daytime dresses, button-down pinstriped suits and print dresses were tailored to offer a hint of a brassiere, a peek of a slip. And in keeping with a bodycon trend that has made corsets, bra tops and tiny culottes part of an everyday wardrobe, some looks came down the runway completely al fresco, with perhaps a sheer stocking and garter.

Dolce & Gabbana also apparently checked the weather forecast and offered tailored raincoats. They would have been handy during a hailstorm that hit during the long pre-show wait. The Dolce & Gabbana front row and runway alike were star-studded: Halle Bailey stood out in bright yellow in a front row of mostly black-and-white clad personalities, including Jenner, who wore sunglasses and hair pulled in a tight bun.

On the runway, Ashley Graham wowed in a sheer halter slip over black bra and panties. Naomi Campbell commanded the runway in a sheer three-quarter slip over lingerie, a look that was finished with a rose choker.

BOTTEGA VENETA'S WORLD OF POSSIBILITIES

Bottega Veneta's Matthieu Blazy offered some crazy proportions for next summer, while also being one of the only Milan designers to take into account warm weather pastimes: beach and travel. Most collections on other runways seemed stuck in the city.

Blazy said the collection was inspired not by travels, but by fantasy-fueled childhood maps on the back of cereal boxes. That is the only way to make sense of the oversized  meaning huge  intrecciato bags. Or the exaggerated hips on a dress, or big cuffs and collars on a men's shirt, their size emphasized by the zig-zag cut. Or the enormous leather pom-poms stuck on the side of a dress.

Blazy teased his ideas, opening with an old-fashioned black swimsuit, shifting back to workwear, before again appearing with a culotte and raffia bag, as his character went back-and-forth from work to holiday, until finally giving in full-on to the fantasy. It not about how you put your suit anymore,'' Blazy said. "It is about how you can almost become this wonder, this dream.

BALLY RELAUNCHES WITH EDGY BASICS

The task facing Ballys new designer, Simone Bellotti, is to attract an edgier, perhaps younger, client while staying true to the Swiss luxury fashion houses customer base.

Bellottis debut collection tackles the quandary with office basics elevated with tailored flair, inviting a new audience with a slight bias cut on a midi skirt, or short shorts with a leather blazer. The collection grew bolder with a twisted plaid miniskirt, which evolved into 3-D floral skirts that bloomed out of overcoats. Underlining the transition, pointy Maryjane flats had a studded version.

Bellotti added a Swiss touch with leather clad cowbells on bags, and edelweiss hanging by a chain in a mesh pouch.

Many of these clothes that you see, I think they are good for everyone. They are nice on a 20-year-old girl or boy, but I can see them even for a person like me, I am 45, because those are classics,'' Bellotti said. It depends on how you where it, and who is going to wear it.

Front-row guests included Adrien Brody and Quinta Brunson along with brand ambassador DK of the South Korean supergroup Seventeen, who was met by a crowd of screaming fans outside.

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Nestled in the narrow lanes of Girgaon in south Mumbai is the citys oldest Ganpati mandal Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Sanstha, which marks 131 years of celebrating the festival this year. Mumbai's oldest Ganpati mandal marks 131 years of celebration(Unsplash)

The Sanstha, established in 1893 under the leadership of Rao Bahadur Limaye and Godse Shastri, has been celebrating the festival at Keshavji Naik Chawl on Khadilkar Road in a traditional manner.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilaks close associates Rao Bahadur Limaye and Godse Shastri started celebrating the festival here after he gave a call for public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi for people to come together against the British, says Kumar Walekar, secretary of the Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Sanstha.

ALSO READ: Happy Ganesh Chaturthi: Best wishes, images, messages to share with loved ones

The 10-day festival is being celebrated with the same devotion since 1893, he says.

Time seems to stand still as one walks into the chawl, where the citys mega festival had its humble beginnings.

The one thing that makes the pandal stand out is that traditions have been followed for the last 131 years, says Walekar.

The Sanstha has kept the celebrations simple and traditional since the beginning with a 2-foot idol made of clay.

Residents celebrate the festival as one family and all the decorations are designed and made by them. Only the stage and pillars are brought from outside, says Walekar beaming with pride.

We bring idols of the same size every year. There are children here who observe what is happening, they might not understand it now, but once they grow up, they will know what to do while following all the traditions, he says.

Santosh Rajwade, a former resident of the chawl, has been visiting the pandal for 40 years despite moving out of the locality.

I have shifted to Borivali now, but I make sure I visit the Bappa here every year. I am very attached to the Bappa here. I can never forget everything I learnt here and everything Girgaon has given me, says Rajwade.

As the citys first and oldest pandal, the Keshavji Naik Chawl receives a lot of visitors from around the city and foreigners as well.

Politicians Balasaheb Thackeray, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Amit Shah have also visited the pandal to seek Bappas blessings.

The idol here receives a traditional welcome in a palanquin without loud music blaring from speakers and is taken away in the same manner for visarjan at Girgaon Chowpatty.

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NASA's first collection of asteroid samples, acquired from the depths of space, gently descended into the Utah desert on Sunday, marking the culmination of a seven-year mission. A pilot boards a helicopter before flying into the Utah desert to participate in the Osiris-Rex asteroid sample return and recovery mission at Dugway, Utah, on September 24.(AFP)

During a close pass by Earth, the Osiris-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security  Regolith Explorer) spacecraft deployed the sample capsule from a distance of 63,000 miles (approximately 100,000 kilometers). The compact capsule touched down four hours later on a secluded portion of military land, while the main spacecraft embarked on a new mission to explore another asteroid.

Where will the sample go for research?

The sample will be flown Monday morning to a new lab at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. The building already houses the hundreds of pounds (kilograms) of moon rocks gathered by the Apollo astronauts more than a half-century ago, reported AP.

The missions lead scientist, Dante Lauretta of the University of Arizona, will accompany the sample to Texas. The opening of the container in Houston in the next day or two will be the real moment of truth, given the uncertainty over the amount inside, he said ahead of the landing.

Unveiling of sample to public on October 11

In a media advisory on September 15, NASA said the asteroid sample collected in space will be unveiled at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston on Wednesday, October 11.

NASA will host a news conference at 11 a.m. EDT for the reveal, which will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agencys website, it added. During the event, NASAs OSIRIS-REx science team will discuss an initial analysis of the sample.

News conference participants include:

1. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson

2. Francis McCubbin, OSIRIS-REx deputy curation lead, NASA Johnson

3. Daniel Glavin, OSIRIS-REx sample analysis lead, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt

4. Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator, University of Arizona, Tucson

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The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected. This undated image provided by NASA shows the asteroid Bennu seen from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. On Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will fly by Earth and drop off what is expected to be at least a cupful of rubble it grabbed from Bennu, closing out a seven-year quest. (AP via NASA)

Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable.

The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah.

Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface.

Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

"This sample return is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth.

But the capsule's return will require "a dangerous maneuver," she acknowledged.

Osiris-Rex is set to release the capsule -- from an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometers) -- some four hours before it lands.

The fiery passage through the atmosphere will come only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtles downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius).

Its rapid descent, monitored by army sensors, will be slowed by two successive parachutes. Should they fail to deploy correctly, a "hard landing" would follow.

If it appears that the target zone (37 by 9 miles) might be missed, NASA controllers could decide at the last moment not to release the capsule.

The probe would then keep its cargo and make another orbit of the sun. Scientists would have to wait until 2025 before trying a new landing.

If it succeeds, however, Osiris-Rex would head toward a date with another asteroid.

- Japanese samples -

Once the tire-sized capsule touches down in Utah, a team in protective masks and gloves will place it in a net to be airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby.

NASA wants this done as quickly and carefully as possible to avoid any contamination of the sample with desert sands, skewing test results.

On Monday, assuming all goes well, the sample will be flown by plane to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There, the box will be opened in another "clean room" -- the beginning of a days-long process.

NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference October 11.

Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth of it will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to Japan and Canada, partners in the mission.

Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from the asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounce of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid.

But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said.

- Earth's origin story -

Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating to some 4.5 billion years ago, and have remained relatively intact.

They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris.

"It's our own origin story."

By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said.

Scientists believe Bennu, which is 1,640 feet in diameter, is rich in carbon -- a building block of life on Earth -- and contains water molecules locked in minerals.

Bennu had surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during the few seconds of contact with the asteroid's surface, had sunk into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, sort of like a children's pool filled with plastic balls.

Understanding its composition could come in handy in the -- distant -- future.

For there is a slight, but non-zero, chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182.

But NASA last year succeeded in deviating the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise -- but with much higher stakes.

la/bbk/mdl

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Sara Wahedi, CEO of the digital startup Ehtesab, took to X to share a picture of a restaurant in Kabul, Afghanistan. In her post she mentioned that the photo is of a restaurant that was managed and owned by women before the Taliban takeover. She also shared that the image was taken a few months before the Taliban marched into Kabul on 15 August 2021 and took control of the country. The picture shows Entrepreneur Sara Wahedi at Bost Restaurant in Afghanistan's Kabul. (X/@SaraWahedi)

Me in Kabul, at Bost Restaurant. It was woman-owned (@MaryAkrami), with 100% female staff. This was a few months before the Taliban takeover. Behind me are images of legendary Afghan women. We smiled then - excited about the future. Afghan women were unstoppable. Still are, Wahedi wrote. Mary Akrami is a human rights activist.

Afghan women earned the right to vote in 1919, a year before women in the U.S. could. Behind me is Queen Soraya of Afghanistan, who led the charge for womens suffrage. We come from fierce, powerful women. This is the Afghanistan I want the world to know. Its what we fight for, she shared in another tweet.

The picture posted by Wahedi shows her sitting in the restaurant and looking at the camera with a smile on her face.

Take a look at the tweets:

The main post was shared on September 23. Since being posted, it has gone viral. Till now, the share has collected over 5.7 million views.

Heres what X users wrote about the picture:

The Taliban government banned millions of women and girls from attending schools, colleges, and universities after returning to power over two years ago. A few months ago, the United Nations (UN) said in a statement that the country has become the most repressive in the world for women and girls. The UN also added that Afghanistan's female population is deprived of many of their basic rights under Taliban rule.

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In a shocking incident, a frog was found in the food served at a college hostels mess in Bhubaneswar. The incident quickly gained traction after a social media user shared a picture of the same online, sparking serious concerns about the health of the students. Many even recounted their disturbing experiences with the food quality served in the hostels. Frog found in the mess food served at a college in Bhubaneswar.(X/@aaraynsh)

This is KIIT Bhubaneswar, ranked ~42 among engineering colleges in India, where parents pay approx 17.5 lakhs to get their child an engineering degree. This is the food being served at the college hostel. Then we wonder why students from India migrate to other countries for better education and facilities, wrote X user Aaraynsh while sharing a pic on the microblogging platform.

Take a look at the picture here:

Aaraynsh shared an update and wrote, So, this is the value of human life. The hostel where the frog was served, at Bhubaneswar University, in an attempt to do damage control, decided to deduct only one days payment from the mess provider company! Just wow. Alongside, he attached the notice issued by the college to the vendors.

The primary tweet was shared a day ago. It has accumulated over 1.7 lakh views. Many have retweeted the picture, and a few even dropped comments on the tweet, including an individual who claims to be a student from the same college.

The student shared a similar picture and claimed, Im from the same hostel (KP 8A) too. This is a hostel where the majority of the students are international. Hundreds of students gathered at the mess. We have raised a complaint against this incident, and now actions will be taken against the hostel and concerned people.

Take a look at what people had to say about this:

Pathetic. The institution, the canteen contractor, the incharge all should be sued & their licences should be suspended, commented an individual. To this, the original poster replied, They did damage control by deducting one days payment from the mess company. Imagine the worth of a human life.

Another wrote, Reminds me of that time when I got a blade in my hostel food.

Once we got a lizard in food in our hostel mess. Didnt eat in the mess for the whole semester after that, shared a third.

A fourth posted, Mess vendor should be removed immediately.

Wait till you see the quality of food served in the canteen of medical colleges. You would be running for diarrhoea every now and then, remarked a fifth.

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A story about how cameras installed for live-streaming bears in a national park turned saviour for a hiker lost in the wilderness was shared online. A video shared on Instagram documents the incident that took place in Katmai National Park located in Alaska. The image shows a hiker lost in a national park in Alaska. (Instagram/@goodnews_movement)

Goodnews Movement took to Instagram to share the hiker's video and story. A lost hiker was rescued in Katmai National Park this week thanks to web cameras set up to observe bears. Luckily, some 6-8 people were viewing the livestream and notified the National Park Service, they wrote. They added that the hiker was lost when the adverse weather conditions swept in.

In the next few lines, the page added a quote from National Park News, which provides news on national parks across the US. The distressed hiker spotted the camera on Dumpling Mountain and displayed a thumbs down before audibly asking for help. After the National Park service was notified by livestream viewers, a rescue crew went to escort him back to civilizationa little cold but otherwise unharmed."

Take a look at this video that shows the hiker asking for help:

The video was posted 15 hours ago. Since being shared, it has accumulated over 1.2 million views. The share has also collected several likes and comments.

How did Instagram users react to this video?

This is one of the good aspects of social media. Kudos to all! Glad hes ok! posted an Instagram user. What a happy story. So happy hes ok! Thank you to all, added another. He kept his head! Getting lost sucks but he owned his situation and used resources at hand, joined a third. Imagine going to look at a park live feed hoping to see a bear and saving someones life, wrote a fourth.

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At least 16 people were killed when a fire broke out at the Shanjiaoshu Coal Mine in China's southwest at around 8:10 am (0010 GMT) Sunday, local officials said. China Coal Mine Fire: The fire was extinguished but "after preliminary verification, 16 people have no vital signs", government said. (Representational)

The fire was extinguished but "after preliminary verification, 16 people have no vital signs", the Panzhou City government said in a notice posted on its website.

"It was preliminarily determined that the conveyor belt caught fire," the notice said.

The Panzhou City mine is about 3,600 kilometres (2,250 miles) southwest of the capital, Beijing.

While safety in the mining sector in China has improved in recent decades, accidents still frequently plague the industry, often due to lax enforcement of safety protocols, especially at the most rudimentary sites.

In February, a coal mine collapse in the northern Inner Mongolia region left dozens of people and vehicles buried under a mountain of debris.

Authorities did not disclose the final death toll for months, only revealing in June that 53 people had been killed.

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The Biden administration will likely try to stay out of the diplomatic dispute between Canada and India as much it can, aiming not to disrupt the progress its made in its relationship with Narendra Modis government, the founder of political strategy firm Signum Global Advisors says. U.S. President Joe Biden attends the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Phoenix Awards Dinner at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, U.S., September 23.(REUTERS)

Were doing everything we can to engage with India to try to help outcompete China, and I dont think the United States is going to get too involved in the dispute, Signum Chairman Charles Myers said on BNN Bloomberg Television. Myers, former vice chairman at Evercore, is a longtime Democratic Party donor who has raised money for Biden. (India Canada row LIVE)

Canada and India relations have been strained over the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot on June 18 in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week theres credible evidence that links to the Indian government to the murder of Nijjar, who was an advocate for an independent Sikh nation in northwestern India. Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty, Trudeau said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday urged India to work with Canada in its investigation in the case. We want to see accountability, and its important that the investigation run its course and lead to that result, he said.

But US and other allies have stopped short of taking any specific retaliatory measures, such as expelling Indian diplomats.

The Indian government, which denied involvement in the killing, has called Nijjar a terrorist and criticized Trudeaus government for not doing more to combat anti-India activities within the Indian diaspora in Canada.

Canada kicked out a senior Indian diplomat from the country, and India retaliated in a tit-for-tat move. India has suspended visa applications for Canadians, a measure that will choke off business and leisure travel from Canada if its kept in place for long.

For Prime Minister Trudeau to even make these allegations public, he has to have very good intel and evidence, given how serious the allegation is, said Myers. If true, it is an example of state-sponsored terrorism on Canadian soil.

Even so, the US is going to try to stay out of this, he said.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. All necessary measures are being taken to treat Azerbaijani Parliament Member Ganira Pashayeva, who was hospitalized in the Central Clinical Hospital, said brother of the MP, Huseyn Pashayev, Trend reports.

He noted that, according to the instructions of President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, the Foundation took control of issues related to the treatment of the MP.

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan Anar Alakbarov visited the hospital this morning. Employees of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation regularly maintain contact with the hospital. All necessary support is being provided and all measures are being taken to treat the MP, he said.
In a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll, former President Donald Trump has surged ahead with a 10-point lead over President Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 match, causing Biden by 10 to trend across social media. FILE - Former President Donald Trump stands on stage before speaking at a campaign event, July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. The Nevada Republican Party has approved new rules for their presidential caucus that many suspect are meant to help former President Donald Trump. The provisions would bar any candidate from the Feb. 8 caucus if they participate in the state-run primary two days earlier. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)(AP)

The poll, conducted among 1006 adults from September 15-20, revealed that Trump garnered 52% support, while Biden trailed at 42%. This represents a significant shift from a similar survey in May, where Trump held a narrower lead at 49% to 43%. Trump supporters celebrated the results, with Jason Miller, a senior Trump adviser, taking to social media to proclaim, "Heads are EXPLODING at the Jeff Bezos Amazon Washington Post, as President Trump now leads Biden nationally by 10."

The findings underscore broader concerns about President Biden's performance. Only 30% of respondents approved of his handling of the economy, and his overall approval rating stood at 37%, with 56% disapproving. A substantial 74% of voters felt that Biden was too old for another term, given his age of 80, making him the oldest sitting US president.

Despite Trump's age of 77, the majority of Americans, including Democrats, believed he was also too old for another term. Nevertheless, Trump led Biden by one point nationally in the latest RealClearPolitics polling aggregate.

The poll also revealed that 44% of respondents believed their financial situation had deteriorated under Biden's presidency. On immigration, only 23% approved of Biden's approach, while 45% strongly disapproved.

Notably, the survey indicated that 40% of respondents would primarily blame Democrats and Biden for a government shutdown, a departure from historical trends where Republicans were typically held responsible.

Both Trump and Biden remain dominant figures in their respective party's primary contests for the 2024 election, with Trump leading among GOP voters with 54% support and Biden continuing to enjoy support from many Democrats.
Liberal party MP Chandra Arya said that Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats issued by extremist elements, holding his own party-led government in the country responsible for inaction against Khalistan extremists. Chandra Arya is a lawmaker from Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus party. He has repeatedly raised the issue of threats to Hindu Canadians. Liberal Party MP Chandra Arya (ANI Photo)

Chandra Arya told CBC News, I am more worried about the consequence of what happened after the Prime Ministers (Trudeau) statement. The concerns of the safety of Hindu Canadians here, Hindu Canadians are fearful" citing a popular column which had stated The risk of ethnic and sectarian bloodshed in Canada is real

What I am worried is that the bloodshed is going to be Hindu Canadians blood, Chandra Arya added emphasising the three major reasons behind the fear.

First, the history of the Khalistan movement is filled with violence and killings. Tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs have been killed by Khalistani terrorists in the history of the Khalistani movement. The Canadians forget the biggest mass killing in history happened 38 years back, in the Air India bombing. That was the biggest aviation terrorism before 9/11. And that was done by a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist. The fact is that those terrorists are still worshipped at some places in Canada, he said.

Secondly, just a few months back, here in Toronto, a floor, a public parade of a cutout of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with a white saree splattered in blood, and her two assassins pointing guns at her. A public floor celebrating the attackthis is the core of terrorism, the killing of a duly elected Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world. It was allowed to be publicly displayed and celebrated. Tell me, which country would allow, in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, allow this to happen, he further said.

Thirdly, the leader of Sikhs for Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatened the Hindu Canadians to leave the country and go to India. And this type of hate crime is done openly, without any consequences", he continued.

This comes amid diplomatic tensions between India and Canada after Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau alleged that Ottawa had credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India, however, dismissed the allegations as absurd and motivated.

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A Singapore Chinese cab driver is under investigation for abusing a woman and her daughter during their ride over misinformation on the destination and assuming she was of Indian origin. The driver shouted at the woman while driving, You are India(n), I'm Chinese... You are the very worst kind....(AFP/ representative)

He said, You are Indian, you are stupid, 46-year-old Eurasian origin Janelle Hoeden said of the cab driver abuse on Saturday.

The woman was with her nine-year-old daughter on the ride, The Straits Times reported on Sunday.

Hoeden recorded on her phone the interaction which got progressively more heated.

She had booked a ride on the ride-hailing platform, TADA, at around 2 pm on Saturday.

Hoeden said the ride started uneventfully and she was talking to her child when suddenly the driver got upset that part of the road was blocked due to construction of an upcoming metro, MRT line, along the ride in Pasir Ris housing estate.

He started shouting at me, saying that I gave him the wrong address and wrong directions, she said.

In the video -- uploaded on her Facebook page and an account by a TikTok user, and later shared by alternative news site Wake Up Singapore -- the driver, a Chinese man, is seen accusing Hoedens daughter of being less than 1.35 metres tall.

He repeatedly said her daughter was under 1.35 metres, and Hoeden could be heard replying that the child was 1.37 metres. He then called the girl very illegal.

It is believed the height is for the safety of passengers requiring child seats.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) states on its website that for safety reasons, all vehicles in Singapore must have booster seats or child restraints for passengers under 1.35 metres in height.

The driver shouted at the woman while driving, You are India(n), I'm Chinese... You are the very worst kind...

Hoeden corrected the driver, saying: I am Singapore Eurasian, not Indian.

Eurasians are usually tanned and at times appear to be Indian in appearance.

As he was verbally abusive, I was afraid that he would start getting physical with me, so I told her to record, the Singapore broadsheet quoted Hoeden as saying.

Whether I was tanned skin, or Indian, or otherwise, its unacceptable what he said  it was totally uncalled for, that he pulled out the race card, she said.

Her child was also shaken after the incident.

In comments on Wake Up Singapores Instagram post that highlighted the incident, Tada Singapore said it was investigating the incident.

At Tada, we do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or abuse. Our team is investigating this issue. Thanks to everyone who brought this to our attention, the comment said.

The Straits Times also had a Tada spokeswoman saying that the firm was aware of the incident.

She said: Remarks or comments that insinuate racial differences directly violate Tada community guidelines and are not representative of our companys values.

We have initiated an internal investigation to fully understand the circumstances and will take all necessary actions based on our findings.

She added that Tada does not condone racist comments or remarks under any circumstances, and it is committed to resolving the issue promptly and fairly.

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The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washington's ongoing concerns about the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinian Americans. File photo of a US visa.(Courtesy issa.house.gov)

US officials say an announcement of Israel's entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israel's admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.

The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced.

Blinken's recommendation is expected to be delivered no later than Tuesday, the officials said, and the final announcement will come just eight days after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. The leaders did not raise the issue in their brief remarks to reporters at that meeting but it has been a subject of intense negotiation and debate for months.

Israel's admission into the program has been a priority for successive Israeli leaders and will be a major accomplishment for Netanyahu, who has sparred frequently with the Biden administration over Iran, the Palestinian conflict and most recently a proposed remake of Israel's judicial system that critics say will make the country less democratic.

Netanyahu's far-right government has drawn repeated U.S. criticism over its treatment of Palestinians, including its aggressive construction of West Bank settlements, its opposition to Palestinian statehood and incendiary anti-Palestinian comments by senior Cabinet ministers.

The U.S. move will give a welcome boost at home to Netanyahu. He has faced months of mass protests against his judicial plan and is likely to come under criticism from the Palestinians, who say the U.S. should not be rewarding the Israeli government at a time when peace efforts are at a standstill.

Israel met two of the three most critical criteria over the past two years  a low percentage of visa application rejections and a low visa overstay rate  to join the U.S. program. It had struggled to meet the third, which is a requirement for reciprocity that means all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel.

Claiming national security reasons, Israel has long had separate entry requirements and screening processes for Palestinian Americans. Many complained that the procedures were onerous and discriminatory. Americans with Palestinian residency documents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were largely barred from using Israel's international airport. Instead, like other Palestinians, they were forced to travel through either Jordan or Egypt to reach their destinations.
A 13-foot-long alligator was found in a canal in Largo, about 20 miles west of Tampa, with human remains in its mouth. The remains of the adult had been recovered and the 8.5-inch male reptile had to be pulled out of the water and humanely killed, said the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. On Friday afternoon, September 22, 2023, Jamarcus Ballard was passing by the canal when he saw the alligator and a corpse in the water.

On Friday afternoon, September 22, 2023, Jamarcus Ballard was passing by the canal when he saw the alligator and a corpse in the water.

"I threw a rock at the gator just to see if it was really a gator and like it pulled the body like it was holding on to the lower part of the torso, and pulled it under the water," he said in a statement to a TV affiliate of NBC News, Sky News' US partner network.

Jamarcus said he immediately began recording the sight on his phone and also called up the concerned authorities.

About the authorities' reaction to the information Jamarcus said, They got like this stick thing and pulled the head out of the water and shot it. And once they wailed it all the way out, they stretched it out, measured it and told it was 13 feet long and then they shot it again.

A video shared by Jamarcus shows an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission measuring the reptile.

In an investigation, the body was identified as being Sabrina Peckham, a 41-year-old homeless woman.

Sabrina had been arrested on July 14 at 6:30 a.m. by the Pinellas County deputies for trespassing onto a county wetland just half a mile dead from where she was found, clutched in the beast's jaw.

This was not the first time Sabrina had been held for trespassing. The woman had a history of trespassing run-ins with the police since 2014, including multiple drug and theft convictions lodged against her.

According to the neighbourhood, alligators routinely wander in the area but the one killed on Friday was one of the biggest to be known of.
Killer nurse Lucy Letby experimented with multiple techniques to hurt babies during her career, the chief medical expert at her trial claimed. Lucy has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of release for killing seven babies in her care, and attempting to kill six others as a neonatal nurse in Chester Hospital in Cheshire, England. The 33-year-old is now being considered one of the most prolific child killers in the history of the United Kingdom. A handout image taken from police bodycam footage released by Cheshire Constabulary police force in Manchester on August 17, 2023, shows the nurse Lucy Letby being arrested at home in Chester on July 3, 2018 (Photo by Cheshire Constabulary / AFP) (AFP)

According to Dr. Dewi Evans, Lucy used hard-to-detect methods to carry out the murders. Among her barbaric acts, she displaced tubes and injected air into her victims.

Dewi said he was asked to review the notes of 48 babies, of which he found 18 cases very concerning. None of these were included in the trial.

Many of the cases he found concerning involved babies who had breathing tubes removed or displaced in 2014. The doctor believes these were the methods Lucy initially preferred for harming them. For so many breathing tubes to come out, and they can come out accidentally, but for so many to come out over such a short period of time in what I consider to be a good neonatal department, that is very concerning, he told The Sunday Telegraph, adding that one case even involved an insulin poisoning death.

There are undoubtedly more cases of insulin poisoning

It wouldnt surprise me if she committed another insulin poisoning or two where doctors didnt measure the insulin level after death, said Dewi. If you do not measure the insulin level then you cant know whether there was foul play. There are undoubtedly more cases of insulin poisoning.

Lucy once attended a training course that highlighted the dangers of air embolism, following which her murders began to pile up. According to NHS, An air or gas embolism is a bubble that becomes trapped in a blood vessel and blocks it. It adds, Air or gas embolisms can cause serious and potentially fatal conditions, such as a stroke or heart attack.

As far as I am aware, there were no air embolism deaths before she went on that course, Dewi said. It was after she discovered that method, the deaths really increased.

It has been revealed that multiple warnings about Lucy went unheeded by the hospital. Shockingly, the Countess of Chester Hospital Foundation Trust contacted the Cheshire Constabulary, which is the police force responsible for the area, only in early May 2017. This was about a year and a half after doctors at the hospital began raising suspicions about the babies deaths.

Prosecutors are set to announce whether Lucy will face a new trial over six outstanding attempted murder charges. Previously, the jury failed to reach a verdict on these charges.
A NASA space capsule carrying the largest soil sample ever scooped up from the surface of an asteroid streaked through Earth's atmosphere on Sunday and parachuted into the Utah desert, delivering the celestial specimen to scientists. NASA safety team members prepare the Osiris-Rex asteroid sample return craft sitting in the Utah desert at Dugway.(AFP)

The gumdrop-shaped capsule, released from the robotic spacecraft OSIRIS-REx as the mothership passed within 67,000 miles of Earth hours earlier, touched down within a designated landing zone west of Salt Lake City on the U.S. military's vast Utah Test and Training Range.

The final descent and landing, shown on a NASA livestream, capped a six-year joint mission between the U.S. space agency and the University of Arizona. It marked only the third asteroid sample, and by far the biggest, ever returned to Earth for analysis, following two similar missions by Japan's space agency ending in 2010 and 2020.

OSIRIS-REx collected its specimen three years ago from Bennu, a small, carbon-rich asteroid discovered in 1999. The space rock is classified as a "near-Earth object" because it passes relatively close to our planet every six years, though the odds of an impact are considered remote.

Apparently made up of a loose collection of rocks, like a rubble pile, Bennu measures just 500 meters (1,600 ft) across, making it slightly wider than the Empire State Building is tall but tiny compared with the Chicxulub asteroid that struck Earth some 66 million years ago, wiping out the dinosaurs.

PRIMORDIAL RELIC

Like other asteroids, Bennu is a relic of the early solar system. Because its present-day chemistry and mineralogy are virtually unchanged since forming some 4.5 billion years ago, it holds valuable clues to the origins and development of rocky planets such as Earth.

It may even contain organic molecules similar to those necessary for the emergence of microbes.

Samples returned three years ago by the Japanese mission Hayabusa2 from Ryugu, another near-Earth asteroid, were found to contain two organic compounds, buttressing the hypothesis that celestial objects such as comets, asteroids and meteorites that bombarded early Earth seeded the young planet with the primordial ingredients for life.

OSIRIS-REx launched in September 2016 and reached Bennu in 2018, then spent nearly two years orbiting the asteroid before venturing close enough to snatch a sample of the loose surface material with its robot arm on Oct. 20, 2020.

The spacecraft departed Bennu in May 2021 for a 1.2-billion-mile (1.9-billion-km) cruise back to Earth, including two orbits around the sun.

Hitting the upper atmosphere at 35 times the speed of sound about 13 minutes prior to landing, the capsule glowed red hot as it plunged earthward and temperatures inside the vessel were expected to reach 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit (2,800C).

Parachutes deployed near the very end of the descent, slowing the capsule to about 11 mph before it fell gently onto the desert floor of northwestern Utah.

The Bennu sample has been estimated at 250 grams (8.8 ounces), far surpassing the 5 grams carried back from Ryugu in 2020 or the tiny specimen delivered from asteroid Itokawa in 2010. But the amount of material delivered on Sunday will not be more precisely quantified for at least a week.

A recovery team of scientists and technicians were standing by to retrieve the capsule, and to confirm whether the integrity of the vessel and inner cannister bearing the asteroid material were maintained through re-entry and landing. They aimed to keep the sample pristine and free of any terrestrial contamination.

Once the capsule has been secured, the sample will be flown by helicopter to a "clean room" at the Utah test range for initial examination, then transported to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, to be parceled into smaller specimens promised to some 200 scientists in 60 laboratories around the world.

The main portion of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, meanwhile, is expected to sail on to explore yet another near-Earth asteroid, named Apophis.

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Prince Harry rejected an offer to spend time with his father on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeths death, The Sun has reported. The invitation from King Charles may have been a sign that he wanted to forgive his son after the attacks he made against the royal family. Prince Harry rejected an offer to spend time with his father on the first anniversary of Queen Elizabeths death (Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa via AP, Arthur Edwards/Pool via REUTERS)

Harry was in England when his father asked him to come to Balmoral, the Scottish home of the Royal Family, to pay his respects to the Queen. An expert has said that it was a golden opportunity missed.

He should have braved it out and gone to see them. If the King invites you to Balmoral, then most people would cancel all of their travel plans. He could have easily re-arranged things slightly to allow himself the time, Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine, said.

Why did Prince Harry not see King Charles?

Shortly before King Charles extended the olive branch, Harry had sought a royal accommodation and security from his fathers office for a night, when he stopped for his appearance at a September 7 charity event named the 2023 WellChild Awards, in West London. At the time, his request was denied. The reason for the refusal was that the familys properties in Windsor or the capital city were unavailable for his stay back then. The Queen died on September 8, 2022.

Harry claimed he could not see Charles at the time due to his busy schedule. He later held a short solo vigil at the Queens resting place at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle. He then flew to Dusseldorf, Germany for the Invictus Games. He mentioned the Queen during the awards ceremony. I know shes looking down on all of us tonight, Harry said.

Ingrid said that inviting Harry was a big step for Charles. Im glad he is showing some backbone and offering this olive branch, she said.  Charles will always welcome him as he is a forgiving man and its his son. But it has to be on his terms and Harry has to apologize, not the other way round.
A Ukrainian drone strike hit an administrative building in the centre of Russia's southern Kursk city, authorities said Sunday. Russia-Ukraine War: Officials inspect the site of a train station after an allegedly Ukrainian drone attack in Kursk, Russia.(AP)

Kyiv has targeted Russian cities with almost daily attacks in recent months of Moscow's offensive, ongoing for 19 months.

Kursk is around 90 kilometres (50 miles) from the border with Ukraine.

"In Kursk, a Ukrainian drone attacked an administrative building in the central district," governor Roman Starovoyt said on Telegram.

"The roof was slightly damaged. Employees of the emergency services are working at the scene."

Last month, a Ukrainian drone strike damaged Kursk's railway station, leaving five people injured and causing significant damage.

Both Russia and Ukraine report regular drone incursions as Kyiv presses a counteroffensive aimed at reclaiming Russian-held territory.

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Russian airstrikes on Sunday killed two people and wounded three others in southern Ukraine's Kherson province, the region's governor reported Sunday as the war in Ukraine entered a 20th month. Russia-Ukraine War: Burnt trucks are seen in Odesa, Ukraine.(AP)

According to Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin, Russian forces struck the city of Beryslav, destroying an unspecified number of private houses. A woman was killed and three people were wounded, including a police officer, he said.

Another airstrike also killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Prokudin said without specifying the type of weapons used in the attack.

The communities hit both are located in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Kherson region, where the Dnieper River that bisects the province has marked a battle line since Russian troops withdrew across it in November 2022, a retreat that boosted the invaded country's morale.

The Russians regrouped on the river's eastern bank and regularly shell cities and villages across the river, including the city of Kherson, the regional capital that was occupied early on in the war but retaken by Ukrainian forces more than 10 months ago.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an administrative building in the city of Kursk and insignificantly damaged the roof, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit reported. He didnt report any casualties or say what the building housed.

Unconfirmed media reports both in Russia and Ukraine said it was the offices of the Kursk branch of Russias main security agency, the Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB.

The Kursk region of Russia borders Ukraine and also is a frequent target of attacks. The drone strike on Sunday took place as residents commemorated the anniversary of the regional capital's founding.

There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian authorities, who usually don't acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was traveling home from North America, where he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and paid his first wartime visit to Canada. In a social media statement Saturday, Zelenskyy said he stopped in Poland on his way back to Ukraine to give state awards to two Polish volunteers.

Zelenskyy apparently didn't meet with any Polish officials, but in a post on X, previously known as Twitter, he thanked Poland for its invaluable support and solidarity that helps defend freedom of our entire Europe.

Poland has taken in large numbers of Ukrainian refugees and been a fierce supporter of neighboring Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the country on Feb. 24, 2022. However, a trade dispute has recently tested the relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw.

The Ukrainian government this month filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia for banning imports of Ukrainian farm products, which are important for the war-weary countrys battered economy.

The three European Union member nations bristled at the move. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded by saying his country was " no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons.

His remarks left many wondering if the Western resolve to support Ukraine in the war with Russia is waning.

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. On September 24, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov and other high-ranking officers of the Ministry visited the Main Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Defense, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

First, flowers were laid at the monument to National Leader Heydar Aliyev erected in the territory of the hospital. The memory of the Great Leader and Shehids, who sacrificed their lives for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan was honored with observing a minute of silence.

The Defense Ministrys leadership met with servicemen undergoing treatment in the hospital after being wounded during local anti-terror measures conducted in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, as well as enquired about their health and concerns.

The Minister of Defense was reported that the hospitals medical personnel are working with high professionalism for the treatment of wounded servicemen.

The Minister visited servicemen being treated in the wards, enquired about their health and rehabilitation process, as well as wished them a speedy recovery and return to their places of service.

The Defense Minister emphasized that the significant military successes achieved by Azerbaijani servicemen in a short period of time in all directions during anti-terror measures by showing heroism, courage and professionalism in difficult terrain conditions, were highly appreciated by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mr. Ilham Aliyev.

In the end, the Minister gave relevant instructions on more qualitative organization of the medical service provided to wounded servicemen.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit North Korea next month, following a rare summit between the two countries leaders in September, Yonhap News reported. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov holds a press conference during the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the United Nations headquarters on September 23, 2023.(Getty Images via AFP)

Lavrov will go to the capital Pyongyang in October, Russias top diplomat told reporters at a press conference in New York on Saturday, according to Yonhap. The visit follows an agreement between the leaders of the two nations, Yonhap cited Lavrov as saying.

North Koreas Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia earlier this month for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, in their first meeting in about four years. The US said Pyongyangs supply of arms to help Moscows military action in Ukraine was likely the focus of the talks.

Putin accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea, and so this may be the agenda for Lavrovs trip, Yonhap said.

During his Russia trip, Kim also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, inspected next-generation missile systems, and toured a factory that makes fighter jets and other aircraft. Kims Russia visit was one of his longest abroad since taking power about a decade ago.

The US has for months accused Kim of providing arms and ammunitions to aid Putins war, including sending shells and rockets. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday he met leading American entrepreneurs and financiers during a visit this week to the United States, where investment opportunities in Ukraine were discussed. Russia-Ukraine War: Joe Biden meets with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office of the White House.(AP)

Zelensky said the businessmen, who included Michael Bloomberg, Larry Fink and Bill Ackman, were prepared to make major investments in rebuilding Ukraine after its war with Russia.

"The American entrepreneurs and financiers confirmed their readiness to make large-scale investments in our country immediately after the end of the war and the receipt of security guarantees," he posted on Telegram, along with photos of the meeting.

"We are working for the victory and reconstruction of Ukraine."

On a trip to the U.S. and Canada this week, Zelenskiy sought continued military and financial support for Kyiv's effort to fend off Russia's 19-month-old invasion.
Drivers in New Jersey are concerned after coming across roadway signs that say Suspect Terrorism? See Something, Say Something. The sign also contains a tip line number to report threats. It has been revealed that the signs are actually part of a public safety campaign that the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) launched last month (New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness)

It has been revealed that the signs are actually part of a public safety campaign that the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) launched last month. It was launched in partnership with the state Department of Transportation and New Jersey Turnpike Authority. However, the signs alarmed residents as they turned up with hardly any notice.

This makes me think that theres an underlying thing going on thats not public yet, said Nanalapan resident Laura Brunetti in an interview with News12.

Some residents assumed the signs had something to do with the September 11 terror attack anniversary. As per an August 30 news release, the installation of Variable Message Signs around the state to remind drivers along the states major interstates to remain vigilant and report potential threats and suspicious activity related to terrorism or other criminal activity.

What is the goal of the campaign?

The goal of the campaign over the next few months is to remind residents and visitors, who may be traversing New Jerseys highways for vacation, holiday shopping and other festivities, of the importance of being aware of their surroundings and of reporting suspicious activity, said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran, according to New York Post. The public is one of our first and best lines of defense in the fight against terrorism. Our See Something, Say Something initiative bolsters the States security efforts and plays a key role in helping to identify threats and to prevent attacks.

The campaign will reportedly run from September through mid-February. It will include nearly 200 signs, meant to promote NJOHSPs suspicious activity reporting number across the New Jersey Turnpike and Interstate Highways.

Safety and security are everyones responsibility, NJDOT Commissioner and NJ Turnpike Authority Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said. Using Variable Message Signs on the New Jersey Turnpike and our Interstate Highways will help remind millions of motorists if they See Something, Say Something when driving through our State.

According to officials, the campaign coincides with the US Department of Homeland Securitys national If You See Something, Say Something Awareness Day, which is held on September 25.

We are happy to support this important public information campaign by displaying the See Something, Say Something message on the digital Variable Message Signs over the New Jersey Turnpike, NJTA Executive Director James Carone said. The nearly 700,000 drivers who use the Turnpike on an average day have an important role to play in protecting public safety. These signs encourage them to speak up if they see suspicious activity.
The US provided Canada with intelligence after the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, The New York Times has reported citing sources. Hardeep Nijjar at the Surrey Vaisakhi nagar kirtan in Canada in 2018. (Supplied photo)

The report came on Saturday as the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus offensive allegation against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil.

The allegations have infuriated India, which rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists.

Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigations.

"In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved," the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying.

Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said.

David Cohen, US Ambassador to Canada, in an interview with CTV News said that "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June.

"I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen told CTV News.

After Nijjars death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot, and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies duty to warn doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report.

Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function," he said in response to a question.

While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said.

But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said.

Blinken said the US is deeply concerned about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was closely coordinating with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see accountability in the case.

Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.

Trudeau on Friday said that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the "very serious matter."

When asked about Canada sharing any information in the case with India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said: "No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information."

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A new report has claimed that former President Donald Trump allegedly made belittling remarks about a wounded US Army veteran after he sang God Bless America during his presidency. At a welcome ceremony of Gen. Mark Milley at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in 2019, Donald passed the comments about Army captain Luis Avila, who was seriously injured in Afghanistan. Luis had lost a leg in an IED attack. Donald Trump has been accused of insulting Army captain Luis Avila (CNN screenshot/YouTube, AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded, Donald allegedly told Mark before multiple witnesses. He said this while walking over to congratulate Luis following the performance, according to The Atlantic.

Mark had handpicked Luis to perform, who had successfully completed five combat tours. He suffered two heart attacks, two strokes, and brain damage due to his injuries.

Reportedly, Luis' wheelchair nearly flipped over, when Marks wife Hollyanne, as well as then-Vice President Mike Pence, rushed to help. Donald was later seen greeting Luis. He then told Mark to not let Luis appear in public ever again. Mark considered Luis and his wife, Claudia, to be symbols of American heroism and sacrifice.

Luis had lost 242 soldiers under his command fighting in the Middle East. Donalds comments reportedly deeply disturbed him. Luis was recently invited by Mark to sing at his retirement ceremony.

More dangerous than anyone could ever imagine

Donald made disparaging comments about US troops in the past. He once allegedly referred to the fallen soldiers at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France as losers and suckers. Donald, however, maintained that he never made those remarks.

Several military officials have blasted Donald over the years, including retired Marine general John Kelly. John served as Donalds chief of staff in 2017 and 2018, and slammed him as the most flawed person he has ever met.

James Mattis, also a retired Marine general who served as the former Presidents first secretary of defence, once said Donald was more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine.
(Photo : John Lamparski/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 11: The scene where CBS News correspondent Bob Simon died in car accident on Manhattan's west side on February 11, 2015 in New York City.The award-winning journalist was 73.

The family of a North Carolina man who tragically lost his life after following Google Maps directions onto a collapsed bridge is now pursuing legal action against the tech giant.

Philip Paxson, a father of two, died on the night of September 30, 2022, in Hickory, North Carolina, in a devastating incident that has left his family seeking justice, as per to CBS News.

Family Pursues Legal Action Against Google Maps After Tragic Bridge Incident

The lawsuit, filed in Wake County Superior Court, alleges that Google was aware of the bridge's collapse but failed to update its navigation system accordingly. According to the suit, Paxson had been using Google Maps to navigate an unfamiliar neighborhood while driving home from his daughter's ninth birthday party.

Unfortunately, the mapping app directed him to cross Snow Creek Bridge, which had collapsed back in 2013. Initially, the Paxson family had planned a camping trip for their daughter's birthday. However, due to inclement weather, they celebrated with a camping-themed party at a friend's house in the Hickory Woods development, about 50 miles north of Charlotte.

On the day of the party, Philip Paxson was visiting this neighborhood for the first time and was generally unfamiliar with the area. His wife arrived early to help set up, while he stayed late to assist with cleaning up after the celebration.

After the party concluded, Philip Paxson relied on Google Maps to guide him during the approximately 10-minute drive back home. Tragically, he had no prior knowledge of the bridge's collapse, and the lawsuit alleges that the bridge area was completely dark at 11:00 p.m.

As he followed the directions provided by Google Maps, Paxson's vehicle unintentionally veered off the unguarded edge of the collapsed bridge, plummeting approximately twenty feet below into a creek. His Jeep Gladiator was discovered partially submerged in the water, and he drowned inside.

Alicia Paxson, Philip's widow, expressed the family's profound grief and frustration, stating, "Our girls ask how and why their daddy died, and I'm at a loss for words they can understand because, as an adult, I still can't understand how those responsible for the GPS directions and the bridge could have acted with so little regard for human life."

She further emphasized that Google had ignored the voices of concerned community members who had repeatedly urged the company to update its mapping system and directions, according to NBC New York.

Read Also: Authorities Find Romeoville Family Murder Suspects Shot in Oklahoma Days After Horrific Killings

Paxson Family's Fight for Justice

The Paxson family is determined to ensure their voices are heard, and justice is served. The lawsuit reveals that Google Maps had received notifications about the Snow Creek Bridge collapse in the years leading up to Paxson's tragic death. It includes images of messages from a Hickory resident named Kim Ellis, who had suggested edits to Google Maps on two occasions regarding the collapsed bridge.

In response to the lawsuit, Google spokesperson Jose Castaeda expressed condolences for the Paxson family and stated, "Our goal is to provide accurate routing information in Maps, and we are reviewing this lawsuit."

Additionally, the lawsuit names Tarde, LLC, James Tarlton, and Hinckley Gauvain, LLC, alleging that they were responsible for the maintenance and oversight of the road and bridge.

Notably, the road in question is private. The state maintains state-owned roads in North Carolina, while counties are not responsible for maintaining public or private roads.

Attorney Robert Zimmerman of Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating, "For nine years, the community of Hickory was needlessly and senselessly placed at risk when a road bridge collapsed in 2013, and when one of the largest companies in the world refused to correct its mapping algorithms despite repeated pleas."

The Paxson family is seeking an unspecified amount of compensatory and punitive damages following the tragic loss of Philip Paxson's life. They have requested a jury trial in their pursuit of justice, The Daily Mail reported.

Related Article: Texas Teacher Who Used Sexually Explicit Anne Frank Graphic Novel Fired

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A shooting that took place at a Walmart in the afternoon on Wednesday, September 20, resulted in the deaths of two persons, according to the Georgia police.

Hiram residents James Wyatt Norton (age 26) and Zoey Nicole Messenger (age 20) have been named as the victims, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.

Possible Murder-Suicide Motives Are at the Center of Inquiry

The incident occurred at the Walmart Super Center at 4166 Jimmy Lee Smith Parkway in Hiram at about 7:30 PM local time, as confirmed by Police Chief Mike Turner.

The case is being investigated as a possible murder-suicide. The police chief said that the two victims, a man and a woman, were "younger people" who had been in a relationship in the past.

"What it appears to be is a known-to-known shooting event where both parties knew each other. This was not an active shooter. This was one person knew another person, there was some kind of former relationship," Turner stated.

Officers discovered Norton and Messenger, both suffering from at least one gunshot wound and transferred them to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, as stated in the report. On arrival, they were declared dead.

Turner specified that the male victim was regarded as the perpetrator and the female as the victim.

See Also: Authorities Find Romeoville Family Murder Suspects Shot in Oklahoma Days After Horrific Killings

Not Only It Terrifies the Victim, but Also the Witnesses

The terror that this sort of occurrence had to induce was not just for the victim herself but for the other persons in the area as well. Several customers informed FOX 5 Atlanta that they heard gunfire and left the establishment in fear.

Devani Lopez, a bystander, said, "As soon as I heard the second shot, I ran straight for the exit because I heard the gunshot come from my left side, so I ran to the right exit ... I could see everyone running for their lives. Everyone was just so panicked and scared."

On Wednesday night, Walmart issued a statement claiming the firm grieving for what happened and will be cooperating with investigations. "We're heartbroken by what happened at our Hiram store tonight. Our priority, right now, is the safety of our associates and customers. The store will remain closed while we work with law enforcement during their investigation," ABC News reported.

Last year, six people, including the gunman, were killed in a shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia. Over the past several years, smaller-scale shooting incidents have occurred at different sites of the large retail company, according to Fox News.

In 2022, almost two weeks after the massacre in Chesapeake, a gunman opened fire outside a Walmart in Marietta, Georgia.

Suicide is discussed in this narrative. If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988, available 24 hours a day, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

See Also: North Carolina: Family Sues Google Over Outdated Maps After Man Dies Driving Off Collapsed Bridge

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President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. hosted President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine at the White House today. President Biden reiterated that the United States will continue to support Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression for as long as it takes and hold Russia accountable for human rights abuses and war crimes.

READ ALSO: Statement of President Joe Biden On the Passing of Eugene Peltola, Jr.



The presidents and their advisors discussed Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive. President Biden provided an update on forthcoming U.S. security assistance. He shared that the United States will announce a significant new package today, including more air defense capabilities to help Ukraine protect its people and critical infrastructure from Russian attacks both now and in the winter. The United States is also coordinating sustained deliveries of short range air defense systems like the Avenger, longer range air defense systems such as the HAWK, and hybrid systems that pair Western air defense interceptors with existing Ukrainian systems.

He also shared that Abrams tanks will arrive in Ukraine next week. In addition, the United States is committed to bolstering Ukraine's defensive capabilities in the long term, including through partnerships with Ukraine's defense industrial base. To that end, the United States government will host a conference this fall that brings together U.S. defense industry, Ukrainian business leaders, and officials from both governments to explore options for joint ventures and co-production.



President Biden and President Zelenskyy discussed U.S. support to Ukraine's energy and economic recovery. They talked about efforts to increase energy generation and transmission capacity, and welcomed their governments' signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen Ukraine's energy resilience. President Biden introduced Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery Penny Pritzker, who will focus on engaging the private sector, partner countries, and Ukrainian counterparts to align support for priority investments and reforms designed to improve the business climate.



President Zelenskky shared his plans to address corruption in Ukraine. President Biden underscored the importance of strong, politically independent anti-corruption institutions, including the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine, Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor, and the High Anti-Corruption Court.



Finally, President Biden welcomed President Zelenskyy's ongoing diplomatic effort to secure global support for a just and lasting peace.

READ MORE: Statement from President Joe Biden on August Consumer Price Index

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ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, has lately found itself in a tricky situation because its internal matching service, known as "Meet Cute," is facing criticism from workers.

The platform, which enables TikTok employees to introduce their coworkers to their friends and family members, has resulted in controversy and prompted issues around the appropriate limits of personal relationships while on the job.

According to Outlook, Meet Cute is hosted on the very same workplace solution that thousands of TikTok workers all around the globe use for a variety of work-related activities, such as storing documents and participating in video conferences. However, it also offers an extra function that gives workers the opportunity to look into the possibility of love relationships developing inside their company.

'Meet Cute'

Employees may publish profiles of their family members, friends, or acquaintances on the dating app Meet Cute. These profiles can include information that is commonly available on dating apps, such as the user's height and weight. Colleagues are able to see one other's profiles, comment on them, and even evaluate the individuals who are highlighted on the site.

It is important to note that the service comes with a disclaimer stating that the firm will not function as a mediator in any conflicts that may result from the interactions.

Due to a tech issue, it was revealed that employees located in other countries were also granted access to the Meet Cute platform despite the service being used mostly by employees stationed in China. ByteDance said that the Meet Cute platform was first conceived as an optional service for workers located in mainland China.

There are a number of other digital companies in China besides ByteDance that provide services related to employee matchmaking. Tech powerhouses like Alibaba, Meituan, and Huawei all provide their employees with access to online dating communities or matching services. However, more attention and criticism have been directed upon TikTok because of its widespread popularity and the matchmaking activities of its parent business.

See Also: TikTok Receives $368 Million Fine for GDPR Violations

Backlash From Staff

According to The Guardian's reporting, numerous workers of TikTok who were interviewed by Forbes voiced their unease with the company's matching service. They said they felt it invaded their personal space in some way.

Companies, particularly those in the tech sector, where the borders between personal and professional life are sometimes blurred, might find it difficult to strike a balance between building a sense of community and ensuring the health and happiness of their workforce.

As the Meet Cute concerns grow, it will be interesting to observe how ByteDance and TikTok respond to the issues expressed by its workers and whether any adjustments will be made as a result.

See Also: Singapore Warns of TikTok Trolls Posing as IMH Doctors To Make Fun of Mental Health Issues

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Japanese media outlet Abema featured a 39-year-old Kyoto man only known as "Jackie" after he went viral last May for identifying himself as a "trans-age" individual claiming to only be aged 28 despite being born in 1984.

Read Also: More HNGN News about Japan

39 Going on 28

Last May, the media group's reality show Abema Prime featured Jackie, who explained his adopted trans-age identity. He revealed that his trans-age identity journey was triggered by an incident at work he described as distressing around seven years ago. Because of this incident, and the weight of societal expectations and judgment on him, he eventually decided to embrace an age that resonated with his personality.

"I felt a strong desire to stay young and relevant, and I found that being 28 was the age where I felt the most comfortable," he was quoted telling Abema. "It's an age where I can balance maturity with youthfulness."

He added that, while Japanese society tended to place a premium on accumulated experience, he viewed actual age as a mere record of years passed since birth, further arguing that such a concept does not define one's abilities or achievements.

However, Jackie stressed he maintained his actual age on official documents and resumes while keeping and navigating some facets of his daily life as a 28-year-old man.

Age Dysphoria

Meanwhile, Abema Prime also interviewed psychologist and Kanagawa University professor Dr. Takashi Sugiyama about what individuals like Jackie have been experiencing.

He said that Jackie and other individuals who may have been experiencing what could be described as age dysphoria perceive a significant emotional and mental age gap from their chronological age, which has been growing in recent years thanks to modern technology enabling information about age and maturity. Age, he additionally suggested, is increasingly challenging to process as society evolves.

Sugiyama also explained that Jackie's experience highlights the often-subconscious gap between one's perceived and chronological age, with trans-age people using this gap to shape their self-image, often reinforcing their self-perception.

A more controversial case of age dysphoria happened in 2015, when a Canadian man named Stefonknee Wolscht left his wife and seven children for an adoptive family after he identified as a six-year-old girl, saying he did not "want to be an adult right now."

Related Article: Potential Radioactive Scrap Metal From Fukushima Nuclear Plant Stolen, Sold by Contractors

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According to the agreement reached on September 20, the disarmed and demobilized personnel of the Armenian armed forces will be provided with exit from the Garabagh region of Azerbaijan in the direction of Lachin-Khankendi and Kalbajar-Basarkechar by buses and personal transport, Azernews reports citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Garabagh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Garabagh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Garabagh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Garabagh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Garabagh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Garabagh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.




BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 24. Military attaches of foreign countries accredited to Azerbaijan made their first visit to the city of Shusha after the local anti-terror measures carried out by the Azerbaijan Armed Forces in the Karabakh region, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Military attaches viewed an abandoned base of the formations of the Armenian armed forces in the Shusha region.

Then, high-ranking officers of the Defense Ministry informed the delegation about the combat equipment, military hardware and ammunition seized after the anti-terror measures and a video was demonstrated.
After hosting the UK's King Charles III and Queen Camilla, French President Emmanuel Macron now plays host to Pope Francis, who arrived in the Mediterranean port city of Marseille Friday (September 22) for the 44th apostolic journey of his pontificate.

The pope's two-day business in the French Mediterranean port city was to primarily participate in and preside over the closing session of the annual Mediterranean Meetings, which were initiatives or conferences held annually by religious communities in Mediterranean coastal cities to find shared solutions to the challenges of the region, particularly migration.

This year's Mediterranean Meetings are attended by about 70 Catholic bishops and 120 young people aged between 20 and 35 from all religious backgrounds, according to Vatican state media.

Two Days in Marseille

Upon landing at Marseille airport, the pope was welcomed by French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne before proceeding to the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica, which overlooks the city, to lead a prayer service there before heading out to an interfaith remembrance ceremony at a monument for sailors and migrants lost at sea.

After the prayer and commemoration service, the pontiff would attend the Mediterranean Meetings before staying the night at the Archbishop of Marseille's residence.

The pope's final activity before returning to Rome would be presiding or offering a Mass on Saturday (September 23), which Macron was expected to attend.

Read Also: King Charles, Queen Camilla Visit France: Monarch Shows Unexpected Closeness with Macron

Pope Slams Indifference Toward Migrants

The Associated Press reported that the pope criticized what he called the "fanaticism of indifference" greeting migrants seeking a better life amid Europe's migrant dilemma. He also slammed the continent's collective effort to apply stricter measures on migration, with some countries emphasizing border fences, repatriations, and a possible naval blockade led by Italy to keep migrants out.

The Italian island of Lampedusa was reportedly overwhelmed last week with the arrival of nearly 7,000 migrants in a single day, which was more than its resident population. The pope, who is also Bishop of Rome by virtue of his office, called the Lampedusa drama a "cruelty" towards migrants and a "terrible lack of humanity" on the part of the locals.

"[T]his beautiful sea has become a huge cemetery, where many brothers and sisters are deprived even of the right to a grave," the pope added.

Lampedusa was the very first place the pope went to outside of Rome ever since his election in 2013 to honor and remember the migrants who drowned. Owing to his own Italian immigrant roots, the Argentinian pontiff empathized with and emphasized the plight of migrants, from offering Mass on the US-Mexico border to bringing home 12 Syrian Muslims aboard the papal flight after visiting a refugee camp in the Greek island of Lesbos.

On the other hand, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited Lampedusa and backed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's calls to strengthen border security in the continent.

For France's part, officials in Paris said they would keep their coastal and mountain watches, and vowed to turn away any migrant coming from Lampedusa

In the same decade as Francis's papacy, the International Organization of Migration estimated that 28,000 migrants have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach Europe, while others have been subject to horrendous conditions in Libyan detention centers where abuse is rife.

"We cannot be resigned to seeing human beings treated as bargaining chips, imprisoned and tortured in atrocious ways," the pope said in clear reference to the Libyan camps. "We can no longer watch the drama of shipwrecks caused by the cruel trafficking and the fanaticism of indifference."

He also thanked humanitarian groups for their efforts to rescue as many migrants as possible, as he insisted that rescuing people from the risk of drowning at sea was "a duty of humanity" and a "duty of civilization."

A Bishop's Wager

Meanwhile, Algeria-born Archbishop of Marseille Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline stated that "aggressive" measures were not the answer, but "naive" and peacenik speeches about everyone living together happily ever after were not helpful either.

"[W]hen political institutions forbid non-governmental organizations and also commercial ships that cross these waters from rescuing shipwreck victims, it's an even more serious crime and violation of the most elementary international maritime law," he added.

Ahead of Francis's visit, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the maritime rescue organization SOS Mediterranee, which operates a ship that assists migrants, issued an urgent appeal for rescues to continue.

"The unfathomable death toll in the Mediterranean this year could have been prevented if the political will was there," the groups said.

Related Article: Cardinal Burke, Traditional Catholics Warn Upcoming Vatican Synod is a 'Pandora's Box,' 'Trojan Horse' in New Q&A Book

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United States President Joe Biden unveiled a new White House office that will be created to focus on gun violence prevention which will be led by Vice President Kamala Harris.

United States President Joe Biden unveiled that the White House would create a new office for gun violence prevention led by Vice President Kamala Harris.

The Democratic president said that creating the new office is part of his administration's efforts and "will save lives." The new office is designed to find a way around congressional inaction on stronger gun control laws. As Biden announced in the unveiling of the new office, he expressed his gratitude to the affected family members who found "purpose in your pain."

New White House Office for Gun Violence Prevention

In a statement, the president said that the creation of the new office for gun violence prevention was because of the people who demanded the country's government do better to protect everyone. He said the people who protested, organized, voted, ran for office, and marched for their lives contributed to the development.

The first Gen Z member of Congress, Rep. Maxwell Frost, who is also an advocate of further action on guns, was the one who introduced President Biden on Friday. According to CBS News, the White House also noted that the new office will implement the president's executive orders on gun violence.

The most recent gun legislation that Congress passed is the 2022 bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which works to enhance background checks for gun buyers under the age of 21 years. It also provides funding for mental health services and closes the so-called "boyfriend loophole" to prevent convicted domestic abusers from purchasing a firearm for five years.

However, it is not yet clear what the new office's exact role would be, but officials said that having dedicated staff within the White House will help expedite its objectives. On top of implementing the bipartisan Safer Communities Act and Biden's executive orders, the new office will coordinate more support for survivors, including mental health care and financial assistance.

Additionally, it would try to identify new executive actions meant to reduce gun violence and expand the Biden administration's partnerships with state and local organizations. The president said that none of the steps alone will be able to solve the entire issue of the gun violence epidemic.

Read Also: New Mexico Gov. Michelle Grisham Narrows Gun Ban Following Widespread Opposition

Addressing the National Issue

During his remarks, Biden detailed his experience traveling to the sites of mass shootings across the United States, including the Sandy Hook incident in 2012 when he was still vice president. He noted that these kinds of engagements have a permanent effect on young children, according to CNN.

Biden's announcement of the new office comes only a few days after a group of congressional Democrats sent a letter to the president calling on him to leverage "the full power of the executive branch" to address gun violence nationwide.

The president said that after every mass shooting, he hears the same thing: the plea to "do something." He said that his administration has been working relentlessly to do something to address the rising number of gun violence cases in the US, said Fox News.

Related Article: Biden-Harris Admin Provides $600 Million To Restart Manufacture, Offer of Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

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Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced that he will be switching to the Republican Party, arguing that cities need more GOP lawmakers.

Democratic Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson announced that he would switch to the Republican Party, citing the need for GOP lawmakers.

While the mayoral office of Dallas is non-partisan, Johnson previously served as a Democrat in the Texas legislature. The lawmaker also slammed his former party in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal published on Friday. He blamed the Democrats' policies for "exacerbated crime and homelessness."

Dallas Mayor Switches Parties

In his remarks, Johnson said that the future of America's great urban centers depends on the willingness of the nation's mayors to champion law and order while practicing fiscal conservatism. He added that cities across the United States need the genuine commitment of officials to these principles, which he said are the characteristics of the GOP.

The mayor's announcement makes him the only Republican among the mayors of the ten most populous cities across the United States. As per CNN, his announcement comes after his re-election win in May, where he got 93% of the vote after being first elected in 2019.

During the 2020 election, United States President Joe Biden won Dallas County by more than 30 points. On Friday, the Texas Democratic Party issued a statement where it accused Johnson of being dishonest with Dallas Voters.

The chair and vice-chair of the party said that Dallas voters deserved to know where Johnson stood before he ran for re-election as mayor of the city. They said he had not been honest with his constituents because he knew he would lose to a Democrat if he flipped parties before the election.

The party also said that the feeble excuse for democratic representation would fit right in with Republicans. They expressed their gratitude that Johnson can no longer tarnish the brand and values of the Texas Democratic Party.

Read Also: Ron DeSantis Unveils Ambitious Energy Agenda To Bring Gas Prices Down to $2 by 2025

Supporting the GOP

In his op-ed, Johnson said he excoriated local Democrats for "virtue signaling" that he claims makes for good headlines but does not provide safer, stronger, and more vibrant cities. The mayor also touted his record on public safety and controlling crime as conservative lawmakers nationwide rail on Democrats for failing to properly police cities, according to Politico.

Johnson's decision to switch parties comes after various decisions that drew skepticism in the state earlier in the year. These include inviting Republican Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to his inauguration. Both of the GOP senators spoke warmly about the local leader during their address at the event.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the state is getting more Red daily. He described Johnson as a pro-law enforcement official who will not tolerate leftist agendas.

The Dallas mayor's announcement comes as he has long been a vocal supporter of police as other cities have moved to defund police departments in the wake of the George Floyd riots. He also posted a Fox News Digital article on social media in February where he outlined how Austin police officers are retiring because of low morale amid the defunding movement, said Fox News.

Related Article: Entire Minnesota Police Force Quits Over Salary Disagreements, Blindsides Mayor

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HAWAII -JULY 11: Naval ships from multiple nations steam in formation during the RIMPAC excercise operations July 11, 2002. U.S. Naval forces and seven other Pacific Rim and European countries are participating in military excercises with approximately 11,000 personnel for four weeks.

The United States Navy has embarked on a comprehensive and ambitious project to overhaul its Cold War-era submarine detection system in the Pacific Ocean.

As China bolsters its naval capabilities and becomes more assertive in the region, a robust and technologically advanced undersea surveillance system has become imperative, as per the Straits Times.

US Navy's Response to China's Naval Advancements

The US Integrated Undersea Surveillance System, initially created during the Cold War to counter Russia's naval capabilities, is undergoing a significant transformation to meet the evolving challenges of today's maritime environment

The US Integrated Undersea Surveillance System has a storied history, dating back to its inception in the 1950s as a top-secret program. Its primary objective was to monitor and counter the naval activities of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

This once-secretive initiative is undergoing a dramatic facelift, driven by the need to adapt to contemporary maritime challenges. The modernization effort is multifaceted, focusing on enhancing surveillance capabilities while introducing cutting-edge technology.

One of the critical aspects of this initiative is reducing the size of surveillance cables while expanding their coverage area, according to Fox News.

Read Also: Readout of President Biden's Meeting President Zelenskyy of Ukraine

US Technology Export and AI Integration

Additionally, the United States is exporting this technology to its ally, Australia, to strengthen regional security cooperation. A groundbreaking aspect of the modernization plan involves incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into the surveillance system.

AI will be deployed to analyze surveillance data for anomalies and potential foreign vessels swiftly, surpassing human analysts in speed and accuracy. This development represents a significant leap forward in the Navy's ability to monitor and respond to emerging threats in real time.

The hardware component of this modernization effort includes the deployment of fleets of unmanned drones that patrol strategic areas in the Pacific Ocean, searching for signs of enemy submarines. These drones operate in tandem with portable sensors that can be placed on the seafloor, functioning as underwater satellites.

This flexibility allows for deploying surveillance assets wherever they are needed most. To gain insight into this top-secret program, Reuters conducted interviews with numerous individuals within the Navy and its contractor network and reviewed hundreds of Navy contracts.

The investigation identified more than 30 deals related to the surveillance program, involving established defense giants and innovative startups specializing in unmanned sea drones and AI processing.

The Navy's current strategy encompasses a multifaceted approach to submarine detection. It includes the deployment of unmanned sea drones, placing portable "underwater satellite" sensors on the seafloor for continuous submarine surveillance, using satellites to track ships via radio frequencies, and integrating AI software for rapid maritime intelligence analysis.

This comprehensive approach underscores the Navy's commitment to enhancing its undersea surveillance capabilities. The urgency of the US Navy's modernization efforts is further underscored by China's increasingly assertive posture in the Pacific region.

China's ambitions extend beyond territorial disputes, notably its ongoing tensions with Taiwan, and encompass its maritime espionage program known as the "Great Underwater Wall."

Currently under construction, this network consists of sonar-equipped cables laid along the South China Sea seafloor, a region marred by territorial conflicts. In addition to the "Great Underwater Wall," China is actively developing a fleet of underwater and surface sea drones dedicated to submarine detection.

These developments are a significant cause for concern, given that China's maritime interests extend into the Pacific Ocean. The China Academy of Sciences, a state-run organization, disclosed its operation of two underwater sensors in 2018, one located in the Mariana Trench's Challenger Deep and the other near Yap, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia.

While China maintains that these sensors serve scientific purposes, US Navy sources suggest they could be used to monitor submarine movements near the US naval base on Guam, a crucial Pacific island territory, WIO News reported.

Related Article: Philippines Seeks Legal Options Against Beijing Over Coral Reefs Destruction Within EEZ in South China Sea

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A picture taken on September 19, 2011 at the Gallery of Paleontology of the National Museum of Natural History in Paris shows a fossilized bone of an ape skull found last July at a site called Napak XV on the Mont Napak in eastern Uganda. A team of French and Ugandan paleontologists found the 20 million-year-old fossilized skull of a young adult remote male cousin of the Hominidae near Iriri in Karamoja. AFP PHOTO JACQUES DEMARTHON

Customs agents at France's largest airport, Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, have recently uncovered a disturbing and illicit trade involving the remains of more than 700 animals destined for the United States.

This shocking discovery sheds light on the extent of wildlife trafficking, and the demand for animal remains in illegal markets, as per to Al Jazeera.

Trafficked Primate Skulls Seized at Airport in France

Over several months, customs officers at the airport made a series of seizures, confiscating a significant number of animal skulls and remains. The discovery, which took place from May through December of the previous year, has raised concerns about the illegal wildlife trade and the trafficking of protected species.

The bulk of the seized items consisted of primate skulls, including those of macaques, baboons, mandrills, and chimpanzees. These skulls were found in 392 packages, primarily from Cameroon and intended for individuals in the United States.

Additionally, more than 300 other packages contained the remains of various animal species, none of which had the necessary legal authorization for sale or export. Disturbingly, some packages also contained whole animals, arms, and hands.

The illegal trafficking of protected species is considered one of the most lucrative illicit trades, trailing only behind drugs, weapons, and human trafficking. Estimates suggest this illegal industry generates between $8.5 billion and $21 billion annually.

Fabrice Gayet, a customs expert specializing in animal trafficking, pointed out that primates are often hunted for their meat, and selling their skulls is a secondary aspect of this criminal trade, according to France 24.

Read Also: Readout of President Biden's Meeting President Zelenskyy of Ukraine

Combating Wildlife Trafficking to Safeguard Endangered Species

This discovery underscores the urgent need for global efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species. The confiscated remains, which include well-preserved skulls of various species, have been turned over to the Natural History Museum in Aix-en-Provence for further examination and documentation.

This move is essential for both forensic and conservation purposes, as it will aid in identifying the species involved and potentially assist in ongoing investigations. Sabrina Krief, a primatologist at the museum, expressed her shock and dismay at the discovery on social media.

She described the attempt to traffic these remains to collectors and hunting associations in the United States as "staggering" and emphasized the devastating impact on endangered biodiversity in rainforests. Krief's statement highlights the broader issue of biodiversity conservation and the importance of protecting our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, apes and great apes.

These creatures face significant threats due to habitat destruction, poaching, and illegal trade. The discovery of primate skulls and other animal remains at the Paris airport is a stark reminder of the urgent need for more robust measures to combat wildlife trafficking and protect endangered species.

The illegal trade in animal parts threatens the survival of endangered species and has broader implications for ecosystems and the balance of nature. Efforts to curb wildlife trafficking require international cooperation, strengthened legislation, and increased public awareness of the devastating consequences of this illicit trade.

As authorities continue to investigate this shocking discovery, there is hope that it will increase efforts to combat wildlife trafficking and protect our planet's precious biodiversity. The smuggling of animal remains, as revealed at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, must be met with decisive action to preserve our natural world for future generations, CBS News reported.

Related Article: UK Plans To Charge 5 Bulgarian Nationals for Allegedly Spying for Russia Over 3 Years

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Many people have lost their lives, and many more have been displaced as a result of the devastating wildfires that climate change has recently ignited. Amid all of these, the era of artificial intelligence (AI) is here.

Fire departments and new businesses are using cameras equipped with AI to look for smoke. In order to monitor fires from space, a German firm is developing a constellation of satellites. In addition, Microsoft is making use of AI algorithms to foresee potential ignition points for future fires.

There is no denying that firefighters, utilities, and governments are using the newest AI tech to stay ahead of the growing and more severe wildfires caused by global warming.

AI That Detects Smoke From 1,000+ Mountaintop Cameras

This summer, California's primary firefighting agency began pilot-testing an AI system that monitors smoke from over 1,000 mountaintop video feeds. They are now rolling out the software statewide, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The device is programmed to detect "abnormalities" and send an alarm to emergency command centers, where trained personnel may determine if the smell in the air is indeed smoke.

The cameras, part of a network that employees had to monitor before, feed billions of bytes of data into the AI system. Humans must still verify any smoke detections, but this method will reportedly help minimize worker exhaustion by notifying them to check only when fire or smoke is possible.

It has been useful thus far. According to ABC News, a battalion chief received a smoke alarm at night, verified it on his smartphone, and phoned a San Diego command center to send first responders to the isolated region. If dispatchers had not been warned, the fire would have been considerably bigger since it would not have been spotted until the following morning.

Also Read: Tech Companies Using AI To Support Cancer Detection, Research, and Treatment

AI Usage via Computer Vision Machine Learning

Pano AI, based in San Francisco, takes a similar tack by installing cameras on cell towers to detect smoke and notify its clients, such as fire agencies, power providers, and ski resorts. Cameras employ AI in the form of computer vision and machine learning.

CEO Sonia Kastner told ABC News, "They're trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke."

Images are coupled with data from other sources, such as social media postings and government weather satellites, to locate and analyze hotspots.

Pano AI's technologies still need human validation; for example, managers may play a time-lapse of the camera feed to make sure the haze they see is indeed smoke.

PGE, which serves 51 communities throughout Oregon with electricity, has installed 26 Pano AI cameras. The response time and cooperation with emergency services have both been improved thanks to these devices.

In the past, fire crews wasted time and energy searching in the wrong places. The cameras may reduce response times by up to two hours by helping to spot fires earlier and sending crews to the scene sooner.

Also Read: Adobe Firefly Generative AI Models Now Available; Price Plans Yet to Be Determined

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The Philippines voiced its disapproval of a "floating barrier" installed by the Chinese coast guard in a contested region of the South China Sea on Sunday, September 24. The local government said the barricade stopped Filipino vessels from accessing the area and fishing there.

The Floating Barrier

The partition was spotted by Philippine naval vessels on Friday, September 22, during a normal marine patrol. It was estimated to be roughly 300 meters (984 feet) in length, according to a statement posted on X (previously known as Twitter) by coastguard spokesman Jay Tarriela.

"The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) strongly condemn the China Coast Guard's (CCG's) installation of floating barrier in the Southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc (BDM), which prevents Filipino Fishing Boats (FFBs) from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities."

After a Philippine government vessel arrived in the vicinity, Tarriela said the floating barrier had been built by three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat. He published images of the supposed barrier.

PCG and BFAR Condemn CCGs Installation of Floating Barrier in the Southeast of BDM Shoal



The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) strongly condemn the China Coast Guards (CCGs) installation of floating barrier in the Southeast pic.twitter.com/ed4cFtXcQs  Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) September 24, 2023

See Also: Philippines Seeks Legal Options Against Beijing Over Coral Reefs Destruction Within EEZ in South China Sea

Damaged Corals

Images showing large areas of shattered and bleached coral were posted by the Philippine coastguard last week, leading authorities to accuse China of extensive devastation in the region.

Tarriela said in a statement that the degradation and destruction of the marine environment in the West Philippine Sea features may have been directly caused by the ongoing swarming for the indiscriminate illegal and destructive fishing activities of the Chinese maritime forces in Rozul Reef and Escoda Shoal.

Crushed corals are a significant indicator of a possible act of dumping, Tarriela said, and they may come from the same dead corals that were cleaned and processed before being reintroduced to the seafloor.

During a routine briefing last week, the Chinese foreign ministry was questioned about destroying coral reefs and responded by calling the charges false and groundless. "We advise the Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information to stage a political farce," Spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters.

When monitoring a high number of Filipino fishermen in the region, Chinese warships reportedly always set up floating obstacles.

A tiny but significant reef and productive fishing field, Bajo de Masinloc (or Scarborough Shoal) is located about 130 miles (200 kilometers) west of the Philippine island of Luzon. China claims Huangyandao as its own, although it is only one of several contested islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

See Also: AFP to Increase Presence in West Philippine Sea-Alleging China of Massive Illegal Coral Harvesting

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More UAW strikes are expected to happen. A top analyst of Wedbush Securities said that if the United Auto Workers union wanted to, it could still conduct more protests because it has lots of leverage.

The top analyst warned that the next step that UAW will take could be the "more nuclear option." Here are other details about the analyst's predictions.

More UAW Strikes Could Happen, Claims a Top Analyst

According to Fortune, UAW strikes began on Sept. 15. But, only 12% of its members joined the protests, which means that the union can still conduct more strikes to pressure companies to agree to their demands.

The UAW leaders can order their remaining members to strike more car parts facilities and assembly plants of Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford.

"We believe the next step for UAW is the more nuclear option - going for a much more widespread strike on the core plants in and around Detroit," said Daniel Ives, a top analyst working for Wedbush Securities.

He added that if his prediction really happens, it "would be a torpedo." Aside from Ives, another top analyst, Sam Abuelsamid of Guidehouse Insights shared his opinion.

Abuelsamid explained that the UAW leadership could add more assembly plants to their list, allowing them to squeeze automakers harder.

"They could target more of the plants that are building the most profitable vehicles," explained Sam.

Read Also: Republicans Take Advantage of UAW Walkout To Gain Traction in Michigan

UAW's Picket Line To Be Joined by Joe Biden

Politico reported that U.S. President Joe Biden will join the picket line of UAW strikes. This was confirmed by the American leader on Friday, Sept. 22.

He said that he will go to Michigan on Tuesday, Sept. 26, to stand in solidarity with the women and men of UAW while they are striking to achieve their fair shares in the auto industry.

Many union workers and leaders see Joe Biden's upcoming visit as a seismic moment in the labor community. A union adviser said that the decision of POTUS is "pretty hard-core."

The U.S. president is currently making efforts to help UAW members achieve their goals. Recently, he tried sending acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and senior adviser Gene Sperling to assist the negotiations in Detroit.

Unfortunately, this effort was canceled by the Biden Administration after having conversations with the UAW leadership.

Related Article: Joe Biden Supports UAW Members-Says Automakers Should Provide Better for Workers

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Some customers seeking to receive updated versions of the COVID-19 vaccination have experienced challenges, such as bureaucratic roadblocks, missed appointments, and delayed private insurance coverage.

Due to a structural change, the federal government is no longer liable for the distribution or funding of COVID-19 vaccines, creating a serious bottleneck.

Health insurance companies, both public and private, must cover the entire price of the injection plus a small administrative charge. Patients without health insurance are still eligible for a federal program that provides free immunizations.

There has been an increase in reported instances, so last week, the Biden administration announced plans to revive a government program enabling anyone to get up to four free tests.

Challenge for Consumers

Since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) authorized new versions of the vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have distributed millions of doses to pharmacies and clinics. Everyone above the age of 6 months is encouraged to acquire the latest vaccinations, which protect against the most current strains of the COVID-19 virus.

In a report by USA Today, many individuals have found the process of getting vaccinated stressful even though chain pharmacies are busy administering the shots. Insurers' bottlenecks, appointment delays, and out-of-network rejections have prompted several people to go to social media to vent their frustrations.

The transition of such a massive vaccination distribution from the government to private-sector insurers is expected to cause disruptions in the market, according to experts.

Virginia resident Patrick Dye, for instance, discovered his doctor did not stock the new vaccination. He called his insurance provider only to be told that he was only insured if he obtained a shot from his health provider or doctor.

Dye eventually got the latest shot but pointed out that customers should not work hard to be vaccinated and protected from the virus.

See Also: Biden-Harris Admin Provides $600 Million To Restart Manufacture, Offer of Free At-Home COVID-19 Tests

Struggle Even for Health Experts

Cynthia Cox, vice president and director of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at the health policy nonprofit KFF, has extensive knowledge of the health insurance market and the American healthcare system. But even she had trouble getting the updated shot.

According to USA Today, Cox wanted to be vaccinated before leaving for a business trip next week, but her health insurance network pharmacies were out.

She tried her luck at the Walgreens. The staff called her insurer, who told her she needed prior clearance to be vaccinated out of network. The insurance even asked Cox to get her doctor's fax number.

Cox was eager to pay for the injection out of her own money, but in the end, she was denied. No CVS in her area would give her an appointment, and the pharmacist at a little drugstore said she would have to wait until next week.

See Also: COVID Booster: CDC Recommends New Vaccine for Nearly All Americans Over 6 Months as Cases, Hospitalizations Rise

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As part of a global movement for greater gender parity via language, the Danish Language's governing body is working to include more neutral terms for each gender in the upcoming edition of its official dictionary.

Revision of 'Retskrivningsordbogen'

Danish media sites report that in 2024, the official Danish spelling dictionary, the Retskrivningsordbogen, will be updated to make its language more gender-neutral and combat gender stereotypes.

Researchers at the Danish Language Council, an organization under the Danish Ministry of Culture, have sifted through its over a thousand pages to find male terms with no feminine counterpart or work to revise outdated meanings. According to the Danish news outlet DR, they have recommended adding the phrase "career man" to the Danish language to complement the current term "career woman."

For instance, the term "finansmand" (financier) is one of several Danish nouns ending in -mand, or "man," however, it may be rendered as "finanskvinde" (female financier). The plan calls for more gender-neutral word definitions, including eliminating the usage of male pronouns like the mentioned example.

Senior researcher at the council and dictionary editor Margrethe Heidemann Andersen said the initiative has garnered more attention in Denmark than the council's usual rule revisions in that control items like commas. She pointed out that the issues involving identity and gender evoked the strongest reactions.

One of the three editors for the new edition is Heidemann Andersen. She told DR that they went through the whole Retskrivningsordbogen, looking up every instance of the terms "woman," "person," and "man" that ended in those Danish letters. They tallied up the frequency with which each term appears in conversation. Sometimes, they even suggested using the female forms of the terms.

They also suggested using gender-neutral terms and revising definitions that rely too much on stereotypically female or male pronouns.

In DR's interview with Heidemann Andersen, this meticulous procedure was carried out to consider linguistic change. However, "there are some people who have grown up with a language who think we are changing too much, and do not think we need a word like female financier," she explained.

See Also: California Court Halts School District Law Requiring Parental Notification If Student Changes Gender Identity

Cultural Disagreements

According to The Washington Post, the question of whether and how languages with grammatical genders may be adapted to societal developments has been a source of contention for many cultures in recent years.

The gender-neutral pronoun 'hen' was officially introduced to the Swedish vocabulary in 2015. In recent years, certain German towns and government entities have required gender-neutral wording in official papers.

However, equality plans have been met with resistance in certain other locations.

In 2021, the Academie Francaise, the French organization in charge of linguistic standards, said that the gender-neutral variety of French known as "inclusive writing" was detrimental to the use and comprehension of French.

Meanwhile, some Hispanics in the US have fought back against initiatives to use "x" after nouns in place of the masculine "o" or feminine "a."

See Also: WSJ Editorial Details How Parents in Blue States Fight Back Against Gender Ideology

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. Quadracopter with its shells belonging to the Armenian armed forces formations were detected in one of the combat positions during the inspection of the territories after the local anti-terror measures held in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Azerbaijan Army positions were subjected to fire by mounting shells on precisely such quadrocopters.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. The West Azerbaijan Community criticized the speech of Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during the general discussions held within the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, The West Azerbaijan Community said in their statement, Trend reports.

"We condemn the position expressed in the speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan during the general discussions within the framework of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, which expresses an encroachment on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and is an interference in its internal affairs.

Instead of providing clarification regarding the illegal deployment of Armenian armed forces on Azerbaijani territory, Minister Mirzoyan, like the remnants of the former illegal regime in Karabakh in his statements of surrender, accuses Azerbaijan of threatening the territorial integrity of Armenia, which is hypocrisy. We would like to remind you that eight villages in the Gazakh and Sadarak regions of Azerbaijan are still under the occupation of Armenia, and about 10 thousand residents of these villages cannot return to their homes for 30 years. Armenia has still not taken the necessary steps towards peace and in order to recognize the responsibility it bears for the occupation of 20 percent of Azerbaijani territories, the expulsion of about a million Azerbaijanis from there, the murder of more than 20 thousand Azerbaijani civilians, the destruction of about a thousand Azerbaijani cities and villages.

Regarding the statement of the Armenian Minister about the alleged humanitarian problems in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan and his proposal to send a UN interdepartmental mission there, we would like to note that the step that Armenia must take is to take responsibility for the occupation, massacres, ethnic cleansing, destruction and other crimes against Azerbaijan, and to support the Azerbaijani government in the reintegration and reconstruction efforts ongoing in Karabakh.

And the country where the UN interdepartmental mission should go is Armenia. Let us recall that back in April of this year we appealed to the UN Secretary General with a request to send an interdepartmental UN mission to Armenia to facilitate the process of safe and dignified return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia to their homes. However, since the Armenian government did not give consent, it has not yet been possible to send a mission there.

Mirzoyans calls for the withdrawal of the Azerbaijani army and law enforcement agencies from settlements in Karabakh and for the deployment of UN-mandated peacekeeping forces in Karabakh are extremely irresponsible and dangerous statements. The fact that Armenia calls on Azerbaijan to retreat from its sovereign territories, while constantly demonstrating its sovereignty, territorial integrity, red lines, once again proves the territorial claims of official Yerevan to Azerbaijan, which they are now forced to disguise in other words.

Speaking about peacekeeping forces that received a UN mandate, the Armenian minister probably means his stupid dream of placing the EU mission in Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan. It is clear that this idea was included in Mirzoyans speech at the prompting of the European Union, France and Germany.

Armenia must know that, relying on such crusaders as Marina Kaljurand and Nathalie Loiseau, who are in Brussels and make empty statements, on countries such as France, Germany, Lithuania and Estonia, on the scribbles of Luis Ocampo and the tweets of Snoop Dogg, and while continuing the dirty policy against Azerbaijan, peace cannot be achieved.

A. Mirzoyans speech shows that Armenian diplomats with their Dashnak thinking not only hinder peace and stability in the region, but are also one of the main reasons that Armenia has been a failed state for these 30 years.

If we talk about democracy, we want to remind the Armenian minister about the civil war, police violence, mass detentions that have occurred in Armenia in recent days.

We demand that the government of Armenia immediately stop encroachments on the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, liberate eight occupied villages of Azerbaijan, create conditions for the return of Azerbaijanis expelled from Armenia and, for this purpose, agree to send an interdepartmental UN mission to Armenia," the statement says.
New Bear Population Estimate Based on 2022 Data Available

MONTPELIER, Vt.  Vermont's black bear population is estimated at 7,000 to 8,500 based on 2022 data, the most recent available, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

"It is important to look at the 2022 population estimate as part of the typical cycles of growth and decline in a bear population that is stable over the long term," said wildlife biologist and Black Bear Project Leader Jaclyn Comeau. "The 7,000 to 8,500 bear estimate for 2022 is a five-year high. We will be watching closely in the coming few years to see if the population drops as we have seen it do before, after high years in previous cycles."

Comeau stressed that the current population estimate is not a basis for changes to Vermont's bear management at this time. She added that today's robust bear population is the result of a decades-long research and conservation effort that includes land protection, regulated hunting and significant public education on proactive conflict prevention.

As recently as the early 1970s Vermont's bears were found only in mountainous areas and the Northeast Kingdom, and likely numbered between 1,500 and 3,500. Today they are found in every Vermont town except for communities on the Lake Champlain Islands. Since the mid-1990s the population has been relatively stable, fluctuating from 4,000 to 7,500 bears in consistent cycles of growth and decline. The population has seen steady growth since 2019.

"Taking active steps to coexist with bears is our responsibility as Vermonters," said Comeau. "That means respecting these powerful animals as an important part of our native biodiversity, using proactive conflict prevention strategies like keeping human food out of bears' reach, and relying on a scientifically regulated hunting season to keep the bear population in line with Vermont's social carrying capacity."

The department's bear population model uses age and sex data from hunter harvests and non-hunting mortalities like vehicle strikes to estimate the population and account for model uncertainty. Because the model relies on annual data from hunters, it lags one year behind the current hunting season.

"Hunter harvest data are used by state fish and wildlife agencies to model bear populations nation-wide," said biometrician and Research Program Manager Dr. Katherina Gieder. "We are confident in our bear population model estimates because they consistently match what other data indicate about the population trend over time. Model certainty has also increased in recent years, especially since making it mandatory for bear hunters to submit a tooth from their harvest to the department in 2018. It's a good example of how community science can directly inform wildlife conservation."
Governor Announces Veterans Equality Review Board

BOSTON  In a move to honor the rights and service of veterans discharged under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy, Governor Maura T. Healey today swore in five members to the newly established Veterans Equality Review Board (VERB).

VERB's goal is to provide an application process for certain veterans who received an "other than honorable discharge" under DADT and recommend their eligibility for state-based veteran benefits.

"Today is a historic milestone for Massachusetts veterans, service members, and their families," said Governor Maura Healey. "The creation of the Veterans Equality Review Board underscores our commitment to righting the wrongs of the past and supporting LGBTQ+ veterans who have served our nation with pride and honor. I'm grateful for the efforts of Secretary Santiago and his team to help ensure that these veterans receive the support and benefits they deserve."

The responsibilities of VERB include:

Reviewing applications submitted by veterans who believe they received an "other than honorable discharge" due to their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

Providing recommendations to the Secretary of Veterans Services on granting state-based veterans benefits to applicants.

Ensuring that veterans who qualify for benefits can access the support they need.

The application process for veterans seeking benefits through the VERB is straightforward and accessible. Veterans can submit their applications online through the EOVS website, which provides clear instructions and lists all required documentation.

VERB was created as part of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget to rectify historical injustices faced by LGBTQ+ veterans who served our nation under the restrictive DADT policy. The Board consists of five members: three appointed by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans Services and two appointed by the Governor. These members will serve five-year terms and play a crucial role in ensuring veterans receive the support and benefits they deserve.

"Twelve years after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the unfortunate truth is that many service members are still impacted by this policy and many of them call Massachusetts their home," said Senator John Velis, the Senate Chair of the Legislature's Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs and sponsor of this policy in the FY23 budget. "The work of the Veterans Equality Review Board is all about ensuring that LGBTQ veterans across the Commonwealth have the same access to benefits and services that their fellow veterans have. This is a historic day and I am grateful to the Healey-Driscoll Administration, and my partners in the Legislature, for their commitment to doing right by our service members."

The five members of VERB, each with diverse backgrounds and expertise, are dedicated to ensuring fair treatment and support for veterans who endured discrimination and hardship due to their service under the DADT policy:

Claire Burgess, PhD: Clinical Psychologist at VA Boston Healthcare System, LGBTQ+ Postdoctoral Fellow, and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School.

Cliff Brown: Army veteran, Project Manager, Home Base, Massachusetts National Guard member.

Lynette Gabrila: Army veteran, Director of Veterans Services for the Wachusett District, actively involved in charitable organizations and causes.

Christine Serpe, PhD: Staff Psychologist at VA Boston Healthcare System and Assistant Professor at Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine.

Rachel McNeill: U.S. Army Reserves veteran, veteran advocate, and community organizer.
Veteran Spotlight: Army Cpl. Robert Savino

FALMOUTH, Mass.  Robert Savino served his country in the Army from 1966 to 1968, as a corporal and specialist (E-4).

Growing up in upper Manhattan in New York City, he attended and graduated from what was then All Hallows Institute, a private boy's prep school. He did his basic training at Fort Riley, Kan.

"We did a lot of jungle training. It was one of the first times in my life that I experienced diversification  Blacks, whites, Hispanics  but, in the end, we were all green in the same pot," he recalled.

Savino was shipped to Vietnam with the 9th Infantry Division in December 1966.

"We left Fort Riley by train and took everything with us but the salt and pepper shakers. We arrived in Oakland, Calif., and loaded our ship and headed across the South Pacific," he said. "We stopped in Okinawa then landed in Vung Tau. We got on landing

crafts and landed on the shore and got trucked up to Bearcat [an Army base in southern Vietnam], a base that looked as if it was carved out of the landscape."

He laughed, "I saw a little bit of action there."

Was he ever afraid? "Yes, the adrenaline flows. You're afraid but only afterwards when you realize what just happened," he said.

Corp. Savino described his first night at Bearcat.

"We had to set up a perimeter, we erected sandbags on the outposts, manned them so nobody penetrated. Set up wire, claymore mines. We had to sandbag the barracks we built to guard against mortar attacks," he continued. "My first patrol was very intense. I didn't know what to expect, I couldn't see anything.

"When we flew in helicopters, we didn't know if the LZ (Landing Zone) was hot or not. It was on-the-job training. You hope something doesn't happen but you have no control over it  just the draw of the cards."

How were the holidays?

"I spent mine onboard ship, first time I was away from my family. They made it as nice as they could," he remembered.

Savino shared a powerful memory. "We were near the Cambodian border and one night we got attacked," he recalled. "I was on the perimeter, a firefight ensued. It was pitch black  couldn't see anything it was 15-20 minutes of constant fire.

"The next day we went on patrol and saw trails of blood where the VC had dragged their wounded and dead. It was my first taste of combat."

Savino said his mentor was Sgt. Udall, a Korean veteran.

"He really guided me the night we got into that firefight, he was a good man, I'll never forget him," he said. He also spoke out against the vicious stereotype that was given in Vietnam. "We did a lot of good things in Vietnam. We flew into villages and put a perimeter around to protect the doctors and nurses who treated the villagers. It was called MEDCAP (Medical Civil Action Program). We also toured orphanages in the Mekong Delta and helped the kids there. All the other garbage was VC propaganda."

One of the biggest things he was most proud of was the casualty rates.

"Our casualty rates were the lowest in the war. We trained and supported each other and knew what we were doing because of our training. Our sergeants and lieutenants ... our platoon leaders. They deserve some sunlight," he said with pride.

Corp. Savino also shared the importance of his visits to the VA.

"The vets there are just wonderful guys to talk with, helped me a lot," he said, adding "the guys at Khe Sanh, Hamburger Hill, they got it really bad. Young veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan told me that Vietnam vets paved the way ... I feel the pride now more than in the 1960s."

He was awarded the Combat Infantryman's Badge. Corp. Bob Savino, thank you for your service to our great country and welcome home.
LACHIN, Azerbaijan, September 23. Armenian residents who just left Karabakh for Armenia through the Lachin border checkpoint are happy with how the Azerbaijanis treated them, Trend reports.

One of these residents notes that they were treated well.

We didnt expect this, she said.

Thus, the myth of Armenian propagandists about the alleged cruel treatment of civilians of Armenian origin in Karabakh by the Azerbaijanis collapsed once again.

Trend presents footage:
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Much like most of the scenarios thrown up on his journey to the top echelons of motorsport, Oscar Piastri takes everything consummately in his stride. Strikingly level-headed and rational  notwithstanding an unflappable self-belief in his ability behind the wheel  a week which started with the 22-year-old signing a new contract with McLaren until the end of 2026 ended with his first podium in Formula One at Suzuka. It was quite a few days for the rookie Australian, whose meteoric rise through the ranks shows no signs of subsiding.

Whats more, it was a weekend that fully justified Piastris bold move a year ago, when the soap opera of his first forays into F1 dominated the paddock. It was a storyline of dreams for Netflixs Drive to Survive producers when Piastri, a test driver at Alpine, rebuked the Enstone-based team whod announced his 2023 drive as a replacement for Fernando Alonso. We would later learn that the 2021 F2 champion had already penned a deal to join McLaren, with Zak Brown and the papaya targeting fresh blood following Daniel Ricciardos season of underachievement.

It was a line of attack which carried much risk. Alpine beat McLaren to fourth in the constructors championship last year and many onlookers saw the switch as unwise from a competitive viewpoint. More pointedly, though, the impact it would have on Piastris moral standing in the sport was something emphasised by then Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer. The Renault-works outfit had invested millions of pounds into Piastris development, with countless test opportunities and financial backing through the junior series.

But Piastri, managed by nine-time race winner and fellow Australian Mark Webber, was undeterred. He was set to be overlooked by Alpine for 2023 before Alonsos surprise switch to Aston Martin and, feeling undervalued, he went on the search for other options fully aware he could ill-afford another season on the sidelines after not racing in 2022. A loan to Williams was on the table but McLaren, an eight-time constructors champion and giant of the sport despite their recent struggles, was his preference.

The start was not smooth, though. McLaren acknowledged at the start of the year that they had not met their off-season development targets and the mood at the car launch at their impressive Woking HQ in February was decidedly pessimistic. Piastris F1 debut, in Bahrain, ended in retirement.

But those early shortcomings were no fault of Piastri, despite a year on the sidelines. It is one of the more questionable rules of Formula Two that the winner then cannot race in the series the next year, often leaving the champion in the wilderness. Brazilian racer Felipe Drugovich, last years champion, has acted as a reserve this year for Aston Martin and is struggling to find an F1 seat next year, though Williams has recently been mooted. This years F2 leader, Theo Pouchaire, is a test driver with Alfa Romeo but now looks set for a year without racing in 2024. It would make sense, it seems, to offer an exception should the champion not land a seat at the top table.

Nonetheless, after scoring his first points following his home race at Albert Park, Piastri had to wait until Austria in July for a raft of game-changing upgrades which handed him and Lando Norris a shot at regular top-10 finishes. He has since scored in five of the last seven races, as well as a second-place finish in the sprint race in Belgium. Enough for McLaren to swiftly extend his deal.

Piastri won Formula 2 in 2021 but then spent a year on the sidelines (Getty Images)

Its always nice to have a sense of security, said Piastri. It made sense from my point of view and from a team point of view. That longevity and continuation together  [its] nice confidence for us all.

It continues the Melbourne locals rapid ascent. He landed a junior role at Alpine, formerly Renault, by winning the Formula Renault Eurocup in 2019. A year later, he won Formula Three before his F2 victory in 2021. A decision at 15 years of age to relocate to the UK for his racing was reaping the rewards. Now, after a first podium following a front-row start at Suzuka, Piastri has emerged as genuine competition for Norris  long labelled the teams No 1.

I think it exceeded most peoples expectations from what hes been able to achieve already this season, Norris said on Thursday, after Piastri penned his extension. Hes pushed me a lot  its not a nice thing, its not what I want  but hes done a very good job so congrats to him for [continuing for] another few years.

Lando Norris  long labelled the teams No 1  now has genuine competition in the garage at McLaren (Getty Images)

As the Brit hinted, the intra-team jousting is not something he has been used to in recent years. Crucially at this point, the pair get on well  both young, affable and with bundles of potential. But Piastri has emerged as a genuine rival to Norris at McLaren. Norriss regular links to the second seat at Red Bull, despite a contract at McLaren until the end of 2025, are likely to have accelerated Browns willingness to pin down Piastri. But should Norris stay, it is undoubtedly a driver pairing capable of race victories in the future, should they be given the tools to do so.

In contrast to the start of 2023, it is now a time of much optimism for McLaren. The team signed ex-Red Bull chief Rob Marshall as their technical director in May. David Sanchez will join the engineering department in the new year from Ferrari. Andrea Stella, who replaced Andreas Seidl as team principal last year, works well in tandem with Brown. At this rate, theyre likely to haul in Aston Martin for fourth in the constructors championship too, with Alpine long left behind in sixth.

What!! So we are doing this for another 3 years??? comically tweeted Piastris mum, Nicole, after the new contract was announced last week. That looks set to be a minimum. Should Piastris progress continue at the current trajectory, the Australian will be in F1 for a while longer yet.
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A family are fuming after their 12-year-old daughter was given a detention for not wearing a jumper under her school blazer on one of the hottest days of the year.

Ruby Reid said she was told off at the gates of Rivers Academy West London and given a break time detention - despite the 28c heat.

Her parents Carrie-anne and David Vickers are fuming and claim teachers were wearing summer outfits.

The school in Feltham, London, has since claimed rules were relaxed later in the day after Rubys arrival. But despite that, she claims she still ended up in detention.

Stepdad David, 39, said: Ruby was really upset - shes only young and doesnt have much of a voice, so she just had to go with it.

It was 28 degrees on Thursday morning and got even higher throughout the day as well.

It would have been incredibly easy for someone to pass out in that temperature - or even lose their life if they got too dehydrated.

I couldnt believe it - I phoned up the school when she got home and was told its the heads policy and they needed to enforce it.

The next day they werent threatening break time detentions, but full 90-minute detentions instead - and the head was stood at the gates enforcing it himself.

I cant see any logic in it, but hearing from other parents, apparently this school has a history of this.

Its just completely inappropriate.

Ruby wasnt wearing her jumper when being stopped at the gate on Thursday, September 7, because she was already hot, she said.

The school claims the rules were relaxed later that day at 10am - but Ruby says she and several other students still ended up in detention at break time for not wearing their jumpers at the gates.

When she returned home her parents were furious and rang the school to complain.

The following day, Friday, the academys head, Luke Homer, was stood at the gates, they claim.

This time, Ruby claims she was told shed get a 90-minute detention if she didnt wear both.

She put both on because stepdad David said Ruby is quiet and if an adult tells her to do something, shell do it.

The school denies the 90-minute threat was issued, and claims no pupils were told theyd have to wear jumpers and blazers all day.

Rivers Academys website states it has the very highest expectations in terms of uniform, behaviour, attendance and punctuality.

David has now begun the process of lodging an official complaint, he said.

He said: I dont know what the reason is - I dont know if the rule is intended to cause harm.

But in severe cases, it could even have led to lives lost.

There are many good things about this school, but the uniform policy isnt one of them.

Carrie-anne said: I felt angry, shocked and disgusted when I heard about it.

The school know these children are young and vulnerable, my daughter was essentially punished just for not wanting to put her jumper on.

Its beyond belief, it feels draconian.

Its not an isolated incident and its strange nothing is being done - if we have to be that voice to speak up for change then we will be.

A spokesperson for Rivers Academy said: At Rivers Academy we believe that our Academy uniform provides a sense of belonging and self-worth, which are central to our guiding principles. Our students take pride in their appearance and we hope that by instilling these values, we are preparing them for the professional expectations of the world of work.

We asked students to arrive in full uniform on the day in question but by 10am, in accordance with our protocol, wed informed them that the Academy had moved to a no jumper day. This meant that all pupils could remove jumpers and blazers in the classroom so as to be able to learn comfortably in the unseasonable heat.

No students were told on either day by the Principal or any other member of staff that theyd have to wear jumpers and blazers all day and there is no 90-minute sanction for uniform infringements.

Our guidelines apply to staff who lead by example. Staff members were also invited to remove jackets from 10am. It is possible that visitors to the school after that time would encounter staff without jackets.

Uniform is a key discipline. Our policy and our expectations are clearly set out for all pupils joining the Academy. In instances where uniform requirements are breached we are able to lend brand new or freshly laundered items which will allow students to attend lessons.
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Kate Moss has deconstructed her wellness regime, which includes transcendental meditations, moonbathing, drinking herbal teas, and frequenting spas around the world.

The former British supermodel and It Girl, 49, turned entrepreneur when she launched Cosmoss, a holistic self-care and mindful beauty brand, last year.

In an interview with The SundayTimes, Moss, whose infamous partying ways have become a thing of the past, explained how she now looks after her mind and body  but admitted shes not thinking about turning 50.

She begins her day with a 10-minute transcendental meditation while repeating affirmations, including embrace the unknown. This is followed by a workout, usually ashtanga yoga or reformer pilates, she added.

On Sundays, Moss will prepare a meal for her daughter, Lila, 20, using rocket, potatoes, tomatoes, and garlic that she grows on a vegetable patch at her home in the Cotswolds.

She has a collection of crystals, including her favourites rose-quartz and melonite, each of which is believed to have different mental and spiritual benefits.

[Melonite] is really powerful, she told the newspaper. I had a piece of it but of course I lost it. I have to get one more.

Some nights, she moonbathes, which is the practice of sitting or laying under the light of the moon in an effort to drink in the cooling lunar energy, according to Yogapedia.

In the years since Moss officially retired from the runway, she has checked into medi-spas around the world. Her favourite is a centre in Bodrum, Turkey, called LifeCo, despite its perception of not being luxury enough.

She added: I love it there. Some people dont. Some people dont think its luxury enough, but its like home away from home for me.

Her nighttime routine involves watching Frasier rereuns before falling asleep by 11pm.

Despite an intentional wellness and workout regime, Moss admitted, she hasnt stopped smoking yet.

I still smoke occasionally, she said. Ive heard that when you stop, you can really tell [by your skin]. But I havent stopped ... yet.

She also said she wasnt thinking about turning 50 next January, and declined to comment when asked whether shes had any work done, including tweakments such as Botox or fillers.

Moss recently attended the glitzy Vogue World event, hosted by Anna Wintour and billed as Londons answer to the Met Gala.

Dressed in a custom dress by John Galliano, Moss opened the fashion show at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 14 September.

She introduced her brand Cosmoss in August last year, as Moss shared several pictures and videos of herself on the brands Instagram range.

The product range includes Golden Nectar, a multi-purpose Pro-collagen face oil which retails for 105, a 95-day and night face cream, as well as herbal teas (20).
BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 23. According to the agreement reached on September 20, the disarmed and demobilized personnel of the Armenian armed forces will be provided with exit from the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan in the direction of Lachin-Khankendi and Kalbajar-Basarkechar by buses and personal transport, Trend reports citing the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan.

In order to ensure the provisions of the Trilateral Statement [signed by Azerbaijani, Armenian and Russian leaders following the 2020 second Karabakh war], suppression of large-scale provocations in Azerbaijan's Karabakh economic region, disarmament, and withdrawal of Armenian armed forces formations from the territories of Azerbaijan, localized anti-terrorist activities were carried out in the region.

Taking into account the appeal of the representatives of the Armenian population of Karabakh through the Russian peacekeeping contingent [temporarily stationed in Azerbaijan under the trilateral statement], an agreement was reached on September 20, 2023, at 13:00 (GMT+4) to cease anti-terrorist activities of a local nature under the following conditions: the formations of the armed forces of Armenia, Armenian illegal armed formations located in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, lay down their weapons, leave their combat positions and military posts, and completely disarm; the formations of the armed forces of Armenia leave the territory of Azerbaijan; Armenian illegal armed groups are dissolved.

At the invitation of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ramin Mammadov, responsible for contacts with the Armenian residents of Karabakh, met with Sergey Martirosyan and David Melkumyan as representatives of the Armenian residents of Karabakh on September 21, 2023, in Yevlakh.
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Prince Harry has reportedly been asked to give Buckingham Palace advance notice if he wishes to stay at a royal residence.

Harry, 39, was denied permission to stay at Windsor Castle when he travelled to London for a charity event earlier this month, according to news reports.

The duke was scheduled to attend the annual WellChild Awards in Chelsea, west London, on 7 September, which fell on the eve of the anniversary of Queen Elizabeths death this year.

When it became clear Harry and Charles, who was in Balmoral at the time, would not be able to meet on this visit, the duke asked if he could stay at Windsor Castle, The Telegraph reported.

He also sought permission to visit his late grandmothers grave at St Georges chapel in Windsor, which he did on 8 September.

However, the palace was reportedly unable to grant Harrys last-minute accommodation request.

The Independent has contacted representatives for the Duke of Sussex and Buckingham Palace for comment.

Harry reportedly contacted Buckingham Palace after details of his visit  the first since he and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage  were finalised.

He is said to have expressed his desire to meet his father, King Charles, and stay with him, before Harry flew to Dusseldorf, Germany for the Invictus Games. While Meghan did not join Harry in the UK, she reunited with the duke for the Paralympics-style tournament for wounded and sick veterans.

In response, the palace allegedly asked Harry to put in a formal request as it remained unclear whether King Charles had been made aware of this communication.

Harry and Charles havent had a proper meeting for months (Getty Images)

Harrys team shared the itinerary for his 24-hour visit, the newspaper reported, citing royal sources.

The palace responded, reportedly explaining the King would be at Balmoral Castle on those dates, with an offer for Harry to join his father at the Scottish estate.

This would have given father and son the opportunity to meet face to face, after Harrys relationship with the royal family became strained in the months since he and Meghan relocated to the US.

Tensions first flared following the release of Harry and Meghans Netflix docuseries in which they made a number of bombshell claims about The Firm.

Shortly after, Prince Harrys memoir Spare was published, which included even more shocking revelations about his life as a senior member of the British royal family.

The palace has not directly addressed these allegations.

After it became clear Harry and Charles would not be able to reunite at Balmoral due to scheduling conflicts, the duke reportedly asked for permission to stay at Windsor Castle, or any of the other royal residences.

However, the palace was unable to grant his request without sufficient notice, the newspaper reported.

Harry is next scheduled to visit the UK in January, when his case against News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun, goes to trial.
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An imprisoned Russian opposition figure has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia and placed in a tiny punishment cell," his lawyer said Sunday.

Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr., 42, earlier this year was convicted of treason for publicly denouncing Russia's war in Ukraine and sentenced to 25 years in prison as part of the Kremlins relentless crackdown on critics. On Thursday, he arrived at IK-6  a maximum security penal colony in the Siberian city of Omsk, his lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said in a Facebook post Sunday.

Prokhorov said the transfer from a detention center in Moscow, where Kara-Murza was being held pending trial and appeals, took less than three weeks. Russian prison transfers, usually done by train, are notorious for taking a long time, sometimes weeks, during which theres no access to prisoners, and information about their whereabouts is limited.

Kara-Murza, a journalist and an opposition activist, was jailed in April 2022. The charges against him stemmed from a speech he gave weeks prior to the arrest to the Arizona House of Representatives in which he denounced Russias invasion of Ukraine.

An associate of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was killed near the Kremlin in 2015, Kara-Murza survived poisonings in 2015 and 2017 that he blamed on the Kremlin. Russian officials have denied responsibility.

Kara-Murza rejected the charges against him and called them punishment for standing up to President Vladimir Putin. He likened the proceedings to the show trials under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Prokhorov said Sunday that upon arrival to the penal colony in Omsk, Kara-Murza was immediately placed in a punishment cell  a tiny concrete cell where convicts are held in isolation for violating prison regulations.

Prison authorities have regularly sent imprisoned dissidents to such cells in recent months over alleged minor infractions, a practice that is widely considered designed to put additional pressure on Kremlin critics behind bars.

Prokhorov called the news about Kara-Murza's extreme confinement worrying" given his deteriorating health, undermined by the poisonings and solitary confinement he had undergone in pre-trial detention.
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A review has been launched by the Home Secretary after a police marksman was charged with the murder of a 24-year-old Black man last year.

The death of Chris Kaba and the subsequent decision to charge the officer by the Crown Prosecution Service has led to questions being asked over protection for firearms officers.

The firearms officer charged with the 34-year-olds murder appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Here we explain, within legal restrictions, who Mr Kaba is, how he died and what will happen next.

Who is Chris Kaba and how did he die?

Mr Kaba was a 24-year-old Black man who was driving an Audi car in a residential street in Streatham Hill, in south east London, when he was shot in the head on September 5 last year, at around 10pm.

Mr Kaba was a construction work who also performed as a rapper under the alias Madix or Mad Itch.

His death resulted in protests in the Black community. Mr Kabas family led a rally with hundreds gathering outside the headquarters of the Met Police as they called for an investigation launched by The Independent Office for Police Conduct to be dealt with swiftly.

And in March this year, Mr Kabas mother Helen Lumuanganu again called for answers on who was responsible for the shooting as they pushed for a decision on criminal charges in the case.

Chris Kabas mother Helen Lumuanganu called for a swift conclusion to the investigation into her sons death (PA)

Charging of the police marksman

On September 21, the Crown Prosecution said a firearms officer had been charged in connection with Mr Kabas death.

The unidentified officer, known as NX121, was charged following a review of evidence provided by the IOPC following its investigation.

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS Special Crime Division, said: Following a thorough review of the evidence provided by the IOPC, the CPS has authorised a charge of murder against a Metropolitan Police officer following the death of Chris Kaba.

Mr Kaba died after he was struck by a single bullet in Streatham Hill, south London. The CPS reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against the officer are active and that he has the right to a fair trial.

Court hearing and what happens next

The firearms officer charged with Mr Kabas murder appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Thursday. The officers barrister, Patrick Hill, was asked to confirm the defendants identity in court and the officer did not speak.

They later appeared at the Old Bailey for a second brief hearing to discuss bail. He answered yes when asked by the court clerk if he is NX121, and passed a piece of paper to court staff with his date of birth on it.

Recorder of London Mark Lucraft KC told the defendant that a plea and trial preparation hearing will be listed for December 1, with a possible trial date of September 9 next year.

A hearing will take place at the same court on Friday next week to discuss a legal order that bans the identification of the officer. NX121 was released on bail on the conditions that he lives at a named address, surrenders his passport and does not apply for international travel documents.
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This is the moment an EU Remainer dance troupe brought thousands attending this weekends Rejoin march to a standstill.

Dance Europa, whose members had been practising in Swindon town centre, arguably stole the show with their elaborate routines effortlessly blending disco and elements of breakdancing on various points of the route snaking through central London.

Centre stage: Dance Europa let their hair down outside Parliament (Barney Davis)

Even arch-Brexiteer Nigel Farage seemed impressed by their moves, posting: Some elements of the Rejoin campaign deserve praise! on footage of their flag routine to Italian disco classic Ti Sento by Matia Bazar outside Parliament.

At one point one of the dancers performed a cartwheel before launching into a breakdance in front of the worlds media.

The unwavering troupe ignored hecklers from rival anti-ULEZ and Save Bully XL marches in the capital at the same time on Saturday, and stuck to their stoic flag routine along Whitehall.

Ahead of the march, Dance Europa leader Steve Rouse said being invited to take such a prominent role was a great honour.

Mr Rouse said: As weve been asked to lead the march all down Whitehall to the gates of Parliament weve choreographed a processional walking dance, men with flags ladies with gold wings.

Dance Europa provided non-stop entertainment for the thousands of Remainers who turned up to the Rejoin march (Barney Davis)

Praised for their stamina after a high-octane routine to John Lennons Power To The People, he promised: Were not finished yet!

The National Rejoin March attracted around 3,000 people as they marched from Park Lane, outside the London Hilton, toward Parliament Square for speeches and a waving of flags of the EU nations.

At Parliament Square, speakers, including former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and high-profile campaigner Gina Miller  who masterminded an anti-Brexit legal challenge, addressed the crowd.
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That was pretty crazy: a Typhoon fighter pilot has become the first to land and take off from an ordinary road as the RAF explores new ways to outmanoeuvre an enemy in battle.

Two RAF frontline jets landed and took off from the single-lane road, usually used for normal traffic, in Tervo, Finland. The purpose of the exercise was to train pilots how to survive an attack, disperse to a remote location, and continue flying with little ground support.

The training comes as the conflict in Ukraine following Russias invasion enters its 20th month. The RAF has said the situation in Ukraine reminds us all of the need to be able to disperse our aircraft and be more unpredictable.

The road is usually used for normal traffic, but has been specially designated to serve as an emergency landing strip to sustain aircraft activity if required (RAF)

One of the unnamed pilots who landed the first jet said: Once we landed on the strip, we stopped to refuel before taking off again. I couldnt help but look around and think, I am sitting in a jet on a road in the middle of a forest in Finland. That was pretty crazy and definitely a first.

The second pilot added: This is a great step forward for RAF Typhoon capability. We often talk about capability being the stuff that we fly, with such [things] as weapons and sensors.

What is great about this is its a novel way of employing the jet, improving our survivability against modern threats, and operating from dispersed locations, and also doing that while working closely with our allies, who are absolutely critical to future operations.

The exercise was also the first time that the RAF had taken part in Exercise Baana, an annual routine training exercise undertaken by the Finnish Air Force. The Norwegian Air Force also took part.

One of the jets touches down (AS1 Edyta Tomaszewicz)

The Typhoons were operating out of Rissala air base and Tervo road base in Finland. The bases allow the RAF to expand pilots combat knowledge by using emergency landing strips.

The RAF said the UK and Finland enjoy a close defence relationship as Nato and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, often training and deploying together on exercises around the world.

Finnish troops also work alongside the British armed forces to train Ukrainian recruits in the UK.
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On Wednesday 13 September, TheIndependent revealed top-level talks were taking place between Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt about whether to scrap parts of the high-speed rail project HS2.

The much-delayed and overbudget scheme is for a rail line linking some of the countrys largest cities, intended to connect London, the Midlands and the north of England, with construction split into three phases.

Downing Street was evasive when approached for comment  but refused to deny discussions were taking place. Our story even appeared to be news to HS2s project managers, as well as the Department for Transport.

The next day, the rest of the press pack caught up. The prime ministers spokesperson was subjected to relentless in-person questioning at a regular briefing of political journalists in Westminster.

Still, No 10 would not deny the discussions had taken place. Other newspapers began to pick up the story.

Pressure started to grow: Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham was first out the gate, blasting the government: Levelling up, my a***! he said. It set the tenor of the rest of the reaction.

George Osborne was the next Tory big beast to weigh in. He took to the airwaves to warn that the prime minister was making a mistake.

Over the following days, he was joined by former Tory prime ministers Boris Johnson and David Cameron, as well as the governments own infrastructure tsar.

Other mayors including Londons Sadiq Khan joined in, urging the PM to keep the project on track. Businesses groups warned it would be a betrayal to abandon work now, with some signing a joint letter.

Mr Hunt finally broke his silence more than a week after the original story, on Thursday. The chancellor said HS2 costs were spiralling out of control  his strongest hint yet that a cut was being considered.

The Independent this weekend further revealed a decision on the line is due before Tory conference  this coming week.

The prime minister is said to be considering a delay, rather than a cut to the project, spooked by the reaction to this newspapers revelations.

Westminster now awaits his decision.
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American spy agencies shared intelligence with Canada regarding the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

After two masked men killed Nijjar outside of a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia in June, the US provided Ottawa with information to support Canadas conclusion that Indian agents carried out the brazen assassination.

The US wasnt aware of the killing ahead of time, and did not share any smoking gun evidence, but helped provide additional context to its close northern ally, US intelligence sources told The New York Times.

A banner with the image of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of his June 2023 killing, in Surrey, Canada (REUTERS)

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating the killing, in which New Delhi denies any involvement.

Canada reportedly has human and signals intelligence backing up their theory of the assassination, including communications involving Indian officials in Canada, CBC reports.

"I can assure you that the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons  was not done lightly," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday. "It was done with the utmost seriousness."

The killing has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Canada and India. Canada has the largest Sikh community outside of India, home to about 770,000 people.

Ottawa expelled a senior diplomat working for Indian intelligence, while India has expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and indefinitely suspended visa services in all categories for Canadians.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, advocated for the creation of Khalistan, an independent nation for Indias Sikh population that would include part of the state of Punjab.

I am a Sikh nationalist who believes in and supports Sikhs right to self-determination and independence of Indian occupied Punjab through a future referendum, he wrote in a 2016 open letter.

The Indian government declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020. It accused him of leading the Khalistan Tiger Force militant organisation.

On 18 June, as Nijjar was leaving a Sikh temple, two masked men blocked in his car and killed him with automatic weapons, firing an estimated 30 to 50 shots.
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A contractor who allegedly scammed victims of Hurricane Ian has had a warrant issued for his arrest.

Justin Hoover, 45, is accused of taking money, to the tune of $118,000, from Florida homeowners for aluminum work which was never carried out.

The powerful Category 5 hurricane hit the west coast of the state in September 2022 killing more than 100 people and leaving billions of dollars of damage in its wake.

Following the disaster, at least 30 people were contacted by Mr Hoover offering services to help rebuild their damaged properties.

Jackie Drewing, of Sarasota, told ABC Action News that she paid Mr Hoover more than $5,000 after the hurricane destroyed her carport and lanai.

She described Mr Hoover as polite and respectful when she first met him.

Kelly Canegalie, who also hired Mr Hoover, told the outlet that she felt Mr Hoover was trustworthy when she first met him.

It is just wrong that there are people that do this, Ms Canegalie said. They prey on other people.

Hillsborough County resident and teacher Becky Starnes said that she hired Mr Hoover to repair her carport and screen rooms soon after Hurricane Ian.

But after paying him $6,000 via Cash App, she never saw him again.

People clean up debris in Fort Myers Beach last month after Hurricane Ian (AFP via Getty Images)

Ms Starnes said that he began making excuses asking for more time to obtain materials. Eventually, she hired a different contractor.

ABC Actions News found that Mr Hoover had previously pled guilty to grand theft in 2021 while contracting without a license in Hillsborough County.

The Sarasota Sheriffs Office has issued an arrest warrant for Mr Hoover on larceny charges following more than 30 complaints.

Mr Hoovers whereabouts are unknown and he has disappeared from his last known address.

He could face charges of scheme to defraud, a sentencing that carries a maximum of 30 years in prison in Florida.
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The family of Jennifer Kesse, who disappeared in 2006, hopes that DNA testing and new police partners will crack open the cold case.

Ms Kesse, 26, disappeared from her condo in Orlando, Florida on 24 January.

After her disappearance, her home was discovered with outfits laid out on the bed, and her black 2006 Chevy Malibu found at a nearby apartment complex.

Jennifer Kesse, from Orlando, Florida, disappeared in 2006 (findjenniferkesse.com)

The only person of interest was an individual who has never been identified, spotted on the apartment complexs security system. Police havent had a major break in the case in years.

Ms Kesses uncle, Bill Gilmour, spoke at CrimeCon, a true-crime event in the city this weekend, where he said that he hopes DNA evidence taken from the car could point police towards new leads.

He also claimed the Orlando Police Department (OPD) originally told the family that no DNA evidence had been gathered. They later learned through a lawsuit the DNA had been collected.

After my sister and brother sued them and got the records from the OPD and had their own team comb through the records  some 15-18,000 records  it said that they collected DNA in the car, which they originally said that they did not," Mr Gilmour said.

The lawsuit also yielded images of the car which appeared to show signs of struggle, he said.

"We were never aware of that either. So its just, its just disheartening, he added.

(The family settled with the OPD in 2019.)The Independent has contacted the police department for comment.

In 2022, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement cold case unit took over the case.

After years in the hands of our private investigator who did incredible work, FDLE will now take over the investigation and will essentially start from the beginning, Drew Kesse, Jennifers father, wrote on a GoFundMe page.

We have never felt so hopeful and optimistic. This is Jennifers best chance at being found.

The Independent has contacted FDLE for comment on whether they will test the DNA evidence.

A missing persons flyer for Jennifer Kesse (Orlando Police Department)

Mr Kesse said he had sold his house and paid monstrous legal fees and PI bills to keep the search for Jennifer alive.

The missing womans uncle penned a book about her disappearance. In it, he writes how Jennifer was concerned about construction workers in her building staying in vacant condos and at one point filed a formal complaint to her propertys management company.

"Anyone who has bought a new home knows there will be continuing involvement with the developer and maintenance staff for some time. Unfortunately, Jenn lived alone and felt like she was being watched and subjected to unwelcome stares," he wrote, Fox News reports.

Family members said they had little reason to suspect Jennifer was in danger. She was in a healthy relationship with her boyfriend and worked at a resort in Ocoee, Florida, they said.

"What we knew at that time was whatever happened was totally out of character for Jennifer. She was predictable in a good way. She was intelligent, always conscious of her surroundings and planned for her safety," Mr Gilmour wrote.

"Those who knew Jennifer would agree she didnt show any signs of discontent with her life, relationships, or work environment."

Ms Kesses boyfriend, Rob Allen, lived several hours away from the site of the disappearance and was cleared as a suspect early on by police.
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Drug cartels employ 175,000 people across Mexico making it the fifth largest employer in the country, according to a new study.

A vast network of 150 cartels are recruiting upwards of 350 new members a week. This puts the Mexican drug trade on par with industries like general practice medicine, which employed 189,000 people in 2023; coffee and tobacco cultivation, according to the Mexican government.

The cartels employ a similar number of people as Oxxo, Mexicos largest corner shop chain.

The study counted everyone from rural peasants cultivating opium to armed men guarding drug labs to cartel leadership organising international smuggling.

The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels, Mexicos largest, employ an estimated 46,600 on their own, according to the paper.

Its very important to understand the size of the problem, Rafael Prieto-Curiel, who led the research at the Complexity Science Hub in Vienna, told The Los Angeles Times. It helps put the issue into perspective.

The research comes as a black eye for Mexican leader Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador who had made cracking down on cartel activity as one of the pillars of his presidency.

The study estimated cartel employment levels from statistics on incarcerations and deaths of known members in Mexico.

The research team found that extensive recruitment efforts were necessary to replace the 37 per cent of known cartel members killed or put in prison in the last decade.

In addition to studying the size of the cartels, the researchers also projected how various public safety intiatives would impact their growth.

The paper found that under law-and-order approaches focused on incarceration of cartel members, the groups would still grow 26 per cent by 2027, while peaceful negotiations would have no meaningful effect. Instead, researchers argued, only decreasing recruitment would make a dent.

However some observers questioned the methodology of the study.

It can be very difficult to say who is a member of a criminal organisation, and who isnt, Victoria Dittmar, a researcher for the think-tank, Insight Crime, told The Guardian.

What about a politician that receives money? Or someone who cooperates with the group just once?

The US Drug Enforcement Administration estimated in July that the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels employ nearly 45,000 people.

Homicides in Mexico have tripled since 2007, reaching 34,000 murders in 2021, and making the country one of the deadliest in Latin America.

Earlier this month, the United States had a major break against the powerful Sinaloa cartel, when Mexico agreed to extradite Ovidio Guzman Lopez, the son of legendary traffickerJoaquin El Chapo Guzman, on drug charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

This action is the most recent step in the Justice Departments effort to attack every aspect of the cartels operations, Attorney General Merrick Garland said.

Mr Guzman Lopez was captured in January in Culiacan in Sinaloa state, following a massive military operation.

In April, the younger Guzman was charged with overseeing efforts to steer the cartel towards producing fentanyl, a drug which has flooded the United States in recent years.

El Chapo was tried in New York in 2019 and is serving a life sentence at a super-max prison in Colorado.
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The small town of Pomfret, Vermont, has resorted to drastic measures to stop the flow of social media-hungry tourists clogging up rural backroads during the iconic fall foliage.

The town board agreed to block anyone but locals from using Cloudland Road, a dirt track with stunning rural views, during peak leaf-peeping season from 23 September to 15 October.

Windsor County sheriffs deputies will monitor both ends of the road to stop the crowds which locals have branded Tick Tockers.

It was too much, local farmer Mike Doten told the Boston Globe. Something had to be done.

There is no way a fire truck or an ambulance can get up this road in the middle of foliage season, he added. Its just too crowded.

An Instagram search for Sleepy Hollow Farm, a famous vista in Pomfret, yields countless identical photos of lone individuals standing on leafy lanes.

However, locals say the reality on the ground is far different: Tourists getting their cars stuck in the dirt. People hopping fences into private property. Thoughtless visitors using the bathroom and leaving their trash along the side of the road.

Prior to the shut-down, Pomfret tried making the popular road one-way, to seemingly little effect, so theyve opted for new tactics including reaching out directly to influencers.

Upon being informed of the situation by the residents of Pomfret, I recognized the importance of respecting the wishes of the local community, Kiel James Patrick, one influencer, told The Daily Mail.

In response, Ive removed posts featuring Sleepy Hollow Farm from my platforms and communicated with friends and fellow influencers about the farms private nature and the need for privacy and respect.

The message from town residents is at odds with the state which is trying to encourage the return of tourists after devastating floods in Vermont this summer.

We know that folks all over the country saw images of the flooding, so we take it very seriously to make sure people know that Vermont is very much open, Commissioner Heather Pelham of the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing recently told NBC5.

The state has spent around $200,000 on extra billboards and other ads in markets like Boston and New York City to woo visitors.

Vermonts iconic fall foliage is a major driver of state tourism (AFP via Getty Images) open image in gallery

A million or more people visit Vermont each fall to see the foliage, according to officials, plowing hundreds of millions of dollars of revenues into the state.

Extreme weather, including heavy rains and wildfire smoke, may mean a shorter foliage season this year.

This year trees have been stressed physiologically by two types of extreme weather weve seen in the Northeast: a summer of historic rainfall versus two previous years of drought, University of Vermont professor Bill Keeton said earlier this year.

Like drought, heavy moisture can cause leaves to drop off sooner than usual and have more muted fall colors overall, while the warming fall temperatures are delaying the onset of fall colors, resulting in a shorter foliage season.
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A popular rapper in France known as MHD has been given a 12-year jail term for the murder of a young man in Paris in 2018.

The 29-year-old, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, was found guilty of involvement in the gang-related murder of Loic K, 23, by a court in the capital.

The rapper was charged with voluntary manslaughter in 2019 after the victim was knocked down by MHDs Mercedes, then beaten and stabbed to death by a crowd of about 12 people.

MHD was arrested on 15 January 2019 and two days later indicted and charged with second-degree murder.

The rapper continued to plead his innocence up to and including on the day of his sentencing, according to the AFP news agency.

From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case and I will continue to maintain my innocence, he reportedly said.

He was tried alongside eight co-defendants, out of which three were acquitted, while five others received sentences ranging from 10 to 18 years, according to The Guardian.

MHD said he was never at the scene of the murder, arguing that the case against him was based on rumours.

However, a video shot by a local resident showed a car during the incident which was later identified as belonging to MHD.

Other witnesses identified him by his haircut and a jumper.

The incident was earlier reported as a fight between two rival street gangs. Arguing his innocence, his lawyer cited his lack of a judicial record and affirmed he has never been involved in fights between street gangs.

It was not immediately clear whether the rapper or others sentenced will challenge the decision.

MHD is known for blending trap music with the music of West Africa in a genre he coined Afro Trap. He started his career at the age of 18 and soon rose to fame with his music videos on YouTube.
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Russia has weaponised food and deliberately caused starvation in Ukraine, a war crimes dossier is set to allege.

Working alongside Ukraines public prosecutor, leading human rights lawyers are preparing a report to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The dossier will document examples of hunger being used as a weapon over the course of the 18 month war, with the evidence aiming to encourage the ICC to launch a prosecution that could see Vladimir Putin indicted.

A combine harvester collects sunflower seeds in a field outside Kryvyi Rig, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine (AFP via Getty Images)

Amongst the incidents include the killing of 20 civilians in Chernihiv on 16 March 2022. Russian fragmentation bombs detonated outside a supermarket whilst Ukrainian locals queued for food, with the lawyers similarly focusing on the siege of Mariupol in which food supplies to the city were cut off.

Humanitarian corridors were also suspended, making it increasingly difficult for relief to be distributed among starving survivors.

In May 2018, the United Nations (UN) Security Council passed a unanimous resolution condemning the use of food insecurity and starvation as a war tactic. The resolution asked all parties in war to leave food stocks, farms, markets and other food distribution mechanisms intact, stating that using starvation of civilians as a method of warfare may constitute a war crime.

Yousuf Khan, a senior lawyer with law firm Global Rights Compliance, told The Guardian the weaponisation of food has taken place in three phases, beginning with the initial invasion in February 2022 where supplies were cut across Ukrainian cities.

Mr Khan said such attacks symbolise not crimes of result but crimes of intent as if you are taking out objects that civilians need, like energy infrastructure in the dead of winter, there is a foreseeability to your actions.

Russia has also restricted the exports of Ukrainian food, with a further 270,000 tonnes destroyed between late July and early August.

In September 2022, the UN food chief warned that the world is facing a global emergency of unprecedented magnitude over the impact of the war in Ukraine on food supplies, with up to 345 million people pushed towards starvation and 70 million pushed closer to it.

David Beasley, executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, told the U.N. Security Council at the time: What was a wave of hunger is now a tsunami of hunger.
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Russian textbooks praising Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine are an attempt to encourage self-sacrifice among schoolchildren, experts have warned.

In September, Russia rolled out new history textbooks to schools that claim Ukraine is an ultranationalist state being used as a battering ram by the United States to destroy Russia.

One chapter claims that Ukrainian membership of Nato could have led to a catastrophic war and possibly the end of civilisation, an outcome it says Russia had to prevent.

Jaroslava Barbieri, an academic and the author of dozens of articles on Russian affairs, says the textbooks and lessons instructing children on how to use drones (UAVs) are all part of a wider plan.

Patriotic education is nothing new, Barbieri, a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham, tells The Independent. But it has acquired new momentum under Putin. It is an attempt to indoctrinate the next generation, by equating patriotism to self-sacrifice.

The textbook, which devotes 28 pages to Russias war in Ukraine, is also intended to convince children that Russia has always been surrounded by enemies, Barbieri says.

It is about militarising the youth, making them believe they have always been surrounded by constant enemies and that they should serve the needs of the state, she says.

In July, the Russian defence ministry approved plans for new lessons instructing schoolchildren on how to operate combat drones, assault rifles and hand grenades.

Deputy minister of defence Ruslan Tsalikov said the programme will include basic operating information and methods to counter enemy weapons, including UAVs.

The textbook is also intended to convince children that Russia has always been surrounded by enemies (Reuters)

Barbieri says this is evidence that the Kremlin has recognised the changing nature of warfare and Ukraines extensive use of commercial drones  and that such an approach contributes to the militarisation of society.

Katie Stallard, a global fellow at the Wilson Center think tank, says Putin has always been obsessed with history, and that the textbooks reflect his desire to have a firmer grip on Russias historical narrative.

Mr Putin has poured government money into patriotic education and other so-called patriotic initiatives during his two decades in power, she tells The Independent. It has long been clear he was not just seeking to promote a glorious, idealised version of the Russian past, but to limit challenges to the official narratives so he can consolidate power.

Between 2016 and 2020, Russias federal budget allocated about 18.5m to military-patriotic education, research shows.

Russian president Vladimir Putin signs autographs for schoolchildren earlier this month (EPA)

The implementation of military-patriotic education is guided by the military, schools and clubs, research suggests.

Control of the past has become a political priority as Mr Putin attempts to consolidate power in the present, particularly since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Stallard adds.

But so far, the Kremlins indoctrination tactics have not led to queues of would-be soldiers lining up outside recruitment offices, she says.

In fact, the opposite has happened, with the authorities tightening controls to make it harder for citizens to avoid military service. There is little evidence that this will make much difference to the Russian war effort in the short term by generating an outpouring of public support.

In February 2022, an estimated 300,000 people fled Russia when its military invaded Ukraine. This number had increased to about 700,000 by the end of the year, some estimates suggest.

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Tighter education doesnt mean Mr Putin will succeed and people will unquestionably believe what they read in their school history books.

The Soviet approach did not succeed either. It was a population skilled in understanding the correct sentiments to voice in public, while voicing their dissatisfaction in private, Stallard says.
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Ukraine says its missile strike on the headquarters of Russias Black Sea fleet in Crimea successfully targeted a meeting of senior naval officials, with top commanders among dozens of dead and wounded.

Kyiv launched the missile attack on the fleet based in the port city of Sevastopol in occupied Crimea on Friday morning.

Ukrainian officials said the attack, targeting what is believed to be the best of Russias navy, was timed to coincide with the naval commanders meeting.

On Saturday morning, it followed this up with another missile attack on Sevastopol, according to a local Russian-installed official.

It wasnt immediately clear whether the attack resulted in any deaths or injuries but in a statement on Saturday, the Ukrainian military said the Friday attack had left dozens of dead and wounded occupiers, including the top management of the fleet.

Ukraines intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Voice of America on Saturday that at least nine people were killed and 16 injured as a result of Kyivs attack on the Black Sea Fleet on Friday.

He claimed that Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was in a very serious condition following the attack.

The Russian defence ministry initially said that Fridays strike killed one service member at the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, but later issued a statement that he was missing.

The Ukrainian military said the air force conducted 12 strikes on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, targeting areas where personnel, military equipment and weapons were concentrated. It said two anti-aircraft missile systems and four Russian artillery units were hit.

Crimea has served as the key hub supporting Moscows invasion of Ukraine. Sevastopol, the main base of Russias Black Sea Fleet since the 19th century, has had a particular importance for navy operations since the start of the invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks while the brunt of its summer counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said.

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Military experts say it is essential for Ukraine to keep up its attacks on targets in Crimea to degrade Russian morale and weaken its military.

Additional reporting by agencies
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A man has died after being gored during a running of the bulls in eastern Spain, authorities said.

The festival, organised in the town of Pobla de Farnals in the Valencia region on Saturday, attracts huge crowds and has seen a number of incidents involving spectators and participants being badly injured in recent years.

The victim, whose identity has not been revealed, was gored in his side by a bull called Cocinero during the festival on Saturday and sustained severe injuries.

He was rushed to the hospital but died soon after, officials said.

This was the second injury reported during the festival this week alone. Earlier another man was also gored in the leg by the same bull.

However, he survived the incident and was in a stable condition in hospital, officials said.

The festival, where bulls are released into the streets and runners dash ahead of them, remains a controversial topic in Spain with activists saying it amounts to animal cruelty aside from the clear dangers to people involved.

Festivals involving running of the bulls are nonetheless still widespread in Spain, with a survey by rights groups AnimaNaturalis and CAS International finding that more than 1,820 events take place across all Spanish municipalities every year.

The most famous is held in the northern city of Pamplona in July.

Despite the risks, the traditional runs remain popular with both locals and tourists and attract huge crowds. However, accidents are also frequent.

Last year two men, aged 50 and 46, died after being violently struck by bulls in Valencia while a French tourist in his 60s sustained serious injuries.

In 2015 two US citizens and a Briton were gored and eight others injured during a bull run during the San Fermin festival.
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These eerie pictures reveal the inside of an abandoned airport that has gone untouched for 50 years.

Just shy of 10km west of the Cypriot capital city of Nicosia, Nicosia International ceased its commercial flights following the Turkish invasion in 1974.

Constructed in the 1930s, the site was used as the countrys main Royal Air Force station until its eventual closure.

Eerie pictures show the site in decline, largely untouched for 50 years (AFP/Getty)

The last commercial flights took off from the runway in 1977 (AFP/Getty)

The airports facilities were limited, comprised of three huts to form the main terminal with Customs, Immigration, Civil Aviation, Signals, Traffic and Operational Services, with the site and runway extended during the Second World War.

Between 1943 and 1944, American bombers used the runway as they returned from the Allied bombings of the Romanian oil fields, with the airport further expanded to reintroduce commercial services following the end of the war. By 1948, Misrair, BOAC, Cyprus Airways and MEA all operated from Nicosia.

However, the last commercial flights took off from the runway in 1977 under United Nations (UN) Special Authorisation, as following the Turkish invasion, the airport became the site of intense fighting between Cypriot and Turkish forces.

A ceasefire was signed in August 1974, allowing the airport to integrate as part of the UN-controlled Buffer Zone which served to separate the two communities.

The cubicles once manned by border force now sit empty (AFP/Getty)

Shrapnel now lines the dusty floors of the Duty Free Shop (AFP/Getty)

Nowadays, Nicosia Airport is largely abandoned. There are UN helicopters, however, based at the site, which has been used as the islands headquarters for the UN peacekeeping mission in Cyprus since the Turkish invasion. It also houses recreational facilities for UN personnel.

Photographs show the site complete with a plane rotting on the runway and dust and dirt piling up in the waiting lounges.

Where crowds of holidaymakers once queued up to have their documents checked  with visitors to the island including the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot  shrapnel now lines the dusty floors.

The airport has been used as the headquarters for the UN peacekeeping mission since the Turkish invasion (Getty)

The cubicles once manned by border force now sit empty, as does the Duty Free Shop by airport security.

Located in a strategic position in the East Mediterranean, Cyprus has been occupied by an array of different powers across history, including the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians and Romans.

Under international law, Turkeys occupation of Cyprus is considered illegal, with no country other than the Republic of Turkey currently recognising Northern Cyprus as a sovereign state.

According to UN Law, it is recognised as the territory of the Republic of Cyprus under Turkish occupation.
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A piece of an asteroid has arrived on Earth from the other side of the solar system, in a major success for Nasas Osiris-Rex mission.

The spacecraft has spent years flying to asteroid Bennu, gathering up a piece of it, and bringing it back home so that it can be studied by researchers. It brings an end to a mission that took seven years, involved a journey of 4 billion miles, and cost more than a billion dollars.

Scientists hope that studying the material can help to reveal how planets formed and evolved, and might even shed light on how life itself began. Since Bennu is around 4.5 billion years old, the sample is almost like a look back into the solar system during its early years. Nasa has referred to it as a time capsule.

(Reuters)

Bennu is also notable as Nasas most dangerous asteroid, according to a scale used to measure how much of a hazard a given object presents.

It is the first time that Nasa has brought back a piece of an asteroid, and the first time anyone has done so since 2020. It is also the biggest piece ever to be gathered, at around 250g.

Nasa sent a team in helicopters to gather the sample from its landing site and place it in a canister, taking care to ensure that it did not become contaminated by the environment. Since the sample was obtained directly from the asteroid, it will not contain any trace of material from our own planet, unlike pieces that fall to Earth unprotected.

The sample will be distributed between 200 people at 38 institutions across the world, including some in the UK.

The Osiris-Rex mission left Earth in September 2016 and arrived at the asteroid in October 2018. It gathered samples in October 2020, and began its journey home in April 2021.

Since then, both the sample and the spacecraft have been travelling back from the other side of the solar system. After releasing the capsule containing the sample, Osiris-Rex reversed course in order to continue its mission, travelling towards another asteroid called Apophis, where it will arrive in 2029.

Apophis is also notable for the risk it poses to the Earth: at times, it has challenged Bennu at the top of the league table of most dangerous objects. But recent research has suggested that Apophis poses less of a danger.

Ashley King, a UKRI future leaders fellow at the Natural History Museum, said: Osiris-Rex spent over two years studying asteroid Bennu, finding evidence for organics and minerals chemically altered by water. These are crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth, so were delighted to be among the first researchers to study samples returned from Bennu.

We think the Bennu samples might be similar in composition to the recent Winchcombe meteorite fall, but largely uncontaminated by the terrestrial environment and even more pristine.

Dr Sarah Crowther, a research fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester, said: It is a real honour to be selected to be part of the Osiris-Rex sample analysis team, working with some of the best scientists around the world. Were excited to receive samples in the coming weeks and months, and to begin analysing them and see what secrets asteroid Bennu holds.

A lot of our research focuses on meteorites, and we can learn a lot about the history of the solar system from them. Meteorites get hot coming through Earths atmosphere and can sit on Earth for many years before they are found, so the local environment and weather can alter or even erase important information about their composition and history.

Sample-return missions like Osiris-Rex are vitally important because the returned samples are pristine.
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A group of tourists were left so speechless by an eye-watering restaurant bill in Singapore that they called the police.

Junko Shinba, from Japan, was visiting the city-state with three others when they stopped at Seafood Paradise to dine on chilli crab, an iconic Singaporean dish.

But they were shocked when they were charged SG$938, around 556, for the dish.

The waiter recommended the Alaskan king crab dish, Ms Shinba claimed, which is priced at SG$26.80 (16) per 100g, reported Asia One.

While the menu on the restaurants website states that this particular crab dish has a seasonal price, the others are clearly priced based on weight  though Ms Shinba alleges that the waiter didnt explain this to her party.

Other dishes they ordered have a set price. For example, tom yum soup costs SG$12.80 (7.60) and braised pork belly ribs are priced at SG$12.90 (7.70).

The issue came to a head when the group of four was presented with the bill, which totalled SG$1,322.37 (785.61).

We all became speechless knowing that one dinner for four adults cost that much, Ms Shuna said. None of us were informed that the whole crab would be cooked only for us, as some other restaurants serve crabs partially. There were three plates full of crab and many other dishes, we were unable to finish everything.

She called the police, who turned up at the restaurant to resolve the complaint. Seafood Paradise confirmed that it eventually offered a discount of SG$107.40 (63.80) out of goodwill, though Ms Shinba claims she has contacted the Singapore Tourism Board about the issues.

In a statement, Paradise Group, which operates Seafood Paradise, said it was deeply upset by the inaccurate claims made by this group of customers, seemingly aimed at tarnishing [their] reputation.

It stated that staff communicated twice to the customers that the price of the Alaskan king crab was the same as the Scotland snow crab, while pointing to the menu, and that they even brought the whole live Alaskan king crab to the table before preparation.

Still images from CCTV appear to back up the restaurants claims, with the group being seen taking photos with the live creature.

Paradise Group runs approximately 50 restaurants in Singapore, with this branch of Seafood Paradise only opening this year.

Its not the first time tourists have blasted restaurants over how much theyve been charged for a meal.

Last month, a 700 bill for four drinks and a medium portion of seafood thrust a notorious restaurant on the Greek island of Mykonos back into the spotlight.

Meanwhile, a British tourist was left gobsmacked after a 2 charge was added to his restaurant bill for cutting a sandwich in half in Italy.
Nasa has broken new ground in space research with its Osiris-Rex mission.

The US space agency brought home the largest asteroid sample ever returned to Earth on Sunday 24 September. The capsule landed in a training range near Salt Lake City in Utah at around 3.55pm BST.

The Osiris-Rex spacecraft was launched by Nasa on September 8, 2016. It collected a sample  roughly 250 grams  of rocks and dust from the surface of an asteroid, called Bennu, on October 20, 2020.

After further study of the asteroid, Osiris-Rex set off back to Earth with the sample on 10 May 2021.

It was Nasas first mission to collect an asteroid sample.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 24. The management of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Kazakhstan Railway (KTZ) discussed potential projects for the development of the national railway carrier during a meeting in Astana, Trend reports.

Chairman of the EDB Board, Nikolay Podguzov noted among the promising projects the construction of the Ayagoz-Bakhty railway line and a new border crossing on the Kazakh-Chinese border.

The Bank intends to provide financing, and at this stage, agreements have been reached on the allocation of a grant for the development of a feasibility study for the project from the EDB Technical Assistance Fund.

It is expected that the new infrastructure will increase cargo turnover by 20 million tons per year.

Over the past 10 years (20132022), the number of container trains on the ChinaEurope route has increased 200 times. The value of goods transited through Kazakhstan in 2022 by the United Transport and Logistics Company, of which 33 percent are owned by a Kazakh shareholder, is estimated at $30 billion, representing about 4 percent of the total value of trade between China and EU countries.

Kazakhstan occupies a unique geographical position and is a natural junction of the North-South and Europe-Western China transport corridors. The EDB pays special attention to the development of transport infrastructure in Kazakhstan, including railways.

Kazakhstan is the leader in terms of EDB investments, with 104 implemented projects in various industries, accounting for 57 percent of the banks project portfolio, or $5.6 billion. In 2022, EDB investments in Kazakhstan reached $1.2 billion, which is five times more than in 2021. Since the beginning of 2023, more than $900 million has been invested, and the bank plans to invest at least $3.9 billion until 2026.
Analysts believe the drinks firm is well-positioned for growth

A drop in sales due to cost of living pressures is normally not great news for a consumer-focused drinks business.

Yet shares in C&C rose strongly after its trading update last week, with many analysts recommending the firm as a buy.

So, what gives?

The Dublin-based firm, best known in Ireland for Bulmers cider, said it expected to deliver net revenue of 870m in the six months to the end of August.

This was down 1pc compared to the same period in 2022, which the company said was due to a mix of poor weather in July and August, along with the aforementioned cost-of-living pressures.

Goodbody said it sees significant value in C&C shares

But market-watchers are often more interested in what could be, rather than what has been, with Goodbody stockbrokers approvingly highlighting that net sales at C&Cs branded business lines rose by 6pc during the half-year, giving good future potential.

However, the main issue for C&C  and the key reason for the positivity around the stock  is it looks like it is bouncing back from its software issues.

A software upgrade across its distribution business in Britain earlier this year proved to be a disaster, disrupting trading and punching a hole in the companys trading performance.

C&Cs update last week said it expected an operating profit of between 29m and 31m for the first half of 2023, a massive drop compared to the 55m it recorded the year before. This is almost entirely due to the problems around the software update, with C&C previously booking a 25m charge relating to the issue.

The hangover from this unfortunate episode has weighed on the companys share price, which is down 25pc on the year to date.

Or it was down 25pc, before a 5.5pc rally following the trading update. With the significant majority of the impact of the software issue now priced in, analysts are hoping C&C will be able to shake off the hangover.

Analysts at Shore Capital said there is the potential for a significant rebound in profitability, with Goodbody also writing favourably of the business.

Encouragingly, good progress has been made in resolving the new system issues, with key delivery and service metrics back to pre-implementation levels. This will be key in winning back customers and driving operating efficiencies in the second half of C&Cs trading year.

There was further potential good news for investors around capital returns. C&C resumed dividends earlier this year after revenue and profit rose sharply in its trading year to the end of February.

The bounceback was largely due to the lifting of Covid restrictions, which had a major impact on the companys sales during the pandemic.

On top of bringing back dividends, C&C said its board is considering other forms of capital return.

Cost-of-living pressures will likely continue to be a problem, something which was highlighted by Barclays when it said the macroeconomic backdrop looks increasingly challenging for the company.

Despite this, it was positive around how C&C has bounced back from its IT failure.

Likewise, Goodbody said it now sees significant value in C&C shares at its current price, though it added the caveat that further evidence of a turnaround in performance is required to drive a re-rating.
Ergo

Jameson owner Irish Distillers former international marketing director Brendan Buckley has decided to leave the alcohol company. Separately organisational changes may also result in a very small number of job losses.

The Cork-based firm, which is owned by global alcohol group Pernod Ricard, told Ergo Buckley had decided to leave Irish Distillers after a hugely distinguished career. He is to be replaced with Joao Rozario, former chief marketing officer for Pernod Ricard Italy, and Southeast Europe.

Buckley joined Irish Distillers in 2001 and has been instrumental in the development of its leading portfolio of Irish whiskey brands. He is credited with playing a key role in the development of Jameson into one of the top whiskey brands globally.

He is also known for helping rejuvenate brands including Redbreast, The Spot Range and Midleton Very Rare.

Separately, Irish Distillers said a very small number of roles would be affected at the firm due to global organisational changes by Pernod Ricard. The group is looking to simplify the organisation and create a clear operating model across all affiliates.

Irish Distillers is going through a consultation process with those affected. Ergo understands jobs affected is in the low single digits.

In flight

Irelands success in aviation leasing is well-known and many of our best and brightest airline executives have featured in a 40 under 40 list from a respected specialist publication in the sector. Among Airline Economics 40 under 40 Class of 2023 was Avolons head of corporate development and investor relations David Breen. Highly Commended designation was given to four people including Claire McDermott, partner at Flynn ODriscoll; Claire Waters, aviation finance tax director at KPMG Ireland; and Joe Conboy, aviation finance partner at PwC.

Sorrento Pizza's co-founder Stephen Carr

Pizza ambitions

An Irish firm is hoping to get a slice of the pizza market in the UK following the completion of a 1.3m investment in its factory.

Speaking with Ergo, Sorrento co-founder Stephen Carr said his firm, which makes and sells pizza bases, had been targeting opportunities in the UK market. It currently sells its pizza bases under the Carlos brand at Aldi as well as under its own brand in another Irish retail group.

Sales in 2022 hit 3.7m for Sorrento, with Carr targeting to hit 4.2m by end of this year. He is also aiming to reach 10m worth of sales by the end of 2026.
The impact of high legal costs on insurance claims continues to be a significant impediment to achieving real progress on insurance reform.

Recent reports from the Central Bank of Ireland attest to the reality that no progress has been made in this area.

Legal fees made up 33pc of the total cost of settlement for motor claims litigated in the first six months last year, figures from the Central Banks National Claims Insurance Database (NCID) confirm.

Furthermore, the average charge for legal fees on these cases rose from 23,161 in 2018 to 28,996 in 2022, an increase of 25.2pc.

The NCID is the only independent source of information on this topic. It analyses all claims settled in a period, so the average numbers arrived at are robust. Similar statistics were highlighted in previous reports.

Commentary on legal costs is often framed as an argument between professionals with vested interests, for example the Law Society on one hand and the financial services industry and/or business lobby groups on the other. What about the public? They cannot be overlooked as an interested party since, at the end of the day, they pick up these fees in many ways. Costs incurred by insurance companies in settling personal injury claims, including legal fees, find their way back into the premiums that consumers pay.

Solicitors can also charge fees directly to the client in addition to recovering their legal costs through the court. Current law also imposes a risk on a personal injury claimant who rejects an assessment of value from the Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) but then fails to achieve a higher award in court, as they can then become liable for the costs of all parties.

There is a clear benefit to society if transparency and consistency in the calculation of costs can be achieved.

Many injury cases require similar effort and knowledge from the solicitor to bring to court. Despite this, it is not uncommon to see large variations in fees

High legal costs have been debated in Ireland for many years. Those who remember the days of the Troika will be aware that one of the few recommendations which that powerful group failed to implement was a review of our legal cost system. More recently, the European Union has weighed in on the subject, criticising the lack of progress on reform in its 2022 and 2023 rule of law Reports.

In 2020, a review group chaired by the now-retired Judge Peter Kelly suggested two possible solutions: to include a set of non-binding guidelines or a table of maximum costs set by an independent committee.

It is perhaps unsurprising that most of the group, with the notable exception of Judge Kelly, supported a view that the legal community should be allowed to police themselves by means of the non-binding option. Justice Minister Helen McEntee demurred, commissioning economic consultants to evaluate solutions. They are due to report on their recommendations soon.

Lack of transparency and consistency in fees is an ongoing issue in the settlement of insurance claims. Adjudication of disputed costs for the Circuit Court is carried out by the 17 county registrars. This leads to significant inconsistencies since there is no common benchmark on which to base decisions. Why should a fee vary between two cases of similar duration and complexity simply because of the personal view of the adjudicator regardless of that persons experience or good intentions?

Another problem is the undue influence which the size of the compensation amount has on the fee. Many injury cases require similar effort and knowledge from the solicitor to bring to court. Despite this, it is not uncommon to see large variations in fees between a case where compensation awarded was, say, 25,000 and another where the award was 55,000. This tradition of inflating fees because of the financial value of the case would not be tolerated for other services.

Brian O'Connor

The key to any fair outcome must be the creation of a scale of fees, for the Circuit Court and High Court, similar in structure to those that operate in the District Court. It must be possible to arrive at a fair price for the labour involved in representing a client in most cases. There will always be exceptions and provision could be made for these.

A scale of fees would introduce better transparency into the system and give a degree of certainty to clients of solicitors from the outset of the process. Such a scale would also guarantee a reasonable income for the legal profession.

The adage of a fair days wage for a fair days work is something everyone can subscribe to. A fair wage must be fair for everyone, client and legal professional alike and an independently verified scale of fees would provide that.

Government has made some excellent progress in various reforms to improve the cost of insurance claims. Tackling high legal costs may prove to be the thorniest issue of all to resolve.

Let us hope that McEntee can finally bring this issue to a satisfactory and transparent solution for all.

Brian OConnor is the chief claims officer at Aviva Insurance Ireland
Sharon Stone at Bulgari BZero1 Aurora awards in Milan last year. Photo: WireImage

Luxury jewellery brand Bulgari received a payment from the Irish Revenue Commissioners worth 6.2m linked to a double taxation relief claim.

It was revealed in Bulgari Irelands accounts for last year. The Irish company, which sells Bulgari-branded jewellery, watches, perfumes and cosmetics, received the payment in January 2023.

According to the results, Bulgari Ireland has operated a logistic centre for storing and distributing its luxury jewellery and watches since 2020.

Bulgari Ireland recorded over 1.32bn in turnover for 2022. Profit before tax was 99.4m, up from 21m the previous year. Bulgari Ireland paid a dividend of 50m, up 10m on 2021. On August 28, it approved an interim dividend of 85m to be paid to its Italian parent company, Bulgari SpA.

The Irish business counts international luxury goods giant LVMH as its ultimate parent company.

The Far East accounted for a significant chunk of the companys turnover, with nearly 696m worth of business. However, turnover for this region was down from 761m the previous year.

Turnover in Italy and the rest of Europe was valued at over 275.5m.

The Middle East saw turnover valued at over 123.7m, with the Americas at 137.1m.

Bulgari Irelands tax charge was valued at over 12.6m, up from 2.7m.
Engineering can make a real difference to peoples lives: you leave a legacy of work for generations to come

Delivering infrastructure can be a challenge in Ireland, but Willie Madden of engineering consultants RPS has plans to make the country better

Willie Madden, RPS MD at its offices in Dun Laoghaire. Photo: Steve Humphreys

Fearghal OConnor Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 03:30

As Willie Madden inched his way through Galway traffic to drive to the Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, office of engineering consultants RPS last Tuesday, inspiration for his meeting later that day with the Sunday Independent was not hard to find.
From the fields of Athenry to the shops in Dubai, the Galway baked treats firm thats on song

Company is looking to Dublin Airport and United Arab Emirates for sales expansion

Siobhan Lawless, who runs The Foods of Athenry with husband Paul

Paul ODonoghue Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 03:30

The Foods of Athenry is looking to continue its expansion in the Middle East after signing a deal with Kibsons, one of Dubais largest grocery companies.
Dublin-headquartered Lansdowne Oil and Gas has said the Government is considering meeting the firm regarding its compensation claim against the Irish State.

The London-listed exploration firm said in a market update that Irish State solicitors wrote to the firm on September 18, denying that the Government was liable for a payout.

However, the company said while it will continue to progress talks with the State, it could also choose to move forward with formal legal action.

Lansdowne is seeking compensation for a Government decision to refuse an exploration licence at the prospective Barryroe oil field off the coast of Cork.

Work at the site, which would have been Irelands first commercial oil well, has been subject to numerous delays over the last decade. In May, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan refused to grant a lease to Barryroe for further exploration of the field.

It said that unless some form of compensation or restitution is offered, the State will be in breach of its obligations

Lansdowne owns a 20pc stake in the project, which could be rendered effectively worthless if work is unable to progress.

Lansdowne previously said it would launch a legal challenge under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), an international agreement negotiated in the 1990s that was designed to protect energy investors and sets dispute resolution procedures.

Lansdowne has said that unless some form of compensation or restitution is offered, the State will be in breach of its obligations under the ECT and the company will pursue a claim if needed.

In a market announcement, Lansdowne the firm wrote to the Government on August 9.

The firm said the letter contained a reminder that if the Government did not engage in a process to settle the dispute amicably, it would be in breach of the treaty.

It added: Our legal advisers received a letter from the Irish State Solicitors office. This denies Lansdownes claim, but indicates they would be willing to give considerations to proposals for a meeting with a representative of the Department of the Environment.
In the EU, we are only as strong as our weakest link

European Commissioner Mairead McGuinness has said EU firms must carry out due diligence when exporting outside the trade bloc. She was answering questions on the huge rise in Irish exports to Russia-linked countries.

Earlier this month, a Sunday Independent investigation revealed a stark increase in exports to countries where there is a risk of circumvention of sanctions against Russia. The value of Irish goods exported to some of these markets soared by up to 3,000pc.

McGuinness, who is responsible for the implementation of sanctions in the EU, said Russia was trying to circumvent sanctions as the EU deepened them.

In the EU, we are only as strong as our weakest link. That means that EU businesses need to carry out due diligence when exporting outside the EU.

My team in the commission is doubling down on efforts to support member state authorities and economic operators when navigating EU sanctions.

A European Commission spokesman said anomalous, sky-rocketing trade figures for some products or countries are hard evidence that Russia is attempting to circumvent EU sanctions.
Anna is the Murdoch matron whose son won succession

When Lachlan Murdoch takes up his role as head of one of the largest media conglomerates in the world, his circle of confidants will inevitably shrink.

But there is one opinion he will always want to hear  that of his mother, Anna.

We are very close to our mother, Lachlan has said.

Anna was Rupert Murdochs second and longest-serving wife. The couple were together for 32 years and had three children, Elisabeth (54), Lachlan (51) and James (50). And she was, definitely, his last predictable partner.

Not for her a past that included growing up in China (like Wendi Deng), or a career as a supermodel (like Jerry Hall), a hotline to God (like Ann Lesley Smith) or having a billionaire former son-in-law (like Elena Zhukova). Instead, Anna Murdoch met and married Rupert when he was her boss and she was a cub reporter in Sydney.

But that doesnt mean Anna doesnt have her own extraordinary back story with just as much exotic heritage and extraordinary drama as any of the other Murdoch matrons.

Anna (79) didnt come from a monied background  unlike Rupert, whose father, Sir Keith Murdoch, a Melbourne newspaper proprietor, left him the Australian media assets which served as a springboard for his global amassing of media holdings.

Instead, she was born in Glasgow in 1944. Her Estonian father Jakob Torv was a merchant seaman and her Scottish mother, Sylvia Braida, was a dry cleaner.

The family emigrated to Australia when Anna  who has three siblings  was a teenager. Once there, Anna attended Our Lady of Mercy College, a Catholic school for girls in Parramatta, Sydney.

But the family dream soured not long after when a failed picnic park venture bankrupted her parents. Her mother, Sylvia, abandoned the family home.

At 18, Anna began work as a cadet reporter on Murdochs Sydney newspapers, first the Daily Mirror, then the Daily Telegraph. Here she met Rupert when she asked to interview him.

The couple married in 1967, when Anna was 23 and Rupert was 36.

Tragedy struck soon after. Two years into the marriage, when Anna was 25, she was identified as a potential target for a kidnapping.

Two brothers, Arthur and Nizamodeen Hosein, had decided to take her hostage after watching a television interview Murdoch gave to the late David Frost, following his purchase of the News of the World and The Sun. At the time, the Murdochs were living in Wimbledon, west London.

However, the brothers made a mistake, kidnapping Muriel McKay  the wife of Ruperts then-deputy Alick McKay  believing her to be Anna.

They had followed Ruperts chauffeured Rolls Royce, on loan to the McKays while he and Anna were away, to the wrong house.

Muriel was held at a farm in Hertfordshire, and believed murdered, though the body was never found.

The Hoseins were convicted at the Old Bailey in 1970 and sentenced to life in prison.

In an interview in 2001, Anna Murdoch said: That sort of period was somebody else... another lifetime. But Im sure that it did have an effect on me, in the way I felt about England.

The Murdochs stayed in Wimbledon for about four more years before moving to New York in 1974, where Anna combined raising her children with novel writing.

She and Rupert eventually separated in April 1998, and divorced two months later.

He behaved badly, Anna said of the time. However, for my childrens sake, I said nothing. I waited all this time for him to make it right again, but he never took the opportunity.

I think that Ruperts affair with Wendi Deng  its not an original plot  was the end of the marriage. His determination to continue with that. I thought we had a wonderful, happy marriage. Obviously, we didnt.

I dont want to get too personal about this... but he was extremely hard, ruthless and determined that he was going to go through with this  no matter what I wanted, or what I was trying to do to save the marriage.

He had no interest in that whatsoever.

Since then, Anna has married again, twice, first to financier William Mann (with whom she lived in The Hamptons in a house once owned by Yasmin Aga Khan) who died in 2017, and then to Palm-Beach-based property developer Ashton Depeyster (74) in 2019.

Will she now make a return to her corporate journalistic past at Lachlans shoulder?

Its not entirely impossible.

There has long been tension reported between Murdoch and his oldest children over the terms of a trust holding the familys 28.5pc stake in News Corp, which prevents the two children from his marriage to Deng having voting privileges or control of stock.

Anna is said to be strongly resistant to any change which might allow the younger children to gain any control.

But then, she had always taken a keen interest in the company.

When she and Rupert divorced, Anna lost her position on the News Corp board. In a farewell address at the time, it was revealed she thought of this as not just the end of a marriage, but the end of a whole life.

I said I wished News Corp the best, Anna revealed, and that Ruperts children were my children too, and that I had always tried to do my best for News Corp... and I was very sad to be leaving.

Maybe, now Lachlan is at the helm, shell be back.
It is good to start early  and the earlier the better  but you can start at any time of life

Retirement planning is an important aspect of funding for your future, particularly if you wish to build a 1m pension pot. There have been some recent developments in Irish pensions which could make it easier for you to achieve your goal of building up your retirement nest egg. It is important to be aware of  and make the most of  those recent developments. It is also necessary to understand investment strategies that can help boost your pension pot.

To build up a substantial pension pot, it is essential to have a clear understanding of the amount of tax relief you can get on pension contributions, as well as how much you should be contributing in order to secure the pension pot and retirement income you are hoping for. Your financial or tax advisor can assist you with this in line with your personal circumstances. Take full advantage of the tax relief on pension contributions when saving for your retirement but know too that there are limits to the amount of tax relief you can get on your personal pension contributions, depending on your age and relevant earnings (See Table 1, below). For example, those under 30 can get tax relief on pension contributions equivalent to no more than 15pc of their earnings while those aged between 30 and 39 can get tax relief on contributions of up to 20pc of their earnings. It makes sense not to exceed those limits  but to increase your contributions once you reach an age that entitles you to a greater amount of tax relief. It is important to note that these tax-relievable limits only relate to personal contributions - any contributions made by an employer on behalf of an employee are treated separately.
ASTANA, Kazakhstan, September 25. Deputy Chairman of the Board of KazMunayGas (Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company) Dmitry Makeyev met with Vice President of CITIC Resources Zhao Hongbin during a working visit to China (Beijing), KMG told Trend.

The parties discussed the current activities of the joint venture, Caspi Bitum LLP. The progress of the project to increase the capacity of the Aktau bitumen plant oil processing to 1.5 million tons per year was reviewed. As was noted during the meeting, KMG pays close attention to this issue since this area of activity is important for the development of the road industry in Kazakhstan.

Also, Dmitry Makeyev and Zhao Hongbin discussed an agreement of mutual understanding between the companies regarding the conditions and obligations of the parties for the implementation of the project.

By the end of this year, it is planned to develop design documentation and place orders for the supply of main equipment with a long production time.

The Caspi Bitum Aktau bitumen plant plans to increase its processing capacity to 1.5 million tons of oil per year by the end of 2024. This will increase the production of road bitumen at the enterprise by up to 750,000 tons per year.
An unreleased song by the late Sinead OConnor will be aired tonight during the finale of a TV drama based on the Magdalene Laundries.

Sinead OConnor will be heard singing The Magdalene Song, which she gave to the makers of the show The Woman In The Wall before her death in July.

The song will play at the close of tonights episode, expressing the pain of a mother who lost her child.

Magdalene laundries were institutions established by the Catholic Church to house fallen women.

An estimated 30,000 women were confined in Magdalene laundries across the country and revelations about the widespread abuse of women and girls in the laundries eventually led to a formal state apology in 2013.

OConnor spoke openly about abuse she faced in a Magdalene laundry as a teenager in Dublin, where she spent more than a year.

In 2013 she penned an open letter to the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity expressing her disappointment with the McAleese Report on The Magdalene Laundries.

In the letter OConnor details her sympathy for women who were abused and damaged by the religious institutions.

She said the institution saved my life, detailing how a nun saw her as her own daughter and bought her a guitar.

However, she wrote how she witnessed a girl in the institution have her baby taken from her and expressed her disappointment with the Catholic Church.

OConnor wrote: Babies were often born in institutions and laundries. And often they were taken from their mothers against their mothers will.

I witnessed this happen to my friend in your specific institution. I really feel she deserves something better than you regret she didn't experience your refuge as a place of protection and care.

Airing its final episode tonight, the six-part BBC One mystery drama stars Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack and follows the story of a woman who spent time in a Magdalene Laundry in a fictional Irish town at the age of 15.

Lorna Brady, played by Ruth Wilson, is a woman who wakes up one morning to find a corpse in her home. The character suffers from extreme bouts of sleep walking since she was incarcerated in a convent, where she gave birth to a daughter that was taken from her.

David Holmes, a Belfast musician who produced OConnors music told The Guardian: The first half of the track is completely heartbreaking, and the second half is pure defiance.

I stripped the song away to just Sineads voice and then let the full power come in for the second half. Its incredible how the meaning of the song came together with this story. It was just meant to be.

Theres a certain magic when you bring music to an emotive story.

The music producer said OConnor had sanctioned the track for use before they started shooting the show.

OConnor ignited vitriol when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live in 1992, in protest against sexual and physical abuse in the Catholic Church.

Years following the performance, Pope John Paul II would acknowledge that abuse had been happening in Catholic institutions across the world.

OConnor was found dead in her London flat in July at the age of 56.
Ronan Wilson (9) was one of three people who died on the roads in just six hours last nightTwo men in their 20s also died in separate incidents in the early hours of Sunday in Tallaght, Dublin, and Lisselton, Co KerryCompetitor also dies during motor racing event in Co Clare

Garda collision investigators at the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash in Tallaght. Photo: Damien Storan.

The scene where a boy was struck in a hit-and-run accident in Bundoran, Co Donegal. Photo: NW Newspix

A man has been arrested in relation to a fatal hit-and-run incident in which a nine-year-old boy was killed in Bundoran, Co Donegal on Saturday night.

The childs death was one of three fatalities in separate incidents in less than six hours last night, with two young men also killed in Dublin and Kerry.

A competitor in the Clare Stages Rally also died on Sunday afternoon, with the motor racing event cancelled as a result.

The nine-year-old child has been named locally as Ronan Wilson (9), who was staying in Bundoran with his family who are from neighbouring Co Tyrone, when the tragedy happened.

The youngster, whose family are from Kildress, was killed instantly when he was struck by a car about 9.20pm on Saturday at Atlantic Way in the seaside town.

A man (20s) has been arrested in relation to the fatal collision in Bundoran and is being detained at a Garda station in Donegal under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.

Gardai have also seized a vehicle in connection with the investigation which will undergo technical examination.

Gardai are appealing for anyone with information or who may have witnessed the collision to contact them.

The local GAA club in Tyrone, Kildress Wolfe Tones, cancelled their Intermediate Club Championship and U16 Ladies game as a result of the tragedy.

The scene where a boy was struck in a hit-and-run accident in Bundoran, Co Donegal. Photo: NW Newspix

The Wilson family have deep connections with their local GAA club.

Ronan played with the club's under-10 football team while his older brother Callum and sister Amy also play for the club.

Club secretary Donna Hagan said: I would see him about the club and he was just a bubbly wee personality who always had a smile on his face.

It is just complete devastation and shock across the community.

The GAA is a community, we are really an extended family and we are just doing all we can to support the family and we are here to keep doing that in any way we can.

The Wilson family are well known in the Kildress area where his father Deane runs a haulage firm.

Deane and wife Emma, as well as Ronan's siblings, were being comforted following the awful tragedy.

Ronan was a pupil at St Mary's Primary School, Duamore in Cookstown, where principal Eileen Ward described him as a happy, caring and likeable pupil.

The young victim was pronounced dead at the scene and his remains were later taken to Sligo University Hospital.

A major Garda operation was then mounted on Saturday evening in a bid to apprehend the driver of the car involved.

The area of the collision was immediately sealed off and officers have spent the day carrying out forensic analysis of the scene.

A second scene approximately 300 metres away was also sealed off by gardai.

However, gardai have not yet disclosed why this particular area was cordoned off and have not given any details on how the accident occurred.

The scene of the tragedy is a busy area close to the beach, a caravan park and also the popular Waterworld playpark.

Local Sinn Fein county councillor Michael Mahon said everyone was numb following the tragedy.

"It's just such an awful thing to have happened to such a young child. It's the saddest thing that has happened in the town of Bundoran for a long time, Mr Mahon said.

"There is a huge sense of sadness just hanging over the entire town right now.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with this little boy and of course with his family at this time.

He paid tribute to the emergency services who attended the scene but also appealed to the driver to come forward.

He added: "They have to realise that it will be the best thing for everyone if he or she comes forward and I would appeal to them to hand themselves in."

Local Independent TD Thomas Pringle said: I am deeply saddened to hear of the tragic death of the young boy Bundoran last night.

My thoughts are with his family and the close community in Bundoran which will be reeling at this difficult time. I urge anyone with information to contact the gardai.

Local woman Marie Downey said the town was devastated.

She told RTE: "I'm here today with my son Rian who is close in age to that poor wee boy. I cant begin to imagine what the family are going through. Its heartbreaking.

"My other son is 16 and he was in the area last night where the accident happened. He phoned me in a terrible state and were all just deeply shocked and numb at this tragedy"

Gardai in Ballyshannon have appealed to the driver of the vehicle involved in the tragedy to come forward.

However, no details of the type or make of the car suspected of being involved have been released.

A spokesperson said: "Gardai are appealing for witnesses and are particularly appealing to the driver of the vehicle to come forward. Investigating gardai are also appealing to those with video footage, including dash cam recordings, from Atlantic Way and Sea Road and the general area at the time, to make it available."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ballyshannon Garda Station on 0749858530 of the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111.

The local Coroner and office of the State Pathologist have has been notified and arrangements will be made for a post-mortem examination.

The deceased has been removed to the mortuary at Sligo Hospital.

Separately, a young motorcyclist was killed and a pedestrian injured after a crash in Tallaght, Dublin 24, in the early hours of Sunday.

Garda collision investigators at the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash in Tallaght. Photo: Damien Storan.

The motorcyclist, in his 20s, died after his bike collided with the pedestrian, also in his 20s, at a roundabout on Whitestown Way at 2.45am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene while the pedestrian was rushed by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital where his injures are described as not life threatening.

Gardai and emergency services attended at the scene of a fatal road traffic collision in Tallaght, Dublin 24 in the early hours of this morning, Sunday, September 24, gardai said.

The collision, involving a motorcycle and a pedestrian, occurred shortly before 2.45am at a roundabout on Whitestown Way.

The motorcyclist, a male in his early 20s, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The pedestrian, a male also in his 20s, was taken by Ambulance to Tallaght Hospital. His injures are not life threatening.

Garda collision investigators at the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash in Tallaght. Photo: Damien Storan.

The road is currently closed for an examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

Gardai are appealing for anyone with video or who witnessed the incident to get in touch at Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line or any Garda station.

Meanwhile, a young man fatally injured in Kerry when he was struck by a taxi earlier this morning has been named locally as Daniel Houlihan from Lisselton.

The 25-year-old is understood to have been walking home when the tragedy occurred shortly after 2am this morning.

The incident occurred on the R553 road at Ballydonohoe in Lisselton, a short distance outside Ballybunion on the Listowel road.

Immediately following the collision the alarm was raised and both gardai and paramedics raced to the scene.

However, despite desperate efforts to stabilise the condition of the young man he was pronounced dead before he could be transferred to University Hospital Kerry (UHK).

The taxi driver, a man aged in his 40s, was not injured, however he was treated for shock at the scene.

The young man's body was later transferred to UHK and the Office of the State Pathologist was notified.

A full post-mortem examination is now scheduled to be conducted.

Gardai sealed off the area for an inspection of the scene by garda forensic collision investigators and Kerry coroner has been notified.

Weather conditions at the time in north Kerry were described as challenging, with rain and mist and gardai are examining whether weather conditions may have been a factor in the tragedy.

Gardai in Listowel are appealing for witnesses or those with video from the area around the time of the incident to contact them on 068 50820, the Garda Confidential Line or any Garda station.

A competitor also died in a crash during a motor racing event in Co Clare on Sunday afternoon.

The Clare Stages Rally was cancelled after the serious two-car collision in the fourth stage of the event at around 1.30pm.

Another competitor was injured and was transferred to University Hospital Limerick for treatment.

The event was taking place on roads that had been closed to the public in the county.

Motorsport Ireland, the national governing body for for motorsport in Ireland confirmed in a statement that a competitor had died.

Motorsport Ireland extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of a competitor who was fatally injured during a tragic accident today while competing on the fourth stage of the 2023 Clare Stages Rally, the organisation said.

"The driver of a second car involved in the incident has been transferred to University Hospital Limerick to received treatment for injuries he sustained.

The organisation added: Motorsport Ireland extends its sympathies to the members of Clare Motor Club and everyone involved with organising todays event who reacted so quickly and professionally to the incident.

Motorsport Ireland and its affiliated clubs are recognised internationally for operating to the highest standards of motorsport safety for competitors and spectators in line with the best practice of the FIA.

A garda spokesperson said: A male passenger of one vehicle, a male in his 30s, was fatally injured and pronounced deceased at the scene.

His body has been removed from the scene to University Hospital Limerick where a post mortem will take place in due course.

The male driver (age unknown) of the second vehicle was conveyed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment for injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. The second driver and passenger, both males were uninjured.

The road is currently closed and scene of the collision is preserved for examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Traffic diversions are in place.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 684 8100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Emergency services, including ambulance and air ambulance, attended the scene.

Organisers Clare Motor Club said it confirmed that an incident had taken place on stage 4 of the rally.

The relevant authorities were immediately advised of the incident and emergency services are in attendance at the scene. The event has been halted and a further statement will be issued in due course, the club said.

The collision took place at an area called Glencolumbkille near Carron.

The road remained closed and it is expected a garda collision investigation will take place. Local diversions are in place in the area.

More to follow...
Dublin city councillors have reacted angrily to the organisers of the St Patricks Day Festival rejecting their request for a place on the board.

The chairperson of the councils protocol committee, Deirdre Heney, said the response of the festival company was insulting, while other councillors accused the festivals acting chair, Maree Gallagher, of being deeply condescending.

Gallagher, a solicitor, informed councillors earlier this year that the festival was concerned that potential conflicts of interest would arise if councillors were appointed to the board.

In a letter to Heney in June, Gallagher said the members of the St Patricks Day Festival appreciated the desire for council representation. Although the Lord Mayor of Dublin is an ex-officio member of the festival board, she noted that the mayor only attends meetings as an observing director.

The councils former chief executive Owen Keegan took the decision during his term in office that a council staff member should no longer sit on the board.

Gallagher said the St Patricks Festival Company had to carefully consider potential conflicts that could arise when councillors are required to prioritise the best interests of St Patricks Festival, which may not always align with matters concerning Dublin City Council.

Gallagher, herself a representative of Dublin Chamber on the board, proposed an alternative to representation by suggesting the establishment of a dedicated engagement forum.

She said the festivals executive team could meet regularly with a sub-group of councillors to brief them on planned activities and ensure their involvement and input.

Gallaghers letter was sharply criticised at a meeting of DCCs protocol committee last week. Fianna Fail councillor Heney said she felt insulted by the implication she would not be capable of having the best interest of the festival at heart.

Labour councillor Dermot Lacey said the suggestion that existing directors of the festival board could divide their respective loyalties but councillors could not was simply wrong, unfair and condescending.

Independent councillor Mannix Flynn accused the St Patricks Day Festival of cheek in raising concerns when he claimed there were issues over its own governance.

DCC had sought copies of two independent reports on the festival, including one by the Institute of Public Administration into its governance, which had been the subject of an FoI request by a third party.

It heard the festival company had objected to the release of redacted material that related to the reports findings.

The festival claimed the disclosure of information in the reports could potentially result in the loss of revenue and sponsorship.

Dublin City Council is one of the festivals main sponsors, and contributed 398,000 towards the cost of the four-day celebration this year. It also provided a range of facilities.
Revealed: face of motorist nabbed driving without insurance for 100th time

He said OSullivan is fascinated by cars and loves fixing them.

Motorist Anthony OSullivan

Patrick O'Connell Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 12:48

This is the face of Irelands most reckless motorist  who is back behind bars this weekend after he was caught driving without insurance for a record 100th time.
Conspiracist tried to link sudden death of Councillor Damien OReilly to Covid vaccine

A false claim that Meath councillor Damien OReilly died as a result of the Covid vaccine has been slammed as outrageous and disrespectful by a political colleague.

The 40-year-old Meath county councillor, who died tragically last Saturday, was laid to rest on Thursday.

His funeral mass heard how the father-of-one, who was also a stepfather and engaged to be married, had a special place in everyones hearts.

Last week, a newspaper edited by former journalist turned conspiracy theorist Gemma ODoherty claimed that his death could have been linked to the Covid vaccine.

The Irish Light released a tweet about Mr OReilly under the caption RIP #DiedSuddenly alongside a retweeted 2021 post by the Meath councillor, where he had said he was delighted to be fully vaccinated and praised the rollout of the Covid vaccine.

The Irish Light and its editor Gemma ODoherty are already before the High Court for suggesting that a young man who died from suicide lost his life after taking the vaccine.

Alan Lawes, an independent councillor based in Navan Co Meath, has slammed ODohertys publication for suggesting his political colleagues death was linked to the vaccine.

This is a time of grief for his family. For this suggestion to be made, which has no basis in truth whatsoever, it is beyond disrespectful. In fact, its outrageous. There needs to be repercussions for making a false claim of this nature, said Mr Lawes, who worked alongside the late councillor in Co Meath.

He described Mr OReilly as a highly respected colleague, despite their different political views.

I respected him very much. He was a man of integrity and great strength of character. He was a young man taken far too soon from his family.

For anyone to interfere with his familys grief in this way, making a claim that has no basis in fact, is unacceptable. I believe in freedom of speech  but to be feeding mistruths in an attempt to leave people in fear is simply unacceptable. There should be repercussions for publishing this falsehood, he added.

An attempt was made to contact the newspaper for comment.

In June, the mother of a teenager who died by suicide, secured High Court orders restraining Gemma ODoherty from harassing her.

The orders were granted by Mr Justice Conor Dignam in favour of Edel Campbell, who claims she has been the subject of a campaign of harassment by ODoherty.

It is alleged that ODoherty has wrongly and unlawfully used the image of Ms Campbells son Diego Gilsenan in an article linking unexplained deaths to Covid vaccines.

Mr Justice Dignam made orders, including ones restraining ODoherty from harassing Edel Campbell and from publishing her or her late sons images, or any personal confidential material about them.

ODoherty is also restrained from encouraging or inciting others to intimidate her.

The court also made orders requiring Gemma ODoherty to take down and remove any image of Edel Campbell and her late son from any form of media that she owns or operates.

The orders are to remain in place pending the final outcome of Ms Campbells action against ODoherty, trading as the Irish Light.
Candidates are asked to sign an undertaking as party seeks to avoid troubles returning to haunt elected members

Fine Gael candidates are being asked to disclose to party bosses any past criminal convictions, Revenue judgments, court cases or any adverse findings against them that could bring the party into disrepute ahead of next years local elections.

A party pledge document, seen by the Sunday Independent, asks prospective candidates to sign up to a series of irrevocable and unconditional undertakings.

However it makes no mention of a requirement to be transparent on planning applications  despite the resignation of former junior minister Damien English after it emerged that he lied on a planning application while he was an opposition TD.

The candidates are asked to solemnly and sincerely declare that their tax affairs are in order, and aver that there does not exist now nor in my past life any matters or views held by them  that have not already been disclosed to the partys general secretary  that could bring the party into disrepute.

This includes pending prosecutions, or prior convictions for criminal offences (other than minor road offences resulting in a fine of less than 500). It also includes any Revenue judgments, adverse findings of the Workplace Relations Commission or Labour Court, or the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, or any civil litigation brought by or against them, or by a company or companies controlled by them.

The document is similar to a party pledge that candidates were asked to sign prior to the 2020 general election. The language in the two-page document has been tightened in recent years after Fine Gael was hit by a series of controversies involving some of its politicians and their past lives.

This includes the case of former Dun Laoghaire TD Maria Bailey who did not disclose to the party that she had lodged a personal injuries claim against a Dublin hotel as a result of a fall from a swing in 2015. She later withdrew the claim.

The emergence of the case in the Irish Independent on the eve of the 2019 local elections set off a political firestorm that ultimately cost Bailey her political career.

She has subsequently heavily criticised Leo Varadkar and Fine Gaels handling of the matter.

Verona Murphy, the former Fine Gael candidate and now Independent TD for Wexford, also failed to tell party bosses that she was involved in a WRC case in which she was alleged to have bullied a female worker.

Murphy denied the allegation.

She ran unsuccessfully in the 2019 by-election in Wexford and was later elected to the Dail as an independent. Her campaign was beset by controversies surrounding her views on migrants when she linked them to the so-called Islamic State terror group.

Leo Varadkar later said he regretted choosing Murphy as an election candidate, describing it as a mistake.

Varadkar was himself the subject of a criminal investigation across 2021 and 2022 over the leaking of a confidential government document. The DPP decided not to prosecute.

Co Louth-based senator John McGahon was cleared of an assault charge last year after a four-day trial in which he stood accused of assaulting a pub-goer by punching him in the head, leaving him with facial lacerations and covered in blood.

After the trial concluded, Fine Gael said: Senator McGahon has always maintained his innocence and a jury has found him not guilty. This matter has now concluded.

The pledge document, which candidates are asked to sign before witnesses, asks them to irrevocably and unconditionally undertake to abide by Fine Gaels constitution and code of conduct, and agree to be bound by any local party directives.

It also binds them to arrangements whereby they must refer all questionnaires from organisations to their director of elections (DoE) to answer, and must also not enter into any commitments on behalf of the party without the DoEs consent. They must also comply with electoral laws in relation to donations and spending.

The party pledge states: I will ensure that my behaviour and communications demonstrate inclusion and promote equality.

This applies to the publication or distribution of written materials, the distribution, showing or playing of any recordings of sounds or visual images, and using language that avoids words, phrases or tones that reflect prejudiced, stereotyped or discriminatory views of particular people or groups.

It also asks candidates to irrevocably and unconditionally undertake if elected to their local authority to attend regular meetings and sub-committees, as well as party meetings, to abide by all majority decisions of the Fine Gael group of councillors  and to contribute to the Fine Gael party fund if asked to do so by the partys national executive.
Gangland body count at zero this year  but threat of bloodshed still lingers

Specialised garda units have put gunmen behind bars and murder is bad for criminals drugs business

Martin 'Marlo' Hyland was murdered in December 2006 in a gangland shooting that also took the life of innocent bystander Anthony Campbell, 20.

Ali Bracken Sun 24 Sep 2023 at 16:20

For the first time in a long time, gangland murders in Ireland have become extremely scarce, with no killings in the first nine months of this year. By stark contrast, here were six gun fatalities last year and 15 gang murders just eight years ago.
A scheme to pay health staff who got virus early on in the pandemic comes to an end next month

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly says he cannot extend the pay scheme without DPER sanctioning it. Photo: PA

The HSE is to appeal against a Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) decision awarding a nurse 127,000 for lost earnings after she became ill during the pandemic and remained off work with symptoms of long-Covid.

Other healthcare workers fear they will be left without their current income protections by the end of next month. They remain off work after contracting Covid-19 early in the pandemic.

A temporary scheme was created during the pandemic to pay staff who were not fit to work after contracting long-Covid. This scheme was due to end in June when the Department of Health sought to extend it by 12 months.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) instead granted a four-month extension up to the end of October and said a further extension would not be approved, forcing health officials to agree a long-term alternative with unions.

However, no agreement has been reached, and union officials have asked for another extension to be granted before a Labour Court hearing on the matter.

The national joint council of HSE staff trade unions wrote to the Department of Health last week urging it to grant a further temporary extension.

Albert Murphy, an Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) official and chair of the joint council, wrote that a short extension is needed to avoid unnecessary stress and anxiety arising from the imminent closure of the scheme.

Mr Murphy asked that the matter be brought to the attention of Health Minister Stephen Donnelly and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe. Nurses have recently received correspondence from Mr Donnellys office indicating he cannot extend the scheme without DPER sanctioning it.

It is believed more than 150 nurses are affected, as are doctors and other healthcare workers.

Unions and health officials will discuss the matter at a meeting this week before a Labour Court hearing on October 27, three days before the temporary scheme ends.

Without concessions being put in place for these workers, it is likely they would be moved to the public service sick leave scheme where payments reduce over the course of a prolonged absence, leaving affected staff uncertain about their income and fearing a potential loss of earnings.

They argue they were vulnerable in 2020 because of a lack of knowledge about the then-emerging virus and a shortage of personal protection equipment (PPE) in hospitals, nursing homes and surgeries, at the time. In some cases a PPE shortage meant equipment was often being reused.

The nurses have argued they should be afforded additional income protections because it is likely they contracted the virus at work.

Many of the staff remain unsure about when they can return to work because of symptoms including chronic fatigue, issues with sleeping, aches, tinnitus, palpitations and breathlessness. The nurses are also concerned that changing their payment arrangements would have a negative impact on their pension entitlements, with some saying they are already forgoing potential overtime and other benefits because of their inability to work.

The WRC recommended earlier this year that a nurse be paid 127,000 for lost earnings after she was denied access to the special paid leave scheme because she could not produce a positive Covid-19 test. The nurse fell ill in March 2020, but the WRC heard the results of two Covid-19 tests she took were judged false positives.

The INMO told the WRC that PCR testing was unavailable when the nurse became ill and there was a high rate of false negatives recorded from swabs taken at the time. It argued she was covered by two HSE circulars granting special paid leave to workers affected by Covid-19. She received the special leave pay for eight weeks before being moved to public service sick pay, where her income halved.

The WRC cited a HSE circular on the issue, noting Covid testing was not universally available at the start of the pandemic and medical evidence indicating a high-probability of Covid-19 infection may suffice to access the scheme. It recommended the nurse be paid 127,120.75 by October 1.

Several sources said the HSE is now expected to appeal against the WRCs recommendation. This weekend, the HSE declined to comment on the status of this appeal. A spokesman said the temporary paid leave scheme is implemented as instructed by the Department of Health.

The Department of Health said it had sought DPER approval earlier this year to extend the temporary pay scheme to June 2024, but this was rejected. It said the scheme will wind up at the end of next month.

Any employees who remain unwell beyond that date may utilise the provisions of the Public Service Sick Leave Scheme after the temporary scheme concludes, the spokesman added.
A senator has recounted the hostile protest outside Leinster House during which she told her daughter (9) to lie on the floor of her car as she feared the windows would be smashed by protesters.

TDs and senators were the subject of vitriolic protests on Wednesday as the politicians returned after the summer recess, with 13 people being arrested for public order offences.

Several politicians had to have garda escorts through the crowd, and Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy Raes intern was jostled and had her phone stolen.

Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee said she was frightened as her car was blocked from leaving Leinster House for two hours earlier this week by protesters who brought with them a mock gallows adorned with the images of a number of politicians.

Staff and politicians security is to be reviewed in the wake of the ugly scenes.

The Fianna Fail senator said she did not want her daughter to see the ugliness and said the child had asked whether her mothers photo was being carried by protesters.

Speaking to This Week on RTE Radio One, she said the protest was was very, very hostile with a lot of booing, hissing, people coming close to my personal space.

Luckily, I wasnt injured and there was nothing thrown at me because I know some colleagues had things thrown at them throughout the day so we managed to make it back over, she told the programme.

She said the activity had focused predominantly on the Kildare Street side, so those working in Leinster House had been using the entrance on Merrion Street.

Thats where I parked my car, over on that side and I had popped out at about 3.45pm and there was nobody there. I popped out, picked up my daughter and we were just coming back through the entrance to collect our car and to go - I had a funeral of a colleague to attend that evening, she said.

Protesters, at that time, had moved from Kildare Street to gather around the Merrion Street side, where her car was parked.

The gates were locked and they were blocking the entrance, so there was no way to get back out, she said.

Ms Clifford-Lee described the atmosphere as very, very hostile and very volatile.

The gallows with the photographs of various politicians and the effigy had moved in front of those gates there so that was visible from inside. A lot of chanting and again, the very, very hostile language.

Her nine-year-old daughter was with her in the car at the time, who she described as tough and well familiar with protests as she had accompanied her mother to protests previously.

But this, I wouldnt even call this a protest, to be honest with you because it wasnt clear what the message was, she said.

She was with me, and she asked me what they were protesting about. I couldnt really explain to her because we werent aware of it, but she saw the gallows and she saw the pictures of the various politicians and she was wondering if my picture was up there.

We were there for about two hours until extra garda reinforcement arrived and at this stage things have gotten quite volatile, and my car was at the front of the convoy. I just decided it would be best if she got out of her booster seat and lay on the floor of the car.

She covered her daughter in a towel on the floor of the car, she said.

Missiles had been thrown at people earlier on. I didnt know if we drove out would our glass be smashed or what would we be facing into when we came out. So, she did that and we got her to stay as calm as possible, Ms Clifford-Lee said.

She admitted that she was frightened as there was something different about this protest and not something that had been experienced by those working in Leinster House before.

I didnt want her to see the ugliness outside or read any of the various posters, she told This Week.

She stayed pretty calm actually, but she did admit the following day when we were having our breakfast that she had been quite nervous.

She commended the gardai but said she believed there was not enough of them.

I'm not an expert in policing, but I definitely think it went on a bit too long. It shouldn't have been allowed when people were being prevented going into Leinster House and coming out and staff members all across the spectrum were being attacked, intimidated, jostled and things thrown, thats not acceptable, she said.

When asked whether she felt safe going to work now, she said: No, and I havent for a long time now. Leinster House is one thing, and we need to feel safe but out and about in our constituencies, its also an ever-present threat.

Ms Clifford-Lee said she has been supported in the aftermath of the protest, but a small minority online have been attacking her.

Theyre saying they are going to report me to TUSLA, to the guards, that I shouldnt have brought my child to a protest  which I didnt.

For speaking about it and speaking about the threat this group poses to us, Ive been targeted but its not something that any of my colleagues have been spared either.
Emergency vehicles at the scene of a crash during the Clare Stages Rally at Glencolumbkille near Carron. The rally was immediately halted while emergency services were alerted and attended to the scene. Photo: Press 22

The rally co-driver who tragically died during a motor racing event in Co Clare this afternoon has been named as Damian Fleming (37).

Mr Fleming, a native of Kilcummin, Co Kerry died in the serious two-car collision during the fourth stage of the Clare Stages Rally at about 1.30pm.

The driver of the car in which he was competing was uninjured.

The driver of a second car involved in the incident was transferred to Limerick University Hospital where he is in a stable condition and his injuries are not believed to be life threatening.

The event was immediately halted while emergency services were alerted and mobilised to the scene.

National Ambulance Service paramedics responded to the incident while the Emergency Aeromedical Service air ambulance, Aeromed-01, based in Cork and operated by the HSE, was also requested to attend.

In the meantime, the events own emergency crews responded to the incident.

Motorsport Ireland will now conduct a full investigation to establish how the accident occurred.

The event was taking place on public roads that had been closed to traffic for the event.

In a statement, Motorsport Ireland extended its sympathies to the family of Mr Fleming who they said was a highly experience co-driver whom had competed in over 150 events since 2006.

The thoughts of everyone at Motorsport Ireland and within the wider motorsport community are with the Fleming family, Clare Motor Club and the members of the motorsport community who were present at the scene who reacted so quickly and professionally to the incident.

Motorsport Ireland will conduct a full investigation with the relevant authorities into todays events to establish how this accident occurred, the statement said.

Mr Flemings brother Mark Fleming paid tribute to the sportsman online, stating: Rest in peace Damian. You loved rallying. All you wanted was to be in a rally car. We will miss you everyday.

Mr Fleming was remembered for winning the Kerry Winter Rally in 2015 and photographs of the co driver's time rallying were shared by loved ones on social media.

Councillor Martin Grady, from Killarney, Co Kerry, said Mr Fleming was well known in Kerry. He had a great interest in motorsport from a young age. Im a fan of the sport and I can say its a really sad day for our local community and for motorsport.

Its very tragic to see such a young life gone. Damian was a very skilled and very experienced rally driver. Hed been involved in the Killarney Motor Club.

He was a co-driver and was well known for it. Hed been driving for years and was classed as very skilled.

Mr Fleming also ran an e-bikes business and he was also a plumber. The sportsman had lived in Dublin for some time but hed been believed to have moved back to his native Kerry in recent times.

Mr Fleming was known to be a driver who was always on hand to help others during motorsport events.

Killarney and District Motor Club said members are heavy hearted that our club member, Damian Fleming, was fatally injured during a tragic motor sport accident while competing in the Clare Stages Rally earlier this afternoon.

A spokesperson for the club told the Irish Independent: Our thoughts and prayers are with Damians family and friends at this very sad and difficult time.

Our thoughts also go out to the competitors who were on the scene, the medical and emergency personnel that attended the incident along with members of Clare Motor Club.

We wish a speedy recovery to the competitor who was hospitalised as a result of this incident. We would appeal to members of the public not to share any footage of this tragic accident online.

A garda spokesperson said: Gardai and emergency services attended the scene of a fatal collision involving two vehicles, that occurred earlier this afternoon Sunday, 24th September 2023 at approximately 1:30pm.

A passenger of one vehicle, a male in his 30s, was fatally injured and pronounced deceased at scene. His body has been removed from the scene to University Hospital Limerick where a post mortem will take place in due course.

The male driver (age unknown) of the second vehicle was conveyed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment for injuries believed to be non-life-threatening. The second driver and passenger, both males were uninjured.

The road is currently closed and scene of the collision is preserved for examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators. Traffic diversions are in place.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station on 065 684 8100, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.

Emergency services, including the air ambulance, attended the scene.

Organisers Clare Motor Club said it confirmed an incident had taken place on stage four of the rally.

The relevant authorities were immediately advised of the incident and emergency services are in attendance at the scene. The event has been halted and a further statement will be issued in due course, the club said.

The collision took place at an area called Glencolumbkille near Carron.

The road remains closed and it is expected a garda collision investigation will take place. Local diversions are in place in the area.

More to follow
Ukrainian and Russian actor Serhiy Veksler born in Vinnytsia, who had been starring in his homeland until 2021, also supported the occupation of Donbas and Crimea since 2014. The star of film projects like Kitchen, Don't You Dare Say Goodbye to Me, Traffic Cops, and others said on Russian TV that Ukrainians were "bound by blood" because "they had been sending money to kill children in the Donetsk region" for 8 years.

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All this time the openly pro-Russian native of Ukraine dreamed of "Ukrainians and Americans receiving what they deserve." He said this to his mother, who lived in Kyiv until recently, after which a scandal broke out in the family. Veksler shared his bloodthirsty stance in a program hosted by the Kremlin's top propagandist Boris Korchevnikov (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the photo).

The actor said that he has been supporting Russia since 2014, and considers Ukrainians and citizens of the terrorist country "one people." According to him, he was born in the USSR and has not reconciled with its collapse.

According to the TV star, the Union ceased to exist because Russia tried to fight crime during the "dashing 90s" and stopped controlling its neighbors, the Ukrainians, who were then planning to declare independence "under the influence of the West".

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The artist spent his entire childhood and military service in Ukraine. His relatives are also buried there. However, the traitor calls himself a citizen of the Russian Federation. He has been imposing this propaganda rhetoric on his much more conscious mother for years, who has lived and seen more than her clumsy son.

Veksler took his mother to Russia, but she continues to read Ukrainian news and does not want to fall victim to Russian propaganda.

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The actor despises his pro-Ukrainian colleagues and calls Russia his homeland. He has been actively helping the occupiers in hospitals recently, calling them "heroes."

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote that the imprisoned Russian actor happened to be on the front line in Ukraine but was quickly "moved" to a hospital bed by the AFU. Read how it happened here.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
A young motorcyclist has been killed and a pedestrian injured after a crash in Tallaght, Dublin 24 in the early hours of this morning.

The motorcyclist, who was in is 20s, died after his bike collided with the pedestrian, also in his 20s, at a roundabout on Whitestown Way at 2.45am.

He was pronounced dead at the scene while the pedestrian was rushed by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital where his injures are described as not life threatening.

Gardai and emergency services attended at the scene of a fatal road traffic collision in Tallaght, Dublin 24 in the early hours of this morning, Sunday, September 24, gardai said.

The collision, involving a motorcycle and a pedestrian, occurred shortly before 2.45am at a roundabout on Whitestown Way.

The motorcyclist, a male in his early 20s, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The pedestrian, a male also in his 20s, was taken by Ambulance to Tallaght Hospital. His injures are not life threatening.

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The road is presently closed for an examination by Garda Forensic Collision Investigators.

Gardai are appealing to anyone with information or who may have witnessed this collision to contact them.

Any road users with camera footage (including dash-cam), and who were travelling in the vicinity of Whitestown Way at the time, is asked to make this footage available to gardai.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 666 6000, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda station.
Historian Dermot Keogh, who has died aged 78, was a leading academic and the author of more than a dozen books who previously worked as a journalist at The Irish Press and RTE.

Dermot Francis Keogh was born on May 12, 1945, the eldest of eight children of William and Maureen, who lived in the Kilbarrack/Bayside district of north Dublin. He attended the National School in Raheny and won a scholarship to Kostka Secondary School in Clontarf (later closed.) He spent four years as a seminarian with the Divine Word Missionaries at Donamon, Co Roscommon, before choosing instead to study history at UCD. .

After graduating, he joined the now-defunct Irish Press as a sub-editor. In 1976, he left the paper and went to Italy as a postgrad student and became the first person to receive a doctorate in History and Civilisation from the European University Institute in Florence.

Returning to Ireland in 1979, he worked as a journalist at RTE, and at the end of March 1980 was sent to El Salvador, then in the throes of civil war, to cover the funeral of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who had been murdered by right-wing elements because of his strong stance against social injustice.

Bishop Eamon Casey was prominent among the mourners. Dermot Keogh got into the cathedral for the requiem mass when a huge explosion rocked the square outside, followed by shooting and more bombs.

About 50 people were killed and 500 injured. Bishop Casey and Keogh survived. The latter wrote afterwards in his book Romero: El Salvadors Martyr: I was quite certain I was going to die.

He went on to take up a position on the academic staff in UCC. He lectured in the Department of History for three decades from 1980, becoming a professor in 1997 and head of history from 2002 to 2009 before retiring in 2010.

A Member of the Royal Irish Academy, he was a visiting professor at the European University Institute in 2001 and 2002 and previously a Fulbright professor in California in 1983; Woodrow Wilson Fellow in Washington DC in 1988; visiting professor at Cornell University in 1989; guest scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Centre in 1991 and guest lecturer at Boston College in 2011 and 2012.

Prof Keogh researched and wrote about many issues relating to 20th-century Ireland, including its political history, diplomatic and international relations, the interaction between church and state, as well as human rights, particularly the rights of refugees and the labour movement.

Tanaiste and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin, who was one of his students at UCC, described him as a mentor. Prof Keogh played a significant role in modernising the administration of Cork city and county through his involvement in a five-person review committee established by then environment and local government minister Alan Kelly.

In 2008, his 629-page book Jack Lynch: A Biography was published by Gill & Macmillan. The former taoiseach had died in 1999 and Keogh, who had interviewed him in 1992, made contact with his widow, Mairin, who presented him with three sacks of Lynchs personal papers and set up meetings with people who had worked with her late husband. 

His prize-winning book Jews in Twentieth-Century Ireland: Refugees, Anti-Semitism and the Holocaust was published in 1998 by Cork University Press. He visited Aras an Uachtarain last year to present a copy of his last book, Ireland and Argentina in the twentieth century: Diaspora, diplomacy, dictatorship, catholic mission and the Falklands crisis (Cork University Press, 2022) to President Higgins. The book includes a chapter on the war between the UK and Argentina over the Falkland Islands/Malvinas in 1982, when then taoiseach Charles Haughey took a different stance from his UK counterpart Margaret Thatcher on the conflict.

Prof Keogh died peacefully at home and is survived by his wife Ann and devoted children Eoin, Niall, Aoife and Clare as well as other relatives.

His funeral mass took place on September 9 in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Cork, followed by removal to St Olivers cemetery.
The two people in question are currently off work. Photo: Getty

Two Bank of Ireland staff, including one who is a close relative of a GAA star, are subjects of a garda investigation after more than 20,000 was reported missing from a bank branch in the West of Ireland.

It is understood that the two bank staff have been subjected to an internal disciplinary process, and have not been at work in recent weeks.

A garda spokesman confirmed that gardai have received a complaint of alleged theft from a financial institution in the county where the Bank of Ireland branch is located and an investigation is now in process. It declined to make any further comment.

A Bank of Ireland spokesman said the bank had been in contact with An Garda Siochana in relation to a criminal investigation in a county in the West of Ireland.

There is no impact to any customer accounts or funds as a result of this matter, the bank spokesman said. Given this is now with An Garda Siochana, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.

One of the bank staff members under investigation is active in the GAA and is the son of a nationally known GAA star.
Crowd erupts to Zombie after Ireland's 13-8 win over South Africa

Ecstatic Ireland fans reacted to Irelands memorable Rugby World Cup victory over South Africa with a rousing rendition of the Cranberries hit Zombie.

Over 30,000 Ireland fans made the Stade de France a home from home for Andy Farrells men as they battled their way to a 13-8 Pool B win over the reigning champions.

Ireland face Scotland in their final Pool B clash next weekend.
The ugly scenes of protest outside Leinster House last Wednesday that led to the arrest of 13 people have been roundly and properly condemned, and additional security measures are expected to be put in place to minimise the possibility of such scenes happening again. Careful consideration must be given to such measures.

The protest, involving around 200 people, including members of a relatively small but menacing and vile far-right group of individuals, was primarily racist in nature. In recent months we have seen the far right stage protests against the accommodation of refugees at direct provision centres and inside libraries against trans people.

The overwhelming majority of people in the country provide zero support to organised protesters on the far right. So while it is important to be mindful of this nascent movement, it would similarly be unwise to overstate its level of threat to the State.

Therefore, reactive comments that protesters want to create a fascist dictatorship over the dead bodies of left-wing TDs are unrealistic in representing the level of threat posed by this group.

It should also be borne in mind that this was not the first time menacing protests have been staged in the environs of the Dail or against individual TDs.

In 2010, gardai confronted a group of more than 50 people, led by a Sinn Fein TD, who forced their way past the gates at Government Buildings following a protest outside.

And in 2014, then Tanaiste and Labour Party leader Joan Burton was forced to remain inside her car for nearly three hours as angry protesters blocked her departure from an event in Jobstown, Tallaght, in what a judge subsequently described as an attack on the Irish State.

As our columnist Gene Kerrigan writes this week, An Garda Siochana needs to continuously revise how it polices such demonstrations and apply an even hand to all protesters, from whichever end of the political spectrum.

The culture war is causing what a majority of people would consider extreme actions and reactions, with much of the anger and venom spread through social media, as another columnist, Colin Murphy, writes this week. He refers to good work being done by organisations to understand the phenomenon and reduce the threat level.

This issue is also addressed in a number of letters we publish today, articulated in the kind of robust yet still respectful language seldom found on social media and nowhere to be seen outside the gates of Leinster House last week.

After those events, if the erection of a mock gallows featuring images of political figures is deemed to be in breach of relevant laws, then prosecutions must follow.

Meanwhile, the authorities are reviewing security measures, with reports suggesting that the creation of a so-called sterile zone around Leinster House is under consideration.

While this is understandable, given the vitriolic nature of the protest last week, such an outcome may well prove counter-productive and ultimately result in a risk to everyones right to peaceful protest, which is protected under the Constitution.
Longford lass Maura flew to the paradise island of Fiji for the finale, which was watched by millions in America

IT was all white on the night for Maura Higgins as the Irish star shared some gorgeous pictures from the recent Love Island USA final.

Longford beauty Maura flew to the paradise island of Fiji for the finale, which was watched by millions in America.

The 32-year-old Irishwoman is social media ambassador for the American show and has been spending a lot of time in California of late for it.

As well as posting a picture of herself in an elegant white gown with her hair tied up, Maura also posed with host Sarah Hyland.

Maura Higgins and Sarah Hyland

Viewers recently saw Marco Donatelli and Hannah Wright with the US version

Maura shot to fame after appearing on the UK version of dating show back in 2019.

She recently shut down rumours she is joining an All Stars Love Island special, saying she feels she is too old for the villa.

I just think, Ive done it once, Ive had my time on Love Island. I dont really want to go back in time, I want to look to the future, she added.

Now primarily based in London she looks like she enjoyed her time with Love Island USA and earlier in the summer posted a promo clip for the shows infamous Casa Amor twist, with Maura impersonating a flight attendant in the video.

The reality star perfectly pretended to be a cabin crew member in the sketch, as she teased some sexy features on board the Casa Amor flight.

Fans have lately been clamouring for her to be the host of the main show.

Modern Family star Sarah began hosting Love Island USA last year.

After dating Curtis Pritchard and Chris Taylor, who both featured with her on Love Island 2019, Maura has lately been linked to Bobby Hatton Holland, a stunt double for Chris Hemsworth.
Mark Corbyn, co-founder of The Adobros, hopes to raise the profile of Filipino culture (Joseph Cruz/PA)

A Filipino food vendor hopes that celebrating his heritage will contrast with the narrative around legal migrants and asylum seekers in the UK.

Mark Corbyn, co-founder of The Adobros, a Filipino supper club in London offering traditional Filipino food and hospitality, is of mixed Filipino and English heritage and a migrant born in Hong Kong before moving to the UK in 2002.
Endangered Rothchilds giraffe Sifa settles into his new home in Blair Drummond Safari and Adventure Park, near Stirling, after travellilng from Dublin Zoo, becoming the first male giraffe to call the park home in a decade. (Andrew Milligan/PA)
An imprisoned Russian opposition figure who has dual British nationality has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia and placed in a tiny punishment cell, his lawyer has said.
A Russian tourist, known as "Mr. Oleg" at Phuket Airport in Thailand, has been entertaining employees with his antisocial behavior for 14 days. Two weeks ago, the Russian was spotted drunk in the waiting room, after which he was fed, dressed, nursed, and even had his eyes treated. All this time, the indifferent Russian embassy did not help its citizen, so for two weeks the 38-year-old's mother was saving money for his return ticket.

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Oleg missed his flight because he got drunk before it and slept through the boarding. It should be added right away that this did not surprise the airport staff, because last year they had already met Oleg under similar circumstances, the airport's Facebook page writes (to see the photo, scroll to the bottom of the page).

In the post, the Russian tourist was openly ridiculed by publishing a photo of him without clothes and sleeping in the waiting area. By the way, the Russian had no clothes, and, according to the employees, he had urinated on his clothes.

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At first, Oleg was fed by caring passers-by and employees of the Phuket airport, and later they even began to give the disgraced tourist money. He reportedly gave it to the workers and did not go to the shops because he was sure that he would again break down and have dinner with a bottle of vodka or other strong alcohol.

The airport workers' troubles did not end there. After the first few days in the waiting room, Oleg complained of pain in his eyes. He was taken to the hospital, where doctors prescribed drops.

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Kind residents of the country bought them for the tourist, after which Oleh asked to put them in his eyes 4-5 times a day. After 14 days of disgrace and wandering around the airport, the tourist's family finally saved up money and bought him a ticket home.

His newfound friends came to say goodbye to the grief-stricken traveler, and he thanked them with the help of an online translator. Now Oleg is already in Russia.

Employees emphasize that they have known the tourist since 2022, when he also missed his flight and got stuck at the airport, although he spent much less time there.

We should also pay attention to how the situation is described by propagandists. One of the travel websites did not say a word about the reasons for the Russian's delay and his problem with alcohol.

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While the whole world, including foreign media and airport employees themselves, openly mocks the tourist's inadequate behavior, in his home country his embarrassment is described as a fascinating story of the rescue of an unlucky Russian citizen by kind foreigners who love Russians and are ready to help them.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote that Russians were offered an alternative to closed European beaches. Russian citizens were invited to come to this country, where epidemics and crime are rampant, with their families.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
Photo Courtesy: UNI

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come.

"India has suggested another economic corridor in the G20 Summit, and history will always remember that this corridor was initiated on Indian soil. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come," Modi said in the 105th episode of his monthly radio talk show "Mann Ki Baat".

Referring to the "successful" conduct of the G20 Summit, the Prime Minister said: "India has proved the mettle of her leadership by making Africa Union a full member of G20".

"After the success of Chandrayaan3, the grand hosting of G20 doubled the joy of every Indian," he said.

Further, speaking about the G20 University Connect Programme, the Prime Minister urged college students to participate in it.

Many prestigious institutions like IITs, IITs, NITs, and Medical Colleges will also participate in the G20 University Connect Programme on September 26. The Prime Minister said he will also take part in the event.

"In this, many interesting exchanges are going to take place on the future of India and on the future of the youth. I am also waiting to communicate with our college students," he said.

Modi said he has received several letters from the citizens, largely on two subjects - the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 and the G-20 Summit.

He said more than one lakh delegates came to India for the G-20 and got acquainted with the diversity, different traditions, different types of cuisines as also the country's heritage.

Recently, Shantiniketan - the seat of learning in West Bengal - and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The total number of world heritage properties in India has now reached 42.

"The number of world heritage sites in India is continuously rising. I congratulate all the countrymen for this wonderful achievement" Modi said.

On September 27, World Tourism Day will be celebrated. Modi said the fascination for India has risen a lot over the last few years. After the successful organization of the G-20, the world's interest in India has grown further.

"A big aspect of tourism is related to employment. I urge all of you that whenever you plan to travel somewhere, try to see the diversity of India" he said.

The PM also spoke about the significance of books, and hailed the efforts of Uttarakhand's 'Ghoda library'. He said: "The biggest feature of this library is reaching children even in the most remote areas, and not only this, the service is absolutely free. Till now 12 villages of Nainital have been covered through this".

Modi also urged parents to ask children to read books. It is true that today's era is of digital technology and e-Books, but still books always play the role of a good friend in our lives. Hence, we should motivate children to read books" he said.

A big event on cleanliness will be organised on October 1, Sunday, at 10 am. "You too should take out time and help in this campaign related to cleanliness," the PM said.

"This Karyanjali of cleanliness itself will be the true tribute to Gandhiji. I would like to remind you again that on this occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, make it a point to buy some Khadi products," he said.

PM Modi urged citizens to buy and gift only 'Made in India' products during the festive season. "In this atmosphere of fervour and enthusiasm, you must also remember the mantra of Vocal for Local," Modi said.

Mentioning that nowadays, many start-ups are also promoting local products, Modi said If people buy local articles, the youths running such start-ups will also benefit".

(With UNI inputs)
Washington: Americas Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) met Khalistani elements in the US and alerted them that their lives may be at risk after the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, according to a report by The Intercept.

This report comes hours after media reports revealed that Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus offensive allegations against India on the murder of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar were prompted by shared intelligence from the US as part of Five Eyes, an intel alliance of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who led the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was gunned down by two unidentified assailants outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Colombia, Canada, on June 18. His killing stirred a diplomatic row between India and Canada with the latter's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday accusing New Delhi of involvement in the murder of its citizen.

CTV News Channel, Canada's 24-hour all-news network, reported quoting the US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen as saying that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped Canada allege a potential link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, Nijjar.

Cohen confirmed that Canada and its Five Eyes partners (the US, UK, Australia, and New Zealand) shared intelligence about India's possible involvement in the murder.

In 2020, India designated Nijjar (45) as a terrorist. After his name cropped up in several terrorism cases, Nijjar escaped to Canada in 1996.

According to a detailed dossier prepared by Indian authorities, and accessed by NDTV, Nijjar allegedly ordered several killings and attacks in Punjab while taking refuge on Canadian soil.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for him. The probe agency had also filed a chargesheet against the Khalistani terrorist at its court in Mohali.

The Intercept reported that Pritpal Singh, a coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, said three Sikh Americans in California were visited by FBI agents after Nijjars killing.

I was visited by two FBI special agents in late June who told me that they had received information that there was a threat against my life, said Pritpal Singh. They did not tell us specifically where the threat was coming from, but they said that I should be careful, he was quoted as saying by The Intercept.

The two other Sikh Americans, who wished not to be named, also confirmed that FBI agents visited them to alert them against life threats.

Moninder Singh, a spokesperson for the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council who was among those who got warnings after Nijjars murder, also confirmed that Canadian intelligence officials had warned Khalistani elements.

They told us that we were at imminent risk of assassination, but they would never say specifically that the threat was from Indian intelligence or give us enough information to tell us where it was coming from, Moninder Singh added.

The agents of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had singled out Nijjar, warning him about a life threat.

Confirming the development, Sukhman Dhami, co-director of Ensaaf, a California-based NGO, told The Intercept that Khalistani elements were recently been visited by law enforcement and warned that they may be targets, said the report.
HoNY founder Brandon Stanton said he was disappointed with Karishma Mehta's HoB (Image Courtesy: humansofny/twitter, wikipedia.org)

Delhi: Brandon Stanton, the founder of Humans of New York (HoNY), has aired his disappointment with Humans of Bombay (HoB) for filing a copyright lawsuit against their competitor People of India (POI).

Brandon Stanton posted a note on X (previously known as Twitter) to express his opinion on the situation.

Brandon mentioned he willingly forgave the appropriation of his work by Humans of Bombay in the past but questioned its decision to take legal action against other platforms.

In his post, Stanton stated, "I've stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if they've monetized far past anything I'd feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you can't be suing people for what I've forgiven you for."

I've stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if they've monetized far past anything I'd feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you can't be suing people for what I've forgiven you for. https://t.co/0jZM05YyTt  Brandon Stanton (@humansofny) September 23, 2023



Recently, HoB initiated a legal action against POI, claiming that it had copied their unique storytelling format and published nearly identical content.

HoB also alleged that POI had used images and videos from their platform without authorisation, essentially duplicating their business model, including the stories themselves.

The Delhi High Court acknowledged the matter and issued a notice to POI on September 18, reported India Today.

Justice Prathiba Singh, presiding over the case, noted that there appeared to be substantial imitation, with some photos being identical, said the report.

The court has scheduled the next hearing for October 11, it added.

Reacting to Brandon Stantons post on X, HoB posted a statement and said he "ought to have equipped himself" with the particulars of the case and what the company was looking to accomplish before "jumping the gun on the matter".

"Its therefore shocking that a cryptic assault on our efforts to protect our intellectual property is made in this manner, especially without understanding the background of the case," the statement read.

Justifying its move, HoB said it was "all for the power of storytelling and it should be done honestly and ethically".

"We believe in the honourable court of India and will request patience for the law to take its own course after hearing all facts of the matter," the company further said.

In their second post, Humans of Bombay (HOB) shared images of the legal suit and accompanied them with the following statement: "We are grateful to HONY & Brandon for starting this storytelling movement. The suit is related to the IP in our posts & not about storytelling at all. We tried to address the issue amicably before approaching the Court, as we believe in protecting our team's hard work. PFA."
Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from trailer video

Kolkata/IBNS: Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji has brought his two distinct cop films 'Baishe Srabon' and 'Vinci Da' to construct 'cop universe', 'Dawshom Awbotaar', which features Prosenjit Chatterjee, Anirban Bhattacharya, Jisshu U Sengupta and Jaya Ahsan in the lead.

The trailer was dropped by the makers, Jio Studios and SVF, on Sunday.

In the trailer, which comprises murder, investigation, love and humour, Prabir Roychowdhury (Prosenjit's character in 'Baishe Srabon') joins hands with Bijoy Poddar (Anirban's character in 'Vinci Da') with a task to solve a serial murder happening in Kolkata.

The trailer begins with a journalist saying, "This is the third consecutive murder in Kolkata and police have no answers."

Though Prabir is considered the "best person" to solve the case, he gets assistance from Inspector Poddar.

Jisshu U Sengupta, who seems to be a surprise for the audience in theatres, is likely to play a pivotal role in the plot which also features Bangladeshi actress Jaya Ahsan.

Speaking of the trailer, Prosenjit says, "I am excited because Probir is returning to big screens. He is also joined by Poddar. The two characters, I feel, have created a new dimension."

"The magic Srijit has created will definitely entertain the audience at cinema halls," the veteran actor added.

The film is slated to release in Durga Puja.
Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

A Chinese cab driver in Singapore is under investigation after he allegedly abused a woman and her nine-year-old daughter during a ride over misinformation of destination and even assuming them to be of Indian origin.

46-year-old Eurasian origin Janelle Hoeden told The Straits Times: "You are Indian, you are stupid."

The woman said she recorded the interaction on phone which soon became heated.

She said she booked a ride on the ride-hailing platform at around 2pm from her home in Pasir Ris Drive 6 where she was visiting her sister-in-law's house.

She said the ride started uneventfully but th driver became upset when a part of the road was blocked due to construction of an upcoming MRT line.

He started shouting at me, saying that I gave him the wrong address and wrong directions, she told the newspaper.

In the video  uploaded on her Facebook page and an account by TikTok user Rhiley26746, and later shared by alternative news site Wake Up Singapore  the driver, a Chinese man, is seen accusing Ms Hoedens daughter of being less than 1.35m tall, the newspaper reported.

Following the incident, Hoeden contacted Tada.

Whether I was tanned skin, or Indian, or otherwise, its unacceptable what he said  it was totally uncalled for, that he pulled out the race card, she said.

She said her daughter was also shaken following the incident.

Tada Singapore has started investigating the incident.

A Tada spokeswoman told The Straits Times: "Remarks or comments that insinuate racial differences are in direct violation of Tada community guidelines and are not representative of our companys values."
Photo courtesy: UNI

More than 31,300 individuals took to the streets of France against police violence and racism on Saturday, as reported by Franceinfo radio.

While Paris witnessed around 9,000 demonstrators, trade unions contested the numbers, asserting that a staggering 15,000 people participated in the protests in the capital city.

The otherwise peaceful demonstrations were marred by the actions of radical protesters who, shortly after the event's commencement, began vandalizing store windows and ATMs, media reports said.

The situation escalated as they targeted a police car, hurling bottles and stones at it.

Paris police subsequently confirmed the detention of three individuals involved in these incidents.

With a total of 30,000 police officers deployed across the nation to maintain order during the protests, including 1,000 in Paris alone, tensions remain high as the nation grapples with the issue of police violence and racial injustice.

(With UNI inputs)
Old Japanese Buddha statue stolen from an art gallery in the USA. Photo Caption: Barakat Gallery Facebook page

A daring heist was caught on camera recently where an old Japanese Buddha statue, which is worth $1.5 million, was stolen from a Los Angeles art gallery, media reports said.

The 250-pound bronze sculpture was jacked from the Barakat Gallery in Beverly Grove around 3:45 a.m. on Sept. 18, Los Angeles Police Department was quoted as saying by The New York Post.

I prize it so much, Fayez Barakat, the gallery owner, told KTLA.

I had it in the backyard of my home and when I moved into this gallery, I put it in the backyard of the gallery for everybody to admire and enjoy," the owner said.

Security video shows the thief pulling up to the gallery in a moving truck. The driver steps out, breaks open a driveway gate, enters the gallery and uses a dolly to move the statue into the truck, KTLA reported.

The owner of the gallery said the entire heist action lasted for 25 minutes.

He said he acquired the statue 55 years ago.

He said there is no other piece similar to it in this world at present.

Paul Henderson, the gallerys director, told KTLA: We have 200 objects back there, but this is our prize piece.

He said: "I dont think theres another like it on the market anywhere. Its four feet tall, its hollow cast bronze and its a stunning piece. Its really aesthetically arresting and its shocking to see something like this go missing.

Because its an ancient artifact, theres nowhere where you can sell this piece, Henderson said. You cant go on the market. You cant take it to a pawn shop and sell it for a few thousand dollars, its just not possible. So, its very interesting. Its like a museum heist type thing where, what are you going to do with this object right now? Were all very curious and really puzzled, to be honest.

According to reports, no arrests have been made so far.
Where theres controversy, there is Rakhi Sawant.

Shes currently busy sorting out the fiasco with her estranged husband Adil Khan Durrani. The ex-couple is busy hurling several accusations against each other and other cats are just finding the bread in between.



Indiatimes

Yesterday, it was Sherlyn Chopra and Rajshree More, now it is actress Tanushree Dutta. Have a look at the highlights of their fight:-

I will make sure Rakhi goes to jail - Tanushree Dutta

Tanushree says she has around 15 videos of Rakhi and she has figured out all the valid IPC codes against the Pardesia girl. I will make sure that I remove all the old cases against Rakhi and send her behind bars. In 2018, I couldn't speak up and I made the mistake of accepting her apology. This time I will not spare her.

Instagram

Tanushree to file Rs 1000 crore defamation case against Rakhi

Dutta revealed that she has filed the case for the mental abuse that she did to me during 2018. At that time, I wanted to go back to the USA but now I am here and all free. I will lodge as many FIRs needed and also bring all the proofs against Rakhi. I will bring everyone together and send Rakhi to jail."

I have all the proofs against Tanushree: Rakhi Sawant

While reacting to Tanushrees allegations, Rakhi said, "I have all the proof against Tanushree Dutta. This year itself, the abusive language she used against me will be recorded and submitted in court. I didn't trigger her this time. I was at home minding my own business. She had to meddle in between. Tanushree made such cheap allegations against me in the press conference. I will not spare her for this."

Rakhi reacts to Tanushree bringing back the Me Too fiasco of 2018.

Rakhi shares, "Why is Tanushree doing this again? She wakes up suddenly after 4 years and realises that she has to file a case against me. She did the same thing with Nana Patekar ji and now she is doing this with me. What is her problem? Was she sleeping all this while?"

Rakhi recalls the time she replaced Tanushree 20 years back despite having a fever.

Explaining what happened, Rakhi shares, "20 years back she had left the sets saying that Nana Patekar ji had teased her. I was down with a fever that day when I replaced Tanushree in the song. Yes, I came out in support of Nana Patekar and Ganesh Acharya because I was there and I can vouch that they are reputed people."

For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment.


Two people died and two others have been admitted to the hospital after they complained of loss of vision on Sunday in Pokhariya Pir village in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district after consuming spurious liquor.

It is suspected to be a case of consumption of spurious liquor. According to sources, the victims had consumed the liquor after immersing the idol of Lord Vishwakarma on September 18.

Cases of hooch tragedy in Bihar are not uncommon, despite the state imposing a complete prohibition in the state since April 2016.

What happened in this case?

In this case, the deceased have been identified as Umesh Sah (50) and Pappu Ram (32). Those who have been admitted in the hospital have been identified as Raju Sah (45) and Dharmendra Kumar (26).

Shivchandra Paswan of the same locality is accused of selling liquor, as TOI reported. His wife and daughter have been detained by the police, while he is absconding.

Muzaffarpur SSP, Rakesh Kumar said, "The deaths have been reported, but the actual cause will be revealed only after post-mortem. During the preliminary investigations, the local villagers have claimed that the deceased and the victims had consumed spurious liquor after which their condition deteriorated. The police are miking on the loudspeakers in the area. The police teams are camping on the spot and the dog squad has been called to search for any clue."

Another recent case of hooch consumption, resulting in 26 deaths

In April, a suspected hooch tragedy in Bihar's East Champaran district claimed the lives of 26 people.

During the time, huge quantities of spurious liquor and other related chemicals were seized during searches at more than 600 places in different parts of Motihari.

Wikimedia Commons

"Police recovered 370 litres of country-made liquor, 50 litres of spirit and 1,150 litres of other chemicals used in the manufacturing of spurious liquor," the administration had said then.



When was complete prohibition on alcohol imposed in Bihar?

Bihar had imposed complete prohibition in the state in April 2016, drawing its inspiration from Article 47 of the Indian Constitution, which directs the state to endeavour to prohibit the consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs that are injurious to health.

Ban on alcohol was also was also an election promise of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to the state's women who have suffered on account of the excessive drinking of their husbands and other male family members.

How the state's prohibition policy has failed

Multiple hooch tragedies go to show the failure of the state's prohibition policy.

A total of 199 official hooch deaths (if suspected hooch deaths are included the toll goes up to 269) have been recorded and 30 cases lodged since 2016, when the liquor prohibition law came into force in Bihar - but no one has been convicted so far.

BCCL

The policy had been criticised, with many pointing out unnecessailry harsh features such as holding the entire family liable to imprisonment if any family member violated the liquor ban, and imposing a collective fine on a whole village if there was any violation of the prohibition.



The state of Bihar is not only losing substantial revenue due to prohibition but it is also spending more on enforcement without getting the expected results.

As an Observer Research Foundation points out, women-led community-based approaches are likely to yield better results than a ban.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


Nurse Practitioner Convicted of $200 Million Health Care Fraud Scheme

A federal jury in Miami convicted a Florida nurse practitioner yesterday for her role in a scheme to defraud Medicare by submitting more than $200 million in false and fraudulent claims for expensive genetic testing and medical equipment that the Medicare beneficiaries did not need.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Elizabeth Hernandez, 45, of Homestead, signed thousands of orders for medically unnecessary orthotic braces and genetic tests, resulting in fraudulent Medicare billings in excess of $200 million. As part of the scheme, telemarketing companies would contact Medicare beneficiaries to convince them to request orthotic braces and genetic tests, and then send pre-filled orders for these products to Hernandez, who signed them, attesting that she had examined or treated the patients. In reality, she had never spoken with many of the patients. In 2020, Hernandez ordered more cancer genetic tests for Medicare beneficiaries than any other provider in the nation, including oncologists and geneticists. She then billed Medicare as though she were conducting complex office visits with these patients, and routinely billed more than 24 hours of office visits in a single day. Hernandez personally pocketed approximately $1.6 million in the scheme, which she used to purchase expensive cars, jewelry, home renovations, and travel.

The jury convicted Hernandez of one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, in addition to four counts of health care fraud and three counts of making false statements relating to health care matters. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 14. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years in prison on each health care fraud count, and five years in prison on each false statement count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Departments Criminal Division, Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the FBIs Criminal Investigative Division, and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI and HHS-OIG investigated this case.

Trial Attorney Andrea Savdie and Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and of the Criminal Divisions Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.

The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Divisions efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, comprised of 15 strike forces operating in 25 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.

This story has been published on: 2023-09-24. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
The Italian defense minister on Sunday criticized Germany for its recent decision to fund the NGOs rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean and disembarking them on the Italian shore, Azernews reports, citing Yeni Safak.

Speaking to the Italian daily La Stampa, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called the German move very serious.

Berlin pretends not to realize that, in doing so, it causes difficulties to a country that in theory should be a friend, he said.

Crosetto added: It is the ideological approach of a certain political left that does not take into account the consequences of its theories on the people.

He said that Italy remains resolute in combating the human smugglers, who he said should be treated as international criminals.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the German Foreign Ministry told Italys state-run ANSA news agency that saving people who drown and find themselves in distress at sea is a legal, humanitarian and moral duty.

On Sep. 22, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Melonis office voiced "great astonishment at the news reported by ANSA, according to which a spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry had announced imminent funding to NGOs for a project to assist migrants on Italian territory and a project of rescues at sea.

Later it became known that the NGO to receive the funding is SOS Humanity, which operates rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean. The NGO itself said it had been allocated 790,000 ($843,000).

Separately, the Catholic SantEgidio Community charity said on Friday it had signed a fresh deal with Berlin to fund migrant activities in Italy, as part of a years-long relationship.

The number of migrants landed in Italy so far this year has reached over 127,000  more than double that of the same period in 2022. The majority have set off from Tunisia, where in July, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen signed a controversial deal to stem irregular migration.
Due to the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has become a pariah in the world, so self-respecting tourists avoid the terrorist country like the plague. However, propagandists continue to foam at the mouth to prove to the world that their dirty beaches in Sochi and fascist Z-culture are of interest to foreigners.

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For example, the other day, the Russian media released a rating of countries from which tourists still come to Russia. The leaders are, of course, the post-Soviet states, as well as Mongolia, China, and occupied Abkhazia. However, there is a caveat: Russians themselves are urged to avoid reciprocal visits (scroll to the bottom of the page to see the photo).

According to the Russian Federation, tourists from Abkhazia (352,000 people), China (139,000), and Mongolia (115,000) are the most willing to travel to Russia. By post-Soviet countries, Russians most likely meant "friendly" Belarus, where they themselves most often traveled in 2023.

The data was collected at the end of this year's summer season, which shows that neither Europeans, nor Americans, nor residents of other civilized countries are eager to get to know the "Russian world" better.

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Russian citizens themselves are warned that they should not visit occupied Abkhazia in retaliation, as Russian tourists are not treated as if they are in any way untrustworthy and are not neglected.

Dmitry Petrov, the author of a Russian travel blog, recently decided to pay the Abkhazians a return visit. He chose a guide long and carefully, took his friends with him, and went to a fairly decent restaurant, where he was cheated out of money by being charged a larger amount.

"The waiter smiled stupidly at the claim and pretended not to understand. The guide came to the rescue, promised to look into it and disappeared into the back of the restaurant. Of course, no one returned the money. The guide and the waiter were acting in concert," Russian media reported.

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In addition, Russians are warned that traveling to China can also be problematic. For example, in August, Russian tourists who tried to travel under the visa-free regime were unceremoniously turned back.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL wrote about the shameful story of Russian traveler Oleg, who was homeless for 14 days at Phuket airport because he got drunk and slept through his flight. Read more about the vicissitudes of the Russian alcoholic, who was laughed at by the whole world, here.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
In a meeting held with the officials of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Manipur CM discussed plans to extend the India-Myanmar border fencing by 70 km.

Safeguarding the porous borders was stressed on in the meeting as an urgent necessity, which was also attended by Chief Secretary, DGP & officials from the Home Department.

Meeting on border fencing/ X

This meeting comes a day after Singh asked the centre to end the "free movement regime" along the India-Myanmar border.



What is the free movement regime?

The free movement regime allows people residing on both sides of India-Myanmar border to venture 16 km deep into each other's territory without any document.

It was established in 2018, as part of the Act East policy by the Narendra Modi government.

Why was the free movement regime introduced?

The Free Movement Regime (FMR) was established to facilitate migration without a visa for tribes residing along the Indo-Myanmar Border (IMB).

It was also introduced as a way to strengthen ties, promote trade and encourage people-to-people contact.

How the Free Movement Regime has facilitated illegal immigration & drug smuggling

The porous border has enabled illegal immigrants to slip through. According to an IGP (Intelligence, Narcotics and Affairs of Border) report of June 2023, Manipur has 2,480 illegal migrants, raising questions about security and potential ethnic tensions.

Another challenge due to the porous border is drug smuggling. Eastern Manipur's five districts share a 400-km border with Myanmar and less than 10 per cent of its international border with Myanmar is fence, leaving much space for drug smuggling.

The FMR was temporarily suspended in September 2022 as the situation escalated in Myanmar due to the military coup in February 2021.

What is the Manipur government saying now?

"We have to stay focused on real issues in the state, namely dealing with the influx of illegal immigrants, taking up welfare activities for internally displaced people and fighting massive poppy cultivation," Mr Biren told reporters on Saturday.

Meeting on border fencing/ X

The CM claimed that the present situation was a result of unplanned policies of the previous governments, and not an immediate aftermath of any recent decision.



"Our government has requested the Union Home Ministry to cancel the free movement regime. Also, security forces have not properly guarded the border. Instead of being deployed at zero point, they were found guarding the border 14-15 km inside Indian territory," he claimed.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.
In light of the Canadian government's response to Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing on Candian soil, the Baloch Human Rights Council of Canada has called out the Justin Trudeau government's silence on the mysterious death of Karima Baloch, a Balochistan rights activist.

AFP

"It is our firm belief that the Canadian government must treat all individuals equally, without regard to race, creed or political contributions," the Human Rights Body said in its letter to Trudeau dated September 23, 2023.



Response linked to electoral consideration, says human rights council

Karima Baloch was found dead under mysterious circumstances near Lake Ontario on Toronto Island on December 22, 2020. But the police swiftly and definitively concluded within 48 hours that there was "no foul play".

"It is worth noting that the government of Canada and the Toronto Police were well-informed about the threats Ms Baloch had received from the ISI, yet they maintained silence on this matter," the human rights group wrote in their letter to Trudeau.

The letter says that BHRC believes the "Canadian government's apparent reluctance to address Ms. Baloch's death impartially may be linked to electoral considerations... The Baloch community in Canada is relatively small and lacks the electoral influence to significantly impact the selection of representatives in Parliament."

Who was Karima Baloch?

Karima Baloch was a Balochistan rights activist and had been fighting for rights of the Balochistan people with the Pakistan government.

She was the first chair of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO-Azad) a political student body and was known for raising the cause of forced disappearances among Baloch activists.

She was listed by the BBC in its 100 most inspirational and influential women of 2016 for her work in human rights.

Karima Baloch/ X

Baloch was granted asylum in Canada in 2016 at the age of 37 after her work as a human rights activist in Balochistan had led to her being followed and threatened by the authorities. She had continued to be vocal about human rights abuses even after moving to Canada.



In 2020, after going missing, she was found dead in a river in Sweden.

Balochs husband, Hammal Haider, also a Pakistani activist living in exile, had said that: "I cant believe that its an act of suicide. She was a strong lady and she left home in a good mood."

Further, he had added then that, "We cant rule out foul play as she has been under threats. She left Pakistan as her home was raided more than twice. Her uncle was killed. She was threatened to leave activism and political activities but she did not and fled to Canada."

The Swedish authorities ruled out foul play in the death of Hussain but an autopsy did not confirm an exact cause of death.

What had the Canadian government said on the Nijjar killing?

Canadian PM Trudeau had shocked the world on on 18 September when he told the Canadian Parliament that there are credible allegations that India's government may have had links to the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Khalistani leader who was shot dead in Surrey, in June.

BCCL

This was followed by the expulsion of an Indian diplomat, said to be the Canadian station chief of India's intelligence agency RAW.



For more on news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


David Umahi, the Minister of Works, on Saturday, revealed that the proposed Abuja-Lagos highway will be completed in four years.

Speaking in a press conference in Lagos, the Minister said driving from Lagos to Abuja will take four hours when the project is completed.

Umahi added that the road will be made with concrete, which is cheaper than asphalt. 

Flanked by Kenny Martins, the chairman of Advance Engineering Company  a consortium in charge of the highway  said the project, a Public Private Partnership (PPP), would be solely funded by the consortium in charge.

According to him, the Federal Government would only be in charge of supervision.

His words: When I first introduced this to the public, many doubting Thomases were saying it is impossible, Lagos-Abuja that is done in 14 hours cannot be done in four and half hours, that is the renewed hope of Mr President.

The president has approved that I fast-track this project. This project is going to be two lanes, but each lane is going to be a two-carriage way and it is going to be 14 metres.

READ ALSO: Fire Guts Plastic Factory In Lagos

The only carriageway that is equivalent to this is the third mainland bridge where each carriageway is 14 metres. It is going to be built on 275-millimeter thick concrete.

Umahi also disclosed that the live-shelf design of the project will be 100 years, adding that it would also include a number of bridges and tolling points.

We are not putting any kobo but we will assist them in every direction. I give kudos to Advance Engineering Company, I am very satisfied with their concept and what they have put in place,

So, the next thing is to bring the business proposal so we can negotiate on what the cost of the project is going to be. Then they go to the ministry of finance and negotiate on the issue of their money.

The good thing is that we are building this road on concrete so we can predict the cost of this project. In asphalt, you cannot predict the cost. The cost of asphalt roads changes every month, he added.

He also said he has given directives that all ongoing projects that have not advanced up to 80 percent should be completed using concrete.
A section of a plastic company, Mega Plastics Company, has been engulfed by fire in Lagos State.

It was gathered that the firefighters were seen battling to put out the raging fire, which reportedly started at about 6:30 a.m., on Saturday.

This was disclosed in a statement made available to journalists by the Director of Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority(LASTMA), Adebayo Taofiq.

READ MORE: Fire Guts Orphanage Home In Lagos, Seven Children Rescued

The statement reads: Operatives of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and other emergency responders in the early morning today (Saturday, 23rd of September, 2023) combated an industrial fire outbreak at Mega Plastics Company located at No.4, Ilupeju Bypass beside Federal Inland Revenue Service, Ilupeju area of Lagos.

Traffic Officer Ayo Olaosebikan (Falcon) of Zone 21 confirmed that the Lastma rescue team arrived at the scene of the industrial fire outbreak around 6:30 a.m. before other emergency responders were contacted by Lastma.

Immediately we arrived at the scene of the industrial fire, we quickly informed other emergency responders particularly the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Services and the Nigerian Police.
The Nigerian Armys 9 Brigade in Ikeja Cantonment, Lagos State, has arrested five individuals who were posing as soldiers.

The suspects were apprehended at different locations in Lagos, including Ojodu Berger, Ikorodu, Ogba, and Ikeja.

After their arrest, the suspects were handed over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.

According to Major Augustine Kolawole, the Director of Public Relations for the 9 Brigade, the arrests took place during a routine patrol conducted by the Brigade.

One of the impersonators, 32-year-old Johnson Ayemoba, was found wearing a complete military camouflage uniform, along with a photo of himself wearing the same outfit.

During questioning, Ayemoba claimed that a friend had given him the uniform.

He said, I work as a bouncer and provide security at event places like Ikeja, Lekki, and Victoria Island. I obtained the uniform from my friend, Tiger. My arrest occurred in Ikeja while I was not wearing the uniform but in civilian attire. I took this picture during my birthday.

For Olamilekan, he explained that he wore it to escort vehicles within and outside Lagos, adding that he acquired the uniform from a man he gave his name simply as Tiger, who was introduced to him by the first suspect.

Briefing journalists on the arrest, Kolawole, said These impostors had been presenting themselves as soldiers of the Nigerian Army, causing disturbances, engaging in theft through deception, and at times, resorting to violence while using military uniforms and equipment.

READ ALSO: Police Finally Arrest Wanted Female Suspect Over Criminal Conspiracy, Threat To Life

These actions, along with those of other impostors still at large, have severely tarnished the reputation of the Nigerian Army among law-abiding citizens.

For the record, Headquarters 9 Brigade Nigerian Army under the command of Brigadier General Adegoke Adetuyi will continue to ensure that troops deployed on Internal Security duties operate professionally within the purview of the law. This headquarters will continue to uphold the Nigerian Army Code of Conduct, ethics, core values, and soldiers creed, hence, it will never encourage or tolerate the engagement of troops in any act that will hurt law-abiding citizens they are meant to protect.

We, therefore, appeal to law-abiding citizens to be wary of such impostors parading themselves as soldiers and mounting illegal roadblocks in some parts of Lagos state.

We also request Lagosians to report any suspicious act by unauthorised men in military uniforms to the appropriate authority in order not to fall victim to their dastardly acts.

Major Kolawole expressed optimism that the police investigation and subsequent prosecution would send a strong warning to other criminals within the 9 Brigades Area of Responsibility and the nation as a whole.

He further warned members of the public to desist from the use of Army stickers, placement of camouflage jungle hats on vehicle dashboards, and the display of other military insignia or accouterments on private vehicles, as well as wearing military uniforms for fashion purposes. They are illegal. Anyone caught engaging in these violations may face prosecution for impersonation.
Jigawa State has recorded 91 suspected cases of diphtheria in 14 local government areas.

The Permanent Secretary, Jigawa Ministry of Health, Dr Salisu Muazu, disclosed this to newsmen in Dutse, the state capital, on Saturday.

There has been a diphtheria outbreak in the northern parts of Nigeria in the last four months.

This is especially in neighbouring Kano, Yobe, Katsina and Bauchi states.

About two weeks ago, we received patients that had symptoms of diphtheria in 14 local government areas bordering states that had already established the infection.

The National Reference Laboratory in Abuja confirmed two of the 91 suspected samples we sent to have tested positive to diphtheria, Muazu said.

He added that the two confirmed samples were those from Kazaure and Jahun local government areas of Jigawa.

READ ALSO: NCDC Confirms 1,534 Diphtheria Cases, 137 Deaths

The permanent secretary explained that majority of the victims were those who either did not receive complete immunisation or those who received zero dose of childhood immunisation.

In fact, in the last 10 years, we have not had diphtheria in Jigawa, but in those neighbouring states that now have the epidemic.

The reason why we have it now may be due to the COVID-19 period when healthcare services completely broke down, he said.

Muazu urged parents and community leaders to support and cooperate with health workers as the government had concluded plans to conduct mop-up immunisation in affected local government areas.

He also called on residents to promptly report persons with symptoms of diphtheria to Disease Notification Officers in the local government areas or to the nearest health facility.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Benue State chapter, has rejected the decision of the governorship election tribunal that upheld the election of Hyacinth Alia as State Governor.

The appeal filed by the PDP and its governorship candidate, Titus Uba, challenging the election of Alia of the All Progressives Congress, APC, was dismissed by the Governorship Election appeal Tribunal sitting in Makurdi on Saturday.

The PDP rejected the tribunals verdict in a statement via its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom.

READ ALSO: Tribunal Affirms APCs Alia As Benue Gov., Dismisses PDPs Petition

The statement read: After a review of the judgement with its team of lawyers, PDP believes that it does not meet the requirements of substantive justice and is not in alignment with extant electoral laws, guidelines and regulations.

The party has accordingly directed its lawyers to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, Abuja within the timeframe specified by law.

Our great party urges its teeming supporters across the state to be calm and of good cheer in the faith that though the walk to justice may be long, the goal of reclaiming the Governorship mandate will surely be achieved in the end.
The camp of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to resign from office over the non-release of his academic record by the Chicago State University.(CSU)

A media aide to Atiku, Paul Ibe who made the call said the issue regarding Tinubus academic record has become a national embarrassment.

Paul noted that Tinubu had made Nigeria and Nigerians a laughing stock at the international level and the only way for him to rectify it is by resigning.

He made the call ahead of the resumption of the court case on Monday in a petition in which Atikus legal team is seeking a court order for the Chicago State University to release Tinubus academic records.

Recall that a United States District Judge, Nancy Maldonado, had on Thursday agreed to stay an order directing CSU to make Tinubus academic document available to Atikus legal team.

Reacting to the development, Ibe said no matter the delay tactics employed by Tinubu and his legal team, the academic records would be released.

If Tinubu is a first-class graduate like he claims, it will be in his best interest and that of over 200 million Nigerians, for him to take a first-class decision of resigning. This is the only way that he can save Nigeria and its people of this embarrassment and laughing stock that it has become.

He is a national embarrassment, a regional embarrassment, a continental embarrassment, and an embarrassment to the Black race. If he still has any modicum of respect for himself and the people he claims to be leading, he should resign as President with immediate alacrity. No matter how long he tries to stall the process, the records that he has been hiding from Nigerians for decades will be discovered. He needs to be reminded that the United States is not Nigeria.

READ MORE: Tinubu Graduated Here In 1979  Chicago State University

Atikus aide further accused Tinubu of plunging Nigerians into hardship with his economic policies.

Look at the issues of the value of the Naira and the exchange rate. The meeting of the Central Bank Monetary Committee has been postponed. Things are just grinding to a halt. Nothing is happening because the committee that is supposed to provide the economic policies is not working.

Nigeria is now on auto pilot and like a sick person receiving drips in the hospital. Things are just bad, he added.

Speaking further, Ibe said Nigerians should be worried about why Tinubu is fighting tooth and nail to keep the details of his academic records with Chicago State University a secret.

Nigerians have become the butts of the jokes. Mind you that one out of every five black men in the world is a Nigerian, he said.

Ibe added that Tinubus academic record has monumental implications for Nigerians.

If for any reason you want to change or get a new job and the new employers want to do due diligence, you write your alma mater to release your credentials to your would-be new employers. This is the case with the APC presidential candidate in the last presidential election, why should Bola Tinubu stop his school from releasing his credentials to the public?

This is what should agitate the minds of Nigerians, Atikus media aide submitted.
The Benue State governorship election tribunal, on Saturday, affirmed Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as Governor of the State.

Recall that Alia was declared the winner of the March governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Catholic Bishop at the time polled 473,933 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Titus Uba, candidate of the States Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 223,913 votes.

However PDPs Uba filed a petition challenging Alias victory.

The Chairman of the three-man panel of justices, Justice Ibrahim Karaye, in his judgement, held that the tribunal had no jurisdiction to entertain the petition as the matters raised before the tribunal were pre-election issues as captured in section 285 of the Electoral Act.

According to Karaye, Uba ought to have prosecuted the forgery allegation against Sam Ode, Benue deputy governor, at the high court.

READ ALSO: SCourt Not A Joke, Once Recieved Appeal Case Of Arson On 12 Goats  Ex-Judge Calls For Constitution Amendment

Alia, in reaction to the judgment via Tersoo Kula, his Chief Press Secretary, said it is a victory for democracy and the rule of law.

The Governor was quoted as saying that his administration is committed to prioritising the welfare of the residents of Benue.

He says the court has indicated once again that it is the last hope of the common man and that no might is powerful enough to thwart the supreme will of the people and claim power through the back door.

Governor Alia rededicates himself to the service of the people and the strengthening of democratic values across the state.

He enjoins all and sundry including members of the opposition to put their hands on deck and ensure that the state is moved to very heights of greatness away from the current mess of misery, poverty and maladministration, the statement read.
David Umahi, the Minister of Works, has unveiled the plan for the construction of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.

In a press conference with newsmen on Saturday, the Minister also said Hitech Construction will fund the project under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

Hitech is a division of the Chagoury Group, a business conglomerate in Lagos that oversaw the construction of the Lekki-Epe expressway and the Ajah flyover.

Umahi said upon completion, the highway will have multiple spurs that will connect major towns and cities, including a spur connecting Ogoja-Ikom-Cameroon road.

There will be a spur that will connect the proposed fourth mainland bridge in Lagos.

It is also connected to the deep sea port road being constructed by Hitech, under the concrete technology and it is also connected at Lagos-Badagry to the proposed Lagos-Abidjan super highway, he said.

According to him, there will also be multiple connections with roads that lead to the northern parts of the country.

There is a proposal for connection to Sokoto. I think about four to five connections to northern Nigeria, he added.

READ ALSO: Ondo Court Remands Man, Orders Him To Clear Bushes For Allegedly Sodomising Eight-Year-Old Step-Brother

The Minister furthered that the project is the brainchild of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has asked him to fast track this project because it is going to be a catalyst towards the economic development of this country.

Let me announce that it is under PPP. The Hitech group are going to look for the money. They have already found the money and that is the good news because we dont waste our time talking and holding meetings and wasting resources.

We are engaging seriously because we have seen the financial capacity and capability of Hitech and this project is going to be delivered in phases.

Any section that we complete, we will toll it and then business and transportation will start.

The right of way of this project is about 100 meter corridor. There is provision for a rail line in the middle of the road which is about 20 meters.

The road has four carriageways. Each of the service lanes is 10 meters wide. The main carriageway is 14 meters.
In recent weeks, the terrorist state of Russia has been experiencing a shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel. Several factors have led to fuel problems in Russia.

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The shortage of gasoline and diesel could have been caused by a short-term increase in demand from the agricultural sector. This was reported by UK military intelligence on X, formerly known as Twitter.

British intelligence noted that the shortage of gasoline and diesel fuel in Russia could also be caused by the annual maintenance of oil refineries. Attractive export prices could also have been the cause.

At the same time, the agency is confident that the fuel shortage is not a direct result of the Russian-Ukrainian war. However, on September 21, the aggressor country Russia suspended almost all exports of diesel and gasoline to stabilize its domestic markets.

British intelligence emphasized that such a move would further restrict supplies in a limited global market, which is likely to affect countries that currently depend on Russian fuel supplies.

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As a reminder, Russia may face a new fuel shortage. The reason is the possible introduction of a protective duty. Even though it is supposed to create surpluses and reduce domestic prices, it may lead to a shortage of resources in the future.

Earlier it was reported that problems with automotive fuel are gaining momentum in Russia. Local media and authorities report a shortage in the temporarily occupied Crimea, as well as in several regions of the Russian Federation itself.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, wholesale gasoline prices in Russia have broken a historical record. Thus, the cost of A-95 exceeded 70 thousand rubles per ton for the first time in history.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram and Viber. Don't fall for fakes!
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has said it plans to introduce the Computer Based Test (CBT) mode in the administration of its examinations.

Mr Patrick Areghan, WAECs Head of National Office (HNO), gave a hint in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday.

Areghan said introducing the CBT mode of administrating some of the councils examinations had been part of his vision for the body.

We have already started something in terms of CBT examination. We have gone far with our planning and all of that, even in the sub-region, the registrar to the council is also doing something, he said.

READ ALSO: Mentally-Challenged Man Strangles Junior WAEC Student To Death In Ondo

He said it is not as easy as some people think.

This is because we ask ourselves, how do we conduct CBT for practicals and essay papers?

We can only readily do that in the case of objective questions. But so many people will not see it from that angle. They argue that some others are doing it, why cant WAEC do the same?

Now, no one even talks about energy; how many schools are exposed to computer literacy? How many have computer facilities, and how many have electricity to run these things?

Even where you have all these things on ground, how do you handle the issue of theory and practical papers? So, these are the issues, but that is what I want the council to do in the very near future, he said.

He further stated that the council should be able to conduct CBT examinations, even if it means starting with the objective questions.

He added that WAEC may have a segregated market, adding that those who cannot afford the CBT will go for the pencil and paper mode.
Wrestling icon, Hulk Hogan has married for the third time after a ceremony in Florida, United State Of America.

INFORMATION NIGERIA reports that the legendary fighter was married over the weekend to his fiance Sky Daily.

In an interview with Daily Mail, a friend to Hulk said: Sky changed his life. He is the happiest hes ever been, literally over the moon. If a guy like Hulk could glow, then hed be glowing.

It was a low key wedding. Neither of them wanted over the top, just a small affair with their nearest and dearest to declare their deep love and commitment to each other. Sadly Brooke did not show up.

It was gathered that Hulk, 69, had reportedly showered the Florida mom of three, Sky with flowers, romantic dates, and FaceTime calls after meeting her at a friends party.

READ MORE: Former WWE Super Star, Shad Gaspard Goes Missing After Beach Swim

The former WWE and WCW star has two children, Brooke, 35, and Nick, 32, from his first marriage.

His son Nick shared images on his Instagram on Friday evening wearing a suit alongside his partner Tana Lea at the ceremony.

Hogan had proposed to the yoga instructor with a six carat diamond engagement ring worth $100k.

However, Sky was seen wearing the rock during a video showing Hulk  who is worth a reported $30 million, talking about how they met through mutual friends.

Hulk and Sky got engaged after a little more than a year of dating during her best friends wedding in July.

During his speech at the wedding of actor Corin Nemec and his wife Sabrina Nova on Sunday, the Hulkster revealed that he himself popped the question just three days earlier on Dailys birthday.

She was crazy enough to say Yes, brother! Hogan told the crowd, referencing one of his most famous catchphrases from his wrestling days.
Unholy Wars  a theater work reflecting on the high-carnage of the Crusades of the Middle Ages at Opera Philadelphias Festival O23  promised some uncomfortably revisionist history, but the Saturday opening was mostly a beautiful fusion of music, video, and dance. It was the first of four performances at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre.

Not to be confused with the 2002 John Cooley book of the same title, Unholy Wars is a project devised by Lebanese American tenor Karim Suleyman to challenge the centuries-old negative exoticism of Middle Eastern culture by Western literature. This was spelled out in Suleymans program notes, citing specific cases of subtle cultural condescension imposed from the West to the East. The theater piece itself resisted preaching, though Suleymans well-rooted intentions were there for those who looked for them.

This cultural quilt was built around Monteverdis 1624 miniature opera Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda (text based on Tassos famous 16th-century poem Jerusalem Delivered) that gives a fictionalized account of crusader Tancredi, whose armored battles led him to kill the Saracen woman he loved, unknowingly. Monteverdi was then followed by added arias of deep lamentation, most notably Handels classic Lascia chio pianga  all reestablishing their artistic universality with a celebratory sense of new discovery.

Electronic interludes by Mary Kouyoumjdian mightve seemed jarring but in fact enhanced the pieces flow. The opening moments were an arresting fusion of Monteverdi and modern high-tech sound that gave a good sense of how the 11th-century Crusade, 17th-century music, and our 21st century would find a fruitful meeting point.

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Under the overall direction of Kevin Newbury, video artist Michael Commendatore created dynamic images that evolved in conjunction with the music, often showing arches and minarets of ancient cities that seemed to move toward the audience as the overall picture grew larger.

Most effective was when the images dissolved into ocean waves or burst into flames in what was an ongoing preoccupation with water, earth, and fire  as the cast communed with those elements.

With the pieces ritualistic pace and manner, one could sometimes stand back from this rich content to process its meaning, or perhaps be puzzled (pleasantly) over the Ebony Williams choreography, danced by Coral Dolphin.

Fluid and abstract, the dance element elaborated on the moment at hand, but always stayed within the spirit of the pieces overall package, creating a visual bridge between the distant milieu of the subject matter and modern theater.

The core of the piece is Monteverdis music, written at the dawn of the operatic medium, and not often heard in Philadelphia. The musics highly evolved sense of narrative drama arrives in discrete modules, often explosive ones, that are selflessly fashioned to the needs of the text. It turns melodic, conversational, and highly rhetorical.

Its pared-down and emotionally direct but has a powerful and visceral language of its own. Originally published in a book of madrigals (yes, madrigals), Il Combattimento feels epic in scope but runs only 20 highly eventful minutes.

The musicals directness comes most alive with charismatic voices, one being of Philadelphia-based soprano Julianne Baird. The 47-year old Suleyman, with a statuesque presence and distinctive bantamweight tenor voice, brings Monteverdis performance to another level. Hes well-seasoned in early music style and has the kind of vocal flexibility that readily accommodates that. His quiver (sometimes implied more than heard) opens up intimate emotional dimensions not always heard in Metropolitan Opera-sized voices.

On Saturday, he sang the music as if he wrote it, accompanied by a seven-member group of period instruments under the direction of Julie Andrijeski.

Just as notable, vocally, was the rich-voiced soprano Raha Mirzadegan in the smaller role of Clorinda. Bass-baritone John Taylor Ward more than held his own amid these strong personalities in his somewhat thankless narrative function.

Only 80 minutes long, Unholy Wars is one of those pieces best appreciated over multiple viewings.

Unholy Wars plays Sept. 27, Sept. 30, and Oct. 1, Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. Tickets $50-$120. operaphila.org, 215-732-8400.

A previous version of this article misrepresented Julianne Baird as a retired singer. She continues to actively perform and has an upcoming show with Choral Arts Philadelphia.
A large part of the motivation for the billing is to reduce the messaging. Read more

Meg Bakewell, who has cancer and cancer-related heart disease, sometimes emails her primary care physician, oncologist, and cardiologist asking them for medical advice when she experiences urgent symptoms such as pain or shortness of breath.

But she was a little surprised when, for the first time, she got a bill  a $13 copay  for an emailed consultation she had with her primary care doctor at University of Michigan Health. The health system had begun charging in 2020 for e-visits through its MyChart portal. Even though her out-of-pocket cost on the $37 charge was small, now shes worried about how much shell have to pay for future e-visits, which help her decide whether she needs to see one of her doctors in person. Her standard copay for an office visit is $25.

If I send a message to all three doctors, that could be three copays, or $75, said Bakewell, a University of Michigan teaching consultant who lives in Ypsilanti, Mich., and is on long-term disability leave. Its the vagueness of the whole thing. You dont know if youll get into a copay or not. It just makes me hesitate.

Spurred by the sharp rise in email messaging during the COVID pandemic, a growing number of health systems around the country have started charging patients when physicians and other clinicians send replies to their messages. Health systems that have adopted billing for some e-visits include a number of the nations premier medical institutions: Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, San Francisco-based UCSF Health, Vanderbilt Health, St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare, Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Billing for e-visits, however, raises knotty questions about the balance between fairly compensating providers for their time and enhancing patients access to care. Physicians and patient advocates fret particularly about the potential financial impact on lower-income people and those whose health conditions make it hard for them to see providers in person or talk to them on the phone or through video.

A large part of the motivation for the billing is to reduce the messaging. Soon after the pandemic hit, health systems saw a 50% increase in emails from patients, with primary care physicians facing the biggest burden, said A Jay Holmgren, an assistant professor of health informatics at UCSF, the University of California-San Francisco. System executives sought to compensate doctors and other providers for the extensive time they were spending answering emails, while prodding patients to think more carefully about whether an in-person visit might be more appropriate than a lengthy message.

After UCSF started charging in November 2021, the rate of patient messaging dipped slightly, by about 2%, Holmgren and his colleagues found.

Like UCSF, many other health systems now charge fees when doctors or other clinicians respond to patient messages that take five minutes or more of the providers time over a seven-day period and require medical expertise. They use three billing codes for e-visits, implemented in 2020 by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

E-visits that are eligible for billing include those relating to changes in medication, new symptoms, changes or checkups related to a long-term condition, and requests to complete medical forms. Theres no charge for messages about appointment scheduling, prescription refills, or other routine matters that dont require medical expertise.

So far, UCSF patients are being billed for only 2% to 3% of eligible e-visits, at least partly because it takes clinicians extra time and effort to figure out whether an email encounter qualifies for billing, Holmgren said.

At Cleveland Clinic, only 1.8% of eligible email visits are being billed to patients, said Eric Boose, the systems associate chief medical information officer. There are three billing rates based on the time the clinician takes to prepare the message  five to 10 minutes, 11 to 20 minutes, and 21 minutes or more. He said patients havent complained about the new billing policy, which started last November, and that theyve become a little smarter and more succinct in their messages, rather than sending multiple messages a week.

The doctors at Cleveland Clinic, like those at most health systems that bill for e-visits, dont personally pocket the payments. Instead, they get productivity credits, which theoretically enables them to reduce their hours seeing patients in the office.

Most of our physicians said its about time were getting compensated for our time in messaging, Boose said. Were hoping this helps them feel less stressed and burned out, and that they can get home to their families earlier.

Its been a frustration for many physicians for many years that we werent reimbursed for our pajama-time work, said Sterling Ransone, the chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors. Ransones employer, Riverside Health System in Virginia, started billing for e-visits in 2020. We do it because its the right thing for patients. But rarely do you see other professions do all this online work for free, he said.

We see physicians working two to four hours every evening on their patient emails after their shift is over, and thats not sustainable, said CT Lin, the chief medical information officer at University of Colorado Health, which has not yet adopted billing for email visits. But we worry that patients with complex disease will stop messaging us entirely because of this copay risk.

Many health-care professionals share the fear that billing for messages will adversely affect medically and socially vulnerable patients. Even a relatively small copay could discourage patients from emailing their clinicians for medical advice in appropriate situations, said Caitlin Donovan, a senior director at the National Patient Advocate Foundation, citing studies showing the dramatic negative impact of copays on medication adherence.

Holmgren said that while patients with minor acute conditions may not mind paying for an email visit rather than coming into the office, the new billing policies could dissuade patients with serious chronic conditions from messaging their doctors. We dont know who is negatively affected, he said. Are we discouraging high-value messages that produce a lot of health gains? That is a serious concern.

Due to this worry, Lin said, University of Colorado Health is experimenting with an alternative way of easing the time burden of e-visits on physicians. Working with Epic, the dominant electronic health record vendor, it will have an artificial intelligence chatbot draft email replies to patient messages. The chatbots draft message will then be edited by the provider. Several other health systems are already using the tool.

There also are questions about price transparency  whether patients can know when and how much theyll have to pay for an email visit, especially since much depends on their health plans deductibles and copays.

While Medicare, Medicaid, and most private health plans cover email visits, not all do, experts say. Coverage may depend on the contract between a health system and an insurer. Ransone said Elevance Health, a Blue Cross Blue Shield carrier, recently told his health system it would no longer pay for email or telephonic visits in its commercial or Medicaid plans in Virginia. An Elevance spokesperson declined to comment.

Another price concern is that patients who are uninsured or have high-deductible plans may face the full cost of an email visit, which could run as high as $160.

At University of Michigan Health, where Bakewell receives her care, patients receive a portal alert prior to sending a message that there may be a charge; they must click a box indicating they understand, said spokesperson Mary Masson.

But Donovan said that leaves a lot of room for uncertainty. How is the patient supposed to know whether something will take five minutes? Donovan said. And knowing what youll be charged is impossible because of health plan design. Just saying patients could be charged is not providing transparency.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces journalism about health issues.
The spotted lanternfly is a Philadelphians mortal enemy. Wait. No, thats the Dallas Cowboys. But still, these bugs give them a run for their money.

A new study, however, reveals that the lanternfly may not be that destructive after all.

In August, researchers in Pennsylvania State Universitys Entomology Department published their findings on a four-year study to see if the plant-killing pest is as deadly to local plants as first believed by officials in 2014. At that time, reports from Japan and Korea warned of the invasive species wreaking havoc on fruit and hardwood trees there since the mid-2000s. There was reason to believe that the lanternfly could cause significant destruction to Pennsylvanias million-dollar grape and billion-dollar timber industries.

But, almost a decade later, scientists are coming to some relieving conclusions about the sap-sucking insect, at least regarding hardwoods used for timber.

Kelli Hoover, an internationally known researcher on pests like the lanternfly and the Penn State entomology professor who authored the study, said lanternflies move around too much to cause enough damage to trees.

To model what happens in the field after a couple of years of heavy lanternfly feeding, we lightened up the pressure on the tree saplings, Hoover said, of simulating lanternflies feeding on trees off and on for two years at a time. When we relieved the pressure, the trees recovered.

Hoovers research attempted to simulate the worst-case scenario for trees in the wild by allowing lanternflies to feed on the same trees for four consecutive years, whereas lanternflies in nature commonly only feed for one to two years before hopping to another target. Even with this lanternfly doomsday scenario, Pennsylvania hardwoods were able to rebound, said Hoover.

The study took various trees that lanternflies like to feed on, like red and silver maple, river birch, weeping willow, and  the lanternflys favorite food  the invasive tree species, tree of heaven, and set up saplings of each tree in an enclosed environment to let lanternflies go to town on these young trees and measure the impact.

In years one and two of the study, researchers put immense feeding pressure on the tree saplings, which led to a significant reduction in their growth  sometimes by half  with the lanternflies also eating at the energy stores reserved in the tree roots to survive the winter, said Hoover. A potentially fatal one-two punch to trees already under stress from conditions like soggy ground and heavy rain.

However, when researchers reduced the feeding pressure on the saplings in year three, they all recovered despite suffering damage from the first two years of feeding. Except for the tree of heaven, they did not recover. But who cares? Its invasive, and we dont really want it here anyway, joked Hoover.

Lanternflies, a part of the planthopper family, dont stick around for long after they deplete sufficient nutrients from their host tree. Once theyre done feeding on a given plant, they hop to the next one for more food. Hoover said lanternflies commonly feed on a tree or target area for one to two years before theyve had enough, and then they relocate for about one to two more years before returning to that original target.

The spotted lanternfly is so different than anything Ive ever worked on because its not like you have a cornfield and there are pests in the cornfield, so you treat the cornfield, Hoover said. Theyre all over the place and moving all the time.

This means that while lanternflies damage Pennsylvania hardwood trees used for timber, they wont kill them as long as the trees are strong, healthy, and not under any stress. Excellent news for tree nurseries across the state, said Hoover, but you should still kill lanternflies when you see them.

Grapes in Pennsylvania vineyards are a different story than hardwoods  theyre still in greater danger, said Hoover.

Thats why researchers like Hoover and her Ph.D. student Anne Johnson continue their lanternflies studies to better protect the states agriculture. For example, Johnson recently published a study identifying natural predators of lanternflies spanning spiders, birds and even bees. The study also uncovered the lanternflys ability to hold toxins in its body to ward off predators that attempt to kill it (similar to monarch butterflies), a trait that may have led to the insects success in the States.
Yullio Robbins, of West Philadelphia, hangs a sign to help find answers to her son's murder in Germantown in 2018. James Walke III was murdered in 2016. His case remains unsolved. Read more

The request came to me last month. Ever since her son, Troy Smith Jr., was killed in 2014, Renee Whitmore has done everything she can to draw attention to his unsolved murder.

She had a simple ask: Could she have some help getting detectives to return her phone calls?

A few weeks later, another mother, Yullio Robbins, made a similar request: Could I find a way to write another column about her sons unsolved murder from 2016?

I need to keep my James out in the public eye just in case someone has a change of heart, Robbins told me.

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Ive been thinking a lot about all these mothers, all these families, and all this grief as we prepare for all this change in the city  a new mayor, a new police commissioner, a new set of promises from a new set of public officials.

No matter who ends up leading City Hall or the Police Department, what doesnt change are the tendrils of pain that run through bereaved families in our city.

Think about it: Since Whitmores son was killed, there have been two mayors and four police commissioners, including an interim chief after Richard Rosss abrupt departure amid allegations of sexual harassment and discrimination in 2019.

Now, less than two months before we elect Philadelphias 100th mayor, we are again making much of who might be our next commissioner. Cherelle Parker, the Democratic mayoral nominee, recently said that if elected, shell hire someone with knowledge of Philadelphia.

We are at such a moment of crisis in our city that we need someone who knows our city and knows it well, Parker told host (and Inquirer columnist) Solomon Jones during an interview on WURD.

Sure, lets try that again, I guess. Though for far too many Philadelphians, the distinctions between people who hold these jobs can feel more than a little artificial. So even if we have a new mayor and a new commissioner  even if its someone who knows the city well  it all ends up feeling like more of the same. The same failed policies, the same unreturned phone calls, the same inertia that has kept the city from solving about half of its homicides, and struggling to make any real dent in gun violence.

And the same people most affected.

Nothing changes for us, Robbins said. When people are out here looking for support or votes, theyre all about, Oh, Im going to be the change. But that never happens.

Friday marked the end of Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaws tenure as she leaves town to take on a new job as a deputy security chief at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Her three and a half years in Philly were marred by struggles that included mass resignations of officers amid the pandemic, just as shootings and homicides spiked, technological deficiencies in the citys forensics lab that District Attorney Larry Krasner has often talked about, and differing philosophies between Krasner and Outlaw about public safety best practices.

The reasons why Philadelphias public safety promises are rarely kept may change, yet they leave grieving families in the same spot: hurting, waiting, expected to believe that the next person who moves into the big office will make good and provide answers and accountability that are long overdue.

Regardless of who Parker or Republican mayoral nominee David Oh hires as their commissioner, both should be acutely aware that the more things change at the top, in City Hall and in the Police Department, the more theyve stayed the same for Whitmore and Robbins and countless other families.

Its way past time for actual changes, and for the next commissioner to find a way to identify  and implement  solutions that can be felt by the hundreds of families who remain stuck.

Its been more than seven years since Robbins son James Walke III was killed on a Germantown street in the middle of the day, and more than nine years since Whitmores son and his uncle were ambushed in West Philadelphia by armed robbers. While Whitmore has struggled to connect with the detective on her sons case, the detective who worked Robbins sons case, Gregory Santamala, with whom she had a close working relationship, retired last year. The new detective, she said, hasnt kept in as close contact.

A few weeks ago, Robbins made the trek shes routinely made since her sons death to the neighborhood where he was gunned down, with a photo of Walke and a stack of flyers asking anyone who may know something about her sons murder to come forward.

Today, she tells anyone she comes into contact with, shes the one begging for help. Tomorrow, it could be them.

So let this be a reminder to anyone watching, especially those next headed into the citys top jobs.

Robbins is still out here, as is Whitmore  along with countless others still searching for answers on their loved ones behalf. Unlike the past, current, and (likely) future occupants of City Hall or the Police Department, they wont stop until they get justice.

They have no choice.
As I watched Volodymyr Zelensky take the podium Thursday night at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., I was surprised the Ukrainian president could still stand.

He had just completed a grueling three days urging the U.N. General Assembly, President Joe Biden, Congress, and the Pentagon to keep supporting his country. His second trip to the United States was very different from the first, back in December 2022, when Ukraine had just scored a partial route of Russian troops. Then, Zelensky was greeted as another Winston Churchill.

This time, he had faced a half-empty hall during his first in-person address to the U.N. General Assembly  the result of Russian alliances with dictatorships and wooing of some developing countries. Moreover, on this trip, GOP House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rudely refused to permit Zelensky to address a joint session of Congress. Meantime, Donald Trump has made clear his readiness to sell out Ukraine to Vladimir Putin, as U.S. support for Ukraine diminishes.

Yet despite the gloom  and his obvious fatigue  this Zelensky visit was even more important to Americans than his first trip. Ukraines counteroffensive to push out the Russian invaders is at a crossroads. Its doing better than most Americans realize, yet doomed to fail without continued strong U.S. and European assistance.

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 READ MORE: Russias kidnapping of Ukrainian children under the spotlight at United Nations | Trudy Rubin

Its worth paying attention to Zelenskys key points that lay out the global implications of a Ukrainian defeat. As Zelensky told Sen. Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.), If we dont get the aid, we will lose the war. So will the United States and our democratic allies.

At the National Archives building, Zelensky addressed an auditorium crowded with prominent Ukrainian Americans, congressional supporters, and volunteer organizations and doctors who are helping Ukraine  all of whom he thanked profusely. The atmosphere was ecstatic, which probably helped keep him going.

The symbolism of the setting couldnt have been more deliberate or more apt.

The Ukrainian leader and his elegant wife stood under a mural depicting Thomas Jefferson, surrounded by many of the Founding Fathers, as he hands a copy of the Declaration of Independence to John Hancock. The clear message: Ukrainians will fight to the end, not because they are proxies for NATO, but because they refuse to permit an imperialist Russia to destroy their independence. Just as the Founding Fathers resisted British attempts to squash Americas efforts.

Zelensky cited a document hed been shown at the archives: a telegram from President Abraham Lincoln to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. Hold on with a bulldog grip and chew and choke as much as possible, it read. These words that inspired Americans reflect exactly how Ukrainians fight, Zelensky said.

I saw this bulldog grip myself on visits to the Ukrainian front line in July, where soldiers who have fought in the trenches for months push on. They know that if they lose, their democracy will be destroyed. (What a contrast with the cowardice of Speaker McCarthy and Republican House members, who are ready to shut down the entire U.S. government rather than confront a radical MAGA faction that disdains democracy  and Ukraine.)

But back to Zelenskys prophetic words at the United Nations.

As Putin blusters about nukes to scare the West, the Russian leader is weaponizing many other things [that] are used not only against our country but against all of yours as well, Zelensky said.

Food has been weaponized against Africa and Asia as Russia has withdrawn from the U.N. grain initiative that allowed Kyiv to export its foodstuffs. Now Moscow blockades all Ukrainian ports while bombing grain silos and harbors.

Energy has been weaponized, as Russia plays ugly games by mining and shooting at the massive Ukrainian nuclear plant in Zaporizhzhia that it occupies. Ecology has been weaponized, as Russia blows up a major dam and destroys farmland and livestock. Children have been weaponized, as Moscow has deported tens of thousands to occupied or internal Russian territory.

When hatred is weaponized against one nation, it never stops there, Zelensky said. Putins asymmetric warfare is already threatening not just nearby non-NATO members such as Moldova and Georgia, but also NATO members like the Baltic states, Poland, and Finland.

Western European states already experience Russian monetary and cyber meddling in their internal politics, or military testing in their offshore waters and in the Arctic.

In other words, as Zelensky warned, The aggressor scatters death and brings ruins even without nukes and must be restrained. And Ukraine is the test case.

If the United States and its allies are willing to let Russia keep most of its territorial spoils  which will destroy Ukraine as a democratic, viable state  Russia will inevitably regroup and threaten Western countries. It will believe the West hasnt the will to stop Putin.

As Zelensky bluntly told the U.N. Security Council, Russias targets can expect no help from that body, as now constituted. Thats because a war-criminal state holds a veto on the council.

Ukrainian soldiers are currently doing, at the expense of their blood, what the U.N. Security Council should do by its voting, Zelensky told council members. Those troops are stopping aggression and upholding the principles of the U.N. Charter.

Which brings me to Zelenskys meeting with President Biden.

 READ MORE: Why Ukraines fight is Americas fight | Trudy Rubin

All praise to Biden for not only pouring U.S. weapons into Ukraine but for rallying NATO allies whose monetary contributions to the war effort now equal ours. And Biden reportedly told Zelensky he will provide a variant of the advanced long-range missile ATACMS that Ukraine has sought for months.

But there is a critical element missing in U.S. support for Kyiv. Zelensky knows Ukraine needs to put Putins military on its back before any negotiations are possible. Biden still seems wary of going that far  which sets Kyiv on a path to failure.

The ATACMS variant being sent is shorter range and less powerful than what Ukraine needs to cripple the Russian presence in Crimea. And the White House has failed to educate the American public on the real advances Ukraine has made, or why the war matters so much to us. That outreach is vital in order to boost public support for aid.

Zelensky laid out the brutal consequences to Ukraine, the United States, and the world of a failure to defeat the aggressor.

Ukrainian troops will continue to die holding back Russia until Biden decides if he really wants Ukraine to win this war.
Poland has prepared transit corridors for the export of Ukrainian grain to countries that need it. At the same time, the government believes that the decision to impose a unilateral ban on imports of agricultural products from Ukraine is correct.

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This was stated by Polish President Andrzej Duda on TVP1. "Thanks to the work of our farmers, we are self-sufficient. We do not need grain from Ukraine. During the war, their excellent harvests went very little to the countries that really needed them. Poland has prepared transit corridors that allow Ukrainian grain to pass through Poland and be exported wherever it is needed. We are trying to help Ukraine and those countries that need this help," he said.

Duda noted that he believes it was the right decision to leave the ban on the sale of grain from Ukraine in Poland. The Polish leader emphasizes that everything should be done to ensure that the transit of Ukrainian grain is as large as possible.

The President of Poland also added that the decision to impose a unilateral ban on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products was the right one. "I think it is a good decision that the Polish government has maintained the ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain on the Polish market. However, I am absolutely convinced that everything should be done to ensure the maximum possible transit," he emphasized.

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According to him, Ukrainian grain "did not reach the countries that needed it" but ended up in such markets as Poland.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the bulk carrier Aroyat loaded with Ukrainian grain arrived in Turkey. This is the second vessel to pass through the temporary corridor across the Black Sea.

Only verified information is available on our Obozrevatel Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Comparison of States With No Income Tax No-Tax State Total Tax Burden (% of income) Total Tax Burden Rank (1=lowest) Affordability (1=best) Best State to Live in (1=best) Alaska 5.06% 1 40 49 New Hampshire 6.14% 3 36 6 Tennessee 6.22% 4 14 24 Florida 6.33% 5 38 10 Wyoming 6.42% 6 18 26 South Dakota 6.69% 7 8 12 Nevada 7.69% 19 34 38 Texas 8.01% 22 33 35 Washington 8.24% 26 46 2

Sources: WalletHub Tax Burden by State, U.S. News & World Report Affordability, and U.S. News & World Report Best States to Live In rankings

1. Alaska

Total Tax Burden: 5.06%

Alaska has no state income or sales tax. The total state and local tax burden on Alaskans, including income, property, sales, and excise taxes, is just 5.06% of personal income, the lowest of all 50 states.

All residents of Alaska receive an annual payment from the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. made up of revenue and investment earnings from mineral lease rentals and royalties. The per citizen dividend payment for 2023 was $1,312.

Alaska has one of the highest and fastest-rising healthcare costs of any state in the U.S. That said, at $13,642 per capita in 2020the most recent year the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary reported statistics as of September 2023it also spent the most on healthcare, excluding the District of Columbia. Alaska also spent $19,540 per student in fiscal year 2021, the highest of any other state.

2. Florida

Total Tax Burden: 6.33%

This popular snowbird state features warm temperatures and a large population of retirees. Sales and excise taxes in Florida are above the national average, but the total tax burden is just 6.33%the fifth-lowest in the country.

As of 2023, Florida ranks 38th in affordability due to its higher-than-average housing costs. It's affordability has also been steadily decreasing, as it was ranked as the 31st most affordable state in 2020. Still, Florida came in at 10 on the U.S. News & World Report Best States to Live In list.

In 2021, Florida was one of the lowest states regarding education spending per capita at $10,401. In 2021 the ASCE gave Florida a C grade for its infrastructure. Six years earlier, Florida received the same grade from the Education Law Center for the fairness of its state school funding distribution. In 2014, its healthcare spending per capita was $8,076, $31 more than the national average; six years later, Florida spent $9,865 per capita in 2020.

Florida does impose a 5.5% corporate income tax but exempts all or part of that tax for LLCs, sole proprietorships, and S corporations.

3. Nevada

Total Tax Burden: 7.69%

Nevada relies heavily on revenue from high sales taxes on everything from groceries to clothes, sin taxes on alcohol and gambling, and taxes on casinos and hotels. This results in a state-imposed total tax burden of 7.69% of personal income for Nevadans, the second-highest on this list. However, it still ranks a very respectable 19 out of 50 when compared with all states.

That said, the high costs of living and housing put Nevada closer to the bottom (34) when it comes to affordability. The state ranks 38th on the U.S. News & World Report Best States to Live In list.

Nevadas spending on education in 2021 was $10,450, among the lowest quartile across the United States and the fourth-lowest in the western region of the U.S. The latest infrastructure report card (as of 2023) from ASCE in 2018 gave Nevada a grade of C for its infrastructure.

Nevada has also historically had low spending habits in relation to healthcare. Nevadas healthcare spending in 2014 was $6,714 per capita, the lowest on this list and the fourth-lowest nationally. This has since increased to $8,348 per capita but is now the third lowest by state.

4. South Dakota

Total Tax Burden: 6.69%

Like many states with no income tax, South Dakota rakes in revenue through other forms of taxation, including taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. The home of the Lakota Sioux and the Black Hills has one of the highest sales tax rates in the country and above-average property tax rates. South Dakotas position as home to several major companies in the credit card industry, in addition to higher property and sales tax rates, helps to keep the states residents free from income tax, according to reporting by The Atlantic.

South Dakotans pay just 6.69% of their personal income in taxes, according to WalletHub, ranking the state eighth in terms of the total tax burden. The state ranks 8th in affordability and 12th on the U.S. News & World Report Best States lists.

South Dakota spent $8,933 per capita on healthcare in 2014, the 14th highest in the nation. This has since improved as the latest report from 2020 shows South Dakota spending $12,495 per capita, good for 8th in the nation. Although it spent more money on education, at $10,952 per pupil in 2019, it spent less than any other neighboring Midwestern state.

South Dakota hasnt received an official letter grade from the ASCE, though much of its infrastructure is notably deteriorated, with 17% of bridges rated structurally deficient and 90 dams considered to have high hazard potential as reported in 2021.

5. Texas

Total Tax Burden: 8.01%

The Lone Star State loathes personal income taxes so much that it decided to forbid them in the states constitution. Still, because infrastructure and services must be paid for somehow, Texas relies on income from sales and excise taxes to foot the bill.

Sales tax can be as high as 8.25% in some jurisdictions. Property taxes are also higher than in most states, the net result of which is a total tax burden of 8.19% of personal income. Nevertheless, Texans overall tax bite is still one of the relatively lowest in the U.S., with the state ranking 22nd. Texas is average for affordability at 33rd in the nation, but it was ranked 35st by U.S. News & World Report on the Best States to Live In list.

Texas spent $11.005 per pupil on education in 2021. Also in 2021, the ASCE awarded it a grade of C for its infrastructure. Texas spent $6,998 per capita on healthcare in 2014, the seventh-lowest amount in the U.S. This since increased to $8,406 per capita, good for the fourth-lowest in the nation.

One advantage of living in a no-tax state is that the $10,000 cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions imposed by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will likely not have as great an impact as it does on residents of high-tax states, such as California and New York.

6. Washington

Total Tax Burden: 8.24%

Washington hosts a young population, with only 15.9% of its residents over age 65, and many major employers, thanks to the lack of state-mandated corporate income tax (note that high-income earners are subject to state capital gains tax). Residents do pay high sales and excise taxes, and gasoline is more expensive in Washington than in most other states. The state comes in at 26 out of 50, with a total tax burden of 8.24%.

Unusually higher-than-average living and housing costs hurt Washingtonians, putting the state at 46th in terms of affordability. For some residents that might not matter, however, because their state was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the overall second best state to live in.

Washington spent $7,913 per capita on healthcare in 2014, $132 below the national average. By 2020, Washington was spending $9,265 per capital, good for 40th. Conversely, at $15,570 per pupil, it spent more on education than most in 2021, though it received a C grade for its school funding distribution six years earlier. In 2019, Washington earned the same grade for its infrastructure from the ASCE.

7. Wyoming

Total Tax Burden: 6.42%

With an estimated six people per square mile, Wyoming is the second least densely populated state, bested only by Alaska, which has roughly one human being for every square mile. Citizens pay no personal or corporate state income taxes, no retirement income taxes, and enjoy low sales tax rates. The total tax burdenincluding property, income, sales, and excise taxes as a percentage of personal incomeis 6.42%, ranking the state sixth lowest.

Like Alaska, Wyoming taxes natural resources, primarily oil, to make up for the lack of a personal income tax, according to reporting in the Cowboy State Daily. The state ranks an average 18th in affordability and 26th on the U.S. News & World Report list of Best States to Live In.

In 2021, Wyoming spent $18,144 per pupil; among the best quartile of U.S. states and more than double that per student of it's neighbor Idaho. It also earned a grade of A for its school funding distribution back in 2015, the best on this list.

Wyomings healthcare spending in 2020 was also relatively strong at $10,989 per capita. Although Wyoming hasnt received an official letter grade for its infrastructure yet, the ASCE found that 6.9% of its bridges are structurally deficient and 99 of its dams have a high hazard potential in 2021.

8. Tennessee

Total Tax Burden: 6.22%

Before 2016, Tennessee taxed income from investments, including most interest and dividends but not wages. Legislation passed in 2016 included a plan to lower taxes on unearned income by 1% per year until the tax was eliminated at the start of 2021.

With full implementation of the new legislation, Tennessee expects to attract retirees who depend heavily on investment income. The states total tax burden is 6.22%, the fourth-lowest in the nation. In the affordability category, Tennessee ranks 14th overall, and on the U.S. News & World Report Best States to Live In list, it ranks 24th.

In 2021, at $10,507 per pupil, Tennessee ranked towards the bottom across the United States in terms of education spending. At $9,336 per capita, Tennessee also ranked towards the bottom in terms of healthcare spending in 2020. The state hasnt received an official letter grade for its infrastructure yet, although the ASCE did note that 4.4% of its bridges are structurally deficient and 276 of its dams have a high hazard potential.

9. New Hampshire

Total Tax Burden: 6.14%

New Hampshire does not tax earned income but does tax dividends and interest. New Hampshires Senate passed legislation to phase out the investment income tax by 1% per year over five years, with full implementation by 2027. The state has no state sales tax but does levy excise taxes, including taxes on alcohol, and its average property tax rate of 1.86% of property values is the third highest in the country.

Even so, New Hampshires total tax burden is just 6.14%, according to WalletHub, ranking the state third in the nation. The state ranks sixth on the U.S. News & World Report list of Best States to Live In and 36th in the nation for affordability.

New Hampshire almost spent more on education than any other state on this list at $19,443 per pupil in 2021, though it is outspent by several of its northeast neighbors. New Hampshire also received a marginally better grade of C- for its infrastructure in 2017. At $11,793 per capita in 2020, its healthcare spending is the twelfth highest in the nation.

Which Are the Tax-Free States? As of 2023, Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming are the only states that do not levy a state income tax. Note that Washington does levy a state capital gains tax on certain high earners.

Why Do States Charge a State Tax? Following the adoption of the U.S. Constitution, the federal government was granted the authority to impose taxes on its citizens. Each state also retained the right to impose what kind of tax it wanted, excluding any that are forbidden by the U.S. Constitution as well as its own state constitution. These states fund their governments through tax collection, fees, and licenses.

Which States Dont Tax Retirement Distributions? Twelve states do not tax retirement distributions. Illinois, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania dont tax distributions from 401(k) plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs), and pensions. The remaining nine states that dont levy a state tax at all are Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming. Alabama and Hawaii also dont tax pensions but they do tax distributions from 401(k) plans and IRAs.

Which States Tax Social Security Benefits? There are only 12 U.S. states that tax Social Security benefits: Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.

The Bottom Line

Despite the challenges no-tax states face, some seem to find a balance among low taxes, affordability, and providing a great place to live. Others struggle. One thing is clear: Low taxes alone do not provide a complete picture of the cost of living for any state.
In Kafkas Last Trial (2018) Israeli author, Benjamin Balint, examined a decades-long legal battle that asked a controversial question: who is the rightful cultural guardian of Franz Kafkas original manuscripts, since Max Brods death in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1968?

Brod, a German-speaking Jew and committed Zionist from Prague, fled the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1939, emigrating to Mandatory Palestine. Kafka was born in 1883 into a German-speaking Jewish family in what was then the Bohemian capital of Prague and died from tuberculosis in 1924 at the age of 40. As Kafkas sole literary executor, Brod edited and prepared posthumous editions of Kafkas unpublished novels: The Trial (1925); The Castle (1927); and Amerika (1927).

Numerous parties laid claim to Kafkas original literary manuscripts. Namely: Eva Hoffe, the daughter of Brods good friend, Esther Hoffe, who was clearly cited as a beneficiary of Brods estate in his will; The National Library of Israel; and the German Literature Archive in Marbach, Germany. In 2016 the legal question was settled by Israels supreme court. It ruled that Eva Hoffe must hand the entire Max Brod estate  including Kafkas manuscripts  over to the National Library of Israel.

Balint, a Jerusalem author, whose other books include Running Commentary (2010) says he came up with the idea for Bruno Schulz: An Artist, a Murder, and the Hijacking of History while in Poland on a book tour for Kafkas Lasts Trial. I [encountered] many people in Krakow and Warsaw in 2019 who told me that Bruno Schulz is the Polish Kafka, Balint says.

Schulz helped out on the first Polish edition of Kafkas The Trial that appeared in the spring of 1936. Schulzs then fiancee, Jozefina Szelinska, contributed much of the work in this translation, but Schulz took most of the credit.

He was by that stage a well-known figure among the Polish literati. Schulz had already published his own debut collection of short stories, Cinnamon Shops (1934). He published a follow up collection Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass in 1937. Schulzs fiction has since been translated into 45 languages. He might have offered the world more literature, but he was shot dead, aged 50, by a Nazi, on November 19, 1942, while walking back home toward the Drohobycz Jewish Ghetto in German-occupied Poland.

Author Benjamin Balint

On the eve of the Second World War Drohobycz contained about 17,000 Jewish residents. Roughly 400 from that number survived the arrival of the Red Army in August 1944. Many Jews were transported to the Belzec death camp. Others were shot in a forest not far from Drohobycz. After the Second World War the city was, for the second time, incorporated into the Soviet Union. In 1991 Drohobych (note the different spelling) became a regional city in Lviv oblast, in the western part of the then newly independent Ukraine.

Balint says that Schulz was born an Austrian, lived as a Pole, and died a Jew. Born a citizen of the Habsburg monarchy, Schulz would, without moving, become a subject of the West Ukrainian Peoples Republic (November 1918 to July 1919), the Second Polish Republic (1919 to 1939), the USSR (September 1939 to July 1940), and, finally, the Third Reich, the author writes.

Its a maze of complex history where contested borders are the dominant themes. Balints latest book explores why this history is crucially important when thinking about the career  and posthumous legacy  of Bruno Schulz the writer, and the illustrative artist and painter. Between 1922 and 1940, Schulz displayed his art in galleries throughout Poland, including: Warsaw, Lwow (today Lviv, Ukraine), Vilna (today Vilnius, Lithuania), and Krakow. In June 1942 (six months before he was murdered) Schulz had been ordered by Felix Landau, a sadistic high-ranking Viennese SS Nazi, to paint murals for the childrens room in Villa Landau, Drohobycz. The property became a home to Landau during the Holocaust.

In Drohobych today there is no grave containing Schulzs remains, since nobody knows where they are located. Schulzs fresco paintings are, however, on public display in Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Centre in Jerusalem, Israel.

In the prologue to his current book Balint visits Yad Vashem and describes them in poetic detail. One rough-hewn fragment depicts a seductively dressed, resplendent Snow White surrounded by red-hatted gnomes  Another tableau features a colourful carriage drawn forward on clattering wheels into an uncertain distance by two splendid horses ready to canter away, the author writes.

He refers to the clandestine cultural repatriation project that moved the murals from Ukraine to Israel as Operation Schulz. It began May 19, 2001, when three Israeli agents (one of whom was, allegedly, an ex-KGB employee) entered Villa Landau in Drohobych and removed from the walls of the property five fragments of murals, which were then brought across the border from Ukraine into Poland, and subsequently loaded onto a jet bound for Israel.

Balint says the Israeli Secret Intelligence Service, the Mossad, used bribes in this smuggling operation which amounted to 840,000. He also claims Israels [then] ambassador to Poland, the late Shevah Weiss, used his diplomatic immunity to help bring the Schulz murals across the border, from Ukraine into Poland, in May 2001.

The Schulz murals were first discovered on February 9, 2001, by a pair of documentary filmmakers from Hamburg, Germany. Balints book, however, explores the idea that the removal of the murals was followed by a cover-up operation. Operation Schulz defied Ukrainian, Polish, and numerous international laws too.

Bruno Schulz: An Artist, a Murder, and the Hijacking of History by Benjamin Balint

The removal of the paintings violated both the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, ratified by 140 countries, including Poland and Ukraine, as well as accepted standards for the treatment of artistic heritage set forth by the International Council of Museums, a Unesco organisation founded after the Second World War.

Balint notes that in the summer of 2001 Ukraine lodged official complaints, with the Israeli government and with the International Council of Museums. On September 11, 2001, Avner Shalev, chairman of Yad Vashem, replied in a letter to the council of museums secretary general, Manus Brinkman, stating that Yad Vashem has the moral right to the remnants of those fragments sketched by Bruno Schulz.

Balint believes there are parallels between Operation Schulz and the case of the Mossad, kidnapping Adolf Eichmann in Argentina in 1960. At the time there was no international criminal court. Eichmann was the chief bureaucrat in the Nazi genocidal project to implement the Final Solution, which culminated in the extermination of six million Jews in Europe during the Second World War. The Eichmann trial in Jerusalem during 1961-62 saw him convicted and hanged for his crimes. The trial was grounded on the same legal principles that came out of the first Nuremberg trials that began in November 1945. However, the actual charges put to Eichmann during that case were not just crimes against humanity, but crimes against the Jewish people.

This brings up an interesting question, says Balint. How legitimate is it, and under what circumstances, can a moral right [especially a moral right asserted by a nation] supersede international laws? Israel and Ukraine eventually reached a legal agreement in 2008 pertaining to the Schulz paintings: the disputed artworks would remain in Yad Vashem on loan from Ukraine for 20 years, after which the loan could be renewed every five years. In 2009, Yad Vashem put Bruno Schulzs murals on public display for the first time.

However, is Israel  to borrow a phrase from Balints book  engaging in post-Holocaust cultural colonisation? Also, should the Poles feel disgruntled? They believe an invaluable cultural artifact from one of their most well-loved writers has been stolen from them.

Very much so, says Balint. And that is what makes this story so complex. He concludes with an open-ended question: does Israel have a right to claim writers like Kafka and Schulz, just because they were Jewish? He says neither were Zionists, and they both died before the State of Israel was established in 1948.
Almost a decade on from the Aras Attracta scandal, still not enough is being done to protect vulnerable people in residential settings.

That is according to Patricia Rickard-Clarke, chair of Safeguarding Ireland who was speaking in the wake of the 'Emily' scandal which worsened with a new report this week.

Among Ms Rickard Clarke's concerns are that nursing homes are not receiving enough information on new residents.

She said there are huge challenges in that pointing to what she sees as a mis-application of GDPR rules.

Somebody who is discharged from prison into a care facility as a resident, weve had that, and then re-offends in terms of sexual abuse of other residents there who are perhaps non-verbal, she said.

He has rights, he needs a care facility but then the nursing home needs to know and get information shared appropriately. Its not that you are telling the world. That director of nursing needs to assess the risks there, protect him and protect other vulnerable people.

"And then theyre moved from one nursing home to another and the next nursing home not told.

She was speaking in the aftermath of a report published on Friday recommending wider investigation of a nursing home where an elderly woman, Emily, was raped in 2020 by a staff member. The HSE is now writing to hundreds of families of current and former residents who were in the facility during the staff member's 16 years there.

The issue of training was raised (in that report), but its not just about training of healthcare workers, its training of us all in society, Ms Rickard-Clarke said.

Patricia Rickard-Clarke, the chairperson of Safeguarding Ireland.

Its about our culture of dealing with people who have capacity issues, and again our respect for people when they are vulnerable.

Vivian Geiran, Irish Association of Social Workers chair also warned of gaps in the safeguarding system.

Social workers just want to do their job, and a lot of them at the moment, particularly in this field, feel they are being ignored or they are being over-ruled, he said. As a result, they feel they are not being allowed to practice in a safe way.

He added this is particularly the case in nursing homes, and other residential care settings.

He said the attack on Emily raised echoes of yet another situation, known as the Brandon case, where a resident was sexually assaulting other residents in a care facility.

The reaction in both cases was one of almost not wanting to believe what they saw, he said.

There is a real need for change in terms of governance, because social workers particularly feel that as experts in adult safeguarding, their views and recommendations are in too many cases ignored or over-ruled."

The staff member who attacked Emily was imprisoned, and a review led to 21 referrals to An Garda Siochana.

However Friday's report, by Jackie McIlroy, recommends a wider investigation covering 16 years the attacker worked there. The HSE accepted this.

The report states families are divided on the response: "Some wondering about the purpose of reopening records given that it is unlikely that the outcome will result in further prosecutions, others calling for a full, open and transparent investigation."

Residents with disabilities were mistreated by Aras Attracta staff in a scandal that led to the creation of Safeguarding Ireland and other changes.

HSE information line for safeguarding: 1800 700 700.
There is an old Soviet joke in which a journalist asks the General Secretary of the Communist Party to assess the countrys economy. Good is the short answer. The journalist implores the leader to elaborate so he can complete his story. In that case, the General Secretary responds, not good'.

Much the same could be said of the state of the world today. As many global leaders gathered in New York for the 78th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, there were notable exceptions, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and French President Emmanuel Macron. There are reasons to be concerned.

The US-China relationship, arguably the most important of this era, is in poor shape despite a recent increase in the pace of diplomatic exchanges. The US goal is for the two major powers to establish a floor for bilateral ties. At best, however, the two governments will be able to avoid a crisis. But that is made more difficult by Chinas refusal to resume military-to-military communications and establish a crisis communication channel. Even optimists do not foresee a path for the two to cooperate meaningfully on pressing regional or global challenges in the near future.

Meanwhile, China faces significant economic challenges, largely due to its own policy shortcomings. But even if the problems are homegrown, it does not mean the consequences will remain confined to China. At a minimum, what happens there will impede global economic growth. At worst, there is the possibility that Chinas leadership will be tempted to act more aggressively abroad to distract from its domestic economic woes.

No compromise

Elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific, North Korea continues to expand both the size and quality of its nuclear arsenal. The Pyongyang regime continues to test increasingly advanced ballistic missiles and has unveiled a nuclear-armed submarine, which would increase the survivability of its nuclear capabilities. There are no indications that North Korea is prepared to discuss, much less compromise on, its nuclear or missile programs.

Another concern is that Ukraines counteroffensive, which was launched roughly three and a half months ago, has made limited progress. Well-fortified Russian forces still control large swaths of Ukraines east and south. This reality, along with Russias ability to boost its wartime weapons production  despite the US-led sanctions  and import arms from Iran and North Korea, suggests that the war, now well into its second year, will continue for some time.

Ukraine is understandably disinclined to compromise on its goal of reclaiming its territory. It continues to believe that the military tide will turn in its favour as more advanced arms arrive from the West. Putin, for his part, believes he will be able to ride out the costs of the war and that waning American and European support for Ukraine is a matter of when, not if". None of this gives would-be peacemakers much to work with.

In Afghanistan, it is increasingly clear that the new Taliban resembles nothing so much as the old Taliban. The real question is to what degree they will again allow their country to become a launchpad for terrorism.

Then there is the question of how much the Taliban will contribute to the instability that has exacerbated Pakistans vulnerabilities. Speaking of weak states suffering from poor governance, weak institutions, and limited capacity, their number is growing in Africa and Latin America.

From a global perspective, the world is not doing much better. Following a worldwide pandemic that claimed roughly 15 million lives, the past summer was the hottest on record. With just over two months remaining until officials from across the world convene for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in the United Arab Emirates, there is little reason to believe that governments are prepared to prioritize climate concerns over near-term economic priorities.

No international consensus

Finally, as artificial - and augmented - intelligence technologies rapidly evolve, there are no signs of an emerging international consensus on how to take advantage of their constructive dimensions and rein in their potentially destructive applications.

There is some good news. The strong Western response to Russian aggression and, more broadly, the renewed vitality of American-led partnerships and alliances in the Indo-Pacific aimed at deterring Chinese adventurism are prime examples.

In the Middle East, Iran recently released five American prisoners in exchange for Washington giving Tehran access to $6 billion in frozen assets, on the condition that the funds be used only for food and medicine. The two countries also appear to be working on an arrangement  albeit not a formal pact  whereby Iran would accept some limits on its nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief.

Similarly, negotiations appear to be making some headway on a US-brokered deal that would normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. If signed, this agreement has the potential to strengthen Saudi Arabias defenses against Iranian aggression and provide Israeli-Palestinian diplomacy with some much-needed momentum.

There is no getting around the reality that the bad news outweighs the good. International development goals are not being met. The recent G20 summit in India accomplished little, and the UN General Assembly meeting appears to have followed in its footsteps. The UNs most important component, the Security Council, is sidelined and will remain so, given that one of its veto-holding members is waging a war that violates the UN Charters most fundamental principle. At a time when the demand is high for effective international cooperation, it seems to be in woefully short supply.
Nasa has successfully landed the largest asteroid sample ever collected back on Earth.

A capsule containing about 250g of rocks and dust collected from asteroid Bennu touched down in the Utah desert near Salt Lake City at 3.52pm Irish time on Sunday, three minutes ahead of schedule.

It was then checked for any damage and wrapped in thermal blanketing, before being recovered by helicopter using a cargo net.

The sample, collected as part of Nasas Osiris-Rex mission, is the US space agencys first mission to collect a sample from an asteroid and the first by any agency since 2020.

A quarter of the sample will be given to a group of more than 200 people from 38 globally distributed institutions, including a team of scientists from the University of Manchester and the Natural History Museum.

Dr Sarah Crowther, research fellow in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Manchester, said: It was very exciting watching the Sample Return Capsule return, and a huge relief when it landed safely.

I was watching multiple feeds at the same time! It seems like everything went as smoothly as we could have hoped. The capsule even conveniently landed near a road!

Reacting to the landing, Queen musician Brian May, who aided the mission by helping to identify where Osiris-Rex could grab a sample from the asteroid, said: This box when it is opened of material from the surface of Bennu can tell us untold secrets of the origins of the universe, the origins of our planet and the origins of life itself.

What an incredibly exciting day.

Asteroid Bennu is a 4.5-billion-year-old remnant of our early solar system and scientists believe it can help shed light on how planets formed and evolved.

Experts say the carbon-rich, near-Earth asteroid serves as a time capsule from the earliest history of the solar system.

It is anticipated the sample will provide important clues that could help us to understand the origin of organics and water that may have led to life on Earth.

Because the sample has been collected directly from the asteroid, there will be almost zero contamination.

Meteorites that fall to Earth are quickly contaminated from the second they make contact with our atmosphere. This means Bennu can give us an unspoiled glimpse into the past.

Ashley King, UKRI future leaders fellow, British Natural History Museum, said: Osiris-Rex spent over two years studying asteroid Bennu, finding evidence for organics and minerals chemically altered by water.

These are crucial ingredients for understanding the formation of planets like Earth, so were delighted to be among the first researchers to study samples returned from Bennu.

We think the Bennu samples might be similar in composition to the recent Winchcombe meteorite fall, but largely uncontaminated by the terrestrial environment and even more pristine.

Dr Crowther earlier said on Friday: It is a real honour to be selected to be part of the Osiris-Rex sample analysis team, working with some of the best scientists around the world.

(PA Graphics)

Were excited to receive samples in the coming weeks and months, and to begin analysing them and see what secrets asteroid Bennu holds.

A lot of our research focuses on meteorites and we can learn a lot about the history of the solar system from them.

Meteorites get hot coming through Earths atmosphere and can sit on Earth for many years before they are found, so the local environment and weather can alter or even erase important information about their composition and history.

Sample return missions like Osiris-Rex are vitally important because the returned samples are pristine, we know exactly which asteroid they come from and can be certain that they are never exposed to the atmosphere so that important information is retained.

The spacecraft launched on September 8, 2016 and arrived at Bennu in December 2018.

In this image from video released by Nasa, the Osiris-Rex spacecraft touches the surface of asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020 (Nasa via AP/PA)

After mapping the asteroid for almost two years, it collected a sample from the surface on October 20, 2020.

Astrophysicist Professor Boris Gansicke, department of physics, the University of Warwick, said: The asteroids in our solar system contain the raw building blocks from which the Earth was made, so working out their composition will tell us a lot of how our planet formed.

There are many open questions, for instance, where did the water that we have on Earth come from? And where did the ingredients that made life possible to develop come from?

To answer those questions, ie measure the composition of an asteroid, you need to get your hands on them (or in this case the arm of a space mission), and this is what Osiris-Rex achieved.

In a nutshell, its similar to sitting in front of a delicious dinner and wanting to have the list of ingredients.
Former US president Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, made a surprise appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival in their Georgia home town, the Carter Centre wrote in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The former president and his wife are seen in a video riding through the festivities in a Black SUV.
On September 13 last year, on the Day of Bucha, screenwriter and film producer Oleksandr Shchur and director Stanislav Tiunov presented a teaser trailer for their film BUCHA. To start the filming process, the team needed six months to finalize agreements on private foreign investment and complete the script, which had been in the works for almost a year. It also took some time to get permission from the relatives of the victims of the tragedy and participants in those events.

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The film BUCHA is a feature drama based on real events. The protagonist is a foreigner who decided to fight evil in the country that became his home.

The shooting took place in the Kyiv region in March and April 2023 and took 28 shooting days, and the last shots were filmed in August this year on Mount Hoverla. Post-production is currently underway, and the film will be ready by spring 2024. The film is being produced by LEVEL.

The main roles in the film "BUCHA" are played by the famous Polish theater and film actor Cezary Lukaszewicz and the star of Ukrainian cinema Vyacheslav Dovzhenko.

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The team was assisted by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, the National Police of Ukraine, the Kyiv City Council, the Kyiv Regional Military Administration, and the largest Ukrainian film studio, Film.UA Group, which also acts as a co-producer and distributor of the film.

The plot of the film is based on the events that took place in the towns of Bucha, Vorzel and Gostomel during the Russian occupation in February-March 2022. The film will tell the story of the rescue of local residents by Konstantin Gudauskas, a citizen of Kazakhstan who was granted asylum in Ukraine and lived in Bucha. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thanks to his Kazakh passport, he has been able to travel to the territory occupied by Russian troops and evacuate civilians. Konstantin not only saves people, but also sees the horror of war and occupation with his own eyes.

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A team of 80 specialists worked on the film and more than 120 actors starred, including such well-known names as Nikon Fedotov, Alexander Pecherytsya, Sergey Strelnikov, Anastasia Nesterenko, Artemiy Egorov, Sergey Smeyan, Vladimir Zakharenkov and others, as well as 700 actors in mass scenes.

"We have two main goals. The first one is to counter Russian propaganda all over the world," says Oleksandr Shchur, the scriptwriter and producer of the film BUCHA.

- "Cinema is one of the most powerful tools for delivering messages to the world. If someone thinks that everyone in Europe and the United States knows exactly what happened in Ukraine and believes only us, then, unfortunately, they are deeply mistaken. The Russians have already filmed and are showing the propaganda films Azovstal. Liberation" and "Witness" with their version of the events in Mariupol and Bucha. It is likely that the world will see enough of Russian films and accept their narratives. We have to tell the truth!

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Our second goal is to honor the memory of the victims. While working on the script, we met with all the characters or relatives of the victims. And the first thing we asked was whether they would mind telling their story for the movie and whether such a movie is needed. And they all answered: "Yes, we want the whole world to know about it."

While working on the script, the film team was advised by Oleksiy Kruglyachenko, a psychiatrist and clinical psychologist with 20 years of clinical experience who completed a PTSD fellowship at the University of Michigan:

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"Now we have a state-sized PTSD. One of the signs is the avoidance of traumatic memories. This is treated with medication and psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, one of the proven effective methods is cognitive behavioral therapy. For example, exposure therapy is when a patient is gradually brought closer to the source of stress and trauma. Feature films help to smooth out the corners and gradually bring even victims closer to the very cause of the trauma. That's why a feature film can be psychotherapeutic for those who have experienced all this."

Stanislav Tiunov, director of the film BUCHA: "Air raid alert during filming in the center of Kyiv, 4 hours of hail and lightning on Hoverla, 20 hours of shooting in the rain and much more did not shake any member of our team for a second. Everyone did their best and was charged with the result. I am grateful to everyone, it is a great honor."

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Along with the filming, the film has been presented at the world's most influential film venues over the past year - at a special event dedicated to the film at the European Film Market of the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale ) in February this year, as well as in New York and Boston at separate screenings. In early September, the film's working materials were presented at the 80th Anniversary International Film Festival in Venice, La Biennale di Venezia, and the Toronto International Film Festival. The film's producer was invited to give interviews for CBC News radio in 8 different cities.

On October 8, the working materials of the film BUCHA will be shown at a special event called Art Against Propaganda at the University Club in New York. The special guest of the event will be Semyon Dukach, managing director of Techstars, also known as a leading business angel. The evening will be co-organized and hosted by the famous American writer Mitzi Perdue. In addition, the working materials of the film will be presented to the professors at Columbia University in New York.

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You can follow the news and the progress of the shooting on Facebook and Instagram and on the official website of the film bucha.film.
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.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a Republican, has assured that he intends to keep the $300 million in aid to Ukraine in the bill to fund the US Department of Defense. The politician decided to change his position after an article on funding for the US State Department and foreign operations was proposed in the bill.

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According to McCarthy, the exclusion of aid from State Department activities and international operations is "becoming increasingly difficult," which led to the decision to keep the money for Ukraine. This was reported by The Hill.

It is worth noting that the House of Representatives is going to hold a single procedural vote on four appropriations bills next week, including funding for the Pentagon and the State Department, as well as foreign operations.

"This is not a solution to the problem, because there is something about Ukraine in one bill. So it's become too complicated to do that, so we're leaving it out," McCarthy said about the exclusion of aid to Ukraine from the Pentagon appropriations bill.

At the same time, House member Garrett Graves said that senators would vote for amendments that could deprive Ukraine of assistance from both the Pentagon and the State Department and bills on foreign operations. However, the vote may not take place if lawmakers block discussion of these measures.

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As a reminder, the majority of Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Senate strongly support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. They emphasize the heroism of the Ukrainian military and emphasize that supporting Kyiv is a good investment for Washington.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the United States does not rule out the possibility that in the future it will provide Ukraine with long-range ATACMS missiles. The White House has not made any unequivocal statements on this matter, while the media claim that the favorable decision was made before Zelensky's visit, and the delivery timeframe has not been disclosed.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
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By Benjamin Wehrmann | 

( Clean Energy Wire )  The record rainfalls triggering deadly floods in Libya and Greece dwarf the precipitation that caused Germanys 2021 flood catastrophe, and are a grim reminder of the need to act on and adapt to climate change, said German climate researcher Mojib Latif in an interview with public broadcaster BR.

In the past week, weve measured rainfall volumes never seen before in Europe, Latif said. At times, this has been multiple times the volume weve seen in the Ahr Valley flood, the researcher said, pointing to Germanys worst floods catastrophe in decades that killed 135 people in the region and dozens more across Europe in 2021.

The heavy rains that fell in a very, very short time in the Mediterranean had become a sort of Medicane that can be attributed to climate change, the researcher from the GEOMAR marine research institute stressed. Latif said Europe has been complacent with respect to the damages expected from global warming for too long and needed to adapt quickly.

I think this is beginning to change now, he added. Were starting to see that climate change not only means higher temperatures, but especially more extreme weather, more potential for damage and above all a gigantic challenge for peoples health.

Article continues after bonus IC video

NBC: Climate change scorching Greece, bringing extreme heat and devastating floods

The storm that hit several countries in the Eastern Mediterranean region had triggered unprecedented floods in northern Greece and killed more than 5,000 people in Libya alone.

The damages from torrential rains and floods, but also from forest fires, droughts, and storms have risen across Europe in the past years, leading the EU to call for a revision of disaster response funding that is starting to become overstretched by the number of incidents occurring in a short span of time. European countries are struggling to adapt to the fast-mounting challenges of a heating climate and are seeking strategies that allow to better cope with the effects natural disasters have on health, food production and economic stability.

Via Clean Energy Wire

Published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0) .
The cluster artillery munitions supplied to the Ukrainian Armed Forces by the United States have been successfully used in many parts of the frontline for several months. These weapons help Ukrainian defenders "smoke out" Russian invaders from their fortified defensive positions.

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The military command of the Russian aggressor country is concerned about the use of cluster munitions by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as the Russian army's losses in manpower have increased even more. This is reported by the Spy Dossier Telegram channel.

Ukrainian troops have been successfully using cluster munitions in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Luhansk directions. In addition, American "cassettes" cannot be compared in terms of tactical and technical characteristics with similar Soviet-style weapons used by the Russian occupiers.

The peculiarity of American cluster munitions is the high coefficient of submunition bursting. The share of unexploded submunitions in U.S. cluster munitions is up to 2%, while up to 40% of submunitions in Soviet cluster munitions remain unexploded.

Because of this, Soviet cluster munitions often create a chaotic minefield at the site of impact. Therefore, this factor does not allow the party using such shells to actively advance.

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However, American cluster munitions have become a kind of "key" to the advance of the Ukrainian Armed Forces through the fortified positions of the occupiers in the Zaporizhzhia direction. The defenders there faced the problem of excessive "entrenchment" of the Russian invaders' positions. Therefore, cluster munitions helped the Ukrainian Armed Forces "smoke out" the occupiers from their fortified defensive positions.

On September 21, the United States announced a new aid package for Ukraine. Ukrainian military personnel will receive another batch of cluster artillery ammunition from their American partners.

The administration of US President Joe Biden is considering various options for strengthening military assistance to Ukraine. In particular, the White House is discussing the possibility of transferring cluster munitions for multiple-launch rocket systems to the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

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Before her drama reunion with Park Hyung Sik, Park Shin Hye already received another offer to lead a legal series, where she is in talks to play the role of a judge.

Want to know more about the actress's possible role? Then read on!

'The Judge from Hell' Might Be Park Shin Hye's Next Drama After 'Doctor Slump'

Park Shin Hye is receiving love calls from the industry. It is known that the actress is preparing to make her small screen comeback with Park Hyung Sik in "Doctor Slump."

It was after the media announced in March that the former "The Heirs" co-stars are confirmed to reunite in a medical series and are currently in the beginning of production.

Aside from this news, on September 22, Park Shin Hye made a buzz after a report claimed that she is being courted to star in a legal-romance drama "The Judge from Hell."

Based on the synopsis provided, "The Judge from Hell" presents the story of a cruel and vicious judge who wields power only for herself and meets a warm and optimistic detective who puts victims first.

Park Shin Hye to Add New Profession to Her Character Portfolio

Studio S, which is a subsidiary specializing in SBS content production, is in talks to produce the project.

If the actress decides to appear in the series, she will play the role of Kang Bit Na, a problematic judge who distrusts the perpetrator's pretentious reflection and has no sympathy for the victims' sorrow and pain.

Though nothing is confirmed yet about her participation, some fans are already looking forward to how Park Shin Hye will deliver herself as a judge in a new work. It has been said that Kang Bit Na, is a powerful villain who combines her worst personality with the greatest strength.

ALSO READ: Park Shin Hye Update: What's Next For Legendary Actress This 2023?

Park Shin Hye showed off her brilliant character digestion in dramas featuring professionals such as a reporter in "Pinocchio" and a doctor in "Doctors," leading to immersion in the series.

It remains exciting how the actress will perform in "The Judge from Hell" which is said to be different from previous legal dramas. This will also be the first time that the viewers will see Park Shin Hye act as a judge inside a court.

Many are curious now, about who among the notable actors and stars will join the cast of this forthcoming legal-romance series.

Park Shin Hye Confirmed as Presenter at 'The Fact Music Awards 2023'

Meanwhile, Park Shin Hye and Park Hyung Sik will have their first public appearance ahead of their screen comeback in "The Fact Music Awards," as they are confirmed as presenters in the prestigious ceremony.

The event will happen this October 10 at Incheon's Namdong Gymnasium.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 5 Korean Actresses Who Still Slay As Fashionistas After Giving Birth: Son Ye Jin, Park Shin Hye, More

What can you say about Park Shin Hye's potential legal drama? Share your thoughts/replies in the comments!

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars.

Kdramastars owns this article.

Shai Collins wrote this.
Besides the top stars like Han Hyo Joo, Jo In Sung, and Ryu Seung Ryong, and up-and-coming stars like Lee Jung Ha and Go Yoon Jung, viewers were delighted to see the star-studded lineup of supporting roles in "Moving," including Park Hee Soo, Kim Shin Rok, Yang Dong Geun, and more.

Interestingly, the webtoon-based K-drama also featured surposing cameos, one of which was the versatile actor Kim Joong Hee.

Known for his unconventional roles, he appeared in K-dramas like "Through the Darkness," "Criminal Minds," "Voice Season 4: Judgment Hour," and "The Nokdu Flower."

As for his role in "Moving," Kim Joong Hee appeared in the last two episodes, taking on the role of villain Lim Jae Seok.

'Moving' Villain Kim Joong Hee Went Through a Radical Transformation to Play Villain

During the final week of the webtoon-based series, Disney+ released the last three episodes simultaneously.

The story focuses on the final battle between the North Korean Army and the former black ops agents.

The army was headed by Kim Deok Yoon (Park Hee Soon), who had an intense encounter with Kim Doo Shik (Jo In Sung) that cost the lives of his comrades.

As part of North Korea's plan to retaliate, the group's mission is to hunt down the individuals who are connected with South Korea's plan to train the gifted.

Joining Kim Deok Yoon are a group of people who also harbor superhuman powers.

From someone with flying ability to someone with super strength and great speed, another person who joins the group is Lim Jae Seok.

As depicted in the last two episodes, Lim Jae Seok came from a family of traitors. Because of this, he was punished to live in a hell hole since he was young. Due to this, his eyes deteriorated, causing him to not be able to see in the light.

READ MORE: Is Yoo Seung Ho Playing Young Tak in 'Moving' Season 2? Here's What We Know

However, the government discovered that he had superpowers and used him for their mission.

Unlike others, Lim Jae Seok has a unique ability to manipulate immense power with one clap of his hands. It could shatter anything, like a massive earthquake.

Because he has been locked up in a cave for years, he cannot see, hence the dark glasses and balding head.

In a report, viewers could not recognize that the person is actor Kim Joong Hee, whose real appearance is far different from his "Moving" character. In reality, he is only 39-years-old.

Viewers pointed out how amazing the production team is to use various effects to make Lim Jae Seok older. In addition, his transformation is also supported by his amazing performance.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: Moving' Cast: Meet the Villains in the Hit Disney+ Series

For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars.

KDramaStars owns this article

Written by Geca Wills
Much to his fans' delight, Hallyu superstar Lee Joon Gi returned to the acting scene with the new season of "Arthdal Chronicles."

The actor took on the challenge of playing a two-character role, making him the king of fantasy period K-dramas. Keep on reading.

Lee Joon Gi Gets Candid On Playing Dual Roles In New Drama

In an interview with Allure Korea, fan-favorite actor Lee Joon Gi bares his heart out and reveals his honest thoughts on his brand new acting roles.

This September, the actor returned to prime time with "Arthdal Chronicles 2," which tells the struggles of Arthdal natives as they protect their land from its destroyers.

In the series, Lee Joon Gi plays the two-character role of Eunseom and Saya, two identical twins who are born with different purposes and goals.

According to the actor, Eunseom and Saya are his favorites in his filmography as he got to show two different stories through different yet similar characters in a drama.

To prepare for the roles, Lee Joon Gi paid attention to his characters' nuances and facial expressions. Because they are twins, he wanted the viewers to be able to tell them apart easily.

In addition, he said that he embodies the two characters as he has the great desire to pursue his goals just like Saya but he also wants to be loved by his people like Eunseom.

READ MORE: 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Episode 1-2: Lee Joon Gi Wages War Against His Twin

"Lee Joon Gi as an actor resembles Eunseom but I'm just like Saya when I'm all alone. They both exist in me," Lee Joon Gi shared.

Lee Joon Gi Named As Fantasy Historical K-drama King

Since 2005, Lee Joon Gi has taken countless roles in various historical K-dramas including the highly acclaimed film "The King and The Clown" where he played an effeminate clown.

"Illjimae," "Scholar Who Walks the Night" and "Scarlet Heart Ryeo" are some of his most noteworthy works as of this writing.

This 2023, he added his new work "Arthdal Chronicles 2" to his collection, contributing to his grandiose fame. With this, Lee Joon Gi is named the king of historical fantasy romance series.

When asked whether he prefers "sageuk" series over shows set in modern settings, Lee Joon Gi said, "I naturally gravitate towards the genre. I love the preparation and effort put into the show."

He shared that 80% of his work is fantasy, and he is most of the time surrounded by art, stylish designs and unique makeup looks that help set the mood of a project.

"There's no reason to turn down the work," Lee Joon Gi said. "Besides the project, I also love working with Shin Se Kyung, Jang Dong Gun and my junior actors."

Lee Joon Gi then concluded by telling Allure Korea that he is certain about his future. Even after 10 years, he's still doing what he loves the most, which is acting.

ALSO READ: Shin Se Kyung Facts: 4 Things To Know About 'Arthdal Chronicles 2' Star

Catch "Arthdal Chronicles 2" every weekend at 9:20 p.m. KST on tvN, Netflix and Disney+.

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
Jeon Yeo Bin is making her long anticipated silver screen comeback this fall with the black comedy "Cobweb."

Among his most noteworthy works in her filmography, the actress named the soon-to-be-released film as the turning point of her career. Read to know more.

Jeon Yeo Bin Returns To Big Screen With 'Cobweb'

The long wait is over for Jeon Yeo Bin as her lauded noir film "Cobweb" is approaching its release.

First screened at 2023 Cannes, the film showcases the struggles of a renowned director who exerts great effort to refilm the ending of his perfectly helmed film in the 70s.

Jeon Yeo Bin transforms into Shin Mi Do, the stern producer of the film. She is a woman with a big personality who doesn't back down from anyone.

In the film, she works opposite veterans Song Kang Ho, Oh Jung Se, Im Soo Jung and rising actress Krystal Jung.

READ MORE: 'Cobweb' Named As Krystal's Best Work Yet- Here's What To Expect From The Film

The star-studded cast and the narrative alone pushed the actress to do her best as an actress. Jeon Yeo Bin described "Cobweb" as the work which she's "not ashamed to show to fans."

She reasoned, "I acted with love as "Cobweb" is the most cinematic moment in my entire career. It's the turning point that I never want to miss for the world."

In addition, Jeon Yeo Bin revealed that through the work, she was able to rediscover herself as an actress, and what more she can offer to her beloved fans.



Here's What To Expect From 'Cobweb'

Director Kim Jee Woon created "Cobweb" to deliver comfort to every viewer who suffered from the aftermath of the COVID outbreak.

Not only does the work offer a cleverly written narrative but it also poses real-life struggles and situations that are a universal experience to people.

"I want to send an optimistic message that life, just like cinema, goes on no matter what," Kim Jee Woon stated. On the other hand, "Cobweb" also offers a charming work through the ensemble's bold performances, synergy and hysteria.

Catch the film in theaters nationwide this September 27. It will also be available in London, Spain and the Philippine theaters on October 4 so don't miss it. For the US release, check out the details here. Stay tuned for more details.





ALSO READ: Jeon Yeo Bin Once Gave Up On Love Because of Krystal Jung? Here's What The Actress Said

KDramaStars owns this article.

Written by Elijah Mully.
After the successful premiere week, "The Escape of the Seven" episode 3 returned with more thrilling scenes as Bang Da Mi is more than eager to get her revenge against people who wronged her.

Interestingly, after leaving viewers wondering what truly happened to her, the third episode lands with a new achievement for the show.

'The Escape of the Seven' Viewership'

Directed by Joo Dong Min and penned by Kim Soon Ok, the geniuses behind the hit K-drama "The Penthouse" trilogy, "The Escape of the Seven" depicts the story of the survival of seven people who are all involved in the disappearance of a high school student.

Headlined by Uhm Ki Joon, Hwang Jun Eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yoo Bi, and more, the series airs every Friday and Saturday.

Interestingly, "The Escape of the Seven" episode 3 rose to an all-time high.

READ MORE: 'The Escape of the Seven' Faces 8 Formal Complaints For Depicting Overly Provocative Story

In a report, Nielsen Korea recorded an average nationwide rating of 6.7 percent, a significant increase from its previous episode.

Viewers get to see the latest episode via SBS, Viki, Wavve, Kocowa, and Prime Video.

'The Escape of the Seven' Episode 3 Recap

The third episode showcases a slew of significant scenes in the story.

"The Escape of the Seven" episode 3 continues with Bang Da Mi's misery to prove her innocence.

After her biological father gets involved in the incident, she wants to clear her name, but she is doing what she thinks is right, which is to reveal the truth. However, she doesn't know where to start or who to trust, but one thing is for sure: the accusations against her were all lies.

In one scene, the public accused Da Mi and her dad of having an illicit affair. Due to this, the school where her father works as a professor turned its back on him.

He was brought to the police station due to charges relating to Bang Da Mi.

As for the high school student, he came across Min Do Hyuk, who wanted to help her after being wrongly accused by him.

In one scene, she received a call from her grandfather offering her help and instructing her to go to an organization where they help individuals who were victimized online.

She shared that she wanted to get her revenge and make sure that the people who accused her would feel the same pain that she felt.

However, after his father got framed up for drugs and affairs, Bang Da Mi ran a broadcast where he instructed a few people, like her biological mother, her homeroon teacher, Han Mo Ne, and Cha Joo Ran, to go to a specific location.

Here, she hints that she will reveal the secret, but the public was surprised to see a person, whom Bang Da Mi called "dad," shoot her.

It seemed like Da Mi's death scene was staged, but why did it tie the case to Da Mi's adoptive father?

On the other hand, her grandfather is doing all the necessary things to find her and know the person behind this.

Interestingly, Bang Da Mi's adoptive mother also reached out to Bang Chil Sung, revealing that the people behind Da Mi's death want her to disappear.

IN CASE YOU MISSED: 'The Escape of the 7' Kicks Off With Strong Rating

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 States demanded that Poland explain its military support for Ukraine. The American authorities are concerned about Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki's statements about the suspension of arms supplies to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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According to a senior U.S. Department of Defense official, the disagreements between Warsaw and Kyiv have not led yet to the cracks in the unity of the coalition supporting Ukraine. This was reported by Bloomberg.

A Pentagon spokesperson said that Polish officials have begun to openly discuss the possibility of suspending military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, he assured that Poland remains committed to supporting Ukraine, but the exact position of the country is unclear.

It is worth noting that Morawiecki's statement about stopping arms supplies to Ukraine called into question the unity that defined the relations between the neighboring countries. The US is concerned that disagreements over the supply of Ukrainian grain risked undermining European solidarity with Ukraine against Russian aggression.

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However, a Pentagon spokesman said that neither Morawiecki's statement nor the disagreement between Kyiv and Warsaw would lead to the collapse of the coalition supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. He also added that these efforts are likely to last for several years.

For his part, an anonymous European diplomat said that Polish diplomats had privately assured their foreign counterparts that military support for Ukraine would continue. At the same time, they noted that the supply of weapons would decrease. The diplomat also emphasized that the loss of support could be disastrous for Ukraine's military efforts, as it risks undermining NATO's unity.

As a reminder, the Polish authorities have announced that they will stop all assistance to Ukrainian refugees starting in 2024. In particular, they were going to deprive them of the right to free access to healthcare, education, and the labor market, as well as the opportunity to legally stay in the country and receive benefits.

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Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki also called on President Volodymyr Zelensky to "refrain from insulting Poles" after the Ukrainian leader's speech at the UN General Assembly. He noted that he would always defend the honor of his country.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL, the EU Council intends to force Poland to extend temporary protection to Ukrainians at least until 2025. The decision is expected to be made on September 28.

Only verified information on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Gaining insight into the customers perspective often occurs when one steps into the customers shoes, even if its in a different service industry. However, its crucial to remember that employees are individuals with their own needs. This brings us to a significant question: Should employees engage in lively and perhaps even boisterous conversations while confined to their workplace, where they might be the only sources of human interaction in an increasingly virtual world?

This realization struck me during an extended flight when I encountered an overly talkative cabin crew. It made me reflect on the predicament faced by health care staff, who constantly work in patient care areas, occasionally retreating to common breakrooms during short breaks, where privacy is often lacking. The contrast between the lively interactions of service industry employees and the potential isolation of health care workers highlights an intriguing dilemma.

Ironically, customers typically dont grapple with this quandary in most service industries, unless their exuberant interactions become discomforting or disrupt the experience of others. As we contemplate the lively and loud discourse of service industry employees, intentionally or not, we must examine the concerns both for their work environment and their patrons.

First, employees might be oblivious to the perception that their innate liveliness can be interpreted as disruptive by others. Secondly, an assumed veil of security envelops their multilingual conversations, masking the fact that incomprehensible sounds can easily transform into noise for those on the receiving end, especially across language barriers. This misconception underscores the third point: the internal conflict between their intrinsic need for expansive communication and the expectation to channel their dialogue strictly for professional and collegial purposes.

The fourth point emphasizes an unforeseen consequence: the potential exposure of workplaces to breaches in security, both virtually and in reality. This vulnerability not only impacts the organization but also exposes employees to risks if their animated conversations inadvertently reach unintended ears, violating privacy agreements and confidentiality clauses.

Finally, its vital to recognize that despite the significant portion of time spent at work and the increasing blurring of boundaries between work and home, the two realms remain distinct. Workplaces, even those that mimic home environments, cannot replace the comfort of ones own abode. As professionals in the service industry, it becomes imperative to leave behind the boisterous aspect of ones self at the virtual and physical thresholds of the workplace.

Striking the right balance between lively communication and professionalism is paramount in service industries. As employees navigate their roles, they must be mindful of how their interactions are perceived by others and the potential consequences of inadvertently breaching privacy and security barriers. Recognizing that workspaces and personal spaces are separate entities underscores the need for employees to leave their exuberance outside the doors of their workplaces.

Deepak Gupta is an anesthesiologist.
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khaskhabar.com : , 24  2023 4:47 PM
Irish TV star Angela Scanlon delivered an intense tango for her Strictly Come Dancing debut with her partner Carlos Gu.

The 39-year-old Co Meath-born presenter, who hosts BBC Twos Your Home Made Perfect, performed to Prisoner by Miley Cyrus featuring Dua Lipa during the competitions first live show of 2023 on Saturday night.

Dressed in a pink and red flowing gown with her ginger locks pulled back into a bun, Scanlon twirled her way to a score of 23 points.

Reflecting on the performance, judge Anton Du Beke said: The drama, the intense, the commitment was magnificent.

He advised her to work on her posture and to take bigger backwards steps to help make her more marvellous.

Craig Revel Horwood told the presenter he felt she lost some momentum inbetween the attack moments, but that she has a lot of potential.

Motsi Mabuse agreed and said she felt the performance was something special.

You had that focus, that attack, that tension in your body, I think maybe even a little bit too much tension, thats why you couldnt soften it up, she added.

Meanwhile, head judge Shirley Ballas predicted she would be quite a force to be reckoned with if she continued to work on her framing.

Asked how she felt after the performance, she told host Claudia Winkleman: I didnt headbutt Carlos which is a plus because it happened in reverse.

Two of the presenters sisters were in the audience to cheer the Irish star on, with Scanlon revealing that her third sister was not in attendance as she had just given birth during the launch show.

Ahead of the performance, viewers were shown behind-the-scenes moments from their rehearsals where Scanlon can be seen saying: I feel like a newborn foal whos just trying to get in control of her limb.

She also praised her dance partner saying: I think Carlos is a very good match for me, while he added that she had great energy and a fun personality.
The safe use of quad bikes and other farm vehicles and machinery was a key focus of the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) at this years National Ploughing Championships.



It comes as farming continues to be one of the most dangerous sectors in Ireland, with 191 fatalities recorded on Irish farms nationwide during the past decade. So far this year, there has been seven work-related farming fatalities.



Farm Fatalities

Vehicles and machinery are involved in the highest number of farm fatalities in Ireland. In the past 10 years, they accounted for 52% of all farm deaths and 8% of all injuries on farms.

As part of the HSAs efforts to reduce this number, new regulations for the safe use of quad bikes in Ireland are being introduced.



The new regulations, which come into effect on November 20th, include the introduction of compulsory helmet wearing and training for all quad bike operators. This new quad bike law is the first of its kind in EU.



The new quad bike regulations coming this November and indeed the ongoing promotion of the safe use of all machinery on farms is crucial and will only benefit Irish farmers, their families and their businesses, said Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Neale Richmond.



The need for wearing the correct helmet and receiving training in quad bike operation is vital, to prevent people losing their lives and indeed being seriously injured in quad bike incidents.

Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon added: Working to promote the safe use of all farm vehicles and machinery is crucial in preventing any further fatalities or injuries on Irish farms. I would urge everyone working on farms to engage with the HSA and these training programmes, particularly on the safe use of farm vehicles and machinery.

Ploughing Championships

The HSAs stand at the National Ploughing Championships will focus on the importance of these new safety regulations and will include a demonstration area to showcase the safe use of quad bikes and other farm vehicles, such as tractors.



The stand will also offer advice and guidance on the new regulations and how to undergo training in advance of the November deadline.

More farmers are now aware of the importance of health and safety on their farms but it must continue to be a top priority  as it can, and will save lives, said Chief Executive Officer of the HSA, Conor OBrien.

Of the 191 fatalities on farms in Ireland over the past decade (2013  2022), 21 were aged under 18 years old.



This drives home the need for appropriate procedures to be put in place to protect everyone in a workplace, be they employees, contractors, or visitors and family members on farms. Proper risk assessments and health and safety considerations must be implemented in all workplaces, including farms, to ensure everyones safety. Because no job is worth a loss of life, injury or illness, he added.

Risk Assessment

The HSAs free online farm risk assessment tool farmsafely.com, has recorded an increase in registrations, now with over 16,500 registered users.

The HSA stand will also feature information and guidance on farm vehicle and machinery safety, as well as information and guidance on working with livestock. Farmers health checks will be available from the Irish Heart Foundation and Embrace FARM will be on the stand to support those affected by farm fatalities and serious injury.




After the strikes on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol, the collaborators suddenly felt a "suitcase mood". Local traitors and Russians who have settled on the Ukrainian peninsula are beginning to think that it is time for them to leave.

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Also, Crimean residents with a pro-Russian stance continue to be hysterical because of the regular attacks on the Kerch Bridge. This was stated by Dmytro Pletenchuk, a spokesman for the Ukrainian Navy, and Refat Chubarov, the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people.

Pletenchuk said during the telethon that the Russian occupiers began to talk about how they were going to "evacuate" museums from Crimea. However, under the "noble pretext" we can consider the willingness of collaborators to flee the Ukrainian peninsula.

"It is significant that they talked about removing museums from Crimea under the supposedly noble pretext. But this is the beginning. Information is also coming in, we all have acquaintances, some collaborators have already realized that they need to move somewhere," Pletenchuk said. .

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In turn, Chubarov said on the Espresso TV channel that residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea are outraged by the lack of air defense. People make claims against the gauleiter, who six months ago said that Crimea was fully "protected".

In addition, residents of the temporarily occupied Crimea have no doubt that the Kerch Bridge will be hit again. Amid the hysteria of the collaborators, the governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, boasts that an icon depicting Admiral Ushakov has survived at the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. However, he does not explain why the icon did not save dozens of Russian occupiers from death.

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As a reminder, the Russian information space was shaken by the news of the attack on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol on September 22. Z-bloggers began to criticize the Russian authorities.

As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- A video of the moment of hitting the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the temporarily occupied Sevastopol in Crimea was published online. The building was immediately enveloped in black smoke, and there was no hint of air defense.

- In addition to Sevastopol, fires were spotted at the airfields in Novofedorivka and Simferopol, and ambulances were activated in Hvardiyske.

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- AFU Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk responded to the missile attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. He thanked the Ukrainian pilots and expressed hope that Russian air defense "will not fail" next time.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The former head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, is now a "senator" of the temporarily occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region. He was appointed by Yevhen Balytsky, a collaborator and accomplice of the Russian occupiers in the temporarily occupied Melitopol.

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This "decision" was made on Saturday, September 23. This was reported by Russian media.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin propagandists recalled a video recorded by Rogozin, where he quoted a story by Nikolai Gogol. They have already linked the appointment to the fact that Rogozin allegedly "foresaw" it.

Commenting on the video, the former head of Roscosmos said that "fate itself" had sent him "to the land of Zaporizhzhia."

The information that Rogozin could win a seat in the upper house of the Russian parliament, the Federation Council, first appeared in the Russian media on September 17.

Rogozin was previously appointed as an "authorized representative" or "minister for the annexed (occupied - ed.) territories."

At the end of December 2022, explosions were heard at the Shesh-Besh complex in the temporarily occupied Donetsk, where the former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin was celebrating his birthday.

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After explosions in Donetsk on December 21, Russian propagandists claimed that one of the shell fragments hit Rogozin in the spine and that doctors in Rostov-on-Don were allegedly unable to remove it. Therefore, the Russian had to be transported to Moscow to have a consultation on further medical care. Subsequently, Rogozin published a photo from the hospital. He also sent French President Emmanuel Macron a piece of shrapnel from his spine and threatened with further actions.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, the Spy Dossier Telegram channel, citing sources, wrote that the attack on the restaurant where Rogozin celebrated his birthday could have been arranged by the owner of the Wagner PMC, Yevgeny Prigozhin. Thus, the shells were launched from the positions of the Wagner soldiers near Marinka.

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South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin held a series of meetings with his counterparts from the Netherlands and others for discussions on bolstering cooperation as he attended the U.N. General Assembly last week, his ministry said Sunday.

Park and his new Dutch counterpart, Hanke Bruins Slot, met on Friday (New York time), to discuss bilateral cooperation in semiconductors and regional security, and agreed to work together to ensure a stable supply chain of chips, according to the ministry.

ASML, a Dutch chip equipment maker, is the world's sole producer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines, which are critical to making advanced chips.

Samsung Electronics and SK hynix are among the ASML's biggest clients.

In the meeting, Park expressed deep concerns over discussions of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia during the recent summit meeting between their leaders, and stressed that Seoul will cooperate with its partners to respond sternly to any violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Separately, he held discussions with Uganda's Vice President Jessica Alupo to request the country's support in South Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo in the southeastern city of Busan, as well as the Ugandan president's attendance at the Korea-Africa special summit meeting to be held in Seoul next year.

Park also met with his counterparts from Gambia, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone, according to the ministry.

On the margins of the U.N. General Assembly, Park also attended a ministerial meeting with MIKTA members  Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey and Australia  to deal with follow-up measures to issues discussed at a Group of 20 meeting in India earlier this month, his office said.

MIKTA, an acronym for the five countries' names, is an informal multilateral consultative body set up in 2013 to strengthen partnerships among the middle-power nations. (Yonhap)
The Korean Business Research Institute has officially revealed its brand reputation rankings for September 2023, which now involves K-pop boy group members. While male groups tend to gain attention collectively, individual idols' popularity is also being measured.

According to the list, the institute has covered data from August 16 to September 16. These results were derived from numerous factors such as analyzing the participation of consumers, coverage within the media, and overall exposure that can lead to buzz.

Here are the 5 most popular K-pop boy group members for September 2023!

1. BTS Jungkook

BTS's youngest member Jungkook reigned the list at No. 1, marking the idol's third consecutive month in dominating brand rankings for male idols. According to the list, Jungkook managed to garner a brand reputation index of 4,322,719.

As for this positivity-negativity analysis, Jungkook also gained 87.42 positive reactions, highlighting his good feedback to the general public.

2. BTS V

Kim Taehyung, also known as V, garnered a brand reputation index of 4,247.789 and an 8.67 percent score rise. This September, V gained attention for releasing his debut mini album "Layover" on September 8, along with the title track "Slow Dancing."

3. Former Wanna One Kang Daniel

For the month of September, former Wanna One member Kang Daniel secured No. 3 on the list with a brand reputation index of 3,440,712. The idol also generated buzz for his return to the dance competition show "Street Woman Fighter" in its second season.

4. BTS Jimin

Jimin of BTS secured the No. 4 spot with a brand reputation index of 3,140,089. The idol has been active in his social media updates and other solo activities.

5. ASTRO Cha Eun Woo

The idol who completed the top five was idol actor Cha Eun Woo of ASTRO, who earned a brand reputation index of 2,762,739. Cha Eun Woo was also active in social media, as well as his appearances on K-dramas and other solo schedules.

See the full list of September 2023 brand rankings for male idols below:

1. BTS Jungkook

2. BTS V

3. Former Wanna One Kang Daniel

4. BTS Jimin

5. ASTRO Cha Eun Woo

6. Former NU'EST & Wanna One Hwang Minhyun

7. THE BOYZ Juyeon

8. EXO Baekhyun

9. BIGBANG G-Dragon

10. BTS Jin

11. BTS Suga

12. WINNER Kim Jin Woo

13. Former SF9 Rowoon

14. Wanna One Park Ji Hoon

15. BTS RM

16. SEVENTEEN Joshua

17. BTS J-Hope

18. TVXQ Yunho

19. NCT Mark

20. Former Wanna One Kim Jae Hwan

21. SHINee Key

22. Super Junior Kyuhyun

23. NCT Jaehyun

24. TVXQ Changmin

25. SEVENTEEN Mingyu

26. Highlight Yoon Doojoon

27. Super Junior Kim Heechul

28. WINNER Song Mino

29. SEVENTEEN Jeonghan

30. SEVENTEEN Jun

Which K-pop male idols on the list are your biases? Which K-pop groups do you like? Let us know in the comments below!

Read KpopStarz for more K-pop news.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: 8 Best B-Side Tracks from 'Vocal Queen' SNSD Taeyeon: 'Feel So Fine,' 'Toddler,' More!

KpopStarz owns this article

Written by Riely Miller
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The winter fashion pictorial of the group NewJeans was released.

On the 22nd, fashion magazine Marie Claire Korea released a special pictorial featuring the group NewJeans and Canadian outerwear brand Moose Knuckle.

In this pictorial with the concept of "girls dreams," NewJeans wore winter outerwear and revealed a mysterious and fantastic atmosphere.
Washington decided to transfer ATACMS long-range missiles to Kyiv before President Volodymyr Zelensky made an official visit to the United States. The decision was not announced publicly to avoid an adverse reaction from Russia.

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This was reported by Financial Times, citing sources close to the White House. The first missiles will be sent to Ukrainian troops in small quantities and shortly.

"The first to be sent will be a version of ATACMS armed with cluster munitions rather than a single warhead. This should reassure some officials who believe that a single-warhead delivery will allegedly deplete U.S. stockpiles," the report said.

As a reminder, during Biden's meeting with Zelensky at the White House, the politicians agreed to work together to produce weapons and defense systems for Ukraine and the United States.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Biden's administration is indeed close to a decision to transfer ATACMS with a cluster warhead to Ukraine. It is the transfer of this version of long-range missiles that has already moved to the level of discussion among the heads of departments, after which the decision must be made by the US president himself.

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Rajkot, September 24: At least 12 people were injured after the slab of a drainage line caved in under the weight of a crowd gathered near a Lord Ganesh pandal in Gujarat's Rajkot city on Sunday night, an official said. Several people fell on the floor of the drainage after the concrete slab covering it gave way in Sarveshwar chowk area, said Rajkot collector Prabhav Joshi. Bihar Bridge Collapse: Amid Heavy Rains, Bridge Caves In in Jamui District (Watch Video).

A total of 11 ambulances were rushed to the spot while fire brigade personnel rescued more than 20 people who fell. Of them, 12 were rushed to the civil hospital for treatment, he said. Gujarat Tragedy: 7-8 People Rescued After Slab Collapses in Rajkot, Rescue Operation Underway (Watch Video).

Drainage Slab Caves in Under Weight of Crowd in Rajkot

#WATCH | A slab collapsed in Gujarat's Rajkot. Rescue operations underway pic.twitter.com/ANQDoizLBw  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023

The area is known for street food and a large number of people visit it every day. The number was more than usual on Sunday evening as devotees also visited the place to offer prayers to Lord Ganesh at a pandal in the area, officials added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Gurdaspur (Punjab) [India], September 24 (ANI): In a Joint operation of Gurdaspur Police and Border Security Force, two drug peddlers have been arrested with 12 Kg of heroin and Rs 19.3 lakh seized from them, said Punjab police on Sunday.

According to the police, the drugs were transported from Pakistan using drones. The Punjab Police Chief Gaurav Yadav termed the crackdown "a big blow to trans-border narcotic network".

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"Big Blow to Trans Border narcotic network: Gurdaspur Police & BSF, in a joint operation, have seized 12 Kg Heroin along with 19.3 Lac drug money from 2 smugglers Drones were used to transport drugs from #Pakistan," Gaurav Yadav posted on micro-blogging site X.

An FIR has been registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) and an investigation is ongoing in this case to establish backwards and forward linkages, the police chief said. (ANI)

Also Read | Online Scam in Bengaluru: Advocate Loses Rs 4.9 Lakh After Clicking on Link To Renew Her Credit Card Reward Points of Rs 4,999.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
For the 10th year in a row, Singapore ranks first in the Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index (ISCDI) Report, while Dubai holds on to its fifth place for the fourth year in a row.

Published jointly by Chinese state news agency, Xinhua, and global maritime data provider, Baltic Exchange, the report lists Singapore as the global leading maritime centre, followed by London and Shanghai.

The island nation scored 95.32 out of a possible 100 points, while the maritime support services powerhouse of London scored 83.35 points and the mighty port-city of Shanghai takes third place with 81.58 points.

Strategic location

Singapore has held the top position since the Index began a decade ago. It has retained its position due to its winning combination of strategic location, international outlook and established ecosystem of professional global maritime services and good governance.

London and Shanghai have retained their positions of second and third place within the Index for the past four years.

Further down the top 10, there was little movement as Hong Kong, Dubai, Rotterdam and Hamburg take fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh place, respectively.

The trading capital of New York and its New Jersey port dropped by two places from eighth place last year, to 10th place this year while Athens/Piraeus moved up by one place. A relative newcomer to the Index, Ningbo-Zhoushan, sits at number nine.

Busiest port

The Chinese citys ranking amongst the top 10 is primarily due to it being the busiest port in the world in terms of cargo tonnage.

The main findings of the index were as follows:

*Singapore leads the rankings for the 10th consecutive year followed by London, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Dubai

*Ease of doing business, access to professional maritime services and location remain key ingredients for a leading maritime business hub

*The top 10 locations remain largely unchanged since 2022 and features four Asian, four European, one Middle East and one US location.

A total of 43 maritime locations were rated as part of this report, which considers port factors including cargo throughput, number of cranes, length of container berths and port draught; number of players in professional maritime support businesses such as shipbroking, ship management, ship financing, insurance and law, as well as hull underwriting premiums; and general business environment factors such as customs tariffs, extent of electronic government services and logistics performance.

The average score amongst the top 10 ports is 77.21 out of 100, with the average across the entire 43 rankings standing at 59.19.

Shift in trade flows

Baltic Exchange Chief Executive Officer Mark Jackson said: Its been a decade since the Baltic Exchange started working with Xinhua News Agency on this Index and during that time, we have witnessed a growing amount of trade move from west to east. This shift in trade flows is clearly visible looking at the Xinhua-Baltic ISCDI top 10 rankings over the past decade. This report is a valuable reminder of how intrinsic the maritime industry is to global trade.

The best performing maritime centres demonstrate there is more than one way to grow a successful hub  whether borne out of location, encouraged through attractive policies and conditions or creation of a large port cluster. In every instance, collaboration across the various industry players is central to a maritime centres growth and prosperity.

Xu Yuchang of China Economic Information Service, a subsidiary of Xinhua, said: The China Economic Information Service is proud to present the 2023 Xinhua-Baltic International Shipping Centre Development Index Report, which we have produced in partnership with the Baltic Exchange. The report underscores the significance of maritime within world trade, and showcases the depth and breadth of this unique industry.

Emission reduction

In this 10th report we also spotlight the importance of emission reduction strategies and technologies that will be essential for the long-term sustainable future of the industry. We hope this report highlights the benefits that maritime centres bring to local economies and shines a light on how fundamental shipping is to global prosperity.

Chief Executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Teo Eng Dih, said: We thank our international partners, industry, the research and enterprise community, as well as unions for the achievement. Together, our strong tripartite relationship has supported the development of Singapore as the preferred International Maritime Centre. We remain committed to fostering an environment that encourages enterprise, innovation, and talent development. We will continue our work with our partners to enhance Singapore's connectivity, advance digitalisation efforts, and accelerate the decarbonisation of international shipping.--TradeArabia News Service
On September 23, 15 combat clashes between Ukrainian defenders and Russian invaders took place on the front line during the day. Defense forces continue to conduct offensive operations in Melitopol and Bakhmut directions, inflict damage on the occupation forces in manpower and equipment, and deplete the enemy along the entire front line.

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This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in a summary on Facebook. "Our aviation conducted eight strikes on areas of concentration of personnel, weapons and military equipment over the day, and four on enemy anti-aircraft missile systems.

"At the same time, Russia struck Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones again. As a result of combat operations, 14 out of 15 targets were destroyed by the Air Force in cooperation with the air defense of other components of the Defense Forces," the report said.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces added that the enemy launched five missile and 44 airstrikes over the day, making 22 stikes from multiple-launch rocket systems at the positions of our troops and populated areas. Unfortunately, Russian terrorist attacks have resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. Private homes and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

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As for the situation on the frontline, the General Staff reports the following:

The operational situation in the Volyn and Polissia directions remains unchanged. There are no signs of offensive groups forming. Certain units of the Belarusian Armed Forces are performing tasks in the areas bordering Ukraine;

The enemy maintains a military presence in the border areas and continues shelling settlements from the territory of the Russian Federation in the Seversk and Slobozhansk directions. More than 20 settlements were subjected to artillery and mortar shelling by the enemy, including Turia, Bleshnia, Prohres, Yanzhulivka, and Hremiak in Chernihiv region; Novovasylivka, Marchykhyna Buda, Iskryskivshchyna, Zapsillia, and Pozhnia in Sumy region and Udy, Morokhovets, Neskuchne, Budarky, and Topoly in Kharkiv region;

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The enemy launched air strikes near the towns of Synkivka, Ivanivka, Kyslivka in the Kharkiv region and Nadia in the Luhansk region in the Kupiansk direction. Artillery and mortar attacks were carried out in the vicinity of more than 10 settlements, including Berestove, Masiutivka, Kucherivka, Ivanivka, and Kyslivka in the Kharkiv region;

The Defense Forces successfully repelled an enemy attack near Bilohorivka, Luhansk region in the Lyman direction. Air strikes were carried out near Nevske and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and Serebrianka, Spirne and Vesele in the Donetsk region. More than 10 localities suffered from artillery and mortar shelling, including Nevske and Bilohorivka in the Luhansk region and Novosadove, Torske, Hryhorivka, Verkhnekamianske, and Spirne in the Donetsk region;

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The enemy tried to regain lost ground near Klishchiivka, Donetsk region in the Bakhmut direction but was unsuccessful. They launched an air strike near this settlement instead. More than 15 localities came under artillery and mortar fire, including Vasiukivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bohdanivka, Klishchiivka, Bila Hora and New York in the Donetsk region;

The Defense Forces are successfully holding the line in the Avdiivka direction. The enemy conducted an air strike near Avdiivka in the Donetsk region. Keramik, Novobakhmutivka, Stepove, Tonenke and Pervomaiske in the Donetsk region came under artillery and mortar fire;

Our defenders successfully repelled 9 enemy attacks in the areas of Marinka and Peremoha, Donetsk region, in the Marinka direction. The enemy launched an air strike near Marinka, Donetsk region. More than 10 settlements were under occupants' fire, including Nevelske, Oleksandropil, Krasnohorivka, Peremoha, Novomykhailivka, and Katerynivka in the Donetsk region;

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The enemy launched air strikes near the settlements of Vuhledar, Urozhaine, and Staromaiorske in the Donetsk region in the Shakhtarsk direction. About 10 localities came under artillery and mortar fire, including Vodiane, Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Blahodatne, and Urozhaine in the Donetsk region;

The Defense Forces continue their offensive in the Zaporizhzhia direction. In particular, they are pushing the enemy out of their positions and consolidating their positions in the area of Verbove, Zaporizhzhia region. The enemy launched an air strike near Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia region. More than 10 settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Chervone, Zaliznychne, Huliaipole, Novoandriivka, Shcherbaky, and Kamianske in the Zaporizhzhia region;

The enemy conducted air strikes near the settlements of Kozatske, Mykolaivka, and Olhivka in the Kherson region in the Kherson direction. About 10 settlements in the Kherson region came under enemy artillery and mortar fire, including Novooleksandrivka, Dudchany, Zmiivka, Tokarivka, Veletenske, and Kizomys in the Kherson region.

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As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, according to Tarnavsky, commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group, the biggest breakthrough on the front is still ahead. For further success, Ukrainian forces need to reach at least the city of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region.

"There is a combination of small enemy defense groups, which are now placed very accurately and competently. But the actions of our fighters are forcing them to retreat slowly when they encounter our assault units," the brigadier general emphasized.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 24 (ANI): AIADMK party leadership has called a meeting with its secretaries, district secretaries, parliament members and assembly members on September 25 at party headquarters in Tamil Nadu's Chennai, a party statement said on Sunday.

According to the party statement, the meeting will held at around 3.45 pm tomorrow at AIADMK party headquarters and will be headed by AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami.

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The sources suggest that the meeting will discuss the AIADMK - BJP alliance and strategies for the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2024.

On September 18, AIADMK announced that BJP is no longer their ally alleging BJP State President K Annamalai is crossing alliance dharma lines. AIADMK leaders also criticised Annamalai for his remarks on Annadurai and Periyar.

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AIADMK senior leader and former Tamil Nadu minister D Jayakumar said that Annamalai is unfit to be holding his current post. He also alleged that while the BJPs rank and file want to remain in an alliance with his party, Annamalai does not want to do so.

Jayakumar announced that AIADMK is not in an alliance with the BJP as of now and that a decision about the alliance will be taken during the elections only.

Jayakumar slammed Annamalai for criticizing leaders of his party including former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.

The ties between BJP and AIADMK in the state also suffered after AIADMK leaders said that their alliance with the BJP caused losing votes of members of the minority communities in the Erode East by-election which the party lost.

It is this tug-of-war between Annamalai and AIADMK that led the latter to declare that they are not in alliance with the BJP.

While BJP leaders argue that the fact that AIDMK is "insecure" shows that BJP and Annamalai are growing popular in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK leaders say without their party BJP is nothing in Tamil Nadu.

As the relationship between both parties worsened, on September 14, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi Palaniswami met with Union Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and had a one-to-one talk for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, on September 22, AIADMK top leaders C V Shanmugam, Thambidurai, SP Velumani, Thangamani, KP Munusamy, and Natham Viswanathan met BJP Leaders in Delhi. Sources suggest that the meetings have been unsuccessful. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], September 24 (ANI): Andhra Pradesh police on Sunday early morning carried out surprise checks of vehicles coming from Telangana at the state border.

This action was taken in response to the 'Chalo Rajahmundry' call by Hyderabad IT employees, as a mark of their protest against the arrest of former Andhra CM and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.

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Visuals showed barricades set up at the Andhra-Telangana border, with police actively inspecting vehicles arriving from Telangana.

Reportedly, the IT employees in Hyderabad are protesting against the arrest of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and had announced to take out car rally from Hyderabad to Andhra Pradesh's Vijayawada on Sunday.

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However, permission for the same was denied by the Andhra police.

TDP chief Naidu is lodged in Rajahmundry Central Prison in connection with the alleged skill development scam.

As per the reports, police officials were instructed by Vijayawada Commissioner Kanthi Rana Tata to restrict the entry of IT employees to the state.

Mylavaram ACP Ramesh said that has issued restriction orders under CrpC Section 144 in Vijayawada and anyone who violates the orders will be booked under relevant sections.

"...There is information that IT employees of Hyderabad are planning to come to Rajahmundry from Hyderabad to extend their support to the ex-CM Chandrababu Naidu..there is no permission for them to come to Rajahmundry...section 144 has been enforced in Vijayawada city...in case of violation of orders we will take legal action and put them (IT employees) under appropriate sections...we appeal them not to violate the concerned sections and not go to Rajahmundry..." said ACP Ramesh.

Earlier this week, Security arrangements were tightened outside the Rajahmundry Central Prison.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada on Friday extended Naidus remand for two more days.

The court ruled that the TDP chief will be in the custody of the Crime Investigation Department (CID) from 9 am to 5 pm during which he will be interrogated.

Chandrababu Naidu was sent to judicial custody on September 10 for 14 days, till September 23, by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) court in Vijayawada in connection with an alleged Skill Development Corporation scam.

The case in which Naidu is arrested pertains to the establishment of clusters of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in the state of Andhra Pradesh, with a total estimated project value of Rs 3300 crore, as per the officials.

The agency officials also claimed that the alleged fraud has caused a huge loss to the state government in excess of Rs 300 crore. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI): Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that the recently concluded G20 Summit was an opportunity to showcase the development of the country to the whole world.

The mega G20 Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam on September 9 and 10 in the national capital.

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He also underlined the Government's commitment to improving the ease of doing business in India, making it easier to start and run businesses.

While addressing the Bada Business Entrepreneurs Launchpad event held today in New Delhi, he highlighted the success of the Startup India initiative as the nation has witnessed remarkable growth from 450 startups in 2016 to over 1 lakh today, making India the world's third-largest startup ecosystem.

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Goyal delivered a motivating address at the event and shared insights from his own entrepreneurial journey and the challenges he encountered along the way. The Minister encouraged all participants to dream big, be resilient, and contribute to India's progress. He expressed his best wishes for their success, envisioning a brighter future for India.

Highlighting the global recognition achieved during India's Presidency of the G20, Goyal emphasized how it provided an opportunity to showcase the development undertaken in the nation under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the world.

He stressed upon the need to achieve ambitious targets, fostering self-respect and a prosperous future through hard work and dedication.

The Minister acknowledged the aspirational nature of India's youth, which is eager for rapid development. He emphasized the crucial role of the country's youth as the foundation for India's development in the "Amrit Kaal."

With India's average age being less than 30 years and demographic dividend continuing for the next three decades, he expressed confidence that by 2047, India's economy would experience exponential growth. The world is increasingly attracted to opportunities available in India and its diversity and economic growth, he said.

He also emphasized that Indian STEM graduates are a global attraction.

Highlighting India's shift away from a colonial mindset, he cited various projects like Bharat Mandapam, Yashobhoomi, Kartavya Path and Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya as signs of this transformative change.

The government is committed to improving the lives of all 140 crore Indians through welfare measures such as power connection, digital connectivity, cooking gas access, piped water supply, and advancements in health and education, all under the leadership of the Prime Minister, he added.

Goyal urged all citizens to work with a sense of duty and dedication toward the nation's development. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Sambhal (Uttar Pradesh) [India], September 24 (ANI): The Sot river, once a lifeline for farmers and the environment in the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh, has been revived due to a collaborative effort between the district administration and social workers, fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a cleaner and greener India.

Prime Minister Modi had mentioned the Sot river in his Mann Ki Baat radio address, which had excited the people of the area. The district administration then took up the task of reviving the river with the help of social workers.

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"UPs Sambhal district exemplifies Janbhagidari. 70 villages united to revive Sot River happened on the 15 of September," posted Prime Minister Office on X.

Prime Minister Modi lauded the collective efforts of the people of Sambhal to revive the Sot river.

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The PM Modi said in the Mann ki Baat "In our country, which considers the river as its mother, the people of Sambhal took a pledge to revive it. In December last year, more than 70 gram panchayats together started the work of rejuvenation of Sot River. The people of Gram Panchayats also took government departments along with them,"

PM Modi added "You will be happy to know that in the first six months of the year itself, these people had rehabilitated more than 100 kilometres of the river path. When the rainy season started, the hard work of the people here bore fruit and the Sot river was filled to the brim with water. This has come as a big occasion of happiness for the farmers here. People have also planted more than 10 thousand bamboo saplings on the banks of the river so that its banks remain completely safe,"

The Sot River, a tributary of the Ganges, had disappeared from the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh due to encroachment and neglect. Due to a collaborative effort between the district administration and social workers, the river has now been revived.

The project to revive the Sot River was started in 2021 by the then Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sambhal, Sot River Revival: A success story of Janbhagidari in MNREGA from Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh. Yadav held a meeting with social workers in the area and sought their cooperation in reviving the river.

Lauding the efforts by the SDM Deependra Kumar Yadav, District Magistrate Manish Bansal said " Sot river used to be an important river of Sambhal district. It was completely disappeared. There was hardly any water in it. This is a tributary river of the Ganga. It goes to Badaun from Amroha district. In Sambhal we got it renovated under MNREGA. We have done this from November 2022 to July 2023. This river passes through 71 gram panchayats in 5 development blocks of the district. We carried out a massive program by generating one lakh seventy-seven thousand man-days. People had encroached upon the land on the river Sot. We have done an evacuation drive to recover the natural course of the river. This time it revived in the rain.

"This will also help the farmers of the area to stop the decreasing water level. Now we are also making a program to revive the Mahaba River, another tributary of Sambhal," He added.

The social workers responded enthusiastically to the call and volunteered their time and resources to the project.

Rajendra Kumar Pradhan a social worker said "SDM Deependra Kumar held a meeting of villagers, and social workers, and everyone cooperated in 2021. Tasks were divided in the meeting. We dug 52-53 kilometres of the river. Now clear water is flowing in the river, "

Another social activist, Musheer Khan Tareen thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mentioning the Sot River of Sambhal in Man ki Baat

Musheer Khan Tareen said "The heads of the area also played their main role. Monetary support was also given in planting trees on the banks of river Sot. I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for mentioning the Sot River of Sambhal in Man ki Baat,"

"It is a matter of great pride that Sambhal got such an opportunity to revive Sot River. Our administration came to our place and gave us direction. People had encroached on the river. SDM Deependra Yadav took up the task of reviving this river with public cooperation with the support of DM Avinash Krishna Singh. We formed a group of people and requested a social worker. This area of Sambhal district was in the dark zone. There was a need to increase the water level. We came out of the dark zone. The water level is going to provide huge benefits to our farmers as well. This river will benefit the entire population around it." said Kamal Kosal, Social Worker

They worked tirelessly to clear the encroachments on the riverbed and to plant trees on the banks of the river.

The district administration also provided financial support to the project. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the administration generated one lakh seventy-seven thousand man-days of employment for the work on the Sot River.

The revival of the Sot river has been a success. The river is now flowing freely and its water level has increased significantly. This is expected to benefit lakhs of farmers in the district, who rely on the river for irrigation. The revival of the river has also improved the environment in the district. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], September 24 (ANI): Days after Janata Dal (Secular) joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the ensuing 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party's state unit Vice President Syed Shafiulla Saheb has decided to cut his ties with the party.

Shafiulla, in his resignation letter to the JD(S) Karnataka president said that he had opted to stay outside the party for the period during which our state unit of the party had joined with the BJP to form the state government.

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"I would like to state that I have worked hard and served the party in order to serve the society and the community only because our party believes and was standing on the secular credentials, except when our leader Sri Kumara Swamy had earlier joined hands with the BJP to form the government in the state. I also like to mention that, I had opted to stay outside the party for the period during which our state unit of the party had joined with the BJP to form the state government," Shafiulla Saheb said in the letter.

"Sir, since the party's senior leaders are now deciding to join hands with the BJP, I have been left with no option but to tender my resignation to the party's senior vice president office of the state and also to my primary membership of the party," he added.

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Apart from them, many leaders including the president of the Janata Dal (Secular) Shivamogga, M Srikanth and UT Ayesha Farzana have also resigned from the party, sources said.

The Janata Dal (Secular) of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday announced an alliance with the BJP in Karnataka and formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy made the announcement after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in the national capital.

The JD(S) had aligned with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the parties faced a drubbing as the BJP swept 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka and even an independent candidate supported by the BJP won from the Mandya constituency. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI): Strongly condemning Haryana Congress President Udai Bhan's statement targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb questioned the silence of senior Congress leaders on the issue.

"The kind of words he used for the Prime Minister of our country and Haryana Chief Minister, so far neither Sonia Gandhi nor Mallikarjun Kharge spoke a word on this," the Haryana BJP state party chief said speaking to ANI in Delhi.

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Biplab Deb further said that the country needs an explanation for such derogatory statements on the Prime Minister and it is "very shameful" for the nation.

"I want to tell them that the nation needs an explanation...this is very shameful for the nation...I strongly condemn this and even the leaders of the opposition party have not spoken anything about this," the senior BJP leader said.

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Biplab Deb said that the words used by the state Congress president at a time when the Women's Reservation was passed in Parliament showed the "mental decay" of the Congress.

"At a time when the Women's Reservation Bill was passed by all the parties unitedly under the leadership of the Prime Minister in both the Houses of the Parliament, the words used are a shame for the country. This statement shows the mental decay of the Congress," he said.

In a veiled dig at Rahul Gandhi, Biplab Deb said that he cannot believe that the Congress MP is not aware of this statement, despite having a habit of tweeting every morning.

"The statement was given in the morning. Till now no one has woken up, and no one knows about it. Their Yuvraj (referring to Rahul Gandhi) tweets first thing in the morning. I cannot believe that he does not know about it," he said.

The Haryana BJP chief said that with this statement the real face of the Congress has come to the fore and the people of the country wil show them the way.

"With this statement, the real identity of Congress has come in front of the people and the world. I have confidence that India's 140 crore population will take note of this and will show the way to the Congress," Biplab Deb said.

In a viral video, the Haryana Congress chief can be heard using abusive words while referring to the Prime Minister and the Haryana Chief Minister.

Udai Bhan, a loyalist of former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, was made Haryana Congress chief in 2022. He replaced Kumari Selja who was made AICC in-charge of Chhattisgarh. (ANI)

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New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The Army has decided to host the next Army Day Parade, set for January 15, 2024, in Lucknow, sources said on Sunday.

The Army's Central Command is based there.

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Traditionally, the annual Army Day Parade had been held in Delhi. This long-standing practice saw a shift in January this year when the parade was conducted in Bengaluru.

A decision has been made to rotate the Army Day Parade venue across different cities in India. The objective is to diversify the locations and allow various regions to witness the grandeur of the event, sources in the defence establishment said.

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The rotation is not just about changing cities but about "shifting the spotlight to various commands", each of which plays a unique and critical role in the nation's defence, the sources said, adding it also offers a chance to highlight the distinct cultural and regional backdrops against which the Army operates.

After the Bengaluru event, the Army has planned to ensure that each of its six operational commands gets a chance to host the parade, they said.

The idea is to conduct the event in selected venues within all the commands, on a rotational basis. The last parade was held in the Southern Command area and the upcoming event will be conducted in the Central Command area, the sources said.

This move to rotate the venues aims to increase public engagement, foster national unity, and showcase the might and discipline of the Army to diverse audiences across the country, they added.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded athletes who won medals in various events at the ongoing Asian Games in Hangzhou.

He praised the Lightweight Men's Double Sculls team for winning the first medal at the Asian Games for India, a silver.

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"Congratulating the incredible duo Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh, the prime minister wished for continuous rowing towards glory, representing the spirit and strength of the nation," a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office said.

He also hailed shooters Ramita Jindal, Mehuli Ghosh and Ashi Chouksey for securing silver medal in the 10m Air Rifle Women's team event at the Asian Games, it said.

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Applauding the feat, the prime minister said that "this silver medal is the fruit of your hardwork and dedication". "Let's keep the up momentum as we continue to shine at the Asian Games," he said.

On the Men's Coxed Eight team winning the silver medal at the Asian Games, the prime minister praised the dazzling display of coordination, power and stamina by the team and wished its members success in their future endeavours.

This was the second medal for India in rowing at the Asian Games.

The prime minister also praised shooter Ramita Jindal for a remarkable bronze in 10m Air Rifle Women's (Individual) event, the statement said.

He noted Jindal's unshakable focus and desire to excel, and wished her well for achieving greater heights in her chosen sport.

Prime Minister Modi expressed delight on continued success in rowing.

Lauding Babulal Yadav and Lekh Ram for clinching the bronze medal in the Men's Coxless Pair Rowing event, he said that "with your efforts and tireless determination, you have propelled the aspirations of many young Indians to the podium".

Prime Minister Modi wished all of them well in their future endeavours.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ballia (UP), Sep 24 (PTI) Samajwadi Party national secretary Ram Govind Chaudhary on Sunday asked the Lok Sabha Speaker to suspend BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri for using objectionable language against Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali.

Chaudhary demanded an FIR against Bidhuri and also action against two former Union ministers who he accused were laughing in the House when Bidhuri made the remarks against Ali.

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"The matter of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri abusing MP Danish Ali on the basis of religion in the house is not only case of indecent language but a serious crime of hate speech.

"If strict action is not taken in this matter, then a wrong message will be sent in the country and abroad, which will affect the dignity of the House," Chaudhary, a former leader of opposition in the Uttar Pradesh assembly, said in a meeting of party workers at the district headquarters.

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Chaudhary alleged that South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri in the past too has made such comments against Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as can be called hate speech.

Chaudhary said when Bidhuri made his remarks against Ali, two MPs were encouraging him with a smile instead of stopping him, hence action should also be taken against them too.

A controversy erupted on Friday after Bidhuri used objectionable words against Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha.

Bidhuri received a warning from Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and got served a show cause notice by his party in the matter.

Bidhuri's comments were removed from the proceedings of the parliament.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Trichy (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 24 (ANI): A group of farmers in Tamil Nadu's Trichy on Sunday staged a protest in Cauvery River water over the ongoing dispute with Karnataka.

The farmers were demanding the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

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Meanwhile, the farmers in Karnataka's Mandya are protesting to stop water from being released from Karnataka dams to Tamil Nadu.

Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13.

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A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday while refusing to interfere in the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are regularly meeting and monitoring the water requirements every 15 days.

The court declined to entertain an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government to increase its current share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs per day.

Tamil Nadu has sought fresh directions for the release of Cauvery River water from Karnataka, claiming that the neighbouring State had changed its stand, and had released a reduced quantum of water as against what was agreed upon earlier. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Russian occupation forces shelled Kherson again. One civilian was killed and another wounded in the attack that took place on Saturday, September 23.

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This was reported by the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Prokudin and the head of the Kherson City Military Administration Roman Mrochko. "As of this hour, we know about one dead and one wounded," the statement said.

In particular, a 65-year-old woman sustained life-threatening injuries as a result of another terrorist attack by the Russian army. An enemy artillery shell killed her right in the yard of her house.

A 27-year-old man was also injured. The victim was provided with medical aid. He will undergo additional outpatient treatment in the future.

Fires also broke out after the shelling. The houses of residents were destroyed.

It is known that the occupiers struck Kherson from the temporarily occupied left bank.

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As a reminder, Russian Federation troops committed another war crime in the Kherson region. They dropped explosives from a drone and seriously injured a civilian.

On the morning of Friday, September 22, the enemy once again hit residential buildings in Kherson, killing a young man.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, Russian troops killed a young couple in the occupied part of the Kherson region who refused to cooperate with the illegal "authorities" and did not want to take Russian passports. The terrorists' actions left the Ukrainians' two-year-old daughter an orphan.

Only verified information is available on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
New Delhi [India], September 24 (ANI): In his address at the concluding session of the 'International Lawyers Conference 2023', Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the timing of the conference is appropriate as the Constitution of the country will soon complete 75 years and parliament will be transforming three major laws of the Criminal Justice System.

Shah also talked about steps taken in accordance with the commitment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for women-led development in the G20 summit. He said that India has begun 33pc participation of women in the law-making process in the Lok Sabha and in Vidhan Sabhas.

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"We have sanctioned a budgetary allocation of Rs 7000 cr for the launch of the third phase of the eCourts project. This will ensure Ease of Justice and further improve the justice delivery system," he said.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had inaugurated the International Lawyers Conference 2023 in New Delhi on Saturday.

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"This conference is held at a very important and appropriate time... Because this is the year when our Constitution will complete 75 years. This is the year in which the Parliament is going to transform the three main laws of the Criminal Justice System. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about women-led development in the G20 and placed it in front of the world. To fulfil this, India has started 33pc participation of women in the law-making process in the Lok Sabha and in Vidhan Sabhas," said Shah.

Further talking about changes being made in some of the laws, Shah stressed that no law is ultimate and changes need to be made for better implementation of laws.

"Whether it is GST or the Insolvency Act, the changes being made in these are because of the errors faced after their implementation. It is important for any government or a law-making agency to admit that any law is not in its final form. Changes should be made according to the issues that come up over time after their implementation because the goal of making a law is to establish a smooth system, not to establish the supremacy of the lawmakers and so I think these changes will make laws more relevant," said Amit Shah.

The two-day International Lawyers Conference 2023 is being organised by the Bar Council of India on the theme 'Emerging Challenges in Justice Delivery System'.

The conference aims to serve as a platform for meaningful dialogue and discussion on various legal topics of national and international importance, foster the exchange of ideas and experiences, and strengthen international cooperation and understanding of legal issues.

The conference, which is being organized for the first time in the country, discusses topics such as emerging legal trends, challenges in cross-border litigation, legal technology and environmental law.

The programme witnessed the participation of distinguished judges, legal professionals, and leaders of the global legal fraternity. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The commerce ministry's investigation arm DGTR has "suo-motu" initiated probes against alleged dumping of three products, including unframed glass mirrors and fasteners, by Chinese companies as the authority seeks to guard MSME units against cheap imports from the neighbouring country.

Usually, anti-dumping investigations are initiated based on an application filed by domestic producers, but since the fragmented industries did not have the know-how of the procedures involved in the trade remedy probe, the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has undertaken the exercise to investigate the matter on its own initiative.

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According to three separate notifications, the DGTR said that it is probing alleged dumping of telescopic channel drawer, unframed glass mirror and fasteners.

The move is aimed at granting much-needed protection to the MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) producers against dumped goods from China.

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"This is a giant leap forward from DGTR's first suo-motu investigation in 2000 on dry batteries from China wherein the duties were imposed for five years. This is also the first occasion where India's anti-dumping watchdog has initiated three suo-motu investigations at one go against China," a senior government official said.

The directorate had received information that Indian producers of these three products were facing stiff competition from unfairly priced Chinese imports.

According to one of the notifications, a representation was received from Highhope Furniture Fittings Manufacturers Associates Pvt Ltd consisting of 25 manufacturers of telescopic channel drawer stating that there has been a steep decline in Indian production due to a significant increase in dumped imports from China.

It has been estimated that the import value is Rs 356 crore.

On unframed glass mirror, representation was received from All India Mirror Manufacturers Association.

The maximum producers of unframed glass mirrors are medium, small and micro enterprises. Some have already shut down their production as they were unable to survive the competition faced from the dumped imports from Chinese producers/exporters.

In 2022-2023, the demand for the product has been estimated around 1,10,904 metric tonnes in which the imports from China were 80,178 metric tonnes almost catering to 72 per cent of Indian demand with the import value of Rs 183 crore.

Similarly, Apt Tools and Machinery along with Northern Screw Association filed a representation before the DGTR requesting anti-dumping duty on the imports of nuts, bolts, screws from China.

The imports of these nuts and bolts were Rs 137 crore during the last financial year. The producers of the product are SME which is estimated to be around 179 with an investment of more than Rs 1,200 crore catering to an employment of more than 15,000 people.

The imports from China in the last financial year for this product has been around 16,168 metric tonnes. In 2022-23, India had imported close to USD 100 billion worth of merchandise from China. India's merchandise trade deficit with China stood at USD 83 billion in that fiscal.

To help fragmented industries avail benefits of trade remedies like antidumping and countervailing duties, earlier the DGTR had simplified procedural requirements to facilitate their participation in seeking protection against unfair trade practices of imports.

DGTR had issued trade notices allowing for a sampled analysis of the condition of these industries.

This has made remedies against unfairly priced imports more accessible to domestic producers.

If it is established that the dumping of these products has caused material injury to domestic players, DGTR would recommend the imposition of anti-dumping duty on these imports.

The finance ministry takes the final decision to impose duties.

Anti-dumping probes are conducted by countries to determine whether domestic industries have been hurt because of a surge in cheap imports.

As a countermeasure, they impose these duties under the multilateral regime of Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO). The duty is aimed at ensuring fair trading practices and creating a level-playing field for domestic producers vis-a-vis foreign producers and exporters.

India has already imposed anti-dumping duty on several products to tackle cheap imports from various countries, including China.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Hyderabad, Sep 24 (PTI) Congress leaders in Telangana belonging to the backward classes on Sunday said BC candidates should be given at least 34 seats out of the total 119.

Former Congress MP Madhu Yashki Goud, who is the party's campaign committee chief in the state, said as the PCC president had announced at least 34 seats should be given to BC candidates.

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"Government formation cannot happen without the role of 'Bahujans'. As PCC president had announced, at least 34 seats should be given to backward classes in the coming Assembly elections," Goud told reporters.

Former minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah, former MP V Hanumantha Rao, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Working President Mahesh Kumar Goud and other leaders were present on the occasion.

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The Congress party is currently in the process of selecting candidates for the Assembly polls which would be held in a couple of months.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 24 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has met with Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The meeting discussed the partnership between the UAE and the UN and its organisations and programmes across various areas, including humanitarian work, renewable energy, climate action and sustainable development.

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Sheikh Abdullah and the UN chief reviewed the outcomes of the UAE's membership in the UN Security Council during 2022-2023, its major contributions to multilateral work aimed at achieving international peace and security, as well as its rapid humanitarian response, and its leading efforts and initiatives to tackle various global challenges, including climate change.

The two sides further discussed the UAE's preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) next November in Expo City Dubai.

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In this regard, the UAE's top diplomat affirmed that the UAE recognises the need to accelerate global response to climate change and achieve peace and security, noting that in hosting COP28, the country is looking forward to collaborating with the UN and all world nations to transform climate challenges into opportunities to drive sustainable and economic development and prosperity, securing the future of generations to come.

Additionally, Sheikh Abdullah and Guterres discussed developments in the Middle East, and exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as challenges impeding international peace and security.

The UAE foreign minister highlighted the UAE's firm commitment to working with the UN to enhance security and stability globally, support efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, and direct focus towards efforts to accelerate comprehensive sustainable development for all.

For his part, the UN Secretary-General thanked the UAE for its strengthened engagement with the UN and its hosting of COP28.

Attending the meeting were Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York; Mohamed Issa Abu Shehab, UAE's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; and Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of COP28. (ANI/WAM)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New York [US], September 24 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday (local time) held a bilateral meeting with Cambodia's Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Manet Hun on the sidelines of 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Earlier, Jaishankar held a meeting with Guinea Bissau counterpart Carlos Pereira and discussed expanding development partnership and enhancing trade and investment between two nations.

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In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet FM Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed expanding our development partnership and enhancing our trade and investment."

EAM S Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with his Cyprus counterpart Constantinos Kombos here on Saturday on the margins of the 78th UNGA session. After shaking hands, both the leaders held bilateral talks in the presence of officials from both sides.

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Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, "Nice to meet Foreign Minister @ckombos of Cyprus this morning. Conveyed best wishes to President @Christodulides. Talked about follow-up steps to my visit last December. Indias interest in the Mediterranean is steadily growing. Cyprus will always be a valued partner."

Prior to this, the EAM Jaishankar met Uganda's Foreign Minister General Odongo Jeje. During the meeting, the two leaders noted the progress of various bilateral initiatives.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "So glad to meet FM @GenJejeOdongo of Uganda again, now on #UNGA78 sidelines. Fondly recalled my visit to Uganda. Happy to note that the progress of various bilateral initiatives. Offered our fullest support on their upcoming NAM and G77 Presidencies."

He also met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and held bilateral talks. He appreciated Shoukry's warms words for India's G20 Presidency.

After meeting his Egyptian counterpart, Jaishankar posted on X, "Great to see my friend FM of Egypt Sameh Shoukry in New York on #UNGA78 sidelines. Appreciate his warm words for the Indian Presidency of G20. Took stock of the great progress in our bilateral cooperation. 2023 has been a landmark year in India-Egypt ties. Committed to take them forward."

EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Earlier on Friday, the External Affairs Minister had a productive and busy day of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries on the margins of the 78th United National General Assembly in New York. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Oslo [Norway], September 24 (ANI): Former commander of the Wagner mercenary group, Andrei Medvedev, who sought asylum in Norway earlier this year, has been arrested by Norwegian police over suspicions of attempting to illegally re-enter Russia, CNN reported citing the man's attorney on Saturday.

Andrei Medvedev, fled Russia after the Russian guards opened fire on him in his account of his January flight from Russia over the country's Arctic border with Norway.

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He has talked about his experience fighting with the Wagner organisation in Ukraine. Police stated in a statement late on Friday that a man in his 20s had been arrested for trying to enter Russia illegally, but they did not give his identity. The identity of the individual who had been arrested was withheld by a Finnmark local police officer, reported CNN.

When he first arrived in Norway, Medvedev said he was looking for refuge because he feared for his life after seeing Russian captives who had been carried to the front lines of the Ukrainian conflict killed and treated badly.

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His escape in January garnered international attention as a then-rare instance of defection to a Western nation while claiming to have participated in the Ukraine War as a mercenary for Russia, according to CNN.

Although he acknowledged that doing so may endanger his life, he stated in a YouTube video that he wanted to go back to Russia and described himself as "some kind of a boy in a big game" that he no longer wanted to be a part of. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kabul [Afghanistan], September 24 (ANI): Afghanistan is one of the 10 nations where nearly two million people face acute food insecurity, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

In a statement released on Saturday, UN World Food Programme warned that Afghanistan is one of the 10 nations where 19.9 million people are food insecure.

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According to the report released by the organization, nearly 70 per cent of those in urgent need of food are in nations, including Congo, Nigeria, Sudan, Pakistan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Bangladesh and Somalia, according to Khaama Press report.

The organization said that 41 million people in Afghanistan face severe food insecurity at an alarming level. Prior to WFP's report, several international relief agencies had expressed concerns regarding budget shortages for aiding those in need in Afghanistan.

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Furthermore, David Beasley, the head of the World Food Programme, had warned of suspending his organizations operations in Afghanistan. Beasley said that they lack the budget to continue their programs beyond October, Khaama Press reported.

Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced the allocation of USD400 million to protect the livelihoods and well-being of Afghans who are at risk, with a particular focus on women and girls, Khaama Press reported citing the ADB's statement.

The United Nations will oversee the administration of this assistance. It will primarily address current food shortages, increase regional food production for long-term food security, and make sure that the Afghan people have access to basic healthcare services.

Notably, it is due to the effects of climate change, such as droughts, floods, and earthquakes, Afghanistan is currently experiencing an unparalleled humanitarian catastrophe. Women and children are particularly affected by poverty, which affects around 85 per cent of the population.

According to the report, families headed by women are especially at risk for food shortages and limited access to essential services because of mobility issues, reported Khaama Press.

Three UN organisations will receive off-budget direct money as part of the Expanding Essential Food Security and Health Services Project, also known as Support for Afghan People, to meet their urgent financial requirements for immediate assistance in Afghanistan.

The World Food Programme (WFP) will receive a grant of USD100 million to address food security. Additionally, WFP will undertake Food Assistance for Training programmes to equip mostly women with marketable skills and business possibilities in agricultural areas including fruit and vegetable processing, supporting sustainable income and livelihoods for women. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Sheikhupura, September 24: At least 20 people were injured after two trains collided near Qilla Sattar Shah in Pakistans Sheikhupura district on Sunday, ARY News reported. The accident took place after a Mianwali-bound passenger train hit a freight train already parked on the main railway line, say police. The injured victims include women and children as well, according to ARY News. After the incident, the rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. The condition of five victims is said to be critical.

Notably, this incident comes just months after the major Hazara Express train derailment which killed at least 34 people. Earlier on August 6, at least 34 people were killed and over 100 people sustained injuries after 10 bogies of Hazara Express traveling from Karachi to Rawalpindi derailed near Nawab Shah. Railway officials reported that the tragic incident occurred near Saharai Railway Station, located between Shahzadpur and Nawabshah when the Hazara Express was en route from Karachi, as per ARY News. Odisha Train Crash Deadliest Train Accident in the World Since 2004, Over 200 Dead So Far in Balasore.

Trains Crash in Pakistan

The derailment resulted in 10 bogies veering off the tracks, leading to chaos and injuries among the passengers on board. A preliminary report into the accident stated that the accident happened due to missing fishplates and a broken track, Dawn reported. After the incident, Pakistan Railways also suspended six officials in connection with the horrific train accident. Mexico City Metro Crash: One Person Dead, 57 Injured After Two Trains Collide Between La Raza and Potrero Stations.

Notably, the old rails and historic bridges make Pakistan Railways dangerous and unsafe. Over the system, there are 13,841 bridges, including 532 major and 13,309 minor ones. Surprisingly, practically all of the bridges were built when the subcontinent's railway system was inaugurated in 1870, according to The Nation. Also, the theft of rail tracks, engines and particular parts has been commonplace for decades in Pakistan, The Nation reported. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Islamabad [Paskistan], September 24 (ANI): The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has proposed 18 amendments to the election rules in line with the amendments to the elections act introduced by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led coalition government, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Dawn is a Pakistan-based English newspaper.

Also Read | NASA's OSIRIS-REx Mission Delivers First-Ever Rock Sample From Asteroid Bennu in US (Watch Video).

Dawn reported that the commission has sought suggestions for the proposed changes till October 7 and will later make a final decision.

According to the notification, the candidate will have to open a separate bank account for election expenses or allocate the existing account, while the joint account of the candidate participating in the election will not be acceptable.

Also Read | Nawaz Sharif Will Be Treated As per Law on Return, Says Pakistans Caretaker Information Minister.

The Pakistan-based news daily reported that the Returning officers (ROs) will provide results to candidates at the respective district election commission office.

The commission has also proposed to change the rules related to postal ballots, the postal ballots will be sealed in separate packets and sent to respective ROs.

If the postal ballot is not received by the relevant RO before the election day, the votes will not be included in the count.

According to the proposed changes to the rules, the RO will hand over the results in the presence of candidates, and the RO will compile and seal forms 47, 48, 49 for the results,.

The candidate will be obliged to provide complete details of election expenses and financial expenditures on the election campaign. According to the proposed rules, candidates will be obliged to open a separate bank account before submitting the nomination papers.

The amount of PKR 1 lakh has been fixed for filing a petition related to the election which will be decided in 180 days. Similarly, a fine of PKR 10,000 to PKR 50,000 will be imposed for seeking adjournment during the hearing.

Also, political parties would be required to share intra-party polls schedule with the ECP 15 days before the election, the ECP notification said. Under the proposed rules, political parties will have to submit details after seven days of the intra-party election.

The nomination fee will be non-refundable, and the amount will be deposited in the government treasury.

According to the ECP, if another person spends money on the election campaign of a candidate, the candidate will also need to provide all the records of the financiers identity, types of expenses and sources of income, reported Dawn News.

The commission will reconcile the sum of expenses recorded in Forms C, 67 and 68 within the permissible limit of the election expenses of the returned candidate. In the amendments being introduced in the election rules, it has been said the penalty imposed on political parties will be deposited in the government treasury. Political parties will also have to provide details of those who contribute more than Rs1 million in the party fund.

Dawn news reported, details of the candidates immovable property within the country and abroad, as well as assets purchased, will also be disclosed. In addition to this, information about the candidates vehicles, jewellery, bank deposits and cash on hand will also be submitted on the form. The

RO will open the rejected votes in the presence of the candidate and the election agent, and the RO will prepare and seal the interim and final results on Forms 47, 48, and 49. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New York [US], September 24 (ANI): Administrator of UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Achim Steiner has lauded Indias G20 presidency and underscored Indias prominent role in significant initiatives for South-South cooperation.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Steiner said, So, at the end of very intense UNGA week with over 100 heads of state and hundreds of ministers and civil society representatives discussing the future of development, climate change, but also geopolitics, I think it became clear that India has had a very prominent role, particularly this year G20 presidency, but also many of the significant initiatives for South-South cooperation that we discussed here.

Also Read | Hardeep Singh Nijjar Killing: US Confirms Intelligence Sharing Among Five Eyes Partners Made Canada PM Justin Trudeau Allege Indias Role.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event.

Steiner also stated that the UNDP will continue to walk alongside India to aid the developing countries.

Also Read | Turkey Condemns 'Provocative Attacks' Against Quran After Dutch Far-Right Activist Edwin Wagensveld Rips Islam's Holy Book in Front of Turkish Embassy in Netherlands.

This afternoon feature the United Nations, the United Nations Development Program, and particularly as we look forward to India's leadership. For instance, on digital public infrastructure. UNDP will continue to walk alongside India in helping developing countries take advantage of the digital opportunities of the future, he said.

Other countries have also congratulated India's G20 Presidency.

Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji on Saturday (local time) said India's G20 Presidency was "stunning and exemplary" and termed India a "very strong partner" for Bhutan.

Dorji said, "India has always been a very strong partner for Bhutan and will continue to wish India the best. And we hope that India will continue to be the voice of the Global South."

"Absolutely stunning, as I mentioned, India's presidency of the G20 was very, very exemplary. In that, it represented all of the global south. And for the entire year, India has always included the participation of all the countries from the Global South. And we are very, very proud to be a partner of India," he added.

Speaking to ANI, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa said, "The colleagues who spoke on the presidency of India's G20 encapsulated, I think, the general feeling of the South in terms of India's leadership and stewardship of the development process and in partnerships with the South. And I think there's been a significant leadership role. And you can see by the representation at the meeting today people's appreciation of that leadership, which is very much needed in the current geopolitical framework and architecture."

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, UNGA President and the foreign ministers of several nations, including Bhutan, Dominica participated in the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event.

Jaishankar called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide."

In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development in New York, Jaishankar spoke abou India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda.

Notably, Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

After concluding his visit to New York city, Jaishankar will travel to Washington, DC. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Ukrainian troops have broken through the Russian invaders' defense line in Verbove, Zaporizhzhia. Our defenders continue to move forward, albeit not as fast as in the movies about World War II.

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This is what Brigadier General and commander of the Tavria operational-strategic group Oleksandr Tarnavsky told CNN. According to him, our troops have succeeded on the left flank of the settlement, and now the main thing is not to lose the initiative.

The publication recalled that Ukrainian troops have claimed to have broken through the "first line" of Russian strongholds in the Zaporizhzhia region in recent weeks. This is a sign that Kyiv is approaching an extensive network of fortified Russian trenches along the southern front.

Ukraine's long-term goal is to break the Russian "land bridge" that connects the temporarily occupied territories in the east with Russia-controlled Crimea.

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Tarnavsky expressed his belief that winter will not be an obstacle to the continuation of the counteroffensive of the Defense Forces, as Ukrainian soldiers are advancing mostly without equipment and in small groups. The biggest breakthrough on the front is still ahead. For further success, Ukrainian forces need to reach at least the city of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhia region.

ISW reported that on September 22, the Ukrainian Defense Forces made progress in Donetsk and western Zaporizhzhia regions. In particular, they managed to advance southeast of Klishchiivka near Bakhmut and north of Novoprokopivka in the Melitopol direction.

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As reported by OBOZREVATEL:

- Veteran of the Russian-Ukrainian war, reserve major of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Hetman said that the so-called Surovikin line is a well-fortified line of defense of the Russian occupation forces. However, the Ukrainian Defense Forces know how to overcome such obstacles and will do it quickly enough.

- President Zelensky said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will de-occupy Bakhmut and two other key cities. According to him, the Ukrainian command already has a detailed plan for this.

Only verified information on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
As part of a crackdown on dissent, Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed for 25 years in April. His lawyer says he is now being held in a tiny "punishment cell" in a penal colony in the remote city of Omsk.A Russian opposition figure, jailed for publicly denouncing his country's invasion of Ukraine, has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia, his lawyer said Sunday.

Also Read | Kolkata Fire: Blaze Erupts at Battery Godown in Chandni Chowk Market (Watch Video).

Vladimir Kara-Murza Jr. was sentenced to 25 years in prison for treason earlier this year as part of the Kremlin's relentless crackdown on dissent.

Also Read | Baerbock Criticizes Late Change to EU Migrant Reforms.

He was found guilty of spreading "false information" about the Russian army and of having links to an "undesirable organization" in a closed-door trial.

On Thursday, he arrived at IK-6, a maximum security penal colony in the Siberian city of Omsk, and was placed in a tiny "punishment cell," his lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said in a Facebook post.

Omsk is some 2,700 kilometers (1,670 miles) east of Moscow.

Siberia move puts Kara-Murza's health at risk

Prokhorov said placing the 42-year-old in such cells puts his fragile health at risk as he suffers from a nerve condition called polyneuropathy due to two poisoning attempts.

Authorities in Russia have regularly sent imprisoned dissidents to punishment cells in recent months over alleged minor infractions, a practice that is widely considered designed to put additional pressure on Kremlin critics behind bars.

The lawyer said the transfer from a detention center in Moscow, where Kara-Murza was being held pending trial and appeals, took less than three weeks.

Russian prison transfers, usually done by train, are notorious for taking a long time, sometimes weeks, during which there's no access to prisoners, and information about their whereabouts is limited.

Kara-Murza is a dual Russian-British citizen, a journalist and an opposition activist.

Kara-Murza survived poisonings in 2015 and 2017 that he blamed on the Kremlin, which Russian officials have denied.

He was an associate of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov, who was killed near the Kremlin in 2015.

US speech on Ukraine war led to arrest

The charges against him stemmed from a speech he gave weeks prior to his arrest to the Arizona House of Representatives in which he denounced Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has unleashed an unprecedented crackdown on dissent since Moscow's troops rolled into Ukraine in February last year.

Kara-Murza rejected the charges against him and called them punishment for standing up to Putin.

He likened the proceedings to the show trials under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

In the month following the announcement of Kara-Murza's unprecedentedly long sentence, several international leaders and supporters demanded that Russia allow his release.

mm/nm (AFP, AP)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 25, 2023 12:30 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Ankara, September 24: Turkey condemned the "provocative attacks" on the Quran outside embassies of Muslim countries, including the Turkish embassy, in the Netherlands, the country's Foreign Ministry said. "We condemn the spread of these provocative attacks, which aim to humiliate our religion and its believers, in European countries where they are tolerated, and these acts of hatred are allowed under the guise of freedom of expression," the Ministry said on Saturday in a statement. Quran Burning in Sweden: Protesters Storm Swedish Embassy in Baghdad Over Burning of Holy Islamic Book, Video Surfaces

Effective measures must now be taken by the countries, where the "attacks" take place, against these provocations, which are recognised by the United Nations as religious hatred and a violation of international law, the statement added. The Ministry called on the Dutch authorities to take necessary action against the perpetrator of the incident and to take precautions to prevent these incidents from recurring, Xinhua news agency reported. Quran Burning in Europe: India Backs Pakistan's Proposal for Resolution in UN Against Burning of Quran in Sweden

"Turkey will continue its fight against this sick and hate-based mentality with determination on every platform," it said. Edwin Wagensveld, leader of Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA), tore Islam's holy book Quran in the Netherlands on Saturday, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported. In his protests throughout the day in the city of The Hague, Wagensveld tore the Quran in front of the Turkish embassy as well as the embassies of Pakistan and Indonesia, according to Anadolu. He had previously been involved in several demonstrations of tearing the Quran, the agency said.
Election Day 2023 is Tuesday, Nov. 7, and voters in Lehigh and Northampton counties face choices in statewide, county, municipal and school board races.

The last day to register to vote in the General Election in Pennsylvania is Oct. 23. Oct. 31 is the last day to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot  and these ballots must be received by the county board of elections by 8 p.m. Nov. 7.

Following are tables looking at the elections contested races in the Lehigh Valley. Click here to view the Lehigh County list and here for Northampton County, since they may not display on all platforms  or to view them full-screen.

For the complete list of candidates on the ballot  including uncontested races  plus ballot questions, visit the websites of Lehigh County Voter Registration at lehighcounty.org or the Northampton County Office of Elections and Voter Registration at northamptoncounty.org.

Editors note: The list of Northampton County contested races was updated to correct the parties of Lehigh Township candidate for supervisor Phillip Gogel, Lower Mount Bethel Township candidates for supervisor David M. Ascani and Christopher M. Cook, and Saucon Valley School District candidate for school director Bill Broun, after incorrect information was provided by the county.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
A couple Lehigh Valley restoration projects have received statewide honors for preserving history.

Preservation Pennsylvania, a nonprofit organization dedicated to historical preservation, has honored two local projects with Pennsylvania State Historic Preservation Awards.

The awards honor exceptional preservation work taking place across the commonwealth.

The organization gave the Leadership Award for Community Involvement to the Slate Belt History Project, including the Quarry Hoist Pavilion.

This award was given for three projects that formed a tribute to the slate industry, which include a student mural depicting an active quarry, a documentary short about the industry, and the completion of a timber frame pavilion to house an original quarry hoist.

Th award recognizes Bangor Borough, Totts Gap Arts Institute, The Slate Belt Heritage Center, and the National Museum of Industrial History, which is in Bethlehem, for their efforts.

In 2016, the quarry hoist was brought for display to Bethel Park in Bangor near the intersection of Market and First streets.

The hoist was built in 1900 by S. Flory Manufacturing Co. for use by the Stephens-Jackson Co. at the Albion Quarry in Pen Argyl. The Dally Slate Co. eventually took ownership and used the hoist until about 1980.

In 2018 Mike Piersa, a historian and museum specialist at the National Museum of Industrial History, fired up the quarry hoist for a demonstration. In April, a dedication ceremony was held for the pavilion that has been built over the hoist.

Students from the Totts Gap Arts Institute in Upper Mount Bethel Township helped create a mural of a slate quarry on the side of the Hometown Brand Center building in Bangor, earning recognition from the nonprofit Preservation Pennsylvania with a 2023 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards.John Best | lehighvalleylive.com contributor

Local students from the Totts Gap Arts Institute painted a mural, with the assistance of institute founder and artistic director James Gloria, near Bethel Park on the side of the Hometown Brand Center building, 58 Market St.

I think its first and foremost about the children, Gloria said. Giving them a sort of term paper with research and the process of design. The art part of it was secondary. It instilled pride in them. A lot of them didnt know the history of the quarries.

The arts institute and the Slate Belt Heritage Center worked with filmmaker Lois Silver to create the documentary From the Earth A Tribute to the Slate Belt Heritage and Culture.

The documentary details the history of immigrants moving to what is now known as the Slate Belt, which spans the northern section of Northampton County, and their quarry work.

The film includes an interview with Andrew Polo, from Roseto, who started working in a Pen Argyl quarry at 16 years old. Polo worked in the quarry for about 50 years where he ran steam-powered equipment. Polo died in 2019 at age 86.

Another honor was given for renovations at the Old Lehigh County Courthouse at 501 Hamilton St. in Allentown.

The award for construction rehabilitation honors the efforts of Lehigh County; Artefact Inc.; The Architectural Studio; Benesch; Strunk-Albert Engineering; Skanska USA; S.A. Comunale; Albarell Electric; JBM Mechanical; and The Warko Group; and Wilmer R. Schultz Inc.

The 2023 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Awards are being presented Thursday, Oct. 19 at the Pennsylvania State Museum in Harrisburg.

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

John Best is a freelance contributor to lehighvalleylive.com. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Business was buzzing at the ploughing in the Laois Tastes tent, for Laois small companies and community groups.

The big tent held a range of interesting local ventures, including spicy sauces, pressed oils, home bakes and jams, children's books, coffee and beer, crafts and farm security systems.

The Laois Volunteer Centre stand was manned by yoga teacher Alice Carroll, manager Caitriona Ryan and outreach officer Storm Powell.

"We recruit volunteers for the community and volunteer sector, there's no fees, we're like a go-between, giving the security that they are going the official route with Garda vetting required," Caitriona explained.

Surprisingly, they are getting enquiries from companies far from Laois.

"We got a query from a big finance company with bases in Cork and Dublin who want to get involved in Laois, to send corporate volunteers for a couple of days of volunteering.

"There is a lot of interest in supporting people tented in Stradbally. We are here to help but we can only send people through official organisations. We can help them to find volunteers.

"People are so enthusiastic and positive about volunteering, we are very fortunate that we get to hear that passion for giving back," the manager said.

Spicing Laois up are Portarlington couple Seamus and Mimo O'Flynn, founders of O'Mimo's, a range of spicy sauces cooked up at home.

"We got up and running in 2020 a week before Covid hit, we met Helen Gee and then Mark Clancy from LEO who propelled us into taking courses. We started as a thank you to Al's Fish Shop but we are also now in Solas and four SuperValu shops," Cork native Seamus said.

"There's no reason to go to West Cork for food now, it is fantastic in Laois for small producers, and I'm from Mallow," he said.

Connecticut native Mimo said new businesses don't get the same kind of support in the US.

"Here we get grants, support, mentors, training, the whole package. We are astounded at how kids embrace hot sauces now, the students here are the ploughing are daring each other, and I'm surprised at how much they buy," she said.

One of the most established businesses there is Corrig Hill Coffee, also from Portarlington.

Tom with customers Tony and Eamonn Conneely from Meath in the Laois Tastes Tent.

Tom Naughton roasts and also custom packages speciality blend coffees to supply cafes and companies, employing five people.

"It's fantastic here at Laois Tastes, the President even stopped by, I'm very happy," he said.

Brian Brennan is chairperson of Laois Tastes.

"The Laois Tastes tent is all about the small food and drinks producers in the county, to promote them and give them a place to shine. As a small producer you don't otherwise get to places like the ploughing. It's great to get this opportunity, and the producers get knowledge from each other as well. We are supported by Laois County Council and the business support unit LEo and Leader all help to get brands up and running," he said.
A Castledermot man was sentenced for multiple offences by a Naas District Court judge on Thursday, September 21.

Patrick Stokes, with an address given as 49 Lerr Avenue in Castledermot, but who is serving a custodial sentence for other offences, appeared before Judge Desmond Zaidan on the date in question via video-link.

The 42-year-old admitted to committing a number of offences throughout County Kildare.

On February 11 last, Mr Stokes stole 17 bottles of Smirnoff vodka from a Lidl store, worth a total of 391.

These items were not recovered, according to gardai.

On May 25 last, gardai said that Mr Stokes allegedly went into a County Kildare service station and was spotted 'rummaging around' the staff room on CCTV, looking for items 'with intent to commit an arrestable offence.'

Lastly, on August 9 last, it was heard that he went into the Elvery's store on the Main Street of Naas.

He spotted a pair of tracksuit bottoms, removed the security tages, and proceeded to put a pair of tracksuit bottoms into his own tracksuit bottoms, and walked out of the store without paying for them.

Upon reading the case details, Judge Zaidan remarked: "The brand name was Under Armour... you couldn't make it up!"

In addition to these offences, which he pleaded guilty to, Mr Stokes is accused of stealing around 5,995 from a safe located inside Inver Service Station in Athy on August 11 last.

Judge Zaidan refused jurisdiction over this offence.

Gardai noted that Mr Stokes has 66 previous convictions, with his last theft conviction dating to 2020 for an offence committed in 2018.

Defending barrister Aishling Murphy told the judge that her client had struggled with an addiction to both heroin and crack cocaine addiction for the last 20 years.

She added that he planned to seek treatment for his addiction as soon as he is realised from prison.

Ms Murphy also said: "The court knows that when someone is in the throes of addiction, they are not thinking straight; they are just thinking about getting their next fix."

Judge Zaidan also remarked that 'the common thread' in the offences was a lack of violence from Mr Stokes in order to obtain the goods he stole.

He also took into consideration Mr Stokes' personal circumstances and his guilty pleas.

The judge ultimately decided to take into account the first offence, and imposed a five-month sentence on each of the other two offences (totalling ten months in custody imposed on Mr Stokes).

Ms Murphy asked Judge Zaidan to backdate the sentence to when he first went into custody on September 7 last, which he agreed to do.

The case regarding the alleged Athy offence will resume on October 5, which is when a book of evidence is due to be presented.
A play by Neil Titley starring Will Gowan as Oscar Wilde will be staged at the Moat Theatre, Naas on September 28.

Titled Work is the Curse of the Drinking Class, it is set in Paris, 1898. It is a year since Oscar Wildes release from prison in the UK, where, at the height of his fame, he served two years hard labour for gross indecency with men.

Impoverished and in failing health, Wilde stays alone at a dingy hotel in Saint-Germain-des-Pres and spends what little money he has on alcohol.

This poverty really breaks ones heart, he wrote to his publisher, it is so filthy, so utterly depressing, so hopeless, pray do what you can.

He was to die two years later, at the age of 46, in exile from his family and his home.

In 2017, Wilde was among an estimated 50,000 men who were pardoned in the UK for homosexual acts that were no longer considered offences under the Policing and Crime Act (homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales in 1967, and in Ireland in 1993).

According to the Evening Stanard, Titley balances Wildes almost dutiful humour with an unsentimental portrayal of his suffering in Reading Gaol, his bitter perception of mans inhumanity to man. He also captures his characters dignity in despair and the comedy makes the heartbreak of Wildes life even more poignant. It is a most moving effect.

The Irish Times described teh play as Charming and Witty.

Tickets are priced at 18, concessions at 16 plus 1.50 online booking fee.

For further information log on to www.moattheatre.com
Russian troops are preparing to conduct new sabotage on the northern border. In particular, the occupiers are trying to organize subversive actions on the border between the Kharkiv and Sumy regions of Ukraine.

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This was reported by the National Resistance Center. It is noted that a training company of the 2nd Separate Special Forces Brigade of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation arrived near the Russian city of Graivoron, Belgorod region.

The main purpose of these exercises is to train personnel for operations in the border areas of Ukraine.

The occupiers have sent their saboteurs to the border regions of Ukraine to conduct training for further sabotage operations.

"However, thanks to concerned locals, their movements are known, so not all of them will make it to the end," the statement said.

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Earlier, Naev said that Ukraine was strengthening the protection of the state border in Volyn. According to him, the number of border guards has been increased, the system of defensive borders and positions is being actively developed, and additional weapons systems, anti-tank weapons, and air defense will be deployed there in case of an increased threat. Meanwhile, Ukrainian intelligence is closely monitoring the enemy on the other side of the border to detect signals of an increasing military threat.

Earlier it was reported that a series of joint exercises of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) will take place in Belarus in September. They can be used by Russia to legitimize the build-up of its military presence in Belarus.

Only verified information in our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber . Do not fall for fakes!
A number of concerned locals held a solidarity event outside The Gables property in the town of Newbridge today as part of an event which was organised through Facebook.

Between 20 and 25 people held a discussion around their concerns surrounding the announcement from earlier this week that 100 male International Protection Applicants (IPAs) would be accommodated at former B&B. The nationalities of the asylum seekers were not specified.

IPAs are distinct from Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection (also known as BOTPs), which refers to displaced Ukrainian nationals.

Two gardai arrived to monitor the situation outside The Gables, and spoke to the attendees for around two to three minutes before leaving.

VIEWS ON THE GROUND

The Leinster Leader spoke to one woman, who did not wish to give her name, who pointed to the lack of political representatives at the meeting.

She asked: "Where are the councillors?", while another woman, who also wished to remain anonymous, claimed that a number of locals were afraid to turn up to the meeting 'for fear of being labelled racist or far-right.'

One local man, who gave his name as William, said that he 'has a lot of sympathy for refugees.'

He said: "It would be unfair to expose them to people (nearby) who are wealthier, it could create a sense of inequality (in the area)."

Another woman who gave her name as Shannon said: "Where are the women and children? And what about the Irish homeless?"

Another woman said that she feels saddened by the loss of the pool and leisure facilities in The Gables for locals.

One woman said that she knew of a young Irish mother is couch-surfing at present with a young child, and cannot seem to secure accommodation for herself.

"This has nothing to do with the fact that the men are foreign, it comes down to: 'why is there no help for the locals?'

Similar to the initial public consultation surrounding the potential installation of modular homes for displaced Ukrainians in the Lakeside Park/Highfield/Dara Park area in Newbridge, the general consensus of the attendees revolved around concerns such has the apparent lack of communication from the government.

NFA STATEMENT

The community group Newbridge4 For All (NFA) has also issued a new statement regarding the situation.

NFA said: "We are reaching out to those of you who have 'signed-up' to the Values of Newbridge for All.

"Some of you may have already heard that The Gables in Newbridge has been contracted for 12 months to host young men seeking safety in our community who are currently awaiting status for international protection.

"The people arriving in Newbridge are here seeking safety, stability, and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. It is our moral duty to extend a welcoming hand and a warm heart to those who have experienced unimaginable hardships."

The group continued: "Offering refuge to those in dire need is a testament to our community's compassion and humanity; it reminds us of the importance of standing together and providing hope to those who have lost so much.

"Those who have travelled here have demonstrated incredible resilience and determination in the face of adversity and so we must embrace them in the spirit of true solidarity.

"Some people may want to divide us by spreading fear and misinformation about people seeking refuge coming into our communities because they have nothing else to offer but we must show that together we are stronger than fear and we must come together as a community to dispel any attempt to drum up hate and fear.

"We may need to call on you in the next short while to offer solidarity in terms of practical support and community goodwill and we would very much appreciate it if you used your community links and influence to support those coming into our community in any way you can.

"In the meantime, please keep an eye on our social media for further information."

Evonne Boland, who serves on NFA's co-ordination team, added: "We are heartened by the many messages of solidarity and offers of practical support received since the news broke this week regarding the plans for The Gables, Newbridge.

Offers ranging from language support, meeting spaces, creative and theatrical workshops, volunteering opportunities and much more have been received from the local community - both groups and individuals.

"It is reassuring to see the community rallying to welcome and support those in need in this way."

She concluded: "We welcome anyone who would like to contribute to this community response to get in touch with us via our social media or on newbridge4all@gmail.com."

Update: According to the Facebook page Newbridge - Concerned Parents Alliance, there are plans for a follow-up event at The Gables on Wednesday, September 27 at 7pm.
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During the French senatorial elections, on Sunday, September 24, 2023. JULIEN MUGUET POUR LE MONDE

France's right-wing opposition was on Sunday, September 24, on course to extend their historic domination of the Senat, in elections marking another electoral setback for the ruling party of President Emmanuel Macron. With the biggest party Les Republicains (LR, right-wing) followed by the Socialists, the composition of the Senat is a throwback to traditional French politics up until the last decade, when presidential elections have been dominated by the centrist Macron, hard-left and far-right.

Read more A guide to the French senatorial elections

The results of Sunday's voting showed a trend toward incumbent senators keeping their seats, indicating Les Republicain would remain by far the largest group followed by the Socialists. Les Republicains party said it expected to have 143-144 senators, almost identical to its current contingent of 145, while its more centrist allies in the chamber were hoping for 60 senators. Patrick Kanner, head of the Socialists in the Senat, said he expected an alliance of his party along with the Greens and Communists to get around 100 seats. The hard left has stayed out of this alliance

Macron's party lost its overall majority in the Assemblee Nationale in the 2022 parliamentary elections and has rammed through a string of laws including a controversial pension reform  using an article of the French constitution that allows bills to pass without a vote.

In one major embarrassment for Macron's faction, Sonia Backes, the state secretary for citizen issues, and the only minister standing on Sunday, lost her seat in the Pacific territory of New Caledonia to pro-independence candidate Robert Xowie.

'Counter power'

Senat speaker Gerard Larcher of Les Republicains is expected to remain in his job  which last week saw the 74-year-old welcome King Charles III to the Senat  by winning a sixth consecutive mandate. "This senatorial renewal reinforces the senatorial majority of the right and the center," said Larcher, describing the chamber as an "essential counter-power". Bruno Retailleau, president of the Les Republicains group in the Senat, said the result marked a "new failure" of the French president showing his party's "lack of connection on the ground".

Francois Patriat, head of a pro-Macron group in the Senat, said the president would be able to count on around 20 supporters in the chamber. "In the current context, this is strong resistance. This is not a defeat."

Marine Lepen's Rassemblement National (RN) celebrated its return to the Senat, winning three seats.

Prominent Greens politician Yannick Jadot, who stood in the 2022 presidential elections, won a seat, as did high-profile Communist Ian Brossat who is responsible for housing issues at Paris city hall.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes How the Senat established itself as the chamber of oversight
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan delivers a video address to the nation in Yerevan on September 24, 2023. HANDOUT / AFP

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday, September 24, signaled a major foreign policy shift away from Russia following Moscow's refusal to enter the latest conflict over disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. Pashinyan told the nation in a major television address that his former Soviet republic's current foreign security alliances were "ineffective" and "insufficient". He added that Armenia should join the International Criminal Court (ICC)  a tribunal that has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his actions in Ukraine.

His address aired just days after Azerbaijan claimed full control over Nagorno-Karabakh in a lightning offensive that forced the ethnic Armenian separatist territory to sue for peace. The separatists' apparent capitulation could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged  off and on  through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Nagorno-Karabakh conflict reaches turning point with separatists' surrender

Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)  a Russian-dominated group comprised of six post-Soviet states. The group pledges to protect other members that come under attack. But Russia is bogged down in a war in Ukraine and has grown more isolated on the international stage. It argued that Yerevan itself recognized the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan and refused to come to Armenia's aid.

"It has become evident to all of us that the CSTO instruments and the instruments of the Armenian-Russian military-political cooperation are insufficient for protecting the external security of Armenia," he said. "We must transform and supplement the instruments of Armenia's external and domestic security, in cooperation with all the partners who are ready for mutually beneficial steps," Pashinyan said.

'Fuel to the fire'

Pashinyan's address came after days of increasingly strong criticism in Moscow of what has been Russia's main ally in the volatile Caucasus. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday accused Armenia of "adding fuel to the fire" with its public rhetoric. Moscow had earlier this month summoned Armenia's ambassador following its decision to decision to host US forces for small peacekeeping drills. Russian state television commentators have been attacking Pashinyan and other Armenian leaders for their criticism of Moscow.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes Azerbaijan's bombardment of Nagorno-Karabakh illustrates waning of Moscow's influence

Pashinyan's comments about the ICC threaten to generate particular anger in the Kremlin. ICC judge Tomoko Akane issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for the war crime of allegedly unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. Putin has avoided visiting other ICC member nations to avoid the possibility of arrest. Pashinyan sent the Rome Statute  a founding document of the ICC for parliamentary ratification earlier this month.

The Armenian leader said the ICC could help "ensure our security". "The decision is not directed against CSTO and the Russian Federation," Pashinyan said of his desire to join the tribunal. "It comes from the interests of the country's external security, and taking such a decision is our sovereign right." He concluded his address by calling "on our colleagues to respect our sovereignty".

Karabakh refugees enter Armenia

The first group of Nagorno-Karabakh refugees since Azerbaijan's lighting assault against the separatist region entered Armenia on Sunday, an AFP team at the border said.

The group of a few dozen people passed by Azerbaijani border guards before entering the Armenian village of Kornidzor, where they were registered by officials from Armenia's foreign ministry. The group was primarily comprised of women, children and the elderly.

The separatists said earlier Sunday that civilians left homeless by the latest violence would be transferred to Armenia with the help of Russian peacekeepers. Azerbaijan has also pledged to allow rebel fighters who lay down their arms to leave along the so-called Lachin Corridor to Armenia.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes In Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan uses hunger as a weapon
Passengers arrive at the Diori Hamani International airport in Niamey on September 22, 2023. - / AFP

Niger's military rulers have banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website.

Niger's airspace is "open to all national and international commercial flights except for French aircraft or aircraft chartered by France including those of the airline Air France," it said in the statement dated late Saturday, September 23. The air space would remain closed for "all military, operational and other special flights", unless receiving prior authorization, the message said.

Air France simply told Agence France Presse that it was "not flying over Niger airspace".

Niger had reopened its airspace on September 4 for commercial flights after having been closed for nearly a month. The West African nation had announced on August 6 it was closing its airspace due to the "threat of intervention from neighboring countries", as the Economic Community of West African States threatened military action to restore the elected President Mohamed Bazoum who had been overthrown in a coup on July 26. France has repeatedly supported the West African bloc, and relations between Paris and Niamey have been at an all-time low since the coup.

Read more Article reserve a nos abonnes How France was driven out of the Sahel
GARDAI are warning Limerick students on how to avoid becoming money mules.

A money mule is a person who allows their account to be used for the transfer of others stolen or illegal money.

They may or may not be aware of the crime, however, they are complicit if they allow their account to be used to launder the proceeds of criminality.

Those aged 18-24, and those over 55 years of age are the most commonly targeted age groups by organised crime gangs to act as money mules.

Vulnerable people such as those who are new to the country, students, people who are unemployed or under financial pressure are also likely to be targeted.

Those who purchase illegal drugs may be offered to pay off their drug debt by becoming a money mule.

Garda John Finnerty from Henry Street garda station said that ignorance is no excuse and penalties include a prison sentence of up to 14 years, a criminal conviction with a lifetime criminal record, and not being permitted to open another bank account.

"There can be advertisements for jobs on online platforms offering seemingly easy or quick money that are in fact a recruitment front for money mules.

"Anyone who thinks they are being approached to become a money mule should refuse to provide their bank details and to contact An Garda Siochana.

"If an account has already been compromised, the account holder should contact their bank and An Garda Siochana.

"We can confirm that over 830 money mules had been identified in Ireland in the past number of years.

"The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau estimate that there are at least 4,000 money mules linked to their investigations who have used Irish addresses. The vast majority are young people in all corners of Ireland".
A LIMERICK councillor has expressed concern at plans to dezone land in Patrickswell which may rule out the building of homes.

Independent councillor Fergus Kilcoyne was speaking in relation to the villages new local area plan which is open for people to have their say on until next month.

Once passed, this plan will effectively govern what can and cannot be built in the area.

If planning permission is sought for homes on land which has been dezoned, it is unlikely this would be approved.

Councillor Kilcoyne, a businessman in Patrickswell, pointed to land for up to 175 new homes set to be dezoned in the plan.

Its something he described as a retrograde step.

At a recent meeting in Patrickswell between a local group and the Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien, I voiced my concern that lands were earmarked to be dezoned. The minister stated only flood plain lands should be dezoned and would be writing to council managers, he said.

This, Cllr Kilcoyne claimed, has not happened in Limerick.

Land for houses near the roundabout, the old school, and around the main road are in line for dezoning, he said.

Its the role of local members to pass area plans, and Cllr Kilcoyne said he will seek to have the lands in line for dezoning kept as housing.

A council spokesperson said the plan currently has provision for 306 new homes in the area, a figure it describes as being adequate.
GARDAI have secured a destruction order for a high-powered getaway car used in a shooting in Askeaton.

Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy made the application, under the Police (Property) Act, 1897, before Judge Carol Anne Coolican in Newcastle West Court on Thursday.

Det Sgt Reidy said the vehicle in question - a Seat Leon - was used in the course of a firearm being discharged in Askeaton on July 13, 2019.

Two people were convicted following a trial, said Det Sgt Reidy.

The trial, which took place in Limerick Circuit Court in 2022, heard that a man recklessly discharged at least four shots at a house where infant twins were sleeping.

Larry OConnor, then aged 33, who has an address at The Lodges, Ballykisteen, County Tipperary was convicted of several charges, including reckless discharge of a firearm, arising from the incident at Deelside, The Quay, Askeaton in the early hours of July 13, 2019.

His brother  Daniel OConnor, then aged 42, who has an address at Hassett's Villas, Thomondgate, Limerick pleaded guilty to a burglary charge  on the second day of the trial.

Det Sgt Reidy, who gave evidence at the trial, told the circuit court that Daniel OConnor was the driver of a high-powered getaway car. He said a cousin of the defendants lives at the house in Askeaton with his partner and twins  who were 10-months-old at the time.

Larry OConnor was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment while Daniel OConnor was sentenced to seven years with the final year suspended.

Larry OConnor subsequently appealed his conviction. The Court of Appeal dismissed his application in July of this year.

Det Sgt Reidy told Newcastle West Court on Thursday that gardai located and seized the Seat Leon in a public car-park in Portlaoise in the course of their investigation.

Det Sgt Reidy said gardai worked with Interpol (The International Criminal Police Organization) and the Police Service of Northern Ireland to uncover that the car was purchased at an auction in Northern Ireland. Prior to that it was owned by a person in Manchester in England, the court heard.

Det Sgt Reidy said following their enquiries no owner of the Seat Leon has been established. He applied to the judge for a destruction order. Judge Coolican granted the application.

It means the vehicle can now be disposed off instead of the State incurring the cost of storing it.
The Ceann Comhairle has pledged to protect Irish democracy from hate mongers.

Violent scenes marred the first day back at Leinster House last week following the summer recess.

Gardai had to move in on Wednesday as demonstrations saw entrances to Leinster House blocked and included a mock gallows featuring ministers and opposition TDs.

The Ceann Comhairle Sean O Fearghail has met with senior members of An Garda Siochana, but said no conclusions have been reached around security.

He said a review on what happened and how it was handled will be ongoing over a period of time.

Speaking to Newstalk Radio, Mr O Fearghail said he and his colleagues have a fear of a repeat of what happened in Great Britain where MPs Jo Cox and David Amess were killed.

But he said they did not want to create a parliament at a remove, some sort of ivory tower that cannot be approached by the Irish public.

We dont want that, but neither can we allow staff or members to be intimidated, vilified and threatened as they were in the course of this week, he said.

Mr O Fearghail said they are looking at the situation in a nuanced way to ensure peaceful protests can continue.

If the IFA or the INTO or whoever are doing one of their normal traditional protests at Dail Eireann, I dont see any need for any radical change in how those protests are dealt with, he said.

If on the other hand an unknown group or a malevolent group such as this who have been signalling their intention on social media over a period of time, are intent on coming, then there should be great care taken to ensure that they cannot impede access to and from Leinster House.

He also said Ireland needs to wake up as a country in light of the demonstrations that previously took place at libraries and refugee centres.

We need to protect those who are going about their normal daily work and who in their work are trying to serve society to the very best of their ability, he said.

There are no ideal solutions to this kind of thing where you have people who have ill intent, their purpose is to spread hate, to threaten and intimidate. They cannot be entirely stopped in their tracks.

Theyre going to gather and amalgamate and do their thing somewhere, but in doing whatever it is theyre doing, they must be curtailed by the gardai in terms of their policing of such an event and they cannot be allowed to interfere with the normal movement of staff members in and out of the houses of parliament.

He said they are determined that tours and visits to the Oireachtas will be facilitated, but said staff will be alert to the possibility of protesters attempting to gain access.

Were talking about being able to identify people who have established a reputation for a particular type of behaviour and not allowing those people to walk in the front gate and behave in Leinster House as they have behaved inappropriately, he said.

That would be a sensible security approach to adopt  we are talking here about an infinitesimally small cohort of people who have now become professional hate mongers, people who have been spreading their poison around the country at various locations, intimidating other people.

Its reasonable if these people can be identified that the House would have at its disposal some sort of means, subject to all proper standards and protocols of identifying these people and ensuring they dont inadvertently gain access to Leinster House.

If rot sets in and its not arrested then it spreads, and if this particular rot is not dealt with, it will inevitably extend and its a fear I have and a fear that many of my colleagues have, is that we will reach a point where we have some awful event such as happened in Britain with Jo Cox and David Amess. We cant go down that road.

This, at the end of the day, is about protecting democracy, and democracy needs to be protected. It needs to be tended, it needs to be nurtured and we have seen what happens in countries where that hasnt happened. Im not prepared to stand idly by and see that happen here.
Tributes have been paid to a nine-year-old boy from Co Tyrone who died in a road crash.

Ronan Wilson, from Kildress, had been visiting Bundoran in Co Donegal.

Irish police (gardai) said emergency services were called at around 9.20pm on Saturday after a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on Atlantic Way.

The pedestrian, a boy aged nine years, was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later, they said.

The vehicle involved in the collision failed to remain at the scene.

Hearts are heavy across the country for the beautiful wee Ronan Wilson. My thoughts and prayers are with Ronans family and his home community of kildress at this tragic and saddest of times.  Michelle ONeill (@moneillsf) September 24, 2023

On Sunday evening, gardai said a man in his 20s had been arrested for an alleged offence under the Road Traffic Act in relation to the collision in Bundoran on Saturday evening.

The male is currently detained at a Garda Station in Donegal under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984, they said.

Gardai have seized a vehicle in connection with the investigation which will undergo technical examination.

Earlier Gardai appealed for any potential witnesses to contact Ballyshannon garda station on 074 9858530 or the garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.

Sinn Fein vice president Michelle ONeill expressed her sadness.

Hearts are heavy across the country for the beautiful wee Ronan Wilson, she posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

My thoughts and prayers are with Ronans family and his home community of Kildress at this tragic and saddest of times.

SDLP Mid Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said the local community in Kildress is broken-hearted following the death of the nine-year-old.

He has appealed for anyone with dash cam footage from near the scene of the incident on Atlantic Way at 9.20pm on Saturday night to come forward to police.

The whole community in Kildress and across Tyrone is broken-hearted today. The Wilsons are a well-known local family and this tragedy has shocked us all, he said.

My thoughts are with Ronans family and friends as they come to terms with this devastating news. I know everyone in Kildress and further afield will be thinking of them and will rally around them in the days ahead.
The United States does not rule out the possibility that it will provide Ukraine with ATACMS long-range missiles in the future. At the same time, the White House has not made any unequivocal statements on this issue.

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Karine Jean-Pierre, a spokesperson for the Joe Biden administration, commented on the issue of providing the Ukrainian Armed Forces with these weapons. She spoke at a media briefing on September 22. The transcript was published on the official White House website.

"I'm not going to confirm the reports that have emerged. The [US] president has long said that ATACMS is not off the table. But I don't have anything new to announce," she said.

She added that the talks between Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Joe Biden during a personal meeting were important. "It sent a strong signal to the world that we will continue to support Ukraine," the Washington representative said.

NBC News, citing sources, previously stated that Biden assured Zelensky that Kyiv would receive ATACMS, but in "small numbers" for now.

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ATACMS surface-to-surface missiles can be launched from the M270 MLRS and M142 HIMARS. They have different modifications, with a maximum range of up to 300 km. This range would help the Defense Forces destroy important targets of the occupants' rear.

As OBOZREVATEL previously reported, ATACMS was not included in the new US military aid package to Ukraine. The list was revealed after Volodymyr Zelensky made a working visit to the United States in late September.

Only verified information on our Telegram Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The construction of a 100 million Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMIC) in Co Antrim has taken a major step forward with the appointment of a contractor.

The project is part of the Belfast Region City Deal and will receive almost 80m of funding from the UK Government.

Henry Brothers has won the 30m contract to construct the 10,500 square metre Factory Of The Future building at Global Point Business Park in Newtownabbey.

The AMIC aims to reinvigorate Northern Irelands industrial potential and address the technology and skills challenges faced by the regions manufacturing sector.

It is designed to create jobs by supporting local companies to be more competitive on a global scale, attract new investment and ensure the skilled workforce needed for the future.

The project is being delivered by the Queens University Belfast in partnership with Ulster University, industry, and Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and supported by the UK Government and Northern Ireland Executive.

By 2050, it is estimated that the AMIC will have contributed more than 1bn to the local economy, directly and indirectly created over 1,500 permanent jobs and supported the training of 300 apprentices.

Professor Sir Ian Greer, president and vice-chancellor of Queens University, said their focus is to drive sustainable economic growth.

Queens vision as a civic university and a Belfast Region City Deal partner is to create tangible impact where it truly matters, he said.

We are determined to drive societal progress for generations to come through delivering three Innovation Centres in advanced manufacturing, clinical research and secure, connected digital technologies.

Connecting our underpinning high-quality research with industry, government and the manufacturing sector will turbocharge our regions capabilities and embed a culture of innovation to act as a driver for increased productivity.

Our focus is on driving sustainable economic growth to have a positive impact on the lives of people across Northern Ireland.

Henry Brothers, headquartered in Magherafelt, with more than 200 employees based across Northern Ireland, England and Scotland, was awarded the construction contract after a competitive tendering process.

Planning permission for the building was given in May, and it is hoped that construction work at the site can start next spring.

It is aimed that the AMIC will be operating from the Factory Of The Future by 2026, with capacity for 150 staff.
MUMBAI : Akasa Air, Indias newest airline, is considering raising as much as $400 million, valuing the carrier at $1 billion, two people familiar with the development said.

However, this could lead to a dilution of the stake held by the family of late billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, they said.

The fundraising will be done in multiple tranches, with an increasing valuation of up to $1 billion from around $650 million now. The Jhunjhunwala family is unlikely to buy any additional shares in the planned fresh equity issuances, which may dilute their holding," one of the two people said on condition of anonymity.

The banker appointed for the process may also look for a suitable buyer for a secondary stake sale by the Jhunjhunwala family, which owns 45.97% of Akasa Air.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

UBS Group AG, according to the people aware of the development, has been hired to manage the fundraising plan. A spokesperson for UBS declined to comment.

The fundraising plan, to be carried out over the next 12-18 months, may involve fresh equity issuances of $75-100 million each, the first person said.

Akasa, launched in August 2022, is entangled in a crisis after the exodus of 43 pilots and a subsequent dispute in the Bombay high court. According to the airline, the pilot resignations caused it to cancel over 630 flights in August, an estimated 18% of the 3,500 flights it operates monthly.

The fresh capital raised could be utilized to expand Akasa Airs fleet, offer better compensation packages to pilots, and improve in-flight services to compete with larger rivals in Indias booming aviation industry.

An Akasa Air spokesperson said the airline has strong finances and a solid growth plan". We are confident about our future and continue to invest prudently," the spokesperson said, without commenting on the companys fundraising plan and the Jhunjhunwala familys stake dilution.

The airline has generated cash from its first day of operations, as a result of which the initial investment by our investors (including the investment made by Mr Jhunjhunwala) continues to remain secure in our bank account. As a young airline, we are proud that we are adding to the company reserves even in the first year of our operations," the spokesperson said.

Akasa Airs co-founder and chief executive, Vinay Dube, holds a 16.13% stake in the airline, with Madhav Bhatkuly owning 9.41%, Sanjay Dube and Niraj Dube each holding 7.59%, PAR Capital Ventures Llc with a 6.37% stake, Kartik Verma at 1.93%, Ninan Chacho at 1.07%, and other stakeholders owning 3.94%.

The Jhunjhunwala family has a right of first refusal on any equity fundraising that Akasa plans. If existing shareholders, including the Jhunjhunwala family, fail to participate in an equity issuance, their ownership will be diluted.

The Jhunjhunwala family may retain a small stake in Akasa even after the primary issuance," said the first person.

Responding to a query from Mint, a spokesperson for the Jhunjhunwala family said, The family continues to have the utmost faith in the professional management of Akasa and will continue to remain invested for the long term."

Akasa Air has ordered this year for a total of 72 737 MAX" aircraft that are to be delivered over the course of five years.

The airline currently has a 19-aircraft fleet and a 4% market share as of August 2023.

IndiGo (Interglobe Aviation Ltd) commands the largest market share at 63%, while the Tata groups total market share in the civil aviation space is 27%.

Indian airlines carried 12.4 million passengers in August, a 23% jump from a year earlier, according to data compiled by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). In the eight months to August, Indian airlines carried 100.62 million passengers across domestic routes, a 30% increase from the year earlier.

The airline has been one of the fastest-growing airlines in India, with an initial fleet induction plan of adding one brand-new aircraft every 15 days.

Further, the delivery of its 20th aircraft on 1 August makes Akasa Air the first airline in Asia to add the 737-8-200 variant of the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft to its rapidly expanding fleet. Akasa Airs order book comprises 76 jets, which include 23 737-8s and 53 737-8-200 airplanes. In addition, the airline remains fully committed to placing a three-digit aircraft order by the end of 2023.

The airline is now looking at an international foray by December.

Akasa Air has over 3,000 employees now and expects to reach an employee strength of over 3,500 by March to support its expansion plans.
Celebi Aviation Holdings, ground handling services and cargo operation provider, has said the company mulls to invest around $80 million in India in the next four years as it eyes more airports besides enhancing cargo capacity.

The company also plans to switch to an all-electric fleet across the airports it renders services at present, Murali Ramachandran, president for India & S-E Asia at Celebi Aviation Holdings, said.

"Celebi has already invested around USD 250 million (since its entry in the Indian market in 2007). In terms of expected investment, we will be adding USD 28 million in ground handling in the next four years. Around USD 30 million are likely to be invested in cargo business," PTI quoted Ramachandran as saying.

"And if taxiBot (business) picks up, we are willing to put in another USD 20 million (in it)," he added.

Celebi India currently provides ground handling services at nine airports -- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Mopa (Goa) and Kannur -- and handle cargo operations at Delhi airport through a joint venture with Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL).

Celebi India is eyeing ground handling business at the upcoming Jewar airport in Noida and Navi Mumbai airport and is keen to participate in the tender process for similar business at Kolkata airport, Ramachandran said.

"So, from an organic airport wise growth, this is immediately under our radar," he added.

Noting that flight handling growth will depend on organic growth of foreign carriers as well as new slots and routes being accorded, the Celebi India president said, "we are also keeping a close watch on AIASL divestment and would be keen to bid."

The company expects domestic growth at around 12-15% from current levels due to capacity being grounded.

"We expect to be handling 1,50,000 flights in the next four years," Ramachandran said, adding that the company is exploring the possibility of providing Bridge Mounted Equipment (BME) at more airports.

Ramachandran said the company plans all towable units to be electric by end of 2025."

Ramachandran said that the company is already plying e-buses for ferrying passengers at Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai airports. And plans all buses to be electric by next year," he added.

The cargo business, he said, is likely to log an overall 6-7% annual growth in tonnage in next four years.

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Vietjet, Vietnam's largest private airline, is gearing up to meet the increasing demand from Indian tourists who are increasingly considering Vietnam as an emerging travel destination.

As reported by PTI, the airline plans to expand its services to India by introducing a new route between Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) and Ho Chi Minh City, with the launch expected in November, according to airline officials.

In August, Vietjet initiated direct flight services from Kochi in Kerala to Ho Chi Minh City. A senior representative from the airline mentioned that Vietjet currently operates 32 round-trip flights to and from India each week.

"From November, Vietjet is expected to launch a new route connecting Tiruchirappalli and Ho Chi Minh City and we have plans to have an initial frequency of three return flights per week, in order to meet rising demand from travellers in both countries," PTI reported citing the official, who doesn't want to be named.

Vietjet would like to eventually expand its services to all capital cities in India", he said.

Also Read: VietJet flights to connect 13 new Vietnam-India routes this year. Details here

During a recent meeting with a specific group of Indian media representatives in Ho Chi Minh City, the official elaborated on the rationale behind their efforts to expand connectivity. He mentioned that Vietnam is becoming increasingly popular as a tourist destination among Indian travellers.

Additionally, many Vietnamese individuals are also keen to explore one of the oldest civilizations in Asia, contributing to the growing interest in travel between the two countries.

"Vietjet's entry into the market has increased the total number of passengers travelling between Vietnam and India in the first six months of 2023 to over 3 lakh, nearly five times higher than 70,000 passengers recorded in the same period last year," he said.

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In particular, for routes connecting to Ho Chi Minh City, we have seven round-trip flights from Ahmedabad weekly, and four round-trip flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi, respectively, he said.

For routes connecting to Hanoi, there are seven round-trip flights weekly from Ahmedabad, three round-trip flights from Delhi and another three from Mumbai, he further said.

Also Read: Vietnam's low-cost 'bikini airlines' Vietjet and its billionaire battle a buyout fund

When asked how Vietjet's expansion would benefit the Indian economy, the official said the airline's new routes would deliver sustainable growth in tourism, trade and economy in both Vietnam and India.

"Our commitment and passion is to make air travel more affordable for both Vietnamese and Indian people, help stimulate bilateral growth in tourism, trade and economy, and maintain and grow our presence in the Indian market while ensuring quality service to meet Indian demand," he added.

Further explaining their future plans for Indian passengers, the official said Vietjet recently added a seventh A330 to its fleet to meet demand in the region. By the end on 2023, the airline expects to have a total of 10 A330s, he added.

Vietjet has been operating for over a decade with around 450 flights daily across 120 routes connecting Vietnam with other countries across Asia and Australia.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Mumbai: HDFC Bank Ltd, Indias largest private lender, plans to launch a revamped mobile app and an internet banking website by March, over five years after an upgraded app faced glitches and had to be rolled back in a week.

The bank will start a closed user group trial by December and then roll it out to other users by the end of March, Anjani Rathor, chief digital officer of the bank, said in an interview. We have taken feedback from customers. It will be a lot more intuitive and simpler to use," said Rathor, who joined the bank in February 2020 after 12 years at Bharti Airtel.

After facing technology troubles in 2018 and 2019, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in December 2020 curbed fresh digital launches and ordered it to halt issuing new credit cards. These were finally lifted in March 2022, allowing the bank to roll out products under its Digital 2.0 plan.

The bank said in its 2019-20 annual report that Digital 2.0 is about reimagining its digital platforms, providing the customer with a frictionless financial experience".

Meanwhile, the app that had to be rolled back was eventually relaunched, The Hindu Business Line reported in March 2019.

In the last few years, Rathor said, the bank has changed the way it looked at its digital offerings, taking control of them through in-house developments instead of solely relying on external partners. Since 2020-21, the bank has added 1,400 people in core technology roles, with the team strength now at about 3,100.

A large part of the new app and internet banking website has been developed in-house, although it uses components from partners as well. The bank has changed the tech development model with internal full-stack developers building digital products, said Rathor.

They are all technologists folding their sleeves and writing codes. They are full-stack developers, database administrators, among others," Rathor said.

As part of the Digital 2.0 initiative, the bank has also revamped its customer service gateways like WhatsApp banking and call centres.

Customers now tweet, send a text message, WhatsApp or call a phone banking staff. We have now unified these customer care channels, and through WhatsApp banking, one could have a more meaningful conversation than before," he said.

According to Rathor, the bank has compiled the reasons why a customer wants to reach out and enabled it on chat, allowing people to undertake over 200 types of transactions on WhatsApp. It has about 10 million customers registered on WhatsApp banking. HDFC Banks customer base stood at 85 million as of 30 June.

He said that similarly, when a customer calls the revamped call centre, there is an AI (artificial intelligence)-driven bot which responds, the same WhatsApp bot that speaks in ones preferred language. The call centre bot can also solve 200 simple transactions.

For other complex transactions, a customer has to press a few buttons (interactive voice response or IVR). If these two stages are unable to solve it, the customers call goes to an agent," said Rathor, adding that since incoming calls are now being digitally deflected by a bot and an IVR, just the residual ones go to agents.

This, he said, is going to aid the bank in offering customer care at scale 24/7, even when the volumes keep going up. Now, the bots are also going to become smarter, and since I know why an agent has to step in, I could enable the bot to respond to that," Rathor said.

The banks CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan told shareholders in the latest annual report the lender is in the midst of a technology transformation exercise, focussing on building the bank of the future as well as running the bank".
Contract manufacturing drug firm Akums Drugs & Pharmaceuticals is planning to launch an IPO next year. According to a report by Moneycontrol , the pharma company is in talks with four investment banks to prepare for a listing in 2024.

In April this year, Akums' top executives had told Mint that they were working towards a stock market listing in two to three years. Joint managing director Sanjeev Jain at Akums told Mint in an interview, "We are planning an initial public offering (IPO) in a span of 2-3 years".

Also read: JSW Infra IPO to Arabian Petroleum IPO; 16 new issues, 8 listings to keep primary market buzzing

However, as per the latest report by Moneycontrol, Akums is planning to debut in the Indian stock market in 2024.

Citing sources, the news website said Akums has picked ICICI Securities, Citi, Axis Capital, and Ambit for the proposed IPO.

It is unclear what would be the size of the IPO but a source told Moneycontrol that the issue would be a minimum of 1,500 - 2,000 crore.

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Incorporated in 2004, Akums is backed by Quadria Capital, a leading healthcare-focused Asian private equity firm. Recently, the foreign investor exited Concord Biotech by selling its entire 20% stake when the latter made a healthy market debut on the domestic bourses in August.

Akums has a manufacturing share of more than 12.5% of the total drugs consumed in India, a rating agency said.

Also read: The upcoming IPO boom. Should you invest?

Akums has 11 manufacturing facilities for its formulations manufacturing along with two API manufacturing facilities.

According to consolidated financial numbers available on Edge, Akums clocked 3,677.2 crore of net sales in FY22 and incurred losses of rs 250.8 crore.

The company plans to more than double net sales in the next five years and plans to achieve it through expansion beyond India to countries in Europe and other regions, Jain told Mint in an interview in April.

The company, which currently has over 1,400 clients across the pharma, nutraceutical, and FMCG sectors, is also focusing on growing its active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) vertical as well as nutraceuticals, injectables, and another product pipeline to fuel the next round of growth.

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Delhi-based Plaza Wires has set a price band of 51-54 a share for its 71.30 crore initial public offering (IPO). According to a report by Moneycontrol, the IPO will open for anchor investors on 27 September and will close on 4 October.

According to the report, the funds raised will go towards building a new factory for house wires, aluminum cables, and solar cables to expand the product portfolio as well as meet the companys operational needs.

Plaza Wires is known to sell wires, LT aluminum cables, and FMEG products under brands like Action Wires, Plaza Cables, and PCG.

The company has a unit in Himachal Pradeshs Baddi. In FY21, the company acquired 7,902 sq m of land in Himachal Pradesh for a new unit which will add 837,000 coils and 8,700 km of capacity a year, reported Moneycontrol.

As of December 2021, the firm reported revenue of 126.69 crore against a net profit of 5.74 crore. Net debt as of date stood at 40.65 crore.

Plaza Wires had filed the DRHP for the share sale involving a fresh issue of 1,64,52,000 equity shares last year.

IPOs this week:

Several companies are opening for subscription this week, along with a few that are getting listed on the bourses. These include-

IPOs This Week: JSW Infra IPO to Arabian Petroleum IPO; 16 new issues, 8 listings to keep primary market buzzing

JSW Infrastructure IPO: The mainboard issue opens on September 25 and closes on September 27

Updater Services IPO: Opening date 25 September and closing date 27 September.

Valiant Laboratories IPO: It will open for subscription on 27 September and will close on 3 October.

Digikore Studios IPO: This will open for subscription on 25 September and will close on 27 September.

Saakshi Medtech and Panels IPO

The SME IPO opens for subscription on September 25 and closes on September 27.

Inspire Films IPO: This will also open for subscription on 25 September along with Newjaisa Technologies, and Arabian Petroleum.

On 27 September, Kontor Space, E Factor Experiences, Vinyas Innovative Technologies, Canarys Automations will open for subscriptions.

Vishnusurya Projects and Infra IPO will open for subscription on September 29

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The covid pandemic is over and its now business as usual. Cities have sprung back to life as people return to office. And, so have the huge traffic snarls, as people travel from home to office and back during rush hour. Meanwhile, young professionals are looking for cost-efficient and convenient ways to commute to their offices. Many of them are carpooling to hitch a more comfortable ride.

Carpool refers to a group of car owners who take turns to drive everyone in the group to work, so that only one car is used at a time. To be sure, the advent of carpool apps now allows strangers to join such groups as long as they are travelling in the same direction. Mint spoke with a few office-goers who are carpooling to save on fuel costs, hefty taxi fares and travel time. Besides, it gives them the opportunity to interact with co-passengers and improve their networking.

Carpooling apps

Hridika Roy, 26, who hails from Kolkata and works in Bengaluru, has been using the carpooling app Quick Ride for the last 10-11 months. Roy, a techie employed at Microsoft as user-experience (UX) researcher, is required to work from office twice a week.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

Roy, whose office is 14km away from her residence, says carpooling is a blessing because of the heavy traffic on Bengaluru roads and the long journey. Buses could take more than two hours and she has to change three buses to reach her destination. Cabs are very costly. She says it costs anywhere between 350-500 for each leg of the journey by cabs.

With the car-pooling app, Roy needs to pay just 65-70 in one direction. Since she works from office only twice a week, it costs her 1,080- 1,120 every month. Using cabs both ways would have cost her 5,600-8,000.

But is travelling with strangers a big risk? Roy says her experience has been good so far. She is familiar with some of her co-passengers and when they see her request on the app, they accept it promptly. I have not had any issues travelling in Bengaluru either by carpooling or using public transport. You can also check whether the profile of the ride-giver is verified or not. To get a verified profile, ride-givers need to share their government identity card and office Id. Also, you can check the ratings of the ride-givers," Roy says.

Alternating cars

For Mumbai-based Pritesh Upadhyay, 29, who works as a senior executive in a foreign bank, the experience of using carpooling apps has not been pleasant. He cites instances where the car owners or ride-givers are not accommodative. They dont like it if we request them to lower the air-conditioning or roll down the windows. Their behaviour can even be rude at times," he says.

Upadhyay then teamed with four others living nearby, including one person from his own apartment, and formed a whatsApp group to share rides. It has been more than three years now that he has been part of the car-pooling group. Upadhyay offers his car thrice a week and two others give their cars one day each. He says his fuel costs come to 21,000 per month. If it was not for car-pooling, he would have had to spend 36,000 every month on fuel.

The offices of all members of this carpooling group are in close proximity and around 18 kms away from the common pick-up point. It is usually 45 minutes of commute to office.

Adityanarayanan P. Iyer, 36, who is based out of Faridabad and works in Noida, says he has been using carpooling since ride-hailing cabs, Ola and Uber, have been unreliable. Post-Covid, it is a struggle getting cabs in our area. There are a lot of cancellations," he says.

Taking a direct cab would cost 650-700 one-way. As Faridabad is in Haryana and Noida is in Uttar Pradesh, the costs are on the higher side. The drivers dont prefer this since they have to cross Delhi and there are tolls to be paid in three states," Iyer points out.

Iyer, who works in the oil & gas sector (engineering department), says he had initially used cabs for 1,300-1,400 daily. That came up to 26,000-28,000 per month. Then he met a couple of colleagues who resided in his housing society and we decided to take turns in bringing our cars to office and share the rides. Each week, we alternate between our cars. Each of us spends 7,000 per month," he says.

Depending on the traffic, it takes about one hour for Iyer to reach his office, about 26km away.

Community-based car-pools

Akshat Sharma, 24, a finance professional who stays in Noida and works in Delhi, is part of a Whatsapp carpooling group with 744 participants, There are around six-seven housing societies next to mine and I heard about this group through an acquaintance," he says.

For Sharma, taking the metro was not a convenient option. Reaching the nearest metro station 14-18km away would cost 150-180 by Uber auto. The metro fare was 45 and then on reaching the destination, I had to spend another 50 on an auto to get to office. And, it was the same on the return journey. This was not only inconvenient but also costly," Sharma says. Direct cabs were out of the question as the office is 33km away. A one-way trip by taxi costs 700.

Carpooling has helped Sharma in make huge savings. I usually pay 150 to reach office," he says. But, he still takes the metro on his way back home. Matching rides is difficult in the evenings as people leave offices at different times. I dont mind taking the metro in the evenings. In the mornings though, I want to reach my office comfortably and on time," he says. It still takes about one-and-a-half hours for Sharma to reach his office. If there are no matching rides in the mornings, we co-ordinate with others in the group and share an Ola or Uber cab. We split the 700 fare equally," he says.

Ride-givers

Hyderabad-based Kishore Marodia, 40, who works as a programme manager in IT (information technology) sector, says he initially started using car-pooling app sRide. Soon, we figured out that 15-20 people were using the app. We stopped using the app and created a Whatsapp group that now has 200-300 members. All of them have similar office routes. and we gradually kept adding people to this group," Marodia adds.

The group has decided on a fixed base rate of 85 per ride per passenger. Most of them travel from the same location in Hyderabad and work in the IT district (Gachibowli)," he says.

Marodia adds that while the experience with sRide was good, the reason for moving to a Whatsapp group was to open a more real-time channel for communication.

Sometimes there were payment issues for co-riders on apps. Once the ride is accepted by a ride-giver, the payment has to happen immediately. If the ride doesnt happen due to a glitch, getting back the payment can be difficult. On this community-based set-up, you dont have to pay immediately. The passenger can pay after the ride," he says.

Marodia also notes that it is difficult to get passengers on a car-pooling app to follow certain etiquettes. On our Whatsapp group, we have two-three guidelines for co-riders. One is to pay immediately after your ride. Ensure the seat next to the drivers seat is occupied and dont just be completely immersed in your phone. Passengers should not make the ride-giver feel that he is a car driver," Marodia adds.

Marodia is himself a ride-giver. He says he usually takes in one person as a passenger while going to office and returning. My fuel cost per day is around 300. With car-pooling, I am saving about half of the costs as the passenger pays 170," he adds. So, his monthly savings work out to 2,600.

He says he wanted to help office-goers in his area who were struggling because of inadequate public transport. There is lack of proper connectivity in the area where I stay. But we have access to a good highway. So, even though our offices are 18-20km away, it just takes half-an-hour to reach there. Ola or Uber cabs charge anywhere between 400-600 for that distance.," Marodia says.

Anush Raj, 30, who is based out of Chennai, was looking for a cheaper option to reach office. I joined as an intern in a fintech firm and didnt want to spend a lot of time commuting to office," he says.

Raj lives in Anna Nagar West, a residential colony in Chennai and his office is in Old Mahabalipuram Road, 21.5km away. He asked a couple of colleagues living nearby if they would like to travel together.

Raj maintains a google spreadsheet, where he maintains the fuel costs. The distance is fixed at 43km. His car has a mileage of 9km/litre of fuel. The rides are split based on the fuel consumption per month. As Rajs office has allowed employees to work in hybrid mode, the commute is only twice a week or eight times a month. So, the monthly cost for each rider is around 1,300. If Raj was travelling on his own, his fuel cost would have been around 4,000.

Raj has been following this travel arrangement since December 2020. He had considered other modes of transport as well, but says his office is in a slightly remote location and there is no direct connectivity via public transport.

So, to reach the office, people would take the metro half the way and then hail an auto or cab. Taxis charge 700 from my home to office. And it is not easy to ride a two-wheeler to office. My office is near a junction, where there is a huge traffic congestion due to work on a flyover," he points out.
NEW DELHI : India is in the process of cancelling the registration of more than a dozen Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders for carrying out pro-Khalistan activities and anti-India propaganda, said two people aware of the development.

The move comes in the backdrop of India suspending visa services in its Canadian missions, and directing Canada to cut its diplomatic staff in India.

New Delhi also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat, after an Indian diplomat was expelled by Ottawa, as ties nosedived over Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegation that India had a role in the killing of Canada-based Khalistan activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

To be sure, the process of cancelling these OCI cards has been on for some time now. While OCI doesnt confer political rights, it is in effect a multiple entry, multi-purpose, life-long visa for Indian-origin people living abroad.

OCI holders are exempt from having to register with the Foreign Regional Registration Office. They cannot hold public office, vote in Indian elections or buy agricultural land.

Cancellation is rare. Out of the estimated 4.5 million OCI cards issued till date, only around 150 have been cancelled after being found in violation of rules on the basis of inputs by intelligence and security agencies.

According to information available on the ministry of external affairs website, a total of 4.06 million OCI registration cards were issued till 31 January, 2022.The central government can cancel the OCI registration if the overseas citizen of India has shown disaffection towards the Constitution of India as by law established," and if it is necessary so to do in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of India, friendly relations of India with any foreign country, or in the interests of the general public".

A spokesperson for Indias ministry of external affairs in response to Mints queries about Indian government in the process of cancelling the registration of more than a dozen OCI card holders in a text message said, not an area we deal with."

Queries emailed to the spokesperson of ministry of home affairs on Friday morning werent answered till press time.

All Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who were Indian citizens or were eligible to become one on 26 January 1950 and thereafter are eligible to register as an OCI.

However, citizens of Pakistan, Bangladesh and any other country as notified by the union government are not eligible.

The external affairs ministry on 20 September also issued an advisory for Indian nationals and students in Canada, cautioning, In view of growing anti-India activities and politically-condoned hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada, all Indian nationals there and those contemplating travel are urged to exercise utmost caution."

Recently, threats have particularly targeted Indian diplomats and sections of the Indian community who oppose the anti-India agenda," the advisory said.Indian nationals are therefore advised to avoid travelling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen such incidents.

Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant," the advisory added

ndia and Canada have recently halted their talks for a trade deal amid political friction. The Canadian government paused a trade mission to India indefinitely and Indian officials have said that the negotiations have paused. Mint earlier reported that the diplomatic row will not affect the flow of Canadian investments into India.

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With Pakistan soon to acquire eight Chinese Yuan class submarines between 2023-2028, pressure has mounted on Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) to conclude a deal for building three additional diesel-electric Kalvari class submarines with French Naval Group this year so that its submarine building capacity (currently 11) does not turn idle by the end of the year.

MDL is giving finishing touches to last of the six Kalvari (Scorpene) class submarine, INS Vagsheer, before commencement of sea trials, and has begun negotiations with Naval Group for the additional three submarines which will have features that are operation specific and with indigenous torpedos and air independent propulsion (AIP) for longer endurance. It is understood that the heavyweight indigenous torpedo and AIP are currently being tested in France for operational validation.

As of now Pakistan has one old French Agosta 70 (called PNS Hurmat) and another old and upgraded Agosta 90 B (called PMS Hamza) with French single use MESMA AIP operational . It also has four Yuan class diesel-electric submarines to join this year. The Yuan class submarines will induce a paradigm shift in Pakistans sub-surface fleet as the 039 B submarine is equipped with AIP and, possibly, submarine-launched cruise missiles.

It is understood that the three additional submarines MDL is in talks for will have much more advanced features than those of the Kalvari class, which were ordered by India in 2005 on the basis of A B Vajpayee governments 30-year submarine plan in 1999. The three subs, the acceptance of necessity for which were accorded by the Modi government in July, will possibly be seven meters longer than Kalvari class subs if the Navy wants a pure diesel-electric submarine, with additional batteries for staying submerged for longer periods or will be 10 meters long to house the AIP unit designed by DRDO. The new three submarines will have advanced optronics, electronic warfare suites and heavy weight torpedos with a range of 40 kilometers and higher explosive content. The new boats will also have advanced/upgraded SM-39 Exocet missiles with future boats equipped with SCALP 1000 km range submarine-launched cruise missiles. But there is more to this.

With Naval Group signing an MoU this July with MDL to build submarines in Mumbai dockyards to export to other countries, there is much excitement within the yard as through this joint venture India will export Scorpene class submarines to Indonesia, Malaysia and others. Naval Group has also signed an MoU with Kolkata based GRSE to build surface combatants such as destroyers and frigates under a joint venture and export these to third countries. This will ensure that the machine tooling capacity of the two dockyards does not erode for want of work orders.

With Indias submarine force strength going down with ageing Shishumar (HDW) class and Sindughosh (Kilo) class submarines facing spare parts issues on account of Russias Ukraine war, the Indian Navy needs more sub-surface combatants to protect its 7500 km coastline as well as pose deterrence threat to Pakistan and China. The Indian Kalvari class ships frequently patrol Pakistans Makran coast, some six hours from Mumbai, and were operationally deployed outside Karachi and Gwadar harbor during Operation Balakot in 2019.

While the US Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas told the Malabar partners during 2023 exercise off the coast of Sydney that the US expects a military emergency in Taiwan in 2027, the Indian Navy is quite clear that Chinese patrols or carrier-based strike force with nuclear powered conventionally armed submarines will start patrolling the Indian Ocean by 2025-2026. It is for this very reason that Indias indigenous submarine building capacity needs to be promoted, say experts, adding that as it is the lynchpin of PM Narendra Modis Atmanirbhar Bharat" plan in defence and security.

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During the Baltic Sea defense exercises, the US Navy deployed a modular launcher from the Typhon universal system that can fire two types of missiles.

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This type of weapon can fire Tomahawk cruise missiles in the land-based version and the "land-based" version of this SM-6 naval anti-aircraft missile. This was reported by Defense Express.

The United States has conducted joint exercises with the Danish Armed Forces to protect maritime convoys that will take place near Bornholm Island in the Baltic Sea. It is worth noting that there is almost no publicly available data on these military exercises, but the network noticed that the United States practiced the use of an SM-6 anti-aircraft missile launcher to provide air cover for convoys.

The peculiarity of the complex is that four cells from the Mark 41, a standard system for US Navy destroyers, are used as launchers. The firing system is based on the Aegis Combat System.

It is noteworthy that the SM-6 can intercept all types of objects, including ballistic missiles. The range of firing at air targets can reach 240 km. In addition, the system has the ability to hit sea targets. In this mode, the launch range is up to 460 km.

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Analysts noted that in 2016, during a training exercise, the US Navy was able to sink a decommissioned frigate, including by firing SM-6 missiles.

As a reminder, this is the first time that the North Atlantic Alliance has conducted exercises that covered scenarios for the application of Article 5 of the Treaty. It is about collective defense - an attack on one of the NATO members will be considered an attack on all NATO members.

As OBOZREVATEL wrote:

- Recently, the chairman of NATO's military committee, Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, said that the Alliance should increase private investment in defense companies in the bloc. First of all, in the production of 155-mm artillery shells.

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- In Bulgaria, which is a NATO member, the construction of a military base of the North Atlantic Alliance will soon begin.

Only verified information on our Telegram channel Obozrevatel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes!
The US provided Canada with intelligence over the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, sources told The New York Times as reported by PTI .

This report came as the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus offensive allegation against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil. There was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped lead Canada to (make) the statements that the prime minister made," US Ambassador David Cohen told Canadian CTV News network.

The allegations made by the Canada were rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs in India which dubbed the statements as absurd. Later, India expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists.

Nijjar was the the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigations.

"In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved," the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying.

Yet what appears to be the smoking gun," intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said.

"I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen told CTV News.

After Nijjars death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot, and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies duty to warn" doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report.

Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function," he said in response to a question.

While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said.

But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said.

Blinken said the US is deeply concerned" about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was closely coordinating" with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see accountability" in the case.

Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.

Trudeau on Friday said that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the "very serious matter."

When asked about Canada sharing any information in the case with India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said: "No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information."

(With inputs from PTI)

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Intensifying tensions between India and Canada are prompting travellers and students to reconsider their plans until the situation becomes clearer.

While consulting firms are in a wait-and-watch mode on applications for higher studies in Canada, visa applicants are postponing appointments due to concerns over potential visa rejections. Effective immediately, we are stopping applications to Canada till more clarity emerges, and asking them to redirect to US or UK," said Akshay Chaturvedi, founder and chief executive of Leverage Edu, which has tie-ups with banks and NBFCs to help students go abroad. In last 24-36 hours we have seen a myriad of emotions from all categoriesstudents in Canada, students nearing the end of process and waiting for visas, and students who were starting the process of applying to universities."

On Thursday, BLS International, which runs India visa application centres in Canada, in an online notice said visa services are suspended indefinitely due to operational reasons" from 21 September. The notice was subsequently taken down, but it added to the confusion. The row between India and Canada, triggered by Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegations that Indian agents may have had a hand in the murder of Khalistan Tiger Force chief Hardeep Singh Nijjar, led to both countries expelling top-level diplomats on Tuesday. Rising tensions have hurt the economic relationship, with Canada calling for a pause in negotiations on a free trade agreement (FTA).

The current diplomatic standoff between Canada and India will not help holiday travellers. The impact on tourism will be felt for a few months for sure till it dies down or the governments agree to settle the disputes amicably," said Dipak Deva, chairperson of the tourism and culture committee at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and managing director of Travel Corp. of India Ltd.

According to news reports, Canada has warned that it will reduce the number of its diplomats in India over security concerns.

Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) president Rajiv Mehra said the suspension of visas for those planning travel to India will adversely impact the FTA as Cananda is a major source market for India. IATO, the apex tourism body with over 1,600 members, said clarity is needed on the status of those having required visas.

Students are also concerned as Canada is the second most popular destination for Indian students as well as immigrants, especially from Haryana and Punjab. The majority of candidates applying for work visas typically considers entry- and mid-level positions across sectors like retail, business services and manufacturing. Popular courses include science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) as well as medical programmes.
New Delhi: The introduction of premium trains such as the Vande Bharat, and the reduction in travel time on highways, are dampening demand for air travel on short routes, especially when airfares are steep, industry experts said.

While business travellers still opt for air travel, the transition is more visible in the leisure segment on account of rising airfare, and improved rail and road transportation infrastructure, according to executives at travel portals.

Surface transportation emerged on the radar given the improved infrastructure coupled with supply constraints resulting in increased airfares. Compared with last year, return fare between Pune and Mumbai witnessed an increase of 17%, Jaipur-Delhi by 7% and Bengaluru-Chennai up by 4%," Daniel DSouza, president and country head, holidays, SOTC Travel, said.

With the introduction of Vande Bharat trains, we are also seeing customers displaying increased interest in train journeys," DSouza added.

Vande Bharat was launched in 2019, as a premium semi-high-speed train service. Currently, nearly 25 Vande Bharat trains operate across the country, with heavy demand on routes such as Mumbai-Gandhinagar and Chennai-Mysuru. Improved road infrastructure has played a role as well. For instance, travel time on the Delhi-Jaipur route is now down to 3.5 hours from 5-6 hours earlier, following the recent opening of the 246-km stretch on the Delhi-Dausa-Lalsot section of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. Similarly, travellers can cover the Delhi-Chandigarh route in 3-3.5 hours, down from around five hours.

For Delhi-Jaipur, the reduction in the number of direct flights coincided with the opening of the highway stretch.

While the two cities were connected with 10 one-way flights in early 2023, currently, there are just five flights, including two from AirAsia India and three from IndiGo.

While IndiGo reduced its daily flights on the route from five to three, SpiceJet and Alliance Air have discontinued their flights on this route.

Compared with 2019, airfares on short routes such as Delhi-Jaipur, Pune-Mumbai, and Chennai-Bengaluru have witnessed a significant uptick of 14-40%, with peaks coinciding with events, bank holidays and festive holidays," Rajeev Kale, president and country head, holidays, meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE), Visa at Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, said.

Our data indicates that Indians being quintessential value-seekers, are open to shift to road or rail transport when faced with high air tariffs. This is predominantly seen in the leisure segment, while our corporate and MICE segments continue to see strong preference for air travel," Kale said. In fact, the travel platform also saw 30-40% rise in drivecations" this year over 2022 for weekends and extended weekends from Delhi to neighbouring locations such as Jaipur and Chandigarh.
From tourism to education, imports of lentils and exports of smartphones, India has had long-standing friendly ties with Canada. Investments by Canadians in Indian companies, too, are growing. Indias visa ban marks the latest episode in souring ties. Mint explains:

How many Canadians visit India every year?

In 2022, an estimated 277,291 foreign tourists landed from Canada in India. This makes the country the fifth largest source nation for tourists behind the US, Bangladesh, UK and Australia. The number of tourists from Canada has grown over three-fold from 2021, when only 80,437 tourists had come. However, this is still lower than the peak levelsbefore the pandemic nearly 352,000 Canadians visited India in 2019. Canada accounted for 4.5% of all foreign tourists arriving in the country in 2022, and these are the people directly impacted by the ban on visas by India.

Which industries could be impacted?

This is bad news for the aviation and hospitality industry in India, as the ban comes before the tourist season. More than half of annual foreign tourists in India come in the last three months of the year. December is when arrivals peak, overall, and so do foreign exchange earnings from tourism. While the ban does not apply to those who have secured visas, considering most of the bookings for December happen around the August-October period, this year would be partially washed out. At the same time, Canadian citizens who have already made plans to visit India are also likely to reconsider their travel plans.

View Full Image Graphic: Mint

What is Indias bilateral trade with Canada worth?

The two countries have a relatively modest $8 billion trade that is almost split equallyIndia has a slight edge with exports of $4.1 billion as of 2022-23. Thriving trade requires business visas. While the current souring of relations is unlikely to impact trade ties directly, it has already resulted in a pause in negotiations for a free trade agreement between the two countries.

What could be the impact on education?

In the event of any further deterioration in relations, the impact will almost certainly be on students from India studying in Canadian universities. There are an estimated 320,000 students from India in Canada, and in 2022, 226,000 of the 550,000 students who landed on Canadian shores for higher education were Indians. This forms the bulwark of India-Canada ties with the academic institutions there benefitting significantly from Indian students. As such, it is unlikely Canada will retaliate against Indias visa ban.

Could Canadian investment be hit?

There are over 600 Canadian firms with a presence in India, but overall, the foreign direct investment totals just $3.6 billion. But of late, Canadian pension funds have been active with investments in companies like Wipro, Infosys, ICICI, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and startups like Paytm, Zomato, Nykaa and Delhivery. Canadian funds have sunk in over 1 trillion in Indian companies in the last few years. These could dry up if relations dont normalize soon.
A few houses were damaged in Nagpur's Ambazari Layout area after heavy rainfall and flood-like situation in many parts of the city, reported ANI. Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had informed on Saturday that flood water has entered around 10,000 houses in Nagpur. He also said that all emergency and rescue teams along with the administrative machinery are on high alert owing to the Orange alert issued for Nagpur by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Deputy CM Fadnavis had announced on Saturday that the flood-affected families in Nagpur and people owning small roadside establishments will be provided a compensation of 10,000 while up to 5 lakh will be given to bigger shops.

Fadvanis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari had convened a review meeting to take stock of the situation in Vidharbha's largest city on Saturday evening. Gadkari is also the Member of Parliament (MP) from Nagpur.

He informed that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and its state counterpart SDRF are undertaking rescue and relief operations across Nagpur city.

Heavy rains flooded many parts of Nagpur city within a span of a few hours. Over 400 people including 70 students from a school for speech and hearing impaired have been rescued so far, reported PTI.

Officials said that Nagpur had received around 90 millimetres of rainfall between 2 am and 4 am on Saturday, reported PTI. The administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.

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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited flood-affected areas of Nagpur on Sunday and directed officials to take immediate measures. Four people were killed and hundreds more had to be rescued as the city received 109 millimetres of rain in three hours on Saturday. Relief work is currently underway in the area.

"We could have minimised the damage if some measures were taken earlier. The IMD had given an orange alert but it could not predict this much rain would fall in such a short time. There is always something to learn from such disasters," he said.

Water gushed into at least 10,000 homes on Saturday amid extremely heavy rainfall. The Ambazari Lake and the Nag river also breached their boundaries, leading to severe flooding.

ALSO READ: IMD predicts heavy rainfall forecast across multiple states for next 4 days

Four persons, including a 53-year-old paralysed, bedridden woman, died in rain-related incidents, while more than 400 people had to be shifted to safety on Saturday. The National Disaster Response Force and its state counterpart SDRF are currently undertaking rescue and relief operations across Vidarbha's largest city.

The Deputy CM had earlier announced that the kin of those killed in the floods would get 4 lakh each as compensation. Compensation of 10,000 will be given to flood-affected families and those whose small roadside establishments were damaged in heavy rains in Nagpur and up to 5 lakh for bigger shops.

Fadnavis also inspected the sites affected by heavy rains on Sunday morning and directed officials to take immediate measures.

Visited Ambazari and inspected the site, damages caused and instructed immediate measures and work to be undertaken," he tweeted, sharing several updates from the city.

The weather department has issued an orange alert in the district for the next 24 hours. The administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.

(With inputs from agencies)

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BSP MP Danish Ali has denied the provocation charges levelled on him by Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nishikant Dubey. BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha speaker OM Birla and accused Danish Ali of using some 'unpardonable' words aimed at PM Modi.

Dubey on Saturday said that Bidhuri got "provoked" as Danish Ali kept calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "neech". Also Read: Not the 1st time for Ramesh Bidhuri: A look at BJP MP's previous offensive comments "When Shri Danish Ali was busy instigating Shri Bidhuri with his intemperate comments, he made a highly objectionable and derogatory remark against our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Jee. In his desperation to denigrate the ruling dispensation and Prime Minister's achievement of landing Chandrayaan 3 on the moon, he screamed across the isle, without the microphone..." the BJP MP wrote. Responding to his allegations, BSP MP Danish Ali said it is part of the narrative being peddled by the BJP an. said that he worked to save the dignity of the post of Prime Minister. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote, Today some BJP leaders are trying to run a narrative that I provoked Shri Ramesh Biduri in the Parliament, whereas the truth is that I worked to save the dignity of the post of Prime Minister and made the Chairman aware of the highly objectionable words related to Modi Ji. Had demanded his removal from the proceedings of the House."

In another comment made to news agency ANI, he termed the allegations as baseless and said that he has not yet stooped too low to make such comments on the country's Prime Minister.

Responding on his statement, Danish Ali said that he has not stooped too low to make such comments on the country's Prime Minister. "We do not have that character and values," he told news agency ANI.

"In the new Parliament building, the distance between my seat and Ramesh Bidhuri was so much that my voice could not be heard without a mic," he said. "These allegations against me are baseless, and I do not take them seriously. And in the BJP, RSS training is given to repeat a lie 100 times till it becomes the truth," the BSP MP added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Chandra Arya, the lawmaker from Canadian PM Justin Trudeaus party, on Sunday slammed his own government responsible for inaction against Khalistani extremists. He also asserted that Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats issued by extremists.

The Liberal party MP has repeatedly raised the issue of threats to Hindu Canadians and urged the community to stay calm and vigilant. His comments came after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and other extremists had issued threats to the Hindu community in Canada.

Amid the allegations of murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar by agents linked to India, Khalistani extremists had warned Hindus to go back to India.

I am more worried about the consequence of what happened after the Prime Ministers (Trudeau) statement. The concerns of the safety of Hindu Canadians here, Hindu Canadians are fearful," Arya told CBC News. He also cited a popular column, which had stated: The risk of ethnic and sectarian bloodshed in Canada is real."

What I am worried is that the bloodshed is going to be Hindu Canadians blood," Arya said.

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.the history of the Khalistan movement is filled with violence and killings. Tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs have been killed by Khalistani terrorists in the history of the Khalistani movement. The Canadians forget the biggest mass killing in history happened 38 years back, in the Air India bombing. That was the biggest aviation terrorism before 9/11. And that was done by a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist. The fact is that those terrorists are still worshipped at some places in Canada," Arya told CBC News.

.just a few months back, here in Toronto, a floor, a public parade of a cutout of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with a white saree splattered in blood, and her two assassins pointing guns at her. A public floor celebrating the attackthis is the core of terrorism, the killing of a duly elected prime minister of the largest democracy in the world. It was allowed to be publicly displayed and celebrated. Tell me, which country would allow, in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, allow this to happen," added Arya.

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The approach of the Joe Biden administration towards the diplomatic conflict between Canada and India is expected to be one of careful restraint, as it aims to safeguard the progress achieved in its relationship with Narendra Modi's government, as stated by Charles Myers, the founder of Signum Global Advisors, a political strategy firm.

In Myers' assessment, the United States is actively engaging with India to enhance its competitive edge against China. However, he anticipates that the US will refrain from deep involvement in the dispute. Myers, a prominent Democratic Party contributor with ties to President Biden, expressed his views on BNN Bloomberg Television.

For Prime Minister Trudeau to even make these allegations public, he has to have very good intel and evidence, given how serious the allegation is," said Myers. If true, it is an example of state-sponsored terrorism on Canadian soil."

Even so, the US is going to try to stay out of this," he said.

Canada and India's relations have been strained over the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen who was shot on June 18 in Surrey, a suburb of Vancouver.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said this week theres credible" evidence that links the Indian government to the murder of Nijjar, who was an advocate for an independent Sikh nation in northwestern India.

Any involvement of a foreign government in the killing of a Canadian citizen on Canadian soil is an unacceptable violation of our sovereignty," Trudeau said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called upon India to collaborate with Canada's investigation into the matter. However, no concrete retaliatory actions, such as the expulsion of Indian diplomats, have been taken by the US and its allied nations.

Anti-India activities

The Indian administration, firmly denying any involvement in the incident, has expressed its discontent with the Canadian government's perceived lack of action against "anti-India activities" within the Indian diaspora residing in Canada.

In response to Canada's expulsion of a senior Indian diplomat, India reciprocated in a like-for-like manner. As a consequence, India has temporarily halted the acceptance of visa applications from Canadians. This measure, if prolonged, will have a substantial impact on both business and leisure travel from Canada to India.

(With Bloomberg inputs)

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This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.
India's federal probe agency National National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been tracking and keeping the Khalistani terrorism in their radar filing a chargesheet earlier this year. The incidences of terrorism and extortion took centre stage after the murder of singer and rapper Sidhdu Moosewala in Punjab on 29 May 2022.

Even as the diplomatic tension between India and Canada worsens over the issue of the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar by unidentified assailants in British Columbia's Surrey in June, 2023.

In the chargesheet filed by NIA earlier this year, it has been revealed that money that was generated through extortion and smuggling for pro-Khalistan outfits and its members, were invested into yachts, movies and even the Canadian Premier League, by the Canada-based top Khalistani leaders and gangsters, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The report cited from the NIA chargesheet which listed 13 instances from 2019 to 2021 wherein funds ranging between 5 lakh to 60 Lakh were sent by now jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi to Canada and Thailand using the hawala route.

The report noted that NIA has claimed that money from India were also invested in bars and clubs in Thailand by pro-Khalistani leaders, and gangsters.

...the money collected through extortion, illegal liquor, arms smuggling business, etc was sent to Satwinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar and one Satbir Singh alias Sam in Canada through hawala for further investment as well as for funding the radical activities of pro-Khalistan elements (PKEs)," HT report quoting the NIA charge sheet, filed in March against 14 persons who are part of larger Khalistan-gangster nexus.

Earlier investigation had established that Lawrence Bishnoi along with his close associate Satwinderjeet Singh alias Goldy Brar, worked Khalistani groups operating from Canadian soil, particularly Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) leader Lakhbir Singh Landa.

The NIA chargesheet also mentioned a Satbir Singh alias Sam who would handle the illegal money from India, collected by extortion and smuggling, in Canada.

Sam invested a part of this money to purchase yachts, finance movies and organise the Canadian Premier League in Canada", NIA chargesheet revealed adding that Lawrence Bishnoi (currently in Tihar jail) confessed that he also received funds from Sam on several occasions.

According to the Hindustan Times report citing the NIA chargesheet, the transactions to Canada include

- 2 lakh monthly sent to Goldy Brar in 2021,

-Two payments of 20 lakh each in 2020 to Goldy Brar

- 50 lakh given to Sam in 2020,

- 60 lakh given to both Brar and Sam in 2021

-Two more separate payments of 40 lakh and 20 lakh to Sam in 2021

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About investments in Thailand, NIA said the money collected by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang through extortion, illegal liquor, arms smuggling business, etc was sent to one Manish Bhandari in Thailand through hawala by (gangster) Virendra Pratap alias Kala Rana, his father Joginder Singh and Rajkumar alias Raju Basodi for further investing in nightclubs and bars."

When any member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang goes to Thailand, Bhandari provides accommodation and logistics support to him," it adds.

A senior officer, who didnt want to be named told Hindustan Times that the ill-gotten money was also invested in various properties and efforts are on to identify all those assets.

A senior officer familiar with the activities of gangsters and PKEs in Canada said, Ottawa needs to take into custody and hand over these two dozen-odd gangsters-PKEs such as Landa, Brar, Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala who are the brains behind all the activities".

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The General Assembly of the Holding Company for Roads, Bridges, and Land Transportation Projects has approved the establishment of a company office in Saudi Arabia, according to a report from the Ministry of Transport on Wednesday.
Canadian authorities have not stopped issuing visas to Indian nationals looking to enter the north American country. This comes even though India's foreign ministry has suspended issuing visa to any Canadian citizen, irrespective of their domicile.

India and Canada have found themselves at diplomatic logger heads, as Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau levied credible allegations that Indian government and India's intelligentsia was involved in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia's Surrey in June, 2023.

Canada had expelled an Indian diplomat while levying the allegations, following which India in a tit-for-tat move expelled a Canadian diplomat.

Prime Minister Trudeau has said there is credible intelligence to confirm that agents of the Indian government were involved in the assassination.

On 21 September, BLS International, India's visa processing centres in Canada, suspended services citing operational reasons. This includes centres in Toronto, Ottawa, and Vancouver.

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However, Trudeau has also said that the diplomatic tension only pertains to violation of rule of law that a Canadian citizen was killed on Canadian soil. In an interview in New York, PM Trudeau said Canada would continue to do the work it took to keep Canadians safe.

There has been no indication that Canada will stop processing visas for Indian nationals, and it is still accepting new applications.

Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) aims to process all 80% of applications within service standards, regardless of nationality, according to CIC News.

A 2022 report by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) found that international students consistently choose Canada for their education because of its unique reputation for safety and tolerance.

The CBIE found that in 2022, 40% of international students in Canada were Indian. This is despite a similar warning from Indias government in September 2022.

IRCC reports that there were 800,000 international students in Canada in 2022. This means approximately 320,000 Indian students were studying in Canada during the last academic year.

Indians in Canada

According to a CIC News report, India is the largest source country for immigration in Canada. In 2022, there were 118,095 Indians who gained permanent residence in Canada. Of these, 59,503 Indians transitioned from permanent residents to Canadian citizens.

Canada has ambitious immigration targets in the 2023-2025 Immigration Levels Plan. It hopes to admit more than 500,000 permanent residents each year by the end of 2025. The next Plan is expected by 1 November this year, but Minister Miller has said he doesnt anticipate the targets will be lowered.

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The I2U2 - Israel, India, UAE, and the United States - announced a new initiative on space cooperation this month on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York. The four-nation grouping, termed the West Asia Quad" by some, has attracted attention in recent years. Mint looks at what I2U2 is.

How was I2U2 formed?

In 2021, the foreign ministers of the United States, UAE, India and Israel met in a virtual format to set up a grouping focused on economic cooperation. In July 2022, the leaders of the four countries met in a virtual format to flesh out the grouping and formally christen it as I2U2.

I2U2 is aimed to encourage joint investments in six mutually identified areas such as water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. It intends to mobilize private sector capital and expertise to help modernize the infrastructure, low carbon development pathways for our industries, improve public health, and promote the development of critical emerging and green technologies," the leaders said after the meeting.

What is the background to this?

In 2020, the historic Abraham Accords were signed. This agreement paved the way for the normalisation of relations between Israel and two Arab states: the UAE and Bahrain. Morocco also later normalised relations with Israel in December 2020. The formation of the I2U2 was seen as an effort to build on the foundation provided by the Abraham Accords by boosting cooperation between Israel and the UAE. The United States has been a key partner for both countries while Indias inclusion was seen by experts as a move from West Asian powers to develop cooperation with major Asian capitals like New Delhi.

Why is India interested in the grouping?

India sees clear and tangible benefits from the I2U2, starting with the groups first two announcements: a $2 billion investment and technological assistance for agricultural initiatives in two Indian states, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh; and support for a hybrid renewable energy project in Gujarat," writes Daniel Markey for the United States Institute of Peace. India also has an interest in seeing the normalisation process between Israel and the UAE succeed.

What does the grouping have planned next?

Representatives of the four nations met on the sidelines of the 78th UN General Assembly Session. "Secy (ER) Dammu Ravi attended the Sherpas meeting of the I2U2 countries in New York on the sidelines of UNGA 78. The Sherpas unveiled the new I2U2 website, which will enhance cooperation between India, Israel, the US and the UAE & partnerships across the globe. They also launched the I2U2 Private Enterprise Partnership," said the official spokesperson of Indias Foreign Ministry. The four nations also unveiled a new program on space cooperation.
Pope Francis views on Russia and its invasion of Ukraine are alienating many Catholics in Central and Eastern Europe, who believe that the pontiff is understating Russias historic expansionism in the region and the threat it poses today.

The popes recent praise of the 18th-century Russian empire that subjugated Ukraine stirred outrage well beyond Ukraine itself.

Central Europeanspeople from Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Czech Republicwe are shocked," said Michal Klosowski, a Catholic journalist in Warsaw and the author of a recent book about Francis, referring to the popes recent comments. The pope has no idea about the history of Central Europe and about the history of the Russian Empire. The nations of Central Europe were enslaved by the Russians for many centuries."

In late-August remarks via video to a gathering of young Russian Catholics, Francis called the Russian empire under Czars Peter the Great and Catherine the Great a great, enlightened empire of great culture and great humanity."

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, leader of Ukraines Greek Catholic Church, said Francis words caused great pain among the faithful and great disappointment among Ukrainian society at large.

Shevchuk, who knew the pope when they both served as bishops in Buenos Aires, said in June that Francis background helps explain his conciliatory stance toward Russia, since one of the inherent characteristics of Argentine culture is a profound mistrust of the Norththat is, of the United States and Europe."

The pope told reporters on Sept. 4 that he had been urging the young Russians to embrace their cultural heritage, exemplified by 19th-century writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. I wasnt thinking of imperialism when I said that. I spoke of culture, and the transmission of culture is never imperial," Francis said.

Two days later, the leaders of Ukraines Greek Catholic Church met Francis at the Vatican for what Shevchuk described in a statement as a frank conversation" in which they expressed the Ukrainian peoples pain, suffering and a certain disappointment."

Shevchuk said they told the pope that statements by himself and the Vatican since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have been painful and difficult for the Ukrainian people, who are currently bleeding for their dignity and independence."

The pope has frequently deplored the suffering of Ukrainians since the start of the war but has avoided explicitly blaming Russia or President Vladimir Putin for the conflict, and has suggested it was provoked by the enlargement of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Europes east.

The Vatican has sought to play the role of a mediator between Ukraine and Russia, although neither Kyiv nor Moscow has shown any interest in mediation. The pope told foreign diplomats in May that Vatican neutrality in conflicts was a diplomatic asset in mediation efforts and didnt mean ethical neutrality.

That hasnt satisfied Catholics in Europes east, however.

We would have wanted the pope to unequivocally take the side of Ukraine," Shevchuk told Ukrainian media in June. We would have wanted him to say clearly who was the aggressor and who was the victim."

Francis remarks about NATO enlargement have struck a nerve in Lithuania, which was under Soviet rule until 1991 and joined the U.S.-led alliance in 2004, said Irena Vaisvilaite, a former Lithuanian ambassador to the Holy See.

It was definitely thought that the pope was repeating Russian propaganda," Vaisvilaite said, adding that, after last years full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the common feeling in Lithuania was if not for NATO, it would be us."

Vaisvilaite said Francis stance was disappointing to majority-Catholic Lithuania in comparison with St. John Paul IIs strong opposition to the Soviet empire: The general public, I would say, mostly because of the memory of John Paul II, was expecting the pope to be on the right side, to be partial" when it came to Ukraine, she said.

In majority-Catholic Croatia, where many liken Ukraines predicament to their own struggle with Serbia in the 1990s, Francis approach to the current conflict has been compared unfavorably with John Pauls moral clarity, said the Rev. Ante Vuckovic, a professor at the Catholic Faculty of Theology of the University of Split.

John Paul II knew to distinguish the aggressor and the victim," Vuckovic said. We have been surprised by the lack of this distinction on the part of Francis."

Some Croatian Catholics nevertheless continue to view Francis as the best spokesman for Christianity" because of his concern for refugees, the poor and the environment, Vuckovic said.

In Poland, Francis stance on the war has inspired an unusual consensus between the churchs conservative and more liberal wings, said Tomasz Terlikowski, a prominent Catholic writer and commentator based in Warsaw.

More conservative-minded Polish Catholics have long viewed Francis actions with considerable distrust," Terlikowski said, whereas progressives often looked to Francis with great hopes, and his stance on the war in Ukraine seriously disappointed them."

By itself, the popes stance on Ukraine is unlikely to lead many Polish Catholics to leave the church, said Edward Augustyn, a journalist for the Krakow-based Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny.

People who believe and practice regularly may disagree with him, but this does not prevent them from remaining in the church," Augustyn said. The pope is not an authority on politics, diplomacy or the history of Eastern Europe. So, for believers, his words will not interfere with their faith."

Write to Francis X. Rocca at francis.rocca@wsj.com
President Joe Biden on Saturday blamed "a small group of extreme Republicans" for a budget impasse that has placed the US government a week away from a shutdown, urging the lawmakers to resolve the issue.

US government services would be disrupted and hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed without pay if Congress fails to provide funding for the fiscal year starting October 1. Workers deemed "essential" would remain on the job, but without pay. The US lawmakers have until midnight on September 30 to reach an agreement on a spending bill, before funding for government services is due to dry up.

While speaking at a Congressional Black Caucus awards dinner, Biden said he and top House Republican Kevin McCarthy had previously agreed on government spending levels. "Now a small group of extreme Republicans don't want to live up to the deal so now everyone in America could be forced to pay the price," he said as reported by AFP.

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"Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress. It's time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do. Let's get this done," Biden added as quoted by AFP.

What could US govt shutdown mean?

A government shutdown would put the finances of hundreds of thousands of workers at federal parks, museums, and other sites at risk. Apart from this, it could also carry significant political costs for Joe Biden who is running for re-election. The White House wants any budget bill passed by lawmakers to include $24 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Kyiv.

While such a plan is supported by Democrats and Republicans in the Senate, it is radically opposed by some members of the House.

The budget vote in Congress regularly turns into a standoff between the two parties, with each camp using the prospect of a shutdown to obtain concessions from the other -- until a solution is found at the last minute.

(With inputs from AFP)

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The stage was set. The anchor and three guests were ready. Cameras were set to roll. The audience included several luminaries from Uttarakhand. Tell me something about your lifes journey," the anchor asked one of the guests, Manisha Bora. I have never been in such a setting and I dont even know how to express myself properly," she stuttered.

Wondering who Bora is, and why she is being mentioned here?

Bora, or Swiggy Girl" as newspapers have named her, is a young woman from Rudrapur in Uttarakhand, who earns her keep as a food delivery partner and is bringing up her children. And, she was attending the Hindustan Shikhar Samagam in Dehradun.

On seeing her nervous, the audience began cheering Bora on and she went on to narrate her story. She had come to Rudrapur in search of a job but got only low-paying jobs involving hard labour. Then she came to know about Swiggy. She had learnt to ride a motorbike at a very young age and that skill landed her the food delivery partner job. As part of her work, she frequently has to ride up to Pant Nagar, a place about 15 kilometres from Rudrapur, and she often gets back home after midnight. But today she earns enough to run her family and support her childrens education.

The story of Kamla Devi, the second guest on the stage, was also equally inspiring. She runs a tyre puncture repair shop in Nainital district. I used to teach children to ride bicycles for a fee of 5 so that they could go to distant schools," says Devi. She also used to fix punctured bicycle tyres for 10. This is where she got the idea to open a puncture repair shop. Today, the shop she set up in collaboration with her husband mends punctures of everything from bicycles to heavy vehicles. There arent many women in this job, traditionally a fiefdom of men.

All kinds of people must be coming to your shop. Has anyone behaved inappropriately with you? How do you handle such situations," the anchor asked Devi.

I use a hammer to fix punctures and I always carry a hammer in my hand for such folks. They flee in terror," Devi replied with a giggle.

Is this adequate?

Definitely not. Indias record on women has yet to live up to expectations. Atrocities against women are still in the news frequently. Official statistics also disappoint. In such a setting, Manisha, Kamla, and women like them might show the way, but demands for further efforts from the society and the government are still strong. Last week, the Modi government generated new hope with the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Bill in Parliament. Two days ago, major opposition parties sought the same thing from the government.

It is important to note that this has been attempted several times earlier in the last 27 years, but each time the ruling partys poor numerical strength proved to be stronger than its goodwill.

The question arises as to why this bill was introduced so close to the general elections. Did Prime Minister Narendra Modi wish to undertake anything comparable in the new Parliament House building under his leadership, as Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru did immediately after Independence?

The Opposition claims that this is a political bet. Remember that in a democracy, all politicians and parties compete to win elections to execute their ideologies. Before the last elections, the BJP resolved to repeal Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which it did as soon as it returned to power. This time, during the debate, home minister Amit Shah told the parliament that by taking the necessary action shortly after 2024, this amendment will be enacted by 2029.

Are the present government in New Delhi and the BJP organization already convinced that the party is going to win the general elections in 2024? Similar remarks were made five years ago. This may be part of their campaign approach. They seek to convince people that the upcoming election results are going in their favour and that they should not fall into the traps of rivals. The Opposition recognizes the stakes, but the rights of half the population should not be regarded as a part of politicians snakes and ladders. It would be unfair to further delay this stalled decision.

If Prime Minister Modi becomes successful in taking this issue to a logical conclusion, its impact will be as far-reaching as Jawahar Lal Nehrus SC/ST and Vishwanath Pratap Singhs backward class reservation.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief, Hindustan. Views are personal.

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Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led India government and their intelligentsia were involved in the June killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar , a Canadian citizen. Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist in 2020 by India was killed outside a Gurudwara in British Columbia's Surrey in June this year.

While the world have been patiently waiting for the outcome of this debacle that involves a developed north American nation and a rapidly developing country US looks to invest in, in order to counter the growing labour power of China and Russia, east Asian nation Japan has opined that Justin Trudeau and his Canadian government needs a foreign policy reset.

In an article published by Japan Times, it has been reported that Ottawa needs shedding off its middle-power approach and focusing more on Indo-Pacific diplomacy.

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Instances of Canada's declining diplomatic popularity

Canada-China Row

The report on Japan Times took a rather empirical approach to explain that it is not the first time Canada in such acts that led to deteriorating relation between Ottawa and an Asian nation.

Japan Times report cited a similar episode that led to a deteriorating trend in China-Canada relations. The report added that Michael Spavor, a businessman, and Michael Kovrig, a former diplomat, were arrested by Beijing on espionage charges. The two were arrested following the detainment of Huawei executive Meng Wangzhou in December 2018 at the request of the United States.

This was followed by serious accusations of Chinese electoral interference and threats against Canadian lawmaker Michael Chong, the report stated, adding that this translated into record-low favorability ratings of China in Canada and an atmosphere in which discussing anything about engagement between the two nations is radioactive".

Canada-Russia Row

Canada's relations with Russia are also no better as Ottawa continues to provide deep support for Ukraine in the ongoing conflict, the Japan Times reported.

Canada has maneuvered itself inadvertently into the position where it has alienated the first and second most populated nations on the planet and Russia, a declining but disruptive power determined, to weaken the international rules-based order that Canada relies on for its peace and prosperity, the report stated.

What's at stake for Canada if Donald Trump returns?

A major concern for Canada is the possible return of Donald Trump and his America First policies in the US in 2024, the Japan Times reported, adding that if Trump wins the presidency, Canada could be faced with a situation in which its most important economic, security and political partner may not be aligned with its goals, the second largest economy on the planet could become alienated and a country that is critical for Canada's Indo-Pacific strategic engagement may become estranged if relations between the two countries deteriorate.

Canada should focus on Indo-Pacific diplomacy

According to the Japan Times report, Canada needs a realistic, pragmatic, and interest-based approach" to how it's engaging in the Indo-Pacific and more broadly on the global stage. Ottawa can no longer pursue a foreign policy based on an outdated idea of a middle-power identity that is based on values-oriented diplomacy.

Canada needs to strengthen partnerships with reliable allies and friends such as Japan, South Korea, Australia, and Singapore, in order to avoid mistakes of the past and to be an effective and dependable partner in the broader Indo-Pacific region, the report noted.

The main question, however, is whether or not Canada will step away from its value-laden, middle-power approach that creates challenges in terms of sustainable, meaningful and engaged diplomacy within the region or will it take on a more pragmatic and realistic interest-based approach befitting its global status, Japan Times reported.

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Elon Musk, the world's richest man and owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), has often had a love-hate relationship with Apple. Musk was found to be criticising Apple soon after taking over X, but later he also touted Apple's continued advertising on the platform as proof that it was safe for others as well. More recently, however, Musk seems to have found a new fascination with Apple CEO Tim Cook and the company's latest iPhone 15 series. Tim Cook had shared pictures of the iPhone 15 Pro Max taken by renowned photographers Stephen Wilkes and Reuben Wu. He wrote, World-renowned photographers Stephen Wilkes and Reuben Wu show us creativity is limitless with iPhone 15 Pro Max. Their vivid photos display breathtaking views from the beauty of summer in Rhode Island to the other-worldly deserts of Utah. Thank you for showing me your work." Musk replied to Cook's post saying, The beauty of iPhone pictures & video is incredible" In response to another post about the launch of the iPhone 15 series, Musk wrote: Im buying one!"

The bitter-sweet relationship between Tim Cook and Elon Musk:

In an interview with CBS' Sunday Morning last week, Tim Cook said that Apple is constantly evaluating whether it should advertise on X. He said: "It's something we constantly ask ourselves.

He added, Generally, my view is Twitter's an important property. I like the concept that it's there for discourse and there is a town square. There's also some things that I don't like."

This is not the first time tensions have flared between the two tech giants. Shortly after Elon Musk took over Twitter in 2022, he had accused Apple of stopping advertising on the platform.

In a tweet that month, Musk wrote: Apple has mostly stopped advertising on Twitter. Do they hate free speech in America?"

Whats going on here @tim_cook?" Musk added.

Later on, Tim Cook invited Musk for a meeting at the company's headquarters in Cupertino and a detente was reached with Apple deciding to continue advertising on X, reported Wall Street Journal.

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Government bosses have been accused of keeping the Longford public in the dark over the countys response to shouldering its share of the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

A number of councillors led by Peggy Nolan and Gerry Warnock hit out at last weeks meeting of Longford County Council in the wake of uncertainty as to how many refugees had entered the county.

Cllr Nolan said she had been approached on numerous occasions by local constituents, much of which had been centred at the number of International Protection applicants who were now housed in apartment accommodation along the county towns Bridge Street.

The public has to be informed of what is going on, she said in the wake of speculation Connolly Barracks could become home to a tented village style type of accommodation centre.

And while that innuendo was roundly dismissed, Cllr Nolan said the public required full transparency.

We, as councillors, can inform them (public) of our Ukrainian visitors but we are not informed or up to speed with what is going on with the International Protection people.

Embrace diversity, embrace what these people can bring but my biggest embrace is for the people that put their faith in me to look after their business and give me the voice on their behalf, she said.

Cllr Warnock followed suit, saying there were legitimate fears among the wider public and said it was imperative any reconditioning of Connolly Barracks principal building was not undertaken at the behest of Longfords future regeneration needs.
(Alliance News) - Ryanair Holdings PLC is considering a move to a listing in Brussels from Dublin currently, the Sunday Times reported.

Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary said there is "no reason" why the company should be listed in Dublin over Brussels, according to the Sunday Times.

The newspaper said that while Ryanair's Dublin listing is not under immediate threat, the firm is frustrated by its listing rules. O'Leary believes the listing rules are too closely aligned with the London Stock Exchange's, instead of other Euronext NV arenas. The Dublin stock exchange forms part of the Euronext group.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ryanair-boss-michael-oleary-says-airline-is-considering-move-to-brussels-stock-exchange-76jp0t7vl

Ryanair had completed its delisting from the LSE in December 2021, blaming shrivelling post-Brexit trading volumes in London for the move. It has a primary listing in Dublin.

A departure for Ryanair would be a blow to the Dublin market. Building materials firm CRH PLC's delisting from Dublin comes into effect on Monday. It will continue to trade in London, though its primary listing will be in New York. It will depart the blue-chip FTSE 100 index as a result, being replaced by kitchen supplier Howden Joinery Group PLC.

By Eric Cunha, Alliance News news editor

Comments and questions to newsroom@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
(Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appears poised to axe the HS2 rail line from Birmingham to Manchester  despite opposition from Tory predecessors, business chiefs and the mayor of London.

The Sunday Telegraph reported the potential cost of the high-speed rail scheme  which Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said is "out of control"  had increased by GBP8 billion.

The Observer suggested the decision to kill off the Manchester leg of the scheme could come before the Tories host their conference in the city on October 1.

The prime minister and chancellor are reported to be meeting to discuss the situation in the coming days.

A Whitehall source told the Telegraph: "There is a reluctance to throw good money after bad."

The newspaper reported that officials expect the upper estimate of building the initial London to Birmingham stretch of the line to increase by more than GBP8 billion from the GBP45 billion figure published in June 2022.

Spiralling costs could prevent investment in other transport projects and wipe out any financial benefits from the scheme, the newspaper said.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has labelled the scepticism around the scheme "total Treasury-driven nonsense", stressing that it would make no sense to have a "mutilated" HS2 and warning that announcing it before the Manchester conference would be "the height of insanity".

David Cameron has also privately raised significant concerns about the prospect that the high-speed rail line could be truncated.

Dozens of business leaders signed a Times letter accusing Sunak of damaging Britain's reputation as a place to do business by allowing uncertainty to "plague" the project.

John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, said it would be a "tragedy" if the scheme was cut back.

He warned it would damage the UK's appeal as a place to invest in major projects.

And in a letter to the prime minister, London Mayor Sadiq Khan said HS2 could end up being a "colossal waste of money" if key elements of the plan are scrapped.

Khan said it would take longer to get from Birmingham to central London on HS2 than existing trains if plans for it to terminate at Euston station are abandoned.

He said the speculation about scrapping the Birmingham-Manchester leg of the route was "deeply worrying".

The Labour mayor told Sunak: "The government's approach to HS2 risks squandering the huge economic opportunity that it presents and turning it instead into a colossal waste of public money."

When the railway first opens between London and Birmingham, expected between 2029 and 2033, its terminus in the capital will be Old Oak Common, in the western suburbs.

HS2 trains are not expected to run to Euston until around 2041 at the earliest and there are now doubts the central London extension will ever go ahead.

Khan said: "Terminating the service at Old Oak Common would be a short-sighted decision which will have long term implications, significantly downgrading the value of HS2 as a high-speed connection and leaving a ridiculous situation where a 'high speed' journey between Birmingham and central London could take as long as the existing route, if not longer."

He said the "best case" journey time of one hour and 22 minutes from Birmingham to Euston, changing at Old Oak Common onto the Elizabeth Line and Northern Line, was "already one minute longer than the existing train time".

Khan told the prime minister: "The public would rightly be dismayed were all of this time and money spent on a line that took longer to reach central London than the existing route, and was devoid of any proper connections to the north of England."

But Labour peer Tony Berkeley, who in 2019 was deputy chair of a government-commissioned review into HS2, suggested funding should be prioritised for rail upgrades in northern England and the Midlands.

"Old Oak Common will do fine for this truncated railway," he told BBC Radio 4's Today.

A government spokesman said: "The HS2 project is already well under way with spades in the ground, and our focus remains on delivering it."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/09/23/hs2-second-leg-birmingham-to-manchester-faces-axe-costs/

source: PA

Copyright 2023 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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Two Chinese companies plan to invest billions in the Philippines, according to the Board of Investments.

BOI managing director Ceferino Rodolfo said a state-owned Chinese firm, considered as the worlds biggest renewable energy player, sought the help of the agency to link them up with local counterparts that are also into renewable energy business.

This company has a dedicated reserve fund for investing in Southeast Asia which is about $15 billion. We were under the impression that it is willing to invest as much as $5 billion for renewable projects in the Philippines, Rodolfo said over the weekend.

Another Chinese firm also disclosed plans to put a world-class electronics assembly plant, said Rodolfo.

The Guangdong-based company plans to penetrate the Philippine market for electronics, but has yet to firm up its investment plans.

Right now they are just renting, but they are serious enough to consider having assembly operations here, Rodolfo said.

The company is renting a five-hectare property in Batangas where it plans to start assembly operations, he said.

Rodolfo said the company was also expanding in China. That means it provides an opportunity for the Philippines to complement whatever facilities they have in China.

The plans for the Philippines is to replicate whatever it has in China in terms of world-class facilities. And one very important thing is that they can make the Philippines their hub for research and development for software, he said.

The BOI met with representatives of the two companies at the sidelines of the China-ASEAN Exposition 2023 held in China.
HanoiVietnam has executed long-time death row prisoner Le Van Manh, a lawyer confirmed Saturday, despite international pleas to spare his life.

In 2005 Manh was charged with robbery, as well as the rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl in the northern Thanh Hoa province.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) said police obtained a confession through torture that was relied upon to convict him.

Manh later retracted the confession, saying that police had beaten him severely.

The Supreme Court in Hanoi handed down the death penalty at an appeal trial in 2008.

Hanoi lawyer Nguyen Ha Luan, who helped Manhs family petition the Vietnamese president to halt the execution, posted his death certificate on social media Saturday.

According to reports and official letters, defendant Le Van Manh was executed the (execution) notice letter has been sent to the family, he said on Facebook.

The death certificate stated: Le Van Manh born in 1982. Nationality: Vietnamese. Died at 08:45 on September 22, 2023, at execution house of Hoa Binh provincial police.

His body was buried at Cho Nhang cemetery, the lawyer said, citing official documents sent to Manhs family. AFP

Earlier this week, the diplomatic missions of the European Union, Canada, Norway and the United Kingdom in Vietnam urged authorities to show Manh mercy.

We strongly oppose the use of capital punishment at all times and in all circumstances, which is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and can never be justified, and advocate for Vietnam to adopt a moratorium on all executions, the joint statement said.

Amnesty International called the execution sickening.

Despite knowing in detail that Le Van Manhs case was mired in serious irregularities and violations of the right to a fair trial authorities in Vietnam executed him anyway mere days after informing his family to make arrangements for his remains, Chiara Sangiorgio, Amnestys death penalty expert, said Saturday.

The ICJ said Manhs execution is a violation of his right to life and freedom from cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment under international human rights law.

Vietnam must join the global trend towards the abolition of the death penalty and the establishment of a moratorium on the use of the death penalty, the ICJs spokesman said.

Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watchs deputy director for Asia, said Manhs execution was a striking example of everything that is wrong with the Vietnamese judicial system.

The Vietnamese government should immediately commute all death penalty sentences to stop these miscarriages of justice, he said. AFP
Authorities are investigating at least four assaults that happened near Berklee College of Musics campus Saturday, Sept. 23, according to the Boston Police Department.

One person was assaulted in the area of Bolyston and Hemenway streets around 5:48 p.m., Boston police said.

Officers spoke with Berklee College police who said a victim was assaulted of 153 Massachusetts Avenue, which is right next to the police department headquarters. The victim refused medical treatment, police said.

Boston police then spoke with two other victims who said they were assaulted outside 1 Haviland Street, which is the address for the Love Art Sushi on Berklees campus. Both victims were treated on scene.

Police also said that a fourth victim was assaulted in the area of 1130 Boylston St., which is just around the corner, and refused medical treatment. No one was seriously hurt.

Officers searched the surrounding area, but did not find any suspects. So far, no suspects have been identified and no arrests have been made. All incidents remain under investigation.
A Brockton family is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old boy who was shot and killed in the city last Friday.

The Plymouth County District Attorneys Office and Pemi Benson confirmed to MassLive Sunday that Jason Benson-Green died in the shooting that happened at 3:23 p.m. at 131 Lynn Road in Brockton on Sept. 22.

He was great kid. Everyone loved him, Benson, Jasons mother, said. Always knew how to make you laugh.

Jason was a sophomore in high school where he was a big class clown, but always did his school work, Benson wrote in a GoFundMe campaign.

The 15-year-old enjoyed playing sports, dancing, rapping, singing and video games.

Jason was an amazing, funny, smart, uplifting, pure and genuine young man. He was a great big brother to his baby brother. A wonderful son, Benson wrote. He was loved by anyone he encountered.

The Plymouth County District Attorneys Office said that a 17-year-old boy was in custody in connection with the fatal shooting on Saturday. The teenager, whose name was not released, is charged with possession of a gun. Massachusetts State Police and Brockton police are investigating the shooting incident.

Meanwhile, the GoFundMe is looking to raise $40,000 to help cover the cost of Jasons funeral. People can donate by clicking here.
The last at-large suspect wanted in connection with a February 2022 homicide of a 17-year-old Weymouth High School student has finally been arrested and brought back to Massachusetts where he will stand trial, according to the Norfolk County District Attorneys Office.

Keniel Diaz-Romero, formerly of Quincy, was arrested by Quincy and Massachusetts State Police in Puerto Rico last week, the office said.

Diaz-Romero, 18, was wanted in connection with the shooting death of Nathan Paul, a Weymouth High School senior who died near the Germantown Housing Development in Quincy on February 15, 2022.

Police responded to a report of shots fired on Taffrail Road around 6:30 p.m. that evening and spotted a vehicle leaving the scene. Following it to the intersection of two nearby roads, police found Paul in the car with life-threatening gunshot injuries, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael Morrissey said.

Paul was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. Diaz-Romero and Jaivon Harris, who was arrested in late February, were later indicted on murder charges in connection with Pauls death.

According to the Boston Globe, investigators believe Diaz-Romero fired the fatal shot during a botched robbery. Two other teenagers, who remain unnamed given the fact they are minors, were charged with stealing from Paul ahead of his death and using counterfeit money during the theft, according to officials. One was also charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

Diaz-Romero is expected to be arraigned at 2 p.m. Tuesday in Norfolk Superior Court, Morrissey said. In addition to murder, the 18-year-old faces charges of larceny from a person, possession of a counterfeit bill, uttering a counterfeit bill, conspiracy to commit larceny and unlawfully carrying a firearm. He is being held at the Norfolk County Jail in Dedham until his arraignment, the district attorneys office added.
SPRINGFIELD  Eleven days before her seventeenth birthday, Tangela Clark gave birth to her first child, a daughter she named Tamara.

I was young when I had her, but I wanted to protect her and to give her the tools she needed to have a good life, Clark said. And she did.

But on June 26, 2020, four months after Tamara Clark turned 37, she was shot twice  once in the chest and once in the hip  killing her almost instantly. She was a block away from her mothers home on Kensington Avenue.

In the three years since Clark lost her daughter, she said she has been working relentlessly to get some answers from the Springfield Police Department.

I just want to know who killed my daughter, said Clark.

And as the number of homicides in Springfield has spiked this year, Clark is also asking officials to pass a state law that would make drive-by shootings a felony.

Inspired by a similar law in California which was made operative in 2012 that makes it a felony for someone to discharge a firearm from a vehicle willfully and maliciously or for a driver to allow another person to bring a loaded gun into their vehicle, Clark said she hopes to make something similar happen in the Bay State.

Gun violence is a growing epidemic. Not only in Springfield or in the state, but also in the country, she said. I want people to know it could happen to anyone.

Exactly half of the states in the country have implemented drive-by shooting laws, according to the Department of Justices National Gang Center.

Despite Massachusetts reputation for having some of the strictest gun laws in the nation (Everytown for Gun Safety ranks it sixth in the nation for its firearm laws), the state does not have a drive-by shooting law.

Californias drive-by shooting law stemmed from a fish and game code that makes it against the law for people to shoot animals from inside their vehicles.

If animals are given this kind of humanity and compassion, why arent people? Clark said.

Clark has not yet talked to state representatives about her proposal, but she said she has reached out to members of the city council and spoke briefly to the mayor.

I dont have any anger toward the city, she said. I just wish the police would do more to try and solve my daughters case and other cases that go unsolved.

Clark said she reached out to Everytown for Gun Safety, a national organization lobbying against gun violence, about her daughters story.

Clark said officials at the organization told her they would talk with state lawmakers on her behalf about creating a drive-by shooting law. I want it to be called Tamaras Law, in honor of my daughter, she said.

She said she received similar responses from other officials, who said they would mull her proposal over, but she never heard back.

A gun reform bill is in the works in Massachusetts, addressing a wide range of firearm-related issues, including where guns can be carried, the licensing process, the states existing ban on assault weapons, untraceable ghost guns and training for gun owners.

State Rep. Michael Day, a Democrat who chairs the Joint Committee on the Judiciary, authored the bill and said in a statement that lawmakers need to give the criminal justice system tools to address gun violence such as drive-by shootings fueled by cycles of retaliation.

Day said that prosecutors are currently searching for effective legal tools to convict those who engage in drive-by shootings because of loopholes in our laws.

A section of the gun bill, HD 4420, specifies that intentionally striking any home or other building in use with a bullet is a criminal offense punishable by up to 2.5 years in county jail or up to 5 years in state prison.

Our proposal would close these loopholes by criminalizing firing at homes or businesses regardless of the intent of the shooter or whether the shooter knows a person is within the building at the time of the shooting, Day said.

Meanwhile, Clark was unaware of the provision in the gun bill. When she learned about it, she said she was shocked.

Ive been mentioning this since my daughters murder. No one has talked to me about it and at this point, I feel like the state is trying to cut me out.

A senseless shooting

I heard the gunshots that took my daughters life, Clark said.

Clark remembers it was a warm summer night when Tamara started her drive back home to Northampton from Springfield. It was just after 11 p.m.

Within the hour, her daughter lay unconscious on the sidewalk.

The last thing I ever saw was her beautiful smile, Clark said with tears in her eyes. We were talking about how excited we were for the weekend we were going to spend together.

Instead, Clark said, that Friday night, me and my familys lives changed forever.

Clark said Tamara pulled her car over on Oakland Street, next to the Valero gas station, to say hello to a friend she hadnt seen in a long time.

Two minutes later, a truck pulled up and someone inside fired several shots.

The bullets werent meant for her, she said. My baby was the victim of a senseless shooting.

Clark said when she heard the news that her daughter was the victim of the shooting she heard, she sprinted out the door and raced to the scene of the crime.

I just wanted to see her, hold her, one last time, she said.

Clark said police told her that a security camera at an apartment building across the street and Valeros camera recorded the shooting  including the license plate of the truck the perpetrators were driving.

But, she said, they werent able to identify her killer, so he probably walks scot-free.

Clark remembers her daughter as a bright and beautiful woman who loved her family and adventure.

Tamara was outgoing and fun-loving. She was a beautiful person on the inside and out, she said.

Her daughter was an avid solo traveler who loved to cook and had big dreams of one day opening her own restaurant.

Her food was just the absolute best, she said with a smile. I miss our moments of laughter and our jokes.

Clark said Tamara was also a loving aunt to three nephews and a niece, and a lifelong protector of her brother, Antwione, who is four years younger than her.

She loved those kids, and Ant and Tamara were best friends, Clark said. It has been really tough on him since she was murdered.

Reached for comment, Springfield Police Department spokesperson Ryan Walsh said the police are actively working with the Hampden District Attorneys Murder Unit on the case.

Clark and her sister-in-law, Juanita Batchelor, work together to run two organizations, Mothers, Overlooked, Reaching out, Empowered (MORE) and the Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr. Resource Center (DLJ), to honor their children and address unsolved homicides and the effects of violence in the city.

Batchelors son, 23-year-old Darrell Lee Jenkins Jr., was shot and killed in front of Batchelors former home on Kensington Avenue on June 4, 2014. He was a father of two young children.

As a family, we have already experienced so much trauma because of gun violence, Clark said. And then as a community, we already face so many struggles like poverty, lack of education, and other social and economic inequalities.

She added that its important for the community to reduce stigma around individuals seeking out therapy when our community suffers loss after loss.

Looking forward, Clark said her sole purpose is to continue fighting for her daughters legacy.

Ill never stop saying her name  Tamara Clark  and I want to do more than just put her face on a T-shirt, she said. I just want people to listen to us, to try to understand our pain, and to give our children a chance at their future.
In recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, MassLive asked readers to identify people who are emerging Hispanic leaders throughout the state, working to make a difference in their own area of interest, be it politics, education, business or the arts.

These are people our readers have identified as inspirational, who may be doing good acts for their communities. They are being recognized for their accomplishments, leadership and commitment to inspire change.

Through charity work, Juan F. Latorre III hopes to instill the value of service to the younger generation. (Kamila O'Neill photo)

Juan F. Latorre III

Age: 38

Community: Springfield

His story: Starting as a Boy Scout in Forest Park, Juan F. Latorre III has continued to serve in his community over the years.

During the day, Latorre has spent the past 15 years working as an engineer. Thirteen of those years, hes worked for Verizon as a Radio Frequency Engineer, designing wireless communications facilities across New England.

My work affords me the opportunity to directly address the digital divide that exists in society  I often work to enhance connectivity at schools and universities across Massachusetts, he said.

But Latorre also finds time to help with numerous nonprofits, such as Friends of the Homeless, Square One, Springfield Rescue Mission, The Salvation Army, Boy Scouts of America, Link to Libraries and Springfield Restaurant Week.

This work affords me the opportunity to set an example to our youngest generation on the importance and value of public service, he said.

His first volunteer position was at the Forest Park Library. And he later worked as a tutor at Sumner Avenue School, while attending Springfield Central High School.

Latorre attended the University of Massachusetts and Western New England University and earned degrees in electrical and computer engineering. Afterwards, he was approached by then City Council President Michael Fenton to serve on a Young Professionals focused subcommittee of the Springfield City Council.

This introduction to our municipal government inspired me to further my involvement in Springfields success, he said.

He later became a two-time candidate for a seat on the Springfield City Council.

Read more: Jeannette Huezo empowers activists through her devotion to economic justice

I work to educate our community about the importance of our municipal government, while development strategies and initiatives to keep Springfield affordable, safe, vibrant, and growing, he said. My core goals include improving Springfields housing stock, developing community-based public safety initiatives and restoring trust, developing new amenities to attract and retain families, and accelerating Springfields economic development to grow new businesses, strengthen existing businesses, and further generation wealth for Springfield families.

But Latorre notes he wouldnt be here without the hard work, sacrifice, and determination of his parents, Juan and Myrna (Colon) Latorre, who came from Puerto Rico to New York City in the 1950s to create a better life for themselves.

I am blessed to live in a city with such a vibrant Hispanic culture. Springfield is a beautiful city because the resilience of our people, he said.

In his words: The first step is to identify your purpose  what is the change you seek in the world, and then create that change through limitless action. In this way, you will find satisfaction in everything you do ... In life, you do not know when someone will ask you to raise your hand and serve ... The young people in our community have to be willing to take on new challenges  the future of our city depends on their leadership.

Each day, we will introduce more leaders, and were always open to hear about more inspiring people. If youd like to suggest someone else who should be recognized, please fill out this form.
Mauritius, a green and clean island, cherished by all, where the environment is valued and protected today and for future generations is the Vision.

To value, upgrade, restore and protect the environment of our island through holistic and systemic planning, actions, scientific knowledge and tools, regulations and monitoring in close coordination with relevant stakeholders

Slogan

 Gard Moris Prop 

Logo design specifications

 The logo design should be original, visually impactful and simple;

 The logo must be in high resolution of at least 300 dpi;

 The selected logo shall be used as an official visual in different formats and sizes in publications, letters, envelopes, website and others, at both national and international level;

 The logo design shall include an icon along with the full name of the NECA: National Environment Cleaning Authority; and the slogan of NECA

 The logo design shall be in line with the vision, purpose and slogan of the NECA;

 Each logo design should be accompanied by a brief description and how best it captures the essence of the vision and slogan of NECA;

 Colour specifications: the use of the national flag colour codes would be an advantage

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to citizens above 18 years old of the Republic of Mauritius meeting the eligibility criteria below:

 Participants are required to submit testimonial(s) of at least three years past experience within last five years in the field of graphic design.

How to apply?

 Each participant shall submit a maximum of two logo designs;

 Logo to be submitted in (i) colour, (ii) greyscale and (iii) black and white format; (to be placed under Logo design specifications or How to apply)

 Participants are also required to submit a brief of the methodology used and research made in the design of the logo;

 To submit a copy of both sides of National Identity Card (NIC);

 Participants are required to submit the completed participation form as per Annex A, and the logo design, and all relevant documents as listed above, in both soft (pen drive) and hard copies to the National Environment Cleaning Authority, 2nd Floor, Wing A, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower, Ebene, Cybercity; and

 Participation forms are available at NECA Head Office 2nd Floor, Wing A, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tower, Ebene, Cybercity

Deadlines

 Deadline for submission: Thursday 30 November 2023 at latest 15 00 hrs.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Jury Panel

 A Jury panel will be constituted to evaluate the contested entries and select the winner of the logo.

 Shortlisted candidates may be requested to review and adjust the logo designs at the discretion of the jury panel before a final selection is made.

 The decision of the Jury panel shall be final and binding.

Cash Prize

 The winner of the logo competition will receive a cash prize of Rs 50,000.

Query

For any further information regarding the logo competition, the NECA may be contacted on 5447 4480.
Schools across Mayo are being encouraged to sign-up for this years Student Enterprise Programme (SEP) by new Brand Ambassador and rising Irish media star, Louise Cantillon.

A Limerick native and former second level school teacher herself, Today FM DJ Louise will be encouraging the thousands of participating students this year as they embark on their exciting entrepreneurial journey, creating, setting up and running their own business to compete for the top prize of Student Enterprise of the Year

Mayo has had success in the competition, most recently with students from Scoil Muire agus Brid, Swinford, winning Best Stand and students from St Louis Secondary School, Kiltimagh winning the Best IP Awareness award in May of this year at the 2022/223 National Finals.

John Magee, Head of Enterprise, Mayo County Council said about the programme: This program offers participants an early taste of important life skills. Imagining, planning and fulfilling a business idea are all skills that the participants will be able to call upon in future years. It may even be the start of a lifelong interest or a career.

An initiative of the Local Enterprise Offices of Ireland, the Student Enterprise Programme is the countrys largest enterprise programme for second level students, with this year marking the 22nd year of the hugely successful programme. Over 25,000 students from approximately 500 second level schools across the country are expected to take part.

Students from first year to sixth year can enter in the Junior, Intermediate and Senior categories. Participants will learn how to create and run their own business, picking up key skills along the way such as ideation, marketing, finance, and sales.

The Programme is run through the network of Local Enterprise Offices, supported by Enterprise Ireland and the local authorities, with local coordinators in every area to support teachers and students through the year of the programme, which helps foster entrepreneurship in students and gives them key skills they can bring with them into later life.

New Ambassador Louise Cantillon is delighted to be partnering with the Student Enterprise Programme for 2023/24 and is looking forward to engaging with the community of teen entrepreneurs to encourage them on their exciting business journey.



Excited

Louise says she is particularly excited about the roll-out of the new student workbooks as Gaeilge this year, I am so excited to be working on the SEP project and learning about all the fantastic businesses these young students are going to be working on this year. The fact that the student workbooks are also being published as Gaeilge this year with thanks to the Irish language agency COGG is fantastic and a great resource for all the gaelscoileanna around the country.

Last year the winners were MC Compactors from Roscommon in the Senior Category with their business idea - an innovative stainless-steel rubbish compactor. In the Intermediate category the winner was Clip Clop Designs  a company that upcycled used horseshoes into household ornaments. The Junior category was won by a group of Leitrim students with their student enterprise Grasper - a lift mechanism to open slatted tank covers on farms.

Since the Student Enterprise Programme began in 2003, over 325,000 students have taken part, learning key skills on how to create a business idea, start a business and grow a business.

The Student Enterprise Programme also has a new range of online resources for 2023/2024 at www.StudentEnterprise.ie, which will feature regular blogs and houses a full range of Student Enterprise resources for students and teachers.
A storm brewing in the Atlantic looks like it will strengthen before making a direct hit on Ireland in the middle of next week, according to one forecaster.

Weather Alerts Ireland has been tracking the storm and says that "weather models this evening are more in favour of a direct hit from this storm on Wednesday."

"This mornings UK and Europe models were not showing a direct hit but all models seem to be in favour of this system hitting Ireland," the forecast added.

The current evening models forecasting this system are the ECMWF, UKMO, ICON, ICON EU, ARPEGE and GFS.

"The jet stream will strengthen this system as it crosses the Atlantic Ocean and will push very close/over Ireland on Wednesday.

"The ECMWF model is shown in the video and shows very strong winds for Ireland with the strongest in the South of the country.

"Other models show stronger winds and the system slightly more west bringing strongest winds to more of the South and South West of the country," the alert added.

"These are updates based on the current models. It is difficult to predict wind paths this far out, hopefully the strongest of winds will stay away from Ireland," they concluded.

Meanwhile, Met Eireann has said: "While details are still uncertain, current indications suggest that Wednesday could be a very windy or possibly stormy day with heavy rain and very strong winds in all areas for a time."
by Tanya Gazdik , September 24, 2023

American Honda Motor Co. is joining with TrueTimber hunting apparel and Jack Links snacks for a sweepstakes tied to the fall hunting season.

Embrace the Pursuit willl award one grand prize winner a Honda Pioneer 1000-5 multipurpose side-by-side featuring the all-new TrueTimber Atera camo pattern (valued at $22,299), and a Jack Links Ultimate Prize Pack (valued at $1,200) and a $500 TrueTimber gift card.

An additional 100 winners will be randomly selected throughout the sweepstakes to win daily prizes including a TrueTimber 20L Dry Gear Backpack (valued at $59.99) and Jack Links Meat Snacks 16oz Beef Jerky Bag (valued at $18.49).

The giveaway entry period ends Dec. 17, at 11:59 p.m. CT. To enter, consumers can visit the Embrace the Pursuit entry page. No purchase is necessary.

advertisement advertisement

The company is always looking for new ways to reach current and prospective customers, says Jeremy McGuire, senior manager of customer engagement at American Honda.

The sweepstakes launches in support of TrueTimbers new Tekari apparel line, featuring two all-new camo patterns, Atera and XRC, now available at Walmart. Additionally, the Grand Prize winner will be one of the first to receive a Honda Pioneer 1000-5 featuring the new Atera camo pattern, which will be featured on all Honda Pioneer 1000 series camo side-by-sides beginning this fall.

These partnerships continue to grow and its exciting to see the connection all our customers share, given their extreme passion for adventure and the outdoors, says TrueTimber CEO Rusty Sellars in a release.
The Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Ibrahim Alkhorayef met Chinese investors in Shanghai, where he discussed investment opportunities available in the kingdom in the mining and industrial sectors.

The President of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu Khalid Al-Salem, Vice Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources for Mining Affairs Khalid Al-Mudaifer, and leading officials of the industry and mining sectors attended the meeting, a Saudi Press Agency (SPA) report said.

The Saudi side highlighted the goals of the National Strategy for Industry and the opportunities provided in various industrial sectors.

Attractive environment

The meeting examined the measures, initiatives and incentives provided by the ministry to create an attractive investment environment, remove obstacles for investors, and offer the required facilities.

The Saudi officials spoke about the goals of the Saudi Vision 2030 in the mining sector and the opportunities it provides for investors worldwide in mineral exploration and investment opportunities.--TradeArabia News Service
Egypt has decided to grant foreign yacht tourists three-month visas, as opposed to the previous one-month allowance.

This move is part of the states efforts to remove all obstacles facing foreign yacht tourists along the Egyptian coasts and to promote yacht tourism, the Ministry of Transport said in a statement on Tuesday.

The extension is particularly useful for people who may be prevented from leaving Egypt within their visa period by unexpected circumstances such as bad weather, technical malfunctions or natural disasters, the transport ministry explained.

To facilitate the process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has instructed Egyptian embassies and consulates to grant yacht tourists three-month tourist visas instead of the previous one-month visa.

On Saturday, the foreign ministry announced that tourist yachts can now apply for and receive their visas through a specialised online portal.

Through the Yacht Single Window, foreign yachts can apply for and receive their visas within 30 minutes, with fees paid in US dollars.

Yachts can also now enjoy the flexibility to leave Egypt from any tourist port, not only the port where they first arrive as was the rule under the previous system.

Egypts unique geographical position with waterways linking three continents - Asia and Africa to Europe  provides the country with great potential for yacht tourism.

The country's coastlines extend for 2,400 kilometres along the Mediterranean and Red Seas, with 23 developed tourist ports able to receive yachts.

Egypt's tourism sector, an important source of hard currency, expects to receive 15 million tourists in 2023. If the figure is met, it will break the record of 14.7 million tourists set in 2010.

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How to use the mindat.org media viewer

Click/touch this help panel to close it.

Welcome to the mindat.org media viewer. Here is a quick guide to some of the options available to you. Different controls are available depending on the type of media being shown (photo, video, animation, 3d image)

Controls - all media types

Zoom in and out of media using your mousewheel or with a two-finger 'resize' action on a touch device.

Use the mouse or your finger to drag the image or the view area of the image around the screen.

< and > at the left and right hand side of the screen move forwards and backwards for the other images associated with the media you selected. Usually this is used for previous/next photo in a gallery, in an article or in search results. Keyboard shortcuts: use shift + the left and right arrow keys.

< and > in the bottom center are used for switching between the photos of the same specimen. Keyboard shortcuts: use the left and right arrow keys.

> in the bottom center, raises the information box giving details and further options for the media, < at the top of this box then hides it. Keyboard shortcuts: use the up and down arrow keys.

? opens this help window. Keyboard shortcuts: use the H key or the ? key.

Other keyboard shortcuts:

1 Fit image to screen 2 Fill screen with image 5 Display at full resolution < Make background darker > Make background lighter space Hide/dim titles and buttons

Scalebar

If the field of view (FOV) is specified for the photo, the scalebar appears in the left bottom corner of the viewer. The scalebar is draggable and resizeable. Drag the right edge to resize it. Double click will reset the scalebar to it's default size and position. If the scalebar is in default position, double click will make it circular.

Controls - Video

Video files have a standard set of video controls: - Reset to start, - Skip back, - Play, - Pause, - Skip forwards. Keyboard shortcuts: You can stop/start video play with the P key.

Controls - Animation (Spin Rotation)

Animation (usually 360 degree spin rotations) have their own controls: - enable spin mode. Note that while images are loading this option will not be available but will be automatically activated when the animation has loaded. Once active you can spin the image/change the animation by moving your mouse or finger on the image left/right or by pressing the [ or ] keys.

The button switches to move mode so that you can use your mouse/fingers to move the image around the screen as with other media types.

The button, or the P key will start playing the animation directly, you can interrupt this by using the mouse or finger on the image to regain manual movement control.

Controls - 3D Stereoscopic images

If a stereoscopic 3D image is opened in the viewer, the 3D button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "3D settings" menu. The 3D images can be viewed in several ways:

- without any special equipment using cross-eyed or parallel-eyed method

- with stereoscope

- with anaglyph glasses.

- on a suitable 3D TV or monitor (passive 3D system)

For details about 3D refer to: Mindat manuals: Mindat Media Viewer: 3D

To enable/disable 3D stereo display of a compatible stereo pair image press the 3 key. If the left/right images are reversed on your display (this often happens in full-screen mode) press the 4 key to reverse them.

Controls - photo comparison mode

If a photo with activated comparison mode is opened in the viewer, the button appears in the bottom right corner giving access to "Comparison mode settings" menu.

Several layouts are supported: slider and side by-side comparison with up to 6 photos shown synchronously on the screen. On each of the compared photos a view selector is placed, e.g.: Longwave UV . It shows the name of currently selected view and allows to select a view for each placeholder.

Summary of all keyboard shortcuts
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Penalties against businesses that violate Michigans child labor laws would jump tenfold under state legislation introduced after a New York Times investigation in February documented migrant children working in unsafe conditions at a Grand Rapids factory.

Under the legislation, introduced by state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids, a business would face a $5,000 penalty for its first child labor law violation, up from $500. A second offense would carry a $25,000 fine, while a third would be for $50,000.

We need to have our penalties at a place where they can deter bad individuals and unethical companies from exploiting our children, Skaggs said, and we just dont have that when the fine is $500 and a misdemeanor.

In late February, the New York Times published a report chronicling migrant children as young as 13 working in dangerous conditions at workplaces throughout the country in violation of federal child labor laws.

The story focused heavily on children working at Hearthside Food Solutions in Grand Rapids. The company, which is based in Illinois and has four locations in the Grand Rapids area, makes products for some of the biggest names in the snack and cereal market, such as General Mills, Kellogg and Kraft Heinz.

Related: Who is the Grand Rapids company in spotlight for migrant children working in dangerous conditions?

The Times story described a Hearthside plant in the area as being full of underage workers who had crossed the Southern border by themselves and were now spending late hours bent over hazardous machinery, in violation of child labor laws.

In response, the U.S. Department of Labor announced an investigation of the companies mentioned in the story, as did the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Later, in March, U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, introduced federal, bipartisan legislation aimed at cracking down on child labor law violations.

Scholtens bill, which has not yet received a hearing, would increase the maximum penalty for violating child labor standards from $15,138 to $132,270. Violations that cause serious injury or death would jump from $132,270 to $601,250.

Despite the federal efforts, Skaggs said it is also important that Michigan strengthen its own penalties. The state, he said, ought to be able to protect its own kids with its own laws.

Related: Migrant children were found working in dangerous conditions. This Grand Rapids school hopes to stop that

Skaggs, further emphasizing the need for stiffer penalties, pointed to a case in which the owner of a meat-processing plant in Ionia County was fined $1,143 in August after a 17-year-old worker lost his right hand in a meat grinder in 2019.

The fine was $1,143  for a hand, for someone who wasnt even registered to work as a minor, and was obviously working in hazardous and dangerous conditions, he said.

Michigan state Rep. Phil Skaggs, D-East Grand Rapids. (Photo provided by Phil Skaggs)

Skaggs, whos serving his first term in the state House, said he spoke with staff at the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity following publication of the Times story. Upon doing so, he said he learned that the state wasnt really going to be able to take a lead role on enforcing our own child labor laws because our penalties were so low.

We want our kids to be safe and focused on school, said Skaggs, who said hes been working with the department on the bill since February. If they chose to work, we want to make sure that theyre safe and that its not interfering with their schooling.

In Michigan, state law prohibits children ages 14 and 15 from working before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

In addition, the combined hours of school and work for children in that age group cannot exceed 48 hours, the state says. Nor can those children work in any occupation determined to be hazardous, such as those using power-driven equipment, tools, saws, or machinery.

Related: Migrant child labor in Michigan reveals injustices in immigration, employment, lawyer says

Skaggs said he worked collaboratively with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity to craft the legislation. He said his legislation gives the department continued flexibility in how it deals with these cases.

If its a mom-and-pop ice cream shop and its a hot sunny night in August and they have a teenager who scoops ice cream too late into the night, thats not a crisis, Skaggs said. Thats a learning opportunity for the business owner. So, we put the flexibility in.

A companion bill, introduced by state Rep. Helena Scott, D-Detroit, would amend the states criminal procedure code to include the stiffer fines and penalties.

Skaggs bill has been referred to the House Labor Committee.

Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter.

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DETROIT, MI -- A man is dead and a woman is in police custody following a series of vehicle crashes Saturday morning, police said.

At about 6:10 a.m. Sept. 23, troopers from the Michigan State Police were dispatched to the area of south M-39 near I-96 in Detroit for a reported rollover crash.

Police arrived on-scene to investigate the initial crash between a jeep and a mid-size car. During this time, the boyfriend of the driver of the jeep arrived at the scene and parked his car in the right lane behind the crash site, police said.

The boyfriend was walking in the traffic lane to the jeep when a pickup truck hit him before hitting the jeep, police said. The woman driving the truck was picked up by an unknown person and left the scene.

The man was pronounced dead on the scene, police said. His identity has been withheld until family members are notified. The female driver of the jeep is believed to be have been impaired leading up to the crash, police said.

The woman driving the pickup truck was located and taken into custody Saturday evening, police said. The case is being reviewed by prosecutors.

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Man accused of Ann Arbor armed robbery given $2M bond, third suspect arrested

Man with brass knuckles arrested after Northern Michigan traffic stop, police say

8-year-old dies after being hit by farm equipment in Southwest Michigan

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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - Dan Debens remembers when he could stroll behind his home in Ypsilanti Townships Gault Village and shop at a grocery store, pharmacy, hardware and more at a bustling shopping plaza.

Debens view of that plaza now has turned to twisted steel and piles of brick as the deconstruction of the Gault Village Shopping Center has begun. Its the culmination of a yearslong decline of the once-busy retail plaza south of I-94 along Ford Lake.

When it was built in the 1960s, Gault Village had its own freeway exit on Grove Road.

At that time it was booming, but when they took the exit out and moved it to Huron Street, thats when this all fell apart. And after, thats when it went downhill, Debens said. Its going to be really nice, once they get it torn down.

This summer, demolition crews dealt with asbestos and prepared the roughly 145,000-square-foot shopping center, vacant for several years, for demolition.

The wrecking crews are set to wrap up in the first weeks of October, according to Ypsilanti Township Attorney Doug Winters.

Gault Village Shopping Center in Ypsilanti Township pictured before demolition on Thursday, June 29 2023, left, and during demolition on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at right. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.comJacob Hamilton | MLive.com

It was a journey, Winters said.

Three judges have overseen a seven-year legal battle between the township and the propertys owners, now Kentucky-based retail developer Robert Hull and his company GV, LLC. With the shopping center under a condemnation notice and businesses shuttered, the plaza was a haven for criminal activity and a danger to the neighborhood, Winters said.

It had to be done, he said of the demolition, authorized by the courts in March over Hulls objections and OKd by township leaders.

Homrich, the company the township picked to carry out the project, is one of the states largest demolition contractors. Its the firm responsible for the surgical removal of the Michigan Stadium press box, as well as asbestos removal in Detroits Joe Louis Arena.

Charles Corn, a Gault Village resident, has a front-row seat to the destruction, and watched Tuesday, Sept. 19, as heavy machinery ripped the roof off what once was the back of a grocery store separated from his grassy backyard by a short wall.

His main concern is whats coming next, as he and his wife care for an adult child with autism and appreciate the safe space their yard offers.

I dont really care what they put back there as long as its something halfway safe for my son. Thats my No. 1 priority, Corn said.

Gault Village Shopping Center as seen from the backyard of a resident on Jay Ave. on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.comJacob Hamilton | MLive.com

The shopping center propertys future is an open question. Hull, the developer who pitched a renovation of the plaza when his company purchased it in 2018 and continued to argue that rebirth was possible as demolition orders loomed, didnt respond to requests for comment.

The township hasnt yet had a conversation with Hull about the future of the property, Winters said.

Im confident that whatever happens is going to be much better than what it has been, he said.

The area could be developed into a grassy park, Debens suggested.

More housing could also be an option, as long as it doesnt affect the existing neighborhood, said Liz Waliga, who was walking her dog near the shopping center on Tuesday.

A 27-year resident, Waliga once worked at the plaza at Measurement, Inc. and her son had a job at the supermarket there when it was a Farmer Jack, she said. It was sad to see the plaza decline, she said.

We definitely miss having a grocery store on the corner, and the cleaners and the ACO Hardware. I mean we had everything, and now we have to drive, Waliga said.

The decline of the shopping center was hard to witness, said Diane Corn, Charles wife. The plazas owners didnt make progress on more than 1,000 pages of code violations, and Gault Village residents recall shopping in stores strewn with buckets to catch drips from leaky roofs.

Gault Village Shopping Center in Ypsilanti Township pictured on Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023. Jacob Hamilton | MLive.comJacob Hamilton | MLive.com

It just looked dead. Nothing there, just old. Its like, when are you going to do something? she said.

Ypsilanti Township will pursue compensation for the demolition bill, seeking a money judgement in court that could be converted into a lien on the property, Winters said.

Officials wont be walking away once the buildings are gone, he said.

Just because its demolished, our job is not done.

Want more Ann Arbor-area news? Bookmark the local Ann Arbor news page, the Ypsilanti-area news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Ann Arbor daily newsletter.

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Washtenaw County to unveil strategies to tackle housing crisis. Whats already been done?

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Amid rising rents, Ypsilanti leaders call for end of Michigans rent control ban
FLINT, MI  A cocktail that tastes like a hamburger sounds like a dream, or maybe the worlds best hangover cure.

It sounds like something youd joke around about with your buddies over drinks.

And youre not far off in any of the above, as Christopher Reynolds, general manager at The Torch Bar and Grill in Flint, wanted to experiment with new and interesting cocktails.

In this case, Reynolds challenged himself to find a way to capitalize on the dive bars already popular Torch burger.

The cocktail is called the Torch Flame  a double shot turned cocktail using high quality, in-house burger meat simmered with onions and spices. Reynolds pulls the flavorful juices from the meat and turns it into a warm, tasty shot accompanied by a second shot glass filled with Jameson, or your choice of bourbon or whiskey.

So you take the Jameson shot, followed by the house-made Au Jus and it tastes like youre drinking a liquid Torch burger, Reynolds said. Its a unique experience. Nobody has ever had this before. Its almost like drinking a hamburger pickleback.

RELATED: Michigans Best Local Eats: The Torch offers up one of the best burgers in the state, nation

Reynolds said the cocktail has already risen to popularity, with people flocking from as far as from Detroit to try it  some even buying a full thermos worth of the soothing warm drink ahead of camping and the same could happen for deer hunting season.

The dive bar has been in operation for 65 years in the heart of downtown Flint, just a block off Saginaw Street at 522 Buckham Alley.

Its one of downtown Flints oldest bars, Reynolds said.

We have our die-hards and our regulars. We know everybody. We know them on a first-name basis and pride ourselves on being personable with our regulars that feel more like friendships, he said. A dive bar is built on friends and customers, to have a bond as soon as someone steps foot in the door. Were the bar for the locals, and everyone is welcome.

There are 21 beers on tap and a new cocktail menu has incorporated more than a dozen new drinks now available.

Like the Torch Flame, Reynolds wanted to empower the bartenders to find their voice and personalities into unique cocktails as well. The menu features a number of a cocktails, including a Harry Potter-themed concoction called Rubus Idaeus.

The Rubus Idaeus consists of Stoli Razz, Chambord, simple syrup, lemon juice, muddled raspberries and soda, topped with Bordeaux wine and garnished with raspberries.

Other featured cocktails include the absinthe-based Green Lantern, a rum-based Pollen Mint Punch, the Southern Mojito Grist and a jalapeno margherita.

For the bourbon lovers, a long-standing Bold Fashioned is on the menu, complete with house Hazelnut Bourbon, simple syrup, a sugar cube and bitters, topped with a Luxardo cherry.

Beer flights are back at The Torch as well for the first time in more than 8 years and will include more rare beers back on rotation, while being the long-standing location for a well-priced Guinness on draft.

I dont necessarily focus on Michigan-only beer; I try to focus on what no one else has, Reynolds said. I spend most of my time researching different types of beers.

And while the drink menu is seeing a robust overhaul, one draw will always remain the featured item that keeps customers salivating and coming back.

Ron Sims, owner of the popular downtown business, purchased The Torch Bar in 2006 after spending over a decade in the bar industry.

Were known for our burgers, Sims said.

Better yet, a Torch Burger is what its known as, which is a full half-pound burger of fresh ground beef that is hand-made each morning. It is cooked to order with the toppings of your choice  mustard, ketchup, pickle and onions  or a Torch Burger with cheese deluxe  lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise.

The Torch offers a variety of sandwiches, including the club sandwich made with turkey, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato and two kinds of cheese piled high on three slices of lightly toasted wheat bread.

They also offer up a number of deep-fried appetizers including mozzarella sticks, tater tots, onion rings, wedge-cut fries and jalapeno poppers.

Related: The Big Bar in the Sky: The Torch Bar & Grills famous photo lineup may make room for the next generation

Inside the bar, customers can view Big Bar in the Sky, a portrait series featuring regulars from years past showcased prominently throughout the bar.

I love to see the faces of the regulars that come in, Reynolds said. People like coming in and finding a picture of their dad or uncle. Its a unique experience.

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  One person was injured in a shooting Sunday morning on the citys southeast side, Grand Rapids police said.

The individual shot is not cooperating with the investigation, police said.

The shooting happened around 6 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 24, near Eastern Avenue SE and Franklin Street SE.

The person shot was taken to an area hospital for treatment. A suspect has not been arrested.

Anyone with information can contact Grand Rapids Police Department at 616-456-3380 or Silent Observer at 616-774-2345.

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Greetings from Mackinac Island, where the Michigan Republican Party is wrapping up its biennial leadership conference.

If you havent been following along, the state party has been in a period of discord following the election of chair Kristina Karamo in February, as warring factions have divided some county parties and resistance to her administration has grown among party leaders.

On stage before an audience of a few hundred, Karamo dispelled rumors she was planning to resign and said those who wish to maintain the status quo in the party could pound sand.

Read more: Michigan GOP leader tells critics to pound sand amid pleas for unity at Mackinac

The conference traditionally has been a mecca for presidential aspirants and the partys powerful donor class. This weekend was largely a gathering of Karamos steadfast supporters, with a speaker lineup that closely reflected her worldview.

It was a crucial moment for Republican leaders to prove they can bring the party together, but turnout at the convention largely consisted of her own supporters, as elected leaders and major donors stayed away from a speaker lineup stacked with conspiracy theorists and internet personalities promoting biblical conservatism.

This is your guide to Michigan politics.

Biden and Trump plan dueling visits to union workers

This week, as the United Auto Workers strike expanded without immediate signs of a resolution with the Detorit Three automotive corporations.

Friday evening, President Joe Biden announced he would visit Michigan amid the strike.

Tuesday, Ill go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create, Biden said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

The UAW has been striking since Sept. 15 when their contracts expired. They have demanded a 40% wage increase over four years and shorter hours, among other things and negotiations remain ongoing.

Former President Donald Trump also announced he would be visiting union workers the next day, Wednesday, Sept. 27, in Macomb Countys Clinton Township at 8 p.m.  the same time as the second Republican presidential debate. Trump has skipped both. The New York Times first reported news of the visit.

The visit comes after UAW president Shawn Fain had sharply criticized Trump, and does not appear to be coordinated with the UAW.

Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers, Fain said in a statement. We cant keep electing billionaires and millionaires that dont have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class.

Democrats abortion legislation hit with significant snag

In the Michigan House, Democrats majority stands at just 56 of the 110 seats. So when Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, voted no in committee on a key package of legislation removing abortion restrictions, it could kill the bills.

I will hold that on the floor, Whitsett told reporters of her committee votes. If changes are not made or were not able to come to a resolution, I will hold that vote.

More: 3 things to know about abortion restrictions Michigan Dems want to repeal

The legislation is one of Gov. Gretchen Whitmers fall priorities she laid out in a speech just a few weeks ago.

Abortion is one of the most divisive political issues and Democrats need complete unity to get the legislation passed if the vote falls along party lines. One Democrat had suggested they could attract Republican votes to get around Whitsetts blockade, but Republican leaders rebuffed that claim.
Award-winning rapper Sarkodie has faced heavy criticism online for not participating in the recent 'OccupyJulorbiHouse' protests against economic hardship.

Many accused him of being silent due to his perceived support for the ruling NPP government.

In a tweet on Saturday, September 23, however, Sarkodie dismissed his critics as "clout chasers" trying to divert the real motives of the protest for attention.

While expressing solidarity with protesters, he said: "I watch videos and I see clearly the real protesters complaining about the hardship they are facing (which should be amplified) and not caring who is there and who is not.. because it goes beyond that."

"As always we have the Clout chasers changing the agenda on the grounds making the unnecessary trend," he added.

The rapper called for the focus to remain on the real issues rather than who did or did not attend the protest.

"Big shouts to all citizens, all public figures with the purest intent to fight for change. May we not miss the target," his tweet concluded.

Meanwhile, the protest organized by pressure group Democracy Hub intensified on the third day as several top celebrities joined the protest on Saturday, September 23.

Dancehall artist Stonebwoy, rappers like M.anifest, Pappy Kojo, Kwaw Kese and others joined the protest at the 37 Military Hospital roundabout which lasted into the late hours of the night.

These are the things that make a nation great and as much as I sing in my songs, I want to live and that is why I am here, Stonebwoy said, lamenting challenges like galamsey.

Other celebrities shared similar sentiments, calling on leaders to address the country's challenges.

The 3-day protest aimed to occupy Jubilee House, the presidential residence, to voice displeasure over "misgovernance" and a high cost of living.

Police arrested about 49 protestors on Thursday, the first day, detaining them for 12 hours.

But organizers and angry citizens persisted, though prevented from occupying Jubilee House by police barricades.

The protest highlighted growing public discontent over economic hardship and perceived leadership failures.
Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Asokore Mampong, Kennedy Kankam, has allegedly been slapped at a New Patriotic Party (NPP) meeting.

Abdul Rashid, said to be the NPP Organiser for Asawase Constituency, has been accused of manhandling the government's representative in the municipality.

Yakubu Tony Aidoo, a top member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Asawase Constituency, made the allegation on Akoma FM in Kumasi.

According to him, information he was privy to, indicated that Rashid slapped Kankam in the presence of other NPP constituency executives and electoral area coordinators.

Yakubu, who sounded very angry and panting for breath, stated that it was illegal for Rashid to stoop so low by slapping the government's representative in the area.

Even though I'm an NDC member, I'm disturbed by this illegal and shameful action by Rashid. Kankam is the president of the municipality so he represents all of us.

One person cannot take the law into his own hands by slapping our MCE and go scot free, Yakubu lamented live on radio on Friday.

The NDC leading member therefore vowed to personally deal with Rashid for assaulting the MCE, saying, I have declared war against Rashid. We shall exchange blows.

MCE Goes Mute

Meanwhile, Kofi Asante, the host of Akoma FM morning show, on Friday morning, said on his network that efforts for the MCE to talk about the slapping issue proved futile.

We called the MCE, Kennedy Kankam, about the truth or otherwise of the slapping incident, but he refused to talk, citing the ongoing voter registration exercise as his excuse.

The MCE did not deny of confirm that he had been slapped by Rashid when we called him. He, however, assured that he would talk about the issue in due time, Kofi Asante said.

This reporter tried contacting the MCE for his side of the story, but he was unsuccessful.

Rashid Debunks Allegation

Meanwhile, Rashid, the Asawase NPP Organiser, has vehemently debunked wild allegations that he slapped the MCE during a party meeting, saying that he is innocent.

He said even though there was a misunderstanding, which generated into a heated debate during the meeting, he never raised his hands against the government appointee.

There was a slight misunderstanding at the meeting, but I didn't touch the MCE. I cannot slap the MCE as Tony Aidoo is alleging, it's total falsehood to dent my image, he said.

Kennedy's Appointment Brouhaha

As a reminder, the appointment of Kennedy Kankam, who is a former NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Nhyiaeso, as Asokore's Mampong MCE, suffered some level of resistance.

Some of the NPP members and sympathisers in the Asokore Mampong Municipality then described Kennedy Kankam as an alien in the party in their municipality.

They therefore threatened to reject his nomination but Kankam, who is an astute politician with years of experience, managed to scale through unscathed.

Until this latest slapping incident, Kankam was doing well as he had been able to work in peace with the NPP constituency executives in the Asawase Constituency.

-DGN online
23.09.2023 LISTEN

Convener of Democracy Hub, Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor has reacted to the press release from the Ministry of National Security denying the $1 million dollar bribe allegedly offered by National Security Minister Albert Kan-Dapaah.

The Ministry in its release on Friday, September 22, said This Ministry has taken notice of allegations made, in a viral post, by Oliver Barker-Vormawor, Convenor of the Fix the Country Movement, regarding a purported offer of $1,000,000.00 made to him by the Minister for National Security to compel him to cease his "activism".

While it is acknowledged that the Ministers for National Security, and Finance, and other relevant stakeholders, in 2021, engaged the convenors of the Fix the Country Movement to listen to their concerns, it must be stated emphatically that no offer of money or appointment was made to persuade the group to end its "activism".

The allegations made by Oliver Barker-Vormawor are thus false, unfounded, and a calculated attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians, parts of the release from the Ministry of National Security said.

Speaking to Joy News on Saturday morning, Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor stressed that he stands by what he said and has a recording to back the $1 million offer.

He said he would release the audio into the public domain to prove the allegation.

The Minister of National Security has issued a statement claiming that I was met with other FixTheCountry conveners and other stakeholders. I want to put it on record that the meeting I am talking about happened exclusively between myself and the Minister for National Security where that offer was made to me.

I will release an audio into the public domain, which would confirm that the Minister invited me to a secret safe house location, that we should have an individual meeting between him and myself, at which meeting he made that offer to myself. No other FixThecountry convener was involved there, Osagyefo Oliver Barker-Vormawor said.

Meanwhile, the activist has hit the street with thousands of Ghanaians today for Day 3 of the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.

The demonstration is to protest against corruption and demand accountability from the government.
Addressing huge crowds in Marseille, Pope Francis urged European governments to act together to welcome migrants and prevent the Mediterranean, where thousands have drowned, from becoming a "sea of death".

Immigration issues dominated Francis's 27-hour trip to the French port of Marseille, which has been a crossroads of cultures and religions for centuries.

In a 35-minute speech on Saturday morning, closing a Church conference on Mediterranean issues, the pontiff urged governments to welcome migrants instead of viewing them as invaders.

"Those who risk their lives at sea do not invade, they look for welcome," he said.

"There is a cry of pain that resonates most of all, and it is turning the Mediterranean, the 'mare nostrum', from the cradle of civilization into the 'mare mortuum', the graveyard of dignity: it is the stifled cry of migrant brothers and sisters," he said, using Latin terms meaning "our sea" and "sea of death".

According to UN Refugee Agency UNHCR, about 178,500 migrants have come to Europe via the Mediterranean this year, while about 2,500 died or went missing.

Last week some 8,500 people arrived on 199 boats on the Italian island of Lampedusa.

In his address, Francis called on people to "hear the cries of pain" rising from migrants seeking a better life.

He said migration was not an emergency but "a reality of our times, a process that involves three continents around the Mediterranean and that must be governed with wise foresight, including a European response".

Governments in several European countries, including Italy, Hungary, and Poland, are led by outspoken opponents of immigration.

France's Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, who welcomed Francis on his arrival in Marseille on Friday, has said France would not welcome any migrants from the island.

President Emmanuel Macron and Interior Minister Darmanin are planning tougher measures to control arrivals through a new immigration bill that goes before parliament this autumn.

Domestic 'interference'

Macron held a private meeting with the Pope on Saturday and attended a papal Mass in the afternoon for 50,000 people in the city's Velodrome stadium. Authorities said another 100,000 lined the route to the stadium.

Some left-wing politicians have criticised the president's decision to attend Mass as an infringement of France's laws on secularism (laicite) which strictly separates church and state. Macron said he was attending out of respect for the Pope.

Others on the right have criticised Francis for "interfering" in domestic politics, notably on the issues of assisted dying and inscribing the right to abortion in the constitution  two of Macron's projects.

Old people risk being "pushed aside, under the false pretences of a supposedly dignified and 'sweet' death that is more 'salty' than the waters of the sea," Francis warned.

He also spoke of "unborn children, rejected in the name of a false right to progress, which is instead a retreat into the selfish needs of the individual".

(with newswires)
24.09.2023 LISTEN

The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) Sanitation and Water Project (GAMA SWP) should be expanded to other areas of the country, Mr. Francis Ameyibor, National Convenor of the Media Coalition Against Open Defecation (M-CODe) has recommended.

Speaking at the World Vision Ghana-sponsored M-CODe National Working Group Empowerment Summit in Accra, Mr. Ameyibor suggested using the project's potential in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) as a benchmark for expanding it statewide.

The World Bank is providing funding for the GAMA/GKMA Sanitation and Water Project, which is being carried out by the Ghanaian government through the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources.

"GAMA SWP must at least adopt one metropolitan or municipal area in each region to increase access to improved sanitation and improved water supply, especially in low-income communities," Mr. Ameyibor said.

In his appeal to the government and the World Bank, Mr. Ameyibor observed that engagement with M-CODe regional stakeholders around the country emphasized the demand for the extension and expansion of the GAMA project.

According to Mr. Ameyibor, the M-CODe Empowerment Summit was a component of the "M-CODe 2023 Anti-Open Defecation Nationwide Advocacy efforts, which are supported by World Vision Ghana."

As part of national efforts to put an end to the practice, Mr. Ameyibor noted that empowerment through capacity building, connecting key players in the battle against open defecation, and developing a forum to expose communities still engaging in the practice were all important to achieving the goal.

The M-CODe National Convenor mentioned the public awareness campaign towards the global aim of eliminating open defecation (OD) by 2030 and the empowerment of media, who serve as important partners in revitalizing the campaign locally.

He said M-CODe was building alliances with strategic stakeholders, including the Regional Coordinating Council, Environmental Health Department, Ghana Education Service, Ghana Health Service, Community Water and Sanitation Agency, and the Department of Community Development, to revitalize advocacy against open defecation.

Other stakeholders include the Department of Gender, the National Commission for Civic Education, Regional Environmental Officers, the Environmental Protection Agency, World Vision, and civil society organizations.

The rest consists of Regional Officers from the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Sanitation, and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, among others, who work to revive and maintain the activism to alter the rules and build a society free of open defecation.

In his opening remarks at the M-CODe National Working Group Empowerment Summit, Mr. Yaw Attah Arhin, a Technical Specialist in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) for World Vision Ghana, emphasized the necessity for stakeholders to collaborate in order to achieve the goal of ending open defecation by 2030.

He stated that despite increased political, public, and media attention in recent years, the fight to eradicate open defecation has been "embarrassingly sluggish."

Mr. Arhin urged the Ministry of Sanitation to keep assuming a leadership role and providing strategic guidance for putting Ghana's plan to stop open defecation into action.

He said it was heartbreaking to see how many kids die every year from illnesses like diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid when these conditions could be easily avoided with practical solutions like using better latrines and washing hands with soap and flowing water.

Other speakers include Mr. Wisdom Aditsey, Tema Metropolitan Health Officer, and Mr. Emmanuel Addai, GAMA/GKMA Knowledge Management Expert.
Ms. Sandra Araba Mensah, the deputy head of pharmacy at International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema, has urged patients to feel at ease asking medical experts questions and occasionally obtaining a second opinion in order to ensure the safe administration of their medications.

She asserts that the inquiries should cover a variety of topics, including what condition the prescription is intended to treat, how to store it, any possible side effects, and when and how to take it.

When IMaH Pharmacists, including Nana Oye Edmund, the Inpatient Pharmacy Supervisor, and Dr. Marc Kwame Dzradosi, the Head of Pharmaceutical Service, spoke at the weekly "Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility! A Ghana News Agency Tema Regional Office initiative.

The Ghana News Agency's Tema Regional Office developed the public health advocacy platform "Your Health! Our Collective Responsibility" to investigate the components of four health communication approaches: informing, instructing, convincing, and promoting.

Speaking on polypharmacy, Ms. Mensah emphasized the significance of honest and open communication between patients and medical providers as the cornerstone of a comprehensive treatment.

The public was also warned by Dr. Dzradosi, the IMaH Head of Pharmaceutical Service, against consuming too much ginger and garlic, especially if they are taking medicine since this could cause their blood to thin.

Especially among Ghanaian cuisine and in herbal medicine, garlic, and ginger are among the most frequently used natural spices. Some people consume them raw, while others add them to all of their meals, including tea.

However, according to Dr. Dzradosi, "a high intake of garlic and ginger can thin your blood and cause bleeding."

He warned the public to consume such foods in moderation because they are blood thinners and could cause bleeding if taken together. He cited as examples aspirin and ginger, warning that doing so could cause bleeding if not monitored.

Therefore, he recommended patients take the time to speak with their doctors or chemists and give all pertinent details, including the foods they consume so that they could perform an accurate diagnosis.

Regarding safe medication, he advised patients to consider what brought them to the hospital and determine whether the doctor accurately diagnosed their symptoms after listening to their complaints.

He said that before leaving the hospital, people should confirm that they were given the correct drug and inquire about how it will function any potential adverse effects, and other crucial details.

He also reiterated the need for doctors and other medical professionals to perform a medication reconciliation before giving medications to their patients.

He claimed that drug interactions would be reduced, prescription cascades that might be harmful to patients' health would be stopped, and the likelihood of prescribing the wrong medication would be reduced via medication reconciliation.

When patients check into a hospital, Dr. Dzradosi recommends that health professionals ask them about their medication regimens, including any prescription pharmaceuticals, over-the-counter meds, herbal supplements, and supplement concoctions.

He revealed that many people nowadays are polypharmacy patients, taking five or more medications simultaneously due to various medical conditions.

One person may have hypertension, high cholesterol, arthritis, prostate issues, kidney issues, and cancer, among other ailments, according to Dr. Dzradosi.

He continued by saying that specific drugs would be needed for the treatment of each of these illnesses.

Ms. Edmunds urged patients to go to the hospital as soon as they experienced any uncomfortable side effects from taking any medication.

In order to ensure that patients were knowledgeable about the prescriptions they were receiving, she also advised them to read the pharmaceutical leaflets, which provided details on the drug's components, side effects, dosage, and dos and don'ts.
Renowned US economist Professor Steve Hanke has slammed President Nana Akufo-Addo over Ghana's economic crisis, calling him a "masterclass of economic incompetence."

In a tweet on Saturday, September 23, Prof. Hanke said the ongoing #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests stem from the president's mismanagement of the economy.

The #OccupyJulorbiHouse protests in Ghana are rolling right along. Ghanaians have completely blocked off the 37 Roundabout, also known as the Akuafo Intersection, in Accra. PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO = A MASTERCLASS IN ECONOMIC INCOMPETENCE, he wrote.

Meanwhile, the protest organized by pressure group Democracy Hub intensified on the third day as several top celebrities joined the protest on Saturday, September 23.

Dancehall artist Stonebwoy, rappers like M.anifest, Pappy Kojo, Kwaw Kese and others joined the protest at the 37 Military Hospital roundabout which stretched into the late hours of the night.

These are the things that make a nation great and as much as I sing in my songs, I want to live and that is why I am here, Stonebwoy said, lamenting challenges like galamsey.

Other celebrities shared similar sentiments, calling on leaders to address the country's challenges.

Members of the 3-day protest wanted to picket at the Jubilee House, the presidential residence, to voice displeasure over "misgovernance" and the high cost of living.

Police arrested about 49 protestors on Thursday, the first day, detaining them for 12 hours.

But organizers and angry citizens persisted, though prevented from occupying Jubilee House by police barricades.

The protest highlighted growing public discontent over economic hardship and perceived leadership failures.
24.09.2023 LISTEN

Lawyers of Dr. Kwame Addo-Kufuor, former Minister for Defence, have vehemently denied claims stating that their clients net worth stands at a staggering $1.2 billion, making him the second richest person in Ghana.

The lawyers, Akyea, Zoe and Co. have also threatened legal action against the individuals responsible for spreading the false information.

In a statement signed by Samuel Atta Akyea, head of the law firm condemned the report, which was allegedly propagated by an anonymous TikTok account.

The lawyers described it as a deliberate attempt to tarnish the reputation and hard-earned integrity of Dr. Addo-Kufuor.

The statement clarified that the unknown individual behind this shameful act of sleazy propaganda presented no evidence to support their claims. The report alleged that Dr. Addo-Kufuor had significant investments in banking, farming, media, and mining, contributing to his supposed net worth.

The lawyers emphasized that their client has dutifully declared his assets as required by law for public office holders. They affirmed that no evidence exists to validate the claims made by the anonymous TikTok account. The lawyers further warned that the person responsible for the false accusations will face legal consequences.

The statement shed light on Dr. Addo-Kufuors distinguished career as a successful physician and lecturer of medicine at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. It also highlighted his exemplary political life, serving as a Member of Parliament for Manhyia from 1997 to 2009. Additionally, he held the position of Defence Minister and, for a period, also took on the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior during President Kufuors administration. Furthermore, Dr. Addo-Kufuor served as the Board Chairman of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) during the first term of President Akufo-Addo.

The lawyers concluded by reiterating their clients denial of the claimed net worth and their determination to seek legal action against those responsible for the character assassination. They assured that the individuals behind this defamatory act would be identified and taken to court.

As the legal battle looms, Dr. Addo-Kufuor remains resolute in defending his reputation against false allegations meant to tarnish his hard-earned reputation.

-DGN online
24.09.2023 LISTEN

On Saturday, September 23, a three-storey building under construction behind Ofankor Market near Asofan shockingly collapsed.

Despite heavy rains that occurred the day before, no casualties were reported.

One of the workers on the site noticed that the building was about to collapse and raised the alarm, allowing everyone to run to safety.

The cause of the collapse is still under investigation by the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS), but the report suggests that inadequate materials might have caused the building to come down.

The GNFS spokesperson, ADO1 Alex King Nartey, expressed doubt about the quality of materials used in the collapsed building.

He also mentioned that the tenants of the building were contradictory in their statements- one claimed that no work has been going on in the building for six months, while another said that someone was plastering when the building was about to collapse.

The police were also informed about the collapse and arrived at the scene for fact-finding. They met one Maxwell Yaw Agyemang, a house caretaker, who reported that the pillars of the uncompleted two-story building were sinking slowly to the ground.

Later, the whole building suddenly collapsed to the ground. No casualties were recorded in this incident, according to a police report prepared by Cpl Florence Azumah.

The GNFS and the police will continue to investigate the cause of the collapse.

-DGN online
New York, 22 September 2023  The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen their partnership in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.

The MoU establishes a framework for cooperation between both entities over the next five years on a range of security and counter-terrorism initiatives, including preventative efforts to counter terrorist travel, financing, access to weapons and misuse of information and communications technologies; border security and management; prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration (PRR), and the delivery of counter-terrorism training programmes in Africa. The agreement also makes provisions for UNOCT support to ECOWAS and its Member States in the implementation of the ECOWAS 2020-2024 Action Plan on Eradicating Terrorism.

The MoU was signed by Dr. Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, and Mr. Vladimir Voronkov, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Counter-Terrorism, during a bilateral meeting on the margins of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week.

Under-Secretary-General Voronkov welcomed the signing noting that it marks a pivotal moment, as it establishes a comprehensive cooperation framework for the next 5 years.

Dr. Touray expressed ECOWAS commitment to the collaboration with the UN through UNOCT to address the multifaceted dimensions of terrorism, including the root causes such as youth empowerment, the fight against human rights violations and other governance deficits.

Following the signing, ECOWAS and UNOCT will develop a joint plan of action to put the agreement into practice, building on existing coordination platforms, such as the AU-UN Technical Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and PCVE. They will also explore opportunities to develop and undertake joint or collaborative activities with the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact. Moreover, jointly organize workshops, conferences, or other meetings and activities on topics and issues related to CT/PCVE, bringing together the relevant stakeholders at the global, regional, or national levels.

Yesterday (21 Sept.), ECOWAS participated in the Ministerial-Level meeting of African Member States on Strengthening Regional Cooperation and Institution Building to Address the Evolving Threat of Terrorism in Africa co-organized by Nigeria and UNOCT. The meeting provided African Member States and regional organizations an opportunity to share their views on the prevailing terrorism threat scenarios in Africa and propose actionable and outcome-oriented recommendations for the African Counter-Terrorism Summit (Abuja Summit) co-organized by UNOCT and Nigeria, which will be held in Abuja on 23-24 April. The Summit will seek to enhance multilateral counter-terrorism cooperation and reshape the international communitys collective response to terrorism in Africa.
As the President of the Group of Twenty (G20), India hosted the final summit on September 9 and 10. The event was attended by more than 40 world leaders, including the G20 Heads of State or their representatives. And one major outcome of the event, arguably the most significant, was that India successfully secured a permanent place in the Group of 20 for the African Union (AU), the continental body of 55 member-states.

Several analysts had predicted that the Ukraine crisis would create in an impasse. Yet, India was successful in steering the conference toward a consensus-driven joint statement, the Delhi Declaration. Moreover, once introduced, the Global Biofuels Alliance and the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor will have a major geopolitical impact in the coming days. Unsurprisingly, most participating nations, including the USA, openly praised Indias government for organising such a successful event.

Africas quest for global voice

African governments and the AU have been vying for a larger representation in international foras such as G20 for some time now. Early in January 2023, when India hosted the Voice of the Global South Summit, the leaders of over 100 developing and underdeveloped countries participated in that virtual summit, underscoring their faith in Indias leadership across the global south. As the call for the AUs membership in the G20 grew louder during the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent personal messages to all his G20 counterparts requesting to accept the permanent membership of the African Union.

And the most pivotal moment of the 18th G20 summit occurred in the very first hour of the gathering when PM Modi, using three bangs of the presidential gavel, declared the upgraded status of the AU as a permanent member. PM Modi stood up to give the President of the Comoros and head of the union, Azali Assoumani, a warm embrace. A few moments later, President Assoumani was led to his already-assigned chair with his nameplate by S. Jaishankar, Indias Minister of External Affairs. And thus came the watershed moment in the history of G20 summits. African Union became a permanent member of the exclusive Group of 20. This makes the African Union (AU) equivalent to the European Union, the only regional bloc with a full membership in the G20.

Undoubtedly, it was a defining success for Indian diplomacy, which managed to persuade the G20 members to agree to the Indian proposal of granting AU permanent membership. Although AUs bid to become a permanent member of the Group has been gathering momentum for a few years, the African continent benefited from Indias decisive leadership. Further, the inclusion of the AU in G20 resonates well with Indias fundamental principles, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, or one planet, one family, one future.

Officials and academics have long debated the merits of the AU joining the G20 as a full member. Those in favour argue that the G20 will now become more inclusive and robust. And it will cover around 80% of humanity, as opposed to the current 65%. Thus, it will strengthen the Groups moral standing and advance the cause of justice and fairness. The inclusion of the AU in the G20 would also broaden international alliances and create new opportunities for collaboration.

Indias G20 Presidency strengthens its Africa connection

The Kampala Principles, enunciated by Prime Minister Modi in Ugandas parliament in 2018, continue to serve as the foundation for Indias Africa policy. This relationship was formalised in 2008 with the India-Africa Forum Summit (IAFS). Indeed, since its inception, the IAFS has emerged as one of African leaders largest regular diplomatic gatherings. There have been three editions of IAFS, held in India in 2008, Ethiopia in 2011, and India again in 2015. Fifty-four nations from Africa participated in the 2015 Summit, a historic milestone. The IAFS 4, scheduled to take place in 2021, got postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now will take place anytime soon. In any case, the AUs entry into G20 will provide India with another platform to engage with Africa at a continental level.

In addition to enabling the AUs admission to the G20 club, Indian PM Modi also separately met with the presidents of Nigeria and Comoros, who were also special invitees to the summit. The SAGAR project and Indias draft blue economy policy statement align with the African Unions (AU) 2050 Africas Maritime Strategy and the AUs 2019 Africa Blue Economy Strategy. The Blue Economy will grow as a result of India and African nations cooperation, which will also increase marine security. Considering its location, Comoros is well positioned to have a huge impact on Indias Sagar ambition.

With a GDP of $510 billion, Nigeria is Africas largest economy. It is also the most populous nation of Africa. Recently, Nigeria secured investment pledges from several Indian companies and the Indian government, totalling close to $14 billion. As a follow-up, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu attended the G20 summit to attract similar investments in different key sectors for Nigerian economy such as steel, petrochemicals, power generation, and defence. The importance of his visit is reflected in the grandeur of his high-level delegation, which included four Ministers: Foreign Affairs, Finance, and coordination of the economy, as well as Communications, innovation, and the digital economy and Industry, trade, and investment. During the sideline of the summit, India India-Nigeria bilateral meeting resulted in several key agreements.

One such agreement is of $1 billion, where the Indian government would work with the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria towards its self-sufficiency. The agreement posits an ambitious target for Nigeria to obtain at least 40% self-sufficiency in the manufacturing and production of defence equipment within three years. Nigeria is also interested in purchasing Indian-made Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) Prachand, Light Utility Helicopter (LUH), and Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv. Finally, Nigeria is interested in technology transfers for drones and more modern armoured personnel carriers. All of these will significantly increase Indias collaboration with Nigeria and beyond in Africa.

Way forward

Over the years, G20 has become an important forum, and it is expected to provide some solutions to major global concerns like economic growth, climate catastrophe, energy transition, sustainable development, debt burdens, womens empowerment, and the digital economy as the worlds leading forum for international economic and other cooperation. Meanwhile, African communities are disproportionately susceptible to the consequences of these global challenges. Therefore, Afrocentric leadership and voices are essential for any real solution.

With a seat at the main G20 table, Africa will finally have a direct representation in all discussions and decisions where they will be able to voice their concerns. Clearly, African nations have a rightful place at the table, and its inclusion is the first step towards correcting a historical injustice. Furthermore, with several tangible outcomes, Indias decisive leadership and championing of the voice of the global south received widespread acclaim. By working to secure a permanent seat for the African Union in the alliance, India demonstrated the sincerity of its message that there is one earth, one family, and one future. Therefore, Indias G20 can truly be termed as a tribute to its friendship with Africa.
The International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA) has proclaimed Joseph Kobla Wemakor as one of its recipients of the prestigious Africa Peace Advocate Awards 2023.

He was recognized among over 30 exceptional Ghanaian individuals who have dedicated themselves to promoting peace in their communities and beyond.

Known for his remarkable endeavours and continuous efforts in the direction of maintaining and extending peace in Africa, Wemakor has now been duly recognized and acclaimed globally.

Joseph Kobla Wemakor is a renowned Ghanaian peace activist, dedicated humanitarian, and influential journalist. He is also the founder and executive director of Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), an NGO committed to fighting for the rights of marginalized groups in society.

Acknowledged for his virtue of deep conviction for peace, Wemakor has consistently initiated and led movements towards selfless service and goodwill undertakings.

The IAWPA's newly granted honour signifies a landmark and colossal achievement in Wemakors relentless journey of fostering peace and understanding among communities.

The effort dedicated by Wemakor in peace advocacy across Africa and beyond has been enormous and of profound significance.

With his robust journalistic background, he has used words as his tool to mould, shape, and inspire the minds of the masses.

Wemakor believes in the sanctity of the pen as a force that combats situations of conflict, unrest, and animosity prevalent in numerous African communities.

The Africa Peace Advocate Awards, a headline initiative from IAWPA, has been instrumental in recognizing peace advocates who have made exceptional contributions to promote peace and harmony. The award encapsulates the very spirit of humanity and acknowledges the relentless efforts of peace advocates worldwide.

Wemakors recognition by IAWPA underscores his persistent work, including formulating and implementing strategies and programs for conflict resolution, promoting peaceful co-existence, and empowering the youth towards progressive and peaceful journeys. More than just an honour, this award is a testament to his continued dedication towards creating a harmonious and peaceful African society.

This award brings the total number of notable honors received by Wemakor this year to three. The Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network, based in Kampala, Uganda, was the first organization to be moved by his extraordinary accomplishments and nominated him on February 17, 2023, for the prestigious AfricanDefenders Shield Award, which honors people who work to advance and defend human rights in Africa.

On July 15, 2023, the Entreps, International Board of Global Actors, and Business for Sustainability in Costa Rica gave him, along with his platform, the most prestigious 5th UN Global Entreps Awards for their outstanding contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This was followed by widespread recognition.

Prior to that, his relentless advocacy work had been acknowledged, which led to the selection of his platform, the Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), as one of the 10 finalists for the 2020 Africans Rising Activism Awards' Movement of the Year Award. The only group to represent Ghana on the continent was HRRG, which placed fourth in the finals.

Again, on November 13, 2021, he received an honorary award for peace, security, and education from the Transformational Empowerment and Rural Integration Africa Foundation, an NGO, at the inaugural Africa Early Education Award (AECEA) ceremony for his outstanding work on peacebuilding initiatives across the continent.

His excellence in human rights advocacy and defence was recognized by a global media outlet, "Business Woman Magazine," based in Ukraine, on October 17, 2020. He was chosen to be featured in its glossy pages alongside a number of notable individuals, diplomats, activists, and business leaders who have an impact on lives on a global level.

The IAWPAs high commendation for the Human Rights Reporters Ghanas boss equally highlights its commitment to acknowledging outstanding individuals striving to maintain peace.

The Association aims to foster global peace and harmony through interdisciplinary and cross-cultural communication. By acknowledging peace defenders like Joseph Kobla Wemakor, the IAWPA hopes to inspire many others to take up the mantle of peace advocacy in their respective societies.

In accepting the impressive honour from the United Nations Eminent Peace Ambassador and Country Director for the International Association of World Peace Advocates, Dr. Samuel Ben Owusu, the humble peace advocate emphasized that the recognition would further invigorate his objectives and dedication towards realizing a peaceful and united Africa.

His vision, characterized by relentless optimism, revolves around seeing a continent free from conflict, where every individual lives in harmony and peace.

The Africa Peace Advocate Awards 2023 offers a felicitous platform for champions of peace like Joseph Kobla Wemakor. Notably, it underscores their significance in harmonizing and consolidating peace in the African continent and the wider world in general.

It is the hope that this honour will inspire younger generations to contribute towards creating an environment of peace and co-existence.

The unwavering efforts and endeavours of peace advocates like Wemakor are indeed commendable and noteworthy.

The Africa Peace Advocate Awards and IAWPAs honour of Wemakor is a step towards acknowledging such unyielding efforts.

His actions and contributions are a beacon of hope and a reminder that upholding peace, much like justice, is a collective effort that should be honored and celebrated.
Ghana has been captivated by a gripping saga involving allegations of bribery and intimidation.

Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a convener of the activist group "Fix the Country," made bold claims of a clandestine meeting, bribery offers, and ominous threats from prominent figures, including Hon. Albert Kan- Dapaah and Hon. Ken Ofori-Atta, the Ministers for National Security and Finance.

As the narrative unfolds, questions surrounding the credibility of these allegations have started to emerge, demanding clarity and evidence.

Vormawor's initial accusations sent shockwaves through the nation. He asserted that he and his co-conveners were offered a substantial sum of US$ 1 million and lucrative job opportunities in exchange for ceasing their anti- government activisma shocking revelation, indeed, one that would naturally raise eyebrows and demand swift action if substantiated.

A press release from the Ministry of National Security on Friday, September 22 2023, rocked the boat of certainty. The Ministry vehemently denied the allegations, asserting that no such offer was ever extended.

They clarified that they had engaged with the leaders of "Fix the Country" in 2021 to address their concerns. The Ministry dismissed Vormawor's claims as "false, unfounded, and a calculated attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians."

This rebuttal was a dare to Vormawor to produce the alleged recording of supposed inducement.

Before the press release, Vormawor, on Saturday, September 23 2023, responded on JoyNews' Newsfile with further claims.

He claimed that the meeting in question was private, with the other group members conspicuously absent. Moreover, he continued to make threats and boast about having the recording of the alleged bribery attempt, a recording that is yet to see the light of day.

The Ministry noted that "The inconsistencies in Vormawor's narrative raise eyebrows and cast a shadow of uncertainty on his credibility. Despite persistent threats, his failure to produce the purported evidence appears suspicious at best. In the court of public opinion, these actions raise questions about the veracity of his claims.

The Ministry's statement indicates that it is only fair for the good people of Ghana to expect evidence when an individual makes substantial allegations and subsequently appears to alter the details of their account. The burden of proof lies with the accuser; in this case, Vormawor needs to step up and substantiate his claims. If he indeed possesses a recording of the alleged bribery attempt, it is in his best interest, and the interest of transparency and truth, to release it. In a society that values accountability, making accusations without providing the necessary evidence to support them is not enough.

It expains that If Vormawor wishes to regain the trust and respect of the public, he must take up the challenge and produce the evidence he claims to possess.
About a dozen women hunch over sewing machines in Libya's capital, urgently making clothes for the living, and shrouds for the dead, two weeks after a huge flood devastated the eastern city of Derna.

In the war-battered north African country that has long been divided between two rival governments, the tragedy that killed thousands has sparked a nationwide sense of solidarity.

"Our centre was already helping needy families, so you can imagine our mobilisation when it involves a disaster of this magnitude," said Mohamed Kamour, the director of the centre that trains women to become dressmakers.

The International Organization for Migration said more than 43,000 people have been uprooted from the disaster zone. By - (AFP)

Since the flood struck on September 10, the apprentices have worked at full speed, cutting and sewing fabric for the needy in Derna, a city more than 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) to the east.

All normal courses have been suspended for the aid effort, said Kamour, whose workshop usually helps widows and divorced women gain financial independence.

"That is the priority," he said. "We interrupted all types of training."

The workshop has already sent 1,300 school uniforms, 850 abayas and 650 shrouds to cover corpses to Derna, and a second shipment is being prepared.

The workshop has already sent hundreds of abayas and other items to the stricken city of Derna. By Mahmud Turkia (AFP)

Derna had a population of about 100,000 before the flash flood broke through two ageing dams after a hurricane-strength storm lashed the area.

The official death toll passed 3,800 on Saturday.

The flood, which witnesses likened to a tsunami, may have left 10,000 or more people missing, international aid groups said.

Many were swept out to sea, from where bodies are still washing ashore. Others are thought to be buried beneath the mud and debris that carpets entire neighbourhoods of Derna.

Libya 'unites us'

Since a 2011 NATO-backed revolt toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, Libya has seen more than a decade of stop-start conflict.

Map showing buildings and roads destroyed or damaged in the Libyan city of Derna after flooding, according to satellite data from Copernicus. By ClAa PACULIER, Sophie RAMIS (AFP/File)

It is now divided between an internationally-recognised administration in Tripoli in the west and another in the east, whose forces launched a failed assault on the capital which ended in a 2020 ceasefire.

Despite Libya's political split, Kamour said he received the requests of stricken residents from charities based in the east, and has stepped up production in response.

The women stand over a large table crowded with the day's output, which they sort and fold: grey and green abayas, a traditional full-length robe; white medical smocks; shrouds for the bodies.

Karima Wanis, 39, the centre's trainer, said she feels as if she lost members of her own family.

While sewing machines hummed in the background, she said that it is "normal to come to the aid of our Derna brothers".

"We are part of the same family" Wanis said. "West or East. Ultimately, it's Libya that unites us."

Volunteer effort

After the flood, tribally and politically divided Libya has seen nationwide solidarity -- including from restaurateurs who have organised meals for the displaced. By Mahmud Turkia (AFP)

Yann Fridez, head of the Libya delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, spent three days in the disaster zone where he reported seeing people from all regions of Libya, even the southern city of Sebha hundreds of kilometres away.

People went to Derna "on their own initiative, tribes did too," Fridez said about the country where tribal structures and loyalties remain important.

Restaurateurs have organised meals to feed the displaced.

Business people and others with the means have also mobilised in the country's west and the south to help those suffering.

The International Organization for Migration said on Thursday that more than 43,000 people have been uprooted from the disaster zone.

Appeals to shelter them have spread on social media.

"A family has just arrived in Tripoli from Derna. They quickly need lodging," one Facebook post said. In response, volunteers offered their telephone numbers, a first step in providing help.

Residents walk amid buildings damaged by floods after the Mediterranean storm Daniel hit Libya's eastern city of Derna. By Abdullah DOMA (AFP/File)

Libyan authorities said it is difficult for them to respond to survivors' urgent needs, but international assistance has arrived from several countries and humanitarian groups.

Qatar's embassy in Libya announced the arrival on Saturday in Benghazi of two planes carrying 60 tonnes of assistance. That brings to eight the number of shipments sent by the Gulf emirate.

On Thursday a plane bringing aid from the United States also landed in Benghazi, the eastern city about 300 kilometres by road from Derna.
India has suspended visa services in Canada citing security threats and asked Ottawa to prune its diplomats in Delhi, further escalating a diplomatic row over the killing of a Sikh separatist on Canadian soil.

Sikhs For Justice, a separatist group operating from Canada and outlawed in India, has called for protests next week to "shut down" Indian missions in Canada following the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a temple on 18 June.

Nijjar was a key figure in the movement demanding a separate Sikh homeland called Khalistan.

India designated him a terrorist in 2020.

Canada's PM Justin Trudeau has enraged New Delhi by suggesting Indian agents may have been behind the killing.

On Thursday, India announced that it was suspending new visas for Canadians.

You are aware of the security threats being faced by our high commissions and consulates in Canada, foreign ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi said in Delhi.

This has disrupted their normal functioning. Accordingly our commissions and consulates are temporarily unable to process visa applications, he added.

The restrictions will also apply to Canadian citizens in third countries wanting to visit India.

Diplomatic parity

India upped the ante in the unprecedented row between two open democracies, calling on Ottawa to downsize its diplomatic corps.

We have informed the Canadian government that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in our mutual diplomatic presence, Bagchi said.

Their numbers here are much higher than ours in Canada and I assume there would be a reduction from the Canadian side, he argued.

On Tuesday, Canada expelled an Indian diplomat in connection with the Nijjar shooting in British Columbia, which has a large Sikh community.

A day earlier, India sent back a Canadian diplomat after Trudeau said he had raised the murder during talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 9-10 September G20 summit in Delhi.

Trudeau was reportedly snubbed during the summit for levelling the allegation of Indian interference without providing proof to back it up.

In the strongest possible terms, I continue to urge the government of India to get to the bottom of this matter," Trudeau said as Delhi insisted Ottawa must share information on insurgents holed up in Canada, home to 800,000 Sikhs.

No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case either then, or before or after, spokesman Bagchi said.

Travel advisory

Delhi meanwhile has issued an advisory warning its nationals of potential threats in Canada, home to 1.8 million Indian nationals.

Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant, it stated.

Shashi Tharoor, a former UN diplomat working with India's main opposition Congress party, said India was well within its rights to seek explanations from Canada over the allegation.

Many Indians have been seething at the way in which people are flagrantly inciting violence against our country  but we valued our relationship with Canada and we have not raised our concerns beyond a certain point.

I would have expected Canada to have valued the relationship as well, Tharoor said.

Veena Sekri, a former Indian diplomat, told the media Trudeau appeared to have walked into a trap set up by radical Sikhs, a crucial part of his vote base.

This assassination took place three months ago and there must have been an ongoing investigation by the Canadian police and not a shred of evidence has been provided, she said.

On the other hand Trudeau goes and makes a statement in parliament and then decides to go and expel a senior Indian diplomat this is absolutely unheard of.
- Source:

24.09.2023 LISTEN

Ending the AIDS pandemic  particularly in eastern and southern Africa  cannot be achieved unless more resources are channelled to meet the needs of key vulnerable populations.

This is one of the themes that emerged during an AIDS conference in June in South Africa. Prejudice against particular groups  such as men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender communities  interferes with treatment regimes and people's adherence to treatment. These groups are also at higher risk from HIV due to increased levels of stigma, discrimination, violence and criminalisation.

Our research is part of a three-year project on HIV-related stigma linked to young people with sexual or gender diversity. The research, conducted in Malawi, Zimbabwe and Zambia, involved 156 participants.

The research identified three main findings:

Criminal laws and strongly negative socio-cultural and religious beliefs produced deeply rooted intolerance around sexual or gender diversity.

Participants spoke about repeated experiences of verbal harassment, being gossiped about and physical violence.

Other population groups with HIV said their lives had become more tolerable as social awareness and acceptance of HIV had increased over time. However HIV-related stigma regained its potency when linked to sexual or gender diversity, with adverse effects for adherence to antiretroviral treatment.

Our research provided novel evidence on the deeply rooted fears and anxieties around multiple forms of stigma among young MSM and transgender women in southern Africa.

Criminalising sex

Across 13 countries in east and southern Africa, laws and policies criminalise same-sex sexual relations and facilitate the process of stigmatising gay and transgender individuals.

Recently, Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act of 2023, which punishes same-sex conduct with life imprisonment. Several acts considered as aggravated homosexuality are liable to the death penalty.

Our study also noted that young people had developed various strategies to manage their lives. For example choosing when to disclose or identify as a person living with HIV or as a member of the sexual minority community in others, but rarely being both at once.

The constant worry and stress of living with HIV, and the fear of being stigmatised, could have a significant impact on health and wellbeing.

The burden of concealing their identities resulted in a range of mental, emotional and physical vulnerabilities. Signs of depression as well as frequent alcohol use were evident.

Overall 42% of participants had contemplated suicide at least once. According to one participant, an 18-year-old:

I feel like I am nothing, I am useless. In the community, looking at HIV, I am a gay, people they isolate me. So, I don't feel comfortable, even failing to go to work and finding some money, whatever. And, sometimes, I decide if I can die today, I can rest. So, a lot of things come into my mind when I am disturbed  Sometimes my parents try to comfort me but, internally, I am really disturbed.

As well as signs of depression, frequent alcohol use was evident.

There were few services available to assist in coping with these multiple stigmas, with those that came closest being provided by sexual minority friendly organisations or led by sexual minority peers themselves.

Fear of being found out

Being seen taking antiretroviral therapy or having it found in one's possession signalled that one was living with HIV. Some individuals preferred to miss doses, occasionally or over more prolonged periods, rather than endure actual or feared stigma linked to being found out as someone living with HIV.

A 24-year-old told us:

What made me to delay taking medication is when my partner wants me to visit his home because he stays in Zomba, and I haven't disclosed my HIV status to my partner yet, and I can't take the ARVs with me there. As a result, I go there without the ARVs.

A 19-year-old said:

It affects me sometimes because, if people reject you, you feel like stopping to take the medication. 'Maybe am just wasting my time, let me just die.' It affects me a lot.

Other findings we made were that:

Many participants had had their status disclosed by LGBTIQ+ peers without their consent. HIV-related stigma is still highly prevalent within the LGBTIQ+ community and has many negative impacts.

Participants continued to experience or fear stigma related to their sexual orientation at health facilities, which also affected their access to healthcare and retention in care.

Tailored HIV services for key populations, including young MSM and transgender women, were not reaching everyone; rural areas were the least included.

Through their experiences, gay young men and transgender women were familiar with the harmful consequences of stigma and yet they were often ostracised from planning and decision-making roles.

The way forward

Key populations in our study faced inequalities in three main areas: access to HIV services; justice and human rights; and investments in programmes geared towards them.

There were few services available to assist in coping with these multiple stigmas. Those that came closest were provided by sexual minority friendly organisations or led by sexual minority peers themselves.

There need to be more community-based organisations that are run by members of these key populations. In Cameroon, for example, the CHAMP programme supports grassroots advocacy to mitigate stigma and violence and trains peers to offer counselling,

We can only achieve progress if we treat everyone as equal partners in fighting this pandemic.

Kaymarlin Govender receives funding from the National Research Foundation and Sida

Patrick Nyamaruze receives funding from HIV/AIDS Special Fund Round III initiative of the Southern African Development Community.

By Kaymarlin Govender, Research Director at The Health Economics and HIV and AIDS Research Division (HEARD), University of KwaZulu-Natal And

Patrick Nyamaruze, Post-doctoral research fellow, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Some Ghanaians have challenged Oliver Barker-Vormawor, convenor of the #FixTheCountry Movement, to produce a tape recording that allegedly contains an offer of $1,000,000.00 made to him by the Minister for National Security and other government officials to stop his "activism."

Mr. Barker-Vormawor claimed in a media interview that government officials, including the Minister for National Security, Minister for Finance, and a top Military General had offered him the money to cease his activism, but he rejected it in defense of Ghana's democracy.

The Ministry of National Security in a statement released on September 22 denied the claims describing it as " false, unfounded, and a calculated attempt to hoodwink Ghanaians".

The Ministry, while acknowledging that the "Ministers for National Security, and Finance, and other relevant stakeholders, in 2021, engaged the convenors of the Fix the Country Movement to listen to their concerns," stated, "emphatically that no offer of money or appointment was made to persuade the group to end its 'activism'."

In response to the ministry's denial, Mr Barker-Vomawor in an interview with Joy News on Saturday, September 23, 2023, insisted on having a tape recording of an alleged exclusive secret meeting with the Minister of National Security, even before the first FixTheCountry protest in 2021, contradicting his earlier claim that the meeting was between him, the leadership of Fix the Country, the Minister for National Security, Minister for Finance and a top Military General.

But a Sustainability, Climate and Social Innovation Advisor, Enam Akoetey, who was on the same Joy News show with Mr Barker-Vormawor questioned the integrity of the Fix the Country movement Convener, asking him why it has taken two years to talk about the said tape.

There are a lot of claims going out and I am saying that they are all about integrity. If you are saying that a lot of people called you to say that dont publish something, the question is if you are a person that is value-driven, would you listen to them or say I hear what you are asking me to do but it is the wrong thing so I am going to defy you and publish?

So why would it take him two to three years for him to publish this audio? she asked.

Some Ghanaians have since, Saturday, taken to social media to challenge Mr Barker-Vomawor to provide details of the alleged meeting and produce the said tape.
Togbe Afede XIV, the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, has noted youth desperation in the country and called for quality leadership.

He said rising economic challenges drove the youth to the brink and should become a concern for stakeholders.

Togbe Afede was addressing an anti-corruption day celebration that forms part of the Asogli Yam Festival celebration, and said corruption remained the root cause of troubled youth.

Our economy is indeed in a mess, and the growing frustration and sense of helplessness and hopelessness among the youth is frightening. I know what suffering is like, so I share the pain of our youth.

Togbe Afede would blame bad governance, which he said had bedeviled the country since the collapse of the independence regime, and that the growing corruption stockpiled unemployment and desperate survival among the youth.

Making matters worse for me, personally, is the frightening rate of unemployment. So, we see that frustration is leading our people to pursue hazardous journeys in search of greener pastures. We see misery in their faces, and of course the suicide rate has been on the increase, he said.

The Agbogbomefia said the long custody of corruption must be broken, as it remained the main culprit in reinforcing the nation's chaotic economic situation.

Togbe Afede, an avid anti-corruption champion, said that hope, however, lay in the fact that the nation had the resources to transform negative outlook, and would require leadership commitment.

We can turn her around through honesty, hard work, and genuine love for our nation. But it requires leadership. Leadership encourages us to work together and do things differently. Leadership that respects the truth, eschews divisiveness.

Leadership that works hard to make us all do away with greed inspired and violence-backed democratic dispensation that we are witnessing now. Leadership that has transparency and accountability. They are things that we need to sail through, turn the tide and restore Ghana to its place of respectability in Africa and the world.

The anti-corruption event has become major feature of the popular yam festival of the people of the Volta Regional capital, and this year had Mr Daniel Yao Dormelevo, former Auditor General as guest speaker.

The top accounting official, who also is a favourite integrity icon, called for a sound public financial management system, strict asset declaration regime, and fiscal decentralisation for end to established corruption.

He also called to commercialise the prosecution of corruption, to allow individuals to own stakes in the fight against the canker.

Dr Nyaho Nyano-Tamakloe, a statesman who also was a guest speaker, said prominent in the country needed to speak up against raging corruption and abuse of power.

The event also had major anti-corruption champions such as Emmanuel Wilson Jr, Mensah Thompson, and Eric Ahianyo as speakers.

This Year's Yam Festival also marks the 20th anniversary of the instalment of Togbe Afede.

GNA
The Police Sunday apologised for the inconveniences experienced by the public during the three-day 'Occupy Jubilee House' protest organized by the Democracy Hub Group in Accra.

The Police would like to apologise to members of the public who were inconvenienced in one way or the other, especially those who were caught up in the vehicular holdups during the demonstration, a statement issued by the Police on Sunday said.

The statement, signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Grace Ansah-Akrofi, Director, Public Affairs, commended the residents of Accra for their support and understanding, while the police kept law and order during the protest.

Democracy Hub, a pressure group, embarked on a three-day protest to march on the Jubilee House, the seat of government, on Thursday, September 21, 2023, to express dissatisfaction with the countrys current economic predicament and high cost of living.

However, on the first day of the protest, 49 of them were arrested for unlawful assembly and violating the Public Order Act.

The group continued the protest the next day but were again prevented from proceeding to the Jubilee House by police.

According to the statement, the police were looking forward to meeting with the protest organisers after the event for a debriefing session that would foster constructive future interactions.

It assured the public that the Service was not opposed to any individual or group who wished to demonstrate.

The police said it had a history of providing security for protesters and would continue to do so within the confines of the law.

The statement urged the public to continue to partner with the police to maintain and strengthen Ghanas democratic credentials, peace, and security.

GNA
24.09.2023 LISTEN

The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has urged customers in the eastern part of Accra to store water ahead of the company's scheduled rehabilitation of the main transmission pipeline from the Kpong Water Treatment Plant.

A statement issued by the company said there would be interruption of water supply from the plant to the eastern part of Accra from Sunday, September 24 to Thursday September 28, 2023.

Water supply will be shut off to allow GWCL engineers to replace the main 42-inch transmission pipeline, which bursts frequently due to high volumes and pressure in the pipeline, causing the company to lose a significant amount of water and revenue.

The statement said the rehabilitation works involved in changing the pipeline was capital intensive, therefore, Management has resolved to change the weak portions of the line to reduce cost and to maintain the integrity of the transmission pipeline.

"This repair work will also reduce the inconvenience of frequent interruption of supply to customers and to ensure a long-term reliability of water supply,  it said.

Areas to be affected include Gbetsile, Afienya, Zenu, Prampram, Mataheko, Katamanso, Dawhenya, Sakumono, Batsonaa, Klagon, Tema Township, Adjei Kojo, Borteyman, Santeo and surrounding areas.

The GWCL therefore asked customers in the affected areas to store enough water during the periods

It also assured customers that water supply would resume as soon as the works are completed.

The public and essential service providers are entreated to contact the following numbers for enquiries and alternative supply: 0800 40000 (Toll Free on Vodafone Lines) 0302 2218240, 0207385089, 0207385090 and via WhatsApp lines: 0555123393 & 0555155524, the statement added.

GNA
Managers of the Larabanga mosque in the Savannah region have called on the public to disregard reports of the collapse of the building.

News on social media earlier this week suggested that the mosque collapsed after a rainstorm, but this has turned out to be false.

When Citi News visited the mosque on Sunday, September 24, 2023, the mosque was in good shape with both local and international tourists visiting.

Seidu Bashiru, a tour guide in an interview with Citi News, said it was rather similar design of the mosque in Bole that collapsed on Sunday, September 17.

The Larabanga Mosque is a mosque built in the Sudanese architectural style in the community of Larabanga in the west Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region.

It is the oldest mosque in the country and one of the oldest in West Africa, and has been referred to as the Mecca of West Africa.

It has undergone restoration several times since it was founded in 1421.

The mosque has an old Quran, believed by the locals to have been given as a gift from heaven in 1650 to Yidan Barimah Bramah, the Imam at the time, as a result of his prayers.

It is one of the most visited tourist destinations in Ghana.

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Sohini Chattopadhyay is a National Award-winning film critic. Sohini is on Twitter @sohinichat Views expressed are personal.
Guam Memorial Hospital in Tamuning on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. GMH proposes 202 new fees during public hearing on Friday.
The logo of Tyson Foods is seen in Davos, Switzerland, May 22, 2022. Picture taken May 22, 2022.
The Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council (Zimsec) has introduced new, stricter penalties to curb the leaking of public exam papers. Under upcoming regulations, individuals found culpable may face up to nine years in prison, compared to the previous maximum of one year.

Learners caught with advance access to tests will also see harsher consequences, with their results annulled. Zimsec chair Eddie Mwenje explained the regulations aim to close loopholes exploited by bad actors seeking profit. With support from Zimbabwes Attorney General, Zimsec drafted the provisions to serve as a stronger deterrent.

Exam seasons begin this month, starting with Grade Sevens. Zimsec spokesperson Nicky Dlamini stressed security measures are in place but declined to provide specifics so as not to compromise the system. She reinforced that distributing papers early will now carry a nine-year sentence without the option of community service.

Zimsec processes are already in motion for the upcoming examinations.

Grade Seven exams start on September 25, and O and A Level on November 16, she said.

Taking a leaf from previous sessions, Zimsec has made changes and advancements to certain processes to try and curb examination malpractices and ensure examination security.

Integrity systems cannot be fully divulged at this stage as this would defeat the purpose of them being secure.

Anyone caught with Zimsec papers this time around is given a nine-year prison sentence and there is no community service, because some people were taking advantage of the light sentences imposed by the courts, and that is why we are introducing stiffer penalties.

They are charged under the Zimsec Act, Dlamini told the Sunday Mail.

Candidates found to have distributed exam papers prior to the tests will only be allowed to write their exams after four examination sessions.

Education expert Caiphas Nziramasanga believes transparency is needed from all levels, from paper creation through distribution and testing. Over 100 individuals faced punishment last year due to an incident involving 11 leaked documents. The convicted spanned roles like school officials, law enforcement and test-takers.

With integrity under greater scrutiny and consequences amplified, stakeholders hope the policy revisions help restore confidence in Zimbabwes academic qualifications. Students preparing to demonstrate their skills and knowledge deserve a fair process free of undue influences.

Breaking News via Email
Police in Zimbabwe are searching for two fugitives wanted in connection with violent crimes.

In the first case, officers in Lupane are seeking 35-year-old Clever Ngwenga regarding the murder of his parents during a family gathering last week.

According to reports, Ngwenga allegedly slit the throats of his mother Mildress Ngwenya, age 71, and his father Simon Ngwenya, age 73

He also allegedly tried to kill his two brothers during the attack.

Police in Lupane are appealing for information, which may lead to the arrest of Clever Ngwenya (35) who is being sought for callously killing his parents, Mildress Ngwenya (71) and Simon Ngwenya (73), police said in a statement yesterday.

For an unknown reason while attending a family gathering at Gwalubha Village, Mabhikwa on September 21.

The suspect stabbed his mother, Mildress Ngwenya with a knife on the throat before stabbing his father, Simon Ngwenya on the throat with the same knife.

The suspect went on to chase his two brothers with the intention of stabbing them with the knife, but was outpaced.

Breaking News via Email
Lambert here: Everythings going according to plan. As I wrote, summarizing NCs ObamaCare coverage back in 2016, quoting a post from 2013:

In this series, weve been looking at how ObamaCare, through its inherent system architecture, relentlessly creates first- and second-class citizens; how it treats people who should be treated equally unequally, for whimsical or arbitrary reasons. Its all in the luck of the draw! If you live in the right place or have the right demographic, you go to Happyville. If you dont, you go to Pain City. All very much in contrast to simple, rugged, and proven single payer.

Still true today!

* * *

By Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez, a reporter for KFF Health News rural health desk based in Elko, Nevada. She explores the ways health issues affect communities in rural areas, including food security, climate change, and agriculture practices. Originally published at Kaiser Health News.

Abby Madore covers a lot of ground each day at work.

A staffer at a community health center in Carson City, Nevada, Madore spends her days helping low-income residents understand their health insurance options, including Medicaid. Her phone is always ringing, she said, as she fields calls[1] from clients who dial in from the states remote reaches seeking help.

Its a big job, especially this year as states work to sort through their Medicaid rolls after the end of a pandemic-era freeze that prohibited disenrollment.

A few dozen specialists work for seven navigator organizations tasked with helping Nevadans enroll in or keep their coverage. Madore said she mostly works with people who live in rural Nevada, a sprawling landmass of more than 90,000 square miles.

Katie Charleson, communications officer for Nevadas state health marketplace, said its always a challenge to reach people in rural areas. Experts say this problem isnt unique to the state and is causing concern that limited resources will throw rural Americans into jeopardy as the Medicaid unwinding continues.

KFFs Medicaid Enrollment and Unwinding Tracker shows that 72% of people who have lost Medicaid coverage since states began the unwinding process this year were disenrolled for procedural reasons, not because officials determined they are no longer eligible for the joint state-federal health insurance program.

By late August, federal officials directed state Medicaid overseers to pause some procedural disenrollments and reinstate some recipients whose coverage was dropped.

Experts say those procedural disenrollments could disproportionately affect rural people.

A brief recently published by researchers at the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families noted that rural Medicaid recipients face additional barriers to renewing coverage, including longer distances to eligibility offices and less access to the internet.

Nationwide, Medicaid and CHIP, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, covered 47% of children and 18% of adults, respectively, in small towns and rural areas, compared with 40% of children and 15% of adults in metropolitan counties.

As is clear from our research, rural communities rely on Medicaid to form the backbone of their health care system for children and families, said Joan Alker, who is one of the briefs co-authors, the executive director of the Center for Children and Families, and a research professor at Georgetowns McCourt School of Public Policy. So if states bungle unwinding, this is going to impact rural communities, which are already struggling to keep enough providers around and keep their hospitals.

A lack of access to navigators in rural locales to help Medicaid enrollees keep their coverage or find other insurance if theyre no longer eligible could exacerbate the difficulties rural residents face. Navigators help consumers determine whether theyre eligible for Medicaid or CHIP, coverage for children whose families earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, and help them enroll. If their clients are not eligible for these programs, navigators help them enroll in marketplace plans.

Navigators operate separately from Nevadas more than 200 call center staffers who help residents manage social service benefits.

Navigators are required by the federal government to provide their services at no cost to consumers and give unbiased guidance, setting them apart from insurance broker agents, who earn commissions on certain health plans. Without them, there would be no free service guiding consumers through shopping for health insurance and understanding whether their health plans cover key services, like preventive care.

Roughly 30 to 40 certified enrollment counselors like Madore work at navigator organizations helping consumers enroll in plans through Nevada Health Link, the state health marketplace, which sells Affordable Care Act plans, said Charleson. One of these groups is based in the small capital city of Carson City, 30 miles south of Reno, where fewer than 60,000 people live. The rest are in the urban centers of Reno and Las Vegas.

Availability of navigators and their outreach tactics vary from state to state.

In Montana, which is larger than Nevada but has one-third the population, six people work as navigators. They cover the entire state, reaching Medicaid beneficiaries and people seeking help with coverage by phone or in person by traveling to far-flung communities. For example, a navigator in Billings, in south-central Montana, has worked with the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Tribes, whose reservations lie relatively nearby, said Olivia Riutta, director of population health for the Montana Primary Care Association. But officials struggle to reach northeastern Montana, with its Fort Peck Reservation.

Having navigators in rural communities to help people in person is an ongoing challenge the country faces, said Alker. But the unwinding circumstances make it an especially important moment for the role navigators play in guiding people through complex insurance processes, she said.

This became clear following a recent survey regarding what consumers encounter when independently searching for health coverage on Google. The results are really concerning, said survey co-author JoAnn Volk, a research professor and the founder and co-director of the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

The researchers found that former Medicaid enrollees looking for health plans on the private market face aggressive, misleading marketing of limited-benefit products that dont cover important services and fail to protect consumers from high health costs.

Researchers shopped for coverage using two profiles of consumers who were losing Medicaid coverage and were eligible for a plan with no premiums or deductibles on the ACA marketplace.

The team reported, though, that none of 20 sales representatives who responded to their queries mentioned that plan, and more than half pushed the limited-benefit products. The representatives also made false and misleading statements about the plans they were touting and misrepresented the availability or affordability of the marketplace plans.

The sales reps and brokers quoted limited plans that cost $200 to $300 a month, Volk said. Such an expense could prove unaffordable for consumers who may still be low-income despite being ineligible for Medicaid.

If they cant get to a navigator, I would not trust that they would get to their best coverage option in the marketplace, or to the marketplace at all, frankly, Volk said.

Making a difficult problem more challenging, the federal government does not require states to break down Medicaid disenrollment data by county, making it harder for experts and researchers to track and differentiate rural and urban concerns. The Center for Children and Families does so with data from the Census Bureau, which Alker pointed out wont be available until next fall.

A data point that will be important to watch as states continue the redetermination process, Alker said, is call center statistics. People in rural areas rely more heavily on that method of renewing coverage.

Call abandonment rate is one such statistic. CMS defines it as the percentage of calls that drop from the queue in two separate measures  calls dropped up to and including 60 seconds, and calls dropped after 60 seconds. In August, the agency sent a letter to the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services about its rate: An average of 56% of calls dropped in May, the first month after Nevadas unwinding began.

The agency has concerns that your average call center wait time and abandonment rate are impeding equitable access to assistance and the ability for people to apply for or renew Medicaid and CHIP coverage by phone and may indicate non-compliance with federal requirements, said Anne Marie Costello, deputy director of CMS.

In the letter, Costello also cited the 45% of Medicaid enrollees whose coverage was terminated for procedural reasons in May.

All 50 states received letters about early data, but only Idaho, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah had higher disenrollment rates than Nevada, and no state had a higher rate of call abandonment.

Officials at Nevadas Division of Welfare and Supportive Services said its call center, staffed by 277 family service specialists, receives more than 200,000 calls a month. A spokesperson said the phone system offers self-service options whereby customers can obtain information about their Medicaid renewal date and benefit amounts by following prompts. Because those calls arent handled by a case manager, they are considered abandoned, the spokesperson said, raising the rate even though callers questions may have been fully addressed.

People shopping around for coverage after a lapse might go into a panic, Madore said, and the best part of her job is providing relief by helping them understand their options after disenrollment from Medicaid or CHIP.

When people find out the wide range of free services navigators like Madore offer, theyre shocked, she said.

Theyre unaware of how much support we can provide, Madore said. Ive had people call me back and they say, Its my first time using insurance. Where do I go to urgent care?

NOTES

[1] Hilariously, I first read calls as culls.
Study: 34% of children put on transgender puberty blockers end up becoming mental cases

To all those LGBT advocates out there who claim that turning children transgender does them no harm, how about the more than one-third of children who suffer serious mental health problems after taking hormone-altering drugs like puberty blockers?

A fresh analysis of a 2011 study conducted by the University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and the now-shuttering Tavistock Centre Gender Identity Development service and clinic revealed that at least 34 percent of children placed on puberty-blocking pharmaceutical drugs "reliably deteriorated" thereafter.

The pool of those evaluated was only 44, so the sample size is small. Still, a good number of the kids, who ranged in age between 12 and 15, suffered greatly after being prescribed these poisons to become trans. And UK authorities had the gall to later claim that there are "no changes in physiological function" that occur in children who take puberty blockers.

(Related: Did you know that back in June, the Biden regime unveiled a new "Pride" seminar for children that teaches young ones to take puberty blockers and mutilate their bodies to become transgenders as a celebration of Pride, which is one of the seven deadly sins?)

It is a crime against humanity to allow a child to mutilate and destroy his body

Last year, the UK National Health Service (NHS) ordered the Tavistock Centre and its highly controversial Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) to close by no later than the end of 2023. This occurred after Dr. Hillary Cass conducted an interim independent review determining that transgender therapies are "not a safe or viable long-term option" for children.

The planned closure deadline for the Tavistock Centre and GIDS has since been extended to March 2024. In the meantime, whistleblowers and others continue to come forward to tell all about the horrors that children who go trans are now enduring after having their bodies and endocrine systems butchered by LGBT surgeon mutilators.

Dr. Cass produced a full report of her findings, which is now being paired with this new analysis of the 2011 study to warn the world that underage children should never, ever be allowed to get chemically and physically mutilated, especially based on false promises that it is completely "safe" to do such things to one's body.

Only under very special circumstances, such as clinical trials, will children be allowed to destroy their bodies once the Tavistock Centre and GIDS are shut down for good early next year.

"We are grateful to all of the clinicians and academics who have contributed to this study over the years, and we welcome new peer-reviewed analyses of the evidence around how to support these young people," said a spokesman from Tavistock and the Portman NHS Foundation Trust, about the latest findings.

"The analysis plan for the original study was independently produced by experts in medical statistics, and the underlying data was published so that other researchers might conduct further analyses."

In the comments on a story about all this, someone rightfully and correctly pointed out that confusion about one's own gender is a mental illness, period. And the way to treat said mental illness is to help a child grow out of that confusion and embrace the gender that he or she  there are only two  was born with.

"The confusion comes from the media and schools preying on vulnerable and fragile psyches," another pointed out about the true source of all this confusion being implanted into children's brains.

Parents: protect your children from the cult of LGBT at all costs, even if it means making some sacrifices to pull them out of public school and homeschool them instead. Learn more at Homeschooling.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
AG Garland invokes Holocaust to defend his policies of persecuting, indicting and imprisoning his political opponents

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday invoked the Holocaust during testimony before Congress to defend his policies of prosecuting and persecuting his political opponents and argued his Jewish "family background" means he's immune to wrongdoing.

(Article by Chris Menahan republished from InformationLiberation.com)

From The Gateway Pundit, "SICK! Lawless AG Merrick Garland Lectures on Holocaust to Defend His Policies of Persecuting, Indicting and Imprisoning His Political Opponents (VIDEO)":

After indicting the leading presidential candidate in America on bogus, manufactured, partisan charges Merrick Garland had the nerve on Wednesday to compare his ancestors fleeing Eastern Europe during the Holocaust to his lawless targeting, indicting and imprisoning of conservative Americans. [...] On Tuesday Merrick Garland choked up while talking about his ancestors as he destroys American democracy. Merrick Garland: All of us recognize that with this work comes public scrutiny, criticism, and legitimate oversight. These are appropriate and important given the matters and the gravity of the matters that are before the Department. But singling out individual career public servants who are just doing their jobs is dangerous, particularly at a time of increased threats to the safety of public servants and their families. We will not be intimidated. We will do our jobs free from outside influence, and we will not back down from defending our democracy. Third, I want to explain why we approach our job in this way. The Justice Department was founded in the wake of the Civil War and in the midst of Reconstruction, with the first principal task of bringing to justice white supremacists and others who terrorize black Americans to prevent them from exercising their civil rights. The Justice Departments job, then and now, is to fulfill the promise that it is at the foundation of our democracy that the law will treat each of us alike. That promise is also why I am here. My family fled religious persecution in Eastern Europe at the start of the 20th century. My grandmother, who is one of five children born in what is now Belarus, made it to the United States, as did two of her siblings. The other two did not. Those two were killed in the Holocaust, and there is little doubt that. But for America, the same thing would have happened to my grandmother.

WATCH:

Garland also invoked the Holocaust to dodge a question from New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew on his FBI/DOJ targeting traditional Catholics as "violent extremists" and suggested his Jewish heritage means he's incapable of wrongdoing.

"The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous -- so absurd," Garland scoffed.

"Mr. Attorney General, it was your FBI that did this," Drew shot back. "It was your FBI that was sending -- and we have the memos and we have the emails -- that was sending undercover agents into Catholic Churches!"

.@Congressman_JVD EXPLODES on AG Garland For The 'Anti-Catholic' FBI Memo VAN DREW: "Yes or no...Do you agree that Traditional Catholics are domestic extremists?" GARLAND: "The idea that someone with my family background would discriminate against any religion is so outrageous pic.twitter.com/zqwAHbuYNj  Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 20, 2023

Garland's goons did target Traditional Catholics and infiltrate their parishes and only backed off the program after they were exposed.

Though Garland claimed his Jewishness means he's immune from wrongdoing and said he's "appalled" by the memo, he told Drew he doesn't even know if anyone was fired for drafting the memo.

Garland is the most extreme Attorney General in American history and has made a mockery of our justice system.

In a sane country, Garland would have been ousted from power a year ago and referred for criminal prosecution.

Read more at: InformationLiberation.com
Doctor censored by Biden administration calls out scheme of threats and coercion

It was Francis Collins, who was Joe Biden's director of the National Institutes of Health, who demanded a "swift and devastating takedown" when experts in the field of medicine suggested that the Biden administration's lockdowns, shutdowns, social distancing and masking demands weren't really needed to deal with COVID-19.

(Article by Bob Unruh republished from WND.com)

Collins falsely characterized those physicians as "fringe epidemiologists."

And he worked with Anthony Fauci, then Biden's medical adviser on COVID, and others, to accomplish his goals

"The government had a vast censorship enterprise," explained Dr. Jay Bhattacharya explained in a report in the New York Post.

"It was systematically used to threaten and coerce and jawbone and tell all these social media companies, 'You better listen to us: Censor these people, censor these ideas, or else.'"

Social media companies in unison suppressed the information.

"Subsequent reporting from Elon Musks so-called Twitter Files  internal documents and communications released by Musk, after he bought the platform, to expose Twitters inner workings  revealed that Bhattachryas profile was being suppressed on the platform," the Post report said.

"Its akin to the efforts by governments to suppress the printing press when it first was invented, when books represented an enormous threat to power," Bhattacharya said, referring to efforts by King Henry VIII and the Catholic Church to curb use of the printing press in the 16th century, according to the Post..

"Theres an analogous fight thats currently going on with social media, which makes it vastly easier for anybody to express their ideas, and very powerful people find that incredibly threatening."

The report, pointing out that Bhattacharya "won in court," cited a recent ruling from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that "found that the Biden administration and other federal agencies 'engaged in a years-long pressure campaign [on social media outlets] designed to ensure that the censorship aligned with the governments preferred viewpoints' and that 'the platforms, in capitulation to state-sponsored pressure, changed their moderation policies.'"

The ruling said the surgeon general, CDC and FBI under the Biden administration likely were part of a scheme to violate the First Amendment.

Bhattacharya said the ruling was "akin to the second Enlightenment. Its a ruling that says theres a democracy of ideas. The issue is not whether the ideas are wrong or right. The question is who gets to control what ideas are expressed in the public square?"

The court says Biden's appointees "shall take no actions, formal or informal, directly or indirectly" to force social media companies to censor posts.

Bhattacharya is a professor of medicine, economics and health research policy at Stanford University and co-wrote the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020, advocating for a "focused protection" against COVID. They suggested safeguarding the most vulnerable but allowing others to live lives as normal as possible.

That actually was done in other nations, with great success.

Bhaattacharya, however, said the Biden administration, rather than following science, was intolerant of science.

"We were just acting as scientists, but almost immediately we were censored," he explained. "Google de-boosted us. Our Facebook page was removed. It was just a crazy time."

Biden has since taken his demands for the right to censor any idea with which he disagrees to the Supreme Court, but Bhattacharya believes a different outcome isn't likely.
The U.S. is in the throes of a total financial collapse, followed by the Mark of the Beast  WATCH as Jeffrey Prather explains

There is very little time that remains before the inevitable collapse of the current financial system, aka, commences, and the world as we currently know it comes to an end. What will it look like?

Intelligence expert-turned-whistleblower Jeffrey Prather shared what he thinks is going to happen with the Health Ranger in a powerful episode of "The Health Ranger Report" that you will not want to miss  you can watch it in full below.

Even those with minimal knowledge about the biblical end of days can see that things are amiss. The war in Ukraine rages on; global supply chains are still in shambles from COVID and getting worse all the time; and the financial markets are teetering on the brink of a freefall  which will eventually be followed by the Mark of the Beast and a new "golden age" to go along with it.

"If you look at scripture  and I'm a Christian chaplain  it is becoming scarily true right now," Prather explained about the current state of the world. "It is all very inevitable. The flood is coming."

(Related: Some speculated during COVID that the World Health Organization's [WHO] "digital health certification network" might become the prophesied Mark of the Beast [MOB]  what do you think the MOB will be?)

There is a "flood" coming  are you prepared?

One piece of scripture that is being fulfilled right this moment comes from II Timothy 3:1-5, which reads:

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."

Prather touched on this when he compared the self-sacrificial virtue of yesteryear to today's standard of every man for himself and people ripping other people off just to survive. He also cited Sir John Glubb's "Fate of Empires," which states that empires throughout history last only about 250 to 275 years before they collapse  and the United States is now right there.

Prather believes that he and anyone else who wishes to do so can successfully navigate the coming "flood," as he calls it, by bolstering their physical, spiritual, and mental health and fortitude. But one thing is for sure: what is coming is not stoppable.

Whoever survives the horrific events to come will face a completely different world than the one most people are used to currently. The United States as we currently know it will more than likely dissolve, both politically and possibly even physically depending on the impact of the calamitous events foretold in scripture.

When asked by the Health Ranger if he believes that the U.S. will still look relatively the same as it does now come next fall when the 2024 election is scheduled to occur, this is what Prather had to say:

"I don't believe there is going to be any 'revenge tour.' I don't think they're going to allow that to happen. Will the United States exist? The United States as a republic has already fallen ... I think the better question is, will Americans still exist?"

His answer to that latter question is yes, but Prather also believes that the U.S. is going to look "very different than it does now."

Watch the full interview above to hear more about what Prather believes concerning the end of days and America's role in prophecy.

As the final days of the West unfold, you can also keep up with the latest news about what is going on at Prophecy.news.

Sources for this article include:

Brighteon.com

NaturalNews.com

BlueLetterBible.org
Globalists put independent journalists on hit list for being critical of the endless Ukraine meat grinder, a war paid for with the blood of our children & grandchildren

While we'd venture to bet that most Americans don't know the namewe'll make sure you do after you're done reading this story. An American citizen who just happens now to live in Ukraine, not only does ' claim to be a soldier for Ukraine, butalso claims to be thewho is now' for some absolutely bizarre remarks '' recently made as heard in the 1st video at the bottom of this story.

(Article by Stefan Stanford republished from AllNewsPipeline.com)

With 'Ashton-Cirillo,' who also just happens to be a former US journalist, who decided 'it' was a 'female' instead of a 'male,' going on to TV to claim that 'Ukraine will be hunting down Russian propagandists' all around the world as reported in this Zero Hedge story, as the website 'Gulf Insider' reports of the words coming out of the mouth of this 'spokesperson,' we're witnessing nothing less than a news report that might be seen in the movie "V for Vendetta," with another commenter on 'X' claiming "Its like watching the offspring of Hannibal Lector and Hillary Clinton motivate the Orc battalions."

And with those comments that Ukraine would 'hunt down Russian propagandists' coming at a time when two major globalists just recently announced that "America must prepare itself for a long war in Ukraine," with US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Mark Milley and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg recently doing interviews warning "Itll take a considerable length of time to militarily eject all 200,000 or plus Russian troops out of Russian-occupied Ukraine," and claiming that this 'war' won't be over until all of the Russian troops now in Ukraine are gone, as Dr. Peter McCullough warns in this new substack story about "Ashton-Cirillo," this is nothing less than 'bizarro-world' playing out before our eyes.

Because as Kari Lake warned in this recent post to 'X,' it sure appears like the remarks made by 'Ashton-Cirillo' are a threat to people such as Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, Conservative journalist Jack Posobiec and even to the writers here at ANP who don't go along with the lies coming out of Ukraine and push to fund the globalists endless wars. From that Kari Lake post to 'X'.:

Is Zelensky suggesting that Ukrainian refugees in other countries could be activated LIKE terrorist splinter cells if we stop funding @JoeBiden 's proxy war with Russia?

This reads like a threat.

How else are we supposed to interpret this?

And while reports are now out that 'Ashton-Cirillo' has been suspended from its' post for its' remarks, with President Volodymyr Zelensky claiming no knowledge of the remarks it made, the previously mentioned 'Jack Posobiec' has just been included on a Ukrainian-run list of supposed enemies of Ukraine, which claimed that his public statements amount to acts against the national security of Ukraine. And that followed the actual arrest and detention by Ukraine of American YouTuber and columnist Gonzalo Lira, who was arrested in Ukraine at the start of May because he publicly justified the Russian invasion, take note that the terrorist organization we all know as 'the US government' are doing nothing to help Lira as he speaks 'truth' against their 'empire of lies'. So what are we to believe?

And giving us all another hint of where we're headed in the coming days as more and more Americans speak out against the absolute disaster of a meat-grinder in Ukraine, only to be added to the Ukrainian 'list' of enemies of their own warmongering, terrorist regime, are we coming to a point where anybody who is advocating for 'peace,' instead of 'endless war,' is suddenly labeled as a 'threat' by Ukraine and the 'New World Order'? From this Dr. McCullough substack story.:

As our world gets weirder by the second, it has become ever harder to know if what we are presented with is real. Every time someone sends a report or video that is purportedly a representation of factual reality, I try to evaluate if its indeed real or if its propaganda, black propaganda, satire, or the creation of a mentally ill person.

Read more at: AllNewsPipeline.com
Joe Biden announces creation of first-ever federal gun control office

President Joe Biden has announced the creation of the first-ever federal office for gun control , fulfilling a key demand from anti-gun activists who want an executive-level office supposedly for preventing gun violence

The Office of Gun Violence Prevention will be overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. Stefanie Feldman, a longtime Biden aide who previously worked on the Domestic Policy Council, will serve as the office's first director. (Related: Study proves there is NO CORRELATION between gun control laws and mass shootings.)

"He believes that now is the moment to accelerate our work to reduce gun violence, which is why he is establishing this office," said Feldman.

The office will coordinate anti-gun efforts across different federal agencies and will offer help and guidance to states struggling with increasing levels of gun violence. Furthermore, the office will also reportedly take the lead on implementing bipartisan gun legislation signed into law last year.

Harris added in her statement that, in her role as head of this office, she and her staff will be "engaging and encouraging Congressional leaders, state and local leaders and advocates to come together to build upon the meaningful progress that we have made to save lives."

"This epidemic of gun violence requires urgent leadership to end the fear and trauma that Americans experience every day," added Harris. "Our promise to the American people is this: We will not stop working to end the epidemic of gun violence in every community, because we do not have a moment, nor a life to spare."

Biden claims gun control measures necessary to curb gun-related violence

The establishment of the office is an effort by the White House to keep the issue of gun violence front and center as his administration continues to push back against gun owners by demanding a ban on so-called assault weapons.

"I'll continue to urge Congress to take common-sense actions that the majority of Americans support, like enacting universal background checks and banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines," said Biden in a statement released by the White House. Biden has also consistently been calling for federal requirements for safe storage of guns and an end to the immunity from liability of gun manufacturers.

"But in the absence of that sorely-needed action, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, along with the rest of my Administration, will continue to do everything it can to combat the epidemic of gun violence that is tearing our families, our communities and our country apart," he added.

The anti-firearm lobby has been extremely supportive of Biden, and his reelection campaign has already received early endorsements from different major gun violence prevention organizations. His creation of this office is seen as a result of extensive lobbying efforts by these groups.

One of Biden's earliest actions supposedly to prevent gun violence was getting bipartisan support from Republicans to pass a package of modest gun safety measures last year, known as the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

The White House is expected to keep pushing its limits in terms of using its executive powers against guns and gun owners. Biden's Department of Justice is expected to follow up the creation of this office by introducing new rules to expand background checks for new gun purchases.

Learn more about the threats to the Second Amendment coming from Democrats like Biden at SecondAmendment.news.

Watch this clip from "The Five" on Fox News discussing what happened when New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham attempted to implement an overreaching gun control measure in her state.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

GUN GRAB: Firearms owners protest New Mexico governor's ban on carrying guns following absurd "public health emergency" declaration by Gov. Grisham.

Gun owners oppose new ATF regulation that prohibits private firearm transfers: REGISTRATION paves the way for CONFISCATION.

Brand new video, captured by neighbor, shows FBI's encounter with the man who threatened Biden; this appears more like an "execution" than an arrest.

House Democrats demand 1,000% tax on semi-automatic weapons  so only the elites and criminal groups can afford them.

ATF has shut down nearly 2,000 gun stores since the implementation of its new "zero tolerance" policy.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

Politico.com

WhiteHouse.gov

ABCNews.go.com

APNews.com

TheHill.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com
Stop by and see for yourself! NYC Mayor Adams invites Biden to visit migrant hotel in Big Apple

New York City (NYC) Mayor Eric Adams has invited President Joe Biden to visit a hotel that has been turned into a migrant center so that he could see firsthand the consequences of an open-border policy.

Speaking to Spectrum News NY1, the mayor urged the chief executive to visit the Roosevelt Hotel. The hotel, which closed in 2020 because of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, reopened three years later as an intake center for illegals. Currently, it serves as a "welcome center" for thousands of illegal aliens arriving by bus weekly to the self-proclaimed "sanctuary city."

"There's still an opportunity for him to look at the Roosevelt Hotel, like the Hispanic congressional delegation did," Adams said. He referenced a visit by several congressmen spearheaded by Democratic New York Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jerry Nadler and Adriano Espaillat. They were joined by other elected officials from Illinois, California, Texas and other states.

Protesters in front of the hotel did not take too kindly to the delegation, as they lobbied Biden to merely provide work permits to illegals released within the U.S. interior. In particular, the demonstrators drowned out Cortez's speech by shouting "close the border."

Adams later stressed that he was not the one avoiding a face-to-face discussion with the president. During a separate appearance on TV station PIX 11, he suggested that Biden's reluctance to talk to him may have something to do with his "blunt rhetorical stylings."

"I'm a New Yorker. We do not run away from things; we move toward them. You know my authentic style of communicating," the mayor said. "I walk around with that New York communication style. You know, I don't search through a thesaurus to find a politically correct way of saying, 'You are hurting me. You are hurting my city.'"

Adams: Illegal immigration heavily impacting the Big Apple's economy

The NYC mayor also stressed that Biden must understand the economic impact of illegal immigration on the Big Apple's economy.

"I am hoping that he understands this beautiful city that's the economic engine of this entire country is being saddled with $2 billion that we spent already, $5 billion we're going to spend in this fiscal crisis [and] $12 billion in the next two budgetary cycles," Adams said. "[NYC] doesn't deserve this."

His latest remarks followed an earlier warning he issued to New Yorkers that the influx of illegal immigrants will "destroy NYC." Following that prediction, he announced that city services would be cut across the board. Adams directed every city agency to cut their budgets by five percent, so the Big Apple can afford the $12 billion needed to address the influx of illegals.

"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. This issue will destroy New York City," warned Adams, stressing the last four words. (Related: NYC Mayor Eric Adams warns illegal immigrants will DESTROY the city.)

Meanwhile, the Biden administration has turned a deaf ear to Adams' complaints  and has even pointed its finger at the mayor. Two staffers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) aired their concerns to NBC News over NYC's handling of the illegal immigrant crisis.

One senior DHS official pointed out that the city has "no exit strategy" for the illegals that get bused from Texas. This strategy, they added, helps migrants find their way out of the city's shelter system. "It's not an operationally sound effort," the official said.

A second federal official also shared their thoughts on the matter. They remarked that concerns regarding the migrant issue in NYC could overshadow accomplishments made by the Biden administration on immigration and other issues.

Visit Migrants.news for more stories about the ongoing migrant crisis burdening NYC.

Watch this news report about Democratic New York Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jerry Nadler being heckled during their visit to the Roosevelt Hotel.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Protesters heckle AOC during Democrat press conference on NYC's escalating illegals crisis  leftists don't want more migrants in their back yard.

Finger-pointing Biden admin officials blame NYC Mayor Adams for migrant crisis, say city lacks "exit strategy" for illegals.

BREAKING POINT reached: NYC, other sanctuary cities "tired" of illegal immigrants influx, struggle with local resources.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams admits mass illegal immigration is inherently destructive for the Big Apple.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

NYDailyNews.com

NBCNews.com

Brighteon.com
du, from Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company (EITC), has reached a deal with Bermuda-based Cinturion Corp Ltd to land the latters TEAS (Trans Europe Asia System) in the UAE.

For this du has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cinturion, a global provider of scalable, subsea and terrestrial capacity-based network solutions.

The partnership will deliver new diverse routes to du customers to meet the ever-growing demand in the region and bring an open-access Cable Landing Station (CLS) to UAEs economic, social and digital transformation.

Strengthening connectivity

As part of the agreement, Cinturions TEAS, an open-access' submarine and terrestrial network, will be hosted by du to strengthen connectivity and expand its digital capabilities to the UAE region and beyond.

TEAS will provide the lowest latency cutting-edge technology enabling ultra-fast-speed, high resiliency and secure connections to enhance network performance in the region and boost managed services.

TEAS will seamlessly link two new connections across the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas and continue with two paths interlinking the Middle East, with multiple routes across the Arabian Peninsula and a route through the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea.

TEAS, the first new dual path system of its kind, provides geographically diverse routes enabling new services with its unique optical capabilities to support modern Data Center deployments, bringing broadband and low latency access to the European, Middle East, and Indian markets.

World-class connectivity

Bill Marra, Chief Commerical Officer of Cinturion said: The strategic partnership with du and Cinturion will provide the most advanced, secure and innovative technologies staying aligned with UAEs vision for accelerating digitalisation by providing an open-access CLS delivering world-class connectivity solutions to the region.

Karim Benkarine, Chief Commercial Officer of du, said: The new cable TEAS  Trans Europe Asia System will play an important role in strengthening the regional infrastructure connecting the world. As a multi-regional data superhighway, TEAS opens up new opportunities to harness innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things, data analytics and cloud in the Mena corridor.

TEAS will enable our global customers to enjoy our secure connectivity solutions and boost the performance of our wholesale and enterprise customers. This will reinforce Datamena as a regional business and financial hub and have always strived to introduce cutting-edge solutions to our customers.--TradeArabia News Service
UK Parliament uses unproven accusations against Russell Brand as excuse to attack free speech and demand he be DEMONETIZED everywhere

One of the most outspoken anti-establishment personalities is being persecuted by said establishment by accusing him of sexual assault.

British comedian and actor Russell Brand now faces the ire of the United Kingdom's parliament, which is petitioning the video streaming platform Rumble to de-platform and de-monetize Brand's account based on anonymous claims made against him.

Mind you, not a single one of these accusations has been verified, nor has Brand been officially charged, let alone convicted, of committing any crimes. Even so, the UK parliament wants Brand removed from Rumble, TikTok, and whatever other platforms he uses.

This all hearkens back to the #MeToo movement when women were told by the establishment that they could simply make up tales and falsely accuse men of sexual assault, resulting in the rest of the world having to just believe them without any evidence.

Once again, the establishment is attempting to pull this same trick by calling on social media companies to destroy Brand's online presence simply because some no-names who refuse to come forward publicly claim he sexually assaulted them.

(Related: If Brand really did commit these alleged crimes, where is the evidence?)

The UK Parliament sees itself as a dictatorship that can push Big Tech around

In a letter dated Sept. 19, 2023 from Dame Caroline Dinenage DBE MP, chair of the UK parliament's Culture, Media and Sport committee, someone named "Theo" is addressed concerning the allegations made against Brand "in the context as a user of TikTok with more than 2.2 million followers on the platform."

"The Culture, Media and Sport is raising questions with the broadcasters who previously employed Mr. Brand or production companies who employed him, to examine both the culture of the industry in the past and whether that culture still prevails today."

"Although Mr. Brand no longer appears on television," the letter continues, he now has a follower base on social media, including on TikTok where this weekend he republished his pre-emptive response to the accusations made against him by The Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. We recognise that TikTok is not the creator of the content published by Mr. Brand, and his content may be within the Community Guidelines set out by the platform, we are concerned that he may be able to profit from his content on the platform."

In other words, the UK parliament wants to stop Brand from making a living by lobbing serious allegations that, who knows, are maybe true. The timing of it all and the way his accusers are going about it are a little too convenient and obvious, though.

"We would be grateful if you could confirm whether Mr. Brand is able to monetise his TikTok posts, including his videos relating to the serious accusations against him, and what the platform is doing to ensure that creators are not able to use the platform to undermine the welfare of victims of inappropriate and potentially illegal behaviour."

Dinenage sent a similar letter making similar demands to Rumble, which journalist Glenn Greenwald addressed in his own letter to her asking what legal precedent is allowing her to make such demands and expect them to be fulfilled.

"Is there a legal basis that allows members of Parliament to try to direct or pressure social media companies to ban citizen [sic] for alleged acts where they have never been charged with any crime, let alone found guilty of one?" Greenwald asked of Dinenage.

"Do you see any dangers in having political officials attempting to pressure social media companies to ban or demonetize individuals on allegations that have never been asserted by any legal authority in any court, let alone judged to have been valid?"

The latest news about how #MeToo and other anti-male initiatives are being used to tear down prominent male figures who have strong followings can be found at Twisted.news.

Sources for this article include:

TheReaderApp.com

NaturalNews.com
Primate skulls and remains of different animals were found at France's largest airport, according to reports earlier this week.

Customs agents at the Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport discovered almost 400 monkey skulls and corpses of over 700 animals inside packages en route to the United States.

Collectively, the skulls and animal parts seized at the French airport occurred over several months, according to customs officials.

The incident highlights the continuance of activities relating to international animal trafficking, a lucrative business in the black market.

Aside from the notorious ivory trade affecting the tusks of rhinos, elephants, and other mammals, the demand for non-human primate meat has increased in recent years.

Poaching and the illegal wildlife trade in general have been occurring not only in France and the US, but also in other parts of the world, including Asia and Africa.

Primate Skulls Seized at Airport

In a September 21 post on the X platform, formerly called Twitter, the General Directorate of Customs and Indirect Duties announced seizure and handing over of nearly 400 trafficked primate skulls.

Since then, the animal parts were given to the Natural History Museum in France's Aix-en-Provence city.

Nous avons le plaisir de remettre aujourd'hui pres de 400 cranes de primates issus de trafics !



 c'est le resultat de plusieurs saisies realisees par les douaniers de #Roissy pic.twitter.com/8LBiHBFfch  Direction generale des douanes et droits indirects (@douane_france) September 21, 2023

According to the officials, the animal remains were discovered from May to December last year.

Around 392 packages contained the primate skulls belonging to different species, including baboons, chimpanzees, macaques, and mandrills.

Local authorities suspected the packages came from Cameroon and were intended to be sent to collectors and hunting associations in the US.

None of the packages were authorized for transport, according to reports.

Also Read: Research Showed that Skulls of Prehistoric Tetrapods Restricted them from Evolving

Illegal Wildlife Trade

The illegal wildlife trade has persisted in multiple countries from different continents over the past several decades. Related seizures have been reported at airports, land borders, and even marine ports.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), wildlife crime is a large business, involving dangerous international networks, who are responsible for trafficking wildlife and animal parts similar to illegal drugs and arms.

Trafficking activities have even increased in recent decades. The WWF states that rhino poaching in South Africa increased from 13 to 1,004 between 2007 and 2013, equivalent to a spike of 7,700%.

The illegal wildlife trade affects not only elephants for their ivory tusks but also tigers for their bones and skins, the non-profit wildlife organization added.

What is Wildlife Trafficking?

Wildlife trafficking or illegal wildlife trade pertains to the commerce of non-domesticated animals or plants, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). They are typically extracted from their natural habitats or raised under controlled conditions.

Aside from poaching, illegal wildlife trafficking involves smuggling and capturing or collection of endangered species or protected wildlife.

Wildlife trade can be legal under the right documentation and permits by respective authorities.

Wildlife trade is regulated by the UN's Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also called CITES, which currently has 170 member countries.

Related Article: Malaysian Officials Seize Animal Body Parts Worth $18 Million USD as International Wildlife Trafficking Continues
Thailand's 260 mussel farms along the coasts of Chonburi are in jeopardy when a severe plankton bloom caused a dead zone off the shore.

Plankton Bloom Creates Dead Zone

The livelihood of local fishermen who cultivate mussels in the waters is threatened by an extremely intense plankton bloom that is creating an aquatic "dead zone" off the eastern coast of Thailand.

According to marine biologists, some sections of the Gulf of Thailand have more plankton than the annual expectation, coloring the water a vibrant green and destroying marine life.

This is the worst bloom Tanuspong Pokavanich, a marine scientist, has ever observed. Later, Pokavanich described the plankton bloom as the most severe he had seen.

An unusually dense plankton bloom off the eastern coast of Thailand is creating an aquatic dead zone, threatening the livelihood of local fishermen who farm mussels in the waters. More here: https://t.co/01k3uBIZMg pic.twitter.com/uighsgdsxZ  Reuters Science News (@ReutersScience) September 20, 2023

According to Satitchat Thimkrajong, head of the Chonburi Fisheries Association, more than 80% of the 260 plots along the region's famed mussel farm coastline have been impacted.

Plankton Blooms in Thailand

Plankton blooms normally last two to three days and occur once or twice a year, according to scientists. By reducing the oxygen in the water and obstructing sunlight, they can kill marine life or release chemicals that are harmful to the environment.

Scientists believe that pollution and the extreme heat brought on by climate change are to blame for the massive plankton bloom, even though the exact cause is yet unknown.

El Nino, according to scientist Pokavanich, causes dryness and warmer water temperatures. If people do not change how they handle resources, water waste, and how people live, everything will get worse.

The plot of Fisher Suchat Buwat was one of those impacted. He claimed that the bloom had cost him more than 500,000 baht, or roughly $14,000 and that his peers had suffered "unfathomable" losses as well.

Experts attribute the natural occurrence to climate change after a plankton bloom earlier this year caused hundreds of dead fish to wash up along an expanse of beach in southern Chumphon province, Thailand.

According to studies conducted in the lab, the plankton is of the Noctiluca species, which also bloomed in 2020.

Pokavanich noted that even though El Nino is rumored to be occurring elsewhere in the world, its effects are unquestionably being felt along Thailand's coasts.

He claimed that because El Nino occurs at the same time as the bloom, which also occurred in 2020, scientists feel that it is to blame.

However, research on this topic is still ongoing.

Also Read: Sargassum Seaweed in Florida Becomes Asset as Company Makes Fertilizers, Vegan Leather

Dead Zone

Dead zones are areas in water bodies where aquatic life can't survive due to low oxygen levels, mainly caused by nutrient pollution. They are most problematic in bays, lakes, and coastal waters receiving excess nutrients from upstream.

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus lead to rapid algae growth, forming algae blooms that consume oxygen and block sunlight from underwater plants.

When these algae die, oxygen is further depleted, making it impossible for aquatic life to thrive.

The largest US dead zone, about 6,500 square miles, occurs annually in the Gulf of Mexico due to nutrient pollution from the Mississippi River Basin.

Some algae blooms produce toxins, leading to harmful algal blooms in various water bodies, endangering human health and aquatic life. These blooms are mainly caused by cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

Elevated nutrient levels and algal blooms can contaminate drinking water for nearby communities, causing health issues for animals and humans.

Related Article: Algal Bloom in San Francisco's Berkeley Marina Causes Worry Over Possible Massive Fish Kill
A court decision revealed that five farmer siblings who extracted water illegally from an aqueduct serving the UNESCO-listed Donana National Park in Spain, which is threatened by droughts and excessive water extraction, were sentenced to more than three years in prison.

Illegally Extracting Water

According to the judgment from September 18, the farmers--four men and a woman--were found responsible for crimes against the environment and inflicting harm by the "systematic and extensive extraction" of water-feeding Donana National Park.

Donana, one of the biggest and most biodiverse wetlands in Europe, is found in southern Andalusia.

If upheld by a higher court, it would mark the first decision involving a jail term for unlawfully drawing water from Donana, a location that has come to represent Spain's increasing water shortage, which is sparking intense political discussion.

The groundwater supplies were left in "poor condition" as a result of the siblings' 19 million cubic liters of water extraction for their Hato Blanco Viejo property between 2008 and 2013, it added.

The permanent lagoons also became seasonal as a result of the siblings' reduced water levels.

The Guadalquivir Water Authority, the government agency in charge of managing local water resources, will also receive 2 million in compensation from the defendants, who have received over twelve fines for water-related offenses since the 1990s.

The five farmers are banned from growing crops for two years.

UNESCO-Listed Donana National Park

Donana, a complex ecosystem of lagoons, marshes, woodlands, and dunes covering 100,000 hectares, is home to numerous rare species, including the Iberian lynx, and is on the yearly migratory route of millions of birds.

Due to a protracted drought and the threat of intensive agriculture in the region, the park has been struggling.

With a draft law attempting to regularize berry farms that are watered by unauthorized wells, Andalusia's right-wing regional administration is striving to extend irrigation rights close to the park despite concerns from UNESCO and the European Commission.

Voting for the bill will take place in the coming weeks, and environmental organizations fear that if it passes, it might legalize the cultivation of 3,700 acres of crops and endanger the reserve's future.

In that case, the left-wing government of Spain has promised to file an appeal, and UNESCO has warned that the park risked losing its designation as a protected world heritage site.

The draft bill was crucial in the political campaigning leading up to municipal elections in May.

Also Read: Flash Drought In South US Brings Worst Dry Conditions, Experts Warn of Major Wildfire Risk

Drought in Spain

The largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the European Union is Spain, which is also the world's largest exporter of olive oil.

The drought is "suffocating" 80% of Spanish farmland, according to The COAG Union, and has already resulted in the "irreversible loss" of more than 12.3 million acres of grain harvests, it added.

The lack of rainfall, according to the organization, has almost destroyed all of the wheat and rye harvests in eight regions of Spain.

The 320,000 tons of annual rice production in the area is almost certainly going to end.

Vegetable crops and cotton output in the region are also anticipated to be badly damaged.

The famed olive groves of Andalusia are also in "extremely critical condition," with predictions that some regions may only see 20% of normal harvests. Almond trees that require a lot of water are in a much worse situation.

Related Article: Heatwave Leaves But Wildfires Remain as El Nino Starts with Gusty Winds in Australia
By ANI

NEW DELHI: A 16-year-old boy, studying in Class 10, sustained multiple injuries after being assaulted allegedly by four of his school teachers in the Yamuna Vihar area of Delhi, officials said.

According to the police, an FIR was registered against four teachers at North-East Delhi's Bhajanpura police station in connection with the alleged assault. The four were booked on a complaint filed by the mother of the 16-year-old.

Sharing details of the incident, an officer at the local police station said, "The boy's mother, Kavita, said that her son had been to Delhi Government school in Yamuna Vihar, like most days, on September 15, when he was brutally assaulted by a teacher for looking out of the window."

She claimed that despite her son apologising to the teacher, he was thrown out of the classroom, the officer added.

"The 16-year-old was then summoned by the same teacher and brutally beaten along with three other teachers of the school," the officer quoted the boy's mother as stating in the complaint.

Speaking to ANI about the incident, the 16-year-old said, "I was looking out of the window when sir came and slapped me. When I said it hurt, he slapped me thrice more. When he approached me again after 4-5 minutes, I apologised to him. But he beat me again and drove me out of the class."

"He then took me to the NCC room and called three of his friends (all fellow school teachers) over. Thereafter, all four of them punched, kicked and elbowed me. I sustained injuries in my waist and chest and my face swelled up from the assault. I have no clue why the teachers came at me in this way," he added.

He claimed that the four teachers also threatened him with dire consequences if he reported the assault to anyone.

The boy, however, narrated the incident to his mother and refused to go to school, police said. His mother, in her complaint, stated that he sustained severe pain in his chest and waist and had to be admitted to a hospital.

Further investigation is underway, the police informed.

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NEW DELHI: A 16-year-old boy, studying in Class 10, sustained multiple injuries after being assaulted allegedly by four of his school teachers in the Yamuna Vihar area of Delhi, officials said. According to the police, an FIR was registered against four teachers at North-East Delhi's Bhajanpura police station in connection with the alleged assault. The four were booked on a complaint filed by the mother of the 16-year-old. Sharing details of the incident, an officer at the local police station said, "The boy's mother, Kavita, said that her son had been to Delhi Government school in Yamuna Vihar, like most days, on September 15, when he was brutally assaulted by a teacher for looking out of the window."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); She claimed that despite her son apologising to the teacher, he was thrown out of the classroom, the officer added. "The 16-year-old was then summoned by the same teacher and brutally beaten along with three other teachers of the school," the officer quoted the boy's mother as stating in the complaint. Speaking to ANI about the incident, the 16-year-old said, "I was looking out of the window when sir came and slapped me. When I said it hurt, he slapped me thrice more. When he approached me again after 4-5 minutes, I apologised to him. But he beat me again and drove me out of the class." "He then took me to the NCC room and called three of his friends (all fellow school teachers) over. Thereafter, all four of them punched, kicked and elbowed me. I sustained injuries in my waist and chest and my face swelled up from the assault. I have no clue why the teachers came at me in this way," he added. He claimed that the four teachers also threatened him with dire consequences if he reported the assault to anyone. The boy, however, narrated the incident to his mother and refused to go to school, police said. His mother, in her complaint, stated that he sustained severe pain in his chest and waist and had to be admitted to a hospital. Further investigation is underway, the police informed. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
T K Vineeth By

Express News Service

KOCHI: US presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamys recent remark that he would gut H-1B visas if he were to come to power has raised concerns among visa seekers. It has also turned the spotlight on the problems associated with the non-immigrant American work visa programme, one of the most sought-after by highly skilled professionals from India.

The lottery system needs to be replaced by actual meritocratic admission. Its a form of indentured servitude that only accrues to the benefit of the company that sponsored an H-1B immigrant. Ill gut it, US-based news portal Politico quoted Ramaswamy as saying. In another interview to Fox News, he said only those having the civic skills to be US citizens  not just technical skills  should be given these coveted work visas.

The H-1B visa scheme as it stands today is indeed mired. But not in the way the businessman-turned-politician described it. There is a dire need to increase the annual cap of work visa issuances, which currently stands at 85,000. The demand for H1-B visa, which offers the path to Permanent Resident Card, is so high that lakhs of applications are filed every year and add to the huge backlog from previous years.

For instance, for fiscal year 2024 alone, US businesses submitted as many as 7,80,884 applications. To deal with such a high number of visa seekers, the US government adopts a lottery system to decide who all get the visas.

The lottery system is by no means perfect. Selection in the lottery does not mean the visa is guaranteed. This year, for example, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USIS) conducted two rounds of lottery. The second round was necessitated after the agency found ineligible applications were wrongly selected. The very nature of the selection process makes luck, rather than pure merit, the deciding factor. Ramaswamy says the visa is bad for everyone involved.

But thats stretching it a bit too far. American companies need highly qualified professionals in large numbers, whereas there is an acute shortage of candidates with the relevant qualification and skill sets in the US.

This makes these companies scout for talent from countries like India but they need to rely on the H-1B visa to hire professionals from abroad. It also works for the professionals because they get far better pay in the US, can bring in their spouse and children, and enjoy the social status and comforts of living in a Western country.

Politics vs business

Ramaswamy has a habit of making bombastic statements to constantly remain in the news and win the popularity charts. Before taking to politics, he was a businessman who had no qualms in using the very H1-B visas he now threatens to abolish. His pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences used non-immigrant work visas as many as 29 times from 2018 through 2023. And so, his claim that he will bring in a meritocratic visa regime in place of H-1B needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

Obviously, the politician does not mean to increase the intake of foreign workers: he wants to cut down on the number of visas given out so that there are more jobs up for grabs for Americans. Thats the message he wants to send to his potential supporters.

Whipping up nationalist sentiments for electoral gains is a tried and tested strategy. Former US president Donald Trump had also taken a hardline stance on H-1B workers and made very provocative speeches against the system that supports foreign professionals to flourish in the US.

In 2017, he introduced some rules that made it harder for American companies to hire qualified foreign workers. These included stricter wage requirements and increased scrutiny of visa applications, resulting in withholding of applications and a higher number of rejections.

An entrepreneur like Ramaswamy, Trump had also hired a number of foreign workers under the H-1B visas for his various businesses. But after becoming president, the Republican leader trained his guns on the non-immigrant visa programme to appeal to his nationalist supporters.

Right now, H1-B visas are awarded in a totally random lotteryand thats wrong. Instead, they should be given to the most-skilled and highest-paid applicants, and they should never, ever be used to replace Americans, Trump had said after signing the Buy American, Hire American executive order in July 2017.

In June 2020, the Trump administration went a step ahead and temporarily suspended the H-1B visa programme, citing its impact on the US job market which was badly hit by the Covid pandemic. But more than the pandemic, the harsh decision was influenced by the fact that it was in election year and Trump was seeking a second term as US president.

The suspension of the H1-B visa programme deprived thousands of foreign workers of the opportunity to work in the US, leaving those vacancies open to native Americansa factor Trump hoped would help him come back as president. The visa crisis ended only when his successor Joe Biden let Trumps proclamation lapse in March 2021.

Always under scrutiny

By definition, H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US-based companies and other employers to hire professionals from other countries in specialty occasions that require theoretical or technical knowhow. These specialty occupations are spread across various fields including architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts.

The H-1B visa is usually issued for three years, which can be renewed for another three years. After the maximum period of six years, one has to leave the US and stay out for at least one year. After that, a fresh application can be moved for the whole process to start all over again. If they win the H-1B visa lottery again, they can come back to the US to pursue their career. Most people initiate the process to apply for permanent residence soon after they land in the US because there is no guarantee that theyll get the H1-B visa again.

Of the 85,000 H-1B visas that the US government issues every year, 65,000 visas are open to foreigners who have a valid job offer from a US-based company and hold a bachelors degree or its equivalent in the field of employment. Another 20,000 visas are reserved for those with advanced degrees (Masters or higher degrees) obtained from US institutes of higher learning.

Vivek Ramaswamy

However, the visa cap will not apply if the employer sponsoring an applicant is an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organisation connected to such an institute, or a government research organisation.

The visa is very popular among Indian IT professionals, who have been the largest recipients of H-1Bs in recent years. According to estimates, roughly 75% of the visas given away every year go to Indian professionals. Therefore, any change in visa rule will affect hundreds of thousands of Indians. Because of its nature and potential to impact the job market, the visa programme is always under scrutiny and subject to debate.

Need for more

Critics of the programme claim its not always the brightest and the best who get H-1Bs; they argue that outsourcing firms abuse the visa provision to bring in low-skilled workers at lower wages, who end up displacing American workers who would have been hired at higher pay. It is this notion that politicians like Ramaswamy and Trump are trying to cash in on.

But others point out that skilled workers from other countries contribute immensely to the US economy and, in fact, create job opportunities for native Americans. According to the American Immigration Council, a Washington-based advocacy group, unemployment rates are relatively low in occupations that employ large numbers of H-1B workers. It points out that the visa holders and native workers dont compete for the same set of jobs because their skill sets are different.

They complement each other in the labour market rather than compete for the exact same jobs. Second, immigrant workers spend and invest their wages in the US economy, which increases consumer demand and creates new jobs. Third, businesses respond to the presence of immigrant workers and consumers by expanding their operations in the United States rather than searching for new opportunities overseas, it argues.

Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, one of the vocal proponents of the work visa programme, had in July introduced a bill to double the number of H-1B visas available annually from 65,000 to 1,30,000. We have had the same cap of a very limited 65,000 people for 33 years, and that needs to increase. It needs to double, he had said while introducing his bill.

Silicon Valley tech giants are also batting for a higher intake of top talent under the H-1B programme. Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce are reportedly lobbying the Biden administration to increase the number of foreign workers allowed in the US. Ramaswamys outrageous call to scrap the non-immigrant visa regime altogether may remain a non-starter till he gets ahead in his race to become the Republican partys presidential nominee, but H-1B visas will continue to be under the lens as the fight for quality jobs is only going to intensify.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

KOCHI: US presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamys recent remark that he would gut H-1B visas if he were to come to power has raised concerns among visa seekers. It has also turned the spotlight on the problems associated with the non-immigrant American work visa programme, one of the most sought-after by highly skilled professionals from India. The lottery system needs to be replaced by actual meritocratic admission. Its a form of indentured servitude that only accrues to the benefit of the company that sponsored an H-1B immigrant. Ill gut it, US-based news portal Politico quoted Ramaswamy as saying. In another interview to Fox News, he said only those having the civic skills to be US citizens  not just technical skills  should be given these coveted work visas. The H-1B visa scheme as it stands today is indeed mired. But not in the way the businessman-turned-politician described it. There is a dire need to increase the annual cap of work visa issuances, which currently stands at 85,000. The demand for H1-B visa, which offers the path to Permanent Resident Card, is so high that lakhs of applications are filed every year and add to the huge backlog from previous years.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); For instance, for fiscal year 2024 alone, US businesses submitted as many as 7,80,884 applications. To deal with such a high number of visa seekers, the US government adopts a lottery system to decide who all get the visas. The lottery system is by no means perfect. Selection in the lottery does not mean the visa is guaranteed. This year, for example, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USIS) conducted two rounds of lottery. The second round was necessitated after the agency found ineligible applications were wrongly selected. The very nature of the selection process makes luck, rather than pure merit, the deciding factor. Ramaswamy says the visa is bad for everyone involved. But thats stretching it a bit too far. American companies need highly qualified professionals in large numbers, whereas there is an acute shortage of candidates with the relevant qualification and skill sets in the US. This makes these companies scout for talent from countries like India but they need to rely on the H-1B visa to hire professionals from abroad. It also works for the professionals because they get far better pay in the US, can bring in their spouse and children, and enjoy the social status and comforts of living in a Western country. Politics vs business Ramaswamy has a habit of making bombastic statements to constantly remain in the news and win the popularity charts. Before taking to politics, he was a businessman who had no qualms in using the very H1-B visas he now threatens to abolish. His pharmaceutical company Roivant Sciences used non-immigrant work visas as many as 29 times from 2018 through 2023. And so, his claim that he will bring in a meritocratic visa regime in place of H-1B needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. Obviously, the politician does not mean to increase the intake of foreign workers: he wants to cut down on the number of visas given out so that there are more jobs up for grabs for Americans. Thats the message he wants to send to his potential supporters. Whipping up nationalist sentiments for electoral gains is a tried and tested strategy. Former US president Donald Trump had also taken a hardline stance on H-1B workers and made very provocative speeches against the system that supports foreign professionals to flourish in the US. In 2017, he introduced some rules that made it harder for American companies to hire qualified foreign workers. These included stricter wage requirements and increased scrutiny of visa applications, resulting in withholding of applications and a higher number of rejections. An entrepreneur like Ramaswamy, Trump had also hired a number of foreign workers under the H-1B visas for his various businesses. But after becoming president, the Republican leader trained his guns on the non-immigrant visa programme to appeal to his nationalist supporters. Right now, H1-B visas are awarded in a totally random lotteryand thats wrong. Instead, they should be given to the most-skilled and highest-paid applicants, and they should never, ever be used to replace Americans, Trump had said after signing the Buy American, Hire American executive order in July 2017. In June 2020, the Trump administration went a step ahead and temporarily suspended the H-1B visa programme, citing its impact on the US job market which was badly hit by the Covid pandemic. But more than the pandemic, the harsh decision was influenced by the fact that it was in election year and Trump was seeking a second term as US president. The suspension of the H1-B visa programme deprived thousands of foreign workers of the opportunity to work in the US, leaving those vacancies open to native Americansa factor Trump hoped would help him come back as president. The visa crisis ended only when his successor Joe Biden let Trumps proclamation lapse in March 2021. Always under scrutiny By definition, H-1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows US-based companies and other employers to hire professionals from other countries in specialty occasions that require theoretical or technical knowhow. These specialty occupations are spread across various fields including architecture, engineering, mathematics, physical sciences, social sciences, medicine and health, education, business specialties, accounting, law, theology, and the arts. The H-1B visa is usually issued for three years, which can be renewed for another three years. After the maximum period of six years, one has to leave the US and stay out for at least one year. After that, a fresh application can be moved for the whole process to start all over again. If they win the H-1B visa lottery again, they can come back to the US to pursue their career. Most people initiate the process to apply for permanent residence soon after they land in the US because there is no guarantee that theyll get the H1-B visa again. Of the 85,000 H-1B visas that the US government issues every year, 65,000 visas are open to foreigners who have a valid job offer from a US-based company and hold a bachelors degree or its equivalent in the field of employment. Another 20,000 visas are reserved for those with advanced degrees (Masters or higher degrees) obtained from US institutes of higher learning. Vivek RamaswamyHowever, the visa cap will not apply if the employer sponsoring an applicant is an institution of higher education, a nonprofit organisation connected to such an institute, or a government research organisation. The visa is very popular among Indian IT professionals, who have been the largest recipients of H-1Bs in recent years. According to estimates, roughly 75% of the visas given away every year go to Indian professionals. Therefore, any change in visa rule will affect hundreds of thousands of Indians. Because of its nature and potential to impact the job market, the visa programme is always under scrutiny and subject to debate. Need for more Critics of the programme claim its not always the brightest and the best who get H-1Bs; they argue that outsourcing firms abuse the visa provision to bring in low-skilled workers at lower wages, who end up displacing American workers who would have been hired at higher pay. It is this notion that politicians like Ramaswamy and Trump are trying to cash in on. But others point out that skilled workers from other countries contribute immensely to the US economy and, in fact, create job opportunities for native Americans. According to the American Immigration Council, a Washington-based advocacy group, unemployment rates are relatively low in occupations that employ large numbers of H-1B workers. It points out that the visa holders and native workers dont compete for the same set of jobs because their skill sets are different. They complement each other in the labour market rather than compete for the exact same jobs. Second, immigrant workers spend and invest their wages in the US economy, which increases consumer demand and creates new jobs. Third, businesses respond to the presence of immigrant workers and consumers by expanding their operations in the United States rather than searching for new opportunities overseas, it argues. Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, one of the vocal proponents of the work visa programme, had in July introduced a bill to double the number of H-1B visas available annually from 65,000 to 1,30,000. We have had the same cap of a very limited 65,000 people for 33 years, and that needs to increase. It needs to double, he had said while introducing his bill. Silicon Valley tech giants are also batting for a higher intake of top talent under the H-1B programme. Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and Salesforce are reportedly lobbying the Biden administration to increase the number of foreign workers allowed in the US. Ramaswamys outrageous call to scrap the non-immigrant visa regime altogether may remain a non-starter till he gets ahead in his race to become the Republican partys presidential nominee, but H-1B visas will continue to be under the lens as the fight for quality jobs is only going to intensify. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Book Excerpt By

The meek Canadian response to the Khalistani challenge was a frequent target of Indian politicians as far back as 1982, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi complained about it to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Not much came of it. Quite the reverse, in fact. It was Pierre Trudeaus government which refused the 1982 Indian request to extradite Talwinder Parmar to India for murder, on the quaint grounds that India was insufficiently deferential to the Queen.

That is not a joke. Canadian diplomats had to tell their Indian counterparts that the extradition protocols between Commonwealth countries would not apply because India only recognized Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, and not as Head of State.

Case closed! It was exquisite. Canada didnt have to ponder the evidence against Parmar or keep him locked up, as Germany did for a year while considering another Indian bid to extradite him in 1983. When the Germans finally let him go in 1984, Parmar came back to Canada a free man and a hero to boot.

Canadian Khalistanis have made it normal to celebrate murders of the right sort. An example is the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. A Toronto weekly, Sanjh Savera, greeted the anniversary in 2002 with a cover illustration of Indira Gandhis murder and a headline urging readers to Honour the martyrs who killed the sinner. At the time, Sanjh Savera was firmly identified with the World Sikh Organization (WSO), whose president and ex-president were on its board. The explicit endorsement of political murder did not produce any complaint from Canadian politicians.

ALSO READ | India temporarily suspends visa services for Canadians amid rising diplomatic tensions

Instead, the weekly Sanjh Savera made money from government advertising and grew to become a daily. This collective shrug from the Canadian political class inevitably emboldened the separatist lobbyand the acquittals in the Air India trial, in 2005, doubled the effect. The Khalistanis had won a victory and began to reap the benefits. The veneration of terrorist martyrs was no longer confined to Punjabi-language media alone

The court victory led Canadian Khalistanis to push the envelope, most notably at the 2007 Vaisakhi parade in Surrey, British Columbia, where the boundaries of what is acceptable in Canada were decisively expanded The Conservative Party, led by Stephen Harper, held power as the parade set out as usual from the Dasmesh Darbar gurdwara What they had not foreseen was the provocative display of martyr portraits, garlanded with gold tinsel, on the parade floats. These included various assassins and, remarkably, several portraits of a mass killer of innocent civiliansTalwinder Singh Parmar.

New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh

(left) with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

THE POLITICAL MASTERMIND

In the fall of 2017, Jagmeet Singh, at the age of thirty-nine, became the first Sikh to lead a Canadian political partythe left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP). Singh had made his name alongside his brother, Gurratan, and his leadership campaign spokesman, Amneet Bali, in the Sikh Activist Network (SAN), which they called a previously underground network... of Sikh activists working for social justice while resisting the poisonous exploitative and murderous powers of neo-imperialism.

Their literature pledged to fight the Oppressive Domination of the Fascist Indian Machinery. They called it an activist network for a reason. Jagmeet Singh appeared at Khalistani events in California and London, was denied a visa to visit India, and campaigned for clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana, the terrorist who directed the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh, the chief minister of Punjab. On being elected to the Ontario legislature, Jagmeet Singh had worked to have the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in India deemed a genocide But in the wider world, and within his party, refusing to object to a terrorists glorification was a serious political liability.

Although it took five months, he finally did revise his position, and forthrightly, saying it was a very fair question and that he now accepted the judicial findings that Parmar was, indeed, the Air India bomber. This conclusion, though, did not erase the conundrum at the heart of the story: a young, progressive political leader in the twenty-first century had repeatedly declined to object to the public veneration of a mass-murdererand his supporters were outraged by the question.

THE TRIALS OF JAGMEET

Going into a pivotal meeting in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trudeau sounded all the right notes. He strongly endorsed a united India and, when pressed to repudiate the Parmar posters back home, he said what NDP leader Jagmeet Singh had failed to say: I do not think we should ever be glorifying mass-murderers, and Im happy to condemn that. So far, so good. But all of that was forgotten in the furore that unfolded next. It began with a buzz on my phone, signalling a new arrival in my inbox.

READ MORE | Trudeau repeats allegations, says he's not looking to 'provoke', urges India to work with Canada to uncover truth

I glanced at it, then gaped in wonder. Could it be real? It was a snapshot from a posh diplomatic reception in Mumbai, showing Justin Trudeaus wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, posing in a sari with a convicted Khalistani hitman It was Jaspal Atwal who was accused by Ujjal Dosanjh of trying to beat his head in with an iron bar in 1985; and the same Jaspal Atwal who was convicted for shooting Malkiat Sidhu, the Punjab cabinet minister, on Vancouver Island in 1986. (Sidhu survived, but was assassinated in Punjab five years later.) Yes, the picture was real and more pictures arrived showing Atwal with other members of Trudeaus entourage.

Talwinder Singh Parmar

Another showed an invitation to the next days dinner for the Trudeaus in New Delhi. The host: Canadas high commissioner. The guest: Jaspal Atwal. A convicted terrorist had the inside track on Trudeaus Indian junket. He was dining with the Trudeaus in both Mumbai and New Delhi Of course, the story was popular in part because it confirmed what many Indians already thoughtnamely, that Canada was soft on Khalistanis To rub salt in the wound, it soon emerged that Atwal had been a fixture at Liberal events and fundraisers, both federal and provincial, for years.

There had even been a similar embarrassment before, when Atwal got himself invited to an event at the British Columbia legislature. Then it emerged that this convicted terrorist had served on the Liberal executive board for a federal electoral district. It never seemed to occur to anyone that this was likely to create a scandal. In that sense, it was another indication, like the Jagmeet Singh story, that the norms had silently shifted under the steady pressure of the Khalistan movement and the shift wasnt noticed until the lights went on. Until thenterrorist on the martyr poster? No big deal. Terrorist on the guest list? No problem.

DID CANADIANS KNOW ABOUT KANISHKA PLOT

In August of 1984, a French-Canadian criminal named Gerry Boudreault told the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that some Vancouver Sikhs offered him $200,000 in cash to smuggle a bomb onto Air Indias flight from Montreal to LondonFlight 182. This guy met me with a suitcase, Boudreault recalled, fifteen years later. A Sikh. He opened it up and there it was stuffed with $200,000, and all I had to do was put a bomb on an Air India plane. Id done some bad things in my time, done my time in jail, but putting a bomb on a planenot me. I went to the police.

The police didnt trust Boudreault and didnt buy his story. But eyebrows went up a month later, when another man independently revealed the very same plot. This time, it was a Sikh, Harmail Singh Grewal, who was trying to bargain down some criminal charges for robbery. Grewal told the Vancouver police that his fellow Sikhs planned to use a French-Canadianthat was Gerry Boudreaultto blow up an Indian plane. In fact, Grewal said the plan involved two planes and two bombs, which proved to be correct:

Irish naval authorities bring ashore debris from the Air India Flight 182

that crashed off the west Cork coast on June 23, 1985

Officer: Theres a plot to put a bomb on an airplane right?

Grewal: They said, yeah.

Officer: OK.

Grewal: Maybe two.

Officer: Maybe two airplanes?

Grewal: Well is it two, two, two, yeah. I heard their problem, they

say if it doesnt blow, what happens? They said... some extra ...

Officer: A backup bomb?

Grewal: Yeah.

Officer: What kind of airplane?

Grewal: Air India 747.

Officer: Air India 747. Is this going to be leaving from Montreal?

Grewal: Yes.

Officer: And its going to be, when?

Grewal: Well I dont know the exact date, you know, the time. A flight leaves only from Montreal in Canada.

Nothing was done to investigate this plot, but its worth pausing to notice that final phrasethat Air India flies, only from Montreal in Canada. A Toronto-to-Montreal leg was added to that flight in January of 1985, but the important issue is that, for years, Canadian officials kept insisting that there was no specific warning about Flight 182. The problem?

There was no other Air India flight to attack. Air Indias flight from Toronto to Montreal and London, once a week, was the only flight the airline operated in Canada. You didnt have to be an ace detective to know which flight to watch if Air India was threatened. That one fact debunks decades of official claims about this case. Any threat to an Air India jet in Canada was specific to Flight 182, because it was the only available target.

READ MORE | Why India Fears Khalistan Movement and how Canada became embroiled in a diplomatic spat

Besides that, it became clear at the judicial inquiry that both Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and RCMP knew what the Vancouver Police knew about the plot described by Grewal. On 26 October 1984, CSIS reported to the RCMP that Grewal disclosed knowledge of plans to blow up an AI 747 aircraft in November en route to India from Montreal. That was a specific warning that Flight 182 would be bombed.

Canadian PMs wife Sophie Gregoire

Trudeau with Khalistani hitman Jaspal

Atwal, at a reception for the Trudeaus

in Mumbai, February 20, 2018

True, November came and wentbut there was nothing done about it in November, either. After digging into this episode at his judicial inquiry, retired Supreme Court Justice John Major found that, There is no evidence of any RCMP follow-up. In fact, it was not until nine months after the bombing that investigators grasped the significance of Boudreault and Grewal independently revealing the same plot.

Whats more, the suspects they both identified were the same as the RCMPs suspects in the actual bombingTalwinder Parmar, Ajaib Bagri, Surjan Gill and Inderjit Reyat. Despite that, apparently to explain its failure to follow up, the RCMP kept insisting that the tips from Boudreault and Grewal were totally unrelated to the actual Air India bomb plot. Justice Major observed that, This conclusion defies reasonable explanation.

But those were just the early warnings. A crescendo of increasingly urgent alarms came in during the weeks and months before Flight 182 exploded. Evidence of this was inadvertently revealed by a parliamentary committee which oversaw CSIS. Following the conviction of the Air India bomb-maker, Inderjit Reyat, the Security Intelligence Review Committee, known as SIRC, triumphantly reported in 1992 that it had reviewed the warnings and that CSIS had done a fine job.

It was telling, though, that the committee censored the details of those warnings, leaving only the subject headings visible to the publicand even those showed that warnings came thick and fast. Referring to the year before the bombing, one heading said, Air India Threatened. Then, More Threats to Air India  then, in 1985, Air India Again Threatened  CSIS warns of Very High Potential for Serious Incidents  and finally, this: Something Big to Happen!

(Excerpted from Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of the Khalistan Project by Terry Milewski, with permission from HarperCollins)

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

The meek Canadian response to the Khalistani challenge was a frequent target of Indian politicians as far back as 1982, when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi complained about it to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Not much came of it. Quite the reverse, in fact. It was Pierre Trudeaus government which refused the 1982 Indian request to extradite Talwinder Parmar to India for murder, on the quaint grounds that India was insufficiently deferential to the Queen. That is not a joke. Canadian diplomats had to tell their Indian counterparts that the extradition protocols between Commonwealth countries would not apply because India only recognized Her Majesty as Head of the Commonwealth, and not as Head of State. Case closed! It was exquisite. Canada didnt have to ponder the evidence against Parmar or keep him locked up, as Germany did for a year while considering another Indian bid to extradite him in 1983. When the Germans finally let him go in 1984, Parmar came back to Canada a free man and a hero to boot.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Canadian Khalistanis have made it normal to celebrate murders of the right sort. An example is the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984. A Toronto weekly, Sanjh Savera, greeted the anniversary in 2002 with a cover illustration of Indira Gandhis murder and a headline urging readers to Honour the martyrs who killed the sinner. At the time, Sanjh Savera was firmly identified with the World Sikh Organization (WSO), whose president and ex-president were on its board. The explicit endorsement of political murder did not produce any complaint from Canadian politicians. ALSO READ | India temporarily suspends visa services for Canadians amid rising diplomatic tensions Instead, the weekly Sanjh Savera made money from government advertising and grew to become a daily. This collective shrug from the Canadian political class inevitably emboldened the separatist lobbyand the acquittals in the Air India trial, in 2005, doubled the effect. The Khalistanis had won a victory and began to reap the benefits. The veneration of terrorist martyrs was no longer confined to Punjabi-language media alone The court victory led Canadian Khalistanis to push the envelope, most notably at the 2007 Vaisakhi parade in Surrey, British Columbia, where the boundaries of what is acceptable in Canada were decisively expanded The Conservative Party, led by Stephen Harper, held power as the parade set out as usual from the Dasmesh Darbar gurdwara What they had not foreseen was the provocative display of martyr portraits, garlanded with gold tinsel, on the parade floats. These included various assassins and, remarkably, several portraits of a mass killer of innocent civiliansTalwinder Singh Parmar. New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh (left) with Canadian Prime Minister Justin TrudeauTHE POLITICAL MASTERMIND In the fall of 2017, Jagmeet Singh, at the age of thirty-nine, became the first Sikh to lead a Canadian political partythe left-leaning New Democratic Party (NDP). Singh had made his name alongside his brother, Gurratan, and his leadership campaign spokesman, Amneet Bali, in the Sikh Activist Network (SAN), which they called a previously underground network... of Sikh activists working for social justice while resisting the poisonous exploitative and murderous powers of neo-imperialism. Their literature pledged to fight the Oppressive Domination of the Fascist Indian Machinery. They called it an activist network for a reason. Jagmeet Singh appeared at Khalistani events in California and London, was denied a visa to visit India, and campaigned for clemency for Balwant Singh Rajoana, the terrorist who directed the 1995 assassination of Beant Singh, the chief minister of Punjab. On being elected to the Ontario legislature, Jagmeet Singh had worked to have the 1984 massacre of Sikhs in India deemed a genocide But in the wider world, and within his party, refusing to object to a terrorists glorification was a serious political liability. Although it took five months, he finally did revise his position, and forthrightly, saying it was a very fair question and that he now accepted the judicial findings that Parmar was, indeed, the Air India bomber. This conclusion, though, did not erase the conundrum at the heart of the story: a young, progressive political leader in the twenty-first century had repeatedly declined to object to the public veneration of a mass-murdererand his supporters were outraged by the question. THE TRIALS OF JAGMEET Going into a pivotal meeting in New Delhi with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trudeau sounded all the right notes. He strongly endorsed a united India and, when pressed to repudiate the Parmar posters back home, he said what NDP leader Jagmeet Singh had failed to say: I do not think we should ever be glorifying mass-murderers, and Im happy to condemn that. So far, so good. But all of that was forgotten in the furore that unfolded next. It began with a buzz on my phone, signalling a new arrival in my inbox. READ MORE | Trudeau repeats allegations, says he's not looking to 'provoke', urges India to work with Canada to uncover truth I glanced at it, then gaped in wonder. Could it be real? It was a snapshot from a posh diplomatic reception in Mumbai, showing Justin Trudeaus wife, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, posing in a sari with a convicted Khalistani hitman It was Jaspal Atwal who was accused by Ujjal Dosanjh of trying to beat his head in with an iron bar in 1985; and the same Jaspal Atwal who was convicted for shooting Malkiat Sidhu, the Punjab cabinet minister, on Vancouver Island in 1986. (Sidhu survived, but was assassinated in Punjab five years later.) Yes, the picture was real and more pictures arrived showing Atwal with other members of Trudeaus entourage. Talwinder Singh ParmarAnother showed an invitation to the next days dinner for the Trudeaus in New Delhi. The host: Canadas high commissioner. The guest: Jaspal Atwal. A convicted terrorist had the inside track on Trudeaus Indian junket. He was dining with the Trudeaus in both Mumbai and New Delhi Of course, the story was popular in part because it confirmed what many Indians already thoughtnamely, that Canada was soft on Khalistanis To rub salt in the wound, it soon emerged that Atwal had been a fixture at Liberal events and fundraisers, both federal and provincial, for years. There had even been a similar embarrassment before, when Atwal got himself invited to an event at the British Columbia legislature. Then it emerged that this convicted terrorist had served on the Liberal executive board for a federal electoral district. It never seemed to occur to anyone that this was likely to create a scandal. In that sense, it was another indication, like the Jagmeet Singh story, that the norms had silently shifted under the steady pressure of the Khalistan movement and the shift wasnt noticed until the lights went on. Until thenterrorist on the martyr poster? No big deal. Terrorist on the guest list? No problem. DID CANADIANS KNOW ABOUT KANISHKA PLOT In August of 1984, a French-Canadian criminal named Gerry Boudreault told the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) that some Vancouver Sikhs offered him $200,000 in cash to smuggle a bomb onto Air Indias flight from Montreal to LondonFlight 182. This guy met me with a suitcase, Boudreault recalled, fifteen years later. A Sikh. He opened it up and there it was stuffed with $200,000, and all I had to do was put a bomb on an Air India plane. Id done some bad things in my time, done my time in jail, but putting a bomb on a planenot me. I went to the police. The police didnt trust Boudreault and didnt buy his story. But eyebrows went up a month later, when another man independently revealed the very same plot. This time, it was a Sikh, Harmail Singh Grewal, who was trying to bargain down some criminal charges for robbery. Grewal told the Vancouver police that his fellow Sikhs planned to use a French-Canadianthat was Gerry Boudreaultto blow up an Indian plane. In fact, Grewal said the plan involved two planes and two bombs, which proved to be correct: Irish naval authorities bring ashore debris from the Air India Flight 182 that crashed off the west Cork coast on June 23, 1985 Officer: Theres a plot to put a bomb on an airplane right? Grewal: They said, yeah. Officer: OK. Grewal: Maybe two. Officer: Maybe two airplanes? Grewal: Well is it two, two, two, yeah. I heard their problem, they say if it doesnt blow, what happens? They said... some extra ... Officer: A backup bomb? Grewal: Yeah. Officer: What kind of airplane? Grewal: Air India 747. Officer: Air India 747. Is this going to be leaving from Montreal? Grewal: Yes. Officer: And its going to be, when? Grewal: Well I dont know the exact date, you know, the time. A flight leaves only from Montreal in Canada. Nothing was done to investigate this plot, but its worth pausing to notice that final phrasethat Air India flies, only from Montreal in Canada. A Toronto-to-Montreal leg was added to that flight in January of 1985, but the important issue is that, for years, Canadian officials kept insisting that there was no specific warning about Flight 182. The problem? There was no other Air India flight to attack. Air Indias flight from Toronto to Montreal and London, once a week, was the only flight the airline operated in Canada. You didnt have to be an ace detective to know which flight to watch if Air India was threatened. That one fact debunks decades of official claims about this case. Any threat to an Air India jet in Canada was specific to Flight 182, because it was the only available target. READ MORE | Why India Fears Khalistan Movement and how Canada became embroiled in a diplomatic spat Besides that, it became clear at the judicial inquiry that both Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and RCMP knew what the Vancouver Police knew about the plot described by Grewal. On 26 October 1984, CSIS reported to the RCMP that Grewal disclosed knowledge of plans to blow up an AI 747 aircraft in November en route to India from Montreal. That was a specific warning that Flight 182 would be bombed. Canadian PMs wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau with Khalistani hitman Jaspal Atwal, at a reception for the Trudeaus in Mumbai, February 20, 2018True, November came and wentbut there was nothing done about it in November, either. After digging into this episode at his judicial inquiry, retired Supreme Court Justice John Major found that, There is no evidence of any RCMP follow-up. In fact, it was not until nine months after the bombing that investigators grasped the significance of Boudreault and Grewal independently revealing the same plot. Whats more, the suspects they both identified were the same as the RCMPs suspects in the actual bombingTalwinder Parmar, Ajaib Bagri, Surjan Gill and Inderjit Reyat. Despite that, apparently to explain its failure to follow up, the RCMP kept insisting that the tips from Boudreault and Grewal were totally unrelated to the actual Air India bomb plot. Justice Major observed that, This conclusion defies reasonable explanation. But those were just the early warnings. A crescendo of increasingly urgent alarms came in during the weeks and months before Flight 182 exploded. Evidence of this was inadvertently revealed by a parliamentary committee which oversaw CSIS. Following the conviction of the Air India bomb-maker, Inderjit Reyat, the Security Intelligence Review Committee, known as SIRC, triumphantly reported in 1992 that it had reviewed the warnings and that CSIS had done a fine job. It was telling, though, that the committee censored the details of those warnings, leaving only the subject headings visible to the publicand even those showed that warnings came thick and fast. Referring to the year before the bombing, one heading said, Air India Threatened. Then, More Threats to Air India  then, in 1985, Air India Again Threatened  CSIS warns of Very High Potential for Serious Incidents  and finally, this: Something Big to Happen! (Excerpted from Blood for Blood: Fifty Years of the Khalistan Project by Terry Milewski, with permission from HarperCollins) Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Online Desk

On Saturday, the Delhi Police told a court that the Former Wrestling Federation of India Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh 'outraged the modesty' of the women wrestlers every opportunity he could get.

The police told the Court that he never missed any opportunity to harass any of the women wrestlers and argued that they had enough evidence to register charges against the BJP MP.

Delhi's Rose Avenue Court was hearing arguments for framing of charges against Brij Bhushan after the police filed a chargesheet in the sexual harassment case against him by six women wrestlers.

He was exempted from appearing at the court on Saturday.

The Delhi Police filed the charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The next hearing will be held on October 7 in the Rouse Avenue Court.

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On Saturday, the Delhi Police told a court that the Former Wrestling Federation of India Chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh 'outraged the modesty' of the women wrestlers every opportunity he could get. The police told the Court that he never missed any opportunity to harass any of the women wrestlers and argued that they had enough evidence to register charges against the BJP MP. Delhi's Rose Avenue Court was hearing arguments for framing of charges against Brij Bhushan after the police filed a chargesheet in the sexual harassment case against him by six women wrestlers.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); He was exempted from appearing at the court on Saturday. The Delhi Police filed the charge sheet against the six-time MP on June 15 under Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The next hearing will be held on October 7 in the Rouse Avenue Court. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Narendra Sethi By

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigating the tiger safari construction case in Jim Corbett National Park. The CBI had sought documents related to vigilance in the case, which was confirmed by State Vigilance Director Dr V Murugesan that, "the documents sought by the CBI related to the case have been handed over to them".

According to the highly placed official sources, "The CBI is likely to soon start questioning the officials concerned as well as former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat in this matter".

The CBI is investigating the case on the directions of the Nainital High Court. Earlier, the High Court had taken a tough stand on the illegal construction and felling of more than 6,000 trees during the construction of Pakhro Tiger Safari in the Corbett tiger reserve area. The High Court had asked the government why the case should not be investigated by the CBI.

In this case, Dehradun resident Anu Pant had filed a public interest petition in the High Court. The petitioner told the court that several reports regarding the illegal felling of 6,000 trees in Corbett were placed before the court. All these reports were shown in detail by the petitioner's lawyer Abhijay Negi to the court.

According to sources, "In this case, the CBI may first question about a dozen forest officials, employees and contractors working in the range, including retired and current forest officers associated with the Pakhro Safari construction".

Sources also revealed, "The main focal point of the CBI probe will also be the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat, as vigilance and other investigations are clearly of the opinion that work was started at Corbett Tiger Safari without financial and other clearances under pressure from the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat".

So far, investigations by eight agencies have revealed irregularities in the construction of the tiger safari and other tourist facilities at Jim Corbett. More trees were cut than the number, and all kinds of construction were carried out without financial and administrative approval. Boundary walls and buildings were also constructed in the national park.

Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

DEHRADUN: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has started investigating the tiger safari construction case in Jim Corbett National Park. The CBI had sought documents related to vigilance in the case, which was confirmed by State Vigilance Director Dr V Murugesan that, "the documents sought by the CBI related to the case have been handed over to them". According to the highly placed official sources, "The CBI is likely to soon start questioning the officials concerned as well as former forest minister Harak Singh Rawat in this matter". The CBI is investigating the case on the directions of the Nainital High Court. Earlier, the High Court had taken a tough stand on the illegal construction and felling of more than 6,000 trees during the construction of Pakhro Tiger Safari in the Corbett tiger reserve area. The High Court had asked the government why the case should not be investigated by the CBI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In this case, Dehradun resident Anu Pant had filed a public interest petition in the High Court. The petitioner told the court that several reports regarding the illegal felling of 6,000 trees in Corbett were placed before the court. All these reports were shown in detail by the petitioner's lawyer Abhijay Negi to the court. According to sources, "In this case, the CBI may first question about a dozen forest officials, employees and contractors working in the range, including retired and current forest officers associated with the Pakhro Safari construction". Sources also revealed, "The main focal point of the CBI probe will also be the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat, as vigilance and other investigations are clearly of the opinion that work was started at Corbett Tiger Safari without financial and other clearances under pressure from the then Forest Minister Harak Singh Rawat". So far, investigations by eight agencies have revealed irregularities in the construction of the tiger safari and other tourist facilities at Jim Corbett. More trees were cut than the number, and all kinds of construction were carried out without financial and administrative approval. Boundary walls and buildings were also constructed in the national park. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

ALAPPUZHA: A video of noted music director Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri holding the hand of Kerala Temple Affairs Minister K Radhakrishnan while lighting the traditional lamp at a public function has gone viral.

The video surfaced days after the Devaswom Minister had alleged that he faced caste discrimination at a temple function in Kannur district.

In the video clip, Kaithapram, as he is popularly known, is seen holding the hand of Radhakrishnan to light the traditional lamp at an event to mark the death anniversary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on Friday at Cherthala near here.

"There is no discrimination," Kaithapram is seen saying in it.

Radhakrishnan, who belongs to the SC community, had claimed that two priests of the shrine had declined to hand him the small lamp used to light a bigger lamp and instead kept it on the ground.

The minister's disclosure sparked outrage in the state.

Denying the allegations, an organisation of traditional high priests in the state had claimed that the alleged untouchability incident against Radhakrishnan was a "misunderstanding" of the rituals and that no individual is discriminated against in temples.

WATCH INTERVIEW |

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ALAPPUZHA: A video of noted music director Kaithapram Damodaran Namboothiri holding the hand of Kerala Temple Affairs Minister K Radhakrishnan while lighting the traditional lamp at a public function has gone viral. The video surfaced days after the Devaswom Minister had alleged that he faced caste discrimination at a temple function in Kannur district. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); In the video clip, Kaithapram, as he is popularly known, is seen holding the hand of Radhakrishnan to light the traditional lamp at an event to mark the death anniversary of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru on Friday at Cherthala near here. "There is no discrimination," Kaithapram is seen saying in it. Radhakrishnan, who belongs to the SC community, had claimed that two priests of the shrine had declined to hand him the small lamp used to light a bigger lamp and instead kept it on the ground. The minister's disclosure sparked outrage in the state. Denying the allegations, an organisation of traditional high priests in the state had claimed that the alleged untouchability incident against Radhakrishnan was a "misunderstanding" of the rituals and that no individual is discriminated against in temples. WATCH INTERVIEW | Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: In a significant decision on Tamil Nadu Organ Donation Day, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said the funeral of the deceased whose organs are harvested for donation will henceforth be held with state honours. In a statement, the CM said the state continues to be a frontrunner in giving a new lease of life to hundreds of patients through organ donation.

This has been possible only because of the families who come forward to donate the organs of their kin who are declared brain-dead. They volunteer for the gesture at a time when they are grieving the loss of their family members, the CM pointed out.

A health department official said a government order expected to be issued in the next two or three days will have more details. The Collector or other top officials of the district administration will do the honours, he added.

Officials, however, said the initiative will not be applicable to donors who are alive. For instance, a family member or a friend who donated a kidney to another family member or a friend may not be eligible for the honours, sources said.

The practice of observing September 23 as Organ Donation Day began in Tamil Nadu after the tragic death of 15-year-old AP Hitendran in 2008. His parents, Dr Ashokan and Dr Pushpanjali, decided to donate his organs. This incident sparked a movement-like resurgence in organ donations across the state.

To recognise and promote such donations, CM M Karunanidhi declared September 23 as Organ Donation Day. Tamil Nadu has been the leading state in the country in organ donations for the past 15 years.

During an event at Kalaivanar Arangam on Saturday, floral tributes were paid to organ donors and their relatives were honoured. Grief counsellors, top-performing hospitals, and police personnel who facilitate the swift transport of organs through Green Corridor initiatives were also recognised.

There were 13 organ transplant units in government hospitals across the state. After the DMK came to power, 27 government medical colleges and hospitals were declared as non-transplant organ retrieval centres to increase donations. Though Tamil Nadu leads in organ donation, there are 6,179 patients waiting to get kidneys, 449 patients for liver, 72 for heart, 60 for lungs, and 24 for heart and lung, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian.

"We have linked organ donations to insurance schemes. Since 2008, 1,726 people have donated organs in TN benefitting 6,327 patients of TN. In the last 2.5 years, 313 have donated organs benefitting 1,641 people," he said.

Member-secretary of Transplant Authority Government of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) N Gopalakrishnan said, At RGGGH, we have been doing honour walk while handing over the bodies of donors to families. In the case of brain-dead patients, the tragedy takes place at the prime age of their lives. The gesture will offer some solace to the families during their time of grief.

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CHENNAI: In a significant decision on Tamil Nadu Organ Donation Day, Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday said the funeral of the deceased whose organs are harvested for donation will henceforth be held with state honours. In a statement, the CM said the state continues to be a frontrunner in giving a new lease of life to hundreds of patients through organ donation. This has been possible only because of the families who come forward to donate the organs of their kin who are declared brain-dead. They volunteer for the gesture at a time when they are grieving the loss of their family members, the CM pointed out. A health department official said a government order expected to be issued in the next two or three days will have more details. The Collector or other top officials of the district administration will do the honours, he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Officials, however, said the initiative will not be applicable to donors who are alive. For instance, a family member or a friend who donated a kidney to another family member or a friend may not be eligible for the honours, sources said. The practice of observing September 23 as Organ Donation Day began in Tamil Nadu after the tragic death of 15-year-old AP Hitendran in 2008. His parents, Dr Ashokan and Dr Pushpanjali, decided to donate his organs. This incident sparked a movement-like resurgence in organ donations across the state. To recognise and promote such donations, CM M Karunanidhi declared September 23 as Organ Donation Day. Tamil Nadu has been the leading state in the country in organ donations for the past 15 years. During an event at Kalaivanar Arangam on Saturday, floral tributes were paid to organ donors and their relatives were honoured. Grief counsellors, top-performing hospitals, and police personnel who facilitate the swift transport of organs through Green Corridor initiatives were also recognised. There were 13 organ transplant units in government hospitals across the state. After the DMK came to power, 27 government medical colleges and hospitals were declared as non-transplant organ retrieval centres to increase donations. Though Tamil Nadu leads in organ donation, there are 6,179 patients waiting to get kidneys, 449 patients for liver, 72 for heart, 60 for lungs, and 24 for heart and lung, said Health Minister Ma Subramanian. "We have linked organ donations to insurance schemes. Since 2008, 1,726 people have donated organs in TN benefitting 6,327 patients of TN. In the last 2.5 years, 313 have donated organs benefitting 1,641 people," he said. Member-secretary of Transplant Authority Government of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN) N Gopalakrishnan said, At RGGGH, we have been doing honour walk while handing over the bodies of donors to families. In the case of brain-dead patients, the tragedy takes place at the prime age of their lives. The gesture will offer some solace to the families during their time of grief. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Board for Wildlife is likely to recommend construction and expansion of three red-category industries inside the default 10-km eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Pulicat bird sanctuary. The proposals will come up for discussion during the 8th meeting of the board scheduled for Tuesday next week.

As per the board's agenda notes, available with TNIE, there are 24 proposals listed for consideration and the most controversial items are three red categories industries (2 expansions projects and one new project) proposed in Gummidipoondi taluk of Tiruvallur district and their location falls within Pulicat ESZ. This has caused distress among environmentalists and bird lovers, who argue any further industrialization inside Pulicat ESZ would deteriorate an already fragile ecosystem.

The three projects include the expansion of a steel melting plant and rolling mill for production of 76,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of goods and 83,000 TPA of MS Billets by M/s Kanishk Steel Industries, which is 9.09 km from the protected area.

The second project is also expansion of a steel melting plant to increase the production capacity from the current 1.42 lakh TPA to 2.88 TPA by M/s ARS Steel Industries Limited. This is located 7.87 km from the Pulicat lake.

There is a new project proposed for production of chemical compounds used in soaps, detergents and shampoos and the plant will come up at a distance of 8.12 km from the lake. These three projects have already been reviewed and recommended by the Office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden.

Naturalist M Yuvan, who headed a team from Palluyir Trust to survey the wetlands and bird populations in the ESZ of Pulicat, told TNIE: "Our studies post monsoons, show significant numbers of waterbirds including threatened and migratory species like Greater Flamingoes, Eurasian Curlews, Brownheaded gulls, etc using the wetlands throughout and even beyond the 10km ESZ of Pulicat bird sanctuary, given that the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands are hydrologically and ecologically contiguous. This contiguity is essential to take into account during wildlife and wetland conservation as the lagoon doesn't exist in isolation, but is fed and spreads into the Kosasthalayar river and the backwaters, saltpans, grasslands and scrub areas on all sides, where unfortunately industrialization is already heavy."

He said any further industrialization of Pulicat's ESZ needs to stop if this biodiversity hotspot and crucial wetland system is to retain its function, integrity and ecosystem services.

G Sundarrajan, coordinator of environment advocacy group Poovulagin Nanbargal and member of Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change, told TNIE: "There are enough studies conducted by NGT appointed committees, which recommended against setting-up of any more red category industries in Ennore-Pulicat wetlands. Any further shrinking of this area would mean trouble for the region, including Chennai city."

When contacted, Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas R Reddy told TNIE that these industries are located more than 7 km from Pulicate lake close to the SIPCOT industrial area in Gummidipoondi. "The area is already industralised and as per the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), the zone of influence of the Pulicat lake doesn't go beyond 4 km. These projects will not come in the way of wildlife and bird conservation. The State Board for Wildlife can only recommend, the final decision will be taken by the National Board for Wildlife."

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CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Board for Wildlife is likely to recommend construction and expansion of three red-category industries inside the default 10-km eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Pulicat bird sanctuary. The proposals will come up for discussion during the 8th meeting of the board scheduled for Tuesday next week. As per the board's agenda notes, available with TNIE, there are 24 proposals listed for consideration and the most controversial items are three red categories industries (2 expansions projects and one new project) proposed in Gummidipoondi taluk of Tiruvallur district and their location falls within Pulicat ESZ. This has caused distress among environmentalists and bird lovers, who argue any further industrialization inside Pulicat ESZ would deteriorate an already fragile ecosystem. The three projects include the expansion of a steel melting plant and rolling mill for production of 76,000 tonnes per annum (TPA) of goods and 83,000 TPA of MS Billets by M/s Kanishk Steel Industries, which is 9.09 km from the protected area.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The second project is also expansion of a steel melting plant to increase the production capacity from the current 1.42 lakh TPA to 2.88 TPA by M/s ARS Steel Industries Limited. This is located 7.87 km from the Pulicat lake. There is a new project proposed for production of chemical compounds used in soaps, detergents and shampoos and the plant will come up at a distance of 8.12 km from the lake. These three projects have already been reviewed and recommended by the Office of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden. Naturalist M Yuvan, who headed a team from Palluyir Trust to survey the wetlands and bird populations in the ESZ of Pulicat, told TNIE: "Our studies post monsoons, show significant numbers of waterbirds including threatened and migratory species like Greater Flamingoes, Eurasian Curlews, Brownheaded gulls, etc using the wetlands throughout and even beyond the 10km ESZ of Pulicat bird sanctuary, given that the Ennore-Pulicat wetlands are hydrologically and ecologically contiguous. This contiguity is essential to take into account during wildlife and wetland conservation as the lagoon doesn't exist in isolation, but is fed and spreads into the Kosasthalayar river and the backwaters, saltpans, grasslands and scrub areas on all sides, where unfortunately industrialization is already heavy." He said any further industrialization of Pulicat's ESZ needs to stop if this biodiversity hotspot and crucial wetland system is to retain its function, integrity and ecosystem services. G Sundarrajan, coordinator of environment advocacy group Poovulagin Nanbargal and member of Tamil Nadu Governing Council on Climate Change, told TNIE: "There are enough studies conducted by NGT appointed committees, which recommended against setting-up of any more red category industries in Ennore-Pulicat wetlands. Any further shrinking of this area would mean trouble for the region, including Chennai city." When contacted, Chief Wildlife Warden Srinivas R Reddy told TNIE that these industries are located more than 7 km from Pulicate lake close to the SIPCOT industrial area in Gummidipoondi. "The area is already industralised and as per the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), the zone of influence of the Pulicat lake doesn't go beyond 4 km. These projects will not come in the way of wildlife and bird conservation. The State Board for Wildlife can only recommend, the final decision will be taken by the National Board for Wildlife." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues for not responding to the irregularities to the tune of Rs 7.5 lakh crore flagged in the Comptroller and Auditor General of India report.

The DMK president, in his second episode of Speaking for India podcast, asked: Have you read what the report says? Did you discuss this in the special session of Parliament? Did you even answer? So far, neither the prime minister nor the union ministers concerned have responded to this. They cannot respond either. Thats the reason why Modi adopts different kinds of politics to misdirect people.

Stalin said people of the country have realised that Modi is working against the poor, backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. This has been proven by the defeat faced by BJP in the recent elections across various states, he added.

Safeguarding our beloved India, which stands united in diversity, is a responsibility that rests in the hands of each and every one of us, Stalin added.

He said even in the Ayodhya project, the CAG report had exposed the BJPs corruption. They name all projects with words that cannot even be easily pronounced by common people so that no one can even figure out whats really going on, Stalin said sarcastically.

There is a tourism project (Swadesh Darshan) that invites tourists to all places where Ramayana is said to have taken place. It was claimed to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Telangana. In this project, the CAG has found several irregularities worth millions. This report reveals violations in contracts, Stalin added.

The CAG report said the UDAN scheme was started in 2016 by allocating Rs 1,089 crore. Out of the 774 routes that were planned, only 7% are operational and the others are inactive.

For example, in Tamil Nadu, Salem, Thanjavur, Ramnathapuram and Vellore were included in the scheme to provide air services. However, air connectivity has been established only in Salem, and that is also currently not in operation. The CAG report says that out of the total 774 scheduled routes, flights are not operational in 720 routes, Stalin added.

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CHENNAI: DMK president and Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet colleagues for not responding to the irregularities to the tune of Rs 7.5 lakh crore flagged in the Comptroller and Auditor General of India report. The DMK president, in his second episode of Speaking for India podcast, asked: Have you read what the report says? Did you discuss this in the special session of Parliament? Did you even answer? So far, neither the prime minister nor the union ministers concerned have responded to this. They cannot respond either. Thats the reason why Modi adopts different kinds of politics to misdirect people. Stalin said people of the country have realised that Modi is working against the poor, backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. This has been proven by the defeat faced by BJP in the recent elections across various states, he added.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Safeguarding our beloved India, which stands united in diversity, is a responsibility that rests in the hands of each and every one of us, Stalin added. He said even in the Ayodhya project, the CAG report had exposed the BJPs corruption. They name all projects with words that cannot even be easily pronounced by common people so that no one can even figure out whats really going on, Stalin said sarcastically. There is a tourism project (Swadesh Darshan) that invites tourists to all places where Ramayana is said to have taken place. It was claimed to be implemented in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Goa and Telangana. In this project, the CAG has found several irregularities worth millions. This report reveals violations in contracts, Stalin added. The CAG report said the UDAN scheme was started in 2016 by allocating Rs 1,089 crore. Out of the 774 routes that were planned, only 7% are operational and the others are inactive. For example, in Tamil Nadu, Salem, Thanjavur, Ramnathapuram and Vellore were included in the scheme to provide air services. However, air connectivity has been established only in Salem, and that is also currently not in operation. The CAG report says that out of the total 774 scheduled routes, flights are not operational in 720 routes, Stalin added. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

AHMEDABAD: Amidst a raging controversy over the sudden release of water from the Narmada dam, which inundated the districts of Narmada, Bharuch, and parts of Vadodara on September 17-19, the Government of Gujarat on Saturday announced a special relief package for farmers hit by the floods, with standing crops destroyed, and property and houses damaged in around 100 villages along the banks of the river

Congress has called it a man-made disaster and demanded an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT). Brackish Water Research Centre, which has been operating in the state since 2003, has even written a letter to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

The government said that the package will benefit farmers who have suffered a 33 per cent or greater loss

for the kharif season 2023-24 in villages, subject to a two-hectare cap.According to SDRF guidelines, affected farmers will receive a compensation package of Rs 8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated agricultural crops.They will receive Rs 8,000 in addition to Rs 17,000 per hectare for irrigated agriculture and rainfed horticultural crops.

The assistance for perennial crops will be Rs 15,000 per acre, in addition to the Rs 22,500 granted under SDRF guidelines.Similarly, for 33 per cent or more of perennial horticulture crops uprooted or fallen per hectare, farmers will be eligible for Rs 1,02,500 in addition to the Rs 22,500 provided.Gujarat politics have been on a boil for the past four days as a result of the Narmada Dams water flow in Bharuch and Ankleshwar in South Gujarat.

The opposition Congress claims that the BJP government refused to release water from the dam when farmers needed it, instead stored it to the point where the reservoir overflowed on September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday.

However, the Gujarat government asserts that a cloud burst between the Indira Sagar Project (ISP) and the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) caused flash floods.The special relief package will be provided from the state budget in addition to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to help farmers in the three districts.

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AHMEDABAD: Amidst a raging controversy over the sudden release of water from the Narmada dam, which inundated the districts of Narmada, Bharuch, and parts of Vadodara on September 17-19, the Government of Gujarat on Saturday announced a special relief package for farmers hit by the floods, with standing crops destroyed, and property and houses damaged in around 100 villages along the banks of the river Congress has called it a man-made disaster and demanded an investigation by a special investigation team (SIT). Brackish Water Research Centre, which has been operating in the state since 2003, has even written a letter to Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel. The government said that the package will benefit farmers who have suffered a 33 per cent or greater loss for the kharif season 2023-24 in villages, subject to a two-hectare cap.According to SDRF guidelines, affected farmers will receive a compensation package of Rs 8,500 per hectare for non-irrigated agricultural crops.They will receive Rs 8,000 in addition to Rs 17,000 per hectare for irrigated agriculture and rainfed horticultural crops.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The assistance for perennial crops will be Rs 15,000 per acre, in addition to the Rs 22,500 granted under SDRF guidelines.Similarly, for 33 per cent or more of perennial horticulture crops uprooted or fallen per hectare, farmers will be eligible for Rs 1,02,500 in addition to the Rs 22,500 provided.Gujarat politics have been on a boil for the past four days as a result of the Narmada Dams water flow in Bharuch and Ankleshwar in South Gujarat. The opposition Congress claims that the BJP government refused to release water from the dam when farmers needed it, instead stored it to the point where the reservoir overflowed on September 17, Prime Minister Narendra Modis birthday. However, the Gujarat government asserts that a cloud burst between the Indira Sagar Project (ISP) and the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP) caused flash floods.The special relief package will be provided from the state budget in addition to the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) to help farmers in the three districts. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

SHUSHA: Concern was growing for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday as Azerbaijani forces tightened their grip on the breakaway region.

If the new ceasefire there holds, it could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged, off and on, through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

But the years of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh have been marked by abuses on both sides and there are fears of a new refugee crisis.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Washington had "deep concern" for ethnic Armenians there, in a phone call Saturday, a spokesman said.

At the UN General Assembly in New York, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan called for a UN mission to monitor treatment of ethnic Armenians in the mountainous region.

But for Baku, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the General Assembly: "Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens."

A US congressional delegation was in Armenia to show support for the embattled Pashinyan and to inspect the region's blockade.

"Certainly people are very fearful of what could be occurring in there," Senator Gary Peters of Michigan told reporters at the border on Saturday.

"I think the world needs to know exactly what's happening."

He used binoculars to look across the border towards Russian peacekeeper positions, as Azerbaijani trucks transported material for a new highway being built as the government secures the region.

Arsenal on display

As the first Red Cross aid convoy crossed into the disputed enclave since Azerbaijan launched last week's lightning offensive, government forces there said rebel "demilitarisation" had begun.

Ethnic Armenian separatist fighters began surrendering weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement on Friday, said Moscow.

On Saturday, the Azerbaijan forces showed off part of the captured rebel arsenal: sniper rifles, Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and four tanks painted with cross insignia.

Baku's forces now control the district of Shusha, and the town of the same name appears deserted.

Troops have mortar positions on high ground overlooking the approach to the nearby regional capital Stepanakert, AFP reporters saw.

They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia. Baku has mounted a de facto blockade there for the past nine months.

In the Armenian border town of Kornidzor, civilians were gathered at the last checkpoint before Azerbaijani territory, hoping for news of relatives.

"I've been here for three days and nights, sleeping in my car," said 28-year-old Garik Zakaryan, as displaced Armenians borrowed a soldier's telescope to scan a village across the valley.

Zakaryan got his family out in December, three days before Azerbaijan blockaded the area, but he was worried for friends and family still across the border.

Zara Amatuni, local spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told AFP that 70 metric tonnes of food and humanitarian aid had passed along the Lachin Corridor.

- Villagers 'burn homes' - In a hint of the bad blood between the sides, Azerbaijan's defence ministry on Saturday accused Karabakh Armenians of setting fire to their homes in one village to keep them from Baku's advancing troops.

Some villagers also set fire to their homes before fleeing after Azerbaijan first began to re-establish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020.

Russia said an Azerbaijani soldier had been "wounded during an exchange of fire". It was investigating the incident with Baku and separatist officials, it added.

Separatist leaders have said they are in Russian-mediated talks with Baku to organise the withdrawal process and the return of civilians displaced by the fighting.

They say they are discussing how citizens' access to and from Nagorno-Karabakh, where up to 120,000 ethnic Armenians live, will work.

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SHUSHA: Concern was growing for ethnic Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh on Sunday as Azerbaijani forces tightened their grip on the breakaway region. If the new ceasefire there holds, it could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged, off and on, through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union. But the years of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh have been marked by abuses on both sides and there are fears of a new refugee crisis.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that Washington had "deep concern" for ethnic Armenians there, in a phone call Saturday, a spokesman said. At the UN General Assembly in New York, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan called for a UN mission to monitor treatment of ethnic Armenians in the mountainous region. But for Baku, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told the General Assembly: "Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens." A US congressional delegation was in Armenia to show support for the embattled Pashinyan and to inspect the region's blockade. "Certainly people are very fearful of what could be occurring in there," Senator Gary Peters of Michigan told reporters at the border on Saturday. "I think the world needs to know exactly what's happening." He used binoculars to look across the border towards Russian peacekeeper positions, as Azerbaijani trucks transported material for a new highway being built as the government secures the region. Arsenal on display As the first Red Cross aid convoy crossed into the disputed enclave since Azerbaijan launched last week's lightning offensive, government forces there said rebel "demilitarisation" had begun. Ethnic Armenian separatist fighters began surrendering weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement on Friday, said Moscow. On Saturday, the Azerbaijan forces showed off part of the captured rebel arsenal: sniper rifles, Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and four tanks painted with cross insignia. Baku's forces now control the district of Shusha, and the town of the same name appears deserted. Troops have mortar positions on high ground overlooking the approach to the nearby regional capital Stepanakert, AFP reporters saw. They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia. Baku has mounted a de facto blockade there for the past nine months. In the Armenian border town of Kornidzor, civilians were gathered at the last checkpoint before Azerbaijani territory, hoping for news of relatives. "I've been here for three days and nights, sleeping in my car," said 28-year-old Garik Zakaryan, as displaced Armenians borrowed a soldier's telescope to scan a village across the valley. Zakaryan got his family out in December, three days before Azerbaijan blockaded the area, but he was worried for friends and family still across the border. Zara Amatuni, local spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross, told AFP that 70 metric tonnes of food and humanitarian aid had passed along the Lachin Corridor. - Villagers 'burn homes' - In a hint of the bad blood between the sides, Azerbaijan's defence ministry on Saturday accused Karabakh Armenians of setting fire to their homes in one village to keep them from Baku's advancing troops. Some villagers also set fire to their homes before fleeing after Azerbaijan first began to re-establish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020. Russia said an Azerbaijani soldier had been "wounded during an exchange of fire". It was investigating the incident with Baku and separatist officials, it added. Separatist leaders have said they are in Russian-mediated talks with Baku to organise the withdrawal process and the return of civilians displaced by the fighting. They say they are discussing how citizens' access to and from Nagorno-Karabakh, where up to 120,000 ethnic Armenians live, will work. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

MOGADISHU: The death toll from a truck bombing in central Somalia rose to 21 on Sunday after emergency workers dug through rubble to recover more bodies buried under broken bricks, concrete and metal.

A suicide bomber drove the vehicle which was loaded with explosives towards a security checkpoint in the town of Beledweyne on Saturday, triggering an explosion that razed nearby buildings, trapping residents and injuring dozens.

"The death toll from yesterday's explosion has increased today from 13 to 21 people after more dead bodies were recovered under the debris of the destroyed buildings, some... burnt beyond recognition," Ahmed Yare Adan, a local police officer, told AFP by phone.

"People... are still looking for the missing members of their families, they don't know if they are dead or alive," he said.

Sayid Ali, deputy commander of the Beledweyne police station, told AFP that the bomber had targeted a busy neighbourhood that housed businesses and residential buildings.

"The search and clearing operation is going on at the site of the explosion," he said.

Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the attack, doubling down on his vow to "eliminate" Al-Shabaab militants who have waged an insurgency against the country's fragile central government for over 15 years.

"Incidents like this will never deter us from continuing to eliminate the... terrorists," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's bombing, which came after Somalia's beleaguered government admitted to suffering "several significant setbacks" in its fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked militants.

Somali Deputy Health Minister Mohamed Hassan said late Saturday that "around 13 seriously wounded people (were) evacuated from Beledweyne tonight" and brought to the capital Mogadishu for treatment.

Mohamud took office in May last year vowing "all-out war" against Al-Shabaab, who were driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but still control swathes of the countryside.

An African Union force deployed in Somalia in 2007 with a six-month mandate but still remains on the ground.

UN resolutions call for the African Union Transition in Somalia (ATMIS) force to be reduced to zero by the end of next year, handing over security to the Somali army and police.

But this has proved challenging, with the government now seeking to delay a planned reduction of ATMIS troops.

Somalia launched a major offensive against Al-Shabaab in August last year, joining forces with local clan militias in an operation backed by ATMIS troops and US air strikes.

But Somalia's national security adviser recently wrote to the United Nations requesting a 90-day delay to the planned pullout of 3,000 ATMIS troops by the end of September.

In the letter, seen by AFP, he said the government had "managed to re-liberate towns, villages and critical supply routes" during its offensive but had suffered "several significant setbacks" since late August.

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MOGADISHU: The death toll from a truck bombing in central Somalia rose to 21 on Sunday after emergency workers dug through rubble to recover more bodies buried under broken bricks, concrete and metal. A suicide bomber drove the vehicle which was loaded with explosives towards a security checkpoint in the town of Beledweyne on Saturday, triggering an explosion that razed nearby buildings, trapping residents and injuring dozens. "The death toll from yesterday's explosion has increased today from 13 to 21 people after more dead bodies were recovered under the debris of the destroyed buildings, some... burnt beyond recognition," Ahmed Yare Adan, a local police officer, told AFP by phone.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); "People... are still looking for the missing members of their families, they don't know if they are dead or alive," he said. Sayid Ali, deputy commander of the Beledweyne police station, told AFP that the bomber had targeted a busy neighbourhood that housed businesses and residential buildings. "The search and clearing operation is going on at the site of the explosion," he said. Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud condemned the attack, doubling down on his vow to "eliminate" Al-Shabaab militants who have waged an insurgency against the country's fragile central government for over 15 years. "Incidents like this will never deter us from continuing to eliminate the... terrorists," he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for Saturday's bombing, which came after Somalia's beleaguered government admitted to suffering "several significant setbacks" in its fight against the Al-Qaeda-linked militants. Somali Deputy Health Minister Mohamed Hassan said late Saturday that "around 13 seriously wounded people (were) evacuated from Beledweyne tonight" and brought to the capital Mogadishu for treatment. Mohamud took office in May last year vowing "all-out war" against Al-Shabaab, who were driven from Mogadishu in 2011 but still control swathes of the countryside. An African Union force deployed in Somalia in 2007 with a six-month mandate but still remains on the ground. UN resolutions call for the African Union Transition in Somalia (ATMIS) force to be reduced to zero by the end of next year, handing over security to the Somali army and police. But this has proved challenging, with the government now seeking to delay a planned reduction of ATMIS troops. Somalia launched a major offensive against Al-Shabaab in August last year, joining forces with local clan militias in an operation backed by ATMIS troops and US air strikes. But Somalia's national security adviser recently wrote to the United Nations requesting a 90-day delay to the planned pullout of 3,000 ATMIS troops by the end of September. In the letter, seen by AFP, he said the government had "managed to re-liberate towns, villages and critical supply routes" during its offensive but had suffered "several significant setbacks" since late August. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By AFP

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan on Monday, the Turkish presidency said on Sunday.

The "latest developments" in Nagorno-Karabakh will be at the heart of the meeting, the presidency said in a statement.

The meeting follows a lightning Azerbaijani offensive that recaptured the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, mainly populated by ethnic Armenians.

The Turkish president has repeatedly expressed his support for Azerbaijan's army this week.

ALSO READ | Talks have opened on future of Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan claims full control of region

Azerbaijan on Thursday held a first round of "reintegration" talks with the ethnic-Armenian rebels after they agreed to lay down their arms in the face of the day-long military assault.

Some experts believe Azerbaijan could now seek to push its advantage and launch operations in southern Armenia to create territorial continuity with the Nakhchivan exclave.

Allies Turkey and Azerbaijan had said in June they wanted to step up efforts to open a land corridor linking Turkey to Azerbaijan's main territory via Nakhchivan and Armenia, a longstanding and complex project.

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ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet his counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan on Monday, the Turkish presidency said on Sunday. The "latest developments" in Nagorno-Karabakh will be at the heart of the meeting, the presidency said in a statement. The meeting follows a lightning Azerbaijani offensive that recaptured the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh enclave, mainly populated by ethnic Armenians.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Turkish president has repeatedly expressed his support for Azerbaijan's army this week. ALSO READ | Talks have opened on future of Nagorno-Karabakh as Azerbaijan claims full control of region Azerbaijan on Thursday held a first round of "reintegration" talks with the ethnic-Armenian rebels after they agreed to lay down their arms in the face of the day-long military assault. Some experts believe Azerbaijan could now seek to push its advantage and launch operations in southern Armenia to create territorial continuity with the Nakhchivan exclave. Allies Turkey and Azerbaijan had said in June they wanted to step up efforts to open a land corridor linking Turkey to Azerbaijan's main territory via Nakhchivan and Armenia, a longstanding and complex project. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By ANI

NEW YORK CITY: During Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar's address at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), members of the Bangladeshi diaspora staged a protest against the atrocities committed by the Pakistan occupation army during the Bangladesh Liberation War.

At the protest held outside the UN headquarters on Friday, the protestors demanded recognition by the United Nations Bangladesh of the 1971 genocide.

The protest that began at 13:00 Hrs (local time) saw participation by more than 250 diaspora people, including community activists and freedom fighters.

Protesters held banners and placards with the slogan UN-high time to recognize Genocide in Bangladesh 1971; annihilation of 3 million in only 9 months; Pakistani occupied forces Butcher of Bangladeshis; UN recognize Genocide in Bangladesh 1971; We want to recognize the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide; We demand official recognize of 1971 Genocide and Pakistan step down.

During the protest, they specifically highlighted the atrocities committed by Pak-occupied forces on innocent Bangladeshis, freedom fighters and women, who were molested, targeted, treated barbarically, and carried out massive killings during the Bangladesh Liberation War and inter-alia they demanded that the United Nations to recognise Bangladesh Genocide of 1971 in which more than 3 million innocent people were killed, according to the release.

Between March 25 and December 16, 1971, the Pakistani occupation army and its local collaborators conducted a systematic genocidal attack against the Bengali nation and Hindu religious groups.

In 1971, the deaths of three million people, rape of more than 2,00,000 women, and the 10 million who fled the atrocities and took refuge in India, as well as the 30 million who were internally displaced, shocked many people around the world, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) reported.

At Friday's protest outside the UN headquarters, protesters engaged in a verbal altercation with activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who were also protesting at the same venue and shouting slogans against Shiekh Hasina and Awami League.

In retaliation, activists and supporters of Awami League started shouting BNP-terrorist- BNP-terrorist and Go back to Pakistan-Go back to Pakistan, a press release informed.

Pakistan caretaker PM Kakar on Friday predictably raised the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the UN General Assembly. Kakar claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir issue is among the longest-standing items on the UN agenda.

He said, "Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours including India," and added that "Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India."

India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together.

India has also provided evidence at various international forums of Pakistan's support for Terrorist groups.

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NEW YORK CITY: During Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar's address at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), members of the Bangladeshi diaspora staged a protest against the atrocities committed by the Pakistan occupation army during the Bangladesh Liberation War. At the protest held outside the UN headquarters on Friday, the protestors demanded recognition by the United Nations Bangladesh of the 1971 genocide. The protest that began at 13:00 Hrs (local time) saw participation by more than 250 diaspora people, including community activists and freedom fighters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Protesters held banners and placards with the slogan UN-high time to recognize Genocide in Bangladesh 1971; annihilation of 3 million in only 9 months; Pakistani occupied forces Butcher of Bangladeshis; UN recognize Genocide in Bangladesh 1971; We want to recognize the 1971 Bangladesh Genocide; We demand official recognize of 1971 Genocide and Pakistan step down. During the protest, they specifically highlighted the atrocities committed by Pak-occupied forces on innocent Bangladeshis, freedom fighters and women, who were molested, targeted, treated barbarically, and carried out massive killings during the Bangladesh Liberation War and inter-alia they demanded that the United Nations to recognise Bangladesh Genocide of 1971 in which more than 3 million innocent people were killed, according to the release. Between March 25 and December 16, 1971, the Pakistani occupation army and its local collaborators conducted a systematic genocidal attack against the Bengali nation and Hindu religious groups. In 1971, the deaths of three million people, rape of more than 2,00,000 women, and the 10 million who fled the atrocities and took refuge in India, as well as the 30 million who were internally displaced, shocked many people around the world, Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) reported. At Friday's protest outside the UN headquarters, protesters engaged in a verbal altercation with activists of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), who were also protesting at the same venue and shouting slogans against Shiekh Hasina and Awami League. In retaliation, activists and supporters of Awami League started shouting BNP-terrorist- BNP-terrorist and Go back to Pakistan-Go back to Pakistan, a press release informed. Pakistan caretaker PM Kakar on Friday predictably raised the Kashmir bogey in his speech at the UN General Assembly. Kakar claimed that the Jammu and Kashmir issue is among the longest-standing items on the UN agenda. He said, "Pakistan desires peaceful and productive relations with all our neighbours including India," and added that "Kashmir is the key to peace between Pakistan and India." India has repeatedly raised its concern over Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism and has asserted that terror and talks cannot go together. India has also provided evidence at various international forums of Pakistan's support for Terrorist groups. Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
By PTI

WASHINGTON: The US provided Canada with intelligence after the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, The New York Times has reported citing sources.

The report came on Saturday as the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed that there was "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offensive allegation against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil.

The allegations have infuriated India, which rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists.

Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18.

India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigations.

"In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved," the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying.

Yet what appears to be the "smoking gun", intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said.

SUNDAY MAGAZINE SPECIAL | Khalistan: The Canadian connection

David Cohen, US Ambassador to Canada, in an interview with CTV News said that "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June.

"I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen told CTV News.

After Nijjar's death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot, and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies' "duty to warn" doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report.

Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations.

"And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function," he said in response to a question.

While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said.

READ MORE | Trudeau repeats allegations, says he's not looking to 'provoke', urges India to work with Canada to uncover truth

But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said.

Blinken said the US is "deeply concerned" about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was "closely coordinating" with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see "accountability" in the case.

Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.

Trudeau on Friday said that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the "very serious matter."

When asked about Canada sharing any information in the case with India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said: "No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information."

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WASHINGTON: The US provided Canada with intelligence after the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, The New York Times has reported citing sources. The report came on Saturday as the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed that there was "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offensive allegation against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil. The allegations have infuriated India, which rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists. Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigations. "In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved," the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying. Yet what appears to be the "smoking gun", intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said. SUNDAY MAGAZINE SPECIAL | Khalistan: The Canadian connection David Cohen, US Ambassador to Canada, in an interview with CTV News said that "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June. "I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen told CTV News. After Nijjar's death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot, and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies' "duty to warn" doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report. Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. "And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function," he said in response to a question. While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said. READ MORE | Trudeau repeats allegations, says he's not looking to 'provoke', urges India to work with Canada to uncover truth But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said. Blinken said the US is "deeply concerned" about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was "closely coordinating" with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see "accountability" in the case. Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation. Trudeau on Friday said that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the "very serious matter." When asked about Canada sharing any information in the case with India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said: "No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information." Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp
Guadalajara, September 23

T he No.2 seed Maria Sakkari soared past No.3 seed Caroline Garcia 6-3, 6-0 to clinch a spot in the final of the Guadalajara Open.

Sakkari will face Caroline Dolehide for the title on Saturday.

Sakkari took command early, ensuring a more straightforward victory. In the first set, Sakkari committed just three unforced errors, which helped to temper Garcia's aggressive style. Sakkari lost just two games behind her serve for the remainder of the set after breaking Garcia for a 3-1 advantage.

In the second set, Sakkari continued to choke Garcia. In her opening service game, she refused to let Garcia close up a 40-15 lead and broke for a quick edge. Garcia's greatest opportunity to tie the score was when Sakkari was serving at 3-0.

In the longest game of the match, Garcia had three break-point opportunities, but Sakkari fended them off to widen her lead and ultimately terminate her stout performance. She completed with a nearly flawless stat line, saving all four break points she was presented with while hitting eight winners to seven unforced errors.

"I said it the first day that I felt like this was the week. This is the place where I was going to overcome a lot of difficult obstacles and difficult emotions," Sakkari was quoted as saying by WTA.

"I don't want to go back to the US Open because that's passed, but I'm just so happy to be back in the final and to get to stay until the end of the tournament. I couldn't have asked for anything better this year," she added.

"The last match we played was one of the toughest matches in my career. My goal today was to smile, to enjoy, to come out here and have fun. Because those are the emotions that I haven't felt in a while. I kept telling myself if you don't feel it here, in this amazing stadium, where are you going to feel it?" said the No.2 seed.

"So mission complete, but we have one more to go. I'm going to have the same goal tomorrow. I'm going to come out here with a smile and enjoy my last day in Guadalajara for this season," she added.

Garcia had 20 unforced errors compared to 11 wins. She is now 0-3 this season against Top 10 opposition after the defeat.

Maria Sakkari soars past Caroline Garcia to reach Guadalajara final

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New York, September 23

E xternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa on Friday agreed to strengthen cooperation on the economic front, including achieving steady progress on the high-speed railway project, a flagship project between India, Japan.

The two ministers met in New York during the United Nations General Assembly .

In a 30-minute-long meeting, both ministers affirmed that maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law is critical and that Japan and India would strengthen their responses to issues in the international community, according to a release issued by Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The two ministers also shared views on regional situations including the Indo-Pacific and the situation in Ukraine, and on the Security Council reform.

EAM Jaishankar congratulated Foreign Minister Kamikawa on her appointment.

In response, Minister Kamikawa expressed her intention to further develop the "Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership" and her respect for India's efforts as the Chair of the G20 New Delhi Summit.

Minister Kamikawa also stated that the two nations, as the G7 and G20 presidencies respectively, were able to cooperate closely and link G7 outcomes to G20 outcomes.

Taking to his social media 'X', formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Delighted to meet Foreign Minister of Japan Yoko Kamikawa at #UNGA78. Exchanged perspectives on our Special Strategic and Global Partnership Discussed our regional, multilateral and global cooperation and taking them forward."

Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation for a week-long visit to New York, where he is scheduled to address a High-Level session of the 78th UNGA on September 26 according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

During his visit from September 22-30, Jaishankar will in keeping with India's support for the Global South, host a special event 'India-UN for Global South Delivering for Development'.

Upon completion of the 78th UNGA-related engagements, the external affairs minister will visit Washington DC from September 27-30 for bilateral meetings with US interlocutors.

His program includes discussions with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, senior members of the US administration, US business leaders and think tanks.

India, Japan agree to strengthen economic cooperation including achieving progress on high-speed railway project

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New York, September 23

R eiterating its support for UNRWA, India has enhanced its annual contribution to the agency from USD 1.25 million in 2018 to USD 5 million, and has contributed close to USD 30 million over the last five years, for the welfare of Palestine people.

Dammu Ravi, the Ministry of External Affairs Secretary represented India at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East Ministerial Meeting.

Addressing the meeting, he said, "At the outset, let me reiterate India's support to UNRWA. The Agency has been playing a critical role as a provider of development, humanitarian, and social services to the Palestinian refugee community living in Palestine, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. The Agency's services also contribute to the overall stability in the region".

He appreciated the steps taken by the agency in enhancing transparency in its operations and adherence to the UN standards in humanitarian services. He further urged "utmost diligence" on the part of UNRWA to ensure that aid is not misused or misappropriated for wrongful purposes, including in the education sector.

"As a mark of its solidarity with the Palestinian refugees, India enhanced its annual contribution to the agency from USD 1.25 million to USD 5 million in 2018 and has contributed close to USD 30 million over the last five years. I am happy to announce that we will continue our contribution at the level of USD 5 million for the next two years. The first tranche of this year's contribution will be transmitted to UNRWA in the coming days," Ravi said.

He added, "India, over the years, has also continued to remain a committed development partner of Palestine, supporting its nation-building efforts. We are actively engaged in extending technical and developmental assistance to improve the lives of the Palestinian people. Our developmental support to the people of Palestine will continue".

The MEA Secretary further said that apart from UNRWA funding, India has extended various forms of developmental assistance to Palestine over the years.

This includes the India-Palestine Techno Park, Palestine's National Printing Press, Women an Empowerment Center - Turathi, the Palestinian Institute of Diplomacy, India-Palestine Super Speciality Hospital, and several schools in Palestine. Some of these projects are already operational while others are in different stages of completion, Ravi said.

"India has always emphasized that only a negotiated two-state solution, based on relevant UN resolutions, the Arab Peace Plan and the Quartet Roadmap, leading to the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine, can deliver lasting peace," he added.

He further said that India, as a trusted development partner of Palestine, remains committed to developmental and humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine both bilaterally through the Palestinian Authority and by contributions to the UN.

India provided USD 30 million to UNRWA in 5 yrs for welfare of Palestinian people

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Mumbai: Fire breaks out on 13th floor of Dadar high-rise, 60-year-old man dies after inhaling toxic smoke

Mumbai, September 23

A fire broke out on the 13th floor of a high-rise building in the Dadar area of Mumbai on Saturday, leaving an elderly dead, officials said.

According to Mumbai Fire Brigade, the victim has been identified as 60-year-old Sachin Patkar.

"The fire broke out at 837 am today. The blaze was reported on the 13th floor of the Raintree building located at Hindu Colony, Gully No-2, in Dadar . The high-rise has a total of 15 floors," an official said.

"A 60-year-old resident was reported to have inhaled toxic smoke from the fire. He was rushed to Mumbai's Sion Hospital but succumbed," the official added.

On his arrival at the hospital, the elderly was declared dead at 952 am, the official informed further.

Further details are awaited.

In a similar incident earlier, a fire broke out at a branch of State Bank of India, near the Madurai Periyar Bus Stand, in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu on Saturday, officials said.

According to officials, the fire broke out around 3 am on Saturday.

The police patrol team noticed the fire and immediately sent word to the fire services department. Firefighters soon arrived at the scene and doused the blaze.

Mumbai: Fire breaks out on 13th floor of Dadar high-rise, 60-year-old man dies after inhaling toxic smoke

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New York, September 23

F ollowing the successful development of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant and the continued progress of the UAE Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation, is now utilising its expertise and knowledge to drive the creation of clean molecules to support global decarbonisation. This was a key point delivered during the Atlantic Council Global Nuclear Energy Policy Summit 2023, taking place in New York, USA, this week.

Mohamed Ibrahim Al Hammadi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of ENEC, was featured on a panel session with Sama Leon, Director-General of the World Nuclear Association and John Wagner, Laboratory Director at the Idaho National Laboratory, US, moderated by Jennifer Gordon, Director for the Nuclear Energy Policy Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

ENEC is now utilising its experience, skills and clean electricity from Barakah to accelerate the development of clean molecules such as clean hydrogen, heat and steam. These clean molecules will play an important role in preventing carbon emissions and supporting nations to get closer to their net-zero targets.

These new areas of opportunity recognise that there is a global race for the generation of clean electricity and molecules to not only decarbonise heavy industry but to power the ever-growing demand for the clean energy required to power the data centres on which the world heavily relies for the digital world.

Al Hammadi highlighted that the number of data centres has grown from 800,000 in 2013 to eight million in 2022, which models suggest will consume 10 per cent of global electricity by 2030. These centres, together with the ever-growing increase in artificial intelligence, mean that countries around the world will soon compete for digital customers looking for clean electricity to co-locate data centres.

UAE's Peaceful Nuclear Energy Programme accelerating clean molecule creation to achieve net zero: ENEC

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Bengaluru, Sep 23

W hen the results for over 70,000 gram panchayat seats spread across 5,728 villages in Karnataka were announced in 2020, the numbers revealed the assertiveness of nari shakti. While 50 per cent of the total seats were reserved for women, more than 50 per cent of the elected representatives were women.

The 35-year-old US educated home maker Swathi Thippeswamy and Bheemavva, a migrant worker, who made it to the posts of president in Sokke gram panchayat in Davanagere and Tallur gram panchayat in Udupi district respectively have successfully completed their tenures and are continuing as members, inspiring their fraternity. Several other members hold Ph.D, postgraduate, medical, engineering and law degrees, according to the Rural Development of Panchayat Raj Department.

Vimala K.S., a social activist from Janwadi Mahila Sanghatane, told IANS that when it comes to assertiveness, it is much better in Karnataka when compared to other states. At the panchayat level though patriarchy and feudal values are still practiced, it is better. This is because in 1986 during late Ramkrishna Hegde's tenure as chief minister, reservation was introduced.

It has been quite a long time but it has still not reached the desired levels because the whole society is dominated by feudal values, she says.

There will definitely be an impact on local governance due to the presence of women. This is not only in Karnataka, it is the same in West Bengal where women got reservation during the tenure of former Chief Minister Jyoti Basu. There were hundreds of women led panchayats, they got elected in the general category and won against male candidates, Vimala said.

Secondly, there is a perceptual difference between men and women while making decisions. In my experience as a search committee member if there is discussion on civic amenities, women demanded drinking water, streetlights etc while the men demanded community halls. Basic necessities will be a priority for women, Vimala stated.

The 33 per cent reservation will definitely make a difference. In this system as well women are winning but it's not a cakewalk. One has to spend money, muscle power is required for men and woman candidates. When you are contesting against a man and when you contest against a woman there is a lot of difference, she explained.

Vimala added, again it depends on the party, money and caste. But, women's reservation is going to create an impact. Since the 90s women's participation has been there. It has created awareness among women. As patriarchal values are there they won't allow women to take the real required decisions. Even then, the whole journey from the 90s onwards has created awareness and a section of women have become assertive.

Jyothi Ananthasubbarao, writer and activist attached to the All India Youth Federation, told IANS that in the beginning the women representatives were clueless and due to male domination there was no opportunity for them. But, now they are able to overcome it.

They have been able to make decisions on their own and run panchayats well. Many of them are taking good decisions, doing good work in Mandya, Kolar and other places. The implementation of the MNREGA scheme has also had an impact she said.

Their training is focusing on making women representatives aware of their power. However, it takes time to overcome male chauvinism. There has been a remarkable change, Jyothi Ananthsubbarao stated.

On the ground the change is already visible. "I have observed that women representatives have implemented MNREGA to the optimum level as 50 per cent of the workers are women. They are taking initiatives. The women presidents are getting the work done diplomatically without creating a hostile situation," Ananthsubbarao opined.

Despite the brighter picture in the local bodies, the Karnataka Assembly presents a poor picture. The 224-seat legislative assembly has just 10 women MLAs and the 34-member cabinet has only one woman minister in Laxmi Hebbalkar.

mka/bg

Abysmal gender ratio in K'taka House, govt despite 'nari shakti' in panchayats

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Kolkata, Sep 23

O n September 12, 1996, a soft- spoken and extremely low profile Lok Sabha member from West Bengal became a pioneer in raising the demand for 33 per cent reservation for women in parliamentary and legislative berths by moving a Private Member's Bill for the first time on the floor of the House.

The late Geeta Mukherjee, a seven-time CPI Lok Sabha member from Panskura constituency (now non-existent because of delimitation) from the-then undivided Midnapore district of West Bengal, raised the demand which finally took shape in the form of the Nari Shakti Vandana Adhiniyam on the floor of Parliament a few days back.

West Bengal, during the successive regimes of the Left Front and the Trinamool Congress took the initiative for pushing an increasing number of women candidates in the elections for the three-tier panchayat system in the state, which is the most effective grassroots-level public participation in rural civic affairs.

In fact, the recently concluded polls for the three-tier panchayat system were conducted with more seats for women compared to the polls in 2018. This time, the polls were conducted with 16,900 seats in the general category reserved for women in the gram panchayat level, 2,496 at the panchayat samiti level and 252 at the zilla parishad level. The number of seats in all the three tiers in the general category reserved for women this time was much higher than what it was in 2018.

However, despite the impressive presence of the women representatives in the three tiers of the panchayat system, there has not been any instance of a woman panchayat member becoming a major political face, be it at the national level or the state level. In both the earlier Left Front and the current Trinamool Congress regime, the trend has continued that the political activities of the panchayat-level leaders get restricted to the grassroots level and never reach the higher levels.

Political analyst Sabyasachi Bandopadhyay, who has done an in-depth study on the representation pattern at the panchayat level, said that although the trend has been the same in both the Left Front and Trinamool Congress regimes, the reasons are different.

According to him, in the previous Left Front regime when the CPI(M) was in the majority in all the three-tiers of the panchayat system, the decision on the candidates was taken by the district level committees of the party in consultation with the state committees. "Individual choice or liking did not matter for the CPI(M) where an unreserved seat getting reserved for women is left for the wife or daughter or sister of the previous elected representative from that seat. It was the party which used to decide who will be the woman candidate from that newly reserved seat and family-linkage with the party was never the deciding factor for the CPI(M). While this was the good side of selection ignoring the family line, the bad side was that the elected women candidates hardly had the chance to function independently. Everything was dictated either by the local committee or the district committee of the party. This was the reason why these women panchayat members could not reach the higher levels despite the Indian communists being vocal about women empowerment from the beginning," Bandopadhyay said.

Admitted Nazima Bibi, a former village panchayat member from Murshidabad district, that since the first day of her term as an elected representative her entire functioning was well defined and there was hardly any scope to go beyond that.

However, pointed out Bandopadhyay, the pattern is completely different in the case of the Trinamool Congress., where the choice of local leaders follows the family line. "So in many cases where the unreserved seats got reserved for women, the wife or daughter or sister of the previous elected representative from that seat were fielded as party candidates. But these candidates when elected remained elected representatives only in name with the control being in the hands of their husbands or brothers or fathers," Bandopadhyay added.

However, political columnist Nirmalya Banerjee feels that there is a bigger socio-economic reason why women panchayat members cannot bloom. "Most of these women representatives come from financially backward backgrounds where they have to handle too many things at a time starting from domestic work to helping their male family members in agricultural work, among others. So after all these in addition to the work as elected panchayat members, they hardly get the time to prepare themselves for the higher political levels," Banerjee added.

Women in Bengal's panchayat system high in numbers, low on impact

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Army contingent departs for Russia to participate in counter-terrorism meet

New Delhi, September 23

A n Indian Army contingent, comprising 32 soldiers representing the 14 Rajputana Rifles, departed for Russia to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus Expert Working Group on Counter Terrorism, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Counter Terrorism Field Training Exercise 2023 will be conducted from September 25-30.

"Indian Army Contingent consisting of 32 personnel from a Battalion affiliated to the RAJPUTANA RIFLES departed for ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus Expert Working Group on Counter Terrorism Field Training Exercise 2023 scheduled to be conducted from 25th to 30th September 2023 in Russia," the Ministry of Defence stated in a press release.

A multinational joint military exercise being hosted by Russia as a co-chair of the EWG along with Myanmar, the meeting was preceded by the Table Top Exercise of the ADMM Plus EWG on Counter-Terrorism at Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar from August 2-4.

Since 2017, the ADMM Plus meets annually to allow dialogue and cooperation among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and Plus countries. The inaugural ADMM Plus was convened in Ha Noi, Vietnam on October 12, 2010.

This year ASEAN member states, along with the Plus Group, will be participating in the exercise, the Ministry stated.

The exercise will comprise a number of counter-terrorism drills, including the destruction of terrorist groups in a fortified area. The main objective of the exercise is strengthening and promoting regional cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism.

ADMM Plus EWG on Counter-terrorism 2023 will provide the Indian Army with a platform to share their expertise and best practices in counter-terrorism operations besides increasing cooperation between the other 12 participating countries.

The Indian Army is looking forward to an enriching professional experience from the exercise, the Ministry added in the release.

Army contingent departs for Russia to participate in counter-terrorism meet

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Los Angeles, Sep 23

A ctor Brian Austin Green has announced his engagement with his longtime girlfriend, Australian dancer Sharna Burgess. The couple revealed in a new interview that they have been engaged more than a year after welcoming their son Zane Walker.

Sharna announced the happy news on the September 22 episode of their 'I Heart Radio' podcast 'Oldish', with the couple stating "We've been engaged for two months," with Burgess adding "Brian proposed to me", Aceshowbiz reported.

"I did the thing," Brian confirmed. The 'Beverly Hills, 90210' actor went on sharing that he popped the question on his 50th birthday in July. "Sharna threw me this surprise party, and I was like, 'That's a perfect place to do it. She'd never see it coming,'" he recalled.

It was also revealed that Brian involved the whole family, including his kids Noah Shannon, Bodhi Ransom and Journey River with ex-wife Megan Fox, in the proposal. The actor also shares 21-year-old son Kassius from his previous relationship with Vanessa Marcil.

"The kids come in with him. Noah is holding Zane, and Journey is holding this little red Cartier box. And they all come in there and they stand next to Brian, and he takes the box from Journey, and he says, 'Would you spend the rest of your life with us?' " Sharna recounted. "I was just looking at him like, 'I can't believe this is really happening.' "

According to the dancer, Brian sweetly asked her on behalf of himself and the kids"Would you spend the rest of your life with us?" to which replied "Of course I said yes and I put that ring on my finger. I hugged all of them and it was the most perfect, beautiful moment because it was us. It was our unit, our tribe-and I love that that's how he wanted to do it."

Brian Austin Green engaged with longtime partner Sharna Burgess

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Los Angeles, Sep 23

H ollywood actor Samuel L. Jackson and his wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson shared a sweet date night at the Elizabeth Taylor Ball to End AIDS Gala held in Beverly Hills.

The longtime couple looked snazzy on the red carpet with Samuel wearing a dark navy suit and LaTanya dressing in a colourful white, black and yellow printed dress, as they gathered with friends to honor Magic Johnson who received the Elizabeth Taylor Commitment to End AIDS Award, reports 'People' magazine.

Angela Bassett and her husband, Courtney B. Vance were hosts for the evening and presented the award to Johnson. Other stars in attendance to support the cause were 'Real Housewives of Beverly Hills' star Kathy Hilton and Dancing With the Stars pro Gleb Savchenko.

As per 'People', in June, Samuel, 74, and LaTanya attended the 76th annual Tonys, at which the actor was nominated for best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play for August Wilson's The Piano Lesson, which LaTanya, 73, directed him in.

They also stepped out together on the red carpet for the premiere of Samuel's movie 'Secret Invasion'. On his Instagram Jackson wrote "About last night! On The Marvel Red Carpet with the Mrs @ltjackson_".The pair, who met in college, have been married for 43 years and share one daughter, Zoe, who is an Emmy-winning reality TV producer.

Samuel L. Jackson steps out for date night with wife LaTanya Richardson Jackson

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Imphal, Sep 23

M anipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Saturday said that the 'Free Movement Regime " with Myanmar which allows people on either side to travel up to 16 km inside of either country is suspended at the moment and that the Centre has been requested to permanently close the FMR with the state.

Four northeastern states  Manipur (398 km), Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km) and Mizoram (510 km)  share a 1,643-km unfenced border with Myanmar and there are 16 km FMR along these international borders.

Highlighting some core issues to be taken up on priority basis by the state government, the Chief Minister highlighted that for the past four months, Manipur is in an unfortunate situation, however, with full support of the Centre, cooperation of all sections including media, state government machineries, MLAs and Ministers, for the past one month there has been a pause in gunfights and other violent incidents.

The government has resolved to continue the functioning of the cabinet sub-committee which was formed with Minister Letpao Haokip as the chairmen to check and identify illegal immigrants coming from outside, with an objective to protect and safeguard the future generation of the indigenous people, he told the media.

Noting that biometric recording is necessary as preliminary to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), Singh said that the state government has urged the Centre to extend the time for Biometric process by a year in the state.

Biometric recording of Myanmarese nations, residing in Manipur, is the first priority, he added.

Explaining the importance of border fencing along Myanmar border to check influx of illegal immigrants, the Chief Minister said work for fencing along the international boundary by identifying some vulnerable stretches have been awarded to the Border Road Organisation (BRO).

Rehabilitation and resettling of displaced persons at their original place, is another priority the Chief Minister said, adding that around 700 displaced families in Torbung, some in Sugunu have been resettled in their original localities.

The government has to work for the rehabilitation, resettling of displaced persons, construction of prefabricated houses, deployment of security forces in vulnerable areas, but if there is unrest and turmoil in Imphal, how is the government supposed to take up all these works, the Chief Minister asked.

Singh said that the break in gun fights witnessed over the past one month or so is because of proper deployment of security forces in vulnerable areas.

Security forces have also started entering Churachandpur on top of those already there with the support and cooperation of the people of the town, he said, adding that 25 persons have been arrested so far by the police in the district.

Altogether seven cases have been charge-sheeted.

Another serious issue is the disappearance of youth below 30 years from the society, the Chief Minister said highlighting the report of "Magnitude of Substance use in India 2019" published by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Stating that the finding highlighted in the report regarding prevalence of use of alcohol, ganja and other drugs in the State is quite alarming and concerning, Singh expressed the need to strengthen the 'War against Drugs' campaign in the state.

The Chief Minister said a joint committee of the Narcotics Control Bureau and Narcotics and Affairs of Border (NAB) has been formed to survey and destroy poppy plantations.

The Chief Minister said during the past two three months, certain splinter groups who don police uniforms and are armed have created an unrest in the society with a series of unwanted incidents like kidnapping, shooting of persons, etc.

The Chief Minister highlighted a few incidents including kidnapping of an engineer from Tingri by unknown armed persons in combat dress, kidnapping of a Kom individual, placing of grenade in at residence for extortion, among others.

The Chief Minister further lamented distrust and disrespect shown to the government by a section of the society and said that it is the government with the support of the public that is facing all the issues in the state.

He sought trust in the government and said that the government stands firmly with the commitment against the breaking of Manipur.

Speaking against the spread of fake news which helps create unrest in the state, he said "we should be clear on who we are fighting against instead of turning against each other."

"We should be very clear that we are fighting against forces which are trying to disintegrate and break Manipur," he said lamenting that certain organisations formed in localities seem to be dictating unrest.

The Chief Minister further said that mobile service provider Airtel's alleged leakage of internet service in Churachandpur has been found to be true and two employees have been subsequently suspended.

Singh appealed for all to join hands and stand unitedly including all indigenous communities including the Kukis to rebuild the old peaceful Manipur and resettling the displaced families.

Manipur govt suspends 'Free Movement Regime' along Myanmar border, asks Center to close it permanently

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Manila, September 23

T he Philippines has accused China's shadowy maritime militia of causing extensive coral reef destruction in the South China Sea, which has ignited a public dispute between the two nations over the contentious maritime region, CNN reported.

Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard have revealed substantial damage to coral reefs along the Rozul Reef and Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea. These underwater features fall within the Philippines' internationally recognized exclusive economic zone and are located near Palawan, a southwestern island chain facing the South China Sea. However, China asserts sovereignty over a significant portion of the South China Sea, challenging competing claims by neighbouring countries and international rulings.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, the spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard, disclosed that underwater surveys conducted by divers indicated "visible discolouration" and alterations in the seabed's natural topography, suggesting intentional activities to modify the terrain. Tarriela asserted that the actions of China's Maritime Militia, particularly their indiscriminate illegal and destructive fishing activities in the area, may have directly led to the degradation and destruction of marine environments within the Philippines' jurisdiction, as reported by CNN.

Between August 9 and September 11, the Philippine coast guard reported monitoring 33 Chinese vessels near Rozul Reef and approximately 15 Chinese ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal. The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests potential dumping, possibly involving dead corals that were previously processed and then returned to the seabed.

The Philippine military had previously accused China's maritime militia of causing extensive destruction in the area. However, China initially remained silent on the allegations until its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, refuted the claims as "false and groundless." Mao advised Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information for political purposes, according to CNN.

China has asserted "indisputable sovereignty" over a vast portion of the South China Sea, including the Spratly chain, which consists of 100 small islands and reefs. These territorial claims are contested, in full or part, by the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. China's actions in the South China Sea, including the construction of military installations on reefs and atolls, have challenged not only the Philippines' sovereignty but also the marine biodiversity of the highly disputed region.

The recent footage of damaged and bleached coral reefs is a stark contrast to the vibrant marine ecosystem observed just two years ago. While the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute had previously documented the health of the Rozul Reef in 2021, the current status of the reef remains uncertain. The institute emphasized the importance of continuous monitoring and marine scientific research activities to assess the impacts of recent activities in the area.

The degradation of marine resources in the South China Sea highlights the threats posed by coral harvesting and raises suspicions of China's plans to militarize atolls through land reclamation. Western marine security experts and officials from various countries have accused China of using civilian fishing vessels as a maritime militia, a force that advances China's territorial claims in the region while maintaining deniability, CNN reported.

The destruction of marine resources has prompted concern among foreign ambassadors in Manila. United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson and Japanese Ambassador Kazuhiko Koshikawa expressed alarm and emphasized the need to protect vital ecosystems.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs has consistently raised concerns over ecologically harmful activities conducted by foreign vessels in its maritime zones. The Philippines' efforts to garner international support to affirm its territorial sovereignty have yielded results, especially as transparency about activities in the South China Sea becomes increasingly vital.

Under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the National Security Team of the Philippines has enhanced transparency regarding developments in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea. This approach has gained domestic and international support for the Philippines' position in the ongoing maritime disputes, CNN reported.

Philippines accuses China's maritime militia of coral reef destruction in South China Sea

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New York, September 23

E xternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here on Saturday held a meeting with Uganda Foreign Minister Gen JeJe Odongo on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly session.

Earlier on Saturday, Jaishankar met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Sahoukry and discussed bilateral ties.

On Friday, the EAM had a productive and busy day of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries on the margins of the 78th United National General Assembly in New York.

The significant day for the EAM began with the meeting with Quad Foreign Ministers including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

He also held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa and discussed regional, multilateral and global cooperation.

EAM also met with his Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and noted the positive trajectory of ties with Australia and discussed specific measures that need to be made to take the relations further.

In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Great to catch up with FM @SenatorWong of Australia on #UNGA78 sidelines. Noted the positive trajectory of our ties and discussed specific steps to take them further. Our exchange of regional and global assessments is always valuable.

"Later on, Jaishankar held a meeting with counterparts from Brazil, Bahrain and South Africa. Jaishankar and Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani held talks on connectivity, economic linkages and regional dynamics.

EAM Jaishankar holds bilateral meeting with Uganda's Foreign Minister

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Jaishankar holds bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea-Bissau

New York, September 23

E xternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday held a bilateral meeting with Carlos Pinto Pereira, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea-Bissau.

The two foreign ministers met in New York on the sidelines of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly .

https//twitter.com/ANI/status/1705616271075873035

Prior to meeting with Pereira, Jaishankar held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Egypt, Uganda and Cyprus.

With his Egyptian counterpart, Sameh Shoukry, Jaishankar took stock of great progress in India-Egypt ties. Shoukry also lauded India's G20 presidency.

"Great to see my friend FM of Egypt Sameh Shoukry in New York on #UNGA78 sidelines. Appreciate his warm words for the Indian Presidency of G20. Took stock of the great progress in our bilateral cooperation. 2023 has been a landmark year in India-Egypt ties. Committed to take them forward," posted Jaishankar on X.

Day-1 of Jaishankar's visit was a busy one, full of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries on the sidelines of the 78th United National General Assembly.

The significant day for the EAM began with the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting which included the foreign ministers of the four-nation bloc -- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation for a week-long visit to New York, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly. Jaishankar is scheduled to address a High-Level session of the 78th UNGA on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Jaishankar holds bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guinea-Bissau

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13 seats will be reserved for women in state assembly: Goa CM

Panaji, Sep 23

G oa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Saturday welcomed the women's reservation bill and said that as per provision 13 seats will be reserved for women in state's legislative assembly.

"I welcome the Women Reservation Bill. It is the first time that women are getting 'Sanman' (of reservation) by the BJP government under the leadership of Narendra Modi. I congratulate him," Sawant said.

Speaking about the reservation for Goa assembly, he said that 13 seats will be reserved for women in Goa.

Goa has 40 members in the state legislative assembly.

"It will help women for their representation in Lok Sabha and assembly," Sawant said.

Meanwhile, Congress in Goa has called the bill another 'Jumla' by the BJP government.

Congress leader Girish Chodankar has said that 'Women Reservation' should not become another 'Jumla' like 'crediting 15 lakhs in account of every citizen', which was a failed promise of the saffron party.

He said that BJP is trying to divert attention from public issues by bringing Women's Reservation Bill, which according to him has no clarity about its implementation.

"Government should declare the 2011 caste census and conduct a fresh census immediately, so the Bahujan Samaj gets justice in reservation," Chodankar said.

13 seats will be reserved for women in state assembly: Goa CM

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Hangzhou, Sep 23

I ndian athletes and members of the delegation that participated in the opening ceremony of the 19th Asian Games here in Hangzhou as "spectacular" and a resounding success.

Spectators were treated to a feast of ethereal beauty, art, colour and light, as the performance celebrated China's cultural heritage, eastern aesthetics and the power of modern technology.

"China always produces such spectacular opening ceremonies," said India's deputy chef-de-mission and legendary archer Dola Banerjee.

"I was there at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010 and both those ceremonies too were memorable. We enjoyed it a lot as everyone played their part well. It is difficult to pinpoint any one aspect of the but still, I feel the final act in which the cauldron was lit by an artificial giant made of light was the best part," said Dola.

The shotgun shooter said the ceremony was good, with excellent light performance. "It was very well synchronized and the best part was the lighting of the cauldron," he said.

Swimmer Advait Page, who will participate in the men's 200m backstroke event in a few days, said he had a great time at the spectacular event and praised everyone involved including the volunteers for their handwork. "My favourite part of the ceremony was the story-telling during the ceremony about how history and culture have played a role in China being what it is today, That was really good to see," he added.

It was a ceremony worth cherishing for a long time for woman trap shooter Rajeshwari Kumari it was a very proud moment for her as she has been dreaming of representing India and walking out for such ceremonies since she was a child.

"This was a very proud moment for me. I have been dreaming since I was a child to walk in the opening ceremony and waving out at my father. This was even been better because he is the President of the Olympic Council of Asia. I could record his speech as an athlete and it was a very proud moment for me," she said.

Swimmer Neena Venkatesh described the opening ceremony as "absolutely spectacular" to see. "It was absolutely spectacular to see, definitely once in a lifetime experience. It is not something that you can participate in unless you absolutely deserve to be there. Extremely proud and it was really nice to spend time with my friends and see what China's culture really is," said the swimmer who will be representing India in the women's 50 and 100m butterfly events.

Asian Games: Indian athletes term Hangzhou opening ceremony 'spectacular', resounding success

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Abu Dhabi, September 23

S heikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has met separately with a number of foreign ministers participating in the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The UAE Foreign Minister met with Joao Gomes Cravinho, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal; Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Affairs and Foreign Trade and the Federal Cultural Institutions in the Kingdom of Belgium; Tobias Billstrom, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden; Rogelio Mayta, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bolivia; Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic; Olivia Rouamba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Cooperation and Burkinabe Expatriates of the Republic of Burkina Faso; Jeje Odongo, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uganda; Denis Moncada, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Nicaragua; Demeke Mekonnen, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Ethiopia; and Kandia Kamissoko Camara, Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Diaspora of Cote d'Ivoire.

The discussions addressed several issues on the agenda of the UNGA78, especially climate change and sustainable development.

The UAE Foreign Minister briefed his counterparts on the UAE's preparations to host the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will be held at Expo City Dubai from 30th November to 12th December. The ministers affirmed the UAE's ability to spearhead the global climate action guided by its international pioneering and innovative initiatives on the deployment of renewable and clean energy solutions.

UAE President and his counterparts also discussed an array of regional and international issues of common concern and exchanged views on them as well as joint cooperation within the framework of international organisations.

Sheikh Abdullah affirmed the UAE's keenness to invest all available opportunities to bolster international cooperation and multilateral work to achieve sustainable and comprehensive development.

The meetings were attended by Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemi, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State; and Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and UAE's Permanent Representative to the United Nation; and Mohamed Issa Abushahab, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations.

UAE Foreign Minister meets counterparts on sidelines of UNGA78

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Guwahati, September 23

A ssam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday informed that Category IV relief under the Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme, 2021 is being worked out and it will be launched soon.

Sarma attended the ceremonial distribution of relief under Category - III of the Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme 2021 as Chief Guest at an event held at the Janata Bhawan Complex in Guwahati.

On the occasion, CM Sarma expressed happiness at the prospect of as many as 2.2 lakh female microfinance and bank loan borrowers again becoming credit-worthy through the Category-III relief and said, "Category- IV Relief too is being worked out."

The State government is shelling out a total of Rs 291 crore as compensation to the lenders and this move is expected to benefit a total of around 2.2 lakh borrowers from across the State. In return, the concerned microfinance institutions shall issue "no due certificate" to the borrowers, thus making the latter credit-worthy again under the formal financial system.

Referring to the Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme as a first of its kind in the country, Chief Minister Sarma said,"Its main objective was to provide relief to eligible borrowers who had availed small loans from microfinance institutions and the formal banking system but owing to certain circumstances, they couldn't repay the borrowed amount in full."

Expressing his gratitude towards the microfinance institutions for agreeing to waive around Rs 300 crore in interest income for the sake of successful implementation of Category-III relief measures, Chief Minister Sarma appealed to the beneficiaries of the scheme to ensure from now onwards any amount borrowed from financial lenders are repaid in full and on time.

"Providing the scheme's beneficiaries with 'no due certificate' would also aid in the process of universal financial inclusion," Chief Minister Sarma said.

Chief Minister Sarma further said the primary reasons behind the default in loan repayment can be said to be the COVID-19 pandemic scenario and the anti-CAA movement.

"Now that the pandemic period and days of strife have been left behind, it is important a healthy credit habit is built up in the State," the Chief Minister said.

Chief Minister Sarma, referring to recent media reports alleging the State government back-tracking on its promises to provide relief to microfinance loan defaulters, said that only those loans that had become non-performing as of March 31, 2021, shall be eligible for coverage under AMFIRS 2021.

The Government of Assam announced the Assam Microfinance Incentive and Relief Scheme in June 2021 with the objective of strengthening the long-term view of ensuring the continuity of micro-finance in supporting the economic activities of low-income and poor households in the state.

Category IV relief under AMFIR scheme being worked out: Assam CM Sarma

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Amritsar, September 23

T he growing tensions between India and Canada have raised concerns among Indian parents whose children are studying in Canada with many stating that not only they are worried but their children are also unable to put focus on their studies in Canada.

Speaking to ANI, Balwinder Singh whose daughter studies in Canada said, "We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, and it's been 7 months since she has left. There is news in the media that there is tension going on between both countries . My child is also worried there, she can't focus on her studies."

On the India-Canada row, Kuldeep Kaur, whose daughters study in Canada said that both governments should try to find a solution in the erupted controversy after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau PM Trudeau said that his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"My two daughters are in Canada and I am tensed. They have gone there to study. Govts of both countries should find a solution," Kuldeep Kaur said.

Earlier Canada's Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre condemned the "hateful comments" targeting Hindus in Canada.

He stated that Hindus have made "invaluable contributions" to every part of Canada and added that the Hindu community "will always be welcome here."

Conservative leader Poilievre said that each Canadian deserves to live without fear in the country. His remarks come after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs for Justice, a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India in 2019, in a viral video, threatened Hindus of Indian origin and asked them to leave Canada.

Shiromani Akali Dal President and MP Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday appealed to the Central Government to establish a good relationship with Canada soon to avoid 'increasing panic' among the citizens living there. Badal also met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and requested him to 'find a solution' over the matter soon.

"Keeping the whole situation in mind, I request the government of India and the government of Canada, especially the government of India that it needs to be settled as soon as possible because more delay means more tension and panic," Badal said while talking to the reporters after meeting with Shah.

He further said that a panic-like situation is developing among the people living in Canada due to the recent developments between both countries.

Earlier Govt of India issued an advisory for Indian Nationals and Indian Students in Canada.

"Our High Commission/Consulates General will continue to be in contact with the Canadian authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Canada. Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant," the advisory read.

"Indian nationals and students from India in Canada must also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through their respective websites or the MADAD portal madad.gov.in. Registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in the event of any emergency or untoward incident," advisory added.

India has already refuted the claims made by Canada with Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday stating that the allegations made by Canada regarding the "potential links" of India behind the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are "Politically driven".

"Yes, I do think there is a degree of prejudice here. They have made allegations and taken action against them. To us, it seems that these allegations by the government of Canada are primarily politically driven," Bagchi said while addressing a weekly presser.

We are worried...: Parents of Indian students studying in Canada express concerns

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Power of mothers and sisters is my biggest security shield: PM Modi in Varanasi

Varanasi, September 23

P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the power of the mothers and sisters is his biggest security shield adding that opposition parties of the country are trembling with fear over the empowerment of mothers and sisters occurring under the tenure of BJP.

Addressing the Nari Shakti Vandan Abhinandan event held at Sampurnanand Maidan in Varanasi, PM Modi said," The power of mothers and sisters is my biggest security shield. Over the past nine and a half years, the government has prioritized policies keeping mothers and sisters at the forefront."

On the occasion, PM Modi confronted the opposition pointing out their delay in passing this bill, which had been pending for three decades. He remarked that current political parties are unsettled due to the united might of mothers and sisters.

PM Modi emphasised that women's leadership can serve as a contemporary model for the entire world.

"We are the people who worship Mother Parvati and Ganga before Mahadev. Our Kashi is the birthplace of a heroine like Rani Laxmibai. From freedom fighters like Lakshmi Bai to the women scientists who spearheaded Mission Chandrayaan, we have consistently showcased the influential role of women's leadership throughout history," he said.

The Prime Minister said that the Nari Shakti Vandan Act is a program with a comprehensive vision.

"We want to establish a system where women can progress independently without relying on anyone. For this, it is necessary to strengthen cultural values and the law. Therefore, this law has been named Nari Shakti Vandan Act. Some people have a problem with the word Vandan in this also. What will we do if we don't salute our mothers and sisters? These people do not understand the meaning of worshipping women's power. We must move forward on the development path by avoiding such negative thinking. The country will continue to move forward, and make such significant decisions", he said.

During the event, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Nasti Matrisama Chhaya Nasti Matrisama Gatih, Nasti Matrisama Tranam Nasti Matrisama Praya," emphasising the incomparable value of a mother.

He highlighted that no one can compare to a mother's shadow, support, protection, or affection. Adityanath praised the dramatic developments in India over the last nine years under Prime Minister Modi's leadership.

He noted the Prime Minister's visit to Kashi in the aftermath of the enactment of the Nari Shakti Vandan Act aims to empower half of India's population, with a particular emphasis on the strength of women.

"Since 2014, significant efforts have been made toward women's empowerment, including projects such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, and Mission Indradhanush, which aim to improve women's safety and opportunities," he said.

On the occasion, Women beneficiaries of various schemes welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and congratulated him.

Power of mothers and sisters is my biggest security shield: PM Modi in Varanasi

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New Delhi, September 23

T he one-week training program focusing on public policy and governance for senior civil servants of Gambia successfully concluded in New Delhi.

The program, attended by 30 senior officials, including permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, and directors from Gambia, was conducted in partnership with India's Ministry of External Affairs, read the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions press release.

An essential milestone in international cooperation, this initiative resulted from a memorandum of understanding signed between the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and the Gambia Public Service Commission to provide training to civil servants from Gambia.

During the valedictory session, V Srinivas, Secretary of the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and DPPW, and Director-General of the National Center for Good Governance, delivered the keynote address, read the press release.

Srinivas highlighted the pivotal role of technology in transforming the lives of citizens and emphasized the need to create a conceptual framework that addresses the expectations and requirements of the people, read the press release.

He underlined the importance of fostering partnerships among countries and creating an enabling environment for collaboration.

Srinivas also stressed that NCGG is dedicated to enhancing the capacity of civil servants, equipping them with essential knowledge, skills, and attitudinal changes needed for effective duty performance.

In his address, Srinivas outlined how the training program aimed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and innovative practices successfully implemented in India to enhance digital governance and public service delivery, read the press release.

He encouraged the participants to identify four to five key takeaways from the program that they could adapt and implement, tailored to their specific needs.

Mustapha Jawara, High Commissioner of the Republic of the Gambia, lauded the training program's comprehensive approach and expressed the need for further collaboration with various Indian institutions, read the press release.

He emphasized the potential of such collaborations to promote people-centric governance and improve the quality of life for the people of Gambia.

He also requested future training programs for Gambian civil servants, extending over two weeks, highlighting India's partnership role in enhancing Gambia's development.

Dr A P Singh, the course coordinator, highlighted the diverse topics covered during the training program, ranging from Artificial Intelligence in Government to digital governance in healthcare and housing for all, read the release.

Exposure visits to prominent institutions such as the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, NITI Aayog, and AIIMS further enriched the participants' learning experiences.

This capacity-building program was meticulously executed by a dedicated team, including Dr A P Singh, Course Coordinator for Bangladesh, Dr Mukesh Bhandari, Associate Course Coordinator, and Sanjay Dutta Pant, Programme Assistant, in collaboration with the capacity-building team of NCGG.

India extends public policy, governance training to Gambian Civil Servants

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Guwahati, Sep 23

I n a bid to boost self-employment in Assam, the state government has launched an ambitious 'Atmanirbhar Asom' initiative on Saturday.

An official statement mentioned that under the scheme, financial aid will be given to 2 lakh youth for creating a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem.

This scheme aims at facilitating self-employment among educated youth, creating an entrepreneur-oriented ecosystem in the state, generating employment via new ventures, financial assistance to individuals to set up or expand existing enterprises, increasing focus on the rural economy etc.

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that the scheme has been designed to create self-employment avenues in the state to enable the youth to fuel development of the state.

He also said that the latest initiative has the potential to strengthen the rural economy.

"The unemployed degree holders in engineering, MBBS, BDS, agriculture, animal husbandry, fishery etc will be kept in the first category and will be given Rs 5 lakh. On the other hand unemployed post graduates, general graduates, ITI, polytechnic pass-outs will be kept in the second category for government assistance of Rs 2 lakh," the Chief Minister said.

He also mentioned that in the first category out of Rs 5 lakh, the beneficiaries will have to return Rs 2.5 lakh without any interest and the remaining amount will be government assistance.

"Similarly, in the second category, Rs 1 lakh will be government subsidy and remaining Rs 1 lakh will have to be paid back by the beneficiary without any interest," Sarma added.

According to him, the targeted sectors will be agriculture and horticulture, stationery, poultry, dairy, goat farming, piggery, fisheries, packaging, readymade garments, fabrication, plantation -- bamboo, rubber, agar etc, wood-based industries etc.

One member from one family each shall be eligible for the scheme and the applicant will be registered with the employment exchange.

Assam CM launches 'Atmanirbhar Asom' initiative; 2L youth to get financial assistance

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Agreement on revival of nuclear deal 'within reach' if US quits 'contradictory behaviours': Iranian FM

Tehran, Sep 24

I ranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that an agreement on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, will be "within reach" if the US stops its "contradictory behaviours," the media reported.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to reporters on Friday in New York while elaborating on his meetings on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said the report on Saturday.

"We believe that, in view of the prisoner swap conducted between Iran and the US earlier this week, if the American side quits its contradictory behaviors and shows its real intention, achieving an agreement for all parties' return to the JCPOA and the removal of sanctions on Tehran will not be out of reach," the report quoted the Minister as saying.

Amir-Abdollahian noted that he met with members of an American think-tank and a number of former US officials in New York to explicitly discuss bilateral issues, one of which was the "wrong" approach of the US toward Iran and the JCPOA, Xinhua news agency reported.

Iran and the US conducted a prisoner swap on Monday, with each side releasing five detainees under a Qatar-brokered agreement.

On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran is open to indirect nuclear talks with the US on the sidelines of the UNGA, which had seen the attendance of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, leading a high-ranking delegation.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the revival of the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022.

int/khz

Agreement on revival of nuclear deal 'within reach' if US quits 'contradictory behaviours': Iranian FM

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United Nations, Sept 23

R ussia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the G20 Leaders' Declaration adopted in New Delhi this month "objective" about Ukraine and the geopolitical situation.

"I think that the text of that summit was objective, not only when it comes to Ukraine, which is only mentioned once but it was objective about the geopolitical situation as a whole," he said on Saturday at a news conference here.

The Declaration, which was the result of India's consensus-building, did not mention Russia, but had elements that could be seen as critical of Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

It said "All states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety. In line with the UN 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 Declaration also "highlighted the human suffering and negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine."

As for geopolitics, Lavrov noted that it said that "all conflicts need to be considered not just those that one has a specific interest in."

For example, it also mentioned the Palestine situation, he said.

Lavrov contrasted the G20 Declaration with outcome documents from other forums where he said the West insisted on condemning Moscow.

"They just completely exhausted everyone with their incessant demands for the outcome documents to denounce Russia," he said.

"It is the West that is trying to blame Russia and Russia's actions in Ukraine for all the world's problems and they're not successful in this," he said referring to the G20 Declaration.

Lavrov criticised the working of the UN and said that Moscow supports Security Council reform to make the organisation "sustained and legitimate in nature".

He shot down Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' proposal for restarting the Black Sea Grain Initiative as well as the peace plan proposed by Ukraine.

He bristled at suggestions that he had "rejected" Guterres' with a semantic twist that Moscow only said elements of it were unacceptable, citing problems with receiving payments for the grain exports because of sanctions on banking.

The Grain Deal brokered by the UN and Turkiye allowed for exports of food grains from Russia and Ukraine through the Black Sea amid naval blockades and war.

The peace plan proposed by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories, and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, was unacceptable and the war will go on, he said.

(Arul Louis can be contacted atarul.l@ians.inand followed at @arulouis)

G20 Delhi Declaration 'objective' about Ukraine, geopolitics: Lavrov

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New York, September 24

W hile refraining from mentioning its war with Ukraine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday attacked the US and the West as self-interested defenders of a fading international order in his speech to the UN General Assembly.

"The US and its subordinate Western collective are continuing to fuel conflicts which artificially divide humanity into hostile blocks and hamper the achievement of overall aims. They're doing everything they can to prevent the formation of a genuine multipolar world order," Lavrov said, adding, "They are trying to force the world to play according to their own self-centered rules," he said.

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in a speech at the UN General Assembly on Saturday that the time was ripe for trust-building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, and that Moscow's troops would help that.

Lavrov accused the West of trying to force themselves as mediators between the two countries, which he said was not needed.

"Yerevan and Baku actually did settle the situation," Lavrov said. "The time has come for mutual trust-building. There are Russian troops who will certainly help this," he said.

Russia has peace-keeping missions in Nagorno-Karabakh, a separatist Armenian enclave inside Azerbaijan where Baku launched an offensive this week.

The ethnic Armenian leadership of breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh said on Saturday that the terms of their ceasefire with Azerbaijan were being implemented, with work proceeding on the delivery of humanitarian aid and evacuation of the wounded.

Lavrov briefly reviewed some earlier grievances on the 19-month war in Ukraine that date back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, but he avoided getting into the more recent fighting.

The General Assembly is being held for a second year in succession with no end to the conflict in sight. Slower than Kyiv had planned, a three-month Ukrainian counteroffensive has made some minor gains but no significant ones.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on Wednesday, charged that Russia was "weaponising" food, energy, and even children against Ukraine and "the international rules-based order" in general. When urging international leaders to continue supporting Ukraine, Biden struck a similar theme, asking, "If we allow Ukraine to be divided, is the independence of any nation secure?"

On Wednesday, Lavrov and Zelenskyy both spoke to the UN Security Council, albeit they avoided direct conflict. Lavrov entered the room before Zelenskyy.

Lavrov had accused the West of selectively turning to principles of the UN Charter on a case-by-case basis based on their "parochial geopolitical needs."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday said that Russia's aggression must end with Ukraine's victory. In his address at the Canadian Parliament, Zelenskyy said, "This Russian aggression must end with our victory so that Russia will never bring back genocide to Ukraine and will never ever try to do so. Moscow must lose once and for all and it will lose.

"Ukrainian President said, "now as always is bent on controlling Ukraine and makes use of all available means to do that, including genocide. It is genocide what Russian occupiers are doing to Ukraine and when we want to win, when we call on the world to support us, it is not just about an ordinary conflict. It is about saving the lives of millions of people."

Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov lambasts West but barely mentions Ukraine in UNGA speech

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New York, September 24

R ussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday said that Ukraine's blueprint for peace is "not feasible or realistic," CNN reported.

He said that everyone understands that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's peace formula, which he said cannot include ceding any territory to Russia is not feasible. Lavrov made the remarks in a news conference at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

He said "At the same time, everyone says this is only conditions for negotiation," according to CNN report.

Asked whether Russia will hold talks the Ukrainian government if Zelenskyy withdrew his decree preventing negotiations with Russia, Lavrov said that's not what Ukraine is doing. He said Zelenskyy is instead "going throughout the world asking for money" and weapons and attention.

Last year, Zelenskyy presented Ukraine's 10-point peace formula to world leaders at the G20 Summit in Indonesia's Bali. The 10-point peace formula includes a path to nuclear safety and food security, a special tribunal for alleged Russian war crimes and a final peace treaty with Moscow.

In the early days of the conflict, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy had proposed meeting with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, CNN reported. However, he has raised concerns about negotiating with Russia and pointed to its past record of reneging on agreements.

Earlier, Sergey Lavrov delivered a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. Calling the West an "empire of lies," Lavrov slammed the US, European Union and NATO military alliance for their support of Ukraine.

He said governments offering support to Ukraine were part of an effort to "divide the world into democracies and autocracies and dictate only their own neocolonial rules to everyone," CNN reported.

"The US and its subordinate Western collective are continuing to fuel conflicts which artificially divide humanity into hostile blocks and hamper the achievement of overall aims. They're doing everything they can to prevent the formation of a genuine multipolar world order," Lavrov said, adding, "They are trying to force the world to play according to their own self-centered rules."

He said that the time was ripe for trust-building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh, and that Moscow's troops would help that. Lavrov accused the West of trying to force themselves as mediators between the two countries, which he said was not needed.

In his remarks, Lavrov briefly reviewed some earlier grievances on the 19-month war in Ukraine that date back to the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. However, he avoided getting into the more recent fighting.

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov calls Ukraine's peace formula not feasible

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Shimla, Sep 24

P anchayats in Himachal Pradesh, where women voters outnumber men in every election, have been fair to women much before the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Parliament.

Over a decade-and-a-half now, the state government has reserved 50 per cent seats for women in all Panchayati Raj institutions -- up from the village-level third tier of governance -- except for the post of 'up-pradhan' which is open.

The result Women, apart from contesting the 50 per cent seats reserved for them, are giving a tough fight to men in panchayats not reserved for them. The women's power has prevailed against the sale of liquor, tobacco, cigarettes and gambling too.

On an average, close to 60 per cent of seats are occupied by the women in grassroots politics, officials told IANS.

The state assembly passed the Himachal Pradesh Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill on April 8, 2008, leading to an increase in the reservation limit for women in panchayati raj institutions to 50 percent from 33 percent.

The Bill, introduced by the then BJP government led by Prem Kumar Dhumal, was passed unanimously, but Congress MLA Kuldeep Pathania, who is now the Speaker of the legislative assembly, had to face the ire of women legislators, including Renu Chaddha and Urmil Thakur, who termed him anti-women.

Adopting a strategically important tool to mobilise women, Mahila Gram Sabhas are being organised twice a year to exclusively discuss issues relating to women, children and issues concerning overall development in panchayats.

The state has 3,195 panchayats, 75 panchayat samitis and 11 zila parishads.

Elections are held for around 27,000 seats and 50 percent reservation means almost half of the seats would be occupied by women only, an election official told IANS.

Each panchayat has one post each of 'pradhan' or president and 'up-pradhan' or vice-president and five to 21 posts of 'panch' or ward members, depending upon the population of the panchayat. Only the post of 'up-pradhan' is not reserved.

As many as 3,195 panchayat presidents and vice-presidents, 19,159 panch, 1,651 block samiti members and 240 zila parishad members are elected once in five years.

Besides reservation for women, there is also a provision of 15 percent reservation each for the Other Backward Classes and the Scheduled Castes. In both the cases, there is also a quota within the quota for women.

The women-led panchayat of Bandraul in Kullu district is an example of the 'pink revolution'.

With a population of 2,500, the panchayat is a hub of women weavers of Kullu shawls -- a symbol of feminist empowerment and a source of rural prosperity.

Its head Nirmala Thakur told IANS that they try their best to solve their problems on time.

"We inform the weavers about the sources of their income and benefits," she said.

Apart from 40 women weavers, self-help groups in the panchayat are making woollen caps, mufflers, socks and gloves, which they are marketing across the country.

Joint Secretary Panchayats Niraj Chandla believes, "As the participation of women is increased in the panchayati raj institutions, their role and responsibility has also increased accordingly and we get to see progressive panchayats because of women participation."

In the 2010 panchayati raj elections, the first with reserved 50 percent seats for women, a remote Kamru village in Kalpa block of Kinnaur districtset an example by unanimously electing an all-women panchayat.

At that time the panchayat had 1,100 voters -- mostly tribals.

Interestingly, the Cheuni panchayat in Seraj assembly constituency, the remotest in Mandi district with a population of over 1,600, took the lead in 2017 in passing a resolution banning cigarettes, liquor and playing cards in its jurisdiction.

Taking a cue, at least 15 nearby panchayats have also passed such resolutions.

So is the women's clamour against liquor that also grows louder.

Women's brigades across the state, especially in the rural areas, have been demanding the closure or shifting of liquor vends, mainly from residential localities.

In Shimla, Kullu, Sirmaur, Kangra, Hamirpur and Mandi districts, the protests by the women against the liquor shops have been common.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at gulatiians@gmail.com)

Women leaders of HP's panchayats get heard, make a real difference

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New York, September 24

S heikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs, hosted a reception at the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations on the third day of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly .

The reception, held in the presence of world leaders and foreign ministers, and leaders from business and other sectors, and attended by the UAE delegation, focused on the theme of delivering on global climate progress at COP28, which will be held in the UAE in November at Expo City Dubai.

In addition, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with Aidrous Al Zubaidi, Deputy Head of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, to discuss the developments in the Yemeni crisis and the United Nations' efforts to reach a sustainable political settlement leading to comprehensive peace in Yemen.

He also met separately with several Foreign Ministers participating in UNGA 78, to discuss bilateral cooperation in various fields, including economic, trade, investment, cultural, education, agriculture, technology, food security and renewable energy.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan also met with Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Djibouti; Arnoldo Ricardo Andre Tinoco, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica; Ignazio Cassis, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland; Eli Cohen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Israel; Margus Tsahkna, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia; Ian Borg, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta; Elina Valtonen, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland; Mariya Gabriel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria; and Zheenbek Kulubaev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan.

For his part, Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, spoke at the Middle East Global Summit hosted by Al-Monitor and Semafor. On the sidelines of UNGA, Gargash also met with Geir O. Pedersen, UN Special Envoy for Syria; and Comfort Ero, President and CEO of Crisis Group.

Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, participated in a stakeout alongside the 10 fellow elected members of the UN Security Council.

In addition, met with Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; Mami Mizutori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction; Laura Frigenti, Chief Executive Officer of the Global Partnership for Education; and James Mwangi, Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Equity Group Holdings.

Furthermore, during the third day, Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, discussed the enduring partnership between the UAE and Africa with several leaders from the continent, including King Mswati III of Eswatini and Hage Gottfried Geingob, President of Namibia. Also, Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan met with Yvette Sylla, Foreign Minister of Madagascar; Dhoihir Dhoulkamal, Foreign Minister of Comoros; and Peter Mathuki, Secretary General of the East African Community.

Together with Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives and their international partners, the World Food Programme and Southern African Development Community, to further expand the Digital School program in Africa.

For his part, Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, participated in the Ministerial Meeting of the Global Governance Group hosted by Singapore. In his intervention, Al Sayegh praised the group's efforts to promote a sustainable future for all and promote inclusiveness that is in line with the ambitions of COP28.

Al Sayegh also participated in the 18th ministerial meeting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue, which was chaired by the Kingdom of Bahrain. The meeting focused on ensuring the provision of sustainable solutions after the COVID-19 pandemic and achieving a global recovery from the pandemic.

In his intervention, Al Sayegh stressed the importance of multilateral work to find sustainable solutions that address common global challenges, reiterating the UAE's commitment to enhancing constructive cooperation with relevant partners around the world.

Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, accompanied by Sultan Mohammed Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Development Affairs, and Abdulrahman Ali Al Neyadi, Director of Policy Planning at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, represented the UAE at the UNGA side event on "The Cost of Inaction in Sudan - Working together in support of the Humanitarian Situation in Sudan and the Region".

In his intervention, Al Marar stressed the importance of international coordination and cooperation to deliver humanitarian aid without obstacles, to bring about the required changes on the ground in Sudan and the entire region, and the need to consider new partnerships to achieve that goal.

Al Marar said: "Ending the humanitarian crisis in Sudan in a sustainable manner requires reaching an immediate and permanent ceasefire, and resuming dialogue in an effort to return to the political process. The UAE will remain supportive of regional and international mediation efforts to reach a permanent settlement to this crisis."

Al Marar also participated in the 13th ministerial meeting of the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum.

In his intervention, Al Marar stressed the UAE's hope that combating terrorism will top the international community's priorities, stressing the importance of strengthening collective action to confront this issue.

He expressed the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2686 on tolerance and international peace and security, which was adopted in June, and to take concrete steps in that direction.

Abdullah bin Zayed, UAE delegation participate in 3rd day high-level meetings of UNGA 78

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Israel offered its congratulations to Saudi Arabia on the kingdom's national day Saturday as the two countries move closer towards a possible normalisation of ties.

"We offer our sincere congratulations and blessings to the king, government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the 93rd national day," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.

"May God bring you good and blessings... with our wishes that an atmosphere of peace, cooperation and good neighbourliness will prevail," it added in the statement on its Arabic-language account on X, formerly Twitter.

A foreign ministry spokesman did not immediately respond when asked by AFP whether it was the first time Israel had offered its congratulations on Saudi national day.

In an address to the UN General Assembly On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: "We are at the cusp of... a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia".

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, had similarly told Fox News that the two countries were getting "closer" to normalising ties.

Several Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, normalised their relations with Israel in 2020 under the so-called Abraham Accords but Saudi Arabia has so far held out.

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Mumbai, Sep 22

A s the country celebrates the 350th anniversary of the Coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Maharashtra eagerly awaits the UNESCO World Heritage tag for a series of 14 Maratha forts, dotting the lush green Western Ghats and the picturesque coastal Konkan region of the state.

Since 2012, the Western Ghats are aUNESCOWorld Heritage site  a long, green, hilly tract extending from south Gujarat to North Kerala, the major portions falling in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Experts now are raring for14forts- symbolising "MarathaMilitaryArchitecture"  which have already made it to theUNESCO's tentative list since April 2021, and now await a formal nod as WH site.

They are thefortsof/at: Raigad (the Capital ofMarathaEmpire), Shivneri, Rajgad, Torna, Lohagad (all Pune), Salher, Ankai-Tankai, Mulher (all Nashik), Rangana (Kolhapur), Alibaug, Padmadurg, Khanderi (Raigad), Sindhudurg (Sindhudurg district), and the Suvarnadurg (Ratnagiri), some dotting the 720-km long coastline, offshore or in the Western Ghats, most still tall and imposing.

Andhra Pradesh Government Heritage Committee Member Bhujang Bobade, who is also the founder of the Heritage Foundation at Jalgaon (Maharashtra), said after thesefortsget the finalUNESCOgreen signal, it will accord a halo of respect, give a huge boost to domestic and international tourism, pave the way for their proper conservation efforts, provide a fillip to the local economy and generate revenues for the state.

The Arabian Sea coastline and the Western Ghats as well as the Sahyadri range extending upto Marathwada, were the perfect setting the guerrilla warfare tactics, and in the Mediaeval Period, Arabs, Turks, Europeans, Africans appeared in the Konkan region and proceeded to the hinterlands.

That time Shivaji Maharaj, who was later crowned as the Chhatrapati, established Swarajya (self-rule), and held out against the mighty Mughal Empire  which was extending from modern day's Uzbekistan to Bengal and which controlled around 20 per cent of the contemporary global economy.

The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was struggling to annex the southern Indian kingdoms to extend his rule to peninsular India, but it was theMarathaKingdom which resisted his bulldozing march down south.

This was attributed to the best use of the hilly terrain, constructingfortson plain lands, hills and the long sea-coasts that arrested the advent of the Mughal Empire.

In 1674, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj founded theMarathaEmpire, and within 75 years after his death (1680), it had covered one-third of the Indian Subcontinent, deploying guerrilla warfare with best political and territorial results.

The Marathas even succeeded in keeping the later day British Empire at bay, but after they were overpowered through various Anglo-Marathawars (including the Bhima-Koregaon battle), the British managed to plant their flag over the region, plus the Portuguese and French in tiny pockets.

Bobade said that theseMarathaFortsare of immense significance in the political,militaryand architectural history of the region, where it was a continuous ongoing activity.

The Directorate of Archaeology and Maharashtra Government had finalised the list of14uniqueMarathaFortswhich are now on theUNESCO's tentative list.

Bobade explained that after going through the entire process,UNESCOdeclares them as a World Heritage, and normally this takes a minimum of five years, unless "influence"

is used by India on the global stage to expedite it.

Through the Heritage Foundation, Bobade has trained over 98,000 people from 42 countries in heritage-related short-term certificate courses in 40 fields at affordable rates, ranging from one week to one-year duration, which open up lucrative career options in this field, and are recognised by various universities.

"I am creating a future workforce with specific courses on various aspects of art,architecture, heritage, conservation, music, dance, museums, drawings, paintings, etc., most of which are not available anywhere in the country and outside, thus empowering the learners to explore different careers," said Bobade.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at:q.najmi@ians.in)

Maha awaits UNESCO tag for 14 'Maratha Military Architecture' forts

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Lohit, September 24

U nion Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, along with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, will inaugurate the revamped Tezu airport in Arunchal Pradesh's Lohit district on Sunday.

"A new Terminal Building at Tezu Airport is scheduled for inauguration on September 24, 2023. Currently, this domestic airport operates with a single runway and covers an area of 212 acres," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a post on X.

"The upgraded airport now includes two aprons designed for ATR 72 type aircraft, a runway extended to 1500m x 30m, a traveler-friendly terminal, and a Fire Station cum Air Traffic Control Tower with a wide 75m runway strip," added Scindia in his post.

This endeavour marks a step in expanding connectivity in the northeastern region of India and bolstering the local economy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement earlier.

According to the statement, Tezu Airport, a domestic airport situated in the town of Tezu, has undergone a transformation with the implementation of infrastructure upgrades worth Rs 170 crores.

These developments include the extension of the runway to 1500 meters by 30 meters, the construction of a modern apron capable of accommodating two ATR 72 type aircraft, the establishment of a new terminal building, and the creation of a fire station cum Air Traffic Control Tower, the statement read.

Operationalized under the RCS UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2018, Tezu Airport has played a pivotal role in enhancing regional connectivity by offering regularly scheduled flights to Dibrugarh, Imphal, and Guwahati through Alliance Air and Flybig Airlines.

Features of the New Terminal Building-Terminal Area of 4000 square meters, peak hour serving capacity of 300 passengers, 5 check-in counters, 2 arrival Carrousels, 2 aircraft parking bays- ATR-72 type of aircraft, it said.

The infrastructure upgrades at Tezu Airport prioritize sustainability and energy efficiency.

Double insulated roofing system, energy-efficient HVAC and lighting system, low heat gain glazing, ECBC-compliant equipment, solid waste management system, re-use of treated water for flushing and horticulture purposes, rainwater harvesting integrated with sustainable urban drainage system, use of efficient water fixtures, it added.

The enhancements are expected to yield multiple benefits- Expansion of airport capacity to handle increased traffic, improved connectivity of the northeastern region with the rest of the country, boost to tourism, trade, and employment generation, promotion of infrastructure development and economic growth of the region.

Tezu, situated on the picturesque banks of the Lohit River and serving as the headquarters of the Lohit District in Arunachal Pradesh, is celebrated for its natural beauty.

Surrounded by lush green forests and rolling hills, this small town is poised to leverage its enhanced airport infrastructure to welcome more visitors and contribute to the region's prosperity.

The inauguration of the new infrastructure at Tezu Airport underscores the commitment of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth in India's northeastern states, the ministry's statement added.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Arunachal Pradesh CM to inaugurate upgraded Tezu Airport today

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To learn Tamil is my life ambition: Governor Ravi says other languages don't have vocabulary for translating Tamil literature

Chennai, September 24

T amil Nadu Governor RN Ravi says he has fallen intensely in love with Thirukural and it has now become his life mission to learn the Tamil language and take it to other parts of the country.

"I think everyone should learn Tamil. Those whose mother tongue isn't Tamil should also learn it. They should not only read the translated version but learn the language and its vocabulary," Ravi said on Saturday.

Addressing an event on Saturday as part of his 'Think to Dare' series of interactions at Raj Bhavan in Chennai, Ravi pointed out that European languages, especially English, did not have the vocabulary to accurately convey the depth of the meaning present in ancient Tamil literature during translations. Also, he said among Indian languages only Sanskrit and Tamil were the only two ancient Indian languages with the vocabulary.

Ravi was attending the 'Governor's Think to Dare' event under the series, '10th interaction with eminent Tamil Nadu personalities' in Chennai.

"When I came to Tamil Nadu two years back, I did not know much about the Tamil language and its literature. I had heard about 'Thirukural' but did not know what exactly it was. Tamil Nadu has this good tradition of greeting guests with books. I started to read Thirukural, which I got was an English translation. And I fell intensely in love with it," Governor Ravi said.

He further said, "I am still a toddler in language but this has become a life mission to learn this language and take it to other parts of our country so that others could also benefit from this. Sometimes I start to wonder whether the English translation is doing it justice. Now I started to learn Tamil to read. I use Google and dictionary."

The Governor said that he has been collecting some Tamil books and urged everyone to learn Tamil.

"I have been collecting some Tamil books. I think what a treasure. Language is the soul of people. It reflects the status of the civilization of people. How come for 70 years we were ignorant of it. How come this great knowledge has not reached to many parts of our India? I think we have a huge responsibility to take this light of knowledge. wisdom not only to the rest of world but to the rest of our country too," he said.

Ravi said that he was delighted to see Delhi Tamil Sangam teach Tamil to non-Tamil speakers. He added that Tamil should be taught not only as vocational but also as conversational Tamil.He also put forth an offer for students from other states to visit Tamil Nadu during their vacation to learn the Tamil language.

"In Banaras University I found they teach Tamil for one to three years. When I visited Kashi Tamil Sangam, I heard 30 students from the Hindi belt learnt Tamil. I also encouraged Sanatan and Vishwaguru students so that I sponsor and help them. I'm giving an open offer that in your area students during their vacation can visit our state to not only read Tamil but learn Tamil. Maybe for two to three weeks," he said.

The Tamil Nadu Governor further said, "It was a delight to see Delhi Tamil Sangam teach Tamil language so that Hindi people talk Tamil. Tamil should be taught not only as vocational but conversational Tamil."

To learn Tamil is my life ambition: Governor Ravi says other languages don't have vocabulary for translating Tamil literature

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New Delhi, September 24

T he India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor proposed during the G20 Summit is going to be a cornerstone of global trade for times to come, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the latest edition of his monthly radio broadcast -- 'Mann Ki Baat', on Sunday.

PM Modi, while addressing the nation, said, "India showcased its leadership by making the African Union a full member of the G20 bloc. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor proposed during the Summit is also set to become a cornerstone of global trade for hundreds of years. And history will always remember that this corridor was initiated on Indian soil."

He said that the spectacular organization of the G20 summit after the success of Chandrayaan-3 has doubled the happiness of every Indian.

India has proved its leadership by making the African Union a full member of the G20 at this summit, he added.

The Prime Minister also announced a University Connect program to be held in Delhi for students in connection with G20.

"Another exciting program is going to be held in Delhi 'G20 University Connect Programme'. Through this programme, lakhs of students from across the country will connect with each other. Many prestigious institutions like IITs, IIMS, NITS and Medical Colleges will also participate in it. I wish that if you are a college student, then you must watch this program to be held on 26th September and be a part of it," the PM said in the 105th episode of his radio broadcast.

PM Modi asserted that after the successful organization of the G20 summit, people around the world are interested in India, its diversity, and different cultures adding it will boost tourism in the country thereby increasing employment.

On Shantiniketan in West Bengal and Holysala temples in Karnataka declared world heritage sites by UNESCO, PM Modi said it is a matter of immense pride.

It is India's endeavour that our historical and cultural places get recognised as World Heritage sites, he added.

He emphasized that this 'Amrit Kaal' of independence is also the period of duty for every citizen of the country.

"'Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal' is also 'Kartavya Kaal' for every citizen of the country. Only by performing our duties can we achieve our goals and reach our destination. sense of duty, we all threaded into one thread," PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister also announced that many programs related to cleanliness are planned across the country on Gandhi Jayanti.

"Swachhata hi Seva campaign is underway with great enthusiasm at central government offices. Today, I also want to make a request to all the countrymen through 'mann ki baat' a big event on cleanliness that will be organized on Sunday, October 1 at 10 am, you too should take out time and join hands in this cleanliness campaign," he said.

He added, "You can join this campaign in your street, neighbourhood, or any other public place and wherever Amrit Sarovar has been built, cleanliness must be ensured. This act of cleanliness will be a true tribute to Gandhi ji."

BJP National President JP Nadda along with Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi listened to PM Modi's Mann Ki Baat program in Delhi. Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami also listened to the program in Dehradun.

India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor to become basis of global trade: PM Modi in Mann Ki Baat

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Chief of Naval staff attends 25th International Seapower Symposium in US

Washington, September 24

C hief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar visited the United States from September 19 to 22, to attend the 25th International Seapower Symposium .

ISS is conducted by the US Navy at US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island and provides the opportunity to engage with Friendly Foreign Countries towards the shared vision of enhancing maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

"I firmly believe that despite all technological advancements, our men and women have been - and will remain - our greatest asset in the foreseeable future," US Navy quoted Adm R Hari Kumar as saying.

The CNS also held bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the ISS with his counterparts from various countries including the USA, Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Israel, Italy Japan, Kenya, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the UK.

The extensive engagements during the visit are a demonstration of the Indian Navy's steadfastness towards realising the vision for a Free Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific and International Rules-Based Order.

During the visit extensive deliberations were also held towards exploring greater IN-USN operational engagements at bilateral and multilateral exercises such as the Malabar, RIMPAC, Sea Dragon and Tiger Triumph.

Regular Subject Matter Expert exchange also takes place between both the Navies to institutionalise interoperability in various fields.

At the ISS the CNS spoke extensively about the challenges of Human Resource Management, with specific reference to recruitment and retention of trained personnel and India's initiatives towards addressing these through the Agnipath Scheme, empowering women and driving the Indian Navy into a gender-neutral force.

Kumar's visit to the US provided a significant opportunity for Apex Level Navy to Navy engagements for deepening bilateral cooperation as well as engaging with diverse partners across the Indo-Pacific.

Chief of Naval staff attends 25th International Seapower Symposium in US

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Lahore, Sep 24

D ev Anand was forever on our TV screens. My mother and aunts were huge fans. But my mother also had bundles of Filmfare magazines, and large black discs of gramophones with beautiful covers of Indian actors and actresses.

Her favourite was Dilip Kumar and a close second was Dev Anand. Dev Anand lit up the screen with his perfect groomed hair, perfectly fitted clothes and the aura he gave off of wealth and sophistication other stars of his time lacked. Dev Anand could be playing an alcoholic and he would have not a single hair out of place like in "Sharabi" (1964).

When I went to Government College University Lahore for my MPhil, my mother's response was "Dev Anand went to Government College." How cool was I!

Dev Anand did his BA in English from the college - and fell in love with a classmate too, according to his autobiography, but was too shy to express his feelings! He wanted to do his MA too but the family situation did not allow it. He never forgot his stint there - and in his early days in filmdom, asked about his perfect English, replied he had studied at the best college "this side of the Suez".

In my two years there I looked for plaques and memories of the greats at the University and there are some big names there. (Alumni include two Nobel laureates -- Dr Hargobind Khurana and Dr Abdus Salam, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Khushwant Singh, Balraj Sahni, the Sharif brothers, Hadiqa Kiani, et al)

By the by, I also share Kamini Kaushal's alma mater as I am an alumna of Kinnaird College Lahore as well. Another fact, my mother reiterated often.

Dev Anand's black and white movie era was very Hollywood-esque I now feel because he was actively trying to live up to the compliment Suraiya had given him of reminding her of Gregory Peck. Dev Anand was much better I feel but I am sure Suraiya had her reasons. A love story with a sad ending and one I never forgot.

My mother used to say that Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, and Ashok Kumar were called "The Big Four". Three of them had very sad love stories but all of them had happy marriages.

Talking of unhappy love lives, "Bombai Ka Babu" (1960) is a film I will never forget. Not just because of the songs, "Deewana mastana hua dil", "Pawan chale to uthe man mein lehar si", "Chal ri sajni ab

kya soche", "Dekhne mein bhola hai", but also because of the two beautiful leads, Dev Anand and Suchitra Sen were stunning here, and the story was one of the saddest ever. A classic.

Movies in the black and white era were some of his best and the rom-coms like "Tere Ghar ke Samne" (1963) and "Paying Guest" (1957) with the instantly lovable songs like the title song of the former and"Chorh do aanchal", were some of my favourites.

Then the sixties and early seventies dawned and Dev Anand wore his floral shirts and his caps, and appeared very French to my eyes. I discovered all these movies in the eighties and nineties of course in my early childhood and teenage years. "Aise na mujhe tum dekho, seene se lagaa loongaa" ("Darling Darling", 1977), was a favourite.

Songs like "Hum phir baat badal denge" ("Neend chura ke raaton men" from "Shareef Badmash", 1973), "Pal bhar ke liye koi hamen pyar kar le" ("Johnny Mera Naam", 1970, "Kiska rasta dekhen" ("Joshila", 1973), are still on the top of my playlist.

Dev Anand really was one of a kind. A suave, cool, well-dressed and classic man of black and white cinema, he also kept reinventing himself at a time when reinventing and rebranding oneself was

unheard of.

He remains to this day, one of the brightest stars in a very bright galaxy.

(Faiqa Mansab is the author of "This House of Clay and Water" (2017) and the upcoming "The Storyteller" (Penguin, Neem Tree Press, 2024). She is a Saari Fellow and British Chevening Scholarship awardee)

View from Lahore: Why Dev Anand was a 'constant guest' at home

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Ottawa, September 24

H olding his own party-led government in Canada responsible for inaction against Khalistan extremists, Liberal party MP Chandra Arya on Sunday asserted that Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats issued by extremist elements.

Arya, who is a lawmaker from PM Justin Trudeau's party, has repeatedly raised the issue of threats to Hindu Canadians and urged the community to stay calm and vigilant.

Arya's remarks came after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and other extremist elements issued threats to the Hindu community in Canada, warning them to go back to India, amid the ongoing standoff between the two countries.

Speaking to CBC News, Chandra Arya said, "I am more worried about the consequence of what happened after the Prime Minister's statement. The concerns of the safety of Hindu Canadians here, Hindu Canadians are fearful".

He also cited a popular column, which had stated "The risk of ethnic and sectarian bloodshed in Canada is real"

"What I am worried is that the bloodshed is going to be Hindu Canadian's blood," Arya added.

The Canadian MP emphasized three major reasons, why he thinks that the Hindu Canadians are fearful today.

"First, the history of the Khalistan movement is filled with violence and killings. Tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs have been killed by Khalistani terrorists in the history of the Khalistani movement. The Canadians forget the biggest mass killing in history happened 38 years back, in the Air India bombing. That was the biggest aviation terrorism before 9/11. And that was done by a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist. The fact is that those terrorists are still worshipped at some places in Canada," he said.

Arya also condemned the tableau parade, which was organized to celebrate the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi

"Secondly, just a few months back, here in Toronto, a floor, a public parade of a cutout of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with a white saree splattered in blood, and her two assassins pointing guns at her. A public floor celebrating the attack...this is the core of terrorism, the killing of a duly elected Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world. It was allowed to be publicly displayed and celebrated. Tell me, which country would allow, in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, allow this to happen," Arya further said.

He added, "Thirdly, the leader of Sikhs for Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatened the Hindu Canadians to leave the country and go to India. And this type of hate crime is done openly, without any consequences".

The Liberal party leader also clarified that a vast majority of Sikh-Canaidans don't support the Khalistani movement and are closely integrated with the Hindu Canadians.

"Most Sikh-Canadians, a vast majority of Sikh-Canadians in Canada is not supporting the Khalistani movement. Well, they may not openly speak against the Khalistan movement, but they have a very close relationship with Hindu Canadians, through family relationships, and social and cultural ties. There is a very great integration of Hindu and Sikh Canadians here. However, a small fraction of the Sikh community are hardcore Khalistani terrorists," Arya added.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that Ottawa had credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar in Vancouver. India, however, dismissed the allegations as "absurd and motivated".

This triggered diplomatic tensions between the two countries, with both New Delhi and Ottawa taking diplomatic steps and India suspending visa services to Canada.

Hardeep Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18.

Chandra Arya slams his own government for rising Khalistan extremism; raises concern for Hindu Canadians

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New Delhi, September 24

P rime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that the work of redevelopment of more than 500 major railway stations of the country has begun and that these new stations built during the Amrit Kaal will be called 'Amrit Bharat' stations.

"We all know that there are several railway stations which have not been developed for the past several years... Work to develop these stations are underway... All the stations which will be developed in the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal' will be called 'Amrit Bharat stations," PM Modi said in his virtual address as he flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains.

"These stations will become the identity of the new Bharat in the coming days", he added.The Prime Minister emphasized that "an India on the path of being developed will now have to modernize its railway stations as well".

With this thinking in mind, for the first time a campaign for the development and modernization of railway stations has begun in India, he said adding that today, a record number of foot over bridges, lifts and escalators are being constructed in the country for the convenience of railway passengers.

"Nine Vande Bharat Express trains being launched today will significantly improve connectivity as well as boost tourism across India," PM Modi said ahead of the flag off.

The prime minister said that the speed and scale of infrastructure development match with aspirations of 140 crore Indians.

"The speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with the aspirations of 140 crore Indians. Today people of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat will get the facility of Vande Bharat Express trains. These new Vande Bharat Express trains depict the new energy of the country," PM Modi said.

PM Modi said that 25 Vande Bharat Express trains are already running, now nine more will be added to them.

"The popularity of Vande Bharat trains is constantly rising. Over 1,11,00,000 crore passengers have already travelled on them," he said.

Stressing the importance of railways in the lives of common citizens, the Prime Minister pointed out the neglect of this important sector in earlier times.

Elaborating on the efforts of the current government for the transformation of Indian Railways the Prime Minister informed about the increased budget as this year's budget for railway is eight times the rail budget of 2014. Similarly, work is going on for doubling, electrification and new routes, PM Modi said.

The Prime Minister expressed happiness that the Railways has started celebrating the 'Sthapna Diwas' day of establishment of railway station and mentioned the celebrations at Coimbatore, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Mumbai. Coimbatore Railway station has completed 150 years.

"Now this tradition of celebrating the birthday of railway stations will be expanded further and more and more people will be involved in it", he said.

The Prime Minister said that the country has made the vision of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat a medium of Sankal se Siddhi.

"To achieve the goal of a developed India by 2047, development of every state and the people of every state is necessary", PM Modi said.

He said that selfish thinking of concentrating railway development in the state of the railway minister has damaged the country a lot and now we simply can not afford to keep any state backwards. "We have to move ahead with a vision of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas", he said.

Addressing the hardworking employees of the Railways, the Prime Minister asked them to make every journey memorable for the passengers. "Every employee of the Railways has to remain constantly sensitive towards ease of travel and to provide a good experience to the passengers," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that people have noticed the new standards of cleanliness of railways. He asked everyone to get involved in the proposed Swachhta Abhiyan at 10 am on October 1 to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

"I am confident that the changes taking place at every level in Indian Railways and society will prove to be an important step towards a developed India", the Prime Minister said.

The launch of these trains will connect religious and tourist destinations across 11 these states, a PMO statement said earlier.

The new trains are Udaipur - Jaipur Vande Bharat Express, Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express, Hyderabad -Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, Vijayawada - Chennai Vande Bharat Express, Patna - Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express, Rourkela - Bhubaneswar - Puri Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi - Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express.

These Vande Bharat trains will be the fastest trains along the routes of their operation and will help save considerable time for the passengers.

As compared to the current fastest train along the route, the Rourkela- Bhubaneswar - Puri Vande Bharat Express and Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express will be faster by about three hours, the Hyderabad - Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express by more than 2.5 hours, the Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express by more than two hours.Ranchi - Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Patna - Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express will be faster about 1 hour; and Udaipur - Jaipur Vande Bharat Express by about half an hour.

"In line with the Prime Minister's vision to improve connectivity of important religious places across the country, Rourkela- Bhubaneswar - Puri Vande Bharat Express and Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express will connect important religious towns of Puri and Madurai. Also, the Vijayawada - Chennai Vande Bharat Express will operate via the Renigunta route and will provide connectivity to the Tirupati Pilgrimage Centre," a statement by the PMO added.

The introduction of these Vande Bharat trains will herald a new standard of rail service in the country. These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel to common people, professionals, businessmen, student community and tourists," the PMO statement added.

All stations developed in 'Azadi Ka Amrit Kaal' will be called 'Amrit Bharat Stations': PM Modi

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Imphal, Sep 24

A day after announcing the suspension of the "Free Movement Regime " with Myanmar, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday held a meeting with senior officials of the Border Roads Organisation to erect border fencing along the India-Myanmar border in the state.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister said that discussions were held to construct an additional 70 km of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.

"In view of the rise in illegal immigration and drugs smuggling from the neighbouring country, safeguarding our porous borders has become an urgent necessity," Biren Singh said on X.

Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and senior officials of the Home Department were also present in the meeting.

Currently works are going on to erect fencing on the 100 km of India-Myanmar border in Manipur, which shares around 400 km border with the neighbouring country.

Biren Singh on Saturday said that the FMR with Myanmar which allows people on either side to travel up to 16 km inside of both countries is suspended at the moment and that the Centre has been requested to permanently close it. The Manipur Chief Minister on a number of occasions said that Myanmar nationals illegally entering into the state and creating troubles in the state while drug peddlers of that country are directly involved in the illicit trans-border drugs trade.

Manipur CM holds meeting to discuss fencing on stretches of India-Myanmar borders

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"Were only human, sometimes we want to be snarky, even about politics. I always ask myself: Do I need to post this publicly, or can I just send it to a friend who I know will laugh along with me? If we all stopped posting our rants, and stopped amplifying the rants of others, our politics would get 20 percent healthier."
How to help

To learn more about how to donate or receive help, go to cuschoolsfoundation.org/caring or:

 In Urbana, email Jeniece Mitchell at jdmitchell@usd116.org or, to donate, visit Room 1521 at Urbana Middle School weekdays between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. or the Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center (1402 E Main St.) from 3:30-6 p.m.

 In Champaign, email James Harden at hardenja@u4sd.org. Donations may also be dropped off at the Mellon Administration Building, 703 S. New Street.
From the academic year 2023-24, the Karnataka government has granted permission to conduct Summative Assessment 2 for students in Class 9 and annual examinations for students in Class 11. The Karnataka board presently administers yearly exams to students in classes 10 and 12, as well as assessment tests to students in classes 5 and 8.

The step attempts to help students become better learners by consistently tracking their learning curves across all levels. The school education department has also addressed students concerns about being sent to detention if they fail a test.

The Karnataka State Quality Assessment and Accreditation Council (KSQAAC), in accordance with the notification, will publish the question papers for the Class 9 Summative Assessment-2. The relevant Deputy Director of the School Education Department will put it together at the state level and make it accessible to concerned field education officials.

The question papers for class 9 will be emailed to the relevant Block Education Officers (BEO) secure online account when the board has finished preparing them at the state level. Question papers for class 11 will be sent to the designated Deputy Director of Pre-University (DDPU). The PU Examination Section of the Karnataka School Examination and Evaluation Board will be preparing the Class 11 Annual Examination question papers at the state level.

In contrast to class 10 and 12, the evaluation of papers for class 9 and 11 yearly examinations will take place at the school and college levels, respectively. Lastly, the Head Masters and Principals will post the test results of the students on the Students Achievement Tracking System (SATS) portal.

The notification further adds that a supplementary exam will be held at the relevant university/ college level if the student fails the annual class 11 exam.

The Class 5 and 8 yearly exams were first administered by KSEAB last year.

The Karnataka Board stated earlier this month that it will administer three annual examinations. The state declared that the SSLC and PUC Supplemental Exams will be cancelled. Instead, students will now take three exams annually, with the highest grades from all three exams counting towards retention.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will preside over a meeting of the Northern Zonal Council to be held in Amritsar on Tuesday. The Northern Zonal Council comprises the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territories of Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh.

The councils 31st meeting will be held in Amritsar in Punjab on September 26, according to an official statement. The council discusses a wide range of issues, including matters related to the Bhakra-Beas Management Board, affiliation to Panjab University, road construction work under PMGSY, canal projects and water sharing, matters related to reorganisation of states, and infrastructure development.

Other issues include land acquisition, environmental and forest clearance, regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme and issues of common interest at the regional level. Many issues of national importance are also discussed in every meeting of the zonal councils, the statement said.

Chief ministers of the member states along with two senior ministers from each state and the lieutenant governors/administrators of the Union territories are part of the council. The chief secretary and other senior officers of the state governments and UTs and senior officers of the central government will also participate in the meeting. The Narendra Modi government has been regularly holding meetings of the zonal councils as part of its overall strategy to strengthen and promote cooperative and competitive federalism in the country, officials said.

The regional councils provide a forum for discussion in a structured manner on issues affecting one or more states or issues between the Centre and the states. In the last nine years under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the number of meetings of the zonal councils and its standing committees have increased by three times, they said.

Regional councils help in developing a coordinated approach through discussion and exchange of views between states on important issues of social and economic development. The zonal councils take up issues involving the Centre and states and one or many states falling in the zone.

They, thus, provide a forum for resolving disputes and issues between the Centre and the states and among many states in the zone. The meetings of the zonal councils are used by the states and Union territories (UTs) to also share their best practices.

The councils also discuss a broad range of issues which include boundary-related disputes, security, infrastructure matters like road, transport, industries, sharing of water, and power, matters pertaining to forests and environment, housing, education, food security, tourism and transport, among others. There are five zonal councils in the country which were set up in 1957 under Section 15-22 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

The Union home minister is the chairperson of each of these five zonal councils and chief ministers of the host state (to be chosen by rotation every year) is the vice-chairperson. Two more ministers from each state are nominated as members by the governor.
The Vijayawada ACB court on Sunday extended TDP chief and former CM Chandrababu Naidus remand till October 5th in connection with the alleged skill development scam.

Earlier, the court granted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) two days of custody to investigate the issue which is now extended.

The decision came when the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed Naidus petition to quash the FIR. On September 19, advocates Harish Salve and Sidharth Luthra, representing the CID made the arguments in the Vijayawada Court.

In the two days of custody, the ACB Court Judge had put conditions and ordered the CID Officials not to release the photographs and videos related to the enquiry. The judge ordered to present him in the court through video conference after the custody came to an end on Sunday.

It was during the video conference when the Judge asked Chandrababu Naidu about problems he faced, if any, during remand. TDP chief lamented and said that he has been mentally harassed with the imprisonment and requested the authority to protect his rights and deliver justice.

Skill Development Corporation Scam

On September 9, Chandrababu Naidu was arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds, when he was CM of the Andhra Pradesh in 2015, from the Skill Development Corporation. It is estimated that the state had to bear a loss of more than Rs 300 crore.

In 2014, after coming to power, former CM Chandrababu Naidu decided to create an Andhra Pradesh State Skill Development Corporation (APSSDC). The corporation had the task to provide knowledge to unskilled and unemployed youth of the state. It was decided that small clusters will come up across the state for the benefits of the masses.

An MOU was also signed between the then AP government and Siemens India to tune of Rs 3,356 crore. As per the agreement, 10 percent of the aids will be given government while rest will be invested by Siemens India. When regime was changed in 2021, the then Andhra Chief Minister Y Jagan Mohan Reddy accused Naidu to be the main beneficiary of the APSSDC. He called the Corporation a scam.

It was in 2021, when AP CID registered case and started investigation. During the Enforcement Directorate enquiry, it was revealed that the then Naidu government had violated the AP Civil Works Code and the AP Financial Code by releasing Rs 371 crore (including taxes) even before the APSSDC project initiated and without calling for any tenders.

Hours after arrest, senior CID officer in a press conference called Naidu as the prime accused in the skill development scam.
Posters calling for the killing of Indian diplomats at a Gurdwara in Canadas Surrey have been taken down after local authorities intervened amid Ottawas plummeting ties with India over allegations of New Delhis involvement in the murder of a Khalistani terrorist earlier this year.

According to sources, the Surrey Gurdwara was asked to remove the posters calling for the killing of three Indian diplomats after authorities realised the magnitude of the issue and the optics of such messaging originating from the Canadian soil.

The Gurdwara has also been cautioned not to use loudspeakers for any radical announcements.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, 45, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and one of Indias most-wanted terrorists who carried a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen outside a Gurdwara in Surrey in the western Canadian province of British Columbia on June 18.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged the involvement of agents of the Indian government in the killing. New Delhi outrightly rejected the claims as absurd and motivated and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

On Thursday, India asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, as escalating tensions between the two nations over the killing of Nijjar pushed ties to an all-time low.

India also asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada.
In a tragic incident, a man and his wife allegedly committed suicide, hours after the woman was gang-raped in a village in Uttar Pradeshs Basti district, police said.

An FIR has been filed over the incident and two men have been arrested in connection with the matter.

Basti Superintendent of Police (SP), Gopal Krishana, said that the husband died on Friday night while his wife died at a hospital in Gorakhpur the following day.

The couples relatives have alleged that the woman was gang raped by the two men in her house in the Rudhauli police station area on the intervening night of September 20 and 21, the SP added.

Before allegedly dying by suicide, the couple recorded a video in which they mentioned the names of the accused, the police added.

Based on a complaint by the brother of the man, an FIR was filed against the two men under Sections 376 D (gang rape) and 306 (abetment to suicide), Krishana said.

The couples children told the police that when they were getting ready to go to school on Friday morning, their parents told them that they had consumed poison and were going to die, the police said.

The couple has three children, two sons aged eight and six, and a one-year-old daughter.

According to preliminary investigation, the rape incident is linked with the sale of land owned by the victim, the police added.

This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)
A massive fire broke out on the third floor of a commercial building in Kolkatas Central Avenue on Sunday evening, an official said.

At least six fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames, he said.

There were no reports of any injury or fatality due to the blaze that erupted around 7.15 pm.

Inflammable materials were stored on the third floor of the building, as it was being used as a godown for electronic goods. The fire is under control at the moment, the official said.

Fire Minister Sujit Bose is at the spot to take stock of the situation.

It appears that there was no proper firefighting system and several inflammable materials were stacked inside, Bose told reporters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Sunday that the India-Middle East-Europe corridor will become a basis of world trade for the coming hundreds of years and history will remember that it was envisioned in India.

In his monthly Mann ki Baat broadcast, Modi recalled the Silk route, an ancient trade corridor used by India when it was a prosperous and great trading power, and said the country made the suggestion of the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor at the recent G20 Summit.

This corridor is going to become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come, and history will always remember that this corridor was initiated on Indian soil, he said.

The successful summit after the success of Indias Chandrayaan-3 mission doubled every citizens happiness, he said while noting that the two accomplishments have figured most in the messages he has received from people. Indias leadership was acknowledged by the world as it succeeded in making the African Union a member of the G20, he said. Bharat Mandapam, the venue which hosted the G20 Summit, has become a celebrity, the prime minister said, noting that people have been clicking selfies with the state-of-the-art conference hall.

With Mahatma Gandhis birth anniversary falling on October 2, he said no one can forget the sight of world leaders paying homage at his memorial during the G20 Summit, a recognition as to how his ideas remain relevant globally. Modi expressed happiness at many cleanliness programmes being planned to mark his birth anniversary, with the Union government departments launching Swachhta hi sewa programme.

Noting that a big cleanliness programme will be organised at 10 am on October 1, he urged people to join the exercise in their neighbourhood or any public place.

It will be a true tribute to Gandhi ji, he said and asked people to buy some khadi products.

Noting that the World Tourism Day falls on September 27, he said tourism is said to create maximum employment with minimum investment, adding that goodwill matters a lot in drawing tourists.

Indias goodwill has risen over the last few years, he said, and it has only gone up further with the G20 meetings as over one lakh foreign delegates travelled to different parts of the country and witnessed its diversity, cuisines and heritage.

The wonderful experiences that the delegates who came here have carried back with them will further expand tourism, he said.

Modi said it was a matter of immense pride that Santiniketan associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka were recently declared world heritage sites.

Such sites number now 42 in India and it is the countrys efforts to have more and more places associated with its culture and heritage recognised as the World Heritage Sites.

Ahead of the start of festival season, he asked people to remember vocal for local and buy Made in India products.

As far as possible, you should buy goods made in India, use Indian products and gift only Made in India goods. Your little joy will become the cause of immense happiness for someone elses family. Whatever Indian goods you buy, our labourers, workers, craftspersons and other artisans will directly benefit from it, he said.

In his remarks, Modi expressed happiness at the way students associated themselves with the G20 event.

Throughout the year, programmes related to the G20 were held in many universities of the country.

In this series now, another exciting program is going to happen in Delhi  the G20 University Connect Programme. Many prestigious institutions like IITs, IIMs, NITs and medical colleges will also participate. If you are a college student, you must watch this programme on September 26 and join it. I myself will attend the programme, he said.

While hailing the success of Chandrayaan-3, Modi noted that More than 80 lakh people watched this incident on ISROs YouTube Live Channel; which is a record in itself. This conveys how deep the attachment of crores of Indians is to Chandrayaan-3.

Indian culture and music, he said, have now become global. The fascination of people all over the world towards them is increasing day by day, he said while sharing a short clip of a 21-year-old German woman Kasmi.

Kasmi, who is visually impaired, has never been to India but was fascinated by its music from an early age, he said, lauding her.

The most inspiring thing is that she has mastered singing in many Indian languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, Assamese, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu and has also mastered her notes in all of them, he said.

In the programme, the prime minister also praised a group of youths in Nainital for starting Ghoda Library, aimed at taking books to children living in remote villages so that they could read poems, stories and moral education books apart from school books.

In Hyderabad, 11-year-old Akarshana Satish studying in class 7 is running seven libraries for children, he said while citing examples of people working to save wild animals and pigeons.

In Uttar Pradeshs Sambhal district, he noted people have joined hands to revive the Sot river.

the path of duty, you too can become the medium of many such changes around you, Modi said.
With its leadership of the G20, India gave a voice to countries of the Global South and by supplying COVID-19 vaccines to nations across the world during the pandemic, India extended a hand of humanity to those who were struggling at a time when others were involved in vaccine diplomacy, leaders said here.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosted several leaders of the Global South at a special India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development side event here on Saturday where they lauded India for being a stalwart leader advocating interests and concerns of developing nations on the international stage.

The event on the margins of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly saw participation from dignitaries at the UN as well as Foreign Ministers from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and the Small Island States who congratulated India on its successful presidency of the G20 and the momentous Leaders Summit held in Delhi earlier this month that culminated in the adoption by consensus of a landmark joint declaration.

In many respects, India stands as a stalwart leader of the Global South advocating for the interests and concerns of developing nations on the international stage. Through its stewardship of the G20 Presidency, India has played a pivotal role in amplifying the concerns and interests of the Global South, embodying the spirit of solidarity and cooperation among nations, Bhutans Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Tandi Dorji said.

He said Indias hosting of the G20 Summit and its dedication to the welfare of the Global South is testament to its leadership in the international arena. The Bhutanese minister also applauded the admission of the African Union into the G20, crediting the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this achievement.

Undoubtedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves recognition for championing the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. A proposal made three months prior to the summit laid the foundation for this historic decision, Dorji said.

Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy of Dominica Dr Vince Henderson said that India used its leadership of the G20 to be inclusive and to give a voice to developing countries like itself.

Henderson said that for small island states developing countries, the fact that India itself as a developing country, extends the hand of friendship to us is something that we are eternally grateful for. He voiced appreciation for the fact that India is able to share with others in spite of its own challenges, including pulling hundreds of millions of people out of poverty.

I think the lesson that moves me the most is the COVID-19 pandemic. I had the opportunity to sit in a very important capital of the world. I will not call names, where I remember struggling with seeing how we could get an immediate, urgent response by having access to vaccines. And before we knew it, India was able to respond and provide us with vaccines in Dominica as well as other member states in the Caribbean and the rest of the world.

I personally want to thank you, the people and government of India for reaching out to us at a time of such need. I also sort of do a double take when I heard the expression of vaccine diplomacy. I wouldnt call it that. I think it was just extending the hand of humanity. I think there were other countries involved in vaccine diplomacy, not India, Henderson said to a round of applause from the audience.

Dominica said India deserves to have a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council, not only as the most populous country on earth but as a country that has shown great responsibility in the exercise of its own power. Mauritius Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade Maneesh Gobin, congratulating India on the G20 Presidency, said that at a time of mounting divergences within the international community, the New Delhi Leaders Declaration is an illustration that countries from North and South can overcome differences for the common good.

He said Indias presidency under the sterling leadership of Prime Minister Modi will without doubt go down in history as one which has lived up to its call for sustainable and human-centred development.

This feat would not have been possible without your personal involvement and advocacy for an inclusive and consultative approach throughout Indias presidency, Gobin said, adding that Mauritius was very honoured to be invited as a guest country at the G 20.

Throughout the G20, I should say whereby the global south has been given a prominent voice, he said and welcomed the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of G20 which reinforces the legitimacy of the G20. Maldives Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmed Khaleel said hosting the G20 Summit against a challenging global political landscape and ensuring its culmination in the consensus declaration was by any means no small feat.

In this journey, India has also established itself as the voice of the Global South, bringing to the fore challenges faced by the developing world, to the G20 Summit and the UN, Khaleel said.

He added that in the UN, India continues to walk the talk and the India-UN Development Partnership Fund is hailed by many as the blueprint for South-South cooperation.

The Maldives as a small island developing country has reaped the benefits of Indias leadership in the Global South through its neighbourhood first policy, he said, adding Male also attributes a significant portion of its fast-paced recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic to India. It would not have been possible without our close partner and friend.
A 26-year-old woman was arrested for allegedly taking a joyride on her motorcycle without a helmet on the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, where two-wheelers are not allowed to ply. In a video that has gone viral now, the woman allegedly became abusive, even pushed a constable and pointed a pistol-shaped lighter at the cops when she was stopped and asked to show her licence and other registration documents.

26-year-old Nupur Patel was arrested by the police on September 15 for riding on her motorcycle  without a helmet  on the Bandra-Worli link ::: Rani Beti verbally abused the cops when they asked for her license and the vehicles documents. pic.twitter.com/9B2xsGLie1 H Sondh (@h_sondh) September 24, 2023

According to police, the woman is an architect interning with a real estate firm and was identified as Nupur Patel from Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh. In the video, she is heard shouting and abusing authorities, saying how dare you stop me, my father owns this road. Police said they received a call from the security staff about a woman riding a Royal Enfield on the sea link and heading towards south Mumbai.

A report published in Hindustan Times said Worli traffic police constable Rajendra Hipparkar noticed that Patel was speeding and went ahead of the landing point of the sea link and stopped her. When the police personnel stopped her, she started arguing with them, saying that her father owned the road, and she is a taxpayer and, therefore, nobody could stop her. Despite several requests, she was not ready to take her two-wheeler on one side of the road and was arguing with the traffic police. She then threw a suspicious object, which looked like a pistol, towards the police personnel, a police officer was quoted as saying.

Police said Patel was visiting her brother in Pune and wanted to see the Bandra-Worli Sea Link. Hence, she took her brothers bike for a trip to Mumbai, they added.

In the video, Patel can be heard threatening cops and refusing to get down from her bike despite multiple requests. She continues with her rude behaviour and starts abusing the cops, saying she is a taxpayer and she can do what she pleases on this road. She is also heard issuing threats that she will just speed off and hit the cops with her bike if they do not leave her alone.

Patel was booked under sections 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 336 (act endangering life or personal safety of others), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicle Act, 1988. She was also handed a notice under Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for an appearance before the investigating officer and was allowed to go.
Nestled in the narrow lanes of Girgaon in south Mumbai is the citys oldest Ganpati mandal Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Sanstha, which marks 131 years of celebrating the festival this year. The Sanstha, established in 1893 under the leadership of Rao Bahadur Limaye and Godse Shastri, has been celebrating the festival at Keshavji Naik Chawl on Khadilkar Road in a traditional manner.

Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilaks close associates Rao Bahadur Limaye and Godse Shastri started celebrating the festival here after he gave a call for public celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi for people to come together against the British, says Kumar Walekar, secretary of the Sarvajanik Ganeshutsav Sanstha.

The 10-day festival is being celebrated with the same devotion since 1893, he says.

Time seems to stand still as one walks into the chawl, where the citys mega festival had its humble beginnings. The one thing that makes the pandal stand out is that traditions have been followed for the last 131 years, says Walekar.

The Sanstha has kept the celebrations simple and traditional since the beginning with a 2-foot idol made of clay.

Residents celebrate the festival as one family and all the decorations are designed and made by them. Only the stage and pillars are brought from outside, says Walekar beaming with pride.

We bring idols of the same size every year. There are children here who observe what is happening, they might not understand it now, but once they grow up, they will know what to do while following all the traditions, he says.

Santosh Rajwade, a former resident of the chawl, has been visiting the pandal for 40 years despite moving out of the locality.

I have shifted to Borivali now, but I make sure I visit the Bappa here every year. I am very attached to the Bappa here. I can never forget everything I learnt here and everything Girgaon has given me, says Rajwade.

As the citys first and oldest pandal, the Keshavji Naik Chawl receives a lot of visitors from around the city and foreigners as well.

Politicians Balasaheb Thackeray, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Amit Shah have also visited the pandal to seek Bappas blessings.

The idol here receives a traditional welcome in a palanquin without loud music blaring from speakers and is taken away in the same manner for visarjan at Girgaon Chowpatty.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday addressed the 105th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat.

PM Modi discussed the success of Indias Moon mission Chandrayan-3 and New Delhis presidency of the prestigious G20 Summit in todays episode.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami listened to PM Modis Mann Ki Baat in Dehradun, while BJP national president JP Nadda along with Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi listened to the program in Delhi.

#WATCH | Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami listens to PM Modis Mann Ki Baat program in Dehradun. pic.twitter.com/zEunQhVpVR ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023

#WATCH | BJP National President JP Nadda along with Union Minister Meenakashi Lekhi listens to PM Modis Mann Ki Baat program in Delhi. pic.twitter.com/inlXbl6gQg ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023

PM Modis Mann Ki Baat 105th Episode  Top Quotes

More than 80 lakh people watched the event on ISROs YouTube Live Channel  a record in itself. This shows how deeply millions of Indians are attached to Chandrayaan-3.

When the lander of Chandrayaan-3 was about to land on the Moon, crores of people were simultaneously witnessing this event every moment through different mediums.

My dear friends, after the success of Chandrayaan-3, the grand event of G-20 doubled the happiness of every Indian. Bharat Mandapam has become like a celebrity in itself. People are taking selfies with him and also posting them with pride.

India has proved its leadership by making the African Union a full member of the G-20 in this summit.

India showcased its leadership by making the African Union a full member of the G20 bloc. India-Middle East-Europe Economic corridor proposed during the Summit will become a basis of world trade for hundreds of years.

Matter of immense pride that Santiniketan associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and the Hoysala Temples of Karnataka have been declared world heritage sites. It is Indias endeavour that our historical and cultural places get recognised as World Heritage Sites.

In our country, education is seen as a service. Youth in Nainital district have started a unique Ghoda Library for children. Books are reaching children even in the most remote areas and not only this, the service is absolutely free. 11-year-old Akarshana from Hyderabad manages seven libraries for children. The way she is contributing towards shaping the future of children is inspiring.

The inaugural episode of Mann Ki Baat had aired on October 3, 2014.
Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar has urged the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to set up a helpline for Indian students and NRIs in Canada in the wake of the diplomatic tension between New Delhi and Ottawa.

Jakhar, in his letter to External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, highlighted the concerns of Indian citizens residing in Canada and urged the Union Minister to release a detailed statement listing out various steps and measures being taken by the Government of India for their safety and security with a timeline until the eventual resolution of this issue.

This, I am sure, would go a long way in assuaging the sense of deep anxiety, panic and indecision prevailing amongst our people living in Canada and especially in students waiting to go abroad for studies. An assurance from your office would certainly lay to rest the doubts and insecurities of our students who are rightfully concerned about their study plans, Jakhars letter read.

The BJP leader has suggested releasing a WhatsApp number for Indian students planning to go abroad to get in touch with authorities in case of need and for guidance.

Reiterating his observation that Trudeau has made these malicious charges only to cater to his domestic political compulsions, Jakhar hoped that the Canadian prime minister would realise his folly at the earliest and the matter would be resolved soon in an amicable manner.

Underlining that no one can dictate to India how to defend its sovereignty, Jakhar stated that the Government of India had taken the right stand by strongly countering PM Trudeaus outburst and by asking for evidence, which he said did not seem forthcoming.

Lakhs of students from Punjab are studying in various colleges in Canada and their parents have started approaching immigration agencies and government officials on the unfolding situation.
A bus rammed into a stationary dumper in Rajasthans Barmer district, leaving a government school principal and a girl student dead while 20 others were injured, police said on Sunday.

The accident occurred near Sehlau village on Saturday night when the victims were returning to Detani in Barmer after attending a music competition in Jalore.

A district administration official said that a group of students from Swami Vivekanand Government Model School, Detani had gone to Raniwada in Jalore to attend the competition.

The students were accompanied by the principal and three teachers. Three critically injured girls have been admitted to a hospital in Jodhpur while the others have been admitted to a hospital in Barmer.

The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Ibrahim (50) and Samina (13).
Superstar Aamir Khan has donated Rs 25 lakh towards the Aapada Rahat Kosh to provide succour to the rain-affected families in Himachal Pradesh, the state government said in a statement on Saturday, September 23. The Chief Minister thanked the Bollywood actor and shared that his assistance will surely help the affected people.

Himachal Pradesh CM Thanks Aamir Khan

Expressing his gratitude to the Hindi film actor, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the assistance will undoubtedly support the relief and rehabilitation efforts aimed at helping the affected families to recover from the aftermath of the disaster. The chief minister added the fund will be judiciously utilised and they will ensure that it reaches those in dire need.

Earlier, Sukhu had donated all his savings worth Rs 51 lakh towards the Aapada Rahat Kosh to extend a helping hand to the disaster-affected people of the state. The governments of Haryana, Bihar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have also provided help of over Rs 65 crores to the state to meet the relief and rehabilitation measures. Besides temple trusts, NGOs and individuals have also come forward to help.

All About Heavy Rains In Himachal Pradesh

Heavy rains in the months of July and August have caused huge damage to the road infrastructure, water supply schemes, buildings and other private and public property. A total of 287 people have died in rain-related incidents since the onset of the monsoon on June 24 till September 22. The Chief Minister had claimed that the state suffered losses to the tune of Rs 12,000 crore.

Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha had on Wednesday adopted a resolution by voice vote, urging the union government to declare recent calamity in the state as a national disaster and declaration of special relief package of Rs 12,000 crore for the state.

Aamir Khans Recent and Upcoming Projects

On the work front, Aamir Khan was last seen in Laal Singh Chadha which hit theatres in August 2022 but failed to leave a mark at the box office. Next, the actor will be seen in a remake of the Spanish film Champions. Reportedly, Khan will begin shooting for this movie in January 2024. However, there is no official confirmation regarding this as of now.
Parineeti Chopra is all set to tie the knot with Raghav Chadha in Udaipur today. Fans are waiting for her bridal look. Well, guests are also seen arriving for the wedding. But her cousin Priyanka Chopra was not able to come to the wedding. She skipped the function. However, a video has surfaced online in which the actress was spotted enjoying a musical evening at a Jai Wolf concert with her brother-in-law.

In the video, shared by a fan Bushra Khan, we can see Priyanka wearing a blue colour co-ord set and attending the event. She captioned it as Was last night a dream ?! Got to witness the greatness of @jaiwolfx and the Bangladeshi fire hes lighting up around the world. what a time were living in when 1st generation dreams are coming true. With his parents in the crowd to support ?! (Best part of the night at the end of the video) Also got to finally meet the queen @priyankachopra she was there to support Jai but also to hang w her bro-in-law @franklinjonas  like how cute and wholesome is that. Its such a brown&beautiful family moment. She was soo nice and down to earth and just REAL to talk to. And she knew my face, like WHAT?! She also took a photo w Jais parents after the show and he told us about it all. Such a #kismet moment. Anyways, 10/10 night. Wow. Will never forget. So grateful.

Watch the video here:

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bushra Khan (@b.khanfident)

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadhas pre-wedding celebrations kicked off in Delhi with an ardas ritual, followed by a Sufi night for their guests. They have chosen The Leela Palace in Udaipur as the destination for their wedding. This luxurious venue is situated amidst the picturesque Pichola Lake, surrounded by the majestic Aravali hills, and is known for its opulent and exclusive rooms designed to provide a lavish experience for all the guests. Meanwhile, the Taj Lake Palace has also been booked for the grooms side.

The couple officially got engaged on May 13 at New Delhis Kapurthala House. Up until that point, they had maintained a tight-lipped stance about their relationship. However, rumours regarding their affair and impending marriage had started circulating earlier in the year.
Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra and AAP leader Raghav Chadha are all set to tie the knot at the Leela Palace in Udaipur today in the presence of their families and close friends. The pre-wedding festivities commenced with Ardaas and Kirtan at the politicians Delhi residence, Kapurthala House. Subsequently, the couple and their families reached the City of Lakes for the grand wedding. While Parineetis family background is widely known, Raghavs family has mostly maintained a low profile, likely attributed to his political career.

Raghav Chadha was born on November 11, 1988, in New Delhi, to his parents Sunil Chadha and Alka Chadha. He spent a significant portion of his childhood and youth in the national capital. His father, Sunil Chadha, is a businessman, while his mother, Alka Chadha, is a homemaker. Raghav is the younger of the two siblings and has an elder sister named Gauri Chadha, who is a chartered accountant by profession.

Interestingly, designer Pawan Sachdeva, who has crafted the grooms attire for his engagement and other wedding festivities, happens to be Raghav Chadhas maternal uncle. Raghav and Parineeti got engaged in May 2023 after dating for some time.

On her engagement day, Parineeti Chopra shared sweet moments with her soon-to-be mother-in-law, Alka Chadha and sister-in-law, Gauri Chadha. The photos captured them enjoying the celebration with guests and members of Parineetis family.

Up to this point, Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha have maintained privacy regarding the details of their relationship and how they crossed paths. Nevertheless, reports suggest that they developed their friendship while studying in London. Parineeti Chopra holds a triple Honours degree in business, finance, and economics from the Manchester Business School. Conversely, Raghav pursued his studies at the London School of Economics (LSE). The two reportedly met there.

In the most recent interview with YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia aka Beer Biceps, the AAP leader discussed his first meeting with Parineeti. While he didnt delve into the specifics of their initial encounter, he described it as a magical and organic moment. Raghav Chadha said he feels blessed and is extremely happy to have her as his partner.
Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadha have become the talk of the town as they gear up for their grand wedding in Udaipur today. Guests have arrived at the wedding venue, and the pre-wedding festivities have already taken place. Interestingly, Parineeti has known Raghav since her college days in London, and after many years, the two have decided to tie the knot. But did you know Parineeti Chopra once publicly said that she would never marry a politician?

In an earlier interview with Bollywood Hungama, when asked about which politician she would consider marrying, Parineeti Chopra had firmly stated, There are too many but the problem is I dont want to get married to any politician. She had further added, I dont want to marry any politician, ever. Well, it is said that one should never say never. Years later, the actress eventually got engaged to AAP leader and her friend Raghav Chadha.

"I don't want to marry any politician. I don't want to marry any politician ever," said @ParineetiChopra in a fun #RapidFire with me a few years back https://t.co/FMThcsHIwU pic.twitter.com/eQfizKS4ja Faridoon Shahryar (@iFaridoon) April 2, 2023

Parineeti Chopra and Raghav Chadhas pre-wedding celebrations kicked off in Delhi with an ardas ritual, followed by a Sufi night for their guests. They have chosen The Leela Palace in Udaipur as the destination for their wedding. This luxurious venue is situated amidst the picturesque Pichola Lake, surrounded by the majestic Aravali hills, and is known for its opulent and exclusive rooms designed to provide a lavish experience for all the guests. Meanwhile, the Taj Lake Palace has also been booked for the grooms side.

The couple officially got engaged on May 13 at New Delhis Kapurthala House. Up until that point, they had maintained a tight-lipped stance about their relationship. However, rumours regarding their affair and impending marriage had started circulating earlier in the year.

Meanwhile, the couple is said to have a star-studded guest list for their wedding. Politicians who are expected to attend the wedding may include Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwat Mann, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel.

According to reports, celebrities including Sania Mirza, Karan Johar, Akshay Kumar, Ayushmann Khurrana, and Arjun Kapoor may attend the wedding. Manish Malhotra, who reportedly designed the bride and grooms wedding outfits, is also expected to arrive in Udaipur shortly.
Over 20 days after its theatrical release, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Vijay Deverakonda starrer Kushi is now all set for its OTT release. While it was already confirmed that the romantic drama will be streaming on Netflix, the OTT giant has now announced that the film will be available from October 1, 2023.

Now screaming, kicking and giggling with Khushi because #Kushi is coming to Netflix! Arrives on 1 October in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi! Netflix India announced on Sunday, September 24 as it shared a poster of Kushi on its official Instagram account.

Kushi was released in theatres on September 1. The film revolves around Vijays Viplav and Samanthas Aaradhya who fall in love with each other during their vacation in Kashmir. However, their families disapprove of their love and get involved to make them apart. Following this, Vijay and Samanthas characters decide to prove their families wrong and tie the knot. Differences emerge between the two of them, creating problems in their marriage.

Following its theatrical release, Kushi received largely positive reviews from all. Earlier, Vijay Deverakonda had also issued a statement sharing he was overwhelmed with the response Kushi received. You all waited for 5 years, with me. Patiently waiting for me to do my thing! We did it. Today!! Waking up to this happiness from all around and my phone to hundreds of messages. I cannot help but tear up with emotions. I love you all  Go and enjoyyyyy this one with your friends and familes. Because I know you will Emotional & #Kushi Your man, Vijay Deverakonda, he had written.
Shehnaaz Gill is gearing up for her next release Thank You For Coming with Bhumi Pednekar, Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh, and Shibani Bedi. The trailer has already been released and it has received a lot of love from the audience. Amid this, the actress was spotted today in the city visiting the Lalbaugcha Raja temple. She looked very pretty in pink colour ethnic wear.

Shehnaaz was seen wearing a pink colour kurta with the same colour sharara. To complete the look she opted for bun and applied minimalistic makeup. Fans gathered around her to see and take selfies. Even the star also obliged them. Videos and photos are trending on social media. One of the fans wrote, Loveee you girl. Another wrote, May god bless you with happiness, success and love.

Take a look at the photos here:

Meanwhile, the actress visited the new parliament building on Wednesday, September 20. She was accompanied by her Thank You For Coming co-stars Bhumi Pednekar, Shibani Bedi and Dolly Singh. Following their visit, Shehnaaz called the parliament block beautiful and talked about the proposed Womens Reservation Bill. She mentioned that the bill is a great step and added that it hints towards the progress of the country.

It is a great step. I am a woman. If we are given rights and equal treatment, even parents too will support girls. I come from a small village. The girls are married off so that they get settled. But after this, if girls and boys are treated as equals, a lot of things in the country will change, Shehnaaz told the news agency ANI.

Meanwhile, talking about Thank You For Coming, the film is directed by Karan Boolani and is produced by Rhea Kapoor. The film recently premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. Thank You For Coming features Bhumi Pednekar, Shehnaaz Gill, Kusha Kapila, Dolly Singh, Shibani Bedi and Anil Kapoor in key roles. The film was first premiered at the festival on Friday, September 15 and then on Saturday, September 16. The film is releasing on October 6.
Vijay Sethupathi is regarded as one of the finest actors to have emerged in Indian cinema. From Super Deluxe to Farzi and now Jawan, Vijay Sethupathi has established himself as a pan-India star, with his versatility and an all-round performance. Thus, its only natural for the makers to pursue Vijay Sethupathi for their projects. But even the actor has certain boundaries and parameters set in place through which he likes to filter out work for himself. A fine example of that would be when he turned down to work with Krithi Shetty due to the age gap.

During an old interview, at the promotional event for his action film Laabam, the talented actor had revealed how he was paired with the Uppena fame Krithi Shetty but he felt uncomfortable, subhe Krithi had played his daughter earlier. The actor explained that he could never romance someone whom he considers like his daughter.

Vijay had told News Buzz, While I was shooting for Labham, the makers said they were planning to rope in Krithi Shetty for the female lead role in the film. At that time, Uppena was in the making as well. In Uppena, Krithi Shetty played my daughter. Incidentally, the makers of Laabam were contemplating the idea of roping in Krithi Shetty for the female lead role to act alongside me. But I immediately turned down their advancements. How can I romance an actress who is playing my daughter in a film that is also shot simultaneously? This would have been such an awkward experience. I rejected the prospect of Krithi Shetty playing my love interest in Laabam.

Meanwhile, Vijay Sethupathi has impressed everyone with his character of Kalee Gaekwad in Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan. Helmed by Atlee, the film has been shattering records, even after three weeks since its release. Now Vijay Sethupathi is looking forward to his next big Hindi film Merry Christmas, featuring Katrina Kaif. The Sriram Raghavan directorial is slated to release in December this year.
Back in February 2022, Vikrant Massey and his long-time girlfriend Sheetal Thakur in a initimate ceremony. After over a year later, the couple is now expecting their first child. Over the past one week, there were reports that Vikrant Massey was on his way to embrace parenthood. Now, the Mirzapur actor has finally confirmed the good news.

Vikrant Massey joyfully confirmed the pregnancy news with a heartwarming Instagram post. Sharing a wedding photo with his partner, Sheetal Thakur on Sunday, he captioned it, New beginnings. The post was also accompanied with a text that read, We are expecting! Baby coming 2024.

Take a look:

On hearing this good news, several celebs congratulated the couple on this new journey. Kriti Kharbanda wrote, Congratulations . Gauahar Khan commented, God bless  super congratulations. Raashii Khanna wrote, Badhai ho!!! . Mouni Roy commented, Heartiest congratulations . Neha Dhupia wrote,  welcome to the best hood . Parenthood . Sobhita Dhulipala said, Badhaai hoo!! .

The lovebirds met on the sets of ALT Balajis web show Broken But Beautiful and soon started dating. It was in 2019 November they got engaged in a private ceremony. The couple is extremely private about their marriage.

Earlier in an interview with Indian Today, when Vikrant was asked about his married life with Sheetal, where he shared, My married life has been great. Yes, there are a lot of things that are different now. I feel a lot different but I married my best friend and couldnt have asked for more. I got a new house, and that has also been a blessing. So life is good and God has been very kind, said Vikrant.

Meanwhile on the work front, Vikrant is currently awaiting the release of Vidhu Vinod Chopras 12th Fail, which is all set to hit the theatres on October 27. The film is based on Anurag Pathaks best-selling novel on the journey of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma and IRS officer Shraddha Joshi.

He also has a project with Raashii Khanna for a love story which would be directed by Bodhayan Roy Chaudhury. Apart from these two films, Vikrant also has Aditya Nimbalkars Sector 36, Taapsee Pannus Phir Aayi Haseen Dillruba, and Devang Bhavsars Blackout with Mouni Roy.
Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to distract people from the idea of caste census by triggering controversies through its MPs Ramesh Bidhuri and Nishikant Dubey.

While speaking at a conclave here, the Congress leader said that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative.

He said that Congress is probably winning Telangana, certainly winning in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and we are very close in Rajasthan which we think well be able to win.

That is what BJP is also internally saying, he said.

We learned a very important lesson in Karnataka, and the lesson was that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative, Rahul Gandhi said at The Conclave 2023 organised by Pratidin Media Network and shared by the grand old party on its official X handle.

And so what we did in Karnataka, we fought the election in a way where the BJP could not define the narrative. What youre seeing today, Bidhuri, and then suddenly this Nishikant Dubey, this is all the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the caste census. They know the caste census is a fundamental thing people of India want and they dont want to have discussion. So every time they bring a point on the table to distract us, we have learned how to deal with it, he said.

We have learned how to deal with it. In Karnataka, we gave a clear vision, and now we are in control of the narrative. No matter what they (BJP) try to do, we are now in control of the narrative, he said.

A controversy erupted earlier this week after BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri used derogatory and abusive words at Bahujan Samaj Party MP Kunwar Danish Ali, on the floor of the House.

Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary K.C. Venugopal visited the BSP leader and expressed solidarity with him.

He also said the Congress is controlling the narrative in the states where the elections are due later this year and claimed that the BJP which has put in thousands of crores of rupees to control it during the Bharat Jodo Yatra but couldnt do it.

The opposition is 60 per cent of Indias population and BJP is in for a surprise in 2024, he added.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram are scheduled later this year.
Protests over the Cauvery water dispute intensified in Tamil Nadu on Sunday, with farmers in Trichy demanding the release of river water into their state while pro-Kannada outfits as well as farmers in Karnatakas Mandya also continued to agitate.

The DMK said Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin is doing everything possible to handle the issue diplomatically even though the Karnataka governments argument is that it does not have enough water to send to its neighbouring state.

Though their (Karnataka) argument is that there is a lack of water in Cauvery, at the same time Tamil Nadu is suffering as the delta farmers are totally dependent on agriculture Tamil Nadu government is trying through legal process and, in all possible manner, seeking the support of the union government and jal shakti minister as well as coordinating through all possible sources to settle this issue amicably our CM is very diplomatically handling this issue and we are hopeful that Tamil Nadu will get its due, said DMK MP Tiruchi Siva.

Here is all you need to know about the latest developments:

The protests have intensified in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka as farmers in both states continued their agitation. Pro-Kannada outfits are also protesting over the Cauvery water sharing dispute alongside farmers. In fact, in Karnataka, farmers and organisations observing the Mandya bandh have given a call for shutdown. These pro-Kannada organisations have called for Bengaluru Bandh on September 26. They appealed to schools, colleges, shopkeepers, owners of commercial establishments, factories, companies and transporters to support their call. Reacting to the bandh call, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, The state government is committed to protecting the interest of the state. Yet, the opposition parties are giving a political dimension to the Cauvery issue. He said the state government has made a representation to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) with regard to the release of water to Tamil Nadu. The Karnataka government has said it will take all necessary steps to protect the interest of the people of the state and its farmers, by ensuring water for both crops and drinking water. We have protected the interest of the farmers and people of the state and will continue to do so. Let those who want to do politics on the issue continue to do so, Shivakumar said. Amid protests in different parts of Karnataka and a call for a bandh, police have tightened security across the state. The protests erupted after the Supreme Court refused to interfere with orders of the CWMA and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) directing the state to release 5,000 cusecs of water to neighbouring Tamil Nadu. There are protests in the Cauvery river basin districts of Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagara, Ramanagara, Bengaluru and other parts of the state urging the state not to release water to Tamil Nadu. The agitation has spread to districts like Chitradurga, Ballari, Davangere, Koppal and Vijayapura.

What is the Congress-led Karnataka governments solution?

The Karnataka government has pitched the Mekedatu balancing reservoir project as a solution to settle the Cauvery river water dispute between both states. It has also indicated that the state will initiate the process towards realising the project.

Shivakumar said: Already, 3,000 to 3,500 cusecs of water is flowing to Tamil Nadu as it is, and along with this we will also try to protect the interest of the farmers and drinking water requirements, this is our firm commitment.

He said the state water resources minister did not specify whether Karnataka will comply with the CWMAs order or not. Asked if Karnataka was open to talks with Tamil Nadu, he said, Not now lets see after the 15-day period is over. We have requested the Centre to intervene and hold talks between both states.

As of now 3,000 to 3,500 cusecs water is flowing to Tamil Nadu, and inflow is around 8,000 cusecs. The Mekedatu balancing reservoir project came up during the proceedings in the SC as well. But Tamil Nadu, in the past, has orally said it should not be taken up while the previous state government had filed an affidavit regarding the project. Despite Rs 1,000 crore set aside for the project, work could not be taken up.

What has the Supreme Court and CWMA said?

The CWMA on September 18 asked Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days, after the CWRC made such a recommendation last week.

The SC, meanwhile, has rejected applications of both states. The court refused to interfere with orders of the CWMA and CWRC directing Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu, following which protests erupted in different parts of the state.

What is Karnatakas position on water sharing?

Karnataka has maintained that it is not in a position to release water, taking into account its own requirement for drinking water and irrigation of standing crops in the Cauvery basin areas. There has been water scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains.

Karnataka had approached the apex court seeking a direction to the CWMA to reconsider its order to release 5,000 cusecs to Tamil Nadu. Before the top court pronounced its order, chief minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar called on union jal shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi and told him of the states inability to comply with the CWMAs order.

Why are farmers in both states protesting?

Protests erupted following the SC ruling, with incensed farmers and pro-Kannada outfits in different parts of the state demanding that the state should defy the court order on water release. Mysuru, Mandya, Bengaluru and Chamarajanagara witnessed protests. The protesting farmers tried to block the highway in Chamarajanagara.

The Tamil Nadu government, meanwhile, ruled out any scope for parleys as sought by Karnataka, with state water resources minister Duraimurugan indicating that they will not compromise on its due share.

Theres no scope for talks on the Cauvery issue, as parleys over the years did not yield any results, Duraimurugan said. Farmers in the neighbouring state are also protesting over the water sharing dispute.

Why has the issue flared up yet again?

Karnataka has so far maintained that it will only be able to release river water into Tamil Nadu after taking into account their own needs for drinking water and irrigation. The state government has repeatedly stressed upon the fact that the monsoon-fed rain has been scarce this time, and water levels in reservoirs as dangerously low. This was after Tamil Nadu demanded the release of 24,000 cusecs of water from the state.

What is the history of the Cauvery dispute?

The Cauvery water sharing dispute has remained an emotive issue between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu for long. Its roots can be traced to two agreements in 1892 and 1924 between the Madras Presidency and Kingdom of Mysore.

The Centre established the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) in June 1990 to address disagreements over water sharing capacity between Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Puducherry. In 2018, the SC ruled on how much water should Karnataka keep and how much should it allot to Tamil Nadu. According to that ruling, Karnataka is to allot 177.25 TMC to Tamil Nadu in a normal water year between June and May.

So, this year, Karnataka was to make available a total of 123.14 TMC from June to September. But in August, Tamil Nadu asked for 15,000 cusecs of water for 15 days. But the amount of water was reduced to 10,000 cusecs by the CWMA on August 11. The Stalin-led government has, however, alleged that Karnataka has not even released 10,000 cusecs.

(With PTI inputs)
The opposition on Sunday alleged Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis pushed a man during his visit to a flood-affected area in Nagpur city, a charge rejected by the ruling BJP. Maharashtra Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) shared a video of Fadnavis visiting a rain-hit area on X and accused him of pushing away a resident, which they described as an arrogance of power.

The video clip shows some women arguing with the police and security personnel accompanying Fadnavis and apparently demanding that he visit their houses. Meanwhile, Fadnavis pulled a man, who was seen with the women, towards him and started talking with him.

Instead of spending his nights in disguise to bring down the MVA government. Devendra Fadnavis should have spent his Days serving the people of his hometown Nagpur. Had he done that, he probably would not have faced the Anger of these people. P.S His behaviour here is not acceptable, NCP national spokesperson Clyde Crasto alleged on X and tagged the video to his post.

Reacting to the video, Maharashtra BJP said the statements by the opposition are misleading and politically motivated. During Fadnavis visit to a flood-affected area in Nagpur, many residents wanted him to visit their homes. However, it is not possible to visit all the homes. Meanwhile, a resident was adamant that Fadnavis visit his house. As the police were stopping that person, Fadnavis held his hand and brought him near to tell him he would also visit his home, the BJP posted on X.

There is no harm in people wanting Fadnavis, a local MLA, to visit their home because everybody in Nagpur likes him, the BJP said. It is disgusting and the height of shamelessness that such incidents are politicised by those who never mix with people, the BJP said in a veiled dig at former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

The BJP has also posted a video of Fadnavis visiting the home of the man seen in the video. Congratulations to Uddhav Thackeray and Congress for abandoning the constructive work of the opposition party and accepting the work of the trolling gang! As people of the state rejected you, you have no other job. So stay tuned, the BJP added.

In the morning, Fadnavis visited areas in the vicinity of Ambazari Lake, the citys largest waterbody, which breached its boundaries on Saturday due to heavy rains. Extremely heavy rainfall of 109 mm in three hours, including 90 mm between 2 am and 4 am on Saturday, inundated several areas of the city, he said.

As many as 10,000 homes have been affected. Mud has entered houses. The administration is providing medicines and help in cleaning up flood-affected areas. The level of damage is serious. The amount of rainfall was higher than the carrying capacity of the area, he told reporters.

Four persons, including a 53-year-old bedridden woman, died in rain-related incidents, while more than 400 people had to be shifted to safety on Saturday.
BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, who is under fire for his alleged communal remarks against BSP lawmaker Danish Ali, on Sunday refused to comment on the controversy and said Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is looking into the matter.

The alleged remarks were made by the BJP MP on the floor of the Lok Sabha during a discussion on Chandrayaan 3, the countrys successful lunar landing mission on September 21, the last day of the special session of Parliament.

When asked about his comments on the controversy, Bidhuri said, No comment. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla is looking into the matter..

#WATCH | Delhi: When asked about the remarks made against BSP MP Danish Ali in Lok Sabha, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri says, Speaker (Om Birla) is looking into that, I dont want to make any comment about it. pic.twitter.com/l53brKW7qp ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023

The BJP on Friday issued a show cause notice to Bidhuri for his use of objectionable words against Ali in Lok Sabha.

BSP MP Danish Ali wrote to Speaker Birla regarding the issue and several Opposition members also called for Bidhuris dismissal from the Lower House as well as the BJP.

The BJP leaders remark came during the discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 in the Lower House of Parliament. Yeh ugrawaaadi (militant), Yeh aatankwaadi hai, ugrawaadi hai, Yeh aantankwaadi (terrorist) hai, Bidhuri can be heard saying during proceedings.

Oppn Demands Bidhuris Suspension from LS

Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury demanded suspension of the BJP MP from Lok Sabha and said the matter should be sent to privilege committee.

VIDEO | Parliament was disrespected by those utterances (of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri). We have demanded suspension of the BJP MP from Lok Sabha Speaker, says Congress MP @adhirrcinc on BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuris remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali in Lok Sabha. pic.twitter.com/rWoZA7mEZz Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 24, 2023

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to distract people by triggering controversies through its MPs Ramesh Bidhuri and Nishikant Dubey.

While speaking at a conclave in the national capital, the Congress leader said that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative.

Speaking to ANI, BJP leader and MP Ravi Kishan said that no member should be allowed to get away with such comments in a temple of democracy.

His remarks were unpardonable. I have many Muslim friends, some of whom are associated with show business. We have appeared in films together over the years. What Ramesh Bidhuri said about Danish Ali in Parliament was not at all in good taste, he added.

Danish Ali Demands Probe into Dubeys Allegations

Meanwhile, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Saturday said that the Lok Sabha Speaker should also probe the indecent conduct and remarks of Danish Ali.

Taking to X formerly known as Twitter, Dubey said, But the Lok Sabha Speaker should also probe the indecent remarks and conduct of Danish Ali. Under Lok Sabha rules, obstructing another MP during the time allotted to him, speaking while sitting and giving a running commentary also call for punishment.

He, however, also condemned Bidhuris comments, saying no decent society can justify them and they cannot be condemned enough.

Reacting to Dubeys statement, the BSP MP said BJP MP Nishikant Dubeys letter to the Lok Sabha Speaker is to create a narrative pertaining to my lynching outside the House as my verbal lynching already took place.

Ali demanded an investigation into Dubeys allegations.

VIDEO | BJP MP Nishikant Dubeys letter (to Lok Sabha Speaker) is to create a narrative pertaining to my lynching outside the House as my verbal lynching already took place, says BSP MP @KDanishAli on Nishikant Dubeys letter to the Speaker seeking probe on his conduct. pic.twitter.com/lSIL3wjEu5 Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 24, 2023

Past Controversies Of Ramesh Bidhuri

This is not the first instance of the BJP MP facing backlash. He has had a history of controversial remarks.

Last year, when a parent went to seek help from him in a matter related to school, Bidhuri allegedly replied, Why do you give birth to a child in the first place? This sparked off a huge furore which eventually died down.

He also sparked off another controversy when he made a similar communal statement. He said, Wherever Muslims are in the minority, we speak of human rights. But wherever they are in the majority, violence breaks out.

(with PTI inputs)
Haryana Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala has indicated that he is not averse to contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and may take the step if the BJP offers him a ticket.

Politics is the art of the possible, Ranjit Chautala, an Independent MLA from Rania in Sirsa district, said.

The states power and jails minister said when he won from the Rania seat in the 2019 assembly elections, no one predicted that the BJP would fall short of the majority mark and need support to form the government.

Ranjit Chautala said he was the first to offer unconditional support to the BJP after it fell short of a majority.

In 2019, the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) and Independents extended support to the BJP after which it formed the government in Haryana.

When I won the election, I did not know that I would have to support the BJP two hours later  Today, I have a certain comfort level with the BJP and they also trust me a lot, Ranjit Chautala said.

If the BJP offers, I can consider, he said about contesting the Lok Sabha polls.

Ranjit Chautala, however, ruled out contesting the polls as an Independent.

I want to state this clearly that I can fight the Vidhan Sabha (elections) as an Independent but, in the Lok Sabha, there will be a direct fight between the BJP and the Congress (in Haryana), he said.

The Haryana minister also indicated his preference for Hisar if he is to contest the general elections.

At the same time, he said the Chautala family has received a lot of love and affection in Haryana and people have backed its members wherever they entered the fray.

For our family, there is no barrier. Chaudhary Devi Lal became an MP from Sonipat, Rohtak, and he had once defeated Congress stalwart Balram Jakhar in Rajasthans Sikar, he said.

(Ranjit Chautalas nephew) Ajay (Chautala) was elected as MP from Bhiwani. From our family, at present, Naina (Chautala) is MLA from the Badhra segment while (Deputy Chief Minister) Dushyant (Chautala) is the legislator from Uchana. Our family can contest from anywhere and win, he said.

The BJP and the JJP  headed by Ajay Chautala  have been non-committal on if they would contest the 2024 Lok Sabha and the assembly polls in an alliance. In case the parties contest separately, Ranjit Chautala is likely to emerge as the saffron partys choice from one of the 10 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

The BJP has 41 MLAs in the 90-member Haryana Assembly while the Congress has 30 and the JJP 10. Six of the seven Independent MLAs support the BJP-led government. The Haryana Lokhit Party, which supports the Khattar government, and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have one MLA each.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won all 10 seats in Haryana.

Ranjit Chautala is former deputy prime minister Devi Lals son and the brother of INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala.

Meanwhile, Ranjit Chautala announced that he will host the followers of Devi Lal and other common people for lunch in Sirsa on the birth anniversary of the former deputy prime minister on September 25.

He also plans to hold a rally in Devi Lals memory in Hisar in February and invite the prime minister, home minister, chief minister and other top BJP leaders.

Asked about the opposition INDIA bloc, Ranjit Chautala said there is no leader who has the stature of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Today, the BJP is a strong and the largest party and other parties are facing threats to their existence. Hence, its rivals are looking at how to survive in this scenario. So, coming together has become a compulsion rather than being driven by any common ideology, he said.

Parties such as the INLD, which opposed the Congress all along, too are contemplating being a part of this baraat, which already has 40-odd leaders.

Ranjit Chautala also heaped praise on Modi and said Indias prestige rose globally under his government.

Be it any issue, the entire world waits to see what India has to say on that  global leaders praised India and Modi over the successful hosting of the G20 Summit, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to unveil a massive 72-feet statue of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay, the co-founder of BJPs predecessor Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in the national capital on Monday. The brass statue will be erected at a park named after the leader opposite BJP headquarters on Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg in Delhi.

Monday is the birth anniversary of Deen Dayal Upadhyay who had drafted the Jan Sanghs political doctrine.

Work on the statue has been progressing for few months now. A proponent of Hindutva who started a monthly publication named Rashtra Dharma in 1940, Upadhyays statue would show him in his quintessential attire  kurta, dhoti and a sleeveless jacket.

Security was beefed up at the park over the weekend with a last-minute beautification drive on. Sources said the PM will unveil the statue at 7pm.

In 2020, PM Modi had unveiled a 63-feet statue of Deen Dayal Upadhyay in his Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi. The pancha loha statue was so far the tallest statue of the BJP ideologue in the country, but would be surpassed by the Delhi installation on Monday.

Over 200 artisans had worked for almost a year to complete the statue in Varanasi and around 30 Odisha craftsmen and artists had worked on the project. Similar details of the Delhi statue are yet to be known.

Along with Shyama Prasad Mookherjee, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya occupies an important position in BJPs history.

Born in 1916 in Mathura, Upadhyaya was an RSS functionary and one of the founding members of the Jan Sangh. He had launched Panchjanya in 1948 which continues to be the Sangh mouthpiece today.

Upadhyayas philosophy of integral humanism and antyodaya (uplifting the most deprived) has been cited by PM Modi as a guiding principle for his governments welfare measures.

In internal meetings, Amit Shah and JP Nadda have cited Upadhyayas example to show how a foot soldier can rise to become the party president. Finally came the red letter day in the annals of the Jan Sangh when this utterly unassuming leader of the party was raised to the high position of President in the year 1968, is how the BJP records describe Upadhyayas journey to the top post.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab has come under fire from opposition parties over the increasing debts, with accusations that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is pushing the state into a financial crisis.

The issue of increasing debts has also been flagged by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit in a letter to the state government, claiming the debt had risen by Rs 50,000 crore under the AAP dispensation

Former cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu termed the issue raised by Governor very serious. The states debt-to-GDP ratio is nearing 50%, which is much higher than the national average. The states debt is now at an unsustainable level, and in one year six months, debt increment of about Rs 70,000 crores in two years means that an economic crisis stares at us, Sidhu told reporters.

Sidhu claimed that the rapidly increasing debt in Punjab is a result of continued corruption and vote bank politics of the AAP. The politics of freebies is hitting Punjab in irreparable ways, PSPCL borrowings from banks are at more than Rs 18,000 crore and loans for digital meter installation at Rs 9,641 crore. In addition to this, arrears of subsidy and outstanding bills from the Punjab government are at Rs 9,020 crore and Rs 2,548 crore, respectively. PSPCL today is mortgaged and sold out, he stated.

Echoing similar sentiments, Punjab Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sunil Jakhar said the AAP governments badlaav has pushed the state into the financial crisis. From April to July this year, the AAP has already taken over Rs 11,718 crore as loan, Jakhar said in a Facebook post.

Reading out the report of the office of Principal Accountant General, the veteran leader said of the Rs 11,718 crore, merely Rs 900 crore had been spent constructively and rest all had gone up in smoke at the whims and fancies of the incumbent dispensation. Jakhar also urged all Punjabis to ask questions to this regime which thrives on fake propaganda, advertisements and personal aggrandisement.

I thank the Governor for setting the proverbial cat among the pigeon by asking Mann about the utilisation details of about Rs 50,000 crore which this government has burdened Punjabis with, Jakhar said.

Given the track record, I am not very hopeful of a genuine response by the AAP leadership to queries raised by the Governor, Jakhar said, adding thanks to the Governors missive, Punjabis have started asking, Where is the money, Mann Sahib?

Jakhar said both the Delhi and Punjab CMs have fooled people. Where are those Rs 40,000 crore additional revenue to be generated from transparent auctioning of sand pits and sale of alcohol which Arvind Kejriwal used to scream about during the Assembly elections, Jakhar asked.
Amid the row over BJP legislator Ramesh Bidhuris slurs against BSP MP Danish Ali, Congress chief whip in Lok Sabha Kodikunnil Suresh on Saturday wrote to Speaker Om Birla demanding the immediate suspension of South Delhi MP. Suresh said Bidhuri has brought immense shame to the House with his vile and communal remarks against Ali.

Suresh is among several opposition leaders seeking stringent punishment for Bidhuri after Birla warned the BJP MP of strict action if such behaviour is repeated.

Suresh, who is a member of the chairpersons panel, was presiding over the Lok Sabha proceedings at the time of the incident. A member of the panel presides over House proceedings when both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are not present.

The Congress leader noted that as the translation services were not optimal and the House was erupting in protest, he could not make out the exact meaning of the Bidhuris utterances but sensing the situation he ensured that the hate-filled remarks were permanently expunged.

While speaking in Lok Sabha on Thursday during the late-night discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 and the achievements of Indias space programme, BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri used abusive words against BSP MP Danish Ali.

An MP behaving like a hatemonger in the hallowed halls of our democracy is a shocking aberration which must never be tolerated and the matter should be referred to the privilege committee so that Ali gets justice, he said.

I am writing this letter to request your goodself to take the most immediate action on the matter cited herewith. Ever since I have assumed the responsibility of being on the panel of Chairpersons in the Lok Sabha, it has been my endeavour to ensure the spirit of the constitution and uphold the values of the August House, the MP said.

The Congress leader further asserted that the most appalling and unfortunate incident that shook the very core of every value to which we all stand guard, took place in the new Parliament House where Ramesh Bidhuri, a BJP MP misbehaved and brought immense shame to the house.

Suresh said he is utterly shocked and absolutely repulsed at the fact that a Member of Parliament of the ruling party could openly make such heinous comments and make derogatory remarks, based on a fellow members religion and threaten him with assault outside the parliament precincts.

This incident has brought unfathomable shame and loss of dignity for the House, he said, adding that a Member of Parliament behaving like a hatemonger in the hallowed halls of our democracy is a shocking aberration which must never be tolerated.

The very House, where Constitution is preserved and fundamental rights are guarded, has become a place of religious hatred and discrimination against a Member of Parliament.

Therefore, I request that strictest possible actions against Ramesh Bidhuri MP, including his suspension from the house and an express reference of the matter to the Privileges Committee be undertaken and justice is granted to Danish Ali MP, who was insulted and harassed in the Lok Sabha at the earliest, Suresh added.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had expressed regret over Bidhuris remarks in the House and the BJP had issued a show-cause notice to the MP from South Delhi.

(With PTI Input)
Al Maha Petroleum Products Marketing, recently announced the signing of a distributorship agreement with Al Qalaf Marine Services for the exclusive distribution of AMPRO AQUA 4S, a cutting-edge 4-stroke marine engine oil.

With this agreement, Al Qalaf Marine will serve as the exclusive distributor of AMPRO AQUA 4S four stroke marine engine oil across the Sultanate of Oman.

In addition to traditional distribution channels, Al Qalaf Marine will make this high-performance marine engine oil accessible through their online portal, ensuring convenience and efficiency for marine enthusiasts across the country.

Hafidh Bait Hadeed, Head of Sales, remarked, Al Qalaf's expertise in the marine industry and extensive reach align seamlessly with our commitment to delivering quality products to our customers. Together, we aim to elevate the maritime experience in Oman."

Aqil Al Bharani, the CEO of Al Qalaf Marine Services expressed excitement about this partnership, saying, "Our collaboration with Al Maha Petroleum Products Marketing Co SAOG is a significant milestone in our journey to provide top-notch solutions to the boating community in Oman. With AMPRO AQUA 4S oil, we are set to enhance the performance and longevity of marine engines, ensuring a smooth sailing experience. The product is already available in the market and online at Al Qalaf marine App."--OGN/ TradeArabia News Service
Humans of Bombay organisation is being brutally trolled after the copyright infringement case backfired on social media. The platform began as a Facebook Page in 2014 by founder Karishma Mehta. The recent controversy started when the organisation filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against an online storytelling portal People of India for copyright infringement.

Also Read: Humans of Bombay Founder Talks About Her Privilege, Gets Brutally Trolled on Twitter

A little while after that Humans of New York founder Brandon Stanton took to X and shared his opinion on India-based storytelling. He accused them of copying his idea of Humans of New York. Also, he criticised the company for filing a lawsuit against another storytelling platform. Brandons statement did not only bring in criticism for the organisation but it was also accompanied by trolls.

Many people came forth and brutally trolled the organisation on X.

Everybody and everybody's uncle now talking of issues they had with Human of Bombay. Ironically never before they stated any of this, but now of course is the time.It's telling no, everybody pouncing the moment someone goes down. Very village folk burning witches on stake Abijit Ganguly (@AbijitG) September 24, 2023

Humans of Bombay is just another woke & cool organisation that has been given unnecessary fame by the people. #Watch: mocking & disrespecting the National Anthem is also cool for them. pic.twitter.com/nveqJbZAZC Diksha Verma (@dikshaaverma) September 24, 2023

Adibas telling Adidas they're "shocked" and that one shouldn't blame them for suing Abidas https://t.co/5tPKukH6R2 June Paul (@journojuno) September 23, 2023

humans of bombay employees pic.twitter.com/TMz8yzrmV5 vipin (@djfrankkie) September 24, 2023

One person also shared how Humans of Bombays X bio is copied from Humans of New York.

Intellectual property  one story at a time. pic.twitter.com/bRfxs4KpMk Trendulkar (@Trendulkar) September 23, 2023

The trolls did not just stay confined to the organisation but also looped in founder Karishma Mehta. Many people called her out for promoting toxic workspace environment. Dont even get started on the toxic work culture at that place: there are employees whove quit citing harassment, abuse, lack of pay, and punishing work hours. A cheap ripoff sitting on the moral high horse is peak South Bombay entitlement. Hope it comes out one day, wrote an X user.

Humans of Bombay should do a story on how #KarishmaMehta 's left ear survived that earring pic.twitter.com/3ohJmdigUk Soirse INDIA (@SaoirseAF) September 24, 2023

Karishma Mehta Humans of Bombay behen bhagwaan se toh darr Ria Chopra (@riachops) September 23, 2023

just found out humans of bombay have sued some page for copyright infringement LMAO have some shame karishma mehta vita (@kebabandcoke) September 23, 2023

Also Read: Humans of Bombay Sues People of India Over Copyright Infringement, HONY Founder Reacts

HOB is an Indian photoblog website which features the most wholesome stories about the people residing in the metropolitan city. It covers a mixed bag of stories that best emulate the spirit of the city.
Humans of Bombay recently filed a lawsuit in the Delhi High Court against an online storytelling portal People of India for copyright infringement. For those who dont know, Humans of Bombay is an Indian photoblog website which has the best and most wholesome stories about the people residing in the metropolitan city. The popularity of all digital platforms of Humans of Bombay remains uncontested, but it is the stories that set it apart. It covers a mixed bag of stories that best emulate the spirit of the city. The platform was started as a Facebook Page in 2014 by founder Karishma Mehta.

Also Read: Humans of Bombay Founder Talks About Her Privilege, Gets Brutally Trolled on Twitter

Humans of New York founder Brandon Stanton took to X and shared his opinion on the India-based storytelling. He criticised the company for filing a lawsuit against another storytelling platform and accused them of copying his own

initiative.

I've stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if they've monetized far past anything I'd feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you can't be suing people for what I've forgiven you for. https://t.co/0jZM05YyTt Brandon Stanton (@humansofny) September 23, 2023

Ive stayed quiet on the appropriation of my work because I think @HumansOfBombay shares important stories, even if theyve monetised far past anything Id feel comfortable doing on HONY. But you cant be suing people for what Ive forgiven you for, he wrote in the post.

He claimed that HOB can not sue people for doing something that he forgave them. Brandons post has garnered global attention. Many people were seen sharing their own opinions. this is not done. You must drop the lawsuit. If youve taken inspiration from Humans Of New York and they have been kind, you must afford the same liberty to others, wrote an X user.

Also Read: KIIT Bhubneshwar Slammed After Dead Frog Found in Hostels Food, College Responds

Meanwhile, earlier, a video showed HOB founder Karishma Mehta talking about her privilege. The video became a reason for her being trolled. She says, I am privileged..in the sense that I come from a family that sent me abroad to study, that invested a lot in my education. She also explained how she started Humans of Bombay with a loan worth Rs 1 Lakh. The thought did not go that well with people on X and soon she became the target of trollers.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sunday signalled a major foreign policy shift away from Russia, following Moscows refusal to enter the latest conflict with Azerbaijani over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Pashinyan told the nation in a televised address that his former Soviet republics current foreign security alliances were ineffective and insufficient.

He added that Armenia should join the International Criminal Court (ICC)  a tribunal which has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his actions in Ukraine.

The systems of external security in which Armenia is involved are ineffective when it comes to the protection of our security and Armenias national interests, Pashinyan said.

His address aired just days after Azerbaijan claimed full control over Nagorno-Karabakh after a lightning offensive that forced rebels in the ethnic Armenian territory to agree to disarm.

The separatists apparent capitulation could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged  off and on  through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO)  a Russian-dominated group comprised of six post-Soviet states.

The group pledges to protect other members that come under attack.

But Russia is bogged down in a war in Ukraine and has grown more isolated on the international stage.

It argued that Yerevan itself had recognised the disputed region as part of Azerbaijan, and refused to come to Armenias aid.

It has become evident to all of us that the CSTO instruments and the instruments of the Armenian-Russian military-political cooperation are insufficient for protecting the external security of Armenia, he said.

We must transform and supplement the instruments of Armenias external and domestic security, in cooperation with all the partners who are ready for mutually beneficial steps, Pashinyan said.

 Respect our sovereignty 

Pashinyans address came after days of increasingly strong criticism in Moscow of what has been Russias main ally in the volatile Caucasus.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday accused Armenia of adding fuel to the fire with its public rhetoric.

Moscow had earlier this month summoned Armenias ambassador following its decision to host US forces for small peacekeeping drills.

Russian state television commentators have been attacking Pashinyan and other Armenian leaders for their criticism of Moscow.

Pashinyans comments about the ICC threaten to generate particular anger in the Kremlin.

ICC judge Tomoko Akane issued an arrest warrant for Putin in March for the war crime of allegedly unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.

Putin has avoided visiting other ICC member nations to avoid the possibility of arrest.

Pashinyan sent the Rome Statute  a founding document of the ICC  for parliamentary ratification earlier this month.

The Armenian leader said the ICC could help ensure our security.

The decision is not directed against CSTO and the Russian Federation, Pashinyan said of his desire to join the tribunal.

He concluded his address by calling on our colleagues to respect out sovereignty.

 Aggravating tensions 

Independent Armenia analyst Beniamin Matevosyan said Pashinyan was deliberately aggravating tensions with Russia.

He is openly telling Russia: if you dont help keep Armenians in Karabakh, Ill quit CSTO, he said.

Matevosyan said the Nagorno-Karabakh supporters and people with roots in the region were leading the protests that have been simmering across Armenia in the past few days.

He is afraid of the 120,000-strong mass of people (from Karabakh). He is seeing that so many Karabakhis are taking part in the street protests these days, Matevosyan told AFP.

Pashinyans new diplomatic line is also running up against the hard reality that Russia still has a military base in the Armenian city of Gyumri that offers Moscow important geopolitical influence.

The base is believed to house 3,000 soldiers and has existed since World War II.

Armenia analyst Hakob Badalyan added that, in view of the war in Ukraine, Western powers may be unwilling to become more involved in the region.

The West doesnt want to assume the responsiblity, Badalyan said. It is telling Armenia: negotiate and make peace with (rivals) Turkey and Azerbaijan.

Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognised as part of mostly Muslim Azerbaijan.

But its status has been under dispute for centuries.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev will hold a pre-arranged meeting in Spain next month despite Bakus lightning offensive against Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh, Yerevan said on Sunday.

The talks on October 5 in Grenada will include French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and European Council chief Charles Michel, the Armenian security council said in a statement, adding that officials will meet to prepare the talks next week.

France, Germany and the European Union have been key players in attempts to resolve the decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The ethnically Armenian region is internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, but has been run by a separatist administration for three decades.

The rebels agreed to disarm under the terms of a ceasefire reached on Wednesday.

Pashinyan and Aliyev last met in July in Brussels.
The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washingtons ongoing concerns about the Israeli governments treatment of Palestinian Americans.

U.S. officials say an announcement of Israels entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israels admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.

The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the matter who spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced.

Blinkens recommendation is expected to be delivered no later than Tuesday, the officials said, and the final announcement will come just eight days after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

The leaders did not raise the issue in their brief remarks to reporters at that meeting but it has been a subject of intense negotiation and debate for months as has been the Biden administrations effort to secure a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The State Department had no immediate comment about the visa waiver program. The White House referred questions to the Homeland Security Department.

Israels admission has been a priority for successive Israeli leaders and will be a major accomplishment for Netanyahu, who has sparred frequently with the Biden administration over Iran, the Palestinian conflict and most recently a proposed remake of Israels judicial system that critics say will make the country less democratic.

Netanyahus far-right government has drawn repeated U.S. criticism over its treatment of Palestinians, including its aggressive construction of West Bank settlements, its opposition to Palestinian statehood and incendiary anti-Palestinian comments by senior Cabinet ministers.

The U.S. move will give a welcome boost at home to Netanyahu. He has faced months of mass protests against his judicial plan and is likely to come under criticism from the Palestinians, who say the U.S. should not be rewarding the Israeli government at a time when peace efforts are at a standstill.

Israel met two of the three most critical criteria over the past two years  a low percentage of visa application rejections and a low visa overstay rate  to join the U.S. program. It had struggled to meet the third, which is a requirement for reciprocity that means all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel.

Claiming national security reasons, Israel has long had separate entry requirements and screening processes for Palestinian Americans. Many complained that the procedures were onerous and discriminatory. Americans with Palestinian residency documents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were largely barred from using Israels international airport. Instead, like other Palestinians, they were forced to travel through either Jordan or Egypt to reach their destinations.

In recent months, Israel has moved to adjust its entry requirements for Palestinian Americans, including allowing them to fly in and out of Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and going directly to the West Bank and Israel proper, according to the officials. Israel also has pledged to ease movement for Palestinian Americans traveling in and out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

New regulations took effect earlier this month to codify the changes, although concerns remain and the Homeland Security Department intends to stress in its announcement that it will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that Israel complies, according to the officials. Failure to comply could result in Israels suspension from the program, the officials said.

Palestinian American activists have been critical of the impending decision, which has been expected for some time due to the priority placed on it by both the Israeli and U.S. governments.

There are so many problems with this decision, said Yousef Munayyer, the head of the Palestine-Israel Program and senior fellow at Arab Center Washington. The reciprocity requirement is clearly still not being met since Israeli policy continues to treat some Americans, specifically Palestinian Americans, differently. The administration however seems committed at the highest levels to overlooking this continued discrimination against American citizens to rush Israel into the program before the deadline. Munayyer said it was unclear why the Biden administration seems dead set on offering political victories for Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when his far-right government is outraging Palestinians and many Israelis with their extremist agenda. Under the waiver program, Israelis will be able to travel to the U.S. for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days without a visa simply by registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization.

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Pakistans interim prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has rejected the possibility that the countrys powerful military would manipulate the results to ensure that jailed former premier Imran Khans party doesnt win as absolutely absurd. In an interview with The Associated Press (AP) on Friday, Kakar said its the Election Commission that is going to conduct the vote next year, not the military, and Khan appointed the commissions current chief, so why would he turn in any sense of the word against him?

Kakar was a little-known first-time senator from Pakistans least-populated, least-developed province, Balochistan, when he was tapped to be the caretaker prime minister. He resigned as a senator last month after outgoing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raza Riaz chose him as caretaker PM to oversee the elections and run the country until a new government is elected.

The top poll body announced Thursday that the elections would take place during the last week in January, delaying the vote which was to be held in November under the constitution. On the issue of general election, the interim PM said that when the commission sets an exact election date, his government will provide all the assistance, financial, security or other related requirements.

Asked whether he would recommend that judges overturn Khans conviction so he could run in the elections, the prime minister said he wouldnt interfere with decisions by the judiciary. He said that the judiciary should not be used as a tool for any political ends.

We are not pursuing anyone on a personal vendetta, Kakar to AP. But yes, we will ensure that the law is appropriate. Anyone, be it Imran Khan or any other politician who violates, in terms of their political behavior, the laws of the country, then the restoration of the law has to be ensured. We cannot equate that with  political discrimination.

He said fair elections can take place without Khan or hundreds of members of his party who are jailed because they engaged in unlawful activities including vandalism and arson, a reference to the violence that rocked the country following Khans initial arrest in May. Kakar added that the thousands of people in Khans party who didnt engage in unlawful activities, will be running the political process, they will be participating in the elections.

The Pakistani military has been behind the rise and fall of governments, with some of Khans supporters suggesting there is de facto military rule in Pakistan. Kakar, who reportedly has close ties to the military, said those allegations are part and parcel of our political culture, to which he pays no attention. He called his governments working relationship with the military very smooth, as well as very open and candid.

We do have challenges of civil-military relationships, Im not denying that, he said, but there are very different reasons for the imbalance. After one month leading the government, he said that civil institutions in Pakistan have deteriorated in terms of performance for the last many decades while the military is disciplined, has organizational capabilities and has improved over the past four decades.

Kakar insisted that the solution is to gradually improve the performance of the civilian institutions rather than weakening the current military organisation, because thats not going to solve any of our problems. Over Pakistans souring ties with neighbouring Afghanistan, Kakar said there are some serious security challenges from the Afghan side, pointing to the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, the Islamic State and other extremist groups, who at times vie for influence with each other.

When asked whether the government had requested the Taliban to extradite the leadership and fighters from the TTP, he said they are in contact with authorities in Kabul, but there is nothing specific which I can share with you. The international community has withheld recognition of the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan.

Kakar said a meeting of regional leaders to discuss what incentives and changes of behaviour the Taliban would need to make for recognition to be considered hasnt been finalized, but I think were heading toward that milestone. He said the regional forum should try to find a unified approach, then try to get broader consensus and convey it to the Taliban.

Along with the of worst economic crises in its history, Pakistan has been in deepening political turmoil since April last year when Khan was removed from office following a no-confidence vote in Parliament. He was arrested in early August on corruption charges and sentenced to three years in prison, later suspended though he still remains in jail.
Bhutans Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji on Saturday lauded India for achieving consensus at the G20 summit, saying that Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves recognition for championing the inclusion of the African Union in the bloc. Speaking at an event on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Dorji said the G20 Summit in New Delhi marked a significant milestone with the admission of the African Union as its newest member.

He also acknowledged Indias adept diplomacy in achieving a unanimous consensus on the comprehensive joint declaration during the New Delhoi summit. I want to congratulate India for the remarkable success of the G20 Summit held recently in New Delhi. This Summit marked a significant milestone with the admission of the African Union as its newest member, ensuring the representation of all 55 African countries within the G20, which was previously limited to South Africa alone. Undoubtedly, PM Narendra Modi deserves recognition for championing the inclusion of the African Union in the G20, he said.

Dorji noted that PM Modis prior proposal for the African Unions (AU) entry into the bloc laid the foundation for the historic decision. Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge and commend Prime Minister Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for their adept diplomacy in achieving unanimous consensus on the comprehensive Joint Declaration on the opening day of the Summit, as well as the successful launch of the India Middle East Europe Corridor, the minister said.

Terming Indias ties with the Global South as dynamic and multifaceted, the minister said that India has robust bilateral ties with numerous nations in the Global South and places significant emphasis on South-South cooperation. This cooperative approach involves collaborations among these nations to foster mutual development through various forums and initiatives. India also extends technical assistance and concessional loans to support development projects in partner countries. The Vaccine Maitri Initiative, which was one of the biggest humanitarian initiatives undertaken by India, has provided covid vaccines to nearly 100 countries around the world, he added.

Dorji highlighted how the India-Bhutan partnership serves as a remarkable example of strong bilateral ties in the Global South. Tandi Dorji said that Indias constructive role has not only boosted Bhutans economy but also enhanced its energy security. The enduring partnership between Bhutan and India serves as a remarkable example of strong bilateral relations in the Global South. Rooted in shared values and historical ties, this partnership spans various sectors, including trade, education and development, he said.

Underlining Indias consistent support for Bhutans socioeconomic development, he said New Delhis role has not only boosted Bhutans economy but also enhanced regional energy security. The minister described India as a stalwart leader of the Global South. Praising New Delhi for its stewardship of the G20 Presidency, Bhutans foreign minister said that New Delhi has played a pivotal role in advocating the concerns and interests of the developing countries.
Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in a raid in the West Bank Sunday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the army launched new drone strikes on the blockaded Gaza Strip. Violence has surged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since early last year, particularly in the West Bank where eight Palestinians have now been killed in Israeli incursions since Tuesday.

Two Palestinians were killed by live Israeli bullets to the head during the pre-dawn raid, the ministry said.

The army said one of its soldiers was moderately injured by gunshot fragments during clashes in Nur Shams refugee camp near the town of Tulkarem.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the two killed as Osaid Abu Ali, 21, and Abd al-Rahman Abu Daghash, 32.

Palestinian militant group Hamas said that martyr Osaid Abu Ali was one of its fighters. Ibrahim al-Nimer, a representative of the Palestinian Prisoners Club advocacy group in the camp, told AFP that the army entered the camp after 2:00 am  and demolished streets and some houses.

The army said it had dismantled an operational command centre inside a building which contained observation devices, computers and technological devices. During the activity, suspects opened fire and hurled explosive devices at the forces, who responded with live fire, it said.

Separately on Sunday, the army said it carried out new drone strikes on the Gaza Strip targeting two military posts of the Islamist group Hamas, amid ongoing protests in the enclave.

Surge in army raids

An AFP journalist who toured the Nur Shams camp hours after the raid saw that a roof of a building and its walls had fully caved in, as residents inspected the damage. Several military vehicles had entered the camp during the night, resident Omar Sabhan told AFP.

The situation was very scary. Snipers were stationed  and they shot anything that moved, he said.

He added that residents of the camp backed Palestinian resistance groups.

Everyone wants this resistance. This is a legitimate right, he said.

Later on Sunday, crowds of mourners attended the funeral of the two Palestinians. Israeli forces had raided the same camp on September 5, and a member of the Islamic Jihad militant group had been shot dead at the time. Recent months have seen a surge in military raids and a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis, as well as an increase in Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank.

Israel has occupied the West Bank  now home to some three million Palestinians  since the Six-Day War of 1967. Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements that are considered illegal under international law.

The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it occupied in the Six-Day War and to dismantle all Jewish settlements. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus hard-right government has pushed forward settlement expansion.

After a meeting in Beirut, three Palestinian factions  Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)  called for increasing armed resistance against the rising Zionist aggression against our people.

The army said that following a security assessment it decided to send a battalion to reinforce the Gaza sector.

Drone strikes in Gaza

Unrest has also surged in recent days in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have been holding daily protests along the border with Israel.

On Sunday, the army said it launched a new drone strike on Gaza as a protest along the border turned violent.

The Hamas controlled health ministry in Gaza said five Palestinians were injured by Israeli bullets during the protest.

Sundays strike was one of a series that have come amid the protests after Israel closed the Erez crossing, the only one for pedestrians into Israel from Gaza.

Since September 13, six Palestinians have been killed and nearly 100 wounded during violence at the border, according to health ministry figures.

Israel has imposed an air, land and sea blockade on the impoverished Palestinian coastal enclave since Hamas seized control there in 2007.

At least 241 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Palestinian conflict so far this year.

The bloodshed has also seen 32 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on both sides.

They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, mainly civilians including minors and three members of the Arab minority.
The US provided Canada with intel after the killing of Sikh terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but communications intercepted by Ottawa led it to accuse India of engineering the plot, according to a report by The New York Times.

On Saturday, a top US diplomat in Canada said that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegation against India in the killing of the Khalistani extremist. Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, was killed in Surrey on June 18.

After the Canadian PM came public with the accusations on Monday, India outrightly rejected his allegations as absurd and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official over the case. India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists.

The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada in its probe. In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved, the NYT reported, quoting an unnamed source. Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said.

US envoy to Canada David Cohen, in an interview with CTV News, said that shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June. I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think thats as far as Im comfortable going, Cohen told CTV News.

After Nijjars death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies duty to warn doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report. Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function, he said in response to a question.

On Friday, Trudeau said that Canada shared with India many weeks ago evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the very serious matter. However, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) this week said: No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information.

(With PTI inputs)
A Singapore Chinese cab driver allegedly abused a 46-year-old woman and her nine-year-old daughter during their ride over misinformation about the destination and assuming that they were of Indian origin. He told the woman, who is of Eurasian origin: You are Indian, you are stupid, youre the very worst kind.

The woman, identified as Janelle Hoeden, said the incident took place on Saturday (September 23). She told The Straits Times that she recorded the interaction, which got progressively more heated, on her mobile phone.

According to the news report, Hoeden booked the ride on a local cab aggragator app around 2 pm. She said the ride was initially uneventful and, as she was talking to her child, the driver suddenly got upset about running into a partially blocked road for the construction of an upcoming metro in Pasir Ris housing estate.

He started shouting at me, saying that I gave him the wrong address and wrong directions, she said. Hoeden has uploaded a video of the interaction on her Facebook page, which was later uploaded by a TikTok user and shared by alternative news site Wake Up Singapore.

In the video, the Chinese driver is seen accusing Hoedens daughter of being less than 1.35 metres tall while she could be heard replying that the child was 1.37 metres. He then called the girl very illegal. The height is for the safety of passengers requiring child seats, as per laws in Singapore.

For safety reasons, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) states on its website that all vehicles in Singapore must have booster seats or child restraints for passengers under 1.35 metres in height. You are India(n), Im Chinese You are the very worst kind the driver is heard screaming at the woman while driving.

Hoeden corrects him saying: I am Singapore Eurasian, not Indian.

She said: Whether I was tanned skin, or Indian, or otherwise, its unacceptable what he said  it was totally uncalled for, that he pulled out the race card.

Her child, too, was shaken after the incident.

Tada Singapore said it was investigating the incident. At Tada, we do not tolerate racism, discrimination, or abuse. Our team is investigating this issue. Thanks to everyone who brought this to our attention, the comment read.

The Straits Times quoted a Tada spokeswoman as saying: Remarks or comments that insinuate racial differences directly violate Tada community guidelines and are not representative of our companys values. We have initiated an internal investigation to fully understand the circumstances and will take all necessary actions based on our findings.

(With PTI inputs)
President Emmerson Mnangagwas move to transfer shareholding of 20 state-owned companies to the renamed sovereign wealth fund without the involvement of Parliament exposes the entities to looting, observers have warned.

Mnangagwa used the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures Act) to rename the Sovereign Wealth Fund to Mutapa Investment Fund (MIF).

In the process, he transferred shareholding of state-owned enterprises that include the Cold Storage Company, NetOne, TelOne, Powertel, Air Zimbabwe, Hwange Colliery Company, Cottco, POSB and Zupco to the MIF.

The fund is empowered without restriction or delay to move foreign currency outside the country to pay expatriates or in connection with investment of the fund, among other controversial privileges.

Former Finance minister Tendai Biti said Mnangagwa does not have powers to make law as this was the preserve of Parliament.

Biti said the statutory instrument used to change the name of the Sovereign Wealth Fund and to move the shareholding of the state enterprises was illegal as the president had usurped Parliaments powers.

Secondly, there is a problem of simply usurping state assets and taking them from the state, particularly the government which does not have a clean record of transactions, he said.

Those assets should have remained administered by line-ministries and if there is any intention to dispose of them you go through a transparent process of privatisation.

This new vehicle allows money-laundering. Zimbabweans are going to be prejudiced.

Businessman and former banker Nigel Chanakira said the president should have involved Parliament before making the far reaching decision.

"The process is too important for the executive to go it alone without legislative debate," Chanakira told The Standard.

"Considering the implications to public finance management, parliamentary debate would have been advisable before commitment."

Veteran economist Tony Hawkins said the government has never understood the role of a sovereign wealth fund.

Hawkins said countries such as Norway, Botswana and others in the Middle East used sovereign wealth funds to utilise domestic savings to diversify their economies by investing offshore.

"The inclusion of loss-making parastatals is just one more attempt to hide public finances from parliamentary scrutiny and pretend the national budget is in surplus when it is not," he said.

Hawkins said Finance minister Mthuli Ncube was claiming that there was a budget surplus when public debt had increasing to $144 trillion.

"He cannot expect anyone to take him seriously. Zimbabwe has a longstanding record of very low domestic savings and investment, he said.

Hawkins said the purpose of sovereign wealth funds was to use domestic surpluses from extractive industries like mining, which are depleting national wealth to diversify the economy.

"The government does not understand this and ignores the country's massive dependence on a handful of mineral exports and tobacco most of which are environmentally unfriendly, he added.

"It also believes the role of a sovereign wealth fund is to attract foreign savings rather than generate increased domestic savings."

Economist Gift Mugano said transferring shareholding of the parastatals into the MIF would have made sense if they were profitable.

Our parastatals are not working and this is more of taking a credit from the right hand and giving it to the left hand in terms of ownership because the government owns these parastatals and now Mutapa Investment Fund now owns them temporarily, Mugano said.

It would make sense if the parastatals are profitable and they declare their dividends with their shareholder who is the Mutapa Investment Fund.

With that then that can be called an investment fund for the future generation. Naturally, talking about those funds, they work very well in minerals.

Former Industry minister Welshman Ncube said although there was nothing wrong in renaming the Sovereign Wealth Fund, the move would not solve anything as long as the government does not address fundamental issues affecting the economy.

Generally, the whole point of a sovereign fund is to set up a fund so that it raises money and it can invest that money in strategic business or industries which are in the national interest to make sure that they are properly capitalised. Thats normal, said Ncube, who is also a constitutional law expert.

But the renaming of the fund doesnt change anything. The fundamental question remains:

You have a malfunctioning economy, you have a state that is unable to administer the economy and the country in the best interests of its citizens, you have widespread poverty, you have business failures across the board, and you have the productive sector, particularly the manufacturing industry not doing well.

You can rename these funds, you can rename these parastatals, you can rename these financial institutions or anything, but without addressing the fundamental structural issues in the economy to get the economy to function, you are getting no way.

Association for Business in Zimbabwe chief executive officer Victor Nyoni also said changing names without necessarily changing attitude in our view as business sectors particularly for the private sector point of view, is not an initiative.

Government must have minimal involvement in what businesses do; perhaps it should not be that of regulatory, giving directives and too much control, Nyoni said.

The parastatals should do business in a manner that is profitable and sustainable for business to thrive in Zimbabwe.

Particularly most parastatals pay a civil sanctuary to the manufacturing, and to the industry.

I think we have to advise the government to step back from the day-to-day business and make sure that our businesses are acting under the directives of the economy and not what the government would want to see in terms of collecting funds.

He added: Now as you know there are many other parastatals, which have been brought into that definition.

Therefore, what it means is that we have less freedom in terms of the companies operating freely and deciding on what they should be doing on a daily basis which is more important.

Nyoni said it was not too late for government to consult on the MIF.

If the parastatals are going to be ignorant in externalizing funds that worries us as private sector actors. We would want to have consultation from the government, he said.

That means we would then advise the government that it needs to be done, he said.

However, its never too late. If the government comes back to us, we are going to be writing to the government, giving it our thinking around it.

Government should concentrate on creating the environment that is conducive for doing business rather than to be a business actor inside.

So, it's an issue that we are still trying to engage the government and once a condition has been taken, we make it public.

Mnangagwa has in the past been criticised for overlying on statutory instruments to introduce far reaching measures without involving Parliament. Standard
As ski resorts across Europe grapple with warmer winters, some have seen a future in ditching skis for mountain bikes. Wired reports that Italian resort Fai della Paganella originally outfitted a chairlift to accommodate bikes in 2011 as an experiment, but the attraction quickly eclipsed its skiing business. "Sixty-five percent of our visitors now come outside of the ski seasonbetween April and November," says the resort's destination manager. Other resorts have found the model appealing, concurs Felix Saller, an entrepreneur who transformed a family resort in Germany to outfit mountain biking. It had essentially been dead for a decade due to a lack of snow; Saller projects they'll attract 60,000 mountain bikers during the 2023 season.

CNN Travel shares a similar story, just minus the positive ending: A resort in La Sambuy, France, decided to close up shop after getting only four weeks of snow last year and staring down a potential operating loss of more than $500,000. "Before, we used to have snow practically from the first of December up until the 30th of March," said La Sambuy mayor Jacques Dalex. Locally, there's still hope that the town's scenic hiking and natural beauty will continue to draw visitors. CNN Travel says that there's an estimated 106 abandoned ski lifts across France, while an environmental group has officially dismantled 22 in just over 20 years.

And if warming continues, things will only get worse. According to an August paper in Nature Climate Change, the "snow supply risk" for 98% of the 2,234 European ski resorts examined was marked "very high" if the global average temperatures rise by 4 degrees Celsius. If temperatures rise by 2 degrees (a threshold likely to be surpassed mid-century), over half of the resorts examined would still struggle to maintain natural snow cover. Many resorts across Europe already rely on making artificial snow, which Wired notes takes a lot of water and energy"contributing to the crisis it's designed to solve." (Read more climate change stories).
He was, according to his hospital paperwork, a 20-year-old man named Francisco. But hospital staffers in rural Virginia were perplexed because the patient in front of themhis arm nearly severed in a gruesome accident at a chicken slaughterhousewas clearly just a kid. Investigative reporter Hannah Dreier explains the discrepancy in a New York Times Magazine story. "Francisco" was really 14-year-old Marcos. He'd come from Guatemala on his own and made it to a trailer park called Dreamland in Parksley, Virginia, where he moved in with his older cousin and her family. He bought fake paperwork from a neighbor to become "Francisco," and landed a job with a cleaning company for the nearby Perdue chicken factory. The story focuses on Marcos (doctors were able to save his arm), but Dreier makes clear his story is not an anomaly.

"When he was hired, children made up as much as a third of the overnight cleaning crew at the Perdue plant, workers told me," she writes. In Parksley and towns like it, the widespread practice of hiring migrant minors is an "open secret," the story explains. Often, they don't work directly for companies such as Perdue and Tyson, but for contractors who perform work at the plants. These underage workers go to school as best they can, often heading straight there (as Marcos did) from the graveyard shift, their eyes red from cleaning chemicals. Dreier herself enters the story as a factor: In May, word got out that she was visiting Parksley and reporting on the plant. Perdue "sent out a warning that I was looking into its operations. Soon slaughterhouses around the country began passing out fliers with my photograph." (The full story is a compelling, if disturbing, read.)
Rep. Andy Kim of New Jersey announced on Saturday that he will run against Sen. Robert Menendez in the state's Democratic primary for Senate next year, saying he feels compelled to run against the three-term senator after he and his wife were indicted on sweeping corruption charges . Kim's surprise announcement comes as a growing number of Democrats are calling for Menendez to step down. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman became the first Democratic senator to do so, and several members of New Jersey's congressional delegation, along with the state's Democratic governor, have said he should resign, per the AP .

"This is not something I expected to do, but I believe New Jersey deserves better," Kim said. Fetterman, meanwhile, said his Senate colleague is "entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy." Menendez and wife Nadine were indicted on Friday for using his position to aid the authoritarian government of Egypt and also to pressure federal prosecutors to drop a case against a friend. The three-count indictment lists a series of bribes they were paid by three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for the corrupt actsgold bars, a luxury car, and cash.

It is the second indictment on bribery charges for Menendezand the second time he has had to relinquish his post as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel. He regained the leadership spot in 2018 after the case ended with a deadlocked jury. Menendez was defiant after Friday's indictment, saying in a statement Friday evening that "I am not going anywhere." Authorities who searched Menendez's home last year found more than $100,000 worth of gold bars, as well as over $480,000 in cashmuch of it hidden in closets, clothing, and a safe, prosecutors say. The indictment includes photos of cash stuffed in envelopes in jackets bearing Menendez's name and of a luxury car that prosecutors say was given to the couple as a bribe from the businessmen.

story continues below

Prosecutors say Menendez directly interfered in criminal investigations, including by pushing to install a federal prosecutor in New Jersey he believed could be influenced in a criminal case against a businessman and associate of the senator. He also tried to use his position of power to try to meddle in a separate criminal investigation by the New Jersey Attorney General's office, the indictment says. Other accusations include repeated actions by Menendez to benefit Egypt despite US government misgivings over the country's human rights record that in recent years have prompted Congress to attach restrictions on aid.

(Read more Senate Democrats stories.)
At least 30 gunmen killed a Kosovar Albanian police officer, then stormed an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo near its border with Serbia, setting off ongoing gunbattles that have left three assailants dead and raised tensions between the two former wartime foes as they seek to normalize ties. Police have surrounded Banjska, a village located 35 miles north of the Kosovo's capital where the monastery is located, and the gunfire is continuing, said Prime Minister Albin Kurti on Sunday, adding that the attack had support from neighboring Serbia. The Kosovo Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church said a temple of the monastery was locked down after the gunmen stormed it. A group of pilgrims from Serbia was inside the temple, along with an abbot, the AP reports.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic planned to speak later Sunday to "expose Kurti's lies," according to pro-government media, apparently referring to Kurti's statement that Serbia backed the attack. It was unclear if the gunmen were Serbs. Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008, but Belgrade has refused to recognize the move. Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated meeting in Brussels between Kurti and Vucic to normalize ties ended in acrimony. The US has supported the negotiations and the EU's position in trying to resolve the tension in the Balkans.

The Kosovo diocese said a group of masked men in an armored vehicle stormed the monastery on Sunday, breaking down the locked gate and firing guns. "Armed, masked men move around the courtyard and occasional gunshots are heard," it said. One of the assailants reportedly was arrested, and four ethnic Serbs were arrested in a nearby village with communication equipment, per the AP. Other weapons and ammunition were found at a location apparently used by the assailants, according to Kosovar police. In addition to the officer killed, two others were injured, authorities said. At a news conference, Kurti described the armed assailants as "an organized professional unit who have come to fight in Kosovo," calling on them to hand themselves over to Kosovar authorities.

(Read more Kosovo stories.)
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TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain voiced its strong backing yesterday for a proposal to link railway and port facilities across the Middle East, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, potentially speeding trade between India and Europe, terming the project as key to the regions development and prosperity.

The statement came as Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, addressed the United Nations General Assembly in its Seventy-Eighth Session.

We look forward to this ambitious strategic project contributing to the development and prosperity of the region for the benefit of all its people, said Dr. Al Zayani, as he also proposed a five-point agenda to address common challenges facing nations worldwide, as well as the Middle East.

The India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, launched on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi, had been welcomed by world nations, with US President Joe Biden calling it a significant development and historic at the launch event. Stressing the importance of addressing challenges related to water, the minister also welcomed Saudi Arabias announcement to establish a Global Water Organisation.

Moving on, Dr. Al Zayani drew the attention of world nations towards global challenges and crises that threaten the development of countries and impact the lives, security, stability, and safety of people.

End Ukraine war

In this regard, the minister highlighted the importance of dialogue, a peaceful and civilised approach to ending wars, and settling regional and international disputes.

Bahrain, he said, renews its call for renewed efforts to end the war in Ukraine through peaceful negotiations and avoid escalation.

The minister pointed out that this is essential for preserving security and peace in Europe, reducing its devastating humanitarian consequences, and addressing its global impacts on food security, energy supplies, the environment, and nuclear safety.

Independent state for Palestine

The five-point peace plan proposed by the minister also included a call for efforts to establish lasting peace in the Middle East, for which the minister emphasized the need to create an independent state with East Jerusalem as the capital for the Palestinian people, continuing the truce in Yemen, and resolving crises in Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, Libya, and Afghanistan.

Other suggestions included the establishment of international relations based on the principles of good neighbourliness, respect for international law, sovereignty, stability, and territorial integrity of states.

Criminalise hate speech

The minister also stressed the importance of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas call to adopt an international convention to criminalise religious, sectarian, and racial hate speech.

Dr. Al Zayani also emphasised the importance of making the Middle East a zone free of weapons of mass destruction to ensure the safety of commercial and energy shipping, as well as mobilising efforts to support the least developed countries and open markets for their exports without restrictions to alleviate their debt burden.

Regarding Bahrains partnership with the United Nations for development, the Minister highlighted the success of parliamentary elections, the establishment of the Open Prisons Project that benefited more than 5,500 individuals, the implementation of the Government Plan for the sixth legislative term, economic recovery projects, housing initiatives, modernisation of trade and financial legislation, and digital transformation, among other projects.

The minister also commended the UAEs success in the space sector and congratulated the successful return of UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi to Earth.
Six on trial in Bahrain for kidnap, torture of man over BD500 debt

Six on trial in Bahrain for kidnap, torture of man over BD500 debt

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The trial of six individuals accused of kidnapping and torturing another person over a BD500 debt has been adjourned until October 3 to allow for the presentation of their defence arguments.

Additionally, the High Criminal Court has issued an order for the dismissal of charges against the fourth and fifth defendants in the case.

The arrests of these suspects came about as a result of an investigation prompted by a complaint filed by the victims wife.

She reported receiving a threatening video call from the defendants while she was in their home country.

During this call, the defendants demanded a ransom of BD1,400 for the victims release, under the threat of harm or even death if their demands were not met.

Alarmed by the distressing situation, the woman promptly sought assistance from her brother, who subsequently filed a formal complaint with the police.

As the investigation commenced, the defendants, fearing police action, released the victim swiftly and transported him to Riffa.

They also communicated to the victim their willingness to waive the debt in exchange for his agreement not to pursue any legal action against them.
AFP | Ramallah

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinians in a pre-dawn raid Sunday in the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said, as the army confirmed "counter-terrorism" activity in the occupied territory.

Violence has surged in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since early last year, particularly in the West Bank, where eight Palestinians have now been killed in Israeli incursions since Tuesday.

"Two Palestinians were killed by live Israeli bullets to the head" in the town of Tulkarem, the ministry said.

The army said one of its soldiers was "moderately injured by gunshot fragments" during clashes in the Nur Shams refugee camp near the town.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the two killed as Osaid Abu Ali, 22, and Abd al-Rahman Abu Daghash, 32.

Ibrahim al-Nimer, a representative of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club advocacy group in the camp, said the "two were civilians".

"The army entered the camp after 2:00 am... and demolished streets and some houses in the camp," Nimer told AFP.

The army said it had dismantled an "operational command centre" inside a building and uncovered a large number of explosive devices.

"During the activity, suspects opened fire and hurled explosive devices at the forces, who responded with live fire," the army said in a statement.

- Surge in army raids -

Recent months have seen a surge in such military raids and a rise in Palestinian attacks on Israelis, as well as an increase in West Bank settler attacks against Palestinians.

In early July, the Israeli army carried out its biggest raid in years on the Jenin refugee camp in which at least 13 Palestinians were killed, including militants and children.

One Israeli soldier was also killed in that raid, but by Israeli fire "following an incident of mistaken identification," the army said days later.

The Jenin raid had also targeted several explosives-manufacturing facilities, the army said of the July operation that left much of the camp charred and in rubble.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is now home to around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements that are considered illegal under international law.

The Palestinians, who seek their own independent state, want Israel to withdraw from all land it occupied in the Six-Day War and to dismantle all Jewish settlements.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-right government has pushed forward settlement expansion. The coalition includes settlers such as the extreme-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.

- Violence in Gaza -

Unrest has also surged in recent days in the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have been holding daily protests that have turned violent along the border with Israel.

On Saturday, the Israeli army carried out a drone strike after violent protests in which three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli fire.

The strike was one of a series that have come amid protests at the border by Palestinians after Israel closed the Erez crossing, the only one for pedestrians into Israel from Gaza.

Saturday's strike targeted "a military post belonging to the Hamas terrorist organisation," the army said, referring to the Palestinian militant group that controls the Gaza Strip.

Since September 13, six Palestinians have been killed and nearly 100 wounded during violence at the border, according to figures from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza.

Israel has imposed an air, land and sea blockade on the impoverished Palestinian coastal enclave ever since Hamas seized control in 2007.

At least 241 Palestinians have been killed in the Israel-Palestinian conflict so far this year.

The bloodshed has also seen 32 Israelis, a Ukrainian and an Italian killed over the same period, according to an AFP tally based on official sources on both sides.

They include, on the Palestinian side, combatants as well as civilians and, on the Israeli side, mainly civilians including minors and three members of the Arab minority.
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The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy says it is collaborating with the Nigerian Exchange Limited to fast-track the listings of startups on the NGX technology board.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy made this known at an event, Invest in Africas Future- Lets talk about exits in New York, USA.

In a statement issued by NGX at the weekend, Tijanni said the initiative is necessary to encourage and boost tech entrepreneurs.

We cannot do all these as a country without prioritising innovation and encouraging entrepreneurs to build. Nigeria is now open to investments.

We want to prioritise the ability of our technology companies to export products, and we are targeting Africa first and then eventually start selling to the rest of the world, he said.

At the same event, the Chief Executive Officer of NGX, Temi Popoola, stated that the exchange would support the ministers agenda and President Bola Tinubus mandate.

We will continue to do a lot of work that makes us able to attract local capital, and the day tech startups come to the exchange, we are confident that there would be a very good audience of investors wanting to own a bit of their shares.

We at NGX are doing this by removing all barriers for that to happen, he stated.

Recall that President Tinubu led the Nigeria delegation to the just concluded 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA.




Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, president-general of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, the Igbo socio-cultural organisation, has appealed to perpetrators of violence in the south-east to give peace a chance.

Iwuanyanwu spoke on Saturday at a press conference in Enugu ahead of the September 29 Igbo Day celebration.

Iwuanyanwu said the group will use non-kinetic approach, which involves dialogue, to address the security challenges in the geo-political zone.

I am tired of the death of my children and they have given me the responsibility to lead them, he said.

While linking hunger and unemployment to the cause of criminality, Iwuanyanwu said nothing should justify the killings of innocent people.

I am not saying that hunger and unemployment will make one a criminal but not everyone has capacity to endure hunger, he said.

As a father, I will call and appeal to everybody to embrace peace and the non-kinetic approach requires everybodys supportboth state and the federal governmentfor us to have peace in the south-east.

Whatever sacrifice to bring an end to bloodshed and killing in Igboland, I will do it.

I am going to reach these people by any means to beg them or even give my life if they want it; I will surrender it to ensure peace reigns in the region.

Iwuayanwu added that he is not calling for the killing of the perpetrators.

We are not going to arrest or kill them. I dont want to kill any of our children; we are going to appeal to them to tell us what they want us to do, he said.

Those who are hungry, we will find them something to do to keep them happier but bloodshed and killing should stop.

It is not easy to stop a hungry person who has found a means of getting livelihood through guns but as a father, I will go and cry to them and I am praying to God that my approach works out well.

Iwuanyanwu added that sharing food items as palliative does not address the issue of poverty in Igboland.
Vice-president Kashim Shettima says the current lawmakers should count themselves among the luckiest and undeserving crop of Nigerians given that his former classmate, Usman Oladipo, who got awarded the best-graduating student of his 1991 masters degree programme was now languishing in a mediocre financial institution.

At the 10th National Assembly retreat in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom state on Friday, Mr Shettima made the remark, cementing his reputation as a politician who lacks tact in communicating an opinion without denigrating others, even when they are not political adversaries or threats.

We are the luckiest among Nigerians; we are not better than our next-door neighbour. Yesterday, I hosted my classmate from the University of Ibadan, the MSc class of 1991, the vice-president said at the event.

In an attempt to make legislators understand the privilege of their positions and why they must work for the countrys progress, the vice president demeaned a former classmate and went as far as to divulge his identity.

The best-graduating student in my class was Usman Oladipo. Oladipo is languishing as a DGM in one mediocre bank. He was the best-graduating student, and that goes to show that we are here not because we are the best of the best, he added.

The utterances by the vice president have drawn heavy criticism and regarded as uncouth for Nigerias second citizen.

Mr Shettimas condescending remarks have so far run afoul to his claims of finding power to be an humbling experience.

Power is a gift from God. We are going to spend more of our lives outside power than in power. Power to me is a humbling experience. Power should be used for the good of the people, Mr Shettima, who has a notorious history of denigrating political colleagues and ordinary citizens, said.

Last year, as campaigning intensified for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary election, Mr Shettima flayed his predecessor Yemi Osinbajo as a nice man who should be selling pop-corn, ice-cream as he was not presidential material.

Additionally, he disparaged former Senate President Ahmad Lawan as a tomato trader who had no business running for president.

Although Mr Shettima later apologised for his crass remarks, many believed the apology was only an insincere afterthought following the heavy backlash from his party members and critics.

At the retreat in Ikot-Ekpene, Akwa-Ibom state, he urged the lawmakers to do their parts in making Nigeria work as a nation, given that the countrys progress was a win for the black folk.

We are the representatives of our people, we are the representatives of the black men; that is the burden we carry. If Nigeria fails, the black man has failed, let us make Nigeria work, he said.
Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has alleged threats to his political future in the State.

Eno said he received threats from the political class to share money or risk forfeiting his second term.

He disclosed this while addressing journalists in Uyo, the State capital on Saturday.

The Governor urged politicians to stop distracting his administration because he was on a mission to address the challenges confronting the people of the State.

According to Eno: I have received a lot of threats from the political class that I wont do a second term.

I am putting money in rural development because a good first term is better than a useless second term.

I dont want to put more money in one persons hands to the detriment of the 7.9 million population.

Eno called on politicians to give him time till December to put the structure of governance on the right track in the State.
Not everyone loves their job, but those who do know how important it is to work for a company that provides good pay, a collaborative work atmosphere and a culture that is supportive and friendly.

And those companies can be found throughout New Jersey.

Companies that know they are a Top Workplace now have a chance to show the world what makes them special through the 2024 Top Workplaces program. This badge of honor carries a lot of prestige and sends a signal to employees and those considering joining them that they care for and value its employees.

The nominating process for this coveted recognition is now open for the 2024 New Jersey Top Workplaces awards. Any New Jersey organization with 50 or more employees is eligible for consideration, whether public, private, nonprofit, government or a school.

Companies and organizations have until Oct. 27 to enter. There is no cost to nominate your place of employment.

To earn a Top Workplaces designation, employers agree to allow Energage, the Pennsylvania-based research partner for the project, to poll its employees. Staff members evaluate their workplace through a 24-question survey, providing feedback on everything from organizational culture and professional advancement to benefits and compensation.

During the Top Workplaces 2023 program, Energage surveyed 138 organizations; invited 30,968 employees to participate with 16,767 responding; and recognized 83 winners. This will be the sixth year that New Jersey companies have participated in the program.

Energage conducts Top Workplaces surveys for more than 59 major metro markets and surveyed more than 2 million employees at 8,000 organizations in the past year. In New Jersey, Energage partners with NJ.com and Jerseys Best magazine. Winning organizations will be featured in the magazine and on nj.com, as well as in a special section of The Star-Ledger. They also will be honored at a celebratory event.

While the results of the Top Workplaces survey can validate a companys achievements, and let the world know what makes it among the best, the results also can be used as building blocks for improvement. Every company gets a free overview of the results, which can reveal areas that need improvement, existing strengths, and information from employees that isnt always easy to come by.

The program provides science-based insights to help companies deliver results, surveys to equip companies with actionable assignments and guarantees employee anonymity to encourage employees to honestly share their views.

Most importantly, The Top Workplaces program gives employees a voice in their company, allowing them to share areas that can be improved, and discuss issues, management styles, and ways to enhance employee satisfaction.

Top Workplaces is an excellent way for companies to highlight what makes them special, including culture, opportunities for advancement, empowering employees in the decision-making process and more, all of which can help them retain top employees, while attracting new ones.

The program also is an excellent way for companies and organizations raise their public profile. Winners can use the Top Workplaces logo on company materials and websites, while also receiving public recognition through three of New Jerseys largest media outlets  NJ.com, Jerseys Best and The Star-Ledger.

Employees will be surveyed between September 2023 and January 2024. Nominated companies and organizations will receive the results in February 2024, with a celebration to follow.

Anyone can nominate their company and the process is easy. Just go to nj.com/topworknoms. Or get more information by calling 862-227-4703.
UPDATE: Menendez vows biggest fight yet on corruption charges, reveals why he kept large amounts of cash at home

In his first public appearance since being indicted on federal bribery charges, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez plans to host a press conference Monday in his native Hudson County, NJ Advance Media has confirmed.

The event will take place three days after Menendez  the powerful New Jersey Democrat who long chaired the influential Senate Foreign Relations Committee  was charged by federal authorities Friday with allegedly sharing sensitive information with Egypt and accepting bribes of cash, gold bars, and a no-show job for his wife from politically connected friends.
UPDATE: 1 family lost everything, 2 businesses destroyed in enormous N.J. fire, mayor says

Dozens of firefighters and multiple fire vehicles were on the scene Sunday in South River as a fire broke out on a busy business thoroughfare, according to a local photographer and the employee of a nearby business.

The fire, according to Elias Paone who posted images of the incident, was massive and took place on all floors of a building at 43 Main St. on Sunday morning.

A dispatcher at the South River Fire Department said Sunday afternoon he could not provide details on the blaze  noting that the fire chief was not available for comment as he was still directing the response.

We were on our way to work and thats when we saw an ambulance and fire truck coming this way, said Marlen Perez, an employee of Mami Evis Latino Kitchen Restaurant, who arrived to the business with two other coworkers on Sunday at about 10 a.m.

Mami Evis is located across the street from where the fire took place.

We saw that the road was closed so we came through the back of our restaurant in order to go in, said Perez, and thats when we raised the curtains and we saw the fire literally in front of our eyes.

Perez said the fire took place above two businesses and sent plumes of smoke billowing above the street, which is usually bustling on Sundays.

At 3:10 p.m., she noted crews remained on Main Street but it appeared the fire  which she believed impacted a business and an apartment across the way  had been mostly extinguished.

Its unclear how the fire broke out, she said.

Diane Concannon, of the American Red Cross of New Jersey, said Sunday afternoon that the organization was assisting at least four people from two families with temporary lodging, food, clothing and other immediate needs.

Photos of the scene, provided by Paone, show fire crews from East Brunswick and Sayreville assisting in the response on Main Street.

Paone said he also spotted first responders from Piscataway and Metuchen.

Vans from RWJBarnabas Health, the Milltown Rescue Squad and PSE&G were also on the scene. Some nearby residents indicated power had briefly been cut as crews battled the fire.

Perez said Mami Evis closed for two hours and for safety reasons employees evacuated the restaurant.

While parts of Main Street were still cordoned off with yellow tape as of 3 p.m., Perez noted, the restaurant had since reopened Sunday afternoon.

Multiple crews responded to Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in South River amid a fire.Courtesy of Elias Paone Fire Photos

Multiple crews responded to Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in South River amid a fire.Courtesy of Elias Paone Fire Photos

Multiple crews responded to Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in South River amid a fire.Courtesy of Elias Paone Fire Photos

Multiple crews responded to Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in South River amid a fire.Courtesy of Elias Paone Fire Photos

Multiple crews responded to Main Street on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, in South River amid a fire.Courtesy of Elias Paone Fire Photos

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Sixteen-year-old Liam Vertressee was skeptical when selected to participate in a bridge-building event with N.J. State Troopers at his Newark high school on Monday.

I didnt know what to expect because there is typically not a lot of trust when it comes to law enforcement and communities of color, said Vertressee, who is Black.

But I knew I wanted to try, the St. Benedicts Prep junior said.

So around 6:30 a.m., Vertressee and 11 peers gathered in the schools conference room to meet the troopers they would spend the next 10 hours with.

Pairing up, the troopers and the students formed teams that competed in timed challenges and bonded through exercises that forced them to rely on each other.

First, there was a bear crawl from the schools second floor to the downstairs gymnasium, one partner following the other on hands and knees. Next, the teams faced off in rounds of tug-a-war, where the competitive nature of the troopers and teens was on full display. Later, it was on to the schools pool, where the troopers and their student partners bound themselves together by the wrists with rope and then pushed a weight across the pool bottom, from one side to the other.

Students and their troopers paired off for a bear crawl at St. Benedict's Prep on Monday, Sep. 18, 2023 (Deion Johnson)

With the events of the day, the hope is that students and officers will notice similarities between one another and gain a sense of trust, said Chris Howe, a senior leader with Clinton-based Victory Road. The leadership development group specializes in team building and coordinates the exercises at St. Benedicts.

St. Benedicts Preparatory School, State Police and Victory Road established the Building Bridges program in 2021 following nationwide protests after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd months before.

Alexandra Craft, St. Benedicts communications director, said the goal is to bridge the gap between kids of color and law enforcement by building trust and better understanding through team-building exercises.

St Benedicts, a private Catholic school on Martin Luther King Boulevard near William Street, enrolls 966 ninth through 12th graders  48% Black, 32% Hispanic, 11% white, and 9% Asian. The racial makeup is similar to Newarks, where 48.2% of the residents are Black, 36.8% are Hispanic, and 9% are white, according to the U.S. Census.

The school hosts bridge-building events several times each school year, Craft said. Mondays was the first this school year and the 10th since the program began. The Davis Polk law firm in Piscataway and those affiliated with the Summit-based nonprofit Other Fellow First Foundation, which helps distressed families, fund the program.

About 30 girls and 40 boys volunteer for each program, Craft said. Then, the schools team leaders whittle the number down to 12.

This time around, sophomore Essence Hogue, 14, made the cut.

Each time the officers come, the events of the day are challenging but very beneficial, said Hogue, 14, who partnered with Det. Joseph Drew. The troopers coming to spend the day with us means a lot, given the huge divide between the police and Black and brown people in the country.

Detective Joseph Drew and his partner Essence Hogue, 14, prepare for pool challenge at St. Benedict's Prep on Monday, Sept. 18, 2023. (Deion Johnson)

Drew, a St. Benedicts alum, said the goal is simple.

There is a fundamental lack of trust between officers and the public, he said. We are trying to gain a better understanding and develop trust amongst each other.

Another state trooper, Daliana Berardi, was paired with junior Brianna Patterson, 16. Berardi said she always looks forward to the event.

I really love how the event shows us in a different light to these kids, Berardi said. The students get to see our fun and competitive sides and that we are just like them.

So far, St. Benedicts is the only school participating in the program. But State Police hope to expand it to others.

Fostering trust is the foundation of any effective relationship, and that is especially certain in building connections with young people, said Lt. Wesley Garland, a spokesman for the State Police. These partnerships are a vital portion in the process of building meaningful, community-police relations.

Edwin Leahy, St. Benedicts headmaster, said he has high expectations each go-around.

Its powerful to see how this event gives the students a clearer vision of police officers, he said. The idea is to get young people and the troopers to better understand each other, and I think Building Bridges does that.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Deion Johnson may be reached at djohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Instagram at @DeionRJohnson or Twitter @DeionRJohhnson
THE LATEST: Defiant after indictment, Sen. Menendez plans press conference, source says

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendezs 13th annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration  initially scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Union City  was postponed two days after the senior New Jersey senator was indicted on federal corruption charges.

A reason for the postponement and a new event date were not immediately provided Sunday by the Democratic senators spokesperson.

Menendez  who hosts the gathering each year in his hometown  was indicted Friday for the second time in eight years. The latest indictment alleges federal corruption charges involving his wife and three others in a case that included bars of gold, payments toward a home mortgage, money stuffed into envelopes and jackets, no-show jobs and political influence.

Menendez was also accused of giving sensitive U.S. government information to Egypt, meddling in the appointment of a federal prosecutor, and trying to stop multiple criminal inquiries into his wealthy friends, federal authorities said.

Menendez, who is 69 and up for re-election in 2024, has sternly refuted the charges, calling them a result of a smear campaign.

Gov. Phil Murphy and more than a dozen other prominent Democratic leaders in New Jersey have implored Menendez to step down.

Menendez has so far been defiant.

I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success Ive had for the past five decades. This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat, the three-term senator said in a statement Friday night. I am not going anywhere.

Had the free event been held Sunday, a pall would have been cast over the revelry  both by the downpour of rain from Tropical Storm Ophelia and after even more calls for Menendez to resign have circulated.

Menendezs spokesperson did not immediately provide comment Sunday on the latest insistence that the senator step down.

Still, those calls have only mounted over the weekend.

Some of the most recent were from U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., who released a statement Saturday followed by U.S. Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., on Sunday morning.

U.S. Rep. Andy Kim said Saturday he will challenge Menendez in next years election.

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him, Kim, D-3rd District, said in a statement.

Asked about Menendez on CBSs Face the Nation, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said she felt it was in the best interest for Menendez to resign.

It shouldnt matter whether its a Republican or a Democrat, the details in this indictment are extremely serious, Ocasio-Cortez said Sunday on the show. As a Latina, there are absolutely ways in which there is systemic bias but I think what is here in this indictment is quite clear and I believe it is in the best interest to maintain the integrity of the seat.

In addition to cultural performances, award-winning songwriter, actor, director and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda was scheduled to give a keynote address Sunday at the Union City event.

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NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Ted Sherman contributed to this report.

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Steven Rodas may be reached at srodas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @stevenrodasnj.
Yom Kippur, also known as the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Heres what else you need to know about the holiday.

What is Yom Kippur?

Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar filled with fasting, prayer and services.

According to Chabad.org, many Jews seek forgiveness from G-d and our fellows.

How long does Yom Kippur last?

Yom Kippur starts a few minutes before sundown on Sunday, Sept. 24, and goes until after nightfall on Monday, Sept. 25.

How is Yom Kippur celebrated?

For nearly 26 hours, Jews do not eat or drink, do not bathe or put anything on their bodies, do not wear leather footwear and abstain from marital relations, according to Chabad.org.

Time is spent either in prayer for forgiveness, at services or both.

Many Jews break their fast after the final services of Yom Kippur with a festive meal consisting of breakfast-like comfort foods, from bagels to blintzes, according to History.com.

How do you greet someone on Yom Kippur?

Although Yom Kippur is a day of atonement, fasting and self-examination, it is a not a sad day. Therefore, it is appropriate to greet people warmly on Yom Kippur.

The most common greeting is gmar chatima tovah, gmar tov for short, or a good final sealing, according to My Jewish Learning. This means you hope the persons fate for the year that began on Rosh Hashanah is sealed or completed on Yom Kippur.

Another common greeting, tzom kal, is used to wish a person has an easy fast or has a meaningful fast.

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Katherine Rodriguez can be reached at krodriguez@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips.
Authorities recovered a body found washed up in Point Pleasant Beach, State Police said Sunday.

Troopers were dispatched to Channel Drive in Point Pleasant Beach at 3:05 p.m. on Saturday in response to a report of an unidentified body found washed up, according to a spokesman for New Jersey State Police.

The victims name or age were not released pending confirmation, police said.

More details surrounding the incident were not immediately available.

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Jackie Roman may be reached at jroman@njadvancemedia.com.
As Gov. Phil Murphy shoots for the moon with a proposed overhaul of New Jerseys liquor license system, breweries and distilleries that are open to the public suffer the consequences of him letting his quest for perfection get in the way of the good.

The people have spoken through letters and petitions, and the Legislature voted unanimously in June to pass a bill (S-3038/A-4360) that essentially puts breweries and distilleries on the same footing as wineries and cider producers regarding how they run their businesses, and what they are able to do concerning special events. This is a common-sense bill that recognizes that these businesses operate under the same business model and, thus, should be treated as such.
Yom Kippur is observed for a 25-hour period, beginning at sundown tonight, when Jews refrain from work that is prohibited on Shabbat plus eating or drinking, bathing, anointing the body with oil, wearing leather shoes and sexual relations. Its a day of atonement and the holiest day of the year.

During the High Holydays, we take stock of our lives, making peace with friends and how to be better in the future, said Chaim, an Orthodox Jew I met in Lakewood during another Jewish holyday.
It's been said that the Bowie knife was created in Holmesville. It's also been said it was created by a blacksmith in Abbeville.

Even so, Monty McNutt's Curious Louisiana question is about about Jim Bowie's Holmesville connection. The Baton Rougean was intrigued by a previous Curious Louisiana story involving Avoyelles Parish, which prompted his curiosity about Holmesville.

Where? Well, that's a good question, because the south Avoyelles Parish community was known by other names with the advent of the railroad, then the oil industry.

It started out as Bayou Beouf and was later included in the the nearby Eola community. But it was known as Holmesville when Rezin Bowie lived there. He was Jim Bowie's older brother and, yes, he was the inventor of the Bowie knife.
Dedicated in 1937, the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh continues to be a prominent part of the city's skyline.
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A potential tropical storm is strengthening some as the southeastern coast of the U.S. braces for impact, according to the National Hurricane 
Cars pack a parking lot on Lakeshore Drive in New Orleans,on Sunday, March 22, 2020. An effort by the Lakefront Management Authority to get the east bank levee authority to pay a greater share of longterm infrastructure maintenance and construction costs on non-flood portions of the lakefront was delayed for at least a month on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.
Egypt hosts the annual meetings of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) over two days starting Monday in Sharm El-Sheikh.





The meetings, organized for the first time in Africa, are held under the patronage of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.

Representatives from 106 countries will attend the meetings, including finance ministers and central bank presidents.

The meetings will also be attended by the representatives of 160 local and international media outlets.

During the meetings' sessions, the participants will discuss various issues, including guaranteeing international governance for the sake of across-the-border sustainable development, building partnerships to support the world's health infrastructure, and mobilizing resources to finance climate-centred activities.

Other issues to be discussed include reinforcing the private sector's role in electronic services in Asia and Africa and creating partnerships to confront world challenges.

The meetings will also address sustainable finance in infrastructure through sustainable development bonds. In addition, they will tackle mobilizing resources and providing creative finance to bridge the gap in funding infrastructure projects in the Middle East and Africa.

Furthermore, the event also includes seminars on multilateral cooperation to finance joint development projects between AIIB and Egypt.

The Egyptian Finance Minister -- and Egypt's Governor at AIIB -- Mohamed Maait, affirmed that Egypt aims to establish partnerships that achieve sustainable development by considering the current exceptional global circumstances and the needs of emerging economies.

Maait also noted that Egypt is cooperating with AIIB to build across-the-border private sector-led development partnerships, which can lead to greater bilateral development cooperation and increase AIIB's investments, which currently stand at $ 1.3 billion in Egypt.

Furthermore, he added that Egypt gives priority to investments in renewable energy and clean transport.

Access to international finance markets has become more difficult and costly. Therefore, there are a lot of financial gaps. Development requires huge finances, and emerging economies suffer from running up expensive bills to meet the citizens' basic needs for energy and food, the Egyptian finance minister further explained.

Maait added that creative finance solutions represent "a lifeline" for developing countries against internal and external shocks.

He called on the private sector to take advantage of the finance opportunities offered by AIIB in several promising sectors and to form more partnerships.

We have high hopes for benefitting from AIIB's great experience and potential to widen the scope and size of infrastructure projects since these projects represent the nerve of economic and social development, Maait stated.

He also stressed that the Egyptian state has high hopes that international multilateral development institutions will play a more significant role in standing up to global challenges, which explains why Egypt adopts Africa's development needs in international circles.

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Green County, Wisconsin, a land of gently rolling hills and verdant green fields that reminded early Swiss and German immigrants of their European homes in the mid-1800s. Even now that cheese heritage lives on and historic Monroe, the Instagrammable county seat, has the most certified specialty master cheese makers in the entire country.

Here's what I can promise from a visit to the area: You will see more Swiss Bernese Mountain Chalet-style buildings (think balconies, shutters, gables and flower boxes overflowing with blooms) than any other place outside of Switzerland. The same goes with life-sized or larger than life-sized statues of cows and bulls. And, in an interesting local quirk, count how many glass-fronted Swiss chalet style cabinets designed for aging landjaeger sausages you see. I counted three. Yes, really.

 Be in close proximity to the only remaining limburger cheese factory in the country.

 Learn that old fashioned cocktails in Wisconsin are made with brandy, not whiskey, and can be sweet or sour.

 Find yourself traveling down a winding country road past pristine dairy farms to Decatur Cheese, founded in 1945 just to get a grilled cheese sandwich. Yes, I know, but this isnt any grilled cheese sandwich. Theyre topped with a special sauce (and no they wont reveal the ingredients or share the recipe) and the cheese is made by their dairy. In other words, if you think a grilled cheese is just bread with some cheese slapped in the middle, think again.

 Youll be faced with the tough choice of whether to order a Blumers Orange or Blueberry Cream Soda Cream Soda. Either one is addictive. And by the way, Blumers has been making cream sodas in Wisconsin since 1845. Only there wasnt a Wisconsin back then as the state was founded three years later. But this being Wisconsin, there was beer made at what is now Minhas Brewery which opened in 1845 and is the Midwest's oldest brewery and the second oldest in the entire nation, as well as the 10th largest in the world, producing 233 different beers, spirits, liqueurs, and wines as well as sodas like Blumers.

We dont think he came for the cream soda, but Al Capone and his gang made the journey to Monroe says Jenna Gale, who leads tours for the brewery. As the story goes, Als gang kidnapped owner Fred Blumer and, calling his wife, demanded $150,000 in cash for his release. She laughed and told them they didnt have that kind of money. Negotiations ensued but no ransom money was forthcoming. Fred was returned a week later, Gale says, with an invoice for $6,000 for his room and board. I dont think that was paid either.

This sense of history starts in Monroes historic downtown centered around an 1891 Richardsonian-Romanesque-style courthouse with elaborate towers and gables currently undergoing a enovation. Public art displays dot the streets in front of storefronts decorated for the fall season. And in keeping with rich Swiss heritage here, a carving of Wilhem Tell stands tall in front of Baumgartners Cheese Store and Tavern and goats, carved out of wood, clamber on the sloping roof over the entrance of this local favorite that opened in 1931 and seems little changed since.

Famed for their sandwiches, one of their biggest sellers is the limburger on rye with or without thinly sliced red onions and a choice of mustards. And before you hold your nose (for of course limburger can be a most odiferous cheese), consider this. Its won raves from People Magazine, Food Network and such celebrity chefs as Rachel Ray. For those who like less odiferous fare, theyre also known for their Second Best Chili because everyone knows that their moms chili is the best and Reuben sandwichescorned beef, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing and sauerkraut.

Theres performance art going on at Baumgartners as well. The two-story wooden ceiling is awash in dollar bills. Server Beth Heidenreich is part performance art as well. She wears a different headpiece everyday with matching ribbons tied at the end of her red braided hair along with a T-shirt to go with the ensemble. Donate a dollar and servers like Beth will wrap the bill up with a disk and a thumb tack and toss it towards the ceiling. Sometimes it sticks on the first try, sometimes it takes a few more throws but the goal is lofty. On a regular basis the money is collected and donated to a local charity. And no matter whats going on at the bar, everyone always stops to see the show.

Not far from the square, the MonroeArts Center is housed in a restored 1869 Methodist Church thats on the National Register of Historic Places. An artful addition, all gleaming glass and soaring ceilings provide views of the unique architecture of the church where performances are frequently held. It is one of only two surviving angled front church entrances in the U.S.

At one point there were over 200 cheese factories throughout the county. Debbie Briggs, director of the National Historic Cheese making Center Museum headquartered in a restored train depot leads me on a tour of the small museum there and then we walk over to the Imobersteg Farmstead Cheese Factory. Donated by a 90-something farmer, the cheese factory belonged to his parents who quit production at the beginning of the 1900s, closing the doors and preserving the equipment. After restoration by volunteers, cheese was made for the first time in over a century in the building in the way the family would have done it back in the day. A video at the factory highlights that historic recreation.

Forty five years ago, Tony Zgraggen moved from the Swiss Canton of Uri (for cantons think states) along with his talents as a yodeler. Zgraggen now is the owner of Alp and Del Cheese Store connected to the award-winning cheese company, Emmi-Roth. There are tours and lots of products to consider including not only cheeses made by Emmi-Roth but also sausages, jams, jellies, mustards, chocolates and candies and gifts from Switzerland.

Just as water impacts the taste of bourbon, water also is the determining factor in what makes Wisconsin cheeses so delicious, Zgraggen tells me. Water nourishes the soil which in turn causes the grass to be filled with nutrients. Grazing cows impart this richness of flavor into their milk.

Milk is the perfect food, Zgraggen, who with his wife Esther will be the King and Queen for the 2024 Cheese Days Festival, tells me. But its perishable. Turn it into cheese and it lasts."

It turns out that Zgraggen, a master yodeler, is one of the lead yodelers in the New Glarus Jodlerklub, founded in 1928. The group performs at many local events but on the day I was there, he agreed to yodel for me, drawing a small crowd of customers highly impressed with his skills.

Zgraggen yodeling is one thing I cant promise a visitor to Monroe, but you can certainly ask.

Get your German on at Minhas Craft Brewery, located at 1208 14th Ave., Monroe, which is hosting an Oktoberfest this coming Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30. For more information about Monroe and Green County, visit mainstreetmonroe.org or greencounty.org. For information about Minhas, http://www.minhasoktoberfest.com/
KOKOMO  Buried deep in the wallet of Shawn Fain is a well-worn pay stub of one of his two grandfathers. Its a reminder of where the new United Auto Workers president comes from, here in the City of Firsts.

Two of his grandparents were General Motor retirees at Kokomo and one worked at Chrysler starting in 1937. Nine years later in 1946, the UAWs negotiation strategy with the then-Big Three American automakers was to bargain with one, and then use that template for the other two.

Fain is now in the vortex of the American labor movement. He was elected as president of the UAW in March after beginning his career as an electrician at the Chrysler Kokomo Casting Plant. His election was seen as a sea change in the world of automaking.

Hes always been a labor activist. He was always locally popular with rank and file members, said former Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight, who worked for Haynes International and was a union president at the same time as Fain was at Chrysler (now a unit of Stellantis).

But Fain is doing his negotiations in Detroit far differently than his predecessors. The UAWs contracts at the Detroit automakers expired at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14. He said on Sept. 13 that while there has been progress, the four sides are still far apart.

All sides are watching what the others are doing, then trying to match them or offer something that is more advantageous to their balance sheets while still meeting a union demand, the Detroit Free Press reported. Thats precisely what UAW President Shawn Fain had in mind when he decided this year to negotiate national labor contracts with all three manufacturers at once, and very publicly, refusing to name one company as the negotiating lead, instead playing each car company and their offers off the others.

What Fain and the Detroit carmakers decide will have a big impact in Indiana, which is part of the UAWs Region 3, where membership peaked in the 1950s at 140,000. In 1982, Indianas membership in Region 3 of the UAW was 100,000. By the 1990s, membership in Region 3 had fallen to 85,000, and it faced the challenge of the continuing decline of U.S. automobile industry plants.

In the year before the Great Recession put Chrysler and GM on the brink of extinction in 2008, Shawn was anti-ratification due to the agreement implementing tiers and cutting wages for workers in half, the UAW website said. Many times, at council meetings, he was ostracized for speaking up against the agreements as they didnt serve the best interest of the Membership.

Fain was asked on CNN earlier this week whether a strike at the Detroit automakers could damage the recovering U.S. economy. In the last decade they made a quarter of a trillion dollars in profits, Fain said. In the last six months alone they made $25 billion in profits. In the last four years, the price of cars went up 30%. CEO pay went up 40%. No one said a word; no one had any complaints about that.

Now, God forbid, workers actually ask for their fair share of equity in the fruits of the labor and the product they produce, and all of a sudden its the end of the world, Fain said. Its not that were going to wreck the economy. Were going to wreck their economy, the one that works for the billionaire class. It doesnt work for the working class.

Fain also isnt reticent about wading into American politics. This comes as the House Republican Study Group formerly headed by U.S. Rep. Jim Banks advocated a shift from Republican advocacy of big business to that of blue-collar workers.

Asked on MSNBC whether he plans to endorse President Biden for reelection, Fain responded, Well make that decision when the time is right. Our endorsements are going to be earned, not freely given.

He then pivoted to the other person we talked about, the other candidate, meaning Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. In 2020, Trump carried Howard County (home to GM and Stellantis plants in Kokomo) with 65% of the vote, to Bidens 33%, up from 63% in 2016. In Allen County (GM at Fort Wayne), in 2020 it was Trump 55%-43% over Biden. In Lawrence County (GM at Bedford) Trump carried it with 74%. In Grant County (GM at Marion) Trump won with 68%.

Ill be real about that person, Fain said of Trump. Ill never forget in the 16 race when he spoke about workers in Michigan, union jobs in the Midwest, he said we need to do a rotation in this country. We need to move those jobs to other places that pay less money and those people will be begging for their jobs back. Thats not a person I want as my president. And then he made the comment recently telling people to stop paying their union dues, Fain said. Thats not someone who represents working-class people. Hes part of the billionaire class and we ought not to forget that.

The Wall Street Journal observed on Tuesday: Unions arent the force in the U.S. that they used to be. That doesnt mean they cant pack a punch.

In the coming days, well find out how hard that punch is.
The U.S. welcomed five Americans on Monday held in Iran for years. That is good news for their families and anyone interested in the plight of American hostages.

The bad news: In exchange, $6 billion was released to the Iranian regime.

The pact with Tehran brokered by the Biden administration comes with potentially catastrophic consequences for the Middle East. The dangers far outweigh the benefits, as there is a high likelihood that the funds, once distributed to Tehran, will support nefarious activities that threaten regional stability and security.

Negotiating the release of hostages is always a complex endeavor involving compromises with bad people. Such agreements always introduce risk to American interests, and such is the nature of diplomatic compromise: the state must give something to get something.

However, what sets this agreement apart is the timing and the enormous volume. Despite assurances from the U.S. National Security Council that the billions are earmarked exclusively for humanitarian purposes like food and medicine, the sanctions waiver releasing the funds essentially grants Iran carte blanche for its nuclear pursuits, acts of terrorism, and support to proxy conflicts. Once the funds were released to the regime, ostensibly for distribution to aid organizations, the world lost all control of its disbursement. There is every reason to believe it will go into the hands of the worst actors in the Middle East.

In the coming days, the regime will likely divert billions to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and military hospitals, or worse, sell it on the black markets of Iraq or Afghanistan for cold, hard cash. Last week, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC News that Tehran will decide how to spend the funds. Sadly, he was right. This not only compromises the intended purpose of the agreement but also empowers groups with a track record of undermining regional stability, supporting terrorism, and beating back human rights within its own borders.

The Biden administrations approach to negotiations with Tehran is always marked with a sense of desperation. The eagerness to engage diplomatically with the Islamic Republic, exemplified by the hastened revival of the ill-fated nuclear deal, sends a message to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Iraq about the White Houses desire to appease Iran. At the very least, Secretary of State Tony Blinken should have demanded a forthright accounting of the case of Robert Levinson, the retired FBI agent kidnapped in Iran in 2007. Levinson is widely believed to have died in Iranian custody, but his body remains unrecovered.

The timing here is off as well. Iran is weeks away from producing sufficient fissile material to produce a nuclear bomb, a looming peril that would likely set off a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and introduce grave risk to American interests in the region.

Further, funds are released two days after the anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini at the hands of authorities for violating the countrys mandatory hijab rules. As the regime is once again cracking down on protests just as it prepares to receive an influx of cash from D.C. The deal sends a regrettable message not only to protestors. President Biden, who vowed to make Saudi Arabia a pariah state due to the kingdoms human rights record, should hold the line here based on Tehrans atrocious human rights record. This juxtaposition raises uncomfortable questions about the consistency of American foreign policy in pursuing justice and human rights. Giving Raisi diplomatic credence on an international stage right now is a mistake. This move undermines the principles of justice, human rights, and the rule of law that should be at the forefront of any diplomatic endeavor. By engaging with Raisi, we inadvertently legitimize a regime that has systematically violated the most basic rights of its citizens.

Engaging in dialogue with Raisi is a mistake. The mans past is tainted with blood; he stands accused of overseeing some of the most heinous crimes against humanity in modern history. Last year, a Swedish court found a prison official guilty of war crimes, implicating Raisi in a policy of exterminating prisoners of conscience, resulting in thousands of executions. This verdict mirrors an earlier prosecution in Germany, where Irans top leaders were held responsible for the state-sponsored assassination of regime opponents.

While the desire to bring American prisoners home is noble, the means by which the Biden administration pursued that goal are deeply flawed. The risk of diverting $6 billion into the wrong hands and the legitimization of a leader with a blood-stained past are too great to ignore. We must stand united against the Iranian regimes oppressive policies and its support for groups that seek to undermine global security.
VALPARAISO  When an area vigilante group posted an amateur sting video just more than three years ago of what it it claimed was a man attempting to meet up in Portage with a 14-year-old boy for sex, it was a hit with the public, but not so much with the police.

People who do that are taking a huge risk, Portage Police Lt. Rob Maynard said at the time. This could have went poorly for that young man out there.

Portage police had said they planned to investigate the claims against the alleged predator, but also warned there could be legal consequences for those posting the video.

Portage man given 8 years in child porn case involving filming girl in bathroom, court says An investigator asked Gilmer if he has ever been hands-on with a child, a court document says. Gilmer stated he has not and said he would take a polygraph.

These types of vigilante videos are now more popular than ever on social media and at least locally, seem to be taken more seriously by law enforcement and prosecutors.

Two Valparaiso-area men were arrested this month alone on child predator charges as a result of sting operations set up by area vigilantes. And one group, calling itself NWI predator catchers, posted an additional video just this past week portraying what is says is a 45-year-old Crown Point man coming to meet with what he believes is a 13 Y/O child for a movie night while mom is at work.

Our general procedure and protocol is to review every case presented to us to determine whether a crime has been committed and then, secondly, whether we can prevail at a trial, Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann said when questioned about the recent decisions to charge the two Porter County men nabbed by online vigilantes.

Specific to these kinds of cases, since the investigations are not conducted by trained police officers, we are even more careful and I generally frown on the cases, he said. At the same time, if everything has been done fairly, then we will take a deeper look into the facts of the case.

Germann, who has long advocated for greater awareness of online threats against children, said he would prefer to see a local and professional unit formed to target these types of offenses.

Officials prefer professional response to child threats

While the Valparaiso Police Department responded to the two recent vigilante stings and made arrests, they voiced caution in a statement sought by The Times.

The Valparaiso Police Department understands the desire of any individual to protect children from predators; however, groups that engage in civilian vigilante activity put themselves and the general public at risk. When law enforcement operations of this nature occur, considerations are taken to protect all parties involved, including the public. Operational planning, prepared by trained professionals, is in place to include contingency plans. Moreover, any properly prepared operation also includes coordination with the county prosecutor and those who will handle the criminal prosecutions.

Porter County man sexually assaulted woman coming to his aid, police say VALPARAISO  A 57-year-old Chesterton man faces a felony count of sexual battery after allegedly inappropriately touching a woman, who had com

The NWI predator catchers group did not respond this past week to a request for comment for this story. Such groups rely heavily on anonymity, with members often wearing masks and/or keeping their faces off camera while keeping the attention on the reactions of the alleged predators during the surprise confrontations.

NWI predator catchers was behind the Sept. 8 arrest of Zachary Crohan, 25, of Valparaiso, a self-proclaimed military veteran, who is accused of showing up late at night along the 1300 block of Lincolnway in Valparaiso to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl for sex.

A video posted by the group confronts a man they claim is Crohan, who with cell phone in hand, initially says he was just out walking around, playing Pokemon GO.

Not meeting a 13-year old? the group representative asked.

Nope. Nope, Crohan immediately responds.

After being told the group has several photos of Crohan from interactions on the Grindr hook-up app, Crohan changes his story and says as a former soldier, he too was out hunting down child predators.

A group representative, who called Valparaiso police to the scene, said he and his girlfriend had set up a decoy account on Grindr portraying themselves as a 13-year-old named Victoria, according to a charging document. He said Crohan contacted their decoy post and when asked what was going on, responded, hopefully find some fun.

Recent surge seen in vigilante efforts

Another Valparaiso-area man, James Wyatt, 50, was arrested Sept. 13 after allegedly falling for a similar vigilante sting that he thought was an underage girl looking for sex, Valparaiso police said.

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."

Valparaiso police said they were called out Dec. 19 to the 400 block of Sturdy Road where a member of an online vigilante group was live streaming the encounter on social media.

A representative of the group said they had been communicating with Wyatt for about three weeks before the confrontation.

Valparaiso police said it has responded three times over the past year to these types of cases.

There has been a recent surge in the referrals lately for some reason, but we do decline prosecution at times, Germann said. In fact we declined a prosecution of one of these types of cases last night (Sept. 18).

When trained police officers conduct these types of operations, precautions and safeguards are in put in place to make sure we have not entrapped or enticed someone into committing a crime they would not have done but for police conduct, he said.

Germann said he would prefer to see the creation of a local, professional unit to target online crimes involving children, which he said have been on the increase.

This unit would be responsible for investigating those possessing, disseminating and producing child pornography, he said. In addition the unit would make itself available for those who think its OK to solicit a 13-year-old girl or boy for sex.

Unfortunately it just take a lot of money to start a unit like this and then to maintain the unit to keep up with the rapidly changing technology, Germann said. I am committed to doing everything I can to see if we can get this going.

PHOTOS: Gary names new police chief Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD Indiana State Police press conference regarding their partnership with Gary PD
HIGHLAND  More than 1,800 people lined up their motorcycles at Wicker Park on Sunday morning to cruise around the Region for the 24th annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride.

This is for the fallen veterans, said David Hatton of Crown Point. Were giving back to someone who gave for us. Thats the most important thing.

The event, co-hosted by the North Township Trustee and American Veterans Motorcycle Riders Association, was established in 1999 to show support for the veteran community.

Bikers started filling the park grounds at 9 a.m. to check in and find a spot in line. Riders had the opportunity to grab a snack, check out retail tables and learn about veteran-affiliated organizations until the introduction ceremony began at 11 a.m.

Silence engulfed the park as people removed their caps to honor the American flag for the National Anthem. Following cheers and clapping from thousands, North Township Trustee Adrian Santos introduced the Hammond Central Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps to conduct a color presentation.

Before cyclists revved up their engines to head west on Ridge Road, U.S. Army Veteran Martin Del Rio shared the story of Sgt. Cresenciano Chano Garcia, Jr., a soldier who had gone missing for 73 years after becoming a prisoner of war during the Korean War.

Garcia, who has family across Northwest Indiana, was reported missing in action during a battle in December 1950. His remains were recently transported to Gary for a celebration of life after they were anonymously buried in Hawaii decades ago.

Del Rio encouraged cyclists to honor Garcia, among other fallen soldiers while they rode along the 27-mile route led by the Lake County Sheriff's Department and other participating law enforcement. Riders also had the opportunity to represent a soldier from the Indiana Fallen Hero exhibit displayed at the park.

Hatton proudly wore a lanyard representing Staff Sergeant Mark Walton, a fallen hero from Shelbyville, who died on Feb. 7, 2011. He became choked up as he expressed his gratitude for those who serve.

Michelle and Ron Lively represented the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention by informing riders about statistics and tips to help a veteran who may be struggling with suicidal thoughts. Ron, a suicide survivor, has helped veterans experiencing dark thoughts, find the light.

"I've been through it and know the demons in their head and what they go through," he said. "I really enjoy helping people. One of my sayings is 'never lose your smile.'"

Vietnam Veteran Gene Franiak, 74, said he's participated in the annual event for 13 years to honor disabled veterans like himself. Franiak completed two tours and served as a sergeant and paratrooper for the U.S. Army.

"All of us veterans like to ride because we can," said Franiak, of Highland. "You got the wind blowing on both sides of you and there's nothing except the road ahead of you."

Pauline and Jeff Coxhead participated in the "Victory" ride for their second time. The couple was moved by the event because they have various veterans in their family and volunteer with veteran-affiliated organizations. The most memorable part of the ride was being surrounded by thousands of bikes once they'll all fired up, Pauline said.

"It just feels so different," Pauline said in reference to being a passenger on a motorcycle. "You see the birds swoop down, and you can smell the honeysuckle on the side of the road."

Del Rio, who served in the army for 15 years, was overjoyed to see everyone come together and show their support for veterans without being divided by politics.

"When it comes to being patriots and an American citizen or veteran, there's no red versus blue, or Democrat versus Republican," he said. "We're all serving America and we all have the same ambition."

Close As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. With his mother Maria Hernandez at his side, Noah Hernandez, 6, waves a flag as riders pass by on U.S. 30 in Schererville. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. With his mother Maria Hernandez at his side, Noah Hernandez, 6, waves a flag as riders pass by on U.S. 30 in Schererville. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists roll down U.S. 30 as they participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Motorcyclists roll down U.S. 30 as they participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Roberto Rodriguez of Crown Point waves his flag as riders pass by on U.S. 30 in Schererville. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Jose Rivera, left, his father Jose and Robert Brown talk shop before the start of the ride. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Kathleen Coe of Schererville waves to the passing riders while waving her flag during the Victory For Veterans Motorcycle Ride. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Robert Brown of Gary, left, and Jose Rivera of Demotte talk shop before the start of the ride. As many as 1,800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Terrence Harvey and his wife Janell from Merrillville and Brent Snowddy from Hebron talk motorcycles before the start of the ride. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists roll down U.S. 30 as they participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday Sept. 24. Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. With his mother Maria Hernandez at his side, Noah Hernandez, 6, waves a flag as riders pass by on U.S. 30 in Schererville. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. With his mother Maria Hernandez at his side, Noah Hernandez, 6, waves a flag as riders pass by on U.S. 30 in Schererville. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists roll down U.S. 30 as they participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Motorcyclists roll down U.S. 30 as they participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Roberto Rodriguez of Crown Point waves his flag as riders pass by on U.S. 30 in Schererville. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Jose Rivera, left, his father Jose and Robert Brown talk shop before the start of the ride. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Kathleen Coe of Schererville waves to the passing riders while waving her flag during the Victory For Veterans Motorcycle Ride. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Robert Brown of Gary, left, and Jose Rivera of Demotte talk shop before the start of the ride. As many as 1,800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday. Terrence Harvey and his wife Janell from Merrillville and Brent Snowddy from Hebron talk motorcycles before the start of the ride. As many as 1800 or more motorcyclists roll down U.S. 30 as they participate in the 24th Annual Victory for Veterans Memorial Ride Sunday Sept. 24.
When the Whiting Flower Shop first opened 123 years ago, it used ice blocks to keep the freshly cut flowers cool.

The florist in downtown Whiting delivered its bouquets by horse and buggy, bicycle or foot.

Now the floral shop has to run four cars to make all the deliveries on Mothers Day to customers scattered across Northwest Indiana and Chicagos far South Side. Its clients include some of the biggest corporate employers in the Calumet Region.

Whiting Flower Shop at 1341 119th St. in downtown Whiting is recognized by the Society of American Florists as the fourth oldest florist in the country. Its the third oldest continuously operating business in Whiting after the BP Standard Refinery and the Bank of Whiting, the financial institution thats now known as Centier Bank.

But now the community institution faces an uncertain future because 77-year-old owner Connie Salas needs to retire. Shes run the floral shop for 30 years.

Im not getting any younger. I dont have the stamina to do the holidays anymore when we have four trucks running out for Mothers Day or two or three for Christmas. Thats a lot of design time and coordination. My husband and I decided to sell it this year and then he died in March, Salas said. I love what I do, but I work six days a week and Im 77 years old.

Salas doesnt just want to close up shop, given all the history.

It survived World War I, the Great Depression, World War II and two pandemics, she said. Im looking to sell it to somebody whos going to care about it. I dont really want to close the doors.

Whiting Flower Shop has been a mainstay in downtown Whiting, her son Dan Salas said.

It is rated as one of the Top 500 flower shops in the nation and serves an extensive client list in Northwest Indiana, he said. But after owning the store for 30 years, she is retiring. As a result, this small business will likely close soon unless an interested person or business purchases it. Like many small businesses, finding a new owner is difficult.

Salas was the head designer at Hohman Floral in Hammond and then ran a shop in Illinois when her husband told her she was ready to run her own floral business. They looked at two flower shops in Illinois and two in Indiana before deciding to buy the Whiting Flower Shop, which had been owned by a hairdresser for the previous seven years.

It had a lot of potential, she said. It was in a big industrial area and serves a lot of large corporations like Horseshoe, Ameristar, the Hammond Professional Firefighters Association and of course BP.

It supplies them with flowers for Christmas parties and other events as well as human resources purposes, such as if an employee has a baby, gets sick or dies.

Some of the parties were so big that the Whiting Flower Shop moved from its previous location at 1347 119th St. to have more space.

We had 135 dinner arrangements in a space half the size of what we have now, she said. It was literally impossible to move around or get out with the dinner arrangements everywhere so we moved 12 years ago. Theres a lot more space. Its nice working with the corporations.

The shop is right in the middle of town by a red light, though foot traffic isnt as big as it used to be. Now, most of the orders come in online.

Were high-tech. Its all on a computer system, she said. Were a master florist for 1-800-Flowers and are also on Telefloral.

Customers have become more demanding because of the convenience theyre used to with online shopping, she said. People will come in asking for a bouquet they saw on Pinterest, not realizing it was made with expensive flowers like orchids and peonies.

Some people will call us at 9:30 a.m. and want it delivered by 11 a.m., Salas said. If we have something in the cooler we can do it, but everything is hand-done. If you cant do it, they get angry. Were not Amazon.

Due to the drop off in walk-in traffic, the store no longer stocks as many gifts, chocolates, teddy bears and vases as it used to. Instead, it focuses more on arrangements for Valentines Day, anniversaries, birthdays, holidays and special occasions.

Were very busy on Christmas, Thanksgiving week and of course Valentines Day, she said. We get a lot more orders on Administrative Professionals Week and Mothers Day.

Whiting Flower Shop delivers flowers widely, including to East Chicago, the east side of Chicago, Hegewisch, Hammond, Munster, Dyer, St. John, Schererville and parts of Crown Point. Its a supplier to the Gary Diocese.

Were the florist for the cathedral and the diocese, she said. Thats one reason I dont want to just close the doors.

It also supplies churches like the St. Paul Lutheran Church in Whiting, St. James the Less in Highland and Our Lady of Consolation in Merrillville.

Its been busy, Salas said. Its a real pleasure to take care of their flower needs. Its been interesting. You get to meet a lot of people and form some friendships.

The shop has maintained a loyal customer base over the years. Its shipped flowers all over the world, including to Italy, Germany and Finland.

Its got a lot of potential, she said. I dont want to just lock the doors. I hope for someone who cares about the community and the floral business. Its a way of helping people express their emotions. If you like to be creative, this is the opportunity. I put my sons through college with it. Its a lot of fun but its a lot of work. Its a great business. I want to pass it on to someone so its around for another 123 years.

For more information, call 219-659-0326.

PHOTOS: Whiting Flower Shop, the fourth oldest florist in the country, is seeking a new owner
Simine Short, who has a home in Miller Beach, has long been fascinated by the career of Octave Chanute, a French-American civil engineer and aviation pioneer who advised Orville and Wilbur Wright when they asked for his advice about flying machines.

And now in her latest book on the subject, "Flight Not Improbable: Octave Chanute and the Worldwide Race Toward Flight", Short takes us back in history to the world changing series of events that occurred in the dunes of Miller Beach back in the late 1890s. It was one of many experiments which took place in the Indiana Dunes and though Chanute was in his 60s at the time he took part in some which required taking a running jump off of a dune and launching oneself into the air on the bilevel glider. There were, of course, accidents but it also was an attraction with people coming to view what some called the crazy old man of the dunes.

These were major steps in the evolution of flight. But even before that, the engineer was influencing aviators with the 1894 release of his book "Progress in Flying Machines" where he collated not only all of what he had learned all the time but others. It became a must read for early aviation pioneers like the Wright Brothers.

It was the definitive publication on the history and current status of flying machines. Here Chanute also formalized some terminology--aeroplane, lift, drag, aeronautical engineer--that would become a standard in the future, Short wrote in an article for the NACA Centenary that appears at NASAs website. Its one of over 150 articles shes written on Chanute. Simine also points out that Chanute was a firm believer that scientific advancement takes place when all share their ideas, which is why he gave so freely of his own and also met with and advised those who sought him out.

"His way of bringing people together, publicizing what was discovered, and making sure that information was shared along with his willingness to mentor others helped guide others in the right direction, says Short, noting that the majority of people dont recognize the name nor his contributions despite his connection to the Wright Brothers and other early pioneers in the field.

Locally though, there is recognition, theres the Chanute Aquatorium Society, a non-profit organization created to save the historic bathhouse designed by George Washington Maher in 1921 and on the register of National Historic Places since 1994, which honors both the engineer and the Tuskegee Airmen and features a museum. On a personal note thats where my family hosts such events as my nephews graduation party and my brother and sister-in-laws 50th wedding anniversary. Theres also the Octave Grill in Chesterton named in honor of Chanute.

Short says she long has wanted to write a book on Chanutes involvement with aviation but the publisher of her first book about him wanted her to focus on his engineering accomplishments which she did in "Locomotive to Aeromotive: Octave Chanute and the Transportation Revolution." Chanutes accomplishments in this field are also outstanding. He designed the Kinzua Bridge in Kinzua County, Pennsylvania, at one time the longest and tallest railroad structure at 2,053 feet long and 301 feet high as well as the Chicago and Kansas City stock yards. He also designed the first bridge over the Missouri River at Kansas City which no one thought could be done. In other words, he was quite accomplished even before he opened the doors to aeronautical exploration.

And Short with her connection to aviation and Miller Beach has told this mans story eloquently in both her books.
The Group of Twenty (G20), a forum of 19 industrialized nations plus the European Union, has met this month at the Bahrat Mandapam conference center in New Delhi. The annual gathering provided a major opportunity for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demonstrate Indias growing influence.

The G20 provides a structure for policy discussion and coordination on a wide range of matters, including international security.

China and Vladimir Putin of Russia were absent. Both nations suffer serious and growing economic problems. Moscow is in addition afflicted with the costly, brutal war resulting from the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Just before the G20 gathered in India, President Joe Biden stopped in Hanoi, Vietnam. The occasion was a new, greatly strengthen strategic partnership between the United States and Vietnam. The relationship was formally raised to a comprehensive strategic partnership by Hanoi. This is their highest designation for cooperation. Previously, our relationship had been at their lowest designation.

Last year in November, Indonesia hosted a G20 summit. President Biden took the opportunity for a special meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping.

The G20 began in 1999, spurred by the Asia financial crisis of 1997. Rapid response led by the United States mobilized public and private capital to relieve nearly disastrous financial pressures on Asian economies. U.S. President Bill Clinton led this effective crisis management.

In 2010, G20 meetings took place in Gyeongju and then Seoul, South Korea. The selection of this nation aptly, and appropriately, symbolized the exceptional economic development of their powerhouse economy  and stable political democracy  during the years following the devastating Korean War of 1950 to 1953.

Japan was a participant in the initial, predecessor G7 organization of economically advanced nations. The successor G20 has developed a wider arena to include China, along with Brazil, India and other rapidly industrializing large economies of the world.

The fact that worldwide very poor people are becoming prosperous is good news for everyone. They represent new competitors, but also potential new consumers of our products, and investment partners. Wars are on balance less likely.

Washington took the opportunity to highlight Indonesia, and neighboring nations, as success stories of expanding political stability, modernization and the rule of law. In 1998, opponents forced Indonesias long-time autocratic president and former general Muhammad Suharto from power. Since then, the nation has had representative government.

Indonesias external conflicts today are largely technical and legal, notably the maritime disputes which generally involve the nations of East and Southeast Asia. Dictatorship has ended, but corruption remains a problem.

The situation used to be quite different. During the height of the Cold War, Indonesia was a pivotal leader among developing nations. Flamboyant nationalist President Sukarno played the Soviet Union and United States against one another. CIA efforts to bring Sukarno down failed, greatly weakening U.S. standing.

In consequence, cooperation between Indonesia and the Soviet Union expanded. This development was extremely important in the decision for large-scale U.S. military intervention in Vietnam in 1965. Today, we largely have forgotten this history.

British forces, with Australian and New Zealand allies, defeated Indonesia attacks on Malaysia. Earlier, Britain defeated a Communist insurgency in Malaya, today part of Malaysia. Their strategy remains highly germane.

Today, the Cold War is over, though the potentially explosive tensions between China and the United States and other nations show utopia has not yet arrived.

Our collaboration with Vietnam is truly historic.

Learn More: Former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moons memoirs, Resolved.
Now the couple are thinking about going back on the housing market with DZA. Will the prospective buildings impose a weight limit, as they often do? Will Great Danes be on a list of forbidden breeds, as they frequently are? Will the management charge a monthly pet rent that can be as high as $100? Will it insist on meeting DZA, and if so, will there be chemistry?

It becomes all about the dog, Ms. Rhoten said. And you have to be prepared to pull out all the stops to show that your dog is as well-behaved as you are.

Canine owners and experts agree that it is not the size of the dog that matters in city apartments, but the animals disposition and needs. Painting large breeds with broad strokes reinforces erroneous beliefs, such as that greyhounds need constant exercise, when, in fact, many are couch potatoes, or that pit bulls are natural born killers.

Its almost like youre an outcast if you have a large dog, said Ina Obernesser, a veterinarian in Nyack, N.Y., referring to weight limits as meager as 20 pounds. Although she finds such regulations ludicrous because weight has nothing to do with a dogs temperament, she sees the point: If your dog bites someone in the elevator, the Chihuahua nibbles on an ankle; the pit bull sends them to the hospital.
Drought-like conditions in the Midwest over the summer have created a growing water problem in the New Orleans area this fall.

Water levels of the Mississippi River have dropped low enough to make the river less resistant to a mass of saltwater flowing north from the Gulf of Mexico. This circumstance, known as saltwater intrusion, is endangering the drinking water systems in and around the city, as well as smaller municipalities to the south.

Officials in Louisiana and with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say that a saltwater wedge could reach water treatment plants near New Orleans in October and are working to slow the influx while also bringing in more fresh water to the region. Many water treatment facilities cannot handle water with high salinity levels, which corrode pipes and cause metals in the pipes to leach into the water.

This is a serious situation, Gov. John Bel Edwards said at a news conference on Friday. He said he was requesting a federal emergency declaration, and Mayor LaToya Cantrell of New Orleans signed an emergency declaration for the city on Friday. But Mr. Edwards urged people to stay calm, and state officials advised against overstocking on water.
In late July, Earl Washington was still working his way through the memoir. Its been hard, Washington said. He does a lot of processing with my husband.

Washington recalled a conversation with her father in which she told him: Im not going anywhere, youre not going anywhere, youre my dad. Now when I say I love you, its not because of who youre pretending to be in my life, its because of who you are.

Once her book comes out, Washington is aware that she may be inundated with stories from readers who see themselves in her, and want to talk about their families secrets. She appeared unfazed by the prospect. I never want to say to people, You have to tell your kid the truth, she said. I do think its extraordinary how few rights I have as a donor kid. But that dissonance thing is something I want us to be aware of. To know that when we cause a person not to trust their instincts, we take away some major tools they have to operate in the world as confident people.

By writing Thicker Than Water, Washington appears to have reclaimed those tools.

Audio produced by Adrienne Hurst .
Dana Perino can punch and parry with the best of them. But she could be better at ducking.

In 2008, when Ms. Perino was the White House press secretary for President George W. Bush, she got clocked in the face with a boom microphone in the scuffle that broke out after a journalist threw his shoes at Mr. Bush.

I had a black eye for six weeks, Ms. Perino, now an anchor for Fox News, said in an interview last week from her sun-dappled Upper West Side apartment.

That kind of fracas  and the nearly two years she spent taking questions from reporters in the White House briefing room  may be good preparation for her next act: moderating the Republican presidential debate on Wednesday in Simi Valley, Calif.

It will be the biggest moment for Ms. Perino at Fox News since she began co-hosting The Five in 2011. Not known for being as provocative or partisan as many of her colleagues behind the desk, Ms. Perino, 51, has spent a good part of the last decade trying to thrive as a Bush Republican working for a network where loyalty to former President Donald J. Trump is often the ticket to high ratings and the career advancement that accompanies them.
It was the tail end of another long, hot Tokyo summer, and salarymen across the city were looking at their wardrobes with dread.

Every year from May to September, Japans famously conservative corporate workers and government employees set aside their stiff, dark suits for more casual attire. Out go the neckties and starched shirts; in come short-sleeved polos and linen shirts, even the occasional Hawaiian. Then, as the calendar approaches October, formality returns, if not drastically cooler temperatures.

The metamorphosis is part of a Japanese initiative known as Cool Biz, a glass-half-full description of what could just as easily be called Hot Office. Starting on May 1, workplaces set their thermostats at 28 degrees Celsius, or above 82 degrees Fahrenheit, to save energy, a sweaty proposition in humid Tokyo.

Uncomfortable though they may be, Japanese offices offer a model for how countries around the world can reduce greenhouse gas emissions that have contributed to record-breaking heat waves and extreme weather events. This August was the hottest ever recorded in Japan, according to its meteorological agency, and daily highs in Tokyo remained above 32 degrees Celsius, or 90 degrees Fahrenheit, into the latter part of September.
Good morning. Lidey Heuck gave us a new recipe for goulash (above) thats an Americanized take on the great Hungarian stew, with paprika-scented ground beef, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, macaroni and a healthy sprinkle of Cheddar stirred in at the end.

The paprika made me think of the terrific food writer Arthur Schwartz, who was once the restaurant critic for The Daily News and later became known as the Food Maven. Arthur and I got to talking about the spice when I interviewed him for a story about chicken paprikash. Id asserted that most paprika languishes in spice drawers, and is stale and flavorless as a result. To make a proper paprikash or goulash, I said, the smart move is to purchase some new paprika, bright and flavorful.

Arthur contradicted me. If you really want your food to taste like a Jewish grandmothers, he said, laughing, youll need to season it with paprika thats been stored near the stove for at least three years.

Which is to say, make your goulash today with the spices youve got. Lideys recipe delivers!
The so-called War on Drugs in the 1970s and 1980s aimed for a zero-tolerance approach. But it also led to the incarceration of millions of Black and Latino people across the country, often for nonviolent offenses. While the overall number of cocaine users declined during those years, the amount of drugs consumed stayed the same and the number of teenagers who tried illicit drugs rose, according to one study by the RAND Corporation.

In response, New York passed laws to address civil rights concerns, including one in 2019 that, among other things, significantly increased the amount of paperwork that had to be done after drug arrests, and gave prosecutors a shorter time frame to hand evidence over to the accused.

In 2021, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a law that decriminalized the sale and possession of hypodermic needles, and also expanded the number of crimes in which those charged were eligible for diversion to drug treatment programs instead of prison. It was another signal to law enforcement that while possessing a small quantity of illegal drugs remains a crime  street use, in some ways, had essentially been decriminalized.

State bail reform laws, also passed in 2019, have allowed more people accused of crimes to return to the community shortly after their arrests. Whether this has actually increased crime is not clear, but even so, experts said the police are less likely to act aggressively if they know the people they arrest will be back on the street shortly afterward.

Bridget Brennan, the citys special narcotics prosecutor, said that while the new laws were intended to reduce overdoses and reverse decades of harsh prison sentences for lower-level offenses, they also had the unintended effect of emboldening drug dealers. She said prosecutors will charge dealers three or four times and they still will not be held on bail.
In a 39-page indictment, federal prosecutors on Friday accused Robert Menendez, the powerful New Jersey senator and Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, of accepting bribes that included a luxury car, expensive exercise machines, mortgage payments, bars of gold bullion and more than $500,000 in cash.

In exchange for the bribes, Mr. Menendez wielded his power to increase U.S. assistance to Egypt and do favors for New Jersey businessmen, prosecutors said.

The indictment also names Mr. Menendezs wife, Nadine Menendez, and three businessmen: Fred Daibes, a prominent New Jersey builder; Wael Hana, the founder of a halal meat certification company with headquarters in New Jersey; and Jose Uribe, a former insurance agent from Union City, N.J., who worked in the trucking industry.

All five defendants have been charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. The senator and his wife were also charged with conspiracy to commit extortion under the color of official right, meaning that they leveraged Mr. Menendezs role as a U.S. senator to force someone to give them something of value.
Etihad Airways, the UAEs national airline, has been rated as a Five-Star Global Airline by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) for the third consecutive year in recognition of its high standards of service and hospitality. The award was announced on September 20 at the APEX Awards Ceremony in Long Beach, California.

The APEX Five Star Airline Awards were created based on neutral, third-party passenger feedback and insights gathered in partnership with TripIt from Concur, the worlds highest-rated travel-organising app.

For the 2024 Awards, nearly one million flights were rated by passengers across more than 600 airlines from around the world using a five-star scale. The awards are independently certified by a professional external auditing company.

Commenting on the recognition from APEX, Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer, Etihad, said: Our guests are at the heart of all we do, and we are immensely proud to retain our Five-Star rating for the third year in a row, thanks to their ratings and feedback. We strive to deliver world-class service for our guests, inspired by the traditional Emirati hospitality of our home in Abu Dhabi, and we will continue to push the boundaries of the industry even higher.

The award comes as Etihad prepares to launch three new destinations, with flights to Dusseldorf launching September 28, Copenhagen on September 29 and Osaka on October 1. Additionally, Etihads network expansion has included increasing flight frequencies across a number of routes across Europe and Asia making travel even more convenient.

Etihads offers the highest standards of service and hospitality regardless of the cabin, whether a guest chooses to fly in The Residence, Etihads unique three-room suite on the Airbus A380, or in First, Business or Economy cabins across the fleet, said a statement.

In Business class, guests will experience Etihads collaboration with Armani/Casa which features a range of dining and glassware designed with celebrated designer Giorgio Armani. The collection also offers luxurious bedding with a jointly branded blanket, pillow and bolster cushion that unfolds into a mattress topper for Etihads fully flat bed.  TradeArabia News Service
For many New Yorkers, the return of the United Nations General Assembly to the east side of Manhattan is greeted as a sort of annual plague: Traffic is a nightmare. Protests of varying intensity spring up. Foreign diplomats, who spend the year parking haphazardly and declining to pay the resulting tickets, are suddenly everywhere.

But for residents of the Manor, a co-op building across the street from the U.N., one diplomatic nuisance has proved more lasting: a vexingly loud air-conditioning unit on the roof of the building next door, which happens to belong to the Kingdom of Bhutan.

Last week, residents of the Manor sent a strongly worded letter to the Bhutanese ambassador, complaining about the noise from the nations permanent mission to the U.N.

This relentless auditory nuisance makes it impossible to leave our windows open, wrote Fabrice Frere, 56, a longtime resident, in an email to Doma Tshering, the ambassador, and has disturbed the peace and comfort of our homes, consequently affecting our overall quality of life.
The E.P.A.s decision was based on over a dozen years of transparent review, including extensive peer-reviewed science, broad public participation and public comment  and vigorous engagement in the process by Northern Dynasty and the Dunleavy administration. Having compiled this comprehensive record, the agency concluded that the Pebble Mine would violate the Clean Water Act and cause the watersheds globally important aquatic resources to suffer unavoidable adverse impacts.

The states complaint, on the other hand, is high on rhetoric and low on substance. It attacks the veto as a strike at the heart of Alaskas sovereignty and asks the court to find that the E.P.A. has taken state property without just compensation. It cites no actual language to support its claim, and it ignores the Supreme Courts unanimous 2019 decision that, in Alaska, state, Native and private land (and waters) do of course remain subject to all the regulatory powers they were before, exercised by E.P.A., the Coast Guard and the like.

Bizarrely, the state asserts with emphasis that there is nothing the state can now do with these lands for economic purposes. The annual salmon runs are an economic engine that generates half of the worlds sockeye salmon, yielding more than $2.2 billion a year in revenue and supporting over 15,000 jobs. The Bristol Bay watersheds staggering economic value and job creation, all generated by the streams and waters where the salmon spawn, are exactly what the E.P.A.s veto is intended to protect.

The E.P.A.s action is consistent both with its legal authority and with what Alaskans have requested and overwhelmingly support. The Dunleavy administration has a right to appeal through the established appellate process for review of complex, fact-based agency action. But its attempt to bypass that process  and to get the Supreme Court to ignore its own precedent  should be rejected.

The states lawsuit highlights the need for federal legislation to permanently protect Bristol Bay from the mining company that has relentlessly stalked the regions communities for a generation. Despite all prior efforts to preserve the unparalleled generosity of the regions sustainable fisheries, the only future certainty for the communities of Bristol Bay is the inevitable pressure for catastrophic large-scale mining in its headwaters. That is, unless Congress provides permanent protection for this national treasure, unruined.

Carl Safina is a marine ecologist and professor of nature and humanity at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. His most recent book is Alfie and Me: What Owls Know and What Humans Believe. Joel Reynolds is a senior lawyer at the Natural Resources Defense Council, where he directs the organizations efforts in the American West.
A Black high school student in Texas who was suspended because of the way he wears his hair, along with his mother, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on Saturday against the states governor and attorney general.

Darryl George, 17, and his mother, Darresha George, said in the lawsuit that the state leaders failed to enforce a new Texas law that makes it illegal for schools and employers to discriminate against people with hairstyles commonly or historically associated with race.

The law, called the CROWN Act, went into effect on Sept. 1. The day before, Darryl was given an in-school suspension because officials at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, Texas, said that his hair violated the districts dress code, according to the lawsuit.

Darryl, a high school junior, has locs, or long ropelike strands of hair, that he pins on his head in a barrel roll. He wears his locs as an expression of cultural pride, according to the lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas.
A grandmother detained by the Baton Rouge police for mixing two different prescription pills in the same container said officers interrogated and humiliated her in an unmarked torture warehouse known as the Brave Cave, according to a lawsuit filed last week.

The woman, Ternell L. Brown, was pulled over by officers on June 10 and forcibly transported to the warehouse, where she was stripped and cavity searched, according to the suit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Louisiana.

It was unclear from the documents why Ms. Brown, who was with her husband, was pulled over in the first place.

She was held at the warehouse for more than two hours before being released without being charged, according to the suit, which identified the officers as Troy Lawrence Jr. and Matthew Wallace. Another female officer, who was not named, was also involved, according to the complaint.
The News

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California vetoed a bill on Friday that would instruct judges presiding over custody battles in the state to take into consideration a parents support for a childs gender identity when making custody and visitation decisions.

Why It Matters: The veto signals a break from the governors stance in support of transgender rights.

In a letter accompanying his veto on Friday, Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, said that while he he shares a deep commitment to advancing transgender rights, he urged caution about making legal standards in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic.

Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities, he said.

The governor added that under existing state law, the court is required to consider a childs health, safety and welfare in these proceedings, which he said already includes the parents affirmation of the childs gender identity.

Mr. Newsom did not elaborate on his stance. But Scott Altman, a law professor at the University of Southern California who specializes in family law, said that the veto might have stemmed from a concern that courts might overemphasize this one facet of parental love, or could lead courts to discriminate against parents whose religions adhere to traditional gender roles, or that allowing this explicit reference to affirming gender identity might provoke more opposition to L.G.B.T.Q. rights in other states.

In a statement responding to his veto, Assemblywoman Lori Wilson, the bills sponsor, said she was extremely disappointed. She added that she has been disheartened by the rising hate and vitriol toward transgender people.

The veto signals a break from Mr. Newsoms usual stance on transgender rights. Ms. Wilson called him a champion for L.G.B.T.Q. people, especially those in the transgender community. And Senator Scott Wiener, who co-sponsored the bill, said the governor was a staunch ally.

On Saturday, Mr. Newsom announced that he signed into law other legislation strengthening protections for L.G.B.T.Q. Californians, including a measure that requires that petitions from minors for a change of gender and sex identifier must be kept confidential, and one that establishes a task force to identify L.G.B.T.Q. childrens needs statewide.

Respectfully, however, this veto is a mistake, Mr. Wiener said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

Background: The child custody bill passed along party lines this month.

The bill on gender affirmation in custody battles, Assembly Bill 957, would have amended existing state law to say that the courts consideration of the health, safety and welfare of the child in custody disputes should also include the consideration of a parents affirmation of the childs gender identity or gender expression.

The bill does not require a judge to side with the parent who affirms the childs gender identity but instructs the court to take it into consideration. It passed the State Legislature this month.

When it comes to what affirmation means, the legislation is vague and does not specify whether a child needs to be on puberty blockers or have undergone gender-transition surgery. Affirmation includes a range of actions and will be unique for each child, but in every case must promote the childs overall health and well-being, according to the measure.

Ms. Wilson, a Democrat, previously told The Associated Press that affirmation could include letting children play with toys associated with their gender identity, getting their nails painted or wearing their hair at a length that feels comfortable.

The bill, which passed along party lines, sparked an intense debate in the State Legislature, with many Republicans arguing that it was interfering with how parents decide to raise their children. After the veto, several Republicans celebrated the move.

This is fantastic news, and the right call, said Representative Bill Essayli.

Whats Next: The measure goes back to the Legislature.

A two-thirds vote in both chambers, where Democrats hold supermajorities, could override Mr. Newsoms veto.
Shortly before Gov. Roy Cooper, a North Carolina Democrat, began his first term in 2017, his rivals in the Republican-controlled legislature voted to strip the position of key powers, including the governors longstanding authority to appoint majorities to the state election board and local election boards in all 100 counties. After the state Supreme Court ruled that move illegal, the lawmakers put the idea on the ballot, but the states voters shot that down, too.

Now, seven years after their first try, the legislators appear on the verge of getting what they have long sought.

On Wednesday, the State House of Representatives followed the State Senate in passing legislation that would put the legislature in charge of all election board appointments. It would also change the number of positions on each board to split seats equally between Republican and Democratic members, eliminating the extra seat  controlled by the governor  that had served as a tiebreaker in disputes.

Under the newly passed bill, ties in local election boards would be addressed by the State Board of Elections  which, under the bill, would also have an equal number of members from each party.
Federal inmate number 14289-077 is baffled whenever the television in his Texas prison blares out assertions from supporters of Donald Trump that the former president has been victimized by a two-tiered system of justice.

Ive heard all these Republicans say, Well, we dont care if Mr. Trump did wrong, were going to support him anyway, Bonnie Erwin said in a recent phone conversation from prison. What kind of system is that? I dont mean any disrespect to his people. Theres two justice systems, all right. And if I was a white man, Id have been out of here a long time ago.

Mr. Erwin, 81, has been incarcerated for 39 years, spread across 11 different facilities. For the past three years, his home has been the Federal Medical Center in Fort Worth, in a minimum-security unit with other disabled inmates. Partially paralyzed on his right side from a stroke a decade ago, Mr. Erwin relies on other inmates to push his wheelchair and to type his emails.

Mr. Erwin is both a reflection of an earlier eras draconian prison sentences and an example of how recent reforms can miss their mark. He was convicted by an all-white jury two years before the Supreme Court forbade the racial pruning of jury pools. He was sentenced three years too early to qualify for compassionate release under the terms of a law, the First Step Act, signed by President Trump in 2018.
With a potential government shutdown now less than a week away, President Biden and other administration officials this weekend intensified their warnings of the consequences of closing government agencies as they pressed congressional Republicans to find a way out of their spending stalemate.

Both the president and the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, made public calls for Republicans to resolve their differences before next Sunday, when federal funding is set to lapse. They noted that a shutdown would mean that members of the military would go without paychecks, air travelers could experience disruptions and a variety of programs safeguarding the public would be shuttered. Yet even after a weekend of private haggling at the Capitol, there was no sign that the G.O.P. was moving toward a resolution.

A government shutdown could impact everything from food safety to cancer research to Head Start programs for children, Mr. Biden said at a Saturday dinner for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, blaming the situation on a small group of extreme Republicans opposed to a spending deal he cut earlier this year with Speaker Kevin McCarthy. Now everyone in America could be forced to pay the price.

Funding the government is one of the most basic responsibilities of Congress, he said. Its time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do.
France will withdraw nearly 1,500 troops from the West African nation of Niger by the end of the year, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, a decision that could upend the Wests security footprint in the region, including the future of 1,100 American forces based in Niger.

In an interview on French television, Mr. Macron also said that the countrys ambassador to Niger would leave within the next hours. He added, And we are ending our military cooperation with the de facto authorities in Niger, because they no longer want to fight terrorism.

The short announcement comes after weeks of escalating tensions between France and the new military leaders in Niger, who seized power in a coup in July. It also caps years of waning influence for France, a former colonizer in West Africa whose economic presence and military clout in the region remains considerable despite being increasingly challenged by juntas and foreign powers like Russia.

The new authorities in Niger, known as the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country, called the decision on Sunday a historical moment for the nation.
Miriam quickly packed and left a note for the family she was working for in McAllen, Texas. Though she was employed full time as a nanny for the familys young child, whom she adored, Miriam told them she would not be coming back. By 6 a.m. on that January day in 2014, she made her way to the international bridge in Reynosa and waited for the bus that would take her to San Fernando, a two-hour journey through the center of the state of Tamaulipas, in Mexico. On the bus, Miriam sat near the back and silently wept for Karen, her youngest daughter, only 20.

An elderly man across the aisle handed her his handkerchief and asked if she was OK. Miriam, normally guarded around strangers, told him her daughter had been kidnapped by the Zeta cartel, becoming one of tens of thousands of disappeared.
The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manila's coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources "strongly condemn" China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier "prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities," he said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment.China claims 90 percent of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.
Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have arrived at the United States border in the last two years, part of a historic wave of migrants headed north amid growing global crises.

But Venezuela has been in the midst of an economic and humanitarian crisis for roughly a decade.

Why are so many people going to the United States now?

Over the last year, weve interviewed hundreds of Venezuelans headed to the United States. The short answer is that people are exhausted by so many years of economic struggle, and global policies meant to change the situation have failed to keep them at home.

At the same time, social media has popularized the route to the United States, while a thriving people-moving business near the start of the journey has accelerated the pace of migration  even as a United Nations tally shows a record number of people dying on their way north.

Venezuela was once among the wealthiest countries in Latin America, its economy buoyed by profits from vast oil reserves  the largest proven reserves in the world  that supported celebrated universities, a respected public health system and a flourishing middle class.
Now Mr. Singh is simply afraid to go, suspecting that flights might be canceled in coming weeks, leaving him helpless in Canada.

It hurts, this cold war, and there is an uncertainty now which is killing us, Mr. Singh, a farmer who had hoped to explore business opportunities with extended family in Canada, said dejectedly. We are seeing a lot of statements being thrown around. Each of their sentences, each word of our leaders, is affecting the lives of each one of us. Whatever they say or do has a direct effect on us.

Set amid lush green paddy fields and surrounded by imposing billboards advertising migration services, the temple draws thousands of visa aspirants every year who seek a little divine intervention in reaching places that offer more opportunities for success. Shops lined up on one side of the temple sell mini Boeing 747s and A380s, among other paraphernalia that might bolster their prayers.

Known as Indias breadbasket, Punjab is a majority-Sikh state where the average income is about $2,080 a year. It has a special relationship with Canada and a special place in the hearts of Sikhs like Mr. Singh.
She was a trailblazing professor and ethnographer from the Uyghur ethnic group in far-western China who documented the religious and cultural traditions of her people. She was at the height of a career that the Chinese government had once recognized with awards and research grants. But it was not enough to keep her safe.

Rahile Dawut, who nurtured a generation of academics and scholars, disappeared in 2017, along with other prominent intellectuals and academics targeted by the Chinese government in its campaign to crush the Uyghur cultural identity. Details about her case were shrouded in secrecy for years, leaving her family and friends to wonder about her fate.

On Thursday, the Dui Hua Foundation, a group that campaigns on behalf of political prisoners held in China, said that it had seen a document written by a senior Chinese official stating that Dr. Rahile Dawut had been sentenced to life in prison on charges of endangering national security.

For the Chinese government to strike her is really to strike at the heart of Uyghur culture, John Kamm, the groups founder and chairman, said in a phone interview. Its appalling.
More than 1,000 ethnic Armenians fleeing the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh crossed the border into Armenia on Sunday, days after a military offensive brought the enclave firmly back under Azerbaijans control.

More refugees are expected to follow in the coming days, according to the refugees and their relatives waiting for them near the border. They took with them little but the most basic necessities, leaving behind their homes and possessions with little prospects of return.

The past two days were the most horrific in my life, said Meline Hakobyan, 23, a law student who left Yeghtsahogh, a village in Nagorno-Karabakh. My wish is that the feeling we have now, nobody goes through it.

Azerbaijan was emboldened to take military action last week because of the regions shifting geopolitics as a result of Russias war in Ukraine. Russia, Armenias traditional security guarantor, appeared less inclined to intervene this time, given its increasing reliance on trade with Turkey, Azerbaijans principal ally.
But security officials believe that much of the money Mr. Shor has used to finance his political activities in Moldova  including Ms. Gutsuls election campaign  originated in Russia, claiming that they have identified around 20 million euros, or $21 million, in transfers from Russia to entities he controls between June 2022 and this past July.

Part of this, they say, was ferried in by mules on flights between Moscow and Moldova, often via Armenia. (Mr. Shor for a time controlled Air Moldova, the countrys now-insolvent national carrier.)

The flow of funds came to light, intelligence officials who requested anonymity said, when customs officers at the Chisinau airport noticed a sudden increase in the number of passengers arriving from Russia via third countries carrying bundles of cash with just under 10,000 euros, the limit beyond which money has to be declared and explained. They also uncovered hundreds of prepaid debit cards issued by a bank in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, and large transfers from Russia to Moldova through an informal network.

Mr. Tarnavsky said that he did not know the origin of the money used to support Ms. Gutsuls election campaign, but added that Mr. Shor is not a philanthropist, so it was unlikely that he used his own cash to fund road or other projects that she had promised.

These include Gagauzland, a theme park celebrating Gagauz culture that is supposed to open next year near Comrat.
With a colorless and reputedly prickly small-city mayor being challenged by a far-right candidate known for his charisma and business success, many Germans feared that the hard-line Alternative for Germany party was about to win its first City Hall.

But when the ballots were counted Sunday evening, voters in the city of Nordhausen had decisively returned their mayor to office, dealing a setback to a party that has drawn on nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiment to secure a firm hold in German politics.

I thought it would be much, much closer, said an early-round mayoral candidate, Andreas Trump, who ran for the conservative Christian Democrats and did not endorse a candidate for fear of driving voters into the arms of the rightists.

The election came as Alternative for Germany, which has a nationalist, anti-migrant platform, is on the rise across the country. The party, known as the AfD, won only 10 percent of the votes in the 2021 general election, but since then, it has benefited from frustration with Chancellor Olaf Scholzs three-party government, the rising cost of living, worries about the war in Ukraine and a surge in immigration.
Ukraine has stepped up its use of a new shipping route that has allowed it to begin reviving grain exports to circumvent a de facto Russian blockade of its Black Sea ports.

Repeated airstrikes by Russian forces since July on Ukraines port of Odesa after the Kremlins withdrawal from a deal that had allowed Ukraine to export its food crops directly across the waters to Turkey had forced Ukraine to stop using its three Black Sea ports as an export route and work to establish an alternative.

Two ships successfully used the new route last week without incident, and three more cargo vessels have entered Ukrainian waters in recent days, according to officials.

When Moscow withdrew from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, it said it would consider any vessel approaching a Ukrainian port to be a potential carrier of military cargo and therefore a threat. The following month, members of the Russian military boarded a cargo vessel at gunpoint, reflecting the rising tensions on the Black Sea, which Western analysts have warned could escalate into violence involving countries not directly involved in the war.
An Offaly hotel has won the Best Wedding Venue in Leinster Award

The County Arms Hotel in Birr has scooped the award for Best Wedding Venue in Leinster at the RSVP Wedding Awards.

The award is special recognition of the unique charms of the famous Birr hotel

The RSVP Wedding Awards are the among one of the ultimate badges of honour for wedding venues throughout Ireland.

RSVP Editor Paula Lenihan said of The County Arms recognition: For many couples getting married is one of the most cherished and well documented days in their lives. It takes a lot of effort behind the scenes to make the day appear to flow effortlessly, and you pull it off with style.

RSVP Magazine is recognising excellence in the industry, and you are among the people who make the magic happen, down to the finest detail, and while you might be used to pulling off the best celebrations for others, we wanted to celebrate you!

One of our most popular annual features is the coveted Wedding Awards, and from the leading venues to the special final touches, we love being able to showcase the best of Irish brands to our readers.

In a labour of love undertaken by our star-studded judging panel - leading Irish influencer Dominique Nugent, beauty expert Mark Rogers, RSVP Magazine journalist Aine Kenny and leading influencer and entrepreneur Aimee Connolly  who have searched high and low for the most exciting, memorable and dazzling wedding services and revealed the best available to future brides.

We were delighted to inform County Arms Birr that their brand is a winner, having emerged from a very extensive and competitive list.

For wedding enquiries please contact the County Arms on weddings@countyarmshotel.com
Met Eireann has issued a series of weather warnings with intense weather set to hit parts of Ireland.

Met Eireann has issued two Status Orange Weather Warnings and three Status Yellow Weather Warnings with some areas set to be hit with intense weather.

A Status Orange Rain Warning has been issued for Waterford.

Met Eireann is warning that there will be intense rainfall over a relatively short time period with potential flooding, poor visibility and hazardous travelling conditions. It is valid from midday until 6pm this evening.

There is also a Status Orange Rain warning for Galway and Mayo.

Met Eireann is warning that there will be intense rainfall over a relatively short time period with potential flooding, poor visibility and hazardous travelling conditions. It is valid from 1pm until 5pm this evening.

Met Eireann has issued a Status Yellow Rain warning for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Cork and Waterford. Met Eireann is warning of spells of heavy rain accompanied by strong and gusty winds. Highest rain accumulations on hills and mountains. That warning is in place from 9am to 6pm.

Another Status Yellow Rain warning is in place for Donegal, Galway, Mayo and Sligo from 11am to 8pm while there is also a Status Yellow Wind Warning for Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow from 3pm to 7pm
The Irish Society of Protection of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) has highlighted the condition in which dogs were kept at an address in the Midlands.

Inspector McCormack commented after Judge Andrew Cody at Portlaoise District Court fined a woman 2,000 and ordered that she pay 1,000 in ISPCA and veterinary costs. He also imposed a 10-year disqualification from owning or keeping animals.

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This was a severe case of neglect to two dogs. The little French Bulldog weighed only two Kilograms when she was rescued and doubled her weight in just four weeks. The vet was of the opinion that these dogs had endured unnecessary suffering and neglect, and the Judge agreed. It might be a lesson for others that these acts of cruelty are being punished and hopefully will prove a deterrent for others going forward, said Mr McCormack.

The ISPCA says it cannot turn its back on animals that need to be removed from "terrible situations" like this one and needs support now more than ever before.

A kind donation will help the ISPCA continue to rescue and care for neglected animals and find them loving homes. If you can, please donate online at www.ispca.ie/donate/
Han Kang is one of the most sublime writers on the contemporary stage. She won the International Booker Prize in 2016 with her novel The Vegetarian, a suffocating portrait of the isolation that a person can immerse themselves in by making a change in their lives without the permission of others.

The South Korean author, born in Gwangju, in 1970, has now published Greek Lesson. The novel is a cry of silence, in which language fights against its annihilation. The protagonist is a woman who has lost her voice, her mother, as well as custody of her son. To combat these tragedies, she turns to a dead language  ancient Greek  in an attempt to recover what has been taken from her. And, in her class, she will find a professor who is going blind just like Borges, an author who is very present throughout this book. The relationship between the two forms the backbone of a story that raises many questions for the reader: how would we live without a voice? What if we knew that we were going to lose our sight?

Han Kang spoke with EL PAIS while passing through Madrid.

Question. Does your latest novel come from personal experience?

Answer. After The Vegetarian, which was my third novel, I started writing the fourth. But when I reached the seventh chapter, I couldnt continue, I got blocked. I stopped writing for a year and forgot how to do it. I also couldnt read any fiction. After a long rest, I was able to do it again. And thus, this fifth novel was born  Greek Lessons  which certainly arose from the silence that I have experienced.

Q. Why do you think you lost the ability to write?

A. Maybe because I wasnt sincere at that time. I lacked sincerity when writing  thats why I couldnt continue. Later, I realized that truth can also be included within fiction. By writing fiction, it doesnt necessarily mean that you lose the truth. You have to look for those paths [that can lead you back to writing], even if theyre narrow.

The author discusses the inner sincerity of the novel and her attempt at authenticity as a writer, which ultimately mark her characters and her work. In this territory, language occupies a key space. And, at the same time, language is the driving force of awakening, but also of collapse and silence. The reader mustnt forget that the protagonist has a son whom she cannot speak to.

Q. What do voice and language mean to you and your protagonist?

A. The protagonist has lost her speech and is trying to recover it with all her might. That process of recovering language is the process of recovering your life.

Q. How would you define language?

A. Its a unique and important medium, but, at the same time, its what makes me suffer. Because its an impossible medium, it slips easily.

Q. You once said that language is a double-edged sword that you cannot grasp.

A. Yes, thats what I was thinking while writing this book. Language is the only medium that makes me embrace life and, at the same time, shed blood. I cling tightly to language, but I also get tired of dealing with it.

The novelist Han Kang, during her interview. Claudio Alvarez

Q. You are a poet and your book is also poetic. Is a writer without poetry a poorer writer?

A. There are authors who have never written poetry, but, in their own work, poetry is present. When I write a novel, I feel that poems invade my work. Sometimes, I use a poem itself and, other times, normal phrases with poetic touches. Poetry has influenced me a lot.

Q. You mention Borges and are inspired by him. What does he mean to you?

A. In addition to everything that I love about his work, he said that progressively losing your sight is equivalent to the summer night getting closer and closer thats how he put it. And that, to me, is the story we have in common. Its the condition that all of us have, all human beings.

Although she does not wish to define herself, Han Kang can be considered the novelist of isolation and loss. In The Vegetarian, the protagonist loses every relationship. Only her sister, who doesnt even understand her, remains. In Greek Lessons, two isolated characters find each other. In silence, we can feel the language more strongly, Han notes.

When asked how to describe her latest book, she replies: Its a novel that asks questions. And she reveals the question that guided her: whats the softest part of human beings?

Well, the protagonist responds by writing in the palm of her teachers hand: thats how she communicates. For me, the most important thing is to cut your nails well, so as not to hurt the other person when you write on their hand, in the dark and in silence. This scene is the most important one for me. I speak of the softness and tenderness of the interior of the human being.

Han chose ancient Greek thanks to a conversation with a philosophy editor, who taught her many attractive things about the language. A word has many meanings. That attracted me a lot. And, at the same time, its a dead language. That paradox also interested me quite a bit.

Han writes as soon as he wakes up, even though shes barely opened her eyes yet. Its when my mind is most clear. Her fourth novel  the one that caused her writers block  was eventually completed and will soon be published in English. Her unstoppable career has allowed her to forge a connection with the reading public in numerous countries. Shes aware that the South Korean boom (in both literature and film) has also helped her succeed in the West, where, lately, she finds more and more people greeting her in her language and saying that they are learning it.

The luck I have is that it seems as if I have a button that I can turn on and off all the time. When I write, I dont think about the readers I leave that button off. And, when it comes to writing, I only think about that: writing. Thats my luck.

Han Kang, at another point in the interview. Claudio Alvarez

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Chennai: Man Dances Wearing Burqa During Ganesh Chaturthi Celebration, Arrested After Clip Went Viral

Chennai

oi-Prakash KL

A video of a man dancing during Ganesh Chaturthi wearing a burqa in Tamil Nadu had gone viral.

The Chennai cops received a complaint in this regard on September 21 after which they started an investigation.

A person named Arun Kumar has now been arrested by the cops. He hails from Viruthampattu. He was arrested for trying to cause enmity between two communities.

The police department has said that they will take strict action against anyone who tries to disturb the peace. Meanwhile, the hunt for the other people involved in the incident is on.

The man seen in a video wearing a burqa (Religious dress for females, mostly Muslims) and dancing during Ganesh Chathurthi celebrations in Tamil Nadu's Vellore district on September 21, has been identified as 'Arunkumar' and arrested for inciting religious sentiments.

India. pic.twitter.com/EJnjsOxCLG  Funny News Hub (@Funnynewshub) September 24, 2023

In the clip doing rounds on social media site, he is seen dancing wearing a burqa.

Prior to the festival, the Chennai cops had issued set of rules and regulations over the installation and worship of Ganesh idols within the city.

The authorities had imposed a ban on the use of firecrackers at locations where Ganesh idols are set up, along procession routes, and at immersion points.

Senior police officials, including Additional Commissioner of Police Prem Anand Sinha (South), and joint commissioners R Sibi Chakravarthi (South Zone) and B Shamoondeshwari (North Zone), had conducted a meeting with approximately 200 representatives from 29 organizations that are involved in organizing the festival.

These organizers comprise groups such as Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bharatiya Janata Party, Hindu Munnani, Hindu Makkal Katchi, Shiv Sena, Hindu Hanuman Sena, Bharat Hindu Munnani, among others.
TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu Pens An Open Letter From Prison: Not In Jail, But In People's Hearts

Chandrababu Naidu To Finally Come Out Of Jail As AP High Court Grants Bail

Andhra Court Extends N Chandrababu Naidu's Custody Till October 5

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

The judicial custody of TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu over an alleged Skill Development Corporation scam has been extended till October 5 by the Vijayawada ACB Court.

Earlier the TDP Chief was questioned by the CID officials inside the jail. The officials requested the court for an extension of Naidu's custody for further interrogation. Judge Hima Bindu extended the custody by 11 days after the CID officials submitted a petition.

Naidu's bail hearing is scheduled for Monday. Naidu was arrested on September 9 on suspicion of a scam during his time as Chief Minister and was put in judicial custody until September 22 in Rajahmundry Central Jail. On Friday, the court extended his custody to September 24.

The Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected Naidu's appeal to dismiss the FIR against him. The case involves the establishment of Centers of Excellence clusters in Andhra Pradesh, estimated at Rs 3300 crore during Naidu's term as Chief Minister.

The CID alleges a scam resulting in a Rs.371 crore loss to the state government, citing that the full 10 per cent government commitment for the project was advanced prior to any outlay by private entities. The CID claims most of this money was funnelled to shell companies via fake invoices, with no actual delivery of goods or services.

The remand report by the CID stated that the total expenditure by private entities on six skill development clusters was sourced entirely from the government and Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Centre's funds amounting to Rs 371 crore.

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Story first published: Monday, September 25, 2023, 0:17 [IST]
Vested Interest Have Dragged My Name: Harsh Vardhan On Laughing Over BJP's Anti-Muslim Rant

BJP Issues Show Cause Notice To Bidhuri For His Objectionable Remarks Against Danish Ali In LS

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri Breaks His Silence Over Derogatory Remarks In Parliament

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ramesh Bidhuri who was accused of using derogatory remarks inside the Parliament against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Kunwar Danish Ali said he doesn't want to comment on the issue.

Bidhuri while addressing the news agency ANI said the Lok Sabha speaker OM Birla is looking into the matter and hence he doesn't want to comment on the issue.

"No comments. Speaker (Om Birla) is looking into that, I don't want to make any comment about it," Bidhuri was quoted saying to ANI.

Meanwhile, BSP MP Danish Ali sought action against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey for accusing Ali of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and provoking Ramesh Bidhuri to use abusive remarks.

He also said he would consider giving up his Lok Sabha membership if action is not taken against Ramesh Bidhuri.

"When this is the condition of an elected member like me, then what will be the condition of a common man? I hope I will get justice and the Speaker will conduct an enquiry. Or else, with a heavy heart, I will think about leaving this Parliament because this can't be tolerated," the BSP leader said.

Earlier on Thursday, Bidhuri had made objectionable remarks against BSP leader Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha during a discussion on the Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla had on Friday warned Bidhuri of "strict action" if such behaviour is repeated. The BJP on the same day served a show cause asking to explain why disciplinary action should not be initiated against him for using unparliamentary language.

Opposition parties on Saturday urged Lok Sabha Speaker for serious action against Bidhuri and demanded his suspension over his derogatory remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali in the House.
BSP MP Danish Ali Demands Action Against BJP MP Nishikant Dubey

India

oi-Sushmita Halder

Bahujan Sama Party (BSP) MP Kunwar Danish Ali demanded strict action against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Nishikant Dubey for accusing Ali of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi first and provoking BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri to use derogative remarks in the Parliament.

Taking a dig at BJP MP Nishikant Dubey, Danish Ali said If Nishikant Dubey accusing Ali of provoking Bidhuri and insulting PM Modi is true, there must be a video of that.

Earlier on Saturday, Dubey wrote a letter to the Lok Sabha speaker OM Birla stating the entire scenario that took place inside the Parliament. Dubey in his letter wrote that Bidhuri used derogative remarks against PM Modi after being provoked by Ali. He further stated that Ali used some derogatory remarks for the Prime Minister without microphone which instigated Bidhuri to use derogative remarks.

"When Shri Danish Ali was busy instigating Bidhuri with his intemperate comments, he made a highly objectionable and derogatory remark against our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Jee. In his desperation to denigrate the ruling dispensation and the Prime Minister's achievement of landing Chandrayaan3 on the moon, he screamed across the aisle, without the microphone," Dubey wrote to the Lok Sabha speaker.

However, Ali denied Dubey's allegations and said it was a complete framework portrayed by the BJP. He further said that he was trying to protect the dignity of the post of PM.

"... Is it true that all the BJP MPs were sitting and laughing there? This means that they did not come in support of the PM. They did my verbal lynching on the house. Now they are trying to lynch me outside." Danish Ali was quoted saying.
'No Link Between My Film And The Issue': Actor Siddharth Disappointed After 'Chithha' Event Disrupted

Actor Prem Writes Letter To PM In 'Blood' Over Cauvery Row; Gets Trolled For Not Addressing Karnataka CM

Cauvery Issue: Agitation Continues In K'taka Against The Release Of Water To TN

India

pti-PTI

The protest against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu continued in Mandya, the Cauvery heartland, on Sunday as well. Farmers and various pro-Kannada organisations staged a sit-in demonstration at Sanjay Circle here demanding justice.

Holding placards and banners, the protesters raised slogans asking the state government to stop the release of water to the neighbouring state.

They alleged that there is inadequate water in the Krishna Raja Sagar Dam for drinking water supply, let alone to meet the irrigation requirements of farmlands in the agriculture dominated district.

The Karnataka Rakshana Vedike and Cauvery Water Rakshana Horata Samiti spearheaded the agitation from the morning.

The protests have been happening for the past few days and intensified on Saturday when 'Mandya Bandh was observed.

Earlir on Saturday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged protests in Bengaluru over the Cauvery water issue. Protesters gathered at Mysore Bank Circle and Malleshwaram and raised slogans like 'Cauvery Nammadu' (Cauvery is ours). They also demanded that the Karnataka government take steps to protect the state's interests in the Cauvery water dispute.

Various farmers and pro-Kannada outfits have given a call for a Bengaluru Bandh on Tuesday against the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

Last week, the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) had directed Karnataka to continue releasing 5,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for another 15 days, after the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) made such a recommendation last week.

The Supreme Court too refused to interfere with orders of the CWMA and CWRC, following which protests erupted in different parts of the state.

Karnataka has been maintaining that it is not in a position to release water, taking into account its own requirement for drinking water and irrigation of standing crops in the Cauvery basin areas, as there has been water scarcity due to deficit monsoon rains.
I Am Still Called A Witch: Shruti Haasan Gets Candid On Salaar & Carving Her Space With Prabhas

'I Dont Want To Marry Any Politician': Parineeti Chopra's Old Clip Goes Viral On The Day Of Her Wedding

India

oi-Prakash KL

As AAP leader Raghav Chaddha and Bollywood actress Parineeti Chopra set to tie the knot, a video clip of the latter claiming that she would not marry a politician has gone viral.

In an old interview with Bollywood Hungama, the actress was asked who she would like to marry and whether she would tie the knot to a politician. Responding to the question, Chopra said, "There are too many (politicians) but the problem is I don't want to get married to any politician. I don't want to marry any politician, ever."

Interestingly, the video has gone viral on the day of her marriage.

The Bollywood actress is marrying AAP leader Raghav Chaddha in an elaborate ceremony on Sunday.

"I don't want to marry any politician. I don't want to marry any politician ever," said @ParineetiChopra in a fun #RapidFire with me a few years back https://t.co/FMThcsHIwU pic.twitter.com/eQfizKS4ja  Faridoon Shahryar (@iFaridoon) April 2, 2023

The festivities will commence with the choora ceremony of Parineeti Chopra, a daytime event scheduled for 10:00 am on Sunday. Following this, there will be a sehrabandi for Raghav Chadha at approximately 1:00 pm, and afterwards, the baraat will embark on a boat journey from the iconic Lake Palace to reach the wedding venue.

The Jaimala ceremony is set for around 3:00 pm, followed by the pheras and vidai, concluding by 6:30 pm. The reception is planned for 8:30 pm.

The celebrations commenced in Delhi on September 17 with traditional 'ardaas' and 'shabad kirtan', followed by intimate gatherings for immediate family members.

As per the reports, the theme of the wedding is set to revolve around nostalgia, specifically focusing on a '90s theme. The culinary aspect of the celebration will showcase a rich Punjabi spread, as both Parineeti and Raghav are Punjabi. Additionally, in the scenic locale of Udaipur, the menu will also incorporate local Rajasthani delicacies.
Congress Leader Kamal Nath Doubts Timely Money Transfer Under BJP's Ladli Bahna Scheme

Congress leader Kamal Nath questions the scheduled money transfer under BJPs flagship scheme, the Ladli Bahha Yojana. He suggests that the 10th date for transferring Rs 1,250 to beneficiaries might not come this time around. The state government has dismissed these claims as misleading.

India

-Krishna Kripa

The President of the Madhya Pradesh Congress, Kamal Nath, expressed doubts on Sunday about the timely transfer of funds to beneficiaries under the Ladli Bahna Yojana. This flagship scheme of the ruling BJP government promises a monthly financial aid to its recipients. However, Kamal Nath's skepticism was dismissed by the BJP as misleading.

Ladli Bahna Yojana: A Closer Look

The Ladli Bahna Yojana is an initiative launched by the Madhya Pradesh government where Rs 1,250 is transferred directly into beneficiaries' bank accounts every month on the 10th day. Initially, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced that each beneficiary would receive Rs 1,000 per month. Later he declared that this amount would be increased to Rs 1,250 and subsequently raised further to Rs 3,000 in due course.

Allegations of Irregularities

Kamal Nath has raised concerns over whether these transfers will occur as scheduled this time around. He voiced his apprehensions via a post on social media platform X on Sunday night saying "Sisters, I heard that this time the 10th date is not coming." His statement implies uncertainty about whether or not beneficiaries can expect their money from this scheme at all.

A Swipe at Government Advertisements

Nath also criticized state government advertisements promoting this initiative with their tagline 'Das Tareekh Aa Rahi Hai' which translates to 'The tenth is coming'. According to him, despite spending crores of public money over four months for these promotions under this slogan's banner; it seems like there might be a U-turn in policy implementation by Shivrajs government now.

Questioning The Schemes Authenticity

Kamal Nath further claimed that the BJP government's calendar does not have the date 10 this time. He suggested that just like their scheme is a means to cheat votes, their '10th' has also turned out to be a trick. This insinuation points towards possible irregularities and manipulation of the system for political gains.

In conclusion, while the ruling BJP government maintains that these allegations are misleading, it remains to be seen whether beneficiaries of the Ladli Bahna Yojana will receive their promised financial aid on time or if there will indeed be a delay as Kamal Nath predicts. The controversy surrounding this issue brings into focus questions about transparency, accountability and effective implementation in social welfare schemes. As citizens eagerly await their monthly transfers under this program, these concerns underline the importance of ensuring timely disbursements without any hiccups in order to maintain trust in such initiatives.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Claims Paradigm Shift in Odisha's Development

Speaking at the Odisha Literary Festival, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed that Odisha has been experiencing a transformation across various sectors. He emphasized on how this change is accompanied by adherence to the states core values of peace, non-violence, and social cohesion.

India

-Krishna Kripa

In a recent address at the Odisha Literary Festival, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik highlighted the ongoing transformational changes in various sectors of Odisha while emphasizing the state's enduring values of peace, non-violence, and social cohesion. The theme of his speech revolved around "The ideas of identity."

Odisha's Transformation Across Sectors

Patnaik expressed that Odisha is currently undergoing significant shifts across multiple sectors. These include education, healthcare, agriculture among others. He emphasized that these transformations are not mere incremental changes but represent paradigm shifts in how these sectors operate and contribute to society.

An Empowered Society

The Chief Minister further claimed that women in Odisha feel more empowered than ever before and are taking on strong leadership roles within society. This increased empowerment has led to an overall increase in confidence among the people regarding their future prospects. According to Patnaik, this newfound confidence is unprecedented compared to previous times.

Eternal Values as Identity Roots

Despite these transformative changes occurring within the state, Patnaik reassured that peace, non-violence and social cohesion will continue to remain as eternal values for Odishans. These core principles form the roots of their growing identity amidst rapid societal transformation.

A Multifaceted Identity

Patnaik acknowledged that Odisha has many identities which its people celebrate with pride. However, he asserted that a societys true identity is defined by its core values rather than its diverse characteristics or achievements.

The Historical Significance of Kalinga War

Drawing upon historical events such as the Kalinga war for context, Patnaik stated that it was this determination to fight till the end which altered history's course and spread messages of peace and non-violence. He affirmed that Odisha continues to stand for these principles even today.

Reestablishing Identity

He further pointed out the glorious era of Emperor Kharavela as a time when Odisha's identity was reestablished as a vibrant society. This period, according to Patnaik, serves as a testament to the resilience and indomitable spirit of the people of Odisha.

In conclusion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's speech at the Odisha Literary Festival underscored his belief in the ongoing transformational changes within various sectors in Odishan society. However, he emphasized that despite this rapid evolution, core values such as peace, non-violence and social cohesion continue to form an integral part of their identity. By drawing upon historical events and figures, he highlighted how these enduring values have been ingrained into their societal fabric over centuries and will continue to guide them amidst changing times.
PM Modi Flags Off Nine Vande Bharat Express Trains

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday flagged off nine Vande Bharat trains today via video conferencing.

Speaking on the occasion, PM Modi said that the flagging off of nine Vande Bharat Trains is an unprecedented occasion of modern connectivity in the country. "This speed and scale of infrastructure development in the country is exactly matching the aspirations of 140 crore Indians", he said.

The Prime Minister said that the trains started today are more modern and comfortable. He said these Vande Bharat Trains are symbols of a new enthusiasm of new India. He expressed delight about the growing craze of Vande Bharat as he informed that more than one crore eleven lakh passengers have travelled in Vande Bharat trains.

The Prime Minister informed that 25 Vande Bharat trains are serving people in different states and union territories. 9 more Vande Bharat are being added to that today and, he said "day is not far when Vande Bharat will connect every part of the country". He also noted Vande Bharat's utility for the people who wish to save time and perform same day travel. He also highlighted increased tourism in the places connected by Vande Bharat leading to increased economic activities.

Prime Minister Modi underlined the atmosphere of hope and confidence in the county as every citizen is feeling proud of the achievements of the country. He mentioned historic successes of Chandrayaan 3 and Aditya L1. Similarly, G20 success has showcased India's strength of Democracy, Demography and Diversity, he said.

PM Narendra Modi Lauds Medal-Winning Indian Athletes At Asian Games

He also mentioned Narishakti Vandan Act as a decisive moment for pushing women led development. In this regard he mentioned that many railway stations are being run by women functionaries.

The Prime Minister said that a confident India is working on the needs of its present and future simultaneously. He listed PM Gatishakti Masterplan for seamless coordination in infrastructure development and New Logistics policy for reduction in transportation and exports related charges. He also talked about multimodal connectivity as one mode of transport should support other modes. All this is to improve ease of travel for the common citizens, he said.

Stressing the importance of railways in the lives of common citizens, the Prime Minister lamented the neglect of this important sector in the earlier times. Elaborating on the efforts of the current government for the transformation of Indian Railways the Prime Minister informed about increased budget as this year's budget for railway is 8 times the rail budget of 2014. Similarly, work is going on for doubling, electrification and new routes, he added.

The new trains that were flagged off are:

Udaipur - Jaipur Vande Bharat Express

Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express

Hyderabad -Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express

Vijayawada - Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express

Patna - Howrah Vande Bharat Express

Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express

Rourkela - Bhubaneswar - Puri Vande Bharat Express

Ranchi - Howrah Vande Bharat Express

Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express
Khalistan Movement Will Stay In Canada: Ex-Canadian Minister

International

oi-Prakash KL

Former Canadian minister of Indian origin Ujjal Dosanjh has said that the ties between India and Canada will not improve till either of the two Prime Ministers (Justin Trudeau and Narendra Modi) is out of power.

Speaking with India Today, Dosanjh said that both countries lack trust after the recent diplomatic fallout following the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada.

He told the channel: "There is very little trust on either side. India does not trust Trudeau because he has been seen hobnobbing with the Khalistanis ever since his leadership campaign. One of his most senior advisors and cabinet ministers was alleged to have been Khalistanis. He is now supported in government by Jagmeet Singh, who is a known Khalistani.

The other reason India does not want to trust Trudeau is because they (members of the Canadian government) always take refuge under freedom of expression... that everyone has the right to express. But if you consider India a friendly country and a fellow democracy, then you have an obligation as the leader of Canada to tell your citizens that look guys, you have the right to demand Khalistan but my government does not support the dismemberment of a friendly nation. They never said that. In fact, no Canadian politician has said that."

He is of the view that Trudeau should provide evidence over allegations linking the Indian government to the murder of Nijjar. Dosanjh stated that one cannot cross the border and kill a person. He said, "The appropriate action for India should have been to initiate an extradition process (for Nijjar) as it did in the case of the young Sidhu woman who was killed in India but her murder was planned in Canada. That would have been the appropriate route in Nijjar's case because he was accused of many things by India.

On the other hand, Narendra Modi is not seen as a democrat. He is not seen as a leader who acts to protect minorities in his own country. Then you suspect that perhaps Narendra Modi is capable of doing what Trudeau has accused him of."

Ujjal Dosanjh held the position of Premier in British Columbia and was additionally a Member of Parliament from 2004 to 2011, representing the Liberal Party, presently led by Justin Trudeau. He served as Canada's Minister of Health from 2004 to 2006.

The former Canadian minister blamed Trudeau's government for failing to act against the Khalistani elements under the garb of freedom of speech. "It's pretty hard to isolate. But when you have a leadership that isn't prepared to tell its citizens that please don't try to dismember a friendly country and we don't support what you are doing, then it feels like you are explicitly supporting them under the garb of freedom of expression which they (members of the Canadian government) do. Then it becomes natural for the movement to take hold and grow," he continued.

He does not think that the Khalistan issue will stay in Canada only and will not spill over to India. "When you go to India, when you live in Punjab, you live with non-Sikhs. They are your friends and family. They intermarry, they study and work together. All of the anger of 1984 has disappeared over time.

Whereas people who feel hurt, legitimately or not, against India or against the Indian government, there is no healing for them in Canada. They don't live together (with other communities here). They go to their own temples, basically Hindus go to temples, Sikhs go to their gurdwaras. There is very little mingling between the Hindus and Sikhs, sometimes at wedding receptions maybe. People don't realise that they are just like us, they didn't hurt us, they are not our enemies," he added.

Known for his advocacy among moderate Sikhs in Vancouver, Dosanjh was assaulted by Khalistanis outside a parking lot in February 1985 after publicly condemning extremist elements. This assault resulted in a broken hand and 80 stitches on his head. Nevertheless, Dosanjh has consistently maintained a critical stance against extremist elements within the Sikh religion.

On asking why Sikhs have such a huge influence on politics in Canada, he said that they hold no such sway in politics. "But they seem to have an influence with Trudeau better than they had with anybody else. Trudeau won his leadership on the strength of members made in Sikh gurdwaras across the country. But before Trudeau and hopefully, after him, the Khalistanis hopefully won't have such sway.

I mean the (Sikh) community having an influence is a wonderful thing. But if separatist elements hold such an influence, then it's a problem."

It was all started after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an explosive statement on Monday accusing an Indian government agency of killing Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. He also expelled an Indian diplomat identified as Pavan Kumar Rai, the head of India's foreign intelligence agency in Canada, the Toronto Star newspaper reported.
The philosopher Stephanie Roza, photographed in Paris. Manuel Braun

Stephanie Roza, 43, is a leftist by origins, by family and by conviction. At the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Paris-born philosopher specializes in the Enlightenment and the history of socialism.

She sits down with EL PAIS at a table in an air-conditioned cafe in front of Lyon station in Paris. Outside, its a blazing hot afternoon. She speaks about how her grandparents  Eastern European Jews who arrived in France before World War II  joined the Communist Resistance. Her parents, meanwhile, took part in the mass protests in May, 1968.

Roza herself was a member of the Trotskyist extreme left, until around the age of 30. After becoming disappointed in the movement, she distanced herself. However, as a university student, she made the left  particularly its origins in the ideals of the Enlightenment (1685-1815) and the French Revolution (1789-1799)  a subject of study. She recently published a book in French titled The Left Against the Enlightenment.

Question. What bothers you about the left today?

Answer. I think its in a deep crisis. The reconstruction of a credible alternative to capitalism wont be possible if we destroy the foundation of the emancipation project: the universalist, progressive and rationalist heritage of the Enlightenment.

Q. Isnt it paradoxical to say that the left goes against the Enlightenment? Doesnt the left precisely come out of the Enlightenment ideals of human rights, reason and revolution?

A. I was surprised to read [the writings of] left-wing militants or intellectuals. who claim that universalism masks the domination of white European males, that human rights are actually the rights of white men, or that progress in general is disastrous for the human race. This was what motivated me to write my book.

Q. You write that theres an irrationalist left. How so?

A. Theres a rejection of science among a part of the left. With the health crisis, [this sector] questioned the scientific consensus regarding vaccines. Deputies from France Insoumise (the far-left political party, France Unbowed) went to the Antilles, not to convince the residents of the need for vaccines but, on the contrary, to inflame [fears about vaccines] that, in the Antilles, are the results of the past shortcomings of the French state. Being in favor of scientific progress and thinking that technology should serve to improve the lot of everyone thats part of the DNA of the left. Theres a rupture here.

Q. You also mention an anti-progressive left.

A. The left  perhaps a little naively  was very productivist in the past: it was thought that all industrial and technical progress would mechanically improve the lot of everyone. Today, with the ecological crisis, its clear that we have to be selective [about which industrial activities to pursue]. But even in the face of this, the only thing that can help us is science and technological progress: to reduce pollution, to produce things in a cleaner way, to travel in a cleaner way.

Theres a part of the left that favors degrowth. I agree with degrowth if, for example, it means that clothing consumption in rich countries is reduced. But being in favor of global degrowth  without understanding that there are countries and sectors that still need to grow  is anti-progressive. It represents a break with an entire leftist, socialist, communist and anarchist tradition, which has been in place since the 19th century.

Q. You also maintain that todays left is anti-universalist.

A. Universalism is the principle that emerges from the different declarations of human rights since 1789. Its the idea that every human being  by the simple fact of being human, regardless of their sex, religion, skin color  is endowed with inalienable rights. Its a formidable lever for emancipation that has been claimed and used as such since the French Revolution.

Q. Why is this segment of the left anti-universalist?

A. According to certain leftists, the rights of the white man havent been proclaimed to emancipate everyone, but proclaimed by white males for themselves. Its not entirely false: [in 1789], many [French] deputies didnt want to emancipate the Blacks of the colonies. But, once the [Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen] existed and rights were proclaimed, it fueled an emancipation movement. [In Haiti], the slaves rose up when they learned that the Revolution had taken place in France and that rights had been proclaimed.

Q. How do you explain the current evolution of the left?

A. There are political reasons, such as the disappointments caused by the large traditional parties of the left: the Socialist Party [in France] gave protection to the colonial wars, while the Communist Party was not only committed to Stalinism, but was late to feminism and anti-racism.

Q. And there are intellectual reasons, too.

A. Its origin is found in philosophies of the radical right, such as those of Nietzsche and Heidegger Nazism in the case of Heidegger. Paradoxically, these philosophies were recovered by thinkers who were on the left. Foucaults case is important. He exposed oppressions that nobody was paying attention to: in prisons or against sexual minorities. But, starting from this positive criticism, he went so far as to question the primacy of reason in modern society. By assuming a bigger role in social discourse, reason becomes, according to Foucault, a discourse of power. He presents the Enlightenment and rationalist discourse as a discourse of domination. Thus, he discredits reason. And theres another thing from Foucault that we find in the current left: its fascination with Islamist theological and political processes. [Certain leftists] defend the rights of homosexuals and absolute sexual freedom in the West, but they go to Iran and find nothing to object to, either regarding the situation of women or sexual minorities. Its a form of orientalism in reverse: whats good for the West  in terms of freedoms  isnt good for Eastern societies.

Q. Doesnt this mean that the liberal center  such as what Macron represents in France  is the heir of the Enlightenment? If the left is also anti-enlightened, like the extreme right...

A. There are two branches in the inheritance of the Enlightenment: the socialist and the liberal. Since the French Revolution, its not only socialists who defend human rights  so do liberals. The socialist heritage is more radical, though: we must expand and deepen human rights and integrate more and more people. And [socialists] oppose the liberals on socio-economic issues: the Macronists are destroying the pension system, theyre allowing our public services to be destroyed. The Macronists arent the first to do this, but they have accelerated the process. In any case, todays liberals continue to defend a heritage that is theirs, too. Its the left thats facing a crisis and has forgotten its roots.

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US Envoy Confirms Canada Received 'Five Eyes' Intel Against India

International

oi-PTI

A top United States diplomat has confirmed that there was "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offensive allegation about Indian agents' involvement in the killing of a Khalistani terrorist in Canada, according to a media report on Saturday.

There was "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" that informed Trudeau's public allegation of a "potential" link between the government of India and the murder of a Canadian citizen, CTV News Channel, Canada's 24-hour all-news network, reported quoting the US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen.

'Five Eyes' network is an intelligence alliance consisting of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It is both surveillance-based and signals intelligence (SIGINT).

Justin Trudeau had on September 18 made an explosive allegation of the "potential" involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18.

India has rejected Trudeau's allegations as "absurd" and "motivated." It also expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case.

In 2020, India designated Nijjar, 45, as a terrorist.

The CTV's report is based on its exclusive interview on CTV's programme 'Question Period with Vassy Kapelos' that is to air on Sunday.

CTV quoted Cohen as saying that he confirmed: "There was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped lead Canada to make the statements that the Prime Minister made." "In the days since, as diplomatic tensions continue to ratchet up - from Canada reassessing its staffing in India, to India suspending visa services for Canadians - there have been swirling questions about what intelligence is at the centre of this story, who was aware of it, and when," the CTV report said.

It further added that while Cohen would not comment on whether the intelligence informing the Canadian government's investigation was both human and surveillance-based, or whether it included signals intelligence of Indian diplomats, the US envoy to Canada did say "there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped lead Canada to making the statements that the Prime Minister made." This is the first admission by any US government official about the sharing of intelligence by Five Eyes partners with Canada even when there were multiple unofficial and non-official reports about the same.

The CTV report also mentioned that there were reports from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and The Associated Press that the intelligence Trudeau was speaking of did not come from Canada alone and that additional information was provided by an unspecified member of the intelligence-sharing alliance.

"He (Cohen) made this comment while denying a Washington Post report alleging that weeks before Trudeau's bombshell declaration, Ottawa asked its closest allies, including the US to publicly condemn the murder and that overture was rebuffed," the CTV said.

"Very bluntly, I will say that - and you know me well enough - that I'm not in the habit of commenting on private diplomatic conversations," Cohen was quoted as saying.

"Look, I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information," he said and added: "There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen said.

Cohen's comments came as Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US is "deeply concerned" about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was "closely coordinating" with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see "accountability" in the case.

Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.

"We have been consulting throughout very closely with our Canadian colleagues - and not just consulting, coordinating with them - on this issue. And from our perspective, it is critical that the Canadian investigation proceed, and it would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. We want to see accountability, and it's important that the investigation run its course and lead to that result," Blinken said.

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Story first published: Sunday, September 24, 2023, 8:46 [IST]
Sir Brian Harold May is an English musician, songwriter, singer, astrophysicist and animal rights activist. He achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, which he co-founded with singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor. His guitar work and songwriting contributions helped Queen become one of the most successful acts in music history.
Authorities are appealing for public help after an $80 million haul of cocaine hidden in the hull of a cargo ship was seized in Melbourne.
The Philippines has accused China's coast guard of installing a 'floating barrier' in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.
When a special counsel heads up a commission to investigate the findings of a previous commission, with negative and politicized motivations blatant, what can the outcome be but a waste of time and taxpayer money and hugely destructive outcomes for untold numbers of innocent people? The report in question takes up 306 pages, and this is a large-type version, and approximately 159,000 words. Headed up by Special Counsel John H. Durham, it is entitled "Report on Matters Related to Intelligence Activities and Investigations Arising Out of the 2016 Presidential Campaigns." It has been described as "a Trump-friendly probe that weaponized law enforcement against Trump's opponents and absolved Trump supporters from their collusion with Russia to tilt the 2016 U.S. presidential election their way." Alternet reports that "The investigation concluded last May with underwhelming results: A single guilty plea from a little-known FBI lawyer, resulting in probation, and two acquittals at trial by juries."

Andrew Kreig, attorney, activist, and well-known investigator, has been following the less-than-brilliant career of special counsel Durham, former Trump-appointed U.S. attorney for Connecticut, for more than a decade. He is not surprised that in the course of Durham's investigation, "[F]our federal judges have vacated on grounds of prosecution misconduct convictions that had been won by Durham and his close colleagues."

In his newly published The Completely Annotated Durham "Russiagate" Report: A Corrupt, Cruel Fraud, Andrew dissects Durham's 175,000 words with an introduction that gives the complete background of Durham and his crass motivations, adds the complete, unedited, annotated report itself, and follows up with an appendix that includes a bibliography of all publications and official reports at all related to Durham's activities as well as thumbnail bios of all figures involved, including Steve Bannon, James A. Baker, Christopher Steele, Michael D. Cohen, James B. Comey Jr., Marc Elias, Michael T. Flynn, and many others. Notable among them, and included right after the first thumbnail, of Trump, is former Attorney General Bill Barr, chief instigator and supporter of Durham's thoroughly destructive efforts that possibly wrought untold damage to this country, including Trump's election.*

In one summary of his blockbuster revelations, Andrew's findings "show that his [Durham's] zeal to protect his Trump patrons and smear Hillary Clinton leads him to keep scapegoating targets absolved by juries. Worse, [Durham] cherry-picks evidence to avoid documenting serious threats to U.S. elections from Russians and their nefarious U.S. allies."

Andrew leaves nothing to the imagination. Durham's performance at the recent House Judiciary Committee hearing on his report was evasive and ill-informed at best, lacking credibility and hugely disappointing fellow partisans who had hoped for refutation of the Mueller committee's findings. The conclusion was supposed to be that "a Clinton 'Plan' hoked-up a false 'Russiagate' scandal whereby Trump and Russia were falsely accused of collusion or other improper activities regarding the 2016 election and beyond."

Why has the public not been better informed about this outrage sooner? Andrew has meticulously documented all MSM and other coverage of all related events as another section of his voluminous appendix. But more than that, as he writes, the sweeping takeover of the media by a few billionaire conglomerates has eliminated many vehicles that would have reached far more of the reading public--for example, small-town publications like the Marion County Record, recently invaded by police in a blatant violation of its First Amendment rights.

A judicious reading of the book and all the references it supplies is a sine qua non. Reading Andrew's full opus is a PhD program in areas the MSM has neglected or concealed from the public in journalism, politics, ethics, and history that must be disseminated. His passionate pursuit of justice and integrity is updated daily at his website justice-integrity.org and most evident in his previous books Presidential Puppetry and Spiked: How Chain Management Corrupted America's Oldest Newspaper.

Will Andrew's encyclopedic and heroic efforts to reach more people succeed with this publication? That's up to all of us. Get the word out. It's available at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0988672871.

*It is noteworthy that Nora Dannehy, a deputy to Durham, stepped down from her position in the DOJ in 2020, conscience-stricken, she said, to be associated with former Attorney General Bill Barr's handling of the Trump-Russia report. Barr had helped lead the Department of Justice in efforts to "press her and Durham to act in the service of Trump's reelection," according to the Connecticut Mirror. Dannehy has since been "fast-tracked" by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to become a justice of that state's supreme court and been approved by a committee of the General Assembly. This despite her work "whitewashing the US attorney firing scandal of 2006 that left in place those who prosecuted Siegelman and so many other progressives," according to Kreig.

The book's updated hardcover launch is planned for an Oct. 4 dinner at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, where the author serves on its Freedom of the Press Committee, featuring speakers describing the global importance of well-functioning justice and media.
Here are the top midsize employers - each with 100 to 499 employees - in this years Top Workplaces competition, which is in its 12th year.

Energage, The Oregonian/OregonLives research partner for Top Workplaces, selected and ranked the winners based on the results of employee engagement surveys. Each winner is listed here with the year it was founded and its ownership, industry sector, headquarters city and regional employment.

1. Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. Founded 1996. Private. Mortgage lending. Headquarters: Madison, WI. Regional employees: 166.

2. The Partners Group. Founded 1981. Private. Financial Services and Insurance. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 132.

3. Precoa. Founded 2004. Private. Preneed Funeral Planning. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 150.

4. Carr Auto Group. Founded 1941. Private. Auto Sales and Service. Headquarters: Beaverton, OR. Regional employees: 165.

5. OpenRoad Transportation. Founded 2004. Private. Logistics. Headquarters: Dallas, OR. Regional employees: 131.

6. Brown & Brown. Founded 1867. Public. Insurance Broker. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 175.

7. Mid Oregon Credit Union. Founded 1957. Non-profit. Financial Services & Insurance - Credit Union. Headquarters: Bend, OR. Regional employees: 138.

8. iQ Credit Union. Founded 1940. Non-profit. Credit Union. Headquarters: Vancouver, WA. Regional employees: 387.

9. Alliant Systems. Founded 2002. Private. HVAC / Plumbing / Service . Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 152.

10. Lattice Semiconductor. Founded 1983. Public. Semiconductor. Headquarters: Hillsboro, OR. Regional employees: 114.

11. Slalom. Founded 2001. Private. Consulting. Headquarters: Seattle, WA. Regional employees: 121.

12. Mortenson. Founded 1954. Private. Construction. Headquarters: Minneapolis, MN. Regional employees: 130.

13. Urban League of Portland. Founded 1945. Non-profit. Civil Rights. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 130.

14. Advantis Credit Union. Founded 1928. Non-profit. Financial Services and Insurance - Credit Union. Headquarters: Oregon City, OR. Regional employees: 297.

15. IDM Companies. Founded 1993. Private. Property Management. Headquarters: Vancouver, WA. Regional employees: 100.

16. JR Johnson, LLC. Founded 1970. Partnership. Construction. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 130.

17. Cook Solutions Group. Founded 2002. Private. Electronic Security. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 179.

18. Delap LLP. Founded 1933. Partnership. Accounting. Headquarters: Lake Oswego, OR. Regional employees: 117.

19. Perlo Construction. Founded 2010. Private. Construction/General Contractor. Headquarters: Tualatin, OR. Regional employees: 142.

20. LRS Architects Inc. Founded 1976. Private. Architecture. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 137.

21. Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon. Founded 1991. Non-profit. Mental Health and Addiction Services. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 130.

22. Guardian Real Estate Services. Founded 2002. Private. Property Management. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 238.

23. Dicks Auto Group. Founded 1985. Private. Auto Dealerships. Headquarters: Wilsonville, OR. Regional employees: 220.

24. General Sheet Metal. Founded 1932. Private. HVAC, Architectural Sheet Metal, Fire Life Safety. Headquarters: Clackamas, OR. Regional employees: 131.

25. Latino Network. Founded 1996. Private. Latino community organization. Portland, OR. Regional employees: 227.

26. Custom Decorators. Founded 1998. Private. Interior window covering. Headquarters: Tualatin, OR. Regional employees: 105.

27. Riverside Payments. Founded 2014. Private. Merchant Services / Credit Card Processing. Vancouver, WA. Regional employees: 150.

28. Atrium Hospitality. Founded 2015. Private. Hotels. Headquarters: Alpharetta, GA. Regional employees: 175.

29. Estacada School District. Founded 1850. Public. Primary / Secondary Schools. Headquarters: Estacada, OR. Regional employees: 267.

30. Fortis Construction, Inc. Founded 2003. Private. Building Construction. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 369.

31. Sunset Imports. Founded 1980. Private. Auto Sale and Service. Headquarters: Beaverton, OR. Regional employees: 184.

32. NAVEX. Founded 2012. Private. Ethics & Compliance. Headquarters: Lake Oswego, OR. Regional employees: 300.

33. Jubitz Corporation. Founded 1952. Private. Full-service truck stop, B2B Commercial Fueling. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 235.

34. AKS Engineering & Forestry. Founded 1996.Private. Engineering. Headquarters: Tualatin OR. Regional employees: 317.

35. Prialto. Founded 2009. Private. Professional/ business, administrative and staff. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 307.

36. One Community Health. Founded 1986. Non-profit. Federally Qualified Health Center - Medical/Dental. Headquarters: Hood River, OR. Regional employees: 260.

37. Atkore. Founded 2010 . Public. Building Products. Headquarters: Harvey, IL. Regional employees: 111.

38. Certified Languages International. Founded 1996. Private. Language Services. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 107.

39. Options Counseling and Family Services. Founded 1991. Private. Behavioral health and social services. Headquarters: Eugene, OR. Regional employees: 220.

40. Turner Construction. Founded 1902. Private. General contractor. Headquarters: New York, NY. Regional employees: 116.

41. The Barbers. Founded 1999.Private. Beauty industry. Headquarters: Camas, WA. Regional employees: 290.

42. Schnitzer Properties. Founded 1951. Private. Real estate investment. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 190.

43. Bend Surgery Center. Founded 1997. Partnership. Hospitals & Health Systems. Headquarters: Bend, OR. Regional employees: 160.

44. PS Trucking. Founded 1989. Private. Trucking and logistics. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 103.

45. Stoller Wine Group. Founded 1993.Private. Winery and Tasting Rooms. Headquarters: Dayton, OR. Regional employees: 154.

46. Renewal By Andersen of Oregon. Founded 1995. Private. Construction. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 266.

47. Astronics PECO. Founded 1938. Public. Aerospace / Defense. Headquarters: Clackamas, OR. Regional employees: 220.

48. The Management Group, Inc. (TMG). Founded 1985 . Private. Property Management. Headquarters: Vancouver, WA. Regional employees: 260.

49. High Performance Homes. Founded 2011. Private. Home Improvement Services. Headquarters: Vancouver, WA. Regional employees: 144.

50. Pacific Seafood. Founded 1941. Private. Wholesale Distribution. Headquarters: Clackamas, OR. Regional employees: 280.

51. Nautilus, Inc. Founded 1986. Public. Consumer Goods. Headquarters: Vancouver, WA. Regional employees: 267.

52. Cushman & Wakefield. Founded 1917. Private. Commercial Real Estate Services. Headquarters: Chicago, IL. Regional employees: 310 .

53. Neighborhood Health Center. Founded 2010 . Public . Federally Qualified Health Center Primary Care/Dental Care. Headquarters: Portland, OR. Regional employees: 230.

54. Pence Contractors, LLC. Founded 1949. Private. General Contractor. Headquarters: Lake Oswego, OR. Regional employees: 178

See more Top Workplaces coverage at oregonlive.com/topworkplaces.
A suspect has been arrested and is facing murder charges in the August shooting of Brandon Lockwood.

Tyler K. Cashdollar, 27, of Vancouver, was indicted by a grand jury on Aug. 23 on charges of murder in the second degree with a firearm, unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm, according to court documents. He was arrested Thursday, according to a news release from the Portland Police Bureau.

Portland police officers responded to a reported shooting just before 11 p.m. on Aug. 11 near Northeast 33rd Drive and Elrod Road, where they found Lockwood. Paramedics attempted to help him, but he died at the scene, police said.

 The Oregonian/OregonLive
Mimi Morissette values her seaside property, the acre-wide Tillamook Rock, a mile offshore of Ecola State Park in Northwest Oregon, at $8 million. Others see the isolated, dynamite-blasted basalt outpost, shaped like a sea monster, topped with a battered lighthouse and overrun by 2,000-pound Steller sea lions, as something destined to be swallowed by the Pacific Ocean.

The future of the abandoned 1881 Tillamook Rock Lighthouse is as unpredictable as the unrelenting ocean forces that have hurled waves, wind and rain at the two-foot-thick ashlar-stone fortress. Storms have pounded steel doors and cast-iron railings, lifted concrete and pummeled the lantern rooms glass panes with sizable pieces of the rock itself.

More curious than natures thrashing punches are the fallacies that have endured despite lightkeepers meticulous journals and historians deep dives into archives. Mysteries and lore churn around the hard-to-reach rock and its decommissioned lifesaving beacon, an engineering marvel that has been brutalized for a century and a half by aggressive cyclones, construction and vandals, and is best known as Terrible Tilly.

Storytellers claimed no woman has ever set foot on Tilly until recently. Thats easy to disprove.

Real estate investor Morissette and contractor Cathy Riley visited the rock in 1980 after Morissette and others purchased it for $50,000. Against all odds, recalled Morissette, a crew repaired some of the lighthouses most damaged parts. At the end of the day, men in the crew wrote in wet concrete, acknowledging Morissette as the Brain and Riley as the Brawn.

Today, Morissette is using her might to find renovation funds and investors for an Eternity At Sea columbarium, where she hopes cremated human remains could be placed for a fee in the lighthouse once its reinforced. By her calculations, the old tower could be a repository for up to 300,000 urns.

I have been fighting for support for Tillys required cleanup, but funds have such high interest demands that I cant take those kinds of risks for her, stated Morissette, 78.

Recently, she placed an ad in the Wall Street Journal seeking an investor to lend her $1.3 million to replace corroded metal and make the lighthouse columbarium ready. A new lantern room could be a single, 11-foot-by-12-foot cylinder made of titanium, she said. After the repairs and improvements, she will put the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse up for sale at $8 million.

I am trying to show some prudence, she told The Oregonian/OregonLive. Then again, nothing has been easy since the day I got involved.

Tillys male lightkeepers

Men exclusively played prominent roles in the Tillamook Rock Lighthouses planning, building and management. Only men were hired to work at what was considered the most dangerous lighthouse assignment in the U.S., guiding ships on their treacherous journey past the Oregon coastline, called the Graveyard of the Pacific, to the Columbia River.

And yet, people refer to Tilly as her and Brian Coulson of Idaho Falls even has a tattoo of the lonely lighthouse on his left arm as one would a loved one.

Coulson helped clean up the exposed ancient bedrock in 2019 and returned for four days in March 2023 with four other volunteers to ready it for sale and collect artifacts to raise money for more maintenance work. He told The Oregonian/OregonLive, She calls to me.

As far back as the 1880s, however, women have also risked their lives to step foot on the rock, at least one vowing never to return. Strong winds and heavy seas make easy landings impossible. In the early decades, people arrived by riding 60 feet in the air inside an open crate swung from a rocking cargo ship to a makeshift landing platform.

Today, the only way on and off of Oregons sole offshore light station is by a helicopter setting down on top of the roof of the 142-year-old brick winch house.

Ivory Pearson of Rockaway Beach was the only woman in the most recent group of cleanup volunteers. As a member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, she said she is the only known Indigenous woman to camp outside the deteriorating lighthouse.

Tilly was and still is a sacred place, said Pearson. Our ancestors hold a lot of energy and there is most certainly a strong energy out there. I brought my sage and sweetgrass with me and burned some for the past, present and future, and prayed for the lost and forgotten.

Whipping wind knocked down her tent and heavy rain temporarily thwarted attempts for her and the four other volunteers to leave the March work party. After a days delay, Pearson was able to hold onto the side of the Robinson R66 helicopter to guide around the sheer drop 133 feet to the ocean below. She ducked under the spinning rotor blade and climbed into the cockpit.

After finally reaching the Seaside Municipal Airport, an exhausted Pearson lamented, It was almost like Tilly didnt want us to leave her there alone.

Tillys history

Historians with the National Register of Historic Places say the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse played a critical role in the development of the Pacific Northwest and World War II shipbuilding.

Due to its challenging location, construction costs were $123,493 in 1881 dollars, making it the most expensive lighthouse to build on the West Coast at the time and the priciest to maintain.

Theres the Rock at Alcatraz, a former fort, military prison and maximum security federal penitentiary 1.25 miles offshore from San Francisco, and then theres the Rock at Tillamook, said historian Debra Baldwin. The two are not too far apart when comparing the aspects of confinement, convenience and accessibility.

Baldwin, who writes for Lighthouse Digest magazine and authored the informative, 128-page, photo-driven book, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, spent three years visiting archives from coast to coast, and tracking down lighthouse keepers descendants to interview, she said, researching Terrible Tilly.

She studied lightkeepers journals as well as the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Visitors Logbook in possession of the Oregon Historical Society in Portland. She found that the men assigned to the lighthouse endured months of cramped quarters and constant fog siren blasts until they could take a short leave to see their family.

It was entirely dependent on when the lighthouse tender could get out there to do a supply drop, said Baldwin, who studied the absences log from 1926 to 1950 showing the exact days keepers left and returned. In 1920, keeper Orlo Hayward was stuck out there for an entire year before he got his first shore leave.

One surprise: At least 34 women dropped by  literally  for a daytime visit when Tillamook Rock had an operating lighthouse from 1881 to 1957. Visitors rode in the air in a slatted box, boat hoist or breeches buoy. Women wore their full skirts and possibly lovely hats, said Baldwin. They wouldnt have had the option to wear pants.

According to a story Baldwin wrote in the magazines July-August 2023 edition, titled The Women of Tillamook Rock? Erroneous Myths Dispelled:

In 1888, lighthouse district inspector Uriel Sebree took his bride to see the rock on their wedding tour.

In 1893, head keeper Rasmus Petersens wife , Charlotte, stayed on Tilly for four continuous weeks without any modern conveniences; the ultimate campout, Baldwin said. Charlotte Petersen was hoisted onto the rock in the station boat, rather than riding in the box. Her statement: When I get off this rock, I will not get back on.

In 1903, sisters Lillian and Nellie Lidwell, whose father was a sea captain, visited. They worked for the phone company in Astoria and accompanied 13th District Inspector Carlos Calkins to tour the inside of the lighthouse, which had a kitchen, four bedrooms and other living spaces that would flood during storms.

Also in 1903, Marie Amundson, who was the niece of Tillamook Rocks 1st assistant Lars Amundson, visited with five other women, arriving with U.S. Lighthouse Service Captain William Gregory on the tender named Manzanita.

In 1905, Gregory, who was in charge of the tender named Heather, invited members of the Dixie Girls Club, including his two daughters, to land on the rock. Of the 15 visitors on the boat outing, only six are known to have been transported onto the rock to sign the Register of Visitors at Tillamook Rock Light-Station.

Also in 1905, inspector Calkins brought his daughter, Harriett, and three other women to visit the lighthouse accompanied by Captain Gregory.

Requests for women to visit light stations starting in 1915 (during World War I) until 1929 were officially denied. Still, one superintendent dealing with the requests, concluded, The interest of the public in this particular lighthouse seems unfailing.

Tillamook Rock keeper Albert H. Johnson snuck his wife, Hazel M. Graves, onto the rock for a day in 1930.Kenneth Ryan

In 1930, head keeper William Hill left the station for an overnight trip and 3rd assistant keeper Albert H. Johnson snuck his wife, Hazel, and a neighbor friend from Astoria, Eleanor Lambertson, onto the rock for the day. In 1931, 4th assistant Orval A. Risdons wife of eight weeks, Bertha, who didnt want to wait a month for him to be on leave, signed the register when she visited the lighthouse.

But in 1932, Beatrice Bennett, a reporter for the Seaside Signal, was denied permission due to the considerable risk of getting on and off the rock.

In 1938, home movies show 1st assistant George Wheelers wife, Virginia Wheeler, in heels, arriving on the rocks landing platform from the boat secure in a breeches buoy life ring.

This was the last known visit of any woman to the Rock, official or otherwise, during its operational years, wrote Baldwin.

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse became a military installation when the U.S. Lighthouse Service consolidated into the U.S. Coast Guard and World War II started in 1939. The Register of Visitors signatures were of Coast Guard personnel until the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1957. Terrible Tilly was replaced by an automated red whistle buoy, anchored a mile seaward of the rock, according to Kraig Andersons Lighthouse Friends research.

Investors from Las Vegas who hadnt seen the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse in person bought it for $5,600 at an auction in 1959.

In 1973, the Las Vegas group sold it for $11,000 to George Hupman, a New York-based executive with General Electric, who wanted to create a summer retreat. Hupman brought in a generator and members of his family, including women, visited before he gave up and sold the rock.

Max M. Shillock Jr., with funds from Joy Goolsby, purchased the lighthouse from Hupman in 1978 for $27,000. The property was included as an over-the-top luxury gift idea in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog, but there were no takers.

Other unlikely commercial ideas for the island have ranged from creating a gambling casino to relocating the lighthouse to be used as a theme restaurant.

In 1980, Goolsby sold the lighthouse for $50,000 to Morissette and others backed by a group of investors, The Oregonian reported.

The owners opened the Eternity At Sea columbarium and about 30 funeral urns were interred in the lighthouse. The license for the Eternity At Sea columbarium was not renewed in 1999 by the Oregon Mortuary and Cemetery Board.

When Morissette was accepting urns, she told people at some point it could become a burial at sea. Vandals are believed to have taken two of the urns.

Morissette said in March that shell need to invest about $1 million to replace metal with titanium. Seawater and neglect turned once gleaming steel used for the roof, 77-step spiral staircase, catwalk and railings into crumbling rust. She also wants to create a titanium honeycomb to store urns.

I dont know what awareness we have after death, but if there is any awareness, then I cant think of a more beautiful or romantic place (than Tilly,) as I view the Oregon coastline and all the wildlife flying by, Morissette said in a 1981 interview after celebrating the lighthouses 100th anniversary.

 Janet Eastman | 503-294-4072

jeastman@oregonian.com | @janeteastman

More on the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
He had returned to the prison again and again to see his brother. Fifteen years of visits, and now the inmate who had known him since childhood was at risk of dying behind bars.

So, Jason Thomas sat down at his desk and typed an email to Oregons governor. He described the worst day of his life: the day his younger brother, Adam Thomas, and four other teens murdered their mother at her home along the Old Bend-Redmond Highway.

Jason was tall, Catholic, conservative, an electrician in his 40s with seven kids. When the five teens were sentenced for the 2001 murder of Barbara Thomas, he firmly believed in law and order. The teens should serve every year she had left to live, he remembers thinking. Every year they stole from him.

But as he typed his letter in June 2022, then-Gov. Kate Brown was weighing clemency  postponed punishment, lesser sentences, forgiveness  for inmates statewide. And now Jason, changed by the years since the murder, wrote with the support of his family.

We are of the opinion that all of them, who were adolescents at the time of the murder, deserve to have a chance to live the rest of their lives as free people, he wrote.

READ MORE AT THE BULLETIN: 2 brothers, a murder and redemption: Why Jason Thomas forgave the Redmond 5

 Bryce Dole, 541-617-7854, bdole@bendbulletin.com
California cannot ban gun owners from having detachable magazines that hold more than 10 rounds, a federal judge ruled Friday.

The decision from U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez wont take effect immediately. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, has already filed a notice to appeal the ruling. The ban is likely to remain in effect while the case is still pending.

This is the second time Benitez has struck down Californias law banning certain types of magazines. The first time he struck it down  way back in 2017  an appeals court ended up reversing his decision.

But last year, the U.S. Supreme Court set a new standard for how to interpret the nations gun laws. The new standard relies more on the historical tradition of gun regulation rather than public interests, including safety.

The Supreme Court ordered the case to be heard again in light of the new standards. Its one of three high-profile challenges to California gun laws that are getting new hearings in court. The other two cases challenge California laws banning assault-style weapons and limiting purchases of ammunition.

Benitez ruled that there is no American tradition of limiting ammunition capacity. He said detachable magazines solved a problem with historic firearms: running out of ammunition and having to slowly reload a gun.

There have been, and there will be, times where many more than 10 rounds are needed to stop attackers, Benitez wrote. Yet, under this statute, the State says too bad.

Bonta said larger capacity magazines are also important to mass shooters, allowing them to fire quickly into crowds of people without reloading. He said the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear the new standard for reviewing gun laws did not create a regulatory straitjacket for states.

We believe that the district court got this wrong, Bonta said. We will move quickly to correct this incredibly dangerous mistake.

Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle and Pistol Association, praised Benitez for a thoughtful and in-depth approach.

Sure, the state will appeal, but the clock is ticking on laws that violate the Constitution, Michel said.

California has been at the forefront of gun restrictions in the United States. Last week, California became the first state to call for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would ban assault weapons and gun sales to people under 21, among other changes.

Gov. Gavin Newsom called Benitezs ruling a radical decision.

Judge Benitez is not even pretending anymore. This is politics, pure and simple, Newsom said. Its time to wake up. Unless we enshrine a Right to Safety in the Constitution, we are at the mercy of ideologues like Judge Benitez.

By ADAM BEAM Associated Press
A Palestinian archaeologist removes the sand from a skeleton in a grave at the Roman cemetery in Jebaliya northern Gaza Strip, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

Palestinian workers in the Gaza Strip have found dozens of ancient graves, including two sarcophagi made of lead, in a Roman-era cemetery  a site dating back some 2,000 years that archaeologists describe as the largest cemetery discovered in Gaza.

Workers came upon the site last year during the construction of an Egyptian-funded housing project near Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Since then, crews have worked to excavate the 2,700-square-meter (2/3 acre) site with the support of French experts.

Now, what was once an inconspicuous construction lot  surrounded by a grove of nondescript apartment buildings  has become a gold mine for archaeologists looking to understand more about the Gaza Strip.

Gaza, a coastal enclave home to some 2.3 million people, has a rich history stemming from its location on ancient trade routes between Egypt and the Levant. But a number of factors  Israeli occupation, Hamas 16-year takeover of the territory and rapid urban growth  have conspired to endanger many of the besieged strips archaeological treasures.

Against this backdrop, the discovery of 60 graves at the site in January marked a major finding, archaeologists say. That number has swelled to 135.

Rene Elter, a French archaeologist leading the dig, said researchers have studied over 100 of the graves.

All of these tombs have almost already been excavated and have revealed a huge amount of information about the cultural material and also about the state of health of the population and the pathologies from which this population may have suffered, said Elter, the head of archaeology for Intiqal, a program managed by the French nonprofit Premiere Urgence Internationale.

Elter pointed to the sarcophagi made of lead  one featuring ornate grape leaves, the other with images of dolphins  as exceptional finds.

The discovery of lead sarcophagi here is a first for Gaza, he said.

Given the rarity of the lead tombs, Palestinian archaeologists like Fadel Al-Otul suspect that social elites are buried there. Al-Otul said the cemetery probably used to be located in a city  Romans used to place cemeteries near city centers.

Alongside the sarcophagi, Elters team is restoring unearthed skeletons and piecing together shards of clay jars.

The skeletons discovered at the site will be sent out of Gaza for additional analysis, according to Al-Otul. The remains are set to return to the Hamas-led Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism.

Elter said the territory needs a dedicated team to oversee archaeological activity in Gaza.

The Gazans deserve to tell their stories, he said. Gaza boasts a plethora of potential archaeological sites, but monitoring each one, given the rapid pace of development, is no small feat.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition
A group of Republican hard-liners bucked House Speaker Kevin McCarthys plan to avert a government shutdown. They scuttled a Pentagon funding bill on a procedural vote and paralyzed the chamber, causing McCarthy to slam the far-right flank of his party for wanting to burn the place down.

In the editorial cartoon gallerys lead image by Walt Handelsman, the far-right caucus hovers over McCarthy, threatening to crush him, while the speaker says, Im taking big steps to avoid a shutdown. Jack Ohman draws McCarthy blinking an SOS as if being held hostage. Nick Anderson alludes to another big story last week  the militarys search for a lost fighter jet  showing McCarthy under the wreckage of the Pentagon funding bill.
I write to emphasize the devastating consequences of Oregons Draft Habitat Conservation Plan on our local communities. The Oregon Department of Forestrys proposed 70-year plan threatens a 34% reduction in timber volume, leading to a significant loss in revenue for local public services and a domino effect on the livelihoods of thousands of workers. This isnt just a policy issue; its a moral one that jeopardizes our societal fabric.

Reducing timber harvests may seem like a win for conservation, but the ripple effect on communities is severe. These harvests sustain not only an industry but also essential public services in rural areas, where schools and law enforcement already operate on lean budgets. Cutbacks could worsen educational resources and public safetyissues that strike at the heart of community well-being.

Additionally, by making local operations economically unviable, we risk outsourcing jobs and environmental oversight to places less equipped for responsible resource management. This not only exports jobs but compromises global environmental stewardship.

The voices raised against the draft habitat plan include labor unions, healthcare providers and even competing businesses. This unified front underscores the necessity for the Board of Forestry to reconvene and reevaluate this well-intended but poorly designed policy. I implore the board to consider the human cost embedded in these decisions and opt for a balanced approach that respects both our natural resources and the communities that rely on them.

The stakes are too high for a one-sided approach. Lets seize this critical moment to engage with all stakeholders and craft a plan that truly serves everyone.

Josh Estes

Estes is writing on behalf of the Portland-based Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union.

To read more letters to the editor, go to oregonlive.com/opinion.
An Oregon City man faces an assault accusation after allegedly stabbing a man in a Southwest Yamhill Street bar.

The encounter took place just before midnight Saturday, according to Portland police. According to the account provided early Sunday by police, the victim was seriously injured and is expected to survive.

Police officers rendered trauma first aid to the victim inside the bar. Other officers found the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Aaron J Calhoun of Oregon City, five blocks south in the area of Southwest 3rd Avenue and Southwest Jefferson Street. Police said they seized a knife as evidence.

Calhoun was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center about 6:30 a.m. Sunday on an allegation of second-degree assault, according to jail records. His first court appearance is scheduled for Monday.

Anyone with information about the case is asked to e-mail crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 23-250295.

-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie

Our journalism needs your support. Please become a subscriber today at OregonLive.com/subscribe
A valve hidden under a sidewalk is closed and opened every week by an official from the state company that provides water to Caracas. The water supply of thousands of families in the Venezuelan capital is in the hands of public servants like him.

Residents live with the rationing of both electricity and water. They have to break the laws of physics to try to do what should be done over the course of a week in just a couple of days: bathe, wash clothes, water the plants, clean and cook. Under the agreements in their neighborhoods or condominiums, they receive between 30 minutes and an hour of water or electricity at a time. If a single pipe breaks down, everything can change. If the power fluctuates too much or goes out permanently, theyll be disconnected from the internet and cable. Every day in Caracas begins with this uncertainty.

Two children in Caracas play on their cellphones during a power outage. Gaby Oraa

One day last week, a few feet from that valve, in a middle-class neighborhood, two police officers were replacing the dead traffic lights. They waved their arms to break up the traffic jams on El Cafetal Boulevard  a neighborhood full of elderly people  where a stretch that covers about eight buildings had been left without power. Residents surrounded a crane, which was bringing a second emergency generator to give them three-hour shifts of power. The enormous device had the nickname La burra (female donkey) scrawled on it in marker.

Such operations have become routine. The citys transformers either explode or stop working as they are so old. The electricity company  owned by the state  patches up the damage caused by each breakdown as best as it can.

In a small meeting on the street, personal tragedies caused by the collapse of the public service infrastructure in Venezuela are shared. Among the causes is the lack of maintenance and investment in modernization but, above all, the culprit is corruption. Jose Antonio Rodriguez says that he left his 90-year-old mother with a battery-powered radio to distract herself, since he cannot move her somewhere that has electricity and water. Carolina Gonzalez, meanwhile, is worried about her inventory of cupcakes, which may go bad in her unlit freezer. She lives from this business  she prefers to fry the cakes and sell them at a discount, rather than lose them due to a blackout.

During the first few hours of the day, in her capacity as the neighborhood manager, Gonzalez has already coordinated the connection of a cable from one building to another, so that the residents can charge their phones. She has also made sure that a resident whos surviving with an oxygen cylinder is taken to another place.

Hugo Pimentel, another resident, doesnt stop for long to talk. He quickly returns to his apartment to monitor the operation of the tiny generator that he bought 15 years ago for his beach house. It has now been converted into a large cell phone battery in the hallway of his building.

The neighborhoods residents have just gone through 22 days without water due to a broken pipe. And, when the pipes began to fill up, the power went out: the pumps to open the taps no longer worked. When we talk about this, nobody believes us, sighs Senith Ocampo, a 69-year-old widow who ran out to look for ice so as not to lose the weeks groceries. But the story is retold almost every day in Caracas, as well as in many other Venezuelan cities. You have to do a lot of work, adds Virgilia Romero, with a fish and frying pan in one hand and a pot in another, while standing in front of her neighbors door. Romero, 69, cares for a 92-year-old woman. With no electricity, she has to knock on doors, looking for a gas stove to be able to cook. She also has a job in Mariches, the shantytown where she lives. There, the water only arrives every two months.

Two workers fill private water service tanker trucks in Caracas, Venezuela. Gaby Oraa

The breakdown in public services is one more dimension to the crisis that Venezuela is experiencing. Thats why theres an agreement so that part of the governments resources abroad can be unfrozen. The administration of Nicolas Maduro wants to get hold of these gold and cash reserves as soon as possible: the Venezuelan president has made it an unconditional stipulation for negotiations with the opposition, which in turn has demanded that these funds  if released  be allocated to improving the supply of water and electricity.

These are the two public services that are in the most dire state and most affect the quality of life. The mood of many Venezuelans is devastated when they arrive home and see the clocks on their appliances flashing  a classic mark left by a blackout that disconnected them for a few hours. Or with each power cut that makes light bulbs, televisions and fans creak. A single fluctuation in the electrical current can turn everything off.

Venezuelans are all connected by the same anguish. Many fear a massive general blackout like the one that hit the country in 2019, or when half of Caracas is left without water for more than a week, because one of the utility branches that supplies the city has broken down. During a routine situation like this, people have to wash their dishes and faces with water collected in tubes or buckets. In a country that has 7.7 million migrants abroad, there are those who think about leaving every time this happens. Here, were prepared for a war. We know how to survive, Carolina Gonzalez affirms.

It wasnt always like this. Twenty years ago, 80% of the city received continuous water every day, at all hours. We may have the same amount of people or less but now, only half the water arrives. Its not enough. We also had robust electrical and telecommunications systems managed by model companies. But a process of vertical, progressive and profound deterioration took place, explains engineer Jose Maria De Viana, in an interview with EL PAIS. In an academic text, he has written that the deterioration of public services is the most tremendous dimension of poverty, since citizens cannot change that reality. The particular provision of a public service will only be possible for those sectors of society with the highest income.

In the interior of the country, this deterioration is worse. It comes with more extreme forms of electricity rationing. In the state of Merida, for instance, the public administration has long reduced its hours of operation to save energy. However, these measures, which have now come to Caracas, werent always the norm in the capital. The imagined privilege of Caracas  the idea that the seat of power was insulated from the crisis and offered more opportunities  stimulated an internal migration of Venezuelans from the rest of the country, in search of better conditions. This phenomenon led to many social tensions. And, with the continued deterioration, life for a large part of Caracas residents no longer exists within a bubble.

A private tanker supplies water to a residence in Caracas, on September 8, 2023. Gaby Oraa

Spending a few hours at a water station is enough to put an end to the mirage. Sixto started in the business eight years ago, when he left his neighborhood in western Caracas. He bought some land in a mountainous area on the outskirts of the city and built his own house. He bought a truck to supply himself with water, before quickly realizing that he could also supply his neighbors. Today, he has four vehicles and several permanent clients, including a residential complex of about 200 apartments near the nightclubs, luxury towers and restaurants of the Las Mercedes neighborhood. Every week, this complex alone buys 20 shipments of 10,000 liters of water from him, at $50 a truckload.

Sixto dispatches trucks to thirsty neighborhoods and even fills up swimming pools in wealthy areas. There are sectors of the city that have practically been disconnected from the aqueduct, as they are supplied only by tanker trucks, which have become basic necessities in the family budget.

The government has imposed a new system to regulate this private water shipment business. In order to purchase supplies of water and fill up their tanks, truck drivers must make one or more community deliveries for free. In exchange for a pro-bono trip to an area that hasnt received water for days  it could be a whole neighborhood, or perhaps the house of a person without power  a water delivery company is given authorization to make another three trips to private clients. This is how the authorities are trying to manage the shortage.

Even when they have no electricity amid the suffocating heat, several businesses have forced themselves to stay open. There is pressure to make any kind of sale in the grip of the recession thats hitting the country again, after a slight rebound in the economy was recorded last year. We cannot close, says Jose Solorzano, the owner of a hardware store, as he rushes to install a small generator for emergency power, which he rented from another business in the area.

After the power is back on, Solorzano and his appliance repair technicians play dominoes, between receiving clients who bring in equipment that has been damaged by the outages. As the men move the black-and-white pieces around, they mention that refrigerators, televisions and air conditioners are the electronics that suffer the most from the unstable current in Venezuela.

During the latest power failure last week, the residents of El Cafetal remained in the dark for five days. Were living like animals, Jose Antonio laments. Hes tired of having to go up and down several flights of stairs each day, while the elevators are out of service. Nobody has arrived to supply diesel to the emergency generator, nor is there any news about a timeline to restore the power.
Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Libya, Abdoulaye Bathily, has regretted that coordination between institutions in the East and West is not commensurate with the unprecedented solidarity shown by Libyans from all regions towards their brothers and sisters in Derna and other towns in eastern Libya who have been ravaged by floods
New York, US (PANA) - As the UN General Assemblys general debate continued on Saturday, Horn of Africa nations made a strong plea for action to rescue a world teetering on the precipice of climate catastrophe and struggling under the weight of an outdated and unfair global financial system
Last night, my wife and I were privileged to attend and to participate in a reception and dinner celebrating Moroni Day that was sponsored by Scripture Central and held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Salt Lake City. Roughly 550 people enjoyed a program that included the unveiling of two new statues of Moroni (late in his life and as a resurrected being) by the sculptor and plastic surgeon Steven Neil; musical performances by Dallyn Vail Bayles, Ross Boothe, and Jenny Oaks Baker; a program hosted by Jasmin Rappleye and Stephen Jones; and concluding remarks by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I had interesting conversations with a large number of people, including Don Bradley, Rick Turley, Elder Matthew Holland, Jack Welch, Noel Reynolds, Jeffrey Walker, Lanny Britsch, and the like. Im very pleased at some of the things that I heard. Im thrilled at what I learned about the Church-commissioned biography of Joseph Smith that was recently announced by President Dallin H. Oaks  see First Presidency Commissions New Biography of the Prophet Joseph Smith: The book will be called Joseph the Prophet  and was pleasantly surprised, as he himself was, by something that Jack Welch had just been given earlier in the day (which I will leave to him to talk about, when hes ready). The Joseph Smith biography project will be a very big one, multi-year, and will take into full account the results of the monumental Joseph Smith Papers project that, after years of work, is now drawing to a close.

Very unfortunately, our attendance at the Moroni Day celebration (Commemorating 200 years from Moronis first appearances to Joseph Smith on September 21, 1823) prevented our watching Richard L. Bushmans concurrent keynote address for the FAIR LDS Defending the Book of Mormon Conference. The conflict between the two is to be lamented, and I hope that similar clashes can be avoided in the future.

And I havent been able to listen to all of the Defending Book of Mormon Conference today, either. Which I regret. A stake assignment was one of the things that interfered  Im one of the narrators for a patriotic musical fireside that will take place tomorrow night at 7 PM, and we had a (casual) dress rehearsal for it today  and so Im relying on FAIR to get the videos of the talks and the full papers out as soon as possible. There were some very good and clear discussions among the fragments that I was able to hear.

Once again, Im grateful to Russell Richins and James Jordan for sharing still photographs with me from the filming that has been done thus far on the Interpreter Foundations forthcoming Six Days in August project. I wish that we would be there on set, but we cant.

Filming at Upper Canada Village in Ontario has now been completed, and the crew and the actors are now moving down to the Rochester, New York, area, where filming will resume early this next week.

This, too, is a big project. And I still need to raise more money for it to cover what, in the trade, is called postproduction. Its fun to be able to toss such terms around as if I know what Im talking about. But Im still scratching my head at the inattention that allowed all the contract materials to be drawn up without making even the slightest provision for furnishing me with lots of gold bling and a Lamborghini. How in the world am I supposed to look like an authenticl movie mogul without tasteless displays of lavish wealth?

There is a logic to the sequencing of our films. The Witnesses project was designed to tell a story that, if its accepted as true, demonstrates that God was really, genuinely, involved in the early events of the Restoration and that, accordingly, Joseph Smith really was a prophet who had been called of God. Thats vitally important and absolutely fundamental.

Years ago, my colleague and friend Louis Midgley drew my attention to an anecdote related by the eminent Protestant church historian Martin Marty.

It conveys an important lesson.

Marie de Vichy-Chamrond (d. 1780), the Marquise du Deffand, was a famous 18th-century French hostess, as well as a friend of Voltaire, Montesquieu and other leading intellectuals of the day. She was also a notable cynic and skeptic.

Once, when she was discussing religious matters with the powerful Roman Catholic Cardinal de Polignac (d. 1742), he cited a purported ancient miracle. The martyr St. Denis, he told her, the first Christian bishop of Paris, had walked a hundred miles after his execution, carrying his head in his hand.

Madame du Deffand immediately replied that, In such a promenade, it is the first step that is difficult.

Whatever one thinks of the tale of St. Denis and his supposed walk  for the record, I dont buy it  her response is very cogent.

She meant, of course, that its not the claim that St. Denis walked a hundred miles that poses a difficulty. (Most sources describe a walk of only about six miles, incidentally, with the saint preaching all the way.)

The distance is immaterial, a historical quibble.

The fundamental question is whether, after his beheading, St. Denis walked at all. If he did, the rest is mere detail.

Martin Marty used the story to identify what is fundamental in the claims of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, particularly as those claims have come under the lens of what he terms the crisis of historical consciousness.

This crisis, he said, has been caused by the skepticism and intense scrutiny of modern historical scholarship, which has been directed against virtually all traditional beliefs, religious and otherwise, around the world.

By analogy, he wrote, if the beginning of the promenade of Mormon history, the First Vision and the Book of Mormon, can survive the crisis, then the rest of the promenade follows and nothing that happens in it can really detract from the miracle of the whole. If the first steps do not survive, there can be only antiquarian, not fateful or faith-full interest in the rest of the story.

Whatever complaints there may be about womens roles in the church, same-sex marriage, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, attitudes on racial matters, church finances, the Indian placement program, imperfect leaders, or any number of other topics that tend to distract us  matters on which (please dont mistake me) Im confident that the church and its leaders can be adequately defended  the fundamental claims are really quite few.

But if they are granted, other issues are largely mere detail.

If  to borrow Martin Martys two first steps  Joseph Smiths account of his First Vision is true, and if the Book of Mormon is genuine inspired scripture, many other important conclusions follow. There is, for example, a personal God. Jesus Christ is his atoning Son, who rose from the dead. The Bible is Gods word. Life continues beyond the grave. We are morally accountable. Joseph Smith is a prophet, a credible and reliable witness to divine things. Gods true church, accompanied by divine priesthood authority, has been restored to the earth. And so forth.

But, even then  for some, at least  there remains another decision-point that can pose a problem: Suppose that weve concluded, yes, that there is a personal God, that Jesus Christ is his atoning Son who rose from the dead, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, that Gods true church, accompanied by divine priesthood authority, was restored to the earth. The question then arises, Which, of the churches today that claim to possess that priesthood authority and to represent the Restoration that began with Joseph Smith, is the real one?

That is why its so pivotally important to revisit the story of the rise of the Twelve to leadership after the murder of Joseph and Hyrum Smith.

We would very much welcome your help in bringing this project to full realization.
A follow-up from my prior post, again referencing James Martins article:

Now, I cannot speak for my fellow synod members, but I doubt that any members wish to change the essentials of the faith. (I dont.) But anyone who knows any church history also knows that church teaching has developed dramatically on a variety of topics, including slavery, womens roles, ecumenical relations, the liturgy, limbo, capital punishment and so on. As Pope Francis said in a conversation with Portuguese Jesuits during World Youth Day, doctrine also progresses, expands and consolidates with time and becomes firmer, but is always progressing.

Lets remember this:

The pope is not an economist. The pope is not a scientist. The pope is not an expert in sociology or psychology. The pope is charged with safeguarding the universal truths of the Catholic Church, but cannot be expected to be an expert in applying those truths to particular economic situations or particular forecasts of future technological impacts.

When a pope speaks on immigration, he can apply universal moral truths to the situation as best as he is able. But he cannot claim to be an expert on how mass migration from one country to another affects the well-being of people in those countries, in the way that an economist (for example) can, nor can he discern the differences between one situation and another. The Holy Spirit does not give people special knowledge in academic fields or special foreknowledge of what will happen in a given situation.

When a pope speaks on the environment, he can speak, in general, on care for creation so that generations to come do not suffer from our short-term desires for more enjoyment or comfort. But he is not an expert in technology. The Holy Spirit does not give him a special gift in the assessment of whether nuclear power really has substantial risks or whether they are overblown, or whether reprocessing fuel is a good or a bad idea. The Holy Spirit does not enable him to predict future tech developments, etc.

When a pope speaks on labor unions, again, we cannot expect him to understand the particulars of any given country. For example, should he know that in many states in the United States, public sector labor unions primary way of winning generous contracts is not by negotiation and threat of strikes but by plowing their funds into elections? Should he know that the Big 3 automakers in the United States in the 60s and 70s acceded to generous contract demands and found themselves unable to compete with Japan in the 80s? No.

And  I have the feeling Ive addressed this before but lets take Martins examples. Some are fairly clear.

Slavery: its important to recognize that church doctrine on slavery developed as an (admittedly delayed) reaction to slavery itself changing. Slavery in ancient Rome, and serfdom in the European Middle Ages was something quite different than chattel slavery as it developed in the New World.

Usury: the prohibit on interest came from a time and place when charging interest meant people being mired in debt-servitude from which they could never escape. As interest became a part of a normal functioning economic system, prohibitions ended.

Capital punishment: honestly, I think the pope has gone too far, in making the declaration that capital punishment is no longer acceptable anywhere, for all time, going forward. No, I dont think we will head into some future zombie apocalypse, but it is presumptuous for the pope to have such certitude about the future.

What about limbo? A quick google search tells me that there was never a single official church teaching on what happens to the unbaptized, especially unbaptized babies, but rather, there was a diversity of opinion even among the Church Fathers and medieval theologians, but that this was all perceived of as speculation.

As to ecumenical relations, well, thats probably the one item where I dont have a solid enough knowledge to say, yes, church doctrine changed or no it didnt (without resorting to a no True Scotsman approach of it wasnt really doctrine if it changed).

Womens roles? Not sure what church teaching he is referencing here, because last I knew, women should stay at home with the children was hardly a church teaching!

And the liturgy? Again, this isnt church teaching  its just the way we worship.

So to me it is quite reasonable to be concerned about Martin, Cupich, and the Pope himself aggressively promoting the idea of doctrine developing, since the objective really seems to be moving beyond changes happen in response to a changed environment to doctrine is whatever the Pope says it is. And when I made my profession of faith, it was to all that the holy Catholic Church believes, teaches, and proclaims to be revealed by God. I did not profess to believe in a single man, the Pope and his successors, as the determiner of what I might be called on to believe in the future, nor did I sign on to changing my beliefs at whatever point in the future any pope or bishop might have a better idea, least of all if he thinks a change in doctrine will better fill pews and coffers.
His Excellency Dr. Abu Zein, Senior Deputy Chair of the International Human Rights Commission and The Ambassador at Large, Africa Region has expressed the Commission's worries and strongly feel the need to address the issue of government of Ghana's recent limiting of freedom of speech in protests enshrined in the fibre of democracy.



It is a matter of great concern for the principles of democracy and human rights.



When individuals are denied their right to express their opinions or assemble peacefully to demonstrate a call of their collective or individual rights as permitted by the same constitutional provisions, it hampers progress and undermines the voice of the people which is equally useful for stock taking processes in line with all acts that builds a nation.



As Ambassadors championing, promoting and sensitising societies on human rights issues, it is our duty to shine light on these injustices and work towards creating a society where freedom of speech is valued and protected.



Let us unite, raise our voices, and fight for the rights of all individuals whose rights are trampled cheaply upon without clear reasons.



In an interview with some media houses who paid a courtesy call on him as follow up on IHRC' Africa's 21st September Zoom Conference on theme: "ANALYSING THE IMPACT OF THE RESURGENCE OF UNCONSTITUTIONAL COUPS ON DEMOCRACY, HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE IN AFRICA" he urged all stakeholders and research fellows to keep educating and working for peace through a clearer focus on pursuing justice delivery at all cost and levels.





Source: Kofi Aduonum









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
Lucia Alvarado and her brother, Mario, in Mexico City. Aggi Garduno

Lucia Alvarado worked at her house in Mexico City. Giselle Amador was the minister of health in Costa Rica. Martha  a fictitious name, to protect her identity  was a hairdresser in an Ecuadorian neighborhood. They all speak in the past tense about their jobs, because the imprisonment of Mario, Luis and Carlos forced them to become researchers, lawyers and human rights activists.

When their relatives were imprisoned, none of them knew about the rights of prisoners. And, before the arrests, they believed in the state. But not anymore.

The state has too many prisoners. We are the only ones who take care of them; their mothers, their sisters, their daughters, explains Martha by video call. Her son, Carlos  a name she has also chosen to protect his identity  was one of the 118 men murdered during the September 28, 2021 prison massacre at the Litoral Penitentiary in Guayaquil, Ecuador. He had been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for stealing a cellphone.

Carlos  who died at the age of 19  was finishing his barbering studies and had become a father just three months before he was killed. After the pandemic, Martha was fired from her job. The familys debts soon exceeded $600. Im not justifying what he did, but the consequences were terrible for everyone, his mother explains. Economically, things were impossible  I had to take care of my daughter-in-law and my granddaughter, the debt, my mothers cancer diagnosis... and, of course, I had to take care of him [while he was imprisoned].

In addition to the costs of going to and from the jail, Martha says that she had to sell the phone, the television and all the appliances in the house to be able to pay for the extortion money he needed to protect himself inside the jail. I paid to keep him from sleeping on the floor or to guarantee his protection. I dont even know how much I spent, she laments. Like her, 87% of female caregivers say they havent been able to make ends meet after the arrest of their loved ones, according to a report by RIMUF  the International Network of Female Relatives of Detained Persons. The majority of male prisoners  75%  were the heads of their households pre-incarceration.

On the morning of September 28, Martha learned that her son was one of those killed at the gates of the Guayaquil prison. Another mother went to the jail, looking for information about the shooting  she managed to contact her son through a video call. Martha asked him to move the camera around  thats when she saw Carlos, lifeless, face down in his cell.

Theres no consolation. But at least they gave me [his body] in its entirety. There were women who buried only a few parts of their childrens bodies. We were a handful of mothers, devastated by the news.

Women carers are the norm. They represent at least 80% of those who visit their relatives in prison. Its amazing to realize that, when the woman is the one whos sent to prison, either her mothers and sisters visit her otherwise, nobody goes. Usually, men dont take care of them, Alvarado sighs. Shes a member of RUMF. According to the organization, for every prisoner, theres a support network of five women around them.

These women complain that extortion is a constant within Latin American jails. Overpopulation is one of the main causes of a failed prison system. In the last two decades, the prison population in Latin America and the Caribbean has skyrocketed by 120%, while in the rest of the world, it has only increased by 24%. But despite the massive increase in Latin America and Caribbean, there hasnt been any significant increase in expenditure on the penitentiary system.

The combination of overcrowded prisons, underinvestment in restorative approaches and the growing power of gangs and armed groups result in corruption sneaking through the prison bars. In addition to the lack of control due to overcrowding, Alvarado explains, theres a tendency to ignore those who are deprived of their liberty. The only right thats annulled is that of free movement, but all the others  work, health, education  continue to be rights. Yet in jail, they dont seem to exist.

She knows this from experience. Her brother, Mario, was tortured in jail after being arbitrarily detained for allegedly trafficking 19 tons of heroin during a work shift at the airport  a shift that he never took. This was 2007 and Mexico was in the middle of the war against drugs. For Lucia Alvarado, nothing made sense: It was so clear to see that he didnt do it we thought it would be solved in a matter of hours. But he spent seven years in jail.

Mario Alvarado at his sisters house. Aggi Garduno

Amador notes that the extortion happens with the consent of prison officials. And the lawyers who offer to take on your case also ask for thousands of dollars under the table to supposedly get better results. Its all a business. Her son, Luis  along with four friends  was sentenced to eight years and four months in jail for planting cannabis, a crime against public health in Costa Rica. Months before the arrest, President Carlos Alvarado Quesada asked for her resignation from his cabinet, without giving any further explanation. I was inconvenient as minister of health, because I didnt give in to the tobacco companies or the pharmaceutical companies, she argues. [My sons arrest] was the excuse they found to get rid of me. And, along the way, I lost all my savings  over $60,000. My health was also lost in the process

I lived for him

Jail has many consequences, and they dont only affect prisoners. They have a direct impact on the health, economy and psychology of the families of incarcerated people. Alvarado acknowledges that she doesnt remember when was the last time she did something for herself. My life became about getting my brother out of jail. I lived for him.

Martha describes the process as if her life was over. For Amador, therapy was necessary to go out into the streets again, without feeling stigmatized by society. Some 85% of the women surveyed by RIMUF reported deteriorated mental health and frequent episodes of stress, anxiety and sadness. This is the same percentage that admits to having faced poor or terrible treatment from prison officials, ranging from harassment and sexual abuse at security checks while making visits, to death threats.

Caretaking tasks arent a choice. [They are compounded by] the patriarchal society and [poor prison conditions], reads the study that was carried out among 188 family members of prisoners from eight countries. Currently, there are 1.5 million incarcerated people in Latin Americas prisons. In addition to the poor infrastructure, theres a deficit in the coverage of basic services in the prison system. Almost 60% of incarcerated people dont have a bed, 29% dont have access to health services and 28% dont have access to basic goods, such as soap and water, according to data from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

One in three prisoners hasnt been sentenced

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the percentage of people deprived of liberty without having been sentenced is 36%, according to a pretrial detention figure. According to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), the application of this measure is one of the most serious and widespread problems faced by the countries of the region, since it contravenes the right to the presumption of innocence and heavily impacts low-income and migrant families.

Nathalie Alvarado  coordinator of citizen security and justice at the IDB  assures EL PAIS that the overcrowding that pretrial detention entails generates inhumane conditions in prisons, more violence and victimization, as well as fewer opportunities for rehabilitation. This problem, she says, has led countries such as Chile to implement the Sayen Law, which establishes alternative measures and limits the use of this legal method from being imposed on pregnant women or mothers who have children under the age of two. Defendants who arent released before trial are less likely to prepare an adequate defense and more likely to receive a custodial sentence, obtain longer sentences and plead guilty, Alvarado warns.

Lucia Alvarado  an activist for the human rights of prisoners  in her home in Mexico City. Aggi Garduno

For Alvarado, this is the first judicial measure that needs to be eradicated on the continent. The other key is that the courts take gender into account, recognizing the weight that is put on women and children following an arrest. The state has to find a way to guarantee that families have a livelihood, either with subsidies, or by promoting employment inside prisons and paying the salaries of these female heads of families. We must think of solutions so that women and girls arent also imprisoned.

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The Minister in charge of Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has charged ministries, departments, and agencies to prioritise the involvement of agenda setting in communicating the works of government.



He urged the heads of these institutions to take advantage of the proactive disclosure section of the Right to Information (RTI) Act to frequently make information available to the public.



The minister was speaking on the Legal Framework for Communicating Governance at the GIMPA Law Alumni Association Launch & Public Lecture held in Accra.



According to Oppong-Nkrumah, the Ministry of Information has tools to support public institutions that want to implement the proactive disclosure section of the RTI Act.



The Right to Information (RTI) Act, has the potential to significantly improve the communication of government. Particularly if you pay attention to the proactive disclosure part of the Act which requires ministries, departments, and agencies to regularly on their own, even when nobody requested information, set the agenda by proactively putting out there what they are doing about this or that.



We have the devices at the Ministry of Information ready to support any of those functions. But it means that people who run these public institutions first need to know the law, second, they need to pick it up and based on that, do a lot of proactive disclosure. Because if you dont, there is another part of the law that allows anybody to come search in for information and to use that information for whatever purpose and I even say that is part of agenda setting in governance, he stated.



The minister explained that without proactive disclosure, citizens could invoke other provisions of the RTI Act to request informatio that will potentially lead to a different agenda being set.



Except that when people are looking for that information, are not going to use those to promote the work of government or for the communication of government. Rather they are going to use it to say, of all the 500 things you have done, here is one example of something that went bad so that you are so bad.



Because that person is setting their agenda and framing issues in that way. The onus on us on this side is therefore to profusely use our side to set the agenda to push out there what weve done and as I said, that depends on the collaboration and how much interest the people in the system have in supporting communications so that they can make these things available, the minister stressed.







Source: ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Ashaiman Municipality and surrounding districts are currently experiencing widespread flooding, with the China Mall, the most popular retail center in the area, turned into a swimming pool.



The intense weather event, which lasted nearly an hour, has left workers and customers struggling to pack their wares to avoid destruction from the floodwaters.



Many roads in the area have been rendered impassable, causing severe disruptions in transportation and the closure of several routes.



Ashaiman station road has been particularly affected, leaving residents stranded and hindering the movement of vehicles.



The central business district of Ashaiman has also been impacted, with vehicular traffic at a complete standstill.



Local businesses are struggling to maintain their operations, and commuters find themselves trapped in the chaos.



To compound the situation, a power outage in the affected areas has left residents in darkness.



Emergency services and municipal authorities are urgently mobilizing resources to mitigate the impact and assist affected individuals.



The authorities are urging residents to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary movement until the floodwaters recede and roads are deemed safe.



Some residents have called for government assistance in addressing the aftermath of this extreme weather event.



As the rain persists, it is crucial that residents remain vigilant and prioritize their safety.



The Ashaiman Municipality and surrounding areas are working diligently to restore normalcy to the affected districts and provide support to affected individuals.

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.

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Charles Owusu has accused the largest opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) of orchestrating Thursday's protest to the seat of government, Jubilee House, by some citizens.



The protesters of #OccupyJulorBiHouse demonstration were prevented by the Police for violating the Public Order Act.



The Police say they have arrested 49 people who showed up within the vicinity of the Jubilee House and the 37 Military Hospital on Thursday to participate in the demonstration.



These suspects, according to a statement by the Police, have been taken into custody for unlawful assembly and violation of the Public Order Act.



We would like to state that the Police do not take delight in preventing any group from demonstrating as the Service has a track record of providing security for demonstrations in the past. The exception, in this case, is the Police disagreement with the organisers on the venue, the Jubilee House, being a security zone, parts of the statement read.



The Police also urged the general public to disregard any invitation to take part in any unlawful protest until the determination of the matter by the court on the 26th September, 2023.



Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' show, Charles Owusu minced no words indicating "this was masterminded by the NDC".



He was very confident in his conviction that this #OccupyJulorBiHouse protest was contracted by the National Democratic Congress and wondered why the party would hide behind the protesters to advance their ulterior motives.



"They are cowards. You see they should bold enough to come out and demonstrate. It is within your own right to say that, as a political party, you want to demonstrate but when you sometimes hide behind people to make things messy; I find it difficult to understand" he said.



He, therefore, applauded the Police for disallowing the demonstration and arresting those who chose to misbehave while the Police stopped them for their own safety and the security of the Jubilee House.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Charles Owusu has applauded the Ghana Police Service under the leadership of Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, for preventing the #OccupyJulorBiHouse protesters from picketing the Jubilee House.



The organizers, Democracy Hub, planned to demonstrate within the vicinity of the Jubilee House from Thursday, 21st to Saturday, 23rd September 2023 but the Police, in a statement, disclosed it had filed an injunction application at the court and waiting for it to determine the matter before taking any further action.



The Police yesterday arrested 49 protesters for violating the Public Order Act and also for unlawful assembly.



"The arrest was a result of the flagrant disregard of the court process served on the organisers of the Democracy Hub group, which seeks to prohibit them from embarking on a planned demonstration within the vicinity of the Jubilee House from Thursday, 21st to Saturday, 23rd September 2023.



"We would like to state that the Police do not take delight in preventing any group from demonstrating as the Service has a track record of providing security for demonstrations in the past. The exception, in this case, is the Police disagreement with the organisers on the venue, the Jubilee House, being a security zone," parts of the statement read.



The Police cautioned the general public to "in the interest of public order and public safety to disregard any invitation by the organisers to take part in any unlawful demonstration until the determination of the matter by the court on the 26th September 2023".



Charles Owusu, speaking on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, stated emphatically that there is nothing wrong with the action by the Police, thus commended the IGP and the entire Service for protecting State property.



"I feel that what they did is right...What the Police has done is a good thing. Every property we used State money to do, it behoves the person with authority to protect it to keep it safe," 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.

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The Presidential Elections Committee of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has released its operational guidelines for the upcoming presidential primary on November 4, 2023.



A significant rule in the guidelines is the banning of camping of delegates on the day of voting.

There shall be no campaign, canvassing for votes or gathering of party people for any purpose whatsoever a day before voting.



Also, No delegates shall be allowed to enter the voting screen or booth in groups or pairs. Delegates who have already cast their vote shall not be re-admitted into the voting perimeter.



In a statement released Friday September 22, 2023, the guidelines state that a Voting Center can have more than one polling station but on the same premises, as long as the threshold does not exceed one thousand (1000) delegates. There will be no congregation on the day of voting, which means no provision to address delegates or the public by any party executive, government official, or contestants.



It is an offense for unaccredited persons to enter the voting perimeter. The Electoral Commission of Ghana shall supervise the conduct of the election and have the full responsibility of ensuring a transparent, free, and fair election. Security activities rest exclusively with the police, and access beyond the security perimeter is restricted to delegates, Presidential Elections Committee Members, Contestants, and their accredited agents.



The election will take place on Saturday, November 4, 2023, at all the 276 constituencies nationwide and the Party Headquarters, Asylum Down, Accra (277 voting centers in all). The Electoral Commission shall recommend venues as Voting Centers across the country in each Constituency Capital, and the proposed Voting Centers shall be discussed and accepted by all stakeholders.



All voters shall leave the demarcated voting perimeters immediately after voting. Delegates shall not take phones to the voting perimeter, and it is an offense to take a picture of any vote or show any vote to any person or to the public. Agents of the contestants are allowed to have their phones.



The Electoral Commission shall use complex serial numbers to avoid ballots being traced to voters at a later date, and voting shall be by a walk-in standard practice. The individual shall approach the polling area and vote secretly accordingly. Overall, the guidelines aim to ensure a peaceful and fair election process.

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.

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Notice To Occupy Mahama's Office In 14 Days on the Mahama Airbus Corruption



Fixing the Country Movement is appalled at the nonchalant attitude being deployed on the Airbus Corruption investigations.



It has been over three years when Airbus SE, a global provider of civilian and military aircraft based in France, agreed to pay combined penalties of more than $3.9 billion to resolve foreign bribery charges with authorities in the United States, France and the United Kingdom arising out of the Companys scheme to use third-party business partners to bribe government officials, as well as non-governmental airline executives, around the world.



As part of this coordinated global resolution, the Company also entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the United Kingdoms Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over bribes paid in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Indonesia and Ghana, and the Company agreed to pay approximately 990 million Euros equivalent (approximately $1.09 billion) pursuant to the SFO agreement. The PNF and SFO had investigated the Company as part of a Joint Investigative Team.



According to admissions and court documents, beginning in at least 2008 and continuing until at least 2015, Airbus engaged in and facilitated a scheme to offer and pay bribes to decision makers and other influencers, including to foreign officials, in order to obtain improper business advantages and to win business from both privately owned enterprises and entities that were state-owned and state-controlled.



As a matter of fact, judicial records made public on 31 January 2020 by the British and American authorities, which Airbus acknowledges to be true, shows that between 2009 and 2015 an Airbus subsidiary specialising in the defence sector hired the brother of a high-ranking Ghanaian elected official(GovernmentOfficial 1), as well as a friend of the said brother and a third person to serve as commercial partners in the sale of three military transport aircraft, model C295, to Ghana.



It turned out that Philip Middlemiss, a renowned British actor, Leanne Davis and John Mahamas brother, Samuel Adam Mahama were the intermediaries between Airbus and the former President.



In fact, per the court records, "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."



Intriguingly, the British judge in charge of the case found that Airbus had sought, through these kickbacks, to obtain an undue favour from a member of the Ghanaian government.



As a result, Ghana indeed bought three Airbus C295 military transport aircraft  two in 2011 and another in 2015, all under the presidency of Mills/Mahama.



Again, the UK court documents revealed that the intermediaries established a company in Ghana on 7 December 2009 and that a company with the same name was established in the United Kingdom in February of the following year.



The Ghanaian company they looked into was owned by the brother of Mr Mahama, and a British television actor who had publicly claimed to be the best friend of John Mahama.



Indeed, the former Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, who had found the corruption suspicions credible enough to open an investigation in February 2020, announced that he had summoned four suspects, Philip Middlemiss and his collaborator Sarah Furneaux, as well as Leanne Davis and Samuel Adam Mahama.



The current Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyabeng has in a public statement indicated that he is investigating the matter.



It has been over a year since the Special Prosecutor announced the new phase of investigations into the matter.



Just last week, I personally petitioned the office of the Special Prosecutor to help the public with the status of the Airbus/Mahama case. And we're yet to receive any response from the office of the Special Prosecutor.



In the light of the above, we are issuing 14 days ultimatum to whoever it may concern to see to it that action is taken on the Mahama Airbus Corruption affair.



As trusting citizens, we want the Ghanaian justice system to open a thorough enquiry on the Airbus Corruption because we strongly believe that former President Mahama has a lot of questions to answer.



And if after the 14days, there's no action in that regards, Fixing the Country Movement will lead a citizens coalition to congregate and picket in front of the office of former President, John Mahama.



The nonchalant attitude being deployed on this Airbus matter ought to give way to real action.



Signed:



Ernest Kofi Owusu-Bempah Bonsu (Convener - Fixing the Country Movement)

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.

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One person was shot in the chest on Hanover Road in Harrisburgs Hall Manor housing development on Sunday afternoon, according to police.

The initial call for the incident came in around 12:20 p.m. Police on scene confirmed that a person was shot in the chest and taken to the hospital.

Investigating officers have blocked off Hanover Road and adjacent parking spaces between apartment blocks 34 and 53 of Hall Manor.

More:

Flamingo injured by snapping turtle at Pennsylvania pond has died

Plan to bring bomb trains through Pa. and N.J. towns hits another roadblock
Update: Taylor Swift fans (mostly) excited shes in Kansas City to watch Travis Kelce

Maybe Taylor Swift is dating Travis Kelce after all.

Thats certainly the way it looked on the Taylor Swift Updates X page, with a succession of video clips showing her cheering as the Kansas City Chiefs played a late Sunday afternoon game against the Chicago Bears.

Swift blended right in, wearing the teams red and white colors as she sat in a stadium suite next to Travis mom, Donna Kelce.

Kelce gave Swift plenty to cheer about, catching seven passes for 69 yards and a touchdown through the games first three quarters. Heres a link to The Eras Tour X page showing the Kelce score and Swifts reaction to it.

Rumors began to circulate recently that the two were dating.

On Thursday, Kelce talked about the pop superstar during an appearance on ESPNs The Pat McAfee Show.

Your love life is being talked about by the whole entire world right now, McAfee said. If youd like to expand on anything, please  the floor is yours.

Responded Kelce, obviously amused: Its hilarious how much traction this has actually got. This is like the old school game called telephone, where everybody is just whispering in everybodys ear.

More:

In culture of faux authenticity, Eagles Jason Kelce shows what the real thing looks like | Opinion
By Michelle Marchante, The Charlotte Observer (TNS)

Youll be able to get free COVID-19 tests by mail again starting Monday, Sept. 25.

Every household in the country will be able to order four free rapid at-home COVID tests online at covid.gov/tests.

The Biden administrations decision to restart the program, which previously distributed more than 755 million tests to U.S. households, comes as COVID cases and hospitalizations continue to rise in the country as it braces for another possible tripledemic of flu, COVID-19 and RSV in the fall and winter seasons.

The free COVID test rollout comes as newly updated COVID vaccines arrive at select pharmacies, community health centers, doctors offices and other healthcare providers. The rollout of the new COVID-19 vaccines, developed by Pfizer and Moderna, began this month after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave the green light to the shots.

Federal health officials say the updated shots will provide good protection against the circulating variants in the country, including the current dominant strain EG.5, also known as Eris, which is a descendant of the omicron variant.

The CDC is recommending everyone 6 months and older receive at least one dose of the new vaccine.
Five people, including four boys, were injured Saturday evening in a mass shooting in Chesapeake, Va., according to the Chesapeake Police Department

Shortly after 5 p.m. officers were called to a residence, responding to reports of gunfire, the department said in a news release.

Four boys and a man were taken to hospitals with gunshot injuries.

There is no suspect identified and police are seeking information about the incident.
Felix Llerena, a Cuban immigrant and political activist now living in Texas, poses for a photo at Arthur Storey Park, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Houston.

When Felix Llerena arrived in Miami in 2017, he quickly got involved in the citys politically active community of Cuban exiles. He was soon drawn to President Donald Trump for his aggressive approach toward Cubas communist government and his stated affinity for Cuban American culture.

Today, Llerena is ready to apply for citizenship and vote for the first time. Hes more skeptical of the former Republican president. And his mother was able to come to the United States earlier this year under an immigration program created by Democratic President Joe Bidens administration thats admitted tens of thousands of Cubans and other people from countries with expatriate communities in South Florida.

Both parties efforts affect Llerenas life and fulfill different priorities he has. While hes leaning toward a Republican candidate next year, he says he tries to avoid sticking to one side.

I do not worship politicians, he said. They are simply doing their job. I do not defend political or partisan interests.

His story illustrates how both Republicans and Democrats are perceived by South Floridas powerful bloc of Cuban American voters, which has influenced presidential elections for decades. Even as the Republican Party has made huge inroads in Floridas Latino communities, flipping Miami-Dade County in the governors race last year, national Democrats say they wont give up on Florida and still think it can be a swing state next year.

The parties use sharply different strategies and arguments and often paint the other side as extremist or socialist  an especially grave insult among Cuban exiles.

Democrats have attacked Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, another GOP presidential candidate, on immigration and typically emphasize their treatment of recent border crossers who often include Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians and other nationalities widely represented in Florida. Republicans generally focus on economic issues and argue Democratic efforts to target inequality end up hurting middle-class families including Latinos.

Both sides will have to respond to a Trump criminal trial next year in South Florida on charges that he mishandled classified information.

The GOP has been winning in Florida since 2016, when Trump flipped a state that twice went for Democrat Barack Obama. That year, Democrats had about 327,000 more registered voters in the state. Today, the GOP has a voter-registration advantage of about half a million. And after barely winning the governors race in 2018, DeSantis was reelected last year by 1.5 million votes.

Last month, the Florida Democratic Party launched a voter registration effort called Take Back Florida to try to regain some lost ground. The party chair said it would be all hands on deck in Miami-Dade, where 60% of the voters are Hispanic.

What the Democrats have lost are the younger Cuban American voters, said Dario Moreno, a political science professor at Florida International University.

Llerena, now 27, pays attention to his image, often wearing a suit and a tie at community events. He has appeared on Spanish-language local networks and as a guest of Univisions Jorge Ramos. He has met with elected officials from both parties in Miami and Washington.

I may be a muelero, he said, an expression for someone with the gift of gab. But I am pragmatic and realistic.

Growing up in Cuba, he said, youth are instructed to be loyal to the state and idolize its revolutionaries, foremost of all Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba for half a century after overthrowing a U.S.-backed government in 1959. Castro suppressed dissent, jailed political prisoners, and antagonized Washington for half a century.

In Cuba, the alphabet is not F for flowers or R for roses, Llerena said. F is for Fidel and R is for revolution.

It wasnt until he was in his teens and began using Internet cafes that Llerena says he formed different opinions. He paid attention to the U.S.-funded Radio and Television Marti networks. Eventually he began resisting the Castro-led government as a religious freedom and pro-democracy activist.

He remembers being 18 and hearing an announcement from then-President Barack Obama that Washington and Havana would move toward trying to normalize diplomatic relations. He still feels admiration for Obama but also disappointment, saying Cuba ultimately took advantage of him.

The U.S. gave, gave, gave and Cuba gave nothing in return, he said. The reality for the Cuban people remained the same. I never benefited from the thaw, never felt a real change.

Cuban government agents detained him in 2017 after a visit to the United States that he documented on social media to meet with members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He was expelled from his university and forced to sign a warning for public disorder, which human rights groups say Cuba uses to intimidate activists, political opponents and critics. Llerena left Cuba shortly after.

In 2020, Llerena was vocal about his support of Trump, saying those rallies showed the Cuban government that it wasnt only the aging exiles who arrived after the Cuban Revolution or in the ensuing decades, but those who have come more recently that also support hard-line policies against the Cuban government.

Trump often mentions how Cubans have come to love him. After his arraignment earlier this year in the classified documents case Miami, he made a stop at the iconic Cuban restaurant Versailles Cafe and the crowd serenaded him with Happy Birthday.

But Llerena said he was offended by the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

I have fled a dictatorship where there has been a cult of personality for many decades, he said. Politicians are all human beings and they make mistakes. There are many good things to like about Donald Trump, but in others, it was a disaster.

Llerena greatly benefited from changes implemented by Biden to curb the rising numbers of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, including many Cubans. A lawsuit from Republican-led states objects to the humanitarian parole program, which started in 2022 for Venezuelans and was expanded to migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua. It allows up to 30,000 people to enter the U.S. each month to stay for two years and get a work permit.

Llerena said he wanted to apply right away for his mother, who he had not seen in more than five years. Anticipating a court challenge, he filed her application as soon as the program opened.

He praises Biden for his immigration policies and for his support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, but notes that he doesnt think the Biden administration prioritized Cuba. Instead, he prefers two Republican foreign policy hawks, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence, who both strike him as presidenciables  Spanish for presidential.

If Llerena gets his citizenship in time, he likely wont vote in the state where he entered American politics. He travels often to Miami for events with the exile community but is now living in Texas  another state where the Latino vote is critical and where Republicans have made inroads with Latino voters to win statewide elections.

I am obviously Cuban and I am going to die Cuban, he said. I have to advocate for my people.

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U.S. Senator John Fetterman on Saturday became the first Senate Democrat to call on longtime New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to retire after Menendez was indicted on bribery and other charges.

In a statement released this afternoon Fetterman said:

Senator Menendez should resign. Hes entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and members of the states Congressional delegation called on Menendez to step down after he and his wife Nadine were indicted on Friday for using his powerful position as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee to aid the authoritarian government of Egypt and also to pressure federal prosecutors to drop a case against a friend.

The three-count indictment lists a series of bribes they were paid by three New Jersey businessmen in exchange for the corrupt acts  gold bars, a luxury car and cash. Prosecutors said $100,000 in gold bars and $480,000 in hidden cash was found in the couples home.

It is the second indictment on bribery charges for Menendez  and the second time he has had to relinquish his post as the top Democrat on the Foreign Relations panel. He regained the leadership spot in 2018 after that case ended with a deadlocked jury.

Menendez has temporarily stepped aside from his committee post.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A plan to build New Jerseys first terminal for transporting liquefied natural gas  a project that critics say is a threat to surrounding communities and the environment  has been hit with another federal roadblock.

The U.S. Department of Transportations Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration suspended a Trump-era rule earlier this month that would have allowed liquified natural gas to be transposed by rail, according to the Federal Register.
By Svante Myrick

If youre a parent or student in America this fall, watch out: edutainment could be coming to your school.

Whats edutainment?

Its what PragerU, a business that is not a university at all but a media shop run by right-wing talk-show host Dennis Prager, calls its videos and curriculum materials for school-age kids. In Florida and Oklahoma, PragerU materials are now approved for public school curricula, and Texas could be next.

Its no exaggeration that these products are propaganda of the most aggressive kind.

Glance at the catalog and youll see videos scorning climate alarmism while offering other titles like How to Embrace Your Masculinity for boys and How to Embrace Your Femininity for girls. (Try smiling, the narrator urges, because one of the most beautiful things God has created is a womans smile.)

But the real gems are the depictions of historical figures like Christopher Columbus and the abolitionist Frederick Douglass rationalizing and defending slavery.

In one video, Douglass is portrayed as downplaying slavery by calling it a compromise that benefited the early United States. In another piece, a cartoon Christopher Columbus shrugs off the enslavement of Indigenous Americans, declaring: Slavery is as old as time, and has taken place in every corner of the world, even amongst the people I just left I dont see the problem.

And PragerU is not alone. Earlier this month a Pennsylvania public school district adopted Hillsdale Colleges 1776 Curriculum.

The 1776 Curriculum was invented in a spasm of backlash against the New York Timess 1619 Project, which looked at how racism and the movement against it had shaped our country. The 1776 version, by contrast, downplays the history of slavery in the United States and omits key facts about slave-holding Founding Fathers. For good measure, it also suggests they had some very logical reasons for denying women the vote.

All this comes as book banning and censorship in schools, led by far-right groups like Moms for Liberty, are experiencing a meteoric rise.

If these whitewashing and propagandizing efforts are affronts to core principles of education, PragerU doesnt really care. Dennis Prager freely admits that his goal is indoctrination. But the rest of us need to care, because the victims here are our kids.

Students who are taught a subpar, silly, and inaccurate curriculum are at a serious disadvantage in life. Their futures are being compromised.

Students personal growth is stunted when theyre force-fed false ideas. And theyre unlikely to succeed or even win admission at selective universities. Admissions officers know an A+ in history means nothing if the student believes the firebrand Frederick Douglass had a relaxed attitude toward slavery.

Its up to those of us who see the problem to fix it.

The organization I lead, People For the American Way, recently founded a Grandparents for Truth campaign to mobilize family members of all generations to fight book bans, censorship, and propaganda in schools.

This means speaking up at school board meetings, voting in school board elections, and running for school board as well. It means paying attention to whats happening in classrooms and libraries and communicating with school administrators  whatever it takes to be an advocate for kids.

The good news is the levers of power in this fight are local and accessible. Were not talking about influencing a presidential campaign. Critical decisions about our kids education are being made right down the street. We can reach those decision makers. We can become those decision makers.

As a dad, I dont want to trust kids futures to the agendas of censors or edutainment. Its time to stop these trends in their tracks.

Svante Myrick is President and CEO of People For the American Way. Myrick garnered national media attention as the youngest-ever mayor of Ithaca, New York. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.
After reading your recent coverage on GOP presidential candidate Gov. Ron DeSantiss remarks at a local donor breakfast, I was quite alarmed. DeSantis reportedly reiterated his anti-student, anti-teacher, anti-diversity policy positions. It especially concerned me - and should unnerve all voters and taxpayers in the CV School District - that my opponent this fall, current Board Member Michelle Nestor, supports DeSantiss policies and affirmed, His message and everything he highlighted that he needs to do and execute on for the country, he has already done in Florida.

The policies enacted by Gov. DeSantis in Florida school districts do not align with the desires of the majority of people within the CV School District. The so-called anti-woke policies that he champions as accomplishments in the Sunshine State would be harmful to our children, educators, and the future of Pennsylvania. Educators are not the enemy as Gov. DeSantiss policies suggest; they are partners in the education of our children.

Additionally, DeSantis has expanded the school choice voucher program, arguing that If the taxpayer is paying for education, its public education. However, many citizens in the Cumberland Valley School District do not want taxpayer funds diverted from our public school system to support private schools.

If elected as a CV School District Board Member this November, I vow to vehemently oppose these DeSantis-Nestor anti-education types of policies in our school district. We must prioritize the well-being of our students and ensure their access to robust educational opportunities.

Asheleigh Forsburg is a candidate for the Cumberland Valley School Board.
By Jill Sunday Bartoli

Pennsylvania`s system of funding public schools has become famous since it was declared illegal, unconstitutional, and one of the most unfair in the United States. The PA state legislators who created this illegal system are being exposed nationally for reproducing inequality and endorsing white supremacy and class privilege, rather than providing equal opportunity for all children and youth.

So, what are they doing about it? They created a Basic Education Funding Commission tasked with creating a solution that ensures every child has access to a thorough and efficient education(Gov. Shapiro, 2023). This is not a new problem. The inequity has existed for decades, with many calls for change. While wealthy districts build new buildings with Olympic size swimming pools, poorer districts go without libraries, music and art, and their classes are taught in crumbling buildings.

Stan Karp (Re-Thinking Schools, 2023) reminds us that the reliance on property taxes [for school funding] is a sorting mechanism for class and race privilege and allows pockets of elite schooling to exist within the public system. Along side this inequity is the huge drain on public school systems from payments to charter and cyber schools. In 2020-21 school districts were forced to pay $2.6 billion of our tax dollars to charter and cyber schools with dubious success rates, compared with public schools.

Both of these enormous drains on schools in poorer districts were created by PA legislators concerned more about their wealthy donors than educational opportunities for all children. And both can be corrected, if and when the legislators decide to actually do something: like fully using the fair funding system created in 2016, or using state funds for charter and cyber payments, as they did originally, instead of forcing public schools to pay, or return the state share of education funding to 50%, which would be in line with other states investment, instead of PAs pitiful 37%.

What are legislators doing instead? They try to divert and distract with problematic solutions that support more privatizing of public education, serving only the purpose of pleasing those who have been profiting richly for decades, while our rural, urban and suburban public school children and their schools continue to starve. The latest example of this is the proposed lifeline scholarships renamed PASS.

Instead of seriously working to fund all schools fairly and creating equity for all children, legislators proposed pulling out a fraction of the students from under resourced schools and sending them to charter, cyber, or parochial schools. This is not what equal opportunity for all looks like. It looks like putting more money into the hands of privatizers, at our childrens expense. The children left behind in the poorest schools will be further disadvantaged and their schools will be further starved.

Check out some of the hearings of the Basic Education Funding Commission (www.basiceducation fundingcommission.com . We are at a unique position to finally move ahead in PA. Pay attention to which legislators ask questions like, What will we get for our money, or Why not have more state control and equal [rather than equitable] funding. Then see who says, All children can learn with the right resources, or How can we change the life trajectory of thousands of our children in Pennsylvania?

Legislators will continue to say that they dont have the funds to create an equitable system of education, yet they are sitting on a huge funding surplus that could go a long way in stopping the failure cycle and setting us on the right path for fairness and equity. It is simple as 1, 2, 3:

1. Increase the state share of education funding to 50%--the national average.

2. Return cyber and charter school payments to the state, where they originally were.

3. Use fully the fair funding formula that is currently underused.

The alternative is for PA to be the poster child for how to create inequality of educational opportunity, and how to starve our uniquely American public school system. Many of us believe in building a vibrant democracy, rooted in equal opportunity for all of our children to learn, grow, and thrive as future citizens. Demand that your legislators represent your democratic values and beliefs.

Jill Sunday Bartoli is Professor Emerta at Elizabethtown College, and she writes from Carlisle, Pa.
PN Pod: Cancer Scammer, Cardroom Raid, and Guests Vladas Tamasauskas & Ren Lin from Poker Masters

September 23, 2023 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S.

On the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast, Chad Holloway, Connor Richards, and Matt Hansen delve into big winners from the Poker Masters including Darren Elias, Andrew Lichtenberger, Chino Rheem, and Vladas Tamasauskas, a Lithuanian player who jumped out to an early lead winning two titles in the first three events!

The high roller newcomer is one of two guests on the show alongside Ren Lin, who has also been tearing it up at PokerGO Studio. Find out what they had to say about their early Poker Masters success. Plus, hear about poker player Rob Mercer, who lied about having colon cancer to scam the poker community so he could play in the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event, a story that has since hit the mainstream.

Other stories talked about are the cardroom raid in Atlanta, Global Poker's new Celebrity Campaign kicking off with Paul George, winners from PokerStars' WCOOP and NACOOP, and the "Four-Time Bracelet Club' welcoming Yuri Dzivielevski, Kristen Foxen, and Calvin Anderson.

Finally, the crew offer their picks on who they'd like to see featured in the upcoming Lead Trading Card poker set, and who they'd like to see join Phil Ivey in the WPT $1,000,000 Big One for One Drop.

Listen to those stories and more on the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast.

Meet the High Roller Newcomer Who Is Crushing the 2023 Poker Masters

Time Stamps

Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show  tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway, Connor Richards, and Matt Hansen on Twitter.

Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here!

Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here!

Sharelines PokerNews Podcast: Hear from Ren Lin & Vladas Tamasauskas from the 2023 Poker Masters.
Day 2 of the PokerStars UKIPT London Main Event, held at the Hippodrome Casino, has now reached its conclusion.

A total of 374 entries were made to the event across three starting flights, making for a prize pool of 359,040. Of those, 56 players returned for Day 2 already in the money.

Eight players will return to the felt for the final day. The next to bust will receive 9,220 in prize money. First place is set to walk away with 71,650.

At the end of Day 2, Daniel Bedson of the UK leads with 2,485,000 chips. Bedson has $151,042 in recorded live tournament winnings, most of which came from a first place finish in the GKUPT London Grand Final last year for 105,000.

Stephen Cherry of the UK bagged and tagged in second place with 2,295,000. Oscar Kirby-Hogarty ended the day in third place with 2,250,000 chips and is the only other player to finish with over two million. Fourth place Bojidar Boiadjiev bagged 1,175,000.

Stephen Cherry

End of Day 2 Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chip Count Big Blinds 1 Daniel Bedson UK 2,485,000 50 2 Stephen Cherry UK 2,295,000 46 3 Oscar Kirby-Hogarty Ireland 2,250,000 45 4 Bojidar Boiadjiev UK 1,175,000 24 5 Elliot Antoin UK 1,045,000 21 6 Dylan Bradley UK 930,000 19 7 Dohyun Kim South Korea 680,000 14 8 Mantas Urbonas Lithuania 385,000 8

When action resumes on the Final Day of the UKIPT London Main Event, blinds will be on 25,000/50,000 with a 50,000 big blind ante. Blind levels will continue at 60 minutes and the event will play down to a winner.

PokerNews will be bringing you coverage of the final table straight from the tournament floor.
The Winamax Poker Open (WPO) at Banco Casino in Bratislava continued today with Day 2 of the 500 Main Event. Over five starting flights, a total of 1,577 entries were made, of those, 271 players progressed to the second stage of the tournament. After 9 hours of play, just 13 players remain.

Of the finalists, it is Pierre Neuville who bagged the all-important chip lead and will be taking through a stack of 11,250,000 for the Day 3 restart tomorrow, Saturday 23. Neuville is no stranger to deep runs and tournament success; in fact, this event will be his 32nd live cash of 2023.

End of Day 2 Top 10 Chip Counts

Rank Player Country Chip Count Blinds 1 Pierre Neuville Belgium 11,250,000 70 2 Victor Hoogstoel France 9,820,000 61 3 Richard Miklosovic Slovakia 8,070,000 50 4 Victor Fryda France 7,925,000 50 5 Davidi Kitai Belgium 7,555,000 47 6 Martin Bartos Slovakia 5,880,000 37 7 Leo Margets Spain 5,420,000 34 8 Maxime Large France 5,395,000 34 9 Leo Colin France 5,090,000 32 10 Alexis Andre France 4,845,000 30

Winamax Team Pro were out in full force today. Of the nine Team Pro members to return to the felt this afternoon, only two remain; Leo Margets (5,420,000) and Davidi Kitai (7,555,000). Both with sizeable stacks, all eyes will be on the pair as this main event plays to its conclusion.

Unfortunately, those to hit the rail included Romain Lewis, Alexane Najchaus, Maxime Manzone, Pierre Calamusa, Mehdi Chaoui and Gaelle Baumann.

Baumann had a particularly impressive run, but unfortunately fell to the hands of Adrien Guyon late into Level 34.

Gaelle Baumann

As the main event is played to its conclusion, those who enjoyed todays Chess Master challenge and the Bongo Loco can look forward to the Winamax closing party at Manifest Bohema where the Main Event Final Table will be broadcast on the big screen. At the culmination of the final table, there will be a welcome entrance for the eventual winner.

Chess Master Challenge

Day 2 will start tomorrow, Sunday, September 24, at 12:30 p.m. The play will recommence on Level 37 with blinds at 80,000/160,000 with a 160,000 big blind ante. The length of the levels will be increased to 40 minutes as we play down to a winner.

Payout For WPO Bratislava 2023

Place Gain Place Gain 1 100 000 7 12 300 2 64 500 8 9 000 3 42 000 9 9 000 4 28 000 10-11 7 000 5 21 000 12-13 5 560 6 16 000

The PokerNews live reporting team will be back tomorrow to bring you more coverage of the Winamax Poker Open here at Banco Casino in Bratislava as we crown a new main event champion, so stay tuned.
Evacuees from Afghanistan wait with other evacuees to fly to the United States or another safe location in a makeshift departure gate inside a hanger at the United States Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, Sept. 1, 2021.

The Afghan man speaks only Farsi, but he wasnt worried about representing himself in U.S. immigration court. He believed the details of his asylum claim spoke for themselves.

Mohammad was a university professor, teaching human rights courses in Afghanistan before he fled for the United States. Mohammad is also Hazara, an ethnic minority long persecuted in his country, and he said he was receiving death threats under the Taliban, who reimposed their harsh interpretation of Sunni Islam after taking power in 2021.

He crossed the Texas border in April 2022, surrendered to Border Patrol agents and was detained. A year later, a hearing was held via video conference. His words were translated by a court interpreter in another location, and he said he struggled to express himself  including fear for his life since he was injured in a 2016 suicide bombing.

At the conclusion of the nearly three-hour hearing, the judge denied him asylum. Mohammad said he was later shocked to learn that he had waived his right to appeal the decision.

I feel alone and that the law wasnt applied, said Mohammad, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only his first name be used, over fears for the safety of his wife and children, who are still in Afghanistan.

Mohammads case offers a rare look inside an opaque and overwhelmed immigration court system where hearings are often closed, transcripts are not available to the public and judges are under pressure to move quickly with ample discretion. Amid a major influx of migrants at the border with Mexico, the courts  with a backlog of 2 million cases - may be the most overwhelmed and least understood link in the system.

AP reviewed a hearing transcript provided by Mona Iman, an attorney with Human Rights First now representing Mohammad. Iman also translated Mohammads comments to AP in a phone interview from Prairieland Detention Center in Alvarado, Texas.

The case reflects an asylum seeker who was ill-equipped to represent himself and clearly didnt understand what was happening, according to experts who reviewed the transcript. But at least one former judge disagreed and said the ruling was fair.

Now Mohammads attorney has won him a new hearing, before a different judge  a rare second chance for asylum cases. Also giving Iman hope is a decision this week by the Biden administration to give temporary legal status to Afghan migrants living in the country for more than a year. Iman believes he qualifies and said he will apply.

But Mohammed has been in detention for about 18 months, and he fears he could remain in custody and still be considered for deportation.

AP sought details and comment from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agency didnt address questions on Mohammads case but said noncitizens can pursue all due process and appeals and, once thats exhausted, judges orders must be carried out.

____

For his April 27 hearing, Mohammad submitted photos of his injuries from the 2016 suicide bombing that killed hundreds at a peaceful demonstration of mostly Hazaras. He also gave the court threatening letters from the Taliban and medical documents from treatment for head wounds in 2021. He said militants beat him with sticks as he left the university and shot at him but missed.

In court, the government argued that Mohammad encouraged migration to the U.S. on social media, changed dates and details related to his history, and had relatives in Europe, South America and other places where he could have settled.

In ruling, Judge Allan John-Baptiste said the threats didnt indicate Mohammad would still be at risk, and that his wife and children hadnt been harmed since he left.

Mohammad tried to keep arguing his case, but the judge told him the evidentiary period was closed. He asked Mohammad whether he planned to appeal or would waive his right to do so.

Mohammad kept describing his claim, but John-Baptiste reminded him hed already ruled. Mohammad said if the judge was going to ignore the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, he wouldnt ask for an appeal. John-Baptiste indicated he had considered it.

You were not hit by the gunshot or the suicide bomber, John-Baptiste said. The harm that you received does not rise to the level of persecution.

Mohammad continued, explaining how his family lives in hiding, his wife concealing her identity with a burqa.

OK, are you going to appeal my decision or not? John-Baptiste ultimately asked.

No, I dont, Mohammad said.

And we dont want you to make the decision now that you cant come back later and say you want to appeal. This is final, OK, sir? John-Baptiste said.

Yes. OK, I accept that, Mohammad said.

He later asked whether he could try to come back legally. The judge started to explain voluntary departure, which would allow him to return in less than a decade, but corrected himself and said Mohammad didnt qualify.

Im sorry about that, but, you know, Im just going to have to order you removed, John-Baptiste said. I wish you the best of luck.

Mohammad later told AP he couldnt comprehend what was happening in court. Hed heard from others in detention that he had a month to appeal.

I didnt understand in that moment that the right would be taken from me if I said no, he said.

___

Former immigration judge Jeffrey Chase, who reviewed the transcript, said he was surprised John-Baptiste waived Mohammads right to appeal and that the Board of Immigration Appeals upheld that decision. Case law supports granting protection for people who belong to a group long persecuted in their homelands even if an individual cannot prove specific threats, said Chase, an adviser to the appeals board.

But Andrew Arthur, another former immigration judge, said John-Baptiste ruled properly.

The respondent knew what he was filing, understood all of the questions that were asked of him at the hearing, understood the decision, and freely waived his right to appeal, Arthur, a fellow at the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for immigration restrictions, said via email.

Chase said the hearing appeared rushed, and he believes the case backlog played a role.

Immigration judges hear death-penalty cases in traffic-court conditions, said Chase, quoting a colleague. This is a perfect example.

Overall, the 600 immigration judges nationwide denied 63% of asylum cases last year, according to Syracuse Universitys Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Individual rates vary wildly, from a Houston judge who denied all 105 asylum requests to a San Francisco one denying only 1% of 108 cases.

John-Baptiste, a career prosecutor appointed during the Trump administrations final months, denied 72% of his 114 cases.

Before Mohammad decided to flee, his wife applied for a special immigrant visa, which grants permanent residency to Afghans who worked for the U.S. government or military, along with their families.

But that and other legal pathways can take years. While they waited, Mohammad said, the Taliban came looking for him but instead detained and beat his nephew. Mohammad described making the devastating decision to leave his family, who had no passports.

He opted for a treacherous route through multiple countries to cross the U.S.-Mexico border, which has seen the number of Afghans jump from 300 to 5,000 in a year.

Mohammad said he crossed into Pakistan, flew to Brazil and headed north. He slept on buses and trekked through Panamas notorious Darien Gap jungle, where he said he saw bodies of migrants who didnt make it.

Mohammad planned to live with a niece in North Carolina. Now he fears if hes sent home and his wife gets her visa, theyll be separated again.

Deportations to Afghanistan are extremely rare, with a handful each year.

Attorney Iman said theyre grateful Mohammads case has been reopened, with a hearing scheduled for Oct. 4. She is fighting for his immediate release.

I have no doubt that his case would have turned out differently had he been represented, Iman said. This is exactly the type of vulnerable individual that the U.S. government has promised, has committed to protect, since it withdrew from the country.

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After Sen. Bob Menendez was indicted for bribery and refused to resign, Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) has announced a primary campaign to challenge him for his Senate seat.

Rep. Kim tweeted:

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity. Please join me:https://t.co/QFIaMsgJc9  Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 23, 2023

Sen. Menendez (D-NJ) has refused to resign and vowed to fight the charges against him. In a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Menendez said, Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success Ive had for the past five decades. This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along. It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat. I am not going anywhere.

Menendez has not been found guilty of anything, and if he wants to go by a legal standard as justification for remaining in his seat instead of an ethical one, that is his choice, but the voters of New Jersey also deserve a choice.

The DOJ has indicted Menendez and his wife for allegedly taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes.

Democrats would be hypocrites if they tried to disqualify Trump from the ballot while supporting Sen. Menendez for reelection.

Democratic voters in New Jersey will have a choice, but Bob Menendez and his bribery indictment wont be allowed to skate through a Democratic primary unopposed.
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Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) called on indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (NJ) to resign and focus on his criminal trial.

Fetterman said in a statement provided to PoliticusUSA, Senator Menendez should resign. Hes entitled to the presumption of innocence under our system, but he is not entitled to continue to wield influence over national policy, especially given the serious and specific nature of the allegations. I hope he chooses an honorable exit and focuses on his trial.

Sen. Menendez is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but the reaction to his indictment by Democrats compared to how Kevin McCarthy and House Republicans kept Rep. George Santos in the House after his federal indictment has been revealing.

When Menendez resisted the initial calls to resign after his indictment, Rep. Andy Kim announced that he would be challenging the incumbent senator in the New Jersey US Senate primary.

Democrats cant force Sen. Menendez to resign, but they can suggest that he step down, and also give Democratic voters in New Jersey another option besides supporting the incumbent.

The Republican Party has shown its lack of integrity by not stopping Donald Trump from running for the partys presidential nomination again as he faces 91 felony charges. Whether it is Donald Trump or George Santos, there is a dramatic difference between the values of both parties and how they handle lawmakers who allegedly run afoul of the law.

Voters deserve people in government who serve with integrity and respect the rule of law.

Republicans are offering a crime family, while Democrats advocate for a government for the people, of the people, and by the people.
Women from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. met recently to discuss the organizations mission and ways to address child hunger.

The two-day South Atlantic Region Cluster IV meeting focused on AKAs mission of serving the community through leadership and service.

South Atlantic Region Director of AKA Tiffany Russell said the cluster meeting allows the organization to have a smaller group of chapters so they can discuss and workshop various topics like leadership, social action and connection and programs.

Its a learning opportunity for a small group of our chapters to get together, Russell said.

She said under her administration, the sororitys mission is to serve at great heights of service and sisterhood.

She said the focus is on child hunger and the organization has asked its members to hand out chip packs and packages of food to children.

Members of various chapters spent the day packing food with local high school students. The bags will be given out weekly to elementary, middle and high school students.

Russell said the organization also has a program in which they provide leadership opportunities to children ages 11-13.

They will get opportunities to lead, in public speaking and how to manage their meetings, she said.

She said they are also teaching the children about environmental ownership and have the goal of planting 3,100 trees.

This is history for our region and our cluster, Russell said. For Cluster VI, they have 960 members, the largest cluster meeting as well as the largest sit-down meal event at USC Aiken."

She said the meeting has also had an economic impact on the area from vendors at the event as well as from sorority members staying at hotels and dining at various restaurants.
USC Aiken held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Pacer Machine Shop in the area adjacent to the university maintenance shop in Graniteville on Wednesday, Oct. 25. Read moreUSC Aiken breaks ground on machine shop
Aiken Standard reporter

Bianca Moorman is a public safety and courts reporter for the Aiken Standard, with the occasional coverage of other community news and features.

She can be reached at @biancarmooman or bmoorman@aikenstandard.com.

To support local journalism, sign up for a subscription. See our current offers 
The South Carolina Historical Society is offering free admission to its downtown Charleston museum for a limited time to pique interest in the Palmetto State's history.

Every Saturday through the month of October all patrons can get into the museum at no charge, whether they are local residents or visitors.

The museum is housed in the historic Fireproof Building at 100 Meeting Street, beside Washington Square. The building itself is a national landmark. It was constructed in 1822 by Robert Mills, a Charleston native and architect who also designed the Washington Monument.

After a $6.8 million renovation of the building, the museum opened in 2018 and now offers six interactive galleries showcasing more than 300 years of state history. The nonprofit is the states oldest historical society and has the largest private collection of documents, books, manuscripts and maps that chart Palmetto State history.

Faye Jensen, CEO of the SCHS said the museum offers "a firsthand glimpse into the lives of South Carolinians throughout history" through journals, letters, photographs and other artifacts that give a first-person point of view.

Galleries showcase personal stories and artifacts relevant to the state's founding, its expansion, its role in the Revolutionary War, antebellum life, the Civil War and the modern era.

Free admission will be offered on Oct. 7, 14, 21 and 28.

Jensen said the offer is part of the organization's Fall for History program, which encourages visitors and locals alike to stop in and learn more about the "rich history" of the state through the years.

For more information on the museum's galleries visit schistory.org/museum.

Moving ahead

Mount Pleasants Design Review Board oversaw Bennett Hospitalitys Patriots Annex plan earlier this month.
A corporate wire-fraud case bogged down by a series of delays seemingly came to a conclusion this month, when the founder and chief executive officer of a failed Charleston technology company was sentenced to prison.

Only it didn't.

Amir Golestan is taking his case one rung up the judicial ladder.

As is his right, the jailed 40-year-old former Micfo CEO filed notice that he is challenging his punishment.

It's unclear exactly what he plans to argue before the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., though he cited "issues" last week that include whether his sentence was "procedurally or substantively reasonable" and if his request to withdraw his guilty plea was wrongfully denied.

Golestan, who declined offers to speak at his sentencing hearing about two weeks ago in Charleston, will be represented by at least one federal public defender, who did not respond to a request for comment.

The appeal is the latest and perhaps final legal twist in a groundbreaking, pre-pandemic white-collar crime that first hit the public court docket more than four years ago.

Golestan and his web-hosting company were charged in April 2019 with defrauding the American Registry of Internet Numbers, a Virginia-based organization that allocates the increasingly scarce 32-digit numerical combinations that allow smartphones, iPads and other electronic devices to access the worldwide web.

Federal prosecutors accused him and his now-shuttered downtown business with 20 felony counts, each punishable by 20 years.

Golestan would later admit to using fake notarized documents to help create an elaborate network of fictitious executives and companies that were able to apply for and amass nearly 758,000 internet protocol numbers that were worth as much as $14 million on the resale market. He came up with the idea after Micfo had been flagged by the registry and was no longer able to obtain them under its own name.
The development agreement had drawn criticism because of its density and because it gave Lowe first right of refusal to buy Union Pier Read moreSC ports agency paying $9.9M to part ways with Lowe on Union Pier redevelopment
Imagine climbing a 40-foot utility pole to check the condition of electrical lines that traverse miles to energize South Carolina homes and businesses.

Or crawling into tiny claustrophobic spaces to inspect the integrity of a power plant.

Jobs like these, performed by transmission, generation and station construction crews, can make utility work extremely hazardous.

Drones can make the tasks safer by allowing workers to keep their feet firmly on the ground.

Santee Cooper launched its aerial program more than a decade ago in 2012, with purchases ranging from $2,500 to as much as $30,000 for Flyabilitys Elios 1 model.

The cost of a drone depends on what is in the package, said Sal Lackey, an engineer at the state-owned Cross Generating Station in Pineville.

Some drones might be equipped with infrared cameras, he said. Others may have global positioning systems, but thick walls block that technology, making a laser-powered alternative called Lidar necessary.

Santee Coopers Elios 1 is mounted on a gyroscope and equipped with a protective carbon fiber cage, thermal imaging camera and light-emitting diodes that allow Lackey to control the light output.

It's one out of nearly 25 currently in the state-owned utility's fleet.

On the generation side, Santee Cooper uses drones to take aerial videos of hard-to-reach locations.

Spokeswoman Nicole Aiello said the utility recently deployed them to survey the grounds at its Cross Generating Station in Pineville ahead of Hurricane Idalia, which moved into South Carolina on Aug. 30 as a tropical storm with sustained 65-mile-per-hour winds.

Drones also can be flown into boilers to locate areas where maintenance is needed and help to determine what tools and materials will be necessary to make the repairs.

Teams monitor pond activity and survey coal and gypsum piles with the remote-controlled airborne monitors to calculate volumes.

We can fly around 400 acres in 45 minutes to an hour to collect data, said Eddie Taylor, senior geographic information systems analyst in area transmission engineering who also was Santee Coopers first drone operator.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2023 - 11:26 | Japan, All, Coronavirus

Princess Kako, the niece of Japanese Emperor Naruhito, has tested positive for COVID-19, the Imperial Household Agency said Sunday.

The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko canceled her attendance at an event in Tottori Prefecture, western Japan, the same day. She will recuperate at a hotel in the prefecture through Thursday, the agency said.

The 28-year-old princess felt discomfort in her throat on Saturday night. She developed a fever on Sunday morning and tested positive for the coronavirus, it said.

She arrived in Tottori on Saturday to attend a sign language performance event by high school students the following day. She was not wearing a face mask when she met with the high school students as well as with some elementary school students on the visit to the prefecture.

Related coverage:

Japan's Crown Princess Kiko tests positive for COVID
COLUMBIA  Finding a parking spot in Congaree National Park's main lot once was easy. As attendance grows to record levels, it's now a premium.

Generally, attendance rates at national parks have increased steadily for about the past decade. In some cases, the influx of tourists led to crowding and damage to local ecosystems, prompting parks to adjust. Arches National Park in Utah began requiring timed reservations; the Great Smoky Mountains National Park started issuing parking passes.

Congaree regularly ranks 52nd in popularity among the 63 national parks in the United States. While it is not having similar problems, park management is considering how to accommodate a steady rise in the number of visitors.

"It's a trend that we're watching," said Jon Manchester, the park's acting chief of interpretation and visitor services. "We're noticing it and starting to think, 'OK, what do we need to do to be preparing for this to be the norm?'"

In 2020, amid closures caused by the pandemic, visits across National Park Service locations dropped to their lowest levels in 12 years. But in 2021, as restrictions eased, people who had spent a year cooped up flocked to the federally designated parks. Attendance soared, hitting an all-time system-wide high of 92 million visits  up about 1 million since the previous high in 2019.

Congaree's increase was much more significant. The bottomland forest recorded around 159,000 visits in 2019; in 2021, it had more than 215,000.

Visits receded slightly in 2022, with around 204,000. But 2023 is on record pace.

As of July, the most recent month available, a total of more than 148,000 people had visited Congaree National Park. That was about 12 percent more than the same time period in 2022 and a 13 percent increase from 2021.

Already, 2023 has seen more visitors than all of 2018. While Manchester said it's likely attendance will even out in the coming years, it's likely to stay higher than in the years before the pandemic.
In its two-plus decades, Pure Theater has demonstrated time and again its commitment to new writing. Its current offerings are no exception  and particularly meaningful in how closely they hit home, focusing on local talent. In one recent week alone, the company mounted two works powered by original ways with words. Read moreHogan: In back-to-back productions, Pure Theatre lavishes love on local wordsmiths
Americans celebrate Thanksgiving each November, thus kicking off a holiday season that lasts until January 1. Though many see November as the start to a festive time of year, there's even more interesting and fun facts about the eleventh month of the year. Read more5 fun facts about the month of November
East Cooper Medical Center recently partnered with Bella Baby Photography to deliver special newborn photos to the families of babies born at the hospital around Halloween. Read moreHalloween babies dressed to impress
NORTH CHARLESTON  Vanilla yellow and sky blue walls line the third floor of the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center's Alpha tower. A common area featuring smoothly curved, royal blue chairs and carpeting leads to an outdoor atrium adorned with green turf sealed on top of concrete.

Alpha tower houses the maximum security units inside South Carolina's largest county jail. Now it also is home to a competency restoration wing, which forsakes traditional prison trappings for pastel colors and minimalistic furniture.

Charleston County Sheriff Kristin Graziano, who runs the jail, conjured an image of the space: When you think of jail  remove the bars, remove the barriers. Lets strip all that away."

The county jail is poised to become the first in the Lowcountry to offer on-site competency restoration. It is part of a statewide effort to expand the ability of the Department of Mental Health to help mentally ill people accused of crimes gain the competency needed to stand trial and to improve the overall efficiency of South Carolina's criminal justice system.

The S.C. Department of Mental Health has struggled for years to meet its obligation to provide restoration treatment to people accused of crimes who are found incompetent to stand trial. The U.S. Constitution's guarantee of due process requires that every person accused of a crime must be able understand the charges and be capable of assisting in his or her own defense.

In South Carolina, when a person accused of crimes is found incompetent to stand trial, a judge orders the Department of Mental Health to provide restoration treatment.

In 2021, more than 300 people were under judges' orders for inpatient psychiatric treatment  a nearly 40-percent increase from the previous year, according to Department of Mental Health data.

Until this year, the only provider of competency treatment was the state's psychiatric hospital in Columbia, which only has a couple hundred beds. As a result, incompetent people accused of crimes sat in jail waiting for hospital beds as their cases stalled.
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
For a board elected by an organization that claims to prioritize transparency, and chaired by a member who has said repeatedly she doesnt want closed-door sessions except when South Carolina law requires it, the Charleston County School Board sure is keeping the public  and even some of its members  out of a lot of the publics business.

If we believe what little board members have said about the recent last-minute, closed-door meeting about their new superintendent, it was not in fact cooked up by the five Moms for Liberty-backed board members behind the backs of the four other board members; one of the Moms candidates, Carlotte Bailey, said even she didnt know about it in advance.

Also contrary to the criticisms of the four members who routinely end up in the minority, there was nothing inappropriate about discussing the superintendents performance after only two months; his contract appropriately requires a minimum of an annual evaluation but allows additional evaluations at any time the Board deems necessary.

More significantly, though, both the explanation from Chairwoman Pam McKinney and a rebuttal from Board Member Daron Lee Calhoun II suggest that the board had no business holding its discussion about Superintendent Eric Galliens performance behind closed doors.

Ms. McKinney, who called the special meeting with the closed-door session, said afterward it was to clarify Dr. Galliens duties and responsibilities based on his contract. And as The Post and Couriers Hillary Flynn and Maura Turcotte report, Mr. Calhoun said the board also discussed procedures of termination for a position and grounds certain board members felt a termination of a contract may be necessary.
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.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2023 - 12:17 | All, Japan

A team of scientists led by a Japanese pharmaceutical startup has been working on a drug to stimulate the growth of new teeth in what would be a world-first, aiming to put it on the market by around 2030.

Toregem Biopharma Co., funded by Kyoto University, is expected to begin clinical trials on healthy adults in around July 2024 to confirm the drug's safety, after the team succeeded in growing new teeth in mice in 2018.

Most people have "tooth buds" that have the potential to become a new tooth, in addition to baby and permanent teeth, although the buds usually do not develop and subsequently disappear.

The team created an antibody drug that inhibits the protein that suppresses the growth of teeth. The drug works on these buds and stimulates their growth.

In 2018, the team also administered the drug to ferrets, which have both baby and permanent teeth similar to humans, and new teeth grew.

The team plans to hold a clinical trial for the drug from 2025 for children between 2 to 6 years old with anodontia who are born without some or all permanent teeth. The children will be injected with one dose to induce their teeth growth.

There are also hopes to utilize the drug in the future for adults who have lost teeth due to cavities.

"Missing teeth in a child can affect the development of their jaw bone," said Katsu Takahashi, co-founder of Toregem Biopharma and head of dentistry and oral surgery at Kitano Hospital in Osaka.

"We hope the drug will serve as a key to solving those problems," he said.
DARLINGTON  Brick by brick, Darlington Countys new courthouse is going up just a few hundred yards from the heart of downtown Darlington.

The new courthouse is easily visible from the existing courthouse. Standing inside the lobby, theres a glimpse of orange traffic cones blocking off the construction zone. From the fourth floor, inside Clerk of Court Scott Suggs office, theres a clear view of the nearly finished red brick building.

After a few failed attempts for a new courthouse, construction is nearly complete. The new building is expected to make everyone who works in the existing building  court employees, judges and government employees  safer.

Suggs, clerk of court since 1997, has seen several attempts to build a new courthouse. Each attempt fizzled for one reason or another not wanting to raise taxes to foot the bill or proposing a building that was just too big and expensive.

The plan that put the new courthouse in motion was different.

Building a smaller facility meant only for the courts and court personnel wouldnt cost as much as building a new facility for everyone, Suggs said. Renovating the existing courthouse for the other government agencies after the courts move would be doable.

The county used reserve funds  money it already had  to foot the bill for the new courthouse. The $15.4 million courthouse will steer a large amount of traffic away from the cramped existing courthouse.

I feel sure all the people who have to function in the court system  the public defenders, the prosecutors, all the staff, the judges, all those  will find this facility more useful and user friendly, County Administrator Marion Charles Stewart said. Safety is a big deal there.

Judges can run into a variety of people on their way to the courtroom, Suggs said.

Having the judges chambers at the end of a hall can be a challenge. A judge would pass the public defender's office and the parole and probation office and a holding cell  and maybe someone they just sentenced or someone he's about to see in court.
LAKE CITY  Lake City leaders will leave for Washington, D.C., next week to champion city needs and development with congressional leaders.

"We will be visiting with each and every one of our state, senate and congressional leaders to get our name out there for funding to enhance our city's well-being, growth and advancement," City Administrator William A. Hall said.

Just planning the trip has already opened some doors for Lake City, Hall said.

Representatives from National Resources Conservation Services came to Lake City recently to discuss flood mitigation in the community.

"They are reaching out and coming to see us to see what we need. While we just applied for a $14.6 million grant to address the stormwater issues on Acline Street, the NRCS is looking for ways to help the entire Lake City region with flooding problems," Hall said.

Hall noted U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., spent a day in Lake City in August to learn about the city's progress and needs.

Clyburn visited the former home of Florence Darlington Technical College on Cole Road, which the city is converting into a community center. The renovation is part of the city's plan to revitalize the southwestern part of Lake City.

"The facility is city owned, and we didn't want it to sit vacant and just deteriorate after classes moved to The Continuum," Hall said in August.

The city plans to open the community center in 2024. After its opening, the city plans to add an atrium and multipurpose room that can be used for community town halls, emergencies and other events.

Clyburn also visited The Continuum, touring the facility with Francis Marion University President Fred Carter and Florence Darlington Technical College President Jermaine Ford.

The tour provided insights on workforce development needs for new and existing businesses in the Pee Dee and all kinds of educational opportunities for students.

"It was wonderful to show Congressman Clyburn what is happening at The Continuum in Lake City," Executive Director Jeanette Altman said in August.
Photos from Anderson County, one of the Second Amendment sanctuary counties taking root in rural SC
ST. ANDREWS  Four well-known Democrats are vying for their partys nod to replace late Sen. John Scott in an Oct. 24 special election primary in northwest Richland Countys District 19.

State Rep. Kambrell Garvin, former Columbia City Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, Broad River Business Alliance CEO Javar Juarez and activist Johnnie Cordero are all seeking the seat vacated when Scott died Aug. 13.

Scott, a Columbia Democrat, had represented the deep-blue district that includes urban north Columbia, suburban St. Andrews and Blythewood and rural northern Richland County since 2008.

If none of the four Democrats wins more than 50 percent of the vote on Oct. 24 a runoff will be held on Nov. 7.

Whomever the Democrats choose will face Republican Kizzie Smalls, Michael A. Addison running on the Independence Party line and United Citizens Chris Nelums in the Jan. 2, 2024, general election.

Garvin, a lawyer born and raised in Columbia, was first elected to the House in 2018 in District 77, which roughly covers the eastern half of the Senate district hes now running to represent.

Garvin, 31, will the Senates youngest member if elected.

Isaac Devine, also a lawyer, was elected to an at-large seat on the Columbia City Council in 2002 as the first Black woman to serve on the body. In 2021, she ran for mayor and lost narrowly to Daniel Rickenmann.

If elected, Isaac Devine would be the Senates sixth female member out of 46.

Juarez, a former insurance agent, is a community activist who has long advocated for the predominantly Black communities around Broad River Road, which runs parallel to I-26 north of Columbia. He founded the Broad River Business Alliance to revitalize the area.

Cordero, a former attorney and pastor, is an activist whos been involved with various Black empowerment and Democratic Party causes for years.

There is a clear difference between the pair of candidates who have served in elected office and the two activists on their approach to the Legislatures dominant Republicans.
 Gavin Newsom is running. His surprise veto of the gender identity bill, coming on top of his previous tough talk on immigration, shows he is already tacking to the center. Its only a matter of time now. One or two more polls like todays Washington Post poll and Democratic panic will reach critical mass.

What about Kamala, you say? Surprising that no one has figured out that Newsom also solves the Kamala problem because of Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution, in particular the passage that reads, The Electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by Ballot for two Persons, of whom one at least shall not be an Inhabitant of the same State with themselves. I know there is controversy about whether this categorically prohibits presidential and vice-presidential nominees on the same ticket from being from the same state, but do you think Democrats would want to take the chance that Californias 54 electoral votes for vice president would be disqualified in court? Why take the chance? Plus Newsom hates Kamala. So hed have to choose a different running mate.

 Biden is hitting on all cylinders, worrying about the big problems of the moment:

Good to know that Biden and his team are so concerned for those Taylor Swift fans who had to pay a lot for tickets. Nothing says working class consciousness like concert ticket crises.

 No he didnt, did he? He did. That boy?!?!? At a Black Caucus dinner?

BIDEN: "LL J Cool J, uhh, by the way, that boy's got that man's got biceps bigger than my thighs" pic.twitter.com/ulCQRkEp0l  RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 24, 2023

 The Texas Tribune reports that gasp!a lot of college professors in Texas want to leave the state. Gee, I wonder what political orientation they all have in common.

The political climate in Texas is the leading contributor to professors desire to leave the state, a new survey of more than 1,900 Texas faculty members found. More than a quarter of those professors said they planned to look for positions elsewhere in the country this year as a result of political interference and widespread dissatisfaction with the state of higher education in Texas. . . Of the professors surveyed, 57% cited the states political climate as their top reason for wanting to leave Texas.

So whats the downside here, exactly? I think Texas ought to put up signs on the outbound roads from campuses: Dont let the door hit you on the way out. This is called winning.

About two-thirds of Texas respondents said they would not recommend out-of-state colleagues take positions in Texas.

Bonus: About two-thirds of Texas respondents said they would not recommend out-of-state colleagues take positions in Texas. Do please keep this up, leftist faculty. Saves on de-recruiting costs.

 Whats up with John Kerry? Has he had a botched facelift, or is this video some kind of AI deep fake? (No, the nonsense out of his mouth sounds like authentic Kerry climate gibberish.)

This is not Demon John Kerry. Or maybe he had a face lift. Something is off here. pic.twitter.com/12wsUCM9UK  Liz Churchill (@liz_churchill10) September 23, 2023

Even more Kerry gibberisheveryone should get ready to starve to death:
In my most recent New York Post column, I note that while nearly all politicians stretch the truth and often tell outright falsehoods, Joe Biden abuses the privilege to such an extreme that it would seem to indicate something deeply wrong with him. But I go on to suggest that what he really represents is not so much a psychological problem as much as the apotheosis of leftist philosophy in toto. Key paragraphs:

Democrats dont have a monopoly on mythical stories. Ronald Reagan often drew criticism for telling stories that didnt hold up under scrutiny. But theres a telling difference in the kind of tall tales Reagan told and the kind liberals tell. Reagans embellished and mythical stories (with one ambiguous and contested exception) were never about himself but always about America and the greatness of the American character. And remember the motto on his desk: Theres no limit to what you can accomplish if you dont care who gets the credit. By contrast, Biden boasts: Bidenomics is just another way of saying restoring the American dream. [Keep in mind that Reaganomics was originally invented as a pejorative by Reagans critics, and he only later remarked, when the economy started booming, I notice they dont call it Reaganomics any more.] The false stories of liberal politicians are usually about themselves and how great are their thoughts and deeds and experiences.

So it is worth noting that Franklin Foer, author of the recent book on Bidens first two years in office, notes this same distinction, without however connecting it to leftist philosophy. Foer was interviewed for The Free Press by Michael Moynihan, and heres the relevant part with my emphasis added:
KYODO NEWS - Sep 24, 2023 - 10:03 | All, Japan

Higher-paid individuals with specialized skills and low-wage workers in need of additional income to make ends meet tend to take on second jobs more than middle-class workers, a government survey showed.

Among employees of different income classes, 6.25 percent of those earning 10 million yen ($67,000) or more a year in their main jobs had side jobs in 2022, with the proportion even higher for individuals earning 15 million yen or more, according to the Employment Status Survey by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

The survey on working conditions, conducted every five years, also showed that 6.25 percent of people earning less than 3 million yen per year in their regular jobs worked second jobs in 2022. The proportion tended to be higher for those who earned less.

For middle-class workers who earned between 3 million yen and 10 million yen a year, 2.82 percent had second jobs. Of all workers, 4.61 percent had side jobs.

Toshihide Iwata, an official of the government-affiliated Japan Institute for Labor Policy and Training which surveyed workers about second jobs, said many high-paid workers use their professional expertise in their second jobs.

Among low-income workers, there are those "who have no choice but to take on multiple part-time jobs due to the financial challenges they face," he said.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's government has encouraged people to take on second jobs to help address the chronic labor shortage in the rapidly graying country, but many companies still hesitate to permit their employees to do so due to concerns such as potential information leaks and excess workloads.

According to the JILPT, 38.4 percent of those without side jobs said their employers prohibit them from doing outside work.

The survey also suggested that middle-income employees are less interested in pursuing side jobs due to long work hours, with many saying in the survey that their workload is already high and that it is difficult to take on another job.
Former Federal Election Commission member Hans von Spakovsky brought up the term in 2000 Mules, and politiqueros will doubtless draw a blank from many voters. Once upon a time National Public Radio actually directed a beam of light at this issue.

In Rio Grande Valley, Some Campaign Workers Are Paid To Harvest Votes, the July 7, 2015 Morning Edition explained. Politiquero or politiquera means campaign worker, and these workers are involved in vote stealing. Federal authorities were looking into it.

The politiqueros, Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis explained, are being paid to then go and essentially round up voters and have them vote a certain way. In one town, five politiqueras pleaded guilty to election fraud. Voters were bribed with cigarettes, beer or dime bags of cocaine.

In Cameron County, nine politiqueras were charged with manipulating mail-in ballots, and one campaign paid $3,000 a week for 15 politiqueras to work the mail-in ballots in a local race. In Brownsville, candidates hired politiqueras, and once in office gave jobs and contracts to friends and family members. According to NPR, this not a new activity.

Politiquera Herminia Becerra had been doing it for 60 years, and proudly holds up pictures of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and John Kennedy. That helps explain the certain way people were coerced to vote in most of the cases. Politiqueros were also active in Starr County, where dead people cast votes and non-citizens were illegally registered.

Anytime you have a system where you have ballots floating around in mailboxes, youre creating the circumstances for fraud, noted County District Attorney Omar Escobar, in 2018. Illegal voting is difficult to measure, Escobar explained, and was a nation-wide problem.

One of the worst gangs in the Bronx, according to attorney Ramon Jimenez, is Los Politiqueros, which amassed an empire by controlling a small group of elected officials. Clearly, the threat of violence can get people to vote a certain way.

The politiqueros are strongest in California where the states motor voter program automatically registers illegals to vote when they get drivers licenses. In 2015, Secretary of State Alex Padilla told the Los Angeles Times, at the latest, for the 2018 election cycle, I expect millions of new voters on the rolls in the state of California.

True to form, by March, 2018, the DMV had given licenses to more than one million illegals. Padilla wouldnt say how many of the illegals actually voted in 2018, but his previous reference to millions provides a ballpark figure. The motor voter program has never been independently audited and after the 2016 election, Padilla refused to cooperate with a federal probe of voter fraud.

Padilla is now the U.S. Senator nobody voted for  except California Gov. Gavin Newsom. He named Padilla as the replacement for Kamala Harris, who got her start under Willie Brown and was Bidens running mate in 2020. Ten years earlier, when Harris ran for California attorney general, Harris was so lightly regarded that the Sacramento Bee endorsed her Republican opponent Steve Cooley.

Roll Call ran a piece headlined, When Kamala Harris lost on election night but won three weeks later. The margin was less than one percent.

When he was vice president, Joe Biden said. You know, 11 million people live in the shadows. I believe theyre already American citizens. According to the Delaware Democrat, 11 million undocumented aliens are already Americans, in my view. As he had to know, they arent, and the number is also wrong.

More than 22 million people are illegally present in the United States, according to a 2021 study by scholars at MIT and Yale. Pew Research pegged the figure at 11 million, and for years it stood as the official count. Eleven million is more like the number illegally present in California alone. When he announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration in 2019, attorney general Xavier Becerra displayed a sign claiming 10 million immigrants in California.

Since early 2021, notes Victor Davis Hanson, we have witnessed somewhere between 7 and 8 million illegal entries across the now nonexistent U.S. southern border. For the most part, they came in without background checks, vaccinations and health audits, legality, high-school diplomas, English-facility, skill sets, or capital. They bring the count to some 30 million.

Joe Biden, who believes they are already Americans, wants to issue them ID cards. For all but the willfully blind, the migrants are an imported electorate, with politiqueros deployed to make them vote a certain way. If anybody thought that voter fraud is now inherent in the system it would be hard to blame them.

Dont expect NPR, Roll Call, the LA Times, or any other media outlet to update their prior reporting on this issue. The edict to defeat Trump or any other GOP nominee now rules our newsrooms.
Many criminals are dumb, and some are crazy. But virtually all criminals pay attention to what concerns them the most: the likelihood of being caught and the severity of punishment for their crimes. Even the most deranged criminal does not commit his felony in front of a policeman. And the extent to which laws are enforced is the most important variable influencing whether laws are broken.

We are reminded of this by the appalling case of Jesus Ayala and Jzamir Keys, the teenagers who stole a car, went joyriding, rammed other vehicles and deliberately ran down a man who was riding a bicycle, laughing as they murdered him. These two are evil, and I am sure they are not very bright. But that doesnt mean they dont make rational calculations.

The New York Post reports:

Ayala, who just turned 18, was arrested hours after Probst was killed and told the police while in custody that he wouldnt be locked up for long. You think this juvenile [expletive] is gonna do some [expletive]? Ill be out in 30 days, Ill bet you, Ayala told the cops, according to KLAS. Its just ah, [expletive] ah, hit-and-run  slap on the wrist.

Ayala is wrong, of course. This case has gotten national publicity, and he will get the book thrown at him. Still, in all likelihood he will be out of prison in plenty of time to commit more mayhem.

But where did Ayala get the idea that a hit and run murder would be punished with a slap on the wrist? From experience, presumably. He and most or all of his friends are criminals who, collectively, have no doubt committed many serious crimes. But have they been punished commensurate with their criminality? No. If caught, and if prosecuted, they have gotten slaps on the wrist.

And to the extent that these miscreants pay attention to the zeitgeist, they probably are aware that polite society frowns on law enforcement more than on crime. The George Floyd riots with their attendant casualties, the defund the police movement, and ongoing attacks on law enforcement would have reinforced the perception that their killing someone wouldnt be taken seriously.

In one sense, the root cause of all crime is the human propensity to do evil. But the root cause of fluctuations in crime ratesthe cause of our current spike in violent crimeis a weakening of social norms, a failure of will, and a resulting lack of law enforcement. Crime must be followed by punishment that fits the crime. When that doesnt happen, crime proliferates. And 18-year-old wise guys think they can get away with murder.
PR-Inside.com: 2023-09-24 17:02:15

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 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, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the AT&T securities fraud class action and our investigation, read more 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 Sobol Shapiro LLP
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 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
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 23, 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
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 24, 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, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Verizon securities fraud class action and our investigation, read more 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 Sobol Shapiro LLP
President Bola Tinubu recently inaugurated Adebayo Adelabu as Minister of Power, alongside 44 others cleared by the Senate for appointment.

Mr Adelabu is a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in charge of operations, having been appointed to that role by former President Goodluck Jonathan in February 2014. In May 2018, he resigned from the CBN to contest unsuccessfully the 2019 governorship election in Oyo State.

He had his professional training with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) and managed various audit and consultancy engagements for large banks and non-bank financial institutions in and outside Nigeria.

He was also on secondment to the CBN for one year (in 1999) when he led the Finance team on the CBN re-engineering and corporate renewal project and later left the firm in 2000 as an Audit Manager and Senior Consultant to join First Atlantic Bank as the Financial Controller and Group Head of Risk Management and Controls.

Mr Adelabu has also held various other positions while in First Atlantic Bank, including the Chief Inspector of the Bank (2002) and Group Head of National Public Sector Business (2003).

Upon assuming his new office, Mr Adelabu assured that the federal government will empower Nigerians through stable and accessible electricity. To achieve the feat, he said the ministry would leverage the Nigerian Electricity Act 2023 to boost power supply in the country.

In this report, PREMIUM TIMES highlights some of the major challenges bedevilling the sector that the minister needs to tackle.

Power Ministry

In 2015, former President Muhammadu Buhari appointed former Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, as Minister of Power, Works and Housing.

Mr Fashola promised improved power supply and came up with an incremental, stable and uninterrupted electricity roadmap, but there was no remarkable shift from the usual power experience Nigerians are used to.

In 2019, Mr Buhari appointed Saleh Mamman, who holds a higher national diploma in electrical electronics from Kaduna Polytechnic, as minister. But in September 2021, Mr Buhari sacked Mr Mamman and appointed Abubakar Aliyu as the power minister. This newspaper reported at the time that Mr Mammans time in office was marked by poor power supply.

In his address upon assuming official duties as Minister, Mr Aliyu said his mandate was to ensure that a steady power supply is delivered to Nigeria. Mr Aliyus reign as minister, however, recorded little or no improvement in the power sector as the power situation in the country remained without any significant improvement.

Challenges

In recent years, the sector has experienced many broad challenges related to electricity policy enforcement, regulatory uncertainty, gas supply, transmission system constraints, and major power sector planning shortfalls.

According to statistics provided by GET.invest, a European programme focused on renewable energy projects, only 3,500 MW to 5,000 MW is typically available for onward transmission to the final consumers in Nigeria.

This is essentially because of the countrys poor transmission network and incessant collapse of the national grid amongst other factors.

This is happening despite the privatisation of 11 electricity distribution companies (DISCOs) and six generating companies (GENCOs) with the federal government retaining 100 per cent ownership of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). Despite the poor supply, electricity tariff has also continued to be on the rise in the country.

Poor supply

Nigeria has struggled with poor power supply for decades, a challenge that is estimated to cost businesses about $29 billion yearly, according to the World Bank.

The country has the lowest access to electricity globally, with about 92 million persons out of the countrys 200 million population lacking access to power, according to the Energy Progress Report 2022 released by Tracking SDG 7.

A World Bank report in 2021 also explained that a total of 74 per cent of power users in the country are dissatisfied with the supply of electricity across the country while 93 per cent of metered power users paid their bills regularly, 78 per cent of electricity consumers in the country received less than 12 hours of power supply daily.

Also, the lack of power supply has increased production costs for many businesses forced to provide their electricity, mostly using diesel-run generators as alternative sources of electricity.

In June 2015, Nigerian manufacturers said they spent as much as N3.5 trillion annually to generate alternative power for their production operations due to the collapse of the public electricity supply.

In 2018, former President Muhammadu Buhari claimed Nigerians depend less on generators in their homes and businesses. However, analysts disagreed with the position as many Nigerians continue to suffer from the ripple effect of poor power supply.

In March, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) said insufficient power allocation to the company by generation stations was responsible for the unstable electricity supply in the region.

In June, the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said it loses N10.1 trillion annually to power crisis, just as the World Bank said that Nigeria will need about $100 billion in the next 10 years to tackle the challenges in its energy sector.

For many Nigerians, Mr Adelabus success as the new minister will depend mainly on his ability to meet the expectations of the countrys power supply and also work towards improving the situation.

Low generating capacity

Successive governments have promised but failed to turn around the countrys power sector which on average produces about 4,000 megawatts for a population of 200 million.

The Buhari administration in July 2019 signed a deal with Germanys Siemens to overhaul the sector. The plan has three phases, ultimately targeting 25,000 MW of operational capacity long term from 7,000 MW and 11,000 to be achieved by 2021 and 2023, respectively, through the first two phases.

The country also plans to generate 30,000MW by 2030 with 3,000MW coming from renewables and 27,000MW from its power plants to serve its over 200 million people.

However, power generation still hovers just below 5,000 years after the sector was privatised. The countrys 4,000MW daily generation is barely adequate to serve Lagos, its commercial capital of over 20 million people, according to the Nigerian Association for Energy Economics.

Poor electricity has become a barrier to economic prosperity and development in the country, a challenge the minister is expected to address.

Power system maintenance/Vandalism

Over the years, poor maintenance of electricity infrastructure has been one of the major causes of poor supply in the country. The vandalism of the transmission infrastructures and distribution equipment has also been a common occurrence.

In March 2022, a 330kv Sapele to Benin transmission line tripped off after serial vandalisation of the facility affected some towers under it. Again in March, the country suffered extensive power outages when 18 plants accounting for most of the electricity the country generates faced operational problems.

The then Minister of Power, Abubakar Aliyu, blamed the constant collapse on poor maintenance and shortage of gas. He, however, said the government had upgraded four power plants as part of efforts to improve the sector.

On 8 April 2022, Several Nigerian cities including the Federal Capital Territory were thrown into darkness after the national grid collapsed again.

At the time, the federal government said the collapse of the national grid was caused by vandalism on a transmission tower on the Odukpani Ikot Ekpene 330kV double circuit transmission line, leading to a loss of about 400 MW of generation.

Last July, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) said more than 20 transformers had been attacked by vandals across the companys franchise network within the South-East in three weeks.

In 2022 alone, the countrys national grid reportedly collapsed eight times, partly due to vandalism, and many Nigerians expect the power minister to address the concern.

Estimated billing /Metering

Nigeria has been struggling with power distribution, limited distribution networks, limited transmission line capacity, a huge metering gap, and a fall in gas supply, despite the privatisation of the power sector which produced six generation companies and eleven DisCos.

In March 2018, the Nigerian government commenced the mass metering programme (MAP), but the distribution of metres started in 2019.

Its objective is to end the estimated billing system and attract private investment in the provision of metering services.

It also seeks to enhance revenue assurance in the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) and promote local meter manufacturing in Nigeria.

With these objectives yet to be achieved, the government in 2020 approved the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP).

The key objectives of the NMMP include increasing Nigerias metering rate and eliminating arbitrary estimated billing. It is also aimed at strengthening the meter value chain by increasing local manufacturing, assembly and deployment capacity.

The programme seeks to support Nigerias economic recovery by creating jobs in the local metre value chain, reducing collection losses and increasing financial flows to achieve 100 per cent market remittance obligations of the electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

It will further improve network monitoring capability and availability of data for market administration and investment decision-making.

Early in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the economy, the power ministry said it was focusing on ending estimated and arbitrary billing for electricity through a nationwide mass-metering programme.

Metering Nigerians is at the top of our Agenda and we hope to have some exciting news on that front soon, Saleh Mamman, the then-minister said while marking his one year in office in 2020.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) directed the Distribution Companies (DisCos) to ensure that all electricity consumers were metered by April 30, 2020. The order said all other customers on higher tariffs shall be metered by April 30 otherwise they shall remain connected to supply, but without further payment to the DISCos until a meter was installed for them.

The order directed that any customer whose current estimated bill was below the capped price shall remain so without upward review until the installation of a meter by the DISCos.

The deadline elapsed yet many households remained without prepaid meters and continued to pay exorbitant tariffs.

Continuous increase in tariff

In September 2020, PREMIUM TIMES reported how electricity distribution companies (DisCos) began implementation of their proposed hike in tariff which was greeted by outrage among Nigerians, including labour unions.

The government thereafter suspended the hike to hold talks.

In November, the tariff was eventually implemented while discounts were given for sundry categories of customers. Two months later in January 2021, the Nigerian government yet again approved an increase in electricity tariff payable by electricity consumers.

At the time, the government approved over a 50 per cent hike in electricity tariff payable by customers of the 11 Distribution Companies, DisCos.

Again in May 2022, the Nigerian government approved electricity tariff increases without informing Nigerians. The government claimed its decision was necessary considering the increase in performance of improvement plans of the DISCOs.

On 25 June, Daily Trust reported that DisCos, in a note to their customers, informed them of an increase in electricity tariff effective 1 July.

The DisCos statement suggested that the tariff increase is a response to the floating of the naira and aims to ensure that the electricity industry remains financially viable and sustainable in the face of currency challenges.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES in June, one of the officials of NERC, who sought anonymity on the grounds of not having the authority to speak with the press, confirmed that the tariff is being reviewed, and the body will not make any official statement until there is a resolution on the new rate.

The process is ongoing and cannot be communicated until completed. Whatever is being publicised now are mere speculations because you dont speak mid-way through a process; the review could turn out to be a reduction in tariff or increment, no one knows for sure, the official said.

The review has, however, been trailed by criticisms on the part of professional bodies and other Nigerians.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) recently warned against the planned increase, stating that the massive rise will not bode well for Nigerians.

We believe that not even these figures are a justification for this reckless proposed tariff increase. The issue of capacity to pay and quality of service delivery is not only germane but superior to any rationalisation by market logic, the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, said in a statement.

In July, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) said eleven electricity distribution companies (Disco) have applied for rate review with the commission.

The commission said the request for rate review is premised on the need to incorporate changes in macroeconomic parameters and other factors affecting the quality of service, operations and sustainability of the companies.

The House of Representatives in July rejected a move by the NERC to approve any increase in electricity tariff.

Experts speak

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, the former chairman of, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sam Amadi, said the ministers background in financial management doesnt matter.

His background in financial management doesnt matter; he doesnt have to be an engineer to solve electricity problems, You just have to have smart intelligence to appreciate the problems, take time to study what the problem is and have the right kind of support in terms of your team, your ability to manage the system and in terms of the president who appoints you, Mr Amadi said.

He explained that the challenge requires changing culture, modelling and reconsidering what the sector needs to do.

So the strategy starts with diagnosis: whats the problem? Many of the people who talk about the power sector, including Nasir El-Rufai, dont identify the diagnosis well.

They say, diagnosis has shown that people are not privatization enough, or people are not allowing the market rules to work, Disco increase tariffs or remove government participation. Thats not the problem, he said.

It is a problem of how do you create a model that will allow you to move efficiency faster in terms of both the generation, transmission and distribution and move it in a way that you understand the cultural content and the public sector content of the country. So the challenges are challenges that do not require one technical solution, he added.

The only advice I can give is that the minister has three things to do, he said.

Firstly, focus on short-term, meaning now what can we do to ensure that even as things are now, we have fewer outages, blackouts and more power? So, lets assume you have capacity for only 300 MW, dont drop it to 280 MW because of a small error.

Keep that 300 MW optimal by creating a good task team that is focusing aggressively on what needs to be done, who is not doing it well, talk to the people and move things to higher levels of performance. Those kinds of things can happen in the short term, he said.

In the medium to long term, he said the minister should go back and rethink, and put up a small team to revise the problem of the sector.

It has been over twenty-one years since we had our first national electric power policy. It is now time to create, adapt and look at what has happened and, the mistakes we made. I have argued that there are so many presumptions about market liberalism, among others. Having done that, it is now time to rethink them, accept what weve done well in the past, remove the wrong ones, and bring in new things.

When you have done that, then you will start a new process, thats for medium to long-term which will move this sector into an easy direction where there will be more accountability to customers, government and where the Discos, Gencos and everybody is delivering on industry established benchmarks.

So, if they are not performing well, there will be another approach to exit those who have failed repeatedly and bring in new people, he added.

Basically, he said the minister needs to re-engineer the sector and that re-engineering requires financial understanding, commercial, legal and regulatory.

Kelvin Emmanuel, chief executive officer of Dairy Hills, noted that Nigeria cannot increase electricity generation without addressing three things.

You cannot increase electricity generation without addressing three things: Increasing the high-pressure transmission pipes for gas from 2k km to 7k km; declaring a state of emergency on pre-paid meter adoption to raise it from 5.6m to 12m users, as a means to reduce impairment in revenue collections; and investing in transmission infrastructure to ensure the load delivered to transmission company if Nigeria (TCN) is fully offtaken by the DisCos.

This is why you need a strategy and implementation retreat between ministers of petroleum, gas resources, and power to ensure the KPIs are met, he said in a tweet.

Also Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, the executive director of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Tobi Oluwatola, said the minister needs to provide accountability and transparency in the sector to solve some of the challenges affecting the sector.

Mr Oluwatola, who is an energy professional, said there are about four things that are important about the power sector.

Firstly, he said in the current Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) structure, the distribution companies are the collection agencies that collect money on behalf of all the entities in the sector, adding that whatever the distribution companies report that they collect is the money that the industry collects.

Thats the money that gets to the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), generators and everybody. So, if the distribution companies for some reason underreport what they are collecting, then there isnt enough money in the sector.

So, we call this inequality crisis that the sector is facing, the biggest crisis that the sector is facing. So people will tell you that the reason why that crisis is there is because tariffs are not cost-reflective, thats not entirely true.

The reason that crisis exists is that there is a giant opacity with what DisCos actually collect or what they ought to collect and there is a lot of inefficiency in what they report, he said.

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Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

Director: David Gitonga

Cast: Pascal Tokodi, Catherine Kamau, Tope Tedela, Brenda Wairimu, Brian Ogola, Patricia Kihoro, Justin Mirichii, Meg Otanwa, Francis Onwochei, Wale Ojo, Tope Tedela, and many others.

Release Date: January 2023

Disconnect: The Wedding Planner directed by Kenyan filmmaker David Gitonga, renowned for his work on Nairobi Half-Life, is a romantic comedy

It is a sequel to the 2018 Kenyan film Disconnect.

Unlike Namaste Wahala, a Nollywood and Bollywood collaboration, Disconnect: The Wedding Planner, a Nollywood and Kenyan collaboration, lacks any connecting plot that resonates with Nigeria and Kenya.

The movie had every opportunity to connect Nollywood and the growing Kenyan film industry but ended up being utterly bizarre courtesy of its disjointed plot.

The movies opening scenes, a supposed rom-com, make no impression; instead, they leave one utterly confused about what the story is set to achieve. It requires a great deal of patience to watch till the end.

However, in the world of romantic comedies, there are highs and lows, hits and misses, but Disconnect: The Wedding Planner would have made a remarkable experience with its beautiful cinematography, diversity of cultures, and scenic location that cut across countries, and measurable good collection of actors.

Yet, with all these trappings, the movie featured hallowed emptiness, not only in its storyline but lacked the depth needed to truly engage the audience on both an emotional and comical level.

Plot

Disconnect: The Wedding Planner revolves around Otis (Pascal Tokodi), a Nairobi playboy with a knack for prioritising his interests above all else.

When hes faced with the opportunity to secure an investment from his wealthy Nigerian friend Dele, who is planning his wedding with Rita, Otis takes on the role of a wedding planner despite having zero experience in the field.

The problems begin when Otis is scammed, forcing him and his sceptical friends into a last-minute scramble to organise a destination wedding in Mombasa, Kenya.

However, the catch is that Dele and Rita specifically wanted a traditional Yoruba wedding, which led to cultural clashes, misunderstandings, and other complications.

Disconnects

Like the catchword in the movie title,  Disconnects: The Wedding Planner, the movie fails to connect anything, both artistically and literally.

One of the movies significant issues is its overload of characters and subplots.

While Otis is the central character, the film introduces many supporting characters, each with their dramatic baggage.

From Celine and Richards unstable relationship to Judys discovery of her cheating fiance, it becomes challenging to discern which story the film is trying to tell.

Not to forget Dele and Rita, as they battle to have a destination wedding.

As the plot unfolds, the films attempts to link personal drama to the chaotic wedding preparations fall flat.

Characters make questionable decisions without meaningful consequences or redemptive arcs, leaving the audience with a sense of frustration rather than empathy or satisfaction.

Disconnect: The Wedding Planner struggles with maintaining a cohesive narrative, leaving viewers wondering what the film is truly about.

And then, on an ordinary level, the movie tells us that Dele is Yoruba. Rita, his bride, is Igbo, and both live in Nigeria, yet they seek a traditional destination Yoruba wedding in Kenya. Without giving reasons for such a decision, the movie questions the common ideologies about African weddings.

Conclusively, there is a glaring absence of narrative synergy between the subplots and the central idea behind the movie, leaving a noticeable void in the entire movie.

The film lacked a worthy storyline to harness the potential of uniting Nigeria and Kenya together.

It is a misfired comedy and sad attempt at romance; in truth, categorising this movie as a Rom-Com would be a far cry from accurate.

Connects

In all its mirage, the movie tells the place of family, an ideal sacrosanct in African tradition, though not properly harnessed, but an attempt worthy of accolades.

It is evident when Dele arrives in Kenya with Rita and his father, alongside his brides parents.

Also, the presence of Nollywood actors like Francis Onwochei and Wale Ojo, who played the role of the parents of the bride and the groom, Rita and Dele, provided some comedy.

Still, it was not redemptive enough to save the flick from its disconnective flops.

Saved for the movies beautiful cinematography, the feel lacks the feel-good emotion or excitement that is typical of romantic comedies.

Ultimately, Disconnect: The Wedding Planner may be a good distraction when youve exhausted your other viewing options.

The title may grab your attention, but it doesnt hit the mark.

Disconnect: The Wedding Planner is showing on Netflix

Rating: 3/10

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I am different. I am Bola Tinubu, he is Muhammadu Buhari, President Bola Tinubu told BBCs Peter Okwoche in a rare interview during the presidential campaign, Since his inauguration, Mr Tinubu has been trying to show Nigerians that he is different from his predecessor, despite both of them being members of the same All Progressives Congress (APC).

That is now clear at least in his relationship with APC where he has left no one in doubt that he wont be aloof when it comes to the leadership of the party. This is unlike Mr Buhari who, as president, only intervened when the party was in crisis. For instance, following the removal of Adams Oshiomhole as national chairman in 2020, Mr Buhari handed the party over to the APC governors through the Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State.

Last year, the governors allocated the APC National Working Committee seats to their candidates and it took a lot of prompting before Mr Buhari agreed to pick the national chairman, finally settling for Abdulahi Adamu.

Nasir El-Rufai, then governor of Kaduna State, in an interview after the convention, said it took the prompting of the governors before Mr Buhari picked the former Nasarawa governor.

Muiz Banire, a former legal adviser of the party, said when Mr Buhari later decided to become active in the affairs of the party, his lack of understanding of the dynamics of politics misled him to wrong decisions.

He does not understand the political dynamics. At the initial stage, he was aloof, but at the time he was to become an active participant, he got it wrong. For example, I do not see how you will take someone (Adamu) who is octogenarian to come and administer the party. He could only be an adviser. To administer the party, you need someone that is vibrant and still active, Mr Banire said during a phone interview with PREMIUM TIMES.

The emergence of former Governor of Kano State, Umar Ganduje, a staunch ally of President Tinubu, as the national chairman and Ajibola Bashiru as secretary offers a preview of the style of the current president. It indicates that the days of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) running the party may be over.

Under Mr Buhari, the Adamu-led NWC emerged through a consensus arrangement and careful consideration of regional and bloc interests. Following the abrupt departure of Mr Adamu some weeks ago, many within the party had predicted that Tanko Almakura, who is also from Nasarawa State, would replace him in line with section 31.5 of the APC constitution, which stipulates the process for the replacement of members of the NWC.

But Mr Tinubu ignored elements within the party that cited the section, including the then national vice chairman, Salihu Lukman, who openly spoke against the nomination of Mr Ganduje.

No section of the APC constitution gives anyone, including President Asiwaju Tinubu the power to act in any contrary way. Therefore, if this provision of the APC constitution is to be respected, Nasarawa State Executive Committee of the APC, which is where Sen. Adamu comes from should have the right to propose a replacement, which should be endorsed by the State Congress and the Zonal Executive Committee, Mr Lukman had said.

The president ignored the issues raised, backed Mr Ganduje fully and got the partys National Executive Committee (NEC) to confirm the decision.

In the past three months, Mr Tinubu has essentially taken control of the ruling party with the appointment of Messrs Ganduje and Bashiru to the two most powerful positions in the NWC.

Furthermore, the exit of Mr Lukman is significant because of the role he played in the removal of three successive national chairmen of the parrty  Messrs Oshiomhole, Mai Mala Buni and Adamu. The Kaduna politician was relentless in pushing for reforms in the party and described Mr Ganduje as morally unfit for the seat he now occupies in t6he APC.

Tinubus history of holding on to party structure

In the case of Mr Tinubu, he ensures that he controls the structure of the party whenever he had the power. In 2006, when he founded the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), he called on his old ally, Bisi Akande, to run the party. And while he was offering the platform to different presidential candidates in 2007 and 2011, Mr Tinubu never dropped his hold on the structure of the party with Mr Akande staying all through.

When the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change, All Nigerian Peoples Party and other political parties birthed the APC in 2013, Mr Tinubu ensured that Mr Akande emerged the interim national chairman, until the 2014 convention that produced John Odigie-Oyegun. Mr Tinubu backed the former Edo State governor against Tom Ikimi for the position.

Mr Ikimi, in a piece titled: All Progressives Congress My Reflection , accused Mr Tinubu of scheming to retain Mr Akande as the national chairman of the party ad infinitum but later settled for Mr Odigie-Oyegun following fierce opposition from some elements within the party.

His last-minute efforts to rally a South West Leadership support for his absolute power over the party failed and chances of retaining Chief Bisi Akande as National Chairman also evaporated. In the circumstance as the only option was to find a successor National Chairman as well as other National Officers, an illegal process of horse-trading between the Governors and Tinubu was initiated.

The Interim Executive Council had no knowledge of all these processes. Chief John Oyegun, a Tinubu plan B project said to be favored for his NADECO and SDP credentials and also as one who could be controlled now featured, came into the picture, the Sani Abacha-era foreign minister said before fleeing the APC.

Two years later, the relationship between Messrs Tinubu and Odigie-Oyegun had reached a breaking point following the primary election that produced Rotimi Akeredolu as the governorship candidate of the party in Ondo State. Mr Tinubu, who backed Segun Abraham for the ticket, held nothing back after the primary as he accused Mr Odigie-Oyegun of collecting bribes and also demanded his resignation.

Mr Odigie- Oyegun survived the call because at that point, the former Lagos State governor was out of favour within the party. For two years, Mr Odigie-Oyegun held on and consolidated power. However, by 2018, with then-President Buhari facing re-election, he brought back Mr Tinubu to the fold and appointed him as chairman of a reconciliation committee. The former Lagos State governor used the position to rekindle the fight with his foe and renewed the Oyegun must go rhetoric.

This time, it worked as the body language of the president forced Mr Odigie-Oyegun to decline to seek re-election while Mr Oshiomhole, an ally of Mr Tinubu, was adopted by consensus as national chairman at the June 2018 Convention.

Less than six months in the job, Mr Oshiomhole already racked up enough enemies that were calling for his removal, particularly among the powerful APC governors. Mr Tinubu openly supported his ally by insisting that the party is supreme.

We all have to respect the party supremacy. You were all here when we had the Congress, we elected the new executives, we had the convention, the NEC was formed and we surrendered to avoid conflict, to avoid domination, to avoid abuses of power, we surrendered our rights, all rights to the National Working Committee headed by Adams Oshiomhole, Mr Tinubu said against calls for Mr Oshiomholes removal.

The former Edo State governor held on but from Zamfara to Ogun to Imo states, the list of enemies was long, including the wife of the then president, Aisha Buhari.

By June 2020, Mr Oshiomhole met his waterloo. Ironically, it was through his estranged political godson, Godwin Obaseki. The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), led by Kayode Fayemi, had a multi-party coalition against the former union leader. The APC governors refused to campaign against Mr Obaseki, despite his cross-over to the PDP.

When the Buni-led caretaker was inaugurated, it was a complete takeover by the governors. And Mr Tinubu was remarkably quiet as many speculated that there were attempts to freeze him out of the party. During the last convention that brought in Mr Adamu, once again Mr Tinubu was relatively quiet but candidates he is believed to have supported got the positions of national secretary and youth leader through some of the South-west governors.

Gboyega Oyetola, then governor of Osun, and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos nominated the National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, and National Youth Leader, Dayo Israel. Messrs Omisore and Israel later played prominent roles in the primary election that produced Mr Tinubu in June 2023.

Not having the national chairman of the party on his side almost cost him during the presidential primaries but his alignment with the PGF helped to outmanoeuvre Mr Adamu, who had announced former Senate President Ahmad Lawan as the preferred candidate for the APC. Several APC governors openly challenged Mr Adamu.

Is Loyalty Enough to help Ganduje keep his job

During the presidential primaries and the main election, Mr Ganduje stood firm with the former Lagos State governor and moved across the country with him. And Mr Tinubus 517,341 votes in Kano was the second-highest that he polled in a state.

Not too long after the presidential election, there were speculations that the parley between Mr Tinubu and Rabiu Kwankwaso could leave out Mr Ganduje in the cold.

Following the meeting between Messrs Kwankwaso and Tinubu in France, there was an audio leak purported to be a conversation between Mr Ganduje and Kabiru Masari, a close ally of President Tinubu. In the audio record, Mr Ganduje was lamenting being sidelined after the election. During the inauguration of the president, there was also a video clip that trended online, where the former Kano State governor was denied access to the VIP section at the Eagle Square because he did not have the VIP access card.

But all the rumours of rift have since been buried, first with the emergence of Barau Jibrin as the Deputy Senate President and after the president also supported Mr Ganduje to emerge as APC Chairman. These two positions came at the expense of the North-central geopolitical zone. Also, during the composition of the cabinet, Mr Tinubu withdrew the nomination of Maryam Shetty after the camp of Mr Ganduje protested against it.

However, holding on to the national chairmanship is complicated and requires more than loyalty to the president. Yes, Mr Tinubu is different from his predecessor on the administration of the party but history has shown that even a rift with a ward chairperson of the party can lead to the downfall of a national leader.

The biggest threat is the governors. Under former President Buhari, the governors had free rein over the party. Now, they have to contend with a president who will not sit in the background and an NWC that tilts towards the president.

Two weeks ago, Mr Ganduje had his first baptism of fire when Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State led a protest to the national secretariat of the APC over the nomination of Duro Meseko as the deputy national publicity of the party. The position became vacant following the resignation of Muritala Ajaka, who is running in the 11 November Kogi governorship election as the candidate of the Social Democratic Party. Mr Bello, according to reports, preferred Yahaya Ismail for the position. Following the protest, Mr Ganduje met with the governor to resolve the issue.

The first litmus test for Mr Ganduje will come in the three off-season governorship elections in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states in November. In Kogi, the party faces a tough battle to retain the state, and also faces a tough battle against an incumbent in Bayelsa State. There is also a crisis brewing in Ondo State between Governor Rotomi Akeredolu and his deputy, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who is facing impeachment. The crisis may spill over to the primary election in 2024.

Mr Ganduje will also have to manage the fallout from other primary elections in Osun, Ekiti, Edo and Anambra states. And he may also be considered for re-election in 2026 on his performance in those early tests, when he completes the tenure of Mr Adamu.

Speaking on the challenges ahead of the former Kano State governor, Mr Banire said two major factors could lead to the downfall of any chairperson of the party  failure to adhere to the constitution of the party and political overbearing.

Essentially, the instability is about the non-compliance with the constitution of the party. For example, if you are meant to convene the NEC of the party quarterly, and you refuse to convene the NEC for six-seven months. If you say that the treasurer and secretary must be signatories to the account and you have not complied, maybe as chairman you are signing  in all these instances, I can tell you for free that there is overreaching of the constitution of the party.,

Overbearing  when the chairman is overbearing. When he does things in his own way, particularly when it comes to the partys ticket and taking unilateral decisions without consulting the NWC  those are the things that could earn him that turbulence, Mr Banire said.

Mr Ganduje could also get a boost within the party if the Supreme Court affirms the ruling of the Kano State Governorship Election Tribunal that declared Nasir Gawuna as the winner of the election. Mr Gawuna, a Ganduje ally, was the APC candidate in the Kano governorship election but lost to the candidate of the NNPP. However, given the experience of Mr Oshiomhole, having the governor of your state from your party has its own challenges.

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The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation (OAuGF) has exposed different forms of irregular payments of salaries and allowances to officials of the Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC).

The revelation highlights how public funds easily leak into private pockets through seemingly legitimate channels.

The NLRC, established in July 1979, is saddled with the responsibility of developing Nigerian laws and leading the push for the reform of outdated federal laws.

But the agency, which is under the supervision of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, has been relegated to the background in the law reform efforts of the country, with its inefficiency often blamed on underfunding.

In an inspection audit carried out last year, the auditor-general identified almost N18 million expended as unearned and irregular salaries and allowances in violation of extant rules, according to a copy of the report of the exercise obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.

The findings of the OAugF followed an inspection of the Capital Vote, Overhead and Personnel Account books of the commission for 2021.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that the inspection is carried out annually across the federal governments ministries, departments and agencies in line with the provision of section 85 of the Nigerian constitution.

This newspaper obtained a copy of the OAuGFs audit inspection report dated 26 October 2022 and addressed to the chair of the NLRC, demanding explanations as well as recovery of funds considered to have been spent in violation of laws and regulations.

The inspection report by the auditor-general, accompanied by a cover letter signed by A. M Gandu, the OAuGFs Director of the Judiciary Audit Department, spotlighted, among others, Irregular payments of out-of-pocket allowance amounting to N4,045,000.

It also exposed over N2 million unearned salary paid to an official and payments not settled within the financial year to the tune of over N11 million.

The irregular payments, based on the copy of the inspection report seen by this newspaper, totalled N17,949,092.12.

The figure is a little over 3 per cent of the agencys total budget of N525,116,536 and almost 5 per cent of the N360,976,885 personnel budget for the year under reference.

The leakage might weigh more on the finances of the commission, given the claim by some of its officials that only an average of 70 per cent of its budget is cash-backed annually.

The auditor-general report, however indicates that whether small or big, the expenses are pointers to systemic risks  how funds can be easily lost or misapplied, laws are wantonly disregarded, poor budgetary control erodes accountability, and internal connivance aids self-enrichment schemes in government circles.

Auditor-General queries N4 million out-of-pocket allowance

Details of the irregular payments spotlighted in the OAuGFs inspection report include over N4 million paid to some unidentified officers of the commission as out-of-pocket expenses.

Out-of-pocket expenses are incurred by officials using their personal money to pay for something on behalf of the government in the hope of being reimbursed.

The OAuGFs report said a total of N4,045,000 paid out as out-of-pocket expenses were captured in 20 vouchers examined during the annual inspection.

The expenses, according to the inspectors, violated extant rules that prohibit public servants from receiving sitting allowances for holding day-to-day meetings.

Citing the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commissions circular with reference number SWC/S/04/s.310/65 dated 8 April 2016, the AuGF also noted that Chief Executive Officers and other public servants on monthly salaries who are board members in their own establishments are not entitled to sitting allowance.

Before the claim of out-of-pocket, there should have been a prior application and approval from the officer to expend on behalf of the government before a refund, the report said.

It explained further that the over N4 million paid out as out-of-pocket payment claims cannot be accepted as a regular charge on public funds.

According to the report, the payments do not just constitute a loss of public fund but also raise concerns about the risks of frivolous claims without actual expenses.

It, therefore, recommended that the agency forward all prior requests and approvals for OPE (out-of-pocket) claims of all the officers involved.

It also recommended that the agency recover various sums from individuals as irregular payments and forward recovery particulars for my confirmation.

N2.7 million unearned salaries

Apart from the irregular out-of-pocket expenses, the report also exposed how an unearned N2.7 million was paid to an official in 2021.

According to the report, a review of the pay slips of the official, Chukwu Collins, showed that he was appointed on 17 March 2021, but by the time he received his salary arrears eight months later in November, the payment stretched backwards to cover the two months and first half of March preceding his date of employment.

The report said out of the total N5,782,731.42 paid to him, a total of N2,747,943.12 covering the period preceding his employment was unearned.

It stated that the payment violated the extant rules prohibiting an employee from receiving salaries he or she has not worked for.

The officer did not work for the above months. Therefore, arrears paid are unearned and must be refunded while March salary should be prorated on actual days worked, the report declared.

The report added that the flagged payments showed that there was a possibility of connivance with staff of the human resources department that are responsible for inputting salary data.

The auditor-general report recommended to the NLRC to recover the sum of N2, 747,943.12 from Mr Collins, including evidence that March salary was prorated.

More so, the evidence of recovery should be forwarded to the OAuGF office for confirmation, the report added.

N11 million paid without revalidation

The OAuGF report also flagged 38 payment vouchers amounting to over N11 million paid out in violation of Financial Regulations (2009) on services rendered within the financial year.

According to the report, N11,156,149 was paid to various contractors, as staff DTA (Duty Tour Allowances), out-of-pocket expenses, etc., after the financial year in which the services were rendered without revalidation.

This act contravened the Financial Regulations and extant rules which aimed at ensuring effective budgetary control on annual estimates for specific years in the budget, the report added.

It explained that by virtue of Financial Regulations 2906(ii), payments that are not provided for in the annual estimates shall not be accepted.

It noted that such payments after the financial year could lead to distortion of budgetary control, heightening the risks of misapplication of funds.

Other risks in such an act, according to the report, are that it portends a danger of breaching applicable laws,  possibility of duplicating payments, and payment of liability without appropriated budgets.

The report, therefore, recommended the agency to make a comment on the violation of extant regulations as regards expenditure clarification and control.

It added that all expenditures which were incorrectly charged to a vote would be disallowed.

Responses to auditor-general

Interviews with officials of the NLRC show that the commission accepted the verdict of the auditor-generals office on the payment of over N2 million unearned salaries to an individual.

But the agency contested the reports recommendations on the two other matters of N4 million out-of-pocket expenses and the N11 million payments made after the financial year it was meant for.

The Deputy Director of Accounts and Finance, Abdulsalam Tijani, told PREMIUM TIMES that the commission had started the deduction of the over N2 million unearned salary from the affected official.

But he defended the commission concerning the other issues.

He said N4 million out-of-pocket expenses were paid to officials who attended training using their personal resources.

On the N11 million payments not settled within the financial year, he said this happened because some expenses of the agency were carried over to the following year as a result of the governments delay in releasing funds.

He said the agency was under obligation to pay back officials who spent personal money to execute tasks assigned to them in as much as it was within the stipulated amount.

The chair of the commission, Jummai Audi, similarly confirmed that the commission had started recouping the unearned salaries through monthly deductions from Mr Collins salaries beginning in November 2022.

Mrs Audi corroborated Mr Tijani on the N4 million and N11 million payments but admitted that there ought to be a revalidation that was not done.

We did not pay the staff because releases were not made at the due time, she said, explaining why the N11 million expenses were carried over to the following year.

She said she had written back to the auditor-general office explaining the actions the commission had taken concerning the payment of the unearned salaries and clarifying the two other issues raised in the audit report.

On his part, Mr Collins, a Commissioner at the commission, confirmed that the deduction from his salary, which started on 22 November 2022, would run for 24 months.

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Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands Manasseh Sogavare blasted Japan's discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, describing it as an attack on global trust and solidarity at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly this Friday.

"The effect of this act is transboundary and intergenerational...So the message is clear: our lives, our people do not matter!" He said.

Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State says his ambition for now is to help President Bola Tinubu succeed.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Mr Bello was one of the presidential aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2023. He lost the primary election to Mr Tinubu.

On Saturday, the governor said all Nigerians would succeed if President Tinubu succeeds.

The governor who spoke at an interactive session with journalists at the 3rd Annual GYB Seminar for Nigerias Political & Crime Correspondents/Editors on Saturday in Abuja, said that God had been kind to him.

I thank God for my successes and achievements as governor of Kogi. I know where I met the state and am happy for where I have taken the state to.

I believe that the APC candidate, Usman Ododo, will build on the solid foundation we have laid down for Kogi, the governor said.

According to him, the 11 November Kogi governorship election will be a landslide victory for APC.

Reacting to a question of ensuring all members remained in the APC fold in the state, Mr Bello said that APC remained solid in Kogi.

Our unity is why APC wins in Kogi and will continue to win.

Our party is one. You cannot satisfy everyone. However, there are internal mechanisms in the APC to resolve issues and we always utilise that, he said.

In a paper titled; Unity in a Multi-Ethnic, Multi- Religious Society, the Kogi Story the Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, said candidates should campaign on merit.

Any candidate who campaigns on the basis of ethnic sentiments is incompetent.

Mr Fanwo said that the state would continue to prioritise merit and not ethnicity to enable it continue to grow.

Also in his paper on Off Season Elections, Journalists as Responsible Watchdogs, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, tasked journalists on responsible and ethical journalism.

Mr Isiguzo said there was need for journalists to ensure transparency, check all facts and verify all information in their reportage.

The NUJ president noted that off-season elections presented challenges and opportunities for journalists to fulfill their role as responsible watchdogs of the society.

I encourage all of us to approach the job with a sense of duty, knowing that the quality of our reporting can influence the future of our nation.

In a paper presented by the Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Asiru Idris, he said the Yahaya Bello administration put in place deliberate policies to entrench good governance.

He said this encouraged accountability, transparency and reduction in the debt burden of the state.

Kogi has commenced preparation of the 32-year development plan, critical to the realisation of Bellos vision of all round development of the state.

The development plan when completed will be a focal point for development partners interventions.

In a paper Building a Viable Economy Through Strategic Investment in Education, the Kogi Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones, said the state had not only given free education but had made it compulsory.

The budgetary allocation to the education sector in Kogi rose from 13 per cent in 2017 to 15 per cent in 2019 and 30 per cent in 2022, higher than UNESCOs recommended benchmark of 26 per cent.

(NAN)

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President Bola Tinubu has launched the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) in a bid to shore up Nigerias foreign exchange earnings.

President Tinubu, represented by the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite, launched the programme on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday.

The new initiative seeks to position Nigeria as an export hub for talent outsourcing in Africa following the example of India, Bangladesh, Mexico and The Philippines.

The unveiling of the programme took place at the Microsoft Office in New York, United States of America.

In her welcome address on behalf of President Tinubu, Mrs Uzoka-Anite noted that the National Talent Export Programme is a key national initiative that will serve as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service exports, talent sourcing and talent exports.

According to the minister, NATEP will serve as a dedicated entity to address the unique needs and challenges faced by the talent and service export industry.

The programme will lay special emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth through trade in services.

The minister further noted that NATEP is part of the strategy towards achieving President Tinubus agenda for job creation.

The NATEP initiative will target the creation of 1 million in-demand jobs across Nigeria, over 5 years.

This initiative will do three things for us as a country. One, it will create millions of jobs for our young people over the next 5 years and beyond. Secondly, it will bring in foreign exchange that our economy needs through remittances from talents that will be exported abroad and those that will be living in Nigeria and working remotely for organisations outside Nigeria thirdly, it will generate huge tax income for state governments, the minister said.

In her goodwill message, the Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, Saadia Zahidi, said NATEP is a timely initiative to address the very important areas of skills and jobs for Nigeria and the world.

She stated that the WEF looks forward to partnering with Nigeria on the programme.

This is an important programme that is coming at the right time. We at WEF stand ready to work with the Nigerian government on this great initiative.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, who praised her counterpart for spearheading the NATEP initiative, said his ministry would collaborate and support the programme to ensure it delivers on the set objectives.

Mr Tijani explained the importance of talents and in-demand workforce as critical parts of the global economic structure, saying such is the reason why leading countries across the world are intentional about attracting and retaining top talents.

Other speakers at the event also acknowledged how auspicious and ambitious NATEP is as a national initiative capable of changing the economic fortunes of Nigeria just like India which attracts over $300 billion annually from talent exports.

The speakers commended the federal government on the laudable initiative and gave their commitment towards supporting the programme.

A panel discussion that took place during the event was moderated by the National Coordinator of NATEP, with Amal Hassan, Ola Williams and Adaora Ikenze serving as panellists.

The panel discussion attracted a lot of positive feedback from the participants and elicited their commitment to working together to support the NATEP initiative.

The event ended with the unveiling of the NATEP logo with the minister of industry, trade and investment indicating to the world that Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent exports.

Several dignitaries from multilateral institutions and global tech giants joined Mrs Uzoka-Anite and Mr Tijani on the occasion.

Among those at the event were John G. Coumantaros, chairman, of the US-Nigeria Business Council, Floriezelle Liser, President and Chief Executive, of Corporate Council on Africa, Amal Hassan, Chief Executive, of Outsource Global, Kashifu Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Adaora Ikenze, Meta Head of Public Policy for West and Central Africa, Ola Williams, Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria and Ghana, who joined online, Joel Ogunsola, Chief Executive, TechDev, and Femi Adeluyi, National Coordinator of the programme.

Also present were Ursula Wynhoven, Representative of the International Telecommunication Union at the United Nations, Armstrong Takang, Chief Executive of Ministry of Finance Incorporated, Charles Murito, Director, Sub Saharan Africa  Government Affairs & Public Policy, Google, Charles Okochu, Senior Business Development Manager, Amazon AWS, and Michelle Masuzyo Nsanzumuco, AfCFTA Digital Trade Expert.

Ajuri Ngelale

Special Adviser to the President

(Media & Publicity)

September 24, 2023

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The Nigerian government has launched an initiative known as the National Talent Export Programme (NATEP) to create at least one million jobs over the next five years.

Doris Uzoka-Anite, the minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, disclosed this on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States.

The minister spoke at an event tagged Positioning Nigeria as a Global Talent Hub.

Mrs Uzoka-Anite said the initiative was in line with the agenda of the Tinubu administration to diversify the countrys economy, create sustainability opportunities, and generate about 50 million jobs for the youth.

She said, NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service export, talent sourcing and talent export.

As part of our strategy towards achieving this, His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, whose agenda for job creation, we have initiated a national talent export programme for Nigeria, which targets the creation of one million jobs across Nigeria over a five-year period.

NATEP is a key national initiative that will serve as a special purpose vehicle to position Nigeria as a leading global hub for service exports, talent sourcing and talent export.

The Nigerian government under the leadership of President Bala Tinubu as part of the renewed hope agenda is committed to diversifying the economy and creating sustainable employment opportunities, especially for youth by creating 50 million jobs. This is in tandem with the theme of this years UNGA, rebuilding trust and igniting global solidarity, accelerating action on the 2030 agenda and the sustainable development goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.

Mrs Uzoka-Anite explained that NATEP would be dedicated to addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by the talent and service sector export industry, emphasising enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation, and driving sustainable growth through trade in services.

Available data indicate that the global talent sourcing industry is valued at $620 billion as of 2020 and it is forecasted to be valued at about $904 billion by 2027.

The minister said Nigeria could supply top talents for the global service export and outsourcing business, with over 1.7 million graduates from higher education institutions entering the workforce annually.

NATEP will serve as a dedicated entity to address the unique needs and challenges faced by the talents and service export industry. The programme will lay special emphasis on enhancing competitiveness, fostering innovation and driving sustainable growth through trade and services.

It is noteworthy that the global talent sourcing industry was valued at $620 billion in 2020 and is forecasted to be valued at $904 billion by 2027. With a youthful population and over 1.7 million graduates from higher educational institutions joining the workforce each year, Nigeria has the potential to provide high-quality talent for the Global Service export and outsourcing industry, she said.

The minister said Nigeria was ready to become a global hub for talent export.

She also stated that the Tinubu administration would take advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACfTA) with a view to penetrating the huge market in other countries.

As a country, we have a significant value proposition for regional and global markets for the export of services. We will actively target Greenfield and brownfield job opportunities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia, among others.

We will take advantage of the African continental free trade agreement to access the African market.

The four-pronged objectives of the NATEP initiative are as follows: One to deliver one million service export jobs over the next five years; to increase foreign exchange earnings and revenue for Nigeria; to create economic growth and to stimulate the growth of ancillary industries and support services and to improve skills and strengthening the Nigerian brand.

Mrs Uzoka-Anite added, To put it succinctly, the message from todays launch of the national talent export programme is clear. Nigeria is ready to become a global hub for talent experts. We have the vision and commitment and we seek your partnership and trust as we embark on this mutually beneficial journey. We look forward to partnering with you.

Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, in his remarks, commended the initiative, noting that it was timely.

He said, I think one thing weve not done well, is actually to be intentional, around how we milk that opportunity for our own economic development. And this is why this program is extremely important.

Ive been following the Nigerian story, weve been losing a lot of our top talents to the world. Canada is soaking in a lot, and the UK as well. I think the UK last week or so announced that if youve never taught physics, but youve studied physics, you can now come into the UK to teach and theyll give you 10,000 to actually come in.

So the implication of that is that were going to be losing a significant proportion of people in that space of the academy.

Theres nothing we can do about it. The best we can ever do is to be intentional about it and turn it into exports. And its going to become even deeper for us because this becomes a significant resource that we can tap into.

As you all know, of Africas 1.2 billion people, 40 per cent are young people, Nigeria is about roughly 20 per cent of the entire continent. And we have 60 per cent of our 220 million people as young people. So this means we are in a very strong position to power the global economy. But if we do it well, intentionally, it means that we can cash in on that opportunity and also connect our people back to how good the development we want to see in the country but also on the continent.

We cannot stop people from moving. I think this is why our president is extremely passionate about it. Hes given mandates to different ministries. Ive got the mandate to train one million technical talent, we believe we can actually do much more than one million. And the intention is that we may not have the local tech economy to absorb the one million, so the goal is actually to export, which is also something weve been doing.

But I think in the process of exporting, we, must also be intentional about it. Its not just about exporting our people, its not another slave trade. Its about making the most of it, we export for value. These people contribute and add value to the world, but also they bring value back to us as well. Thats what its all about. Its about the meaningful exploitation of talent. I think thats where I want Nigeria to be.

Saadia Zahidi, the Managing Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF), promised to support Nigerias effort in the new talent export programme.

The World Economic Forum in Nigeria has a long-standing partnership and we are very happy to support this particular effort. The forum established some months ago, a skills accelerator in Nigeria and under the leadership of Her Excellency, the minister and others, we hope that we will be able to provide support to NATEP through the continuous rescaling and upskilling of the workforce that will be a part of this initiative.

The way these accelerators work, we bring in some of the learning and training providers. We bring in some of the companies that have the most to teach very often to the youth that are part of these programmes, and of course, bringing together the public sector as well, to then ensure that in a rapid 18 to 24 month period, theres a rapid setup of not just the learning for those that will be part of this workforce. But that there are ongoing systems, change ongoing upskilling, ongoing rescaling so that those skills are not redundant at some point in time.

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Hippolite Amadi, a Nigerian and Professor of Medical Engineering and Technology, has won a $100,000 prize for emerging as the winner of the Nigerian Prize for Science 2023.

Mr Amadi, a visiting professor at the Imperial College London, emerged this years winner of the annual award with his work on respiratory technologies for keeping Nigerian newborns alive.

Winning entry

Announcing the winner of the Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG)-sponsored annual award, the Prizes Advisory Board, led by Barth Nnaji, a professor, said the winning work was based on the theme: Innovation for Enhancement of Healthcare Therapy.

The winning innovations comprise a Non-invasive Neonatal Ventilator (NIV), an Oxygen Delivery Blender System, and an Oxygen Splitter System, all powered by solar energy.

The NIV is considered the gold standard in the care of preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Mr Nnaji said Mr Amadis work has not only significantly advanced neonatal care in Nigeria and similar countries, but it has also further improved access and lowered the cost of neonatal care by causing an observed reduction in the market prices of the competing and existing devices.

The entry showcased three (3) technological innovations aimed at saving the lives of neonates by making the delivery of oxygen cheap and easy. The first innovation is the non-invasive Neonatal Ventilator, a key invention (The bubble Polite CPAP) for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation of very-low-birth-weight neonates, a feasible alternative to the readily available improvised bubble CPAP (IBCPAP) in cost-constrained settings.

The second and third innovations are the Oxygen Delivery Blender System, which allows for the safe delivery of oxygen without the danger of toxicity, and the Oxygen Splitter System, which allows for the use of a shared source of oxygen to many neonates at a time, in situations where piped oxygen is not available. These devices are all solar powered, he stated.

He stated further that the devices have been tried by practitioners at various hospitals across Nigeria, adding that there are reports from those hospitals that the innovation, PoliteCPAP, is an improvement on the existing device as it provides access to ventilators and oxygen delivery simultaneously to neonates at an extremely reduced cost of N750,000 as against N6.5 million for the existing device with comparable and better efficiency.

Presidency commends innovation

President Bola Tinubu has also congratulated the winner and commended innovations that have reduced neonatal care costs significantly and saved lives in hospitals that have adopted the use of the solar-powered neonatal ventilator.

The president commended Mr Amadi for leveraging his extensive background in medical engineering and technology, with a special focus on affordable medical systems, for the betterment, progress, and benefit of Nigerians and humanity in general.

This significant work by this great Nigerian scientist will contribute to keeping more Nigerian children alive after birth and preparing them for a better future as positive change makers and influencers both at home and abroad, reads a statement by the Presidents Special Adviser on Media & Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

About winner

Mr Amadi obtained a bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Engineering Technology and Management from the Enugu State University of Technology in 1988 and 1991 respectively.

He also obtained a Master of Engineering in Medicine at the Imperial College, London in 2002 and a Doctorate in Orthopaedic Biomechanics at the same institution in 2006.

Professor Amadi is currently a visiting professor of Medical Engineering and Technology at the Imperial College London. Before his work at Imperial College, he was a professor of Medical Technology at Imo State University.

His career spans over three decades, cutting across engineering in healthcare, orthopaedics, and neonatology research. He is also the author of the book Born to Live, Not to Die.

His present role at Imperial College London focuses on Frugal Medical Technology for low- and middle-income countries. This runs alongside his position as the Principal Consultant at Neonatal Concerns for Africa charity organisation.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

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The Minister of Works, David Umahi, on Saturday, opened discussions with Hitech Construction Company Ltd. on the proposed Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.

Mr Umahi, during a meeting with engineers from the Federal Ministry of Works and the contractors team in Lagos, said the project would boost interconnectivity to link the entire nation.

He said the project was huge and ambitious and showed the commitment of President Bola Tinubu to the restoration and rapid development of Nigeria.

He said the president was in a hurry to fix Nigeria and begin the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.

The minister said the meeting with the contractor was the first and another meeting to be held in a fortnight would be to close deals for commencement of construction.

He said the project was a Public Private Partnership to be tolled upon completion, adding that the contractor had already sourced the money to execute the project.

Mr Umahi explained that the project would be constructed in phases and the completed portions would be put to use and tolled.

He said the proposed highway would link the Lagos-Badagry Expressway super highway, connect the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge to Lekki Deep Sea Port Road and link Ogoja-Ikom to connect five points in Northern Nigeria.

He said the road had an initial design length of about 650 to 700kms and rail lines components which would run in the middle of the main carriageways.

He said the project would promote tourism and have industrial clusters including hotels, factories, housing estates and several other facilities.

It is quite innovative and the giant of Africa is beginning to show her prowess and this is being revitalised by the captain of the ship, his excellency President Bola Tinubu.

So, this is beautiful. Another good news is that this is going to be built on a concrete road of 11 inches thick with 20-millimeter reinforcement, he said.

He said concrete construction would give opportunity to local cement manufacturers, boost steel production from Ajaokuta, as well as exploration of Nigerias huge bitumen.

Mr Umahi, who is a civil engineer, said the project would have challenges because it would pass through mangroves, mashy areas, flood plains and all kinds of land and soil types.

And so, there will be a combination of all kinds of construction methods, the deck on pile would be there, the sand filling will be there, the retaining walls will be there.

So, its a very ambitious project, quite technical and highly rewarding.

So, the second meeting will come up in two weeks where the business case study will be exposed to us and we will give them a letter to own the project and then to engage in the design.

The Lagos-Port Harcourt-Calabar Coastal Highway is the first of its kind in the whole of Africa, he said.

The consultant to Hitech, Nicholas Rizk, said the construction methods chosen were suitable for countries with large landmass like Nigeria.

Mr Rizk said the project corridor transversed various topographical areas, hence the need to capture all economic and social peculiarities of people along the project alignment.

He said the road would take off from Victoria Island near Eko Atlantic City through the Lekki Coastal Road, then Lekki Free Trade Zone and the Dangote Refinery to link Ogun, Ondo, Delta, Edo up till Calabar.

We are connecting nine states and this road.

In addition to the integration at the national level for south-west and south-east, south-south and Niger Delta, it connects with the federal roads going from Lagos to Sokoto.

From Warri to Kaduna, from Port Harcourt to Kano-Maiduguri and from Calabar to Maiduguri.

So, basically, as the minister mentioned, we have this coastal highway that is more or less 10 to 12 kilometres away from the shorelines to consider the issue of erosion and the sensitive environmental areas, he said.

He explained how health, safety and environmental factors were considered in the project as it passed oil-producing areas through Brass, Calabar to connect the East-West corridor through Lagos to Abidjan and also the North.

He also explained the rail components of the project, the measurements and other dimensions of the major carriageways as well as links to major ports in the nation.

(NAN)

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Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov says a new world order is being born through a struggle between a neocolonial minority and a global majority seeking to end decades of Western domination.

Mr Lavrov said this in his statement to the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

He said power was slipping through the hands of the old order dominated by Washington, which had long rejected the principle of equality.

Americans and Europeans make all sorts of promises  and then just dont fulfil them, he told delegates.

Quoting President Vladimir Putin, he said the West was truly an empire of lies, which even during the battle against Nazism in World War Two, had plotted an offensive against their Soviet allies.

Soviet and then Russian leaders were given concrete political assurances regarding the non-expansion of the NATO military alliance to the east, which turned out to be pure deception.

Washington and Brussels have ceaselessly sought to expand their interests and alliances to subordinate the Global South and East, rejecting Russias desire for mutual security guarantees, he stated.

Turning to Ukraine, he said the West had continued its ongoing militarization of the Russophobic Kyiv regime, brought to power via a bloody coup in 2014 and took that opportunity to wage a hybrid war against our country.

The aim since then had been the strategic defeat of Russia, he argued, with the US-led offensive now stretching into outer space and disinformation online.

Mr Lavrov said it was obvious that its creation of subordinate alliances was targeted against Russia and China in a bid to sabotage more inclusive regional forums.

He said even in terms of culture, the anti-colonial global majority has had enough of the Western yoke and attacks on their religions, traditional values and sovereignty.

He saw Russia and China as defenders of a new multipolar architecture  the ascendent world order  and now the West was doing all it could to block it.

The minister decried the US-led use of unilateral sanctions and coercive measures against Cuba, Venezuela, Syria and others, while Washington continued its effort to Ukrainise the international agenda.

He said it was time for a full reform of global governance architecture, including UN-led international financial mechanisms and the United Nations key bodies  together with what he said was a Secretariat biased in favour of capitals in NATO and the European Union.

Mr Lavrov spoke up for Security Council expansion to include Asia, Africa and Latin America.

He said reform needed to be based on a new, balanced consensus, giving the example of the BRICS bloc of economic powers  set to expand beyond Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

Mr Lavrov ended his statement with an appeal for compromise, saying humanity is at a crossroads  It is in our shared interest to prevent a downward spiral into large-scale war.

He invoked the Secretary-Generals call for world leaders to meet and negotiate in the spirit of compromise at this years UN General Assembly, when designing our common future for our common good.

This is an excellent response to those who divide our world up into democracies and autocracies, and dictate their neocolonial rules to others, he stated.

(NAN)

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The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Makurdi on Saturday upheld the victory of Governor Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 18 March Governorship Election.

Delivering the judgment, the Chairperson of the panel, Ibrahim Karaye, held that the tribunal lacked jurisdiction to entertain pre-election issues raised by the petitioners, Titus Uba and PDP.

Mr Karaye, who read the unanimous judgment, stated that only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain issues bordering on pre-election matters.

He further said the petitioners case was also an abuse of court processes because the same case was filed by the petitioners before the Federal High Court Abuja Division and its judgment was not challenged by the petitioners.

He said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of the 2nd and 3rd respondents by the 4th respondent since they were not members of the 4th respondent.

Mr Karaye further said that the petitioners failed to prove their allegations of forgery against the 3rd respondent before the tribunal.

He said the 2nd and 3rd respondents were qualified to contest the 18 March Governorship Election and therefore, dismissed the case.

The petitioners, Titus Uba and the PDP had dragged the respondents, INEC, Mr Alia, his deputy, Sam Ode, and the APC before the tribunal, challenging their declaration by the INEC.

The petitioners argued that the second and third respondents, Governor Alia and Mr Ode, were, at the time of contesting the election, not qualified to contest.

They averred that the 4th respondent  the APC  did not follow the provisions of the law in the nomination of the governorship and deputy governorship candidates.

They also alleged that the 3rd respondent had presented a forged certificate to the 1st respondent, INEC, therefore, should be disqualified.

They, therefore, prayed among other things, for the nullification of their election and declaration of the petitioners as winners of the election, having scored second highest lawful votes.

They also contended that having not qualified to contest the election, their votes should be declared invalid and certificates earlier issued to them by INEC be withdrawn.

NAN reports that the petitioners in the suit did not challenge the result of the 18 March Benue Governorship Election but the qualifications of the candidates.

However, the respondents in their counterarguments, urged the tribunal to dismiss the suit in its entirety as it was an abuse of court processes.

The respondents stated that the Federal High Court Abuja Division, had, before the election, delivered judgment on the same matter which was filed by the petitioners but they did not appeal the judgment to date.

They also said that the issues raised were all pre-election matters and only the Federal High Court had the exclusive jurisdiction to entertain same.

The 2nd and 3rd respondents clearly stated that since the prayers sought by the petitioners were all pre-election matters, the petitioners case was status bar and should be struck out.

They said the petitioners lacked locus standi to challenge the nomination of candidates of other political parties as they were mere meddlesome interlopers.

Victory for democracy and rule of law  Gov Alias aide

Reacting to the judgement, Tersoo Kula, the governors media aide assured the indigenes of the state that his principal is committed to putting the welfare of the state ahead of himself.

He noted that the victory was fuelled by the support of the people to whom sovereignty and power truly belongs.

Mr Kula said the victory is for democracy and the rule of law.

He applauded the court for its determination to be seen as the last hope of the common man by preserving the mandate that the people willingly gave to his governor.

Mr Kula encouraged the people to be happy because there is no might as powerful enough to thwart their supreme will through the back door.

He stressed that the time has come for all parties to put their hands on deck and ensure that the state is moved to very heights of greatness away from the current mess of misery, poverty and maladministration.

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Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over US$15 billion of oil revenues, and N200 billion budgeted to repair the refineries are missing and unaccounted for between 2020 and 2021, as documented by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

SERAP urged him to name and shame anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing and unaccounted for public funds and to ensure their effective prosecution as well as the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.

SERAP also urged him to fully implement all the recommendations by NEITI in its 2021 report, and to use any recovered proceeds of crime.

In the letter dated 23 September and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. Taking these important measures would end the impunity of perpetrators.

SERAP said, As President and Minister of Petroleum Resources, your office ought to be concerned about these damning revelations, by getting to the bottom of the allegations and ensuring that suspected perpetrators are promptly brought to justice, and any missing public funds fully recovered.

The letter, read in part: Any failure to investigate these grave allegations, bring suspected perpetrators to justice and recover any missing public funds would have serious resource allocation and exacerbate the countrys debt burden.

It would also create cynicism, suspicion, and eventually citizens distrust about the ability of your government to combat high-level official corruption, as well as deter foreign investment and limit growth and development.

We would therefore be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.

The findings by NEITI suggest a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anticorruption laws, and the countrys obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.

The allegations of corruption documented by NEITI undermine economic development of the country, trap the majority of Nigerians in poverty and deprive them of opportunities.

Your government has a constitutional duty to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of the countrys wealth and resources.

According to the 2021 report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), government agencies including the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NNPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPDC) failed to remit $13.591 million and $8.251 billion to the public treasury.

The NNPC and NPDC failed to remit over 70% of these public funds. NEITI wants both the NNPC and NPDC to be investigated, and for the missing public funds to be fully recovered.

The report also shows that in 2021, the State Owned Enterprises (SOE) and its subsidiaries (the NNPC Group) reportedly spent US$ 6.931 billion on behalf of the Federal Government but without appropriation by the National Assembly. The money may be missing.

The NNPC also reportedly obtained a loan of $3 billion in 2012 purportedly to settle subsidy payments due to petroleum product marketers but there is no disclosure of the details of the loan, subsidy and the beneficiaries of the payments.

The report also shows that N9.73 billion was paid to the NNPC as pipeline transportation revenue earned from Joint Venture operations but the money was neither remitted to the Federation nor properly accounted for. The NPDC in 2021 also failed to remit $7.61 million realized from the sale of crude oil.

The report documents that about N200 billion was spent on refineries rehabilitation between 2020 and 2021 but none of the refineries was operational in 2021 despite the spending. NEITI wants the spending to be investigated, as the money may be missing.

Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power in the country.

Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.

Section 16(2) further provides that, the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.

Similarly, articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.

The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the countrys wealth and natural resources and hold public officials and non-state actors to account for any violations.

Specifically, article 26 of the UN Convention requires your government to ensure effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption.

Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations.

Nigeria is also a participating state of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which aims to foster greater governmental accountability for the use of natural resource wealth through the creation of a set of international norms on revenue transparency.

NEITI also aims to tackle corruption, poverty and conflict associated with natural resource wealth. Nigeria has the obligations to implement the NEITI Standard, which sets out the transparency norms with which participating States including Nigeria must comply.

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The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) may suspend its ongoing industrial action soon if ongoing discussions with the authorities yield positive results.

The Secretary of the union, Margaret Jethro, told PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday that the teachers union is in talks with the FCT authorities and that certain resolutions have been reached.

She, however, said the strike would continue until the union sees the paperwork and signs the agreements per the resolutions reached.

The resolutions were reached at a meeting with the Minister of State for the FCT, Mariya Mahmud; Permanent Secretary for Education, FCT and five area council chairmen last Monday, she said.

We have reached certain agreements, its just the paperwork that is delaying the whole thing. So until it comes out, and were able to see it in black and white before we can agree that yes, this is the agreement we have reached and it is like that, she said in a telephone interview with our reporter on Sunday.

So its the paperwork that were still waiting for that is yet to be completed. Hopefully tomorrow, well be there again to see if the whole thing is concluded before the union can take a position. But for now, the strike is still on.

Ms Jethro, however, did not disclose the specifics of the resolutions reached.

FCT teachers strike

Earlier in September, the leadership of the teachers union directed members to embark on an indefinite strike to press home their demands which include the non-payment of the teachers entitlements.

According to a communique issued to announce the strike, the entitlement includes; non-payment of its members 25-month promotion arrears and 40 per cent peculiar allowance.

ALSO READ: Teachers unhappy as new project fails to provide enough staff offices

Others include the non-payment of outstanding allowances, non-upgrading of teachers, non-implementation of annual increments, and the non-implementation of promotion letters released to teachers.

In the communique jointly signed by the chairman FCT, NUT chapter, Stephen Knabayi; Secretary, Margareth Jethro; and the Public Relations Officer, Samson Haruna, the union said the indefinite strike became necessary after exhausting all other available options of getting its members entitlements.

Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe

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The Minister in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has approved a three-month grace period for owners of 189 undeveloped plots of land in Abuja, Nigerias capital, to begin to develop them or get their allocation papers revoked.

The Director of Information and Communication at the FCT Administration, Muhammad Sule, stated on Sunday in Abuja that the affected titled holders had obtained building plan approvals, but were yet to develop the properties.

He stated that the affected property owners were expected to develop the property within the stipulated period or have their title documents revoked in line with extant laws.

The grace period, he explained, applied to individuals and to corporate organisations that had showed the desire to develop their property by obtaining building plan approvals.

He added that public institutions that had land titles within the FCT but yet to develop same were also advised to do so within the three months grace period to avoid the sanction.

The minister (Nyesom Wike) has extended this gesture to 189 property owners due to their desire to develop the properties by obtaining building plan approvals, a prerequisite for the development of any property in the FCT.

Owners of the plots were exempted from revocation because they had already demonstrated firm commitment to develop their property by obtaining necessary documents from the FCT Administration.

The minister (Wike) is urging the affected property owners to take advantage of the gesture and develop their plots in line with the terms of their Offer of Right-of-Occupancy, Sule stated.

The director added that the FCT Administration, equally appealed to public institutions that had been allocated land to begin the development of their plots, failing which their title documents would be revoked.

(NAN)

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This photo taken on Sept. 21, 2023 shows an exterior view of the venue for the sixth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

In recent years, China and the Arab world have expanded cooperation from more traditional sectors to include aviation, aerospace and the digital economy.

YINCHUAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- "China has a huge consumer market and offers great opportunities (for the expansion of our business). I hope I can find partners and establish sales channels here," said Abdullah A Alrebdi, a participant in the ongoing sixth China-Arab States Expo.

It is the first time for Alrebdi, chairman of the board of directors of the Saudi firm Palma Dates, to attend the four-day event that opened on Thursday in Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. His company owns 23 date palm farms, which produce 80,000 tons of date palms annually.

Alrebdi is among the more than 400,000 participants in the expo over the past 10 years. The expo, a biennial event first held in 2013, has since developed into a vital platform for China and the Arab states to promote pragmatic cooperation.

The past decade has witnessed substantial economic and trade cooperation growth between China and Arab states at the expo. China is now the largest trading partner of the Arab states, with last year's trade volume almost doubling from the 2012 level to 431.4 billion U.S. dollars.

The expo has attracted more than 6,000 enterprises from 112 countries and regions since 2013, and more than 1,200 deals in modern agriculture, high technology and biomedicine have been clinched.

This photo taken on Sept. 21, 2023 shows the smart meteorology exhibition area at the sixth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

In recent years, China and the Arab world have expanded cooperation from more traditional sectors to include aviation, aerospace and the digital economy. They have fostered new growth resources involving green and low-carbon development, health and medical services, and investment and finance.

This year's expo features a forum on meteorological cooperation for the first time, attracting meteorological officials from 12 Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Mauritania, Syria and Egypt.

Cross-border e-commerce is one of the burgeoning new frontiers for China-Arab states cooperation. Yang Wanlong, a Chinese businessman, outlined his plan for cooperating with Arab customers in the e-commerce sector at a booth he rented at this year's expo.

After observing the potential of the market of Arab states at the fifth China-Arab States Expo, the young businessman decided to attend the expo again this year to promote his company's e-commerce platform in Arab countries.

A guest (R) learns about a wind power generation project at the sixth China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, Sept. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Feng Kaihua)

Yang expressed his hope that Arab consumers will soon be able to buy low-cost, high-quality Chinese goods simply by placing online orders as cross-border e-commerce between China and the Arab states develops.

The investment promotion by the China-Arab States Expo catalyzed Malaysian company DXN Holdings BHD's decision to establish its Chinese subsidiary DXN Corporation (Ningxia) Co. in Ningxia. Today, the company that produces healthy food supplements has a booth at the expo where various goods are on display, including instant noodles, milk tea and coffee.

"The expo offers us a rare opportunity to fully display our products and cooperate with Arab countries," said Du Weijun, an employee of the company.

This year's event drew representatives from 14 governments, 13 international and regional organizations, foreign institutions in China, and over 60 foreign business associations and enterprises. 
At the core of Jesus unambiguous and assigned responsibility to Christians, is the work of evangelism, which is about going from city to city and neighborhood to neighbourhood, preaching the word of God. If Jimmy steps out to preach and knocks the door of the old order, conservative folks and their children, who frown at tattoos or dreads or other socially deviant adornments, will he be able to win their souls for Christ?

A few days ago, the internet went agog with the ascension to pulpit of the son of the late Pastor Taiwo Odukoya. Jimmy Odukoya took over as Senior Pastor of the Fountain of Life Church, Ilupeju, Lagos, and now wears his fathers big shoes. Tongues have been wagging in critical appraisal of this elevation. Jimmy, an actor, wears a huge dreadlock, with a body built like that of a bouncer and very visible tattoos on his muscular biceps. A lot of people have called Jimmys grooming to question, while others are defending him. The question also arises on whether Jimmy ought to have succeeded his father in a church purportedly built with the tithes and contributions of its congregation.

Ideally, Jimmys dressing should be GOOD ENOUGH on the pulpit, and on any normal day. Dressing is a choice. Tattoos are equally his right. Dreadlocks are a choice, and some dreads even come naturally. Not everyone locks their hairs to grow dreads artificially. No one should castigate him, therefore, for wearing dreads. He is within his rights to make his choices. He has also come out to say in a BBC interview that he found approval for his looks and calling in the scriptures. Fair enough.

But why is the public up at a virtual sword-pointing over his appearance on the pulpit?

Lets analyse this within the context of the Bible, as Christians age-old irrefutable grundnorm and reference book.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy: 3 that anyone that seeks the job of an (Church) Overseer or Bishop must be of good conduct, must be a Husband of one wife, must be sound in mind, must be orderly, hospitable, qualified to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but reasonable, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

Then the following: The same Bible, in same chapter, also charges Church Overseers to come to the table with fine testimonies and BE MODERATE IN HABITS.

We may now seek the definition of what moderate in habits denotes to us when broken down. But certain things cannot be redefined by our idiosyncratic benchmarks or manipulated by the biases or extremely liberalised proclivities of our woke generation.

That same book of Timothy also states that a man of God must be seen by all to be above board and IRREPREHENSIBLE. The moment your appointment or appearance is controversial enough to stir the public wagging of tongues, to the extent that you need to respond to media inquiries in defence of your chosen form of branding, then you have lost grip of a certain canonical positioning, in terms of the public estimation of impeccable wholeness, and have fallen into the sweeping swamp of scrutiny.

whatever anyone chooses to wear is his or her choice by right. But the argument of self-control and the quest for circumspection is why 1 Corinthians 10:23 admonishes Christians that, all things are good or lawful, that is, morally legitimate and permissible, but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive.

At the core of Jesus unambiguous and assigned responsibility to Christians, is the work of evangelism, which is about going from city to city and neighborhood to neighbourhood, preaching the word of God. If Jimmy steps out to preach and knocks the door of the old order, conservative folks and their children, who frown at tattoos or dreads or other socially deviant adornments, will he be able to win their souls for Christ? If he cant, on the basis of a discretion-lacking turnoff, how has he fulfilled his purpose as an evangelist? Except were arguing that his brand of evangelism is only for a certain segment of the Christian congregation.

Like I said earlier, whatever anyone chooses to wear is his or her choice by right. But the argument of self-control and the quest for circumspection is why 1 Corinthians 10:23 admonishes Christians that, all things are good or lawful, that is, morally legitimate and permissible, but not all things are beneficial or advantageous. All things are lawful, but not all things are constructive. Ill add that not all things that are right, as we insist upon, upholds character or are practical for edifying purposes. There cannot, therefore, be hazy optics around an evangelists calling, grooming or the solemnity required for the branding of his spiritual persona.

Jesus denied himself, Jesus curtailed himself, Jesus frowned at anything that would invite the poking of fingers at his earthly ministry. Jesus was so uncompromising that he flogged money changers out of the synagogue. He yelled in anger against the turning of his fathers house into an arena of merchandising. We wont stretch this further today, otherwise, we may be opening another Pandora Box about what the churches of today have become, where we merchandise the anointing oil and where ostentatious living are our pastors callings.

In terms of Jimmy Odukoya, all the arguments claiming that, it is not your dressing that takes you to heaven constitute a merely consolatory line of reasoning to appease conscientious probing.

If the Bible is no longer the basis upon which the Christian faith is founded, then we should be free to do whatever we like. No one will accuse us of being IMMODERATE. And the idea of the Bible demanding us to be moderate in habits could as well be discarded.

However, if the Bible still remains the foundation upon which the Christian faith is built, then we cannot adjust its standards to suit our predilections. And we dont have to be so rigid and unbending to superior logic on this. When God (according to biblical stories) was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah over their sexual depravity and other forms of perversion, He was not guided by the liberalised articulations of the men of those days. He simply felt they were extremely permissive in objectionable conduct and wiped them out. Whether this story is true or not is a subject for another debate. But on the basis of the Bible that we all read, we believe the story.

Romans chapter 15, verse 4 states that: For all the things that were written beforehand were written for our instruction. Futher on, verse 5 of that scripture challenges us to have the same mental attitude that Jesus Christ had. What was Jesus Christs mental attitude? MODESTY.

While I agree that culture keeps evolving and generational shifts are the norm, a paradigm shift in the culture of worship that has failed to halt the slide to anarchy and global decimation, is not worthy of applause. The Church, as currently reordered, has not helped the world.

For emphasis, Timothy urges a man of God who is standing on the pulpit to be irreprehensible. It means that he must be blameless and irreproachable. Lets face this candidly: The fact that Jimmy is being dragged in the public, while some are standing up to defend him, is indicative of reproach. For all of those who are rising in his defence, with all kinds of justifications, lets be clear: You cannot defend a man of God. The fruit he bears, his posturing, body language and overall demeanour are the parameters by which he is measured. Lets stop deluding ourselves: God has a standard that cannot be bent for man. We cannot be in such a hurry to pursue self-approbation that we forget we hold a crucial responsibility of being accountable to diverse observers, who are watching us in the choices that we make. The Church is not a club, where a pastor appears with indulgent recklessness. And we cannot cede the Church to worldly appeal, so that we can accommodate all persuasions and proclivities in it.

There is a reality that we all need to face: When the world upheld a certain spartan standard of our parents and generations back, there were certain things we you could not do and get away with. We became the children of neighbourhood oversight and communal upbraiding. An eye is kept on us and we are raised for the good of the world. As the world became lax and acquiescent to the ultra liberal culture of worship and the raising of children, we are down today with the consequences, ranging from rape, drug addiction, brazen business deals and manipulations, romance and financial scam, intractable divorce rates and eye popping murder incidences. There is palpable fear and a mental state of siege. The world has never been this traumatised, even as the Church has never stopped becoming modernised.

While I agree that culture keeps evolving and generational shifts are the norm, a paradigm shift in the culture of worship that has failed to halt the slide to anarchy and global decimation, is not worthy of applause. The Church, as currently reordered, has not helped the world.

But why does the Church keep growing in numbers? The answer may be traceable to this: Our people have been so pulverised by poverty that they keep seeking inebriating escapism in the motivational hypnotism of Bible-carrying church orators called pastors. The congregations now rest their mental aspirations on the allure of prophetic contracts, japa-visas and posh employments. This explains why some Church leaders sweet-tongue their congregants into parting with their January incomes as the first fruit of the year, in the hope for blessings all round the year, and a people who perish for the lack of knowledge run over themselves in droves to lay down the incomes of their sweats at the altars of the sweet-talkers. Like they say on the streets, E get why?

Poverty and the fear of poverty are both without conscience. And there is nothing that defies human logic like the gullible embrace of oratorical tomfoolery.

With this cage of psychical stupor across the Pentecostal confraternity, the ascension of someone like Jimmy Odukoya to power at the Fountain of Life Church hitherto pastored by his late parents, and now him, is not an issue for me. If the members of the church are fine with this, then it is not our business to stir contention within the fold. The issue here though is, telling the world that this is A CHURCH OF GOD, which is possibly building its wealth through the sweat of the people, their tithes and contributions, but translating its leadership succession into an obvious inheritance. The argument in defence of this does not add up.

Akin Fadeyi is founder/executive director, Akin Fadeyi Foundation.

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By assigning priority to political cases in a manner that grants swift access to courts for politicians like Ahmad Lawan, but no exit from courts to ordinary citizens like Gladys Ukeje, Nigerias judiciary sustains a two-track judicial system by which it puts the interests of politicians above those of the citizens whom they are meant to serve It is little wonder that some have resorted to describing Nigerias courts as the lost hope of the common man.

When Ogbonnaya Ukeje died in Lagos two days after Christmas Day in 1981, Bode Rhodes-Vivour was a 30 year-old lawyer making his way up the rungs of public service in the Ministry of Justice in Lagos State. Mr Rhodes-Vivour had been called to the Nigerian Bar a mere six years earlier, in 1975.

In 1989, when Mr Rhode-Vivour succeeded Nureini Abiodun Kessington as the director of Public Prosecutions in Lagos State, the case concerning the estate of Ogbonnaya Ukeje was already in its sixth year in the High Court of Lagos. Mr Ukejes daughter, Gladys, had filed the case in 1983 to challenge her exclusion from a share in her fathers estate, merely on the ground that she was female.

In January 1992, Justice Moni Fafiade, who became a judge of the Lagos High Court in 1983, the same year the case originated, delivered judgment in Gladys Ukejes case. The case lasted nine years in the High Court alone. Bode Rhodes-Vivour was still a director in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice.

Two years later, in 1994, when Bode Rhodes-Vivour was appointed a judge of the High Court of Lagos, the appeal by Gladys Ukejes family against the decision of the High Court of Lagos in her favour had been pending in the Court of Appeal for two years.

In 2005, five years after the first brief of argument was filed in the Supreme Court appeal of Gladys Ukejes case, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour was elevated from the High Court of Lagos to the Court of Appeal. By the following year, in 2006, all the parties had filed their briefs of argument.

Four years later, when Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour arrived at the Supreme Court, after a five year sojourn on the bench of the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court appeal of Gladys Ukejes case had been pending for over a decade.

On 11 April 2014, some 31 years after the case was filed in the High Court of Lagos, 20 years after he was first appointed a judge, and four years after his elevation to the court, Justice Bode Rhodes-Vivour delivered the judgment of the Supreme Court, upholding the right of Gladys Ukeje to a share in her fathers estate.

When he inaugurated a cohort of 72 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on 8 December 2021, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, reported that 33 or nearly five per cent of the 681 cases considered by the Nigerian Supreme Court during the year were political cases. This was a rather curious category to maintain or report on. Judicial doctrine ordinarily views political cases with reluctance.

By this time in 2014, Ahmad Lawan was already something of a phenomenon in Nigerian politics. In 1999, Lawan arrived the National Assembly as the member representing the proud people of Bade/Jakusko constituency of Yobe State in the House of Representatives. He was a member of the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). In 2007, after two terms in the House, Lawan was elected to the Senate by the people of Yobe North Senatorial Zone. In 2019, 20 years after his arrival at the National Assembly and having logged the record for the most durable parliamentary career in Nigerias history, Ahmad Lawan became the 14th president of Nigerias Senate.

In this capacity, Ahmad Lawan was officially the third most powerful man in the country. If he desired to extend the duration of his improbable political longevity, Lawan had few realistic options. As the 2023 election season approached, he made his bid for a ticket to the presidency on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of which he was a founding member. When the final tally was announced on 8 June 2022, Lawan lost out in the contest, coming a distant fourth.

Eleven days earlier, on 28 May, the APC had organised the primaries for the Senate. In Yobe North, the seat that Lawan occupied in the Senate, the winner of the primary election was Bashir Machina, a rich businessman and politician, who had also served in the cabinet at the state level. However, as soon as the presidential primaries concluded, a concerted effort began to deny Machina the ticket in favour of Lawan.

To forestall this, Machina sued on 22 June 2022 in the Federal High Court in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, asking the court to affirm the outcome of the senatorial primary election that he won. Three months later, on 28 September, the High Court rendered judgment. By the beginning of December, the Court of Appeal had also issued judgment, and on World Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December, 2022, the case arrived the Supreme Court. In less than two months, on 6 February 2022, the Supreme Court issued its judgment, implausibly declaring Lawan the winner of senatorial primary election that he did not participate in.

This kind of status-indexed shunt, granted to political higher-ups like Ahmad Lawan by Nigerian courts, is mostly manufactured or enabled by the judiciary. It is now crippling Nigerias courts and the irony is that the only people in the position to end it are the ones complaining.

When he inaugurated a cohort of 72 new Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) on 8 December 2021, the then Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, reported that 33 or nearly five per cent of the 681 cases considered by the Nigerian Supreme Court during the year were political cases. This was a rather curious category to maintain or report on. Judicial doctrine ordinarily views political cases with reluctance. Nigerian law knows nothing of the sort. It knows of election petitions as contests over the outcomes of elections, mostly governed by the Electoral Act, which prescribes strict time limits for their disposal. Most likely, this is a category of cases instituted by Nigerias politicians seeking to judicialise intra-party squabbles over the spoils of political plunder. Increasingly, it seems, these have become the mainstay of judicial enterprise in the country.

The solution to this is in plain sight. If Nigerias judges were to insist on politicians taking their place on the queue of judicial dysfunction, like every other citizen, they will be forced to either find a way to fix the judiciary or else fix their internal party dysfunctions and spare the judiciary from being captured by and for political cases.

Last week, as he swore-in nine newly appointed Justices of the Court of Appeal, the current CJN, Olukayode Ariwoola, reinforced the complaint from the judges that political cases are taking a monumental toll on our dockets.

Gladys Ukeje and Ahmad Lawan are both Nigerians. One is female, the other is male. The former is from the South, while the latter is from the North. They both journeyed memorably through Nigerias courts, ending up in the Supreme Court with remarkably different experiences. For Gladys, the journey began in Lagos; for Lawan, it began in Damaturu, Yobe State. For Gladys, the journey from the High Court to the Supreme Court took over three decades. For Ahmad Lawan, it was less than eight months.

By assigning priority to political cases in a manner that grants swift access to courts for politicians like Ahmad Lawan, but no exit from courts to ordinary citizens like Gladys Ukeje, Nigerias judiciary sustains a two-track judicial system by which it puts the interests of politicians above those of the citizens whom they are meant to serve. It also encourages the twin evils of undue judicialisation of politics and the politicisation of the judiciary. It is little wonder that some have resorted to describing Nigerias courts as the lost hope of the common man.

By consecrating an Ahmad Lawan into an indispensable citizen, while at the same time making a Gladys Ukeje the expendable citizen, Nigerias judges have turned citizens into manure to feed the whims of politicians as a matter of law.

This juxtaposition is everything that is wrong, not merely with Nigerias courts but with the country and its governance. The country has been judicially rendered in hock to big men. When courts become captured for the purpose, exclusively, of enabling the whims of big men, they lose the authority of judicial office.

The solution to this is in plain sight. If Nigerias judges were to insist on politicians taking their place on the queue of judicial dysfunction, like every other citizen, they will be forced to either find a way to fix the judiciary or else fix their internal party dysfunctions and spare the judiciary from being captured by and for political cases.

Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a lawyer, teaches at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and can be reached through chidi.odinkalu@tufts.edu.

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In spite of his life achievements  real or imagined, Obasanjo is too insignificant to review the relevance of the traditional institution in Yorubaland. The people revere their kings as custodians of their heritage and they jealously guard how they are treated in society. The kings are the link between the material and the spiritual Regimes come and regimes go. The kings outlive them all.

In many ways, High Chief Olusegun Matthew Okikiola Ogunboye Aremu Obasanjo is a great man. In many ways, too, his plebeian irascibility makes him look like a medieval proletarian who gatecrashed into the modern high society and feels obliged to play Orunmila.

In case you didnt know, Orunmila is the Yoruba god of wisdom and knowledge. He is said to have been there at the time of creation, thus possessing a deep understanding of humanity and divinity. Because of his unique advantage and knowledge, Orunmila is said to know the ways of the world and the fate of humankind.

Olusegun Obasanjo is proof that Gods ways are wondrous and that He could bestow his blessings on whomsoever He wills, regardless of merit. If you didnt believe that the pendulum of Fate can swing in whatever direction Providence wills, consider the fact that it was Colonel Benjamin Adekunle, the famed Black Scorpion of the 3rd Marine Commando, who fought inch by inch during the Nigerian Civil War to secure victory for the federal forces, but it was Colonel Olusegun Obasanjo who was posted to succeed Adekunle towards the end of the war and therefore had the honour of accepting the instrument of surrender from the Biafran forces in January 1970, on behalf of the Federal Government.

Meteoric Rise

About five years later, when the young Turks in the army had had enough of the gentlemanly General Yakubu Gowon, they overthrew him and replaced him with General Murtala Mohammed, who dragged Obasanjo along as second-in-command. Murtala himself fell to assassins bullets in 1976 and the potato of power fell into Obasanjos laps at the age of 39. He handed over power to a democratically elected civilian administration in 1979 and retreated to his farm, as a much respected statesman and retired general at 42.

From retirement, Obasanjo began a career of public criticism of government. The Shagari-led civilian government felt beholden to him and therefore tolerated  even celebrated  him. The gun-slide of Major General Buhari, which brought the Second Republic to a miserable end, did not last long enough for Obasanjo to make his polemical mark but he soon found his voice after General Babangida kicked the Buhari regime out. His career as a letter writer of note blossomed in the Babangida years.

Bullying comes naturally to the retired general. The more helpless his opponent, the more virulent his attacks. Gifted with an uncanny ability to steal the thunder of causes originally championed by other people, OBJ, as he was nicknamed in his days in power, is a human paradox  a blessing and a curse.

Babangida handled Obasanjo with a mixture of disdain and rehearsed affectation, benefitting from his international contacts but keeping him at arms length to ensure that he wasnt close enough to do much damage. When Babangida annulled the 1993 presidential election won by Moshood Abiola, everyone knew that he had dribbled himself beyond the limits of the agreed turf. Obasanjo was missing at the barricades, making people conclude that he would rather the presidency went to someone else. Poor Chief Ernest Shonekan was only brought in to allow tempers cool before the real McCoy of military brutality, Sani Abacha, took the helm.

Close Shave

Taciturn Abacha may not have been cerebrally gifted like Babangida, but he displayed the capacity to rewrite the book of terror all alone. Obasanjo underrated him and continued trying to be a hero. Abacha obliged him and, after a sham trial for coup plotting, put Obasanjo on the death row. Again, Providence intervened. Abacha suddenly died. Obasanjo and other death row inmates were freed by the new junta. Then, the military decided that he was the only person they could trust with power. They cracked all the palm kernels on his way and handed power to him in 1999.

Compared to his successors so far, Obasanjo appears to be the best democratically elected president that Nigeria has had since 1999, save for YarAduas brief but promising intervention, which was too short for any meaningful comparison with Obasanjos eight years. His letter writing career has so blossomed, especially in the Jonathan and Buhari years, that a book has been written of it and his stature as a statesman and meddler-in-chief is all but assured.

In a sense, anyone who has been so favoured by God and his country, as Obasanjo has been over the last 50 years, may be forgiven if he thinks he is some kind of godlet. Bullying comes naturally to the retired general. The more helpless his opponent, the more virulent his attacks. Gifted with an uncanny ability to steal the thunder of causes originally championed by other people, OBJ, as he was nicknamed in his days in power, is a human paradox  a blessing and a curse.

In the column I ran in Daily Trust in 2012, I said the following about the former president: Dont take anything away from the wily general. Obasanjo is as smart as they come. He tries to gauge public opinion and then goes public with his reaction as if he is on the same side with the people. Yet, all his narratives are focused on self.

people like Obasanjo are tenants of power. Once their tenancy expires, they become cantankerous and insist that society accords them perpetual relevance and reverence. No matter whatever else he achieves on this side of the grave, Obasanjo will always be a plebeian. True to type, he insists that he will never apologise for his behaviour. That is the true mark of a lowly plebeian.

E Dide! E Joko!

Now, to Obasanjos latest rude intervention in the public sphere. So much has already been said about Obasanjos demeaning disrespect of traditional rulers present at the commissioning of the newly reconstructed Oyo-Iseyin highway in Oyo State. As Guest of Honour, Obasanjo did not confine himself to his role but chose to play the part of a sergeant-major. He complained that the traditional rulers present did not rise, as protocol demanded, when the governor was going to the podium to address the gathering. He first established that he was a senior to the traditional rulers on two accounts: age and position.

He then thundered: All rise!

All the traditional rulers rose to their feet.

Then he barked, Sit down!

They all obeyed.

Obasanjo took the shine away from the true significance of the otherwise glorious event and the PR mileage that the Seyi Makinde government deservedly expected from its developmental intervention in that rich agricultural belt of his state. If anything was amiss, a wise statesman could have spoken to the kings in private. But that is not the way of bullies. And talking of protocol, which Obasanjo made so much noise about, is it conceivable that Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister (whose country trained Obasanjo at the Mons Officer Cadet School in Aldershot), would command King Charles to stand up as a mark of respect for him?

In spite of his life achievements  real or imagined, Obasanjo is too insignificant to review the relevance of the traditional institution in Yorubaland. The people revere their kings as custodians of their heritage and they jealously guard how they are treated in society. The kings are the link between the material and the spiritual. They are seen as representatives of the gods on earth and are exalted into the position of deputy deity because of their monarchical duties. Regimes come and regimes go. The kings outlive them all.

By contrast, people like Obasanjo are tenants of power. Once their tenancy expires, they become cantankerous and insist that society accords them perpetual relevance and reverence. No matter whatever else he achieves on this side of the grave, Obasanjo will always be a plebeian. True to type, he insists that he will never apologise for his behaviour. That is the true mark of a lowly plebeian. But a butterfly can never be a bird.

So much for an old mans bout of Logorrhoea!

Wole Olaoye is a Public Relations consultant and veteran journalist. He can be reached on wole.olaoye@gmail.com, Twitter: @wole_olaoye; Instagram: woleola2021

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No nation can be greater than the quality of its men. No marriage can be stronger than the quality of the husbands. When fathers fail, nations fail. When husbands fail, marriages fail. Fathers shape values faster and stronger in children and societies than any other method. Real men who are not in the business of eating sour grapes are now needed in our society. These are kingdom men.

Karl Marx was an historian who pioneered the socialist movement in Europe and across the globe. One of Marxs motives for entrenching socialism in the politics of Western nations was the elimination of the bibliocentric leadership roles of men in marriages. Marx publicly advanced this cause by advocating for the dissolution of the bibliocentric marriage structure that positioned the man as the head of a marriage unit.

According to Marx, the freer the wife and the children are from the control of men, the freer and healthier the society will be. In other words, men and fathers were perceived from a socialists worldview, as major obstacles to the advancement of the cause of freedom and equality in a modern society. The negative effect of Marxs satanic ideology on Western civilisation  till date  remains significant, sadly. In fact, a famous historian jokingly said,

Marx is still ruling from the grave.

The Bible  to which I subscribe, and which shapes my thoughts and values, more than anything else, is very sacrosanct about the roles of men in virtually every stratum of life and in nation-building. Men are leaders at home, in the church, and in government. For every home that failed in the scriptures, God held the men accountable for the failure. Such was the example of Eli, who was judged and disciplined by God in 1 Samuel 2, for being an enabler in the criminal acts of his children. Have you bothered to ask this fundamental question? Where was Mrs Eli when God was judging Mr Eli?

At the moment, we live in a world that is constantly shaped by controversial worldviews  feminism, universalism, socialism, humanism, and pragmatism, and all the isms, to mention a few, have led to the production of fathers who are constantly setting the teeth of their children on edge because of the sour grapes they have continued to eat. (Ezekiel 18:2).

Similarly, for every nation that failed in the scriptures, God held the men (fathers) accountable. Such was Gods judgement on several kings of Israel, such as Ahab and Saul  both of whom were held accountable by God for the failure of their nations. Where were their wives? When King David fell into adultery with Bathsheba, it was David who bore the consequences. In fact, it was the teaching and manuscripts from divinely selected men that formed the basis for the canonisation of most of the books in Bible. In other words, the divine providence of God allowed most of the books of the Bible to be written by men, and ultimately included in the canon of scriptures. These speak volumes. By divine providence, which no one can question, God has chosen to hold men responsible for so many things and in so many ways. This doesnt diminish the strategic roles and values of the ministry of women.

However, the roles of fathers are strategic, and the consequences of their actions and inactions are not just generational  but trans-generational. At the moment, we live in a world that is constantly shaped by controversial worldviews  feminism, universalism, socialism, humanism, and pragmatism, and all the isms, to mention a few, have led to the production of fathers who are constantly setting the teeth of their children on edge because of the sour grapes they have continued to eat. (Ezekiel 18:2).

As a man,

You are eating sour grapes when, rather than building values for your children, you are solely building wealth. You forget that the real wealth to leave for your children are values. You are eating sour grapes as a father when, rather than showing your children how to take care of a woman by loving and caring for her, all you do is to load her with physical and mental punches. You forget that as you punch their mums in the face, you are raising children who will not just punch their wives  but could also kill them. You are eating sour grapes as a father when, rather than training your children to walk in the fear of God by speaking the truth, all your children see you do is to tell lies to them and their mother. You are eating sour grapes as a father when, rather than working hard to show your children the virtues of hard work, you are cutting corners and modelling crookedness to your children.

Father in the name of Jesus, please raise kingdom men in Nigeria for your daughters as husbands, for our nations as politicians, and for our churches as pastors.

No nation can be greater than the quality of its men. No marriage can be stronger than the quality of the husbands. When fathers fail, nations fail. When husbands fail, marriages fail. Fathers shape values faster and stronger in children and societies than any other method. Real men who are not in the business of eating sour grapes are now needed in our society. These are kingdom men. Men who are truly saved. Men who carry the spirit of excellence and the touches of grace. Men who are more concerned with leaving values for their children than leaving houses and cars. Men who will not just be men because they wear trousers but will be men and fathers because they mirror and model Christ-like values and virtues in their homes and in the larger society.

Father in the name of Jesus, please raise kingdom men in Nigeria for your daughters as husbands, for our nations as politicians, and for our churches as pastors.

Ayo Akerele is a consultant, author and the founder of the Voice the Watchmen Ministries in Canada, he can be contacted through ayoakerele2012@gmail.com

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Residents of three communities in Benue State have appealed to the Governor of the State, Hyacinth Alia, to come to their aid over incessant cult-related killings.

The three communities located in Benue South Senatorial District  Ugbokolo, Amejo, and Okonobo  have been in the throes of daily killings by youths who are members of rival cult groups.

At least 10 persons were murdered in August in Ugbokolo town. The killing led to a grounding of socio-economic activities around the nearby Benue State Polytechnic.

In a bid to arrest the ugly development, an umbrella body for the affected communities, Ede-ma Development Association (EDA) in a statement, on Sunday, drew the governors attention to rampant cult-induced killings in the communities

We also call on the Benue State Government under Governor Hyacinth Alia to set up a probe panel to investigate and proffer solutions to the increasing cases of cultism, which we gathered, is very much alive in virtually all communities across the state, the statement issued by Michael Agbam, the national president of Ede-ma, said.

Mr Agbam explained that Ede-ma as a progressive civil society organisation believes cultism, and indeed all forms of criminality and violence, in any part of the state constitute a danger to the security of lives and property

Why were speaking up

Mr Agbam said the association was speaking up about the incident a month after its occurrence due to the alleged failure of the police to bring the perpetrators of the killings to book.

 We had also expected that the security agencies, especially the Nigeria Police Force, are fully on the ground and therefore ought to have quickly responded to such open criminality to restore public order and confidence. This was however not the case in view of the litany of violence in which cult groups openly chase and hack perceived rivals to death in broad daylight.

However, the spokesperson of the Benue State police command, Sewuese Anene, disagreed with Mr Agbams allegation regarding police failure in responding to the violence.

There was a cult clash in Ugbokolo which police intervened swiftly and it was brought under control. One person was killed, Mr Anene told PREMIUM TIMES in a WhatsApp message.

The association commended two youth groups  Edumoga Youth Association (EYA) and Edumoga Youth Movement (EYM)  for quelling the daily killings.

Earlier, Philip Agbese, who represents Ado/Okpokwu/ Ogbadibo Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, condemned the barbaric killings.

Mr Agbese urged law enforcement agencies to rise to the occasion of restoring peace and order in the town.

He also charged operatives to launch a full investigation into the matter and those responsible should be apprehended and prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to other cult members or intending members terrorizing the town, a statement issued by one of Mr Agbeses spokesperson, Oche Ekwote, said.

Ugbokolo and its environs have been in the grips of gun violence for a couple of years now.

The resurgence in killings has been traced to the proliferation of small and light weapons in communities.

Recently, the Benue State police commissioner, Bartholomew Onyeka, ordered a crackdown on persons in possession of illegal firearms.

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The House of Representatives is set to launch a new initiative to tackle the problem of out-of-school children in Nigeria using alternative schooling.

The framework, which is in the form of an intervention through the House Committee on Alternative Education, chaired by Almustapha Aliyu (APC, Sokoto), will also see the out-of-school children trained with relevant skills to become productive members of society.

This was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by Musa Krishi, the spokesperson to the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas.

Mr Krishi said the project is tagged Nigeria Mass Reduction of Out-of-School Children and Youth Project (NiMPROP), and it is proposed to last for four years.

In partnership with relevant government agencies, the intervention aims at improving access to education for all Nigerian children in line with the aspirations of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs-4) on qualitative and inclusive education for all.

It would significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children through the non-formal accelerated education system and other alternative schooling programmes.

The government agencies that the committee is working with include the National Commission of Almajiri and out-of-school children, the National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education and the National Commission for Nomadic Education, he said.

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He said the necessary machinery has been put in place for the actualisation of the intervention as the House gets set to reconvene from its annual recess on Tuesday.

Part of the initiative is to ensure the significant reduction of poverty in the six geopolitical zones of the country.

Based on the statistics from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the North-east leads in the poverty index with 71.86 per cent of its population in poverty, followed by the North-west with 64.84 per cent, while the North-central has 42.70 per cent. Others are South-east, 42.44 per cent; South-south, 21.28 per cent and South-west, 12.12 per cent.

The intervention targets the reduction of poverty as follows: Northeast, 4 million people; North-west, 3.4m people; North-central, 2.5m; South-east, 3m; South-south, 2.1m, and South-west, 1.6m, Mr Krishi said.

The House is set to reconvene on Tuesday after eight weeks of annual recess.

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The Lagos State Governorship Election Tribunal is set to deliver judgement on Monday in the petitions filed by the governorship candidates of the Labour Party, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor.

Mr Rhodes-Vivour and Mr Adediran are challenging the victory of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy Obafemi Hamzat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 18 March governorship election in Lagos State by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Sanwo-Olu polled 762,134 votes to defeat Mr Rhodes-Vivour, who polled 312,329, and Mr Adediran came third with 62,449 votes.

Jandors Petition

Mr Adediran demanded the disqualification of Mr Sanwo-Olu and Mr Rhodes-Vivour in the election for non-compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 as well as the guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In the petition marked EPT/LAG/GOV/01/2023 dated 7 April, the petitioners said the APC did not comply with the INEC timetable and schedule of activities for the 2023 general election which stipulated that all political parties must give 21 days notice to INEC before the conduct of their primaries.

According to the petition, the APC also failed to comply with the requirement of the Electoral Act 2022 which states that every political party sponsoring a candidate in the general election shall submit the nomination form of such candidate(s) not later than 180 days before the conduct of the general election in forms EC9.

Mr Adediran and the PDP added that Mr Sanwo-Olu failed to attach a copy of the GCE OLevel result he claimed to have sat for in 1981 along with his form EC9 as required by the Electoral Act 2022.

This development sparked a curiosity, with Adediran and PDP applying for the CTC of Sanwo-Olu 2019 from CF001, the petition reads.

It was then discovered that a statement of result issued by Ijebu Ife Community Grammar School, Ijebu-Ife for May/June 1981 GCE O Level examination with examination number 17624/118 which he submitted for his first term election as governor of the state was not confirmed by WAEC.

When Jandor and PDP approached WAEC for confirmation, they were directed to purchase the scratch card for verification of the WAEC result scratch card, which then confirmed the results as not emanating from WAEC, it came back to be a fake result.

Mr Adediran also hinged the disqualification of LPs governorship candidate who scored the second highest number of votes on alleged non-compliance of the party with the requirements of the Electoral Act in the conduct of the primary election that produced the candidate.

He said Mr Rhodes-Vivour was still a member of the PDP as of 18 June 2022 when he claimed under oath to have registered as a member of the LP.

Rhodes-Vivours petition

The petitioner approached the court on 9 April challenging the election outcome based on alleged non-qualification and claims of corrupt practices or non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022.

He alleged that the governor was not duly elected by a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election.

The LPs candidate is also challenging the eligibility of Mr Hamzat to contest on grounds that he allegedly renounced his Nigerian citizenship and swore allegiance to the United States of America.

INEC is the first respondent in the petition, while Mr. Sanwo-Olu and his deputy are listed as the second and third respondents, respectively. The APC is listed as the fourth respondent.

On 12 August, lawyers in the petitions adopted their final written addresses before the tribunal.

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GUIYANG, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Sixteen people have been confirmed dead in a coal mine fire in the city of Panzhou, southwest China's Guizhou Province, on Sunday morning, local authorities said. 
NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The laparoscopic devices market size is expected to grow by USD 4.39 billion from 2022 to 2027. In addition, the momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 8.11% during the forecast period, according to Technavio Research. The market is segmented by Product (Instrument, accessories, and Laparoscopes), End-user (Hospitals, Clinics, and Ambulatory surgical centers), and Geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of World (ROW)). North America will contribute 36% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The regional market growth can be attributed to factors such as the high prevalence of liver cancer, obesity, substantial healthcare expenditure, and the swift adoption of advanced technologies. Data from a 2019 investor presentation by Boston Scientific revealed that around 850,000 individuals in the US are diagnosed with liver cancer annually. This indicates a significant patient pool and opportunities for market expansion. Similarly, allocated substantial resources to R&D, with an expenditure of approximately USD 1,143 million in 2020. Hence, such factors fuel the growth of the laparoscopic devices market in North America during the forecast period. This report offers an up-to-date analysis of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. Read a PDF Sample Report

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Laparoscopic Devices Market 2023-2027

Company Profile:

avateramedical GmbH, B.Braun SE, Becton Dickinson and Co., CMR Surgical Ltd., Conmed Corp., Cook Group Inc., FlexDex Inc., HOYA Corp., Intuitive Surgical Inc., Johnson and Johnson, KARL STORZ SE and Co. KG, Medtronic Plc, Olympus Corp., Peters Surgical, Richard Wolf GmbH, Smith and Nephew plc, Stryker Corp., Teleflex Inc., The Cooper Companies Inc., Titan Medical Inc.

B.Braun SE - The company offers laparoscopic devices such as EinsteinVision, and Caiman.

 To gain access to more vendor profiles available with Technavio, buy the report!

Laparoscopic Devices Market: Segmentation Analysis

By Segment - The instrument segment will be significant during the forecast period. Learn about the contribution of each segment summarized in concise infographics and thorough descriptions. View a PDF Sample Report

"Besides analyzing the current market scenario, our report examines historic data from 2017 to 2021"- Technavio

Laparoscopic Devices Market: Driver & Trend:

Driver

Increasing popularity of MI techniques

High growth potential in emerging economies

Growing geriatric population

The growing geriatric population drives the laparoscopic devices market growth. The global market is propelled by the active engagement of key players like Medtronic, Olympus, Boston Scientific, Johnson and Johnson, Stryker, and B. Braun Melsungen in emerging economies. Such players strategically increase their investments in research and development while expanding their presence in these regions. Countries such as China, Indonesia, India, Brazil, and Mexico are poised for above-average growth, as highlighted by the company, which prompted B. Braun Melsungen to invest significantly in research and development activities, with the aim of capitalizing on growth opportunities in these emerging economies. Hence, such factors fuel the growth of the laparoscopic devices market during the forecast period.

Strategic alliances among market vendors are a key trend in the laparoscopic devices market. Identify key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market. Download a sample report to gain access to this information.

FAQS

How do the major trends impact the market?

How big is the North America market?

market? How do the key drivers and challenges impact the market?

Related Reports:

The laparoscopic ablation market size is expected to increase to USD 1.14 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 9.58%. The market is segmented by application, technique, and geography. The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is notably driving the laparoscopic ablation market growth.

The global endoscopy devices market size is estimated to grow by USD 14,039.24 million at a CAGR of 7.36% between 2022 and 2027. Technavio has segmented the market into Application, Product, and Geography. Growing demand for video endoscopy systems is driving the growth of the market.

ToC:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market Sizing

Historic Market Sizes

Five Forces Analysis

Market Segmentation by Product

Market Segmentation by End-user

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
The NASA mission  designed, built and flown by Lockheed Martin  aims to uncover new learnings about the building blocks of life in our solar system

UTAH TEST AND TRAINING RANGE, Utah, Sept. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a rapid and red-hot descent through Earth's atmosphere, NASA's OSIRIS-REx sample return capsule touched down in the desert at 8:52 a.m. MT today, returning NASA's first-ever asteroid sample. The capsule is estimated to hold about a cup of material from Bennu, a carbon-rich asteroid. Scientists hope it will teach us more about the origin of organics that led to life on Earth and help us better understand planet formation.

The sample return capsule from NASAs OSIRIS-REx mission is seen shortly after touching down in the desert, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023, at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range. Photo Credit: (NASA/Keegan Barber)

Just prior to landing, the capsule entered the atmosphere traveling more than 27,000 mph. It then gently landed in the sands of the U.S. government's Utah Test and Training Range.

A specialized recovery team led by Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT]  who designed, built and currently flies the mission for NASA  comprising representatives from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Johnson Space Center, the University of Arizona, then secured the capsule.

"The landing was safe, recovery was a huge success, and we're thrilled that the next phase of this mission can now begin," said Kyle Griffin, vice president and general manager of Commercial Civil Space at Lockheed Martin. "This particular sample return is monumental  scientists are about to open a time capsule with some of the earliest history of our solar system inside."

After approaching the capsule landing area in helicopters, the recovery team carefully searched for any hazardous material, sampled the neighboring soil, wrapped the 100-lb capsule in protective material, and attached it for transport with via helicopter to an on-site cleanroom at the range. There, the sample is being processed for shipment on a military aircraft to curation team members at NASA Johnson in Houston, Texas, who will make it available for study.

In total, about 60 people from NASA, the University of Arizona, Lockheed Martin and range personnel took part in the capsule landing and recovery efforts, plus a team of about 25 engineers operating the spacecraft from Lockheed Martin's Mission Support Area in Denver.

Advanced Exploration Technology Testbed

The OSIRIS-REx mission pioneered key technologies relevant to the future exploration of small bodies in our solar system, beyond its immediate follow-on mission. They include:

Specific techniques for operating in microgravity

Autonomous guidance to the surface of a small body with Natural Feature Tracking

Unique sample collection from an asteroid, with the Lockheed Martin-invented, reverse-vacuum Touch and Go sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM) device

Next Stop: Apophis

Following today's successful landing and showcase of key technologies, OSIRIS-REx will now be dubbed OSIRIS-APEX and enter its extended mission phase, beginning its journey to its follow-on mission target: near-Earth asteroid Apophis.

To date, OSIRIS-REx's major mission milestones include:

Launching on Sept. 8, 2016 , from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Arriving at Bennu on Dec. 3, 2018 , where it conducted a two-year detailed survey of the asteroid.

, where it conducted a two-year detailed survey of the asteroid. Extracting a sample from the asteroid by "tagging" it on Oct. 20, 2020 .

. Departing the asteroid to head back to Earth on May 10, 2021 .

Background and Resources

Including OSIRIS-REx, Lockheed Martin has bult more interplanetary spacecraft than all other U.S. companies combined and has partnered with NASA to explore every planet in our solar system. The company is excited to continue its legacy of supporting every NASA robotic sample return mission to date with its upcoming work on the agency's Mars Sample Return program.

More Lockheed Martin OSIRIS-REx resources include:

Lockheed Martin's OSIRIS-REx webpage

Photos of OSIRIS-REx

OSIRIS-REx sample return video

About the OSIRIS-REx Mission

NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, provides overall mission management, systems engineering, and the safety and mission assurance for OSIRIS-REx. The University of Arizona leads the science team and the mission's science observation planning and data processing. Lockheed Martin Space in Littleton, Colorado, built the spacecraft and provides flight operations.

About Lockheed Martin

Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin Corporation is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.

Please follow @LMNews on X for the latest announcements and news across the corporation.

SOURCE Lockheed Martin
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Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Basti : , Sep 24 (IANS) In a tragic incident, a man and his wife allegedly committed suicide, hours after the woman was gang-raped in a village in Uttar Pradesh's Basti district, police said.

An FIR has been filed over the incident and two men have been arrested in connection with the matter.

Basti Superintendent of Police (SP), Gopal Krishana, said that the husband died on Friday night while his wife died at a hospital in Gorakhpur the following day.

The couple's relatives have alleged that the woman was gang raped by the two men in her house in the Rudhauli police station area on the intervening night of September 20 and 21, the SP added.

Before allegedly dying by suicide, the couple recorded a video in which they mentioned the names of the accused, the police added.

Based on a complaint by the brother of the man, an FIR was filed against the two men under Sections 376 D (gang rape ) and 306 (abetment to suicide), Krishana said.

The couple's children told the police that when they were getting ready to go to school on Friday morning, their parents told them that they had consumed poison and were going to die, the police said.

The couple has three children, two sons aged eight and six, and a one-year-old daughter.

According to preliminary investigation, the rape incident is linked with the sale of land owned by the victim, the police added.
Jerusalem, Sep 24 : The Israeli military struck a military post belonging to the Hamas organisation which rules the Gaza Strip, according to a statement released by the Israeli Army.

The strike, carried out using an unmanned aerial vehicle, came in response to a demonstration held by residents of the territory adjacent to the border with Israel, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Hundreds of rioters have gathered adjacent to the security fence in the Gaza Strip... Soldiers were dispatched to the scene and operated against the violent riot using riot dispersal means and precise live fire," the statement said on Saturday.

On Friday, the military also struck at Hamas targets after incendiary balloons were sent from the Gaza Strip and caused fire on the Israeli side of the border.

Palestinian protestors have been gathering at the border in the past week, burning tires and throwing explosive devices at Israeli troops.

The demonstrators and Hamas say the protests are in response to recent Jewish visits to the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, a flashpoint in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Agra, Sep 24 : The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has ordered an inquiry into the death of a 61-year-old French woman tourist at the historical monument of Fatehpur Sikri in Uttar Pradesh.

Joint Director General Sanjay Manjul has been entrusted with the task and is set to arrive in Agra to conduct the investigation.

The unfortunate incident occurred when the French tourist, identified as Esma Ben Yelles, fell from a platform approximately five feet high. The ASI, responsible for the conservation and maintenance of protected monuments across India, swiftly took cognisance of the incident.

Raj Kumar Patel, the superintending archaeologist for the Agra circle of ASI, confirmed the initiation of the probe while adding, "The Joint Director General-level officer will lead the investigation, as directed by the ASI Director General's office in Delhi. The findings of the probe committee will determine whether a safety audit of monuments in Agra is warranted."

It may be recalled that a committee led by the district magistrate of Agra is already conducting its own investigation into the tragic accident.

Additional DM (protocol) Shairi and CMO Dr A.K. Srivastava visited the monument and interacted with ASI officials and private security personnel.

District Magistrate Bhanu Goswami had earlier formed a three-member committee to investigate the incident, consisting of ADM Protocol Shairi, CMO Agra Dr A.K. Srivastava, and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Achhnera).

Goswami emphasised, "The additional district magistrate (protocol) will probe the incident, including allegations of delays in ambulance service. Those found negligent will face action."

Eyewitnesses recounted the tragic accident, explaining that the victim had been leaning against a wooden railing that unexpectedly gave way. As a result, she plummeted from the five-foot-high platform, landing on the stone floor below.
New York, Sep 24 : US intelligence agencies provided information that led Canada to hold India responsible for Khalistan leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing, according to Western-allied officials, The New York Times reported.

Following Njjar's killing on June 18 outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, "American spy agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved."

However, the two allied officials, who spoke to the newspaper on the condition of anonymity, said the "most definitive intelligence" on the killing was collected by Canada.

The report coincides with US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen's claims that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegation against India was based on "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners".

Other than Canada, the five eyes intelligence sharing network is made up of the US, the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and was founded in 1946.

The US remained unaware of the plot, or evidence linking India's involvement in it, until after operatives had killed Nijjar, allied officials said, adding that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies' "duty to warn" doctrine.

Further, they said that the Canadian officials had also warned Nijjar, but "had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot".

"The United States routinely, and automatically, shares huge amounts of intercepted communications with its closest intelligence partners, including Canada. But the contextual information about the killing was shared deliberately as part of a package of various intelligence streams," The Times report said.

The NYT reached out to a White House spokesman who declined to comment. According to the report, the US officials were reluctant to discuss the killing because America wants to maintain a fine balance between both its allies.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has urgedIndia to cooperate with Canada and ensure "accountability" over Nijjar's killing.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Friday, Blinken said the US has been in touch both with India, with which it has warming ties, and Canada, a close ally.

"We want to see accountability. And it's important that the investigation runs its course and leads to that result," Blinken said.

After claiming that Indian agents played a role in the murder of Canadian citizen Nijjar on Canadian soil, Trudeau on Thursday called on India to cooperate on the investigation.

He said that Canada shared evidence on Nijjar's killing with India "many weeks ago".

Trudeau's accusation has led to a diplomatic spat between India and Canada with New Delhi rejecting Ottawa's claims as "absurd and motivated", followed by tit-for-tat expulsions of senior diplomats and travel advisories.
RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Brazil is poised to become the world's largest cotton exporter, overtaking the United States, as the main U.S. producing region, Texas, is suffering from droughts and heatwaves, a Brazilian cotton industry leader has said.

"If the U.S. crop continues to deteriorate, Brazil can easily overtake the United States," Gustavo Vigano, vice president of the Brazilian Cotton Producers Association, told Xinhua.

"The two countries are already equal in basic statistics. It is conceivable that Brazil will become the world's largest exporter this season," Vigano added.

The United States and Brazil are the world's largest cotton exporters, accounting for more than half of the global supply. The United States is expected to export 12.5 million bales in the 2023-24 season. However, due to the drought in Texas, the figure may be reduced.

As a result, Brazil, with an export forecast of 11.25 million bales this season, could become the world's largest exporter.

Moreover, U.S. cotton quality "has not been as good" in recent years due to droughts, while Brazil has "very good quality" because of its rainfall pattern, according to Vigano.

The U.S. cotton crop is only one grade above its worst level on record, as about 40 percent of its production is coming from drought-stricken areas, including nearly all of Texas, which had the second-hottest summer on record this year.

"Many (Brazilian) farmers want to increase the area planted for cotton for next year," Vigano added. "Since we cannot absorb all the supply, we will export more." 
Patna, Sep 24 : Murders, rape, extortion, road robbery and kidnapping are regular affairs in Bihar and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party often raises the law and order situation in the state to target the Nitish Kumar government.

At a recent rally in Jhanjharpur, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that 'Jungle Raj' has returned in Bihar which clearly indicates that law and order in the state will be one of the issues for the saffron party in the Lok Sabha election.

Four to five murders are taking place in Bihar every day on an average.

On September 22, an elderly man was gunned down in Jamui, a wood trader was shot dead in Khagaria, Some unidentified men slit the throat of a woman in Begusarai, a jilted lover shot a girl in the head in Patna's Masaudhi area and then tried to commit suicide, a 14-year-old boy working as a domestic help was killed in Sitamarhi. These are some of the crimes that happened in one day and such incidents are taking place in Bihar almostdaily.

These incidents have put pressure on the Bihar government and police. The state police headed by DGP RS Bhatti is concentrating on arresting the accused to bring down the crime cases.

Jitendra Singh Gangwar, ADGP headquarters in Bihar, claimed the strike rate of the police to arrest the accused is increasing in 2023 compared to 2022 and 2021.

"We have arrested 2 lakh, 31 thousand and 172 accused involved in various crimes from January to August 31 this year. Among them, 8468 accused come in the category of hardcore criminals. In 2021, 1 lakh 97 thousand 582 accused were arrested while the figure has reached 3 lakh 46 thousand 332," Gangwar said.

"When we talk about the arrests of criminals every month, the average arrests were 16,465 (per month) in 2021, the figure reached 28861 per month in 2022 and this year till August, 28,896 accused were arrested on an average every month. The figures this year is higher than 2022 and 2021," Gangwar said.

"As far as hardcore criminals are concerned, 756 were arrested in 2021 and the figure was almost similar in 2022 when the police arrested 759 hardcore criminals but the figure jumped almost 160% in 2023 when the police arrested 1253 hardcore criminals per month in all 28 districts of Bihar," he stated.

"Crime control is our top priority with our district police, Special Task Force (STF) and other special forces. The action has been taking place on the basis of intelligence inputs in and outside of the state," Gangwar added.

"We have arrested Pramod Singh, an inter-state liquor smuggler from Deoria in Uttar Pradesh, Munger police arrested Chandan Tanti andKunadar Tanti from Faridabad in Haryana. They were involved in cases of murder and are among the top 10 hardcore criminals of Munger district. The Navgachiya police arrested Jay Yadav from Lahori Gate area in New Delhi this week. He is also a hardcore criminal and is involved in murder cases. Siwan police arrested Vishal Singh, a dreaded criminal," Gangwar said.

The Katihar police arrested 3 cyber conmen and also seized 90 ATM cards of different banks, 23 thumb impressions, 6 photocopies of Aadhar cards, 109 passbooks and one cheque book from their possession. The Saran police arrested a dreaded Maoist Agnidev Ram from a village that comes under Dariyapur police station in the district. Agnidev Ram was involved in 6 cases. The Bettiah police arrested 4 criminals under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act. They were planning to rob a bank. The Munger police arrested 7 arms smugglers from Jamalpur city and also seized 21 partially made pistols and 21 barrels from their possession.

Bihar has a porous border with Nepal and hence a large number of foreign nationals were also arrested this year.

Gangwar claimed that 35 foreign nationals were arrested till May this year and the figure reached 47 by August 31. Among them 32 foreigners were arrested for entering the country illegally using bogus documents. Six were arrested on the charge of gold smuggling, 5 foreigners were arrested under NDPS Act and smuggling foreign currency, one foreigner was arrested for smuggling arms and ammunition.
Ayodhya, Sep 24 : A fresh controversy is brewing in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh over the acquisition of 1.6 acres of land at Angad Tila by the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust.

This dispute has set the Naga Sadhus of Hanuman Garhi against the Trust, which is currently overseeing the construction of the Ram Mandir.

The Trust intends to use this land for expanding the Ram Janmabhoomi campus and its associated projects.

The Naga Sadhus of Hanuman Garhi claim that the land rightfully belongs to them.

As the standoff continued into Sunday, the Naga Sadhus stood their ground and established a langar (community kitchen) while engaging in bhajan-kirtan on the Angad Tila land adjacent to the Ram Janmabhoomi campus.

The Naga Sadhus, undeterred, also demolished the construction work carried out by the Trust with the aid of earth movers on Saturday.

A portion of Angad Tila is situated within the Ram Janmabhoomi campus, while the majority of the monument's land lies outside of it.

According to the historical account, the Angad Tila land is the property of Hanuman Garhi, as claimed by the Naga Sadhus.

Priest Ramesh Das of Hanuman Garhi asserts that Mahant Murli Das of Hardwari Peeth of Hanuman Garhi is the custodian of Angad Tila.

After weeks of unsuccessful negotiations between the Trust and Hanuman Garhi, the Ayodhya administration declared the land as "nazul land" (government land).

Representing the Ayodhya administration, the sub-divisional magistrate held discussions with the Naga Sadhus of Hanuman Garhi, but these talks proved futile. "The land unequivocally belongs to Hanuman Garhi. We possess all the necessary records," said Mahant Sanjay Das, former president of Akhada Parishad.

Commenting on the issue, Anil Mishra, a member of the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust, said, "The Trust had sought to acquire the land (Angad Tila). Talks between the Trust and Hanuman Garhi have reached an impasse. We are no longer involved in this matter. What the district administration is doing (declaring Angad Tila land as government land) is beyond our control."

In June 2021, the Trust found itself embroiled in another land purchase row in Ayodhya, involving the acquisition of 1.2080 hectares of land in Ayodhya's Bag Bijaisi. However, that issue has since been resolved.

Now, with the Trust stepping aside, the Hanuman Garhi Sadhus anticipate a contentious battle with the Ayodhya administration.

"Everyone knows who prompted the sudden declaration of Angad Tila land as 'nazul land' (government land) by the Ayodhya administration," said Mahant Sanjay Das.
United Nations, Sept 23 : Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has called the G20 Leaders' Declaration adopted in New Delhi this month "objective" about Ukraine and the geopolitical situation.

"I think that the text of that summit was objective, not only when it comes to Ukraine, which is only mentioned once but it was objective about the geopolitical situation as a whole," he said on Saturday at a news conference here.

The Declaration, which was the result of India's consensus-building, did not mention Russia, but had elements that could be seen as critical of Moscow's actions in Ukraine.

It said: "All states must act in a manner consistent with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter in its entirety. In line with the UN 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 Declaration also "highlighted the human suffering and negative added impacts of the war in Ukraine."

As for geopolitics, Lavrov noted that it said that "all conflicts need to be considered not just those that one has a specific interest in."

For example, it also mentioned the Palestine situation, he said.

Lavrov contrasted the G20 Declaration with outcome documents from other forums where he said the West insisted on condemning Moscow.

"They just completely exhausted everyone with their incessant demands for the outcome documents to denounce Russia," he said.

"It is the West that is trying to blame Russia and Russia's actions in Ukraine for all the world's problems and they're not successful in this," he said referring to the G20 Declaration.

Lavrov criticised the working of the UN and said that Moscow supports Security Council reform to make the organisation "sustained and legitimate in nature".

He shot down Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' proposal for restarting the Black Sea Grain Initiative as well as the peace plan proposed by Ukraine.

He bristled at suggestions that he had "rejected" Guterres' with a semantic twist that Moscow only said elements of it were unacceptable, citing problems with receiving payments for the grain exports because of sanctions on banking.

The Grain Deal brokered by the UN and Turkiye allowed for exports of food grains from Russia and Ukraine through the Black Sea amid naval blockades and war.

The peace plan proposed by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky, which includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from occupied territories, and restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, was unacceptable and the war will go on, he said.

(Arul Louis can be contacted atarul.l@ians.inand followed at @arulouis)
Lucknow, Sep 24 : The Samajwadi Party (SP) national President Akhilesh Yadav has asked the party cadres to get down to work to ensure that the party gets at least 60 per cent votes in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

He said that the "struggle to save democracy and the constitution through the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will be no less than a revolution".

Addressing party workers from the Ghosi Assembly segment -- a seat that the SP won in the recent bypolls -- Akhilesh said, "The BJP's exit from the Centre has to be ensured through Uttar Pradesh."

The newly elected SP MLA from Ghosi, Sudhakar Singh shared the dais with Akhilesh at the meeting.

Congratulating Sudhakar and Ghosi cadre on the victory, Akhilesh Yadav said: "The victory in the Ghosi bypolls has shown a new political path. It has sent out the message that if the political workers take a revolutionary stance against the government, then democracy and the Constitution can be saved."

He said that in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, the PDA (pichada, Dalit, alpsankhyak -- backwards, Dalits and minorities) and all others will make the SP win.

Akhilesh said that the BJP government had put immense pressure on the police and administration, yet the people of Ghosi made the SP candidate win.

Talking about possible seat sharing with INDIA partners, especially Congress, Akhilesh Yadav said, "Samajwadi Party is not asking for the seats in the alliance, the SP is giving seats. A decision on seat- sharing will be arrived at after a discussion with all the alliance partners."

He said the SP had formed alliances earlier also and "had made sacrifices (of seats). This time the fight (the 2024 polls) is bigger. The SP will move forward taking all along."
Panaji, Sep 24 : Goa, famous for its beaches, found a place for its 'Churches and Convents' in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1986, which helps the tourism sector to grow in the small coastal state.

More than eight million tourists who visit Goa every year flock to these sites to know about their history. In future, one more site is likely to be added in the list.

There are seven places listed under 'Churches and Convents' in the UNESCO's list declared in 1986, located in the former capital of the Portuguese-Indies at Old Goa, 10 km away from here.

These sites are: Basilica of Bom Jesus, Ruins of the Church of St. Augustine, Church of St. Francis of Assisi and Convent, Se Cathedral, St. Cajetan's Church, Church of Our Lady of Rosary and St Catherine's Chapel.

Noted historian Professor Prajal Sakhardande speaking to IANS said that one more site is on the tentative list of UNESCO, which could be declared next year.

"The Pansaimoll-Uzgallimoll petroglyphs (rock art) site on the banks of Kushawati River in Dhandole village of Sanguem taluka has been put on the tentative list of UNESCO as another world heritage site from Goa. This could be declared next year," he said.

"We started this process through the Archeological Survey of India. We had given a proposal and presentation before the UNESCO committee in 2010. Then in 2022 it was put on the tentative list," he said.

He said that they have recommended Patto bridge and Khajan land to be included in the list.

Patto bridge in North Goa was built by the Portuguese and was considered to be the longest bridge in Asia.

Speaking about the tag of World Heritage Site from UNESCO, he said that this helps in many ways as the sites gets legal and other protection.

"Once any site is declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site, it gets protection in many ways. Even Khajan land of Goa should come under UNESCO, so that it gets protection," he said.

Khajan land is a part of a traditional agro-aqua integrated system traditionally used by local communities for equitable sharing of resources between farmers and fishers.

According to Sakhardande, if the Khajan land comes under UNESCO sites, then their destruction will stop.

"It means a lot to get a UNESCO tag as the site gets protection and draws more tourists," Sakhardande said.

According to him, the 'rock art' site at Sanguem taluka will be the second heritage site by UNESCO after it is declared.

Minister for Archaeology Subhash Phal Dessai had stated that the government intends to formulate a Heritage Policy.

"For the purpose of drafting the heritage policy, an extensive survey of all heritage sites/monuments is required. The Government has accorded administrative approval to carry out the survey of all monuments and antiquities as per the National Mission on Monuments and Antiquities of the Archaeological Survey of India and also to sign an MOU with the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Monali and the Indian Numismatic, Historical and Cultural Research Foundation, Nasik for the purpose of carrying out a pre-historic site survey in the State. Based on both surveys, a Heritage Policy will be formulated by engaging experts from related fields," he said.

Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) president Nilesh Shah told IANS that there is a segment of tourists who specially visits heritage sites, which helps the tourism sector of a place.

"These heritage sites definitely help in the growth of tourism as many people visit these places. Those who are interested in exploring heritage sites will surely visit them. However, once they get the UNESCO's World Heritage Site tag, even those who come down to Goa for the first time will also visit these places," Shah said.

He pointed out that there is need to market these places as UNESCO's World Heritage Sites so more people are drawn to Goa.

'Churches and Convents' of Goa:

The Basilica of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier, is a monument typical of the classic forms of plane architecture, introduced by the Jesuits. It is a large single Nave structure built in 1595-1605 and paid for with legacies left by Dom Jeronimo Mascarenhas, a wealthy Portuguese Captain of Cochin.

Ruins of the Church of St. Augustine: This complex was built by the Augustinian order. It comprised the church of Our Lady of Grace, the Convent of Saint Augustine, the College of Populo, and the Seminary of St Guilherme. The church is dedicated to Our Lady of Grace. Its construction was started in 1597 and was completed around 1602.

Church of St. Francis of Assisi and Convent: The original shrine, constructed by the Fransican monks in 1521 and subsequently enlarged, was showing signs of decay, so a new church was constructed and dedicated to the Holy Spirit. Built in 1665, it retained the portal of the old structure which was in the PortugueseManueline style.

Se Cathedral, Goa: The construction of Se Cathedral in Goa started in 1562 and ended in 1652. It is built on a raised laterite plinth and covered in lime plaster.

St. Cajetan's Church was built by Italian Monks of the Order of Theatines in 1665. It's crowned with a huge hemispherical dome, on the pattern of the Roman Basilica of St. Peter.

The construction of 'Church of Our Lady of Rosary' had begun in 1544 and took six years to complete.

The architecture of this church presents features of the classic Gothic style along with Portuguese-Manueline style while the Renaissance influence is reflected in the interior vaults.

St Catherine's Chapel was commissioned by the Portuguese conqueror Afonso de Albuquerque in 1510. This was to commemorate his triumphant entry into Old Goa on St Catherine's Day. The chapel was raised to the status of a cathedral by Pope Paul III in 1534 and subsequently rebuilt.

IANS

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Mogadishu, Sep 24 : At least 20 people, most of them civilians, were killed in a suicide car bomb attack in Beledweyne town in Somalia, local officials said.

According to Beledweyne District Commissioner Omar Alasow, the explosion occurred near a market and two petrol stations, causing massive destruction.

Security forces and medical teams are on the ground to support the victims of the suicide bomb attack, Xinhua news agency reported quoting Alasow.

Talking to reporters, Alasoq said, "We are still gathering details related to the terrorist attack. The casualties are significant, and we are transporting the victims to local hospitals. If they cannot treat the serious casualties, we will try to airlift them to Mogadishu for further treatment."

"It is a very shocking and disturbing terrorist attack. Houses and business centers were destroyed, and residents inside those houses are still missing. Some dead bodies have been recovered. The blast was like an earthquake," Abdi Hussein, an elder who was at the scene, told Xinhua over phone.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but the al-Shabab extremist group usually stages such attacks in Mogadishu and elsewhere across Somalia.
New Delhi, Sep 24 : Following a brief chase, the Delhi Police have arrested two wanted criminals and recovered one country-made pistol from their possession, an official said on Sunday.

The accused were identified as Ramesh a.k.a Budhu (28) andArun alias Lamba (27), both residents of Dharampura in Najafgarh area.

According to the police, on September 14, a police team was patrolling the Dharampura area in Najafgarh.

"As they reached the RD-Block crossing, they noticed two individuals acting suspiciously, attempting to flee upon seeing the police. The patrolling team pursued and successfully apprehended both of the accused persons," said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M. Harsha Vardhan.

During frisking, the officers discovered a country-made pistol and three live cartridges in their possession.

"Further investigation revealed that one of the accused, Ramesh, had a history of criminal activities in the Najafgarh police station's jurisdiction, and he was also declared 'Bad Character' while the other accused, Arun, had previous involvements in cases of robbery and murder," said the DCP.

Upon interrogation, it was revealed that both accused individuals were also involved in a quarrel in the Gopal Nagar area, leading to a case being registered at the Baba Haridas Nagar police station.
Bhopal, Sep 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a big public rally in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh on Monday.

According to state BJP president V. D. Sharma, around 10 lakh party workers are expected to gather at Bhopal's Jamboree Maidan, where PM Modi will give the mantra of victory for the coming Assembly elections.

The BJP workers have decorated the city with cutouts of PM Modi and BJP's flags, while the security forces have issued advisory regarding high alert.

State Home Minister Narottam Mishra told the press that around 4,000 police personnel, including 20 IPS officers have been deployed to strengthen the security system in Bhopal.

"Drone cameras will be used in the surroundings of the Jamboree Maidan where PM Modi will be addressing the Mahakumbh of BJP workers. SPG and NSG forces have already arrived," Mishra said.

The mega rally is being organised tomark the formal culmination of the partyas five Jan Ashirwad Yatras being held to reach out to the masses before the Assembly polls.

The BJP rolled out five yatras early this month, with party president J.P. Nadda flagging off the first one from Chitrakoot in Satna on September 3.

These yatras are meant to cover more than 10,500 kms in 210 of the stateas 230 Assembly constituencies before culminating into a mega workers' meet in Bhopal on September 25.

The yatras have already concluded a couple of days ago and BJP claimed to have received massive support from the people.

The mega event is being organised on the occasion of the birth anniversary of the BJP's fore-founder Deen Dayal Upadhyay on September 25.

On this occasion, PM Modi will give the mantra for winning the upcoming legislative and Lok Sabha elections to the workers. Only registered party workers will participate in the programme. Without registration, no worker can be part of this event, and the registration process has started at the booth level.

This will be PM Modias third visit to the state in the past 45 days. This is an indication of the BJP's efforts to maintain its stronghold in the central state by capitalising on his popularity.
New Delhi, Sep 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday announced that the G20 University Connect Programme will be held on September 26, where lakhs of university students across the country will connect with each other. Prestigious institutions like IITs, IIMs, NITs and medical colleges will also participate in it.

In his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann Ki Baat', PM Modi said that he will also be participating in the programme.

"I wish that if you are a college student, you must watch this programme to be held on the 26th September and join it. In this, many interesting exchanges are going to take place on the future of India and on the future of the youth. I myself shall participate in this programme," he said.

The prime minister also informed that a big event on cleanliness is going to be organised on October 1, where he urged people to participate.

"You too should take out time and help in this campaign related to cleanliness. You can also join this cleanliness campaign in your street, or neighbourhoodaor at a park, river, lake or any other public place and cleanliness must be undertaken wherever a water body has been built," he said.

He referred to the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, which was announced during the recently held G20 summit.

"This corridor is going to become the basis of world trade for hundreds of years to come, and history will always remember that this corridor was initiated on Indian soil," PM Modi said.
BJP trying to distract people from issue of caste census by triggering controversies through its MPs: Rahul. Image Source: IANS News

New Delhi, Sep 24 : Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused the BJP of trying to distract people from the idea of caste census by triggering controversies through its MPs Ramesh Bidhuri and Nishikant Dubey.

While speaking at a conclave here, the Congress leader said that the BJP wins elections by "distracting" and not allowing us to construct our narrative.

He said that Congress is probably winning Telangana, certainly winning in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and we are very close in Rajasthan which we think we'll be able to win.

"That is what BJP is also internally saying," he said.

"We learned a very important lesson in Karnataka, and the lesson was that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative," Rahul Gandhi said at 'The Conclave 2023' organised by Pratidin Media Network and shared by the grand old party on its official X handle.

"And so what we did in Karnataka, we fought the election in a way where the BJP could not define the narrative. What you're seeing today, Bidhuri, and then suddenly this Nishikant Dubey, this is all the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the caste census. They know the caste census is a fundamental thing people of India want and they don't want to have discussion. So every time they bring a point on the table to distract us, we have learned how to deal with it," he said.

"We have learned how to deal with it. In Karnataka, we gave a clear vision, and now we are in control of the narrative. No matter what they (BJP) try to do, we are now in control of the narrative," he said.

A controversy erupted earlier this week after BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri used derogatory and abusive words at Bahujan Samaj Party MP Kunwar Danish Ali, on the floor of the House.

Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary K.C. Venugopal visited the BSP leader and expressed solidarity with him.

He also said the Congress is controlling the narrative in the states where the elections are due later this year and claimed that the BJP which has "put in thousands of crores of rupees" to control it during the Bharat Jodo Yatra but couldn't do it.

"The opposition is 60 per cent of India's population and BJP is in for a surprise in 2024," he added.

Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram are scheduled later this year.
WUHAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Nearly a month into the new semester, Du Chanchan, a PhD candidate at Huazhong Agricultural University, is rarely spotted on the university campus in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province.

Du, who majors in crop cultivation and farming system, is busy growing rice and breeding ducks at a ratoon rice sci-tech station in Guohe Town in the city of Xiantao, nearly 150 kilometers away from her university.

"I had never seen paddy or live ducks before I started my postgraduate study," said Du, who grew up in a mountainous area of northwest China's Gansu Province, where sorghum is the main crop.

"Now I can tell the types of rice by taste and raise thousands of ducks at the same time," she said, emerging from a paddy of swimming ducks, whose excrement serves as natural nutrients for the crops.

During the past five years, the 28-year-old student spent over 300 days a year at the sci-tech station exploring the co-culture system of ratoon rice and duck, an agricultural technique that can boost crop yield with minimal environmental impact.

"I've been far away from the bustling metropolis in recent years, but I think it's more than worth it," said Du, whose research has helped increase the yearly earnings of local farmers by more than 45,000 yuan (about 6,270 U.S. dollars) per hectare, while reducing the use of pesticide and fertilizer.

Earlier this month, her article analyzing how the co-culture system affects crop productivity and greenhouse emissions was published in the European Journal of Agronomy, making it possible for this knowledge to benefit farmers globally.

The sci-tech station where Du works was founded 10 years ago by an ex-serviceman. Now it has evolved into a bridge connecting agronomy students needing field research and farmers lacking access to advanced technologies.

There are more than 1,000 such rural sci-tech centers across China, contributing to the proliferation of agricultural technologies and aiding in the battle against poverty.

China's total grain output set a new record of 687 million tonnes in 2022 and remained above 650 million tonnes for eight consecutive years, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

The continuous bumper harvests have highlighted the role of agricultural sci-tech promotion in increasing grain yield, which is likely to reach 694 million tonnes in 2023.

"In recent years, grassroots tech centers have worked together with government authorities and research institutes to greatly reduce the time it takes for agricultural technologies to translate into productive outcomes," said Huang Jianliang, a professor of agronomy at Huazhong Agricultural University.

DOWN TO EARTH

Wang Weibin, the founder of the Xiantao station, left the military and started farming in 2008. Concerned about the limited farming skills and low incomes of local farmers, despite the fertile lands, he decided to pursue a master's degree in agronomy at Huazhong Agricultural University to find a solution.

There, Wang came up with the idea of inviting scholars and well-educated students to help improve the farming techniques of villagers, most of whom have only attended middle schools.

"I've seen how farmers are in need of science and technology, while many research findings are confined to papers and labs," said Wang. "The idea is to turn professors into farmers, and farmers into professors."

His proposal quickly gained support from professors at the university. "Agricultural researchers must pass the test of the soil. Only in the farmlands can we identify urgent problems facing agriculture and find their solutions," said Huang, an early supporter of the initiative.

But many farmers were initially skeptical of the visiting "intellectuals."

"I thought they were only here to experience a different life. I couldn't believe that these young people who seemed so detached from the soil could till land well," recalled Wei Tianhua, a farmer from Zhongling Village in Guohe Town.

The students quietly settled down on Wang's contracted land, growing a new ratoon rice. Their first crop grew so well that many curious farmers, including Wei, came to seek their advice and started to grow the same variety under the guidance of the students. The initiative proved to be a big success, and Wei's income has since increased fourfold.

Besides agronomy students, the sci-tech station has in recent years attracted scholars from various backgrounds, such as engineering, computer technology, bioengineering and economics.

"Apart from agricultural techniques, we can learn about policies, management and industrial chains related to agriculture here, as well as the real situation of the countryside and farmers, which can hardly be learned through books," Huang said.

BUCKING BRAIN DRAIN

With Du set to graduate in a year, her junior fellow students have come to the sci-tech station to continue the research. Zhou Lewei and Hu Luanluan, both post-graduate students, are trying to grow mushrooms with rice stalks to help farmers generate income in winter, while some other students are studying the co-culture of ratoon rice and rape.

As of now, the station has promoted 27 new agricultural technologies and solved over 150 problems related to farming and breeding. It has conducted 160 free lectures and training sessions, imparting agricultural technology and skills to over 20,000 farmers from across the city.

Zhou Shiwen, deputy Party chief of Guohe Town, said the ratoon rice-duck co-culture model in the village has already been introduced in nine towns in Xiantao.

According to data from the Ministry of Education, from 2009 to 2020, such sci-tech stations served nearly 600 poverty-stricken villages and more than 170,000 impoverished villagers. Over 800 professors and scholars, as well as more than 1,500 postgraduate students, contributed to the work of the sci-tech stations.

China's rural areas have long suffered from brain drain due to the exodus of young people to bigger cities, but grassroots tech centers have injected fresh vitality into the countryside, helping raise the country's contribution rate of agricultural sci-tech progress from 54.5 percent in 2012 to 61.5 percent in 2021.

"Due to their limited numbers, these tech centers may not have fully solved the shortage of technological talent in rural areas, but they have offered a promising solution," Huang said. "We hope in the future, every town in China will have such facilities, and scientists can travel around the country to assist farmers during harvest seasons." 
Bhopal, Sep 24 : The Madhya Pradesh state leadership will be attending the Congress Election Screening Committee meeting at party headquarters in Delhi on Monday to finalise its list of candidates for the Assembly elections.

"Lists of candidates (for Madhya Pradesh) will be released at an appropriate time, but those names that have been finalised will be given a signal to start their preparations. We have a meeting in Delhi tomorrow," said Kamal Nath, the Madhya Pradesh Congress president.

Kamal Nath was briefing the media in Bhopal on Sunday and said the meeting will be held in Delhi on Monday.

The meeting will also review poll preparations for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Mizoram.

Notably, it will be the third meeting of the Congress Election Screening Committee in New Delhi in the past one month.

Highly placed sources in MP Congress, however, told IANS that many candidates have already been asked to start their poll preparations and they have already started.

Sources also said that the Congress may release the list of candidates only after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announces the poll dates. MP Congress leaders said the party had released its four lists of candidates in 2018 and it was done after the code of conduct was imposed.

The ruling BJP released the names of 39 candidates a month ago. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also released its first list of 10 candidates a couple of weeks ago.

During a press conference on Saturday, Union Minister and Madhya Pradesh election in-charge for BJP, Narendra Singh Tomar, said that the second list will be released soon.
New Delhi, Sep 24 : Canada-based pro-Khalistan hardliner Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who was declared a 'wanted terrorist' by the Indian government and was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen on the premises of Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara, of which he was the head, in the Punjabi-dominated Surrey city of Canada was among many of the Khalistani terrorists who are based out of India.

Officials admit to IANS like Nijjar, who was the Khalistan Tiger Force chief, several pro-Khalistan leaders are carrying out separatist activities from Canada, Britain and Australia, where a sizable Sikh diaspora is residing, besides Pakistan.

Among them, the prominent on the radar of the National Investigating Agency (NIA) are proscribed terrorist organisation, Sikhs For Justice (SFJ), founded by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who is now operating from Canada, and Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, and Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, both ISI-backed operatives promoting the terror activities of Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) in India.

According to the NIA, both Pakistan-based Rinda and Linda are wanted in cases relating to commissioning of targeted killings, as well as targeting of law enforcement agencies in order to create an environment of terror in Punjab.

Rinda is a "listed individual terrorist" and a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) member. He's originally a resident of Maharashtra's Nanded, with Punjab's Taran Tarn district as a permanent address. Landa is also a resident of Tarn Taran.

The NIA investigations have shown that they have been engaged in recruiting new members for the BKI by promising them monetary benefits. They have also established a network of operatives in various countries to further their terror activities in India.

A latest video showed Pannun openly asking Hindus from Canada to "go back to India".

Former Pentagon official Michael Rubin has censured Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for alleging India had links with the killing of Nijjar and claimed that the Khalistani extremist "was not simply a plumber" and "he had blood on his hands".

The high-profile killing of Nijjar, whose killing sparks a huge diplomatic row between New Delhi and Ottawa, comes days after another UK-based outfit chief Avtar Singh Khanda died under mysterious circumstances in a hospital.

Khanda, who is believed to have trained Khalistani separatist and Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh, now jailed, after the death of Deep Sidhu, was the face of the protests at the Indian High Commission in London.

Both Nijjar and Khanda, blamed to collect charity for terrorism in the name of human rights violations against the Sikh community by spewing venom, were involved in radicalising Sikh youth and close to other KLF leaders like Jagtar Singh Tara and Paramjit Singh Pamma.

Khanda's father was a KLF terrorist who was gunned down by security forces in 1991 and his mother was related to another KLF terrorist Gurjant Singh Budhsingwala with links to Pakistan.

In May, wanted terrorist in India and Khalistan Commando Force (KCF) chief Paramjit Singh Panjwar, 63, was shot dead by unidentified gunmen near his residence in Pakistan's Lahore.

Panjwar, along with his guard, was in a park when two assailants opened fire at them and fled on a motorcycle.

Both Panjwar and Nijjer were designated as terrorists by India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in July 2020.

Nijjar was accused of killing Ripudaman Singh Malik, the man who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India terrorist bombing case, in Surrey last year. It is believed that Malik was killed as a result of internal gang war between Khalistani groups.

He was expressing apprehensions that he might get killed by his Khalistani rivals.

India had asked the Canadian authorities on several occasions to take action against Nijjar for his alleged involvement in terrorist acts in Punjab.

Last year the Punjab Police had sought the extradition of Nijjar as he was wanted in cases related to acts of reviving terrorism in the state.

The police were demanding his extradition in pursuance of a lookout circular (LOC) issued on January 23, 2015, and a red corner notice issued on March 14, 2016.

The NIA said Nijjar had been proactively involved in recruiting, training, financing and operationalising pro-Khalistan terrorist modules for spreading terror in India. He was involved in giving inflammatory and hateful speeches through social media platforms.

A cash reward of Rs 10 lakh was declared against Nijjar, who had close ties with the Sikhs For Justice (SFJ).

Despite the SFJ being a banned organisation in India since 2019 on grounds of secessionism and Pannu being declared a terrorist, countries like Canada, the UK and the US, with a sizable Sikh diaspora, have allowed the organisation to conduct anti-India activities, including holding illegal referendums to build a campaign for secession of Punjab.

The Western countries don't see it as a crime to prosecute Pannun and other hardliners as they think it will be a violation of the freedom of expression, a police official told IANS.
Kolkata, Sep 24 : In a tragic incident, a mother and her son died of electrocution on Sunday as they waded through a waterlogged stretch in Jalpaiguri town in north Bengal.

Local eyewitnesses said that the mother, Nanibala Roy (55) was the first to be electrocuted. As her son Tinku Roy (34) tried to save her he got electrocuted too and died on the spot soon.

The incident took place in the Adarpara area in Jalpaiguri town on Sunday morning. The bodies of the two victims have been sent to North Bengal Medical College & Hospital for post-mortem.

Locals said that because of torrential and continuous rainfall, different pocketsof Jalpaiguri have become waterlogged since Saturday. "Such accidents can happen any time anywhere in the city," said a local.

Following the unfortunate incident, a pall of gloom has descended in the entire locality since the deceased mother and son were quite popular among their neighbours.
After Nijjar's killing, FBI warned Sikhs in US about death threats. Image Source: IANS News

Washington, Sep 24 : After Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar was shot dead outside a Gurdwara in British Columbia, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents visited several Sikh leaders and warned them that their lives were also at risk, as per a report in The Intercept.

Pritpal Singh, a political activist who is a coordinator for the American Sikh Caucus Committee, told The Intercept that he and two other Sikh Americans in California received calls and visits from the FBI after Nijjar was killed.

Sukhman Dhami, co-director of Ensaaf, a California-based nonprofit group said Sikhs throughout the US have received police warnings about potential threats.

India and Canada are enmeshed in a diplomatic row over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegation of involvement of Indian intelligence and the state in the killing of Canadian citizen and Sikh separatist Nijjar. Nijjar was declared designated terrorist by India in 2020.

India had rejected claims by the Canada government terming them as "absurd and motivated".

Both countries announced tit-for-tat expulsions of senior diplomats and issued travel advisories.

"Based on a month-long investigation into Nijjar's death, the Canadian government had amassed both human and signals intelligence which includes communications involving Indian officials including Indian diplomats present in Canada," public broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported quoting government sources.

Some of the intelligence was provided by an unnamed ally in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, that consists of the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, the CBC reported on Thursday.
New Delhi, Sep 24 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually flagged off nine Vande Bharat trains, which will boost connectivity across 11 states, namely Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat.

"We all know that there are several railway stations which have not been developed for the past several years. Works to develop these stations are underway. All the stations which will be developed in the next 25 years (what the government claims as Amrit Kaal) will be called Amrit Bharat stations," PM Modi said on the occasion.

"The nine Vande Bharat Express trains being launched today will significantly improve connectivity as well as boost tourism across India," said the Prime Minister.

He added that 25 Vande Bharat trains are already running, now nine more will be added to them. The popularity of Vande Bharat trains is constantly rising. Over 1,11,00,000 passengers have already travelled on them.

The Prime Minister claimed that the current speed and scale of infrastructure development in the country is exactly matching the aspirations of 140 crore Indians.

He added that the day is not far when Vande Bharat will connect every part of the country.

PM Modi said there is an atmosphere of hope and confidence in the country, as every citizen is feeling proud of the achievements of the country.

He referred to the successes of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions.

Similarly, G20 Summit's success has showcased India's strength of democracy, demography and diversity, said PM Modi.

The new trains that were flagged off are: Udaipur - Jaipur Vande Bharat Express, Tirunelveli - Madurai - Chennai Vande Bharat Express,Hyderabad - Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, Vijayawada - Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express,Patna - Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express, Rourkela - Bhubaneswar - Puri Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi - Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar - Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express.

These Vande Bharat trains will be the fastest train along the routes of their operation and will help save considerable time of the passengers, official sources said.
Prayagraj, Sep 24 : The Allahabad high court has expressed "anguish" that the youngsters are not providing adequate emotional shelter to their parents.

Taking serious note of a writ petition filed by a woman seeking safety and security from her son and daughter-in-law, the court made this observation.

Disposing of a writ petition filed by one Suman Lata Shukla, a division bench comprising Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Prashant Kumar directed the district magistrate of Kanpur Nagar, to address the grievance of the petitioner keeping in view the provisions contained in the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 and Rules of 2014.

"In case the district magistrate deputes some other officer, he shall proceed to dispose of the complaint/application of the petitioner strictly in accordance with law expeditiously, preferably within six weeks after giving opportunity of hearing to the persons against whom complaint has been made," the court said.

In her writ petition, the petitioner had requested the court to direct the district magistrate and the SSP of Kanpur Nagar to ensure her safety and security from her son Gaurav Shukla and daughter-in-law Archana Tiwari whom she alleged, committed atrocities against her.

The counsel for the petitioner Agnihotri Kumar Tripathi said there was serious life and property threat to the petitioner.

"She had also moved a complaint/application to the district magistrate, Kanpur Nagar, on June 6, 2022 but till date nothing has been done and the petitioner is feeling unsafe," the petitioner's counsel added.

Expressing concern over the plight of the petitioner, the court observed, "We are of the considered opinion that the framers had formulated the scheme with pious intent to nurture the family values and inculcates the habits in the children so that they may always conscious to provide basic amenities and humanitarian touch, when their parents are in old age. We are pained to see that the youngsters for their small gains are not providing adequate emotional shelter to their parents."
Bhopal, September 24 : Madhya Pradesh Congress President Kamal Nath on Sunday refuted BJP's claim that former chief minister Digvijaya Singh was sidelined from 'Jan Akrosh Yatra'.

Veteran Congress leader termed the allegation 'baseless' adding that Digvijaya Singh himself has wished not to use his pictures for 'Jan Akrosh Yatra'.

"I was in Chhindwara a couple of days back and participated in Jan Akrosh Yatra and Digvijaya Singh will also participate in coming days," Kamal Nath said briefing the press at party headquarters on Sunday.

Meanwhile, he hit back at BJP central leadership saying that they have sidelined Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Madhya Pradesh elections.

Notably, ever since the Congress launched its seven 'Jan Akrosh Yatras' from seven different regions of the state, the ruling BJP tried to corner it claiming that Digvijaya Singh has been sidelined.

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has also raised this issue last week, saying, "It is very unfortunate to see Digvijaya Singh's pictures missing from the Congress posters. The Congress has always disrespected it's senior leaders."

The fresh allegation on the same was made by CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Saturday. During a press conference, Chouhan has claimed that Digvijaya Singh has been sidelined.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Sep 24 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday has congratulated the medal winners at the ongoing Asian Games, 2023 at Hangzhou, China.

"Historic Moments for India on the very first day of the ongoing 19th Asian Games at Hangzhou, China with a medal tally of 5 already!" she wrote on X.

She named Mehuli Ghosh from West Bengal for her success.

"My heartfelt congratulations to Mehuli Ghosh from our Bengal, Ashi Chouksey and Ramita Jindal for securing women's team silver in the 10m Air Rifle shooting event. Congratulations also to army men Arjun Lal Jat and Arvind Singh for winning silvers in men's lightweight double sculls event in Rowing," she wrote.

She also extended her best wishes to Ramita Jindal for her bronze medal in women's 10m Air Rifle final and also to Babu Lal Yadav and Lekh Ram for winning bronze in the rowing men's pair category.

"Also congratulating India's Men's Eight team in Rowing for fetching Silver medal for India. Your relentless dedication and unwavering hard work fill our hearts with boundless pride," her X message read
Kathmandu, Sep 24 : Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' on Sunday arrived in Beijing to attend the Nepal-China Business Summit.

After arriving here, he attended the opening of 19th Asian Games. He is scheduled to address the Nepal-China Business Summit later in the day.

More than 100 industrialists are expected to take part in the summit, organised by Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), The Himalyan Times reported.

Nepal's ambassador to China Bishnu Pukar Shrestha will host a dinner in honour of Dahal and the Nepali entourage today.

On Saturday, Dahal held a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during which he told the latter that Nepal supports a series of important concepts and initiatives proposed by China.

Prachanda is on a week-long visit to China, beginning September 23, during which he is scheduled to hold bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang.

On September 25, he will meet Li in Beijing where both leaders will hold delegation-level talks followed by the signing of the some agreements and understandings.
Chennai, Sep 24 : AIADMK General Secretary and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) called upon the Tamil Nadu government to drop cases filed against the youth who protested demanding gangman posts in Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco).

AIADMK leader urged the government to direct the police to drop cases registered against youth.

He said that Police has registered cases against youth as they had protested in the constituency of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. EPS who is also the Leader of Opposition in Tamil Nadu said that police should not engage in any action that would spoil the future of the youth.

He also said that while he was Chief Minister, several protests were carried out but the then government did not take any coercive action but instead had moved legally.

The former chief minister also urged the state government to issue posting orders to 5237 youth who had passed the gangman test in Tengedco.
Mahamoud Ali Youssouf (at the podium and on the screens), Djibouti's foreign affairs minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort.

Hamza Abdi Barre, prime minister of Somalia, highlighted the "power of solidarity and cooperation" in an interconnected world and urged leaders to accelerate action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For his part, Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen asked world leaders: "Do we have the necessary political will to choose global partnership over geopolitical competition (and) are we prepared to work together towards a promising age of shared prosperity?"

Hassen pointed out the unsettling reality that current policy decisions are heightening tensions, with poverty and hunger rising and the SDGs being undermined.

He showcased Ethiopia's efforts for sustainable development and climate action, noting that its 10-year development plan aligned with the SDGs and the national Green Legacy Initiative to ensure development through rural and urban green programs.

Regarding global security, the leader from Ethiopia underscored the importance of a system that honors the sovereignty of UN member states and prevents conflicts.

"Reforming the Security Council is not a choice but an absolute necessity," he stressed, calling for permanent seats for Africa.

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti's foreign affairs minister, highlighted the importance of bolstering multilateralism and global collaboration.

There is a tendency to "group together into clubs," Youssouf said, adding that this "minilateralism" results in resistance to change in international institutions, thus worsening inequality and compounding geopolitical competition.

Although this trend isn't irreversible, he noted that it demands significant investment to establish a system that reflects present geopolitical dynamics and strengthens close collaboration.

Foreign Minister Youssouf also mentioned that Djibouti has achieved significant strides in diminishing malnutrition, managing the pandemic and synchronizing national strategies with the SDGs despite an uncertain global economic environment.

The government also emphasized reducing poverty, fostering sustainable economic development, ensuring access to clean water and sanitation, and investing in renewable energy and climate adaptation measures.

Youssouf underscored the recent launch of Djibouti's inaugural 'wind park,' set to produce 60 megawatts of renewable energy.

Osman Saleh Mohammed, Eritrea's Foreign Affairs Minister, emphasized that the United Nations needs to upgrade its structure and mandate to effectively fulfill its historic purpose.

He emphasized that reforming the Security Council should not be limited to expanding membership. 

Hamza Abdi Barre (at the podium and on the screens), prime minister of Somalia, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen (at the podium and on the screens) delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Osman Saleh Mohammed (at the podium and on the screens), Eritrea's Foreign Affairs Minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, Djibouti's foreign affairs minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Osman Saleh Mohammed, Eritrea's Foreign Affairs Minister, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen Hassen delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Hamza Abdi Barre, prime minister of Somalia, delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

During the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday, nations from the Horn of Africa passionately called for action to combat the imminent climate threat and to overhaul the currently outdated and unjust global financial framework.

Leaders from Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea depicted a bleak scenario of a world severely affected by climate change. Their message was unequivocal: This pressing crisis requires a swift and united effort. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Patna, Sep 24 : As the BJP-led Centre has passed Women Reservation Bill, eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the opposition bloc INDIA has raked up the issues of quota within quota and caste census in Bihar.

There is no doubt that NDA will contest the elections next year, claiming that it created history by passing the Women's Reservation Bill. But the way the leaders of RJD and JD-U from INDIA are trying to rake up the issue of OBC reservation and caste census in women's reservation, it may put BJP in trouble.

Till now, RJD has been opposing women's reservation. But after the passage of the quota bill, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said that "instead of 33 per cent, you (BJP) should give reservation to 50 per cent women."

He said, "People belonging to OBC don't easily accept defeat and fight over their demands. Modi government should know very well that if BJP dares to take away the rights of 60 per cent OBC population of the country, then OBCs will teach them a lesson."

"We have been demanding for decades that women's reservation should not be 33 per cent but 50 per cent and it should be implemented immediately and there should be reservation for SC, ST, OBC and minority women in it," Tejashwi Yadav claimed.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has also demanded caste census and quota within women quota, which is being seen as a counter to NDA's women's reservation.

With this, opposition bloc INDIA is trying to accomplish twin goals -- by supporting women reservation bill, it is trying to garner the support of the fair sex, and trying to dent OBC and backward classes vote bank, on which BJP has a strong hold.

BJP spokesperson Rakesh Kumar Singh says, "Till now, the opposition has neither had a clear policy nor a clear intention regarding women's reservation. Even today, they are trying to put this bill on hold again."

He said, "If JD-U and RJD are so concerned for OBCs, then why the report of the Backward Commission has not been made public till now. It's been long since the panchayat elections were held."

Congress spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari says, "There are two shortcomings in the bill. Firstly, there is no time limit in this. Secondly, there is no provision of reservation for OBC. In such a situation, by raising these issues, the party has tried to give a message to the OBCs that the BJP does not want their welfare."

Political expert Ajay Kumar says, "There is no doubt that the BJP government got the Women's Reservation Bill, which was pending for 27 years, passed in Parliament, and it will definitely raise this issue in the elections. Hence INDIA is also preparing to play the reservation card."
New Delhi, Sep 24 : Indian and US armies are going to participate in joint military exercise "Yudh Abhyas" in Alaska, the Defence Ministry announced on Sunday.

The theme of the exercise is "Employment of an Integrated Battle Group in Mountain/Extreme Climatic Conditions" under Chapter VII of United Nations mandate

As per the ministry, the lead battalion from the Indian side is from the Maratha Light Infantry, and the 1-24 Infantry Battalion of 1st Brigade Combat Team will participate from the US side.

The 19th edition of "Yudh Abhyas" will be conducted from September 25 to October 8 in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, and the Indian Army contingent comprises 350 personnel.

An annual exercise conducted jointly by the Indian Army and the United States Army, the previous edition of the exercise was conducted in Auli, Uttarakhand in November 2022, the official added.

A Defence Ministry official said that both sides will practice a series of tactical drills to enhance interoperability in conducting UN peacekeeping operations. Personnel from both sides will also hold detailed discussions to share their experiences and best practices.

A command post exercise and expert academic discussions on selected topics will also form part of the schedule.

The scope of the field training exercise includes validation of Integrated Battle Groups against hostile forces at the brigade level, integrated Surveillance Grid at the brigade/battalion level, employment of heliborne/ airborne elements and force multipliers, validation of logistics and casualty management during operations, evacuation and combat medical aid and other aspects as applicable to high altitude areas and extreme climatic conditions, the official added.

The Defence Ministry official said that the exercise will also involve exchange of views and best practices in drills on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, obstruction clearance, mine and IED warfare. "Ex Yudh Abhyas-23" will facilitate both armies to mutually learn from each other and further strengthen the bonds between them .

--IANS

gcb/vd
Imphal, Sep 24 : A day after announcing the suspension of the "Free Movement Regime (FMR)" with Myanmar, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday held a meeting with senior officials of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to erect border fencing along the India-Myanmar border in the state.

After the meeting, the Chief Minister said that discussions were held to construct an additional 70 km of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.

"In view of the rise in illegal immigration and drugs smuggling from the neighbouring country, safeguarding our porous borders has become an urgent necessity," Biren Singh said on X.

Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and senior officials of the Home Department were also present in the meeting.

Currently works are going on to erect fencing on the 100 km of India-Myanmar border in Manipur, which shares around 400 km border with the neighbouring country.

Biren Singh on Saturday said that the FMR with Myanmar which allows people on either side to travel up to 16 km inside of both countries is suspended at the moment and that the Centre has been requested to permanently close it. The Manipur Chief Minister on a number of occasions said that Myanmar nationals illegally entering into the state and creating troubles in the state while drug peddlers of that country are directly involved in the illicit trans-border drugs trade.
Hangzhou, Sep 24 : The Indian men's volleyball team's quest for a place in the semifinals was crushed by a dominant Japan as the multiple-time winners won their quarterfinal encounter 3-0 at the CXC Gymnasium here on Sunday.

India had won three matches in a row to reach the quarterfinal encounter with the mighty Japanese and were quite bullish about their chances. But their quest for an Asian Games medal will continue beyond the 37 years it has extended as Japan ended their hopes with a clinical performance.

The Indian team, which had stunned last edition's silver and bronze medallists South Korea and Chinese Taipei respectively in the preliminary league and the Cross Over match respectively, went down 16-25, 18-25, 17-25 in straight games in a match that lasted 71 minutes.

Japan did not allow the Indian team to play its usual game and dominated the net and attacked well. The Indians also committed many errors and gave away easy points.

In another quarterfinal match, Qatar defeated Pakistan 3-1 to set up a semifinal clash with two-time defending champion Iran. Japan will meet host China in the other semifinal on Monday.

Sunday's defeat set up an intriguing clash between neighbours India and Pakistan in the classification stage for the 5th to 8th places on Tuesday (Sept 26).
Los Angeles, Sep 24 : Actor Josh Brolin is celebrating his wedding anniversary with wife Kathryn Boyd Brolin. Penning a note to her on their big day, the 'Avengers: Infinity War' star thanked the stars that he chose her.

On September 23 evening, Brolin, 55, posted a carousel of photos taken over the years of him and his "fierce" wife, 35, sharing kisses as he marked their seventh wedding anniversary on Instagram.

"It's in moments like these that move me," the actor began in his caption. "Our foreground assaults of any backdrop. It could be us then or us now, the kisses that create us."

"They are all at once sexy and smart and more stripped down than I've ever known us to be," the 'Deadpool 2' star continued. "You're a force who demands the experience of deepening, and I thank my lucky stars that you chose me to want to share all this with," People reported.

Kathryn is Brolin's third wife and met her back in 2016, when she worked as his assistant. The pair got romantically entangled and then got engaged a year laer.

The couple share two daughters, Westlyn, 4, and Chapel Grace, 2, with Brolin also having two children, daughter Eden, 29, and son Trevor, 34, whom he shares with his first wife, actress Alice Adair.

"Fierce ain't for everyone. Most people want their cake and their icing left at the back door and they don't want you to knock too loud when you leave it. We are a more feral bunch," Brolin continued in his Saturday caption.

"You can see it in our little girls, as they already embrace the dirt clod voices that are theirs and not the masquerading whispers of that weakest vocabulary word: etiquette," he went on. "Kindness and the surety that every voice is unique and beautiful and worthy and has the capacity to sing becomes us."

Brolin concluded his tribute by saying, "We sing. And we kiss. And I celebrate the pirate ship that is you. Love and foreverly. Happy Anniversary," as he tagged Kathryn.

A final photo showed the pair kissing outside near a lake in a valley surrounded by trees as Kathryn held one of their daughters as a newborn.
New Delhi, Sep 24 : Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that justice without power becomes powerless and power without justice becomes tyrannical.

He made the remarks at the Concluding Session of International Lawyers Conference here at the Vigyan Bhawan.

Addressing the gathering, Shah said, "Modi government has brought about transformation in civil law by eliminating 300 codes in the Jan Vishwas Bill."

He said that in the last 9 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the government has made many changes in the laws.

"In the last 9 years, Arbitration Law, Mediation Law and Public Trust Bill, these three laws have worked in a way to reduce the burden on the judiciary," Shah said.

"PM Modi believes that any law can become perfect only when stakeholder consultation is done wholeheartedly," he said.

Emphasising that justice without power becomes powerless and power without justice becomes tyrannical, he said, "Justice is what maintains the balance and the makers of our Constitution took a conscious decision to keep it separate.

"Justice and balance of all types of power is very important, only then a just society can be created," he said.

Shah said that the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has brought our changing economy in line with the world.

"Be it GST or Insolvency Act, the changes that are taking place in them are being made due to the difficulties in their implementation. No law is in its final form, it should be improved by understanding the time and the problems faced in its implementation," he said.

He said that the purpose of making laws is to create a smooth system, not to establish supremacy of the law makers. "Therefore, the changes taking place in these laws are making them more relevant," Shah said.

He also said that the system of complete justice can be understood only when you study the laws that touch every part of the society.

He also said that with the introduction of three laws and three systems, we will be able to remove the delays in our criminal justice system in less than a decade.

"The basic objective of the old laws was to strengthen the British rule. His purpose was to punish, not to do justice," he said.

He said that the purpose of these three new laws is to provide justice, not punishment. "Here is a step to deliver criminal justice," he said.

He said that the system of complete justice can be understood only when you study the laws that touch every part of the society.

Discussing the three laws, he said: "Three new laws are coming into the criminal justice system. These laws are coming after almost 160 years with a completely new approach and new system. Along with new initiatives, 3 initiatives have also been taken by the government to create a law-friendly ecosystem."

He said that many changes have been made in the new laws to promote technology.

"The definition of documents has been greatly expanded, legal recognition has been given to electronic and digital records, messages available on digital devices have been recognised, and summons will also be considered valid in all types of electronic modes, from SMS to email," Shah said, adding that first is e-court, second is ICJS and third is adding new technology to these three laws.

He said that the government is adding a new provision on mob lynching, "we are abolishing the section of treason and the work of legalising community service will also be done under these new laws."

"I want to make an appeal to all the lawyers across the country to look at all these laws in detail. Your suggestions are very valuable. Send your suggestions to the Home Secretary of the Government of India and we will definitely consider those suggestions before finalizing the law," he said.

On Saturday, the Prime Minister inaugurated the aInternational Lawyers Conference here and hailed the role of the legal fraternity saying that it plays a very important role in the building of any country and judiciary and bar have long been protectors of India's justice system.
Panaji, Sep 24 : Congress has urged the Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant to include three women legislators in his 12 members male dominated cabinet, if he wants to 'Sanman' (respect) women.

Permanent Invitee of Congress Working Committee Girish Chodankar has asked the Chief Minister to prove that BJP is committed to give 'Sanman' to women.

"There is no need for any census or delimitation process needed for these women legislator to be inducted in the cabinet. The Chief Minister can very well decide on it and reshuffle the cabinet," Chodankar, former Chief of Goa Congress, said.

He was reacting to the statement of Pramod Sawant that the BJP government under the leadership of Narendra Modi is giving 'Sanman' to women by way of 'women's reservation' and 13 seats will be reserved for women in Goa assembly..

"If this is the case then why there is not a single woman minister in his cabinet. BJP has full majority in the Goa legislative assembly. Nobody can stop them from taking the decision to induct three elected women legislatures in cabinet," Chodankar said.

He said that when Sawant makes tall claims and boasts of giving 'Sanman' to women, he should also consider giving them ministerial berths.

"Why did he fail to give them 'Sanman from the last two years," Chodankar questioned.

"If BJP and Sawant are committed to giving political space to women, then why are women legislatures in Goa deprived of their space in the Goa cabinet. He should stop hoodwinking people over women's reservation. It is another jumla to divert attention from failures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," Chodankar said.

"In past and often we see how Pramod Sawant makes false statements claiming 'Goa is the first State' launch schemes or to provide 'Har Ghar Jal' and Open Defecation Free. Later, we have seen how netizens have criticised this government for speaking lies. But now he has got the best opportunity to really become the first state to give 'Sanman' to 33 percent women from Goa legislative assembly by inducting them in the cabinet," Chodankar said.

"It is irony that despite having a women legislature in the BJP, the 'women and Child development' department is handled by male MLA," Chodankar said.

"I also hope that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant will not wait till the implementation of the Women's Reservation Bill and will give 'Sanman' to women MLAs to keep his word," he said.
United Nations, Sep 24 : UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis and a parade of Global South leaders have hailed India's contributions to fellow South nations and being their voice to the G20 summit.

"From bolstering digital public infrastructure and innovative capacity-building, to strengthening the existing supply chains and addressing the debt crisis a" India is setting an example for many UN Member States from the Global South," he said on Saturday at the India-UN for Global South event on the sidelines of the United Nations High-Level General Assembly session.

India successfully landing the Chandrayaan on the South Pole of the moon was an inspiration for all countries on what they can achieve when they have access to science.

India's pioneering endeavours benefit the entire South, he added.

"India's recent G20 Presidency marked a historic milestone, being the first to usher the African Union into the group as a permanent member a" a strong symbol of solidarity and cooperation across the Global South," he said.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that Indiaas presidency of the G20 "was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp east-west polarisation as well as a very deep north-south divide".

But India was "very determined" to get the growth of the Global South into the core agenda of the G20.

"The New Delhi summit of the G20 has, in many ways laid the foundation for the international community, really, to look at its development prospects, hopefully with greater optimism certainly in our expectation with more resources," he said.

"Today, geopolitical calculations and geopolitical contests are impacting very basic requirements of many countries, including the affordable access to food, to fertilizers, and to energy," he said.

Facing this situation, India pushed the G20 to agree on the reform of international financial institutions and a green development bank.

Jaishankar said: "When it does come to South-South cooperation, we have endeavoured to walk the talk", and was working on development projects in about 80 countries around the world.

Hari Menon of the Melinda Bill Gates Foundation and Shombi Sharp, the UNDP administrator in India, signed a letter of intent for cooperation in developing projects alongside India.

Two areas of India's South cooperation were prominent in the testimonials of the leaders: Sharing and developing digital technologies, and the supply of Covid-19 vaccines.

Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa spoke of the Samoan Knowledge Project for "building inclusive knowledge societies".

Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji said that India providing Covid vaccines to about 100 countries "was one of the biggest humanitarian initiatives".

"The enduring partnership between Bhutan and India serves as a remarkable example of strong bilateral relations in the global south are rooted in shared values and historical ties," he said.

Mauritius Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin said that Indiaas economy took off after the 1993 reforms, but having achieved a breakthrough, it did not say, "bye, bye" to the countries of the South and leave them back, instead it is sharing its resources and expertise to bring them along.

The Metro Express Project in Mauritius that India worked on "has transformed the landscape of transportation and it serves as an exemplary model of meaningful South-South cooperation".

Dominica Foreign Minister Vince Henderson appealed to India to help Haiti, a Caribbean neighbour that has descended into chaos.

He suggested that India send personnel to the international force led by Kenya and help Haiti get back on its feet.

Henderson said that India is emerging as an important player on the world stage and should get a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Hugh Hilton Todd, Foreign Minister of Guyana, said that India now has a seat at the table of international decision-making and it "is taking us on board".

It is saying to the world that India has been through challenges and now "we want to take on the burden, we have got to take all that responsibility of investing in humans", he said.

St. Lucia Foreign Minister Alva Romanus Baptiste said: "India is taking its place in a multipolar world. India is rising."

He said that India was a bridge across the East-West and North-South divides.

Maldives Foreign Minister Ahmed Khaleel said that a significant contribution to his tourist-dependent country's fast recovery from the Covid pandemic was from India.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
New Delhi, Sep 24 : The main accused in the Delhi assault case -- were two assailants in southeast Delhi attacked a man with a knife and spade following a dispute over Rs 3,000 -- has been arrested by the police on Sunday evening.

The police have identified the main accused as Salman.

Police said that it received a call at Badarpur police station from the police control room regarding a person having been stabbed and was being transferred to the AIIMS Trauma Centre in a PCR van.

"Upon conducting an initial on-site inquiry, it was revealed that the injured, identified as Varun Pradhan, a resident of Karol Bagh, along with another individual named Arun Dagar from Molarband Extension, was travelling on a motorcycle," said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (southeast) Rajesh Deo.

"When they reached in front of Subhash Camp, a dispute ensued between Varun and three assailants, namely Salman, a resident of Subhash Camp in Badarpur, Monu, and another person," said the DCP.

Heated arguments escalated, leading to Salman procuring a knife from a nearby chicken shop and Sonu obtaining a spade from a labourer working in the vicinity. Subsequently, they both attacked Varun.

"During the altercation, PCR Kite-29, which was on patrol duty, arrived at the scene, prompting the assailants to flee," said the DCP.

"Further investigation revealed that Varun owed Rs 3,000 to Salman, and he had been summoned by Salman to repay the debt. This led to a confrontation, during which Salman and his associates assaulted Varun with a knife and a spade," said the DCP.

Varun is undergoing treatment at the hospital. "The crime scene was examined by the crime team, and the scene of occurrence (SOC) was inspected, photographed, and relevant evidence was collected. A case under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered in this matter," said the DCP.

Salman has previously been implicated in 11 criminal cases involving robbery, theft, snatching, and violations of the Arms Act, while the injured party, Varun, has a history of involvement in four criminal cases related to robbery, burglary, theft, and violations of the Arms Act.
Washington, Sep 24 : The US was Five Eyes member country that provided some kind of corroborating intelligence that Canada used to firm up its assessment that Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian citizen and Khalistan activist, was killed in a plot by the Indian government, according to a report in The New York Times.

The report, which is based on accounts from two allied officials, says the US, which is a member of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing compact with Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Australia, had no advance knowledge of the plot but provided Canada the "context".

Ottawa developed the intelligence with the help of intercepts of communications of Indian diplomats in Canada.

US officials have backed Canada's investigation and called for India to cooperate, but they have not yet owned up to being the Five Eyes member country that provided corroborating evidence.

They have, however, been very clear from that start in expressing "deep concern" on the substance of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations and swatted any suggestion that it had rebuffed Ottawa's attempt to put together a G7 condemnation and that a wedge had been driven in the relationship between the two North American and NATO allies that share a long border.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken did indicate last week that the US was playing more an a passive, observer's role.

"We have been consulting throughout very closely with our Canadian colleagues a" and not just consulting, coordinating with them a" on this issue," he told reporters at a news conference.

"And from our perspective, it is critical that the Canadian investigation proceed, and it would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation. We want to see accountability, and it's important that the investigation run its course and lead to that result."

The subject could figure at a meeting this week between Blinken and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, who will head out to Washington DC after wrapping up his UNGA meetings in New York City.

Nijjar, who was on India's list of wanted terrorists, was shot dead in Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada on June 18 by two men.

Investigations are underway but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament shortly after his return from India after attending the G20 summit there was "credible intelligence" pointing to the involvement of India in the killing.

The US Secretary of State went on to frame the allegations in a larger context.

"We are extremely vigilant about any instances of alleged trans-national repression, something we take very, very seriously. And I think it's important more broadly for the international system that any country that might consider engaging in such acts not do so. So it's something that we're also focused on in a much broader way."

The revelation that the US and Canada spied on Indian diplomats should not surprise anyone as that is a standard practice for host countries to keep a tab on foreign missions and diplomats on their soil.

Indians will be disappointed, though, that the US told on them to Canada.
COLOMBO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The insurers of X-Press Pearl ship, which caught fire and sank off the western coast of Sri Lanka two years ago, have made an interim payment to the Sri Lankan government, a minister said Sunday.

Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe told local media that the payment will cover the cost incurred by the Maritime Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) for the beach clean-up operations and compensation for the fishermen affected by the maritime disaster.

Sri Lanka's treasury has received 890,000 U.S dollars and 16 million rupees (around 49,400 dollars) as the interim payment, the minister said.

The second interim environmental assessment report compiled by the MEPA-convened expert committee priced the environmental damage from the X-Press Pearl disaster at 6.4 billion dollars.

The ship, registered under the flag of Singapore, caught fire near Colombo Port in May 2021 when carrying 1,486 containers with 25 tons of nitric acid and several other chemicals and cosmetics. 
Chennai, Sep 24 : Founder leader of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK), S. Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to extend the scheme of Rs 1,000 per month to women heads of families to all women in the state.

The women heads of families whose annual income is less than Rs 2.5 lakh only eligible for the scheme.

In a statement on Sunday, the senior leader said that of the 1.63 crore applicants for this Rs 1,000 per month scheme, only 1.06 crore applications have been accepted.

He said that 57 lakh applications were rejected and there were no mentions regarding the same from the government.

In the statement, Ramadoss said: "The government has announced that women whose applications were rejected can appeal. Women who visits e-seva centres for appeal are being treated poorly."

He said that there have been allegations that women from wealthy families were included in the scheme while several deserving women were left out.

Ramadoss said: "In several countries, such schemes are provided to everyone. In DMK's election manifesto, it was promised that benefits would be given to all."

He said it was unfair to provide money to less than two-thirds of total applicants.

He also said that Tamil Nadu was the first state in the country to implement a public distribution system without income categories.
Rajkot : , Sep 24 (IANS) One person was killed and 12 others were injured on Sunday in Rajkot after 20 people fell into a drain as the slab laid over it on which they were standing collapsed, an official said.

According to an official, the incident occurred due to overcrowding, with people gathering in large numbers to visit a nearby Ganesh Puja pandal.

Quick response teams, including 11 ambulances and fire brigade personnel, rushed to the scene to carry out rescue operations.

Municipal Commissioner Anand Patel said: "The injured individuals were sent to the civil hospital. Rescue operations are underway (to check if anyone is trapped)."
Banaskantha : , Sep 24 (IANS) Around 35 pilgrims were injured in a bus accident near Hadad Patiya, close to the holy town of Ambaji in Gujarat's Banaskantha, on the second day of the Bhadarvi Poonam fair on Sunday, officials said.

The incident occurred when a private bus, descending a steep slope, collided with a rock during the return journey from Ambaji.

The Bhadarvi Poonam festival, celebrated from September 23-29, attracts over 15 lakh pilgrims from both Gujarat and outsider to Ambaji, prompting special arrangements by the local administration for the devotees.

A total of 46 pilgrims from Kanjari village in Kheda district had come to offer prayers at the shrine located in the Arasur hills. They were in the luxury bus, which lost control while descending.

Local officials reported that 18 of the injured passengers were transferred to a civil hospital in Palanpur, while the rest received treatment at a government hospital in Ambaji town.
Mexico inks agreement with US to deport migrants from its soil to native countries. Image Source: IANS News

Washington, Sep 24 : In a major breakthrough to solve the border crisis, the US has influenced Mexico to deport migrants from Central and South America using its soil to enter the US using its border state of Texas and California, as Democrat and Republican states struggle to maintain the unprecedented influx of migrants from nations that have become politically and economically unstable.

Mexico agreed with the US administration to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries and take necessary action to deter migrants from using its soil in border crossings to the US, media reports said.

Mexican officials met US Customs and Border Protection officials on Friday in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, bordering El Paso, Texas, as illegal crossings spiked to the US, which has temporarily closed an international bridge and paused Mexico's main cargo train system.

The Mexico-US border pact now enables Mexico to "depressurise" its northern cities, bordering El Paso, San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas, where the mayor has declared a state of emergency.

On the cards are also a series of measures that seek to prevent migrants from risking their lives by using trains to reach the US-Mexico border, according to Mexico's National Migration Institute.

The agreement comes close on the heels of the US Department of Defense ramping up security at the US-Mexico border with the Department of Homeland Security sending an additional force of at least 800 new active-duty personnel to join the 2,500 National Guard members already serving on the southern borders.

About 6,500 migrants have been taken into custody in El Paso, Texas as the lone star state is under pressure to handle the influx of migrants, Mayor Oscar Leeser said at the news conference on Saturday.

"We have come to what we look at (as) a breaking point right now," the mayor said.

El Paso has been receiving more than 2,000 additional migrants every day, an official said, adding the city is expecting a "large influx" over the next few days.

Migrant crossings are surpassing 8,600 over a 24-hour period this week, up from a daily average of 3,500, according to a Department of Homeland Security official.

Border arrests have become difficult after the expiration in May of the Title 42 clause that screened or blocked migrants from entering during Covid-19 phase. There were more than 8,000 apprehensions on Monday of illegal entries, media reports said.

The busiest sectors are Del Rio, El Paso, Lower Rio Grande Valley and Tucson; each facing more than 1,000 encounters over the last 24 hours, according to the official. Eagle Pass is in the Del Rio sector.

Friday's meeting was attended by Customs and Border Protection's Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, the commissioner of Mexico's National Migration Institute, the governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, members of Mexico's national defence and national guard and representatives of Ferromex, a Mexican railroad operator, according to the institute, CNN reported.

Mexican officials have promised to carry out a series of 15 actions as part of the agreement, some in coordination with Customs and Border Protection and Ferromex, which includes deporting migrants to their home countries by land and air.

Mexico said it would negotiate with the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Cuba to confirm receipt of their citizens deported from the US-Mexico border. Mexico will permit US border patrol agents to expel migrants through the Ciudad Juarez international bridge, which connects with El Paso.

Mexico had deported more than 7,88,000 migrants to their home countries from January 1 to September.
Yangon, Sep 25 : Myanmar Police seized over 500,000 stimulant tablets in eastern Myanmar's Shan state, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control.

Acting on a tip-off, the joint anti-narcotic task force raided the suspect's house in Namhkam township on Friday and found 534,000 stimulant tablets worth more than 267 million kyats (about $0.13 million), it added on Sunday.

Similarly, on Saturday, the police searched the motorcycle driven by a suspect in Myitkyina township, northern Myanmar's Kachin state and seized 1,900 stimulant tablets and 297 gram of heroin, the committee said as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.

The suspects were charged under the Southeast Asian country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, and further investigations were underway, it said.
Ankara, Sep 25 : Turkish security forces have "neutralised" 605 "terrorists" so far in Operation Claw-Lock, media reported.

In Operation Claw-Lock, 605 "terrorists" were "neutralised," and 670 caves and shelters of the "terrorists" were destroyed, the report quoted sources from the Turkish Defence Ministry as saying on Sunday.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralised" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured, Xinhua news agency reported.

The report added that Turkish security forces also seized a total of 1,343 weapons and 706,650 ammunition as a part of the operation.

The Turkish government launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the northern Iraq region near the Turkish border.

Turkey recognises PKK as a terror group that should be responsible for a series of attacks, saying PKK has launched a 35-year terror campaign against Turkey.
People walk past the official store of Pop Mart in Paris, France, March 1, 2023. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

GUANGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Made from intricate metal wire mesh and embellished with emerald pieces and jeweled tassels, The Phoenix Coronet is an exquisite toy inspired by traditional Chinese culture.

Historically reserved for noblewomen during ceremonies and official occasions in ancient China, phoenix coronets have made a contemporary resurgence in the form of art toys. Art toys, or designer toys, are toys and collectibles created by artists and designers and typically sold in limited editions.

Piececool, an art toy maker based in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, is the manufacturer of The Phoenix Coronet. The company boasts a global reach, selling its products to over 100 countries and regions. The Phoenix Coronet is its hit product, generating monthly sales exceeding 200,000 units.

"Combining traditional Chinese culture with modern aesthetics, many art toys have become a global sensation," said Xiong Mao, who heads the operation of the Piececool brand. The brand's other top-selling products include a series based on the alleyways of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), depicting the splendor of the dynasty.

Originally a manufacturer of metal buttons for mobile phones, Piececool later shifted its focus to metal toys. However, this change did not initially yield the desired market response. The company's turnaround finally materialized when it embraced Chinese traditional culture.

Today, Piececool's products are translated into seven languages, accumulating over a billion users worldwide.

According to industry data, the global art toy market is experiencing rapid growth, with market size increasing from 8.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 34 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

Dongguan is a toy manufacturing hub, boasting over 4,000 toy makers. As of 2022, Dongguan had 87 large-scale enterprises involved in art toy production, with a total industrial output value of 16.66 billion yuan (about 2.32 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 29.8 percent increase year on year.

Wu Yifu, deputy general manager of the online platform Chaowanzu, specializing in art toy trading, noted that previously Chinese manufacturers had often focused on producing outsourced foreign products, mainly featuring foreign IPs or designs.

"Now, Chinese brands are rising and infusing more Chinese elements into their designs. The market prefers art toys with a Chinese flair," Wu said.

Many art toys have enjoyed robust sales in Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, thanks to geographical and cultural proximity, Wu noted, adding that customers in these regions are also very interested in Chinese mythology and museum culture.

Artists often draw inspiration from the rich trove of traditional Chinese culture in designing these toys, presenting figures from well-known traditional Chinese stories such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" or "Classic of Mountains and Seas," said Wang Dongdong, the founder of Dongguan Dongxiu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., a local toy design company.

The rise in the popularity of this genre coincides with the broader trend of growing Chinese toy exports. Some prominent Chinese art toy brands are making significant strides in overseas markets.

Pop Mart, a major trendy toy company, reported a 19.3 percent year-on-year revenue increase in the first half of 2023. Its overseas business revenue surged almost 140 percent from the same period last year, totaling 376 million yuan, recent company data showed.

Luo Xiaoxing, general manager of startup company Guangzhou MANYC Network Technology Co., Ltd., has a positive outlook on the art toy market.

"Culture empowers a transformative shift in traditional toy manufacturing, and in this new race of art toys, there are more opportunities and a larger global market," Luo said. 
Customs officers check imported products at Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 11, 2023. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a Chang'an China-Europe freight train departing from Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a view of Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows trains at Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a view of Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Staff members work at a service center of Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 7, 2023. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

A Chang'an China-Europe freight train carrying over 260 BYD new energy vehicles sets off from Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 26, 2023. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a view of Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

An employee assembles washing machines on a production line of an electrical appliance company near Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 22, 2023. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Workers load products at a company producing display devices near Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 17, 2022. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

A worker drives a forklift to unload imported flour transported from abroad via the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains near Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, April 8, 2020. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a view of Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows a view of Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

A customer looks at imported flour transported from abroad via the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains at a supermarket near Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Sept. 22, 2023. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

Employees assemble washing machines on a production line of an electrical appliance company near Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Feb. 22, 2023. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)

This aerial photo taken on Sept. 7, 2023 shows Xi'an International Port in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. The Chang'an China-Europe freight train service was launched in 2013, when China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative.

In the past ten years, Xi'an International Port, the starting station of the Chang'an China-Europe freight trains, has been developed from a small cargo station to an international logistic hub. (Xinhua/Shao Rui)
Campus shootings and active shooter situations are in the national news. The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill had two emergency situations involving armed and dangerous individuals already this semester on Aug. 28 and Sept. 13. But what if that happens at the University of Georgia?
The Athens-Clarke County Board of Elections will conduct a Logic and Accuracy Test on all voting equipment that will be used in the upcoming Nov. 7 election, according to an ACCGov press release.
Nationalist Congress Party leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Sunday rejected speculation regarding his absence at Union Home Minister Amit Shah's programs in Mumbai a day before and said he had informed Shah's office about his prior engagements in advance.

Shah visited the residences of CM Ekanth Shinde, and DCM Devendra Fadnavis to take darshan of Lord Ganesh.

He also went to the famous Lalbaug cha Raja pandal. Later, he delivered the Laxmanrao Inamdar Memorial Lecture at Mumbai University where he spoke about the cooperation movement.

"I was in Baramati on Friday. I have allotted my time for Pimpri Chinchwad, Pune and Baramati on Sundays, Mondays and Fridays, respectively. The annual meeting of Baramati Bazar Samiti, Barmati Bank, and Sahyog Grihnirman Sanstha was scheduled in Baramati on Friday. I had already informed Amit Shah's office about the same," Pawar told reporters in Pimpri Chinchwad when asked about his absence during Shah's program.

Queried about a banner projecting his nephew Rohit Pawar as the next Chief Minister, the senior NCP leader, who led a faction of MLAs to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government in July, said such propaganda is a "daydream" unless one enlists the support of 145 MLAs (out of 288).

Responding to a query on the photo shared by Praful Patel, currently with Ajit Pawar faction, with NCP founder Sharad Pawar, the deputy CM refused comments.

"Media always asks me about photographs but I do not want to comment on it. I am here to answer the questions regarding development," he said.

Ajit Pawar also said the state government is positive about giving reservations to members of the Maratha and Dhangar communities.

"All efforts are being made to take a decision within the framework of law and to ensure that quotas of other communities are not affected," he added.

Speaking on the status of the Pune Metro route extension, he said the proposal for the Pimpri to Nigdi metro extension has already reached Delhi.

"Signature of just one minister is awaited (on the file). When I go to Delhi, I will meet the concerned (minister) and get the work done. A new step will be taken towards fulfilling the dream of the metro for residents of areas from Nigdi to Katraj," he added.
As more Bharatiya Janata Party MPs urged Speaker Om Birla to probe Bahujan Samaj Party MP Danish Ali's conduct in Lok Sabha, the lawmaker on Sunday claimed a narrative was being set for "lynching" him outside the House and termed as baseless the allegation that he had instigated ruling party member Ramesh Bidhuri who made derogatory remarks against him.

IMAGE: Opposition parties have written to the Speaker seeking the strictest action against BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri. Photograph: ANI Photo

The opposition parties, which have demanded the strictest action including suspension of Bidhuri for his "vile and communal" remarks during a discussion on the success of Chandrayaan-3 in Lok Sabha on Thursday, hit out at the BJP, alleging that it was trying to defend its MP instead of punishing him.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Ali said, "I have seen Nishikant Dubey's letter (to Birla). My verbal lynching was done inside the House and now this is a narrative to get me lynched outside the House."

"I would request the Speaker to investigate this baseless allegation. This baseless allegation makes a case for breach of privilege against Nishikant Dubey," he said.

A day after Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla warned Bidhuri of "strict action" if such behaviour is repeated, Dubey on Saturday wrote to the Speaker, saying that while he condemns his party colleague's comments, there should also be a probe into the alleged "unsavoury" conduct and remarks of Ali.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had expressed regret over Bidhuri's remarks in the House and the BJP had issued a show-cause notice to the MP from South Delhi.

Meanwhile, Bidhuri on Sunday sidestepped a direct query on his controversial remarks with a "no comments".

He added that Speaker Birla was "looking into the matter"

In the letter to Birla, Dubey had alleged that Ali made "highly objectionable and blasphemous" remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi that had provoked Bidhuri.

BJP MPs Ravi Kishan Shukla and Harnath Singh Yadav also wrote to the Speaker on Sunday, questioning Ali's conduct in the House and demanding a probe into it.

Meanwhile, Dubey on Sunday reiterated his condemnation of Bidhuri's comments, saying any civilised society will not accept it.

But at the same time, he claimed that Ali was a repeat offender and all evidence of his "misconduct" in the House will now come into the open.

He also claimed that Ali was planning to join the Congress and both were trying to make an issue. It was a "conspiracy" to project that the "minorities are not safe" in the country, the BJP MP alleged.

In his letter to the Speaker, Shukla said whatever words Bidhuri used against Ali were unacceptable in any way but the circumstances that led to the use of such objectionable words by an MP against another member of Parliament in the House needs to be revisited and examined.

Twice he had used unparliamentary language against me. On December 9 last year when I was tabling my Private Members Bill namely 'The Population Control Bill, 2019' in the House, Danish Ali tried to interrupt me and made personal remarks against me..., the BJP MP charged.

Such sort of behaviour is unacceptable and needs to be examined by your esteemed office, he urged the Lok Sabha Speaker.

"I don't support what Ramesh Bidhuri said. However, I also don't support Danish Ali's remarks about PM Modi. I have written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging him to take action against Danish Ali also," BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav told PTI.

In a post on X, Ali said, "As the principle of Res ipsa loquitur' says 'the thing speaks for itself', the claims of Sh @nishikant_dubey have no basis. What has happened is a blot and absolutely undeniable. Fictionalising the events and playing with the facts will not work this time."

He had on Saturday alleged that some BJP leaders are pushing this narrative that he instigated Bidhuri.

"Truth is that I tried to protect the prime minister's dignity and urged the Chair to expunge from the House's records highly objectionable words used about Modi ji," he said, posting a short video of the BJP MP citing derogatory words used by rivals for the prime minister before abusing the BSP member.

Ali repeated the allegation on Sunday.

"It is on record that Ramesh Bidhuri used derogatory words about the PM and instead Nishikant Dubey is accusing me of it," he said.

The real face of the BJP has been exposed, he claimed.

"What their workers do on the streets, they have now shown what their thinking is in Parliament," he said, slamming the BJP.

"Even people from Ramesh Bidhuri's constituency are coming and expressing regret that such a thing happened but the BJP is not feeling ashamed," he said.

Opposition parties have rallied around Ali and targeted the ruling party on the issue. Several members of the Congress, TMC and NCP among others have written to the Speaker seeking the strictest action against Bidhuri.

Referring to Biddhuri's remarks, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, "It is wrong and such a person must not be in Parliament. It is the responsibility of everyone to maintain the sanctity and honour of the new Parliament,".

"The rules of Parliament must be the same for everyone. You suspend (AAP MPs) Raghav Chaddha and Sanjay Singh as well as Congress' Rajani Patel and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury but send a mere notice to Bidhuri," he said.

At an event, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also referred to the row over Bidhuri's derogatory remarks and alleged that the BJP indulges in such tactics to distract from the demand for a caste census.

Chowdhury, leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, said Parliament was disrespected by Bidhuri and they have demanded his suspension

"You (Ramesh Bidhuri) have not just insulted an MP, but the Indian Parliament, and I am surprised that the BJP is trying to defend him instead of punishing," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said.

Congres spokesperson Alok Sharma said the Speaker should have suspended Bidhuri immediately. "Those who are twisting this are doing even more disgusting thing," he said.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023.

A just solution to the Palestinian issue is essential for regional stability, stated Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during his address at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A just solution to the Palestinian issue is essential for regional stability, stated Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during his address at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday.

"The stability of the region rests on a just and comprehensive solution for the Palestinian cause ... and the establishment of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital," said the foreign minister.

Faisal repeated his country's positions on various Middle East issues, including Yemen, saying his country's "peace initiative" was seeking to end the conflict there.

Security and stability are not possible without cooperation and coordination between states to prevent an arms race to acquire destructive weapons, said the minister, who also condemned all unilateral measures that violate international law. 

Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud (at the podium and on the screens) delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2023.

A just solution to the Palestinian issue is essential for regional stability, stated Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud during his address at the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Rui)
A team of Andhra Pradesh Police CID officials are interrogating Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu in the Skill Development Corporation scam case for the second day at the Rajamahendravaram central prison on Sunday.

The ACB Court had on Friday granted the CID two days' custody of the 73-year old TDP chief for further interrogation in the case.

The questioning is allowed from 9.30 AM to 5 PM on both days (September 23 and 24).

M R Ravi Kiran, DIG (Prisons) told PTI that Naidu has been handed over to the CID officials for interrogation as stipulated by the court.

The two-day police custody and extension of judicial remand granted by the court will expire on Sunday.

The court had instructed the CID officials to virtually produce Naidu before it through the Blue Jeans' app by 5 PM today. The TDP chief was virtually not produced before the court on Saturday.

Blue Jeans' is an app where prisoners are produced before the courts through online, said Kiran.

The former chief minister will be allowed to take breaks during the investigation and access one lawyer as mandated by the court.

The court allowed three deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) from the Economic Offences Wing of the CID, accompanied by six more junior police officers, one professional videographer and two official mediators to participate in the interrogation.

The court also permitted the assistance of a team of lawyers for Naidu during the interrogation at reasonable intervals of five minutes after every one hour of questioning.

It allowed questioning of Naidu in the jail premises itself, considering the paucity of time, health and age of the former chief minister, helping him avoid the nearly 200 km-long journey from Rajamahendravaram central prison to the CID office in Mangalagiri.

Naidu was arrested on September 9, for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a purported loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.
Geeta Mahanand, the sarpanch of Risama panchayat in Chhattisgarh's Durg, said she would have never come forward to contest the rural polls had there been no reservation for women in the Panchayati raj system.

IMAGE: Union Ministers and Bharatiya Janata Party workers during the celebrations after the passing of Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (Women's Reservation Bill) in both Houses of Parliament, at the party Central Office Extension, in New Delhi . Photograph: Shrikant Singh/ANI Photo

A housewife who was thrust into politics after the seat was reserved for women, Mahanand said reservation not just empowered her to make decisions but also boosted her confidence to do more for the society.

In the three decades since reservation of seats for women in panchayati raj institutions was introduced, the country saw women dismantling gender barriers to take the lead in the political field at the grassroots level and excel in it.

In 1992, the P V Narasimha Rao government passed the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts mandating the reservation of one-third of seats for women in Panchayati Raj institutions. Over three decades later, the 128th Constitution amendment bill, referred to as the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, is seen as yet another significant stride towards achieving gender equity in politics.

After becoming sarpanch, Mahanand took proactive steps to improve cleanliness in her panchayat.

"We received a grant of Rs 20 lakh for our cleanliness efforts. We paid special attention to cleanliness in all institutions. We constructed toilets and employed women under the Swachh Bharat initiative, paying them from the panchayat fund. We also levied a cleanliness tax."

Initially, she faced some resistance as people were sceptical about the new initiatives.

"There were initial disagreements. However, eventually they came around. We worked with children to convince elders and they now talk about the importance of proper waste disposal. We are currently in the process of getting a library constructed," Mahanand said.

Recounting her entry into politics, she said, "The villagers suggested that, since I was educated, I should contest the election. I was new to politics, and no one in my family had ever been in this field. Initially, my husband acted as an advisor."

About the passage of the women's reservation bill in Parliament, Mahanand said, "It should have happened earlier. We talk about equality, but there is still no clarity on when it would be implemented."

Asked about some expressing concerns that the bill, in its current form, might allow women from political families to dominate, leaving little room for those who truly need the opportunity, she said, "It might happen, but women must come forward and assert their rights."

A woman sarpanch of a remote village in Rajasthan, who prefers not to disclose her identity, said, "Empowerment came to me through reservation."

Thrust into the election fray, she endured domestic abuse. My husband tried to control me, but the women in the village rallied in my support. Gradually, even my own family began to respect me, realizing that all I want to do is to improve the condition of my village."

"As my children grew up, they too started supporting me. Had it not been for reservation, I might have never considered stepping out of my home and contesting elections," she added.

In Salkheda village of Madhya Pradesh's Barwani district, village council member Anita's journey has been marked by resilience and empowerment.

"In this small village, women faced many difficulties. Men didn't allow them to step out. Hand it not been for reservation, it would have been incredibly hard for a woman to contest elections. When I became a member, an NGO taught us how to convey our ideas to the people and bring about change," she said.

Anita's commitment to empowering women extended beyond her own election. "In my panchayat, I encourage women to step forward and take on more responsibilities. I firmly believe they should have a larger role to play," she said.

Seema Bhaskaran, the Lead for Gender at the grassroots organisation Transform Rural India said women's reservation in panchayat opened up the political space for women. "In states where reservation in panchayati raj has been combined with capacity building of women elected representatives, the change has been impactful," she said.

In India, the National Rural Livelihood Mission has facilitated training for elected women representatives and Self-Help Group federations in decentralised planning and citizenship within Panchayati Raj Institutions. This has greatly contributed to enhancing the political voice of women, Bhaskaran said.

"This is an inevitable concomitant for battling patriarchy intersecting with entrenched structural barriers of caste," she added.
India has been carrying out a lot of construction activities at the China border in the last three years, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director General Lt General Rajeev Chaudhry said on Sunday.

IMAGE: The Sela Tunnel project, a bi-lane road tunnel at an altitude above 13,000 feet was at the final stage of completion, in West Kamang, Arunachal Pradesh, October 22, 2021. Photograph: ANI Photo

The DG was in Chandigarh to inspect the ongoing construction work of an air dispatch unit of the BRO, touted to be the world's largest 3D concrete printed campus.

Chaudhry said the government of India is fully supporting the BRO for carrying out infrastructure development projects by way of increasing the budget and new technology.

The government of India has "increased our budget by 100 per cent in the last two years", he added.

When asked if China is carrying out big infrastructure development near the border areas of India, the DG said that a lot of construction activities have been being carried out by the BRO and other agencies at the China border in the last three years.

The DG said that around 300 BRO projects worth Rs 8,000 crore were completed during the last few years.

In the last three years, we set up 295 road projects, bridges, tunnels and airfields which were dedicated to the nation, Chaudhry said.

"In four months, our 60 more projects will be ready and the pace of our work has increased, he added.

The DG said that the BRO was using steel slag -- a by-product of steel -- and plastic in the construction of roads.

Today, the BRO's pace of work is quite fast and the government has complete support in it, be it the budget, machines, new technology and simplification of procedures. You can be rest assured that we will leave China behind in the next four to five years, he added.

The DG said that the previous government was wary of constructing roads near the Line of Actual Control.

The then Defence Minister A K Antony had in 2008 made a statement in Parliament that China could use the same roads against India, said Chaudhry.

But today, the government is thinking in a different way. Our projects are being promoted," he added.

Chaudhry said that only two tunnels were constructed in 60 years but in the last three years, four tunnels have been built.

"We are presently working on 10 tunnels, which will be ready by next year and eight more tunnels are planned," he added underlining that tunnels are the most important component of providing fastest and all-weather connectivity.

He said that the BRO was using new techniques and machines for snow clearance in order to reduce the closure time of roads located at high altitude areas in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Tawang and other areas.

Citing an example of Zoji La pass, Chaudhry said that it used to remain shut for six months starting from October because of snow.

The closure time has been shrunk in the past three years, he added.

The DG said that road infrastructure development was not only for the security forces.

This also immensely helps for socio-economic upgradation of people who live in remote villages and distant areas and difficult terrains, he said, adding that a road is the backbone of development.

On the BRO's projects, the DG said that it constructed the world's highest motorable road at 19,000 feet at Demchok.

Nearly 40 days ago, we started a tunnel at Hanle at 15,000 feet, Chaudhry said.

All roads are higher in height than the base camps of the Mount Everest, he added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that it is still a world of 'double standards' and those countries which are occupying positions of influence are resisting the pressure to change and those with historical influence have weaponised a lot of those capabilities.

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meets Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia, in New York, US, September 23, 2023. Photograph: Courtesy S Jaishankar on X

Jaishankar was speaking at a Ministerial Session titled South Rising: Partnerships, Institutions and Ideas hosted by the Observer Research Foundation, in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, United Nations India and the Reliance Foundation.

"I think more than political will, there is political pressure for change," he said in New York on Saturday.

There is a growing sentiment in the world and the global South in a way embodies it. But there's also political resistance, he said.

"Those who are occupying positions of influence, we see this in the UN Security Council most of all, are resisting the pressure to change."

"Those who are economically dominant today are leveraging their production capabilities and those who have institutional influence or historical influence have actually weaponised a lot of those capabilities as well,"Jaishankar said.

"They will all mouth the right things, but the reality is still today, it's a world very much of double standards," Jaishankar said.

COVID itself was an example of it, he said,

"But I think this whole transition will really be in a sense the global South putting more and more pressure on the international system. And, the global North -- it's not just the North. There are parts which may not think of themselves in the North, but are very resistant to change," he said.

Jaishankar added cultural rebalancing really means recognising the diversity of the world, respecting the diversity of the world, and giving other cultures and other traditions their due respect.

He referred to the G20 Summit in Delhi earlier this month and cited the example of millets. He noted that the global South historically ate less wheat and more millets.

"In the name of the market a lot of things are done, like in the name of freedom a lot of things are done," he said to laughter from the audience.

Respecting others' heritage, tradition, music, literature, and ways of life, this is all part of the change that the global South would like to see, Jaishankar said.

The event was also addressed by India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, Reliance Foundation CEO Jagannatha Kumar, UN Resident Coordinator in India Shombi Sharp and ORF President Samir Saran.

Participating in the panel discussion at the event were the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal Joao Gomes Cravinho and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Jamaica, Kamina Johnson Smith.

Jaishankar further said that with a couple of months of India's G20 Presidency still left before Brazil assumes the presidency in December 2023 "we will get hopefully something moving on the reform of international financial institutions."

Saran referred to Jaishankar's remark that "Europe's problems are the world's problems but the world's problems are not Europe's problems, and said that some feel that Jaishankar is tough on Europe and if that is a fair assessment.

"No no of course not," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar added that among the main issues that are troubling the entire world are debt, SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) resourcing, climate action resourcing, digital access, nutrition and gender.

Jaishankar said that partly because of COVID and partly due to the focus on Ukraine, "these subjects were driven out of the global conversations, and added that -- to get actually the G20 to talk about what the world wanted it to talk about -- that was a real problem in the G20."

He asserted Prime Minister Narendra Modi put it very well when he said that "first let's talk to the people who are not going to be on the table, let's find out what they have to say," which is why India did the Voice of Global South Summit-2023.

Hosting the Voice of Global South Summit gave India 'the credentials, actually the empirical basis really to say' that "we've spoken to 125 countries and this is really what is troubling them and that is why we need to focus on these issues."
Four persons, including a 53-year-old bedridden paralysed woman, died due to flooding after heavy rains in Nagpur, the police said on Saturday.

IMAGE: Army personnel conduct rescue operations at the waterlogged Ambazari area following heavy rainfall, in Nagpur, September 23, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis late in the evening announced the kin of the deceased would get Rs 4 lakh each as compensation.

In the first case, flood water entered the house of Sandhya Dhore and her mother Sayabai Dhore (72) in Surendragadh, leading to relatives managing to rescue the latter while the former was left behind as she could not be moved from her bed, an official said.

"Sandhya Dhore drowned after the water level in the room increased. A rescue team found her body this morning," he said.

In Gittikhadan, 70-year-old Meerabai Kappuswamy, who lived alone, died after water entered her home at around 2am, he said, adding the body was found at 6am by relatives.

On Saturday evening, an unidentified body was found in a 'nullah' (major drain) near Panchsheel Square under Dhantoli police station limits, the official informed.

The fourth death was of tea vendor Sanjay Shankar Gadegaokar (52), a resident of Ayodhya Nagar, who drowned in a flooded pit on the premises of Government Medical College and Hospital at 3 am.

"He had come to visit a kin at GMCH. An accidental death case has been registered by Ajni police," the official informed.

Heavy rains over a span of few hours flooded many parts of Nagpur city, following which more than 400 people, including 70 students from a school for the speech and hearing-impaired, were rescued.

Water gushed into homes and residential areas and roads looked like rivers after the city received about 90 mm of rain between 2 am and 4 am on Saturday.

The weather department has issued an orange alert in the district for the next 24 hours.

The administration has declared a holiday for schools and colleges as a precautionary measure.
The US provided Canada with intelligence after the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, but communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, The New York Times has reported citing sources.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra D Modi greets Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, September 9, 2023. Photograph: ANI Photo

The report came on Saturday as the top US diplomat in Canada confirmed that there was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that had prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's offensive allegation against India in the killing of a Khalistani extremist on Canadian soil.

The allegations have infuriated India, which rejected the allegations as "absurd" and "motivated" and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa's expulsion of an Indian official over the case. India also accused Canada of being a safe haven for terrorists.

Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force, was killed in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.

The United States has urged India to cooperate with Canada in its investigations.

"In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved," the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying.

Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said.

David Cohen, US ambassador to Canada, in an interview with CTV News said that "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" had informed Trudeau of the possible involvement of Indian agents in the murder of a Canadian citizen in June.

"I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think that's as far as I'm comfortable going," Cohen told CTV News.

After Nijjar's death, American officials told their Canadian counterparts that Washington had not had any advance information about the plot, and that if US officials had they would have immediately informed Ottawa under the intelligence agencies' duty to warn doctrine, according to two allied officials, the newspaper reported.

The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss what has become a diplomatic firestorm, said Canadian officials had offered a general warning to Nijjar but had not told him that he was the target of an Indian government plot, according to the report.

Cohen told CTV that said that the US takes very seriously these allegations. And, you know, if they prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function," he said in response to a question.

While Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, American officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India, the paper said.

But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner, it said.

Blinken said the US is deeply concerned about the allegations raised by Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau against India and Washington was closely coordinating with Ottawa on the issue and wants to see accountability in the case.

Speaking at a press conference in New York on Friday, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government on the issue and the most productive thing would be the completion of this investigation.

Trudeau on Friday said that Canada shared with India "many weeks ago" evidence on the killing of Nijjar and wants New Delhi to commit constructively with Ottawa to establish the facts in the "very serious matter."

When asked about Canada sharing any information in the case with India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said: "No specific information has been shared by Canada on this case, either then or before or after. We have, you know, as we have said, or I think we have made very clear, we are willing to look at any specific information."
Exuding confidence about a good showing in the upcoming assembly polls, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that as of now the Congress is certainly winning Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, probably winning Telangana, and there is a "very close" contest in Rajasthan which the party believes it will emerge victorious in.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Photograph: @kcvenugopalmp/X, formerly Twitter

Gandhi also referred to the row over Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ramesh Bidhuri's derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party leader Danish Ali in Lok Sabha, alleging that the BJP indulges in such tactics to distract from the demand for a caste census.

He asserted that the opposition is adapting and working together and the BJP is "in for a surprise in 2024" general elections.

Speaking at a conclave organised by the Pratidin Media Network of Assam, Gandhi also said the idea of 'One Nation, One Election' was aimed at distracting from real issues of the people.

"It's one of the BJP's distraction strategies," he asserted.

The main issues in India are concentration of wealth, huge inequality in wealth, massive unemployment, huge unfairness towards the lower caste, OBCs, and tribal communities, and price rise, he said.

"Now, the BJP can't contest those. So 'let's have Mr. Bidhuri make a statement. Let's get together and sort of have elections together. Let's change the name of India'. This is all distraction. We know it, we understand it. And we're not going to let them do it," he said.

He asserted that his party not winning any of the states in the upcoming state polls is out of the question.

Assembly polls are scheduled to take place in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Mizoram.

Asked about the party's chances, Gandhi said, "I would say, right now, we are probably winning Telangana, we are certainly winning Madhya Pradesh, we are certainly winning Chhattisgarh. Rajasthan, we are very close, and we think we will be able to win. That is what it is looking like, and by the way, that is also what the BJP internally is saying."

The Congress learnt a very important lesson in Karnataka that the BJP wins elections by distracting and not allowing us to construct our narrative and so we fought the polls constructing our party's narrative.

"What you are seeing today, this gentlemen Mr. Bidhuri and then suddenly Mr. Nishikant Dubey, all this is the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the caste census. They know that the caste census is a fundamental thing that the people of India want and they don't want to have that discussion," the former Congress chief said.

"Every time we bring a point on the table, they use this type of stuff to distract us and we have learnt now how to deal with it," he said.

"What we did in Karnataka is we gave a clear vision for the state, 'this is the social security programme that we are going to set up for you' and then we control the narrative.

"If you look at the Telangana polls, we are controlling the narrative, the BJP is not even in the narrative, it is gone. The BJP has been decimated and it is over in Telangana," Gandhi said.

He claimed that the Congress is controlling the narrative in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the run up to the polls there.

"If you speak to people in Rajasthan on what is the issue in terms of anti-incumbency, they will tell you they like the government," he said.

"We are adapting in a situation where the BJP controls the media. Don't think the opposition is not capable of adapting, we are adapting, we are working together, we are 60 per cent of India's population. BJP is in for a surprise in 2024 (Lok Sabha polls)," he said.

Gandhi also said that the women's reservation bill can be implemented "tomorrow morning" and all that is required to be done is to state that 33 per cent of the seats will be reserved in the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabhas.

There is no connection between women's reservation and census or between women's reservation and delimitation, he argued.

Gandhi also claimed that the government came up with the idea of a special session to distract from media reports in newspapers such as Financial Times on the Adani matter.

"The first thing they were planning to do was to change India to Bharat but there was a huge backlash, they realised people will not like this, so put that in the background and came up with this," he said.

The government is saying that the women will reap benefit of the bill after 10 years but the Congress wants it now, he added

During the interaction, Gandhi also talked about his recent Ladakh visit during which he toured the Union Territory on a motorcycle.

He said it allowed him to continue the Bharat Jodo format in a different way.

On his learnings from his over 4,000 km Kanyakumari to Kashmir Bharat Jodo Yatra, Gandhi said that in 21st century India, the communication architecture is so captured by the BJP that it is practically impossible to speak to the people of India through that.

"It is very clear that my YouTube channel, my Twitter, they are all suppressed. The yatra was a necessity for us. No matter what the opposition says, it does not go through without distortion in the national media," he said.

"Big learning was old school communication going and meeting people, which Mahatma Gandhi ji pioneered in the modern era, others pioneered in older times, that still works," he said.

No matter how much energy the BJP put, no matter how much the media tried to distort, it did not work, because there was a direct connection, Gandhi said.

"For every story BJP media was trying to put in there were thousands of videos coming in to counter that. It was almost like a reverse capture of the mass media," he said.

This problem is not just an Indian problem as it is being faced across the world, he argued.

"For me, personal learning was even more interesting. It is that where you think your limit lies, is nowhere your limit actually lies. Your limit is much further than you can imagine," he said.
The growing tensions between India and Canada have raised concerns among Indian parents whose children are studying in Canada with many stating that not only they are worried but their children are also unable to put focus on their studies in Canada.

Photograph: ANI Photo

Speaking to ANI, Balwinder Singh whose daughter studies in Canada said, "We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, and it's been seven months since she has left. There is news in the media that there is tension going on between both countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she can't focus on her studies."

On the India-Canada row, Kuldeep Kaur, whose daughters study in Canada said that both governments should try to find a solution to the row that erupted after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

"My two daughters are in Canada and I am tensed. They have gone there to study. Governments of both countries should find a solution," Kuldeep Kaur said.

Earlier Canada's Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre condemned the "hateful comments" targeting Hindus in Canada.

He stated that Hindus have made "invaluable contributions" to every part of Canada and added that the Hindu community "will always be welcome here."

Conservative leader Poilievre said that each Canadian deserves to live without fear in the country. His remarks come after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India in 2019, in a viral video, threatened Hindus of Indian origin and asked them to leave Canada.

Shiromani Akali Dal President and MP Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday appealed to the Central Government to establish a good relationship with Canada soon to avoid increasing panic among the citizens living there. Badal also met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and requested him to 'find a solution' over the matter soon.

"Keeping the whole situation in mind, I request the government of India and the government of Canada, especially the government of India that it needs to be settled as soon as possible because more delay means more tension and panic," Badal said while talking to the reporters after meeting with Shah.

He further said that a panic-like situation is developing among the people living in Canada due to the recent developments between both countries.

Earlier the Centre issued an advisory for Indian Nationals and Indian Students in Canada.

"Our High Commission/Consulates General will continue to be in contact with the Canadian authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Canada. Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant," the advisory read.

"Indian nationals and students from India in Canada must also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through their respective websites or the MADAD portal madad.gov.in. Registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in the event of any emergency or untoward incident," advisory added.

India has already refuted the claims made by Canada with Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday stating that the allegations made by Canada regarding the "potential links" of India behind the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are Politically driven.

"Yes, I do think there is a degree of prejudice here. They have made allegations and taken action against them. To us, it seems that these allegations by the government of Canada are primarily politically driven," Bagchi said while addressing a weekly presser.
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A woman inspects a damaged building after clashes in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, Sept. 24, 2023. Two Palestinians were killed and an Israeli soldier wounded during exchange fire in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Sunday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Two Palestinians were killed and an Israeli soldier wounded during exchange fire in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Sunday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.

"Osaid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdul Rahaman Abu Daghash, 32, were killed after being shot in their heads with live bullets by the Israeli soldiers who stormed Noor Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm," said Ameen Khader, the director of Tulkarm Hospital.

Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that tens of Israeli soldiers, accompanied by a military bulldozer, stormed the Noor Shams refugee camp to arrest Palestinians wanted by Israeli security forces who clashed with Palestinian militants.

Local eyewitnesses said the Israeli military bulldozed a number of the camp's streets, destructing property and infrastructure.

Palestinian armed factions in the camp said in a statement that their fighters were involved in violent and fierce clashes with the Israeli soldiers, and detonated homemade explosive devices in Israeli vehicles, which led to casualties among them and damaged their vehicles.

The Israeli army said in a press statement that "an Israeli soldier was moderately wounded during a security operation carried out on the Palestinian refugee camp."

It added that Israeli army forces, engineering, police, and members of the General Security Service (Shin Bet) participated in the security operation in the Noor Shams camp.

"During the operation, our army destroyed a building that included a room used as a control point to operate Palestinian militants to carry out attacks against Israelis, and also destroyed dozens of ready-made bombs and many components for manufacturing explosive devices," said the statement. 

A man inspects a damaged building after clashes in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, Sept. 24, 2023.

Two Palestinians were killed and an Israeli soldier wounded during exchange fire in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Sunday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged building after clashes in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, Sept. 24, 2023.

Two Palestinians were killed and an Israeli soldier wounded during exchange fire in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Sunday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)

People inspect a damaged building after clashes in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, Sept. 24, 2023.

Two Palestinians were killed and an Israeli soldier wounded during exchange fire in the West Bank city of Tulkarm on Sunday, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources. (Photo by Nidal Eshtayeh/Xinhua)
A child poses for photos with a rabbit during the "Meet the Bunnies under the Moon" event at the Lansdowne Centre in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 23, 2023. The two-day family-friendly event kicked off here in Richmond on Saturday, featuring a "meet and treat" interaction with bunnies rescued by a local animal charity in celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

A woman pets a rabbit during the "Meet the Bunnies under the Moon" event at the Lansdowne Centre in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 23, 2023. The two-day family-friendly event kicked off here in Richmond on Saturday, featuring a "meet and treat" interaction with bunnies rescued by a local animal charity in celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)

People hold rabbits in front of lanterns during the "Meet the Bunnies under the Moon" event at the Lansdowne Centre in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 23, 2023. The two-day family-friendly event kicked off here in Richmond on Saturday, featuring a "meet and treat" interaction with bunnies rescued by a local animal charity in celebration of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival. (Photo by Liang Sen/Xinhua)
GUANGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Made from intricate metal wire mesh and embellished with emerald pieces and jeweled tassels, The Phoenix Coronet is an exquisite toy inspired by traditional Chinese culture.

Historically reserved for noblewomen during ceremonies and official occasions in ancient China, phoenix coronets have made a contemporary resurgence in the form of art toys. Art toys, or designer toys, are toys and collectibles created by artists and designers and typically sold in limited editions.

Piececool, an art toy maker based in Dongguan, south China's Guangdong Province, is the manufacturer of The Phoenix Coronet. The company boasts a global reach, selling its products to over 100 countries and regions. The Phoenix Coronet is its hit product, generating monthly sales exceeding 200,000 units.

"Combining traditional Chinese culture with modern aesthetics, many art toys have become a global sensation," said Xiong Mao, who heads the operation of the Piececool brand. The brand's other top-selling products include a series based on the alleyways of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), depicting the splendor of the dynasty.

Originally a manufacturer of metal buttons for mobile phones, Piececool later shifted its focus to metal toys. However, this change did not initially yield the desired market response. The company's turnaround finally materialized when it embraced Chinese traditional culture.

Today, Piececool's products are translated into seven languages, accumulating over a billion users worldwide.

According to industry data, the global art toy market is experiencing rapid growth, with market size increasing from 8.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to 34 billion U.S. dollars in 2022.

Dongguan is a toy manufacturing hub, boasting over 4,000 toy makers. As of 2022, Dongguan had 87 large-scale enterprises involved in art toy production, with a total industrial output value of 16.66 billion yuan (about 2.32 billion U.S. dollars), marking a 29.8 percent increase year on year.

Wu Yifu, deputy general manager of the online platform Chaowanzu, specializing in art toy trading, noted that previously Chinese manufacturers had often focused on producing outsourced foreign products, mainly featuring foreign IPs or designs.

"Now, Chinese brands are rising and infusing more Chinese elements into their designs. The market prefers art toys with a Chinese flair," Wu said.

Many art toys have enjoyed robust sales in Southeast Asia, Japan, and the Republic of Korea, thanks to geographical and cultural proximity, Wu noted, adding that customers in these regions are also very interested in Chinese mythology and museum culture.

Artists often draw inspiration from the rich trove of traditional Chinese culture in designing these toys, presenting figures from well-known traditional Chinese stories such as "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" or "Classic of Mountains and Seas," said Wang Dongdong, the founder of Dongguan Dongxiu Culture Communication Co., Ltd., a local toy design company.

The rise in the popularity of this genre coincides with the broader trend of growing Chinese toy exports. Some prominent Chinese art toy brands are making significant strides in overseas markets.

Pop Mart, a major trendy toy company, reported a 19.3 percent year-on-year revenue increase in the first half of 2023. Its overseas business revenue surged almost 140 percent from the same period last year, totaling 376 million yuan, recent company data showed.

Luo Xiaoxing, general manager of startup company Guangzhou MANYC Network Technology Co., Ltd., has a positive outlook on the art toy market.

"Culture empowers a transformative shift in traditional toy manufacturing, and in this new race of art toys, there are more opportunities and a larger global market," Luo said. 
A Thai pro-democracy protester holds up the three-finger salute during a protest after Pheu Thai held a press conference announcing that the Move Forward Party (MFP) will no longer be part of the eight-party coalition at Pheu Thai Party's headquarters in Bangkok on August 2, 2023.

A recent survey from the Pew Research Centre, ostensibly about the opinions of Buddhists and Muslims in South and Southeast Asia, offered a disheartening read to those of us who cherish free speech. But the study also highlighted that it is wrong to think the only enemies of free speech are the regions authoritarian governments.

The pollsters asked respondents from four Southeast Asian states to choose between two statements: People should be allowed to speak their opinions publicly even if they upset other people or harmony with others is more important than the right to speak ones opinion. Around two-thirds of respondents69 percent in Cambodia, 67 percent in Indonesia, and 64 percent in Singaporechose harmony over free speech. Interestingly, 59 percent of Thais chose the opposite.

Its more straightforward, though not easy, to pick a fight with governments for their repression of free speech, as it is to argue against the common claims that free speech is an illusion or that democracies are just as censorious as authoritarian states. Whats harder to comprend, and more dangerous not to rebut, is the proposition that freedom of speech is undesirable and honesty is a species of antisocial behavior. Indeed, the argument you should keep silent even if you know you would speak the truth. But that is what one confronts in Southeast Asia, vide the Pew survey.

A Thai man prays in the rain during an all-religion prayer meeting for peace and harmony at the Lumpini park, in Bangkok in 2010. Thousands of residents gathered at dawn to pray for peace at sites across Bangkok where people were killed and high rise buildings torched in two months of political violence. Credit: Manish Swarup/AP

I say its harder because one must realize that it is not just your governments who want to silence you; its also your neighbors. None of this is palatable. Its far easier to think that all tyranny stems from way up high, in part because one has to get on in society with people who think differently and, also, because it provides a convenient excuse for inactivity.

However, this isnt a new realization. In 2015, Pew conducted a global survey on people's attitudes towards free speech. Only 29 percent of Indonesians, for example, thought that people should say what they want without censorship and just 21 percent reckoned that internet use without censorship is important.

What point is there in free speech if one is only allowed to say something uncontroversial or what everyone else already (appears) to think? Thats not free speech; thats repetition. And repetition doesnt change peoples opinions nor educate. Why not stick to what you thought at sixteen years old and never change your mind? But in order to be allowed to question your established ideas, to educate yourself, you have to be presented with uncomfortable information in an uncomforting wayfew people relish being told theyre wrong and that they have been wrong for years.

I say allowed because that is at the core of free speech. It is often assumed that the true victim of censorship is the person engaged in speaking. They are victims, but so, too, is everyone else. If your thoughts are censored, then I am now able to hear them. If my thoughts are censored, you are not allowed to hear my opinions and judge them against your own. As such, censorship makes each person a prisoner of their own thoughts and makes society barren silos.

Enforcing the will of the majority

I am not singling Southeast Asia out unfairly, The desire for freedom from speech is universal. Indeed, the want for a quiet life, to be protected from discomforting truths, is much in the Western consciousness, and increasingly so.

It is the defining ethos of totalitarianisma Western conceptand of almost all religions. Isnt the founding tenet of Christianity, Judaism and Islam that Adam was wicked for giving up the harmony of Eden for a free life, and that all us apparent descents are still being punished for that crime?

It is often said that censorship is grounded in the need to protect minorities. That, at least, is how social harmony is often defined in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia; multiethnic countries with political systems that fracture on racial or religious lines. However, time and time again what one finds in practice is that censorship is used to enforce the will of the majority over the minority. Worse, what this becomes is the assertion that harmony can only be protected by prosecuting the minority so that the majority does not engage in violence.

Malaysia's Police Chief Khalid Abu Bakar warned journalists Don't do anything or publish drawings or writing that can cause exasperation in the community. Credit: Alexandra Radu/AP file photo

There are numerous examples of this. But to take a lesser-known one: in early 2017, a small Chinese-language daily newspaper in Malaysia ran a caricature of the president of the Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) that was deemed by some to be anti-Islamic. Shortly after the cartoon went public, admittedly to the newspaper's small readership of mainly ethnic-Chinese, a PAS state commissioner warned the newspaper not to forget what happened to the journalists of Charlie Hebdo, when 12 journalists were murdered at the French newspaper's Paris offices two years earlier. If you remember last time, there was a French newspaper that published a caricature that angered the whole Muslim world, said Muhammad Fauzi Yusof, adding that the newspaper would be responsible for the devastating consequences. Then-Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar waded into the debate. Don't do anything or publish drawings or writing that can cause exasperation in the community. We have to be careful with these things, he instructed newspapers and journalists.

What do we make of this? Obviously, it was not the Chinese-language newspaper, representing a minority, that threatened violence but the politician, from the majority, who told journalists that they could be assassinated en masse. And what about the police chief? He didn't arrest the politician for a threatening speech that suggested mass murder. Instead he told journalists to refrain from angering others, who happen to be the majority in Malaysia. So who was being protected? Quite clearly the person who was threatening violence.

Protecting the one that makes the threat

In Cambodia, the ruling party has for decades told the public quite explicitly that if it falls from power, the country would descend quickly back into the barbarism and anarchy of the 1970s Khmer Rouge days. Note that those wishing to unseat the Cambodian Peoples Party want to do so by peaceful and democratic means. Nonetheless, the ruling partys warning is actually a threat. If we, it says, lose power by the ballot, we will be the ones who will bring violence upon the country. How much this is accepted by the public is questionable, although the harmony that Cambodian respondents referred to in the Pew survey must presumably have included this.

Another inescapable fact is that the subjects that are taboo and off-limits in Southeast Asia, those cloaked in the need for harmony, tend to be matters which are of the utmost importance. The role of Thailands monarchy, the apparent bastion of Thai-ness, for instance. Indonesians and Malaysians are far more likely to oppose speech that is deemed offensive towards religious beliefs than many other nationalities, such as Filipinos and the Vietnamese, according to Pews 2015 survey.

Cambodian People's Party supporters rally in Phnom Penh, July 21, 2023. The ruling party, it had warned that the country would descend back into the barbarism and anarchy of the Khmer Rouge days if it was not in power. Credit: Heng Sinith/AP

On the other hand, fewer Vietnamese (61 percent) think that people should be able to make public comments that criticize a governments policies than Indonesians (73 percent) or Malaysians (63 percent). Of course this is top-down, yet it also speaks to the fact that many people in those countries subscribeperhaps unconsciouslyto the same principle that these subjects ought to be off-limits and, indeed, are threats to harmony. After all, governments make laws, and authoritarian governments make harsh law. But whether they are enforced, and how the police behave, depends on the general mood in the country. In Cambodia and Vietnam it is illegal to park on most pavements, but because everyone has done this for decades and no-one really kicks up a fuss, the police rarely enforce it.

If large enough numbers of people were interested in freedom of speech, there would be more freedom of speech, even if the law forbids it. However, its much simpler to assume the only problem is the autocrats.

David Hutt is a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS) and the Southeast Asia Columnist at the Diplomat. As a journalist, he has covered Southeast Asian politics since 2014. The views expressed here are his own and do not reflect the position of RFA.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has told his Caucasus nation on the heels of a bruising defeat for allies in a breakaway region of Azerbaijan that while Baku and Russian peacekeepers bear responsibility for protecting ethnic Armenians there, if necessary his government "will welcome our brothers and sisters of Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia with all care."

Yerevan reported on September 24 that the first several hundred refugees from the region had begun arriving in Armenia, with Nagorno-Karabakh leaders indicating that nearly all of the estimated 120,000 ethnic Armenians are likely to leave for the Caucasus nations territory as soon as possible, saying they did not want to live under Azerbaijani control.

Meanwhile, Armenias Security Council said Pashinian would conduct previously arranged talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Grenada, Spain, on October 5, with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and EU chief Charles Michel also participating.

In a televised address to his nation of around 3 million, Pashinian also seemingly delivered a barb to Russia and Moscow-led efforts at regional security.

"The attacks carried out by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia in recent years lead to an obvious conclusion that the external security systems in which we are involved are not effective from the point of view of the state interests and security of the Republic of Armenia," Pashinian said.

Pashinian and many Armenians blame Russia -- which traditionally has served as Armenia's protector in the region -- for failing to use its peacekeeping force to protect ethnic Armenians in Karabakh.

Armenia is a member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which Russia has tried to position as a counterweight to NATO, although as recently as this month its armed forces were conducting exercises with U.S. forces.

Pashinian has been on rocky political footing since overwhelming Azerbaijani forces retook much of the territory in and around Nagorno-Karabakh held for decades by ethnic Armenians in a six-week war in late 2020 that led to a Russian-brokered cease-fire.

Then this week the breakaway leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh was thrashed by a lightning Azerbaijani offensive that led Baku to declare victory in returning its sovereignty to the territory.

Around the time Pashinian was addressing the nation on September 24, an adviser to the defeated leadership in Nagorno-Karabakh said virtually all of the territory's ethnic Armenians will leave for Armenia in a bitter exodus from "our historic lands."

Davit Babayan, an adviser for foreign policy to the separatist governments de facto leader Samvel Shahramanian, told Reuters on September 24 that "Our people do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan. Ninety-nine point nine percent prefer to leave our historic lands."

He said nothing of a time frame and there was otherwise no official position on a possible mass exodus.

Calls have increased in urgency for humanitarian help from the United Nations and the international community since the ethnic Armenian separatists agreed to a Russian-brokered cease-fire after a 24-hour blitz by Azerbaijani military forces on September 19-20.

Baku has repeatedly vowed to ensure the rights of what ethnic Armenians say is around 120,000 locals but the Azerbaijani side says is around half that figure.

"The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilized world," Babayan said. "Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins."

Azerbaijan again signaled victory in Nagorno-Karabakh while Armenia urged international help to ensure the safety of the local ethnic Armenian population in competing speeches before the United Nations General Assembly, as evacuation and disarmament efforts continue.

Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, meanwhile used his UN appearance to say the two post-Soviet foes have "put things in order" and now it's time to build "mutual trust."

The trio of September 23 speeches came as the Yerevan-backed separatists said they were implementing the terms of the days-old cease-fire but concerns continued over the safety of tens of thousands of ethnic Armenians in the territory and with evacuations of the wounded under way.

Azerbaijan and Armenia's foreign ministers struck opposing tones in their speeches to the UN forum.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov hailed the success of his country's September 19-20 military campaign in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is internationally recognized as Azerbaijani territory, as achieving the "goals of anti-terrorist measures."

"Armenia and its subordinate illegal regime were forced to agree to disarmament, liquidation of all so-called structures and withdrawal of forces from Azerbaijan," Bayramov said.

In his speech to the UN General Assembly several hours later, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan lamented Yerevan's repeated calls for greater UN activity to break a nine-month-long de facto Azerbaijani blockade of the region before the latest offensive.

Armenia's government has distanced itself from the latest cease-fire mediated by Russia's peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh on September 20, with daily protests targeting Pashinian and his government.

Mirzoyan accused much larger neighbor Azerbaijan of pursuing a "path of war" and disregarding accepted international principles.

He said the message from Azerbaijan has been that "you can talk about peace, but we can go on the path of war, and you will not be able to change anything."

Mirzoyan said the latest casualty toll of this week's Azerbaijani actions were "more than 200 confirmed dead and 400 wounded, including civilians, women, and children." He said the fates of hundreds more remained "uncertain."

He also repeated Yerevan's "imperative" call for a UN mission in Nagorno-Karabakh "to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground, "with "unhindered access."

Armenia's Health Ministry announced on September 24 that ambulances were transporting 23 seriously injured individuals from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenian territory.

RFE/RL reporters said the first refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh had arrived at a humanitarian aid facility in the border village of Kornidzor on September 24. Photos showed men, women, and children gathered around Red Cross tents and other receiving areas.

Separatist authorities said Russian peacekeepers would accompany those wishing to leave the region and go to Armenia.



The Armenian government said more than 1,000 people have had arrived in the country from Nagorno-Karabakh by late September 24.

In his speech to the General Assembly on September 23, Russia's Lavrov said "the time has come for confidence-building measures between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh."

He said Russia's peacekeepers would assist, and he accused Western governments of inserting themselves unnecessarily in the Caucasus.

Lavrov said that "Yerevan and Baku actually put the situation in order."

Nagorno-Karabakhs ethnic Armenian separatist leaders said on September 23 said they were implementing the cease-fire, including evacuations of injured civilians to Armenia with the help of Russian peacekeepers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The separatists said that, as part of the September 20 agreement, aid was to be delivered from Armenia to Stepanakert -- the de facto capital of the breakaway region under ethnic Armenian control -- through the Lachin Corridor, for decades the main link between Karabakh and Armenia.

Also as part of the agreement, separatists said, talks would take place on the political future of the region, which is suffering from shortages of food, fuel, and electricity.

Russian peacekeeping forces in Nagorno-Karabakh reported that Karabakh separatists had already handed over more than 800 firearms, grenades, mortars, anti-tank guided missiles, and anti-tank missile systems, and the disarmament process would continue over the weekend.

U.S. Democratic Senator Gary Peters, who is leading a congressional delegation to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border, called for international observers needed to monitor the situation and said people in Karabakh were "very fearful."

"I am certainly very concerned about whats happening in Nagorno-Karabakh right now. I think there needs to be some visibility," Peters told reporters.

Azerbaijan has vowed to protect the rights of civilians there.

The offensive was halted on September 20 after Karabakh's ethnic Armenian leadership accepted a proposal by the Russian peacekeeping mission, although sporadic fighting has been reported.

Baku has said it envisages an amnesty for Karabakh Armenian fighters who give up their arms and seeks to reintegrate the territory's ethnic Armenian population. Some separatist fighters have vowed to continue to resist Azerbaijani control.

Frances Macron on September 24 said Paris is now concerned about the territorial integrity of Armenia after Azerbaijans military took control of Nagorno-Karabakh.

"France is very vigilant at this time concerning the territorial integrity of Armenia. Because that is what's at stake," Macron told a TV interview, adding that Russia was now "complicit" with Baku and that Azerbaijan is "threatening the border of Armenia."

Although Armenia traditionally has close ties to Russia, many Western nations -- including France and the United States -- have large ethnic Armenian populations and watch developments there closely.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Pashinian in a phone call on September 23 that Washington continues to support Armenia's "sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity" and that it has "deep concern for the ethnic Armenian population in Nagorno-Karabakh."

During a short but bloody war in 2020, Azerbaijan recaptured much of Nagorno-Karabakh as well as seven surrounding districts that had been controlled since the 1990s by ethnic Armenians with Yerevan's support.
Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2023. Saleumxay Kommasith on Saturday called for collective actions to tackle global challenges, warning against unilateralism. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on Saturday called for collective actions to tackle global challenges, warning against unilateralism.

Today the international community is facing multiple crises at an unprecedented level. Following the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the major challenges facing developing countries vary from poverty, debt, and an unjust international financial architecture to extreme natural calamities, he told the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

This has already been compounded by regional tensions and unilateral measures as a result of geopolitical rivalries. All this has not only hampered the hard-earned development progress during the last decade, but also threatened the survival of humankind, he warned.

"At this critical juncture, the most appropriate solutions are needed in order to address such challenges. It requires unified and collective actions that are guided by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and we must firmly uphold multilateralism in tackling them," he said.

"To save our world from another catastrophe, our shared wisdom and united political determination are more crucial than ever. This must be done by putting aside any unilateral interests and resolutely avoiding greater confrontation and division among the UN member states," he said. "To this end, the United Nations must be reformed in a way that it can effectively fulfill its mandate. We need the UN that is more relevant and effective in the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape and is able to address the challenges threatening international peace, security and sustainable development."

With scientific and technological advancement and innovation, humankind is now better equipped to tackle global challenges. Yet, without common desire, shared responsibilities and collective actions, the most vulnerable peoples in the world will continue to be left behind, he said.

Resolving global conflicts and disputes by peaceful means is the only viable way to ensure long-lasting peace and coexistence. In this regard, Laos urges an immediate end to the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful dialogues, he said.

Like many other countries, Laos believes that unilateralism, particularly unilateral coercive measures, not only contravenes the principles of the UN Charter and international law, but also severely causes negative consequences to innocent people and hinders national development of many developing countries, he said.

In this regard, Laos continues to join the global call for lifting the economic embargo against Cuba, removing it from the list of "state sponsors of terrorism," and ending all unilateral coercive measures against the island, he said. 

Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith (Front) delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2023. Saleumxay Kommasith on Saturday called for collective actions to tackle global challenges, warning against unilateralism. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)
Pakistan on November 1 began rounding up undocumented foreigners, the vast majority of them Afghans, hours ahead of the deadline for them to evacuate the country.

The country's Interior Ministry said in a statement before the midnight deadline that "a process to arrest the foreigners...for deportation" had begun, but that voluntary return would still be encouraged.



The undocumented foreigners were reportedly being transferred to transit centers.



Officials in the southwestern port city of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city and capital of Sindh Province, said that up to 40 people without proper documents had been moved to one of the transit centers.



Pakistan announced in early October that it would expel an estimated 1.7 million undocumented immigrants who remained in the country after November 1. As the deadline approached, tens of thousands of Afghans -- some who have sought refuge in Pakistan for decades -- made their way back to Afghanistan with their families and belongings.



In the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, which borders Afghanistan, officials said on November 1 that more than 100,000 Afghan nationals had returned to their homeland via the Torkham border crossing in the past two weeks.

WATCH: Authorities in Islamabad demolished mud houses belonging to Afghan refugees on October 31, a day ahead of a deadline for them to leave Pakistan. An estimated 1.7 million Afghans living illegally in Pakistan have been told to return to their country or face detention and deportation.

An undetermined number of Afghans have returned to Afghanistan by way of the Chaman border crossing in the southwestern Balochistan Province.



Overall, more than 140,000 people had voluntarily left Pakistan following the government's October 3 order, according to Pakistan's Interior Ministry.



Pakistan's move to remove undocumented foreigners is seen as part of an anti-immigrant crackdown that has been criticized by human rights groups and the United Nations.



On October 31, the chair of the nongovernmental Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Hina Jilani, wrote the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warning that Islamabad's move to expel Afghans could "trigger a humanitarian crisis."



"The decision amounts to forced repatriation, which is not recognized under international customary law, and will invariably affect vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, which include women, children, the elderly, persons living with disabilities, persons from low-income groups, and Afghans at risk because of their professions -- many of whom fled Afghanistan after the Afghan Taliban took over the government in August 2021," Jilani wrote.

Ahmad Afghan, an Afghan national who lives in Islamabad, told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that he and his family left Afghanistan after the Taliban regained power in Kabul. He said his visa has since expired and he has been unable to extend it as he and his family await documents to move to a third country.



"We are very worried. We cannot go back to Afghanistan," Afghan said. "If we go back to Afghanistan, [the Taliban] will kill us -- 100 percent."



Pakistan has been a popular refuge for Afghans for decades, beginning during the 1979-89 Soviet occupation. Others fled fighting during the ensuing Afghan civil war and the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. Millions of Afghans returned to their homeland following the U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban from power.



Some 3.7 million Afghans fleeing war, poverty, and political upheaval in their homeland currently reside in Pakistan, according to the United Nations, with Islamabad putting the number as high as 4.4 million.



Officials in Islamabad have said that about 1.4 million Afghans possess documents allowing them to legally stay in Pakistan and that the order for undocumented immigrants to leave affects 1.7 million people.



Afghanistan's ruling Taliban has previously criticized the move to remove undocumented Afghans from Pakistan, saying they are being punished for tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.



On November 1, the Taliban called on the Pakistani government to give undocumented Afghans more time to leave as large numbers of evacuees created bottlenecks at the Pakistan-Afghan border.



While thanking Pakistan and other countries that have harbored Afghans over years of conflict in Afghanistan, the Taliban asked Islamabad "to not forcibly deport Afghans with little notice, but give them time to prepare."



Mohammad Zaman, an Afghan national who spoke to Radio Azadi at the Torkham border crossing on November 1, said the large group his family traveled with struggled to prepare for the evacuation.



"More than 30 families came with us. They are people who had left their country due to poverty. They are people who could not find a loaf of bread, so they left the country and came [to Pakistan]," Zaman said. "Instead of supporting us, Pakistan gave us a very short deadline. The deadline was so short that we couldn't even wrap up our businesses."



An Afghan national who spoke to Radio Azadi on condition of anonymity following his arrival in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar Province expressed hope that he and his children would be treated fairly by the Taliban.



"I swear by God, I have neither a place to live in nor a piece of land," the man said, adding that he and his family had moved to Pakistan in search of work. "I ask the Taliban to provide us with shelter, at least a tent to live in.... Here, we may die of hunger."



On November 1, Afghanistan's state news agency, Bakhtar, which is under Taliban control, said the Taliban government had dedicated 2 billion Afghanis (about $27 million) to provide returnees "with basic needs."

With reporting by Reuters
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
Washington has condemned an attack at a Serbian Orthodox monastery complex in the mostly Serb north of Kosovo as the country observed a day of mourning for the police officer who died over the weekend in a clash with a heavily armed group that also left at least three of the suspected assailants dead.

The Prosecutor's Office of Kosovo said on September 25 that it had found the body of a third attacker about 1.5 kilometers from the monastery, where a day earlier some 30 attackers dressed in security- or military-like uniforms who may have ties to the Orthodox monastery complex in the village of Banjska, where the deadly encounter began around 2:30 a.m. local time, sparking vague accusations of involvement by neighboring bitter rival Serbia.

Prosecutor Naim Abazi said police are still trying to identify the person as he had no identification with him. Officials clarified an earlier report that incorrectly said the body was that of a fourth attacker.

Kosovo Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla told reporters on September 25 that at least six suspected attackers were now in Serbia receiving treatment at a hospital there, without specifying how he received the information.

"Six wounded terrorists are being treated in the hospital of Novi Pazar and we ask Serbia to immediately hand them over to the Kosovo authorities, so they can face justice," he said.

Serbia did not immediately respond to the remarks.

During the standoff, Kosovar police said three attackers had been killed and six people had been arrested, including two of the attackers and four others found to be in possession radio communications equipment and had discovered a significant amount of weapons, ammunition, and other equipment.

"The perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable via a transparent investigative process," U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on September 25.

"We call on the governments of Kosovo and Serbia to refrain from any actions or rhetoric which could further inflame tensions and to immediately work in coordination with international partners to de-escalate the situation, ensure security and rule of law, and return to the EU-facilitated dialogue," he added.

Details of the attack remained scarce, and it wasnt immediately clear how the remaining suspected assailants may have escaped or where they were heading.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, in a speech late on September 24, said he was sorry that a police officer was killed but blamed the Kosovar leader, saying ethnic Serbs there did not want to suffer [Prime Minister Albin] Kurtis terror any longer.

I do not want to justify the murder of an [ethnic] Albanian policeman in any way, nor can I justify it. It is an act of condemnation and it is something that no one needed," the Serbian president said.

He denied that Belgrade was involved in the overnight incident and said two of those killed were from North Mitrovica, without providing their identities. He also vehemently stated that Serbia would never recognize the independence of Kosovo, its former province, "neither formally nor informally. He did add, however, that Belgrade was willing to talk to Pristina.

Kurti earlier told a news conference that there are at least 30 heavily armed people, professionals, military and police, who are under the siege of our police forces and whom I invite to surrender to our security bodies.

He said Kosovar security authorities and prosecutors would scramble "to understand more about these uniforms."

"It seems that this is a well-organized action, which is why it is more dangerous, because it suggests that there are groups on the ground who are interested in causing violence and are ready to organize and find weapons that will enable them to do so," Charles Kupchan, a professor at Georgetown University and former director of European affairs at the U.S. National Security Council in the administrations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, told RFE/RL.

Serbia does not recognize the 2008 declaration of independence of its mostly ethnic Albanian former province, with many ethnic Serbs in Kosovo following suit while remaining dependent on so-called parallel structures that Pristina regards as illegal.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said he "condemn[s] in the strongest possible terms the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo Police officers in Banjska/Banjske" and said more innocent lives were in danger "in ongoing hostilities" around the monastery.

He said the EU's peacekeeping force, EULEX, was "on the ground" as a second security responder and was in touch with authorities and with NATO KFOR peacekeepers.

Western officials mediating talks with Serbia and Kosovo have signaled frustration since negotiations this month that also involved Vucic failed to achieve a breakthrough on normalization.

Those talks are part of a decade-long U.S. and EU diplomatic push toward formalized relations and to repair some of the wounds from bloody internecine wars in the 1990s, after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

In May and June, Kurti ignored outside warnings and tried to forcibly install four mayors in mostly Serb northern municipalities following boycotted by-elections to fill posts vacated by protesting Serbs.

The resulting tensions erupted into violence that injured dozens of NATO KFOR peacekeepers and some ethnic Serb protesters.

With reporting by AFP
Police in Kosovo sealed off the access road to the village of Banjska on September 24. An ambulance and armored police vehicles were seen driving to the village in the municipality of Zvecan after a police officer was shot dead and another wounded overnight. Ethnic tensions have affected predominantly Serb northern Kosovo for nearly a year over issues such as car-license plates and local elections.
On September 19, U.S. President Joe Biden met with the five Central Asian leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York -- a first for the six countries. For over 20 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, U.S.-Central Asian ties focused heavily on security cooperation. Security was still part of the discussion at the summit, but other issues received equal, if not more attention. What is the state of U.S.-Central Asian relations now? Joining host Bruce Pannier to look at what the summit tells us about U.S.-Central Asian ties are guests Laura Kennedy, former U.S. ambassador to Turkmenistan, Eileen Malloy, former U.S. ambassador to Kyrgyzstan, and William Courtney, former U.S. ambassador to Kazakhstan.
Near KLISHCHIYIVKA, Ukraine -- After months of intense fighting to dislodge Russian units north and south of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, Kyivs forces recaptured the nearby tactically important village of Klishchiyivka in a move that Ukrainian officials say could set the stage for further military advances.



Located approximately 9 kilometers south of Bakhmut, Klishchiyivka -- which Ukrainian military officials said they recaptured on September 18 -- is part of a recent series of modest but potentially crucial gains for Kyiv as it searches for a major breakthrough in its grueling counteroffensive to wrest back territory from Moscow.



Speaking to Current Time, a Russian-language network run by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA, members of the Tsunami regiment within an assault brigade of Ukraines National Guard, described chaotic and hard-fought battles to retake the village that has left much of the area razed to the ground, with damaged equipment and corpses still being recovered.



After encountering war for the first time, you quickly rethink it, said Dmytro, a former priest who signed up to the National Guards newly formed assault brigades six months ago and asked to be identified only by his first name. You imagine it one way, but it looks completely different in reality. Theres nothing beautiful in combat operations. Its chaos, screams, and explosions.

Ukrainian commanders have described the capture of Klischiyivka and the recent retaking of nearby Andriyivka as stepping stones for taking back Bakhmut, which fell to the Russians after months of some of the wars heaviest fighting. These small gains in the east -- along with similar ones across the south and southeast -- will allow Ukrainian forces to advance farther toward Russian positions in order to deliver more accurate artillery strikes, Ukrainian officials say, and help cut off road and railway access that is crucial for the Russian militarys logistics.



But the incremental progress also highlights the difficulties that Kyiv faces since launching its counteroffensive in June. Russia still has substantial defenses in place, including areas saturated with tank and antipersonnel mines, and Ukrainian forces have retreated and advanced again in recent months amid intense fighting that has ranged from artillery barrages to house-by-house street fights.



It wasnt easy, sometimes we wanted to give up, said Valeriy, a soldier in the Tsunami regiment that helped capture Klischiyivka. The worst thing is watching my guys get [wounded]. We kept having to retreat, regroup, pick up the wounded, and then prepare for an assault all over again.



Counteroffensive Slogs Forward



The Russian Army has now withdrawn beyond Klischiyivka and Ukrainian forces have raised the countrys flag over the village.



Other members of the National Guard assault brigade who spoke to Current Time say that pushing back Russian troops came at a high cost, with many saying that it was reminiscent of the grueling battle for Bakhmut, which saw heavy losses on both the Russian and Ukrainian sides.



Our group encountered the St. Petersburg riot police. There were 28 of them there, give or take, and they were dug in, recalls Prince, a member of the assault brigade who asked to be identified by his military call sign. We covered them with artillery strikes, but they stayed right until the end and kept shooting back. There were only six that made it out and retreated.

Russian forces continue to periodically counterattack near Klischiyivka, but Ukrainian officials say they are well-positioned to keep pressing forward in the east, where analysts suggest Kyiv intends to keep Russian troops engaged as it searches for breakthroughs elsewhere in the country.



Grinding progress also looks to be moving forward in the southeast around the villages of Robotyne and Verbove along the line in Ukraines Zaporizhzhya region.



There, Ukrainian forces look to be pushing through Russias formidable defenses, which have become known as the Surovikin Lines -- named for the former head of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, who was removed from his post earlier this year by Russian President Vladimir Putin.



The lines consist of three defensive layers of trenches and other defenses, with the final line made up of trenches and dragons teeth -- concrete pyramid-shaped obstacles intended to slow down vehicles and channel them into kill zones.



Unconfirmed videos and images posted online on September 20 appear to show Ukrainian Marder and Stryker infantry fighting vehicles advancing east toward Verbove, well past the first trench of Russian defenses.

Since then, new footage posted online has shown further advances, with analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) stating in a September 24 update that geolocated photos and videos showed that "Ukrainian armored vehicles were operating slightly beyond Russian fighting positions near Verbove, indicating continued Ukrainian progress.



The think tank added that while Ukrainian forces appear to have broken through some tri-layered Russian defenses in the area, in others, the fortifications passed by troops "are not the final defensive line in Russias defensive depth in western Zaporizhzhya.



The report added that it is still unclear if Ukrainian forces are retaining these positions.



Digging In For A Long War



While the recent slate of small gains highlight incremental progress made on the battlefield by Ukrainian troops, the slow pace of the counteroffensive, which has the stated aim of driving Russian forces out of Ukraine entirely, has left some Ukrainian officials worrying about war fatigue in the West.



Governments in Poland, Estonia, Slovakia, and elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe have been among Kyivs staunchest allies since the first day of Russias full-scale invasion, but many are facing upcoming elections or other domestic challenges that could see the level of their support waver.



Similar concerns remain over the United States as it prepares for presidential elections in 2024 with several leading Republicans being critical of continuing the same degree of U.S. support for Ukraine.

With potential obstacles looming, Kyiv is looking to keep Western arms flowing to its troops on the front line.



During a September 21 White House visit with U.S. President Joe Biden, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was told that Washington would give Ukraine a version of the longer-range ATACMS ballistic missiles, without specifying how many or when they would be delivered.



General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently expressed caution about Kyiv being able to achieve its war goals -- both in the short-term and long-term.



Itll take a considerable length of time to militarily eject all 200,000 or plus Russian troops out of Russian-occupied Ukraine. Thats a very high bar. Its going to take a long time to do it, Milley said.



A similar sentiment was expressed by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who said that the war was likely to carry on for a longer period.



Most wars last longer than expected when they first begin, he told Germanys Funke media group during an interview.

Written by Reid Standish based on reporting by Borys Sachalko in eastern Ukraine.
ADEN, Yemen, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- An explosion targeting a military ambulance in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa killed four soldiers loyal to the country's government on Sunday, a government official told Xinhua.

The local government source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the blast occurred when the military ambulance belonging to the Shabwa Defense Forces hit an explosive device while passing through the Musainah area in the eastern part of Shabwa province.

He said that the killed were members of a military medical team inside the ambulance, which was completely destroyed in the blast.

Preliminary investigations indicate the attack was carried out by al-Qaida militants, who maintain a presence in remote parts of Shabwa despite ongoing operations against them by the government forces, according to the official.

Photos and videos circulating on social media showed the ambulance completely destroyed, with wreckage scattered across the area where the explosion happened.

The local Yemeni government forces backed by Saudi Arabia frequently clash with al-Qaida as the militant group tries to take advantage of Yemen's civil war to strengthen its foothold.

This latest attack comes amid ongoing conflict and instability in Yemen. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the explosion.

Yemen has been embroiled in a devastating civil war since 2014, with the Houthis fighting against the internationally-recognized Yemeni government. The Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in the conflict in support of the Yemeni government in 2015. 
UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil on Saturday called for "inclusive multilateralism, the democratization of international relations, and multipolarity" to tackle global challenges.

In his speech at the General Debate of the UN General Assembly, Gil said there is a need to reform the United Nations to make it a democratic institution where all members have a voice.

It is equally necessary to advance the reform of the Security Council to correct historical imbalances and provide greater representation to Africa, he said.

He also called for the reform of the international financial architecture, which serves the interests of a minority of wealthy countries.

The current global leadership crises, including within the United Nations, coupled with the polarization of the world, threaten to solidify a Cold War mentality in international relations, said Gil.

An example is the irresponsible provocations by the most powerful military force in the world, which, by dividing the world into power blocs, leads humanity into an arms race that can only result in the destruction of life on the planet, he said, referring to the United States.

Speaking of the illegal imposition of unilateral coercive measures, he said the sanctions constitute mass violations of human rights for millions of people.

These measures are applied precisely by those who present themselves as champions of human rights, he noted.

"Venezuela demands a complete, immediate, and unconditional end to all illegal policies of sanctions and economic, commercial, and financial blockades," he said.

Venezuela proposes the establishment of a "Zone Free of Unilateral Coercive Measures," in which countries can conduct financial transactions and interbank payments without risks of arbitrary impediments by Western powers, he said. 
Video: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Sept. 23, 2023 scorned U.S. double standards over the Golan Heights and the Donbass region in Ukraine. (Xinhua)

"As a practical matter, the control of the Donbass in that situation, I think, remains of real importance to Russia's security," says Sergei Lavrov.



UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday scorned U.S. double standards over the Golan Heights and the Donbass region in Ukraine.

Asked at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York to comment on U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield's seemingly self-contradictory remarks on the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN member states and on U.S. recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, Lavrov first read a Russian statement on the Donbass: "The Donbass is very important to Russia's security. As long as Zelensky is in power in Ukraine, as long as NATO is present in Ukraine, militia groups backed by NATO, the Zelensky regime itself - all of these pose a significant security threat to Russia, and as a practical matter, the control of the Donbass in that situation, I think, remains of real importance to Russia's security. Legal questions are something else. And over time, if the situation were to change in Ukraine, that's something we'd look at. But we are nowhere near as that."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Rui)

He then read the text of an interview of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Wolf Blitzer of CNN on Feb. 8, 2021: "As a practical matter, the Golan is very important to Israel's security. As long as Assad is in power in Syria, as long as Iran is present in Syria, militia groups backed by Iran, the Assad regime itself - all of these pose a significant security threat to Israel, and as a practical matter, the control of the Golan in that situation, I think, remains of real importance to Israel's security. Legal questions are something else."

"And that's the answer to your question," said Lavrov.

Thomas-Greenfield, in a press briefing on Sept. 14 on her country's priorities at this year's high-level week of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), said, "During this year's UNGA, we will work to uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all member states."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

At the same briefing, when asked about the Golan Heights, she said her country's recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the territory has not changed.

In March 2019, then U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the territory that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981.

Immediately after Israel's annexation of the occupied territory in 1981, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 497, which declared that the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights "is ebe061da7c0e4a968410e71b05b0c628 and void and without international legal effect." 
BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Chinese flood control authorities on Sunday urged efforts to prevent autumn flood and flood-triggered geological disasters in some key regions of the country.

Recently, the precipitation in west China has significantly surpassed the usual level in the same period, and heavy rains are expected in parts of Chongqing, Sichuan, Shaanxi, Hubei and Henan, according to a meeting of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters, the Ministry of Emergency Management, and several other government departments.

Noting the prominent risks of mountain torrents and floods in medium-sized and small rivers and reservoirs, the authorities urged local departments to stay on high alert and continuously do a good job in flood prevention and control.

Work should be done to strengthen emergency response and risk inspection, while deploying rescue forces and emergency supplies at important embankments and key locations in advance.

Local departments should also ramp up flood prevention during the 19th Asian Games, the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holiday, said the authorities. 
Education

spotlight

San Francisco motorcycle culture comes to the classroom

Rumbles of wide-open throttles fill Mission Street as motorcyclists roar through the district. A few blocks away, teenagers are in a high school parking lot working on revving up their own Yamaha dirt bike engines for the first time.

Its day three of this one-of-kind class in The City, and the teacher is giving lessons on the back of a motorcycle rather than in front of a blackboard.

Four years ago, June Jordan School for Equity  a small high school on the edge of McLaren Park  started offering a motorcycle design, maintenance and operation course. Its the only school in the country to offer a class that teaches students everything from motorbike anatomy to responsible riding.

For a school that predominantly serves San Franciscos working-class communities of color, the significance cannot be understated, said Andre Higginbotham, who launched the after-school program in 2019.

An overwhelming majority of people who live in the Excelsior are born-and-raised  theyve been here for three generations, he told the Examiner. Its changed a lot over the last fifteen years, but youll notice that its still overwhelmingly Latino, Filipino, Black and working class.

Its also the epicenter of car culture in San Francisco, where you will find lowriders and muscle cars cruising down Mission Street and kids whizzing by on dirt bikes.

But those kids are demonized for something theyre passionate about, Higginbotham said  and thats where the significance of the fairly new class comes in.

There are real lessons here, he said. To be able to ride a wheelie for four blocks, you have to master a certain degree of physics and geometry.

If you dont believe me, try popping and riding a wheelie yourself. Not even on a dirt bike  try it on a bicycle.

The genesis of the after-school program was the idea that kids in the Excelsior already possessed the skills to ride but needed a space to learn more. Students are placed in pairs, and the more experienced students guide the novices on how to properly pick up a fallen bike. At more than 100 pounds, it isnt an easy task for most teenagers.

Sometime next year, they will all get a chance to ride the hills behind the school  but first, they have to master the basics. That includes picking up the bike, recognizing parts such as the gas petcock and the choke, and  perhaps the most satisfying lesson  revving it up.

Craig Lee/The Examiner Motorcycle repair class taught by Andre Higginbotham (right) and Nicole Warner, program liaison for the class at June Jordan High School in San Francisco on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.

The class is called Beginning Riders and Aspiring Professionals, and it started with about a dozen students before the pandemic hit. Two years later, Higginbotham doubled the shop space, expanded his fleet of bikes and increased funding. The class raised $20,000 in 2022 with a goal of reaching an additional $25,000 this year for equipment and tools.

For Higginbotham, getting the program up and running is a dream realized. He launched an auto-shop class at George Washington High School in the Richmond district in 2013, and it continues to be one of the schools most popular electives. The auto shops success helped pave the way for San Francisco Unified School Districts motorcycle class.

Motorcycles are clearly a passion of Higginbothams. Even Excelsior Coffee, the coffee shop he owns with his wife, Lea, is adorned with motorcycle motifs  including black-and-white photos of big-wheeled bikes, helmets, and even a motorcycle above the cream-and-sugar stand.

My wife was like, youve been talking about starting this class forever. You either have to get up and do it or stop talking about it, he said.

Higginbotham described the June Jordan motorcycle class and the auto-shop course at George Washington as a tale of two San Franciscos.

Its a dramatically different story at June Jordan thats still unfolding, he said. Im super proud of what Ive done at (Washington High School), but I feel like the motorcycle program is an absurdly amazing vision of what trade experiences could be with the right leadership, creativity and courage to get the job done.

Craig Lee/The Examiner Motorcycle repair class teacher, Andre Higginbotham, watching his student, Silvano Campos start up a motorcycle at June Jordan High School in San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023.

Aspiring motorcycle mechanics and riders dont need any prior experience or equipment to take the course  the class provides tools, safety equipment and dirt bikes. Students are asked to only bring a positive attitude, patience and an open mind.

Shop class is built on authentic experience, he said. If you dont take it seriously, youll hurt yourself or someone else. And when you provide students with that authentic experience, it is insane how differently they act  how supportive they are of each other, they watch out for each other.

Camaraderie and teamwork inevitably blossom in the shop class too, he said.

Well get into that second semester where everyone finally knows each other, and lets say one students bike breaks down on the hill, he said. Ive seen the whole class get together and help.

Higginbotham said he has a five-year plan for the program  hed like to establish a subprogram solely for young women interested in motorcycle repair and engineering, and partner with City College of San Francisco so students can earn dual-enrollment credits.

The program would also help students who are interested in learning a trade such as automotive studies get into trade schools.

Community college and trade schools are becoming a competitive and attractive option for high-school graduates, and an increasing number of California community colleges are now offering bachelors degrees. Higginbotham said he hopes this vested interest in trade skills could be fostered and encouraged the same way attending a four-year college has been.

The narrative around trade school has changed, but not as much as it should, he said.

Craig Lee/The Examiner Andre Higginbotham: We need these trade programs desperately, but not a trade program of the 90s. We need something up-to-date for kids nowadays.

All this would involve acquiring a larger shop facility with modern maintenance and manufacturing equipment at June Jordan. Its an ideal home for such a unique program, according to Higginbotham.

We need these trade programs desperately, but not a trade program of the 90s, he said. We need something up-to-date for kids nowadays.

Were treading new ground here at June Jordan, he said. I could not have done this at any other school.
The Prime Minister is facing enormous push back from senior Tories and captains of industry due to signs that he may walk back on plans for the northern section of the HS2 high speed rail service before the party conference next weekend. Rishi Sunak was expected to meet with the Chancellor on Monday or Tuesday and an announcement was expected to follow by the middle of the week, several sources told the Observer. One source however said that it was not inconceivable that Sunak might yet decide otherwise. - Guardian

Babcock International's chief executive officer, David Lockwood, is not looking to sell out to a foreign investor again. Lockwood was previously the boss at Cobham, which was taken over by US private equity outfit Advent. Lockwood also said that he had not kept track of events at Cobham after the defence engineer was purchased. Advent had promised it would be a long-term investor, but the outfit was duly broken up and much of it sold off in less than 18 months. Babcock maintains the UK's nuclear submarine fleet and there aren't too many firms in that space, Lockwood said. As well, any suitor would require clearance from the government, which he thinks would be a "very, very, very, very high hurdle". - The Sunday Times

Engineering giant Airbus unveiled plans to boost its workforce in Britain by 10%, in what marked a huge vote of confidence in the country. The new 1,100 positions will span high-tech fields including cybersecurity, software engineering, cryogenics and robotics. According to Oxford Economics, the company contributed 7bn to the UK economy in 2022 and supported 79,000 jobs in aerospace and defence, spending 3.9bn on UK suppliers in the process. Airbus's UK workforce would nonetheless remain smaller than before the pandemic even after the new hires. - Financial Mail on Sunday

Chinese fast-fashion outfit Shein turned a profit of g12.2m on sales of 1.1bn in the UK over the 16 months ending in December 2022. That translated into a tax bill of only 2.3bn. Nonetheless, the topline figure equates to 80m of sales for each of the company's 14 staff in the UK. That number was set to increase to 50 by the end of 2023. Shein had also taken some warehouse space in the UK, whereas up until now it had shipped all goods directly from China, helping to keep costs down. It recently also moved its domicile to Singapore in anticipation of a stock market float in the US. - The Sunday Times
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Sebastian Bongiovanni and Danielle Liguori broke into the restaurant business last September. Looking back at the inaugural year for Verdes Pizza and Pasta House, the proprietors might say theyve had angels on their shoulders in one way or another.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez gave sensitive U.S. government information to Egypt, meddled in the appointment of a federal prosecutor and tried to stop multiple criminal inquiries into his wealthy friends, federal authorities alleged Friday in a blockbuster corruption indictment.

In return, the New Jersey Democrat and his wife were lavished with fancy dinners, a Mercedes convertible, gold bars and envelopes of cash, federal authorities said.

In a forceful public statement, Menendez denied wrongdoing, saying he was the victim of an active smear campaign by unnamed operatives attempting to make the routine work of a senator appear corrupt.

The stunning charges mark the second time Menendez, New Jerseys senior senator, has been indicted on corruption charges after a trial on similar accusations in 2017 ended with a hung jury. Federal authorities later dismissed the case rather than taking it to a retrial.

Menendez now faces a fresh indictment, along with his wife and three New Jersey businessmen accused of bribing the powerful senator.

The 39-page charging document unsealed Friday paints an eye-popping picture of flagrant corruption from the only U.S. senator ever to be indicted twice, peppered with images of gold bars, expensive dinners and piles of cash collected during the federal probe.

Heres a look at the 7 most explosive revelations by federal authorities.

Cash in the closets

When federal investigators searched Menendezs Englewood Cliffs home in June 2022, they found cash everywhere, according to the indictment.

Over $480,000 was stashed in envelopes, closets and a safe. Thousands of dollars in $20 and $100 bills were even found stuffed into the pockets of one of Menendezs jackets bearing the logo of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, of which Menendez is a member, images included in the indictment show.

The senators name is embroidered on the chest.

The indictment includes images of the cash seized from Menendez's home.

Some of the envelopes of cash contained the fingerprints and DNA of Fred Daibes, an Edgewater-based real estate mogul known for fancy developments along New Jerseys gold coast, prosecutors allege.

Daibes, one of the three men accused of bribing the senator, pleaded guilty last year to taking part in an insider loan scam at a bank he founded in a separate case.

Stamped gold bars

Authorities allege Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian, also accepted bribes from either Daibes or Wael Hana, an Egyptian-American businessman, in the form of gold bars. Hana has also been charged with bribing the senator.

Along with the cash, authorities searching Menendezs home last year turned up several one-kilogram gold bars.

According to the indictment, Menendez and his wife returned from a trip to Egypt in 2021 and were picked up at the airport by Daibes driver.

The next day, prosecutors say, the senator did some Google searching.

How much is one kilo of gold worth, Menendez allegedly searched online.

Prosecutors say the gold seized from Menendezs house was worth more than $150,000.

Federal prosecutors say these gold bars were among the bribes accepted by Sen. Robert Menendez in an influence-peddling scheme.

A Mercedes convertible

In 2019, Menendezs wife got her dream car - a black 2019 Mercedes convertible with a soft top and a $60,000 price tag.

To pay for it, prosecutors allege, Menendez meddled in several criminal investigations involving Hana and the third New Jersey businessman charged in the indictment, Jose Uribe.

In return for the car, prosecutors claim, Menendez agreed and sought to interfere in a New Jersey state criminal prosecution of one of Uribes friends and a separate inquiry involving one of Uribes employees.

The deal is to kill and stop all investigation, Uribe allegedly wrote to Hana.

Menendez contacted a top official in the state Attorney Generals Office in an attempt, through advice and pressure, to get him to drop the probe, the indictment claims. The unnamed official considered Menendezs actions inappropriate and did not agree to intervene.

Still, Arslanian got to keep her car. After the purchase was finalized, Uribe allegedly texted her, are you happy?

I will never forget this, she allegedly replied. She then sent a photo of the car to her husband  one that would end up in their indictment.

Prosecutors say this Mercedes was given to Sen. Bob Menendez and his wife as a bribe.

Influence peddling

Menendez is accused of influence peddling on behalf of Daibes. That included pushing a candidate for New Jerseys federal U.S. Attorneys Office who could derail Daibes prosecution.

It didnt work.

But the indictment details multiple instances in which Menendez allegedly tried to derail criminal probes connected to the three businessmen charged alongside him.

Giving info to Egypt

The sordid tale contained in the indictment spans from Trenton to Cairo.

Menendez, the longtime chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is accused of abusing his position to help out Hana, a friend of his wifes with ties to the Egyptian government.

During dinner at a high-end restaurant in May 2018, Menendez allegedly shared nonpublic information about the United Statess provision of military aid to Egypt with Hana.

A U.S. sale of ammunition to Egypt had apparently been tied up in Washington and needed Menendezs sign-off.

Shortly after the dinner, Hana texted an unnamed Egyptian official.

The ban on small arms and ammunition to Egypt has been lifted, the message read, according to the indictment. That means sales can begin. That will include sniper rifles among other articles.

Weeks later, Menendez secretly edited and ghost-wrote a letter seeking to convince other U.S. Senators to release a hold on $300 million in aid to Egypt.

Menendez allegedly shared sensitive, non-public embassy information with Hana, whose New Jersey company had sole authorization from the Egyptian government to verify that halal meat exported for sale had been prepared according to Islamic law.

The halal monopoly

Hana had no background in halal certification. But by spring 2019, court documents show, he obtained an exclusive monopoly on the certification of U.S. food exports to Egypt as compliant with halal standards.

Prosecutors allege Menendez abused his post on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to steer the deal. Halal meat is a big international business and, previously, a number of U.S. companies had certification contracts verifying the food had been prepared according to Islamic law.

But in April of that year, an Egyptian government official allegedly told Hana his company would become Egypts sole halal certifier in the U.S. market.

The next day, according to the indictment, Arslanian texted her husband.

Seems like halal went through, she allegedly wrote. It might be a fantastic 2019 all the way around.

A mortgage bailout and no-show job

In return for their assistance in foreign affairs, the indictment alleges, Hana gave Arslanian a bailout.

Facing foreclosure, Arslanian needed about $23,000 to keep her mortgage current, court papers show. Hanas company, IS EG Halal, came to the rescue, the indictment alleges.

Hana also offered to put Arslanian on his companys payroll in a low-or-no-show job, according to the indictment.

Read the indictment here:

NJ Advance Media staff writer Derek Hall contributed to this report.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A vital resiliency project meant to protect part of Staten Island decimated during Hurricane Sandy is finally set to get underway, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) said last week.

During a Wednesday interview, the congresswoman said that she expects the first contracts for the East Shore Seawall, officially known as the South Shore of Staten Island, to go out by the end of the year following a meeting with officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency overseeing the project.

Theres so much angst and stress in the community, especially during hurricane season, but also whether the wall is really going to happen, she said. Were starting to see things come together now.

The first contract that Malliotakis expects to be out by the end of the year will be for an interior drainage portion of the project near South Beach. Another contract for a separate drainage portion of the project near Midland Beach will go out in 2024, and will tie into the existing New Creek Bluebelt, a city project.

A map of the project that the Army Corps published over the summer doesnt have any other projected contract dates, and the federal agency is currently updating the projects cost estimate.

The initial cost estimate for the project was about $560 million in 2016, but in a City Council hearing last year, Mayor Eric Adams administration said the cost had gone up to about $1.7 billion.

Its unclear when the project will be complete, but the seawall is expected to provide protection through drainage, a 4.5-mile seawall from Fort Wadsworth to Oakwood Beach, a mile of floodwall and levee along Great Kills Park, and road raising from the shoreline up just past Hylan Boulevard.

Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore/Brooklyn) speaks with Pastor Tim McIntyre at the Oasis Christian Center in South Beach on Nov. 2 2012, as she tries to determine what supplies victims of Hurricane Sandy need. (Staten Island Advance/ Sri Walpola)

Malliotakis has tied recent delays and the inflated costs, in part, to design conflicts among the city, state and federal governments, but the idea dates back decades.

Talk of the project dates back at least to a series of storms in the 1950s, but the federal government first authorized a feasibility study for a coastal storm risk management project along the Islands coast in 1993.

Motivation for the project was insufficient until Hurricane Sandy decimated the Islands East Shore in 2012, and the seawall received its initial funding in 2016.

Since then, the project has faced a variety of delays, including the design conflicts and the environmental remediation needed near Great Kills Park that date back to 2020. Last year, city officials said those conflicts had been resolved.

An NYPD anti-terror flyover in 2005 preparing for a possible dirty bomb scenario originally found the radiation around Great Kills Park, which is part of Gateway National Recreation Area. Information about the radiation wasnt made public until 2006 after a congressional survey.

According to the National Parks Service, New York City chose to landfill the former wetland that now makes up Great Kills Park starting in 1925 in an effort to turn the area into usable property. At the time, waste was commonly used to fill land for such purposes.

The majority of the waste was placed from 1944 to 1948, and the site operated as a city park until 1972 when it transferred to the federal system, according to the Parks Service.

Language in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), which passed in 1980, typically precludes the federal government from handling hazardous waste remediation out of a concern for liability.

Malliotakis, who served as assemblywoman for the district Sandy hit the hardest in 2012, said shes optimistic the project has finally progressed past the delays that had held it up, and that it will provide the protection East Shore residents have sought for so long.

Its personal to me, and one of the reasons I wanted to be in Congress was to help move this thing along, she said. The one thing I want people to know is that were doing everything we can to move this project along, to break ground.

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  It was a day to celebrate independence and diversity among the Staten Island Hispanic community.

On Sunday, hundreds of borough residents gathered in Port Richmond with friends and family to feast on traditional food, listen to music, enjoy performances, and take part in activities as part of a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The colorful event, hosted by El Centro del Immigrante alongside an array of community groups, wasnt hindered by the rain as it was held inside the gymnasium at Our Lady Mt. Carmel-St. Benedicta R.C. Church.

20 1 / 20 Staten Island comes together to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Many Latin American countries celebrate their independence on Sept. 15, including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.

It is an extremely important celebration, since it evokes the achievements and contributions of our presence in this country as well as the first explorations of the Spanish in the territory of the United States, said Michelle Molina, executive director of El Centro. This Hispanic Heritage Month, we proudly celebrate our cultural roots and the diversity that makes us unique. Despite the differences that exist between our cultures, there are shared values and experiences that unite us in a profound way.

Attendees were greeted with colorful decorations, plenty of food vendors, information tables, flags, with performances on the stage in the gymnasium, including a mariachi band and dancing.

Joseph Delaney, chairman of the board for Catholic Charities of Staten Island, explained that the event is a continued affirmation to the Hispanic community of Staten Island that resources are available to them. He called it neighbors helping neighbors.

It is the third year that El Centro is hosting the event.

Like years prior, the event hopes to recognize and make space for all new immigrants and new families moving to the neighborhood that are becoming a part of the community. That includes inviting ambassadors of different cultures and countries to have their own tables during the event that attendees can connect with.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, lets celebrate our diversity and our commitment to a better future. Let us remember that, despite our cultural differences, we are united by the strength of our community. Lets continue fighting together for a more just and equitable world, where everyone can live with dignity and opportunities, said Molina.

Located on Port Richmond Avenue  in the heart of the Hispanic community  El Centro has, for years, sponsored large-scale celebrations of arts and culture that share pride in Hispanic heritage with the borough. El Centro was the first organization in the borough to recognize the needs of immigrants and continues to serve people from Latin America, Africa and Asia, as well as native-born Americans.

Over 25 years, El Centro has been a trusted resource for tens of thousands of Staten Islanders as they navigated a constantly changing immigration landscape, periods of economic downturn, housing shortages, the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Hurricane Sandy and other events of recent history.

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ANKARA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Turkish security forces have "neutralized" 605 "terrorists" so far in Operation Claw-Lock, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday.

In Operation Claw-Lock, 605 "terrorists" were "neutralized," and 670 caves and shelters of the "terrorists" were destroyed, the report quoted sources from the Turkish Defence Ministry as saying.

Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" in their statements to imply the "terrorists" in question surrendered or were killed or captured.

The report added that Turkish security forces also seized a total of 1,343 weapons and 706,650 ammunition as a part of the operation.

The Turkish government launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the northern Iraq region near the Turkish border.

Turkiye recognizes PKK as a terror group that should be responsible for a series of attacks, saying PKK has launched a 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye. 
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A wide range of development projects on the North Shore are slated to start this year, as part of a $400 million investment meant to transform the illustrious waterfront with more business development, housing and open space.

Mayor Eric Adams and Councilwoman Kamillah Hanks (D-North Shore) announced a New York City Economic Development Corporation (EDC) action plan earlier this month that is focused on the programs -- all in different stages -- that in aggregate could generate more than 7,500 new jobs and have $3.8 billion in economic impact.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  A 38-year-old man was arrested on gun charges in the Park Hill section of Clifton after police responded to an emergency call early Sunday morning, authorities said.

Officers from the NYPDs 120th Precinct arrived at 12:39 a.m., at the intersection of Steuben Street and Weser Avenue when they found the victim of a verbal altercation, an NYPD spokesman told the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com.

The victim described to police getting into a verbal dispute with another individual who then displayed a firearm, according to authorities.

Police canvassed the area and observed a male matching description the victim provided.

Upon being approached by officers, the suspect fled on foot, cops said. After a short foot pursuit, the police were able to detain the man, Danell Meyers.

Police allegedly recovered a loaded, .38 caliber Versa firearm from Meyers, according to police.

One round in in the chamber, five in the magazine, the spokesman said.

Meyers now faces three counts of criminal possession of a weapon and two counts of menacing, according to police.

The incident is under investigation.



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The mayor of Newburgh Heights, Ohio, has admitted what a lot of drivers here on Staten Island have known for a while now: Speed cameras are all about generating revenue.

The admission, reported by the Fox 8 television station, comes as an Ohio lawmaker prepared an effort to ban the devices statewide.

Newburgh Heights Mayor Gigi Traore told Fox 8 that the town would be broke without the speed cameras, which are used by cops to ticket drivers along a stretch of the I-77 highway.

Its still what we have for revenue, she said, and we have to sustain it so we can continue to provide the services to our residents.

In other words, the town is hooked on the revenue whether the cameras are actually doing any demonstrable good at all or not.

Like many Staten Islanders, some residents of the Ohio village think that the cameras are nothing but a money grab on the part of government and dont really have all that much impact on safety.

In fact, Fox 8 reported that the number of crashes had actually increased in recent years along the stretch of I-77 where the cameras are in use by cops.

There were 24 crashes in 2020; 29 in 2021, and 40 in 2023, the station said. A quarter of the crashes were speed related, the same number that was reported back in 2018.

So, the money is pouring into Newburgh Heights coffers, more than $2 million so far this year, but safety numbers have gotten worse. Thats not progress.

The town government is dependent on that revenue to the point where the mayor said they wouldnt be able to pay police and firefighters without it, Fox 8 reported.

You know, its both, she said. We cant have safety if we dont have the revenue to cover the safety forces.

Three town workers were laid off when the speed camera program was temporarily suspended because of a court dispute, Fox 8 reported.

The mayor said, We have to be realistic. Services dont happen at cost. Theyre not free.

She said that Newburgh Heights could perhaps back off on the on the speeding tickets if there was more economic development in town.

Youd likely hear a similar argument if there was a real move to eliminate speed cameras in New York City: that the government would have to somehow replace all the millions of dollars that come in from the devices.

It does make you wonder, though: would New York City trade all that revenue for safe streets where all speeding has been eradicated? I think I know the answer.

Ohio state Representative Tom Patton is ramping up another effort to ban speed cameras statewide. He is targeting overseas companies that process camera tickets for towns in Northeast Ohio.

The idea that 40-50-60 percent of this fine money is going overseas. It boils my blood, Patton told Fox 8. Too many of these local governments that cry, safety, safety, safety, theyre counting money as they go to the bank.

Staten Island drivers know exactly what hes talking about.

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The U.S. News Best Colleges have released their 2024 rankings, after having undergone substantial changes in methodology, including the removal of five long-standing criteria and the incorporation of several new parameters.

The methodology changes resulted in significant shifts, particularly among institutions in the middle tier. The rankings for the top-rated colleges, however, remained relatively the same, compared to last year.

Coming out at the number one spot is Princeton University in New Jersey, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology at number two. Tied for third place are Harvard University in Massachusetts and Stanford University in California. Yale University in Connecticut finished fifth place.

For 2024, a significant majority of the schools surveyed by U.S. News continued to provide data, while others have opted out. Approximately 80% of the nearly 1,500 ranked institutions submitted their statistical information during the spring and summer of 2023, compared to about 84% in the previous year.

Heres the list of the highest-ranked schools in their respective categories, according to the 2024 Best Colleges rankings:

National Universities:

Princeton University in New Jersey (Ranked No. 1)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ranked No. 2)

Harvard University in Massachusetts (Ranked No. 3, tied)

Stanford University in California (Ranked No. 3, tied)

Yale University in Connecticut (Ranked No. 5)

National Liberal Arts Colleges:

Williams College in Massachusetts (Ranked No. 1)

Amherst College in Massachusetts (Ranked No. 2)

United States Naval Academy in Maryland (Ranked No. 3)

Pomona College in California (Ranked No. 4, tied)

Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania (Ranked No. 4, tied)

Wellesley College in Massachusetts (Ranked No. 4, tied)

Lawrence Bacow speaks after being introduced Sunday, Feb. 11, 2018, in Cambridge, Mass., as the 29th president of Harvard University. Bacow, former president of Tufts University and a leader-in-residence at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, assumes the office July 1. He will succeed Drew Faust, 70, who has served in the post for more than a decade as Harvard's first female president. (AP Photo/Bill Sikes)AP

ADDITIONAL CRITERIA

In a bid to prioritize social mobility and post-graduation success, the 2024 rankings introduced additional criteria, including first-generation graduation rates, the performance of first-generation graduation rates, and the percentage of college graduates who surpass the income of a typical high school graduate.

Notably, there was also an adjustment of the definition of social mobility within the National Universities ranking, to include first-generation graduation rates, in addition to Pell-recipient graduation rates.

The Pell Grant is a federal financial aid program in the United States that provides need-based grants to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and meet specific eligibility criteria. Unlike loans, Pell Grants do not need to be repaid, making them a valuable form of financial assistance for students pursuing higher education.

For 2024 rankings, the new factors introduced to assess first-generation rankings are based on the graduation rates of students who received federal loans and began their college studies between the fall of 2011 and the fall of 2013.

Furthermore, the 2024 edition saw adjustments in the weights assigned to existing indicators. For example, there was a slight increase in the significance of Pell grant graduation performance and rates.

Five longstanding factors were dropped from this years rankings calculations: proportion of graduates who borrowed federal loans, high school class standing, alumni giving rate, terminal degree faculty and class size.

Only two ranking factors weights did not change at all: peer assessment (20%) and standardized tests for schools with usable SAT and ACT scores (5%).
Nespressos famous pods, first developed in 1988, are manufactured in Switzerland and then shipped to 81 countries around the world. But when it comes to brewing fresh ideas and new technology, the maestros of capsule coffee often take their cues from Down Under.

We bring innovation from the market to the head office because they realise and recognise that a lot of trends start here in Australia, says Nespresso Oceania managing director Stefan Vermeulen.

Nespresso Oceanias new managing director Stefan Vermeulen. Credit: Edwina Pickles

He points to a framed visual of the Creatista machine, which along with the Vertuo machine was conceived in Australia, a top 10 revenue-driving market for Nespresso. This is one of our best-selling machines across the world.

Vermeulen has recently relocated to Sydney to step into his new role as head of the companys Australia and New Zealand markets. A Belgian national, the managing director started with Nestle-owned brand in 2011 as an account manager and then climbed the ranks to do a 4.5 year stint as the head of Nespresso Professional Australia, the corporate office, food service and hospitality arm of the business, before leading NZ operations for 3.5 years.
Lachlan was excruciatingly polite but entirely guarded. He referred to newspapers as brands  something way more shocking then than now. Nevertheless, he allowed me to observe him interacting in meetings with much more senior journalists and executives in a very high-handed way. The idea, I guess, was to show that he had this; he was the anointed one.

Almost 20 years later, in 1998 and 1999, I wrote profiles of two young Murdochs  the first on Lachlan, just after Rupert had named him successor to lead his global empire. That profile was for The New York Times Sunday magazine. The second one, about James, the younger son, was for the American magazine GQ. (Elisabeth, the eldest child of the three counted as possible successors, had already gone her own way, and declined to comment for either.)

In 1979, I was hired as a cadet reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. A few months later, I was a named plaintiff in a High Court case trying to stop Rupert Murdoch acquiring a television station in a market where he already owned a newspaper. Even then  before Fox, before Trump, before Englands phone hacking scandal  Murdoch had begun to poison the waters of journalism in which young reporters of my generation would have to learn to swim.

But when I called James for comment, he surprised me. Chatty, expansive, profane, he denied that he believed the succession was a done deal. Pops going to be around for a long time, and were all very young, he said. In this, he was right. Rupert un-anointed Lachlan a year later and named Peter Chernin, then president and chief operating officer, as his successor for the foreseeable future, saying that his children all have to prove themselves first. As soon as he said that, I realised I might be profiling the wrong Murdoch. GQ agreed and assigned me to write about James.

I started with Anna, Ruperts second wife and the one at his side as his empire expanded out of Australia into Britain and the US; mother of Elisabeth, Lachlan and James. (Prudence, the child of his first marriage, and Grace and Chloe, the daughters of third wife Wendi Deng, have not been involved in the business.) Anna was effusive about James. Hes extremely bright and ambitious. Much more of a Renaissance person than his brother or sisters. He finds space in his life for a lot of interests and is very knowledgeable about them. He was, she said, the one she thought most like his father in intellectual breadth and agility. Whatever he wants to do in life, hell succeed.

James Murdoch at the Cannes Lions International Festival Of Creativity in France in 2015. Credit: Bloomberg

In 1995, hed left Harvard before graduation to run his own hip hop label, Rawkus. Two years later, his father offered him a chance to join News Corp and expand its music business. When I asked him why hed decided to join the business after initially resisting, he replied: Do you know the passage in the Inferno where Dante and Virgil encounter the pope who resigned and became a hermit? I was not expecting him to reference Pope Celestine V. But he went on to explain that in recusing himself from the opportunity, as pope, to exert power for good, Celestine had condemned himself to hell.

From this, I assumed that James believed he would at some point be in a position to exert the power of his family business for good. So for about a month I followed in his tracks, which meant dwelling on the strange shrunken planet of the Murdochs. I travelled in his wake from a Sydney music showcase in Kings Cross to his stylish vintage modern office in Silicon Alley in Manhattan, to Cannes where he was delivering a keynote speech to digital content designers, to Londons Fulham Road where he was overseeing deals for Mushroom Records.
LAWRENCE (LAURIE) LARMER OAM September 15, 1923-April 14, 2023

Laurie Larmer was born in Moonee Ponds, the eldest of three. His family lived in the shadow of Moonee Valley racecourse, his father and uncles ran a painting and decorating business in nearby Puckle Street and his father also worked in the jockeys rooms at Moonee Valley and Flemington racecourses on Saturdays and brought home the jockeys silks to be washed.

Laurie recalled seeing Phar Laps silks on their clothesline, and perhaps this was the start of his lifelong interest in horseracing. His parents took over a family hotel in South Yarra and moved to hotels in Windsor, the Lakeview Hotel in Ballarat and then to Port Melbourne. They eventually resettled in Essendon.

He received his call-up papers on his 18th birthday and chose to join the air force. He said he didnt fancy the navy and didnt want to be in the army because he would have to walk and carry stuff. His initial training was in Benalla, and he was then sent to Canada to train as a pilot as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme. He travelled to England on the Aquitania and was commissioned as a captain to fly Halifax with Bomber Command. In 1945, he flew nine raids over Germany with the 51st Bomber Squadron, the only Australians in Bomber Command flying out of Snaith at that time.

At the end of the war in Europe, he was told that he would be transferred to take part in the Pacific war, but peace was declared, and he returned home. It was 1945, he was 22, and living back at home with his family after four years away. He knew how to fly five different heavy bombers and drop bombs but couldnt drive a car and had no idea what he wanted to do with his life.
An Australian Catholic bishop accused of using his post to groom young Indigenous men and sexually assault them is also the subject of allegations that date back to his time as a Sydney priest in the 1970s.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney has confirmed to this masthead it is assisting NSW Police in relation to allegations concerning Christopher Saunders, who reportedly worked as a priest in Clovelly in 1976, before moving to Western Australia where he became a trusted and revered figure among remote Indigenous communities over the next 45 years.

Former Broome Bishop Christopher Saunders.

The 73-year-olds high standing has been rocked by the leaking of the findings of a Vatican investigation into his conduct last week.

Seven News reported the 200-page document savaged Saunders as a sexual predator who sought to prey upon vulnerable Aboriginal men and boys, identifying four likely victims of sexual acts and finding he may have groomed a further 67 boys and men.
The system is broken. Theyre the forgotten and ignored. Theyre not monsters, they just need help, not a police bullet. Theyre the forgotten and ignored. Theyre not monsters, they just need help, not a police bullet. Neil Wilkins, stepfather of police shooting victim Todd McKenzie Mental Health Minister Rose Jackson conceded the mental health system was broken but would not call for a royal commission. She said she was satisfied that a current NSW Police review would render answers, alongside an inquiry into outpatient mental health services that began last week. The inquiry does not have the scope to review the mental health system as a whole and is not led by experts, nor are recommendations enforceable. Jackson said PACER (Police, Ambulance and Clinician Early Response) probably needed to be expanded but was funded until 2025 and, as such, was not given funding in last weeks budget. Ive only been the minister for five months, its a little bit difficult to hold me accountable for everything thats happened in the 12 years previously, Jackson said. Im actually out here saying we want to do better. There is a real acknowledgment that the system isnt working well.

Transcripts of McKenzies inquest held earlier this year  reviewed by the Herald last week  reveal a probe of police mental health training and use of the PACER program. Loading While PACER clinicians are stationed in 19 police area commands across the state, they are not engaged when a police response is escalated to a police operation, where the person in crisis may have a weapon, the transcripts reveal. NSW Police Acting Commissioner Dave Hudson last week admitted that police needed help from clinicians when responding to mental health callouts, of which there were 64,000 last year, but he failed to acknowledge the expertise sitting in his own police stations. The transcripts reveal that, aside from the 18 hours of mandatory mental health training police cadets undergo at the academy, there is no further mandatory training after graduation. A one-day online workshop was compulsory for all officers in 2013, but it is no longer mandated.

A four-day intensive course was discontinued in September 2019 because it was oversubscribed, the coroner was told. It was replaced with a pilot two-day course, for which uptake was stymied in part by COVID-19 before it too was axed. Rob Ramjan, trustee of Psychosis Australia and a 17-year member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal as well as an architect of the intensive police course, said the mental health system was very broken ... understaffed and underfunded. I think mental health services in NSW are pretty appalling at the moment, Ramjan said. The prisons are taking on the role of the psychiatric hospital more often, and part of that is peoples unwillingness  whether they be the cops, the mental health service  to actually deal with people with a mental illness. Ramjan said previous royal commissions and inquiries had if anything seen a system that just gets worse and worse, and suggested starting from scratch.

The World Health Organisation has been pretty clear about that  the burden of disease from mental illnesses. Its 14 per cent, so 14 per cent of the health budget should go to mental health, he said. Neil Wilkins (left), stepfather of police shooting victim Todd McKenzie, with Todds mother, June Wilkins, and solicitors from the National Justice Project. National Justice Project chief executive George Newhouse echoed calls for a royal commission because too many people are dying and being harmed by police and their use of violence. In a statement in response to detailed questions, Police Minister Yasmin Catley said only that a three-month NSW Police review would look at mental health training and responses. A report is due in November. A spokesperson for NSW Police said PACER was led, funded and managed by NSW Health and would not comment further. The spokesperson did not expand on questions about mental health training other than to say there was annual training for officers.
Australians lived under some of the most severe pandemic restrictions in the world which are still having a significant impact on peoples lives and must be rigorously reviewed to avoid unnecessary suffering in future, says Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay.

Her comments come after two days of attacks on the federal government for naming a panel of experts rather than a royal commission to look into the COVID response under terms of reference that did not mention school shutdowns, border closures, curfews, policing restrictions or other measures that involved state governments.

Police patrol Bondi Beach during a COVID lockdown in August 2021. Credit: Renee Nowytarger

Escalating her criticism about the scope of the review, Finlay said state police enforcement of pandemic rules  which in some cases involved $1000 fines for people sitting in the park  had disproportionately affected people in disadvantaged and vulnerable communities, some of whom were still in debt.

Australian people deserve to have those stories told ... Because there were so many examples where it really divided us and eroded trust in public institutions. Its important to start addressing that, she said.
People watch a demonstration of police intervention during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

Girls try on helmets of the fire brigade during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

A boy tries cardiac resuscitation during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

A boy tries to operate a crane during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

A boy tries to operate the equipment of a special monitoring vehicle with thermal imaging during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

Children are pictured on a rescue crane during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)

A boy and a girl try a police motorcycle during the Heroes' Day event in Prague, the Czech Republic, on Sept. 23, 2023. The annual event, which showcases the work of the integrated rescue services in the Czech Republic via exhibits and hands-on activities, took place at the Prague Exhibition Grounds on Saturday. (Photo by Dana Kesnerova/Xinhua)
The politicisation of the Australian public service is grudgingly accepted, but the secret effort of the secretary of the Department of Home Affairs, Michael Pezzullo, to build his power while reshaping successive Coalition governments and Australias national security regime is proof of the shrinking influence of the Westminster system and rules in Canberra.

Home Affairs secretary Michael Pezzullo with a selection of words from text messages he sent to a Liberal powerbroker over five years in a push to reshape governments. Credit: Illustration: Matthew Absalom-Wong

Pezzullo has been revealed using a political back channel to two Liberal prime ministers to undermine political and public service enemies, promote the careers of conservative politicians he considered allies and lobby to muzzle the press. The attempts to influence are found in hundreds of encrypted messages sent to a Liberal Party powerbroker that have been obtained by The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald and 60 Minutes.

Pezzullo not only called for a right-winger to be made minister of his department; he bad-mouthed moderate Coalition ministers Julie Bishop and Marise Payne and rival public servants, including former Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet secretary Martin Parkinson, whom he viewed as impediments to his ambition to build a powerful Home Affairs department.

We do not suggest any of the exchanges are corrupt or illegal, only that they were inappropriate for a senior public servant. Pezzullo used the largely untraceable encrypted messaging apps WhatsApp and Signal for exchanges with Scott Briggs, a lobbyist, businessman and former vice-president of the NSW Liberals, and repeatedly claimed he was apolitical and a neutral servant of the government of the day.
Church leaders are being urged to prove their support for the Indigenous Voice despite the political risk of taking sides in the closing weeks of the referendum, amid concerns that some leaders are hedging after strongly backing the change earlier in the year.

The new call highlights questions over whether the nations peak faith groups will throw their active support behind the change to the Constitution when early voting begins next week, as some of their communities campaign for the Yes side.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Liberal MP Julian Leeser (left) visit the Uniting Church in Ashfield for a service by Bill Crews before the launch of the Uniting Churchs Yes23 campaign on Sunday. Credit: Edwina Pickles

In a sign of the challenge in gaining agreement, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils has not agreed on a position despite the support for the Voice from many of its member councils, as well as the Australian National Imams Council and the Grand Mufti of Australia, Ibrahim Abu Mohamad.

While the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has backed the Voice in writing, a key church leader said he wanted the bishops to put that support into action before the referendum closes on October 14.
Paris: President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to Frances policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

French Barkhane Air Force mechanics maintain a Mirage 2000 on the Niamey, Niger. Credit: AP

France has maintained some 1500 troops in Niger since the July 26 coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying it didnt recognise the coup leaders as legitimate.

But tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, have mounted and Macron said last week that diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Over the weekend, MP Wescot-Williams traveled to Geneva on the invitation of the European Parliamentary Forum (EPF) for Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights. In Geneva, the agenda will consist of an ICPD Consultation and the ICPD 2024 Steering Committee meeting.

Last May I attended the Caribbean  African Dialogue: Investing in young peoples health and futures, ensuring equitable access to reproductive health information and services in Barbados. I was one of the speakers at that conference.

The Barbados event was held under the auspices of the Global Parliamentary Alliance (GPA) for Health, Rights and Development, MP Wescot explained.

In 2024, the groundbreaking 1994 Cairo ICPD Program of Action will commemorate 30 years of ICPD achievements and a growing understanding of the importance and significance of human-centered sustainable development, setting the stage for a recommitment to the ICPD agenda and positioning for the post-2030 population and development agenda.

The Program of Action, which was adopted by acclamation on September 13, 1994, endorsed a new strategy that emphasizes the integral linkages between population and development and focused on meeting the needs of individual women and men, rather than on achieving demographic targets. It transformed global thinking on population and development issues and defined a bold agenda, placing peoples dignity and rights at the heart of sustainable development.

Forums such as these are opportunities to further push for healthcare for all, respect for human rights, and sustainable development for our people, said MP Wescot, herself a strong advocate of universal healthcare and health screening, especially for women and girls.

EPF organises MP Forums at international conferences, where parliamentarians can benefit from expert presentations, stories from the field, workshops as well as best practices from other parliamentarians to inspire MPs to become even stronger SRHR advocates.

The Global Parliamentary Alliance for Health, Rights and Development (GPA) is a flexible parliamentary initiative aimed at boosting parliamentarians' efforts to deliver on the SDGs, specifically in the areas of health and human rights. They provide a platform for parliamentarians from around the world to advocate for better health care, expanding human rights and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) both in their home countries and abroad, the MP explained.
Video: Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on Sept. 23, 2023 called for collective actions to tackle global challenges, warning against unilateralism. (Xinhua)

"At this critical juncture, the most appropriate solutions are needed in order to address such challenges. It requires unified and collective actions that are guided by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and we must firmly uphold multilateralism in tackling them," says Saleumxay Kommasith.



UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith on Saturday called for collective actions to tackle global challenges, warning against unilateralism.

Today the international community is facing multiple crises at an unprecedented level. Following the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the major challenges facing developing countries vary from poverty, debt, and an unjust international financial architecture to extreme natural calamities, he told the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

This has already been compounded by regional tensions and unilateral measures as a result of geopolitical rivalries. All this has not only hampered the hard-earned development progress during the last decade, but also threatened the survival of humankind, he warned.

Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

"At this critical juncture, the most appropriate solutions are needed in order to address such challenges. It requires unified and collective actions that are guided by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and we must firmly uphold multilateralism in tackling them," he said.

"To save our world from another catastrophe, our shared wisdom and united political determination are more crucial than ever. This must be done by putting aside any unilateral interests and resolutely avoiding greater confrontation and division among the UN member states," he said. "To this end, the United Nations must be reformed in a way that it can effectively fulfill its mandate. We need the UN that is more relevant and effective in the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape and is able to address the challenges threatening international peace, security and sustainable development."

With scientific and technological advancement and innovation, humankind is now better equipped to tackle global challenges. Yet, without common desire, shared responsibilities and collective actions, the most vulnerable peoples in the world will continue to be left behind, he said.

Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith (Front) delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 23, 2023. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

Resolving global conflicts and disputes by peaceful means is the only viable way to ensure long-lasting peace and coexistence. In this regard, Laos urges an immediate end to the conflict in Ukraine through peaceful dialogues, he said.

Like many other countries, Laos believes that unilateralism, particularly unilateral coercive measures, not only contravenes the principles of the UN Charter and international law, but also severely causes negative consequences to innocent people and hinders national development of many developing countries, he said.

In this regard, Laos continues to join the global call for lifting the economic embargo against Cuba, removing it from the list of "state sponsors of terrorism," and ending all unilateral coercive measures against the island, he said. 
I know the inconvenience these strikes will cause. I am a parent myself. But if we dont take a stand then the longer-term impact on our children and communities is going to get far worse.
Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is overseeing the investigation, said: We are very pleased, and of course relieved, to have found the two children after an extensive enquiries over the past few days.
Despite her telling him she wasn't interested and had no money, he called her later the same day to tell her he had already signed her up and would pay half the membership fee - forcing her to find the remaining 4,000. The woman borrowed the cash from her mother.
Detective Chief Inspector Lucy Carberry, who is leading the Metropolitan Police investigation, said: We remain keen to speak to anyone who was in the area and witnessed this incident, or anyone who can help shed background on the events that led to the attack on Brian to come forward.
Owners of American XL bullies will not face a cull of their pets, but Downing Street said measures would be put in place to cover the existing population of the dogs. The ban is expected to come into place by the end of the year.
It means you having huge savings for the NHS, so the net cost is much, much lower. We think youll have savings of at least 3 billion from the NHS, from early discharge and less spending on care homes, Sir Ed said.
A quarter of the sample will be given to a group of more than 200 people from 38 globally distributed institutions, including a team of scientists from the University of Manchester and the Natural History Museum.
Expert bull runners, mostly locals, try to sprint at full steam just in the front of the bull horns before peeling off at the last second. The inexperienced, a group that includes most foreigners, do well enough to scramble out of the way, often ending up in piles of fellow runners.
CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a window of hope for developing countries that seek a sincere multilateral institution to finance their sustainable development projects, said an Egyptian expert in a recent interview with Xinhua.

"Developing countries, especially those in Africa, have finally found a reliable fair partner to help them establish green, sustainable development projects," Abu Bakr al-Deeb, an advisor to the Cairo-based Arab Center for Research and Studies, told Xinhua.

Since its establishment in Beijing in 2016, the AIIB has become a reliable global multilateral institution working in sustainable and high-tech infrastructure, said al-Deeb.

Al-Deeb made the remarks in the run-up to the opening of the eighth annual meeting of the AIIB Board of Governors in Egypt on Monday and Tuesday, the first time this flagship event of the bank is held in Africa.

"This meeting will help open up new prospects for the bank in Africa which is in bad need of mega infrastructure projects," the expert anticipated.

He noted that the projects would promote development and prosperity in the African continent, and lift the African peoples out of "poverty and hunger" towards "renaissance."

Meanwhile, al-Deeb said the AIIB has an investment portfolio estimated at 1.3 billion U.S. dollars in multiple projects in Egypt.

"Egypt has great confidence in the AIIB," he said, adding the country has an ambitious plan to increase the private sector's contribution to the national economy, and the AIIB will help Cairo achieve this goal.

The private sector has a great opportunity to deal with the AIIB through the bank's provision of advice, expertise, and financing for a number of important projects, he affirmed.

"The AIIB has allocated half of its investments to climate action, the green economy, and preserving the environment, which is a high priority to Egypt, that is why I believe that holding the bank's annual conference will be of great importance for Egypt and Africa," concluded the Egyptian expert.

The Beijing-headquartered AIIB has now expanded its membership to include 106 approved members globally and has developed a portfolio of 202 projects in 33 countries with a total value of 38.8 billion U.S. dollars. 
Sample return missions like Osiris-Rex are vitally important because the returned samples are pristine, we know exactly which asteroid they come from and can be certain that they are never exposed to the atmosphere so that important information is retained.
A visitor views the replica of an antique during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023.

People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China.

A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

CAIRO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China.

A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day.

As one of the most famous grottoes in China, the Tianlongshan Grottoes in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, are notable for the Buddha statues located within.

Construction of the Tianlongshan Grottoes began around the Eastern Wei Dynasty (534-550) and continued until the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The site features 25 caves and over 500 Buddha statues, reflecting the sophisticated carving skills and grotto art of the time.

"The arrival of these exquisite exhibits in Egypt presents a valuable opportunity for Egyptians to have a deep understanding of Chinese culture, and also have a glimpse of the geography, history, and culture of the Tianlongshan Grottoes," Maissara A. Hussein, deputy director of the Antiquities National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, said at the exhibition.

"China's advanced technology of restoring and protecting historical sites is worth promoting to the world," Hussein said.

Wei Tao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Shanxi Provincial Committee and Secretary of the CPC Taiyuan Municipal Committee, said that the international tour used many edgy technologies, such as holographic phantom imaging and augmented reality to digitally reimage many Tianlongshan statues scattered in many countries and offer a comprehensive display of the splendid art of the Tianlongshan grottoes.

"I hope that through this exhibition, more Egyptian people know more about the Tianlongshan Grottoes and Taiyuan," he said.

Zhang Chaoyang, minister of the Chinese Embassy in Egypt, noted that in recent years, China-Egypt relations have achieved leapfrog development and fruitful results in the cultural field.

"The exhibition will show the beauty of the integration of Chinese and foreign arts to the Egyptian people in a more realistic and tangible way, and will enhance the mutual understanding and traditional friendship between the two peoples," he said.

At the exhibition, many visitors were amazed by the AR restoration of the Tianlongshan Buddha statues, including Ahmed Zarip, director of the Chinese Department of Minia University in Egypt, is one of them.

"This experience is amazing, and I hope to see more such Chinese archaeological and cultural exhibitions in Egypt," he told Xinhua.

The China-Egypt Forum on Exchange and Cooperation in the Protection and Utilization of Cultural Heritage was inaugurated on the same day. 

A visitor views the replica of an antique during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023.

People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China.

A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

A visitor takes photos of the replica of an antique during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023.

People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China.

A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

People visit a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023.

People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China.

A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)

A visitor tries an AR device during a digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes in Cairo, Egypt, Sept. 23, 2023.

People in Egypt now can have an immersive virtual tour of ancient Chinese Grottoes in the capital of Cairo instead of going to China.

A digital restoration international tour exhibition of Taiyuan Tianlongshan Grottoes kicked off on Saturday at the China Cultural Center in Cairo, attracting more than 70 experts and scholars in the field of archaeology and museums from both China and Egypt on the first day. (Xinhua/Sui Xiankai)
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WARSAW, Poland  A dispute about whether Ukrainian grain should be allowed to enter the domestic markets of Poland and other European Union countries has pushed the tight relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw to its lowest point since Russia invaded Ukraine last year.

Polish leaders have compared Ukraine to a drowning person hurting his helper and threatened to expand a ban on food products from the war-torn country. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested that EU allies that are prohibiting imports of his nation's grain are helping Russia.

Poland, on NATO's eastern flank, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, sending weapons and humanitarian aid and opening its borders to refugees.

Now, Polish officials, who are trying to win parliamentary elections next month with help from farmers' votes, are expressing dismay over some of Ukraine's latest moves, including a World Trade Organization complaint over bans on Ukrainian grain from Poland and two other EU countries.

"Alarmingly, some in Europe play out solidarity in a political theater  turning grain into a thriller. They may seem to play their own roles. In fact, they're helping set the stage for a Moscow actor," Zelenskyy said.

Poland's deputy foreign minister, Pawel Jablonski, on Wednesday voiced "strong protest" of Zelenskyy's comments to Ukrainian Ambassador Vasyl Zvarych.

Jablonski "indicated that it is untrue, as far as Poland is concerned, and that the opinion is unjustified toward the country that has been supporting Ukraine from the very first days of the war," the Polish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Tadeusz Iwanski, a Ukraine analyst from a Polish state-funded think tank, said that since the beginning of the war, Ukraine "has been pursuing a hyperassertive diplomacy, partly due to which its requests and demands have been granted, and it has been proven effective."

"This assertive policy might have taught Ukraine that things can be achieved through such diplomacy," said Iwanski, head of Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova studies at the Centre for Eastern Studies in Warsaw.

He said Ukraine likely feels strong pressure to export its grain to help bolster its finances.

Some other analysts in Poland faulted the Warsaw government, accusing it of playing politics with Ukraine's security to win votes.

Poland's ruling Law and Justice party is fighting for the votes of farmers, many of whom are upset that Ukraine's food products have flooded the local market, pushing prices down and hurting their livelihoods.

Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia banned some Ukrainian agricultural goods after the EU recently decided to lift such restrictions. Croatia joined in Tuesday, when Kyiv announced it was responding with a WTO complaint.

"Ukraine is behaving like a drowning person clinging to everything he can ... but we have the right to defend ourselves against harm being done to us," Polish President Andrzej Duda told reporters Tuesday in New York, where he was attending the U.N. General Assembly.

The growing tensions highlight the risks Ukraine faces in maintaining Western support as its fight against Russia drags on.

Ukraine prevailing is so important to Poland that it would not be likely to restrict the military assistance to Ukraine. Poland has bitter memories of being subjected to Moscow's rule in the past and does not want to see Russia win a war in a neighboring country.
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CLAYTON  Brendan Roediger has clients across Missouri with two distinctions suggesting the last place they should be is a jail cell.

They are innocent and incompetent, Roediger says. In theory, we dont have a system that puts innocent and incompetent people in jail.

Roediger is director of the litigation clinic at the St. Louis University School of Law. He and law students represent indigent people accused of a crime. The clients often have mental health issues, and many have been found incompetent to stand trial.

But in Missouri, Illinois and other states, there are not enough mental health beds to transfer people from a jail to a hospital for treatment. So they sit in jails in the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, Kansas City and rural areas of the state. The problem is so bad in Illinois that a group of sheriffs has sued the state, trying to force action.

We are not a mental health facility, Maj. Tammy Grimes, the jail superintendent in St. Clair County, told me a year ago, when her jail had seven detainees awaiting a state mental health bed. We cant provide them the health care that the court is ordering them to receive.

In Missouri, Roediger says, judges, lawyers, sheriffs, police chiefs, jail directors and mental health officials are all raising alarm bells about the problem. Jeanette Simmons, deputy director for behavioral health at the state Department of Mental Health, says there are 252 people who fit Roedigers dual categories of innocent and incompetent.

They havent been convicted. A judge has found them incompetent to stand trial and has ordered them into the Department of Mental Health. But there are no beds available and not enough staff members  social workers, nurses, psychiatrists  to provide services the jail detainees need and deserve.

There are another 261 people somewhere in the pre-trial process who are in a similar situation  stuck in jail, where their mental health issues are often exacerbated.

Its very bad, all throughout the state, rural and urban, Roediger says. Theres delays in just getting people evaluated. Once people are evaluated, they are just stuck sitting in jail.

The states plan is to launch five pilot projects  in the city of St. Louis and the counties of St. Louis, Jackson, Greene and Clay  to provide on-site workers at jails and help restore competency through mental health services.

Scott Anders, who retired last week as director of the St. Louis County Justice Center, thinks the proposal has promise. To deal with the growing number of detainees with mental health issues, Anders created a dedicated unit for them, with corrections staffers trained in crisis intervention. The county jail now has room for 25 patients in its special unit, with hopes to expand.

Its working, says Mario Reed, a case manager in the unit.

This is how it should be in all jails, says Reed, who has worked in the facility for more than 20 years.

In many city and county jails, with no staff trained in mental health needs, detainees end up in administrative segregation. And the isolation can make their conditions worse.

Anders knows there is a serious need for jails to improve how they deal with mental health needs. Its why on top of the new mental health unit, the county jail started offering classes through St. Louis Community College and programs to battle drug addiction.

The National Alliance on Mental Health suggests that 44% of the people in city and county jails shouldnt be there because they need treatment for drug addiction or mental health issues. If applied in St. Louis County, that percentage would drop the jail population from the 1,004 on a day I visited to fewer than 600.

But for that to happen, there would need to be a whole lot more funding for mental health services and serious cooperation among police, judges and lawmakers.

Weve got to be able to figure out how to help folks so they are not getting justice involved, says Simmons, of the Department of Mental Health.

For now, the plan is to triage folks on site and hope that, by adding mental health workers at local jails, beds can eventually be freed up at the state level. There are fewer of those beds than there used to be. In 2005, the state of Missouri managed or had access to 1,540 mental health beds. By 2011, the number had dropped to a low of 1,203. As of July, the number of beds stood at 1,294.

Anders said that, with the pilot project, the detainees in St. Louis County and other sites will end up higher on the list to access state beds.

In Missouri, this is another example of how the low-tax policies of the Legislature are having long-term impacts on its residents. For more than a decade, even with some recent raises, state workers have been among the lowest paid in the nation, making it hard to recruit nurses and corrections workers.

Rather than add beds, the state is trying to cut costs by providing mental health services to people who dont belong in jail in the first place. Its a playbook other states have tried, with no data yet to show how it is working.

Adding beds means you have to build facilities, Simmons says. Youre looking at building a new structure vs. trying to tackle alternative options.

Roediger is glad to see his clients get mental health services, but he questions whether a jail is a proper  or constitutional  place to receive such services. In the city of St. Louis, the jail is facing multiple lawsuits alleging horrible conditions and abuses of detainees. Roediger would rather see the state add more beds in facilities designed to help mental health patients.

Its only cheaper, Roediger says, if you dont do it well.

Messenger: Missouri mans jail case leads to help for other detainees who are mistreated The poor health care for Bilal Hill while he was in jail resulted in an $8.5 million verdict. A law firm will now pursue more cases like his across the country.

Messenger: Mental health crisis has people stuck in county jails, waiting for treatment Jails in Missouri and Illinois clogged with people awaiting transfer to mental facilities. The delays cost patients and taxpayers.
Since the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline transitioned a year ago to the three-digit crisis phone number 988, there has been a 33% increase in the number of calls, chats and texts to the hotline.

But even with that early sign of success, the programs financial future is shaky.

Over the past two years, the federal government has provided about $1 billion from the American Rescue Plan and Bipartisan Safer Communities acts to launch the number, designed as an alternative to 911 for those experiencing a mental health crisis. After that infusion runs out, its up to states to foot the bill for their call centers.

We dont know what Congress will allocate in the future, said Danielle Bennett, a spokesperson for the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, which oversees 988. But the hope is that there will be continued strong bipartisan support for funding 988 at the level it needs to be funded at and that states will also create funding mechanisms that make sense for their states.

Only eight states have enacted legislation to sustain 988 through phone fees, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which is tracking state funding for the system. Others have budgeted short-term funding. But many predominantly rural states, where mental health services are in short supply and suicide rates are often higher than in more urban states, have not made long-term plans to provide support.

According to a KFF analysis of Lifeline data, since last summer 988 has received almost 5 million contacts, including calls, texts, and chat messages. And state programs managed to answer a high percentage of 988 calls instead of routing them to call centers elsewhere.

Mental health advocates and state 988 operators say that to keep those in-state staffers answering phones, promises of long-term funding are critical.

In the earlier version of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call centers, basically, were not paid, said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, which advocates for sustained investment in 988. There is a growing recognition that were making it easier for people to contact and, therefore, we need to build more infrastructure.

In Ohio, where data from spring 2023 shows local operators responded to 88% of calls, lawmakers recently acknowledged the need for stable funding. In July, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine approved $46.5 million for 988 in the states biennial budget. But that support will last only two years.

It is still not the most secure form of funding that we would hope for, said Brian Stroh, CEO and medical director of Netcare Access, a call center that serves four rural counties on Ohios eastern border. What if we turned the tables a little bit and said were only going to fund 911 a little bit at a time? Thats a really hard proposition to work under.

SAMHSA, which distributes 988 grant funding, likens the number to 911 except that it is strictly for mental health crises. The law that mandated 988s creation, the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020, allows states to install phone surcharges to support 988 indefinitely, similar to the funding structure for 911.

Stroh said that, while he is pretty pleased with how the first year of 988 went for Netcare Access, with short-term funding its hard to reassure prospective call operators of job security or compete with rising wages in other industries.

For Kristin McCloud, executive director of Pathways of Central Ohio, a call center that also responds to rural counties in the eastern part of the state, the $573,056 her center received in 988s first year was exactly what it needed. She had money for training staffers to answer crisis calls and supplying them with computers for remote work.

During that time, operators answered 2,316 calls  almost double the previous years volume.

According to SAMHSA, before 988 grants, most call centers received minimal federal funding to answer Lifeline calls, typically between $2,500 and $5,000 annually.

Like Stroh, McCloud views Ohios recent allocation as positive but hopes the state installs a permanent funding plan. A bill pending in the legislature would add a surcharge to phone bills to help fund 988, as a few other states have done.

In North Dakota, where almost every county is rural and has such a designation, a single call center manages the states 988 program.

In May, Republican Gov. Doug Burgum approved a one-time $1.86 million appropriation to 988 in the states biennial budget.

While North Dakota and Ohio fund 988 through their state budgets, not all states do. In Montana, Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte recently dedicated $300 million to the behavioral health and developmental disabilities systems that, among other uses, can fund opportunities for Montanans to receive integrated physical and behavioral health care, according to the bill authorizing the money. But the state has yet to address 988 funding specifically.

In 2021, Montana lawmakers declined to advance a bill that would have established a phone fee and corresponding revenue account to fund 988 ahead of its launch.

At this point, if it is able to be funded in the budget, without new legislation, thats just fine with us, said Matt Kuntz, executive director of Montanas chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. We just want to make sure that its sustainably funded, because it is an important service.
OTTAWA, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Recent leaks indicate that the United States has contributed to Canada's allegation that India is responsible for the assassination of a Canadian citizen, playing a crucial role in the simmering diplomatic tiff between New Delhi and Ottawa.

Canada-India ties recently sank to a deep freeze after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau repeatedly accused Indian agents of being behind the killing of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil, which was strongly rejected by the Indian side.

Both countries have started to expel each other's diplomats and issued travel advisories urging their citizens to exercise "utmost caution" while traveling in the other country.

Canadian CTV News network on Sunday released an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, during which he explicitly stated, "There was shared intelligence among 'Five Eyes' partners that helped lead Canada to making the statements that the prime minister made."

Citing "Western allied officials," The New York Times, in its Saturday report, went one step further in specifying that "U.S. intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Friday that he hopes India will work with the Canadians on this investigation and expects accountability from the Indian side.

Previously, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also issued a stern warning, saying that the United States would not grant India any "special exemption" in this matter.

"There's not some special exemption you get for actions like this. Regardless of the country ... we will also consult closely with allies like Canada as they pursue their law enforcement and diplomatic process," he said.

Indians have started to voice their dissatisfaction with the U.S. stance in the diplomatic spat. In a recent editorial, The Tribune, an Indian daily newspaper, inveighed against the United States, stating that "the U.S., that inveterate global policeman ... has laid bare its bias and double standards by targeting India."

"Does the U.S. have the moral authority to grant such an exemption, even if unsolicited, considering its own unenviable history of adventurism in foreign lands?" the editorial asked. "The answer is again an emphatic no."

Analysts believe that the row will take a toll on the relationship between India and the United States.

The U.S. government "is in a no-win situation with this latest bombshell of India-Canada news," Derek J. Grossman, a political analyst at the RAND Corporation, said on social media X, formerly known as Twitter.

"Canada's bombshell accusation ... against India could be (the) most significant test of strength of U.S.-India partnership since early 2000s," he opined. 
KRAMATORSK, Ukraine  In a basement in one of the front-line cities in Ukraine's Donetsk region, people gather three times a week in the morning for yoga to alleviate the stress caused by the constant shelling from Russian artillery.

Soothing music fills the basement in Kramatorsk, where the humid air is tangible.

We let go of the external world, Serhii Zaloznyi, a 52-year-old yoga instructor, said in a serene tone. He gently leads people into a meditative state.

Occasionally, the sound of water rushing through the pipes of the multistory building disrupts the tranquil music, serving as a reminder that the yoga session unfolds in the basement.

Peace, tranquility and balance feel within the heart, Zaloznyi continues as people calmly breathe with their eyes closed.

For the participants, the external world is life in a front-line city where sirens sound every few hours, and the noise of explosions disrupts their daily lives.

Kramatorsk is about 20 miles from the battle front in the Donetsk region, where some of the heaviest fighting in eastern Ukraine takes place.

In late July, a Russian missile hit one of Kramatorsks most well-known restaurants, killing 13 and shocking city residents.

But in this modest basement in a residential district, people come to find a feeling of safety and security by attending the yoga sessions, which happen according to schedule despite everything.

In the beginning, the war overwhelmed people, and right here is where they found peace in their hearts and souls, tranquility and simply solid ground beneath their feet, Zaloznyi said.

One of those attending is Viktoria Omelchenko, 47, who initially left Kramatorsk but returned a few months later.

Yoga brought me to emotional balance. Yoga classes gradually calmed me down, balanced me, taught me not to be afraid, to feel in harmony and balance, she said.

Thats why these classes are really very important, especially in our city. When its restless, they help a lot.

When the war started, Zaloznyi taught online because most of the people who used to attend yoga had fled to safer regions. Later, people began to return, and he resumed in-person sessions last spring.

The gym they used before the war was converted into a shelter where families with children take cover. Now, instead of yoga mats, there are supplies of water for emergencies.

Zaloznyi quickly found a new space, which used to be a beauty salon. The owners left Kramatorsk and allowed the yoga sessions to be held there.

On the walls of the yoga studio, the photos from past hairdressing workshops can be seen. And in the improvised changing room, large bottles of professional care shampoo rest on the shelves, now covered in dust.

Nonetheless, the yoga participants aren't troubled by this. They persist in following Zaloznyis guidance, moving their bodies from one asana, or yoga position, to another with closed eyes. The room is dimly lit, because the windows are covered with colored tape, intended to prevent glass from shattering in case of an attack.

There are moments when shelling occurs, of course, and people are anxious. The sense of added protection brings extra tranquility. Because the basement space is safer, Zaloznyi said.

His classes cost 90 Ukrainian hryvnias ($3), and five to six people attend them regularly.

Another participant, Valentyna Vandysheva, 61, joined the classes three months ago for health and calming her nerves.

Physical activity balances emotions, so it helped. You dont react as strongly to sirens and explosions, she said.

Zaloznyi is confident that whenever they come together to practice calming yoga, everything will be fine. The participants support each other emotionally, and as a result, a feeling of community has already emerged.

I would say that our room is alive already. It protects us. This space, its completely familiar and safe for us, Zaloznyi said.

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The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the term deja vu as the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time, or a feeling that one has seen or heard something before. So again, we are on the precipice of a budget impasse and/or a potential government shutdown, just as we were three months ago.

I personally weathered a government shutdown almost 30 years ago, before my retirement from the Social Security Administration. Its also a topic I wrote about here on June 1, in a column headlined The $31.4 trillion question. Id hoped that we would not be experiencing deja vu quite so soon. However, considering the rancid atmosphere and adversarial nature between both sides of Congress, I shouldnt have been surprised.

In June 2023, House Republicans, in order to pass the continuing resolution, secured five major concessions as follows: capping the non-Defense budget; demanding expanded work requirements for food-stamp beneficiaries; restarting student loan payments; attaining accountability and, as necessary, refunds of $30 billion in COVID funds; and, of course, slashing funds to the weaponized Internal Revenue Service.

Most of these costs landed on the backs of those who could least afford to pay them, instead of the billionaires and corporations that President Bidens budget had targeted earlier.

Here are the services in the Republicans crosshairs this time:

At this writing, there are still twelve funding bills being held hostage  funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Environment, State, Transportation, Commerce, Justice, Science, Treasury, Homeland Security, Foreign Operations, the Department of the Interior, and Housing and Urban Development. There may still be battles underway over Defense spending as well.

Additionally, Biden has submitted a supplemental request of $41 billion to Congress outside the general budget  $24 billion of which will be used to assist Ukraine, something a large number of citizens and legislators oppose.

The remaining monies from this emergency budget will be used to fund multiple American agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the latter in danger of running out of money following the multitude of natural disasters weve encountered thus far.

Every facet of the government is under attack in these budget wars, all because of Republicans determination to block the presidents agenda. Hardships to their constituents are immaterial.

Payments to Social Security beneficiaries, or for Medicare and Medicaid services will not be impacted since they are funded separately. In the event of an actual federal shutdown, most agencies will have to scale back their workforces, or even cease operations altogether until their budgets are confirmed.

The Office of Management and Budget determines which employees of each agency are essential to the operation and safety of the country. Those deemed non-essential are furloughed. Air traffic controllers, firefighters assigned to battle wildfires, border patrol agents, and military service people (particularly those on active duty) are certainly essential. Its not so obvious for other federal employees.

The only federal shutdown I experienced before I retired in 2010 was in 1995. All but a skeleton staff were furloughed and sent home without pay. Since the rest of my household had income, this was not initially a concern for me. However, since I had a mortgage, a long furlough could have changed that.

For those who had families to support, especially those where both parents were furloughed, it was a different matter. At the time I could not understand why any employee of the Social Security Administration wasnt considered essential. Without workers to process claims, issue emergency payments when checks were suspended or lost, or handle Medicare problems, many of our clients struggled unnecessarily. We were certainly essential to them.

Originally, we were informed that those furloughed would not receive back pay. Later, Congress passed a bill that reimbursed our missed wages. During subsequent shutdowns in 2013, 2018, and 2019, the Social Security field office employees were deemed essential.

This time, workers in the payment centers (who resolve more complicated issues) as well as those who staff the national telephone system, may yet be furloughed. All sorts of people, needing all sorts of services, from a myriad of agencies, will suffer if Sept. 30 arrives without a deal.

The president and members of Congress, however, will continue to get their salaries, as well as any Social Security benefits some of them may be receiving. Pity.

Janet Y. Jackson is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member.
Its a common refrain among St. Louis residents today: Why are city police so non-responsive to all but the most dire emergencies? Why do they seem to ignore the reckless drivers who speed through red lights, the vandals who destroy property, the drunk-and-disorderly bar crowds?

Its almost like the cops have been told that anyone committing any crime less than a major felony gets a pass.

And now, we have that in writing.

A stunning new report by the Post-Dispatchs Dana Rieck reveals that city police officers have, in fact, been routinely told  in writing  to back off confronting non-violent lawbreaking they come across because there arent enough police dispatchers to coordinate their activity.

Its more confirmation of what has been obvious for years now: St. Louis needs more police, and more dispatchers and other support staff. And it needs them now.

As Rieck reported Thursday, internal police department memos obtained by the Post-Dispatch show that officers on 18 shifts from June to August were instructed to limit initiating action regarding minor alleged crimes because of the shortage of dispatchers.

For example, several memos said there were no dispatchers available to run license plates or check for warrants at an officers request.

Instead, police were told to focus only on calls routed to them through the 911 system. Which, of course, presents its own problem, because the 911 system itself is grossly understaffed, creating long wait times for callers. Then theres the chronic shortage of officers themselves.

As Jay Schroeder, president of the St. Louis Police Officers Association, told Rieck, the real-world outcome for cops on the street is that they may have to ignore obvious if minor crimes in progress that they come across. If youre driving down the street, and you see somebody in violation of, say, drinking in public, that would be the kind of thing that you just say, OK, that ones going to go for today.

Its a well-established principle in criminology that routinely letting minor crimes go unconfronted in a community creates an atmosphere of lawlessness that encourages more serious crimes.

This so-called broken-windows theory was infamously twisted into an excuse for racial harassment in New York in the 1990s by none other than then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

But the underlying theory itself remains valid, as anyone who has experienced the atmosphere of general lawlessness in downtown St. Louis these days can attest. That unconfronted chorus of screeching tires and echoing gunshots certainly isnt going to dissuade someone from moving to the next step of stealing a car or breaking into a home.

But preventing those broken windows requires warm bodies. Rieck reported that, as of Tuesday, the police departments dispatch center had only 67 people on staff, about 30% down from its authorized level of 98. At the same time, there were only about 940 officers on a force authorized for 1,224.

Mayor Tishaura Jones has been rightly criticized for coming into office on a defund-the-police campaign and promptly lowering the departments authorized staffing by about 100 officers. But the broader problem is that police departments everywhere are simply having trouble filling even the positions they are authorized for.

Thats likely in part due to societal controversy surrounding policing today, which has pitted legitimate concerns about abusive police practices against the misguided defund-the-police movement that Jones herself sometimes seems to hold at arms length lately. Its likely also the result of labor shortages generally across the economy.

To her credit, Jones previous authorization of a round of raises has started to turn that tide, bringing more than two-dozen additional dispatchers in. That demonstrates that offering more money can indeed work to overcome the forces that are keeping crucial police positions unfilled.

But it hasnt worked enough. There is, somewhere, a salary tipping point that can finally get those positions filled. St. Louis needs to find it, even if it means digging deeper into the citys current cash surplus. There is no priority more important right now than reversing this slide into criminal chaos.
OMAHA, Neb.  In the chaos after a Norfolk Southern train careened off the tracks and caught fire in eastern Ohio in February, it took roughly 45 minutes for firefighters to learn exactly which chemicals were involved.

Now the railroad industry is trying to ensure that never happens again.

Ever since that Feb. 3 derailment prompted concerns about rail safety nationwide, the major railroads have redoubled their efforts to make sure that more and more first responders can immediately look up the contents of any freight train.

This week, the two counties that handled the initial response to the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment on the Ohio-Pennsylvania border were set up with the AskRail program that will allow dispatchers to look up everything a train is carrying as soon as they get one car number.

That is part of an effort the Association of American Railroads trade group launched this spring to sign up emergency dispatch centers in the program.

"It's going to allow us to make better, more informed decisions quicker  not only for the responders but for the community," said Eric Brewer, director of emergency services in Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Previously, first responders would have to either track down the train crew to get a copy of the train's contents or reach out to the railroad directly  both of which can take precious time.

Knowing which hazardous materials are on a train is key to helping firefighters decide how to respond and whether evacuations are needed. For some chemicals, specialized firefighting foam may be needed instead of water and in some cases, as in East Palestine, the chemicals can make it too dangerous for firefighters to attack a blaze directly. That night, firefighters had to pull back and contain the blaze while the chemicals continued to burn.

The railroads worked with emergency responders to develop the AskRail app in 2014 that firefighters could download to their phones or the computers mounted within their fire trucks. By the end of last year, only about 40,000 users had signed up, though some of those were individual firefighters and some were department computers available to multiple responders.

Then this year, the industry began working to get the program set up in dispatch centers. So far, 42 of them nationwide have joined and another 37 are in the process of joining. Railroads expect that number to grow quickly as word spreads.

But the railroads also had the idea to make their train consist information, which provides details about all the cargo on a train, available through the chemical industry's hotlines that firefighters can call to get advice on how to deal with specific chemicals. So now any time a firefighter with hazardous materials training calls either the Chemtrec hotline in the United States or the similar Canutec hotline in Canada they can find out what is on a train as long as they have a car number.

That move made the AskRail information available to about 2.3 million firefighters with hazardous materials training.

Railroads are trying to ensure the information is available in multiple places to reduce the chances that firefighters will struggle to find out what is on a train after a derailment. Even though the app itself has been available for years, not every firefighter knew about it, and volunteer fire departments account for nearly 82% of all firefighters nationwide.

"We're trying to create redundancies in the system to make sure the information is available," said Jessica Kahanek, a spokeswoman for the main rail trade group.

Norfolk Southern announced Wednesday that in addition to the industrywide efforts to expand AskRail access, it is working with the makers of the RapidSOS software that more than 15,000 emergency response agencies already use to make its train consist information available within that program.

If that effort succeeds across the Atlanta-based railroad's 22-state network in the East, the other major railroads could follow. The railroad said it expects to have its train data available within the RapidSOS program early next year.

"Our partnership with Norfolk Southern will provide first responder agencies with advanced situational awareness to best respond in the event of a train emergency," said Jose Mejia, chief operating officer at RapidSOS. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Norfolk Southern to provide this data to support public safety to aid in keeping communities prepared and safe."

Federal regulators have also proposed requiring railroads to quickly notify every emergency responder within 10 miles of a derailment as soon as a railroad becomes aware of an accident.

The Association of American Railroads emphasizes that railroads remain the safest way to ship dangerous chemicals by land, with more than 99 percent of those shipments arriving safety.

But even one derailment involving hazardous materials can prove disastrous, and last year there were more than 1,000 derailments  roughly three a day. More than three quarters happened at slow speeds in railyards, without causing major damage.
AR/VR interactive caring and epidemic prevention are advanced smart technologies

BANGKOK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The ASTER_Wise Smart Community Theme Alliance has successfully brought together 13 Taiwanese manufacturers specializing in various fields such as smart sensors, information security protection, and online audio and video marketing. Their collective goal is to establish a comprehensive smart community system in response to the growing trend of new lifestyles in North America and Southeast Asia. In light of the global trade disruptions caused by the pandemic, this initiative aims to extend its impact beyond North America by leveraging the resources of small and medium-sized enterprises in Southeast Asian nations. By forging strategic alliances and developing diverse business models, this collaboration is poised to explore promising opportunities in overseas markets, ultimately positioning Taiwan's industry on a global stage.

The goal of the alliance is to create a smart community that connects artificial intelligence recognition, behavioral data, and digital ecosystems. By introducing smart monitoring and AI intelligence, the construction environment process becomes transparent. Residents can use their mobile phones to browse community information and services, optimize resident experience, enhance the safety of the living environment, and provide remote medical services. Use AR/VR to visualize overall service security and collect data to identify behavioral data to verify. Then, combine a variety of digital marketing tools and technologies to accelerate the development of the Southeast Asian market.

The alliance plans a variety of customized solutions based on the needs of residents. Based on the smart security control system, combined with smart community platforms, information security systems, and face and license plate recognition technologies, coupled with the value-added application functions of life value such as telemedicine, it plans to promote smart community solutions to the Southeast Asian market.

The benefits of the ASTER_Wise alliance include: 1) Expand new customer areas, develop new markets, and maintain sustainable competitiveness. 2) Promote the development of various smart community technologies and creative services through the overseas development of the ASTER_Wise Alliance. 3) In addition to North America, the initial operational targets also include individual cities in four countries, i.e. Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and service introduction can also be extended to smart park units.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230920239440/en/

Maurice Liu

T +62-61-29061524

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Jeffrey Hu

T +66-6-49357564

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Source: ASTER_Wise
Easyprint with more than 3 million royalty-free stock photos and 12 million free design templates for digital and print products

RADEBEUL, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The e-commerce technology company Unitedprint.com has announced several exciting innovations for its brands Easyprint.com and print24.com. On top of the launch of interactive 2D and 3D product preview visualisations, the company is expanding its offering through a partnership with Pexels.com, a Canva.com company, and is also making more than 12 million premium design templates available to its users.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230920567824/en/

Easyprint's FreeDesign tool offers over 3 million royalty-free stock photos and 12 million free design templates (Photo: Business Wire)

Cooperation with Pexels.com

In close collaboration with Pexels, a subsidiary of Canva.com, Easyprint is expanding its offering to include 3 million royalty-free stock images that users can access free of charge and without restriction for their individual projects. This partnership will allow our customers to take their creativity to a whole new level, and at no cost whatsoever, points out Fabian Frenzel, CEO of Unitedprint.com SE.

Over 12 million design templates for digital and print products

Using the more than 12 million free design templates available at Easyprint.com, users are completely free to design not only their print products such as flyers, postcards and business cards, but also a wide range of digital products. Whether digital invitations, greeting cards or social media posts  the choice is virtually limitless.

Innovation in 2D/3D visualisation

In addition to these exciting new features, Unitedprint.com is introducing innovative 2D and 3D product preview visualisations. This feature allows users to view and share their customised print products in a physical setting as well as animated in three dimensions on their desktop and mobile screens. Users can rotate their sharable products 360 degrees in a 3D view, offering an intuitive exploration from all angles.

The combination of high-quality stock images, a wide range of free design templates for digital and print products and interactive 2D/3D visualisations sets our offer apart in the market, explains Fabian Frenzel. This cements our position as one of Europes leading web-to-print providers.

Outlook

Unitedprint.com has also its sights set on integrating Augmented Reality (AR) into its digital retail platforms in the future. This will allow users to overlay 3D visuals of their custom print creations in real-world settings using their mobile devices, offering an enriching and enjoyable shopping experience.

Unitedprint.com SE is an innovative e-commerce technology company with global operations in the fields of design, marketing, print and publishing. With around 300 employees worldwide, Unitedprint.com SE offers a wide range of products and services in the areas of photography, interior design, clubs/gastronomy/hotels, ceramics, textiles, large format printing, events, promotional materials, advertising technology and much more.

The original source-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the source-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230920567824/en/

[email protected]

Unitedprint.com SE

www.unitedprint.info

Phone: +49-(0)152-28808792

Fax: +49-(0)351-65633500

Source: Unitedprint.com
Dubai, United Arab Emirates--(Newsfile Corp. - September 24, 2023) - Crypto Expo Dubai 2023, the most anticipated cryptocurrency and blockchain event of the year, concluded with a resounding success. The two-day extravaganza, held at the prestigious Festival Arena, Dubai Festival City, brought together industry leaders, enthusiasts, and innovators from around the world for an insightful and impactful experience.



The much-anticipated Crypto Expo Dubai 2023 concluded on 21st September, leaving an indelible mark on the global crypto community. With over 10,000 attendees, 80+ companies, and 60+ industry-leading speakers across 30+ countries, this event was nothing short of extraordinary.

Highlights of Crypto Expo Dubai 2023







Crypto Expo Dubai 2023 Wraps Up with Resounding Success

Crypto Expo Dubai 2023 was not just an event; it reflected the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency and blockchain ecosystem. As digital assets continue to reshape finance, technology, and culture, this gathering served as a compass, guiding attendees toward the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

Michael Xuan, CEO of HQ MENA, Crypto Expo Dubai 2023, said, "We are immensely proud of the success of Crypto Expo Dubai 2023. It has been a truly transformative event, emphasizing the importance of cryptocurrencies and blockchain in our increasingly digital world."

Looking Ahead

As the curtains fall on this edition, Crypto Expo Dubai is already gearing up for an even more impactful Crypto Expo in the future. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming events and initiatives.

A heartfelt thank you to all sponsors, partners, speakers, exhibitors, and attendees for making Crypto Expo Dubai 2023 an astounding success.



About Crypto Expo Dubai

Crypto Expo Dubai is the premier cryptocurrency and blockchain event in the Middle East, bringing together industry leaders, experts, and enthusiasts to explore the latest trends, innovations, and opportunities in the world of digital assets.

For more information, please visit the official event website at www.cryptoexpodubai2023.com.

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Choirs from global bay areas came together to sing A Wish from Across the Sea

GUANGZHOU, China , Sept. 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from GDToday:

"Have you ever heard that song from a distance, from the other side of the ocean? It is calling on us to set sail." As a steamer blows its whistle, it changes into a peace dove that is flying across the Pacific Ocean . Teenagers from the Guangdong -Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and New York presented a virtual chorus together.

The International Day of Peace, observed around the world annually on 21 September, was adopted by a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. Meanwhile, the 3rd Guangdong -Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Culture & Arts Festival fired up the passion for art in the bay areas. As a part of the festival, Nanfang Media Group and the Guangdong People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries jointly launched the Arts Talk among Global Bay Areas Program.

In the 1st Global Bay Areas Choral Bridge Project, top choirs from the bay areas of both China and the US  Guangdong Experimental Middle School Choir from the GBA and Young People's Chorus of New York City  were invited to join the first-ever Online Chorus to perform the theme song called A Wish from Across the Sea.

The song is composed by Chen Si 'ang, a composer from Guangdong and associate professor of the Composition Department of Xinghai Conservatory of Music. The lyrics were written by young composer Chen Yang and performed by two choirs. It took them half a year to create and complete this lively and fairytale-like song, which conveys their sincere wish for world peace.

This was an intercultural dialogue between two bay areas. The music video of the song shows the young choristers singing at landmarks in the GBA and New York , such as the Haixin Bridge , the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge , Times Square , and Central Park . With their songs, they built a bridge of friendship across borders to facilitate good faith dialogues and promote the essence of arts and culture of bay areas through an art dialogue.

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SOURCE GDToday
HWPL Commemorates the 9th Anniversary of the September 18th World Peace Summit

NEW YORK , Sept. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A world peace summit was held in South Korea from September 18th to 20th . Under the theme of "Implementation of Multidimensional Strategies for Institutional Peace," the event was hosted by Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), an international peace NGO affiliated with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and the Department of Global Communications. With the help of 2,000 volunteers, HWPL prepared to welcome over 800 leaders from 121 countries representing diverse sectors, including politics, education, youth, women, media, and religion.

Volunteers worked to ensure the smooth arrival and departure of all participants traveling through the airport. Skilled drivers made sure all guests could be transported safely. The total distance driven by volunteer drivers during the event was approximately 800,000 kilometers, nearly 20 times the distance around the earth.

Volunteer interpreters also played a vital role in facilitating communication during the peace summit.

"All of the 800 guests participating in over 30 sessions require interpretation. And all materials have to be translated into over 20 languages. Not only private organizations but also most national forums do not operate on such a large scale," said a volunteer interpreter.

The broadcast media team consisting of 208 volunteers worked to capture and convey the essence of the summit to a global audience. "I believe that our videos serve as a powerful tool for spreading a culture of peace, making this event accessible to people around the world in various languages," said a volunteer.

The medical department prepared in advance to be ready to address a wide range of possible emergencies. The security department also took steps to provide about 400 volunteers with continuous training and education for six months leading up to the event.

The installation team was responsible for the infrastructure necessary to make the event a success. They handled electrical setups, stage installations, and maintenance.

"All of these volunteers, driven by their passion for peace, are working tirelessly to support the peace summit, and their unwavering commitment is truly remarkable. We HWPL would like to appreciate their dedication and hope that the government will support this peace movement," said an HWPL official.

Related Link:

http://www.hwpl.kr/language/en/home-hwpl-_en/

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SOURCE HWPL
Migrants sleep on the street after being released from U.S. Border Patrol custody in downtown El Paso, Texas, U.S., September 12, 2023. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

By Sharon Bernstein

(Reuters) -The dramatic increase in migrants crossing the U.S. border from Mexico has pushed the city of El Paso, Texas, to "a breaking point," with more than 2,000 people per day seeking asylum, exceeding shelter capacity and straining resources, its mayor said on Saturday.

"The city of El Paso only has so many resources and we have come to ... a breaking point right now," Mayor Oscar Leeser said at a news conference.

The arrival of largely Venezuelan asylum seekers is part of a larger swell of immigrants who traveled dangerous routes on buses and cargo trains to Mexican border towns near San Diego, California, and the Texas cities of El Paso and Eagle Pass.

Migrant numbers had plummeted in recent months, and the recent rise has generated a new wave of political attacks on U.S. President Joe Biden heading into the 2024 election.

Lesser said El Paso plans to open a new shelter, and on Saturday chartered five buses to take migrants to New York, Chicago and Denver.

Republican governors in Texas and Florida have been criticized for sending migrants to cities perceived as liberal such as New York and Sacramento. But Leeser, a Democrat, said all of the migrants on the El Paso buses were going voluntarily to the cities of their choice.

Leeser said the Biden had been a good partner. But he said the overall U.S. immigration system was broken.

Many migrants from Venezuela, he said, lacked transportation to their desired destinations, while El Paso's current shelter houses only 400 people, and must also be available to help the homeless.

As recently as six weeks ago, about 350 to 400 people were crossing into El Paso per day, but the past few days have brought 2,000 or more.

Over the past 10 days, the city has worked with the U.S. Border Patrol to provide shelter for 6,500 people, Leeser said.

About two-thirds of those crossing into El Paso currently are single men, he said. About 32% are families and just 2% are unaccompanied children.

"I think it's really important to note that we have a broken immigration system," he said. "It's the same thing over and over again."

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by David Gregorio and Jamie Freed)
NANJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- East China's economic powerhouse Jiangsu Province recorded a total import and export volume of 3.36 trillion yuan (about 460.9 billion U.S. dollars) from January to August, the customs of the capital city of Nanjing said Sunday.

This figure, including exports amounting to 2.16 trillion yuan and imports of 1.2 trillion yuan, accounted for 12.4 percent of China's total import and export volume during the same period.

Imports and exports of Jiangsu's private enterprises have continued to grow this year. During the first eight months of 2023, the import and export volume of private enterprises reached 1.47 trillion yuan, an increase of 3.3 percent compared to the same period last year.

During this period, Jiangsu's trade with the Middle East and Africa amounted to 158.62 billion yuan and 100.42 billion yuan, with year-on-year growth of 14.2 percent and 4.8 percent, respectively.

From January to August, Jiangsu's exports of electric passenger vehicles, lithium batteries, and solar panels totaled 137.52 billion yuan, and exports of mobile phones reached 86.28 billion yuan. These figures represented year-on-year growth of 20.4 percent and 22.6 percent, respectively.

Meanwhile, the value of the province's imported agricultural products grew to 118.33 billion yuan, marking a year-on-year increase of 11.9 percent. Among these imports, soybeans accounted for 67.21 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth of 16.7 percent. 
A view shows a border-crossing point on the frontier between Armenia and Azerbaijan and a base of Russian peacekeepers deployed in Nagorno-Karabakh as seen from a road near the village of Kornidzor, Armenia, September 23, 2023. REUTERS/Irakli Gedenidze

MOSCOW (Reuters) - The ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh will leave for Armenia as they do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan and fear ethnic cleansing, the leadership of the breakaway region told Reuters on Sunday.

"Our people do not want to live as part of Azerbaijan. 99.9% prefer to leave our historic lands," David Babayan, an adviser to Samvel Shahramanyan, the president of the self-styled "Republic of Artsakh".

He said it was unclear when the 120,000 of Karabakh Armenians would move down the Lachin corridor.

"The fate of our poor people will go down in history as a disgrace and a shame for the Armenian people and for the whole civilised world. Those responsible for our fate will one day have to answer before God for their sins."

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge)
FILE PHOTO: Bolivia's President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales attend an ancestral ceremony to ring in the Aymara New Year, in Tiwanaku, Bolivia June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Manuel Claure/File Photo

(Reuters) - Former Bolivia President Evo Morales will stand in the South American country's elections in 2025, he said on Sunday in a message on social media platform X, adding that he has been "obliged" by attacks against him.

The announcement confirms a rift between Morales, one of Latin America's most prominent leftists, and Bolivia's sitting President Luis Arce, his former economy minister turned rival within the ruling MAS party.

"Forced by the government's attacks ... I've decided to accept the requests of our members and of so many brothers and sisters who attend rallies throughout the country to be a candidate for the presidency of our beloved Bolivia," Morales said.

Morales, an Indigenous former coca farmer who led Bolivia for nearly 14 years, departed under a cloud in November 2019 after he ran for an unprecedented fourth term in an election marred by allegations of fraud.

Morales fled the country and claimed he was the victim of a right-wing "coup" that was backed by the United States.

After an 11-month caretaker government, Arce won a landslide election victory in October 2020, paving the way for Morales to return home.

(Reporting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Mark Porter)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during a press conference concluding his appearance at the United Nations General Assembly, in New York City, U.S., September 20, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said in a U.S. television interview on Sunday that U.S.-sponsored efforts to normalize Israeli relations with Gulf Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, "will see no success".

In an interview with CNN, Raisi also said Iran had not said it does not want nuclear inspectors from the United Nations' nuclear watchdog in the country.

Raisi has said Iran has no issue with the U.N. nuclear watchdog's inspection of its nuclear sites, days after Tehran barred multiple inspectors assigned to the country.

Israel has moved closer to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco following a U.S.-driven diplomatic initiative in 2020 which pushed for normalization of relations.

Establishing ties with Saudi Arabia - home to some of Islam's holiest sites - would be the grand prize for Israel and change the geopolitics of the Middle East.

Commenting on Iran's nuclear programme, Raisi said:

"We have announced time and time again that the use of nuclear weapons, the use of weapons of mass destruction in general, do not have a place. Why? Because we don't believe in it, nor do we have a need for it."

"The Islamic Republic of Iran hasn't said we do not wish any inspectors to be here."

(Reporting by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Peter Graff and David Holmes)
People work as Kosovo police and U.S. and EU troops stand by after one police officer was killed, another hurt in Kosovo gunfire, in Josevik, Kosovo September 24, 2023. REUTERS/Fatos Bytyci

(This Sept. 24 story has been refiled to add the full name of Kosovo's prime minister in paragraph 8)

By Fatos Bytyci and Daria Sito-Sucic

NORTH MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) - Ethnic Serb gunmen in armoured vehicles stormed a village in north Kosovo on Sunday, battling police and barricading themselves in a monastery in a resurgence of violence in the restive north that killed four people.

The siege centred on a Serbian Orthodox monastery near the village of Banjska in the Serb-majority region where monks and pilgrims hid inside a temple as a shootout raged.

One police officer and three of the attackers died, according to authorities in Kosovo and Serbia.

Ethnic Albanians form the vast majority of the 1.8 million population of Kosovo, a former province of Serbia.

But some 50,000 Serbs in the north have never accepted Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence and still see Belgrade as their capital, more than two decades after a Kosovo Albanian guerrilla uprising against repressive Serbian rule.

A group of Kosovo Serbs positioned trucks on a bridge into the village, shooting at police who approached them, before the battle moved to the nearby monastery, according to accounts by both Kosovo police and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The gunmen had left the monastery by night, the Serbian Orthodox Church said, though it was unclear where they went.

Vucic said the action was a rebellion against Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who has refused to form an association of Serb municipalities in north Kosovo. "Serbia will never recognise independent Kosovo, you can kill us all," he said.

Two Serbs were seriously injured and a fourth among them may have died, Vucic said. He condemned the killing of the police officer and urged restraint from Kosovo Serbs.

The Serbian Orthodox Church's diocese of Raska-Prizren, which includes Banjska, said men in an armoured vehicle entered the monastery compound, forcing monks and visiting faithful to lock themselves inside the temple.

The Kosovo police later said they had entered the monastery and were checking for possible infiltrators among worshippers. Three of their personnel were also injured, as well as the fatality in their ranks, police said.

Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said police found a large number of heavy weapons, explosives and uniforms "that were enough for hundreds of other attackers", indicating preparations for a massive assault.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN

The head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the violence.

Borrell talked with both Kurti and Vucic, according to his office.

NATO troops, along with members of the EU police force EULEX and Kosovo police, could be seen patrolling the road leading to Banjska, according to a Reuters reporter nearby.

Kosovo border police closed two crossings with Serbia.

Serbs in north Kosovo have long demanded the implementation of a EU-brokered 2013 deal for the creation of an association of autonomous municipalities in their area.

EU-sponsored talks on normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo stalled last week, with the bloc blaming Kurti for failing to set up the association.

Pristina sees the plan as a recipe for a mini-state within Kosovo, effectively partitioning the country along ethnic lines.

Serbia still formally deems Kosovo to be part of its territory, but denies suggestions of whipping up strife within its neighbour's borders. Belgrade accuses Pristina of trampling on the rights of minority Serbs.

Unrest intensified when ethnic Albanian mayors took office in north Kosovo after April elections the Serbs boycotted.

Clashes in May injured dozens of protesters and NATO alliance peacekeepers.

NATO retains 3,700 troops in Kosovo, the remainder of an original 50,000-strong force deployed in 1999.

The area of north Kosovo where Serbs form a majority is in important ways a virtual extension of Serbia. Local administration and public servants, teachers, doctors and big infrastructure projects are paid for by Belgrade.

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Andrew Cawthorne)
(Gene Lesney/Stars and Stripes)

Somewhere in South Korea, April 1958: Using his jeeps side mirror and his helmet as a basin, Spc. Harry W. Wise shaves after a night of guard duty. Wise and his 7th Military Police Company (Prov.) were on a five-day field exercise with the 7th Infantry Division. The Armys first pentomic MP company pulled guard duty and local road patrols not in the regular 7th Infantry Divisions area, but in the battle-scarred mountains of north-central South Korea, where field exercise Northwind was held.

The short lived pentomic structure adopted by the U.S. Army between 1957 and 1963 aimed at creating units able to deploy more rapidly than the traditional brigades by combining parts of different units in one comprehensive and cohesive unit, reducing the time needed to organize an attack if different brigades were involved. With nuclear arms entering the battlefield after World War II, the pentomic units would be able to respond quickly before the enemy could respond with a nuclear strike.

Looking for Stars and Stripes historic coverage? Subscribe to Stars and Stripes historic newspaper archive! We have digitized our 1948-1999 European and Pacific editions, as well as several of our WWII editions and made them available online through https://starsandstripes.newspaperarchive.com/
A POW/MIA flag flies over Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., Sept. 4, 2014. (U.S. Air Force)

(Tribune News Service) While serving in the Philippines during World War II, U.S. Army Air Corps Pfc. Glenn Harris was captured, forced to walk in the Bataan Death March and held as a prisoner at a camp more than 7,000 miles away from his home on the Central Coast.

He would never return to California  until now.

Only a few months after his capture, the 26-year-old Monterey County native died and was buried in one of the camps mass graves. For years, his body lingered overseas, one of the more than 2,700 people who had been buried at the camp  just under half of whom remained unidentified for decades.

Now, more than 80 years after his death, the fallen soldier is finally coming home.

Thanks to the efforts of the Department of Defenses POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Harriss remains were finally identified in July using a combination of DNA and other evidence, according to an agency news release.

Now Harris is expected to be laid to rest in a ceremony at Pleyto Cemetery in Bradley, just north of San Miguel, on Sept. 30. Paso Robles Kuehl-Nicolay Funeral Home will perform graveside services preceding the interment.

WWII Central Coast soldier died after Bataan Death March, buried in prison camp

According to the agency, Harris was one of thousands of United States and Filipino service members who were captured and held at prisoner of war camps when United States forces in Bataan fell in the spring of 1942.

Harris was serving in the Air Forces 93rd Bombardment Squadron, 19th Bombardment Group, when Japanese forces invaded the Philippine Islands in December 1941. After months of intense fighting, the peninsula was surrendered in April 1942

The captured service members were forced on the 65-mile Bataan Death March, and then held at Cabanatuan Camp #1, which according to the Accounting Agency, consistently served as the single largest camp for U.S. prisoners for the duration of the war, housing as many as 10,000 prisoners.

Death rates were incredibly high at Camp #1, with some estimating that two out of every three prisoners taken captive on Bataan died due to injuries and poor health, according to the Accounting Agency.

Prison camp and other historical records indicate Harris died July 26, 1942, at the end of what would be the deadliest month at the camp, when 799 U.S. prisoners perished there.

Harris was buried in Common Grave 225.

After the war, the bodies buried in the camp cemetery were exhumed by the American Graves Registration Service and relocated to a temporary military mausoleum near Manila. There, the agency began a concerted effort to identify all of the unidentified remains of those buried at the camp.

Three sets of remains from Common Grave 225 were identified in 1947, but the rest  including Harris  were declared unidentifiable. They were buried at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial as unknowns.

DNA helps identify service members remains 80 years after death

For 70 years, the American Battle Monuments Commission would care for the remains of those unknown servicemembers at the Manila cemetery.

Then, in March 2018, the remains were disinterred by the Accounting Agency and sent to a laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, for analysis.

On July 7, Harris was finally accounted for, according to the release, after his remains were identified using circumstantial evidence as well as anthropological, mitochondrial DNA, Y-chromosome DNA and autosomal DNA analysis.

Harris is one of a handful of those buried in Common Grave 225 to be identified in the latest effort.

Air Force Pvt. Joseph E. Lescaut, of Cambridge, Massachusetts  who was buried the same day as Harris  was identified in December 2022, and Army Cpl. Leo. J. Barlosky was identified in June.

According to an obituary shared by Kuehl-Nicolay Funeral Home, at the time of his death, Harris left behind four brothers: Clifford, Forrest, Wayne and Dale, as well as one sister Dorothy (Harris) Bilyeu and several nephews.

Harris burial will begin with a private family gathering, followed by a public ceremony at 10:30 a.m. and procession at 11 a.m. from the Paso Robles funeral home to Pleyto Cemetery near Lake San Antonio.

To learn more about the Department of Defenses mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving, visit the DPAA website at dpaa.mil , facebook.com/dodpaa , or call 703-699-1420.

(c)2023 The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

Visit The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) at www.sanluisobispo.com
TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi voiced their countries' willingness to improve bilateral relations, according to a statement released by the Iranian Foreign Ministry on Sunday.

The two top diplomats held a meeting Saturday in New York on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where they also discussed the regional issues of common interests.

Amir-Abdollahian reviewed his "good" meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah II in Amman last December, which was also attended by Safadi, as well as the two countries' good cooperation in different areas, expressing Iran's readiness to improve bilateral relations and collaborations.

Amir-Abdollahian expressed hope that the Tehran-Amman ties would improve in line with the two nations' interests in view of the present positive regional atmosphere and the growing trend of the relations between Iran and the Muslim Arab states.

For his part, the Jordanian foreign minister expressed his country's willingness to have "good and brotherly" relations with Iran and open a new chapter in the bilateral ties.

"We have numerous common challenges in the region and need to cooperate with one another to overcome them," he said, adding efforts are needed to enable the bilateral relations to reflect the two nations' "historical and brotherly ties." 
Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani maintained that Pakistan's decision regarding establishing relations with Israel would be determined with consideration of both Pakistan's national interests and those of the Palestinian people.

The statement came in response to Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen's remarks regarding normalisation of Israel's relations with the Muslim world.

Cohen, as reported by Israeli media outlet Kan News, suggested that "six or seven" Islamic nations were likely to normalise ties with Israel, following Saudi Arabia's potential inclusion in the Abraham Accords, which already involved the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.

The Israeli minister also claimed to have met with leaders from several Muslim countries who have not recognised Israel yet.

Jalil, in response to the Israeli FM's assertion, clarified that Cohen has not met with any Pakistani official in recent times.
If that means beating Leo Varadkars skull in with my bare f***ing hands then that is exactly what Ill do

A CONSPIRACY theorist who was involved in protests outside Leinster House previously posted a video where he claimed he would be justified in killing the Taoiseach and Tanaiste.

Volatile far-right figure Dara OFlaherty from Galway posted the disturbing video where said he believed that the actions of the government in issues such as the roll-out of the Covid vaccine meant he could carry out justifiable homicide.

This is what I believe. It is my intent to defend myself and those people connected with me from this atrocious crime and if that means beating Leo Varadkars skull in with my bare f***ing hands then that is exactly what Ill do and then Im going to Micheal Martins house.

Michael Martin

In the unhinged rant he said homicide is justifiable in order to prevent an atrocious crime provided he tries every other means first.

Theres another example of how we tried every means. We wrote the emails, we made the phone calls we went on the media and we went to their house and at every point we were rebuffed. At every point we were attacked. At every point we were dehumanised and stigmatised, well thats all we need to justify killing you.

OFlaherty is a failed election candidate who was eliminated on the first count in the last general election when he stood in Galway west.

He has previously turned up outside the homes of politicians including the Taoiseach as well as other public figures.

The Taoiseach said this week that he has received credible death threats throughout his political career but it hasnt put him off staying in politics.

The first death threat made against me, I was probably only a county councillor at the time so that was a while ago and it wasn't a credible one, he said.

"I think we need to have some perspective when it comes to these things. Nobody likes to have a death threat made against them.

"I would not discourage anyone from being involved in politics or being involved in public life because people make idle threats against each other all the time.

I imagine it happens to journalists and teachers and nurses and business people so I think it's important that we put that in perspective.

"In terms of credible death threats, there have been one or two and the gardai did deal with them."
The nine-year-old child has been named locally as Ronan Wilson (9), who was staying in Bundoran with his family who are from neighbouring Co Tyrone

The scene in Bundoran where the young boy was hit. Photo: NW Newspix

A man has been arrested in relation to a fatal hit-and-run incident in which a nine-year-old boy who died in Bundoran, Co Donegal on Saturday night.

The childs death was one of three fatalities in separate incidents in less than six hours last night, with two young men also killed in Dublin and Kerry.

A competitor in the Clare Stages Rally also died on Sunday afternoon, with the motor racing event cancelled as a result.

The nine-year-old child has been named locally as Ronan Wilson (9), who was staying in Bundoran with his family who are from neighbouring Co Tyrone, when the tragedy happened.

The youngster, whose family are from Kildress, was killed instantly when he was struck by a car about 9.20pm on Saturday at Atlantic Way in the seaside town.

Gardai have also seized a vehicle in connection with the investigation which will undergo technical examination.

Ronan Wilson aged nine-year-old boy from Kildress, County Tyrone, Who died after a hit-and-run incident in County Donegal on Saturday night

Investigators are appealing for anyone with information or who may have witnessed the collision to contact them.

A spokesperson said: "Gardai are appealing for witnesses and are particularly appealing to the driver of the vehicle to come forward. Investigating gardai are also appealing to those with video footage, including dash cam recordings, from Atlantic Way and Sea Road and the general area at the time, to make it available."

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Ballyshannon Garda Station on 0749858530 of the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111.

The Wilson family are well known in the Kildress area where Ronans father Deane runs a haulage firm.

Deane and wife Emma, as well as Ronan's siblings, were being comforted following the awful tragedy.

Ronan was a pupil at St Mary's Primary School, Duamore in Cookstown, where principal Eileen Ward described him as a happy, caring and likeable pupil.

The young victim was pronounced dead at the scene and his remains were later taken to Sligo University Hospital.

The scene of the crash has been closed off

A major garda operation was mounted on Saturday evening in a bid to apprehend the driver of the car involved.

The area of the collision was immediately sealed off and officers have spent the day carrying out forensic analysis of the scene.

A second scene approximately 300 metres away was also sealed off by gardai.

However, gardai have not yet disclosed why this particular area was cordoned off and have not given any details on how the accident occurred.

The scene of the tragedy is a busy area close to the beach, a caravan park and also the popular Waterworld playpark.
I couldnt really explain to her because we werent aware of it, but she saw the gallows and she saw the pictures of the various politicians and she was wondering if my picture was up there

A senator has recounted the hostile protest outside Leinster House during which she told her daughter (9) to lie on the floor of her car as she feared the windows would be smashed by protesters.

TDs and senators were the subject of vitriolic protests on Wednesday as the politicians returned after the summer recess, with 13 people being arrested for public order offences.

Several politicians had to have garda escorts through the crowd, and Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae.

Lorraine Clifford-Lee said she was frightened as her car was blocked from leaving Leinster House for two hours earlier this week by protesters who brought with them a mock gallows adorned with the images of a number of politicians.

Staff and politicians security is to be reviewed in the wake of the ugly scenes.

The Fianna Fail senator said she did not want her daughter to see the ugliness and said the child had asked whether her mothers photo was being carried by protesters.

Speaking to This Week on RTE Radio One, she said the protest was was very, very hostile with a lot of booing, hissing, people coming close to my personal space.

13 charged after demonstrators bring mock gallows to Leinster House protest

Luckily, I wasnt injured and there was nothing thrown at me because I know some colleagues had things thrown at them throughout the day so we managed to make it back over, she told the programme.

She said the activity had focused predominantly on the Kildare Street side, so those working in Leinster House had been using the entrance on Merrion Street.

Thats where I parked my car, over on that side and I had popped out at about 3.45pm and there was nobody there. I popped out, picked up my daughter and we were just coming back through the entrance to collect our car and to go - I had a funeral of a colleague to attend that evening, she said.

Protesters, at that time, had moved from Kildare Street to gather around the Merrion Street side, where her car was parked.

The gates were locked and they were blocking the entrance, so there was no way to get back out, she said.

Ms Clifford-Lee described the atmosphere as very, very hostile and very volatile.

The gallows with the photographs of various politicians and the effigy had moved in front of those gates there so that was visible from inside. A lot of chanting and again, the very, very hostile language.

Her nine-year-old daughter was with her in the car at the time, who she described as tough and well familiar with protests as she had accompanied her mother to protests previously.

But this, I wouldnt even call this a protest, to be honest with you because it wasnt clear what the message was, she said.

She was with me, and she asked me what they were protesting about. I couldnt really explain to her because we werent aware of it, but she saw the gallows and she saw the pictures of the various politicians and she was wondering if my picture was up there.

We were there for about two hours until extra garda reinforcement arrived and at this stage things have gotten quite volatile, and my car was at the front of the convoy. I just decided it would be best if she got out of her booster seat and lay on the floor of the car.

She covered her daughter in a towel on the floor of the car, she said.

Missiles had been thrown at people earlier on. I didnt know if we drove out would our glass be smashed or what would we be facing into when we came out. So, she did that and we got her to stay as calm as possible, Ms Clifford-Lee said.

She admitted that she was frightened as there was something different about this protest and not something that had been experienced by those working in Leinster House before.

I didnt want her to see the ugliness outside or read any of the various posters, she told This Week.

She stayed pretty calm actually, but she did admit the following day when we were having our breakfast that she had been quite nervous.

She commended the gardai but said she believed there was not enough of them.

I'm not an expert in policing, but I definitely think it went on a bit too long. It shouldn't have been allowed when people were being prevented going into Leinster House and coming out and staff members all across the spectrum were being attacked, intimidated, jostled and things thrown, thats not acceptable, she said.

When asked whether she felt safe going to work now, she said: No, and I havent for a long time now. Leinster House is one thing, and we need to feel safe but out and about in our constituencies, its also an ever-present threat.

Ms Clifford-Lee said she has been supported in the aftermath of the protest, but a small minority online have been attacking her.

Theyre saying they are going to report me to TUSLA, to the guards, that I shouldnt have brought my child to a protest  which I didnt.

For speaking about it and speaking about the threat this group poses to us, Ive been targeted but its not something that any of my colleagues have been spared either.
I really dont want to nail him to the cross right now because its kind of death by media at the moment

RUSSELL Brands Irish yoga teacher confesses she is shocked about allegations being levelled against the controversial comedian that he raped or sexually abuse them.

Teresa Murphy Moore reveals that after the alleged sex pest walked in out of the blue to one of her voga sessions at her studio in Co Wicklow six years ago the star hired her to go to his rented home nearby every day for two months to give him private tuition at a cost of E300 for a 90-minute session.

I didnt have any experience like that with him at all, Teresa tells the Sunday World, explaining she was never creeped out or abused by him.

Completely respectful. Up close and personal, in his home. His assistants were always there, his wife was always around. He was married with kids. There was never any sense of that (danger).

I was never alone with him because he always had his dog (laughs), but I never had any problem with him, ever. Not even a weird vibe, not even a funky vibe. He was just so interested in the yoga, and those were all our conversations.

Teresa and Russell Brand

Brand has taken to yoga in recent years and has left mainstream media and shows to produce podcasts and online videos about wellness.

Just about consciousness and good living and philosophy of yoga, that was the extent of it, there was nothing beyond that ever, Teresa points out.

There was no signs of it (predatory behaviour) there was no sense of it.

I would be on my guard anyways going one on one. But we always had people in and around us, coming and going. He has got a busy team around him. I was in his family home and I met his wife and all of that and all seemed lovely. We continued online when he went back to the UK.

But the Wicklow woman confirms she would not be surprised if Brand did do what he is accused of and she admits she has seen the Channel 4 documentary on him which was broadcast last weekend and sparked off a backlash against him, with the BBC and Channel 4 deleting his past programmes from their platforms and You Tube suspending his account..

I think anything is possible with anybody, she reflects. Its hard to know people for sure.

People are allowed change, arent they? They are allowed to mess up, and then they are allowed to change, but the media doesnt allow for that.

But then it could all be very true and horrific, that he could be all the things they are saying. Its really hard to know, its really hard to know people.

Its in his past obviously and its many years ago, it sounds like and people are allowed mess up and make changes, but then there is the part thats possible that he knew ahead of time this was going to come out with the Weinstein and Epstein stories and he was preparing himself for that day to come, hes a smart guy. Thats a possibility too.

But Teresa is carful not to denegrade him.

Teresa and Brand

I really dont want to nail him to the cross right now because its kind of death by media at the moment, and also its to honour the victims that seem to be authentic, she stresses. Its really hard to know. Im just very on the fence about it.

She remembers Brand coming into her studio just before a group class was to begin, which costs E20 a head.

There was this tall dark, Indian I thought, looking dude walking around the space, reading all my wall hangings and I ignored him, she recalls. I just thought, a visitor on holiday.

Her new student then took position on the floor.

So, I went down and sat beside this God like creature and said hey are you ok with the flow style?. Any injuries etc? Then I see the face and said Oh s**t, its you! I was only talking about you last night!. Weird! I love your stuff!.

Brand was in Ireland at the time to film his role as a baddie in the movie Four Kids and I, which included Michael Cane voicing a sand fairy and a cameo role from Cheryl Tweedy (Cole).

While he hung out in Co Wicklow during his filming here he also hooked up with Happy Pear twins Stephen and David Flynn.

But I didnt know his history, argues Teresa. It wasnt somebody that I followed or paid a lot of attention to.

But I had listened to some of his podcasts fairly recently before he came to my studio, so I thought that was very interesting, the way he showed up at that time. I didnt know the wild past, because I dont really watch crazy kind of Big Brother stuff.

Teresa has spent much of the 1980s and 1990s in New York.

I had a different life. I didnt know that stuff about him at all. Its still news to me right now, that crazy past he had, she elaborates.

I worked for Madonna for 10 years in America. Ive worked close for all her team, and many other people at that level. So stars never rocked me ever.

I had an events business. I did her birthday parties and her Sex book opening, any many things in between. Any events she had I would do her decor and stuff. I had no problem with her ever, she was a great client. It was just a work kind of situation, so it paid the bills at the end of the day, thats all I cared about.

But through her dealings with Brand she built up a rapport with him.

He was just getting big into yoga and I do mantra chanting, that was very unique at the time in Ireland, she continues.  So he was amazed to walk in and find a mantra chanting as well a very physical class, so thats where we connected, because that was one thing he was hugely into and thats where we continued on doing one on ones, but that was at his film.

But that was really the connecting, changing manta because he knew his mantras, and all his tattoos were all these Indian gods and so on.

He was a nice guy, he was very respectful and very generous, and thats all I remember at that time.

I think he did find the solace in the conscious living and the yoga world and that kind of living close to nature and he got great help and therapy from that and he created a whole new community for himself. I imagine hes leaning big time into that right now, but I cant imagine what hes going through.

He has definitely got buckets of charm, but so can Charles Manson, thats how they get through things. But I wouldnt like to go there with Russell, that was not my experience. To me he was very elevating, to my business, to my life, to everything.

Teresa has numerous celebrity clients, such including Saoirse Ronan, and has a global online clientele.

And Russell just happens to be another one of them, one thats trust into the news right now.

 I just hope that its not really through, and he doesnt have this awful fountain of horror unfolding, but it could be. Thats the thing. Im very neutral about it, because look how crazy the world is, she exclaims.
Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, left the centre on Tuesday with her three-year-old daughter and newborn baby boy.

A Metropolitan Police statement said officers are still trying to locate Jamie-Leigh Kelly (James Manning/PA)

The Metropolitan Police have appealed for Jamie-Leigh Kelly to get in touch (Metropolitan Police/PA)

Two children reported missing from a centre for vulnerable mothers and children in north-west London on Tuesday have been found safe and well in Essex, police said.

Jamie-Leigh Kelly, 31, left the centre on Tuesday with her three-year-old daughter and newborn baby boy.

A Metropolitan Police statement said the children were found at an address in Harwich on Sunday, but officers are still trying to locate Ms Kelly.

The children were taken into police protection and then to hospital as a precaution.

Detective Superintendent Lewis Basford, who is overseeing the investigation, said: We are very pleased, and of course relieved, to have found the two children after extensive enquiries over the past few days.

They are safe and well and receiving precautionary medical attention.

Jamie-Leigh was not present and our work to locate her continues.

I urge anyone who may have helped facilitate the movement of the children, or who may be assisting Jamie-Leigh with transport or accommodation, to come forward to police now.

Jamie-Leigh, I continue my direct appeal to you to contact us.

We are asking you to please pick up the phone and have a conversation with us so we can meet with you.

Please contact us on 020 7175 0793 or go to a police station as quickly as possible.

A 63-year-old woman was arrested at the address in Essex on Sunday on suspicion of child abduction, assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice, as spokesperson for the force said.

She remains in custody at an east London police station.

A 52-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman are due to appear at Southend Magistrates Court on Monday, charged with two counts of child abduction, the force said.
The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand is reminding New Zealanders of the importance of a meaningful farewell for managing their mental health as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

It comes after a recent survey of grief counsellors, conducted by the Grief Centre, shows that not having some kind of meaningful farewell has an overwhelmingly negative impact on the grief journey.

Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand Chief Executive, Gillian Boyes says her members have always known their families can better manage their way through the early stages of grief when they have an opportunity to say a proper farewell.

The rituals associated with a funeral; the viewing of a person, choosing and carrying a casket that represented them, lighting candles, singing songs and remembering someone with tributes and stories are all important steps for a family in those early days, says Gillian.

A funeral doesnt have to be a staid traditional affair. Our members can create unique experiences that fit with what a family wants and needs. We know recognising a person, in whatever way works for a family, can have a positive impact on the mental health of family and friends.

Our counsellors often see that when a life is not farewelled and celebrated appropriately, however that might look, it negatively impacts the grief journey and can add another layer of loss or complexity," says Grief Centre general manager Katrina King.

Mourning is the external expression of grief and sharing that with others is a very therapeutic process."

Gillian notes that while the survey results confirm their anecdotal knowledge, cost constraints are forcing families to choose different ways of celebrating a life.

However, there are a number of costs you cant avoid like burial or cremation costs and for New Zealands most vulnerable, the Government support to help with those fixed costs is woefully inadequate.

We know the Work and Income New Zealand funeral grant at $2445.37 covers less than a third of the cost of a modest funeral with a cremation.

It leaves families with little option but to make choices like having to have an unattended cremation. We believe its short-term thinking by the Government that only increases the likelihood these families will rely on Government support for mental health instead down the track.
In a profound and sombre announcement, the Wright family has shared the heart-breaking news of the passing of New Zealand humanitarian, Chloe Wright, at her residence in Omokoroa, Tauranga, this past weekend.

Chloe's unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others, with a special focus on young mothers and children facing adversity and disadvantage, leaves an indelible mark on the hearts of countless New Zealanders.

Her legacy as a catalyst for positive change has touched the lives of thousands, not only as a devoted matriarch to her own loving family but also as a life partner to her husband, Wayne.

As one of nine children, Chloe grew up with a strong belief that children are precious. With five children of their own, Wayne and Chloe have had a passion for helping children, families and their community, particularly those in vulnerable circumstances.

For more than 20 years, the couple have tirelessly dedicated their time, as well as generous financial contributions, to providing educational services that improve the lives and prospects of New Zealanders, with a particular focus on mothers and children.

They built New Zealands largest privately owned early learning childcare organisation, BestStart.

Through BestStart they make a positive difference in New Zealand society by helping to promote and demonstrate to our youngest members the values of collaboration, sharing, and kindness.

In January 2015 Best Start was transferred to the ownership of the Wright Family Foundation, a charitable trust. It marked the beginning of the foundation.

The foundation supports educational initiatives through New Zealand Spelling Bee, Kids Lit Quiz and House of Science. It also supports Mothers Matter, Love Grows Brains, Brainwave Trust, SuperGrans Aotearoa, Warriors Community Foundation, The Parenting Place, I Have A Dream, BestStart Educare, Birthing Centre, Roots of Empathy, Graeme Dingle Foundation, Great Potentials - Hippy Programme, NZ Bumble Bee Conservation Trust, Arohanui Strings, Wellington Breastfeeding Trust, New Zealand Book Awards, Plain English Awards, Plunket Whanau Awhina, Stardust, Viruoso Strings, and Young Ocean Explorers.

Wayne and Chloe Wright, in 2017. Photo: SunLive.

On their website, Chloe has written that while she and Wayne are chalk and cheese in life, the Tauranga-based humanitarians have the same down-to-earth philosophy and expectation  which, as she has put it, is kindness and compassion in its simplest form.

In a statement on her website, Chloe has written: Have joy, take delight and ultimately its about people. Its not just never do harm, its do good. My life is nowhere near as important as the effect it can have on others.

About their life and journey together, Wayne has written: I wonder some days why I am where I am in life. Since getting married to Chloe I spent the next thirty years getting our family established and financially secure.

His website statement goes on to say The next eighteen years were committed to making a positive difference in the lives of New Zealand preschoolers and assisting Chloe to guide our children to become who they are today.

A belief Chloe and Wayne have held is that for a child to grow and become a successful adult two things are needed  roots and wings. She has believed that being given strong roots in security, tradition and strength, a child is provided with the tools to grow into someone with wings ready to fly and unlock who they are.

It is the constant vision, dedication, passion and support for others that has seen Chloe and Wayne go above and beyond when it has come to making a real difference in the local community.

Chloe Wright at the Bethlehem Birthing Centre, in 2018. Photo: SunLive.

As co-founder, CEO and trustee for the Wright Family Foundation, Chloe has stood by her statement that it matters not the measure of my lifetime, but only that through nurturing and life's experiences I have come to this place where so much is possible, where I can achieve outcomes in the lives I may be honoured to touch.

She also wrote: I believe the pathway to change requires courage, commitment and perseverance. All that underpins my actions is the firm belief that we are all unique and therefore irreplaceable. Given that, as each of us discovers our own talents and abilities, we are able to make choices that become solutions for betterment or problems for ourselves and others. I choose people over all else.

Wayne has said about their humanitarian work together that it's about giving back, and it's absolutely thrilling to see our Foundation assist multiple projects to fruition, as they strive to make New Zealand a better place.

Chloes statement on her website goes on to say It is important to me to honour my ancestors for the life I have been given, to find fulfilment in my family's contribution to our people - the people of New Zealand. As a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother and friend, you and I will follow the pattern of life to our ultimate conclusions and if we are wise and fortunate we will discover the true source of happiness during this journey. In my case, what's important is freeing the true self, being present in the moment, and paying it forward.

She ends her personal statement about their Wright Family Foundations work with a quote from Confucius: "Help they brother's boat across and lo, thine own has reached the shore."

Chloe Wright's boat has safely reached that distant shore, and her passing leaves a void that will be deeply felt across the nation, a testament to her enduring dedication to building brighter and happier futures for all.

As the Wright family grapples with the immense loss of this remarkable woman, they kindly request privacy during this profoundly challenging and immensely sad time.
BEIJING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- From its origins in the prehistoric past, an ever-evolving Chinese culture has been unique among the world's civilizations, Professor Roger T. Ames said at a recent forum on Chinese culture.

He attributed this unbroken continuity to family reverence, one of the most basic and defining values of the Chinese people, in an interview with Xinhua after the morning session of the forum.

It's each generation taking the responsibility for inheriting the culture, for understanding the culture, for expanding the culture, for using the culture to address the problems of the day, said Ames, who has delved into comparative studies of Chinese and Western philosophy for decades.

"Dao (the Way) isn't something that is given. It's something that we have to participate in generation after generation," said Ames.

Born in 1947 in Canada, Ames was interested in writing poetry and studied at Redlands University, California, the United States. Through an exchange program, he went to Hong Kong.

Recalling his time in Hong Kong, Ames said the impact on him has proved lifelong. "I'm still trying to figure out the world that I encountered in Hong Kong. And I'm still trying to understand that world."

Under the guidance of Confucian masters such as Lao Siguang, a completely new world of Chinese philosophy suddenly opened up right before his eyes. Ames decided on an academic focus of conducting comparative research into Chinese and Western philosophies.

Following years of training at universities including University of London, Ames moved to the Hawaiian Islands in 1978 and took a post in the University of Hawaii's Department of Philosophy.

Unlike in the Western world, the idea of life is really what generates growth in the Chinese world, said the philosophy professor emeritus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. "(Be it) Chinese morality, education, (or) beauty, everything is about growth."

The world is facing challenges including global warming, environmental degradation, food and water shortages, and proxy wars. For Ames, all these problems cannot be resolved by a single country or force. "We can only solve them if we work on them together."

In an interdependent world, the most important contribution of Confucianism is perhaps the idea that to achieve success, one should let others succeed as well, said Ames, who is vice chairman of the International Confucian Association.

Ames said that if in your mind there's some kind of absolute standard, and you think that you have it, then you are exclusive. The Chinese tradition, on the contrary, is inclusive. "The idea of He (Harmony) begins from difference, not from sameness."

The 76-year-old said his interest in Chinese philosophy is not to celebrate China. Rather, it is to help the world survive. "For the next generation, for my grandchildren, I want a better world."

Ames is humanities chair professor at Peking University. He had a three-hour seminar with graduates at the university later that afternoon.

"I'm teaching the next generation of young professors a framework, a language, and a methodology for taking China's very own Confucianism to the world," he said, adding that foreign Confucianism is not Chinese Confucianism.

Ames also called for greater people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States, saying that unbalanced people-to-people exchanges before the pandemic had led to a huge gap in understanding.

The philosopher said that his favorite Chinese saying is that the greatest capacity of the cosmos is life, an adage from a classical commentary to the millennia-old "I Ching," or the "Book of Change." This is profound, he said. 
Gisborne and the eastern Bay of Plenty are next in line for heavy rain - after the lower South Island was battered during the week.

MetService has extended its heavy rain warnings for both regions through until this evening.

Up to 250 millimetres of rain is forecast for the area north of Gisborne, and the same for Bay of Plenty east of Matata.

It has also added less severe rain watches for the area south of Gisborne down to Napier, Bay of Plenty west of Matata including Rotorua, and the Coromandel peninsula.

Forecaster Karl Loots says while Gisborne had had a break from heavy rain after a very wet summer, this is a significant amount to be expecting.

"The region has had a bit of respite from the severe weather that they had during the summer time. This is still extremely severe weather, and very heavy rainfall expected to fall particularly during the overnight period, and in the ranges as well."

He says people should stay up to date with weather warnings on the MetService website.

However, Gisborne Civil Defence controller Ben Green says their telemetry data is not showing a risk to low-lying areas from the forecast rain.

He says after a dry month, the rain will be a chance for residents to replenish their residential water tanks.

In the Bay of Plenty, the main concern is rising river levels.

Farmers in low-lying areas there were being advised to move stock to higher ground as four swollen rivers reached the first warning level.

The Whakatane, Tauranga, Otara and Waioeka rivers are running high after heavy rain.

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council says a dedicated flood emergency team is monitoring the situation.

Heavy rain has also fallen on the East Coast with more than 100mm of rain at Ruatoria in the past 24 hours.

MetService says the area north of Tolaga Bay could see up to 220 millimetres of rain from 9am Sunday into Monday afternoon.

Posting on Saturday night on X, NIWA forecaster Ben Noll says parts of Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and the East Cape could see one to two months' worth of rain on Sunday and Monday.

The heavy rain warning for the central North Island, including Whanganui, Taupo, and the Bay of Plenty, was lifted at 4am on Sunday.

-RNZ.
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The Andalucia region started to immunise children under six months of age against the virus that causes a common chest infection on Monday 25 September.

Andalucia, Galicia and Murcia will administer the drug, Nirsevimab, which promises to reduce hospitalisations of infants with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the main cause of infant bronchiolitis, to babies. It will be administered to babies born between April and October 2023, and from then until March 2024, they will receive it as they are born.

By March next year about 335,000 babies will have been jabbed. Those born before the start of the campaign will be contacted by their health centres or hospitals, and those born after will be inoculated before leaving the hospital, within three days of birth.

Health authorities urge the immunisation of babies with Nirsevimab as soon as possible to avoid an explosion of bronchiolitis cases like the one that happened in the winter of last year.

A 'revolutionary' drug

Nirsevimab is developed by pharmaceutical giants Sanofi and AstraZeneca. A single dose provides immunity for at least five months. "It is a revolutionary drug," the president of the Spanish Vaccination Association Jaime Jesus Perez said. "This monoclonal antibody, plus vaccination against influenza in children, could represent a major shift and almost put an end to hospitalisations of the youngest children for respiratory diseases".

In a European trial with 8,000 healthy babies, the drug showed 83% efficacy in reducing hospitalisations with RSV and only 0.7% of the babies who had been administered showed adverse reactions, mainly rashes, in most cases mild.

Flu vaccine

In addition to Nirsevimab, children aged between six months and five years can also be immunised against influenza this winter. "If we look at the data, we see that influenza is a disease with a significant impact on children. In three of the seven seasons prior to covid, the number of hospitalisations due to influenza was higher in children under five years of age than in those over 65," Perez pointed out.

Until now, the childhood flu vaccine was only administered to children with previous pathologies. Now it will be accessible to everyone.
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A popular deodorant sold in stores across Spain has been found to cause painful sores is being pulled from shelves.

The Spanish Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AEMPS), part of the Ministry of Health, has asked the manufacturer (NUUD B.V.) to remove the product from the shelves and cease its marketing, after analysing four notifications of serious side effects.

Authorities discovered that painful sores could appear on the area of the body where the deodorant was applied, even requiring antibiotics in some cases. It is believed the problem could be caused by the oily nature of the product, which clogs pores in the area of application, health authorities said. It comes after France scrapped all batches from the market after receiving similar complaints.

"It was on 6 September last that the Medicines Agency of the neighbouring country reported that the rather greasy formulation of the deodorant cream could favour the obstruction of the pores of the armpits and produce a microbial superinfection in the form of a cyst. A painful occlusion that has required the use of antibiotics in more than one case," Spain's Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU) said.
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Spain's state lottery and betting operator Loterias y Apuestas del Estado (SELEA) has banned people from gambling online from outside the country.

In an email sent out on Tuesday 19 September the lottery operator said this would affect anyone who used the Loterias y Apuestas del Estado website.

"As a result of the published regulations that intensify fraud prevention measures and within the scope of our authorisation for gambling in Spain, SELAE, in its commitment to the security of online gambling, will proceed to activate new controls in the coming weeks, including certain geoblocking filters so that it will not be possible to carry out financial transactions to charge the gambling account or bet through the website or the app from outside Spain," it said.

"It may also result in the complete disabling of access to the platform from those territories whose authorities have required the introduction of the ban. We therefore fulfil our obligation to periodically update our security protocols as a state-wide gaming operator," it added.

The website now warns users: "If you are planning to travel outside Spain, remember that you can subscribe in advance to your bets by maintaining a sufficient balance in your gaming account so that your bets continue to be placed weekly".
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WELLINGTON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Immersion Day was marked in the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Sunday, with the local library receiving donations of Chinese books.

The Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch gave children's books in Chinese and books about traditional Chinese culture to the central city library, as part of the nationwide celebration of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week which ended on Sunday.

Consul General He Ying told the donation ceremony that the annual book donation started more than four years ago, and these books are widely welcomed by the Chinese community and Kiwis.

The donated books have been wonderful gifts for the community to enjoy, and the city libraries need diverse language books as part of a wide range of books offered, said a statement from the library.

On Chinese Immersion Day, an extravaganza of traditional Chinese music and Lion Dance was staged, followed by various Chinese language and culture activities, such as calligraphy, paper cutting, Chinese knots making, Chinese painting, tea art, fun language workshops and games.

He Ying said after the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese language education has been in full swing across New Zealand, and that the Chinese Language Week attracted numerous participants from the city and all across the country.

Chinese Language Week is a Kiwi-driven initiative launched in 2014 after the Maori Language Week and the Pacific Language Week.

Its annual celebrations boast language learning and cultural events, which are held nationwide to bridge the cultural and linguistic knowledge gap between China and New Zealand, delivering fun and practical initiatives that assist Kiwis in learning Chinese.

"In an increasingly diverse society like New Zealand, learning a language shows respect for culture and a commitment to inclusion," said New Zealand China Council Chair John McKinnon earlier this week.

New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural society, and "a wide range of languages are taught formally or informally, in local communities and at home," McKinnon said, adding that this includes many families with Chinese-speaking backgrounds.

New Zealand has more than 260,000 people of Chinese origin. The number of primary and secondary school students in New Zealand learning Chinese was nearly 70,000 before the pandemic, with more than 400 primary and secondary schools offering Chinese courses, according to New Zealand's Ministry of Education. 
Gov. Kathy Hochul had the chance to make New Yorks onerous property taxes just a little bit fairer  and she whiffed.

The Friday before Christmas, when no one was paying attention, Hochul vetoed a bill closing a loophole in state law that gives huge tax breaks to luxury single-family homes that are classified on paper as condominiums.
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CrAzY dRiVeR Team-BHP Support



Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Bangalore / TVM Posts: 16,765 Thanked: 70,026 Times

View My Garage













After a quick breakfast and drive briefing, we had a small photo session before heading out to the parking lot







Full credit to Mahindra where due - they had a very large fleet of cars present for the drive, parked in the basement of a nearby convention center. My initial allotment was going to be the XUV 7OO AX7L in Red Rage colour. We quickly made our way to the cars and proceeded for flag off!







Flag off was held in batches and thankfully we were in Batch 1. However, the timelines were slowly delayed by an hour and we were out on the roads only by 9AM







Heading out of the city was a slow affair, but not chaotic as our Indian cities could be! Traffic was manageable and flowing most of the time and above all - people followed road rules. We were soon out on the beautiful M6 coastal highway, heading towards Chapman's Peak







Presenting our morning drive companion, the Red Rage Mahindra XUV 7OO AX7L







This coastal drive towards Chapman's Peak has incredible scenery on offer and multiple view points where you would want to stop, every other minute! Clean blue skies, deep blue waters and beautiful green scape - a beautiful day to be out on a drive. Moreover - the temperatures remained very pleasant through the day - slightly hovering around 20 degrees.







With the XUV 5OO, Mahindra had claimed that the colours were chosen to feel good in natural environs. Not sure if any such claims were made for the 7OO, but this Red Rage colour did stand out in this South African landscape







In South Africa, the car comes featured with the 2.0 Turbo petrol that produces 149KW (199hp) and 380Nm, only mated to an automatic transmission. This combination proved potent to keep up with the traffic at all times and also derive some excitement out on the open roads.







We stopped at a viewpoint a couple of minutes ahead of Chapman's peak without realizing the same. The views all around are just stunning!







The view from Chapman's peak:







South Africa seemed to have a very large divide between the rich and the poor - with the middle class not as prominent as we see in India. It is common to find people requesting alms and also street vendors for multiple items. This one guy had beautifully arranged his collectibles for tourists on the side walls of Chapman's peak, one of the only moments were I wished I was carrying some local currency on the drive!







This road features on many lists as one of the most beautiful coastal road experiences in the world. The road, locally known as Chappies, is also claimed to be a popular destination for international car ad campaigns, from the likes of Mercedes and BMW.







The scenic drive "Hewn out of the face of sheer mountains" seems true here:







Back in the 7OO to the next destination:







The cars slowly headed down the winding roads into Kommetjie.







One corner suddenly opens up this landscape view and my jaw drops! The pictures don't do justice, but this was one of the most surreal landscapes I have ever seen and it just suddenly appears into view, post a corner. To top it all - there were horses running on the beach then, gone by the time we found parking and doubled back. If you zoom in, you can see the ranch nearby! Even the house looked right out of a smurfs movie!







The blue of the trapped water body contrasted well with the blue in the sky and of the ocean. The sands were clean and white! Man, what a landscape - and what a shame the photographs can't capture the beauty of what I felt in person!







The last of the mountain sections awaited as we rolled into the plains of Kommetjie:







Guess this was the last time we were part of the convoy, for soon we would be betting on a hunch and diverting on to a beautiful secluded beach.







Clear water and sand, sunny but the temperatures still hovering around the pleasant 20s - this was a good place to relax for few minutes







Not to mention - secluded and without any disturbance:







After a few minutes of silence and soaking in the views, we hit the roads again - onwards to Cape Point.



Cape Town is a very beautiful city, and has stunning landscapes surrounding it - I had realized as much when the Ethiopian Airlines flight starting descending below the clouds. Since the logistics would be handled by PR, I did zero research and watched no vlogs before landing up! Needless to say - Cape Town was nothing like my expectations and far exceeded it. That said, the drive experience was going to change my perceptions even more...After a quick breakfast and drive briefing, we had a small photo session before heading out to the parking lotFull credit to Mahindra where due - they had a very large fleet of cars present for the drive, parked in the basement of a nearby convention center. My initial allotment was going to be the XUV 7OO AX7L in Red Rage colour. We quickly made our way to the cars and proceeded for flag off!Flag off was held in batches and thankfully we were in Batch 1. However, the timelines were slowly delayed by an hour and we were out on the roads only by 9AMHeading out of the city was a slow affair, but not chaotic as our Indian cities could be! Traffic was manageable and flowing most of the time and above all - people followed road rules. We were soon out on the beautiful M6 coastal highway, heading towards Chapman's PeakPresenting our morning drive companion, the Red Rage Mahindra XUV 7OO AX7LThis coastal drive towards Chapman's Peak has incredible scenery on offer and multiple view points where you would want to stop, every other minute! Clean blue skies, deep blue waters and beautiful green scape - a beautiful day to be out on a drive. Moreover - the temperatures remained very pleasant through the day - slightly hovering around 20 degrees.With the XUV 5OO, Mahindra had claimed that the colours were chosen to feel good in natural environs. Not sure if any such claims were made for the 7OO, but this Red Rage colour did stand out in this South African landscapeIn South Africa, the car comes featured with the 2.0 Turbo petrol that produces 149KW (199hp) and 380Nm, only mated to an automatic transmission. This combination proved potent to keep up with the traffic at all times and also derive some excitement out on the open roads.We stopped at a viewpoint a couple of minutes ahead of Chapman's peak without realizing the same. The views all around are just stunning!The view from Chapman's peak:South Africa seemed to have a very large divide between the rich and the poor - with the middle class not as prominent as we see in India. It is common to find people requesting alms and also street vendors for multiple items. This one guy had beautifully arranged his collectibles for tourists on the side walls of Chapman's peak, one of the only moments were I wished I was carrying some local currency on the drive!This road features on many lists as one of the most beautiful coastal road experiences in the world. The road, locally known as Chappies, is also claimed to be a popular destination for international car ad campaigns, from the likes of Mercedes and BMW.The scenic drive "Hewn out of the face of sheer mountains" seems true here:Back in the 7OO to the next destination:The cars slowly headed down the winding roads into Kommetjie.One corner suddenly opens up this landscape view and my jaw drops! The pictures don't do justice, but this was one of the most surreal landscapes I have ever seen and it just suddenly appears into view, post a corner. To top it all - there were horses running on the beach then, gone by the time we found parking and doubled back. If you zoom in, you can see the ranch nearby! Even the house looked right out of a smurfs movie!The blue of the trapped water body contrasted well with the blue in the sky and of the ocean. The sands were clean and white! Man, what a landscape - and what a shame the photographs can't capture the beauty of what I felt in person!The last of the mountain sections awaited as we rolled into the plains of Kommetjie:Guess this was the last time we were part of the convoy, for soon we would be betting on a hunch and diverting on to a beautiful secluded beach.Clear water and sand, sunny but the temperatures still hovering around the pleasant 20s - this was a good place to relax for few minutesNot to mention - secluded and without any disturbance:After a few minutes of silence and soaking in the views, we hit the roads again - onwards to Cape Point. Last edited by CrAzY dRiVeR : 23rd September 2023 at 00:43 .
TOKYO, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A boxed meal maker in northeastern Japan has been banned by public health authorities from operating due to hundreds of food poisoning cases caused by its products, local media reported.

Yoshidaya, a local maker of boxed meals, commonly known as "bento" in Japanese, voluntarily suspended operations starting Sunday, after being banned from operations on Saturday by public health authorities in Aomori Prefecture.

Nearly 300 people from 24 prefectures in the country, more than half the number of prefectures across Japan, reported symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting after eating bento meals supplied by the company based in Hachinohe city, Aomori Prefecture.

The number of patients might further increase, a public health official in Hachinohe said.

Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus, which cause food poisoning, were detected in the feces of the patients who ate bento meals as well as unopened products made by the company, Japan's Jiji Press reported, citing Hachinohe public health officials. 
A recent ruling from the US Copyright Office has established a precedent that sparks important inquiries into the involvement of artificial intelligence in visual arts.

The verdict, issued by the Copyright Office's review board, revolves around the copyright eligibility of an award-winning piece of AI-generated art, Theatre D'opera Spatial, which had clinched the top spot at the 2022 Colorado State Fair's annual art competition.

The Guardian reports that the ruling explicitly states that Theatre D'opera Spatial cannot be copyrighted because non-human entities predominantly created it.

This decision has far-reaching implications for artists who employ AI tools in their creative processes and the broader discourse on copyright and AI's role in shaping the creative landscape.

Making 'Theatre D'opera Spatial'

Theatre D'opera Spatial, a visually stunning work of art, was conceived by artist Jason Allen. However, what sets this piece apart is the central role played by artificial intelligence.

Allen leveraged an AI platform called Midjourney, an AI tool designed to generate images based on textual prompts.

In his defense, Allen argued that he had exerted significant creative control over the AI-generated image by entering a series of prompts, adjusting scenes, selecting focal points, and dictating the image's tone.

"How interesting is it to see how all these people on Twitter who are against AI-generated art are the first ones to throw the human under the bus by discrediting the human element! Does this seem hypocritical to you guys?" Allen addressed some critics last year.

This intricate collaboration between humans and machines led to a fascinating artistic creation that challenged conventional notions of authorship.

Still, it was not enough to sway the US Copyright Office's review board, which ruled that the work's "traditional elements of authorship" had predominantly originated from a machine.

Consequently, the office refused to register the artwork, citing a long-standing principle that copyright protection "excludes works produced by non-humans."

Read Also: Microsoft's AI to Help Improve Windows? Copilot to Bring 'Next Era' of the Computer Software

The Legal Landscape for AI-Generated Art

The Theatre D'opera Spatial case is part of a broader trend where legal bodies grapple with the intricate question of who should hold copyright over AI-generated content.

In 2018, a widely publicized case saw a photograph taken by a macaque declared public domain, emphasizing that under current copyright law, animals and machines have limited claims on copyright protections.

This ruling underscores human authorship's importance in securing copyright protection, raising questions about the potential stifling of creativity in an age where AI tools are increasingly integrated into creative processes.

The Battle for Copyright Registration

Jason Allen's quest to register his work with the Copyright Office was anything but straightforward.

He diligently detailed the extent of his creative involvement with Midjourney, specifying that it took at least 624 text prompts and input revisions to bring the image to life.

Despite his efforts, the Copyright Office contended that while Allen's alterations with Adobe Photoshop constituted original work, the portions generated by AI couldn't be copyrighted.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: Philippine Media Giant Introduces the Country's First AI Sportscasters; Draws Flak Online

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An emerging threat of alarming proportions now lurks in the depths of the Sierra Nevada's blue waters.

The invasive New Zealand mud snail has unexpectedly found its way into the pristine waters of Lake Tahoe, alarming many throughout the region.

A Tiny Intruder

A California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) release tells us that divers monitoring Lake Tahoe's South Shore recently made a shocking discovery: invasive New Zealand mud snails, previously unseen in the Tahoe Basin.

These tiny creatures, the size of grains of sand, are causing quite a stir among conservationists and scientists alike.

Measuring a mere four to six millimeters in length, these tiny snails might seem inconsequential at first glance. However, they possess a remarkable ability to reproduce rapidly.

Experts warn that a mature female mud snail can birth a staggering 230 offspring each year, leading to exponential population growth.

In fact, experts estimate that a single snail, along with its descendants, could potentially result in over 2.7 billion snails within just four years - making them a highly problematic aquatic species.

Invasive Species

The New Zealand mud snail's journey to Lake Tahoe remains shrouded in mystery.

KTLA reports that it was first spotted in the United States in 1987 in Idaho, and it has since spread its presence to 22 states, including California, Nevada, and Colorado, not to mention infiltrating the Great Lakes region.

Originally native to freshwater bodies in New Zealand, the snail's rapid expansion raises questions about its impact on local ecosystems.

Lake Tahoe, renowned for its breathtaking beauty, is both a highly protected natural wonder and a crucial component of California and Nevada's tourism industry.

With visitors flocking to the region throughout the year to enjoy its scenic beauty, any disruption to its ecosystem could have far-reaching consequences.

Read Also: Biological Annihilation Era: Study Reveals Human Activities Speed Up Extinction of Animal Species

The Danger Within

While they may appear harmless, New Zealand mud snails significantly threaten Lake Tahoe's delicate balance.

These invaders lack natural predators or controls, enabling them to outcompete native species and disrupt vital ecosystem functions.

Of particular concern is their potential impact on aquatic insects, which serve as a crucial food source for trout and salmon populations within the lake.

Eradication Challenges

Once New Zealand mud snails establish themselves in a new habitat, eradication becomes nearly impossible without causing harm to other components of the ecosystem.

This grim reality underscores the urgency of addressing the issue proactively and implementing strict preventive measures.

Guarding Against Further Spread

Prevention is the best defense against the invasive snail's relentless march. Phys.org shares in a report that authorities and experts urge boaters, anglers, and visitors to adopt a "clean, drain, and dry" approach.

This means thoroughly cleaning and drying all recreational equipment, fishing gear, and clothing that come into contact with the lake.

Additionally, freezing equipment like waders and wading boots overnight, inspecting gear after use, removing visible snails, and refraining from transporting live fish or other aquatic organisms between water bodies are all essential to mitigate the spread of the New Zealand mud snail.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: This Genetically Engineered Bacteria Can Degrade Plastics-Can It Clean Our Oceans?

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Federal and state Medicaid programs mandate dental coverage for children but not adults. However, rising awareness of the economic and health costs of poor dental health and federal pandemic money has spurred six US states to expand Medicaid coverage to adults this year.

Despite this progress in the US health program, dental care is still difficult in some states as administrative issues plague even dentists who want to extend services.

Tennessee Medicaid's top medical officer, Dr. Victor Wu, commended the January dental benefit launch. However, he admits the state must expand its network and dental participation.

Dental Health Crisis in The US: A Grave Concern

According to US News & World Report, basic dental care cost is often out of reach for low-income people for years, costing the US government and those who cannot afford it. Avoidable oral disorders cause 2.5% of ER visits and $2 billion annually, according to Texas A&M University. The CDC estimates that untreated dental illness costs the US $45 billion in productivity.

Interfaith Dental Clinic CEO Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi stressed the consequences of putting off dental care, noting that if one postpones dental care, the person gets "sicker" until it becomes a serious condition that could lead to an emergency and more expensive treatment.

Switzer-Nadasdi also emphasized the importance of oral health in the workplace: "You need good teeth to have good employment."

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health reports that all states offer Medicaid dental benefits for adults, but many have restrictions like emergency care or coverage for pregnant women or people with intellectual disabilities.

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health found that 68.5 million Americans lack dental insurance, Business Wire reported. This number might skyrocket by 2023 as more households lose insurance, and Medicaid eligibility is reevaluated. Data also indicated that 8.9 million more households may have lacked dental insurance last year. When the public health emergency subsides, 14 million Americans may lose Medicaid dental insurance. This may leave 91.4 million individuals without dental insurance by year's end.

Read Also: Governments, Big Tech Harness AI Against Climate-Driven Wildfires

Expanding Medicaid Dental Coverage

This year, Hawaii, Tennessee, Kentucky, Michigan, Maryland, and New Hampshire enhanced or launched adult Medicaid dental coverage.

New Hampshire allocated $33.4 million annually for dental care for 88,000 Medicaid recipients. Policymakers have expanded preventive and restorative treatment because of its cost-effectiveness and the relevance of oral health to overall health.

Andy Beshear, Kentucky's Democratic governor, invoked emergency regulations to ensure dental treatment for 900,000 people after the Republican-led legislature rejected his plan. He stressed the program's role in reducing obstacles to reemployment, per a report published by ABC News.

After expanding Medicaid in 2021, Virginia allotted $282 million for dental treatment for over a million Medicaid patients in 2022 and 2023. Kansas spent $3.5 million on 137,000 Medicaid patients' dental treatment in 2022 and $1.2 million in 2023.

Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Utah, and Louisiana restrict dental coverage. Thus, variances remain. Millions of Medicaid beneficiaries are being dropped due to pandemic-prohibited eligibility evaluations.

The US states that increased access to dental care confronts challenges, such as a dearth of dentists prepared to accept Medicaid patients, particularly in rural areas.

Dentists are frequently advised against accepting Medicaid because of insufficient reimbursement rates. According to 2022 American Dental Association data, New Jersey covers 13.3% of a dentist's regular charges, Michigan 17%, and Rhode Island 22.4 percent.

Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, president and CEO of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, urged healthcare professionals, administrators, legislators, and advocates to work together to increase comprehensive dental coverage in Medicaid and Medicare to address the US oral health crisis.

Related Article: Surging Obesity Rates in US Raise Alarm: 22 States Hit 35% or Higher, Says CDC

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The tech world is abuzz with the recent launch of Apple's highly anticipated iPhone 15 series.

While consumers worldwide are queuing up to get their hands on the latest gadgets, there's one unexpected fan in the spotlight - Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Elon Musk's Surprising Endorsement

Elon Musk, the world's richest man and the mastermind behind electric vehicle giant Tesla, is known for his outspoken views and diverse taste in technology.

While Musk has had a tumultuous relationship with Apple in the past, his recent remarks on Twitter have caught the attention of tech enthusiasts worldwide.

The Praise for iPhone 15's Camera

Mint tells us that Musk's latest bout of admiration for Apple came in response to a tweet by Apple's CEO, Tim Cook. Cook shared stunning photos captured with the iPhone 15 Pro Max by renowned photographers Stephen Wilkes and Reuben Wu.

In his tweet, Cook praised the iPhone 15's camera capabilities, stating that "creativity is limitless" with the device.

Musk, in a surprising twist, responded to Cook's tweet with enthusiasm. "The beauty of iPhone pictures & video is incredible," Musk wrote.

The beauty of iPhone pictures & video is incredible  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 22, 2023

Obviously impressed, Musk replied to another of Cook's tweets saying:

Im buying one!  Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 22, 2023

A Complex History

After Musk's takeover of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) in 2022, he accused Apple of discontinuing its advertising, leading to a public spat on Twitter. Musk questioned whether Apple supported free speech in America.

However, Tim Cook's diplomacy quickly diffused the tension. Cook extended an invitation to Musk for a meeting at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, ultimately resulting in Apple continuing its advertising on X.

This move was significant, given that many other brands had withdrawn their ads from the platform due to concerns about content.

What's Next?

While the talk between Musk and Cook appeared to have resolved the immediate conflict, there are still questions about the future of their relationship.

WSJ reports that Musk had aspirations beyond advertising deals, including desires for Apple to grant special access to App Store user data.

Musk envisions transforming X into a super app akin to China's WeChat, with a range of services, including digital commerce and bolstered subscription revenue.

This shift could have financial implications for Apple, potentially increasing its share of X's revenue.

Read Also: Why Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg Swears by His Signature Gray T-Shirt





The iPhone 15's Camera

Turning our attention back to the iPhone 15, the camera specifications are nothing short of impressive.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts an advanced dual-camera system, with a 48MP main sensor, 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 12MP 2x telephoto lens.

Features like sensor-shift optical image stabilization, night mode, and 4x optical zoom range make it a photography powerhouse.

Photographic enthusiasts will appreciate features like Smart HDR 5, portrait lighting with six effects, and the ability to capture wide color ranges.

Stay posted here at Tech Times.

Related Article: iPhone 15 Pro Dilemma: Here's How Apple Tricked You Into Buying the Latest iPhone

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
YANGON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar police seized over 500,000 stimulant tablets in eastern Myanmar's Shan State, according to the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control on Sunday.

Acting on a tip-off, the joint anti-narcotic task force raided the suspect's house in Namhkam Township on Friday and found 534,000 stimulant tablets worth over 267 million kyats (about 0.13 million U.S. dollars), it added.

Similarly, on Saturday, the police searched the motorcycle driven by a suspect in Myitkyina Township, northern Myanmar's Kachin State and seized 1,900 stimulant tablets and 297 grams of heroin, the committee said.

The suspects were charged under the Southeast Asian country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, and further investigations were underway, it said. 
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"
Artists perform Cantonese Opera during a show themed "All Under One Moon" in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, in Bristol, Britain, Sept. 23, 2023. Many in Bristol in South West England had an early taste of the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere on Saturday afternoon thanks to an acclaimed cultural show presented by Chinese artists from Bristol's sister city Guangzhou.(Xinhua/Du Juan)

BRISTOL, Britain, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Many in Bristol in South West England had an early taste of the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere on Saturday afternoon thanks to an acclaimed cultural show presented by Chinese artists from Bristol's sister city Guangzhou.

The Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Moon Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival symbolizing family reunions. It falls on Sept. 29 this year.

Under the theme "All Under One Moon," the show comprising dances, acrobatics, puppets play, Cantonese opera and music, took place at the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery.

The artists were from five teams based in Guangzhou, the capital city of south China's Guangdong Province, including Guangzhou Song and Dance Theatre, Guangzhou Acrobatic Arts Theatre, Guangzhou Cantonese Opera Theatre, Guangdong Province Puppet Art Theatre, and Guangdong Music and Folk Art Troupe.

The show kicked off with vigorous Yingge Dance, a form of folk dance popular in the Chaoshan area in eastern Guangdong province.

Mesmerized by the performances, the audience busily captured the brilliant moments with their cameras and mobile phones. They cheered the performers, particularly those of the acrobatic show "Ballet on Shoulders -- Oriental Swan," which combines Western classical ballet and traditional Chinese acrobatics, and has won the Golden Clown Award, the highest award in the acrobatic field.

"It was so amazing. Really, really cool. I love the acrobatics," said Maya, a 12-year-old Bristol girl.

Kate Newnham, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery senior collections officer, told Xinhua that it was the first time the Moon Festival was celebrated at the museum, which often celebrates the Chinese Lunar New Year.

"This is really special for us to see professional-level performers from our sister city come all the way to Bristol to celebrate the Moon Festival with us. It has been a real treat and a privilege," she said.

"For us in Bristol, it's a particularly happy time as we welcome the students back to Bristol, (to) the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England. We have many Chinese students amongst them," Newnham said.

The show also marks the first time the "All Under One Moon" project of the Chinse Ministry of Culture and Tourism has been initiated in Bristol.

Li Liyan, minister counsellor for cultural affairs of the Chinese Embassy in Britain, said that he believes this event is a microcosm of the cultural exchanges and mutual learning between China and Britain, as well as a testament to the flourishing relationship between Guangzhou and Bristol. 

Artists perform acrobatics during a show themed "All Under One Moon" in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, in Bristol, Britain, Sept. 23, 2023. Many in Bristol in South West England had an early taste of the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere on Saturday afternoon thanks to an acclaimed cultural show presented by Chinese artists from Bristol's sister city Guangzhou.(Photo by Dennis Hu/Xinhua)

Artists perform Yingge Dance during a show themed "All Under One Moon" in celebration of the upcoming Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, in Bristol, Britain, Sept. 23, 2023. Many in Bristol in South West England had an early taste of the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere on Saturday afternoon thanks to an acclaimed cultural show presented by Chinese artists from Bristol's sister city Guangzhou.(Xinhua/Du Juan)
Unsafe levels of saltwater are expected to reach New Orleans-area drinking water systems in the middle of next month, as officials scramble to deal with a mass of saltwater making its way from the Gulf of Mexico up an extraordinarily low Mississippi River.
London  Complaints about Russell Brand prior to his dismissal from the BBC in 2008 were never reported to a more senior executive than the head of Radio 2, insiders have told The Telegraph.

The BBC has begun a trawl of complaints about Brands behaviour during his stint as a presenter, first on 6Music in 2006 and then on Radio 2 until his sacking in 2008. Brand and presenter Jonathan Ross were sacked over lewd messages they left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs (who played Manuel in Fawlty Towers) relating to Brands relationship with Sachs granddaughter.

Russell Brand as he appeared on social media over the weekend. Credit: @russellbrand/instagram

But sources said it had not found any paper trail to date that went beyond the networks senior management.

The corporation has now written to Lesley Douglas, who was controller of Radio 2 at the time, informing her that she no longer needs to stick to confidentiality agreements put in place when she left the BBC.
Australians being sued for defamation may miss out on new defences depending on which state or territory law applies, prompting renewed calls for the federal government to step in to pass national defamation laws.

The states and territories failed to reach unanimous agreement on Friday on a second wave of changes to their defamation laws, including reforms aimed at shielding Facebook page administrators from lawsuits over posts by third parties. A first wave of changes was introduced in most states and territories in 2021.

Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus, pictured during question time in Canberra this month, has previously supported a national reconsideration of defamation laws. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

At a meeting of attorneys-general on Friday, the majority of states and territories including NSW and Victoria agreed to the changes, slated to start on July 1, 2024, but South Australia said it supported only aspects of them.

Australias defamation laws are state and territory-based, and uniformity depends on the jurisdictions passing identical legislation.
Whenever I read the words TikTok trend, my inner Millennial registers that whatever is being discussed probably isnt meant for me, and my eyes glaze over.

But this week, a particular TikTok trend made its way onto my ageing radar by making its way onto Instagram, where someone linked out to a news article, where I could read about it like a proper adult.

That guy is jonesin for a 9am amphora of wine and some braised elephant trunk. Credit: Marija Ercegovac

The headline in question read: How Often Do Men Think About The Roman Empire? A Lot, According To New TikTok Trend.

This was one of several pieces I saw over the space of a few days, including Why are men thinking about the Roman Empire? and The TikTok Roman Empire Trend, Explained, as well as my personal favourite, Mark Zuckerberg weighs in on viral Roman Empire obsession.
Kids: Colour Your Imagination: Just Add Books

As an antidote to screens, artist and bibliophile Victoria Reichelt has masterminded a bunch of craft for kids based around books and libraries in the Childrens Gallery at HOTA.

HOTA Gallery, Surfers Paradise, until Jan 28, 2024, free. Wednesday, September 27 Mikala Dwyers The Collapzars is one of the artworks in Living Patterns at Queensland Art Gallery. Credit:  Mikala Dwyer / Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney Art: Living Patterns: Contemporary Australian Abstraction

A colourful new show at the QAG brings together artists such as Scott Redford, Reko Rennie, Jemima Wyman and Mikala Dwyer who all use abstraction in colour, shape and form.

Queensland Art Gallery, Sep 23-Feb 11, free. Music: Australian Women in Music Awards

Vanessa Amorosi, Sarah McLeod, Vika & Linda, Beccy Cole, Dami Im, Samira El Koussa, Candice Bankovacki and Veronique Serret will perform live at the concert, ceremony and party announcing this years winners.

The Tivoli, 7pm, $40-$150. Buy tickets.

Thursday, September 28 Jason Starrs portrait of GLVES is a finalist in the Brisbane Portrait Prize. Credit: Courtesy Brisbane Portrait Prize Art: Brisbane Portrait Prize

The 70 finalists in the main competition plus the 14 finalists in the under 18 Next Gen competition display incredible artistry in their portraits of people with a connection to Brisbane.

Brisbane Powerhouse, Sep 28-Oct 29, 10.30am-4.30pm, free. Dance: Strictly Gershwin

Derek Deane choreographed this show for the English National Ballet in 2008, interpreting the great songs and music of George and Ira Gershwin, and its become a firm favourite, with toe-tapping hits of the art deco era and debonair dance routines.

Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Sep 28-Oct 7, various times, $84-$163. Buy tickets.

Friday, September 29 Australian band Jet are celebrating the 20th anniversary of debut album Get Born. Credit: AP Music: Jet

While you are still in shock processing the fact that Jets seminal album Get Born is 20 years old, dont forget to book to see the indie rock quartet playing the album in full, including all-time bangers like Are You Gonna Be My Girl.

Fortitude Music Hall, 7pm, $81.29. Buy tickets. Comedy: Jimmy Rees: Not That Kinda Viral

Since dumping his owl offsider and hanging up his Jimmy Giggle spurs, Rees has taught the nation how to laugh at pandemics, politics and more as a social media phenomenon  see him live this September.

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, 6pm, $59.90-$219.90. Buy tickets.

Saturday, September 30 Kitty Flanagan returns for a stand-up performance in the wake of her TV success. Credit: Rebecca Bana Comedy: Kitty Flanagan Live!

Logie winner and newly minted Netflix star Flanagan (Fisk) has a brand-new stand-up show promising handy hints and a catchy little tune about underpants. How can you resist?

Concert Hall, QPAC, Sep 29-30, 5pm & 8pm, $79.90. Buy tickets. Expos: GhMX Gaming, Hobby & Model Expo 2023

Fans of Warhammer, Dungeons & Dragons and Magic: The Gathering will stage their own gathering at this convention for everything tabletop wars, card gaming and modelling. If its your thing, its really your thing.

Brisbane Exhibition Grounds, Sep 30-Oct 1, 10am-5pm, $13.24-$23.47. Buy tickets. Sport: AFL Grand Final 2023

See the Lions play their first final since 2004, taking on the Magpies at the MCG in a virtual replay of the 2002 and 2003 deciders. Watch it at your favourite pub, a live site, or, you know, at your place.

2.30pm kickoff.

Sunday, October 1 Ms. Lauryn Hill headlines Promiseland on October 2. Credit: Travis Hayto Music: Promiseland 2023

Ms. Lauryn Hill, Davido and Giveon headline a two-day festival of Afrobeats, amapiano, reggae and R&B down on the Gold Coast.

Doug Jennings Park, Main Beach, Sep 30-Oct 1, $199-$1499. Buy tickets. Music: Disney Princess  The Concert

Whether youre an Ariel or an Elsa, a Jasmine or a Raya, this concert starring local and international stage greats features all your favourite songs from Disney films, from Let It Go to A Whole New World.

Concert Hall, QPAC, 3pm & 7pm, $79.90-$283.40. Buy tickets. Sport: NRL Grand Final

Not to be outdone by the Lions, the Broncos are also vying for top honours this weekend, up against the Penrith Panthers, at Sydneys Accor Stadium  catch the action at a Brisbane pub or live site.

6.30pm kickoff.

Monday, October 2 Howard Smith Wharves will host a festival dedicated to lager. Food & Drink: Lagerpalooza

Felons is the scene for Queenslands largest outdoor lager festival running for the whole long weekend, with tastings, food, live music and family-friendly entertainment.

Felons, Howard Smith Wharves, Sep 30-Oct 2, $20-$90. Buy tickets. Kids: Holiday fun at the State Library

Drop in for free kids activities including Creative Creatures clay play (10am-12.30pm), Your Turn! board games (10am-3pm), a Scavenger Hunt (10am-3pm) and a Working Country story station on the tales of Indigenous stockmen and stockwomen (10am-3pm).

State Library of Queensland, Sep 16-Oct 2, free. Need more free family fun? Read about Brisbanes best free activities for kids.
St Helena Secondary College principal Karen Terrys office may be covered in dog hair, but she thinks its a small price to pay for the difference pups Frankie and Ash  named after Aretha Franklin and Ash Barty  have made to the school community.

Even the school newsletter is written in their voices.

St Helena Secondary College students Matilda Walpole and Liam Young with wellbeing dogs Frankie and Ash. Credit: Joe Armao

Therapy or wellbeing dogs have become a common sight in schools. St Helena, in Melbournes outer north-east, uses government-approved provider Dogs Connect to create plans and accredits teachers to handle the animals.

But at some other schools, staff are bringing in their own pets without training, a plan or accreditation  and experts are warning more regulation is needed.
Housing is the third rail of Australian politics. Theyre damned if they do, were damned if they dont. Well, its time for a revolution  for housing innovation to become politically sexy!

In Australia, the greatest wealth is generated through home ownership. Those of us in the market are quietly happy as our houses increase in value. Year-on-year growth gives us security and affluence that most older Boomers could only dream of. We know its unsustainable, but we secretly love it. But for those outside the market  unable to get their foot in the door  its a disaster.

Illustration by Andrew Dyson. Credit:

Feeding into a collective vested interest is the very lack of supply that makes housing broadly more difficult to access. At the same time, it continues to make some of us individually richer. Less housing results in more pressure, resulting in higher housing prices. Its an expanding and never-ending problem. So, how to fix it?

If we want to begin to solve the housing problem, here are a few things we can do to nudge things along:
When Jacinta Nampijinpa Price spoke at the National Press Club last week, the shrill response to her perspective showed how woefully unprepared Australians are to vote on the Indigenous Voice to parliament. It suggested an understanding of history as strangely static and settled.

Of course, any Australian who reads widely and engages with Indigenous people knows thats far from the case. In trying to explain the current situation in the Voice referendum to an American journalist, I had to start there: a lot has happened over the past 200 years and instead of confronting the history that was just made and that we are in the process of making, we have too often chosen squeamish silence and fairytales.

Coalition spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians Jacinta Nampijinpa Price at the National Press Club recently. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, Australia needs to reckon with its past. As Sean Kelly argued in this masthead this week, we have largely avoided a discussion over our history for 200 years, and attempting to embark upon [it] with a fast-approaching deadline [of the Voice referendum] was always going to fall far short of nuance.

And nuance is vital. In this referendum year, Jacinta Price and Marcia Langton have presented at the National Press Club from opposite sides of the debate over what it would mean to them and their communities to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to parliament in the constitution. One of the stupidest effects of the binary imposed by the referendum debate is that people feel compelled to pick a side. As though it cant be simultaneously true that a Western education has allowed many Indigenous people to fulfil their ambitions and that there continues to be racism.
Washington: American spy agencies provided information to Ottawa, Ontario, after the killing of a Sikh separatist leader in the Vancouver area, but Canada developed the most definitive intelligence that led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, according to Western allied officials.

In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved. Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials, allied officials said.

Canadas Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, walks past Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhis cremation site, during the G20 Summit earlier this month. Credit: AP

While US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to cooperate with the Canadian investigation, US officials have largely tried to avoid triggering any diplomatic blowback from India. But the disclosure of the involvement of US intelligence risks ensnaring Washington in the diplomatic battle between Canada and India at a time when it is keen to develop New Delhi as a closer partner.

The United States did not learn about the plot, or evidence pointing to Indias involvement in it, until after operatives had killed the Sikh leader, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, allied officials said.
Sydney/Washington: The Unites States is disappointed Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will not attend a Pacific Islands summit with US President Joe Biden next week, the White House said.

Biden will host a second summit with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House on Monday as part of his efforts to step up engagement with a region where the US is in a battle for influence with China.

Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Damukana Sogavare addresses the UN General Assembly last week. Credit: AP

Sogavares withdrawal came after China and Timor-Leste announced on Saturday they had upgraded bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, potentially giving Beijing more influence in the region while satisfying the young half-island nations desire for stronger ties with major economies.

The agreement to enhance relations came after Chinas President Xi Jinping met with Timor-Lestes Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou ahead of the opening ceremony of the Asian Games, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Nutson's Auto News Weekly Wrap-up September 17-23, 2023













Auto Central September 24, 2023; Every Sunday Larry Nutson, The Chicago Car Guy and Auto Channel Executive Producer, with able assistance from senior editor Thom Cannell from The Auto Channel Michigan Bureau, compile The Auto Channel's "take" on this past week's automotive news, condensed into easy to digest news Nuggets.

LEARN MORE: Complete versions of today's news nuggets, along with thousands of pages of relevant news and opinions, information stored in a million-page library published and indexed on The Auto Channel during the past 25 years. Complete information can be found by copying a headline and inserting it into any Site Search Box.

Here are Larry's picks among the past week's important, relevant, semi-secret, or snappy automotive news, opinions and insider back stories presented as expertly crafted easy-to-understand automotive universe news nuggets. for Nutson's Auto News Weekly Wrap-up September 17-23, 2023

* The automotive topic of the week is the UAW strike against the Detroit-three automakers. As of Friday Ford and the UAW appear close to an agreement. However, the UAW struck parts distribution facilities of GM and Stellantis at 38 locations across 20 states. These facilities provide repair parts to dealers for customer vehicles. In a Facebook Live message UAW President Shawn Fain says there is lack of progress in bargaining with GM and Stellantis. However, the two companies say they are indeed ready to bargain and questioned UAW intent. President Joe Biden plans to visit Michigan on Tuesday to show support for the United Auto Workers.

* US DoE factoid of the week: According to the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 67% of all housing units in the United States have vehicle parking within 20 feet of an electrical outlet. This is significant when planning for the transition to EVs, where at-home charging is important. The distance of 20 feet is within the reach of many EV charging cords, making charging feasible. The District of Columbia had the fewest housing units with an outlet within 20 feet of vehicle parking (32%), with North Dakota topping the list at 90%.

* Editorial note on the above. Of the 33% of housing units that don't have a convenient electrical outlet the majority of these are located in large cities. (for example, Washington DC is at 68%.) The best use-case for EVs is in slower, in-city, stop and go driving. There is a significant need for convenient and safe charging solutions for city residents. Learn More: The Inequities Of EV's

* A new report from CARFAX says Autumn is the most dangerous season for auto crash damage in the U.S. Most U.S. states have more auto crashes in fall than in any other season. Although many might assume that Winter is the most crash-prone season, more than 72% of U.S. drivers  roughly 170 million  live in states where Fall is the peak season for crash damage. More details are HERE

* Popular with parents, minivans ought to boast the safest second-row seating on the market. Instead, theyre lagging behind. None of the four minivans (and there are only four in the US market) tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety earns an acceptable or good rating in the updated moderate overlap front crash test, which now emphasizes back seat safety. The Chrysler Pacifica, Kia Carnival and Toyota Sienna are rated marginal, while the Honda Odyssey is rated poor. All but the Sienna also lack seat belt reminders for the second-row seats, as IIHS highlighted in February.Minivans dont make the grade when it comes to rear-seat safety

* After finishing second in the mass-market group in 2022, Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc. (MMNA) took to the top step for the first time in Reputation's annual 2023 Automotive Reputation Report, ranking first among 19 mass-market auto brands. Reputation's report evaluates customer experience at 35,000 automotive OEM brands, dealer groups, and dealerships across the United States, Canada, and Europe. https://reputation.com/

* Reuters reports: Electric vehicle sales in Europe doubled last month from a year ago, and now account for 21% of the market, according to new data from the ACEA trade group. Diesel engines are fading away in the European market as EV sales rise. Volvo Cars said it will stop making diesel vehicles next year. Diesel-powered vehicles accounted for 15% of Western European vehicle sales in August, down 4 percentage points from a year ago and half the level in 2019, according to GlobalData. Combustion vehicles now account for less than half the EU vehicle market.

* The UK government will postpone the ban on the sale of new petrol- and diesel-engined cars from 2030 until 2035, prime minister Rishi Sunak has confirmed. Sunak noted that the 2035 date brings the UK in line with other countries including the European Union and Canada. Read details here as reported by Autocar. Government to delay introduction of 2030 ICE ban | Autocar

*And there's this reported by The Auto Channel: The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act, or H.R. 1435, which restricts the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from issuing any waiver for new regulations that would ban the sale or use of new vehicles with internal combustion engines. The bill passed with some bipartisan support, 222 to 190, with eight Democrats joining their Republican colleagues in the majority. The bill is in response to action by the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which approved requirements on automakers that would effectively ban the sale of new ICE-powered cars and light trucks by 2035 in favor of zero-emission vehicles, like full battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. To institute its plan, California would need a waiver of Clean Air Act preemption provisions from the EPA.

* Hello Chicago! Cruise, which tests and operates its Origin autonomous vehicle in the US Sun Belt, is developing a cold-weather version with heating elements on sensor pods and other "fun engineering details," according to CEO Kyle Vogt. The company expects the winterized version to be out about 2025 and is planning to scout midwestern cities next year to collect data on the environment, Vogt says.

* The new third-generation 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan was revealed in Germany. Built on VW's MQB Evo platform it will arrive in the U.S. market in 2024. Tiguan is built in short and long wheelbase versions and the US will only get the longer wheelbase, as it does now. Exterior design is freshened and a bit more muscular. The interior is updated with a large touchscreen and a column-mounted transmission gear selector.

* Honda has introduced the zero-emissions Motocompacto e-scooter designed for the modern realities of urban mobility, providing riders with an easy and fun-to-ride alternative transport that greatly reduces their carbon footprint while offering great convenience. With a maximum speed of 15 mph and zero-emissions range of up to 12 miles, Motocompacto can be fully charged in just 3.5 hours in both the folded and ready-to-ride configuration using a common 110 v outlet. Sales will begin exclusively at Motocompacto | Honda and at Honda and Acura automobile dealers in November with an MSRP of just $995.

* The inaugural Grand National Truck Show, the premier truck only event in 2023, took place on September 16 and 17. This show encompassed all trucks, vans, SUVs etc., from 1900 to current anything with a bed or cargo compartment. The event is held at the Pomona Fairplex and put on by the organizers of the annual Grand National Roadster Show. Autoweek reports about the show winner, a 1940 Ford pickup. SEE MORE HERE

* Peter Mullin, lifelong collector of beautiful French cars, founder of the Mullin Automotive Museum, generous philanthropist, and Pebble Beach winner, has died. He passed away September 20 in Big Sur, California. He founded Mullin Consulting in Los Angeles when he was just 28 and cofounded M Financial Group 10 years later. His businesses were successful enough to allow him to pursue his first passion, French cars of the 1930s. He amassed one of the finest collections of Bugattis, Delahayes, and Delages the world may ever know. You can see them at the Mullin Automotive Museum in Oxnard, Calif., where he houses many of them.

* Sherry Pollex, who rallied the NASCAR community with her philanthropic efforts to fight cancer, has died. She was 44. The cause was cancer, which she had fought since her initial diagnosis in 2014. Pollex was instrumental in founding Catwalk for a Cause, a charity fashion gala that brought the NASCAR industry together in the fight against childhood cancer. The event was founded in 2010 and has raised more than $4 million to fund initiatives to combat the disease. That project launch came four years before her own diagnosis with Stage 3 ovarian cancer at age 35. Pollex and former partner Martin Truex Jr. were named recipients of the National Motorsports Press Associations Myers Brothers Award for outstanding contributions to the sport of stock-car racing in 2017.

Stay safe. Be Well.
Carlos Sainz says he was "laughing in the car" when Mercedes tried to use his Singapore DRS trick against him to protect Lewis Hamilton and George Russell's positions in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix

Sainz had caught up with the Mercedes duo in the closing stages of the race at Suzuka, with Russell preceding Hamilton at that point as they ran fifth and sixth.

However, Russell was on much older tyres, having opted for a one-stop strategy, which compelled Mercedes to order its drivers to swap positions.

Russell then requested that Hamilton give him DRS to help him fend off Sainz. The ploy wasn't lost on the Ferrari driver who told his team "They are using my tricks against me!"

But Russell's tyre handicap allowed Sainz to quickly overhaul his Mercedes rival. The Spaniard admitted to being amused by the situation.

"Yeah, I found it [funny], actually," he said. "I was laughing in the car because I could see Lewis backing off in 130R to give the DRS to George.

"And I was like, I need to make sure I attack George into the chicane. If I don't throw him offline, it's going to be impossible to pass them.

"And I went very deep into the chicane, managed to get a bit of a switchback, and then I used the DRS, slipstream on everything to pass him. It was good fun. And yeah, it nearly cost me my own position with my own tricks."

Sainz suggested that Mercedes would have perhaps been more successful in protecting its drivers' positions had they left Russell ahead of Hamilton.

"I think maybe they had a better chance, honestly speaking, if Lewis would have stayed behind," he said. "But at the same time I would have tried a move on Lewis because George was very slow in the Esses, and eight and nine.

"So I would have tried into 11 or into 13, because they were both very slow there. So we will never know. But it would have been riskier to leave also Lewis behind, because if I got Lewis, I got George."

On the radio, in the closing laps, Sainz vowed to "go after" Hamilton. But the seven-time world champion remained out of reach for the Scuderia charger.

"I think today Suzuka proved to be quite tricky to overtake," he said. "And track position was fundamental. I think I was four or five-tenths quicker than Lewis, closing in on him.

"And I don't think that's enough delta to pass. Just could last two laps, I was quicker. But it gets to a point where if you're not one second quicker, you're not passing. Also, Charles took quite a long time to pass George on very worn hards for George.

"And it just proved to me that today it was all about track position, which is what we lost at the pit stop. We were four seconds in front of Lewis - we exit eight behind."

Up ahead, Charles Leclerc held his own in fourth position, a result that suggested to Sainz that he could have done better than sixth.

"Yeah, I think today we had better pace than the result showed, no?" he said. "I think we were very quick straight from the start.

"I think I got a very good start. And then the first stint, I felt like I had a bit more pace than the guys in front. I managed well my tyres.

"But obviously being behind on track position is always going to cost you, especially in a difficult and hot Suzuka to overtake.

"But yeah, honestly, I felt back to normal today. As soon as I got up into a rhythm, I understood the car well, and I was driving well. A shame about the last pit stop, as it cost us quite a bit of race time, but it's what it is."

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Advocate Pandey writes to Governor over permanent appointment of RDU VC





Legal Correspondent

Advocate Sonali Pandey has written a letter to the Governor of the Madhya Pradesh regarding formation of action/search committee as per Section 13 of the Madhya Pradesh University Act 1973, for permanent appointment on the post of Vice Chancellor of Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, in regard with the notification issued on September, 1, 2023. In the letter sent through Advocate Pankaj Dubey, Pandey mentioned that let it be known that provision for appointment of Vice Chancellors in Section 13, there is a provision in the University Act, 1973 according to which a committee can be appointed which will consist of the following persons that a person elected by the Executive Council, a person nominated by the Chairman of the University Grants Commission. A person nominated by the Chancellor, it is known that the selection committee of the Vice-Chancellor of Rani Durgavati University, Jabalpur, the committee notified by your office through the notification referred to, has complied with section 13 of the Act, has not been done. Therefore the said committee is not valid. Through the referred notification, a person nominated by the Chancellor has been kept and a person nominated by the University Grants Commission has been kept as a member. Apart from this, surprisingly, a member nominated by the State Government has been kept, who is the Regional Additional Director Higher Education. Education Department, Ujjain Division, whose name is Dr H L Anilwal, its provision is not in the Act, hence the notification is illegal.

The referred notification is not valid because the said notification does not include any person selected by the Executive Council of the University as a member which is contrary to the intention of the legislature. It is to be noted that the provisions of the Act have been passed by the legislature and it is in the democratic interest to appoint a person democratically selected by the Executive Council of the University as a member of the Committee. Therefore, she has urged to reconsider the above mentioned notification on this basis and cancel/postpone it and issue a new notification. It is also noteworthy here that in the Constitution of India and various judicial precedents of the Supreme Court and the High Court. It has been propounded that any other notification/decision/circular of the Council of Ministers cannot be given a place over any law/act, only what is given in the rule/act is supreme. Therefore, keeping this issue in mind, reconsider the notification issued by your office in public interest.
Dy CM Fadnavis announces Rs 10,000 aid to each flood-affected citizen





Staff Reporter

Taking serious cognisance of the flood that created havoc in Nagpur, Deputy Chief Minister and Guardian Minister of Nagpur Devendra Fadnavis has announced major relief to the affected people. Fadnavis announced Rs 10,000 to each flood-affected, Rs 50,000 to shopkeepers who suffered heavy loss and upto Rs 10,000 to stall-owners. Fadnavis specially came to Nagpur, and along with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, he visited some places. Both convened an emergency meeting at Nagpur Municipal Corporation office and reviewed the situation. Dy CM Fadnavis informed the officials, The State Government will provide funds to remove sewage. Because of issuance of orange alert, the teams of NDRF and SDRF have been asked to be prepared. Those who attended the meeting include Krishna Khopade, Vikas Kumbhare, Pravin Datke, Sandeep Joshi, Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, District Collector Dr Vipin Itankar, Commissioner of Police Amitesh Kumar, Bunty Kukde and others.

While interacting with mediapersons, Fadnavis said that there were heavy rains in last 4 hours of Friday night and that in only 2 hours of the night, city received 90 mm of rain. Roads and bridges were damaged. Water seeped into the house, causing harm to citizens. There is a preliminary estimate of water supply in about 10 thousand houses, added Fadnavis. Bharatiya Janata Party State President and MLC Chandrashekhar Bawankule took the initiative from early morning to provide relief and help to the citizens and reached various places in the city and took stock of the situation. After discussing with the administration, he gave instructions to implement measures immediately and appealed to the citizens to cooperate.

Bawankule cancelled all pre-scheduledprogrammes in Nagpur, Mumbai and rushed to the spot. He was accompanied by former Mayor Sandeep Joshi, Collector Dr Vipin Itankar along with Municipal Commissioner Dr Abhijeet Chaudhari, Smart City CEO Prithviraj BP. MLA Sameer Meghe too visited Bharatwada, Wadi, Pardi, Borgaon (Khurd). He consoled the citizens and offered them help. He interacted with people to know the problems. MLA Dr Nitin Raut too visited his constituency area of North Nagpur to take stock of the losses. He demanded that adequate help should be given to the affected citizens.
Head of Sales, JAFZA interacts with VIA members, industrialists





Business Reporter

Ebtesam Al Kaabi, Head of Sales, Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA) interacted with the members of Vidarbha Industries Association (VIA) and industrial community on Friday at VIA, Nagpur. Ebtesam Al Kaabi said Dubais largest free zone offers facilities such as customisable manufacturing plots, light industrial units (LIUs), warehouses, offices and ready-to-move-in showrooms. We offer a dedicated area of over 3.4 million square metres to SMEs, multinationals and businesses who are serious about creating future success stories, she said. Earlier, Mukesh Kalra, Head  Business Development of UAE-India Business Council (UIBC) Gurugram briefed about the UAE - India Business Council (UIBC) . The event was supported by Vidarbha Management Association and the Centre Head, MCED Sub Centre, Hingna, Nagpur. Kaushal Mohta, Chairman  VIA EXIM Forum in his welcome address spoke about the activities of VIA and also introduced the guests. Rakesh Surana, Joint Secretary  VIA welcomed the guests.
New paths for womens devpt will open: PM on Womens Quota Bill





VARANASI,

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that a new path for the development of women has opened for women with the passage of the Womens Reservation Bill in Parliament. PM Modi said this development had resulted in increased excitement for the Navratri festival. Addressing a public rally in Varanasi, PM Narendra Modi said, Womens Reservation Bill has increased the excitement for Navratri. New paths for womens development will open. I congratulate all the women of India for it. Womens leadership may be a modern approach for the rest of the world, but we are people who worship Goddess Parvati and Mother Ganga before Lord Shiva. Adding that the Womens Reservation Bill was passed in Parliament with record votes, PM Modi said, This MP from your Kashi has got this good fortune due to your blessings.

Varanasi is the birthplace of warriors like Rani Lakshmi Bai. From Rani Lakshmi Bai in the independence struggle to women in Chandrayaan-3, we have proven in every era what womens leadership is. This (Womens Reservation Bill) law was pending for 30 years, but now it is passed in both Houses of the Parliament. Parties who had been opposing it also had to come in support of it, PM Modi said.

The Parliament on Thursday passed a historic legislation to provide 33 per cent quota for women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. Lok Sabha passed the Bill on Wednesday in the Parliaments Special Session with 454 members voting in favour of the legislation and two against it. The Rajya Sabha passed Womens Reservation Bill unanimously on Thursday with 214 members voting in support and none against. PM Modi further emphasized that the respect for women has increased due to women-centric policies being implemented by the BJP.
P5s Power Of Veto





By Tamsin Phillipa Paige

UKRAINIAN President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has lambasted the UN Security Council yet again, saying in a speech this week that as long as Russia has veto power on the body, it will remain powerless to do anything to stop the war in Ukraine  or any other conflict. Ukrainian soldiers are doing with their blood what the UN Security Council should do by its voting. Veto power in the hands of the aggressor is what has pushed the UN into deadlock. Every time a member of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council  the US, Russia, France, the UK and China  engages in abhorrent actions, we see a wave of voices decrying the powerlessness and failure of the UN to stop conflict and atrocities. Most recently, this has been focused on the Russian war in Ukraine. We also saw this criticism in relation to the US- and UK-led invasion of Iraq in the early 2000s. The central part of this criticism is that the five permanent members of the Security Council (commonly referred to as the P5) have a veto power, which can prevent UN action when they have engaged in wrongdoing. The other 10 rotating members of the Security Council do not. This veto power is what has prevented Russia from being expelled from the UN, as Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for, because suspension or expulsion of a member from the UN requires action from the Security Council. This criticism is entirely reasonable  the P5 shouldnt be able to prevent the UN from acting against them. However, this isnt a failure of the UN itself, but rather a design feature baked in to the whole UN system.

And reform of the UN is functionally impossible, which is why we need to stop expecting so much from the global body. Article 2(1) of the UN Charter says the UN is based on the principle of sovereign equality. This, in principle, should mean all nations are equal under international law. In reality, even when just considering the rest of the UN Charter, it is clear this is not the case. Yes, all nations in the UN General Assembly have one vote and all those votes have equal weight, but this is somewhat insignificant because the work of the General Assembly isnt legally binding. The only UN body that has the power to make binding international law is the Security Council. And this only happens when it is acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security. In order for a resolution to pass in the Security Council, it must have the support of at least nine members  and, critically, no opposing vote from a member of the P5. This is what is meant by the P5 veto power. When the UN Charter was being drafted at the end of the second world war, the allied powers and France agreed to enshrine themselves into the document as the P5. Notably, the group included the Republic of China, the Government led by Chiang Kai-shek in Taiwan, which held the Security Council seat until the General Assembly expelled Taiwan and gave the seat to the Peoples Republic of China in 1971. And when the Soviet Union disbanded in the early 1990s, Russia inherited its seat on the Security Council through the Alma-Ata Protocol. The Charter gave the P5 the ultimate responsibility for maintaining international peace and security, while also functionally removing them from scrutiny because they possess veto power.

This wasnt a design oversight or failure, it was an intentional decision. This is clearly seen when you examine the wording of Article 27(3). This article requires a Security Council member to refrain from voting on a matter if they are party to a dispute  but it does not apply to resolutions invoking Chapter VII (that is, a legally binding resolution). The fact the charter includes a restriction on the veto but only in relation to non-binding resolutions demonstrates an intention to place the P5 beyond scrutiny. So, what about veto reform? If the existence of the veto prevents any Security Council action from being taken against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine (or against any other P5 state when they engage in similar conduct), why dont we just reform it? Well, this cant be done because the drafters of the UN Charter made reform incredibly difficult. Namely, the P5 ensured they have a right to veto any proposed reforms to the UN structure by requiring all charter amendments to be ratified by each of them, in addition to getting a two-thirds majority in the General Assembly. In essence, this means reforming the UN Charter is off the table because the P5 would be able to veto a reduction of their veto power. The only avenue left for reform is to dissolve the UN Charter and reform the UN under a new treaty that limits or abolishes the power of the veto. Given the state of global solidarity is very different today compared to the end of WWII when the UN was established, Im loathe to test this approach. A P5 that is restrained by the Charter when it suits them is less dangerous than a P5 that opts out of international law entirely, leaving them completely unrestrained in their aggression.

Yes, this means the UN is powerless to address Russian aggression in Ukraine, in the same way it was powerless to address US and UK aggression in Iraq. And yes, this seems to go against the initial purpose of the global body, which was created to: To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind. The Security Council, too, was given the mandate of maintaining international peace and security when it was created, as Zelenskyy has repeatedly pointed out. But in accepting that mandate, the P5 ensured they wouldnt be subject to it. In creating the UN, they placed themselves above the law and above the power of the UN specifically so they could avoid scrutiny of their actions. They also ensured they could prevent any reform of the UN to limit their power. As a result, maybe it is time we start treating the UN for what it is  a diplomatic congress aimed at making the world a little better through encouraging cooperation. Rather than what we hope it to be  a world government capable of effecting peace.
State capital getting ready for mega Karyakarta Mahakumbh





Staff Reporter

On the birth anniversary of Pt Deendayal Upadhyay, BJP officials are preparing for the Karyakarta Mahakumbh to be held on September 25 at Jambooree Ground. More than 10 lakh workers from across the State will participate in the Karyakarta Mahakumbh. Which will be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Party workers were decorating the main intersections of the city for the biggest gathering in State capital. Major roads are being decorated by putting party flags at various places. Along with the workers, senior party leaders are also busy in preparations. Party workers decorated the intersection by putting party flags at Roshanpura intersection. Also inspected the preparations. Party leaders also gave necessary guidelines after discussing with key workers and leaders involved in the system. On this occasion, all seniors and district officials were present.
Sergio Perez couldnt catch a break with the stewards in Sundays Japanese Grand Prix, and nor did the Red Bull driver deserve any leniency from the officials after his calamitous display in Suzuka.

Perez will not only leave Japan with a poor review, but also with four penalty points added to his Super Licence, while his teams antics regarding a five-second time penalty handed to the Mexican were also frowned upon by the officials.

Perezs troubles started just a few hundred yards after the start when a melee before Turn 1 involving himself and Lewis Hamilton led to damage for the Red Bull charger and a pitstop for a new front wing.

But adding insult to injury, when Perez entered the pitlane during the early Safety Car period triggered by debris on the track, the Mexican inadvertently overtook the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso, a distraction that cost him his first five-second penalty of the day.

But wait, theres more! A clumsy move up the inside of the Haas of Kevin Magnussen at the Turn 11 hairpin compelled the stewards to hit Perez with a second penalty.

Damage to the #11 Red Bull prompted the team to retire Perez despite his valiant efforts. The latter was on his way to his changing room when he was called back by the team and immediately ordered to get back into the car.

It apparently hadnt been lost on Red Bull that if Perez didnt serve his second penalty, the latter would be carried over to the next race in Qatar and converted into a three-place grid drop.

After a leisurely wait as his car was repaired, Perez headed back out, came back in, served his penalty and retired permanently from the days proceedings.

The FIA noted Red Bulls dubious but legal interpretation of the rules. While Perez was handed four penalty points on his licence for his on-track transgressions, the teams clever initiative will likely encourage the governing body to amend F1s rules to clarify when a car is considered to have been properly retired.

"It got off to a bad start, commented Red Bull team boss Christian Horner as he assessed Perezs chaotic day at the races. "He got sort of pinballed on the way down to Turn 1, that was unlucky for him.

"He then had damage with Lewis [Hamilton] and broke the front wing. He then passed Fernando on the way in under the safety car, picked up another penalty.

"He goes out a little bit too optimistic, probably out of frustration trying to pass Magnussen...another front wing and the steering damage.

"So, the only decent thing we managed to get out of today was not carrying a penalty through into the next race in Qatar," concluded Horner.

"It was just a disastrous weekend," admitted Perez. "It all started into Turn 1 with a really bad start.

"I was squeezed out and I was just a passenger there in a sandwich. I think we carried a lot of damage in the car as well and that just made it a lot harder for us.

"We need to review the whole weekend to find out what happened because it was certainly a poor weekend overall, so something to understand."

Fortunately, Perezs trials and tribulations were anecdotal for his team as a whole following Max Verstappens 48th career win in F1 that also delivered to Red Bull Racing its sixth F1 Constructors title, with six races to spare.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO  Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report report published on Thursday morning.

BRO has been the topic of a number of other reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut shares of Brown & Brown from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and raised their price target for the company from $73.00 to $76.00 in a report on Tuesday, August 1st. Truist Financial restated a buy rating and issued a $85.00 price target on shares of Brown & Brown in a report on Friday, September 15th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and issued a $77.00 price target on shares of Brown & Brown in a report on Friday, September 15th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Brown & Brown from $62.00 to $70.00 in a report on Wednesday, July 26th. Finally, Citigroup increased their price objective on shares of Brown & Brown from $81.00 to $83.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 19th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $72.90.

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View Our Latest Research Report on BRO

Brown & Brown Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of BRO opened at $72.27 on Thursday. Brown & Brown has a twelve month low of $52.82 and a twelve month high of $74.57. The company has a market cap of $20.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.01 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.78, a quick ratio of 2.78 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.74. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $71.97 and its 200-day simple moving average is $65.79.

Brown & Brown (NYSE:BRO  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $997.51 million. Brown & Brown had a net margin of 18.34% and a return on equity of 15.19%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 24.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.51 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Brown & Brown will post 2.69 EPS for the current year.

Brown & Brown Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, August 16th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, August 9th were paid a dividend of $0.115 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, August 8th. This represents a $0.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.64%. Brown & Browns payout ratio is 17.83%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brown & Brown

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Portside Wealth Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brown & Brown during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,268,000. Comerica Bank purchased a new stake in Brown & Brown in the 2nd quarter worth $328,020,000. Osaic Holdings Inc. increased its holdings in Brown & Brown by 7.8% in the 2nd quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 114,896 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $7,899,000 after acquiring an additional 8,296 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Brown & Brown in the 2nd quarter worth $5,170,000. Finally, CreativeOne Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in Brown & Brown in the 2nd quarter worth $849,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.33% of the companys stock.

About Brown & Brown

(Get Free Report)

Brown & Brown, Inc markets and sells insurance products and services in the United States, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Retail, National Programs, Wholesale Brokerage, and Services. The Retail segment provides property and casualty, employee benefits insurance products, personal insurance products, specialties insurance products, risk management strategies, loss control survey and analysis, consultancy, and claims processing services.

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Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report) by 9.9% in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 3,171 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 286 shares during the period. Drive Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Southern were worth $223,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in SO. Prudential PLC lifted its holdings in shares of Southern by 23.4% in the 1st quarter. Prudential PLC now owns 19,438 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,409,000 after acquiring an additional 3,689 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its stake in Southern by 33.5% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,727 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $126,000 after purchasing an additional 433 shares during the last quarter. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Southern by 63.0% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,902 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $138,000 after purchasing an additional 735 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Southern by 0.4% in the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 49,925 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,621,000 after purchasing an additional 221 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its stake in Southern by 35.8% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 907,132 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $65,776,000 after purchasing an additional 239,325 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 62.85% of the companys stock.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Southern news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction on Monday, September 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $67.83, for a total value of $339,150.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 121,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,226,693.72. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, CEO Kimberly S. Greene sold 20,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction on Friday, July 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.62, for a total transaction of $1,452,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 98,659 shares in the company, valued at $7,164,616.58. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of Southern stock in a transaction on Monday, September 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.83, for a total transaction of $339,150.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 121,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at $8,226,693.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 41,490 shares of company stock valued at $2,934,355. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Southern Stock Performance

Shares of SO stock opened at $69.37 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $75.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.51, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.52. The companys 50 day moving average is $69.36 and its 200 day moving average is $70.22. The company has a quick ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.59. The Southern Company has a 52-week low of $58.85 and a 52-week high of $75.80.

Southern (NYSE:SO  Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.74 by $0.05. Southern had a net margin of 11.17% and a return on equity of 9.86%. The company had revenue of $5.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.47 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.07 earnings per share. Southerns revenue was down 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that The Southern Company will post 3.6 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Southern Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, August 21st were issued a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.04%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 18th. Southerns dividend payout ratio is currently 98.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have issued reports on SO. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of Southern from $67.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Thursday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of Southern from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 6th. Guggenheim reduced their target price on shares of Southern from $79.00 to $77.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on shares of Southern from $75.00 to $74.00 in a research report on Friday, August 4th. Finally, Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Southern in a research report on Wednesday, August 23rd. They set an equal weight rating and a $68.00 target price on the stock. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Southern presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.27.

Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Southern

About Southern

(Free Report)

The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. It operates through three segments: Gas Distribution Operations, Gas Pipeline Investments, and Gas Marketing Services. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Southern Company (NYSE:SO  Free Report).

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Shares of Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM  Get Free Report) have received a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy from the twenty-one research firms that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12-month target price among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $123.74.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on XOM shares. Piper Sandler cut their target price on shares of Exxon Mobil from $145.00 to $127.00 in a research report on Tuesday, June 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $120.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Thursday. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $127.00 to $130.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $118.00 to $110.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 24th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil from $131.00 to $139.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, September 18th.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Exxon Mobil

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Exxon Mobil

In other Exxon Mobil news, Director Jeffrey W. Ubben acquired 458,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, July 31st. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $106.93 per share, with a total value of $48,973,940.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now directly owns 1,635,000 shares in the company, valued at $174,830,550. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . In other news, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.00, for a total value of $172,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 27,772 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,193,780. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Also, Director Jeffrey W. Ubben purchased 458,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 31st. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $106.93 per share, for a total transaction of $48,973,940.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director now owns 1,635,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $174,830,550. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here . Insiders own 0.06% of the companys stock.

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC increased its position in shares of Exxon Mobil by 17.4% in the first quarter. Axiom Financial Strategies LLC now owns 7,909 shares of the oil and gas companys stock worth $680,000 after purchasing an additional 1,173 shares during the last quarter. Retirement Income Solutions Inc bought a new position in Exxon Mobil during the first quarter valued at approximately $275,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 318.8% during the first quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 17,163 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,417,000 after acquiring an additional 13,065 shares during the last quarter. Ergoteles LLC grew its position in Exxon Mobil by 95.6% during the first quarter. Ergoteles LLC now owns 15,843 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $1,308,000 after acquiring an additional 7,744 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bridgefront Capital LLC bought a new position in Exxon Mobil during the first quarter valued at approximately $237,000. 58.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Exxon Mobil Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of Exxon Mobil stock opened at $114.94 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $460.13 billion, a PE ratio of 9.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 1.08. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The firms 50 day moving average is $109.82 and its 200 day moving average is $108.67. Exxon Mobil has a 1 year low of $83.89 and a 1 year high of $119.92.

Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM  Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, July 28th. The oil and gas company reported $1.94 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.00 by ($0.06). The company had revenue of $82.91 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $81.80 billion. Exxon Mobil had a net margin of 13.72% and a return on equity of 25.82%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 28.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $4.14 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil will post 8.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, August 16th were issued a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 15th. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 29.12%.

Exxon Mobil Company Profile

(Get Free Report

Exxon Mobil Corporation engages in the exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas in the United States and internationally. It operates through Upstream, Energy Products, Chemical Products, and Specialty Products segments. The Upstream segment explores for and produces crude oil and natural gas.

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Suzano (NYSE:SUZ  Get Free Report) is one of 16 publicly-traded companies in the Paper mills industry, but how does it compare to its rivals? We will compare Suzano to similar businesses based on the strength of its analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, valuation, profitability, institutional ownership and dividends.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

2.6% of Suzano shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 72.1% of shares of all Paper mills companies are owned by institutional investors. 5.8% of shares of all Paper mills companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

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Dividends

Suzano pays an annual dividend of $0.32 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.9%. Suzano pays out 9.4% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Paper mills companies pay a dividend yield of 3.7% and pay out 57.0% of their earnings in the form of a dividend. Suzano has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years.

Profitability

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Suzano 47.44% 64.65% 17.21% Suzano Competitors 8.98% 21.48% 7.40%

Volatility & Risk

This table compares Suzano and its rivals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Suzano has a beta of 1.16, indicating that its share price is 16% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Suzanos rivals have a beta of 1.28, indicating that their average share price is 28% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Suzano and its rivals top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Suzano $9.65 billion $4.53 billion 3.27 Suzano Competitors $5.88 billion $754.36 million 31.67

Suzano has higher revenue and earnings than its rivals. Suzano is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its rivals, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent recommendations for Suzano and its rivals, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Suzano 0 0 1 0 3.00 Suzano Competitors 105 689 451 47 2.34

As a group, Paper mills companies have a potential upside of 27.66%. Given Suzanos rivals higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Suzano has less favorable growth aspects than its rivals.

Summary

Suzano beats its rivals on 8 of the 15 factors compared.

About Suzano

(Get Free Report)

Suzano S.A. produces and sells eucalyptus pulp and paper products in Brazil and internationally. It operates through Pulp and Paper segments. The company offers coated and uncoated printing and writing papers, paperboards, tissue papers, and market and fluff pulps; and lignin. It also engages in the research, development, and production of biofuel; operation of port terminals; power generation and distribution business; commercialization of equipment and parts; industrialization, commercialization, and exporting of pulp and standing wood; road freight transport; biotechnology research and development; and commercialization of paper and computer materials. In addition, the company is involved in the business office, production packaging, and financial fundraising activities; research, development, production, commercialization, and distribution of wood-based textile fibers, yarns, and filaments produced from cellulose and microfibrillated cellulose; and research and development of wood raw materials for the textile industry. Suzano S.A. was formerly known as Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. and changed its name to Suzano S.A. in April 2019. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Salvador, Brazil.

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JMP Securities reaffirmed their market outperform rating on shares of Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Free Report) in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a $77.00 target price on the financial services providers stock.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on SCHW. StockNews.com upgraded Charles Schwab from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Sunday, September 17th. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $67.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, July 24th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $71.00 to $80.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, July 20th. Raymond James cut their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $77.00 to $72.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 18th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group boosted their price target on Charles Schwab from $64.00 to $66.00 in a research report on Monday, July 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $72.28.

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Charles Schwab Stock Performance

NYSE:SCHW opened at $55.15 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.39, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80. The company has a market cap of $97.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.89 and a beta of 0.92. Charles Schwab has a fifty-two week low of $45.00 and a fifty-two week high of $86.63. The firms 50 day moving average is $61.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $56.69.

Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.61 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 33.15% and a return on equity of 27.54%. Charles Schwabs revenue was down 8.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.97 earnings per share. Analysts expect that Charles Schwab will post 3.24 EPS for the current year.

Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 11th were paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.81%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, August 10th. Charles Schwabs payout ratio is currently 29.15%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Charles Schwab news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 72,047 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.66, for a total transaction of $4,802,653.02. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 59,748,538 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,982,837,543.08. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 75,760 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, July 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $66.60, for a total value of $5,045,616.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 59,672,778 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,974,207,014.80. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 72,047 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $66.66, for a total transaction of $4,802,653.02. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 59,748,538 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,982,837,543.08. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 159,599 shares of company stock valued at $10,542,469. Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Charles Schwab

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of SCHW. Cloverfields Capital Group LP increased its position in Charles Schwab by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Cloverfields Capital Group LP now owns 50,785 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,660,000 after acquiring an additional 5,246 shares during the period. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC increased its position in Charles Schwab by 39.4% in the 1st quarter. Chicago Partners Investment Group LLC now owns 25,007 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,328,000 after acquiring an additional 7,073 shares during the period. Bard Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Charles Schwab by 372.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bard Financial Services Inc. now owns 24,475 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,387,000 after buying an additional 19,300 shares during the period. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its stake in Charles Schwab by 46.0% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 14,668 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $768,000 after buying an additional 4,618 shares during the period. Finally, Avantax Planning Partners Inc. increased its stake in Charles Schwab by 53.7% during the 1st quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 7,724 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $405,000 after buying an additional 2,697 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.61% of the companys stock.

Charles Schwab Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services.

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Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED  Free Report) had its price objective boosted by Morgan Stanley from $73.00 to $75.00 in a report released on Thursday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have an underweight rating on the utilities providers stock.

Several other equities research analysts have also commented on the stock. Guggenheim decreased their price objective on shares of Consolidated Edison from $90.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Friday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $89.00 to $80.00 in a research note on Wednesday, June 7th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $95.00 to $88.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, September 5th. Bank of America cut their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $103.00 to $96.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, August 16th. Finally, KeyCorp boosted their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $70.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Wednesday, July 19th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Consolidated Edison presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $89.93.

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Consolidated Edison Price Performance

Consolidated Edison stock opened at $90.83 on Thursday. Consolidated Edison has a 52 week low of $78.10 and a 52 week high of $100.92. The company has a quick ratio of 0.95, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $91.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $93.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $31.33 billion, a PE ratio of 13.07, a P/E/G ratio of 9.26 and a beta of 0.37.

Consolidated Edison (NYSE:ED  Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 3rd. The utilities provider reported $0.61 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.58 by $0.03. Consolidated Edison had a net margin of 15.84% and a return on equity of 8.27%. The business had revenue of $2.94 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. On average, equities research analysts predict that Consolidated Edison will post 4.9 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Consolidated Edison Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, August 16th were given a dividend of $0.81 per share. This represents a $3.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.57%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, August 15th. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.62%.

Institutional Trading of Consolidated Edison

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Excalibur Management Corp increased its position in Consolidated Edison by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Excalibur Management Corp now owns 12,709 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,216,000 after purchasing an additional 105 shares in the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 1.4% in the 4th quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 7,941 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $757,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 0.3% in the 1st quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 43,881 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,198,000 after acquiring an additional 113 shares during the period. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 2.4% in the 2nd quarter. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC now owns 4,916 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $444,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. Finally, Douglas Lane & Associates LLC boosted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 2.8% in the 2nd quarter. Douglas Lane & Associates LLC now owns 4,303 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $389,000 after acquiring an additional 116 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.53% of the companys stock.

Consolidated Edison Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.6 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan.

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It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Altria Group (NYSE:MO). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

View our latest analysis for Altria Group

Altria Group's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Recognition must be given to the that Altria Group has grown EPS by 44% per year, over the last three years. While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches the eye of prospective investors.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Altria Group's EBIT margins have actually improved by 3.2 percentage points in the last year, to reach 58%, but, on the flip side, revenue was down 6.0%. While not disastrous, these figures could be better.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Altria Group's future EPS 100% free.

Story continues

Are Altria Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Since Altria Group has a market capitalisation of US$75b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we are reassured by the fact they have invested in the company. With a whopping US$52m worth of shares as a group, insiders have plenty riding on the company's success. This should keep them focused on creating long term value for shareholders.

Does Altria Group Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Altria Group's earnings per share have been soaring, with growth rates sky high. This level of EPS growth does wonders for attracting investment, and the large insider investment in the company is just the cherry on top. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point, so there's a potential opportunity to be had here. So based on this quick analysis, we do think it's worth considering Altria Group for a spot on your watchlist. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Altria Group that you should be aware of.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a free list of them here.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Nothing ever becomes real until it is experienced. Even a proverb is no proverb to you till your life has illustrated it.  John Keats, letter to George and Georgiana Keats

The first ten minutes of your morning impact the days tone and your attitude.

Consider this scenario: You wake up to your alarm, already frustrated. You stayed up way too late the night before and are paying for it. As you roll out of bed, your mind begins calculating all you need to do. Feeling overwhelmed by everything on your list, you shuffle into the kitchen only to find an empty bag of coffee.

Those first ten minutes sound like the prelude to a frustrating, harried, and stressful day.

So, add another zero, it becomes a hundred, and in Nigerian governance parlance and lexicon, there is something we call, the first 100 days of an administration. For Mr. Tinubus administration and a whole lot of the governors across the states of Nigerias republic, especially those newbies, it has been one full of proverbs, at the heart of which is frustration, a people so blessed living off of palliatives is one hell of a proverb.

We are told that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but why at the end of the tunnel, a tunnel many do not know where it ends. Well, I get to tell you a little about proverbs from a scriptural perspective and will end with another story, just follow me patiently.

Two prostitutes approached the kings bench. The first had given birth to a baby boy, and three days later, in the same house, the second gave birth to a baby boy. During the night, the second woman rolled over and accidentally smothered her newborn. What did she do? She switched infants. The next morning the first prostitute awoke to a dead child and the other woman claiming her live child.

Shes lying! the second prostitute shouted. Her baby is dead! This baby belongs to me!

A court hearing circa 900 BC predates DNA testing, and the king had a long docket. He asked to have a sword brought to him, and an aide produced a blade. Gesturing, the king said: Cut the child in two and give each mother half. No! the first mother cried out, give the baby to her!

Fine! the second one yelled, no one gets him!

The first woman is the mother, the king said. Give her the baby.

The monarch whose reputation for wisdom was sealed that day was Solomon, son of David, Israels first king, and Davids wife Bathsheba. Toward the beginning of his forty-year reign, Solomon collected wise sayings and pored over them. At some point, he winnowed the riches into a book in the Bibles Old Testament under the simple name Proverbs. From nearly a thousand years before Christ, Proverbs is one of the earliest examples of wisdom literature, a priceless guide still widely considered the gold standard of counsel.

Of the Bibles sixty-six books, to my thinking, Proverbs is the most provocative. Two dozen centuries before Sigmund Freud and psychological profiling, thirty-one short chapters penetrate human nature with insights into sex, anger management, slander, wealth, welfare, business ethics, intoxication, pride, and fissures in character as relevant as tomorrows top trending topic.

Proverb is a Hebrew word meaning to rule or to govern. Much of it has to do with self-mastery, and the only thing better than reading it is reading it routinely. If you were to take in a chapter a day, in one year youd have twelve readings of a book that I consider boredom-proof. After nearly four hundred trips through the entire book, I still rely on it for new insights, reminders of timeless truths, and life-guiding principles.

Billy Graham said he read five psalms a day for getting along with God, and a chapter of Proverbs a day for getting along with my fellow man. In my growing-up years, I saw my father do the same thing. He also read every year through the Old and New Testaments, still another reminder that a mind and character cannot be left to chance.

To sample Proverbs, flip around. Just dont be deceived by the simplicity. A proverb is an acorn with a tree inside  a puzzle piece to character  and character, in the words of Pulitzer Prizewinning historian Barbara Tuchman, is destiny.

Where will we place Tinubu and the current leaders in destiny, in the light of what we know now of the Buhari years, are we safe, or in for a repeat episode? With all the illogical removal of subsidies the drama of trillions of debts and more debts, and the embarrassing potbelly governance structure. The enjoyment allowance of the National Assembly and all the corruption and sleaze, the collapsing grind, and unsure security status, are reflective of the proverb that a Friday determines the look of Saturday.

I will end my reflection on the following note.

Hazrath Luqman Alayhi Salaam, who was given the title of Hakeem (the Wise), used to work in an orchard.

Once his master came to the orchard and asked for a cucumber. When the cucumber was brought, peeled, and sliced, the master gave the first piece to Hazrath Luqman Alayhi Salaam to eat.

He placed it in his mouth and began eating it with great relish. When the master observed the degree of relish with which Hazrath Luqman Alayhi Salaam ate the cucumber, he assumed that it must be very tasty.

Hence, he also put a piece into his mouth. To his horror, he found the cucumber to be extremely bitter. He immediately spat it out and asked in astonishment: O Luqman, how can you eat such a bitter cucumber with such relish?

Hazrath Luqman Alayhi Salaam replied: The cucumber is indeed bitter. However, I thought that if the hand that has already given me countless sweet things gives me one bitter thing, how ungrateful it would be of me to complain about it!

It is bitter and sweet, that we supply several neighboring nations electricity and they owe us several billions in debt, and then having spent some $7.5bn and counting, we have witnessed 140 national grid collapses in ten years putting the country in total darkness each time.

It is one hell of a proverb trying to understand that we may soon be importing even crude oil. It takes one hell of an understanding to grasp how we are told to let go of subsidy because of a corrupt few, so that an honest many suffer, or how a nation that is blessed in crude is busy comparing her pump price of fuel with non-producing state, or how Singapore and other nations are richer than us, simply by supplying us refined products from the crude we sell to them.

The current administration has been at best bittersweet, how it will end is not looking bright, but as cautious optimists, we keep believing and for the sake of tomorrow that endless hope is not a hopeless endMay Nigeria Win!
Abuja, Nigeria - September 22, 2023 - The Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Naval Staff to investigate Commodore Gabriel Sunday Martins Aligwe, the Executive Director, Operations, Navy Holdings Ltd. for alleged violation of public rules and abuse of office.

In a statement signed by NACATs Director of Investigation, Oghenedoro Tega in Abuja on Friday the group accused Commodore Gabriel Sunday Martins Aligwe, the Executive Director, Operations, of the Navy Holdings Limited for alleged violation of public rules and abuse of office.

NACAT accused Commodore Aligwe of owning/running private companies while in service against extant rules.

The group also drew the attention of the general public to widespread suggestions that the Naval Officer allegedly frustrates contractors and accept kickbacks for his personal gain.

NACATs investigation revealed that Commodore Gabriel Sunday Martins Aligwe, the Executive Director, Operations, of the Navy Holdings Limited and his immediate family members have interest as Directors in the companies, Max- Magins Nigeria Limited  RC 912887 and Martgab Nigeria Enterprises Limited  Rc 866375; and he did not declare them in his Assets and Liabilities Declaration Forms with the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), in compliance with the law."

Aside from the above-mentioned private companies, NACAT hinted that Aligwe has real estate companies.

NACAT also alleged that Aligwe is using his office to award contracts to himself through these private companies that he incorporated solely as a medium of perpetrating fraud and abuse of office.

In addition, the group noted that Aligwe has continuously flouted and breached some provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended and the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) Act Guidelines on Assets Declaration.

"Our investigations revealed that as a result of the numerous complaints while he was in office as Managing Director, the immediate past Chief of Naval Staff constituted an investigative panel that found Commodore Aligwe culpable and as a result of the findings, he was recommended for Court Martial and was to refund huge sums of money that was unaccounted for.

"To date, Commodore Aligwe has not been tried.

"It is therefore unfortunate that despite the alleged and perceived atrocities and abuse of office Commodore Aligwe perpetrated at the Naval Building and Construction Company Limited while in office as Managing Director, he is yet to be tried" NACAT's Director of Investigation stated.

As an NGO with a mandate to fight corruption and various anti-corruption war to our credit, NACAT expressed concern that such a naval officer would be allowed to continue in the Service with the alleged destructive tendencies without appropriate investigative action and/or punitive actions taken against him.

"It is, therefore, our firm position that it is necessary and expedient to revisit and conclude the pending case against Commodore Aligwe.

"His posting to the Navy Holdings Limited, which is a business entity operated under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (not by obey the last order), should be reconsidered by the Chief of the Naval Staff.

"Otherwise, the Nigerian Navy should prepare for a barrage of lawsuits" NACAT posited.

END.


Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to set up a presidential panel of enquiry to promptly probe the grim allegations that over US$15 billion of oil revenues, and N200 billion budgeted to repair the refineries are missing and unaccounted for between 2020 and 2021, as documented by the NigeriaExtractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

SERAP urged him to name and shame anyone suspected to be responsible for the missing and unaccounted for public funds and to ensure their effective prosecution as well as the full recovery of any proceeds of crime.

SERAP also urged him to fully implement all the recommendations by NEITI in its 2021 report, and to use any recovered proceeds of crime.

In the letter dated 23 September 2023 and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said: There is a legitimate public interest in ensuring justice and accountability for these serious allegations. Taking these important measures would end the impunity of perpetrators.

SERAP said, As President and Minister of Petroleum Resources, your office ought to be concerned about these damning revelations, by getting to the bottom of the allegations and ensuring that suspected perpetrators are promptly brought to justice, and any missing public funds fully recovered.

The letter, read in part: Any failure to investigate these grave allegations, bring suspected perpetrators to justice and recover any missing public funds would have serious resource allocation and exacerbate the countrys debt burden.

It would also create cynicism, suspicion, and eventually citizens distrust about the ability of your government to combat high-level official corruption, as well as deter foreign investment and limit growth and development.

We would therefore be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within seven days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel your government to comply with our request in the public interest.

The findings by NEITI suggest a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], national anticorruption laws, and the countrys obligations under the UN Convention against Corruption.

The allegations of corruption documented by NEITI undermine economic development of the country, trap the majority of Nigerians in poverty and deprive them of opportunities.

Your government has a constitutional duty to ensure transparency and accountability in the spending of the countrys wealth and resources.

According to the 2021 report by the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), government agencies including the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NNPC) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NPDC) failed to remit $13.591 million and $8.251 billion to the public treasury.

The NNPC and NPDC failed to remit over 70% of these public funds. NEITI wants both the NNPC and NPDC to be investigated, and for the missing public funds to be fully recovered.

The report also shows that in 2021, the State Owned Enterprises (SOE) and its subsidiaries (the NNPC Group) reportedly spent US$6.931billion on behalf of the Federal Government but without appropriation by the National Assembly. The money may be missing.

The NNPC also reportedly obtained a loan of $3 billion in 2012 purportedly to settle subsidy payments due to petroleum product marketers but there is no disclosure of the details of the loan, subsidy and the beneficiaries of the payments.

The report also shows that N9.73 billion was paid to the NNPC as pipeline transportation revenue earned from Joint Venture operations but the money was neither remitted to the Federation nor properly accounted for. The NPDC in 2021 also failed to remit $7.61 million realized from the sale of crude oil.

The report documents that about N200 billion was spent on refineries rehabilitation between 2020 and 2021 but none of the refineries was operational in 2021 despite the spending. NEITI wants the spending to be investigated, as the money may be missing.

Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] imposes clear responsibility on your government to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the constitution. Section 15(5) imposes the responsibility on your government to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power in the country.

Under Section 16(1) of the Constitution, your government has a responsibility to secure the maximum welfare, freedom and happiness of every citizen on the basis of social justice and equality of status and opportunity.

Section 16(2) further provides that, the material resources of the nation are harnessed and distributed as best as possible to serve the common good.

Similarly, articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on your government to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds, and to promote sound and transparent administration of public affairs.

The UN Convention against Corruption and the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption to which Nigeria is a state party obligate your government to effectively prevent and investigate the plundering of the countrys wealth and natural resources and hold public officials and non-state actors to account for any violations.

Specifically, article 26 of the UN convention requires your government to ensure effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions including criminal and non-criminal sanctions, in cases of grand corruption.

Article 26 complements the more general requirement of article 30, paragraph 1, that sanctions must take into account the gravity of the corruption allegations.

Nigeria is also a participating state of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), which aims to foster greater governmental accountability for the use of natural resource wealth through the creation of a set of international norms on revenue transparency.

EITI also aims to tackle corruption, poverty and conflict associated with natural resource wealth. Nigeria has the obligations to implement the EITI Standard, which sets out the transparency norms with which participating States including Nigeria must comply.

Kolawole Oluwadare

SERAP Deputy Director

24/9/2023

Lagos, Nigeria

Emails: [email protected]; [email protected]

Twitter: @SERAPNigeria

Website: www.serap-nigeria.org

For more information or to request an interview, please contact us on: +2348160537202
The Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy disclosed its plans to collaborate with Nigerian Exchange Limited to boost startup listings with the newly-created NGX Technology Board.

According to a statement issued on Friday by the NGX, it noted that the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this during a tech event themed; Invest in Africas Future- Lets talk about exits- a joint initiative of the Ministry, NGX, and Future Africa in New York.

Tijani said Nigeria had been grappling with over dependence on oil in the last few years. He noted that diversifying from reliance on a single sector like the oil industry often requires increasing productivity in other sectors and for him, this can be achieved through the application of technology and innovation.

According to him, We cannot do all of these as a country if we do not prioritise innovation and encourage entrepreneurs to build. Nigeria is now open to investments. We want to prioritise the ability of our technology companies to export products and we are targeting Africa first and then eventually start selling to the rest of the world.

Speaking at the same event, the Chief Executive Officer, NGX, Temi Popoola, said the exchange will work to support the agenda of the minister and the mandate of President Bola Tinubu. Whilst stating that technology is a big enabler of the capital market, Popoola also noted that NGX is keen on fostering innovation in the capital market, potentially to attract a larger pool of investors and mature tech companies to list on its platform.

The CEO said, We will continue to do a lot of work that makes us able to attract local capital and the day tech startups come to the exchange, we are confident that there would be very good audience of investors that would want to own a bit of their shares. This is what we at NGX are doing by removing all barriers for that to happen."
Kebbi Government has appealed to the residents of Birnin Kebbi and its environs to be patient, assuring that the total blackout being experienced would soon be over.

Alhaji Ahmed Idris, Chief Press Secretary to the Kebbi Governor, said this in a statement made available to newsmen on Sunday.

According to Idris, the Secretary to Kebbi State Government (SSG), Alhaji Yakubu Bala-Tafida made the plea when he visited the substation of Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) in Birnin Kebbi.

It could be recalled that on Thursday, Sept. 14, one 90MVA (330KV/132KV) and a 60MVA (132KV/33KV) transformers were destroyed as a result of a fire incident. The inferno also plunged Kebbi and Sokoto States as well as some parts of Zamfara into total darkness.

The SSG said the call became imperative given the lingering power outage being faced by the residents in the last ten days.

He said that he was at the scene on behalf of the State Governor, who instructed him to monitor the work, saying, because he doesnt want his people to remain in darkness.

Bala-Tafida assured that the governor was always in support of what would bring joy and happiness to his constituents.

The SSG, who expressed satisfaction with the level of work done so far, said the team of engineers has assured that their headquarters in Abuja have given them two weeks to fix the light.

We came, we saw the level of efforts being put in place and we are satisfied.

All we need from our people is prayers for them to do a good job and complete it within the stipulated period and we are hopeful that the work will be completed on schedule, he said.
The Osun State Correspondent of Daily Trust newspapers and Trust Television, Hameed Oyegbade has won the West Africa Broadcast and Media Academy 2023 Political Reporting Award.

Oyegbade recieved the award at the American Corner, Ikeja, Lagos on Friday for Excellence in 2023 Election Coverage and reporting.

The award is in recognition of the role of the media in the substance of democracy, especially in the aspect of election coverage.

Outstanding journalists and media organisations in Nigeria received awards during the closing of the Political Reporting Project implemented by WABMA and the Enugu Literary Society with the support of the United States Consulate General, Lagos.

Trust television and Daily Trust newspaper won award of 'Excellence in 2023 Election Coverage', both in the broadcast and print categories.

Oba Adeoye of Arise TV Lagos won the Photo/Video category, Ekemini Udo of Redemption FM, Abak, Akwa-Ibom state won the online category while Juliet Buna of Crest FM Ibadan, Oyo State won the Radio category. Other recipients include Channels TV, Lagos, Silver bird Television Lagos, Wazobia FM Lagos.

The WABMA Project Team Lead, Ken Ike OKERE said the award was in recognition of the media organisations and journalists who reported the 2023 elections in a credible, accurate and responsible manner.

Ken Ike said "We believe that political journalism plays a critical role in upholding the principles of democracy by informing the public and holding those in power accountable,".

"This event is an opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work and unwavering commitment of political reporters, editors, photo and video journalists who strive to provide the public with accurate, insightful and impartial reporting."

The Deputy Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate General, Lagos, Amanda Roach Brown said the US mission recognised that the media played important role in the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.

According to her, "We are gathered to honor the work you and your colleagues do to keep us informed. Each of you here today played an important role during the 2023 electoral process and we are glad to have been able to support you through this project in your efforts to provide objective and balanced reporting on the election."

As you know, reporting in Nigeria requires more than just keeping people informed. By providing people with timely and accurate information, you empower them. You help to give citizens a voice. You give citizens the tools they need to engage and to advocate for real, lasting change. And your work drives important dialogue; helping to promote civic engagement, build up institutions, and enable societies to thrive."

"Now, you dont need me to tell you that as noble as this work is, it is not easy. My colleagues and I at the U.S. Mission have the fullest admiration for what you do, and you have our commitment that we will continue to support you to the best of our ability. As you progress on your professional journey, know that the United States of America stands with you."

"Our Webinars, workshops, and U.S. based training opportunities such as the International Visitor Leadership Program and Foreign Press Center International Reporting Tours demonstrate our commitment to the deep partnership that we have long enjoyed with Nigeria", she noted.
President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu has asked Ndigbo not to despair over the current situation of the region, assuring that things would soon turn around for the Igbo.

He spoke at the Cathedral Church of Good Shepherd, Independence Layout Enugu, during a thanksgiving service as part of this years Igbo Day Celebration which takes place at the Michael Okpara Square, Independence Layout Enugu, on Friday, September 29,2023.

Iwuanyanwu who was in the church service alongside the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other Igbo leaders said the Igbo have the potentials to be great again, noting that his administration was doing everything possible to put them to work.

He commended the governors of the five South East states for their support to him since assumption of office as President General and assured that with such support and that of other Igbo leaders including Ndigbo in the Diaspora, the Igbo would soon regain their greatness.

Iwuanyanwu also thanked Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State for taking the funding of the Igbo Day celebration off the shoulders of Ohanaeze saying:

We are here to give thanks to God, we believe in what the preacher said that once you put your trust in God, He will never fail you. My life is a testimony of Gods love.

Enugu is the home of everybody in Eastern Nigeria. Enugu is the cradle of all the developments in Eastern Nigeria and whenever we come here, we have a sense of home coming, and that is how I feel right now, Iwuanyanwu said.

Welcoming Ohanaeze Ndigbo to the Cathedral of Good Shepherd, the Archbishop of Enugu Province and the Bishop of Enugu Diocese, Anglican Communion, Church of Nigeria, Most Rev. Professor Emmanuel Chukwuma, urged all Igbo to support Iwuanyanwus leadership, explaining that he was a unanimous choice.

He said: Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Nnayi, Iwuanyanwu, I thank you for coming, my people please this is a new Ohanaeze Ndigbo. It is in this Cathedral compound that I hosted all church leaders, inviting all the Igbo leaders, several times, in order to ensure that Ndigbo have one voice and peace in Ohanaeze Ndigbo. I tried everything to get Ndigbo together and we agreed to be one before Professor Obiozor died, now he is no more. I pray now that there is a new Ohanaeze under the leadership of Iwuanyanwu, we all met and said Iwuanyanwu should become the president-general and we have no more cases, no faction.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo now is ready to be self-funding, self-supporting. Deputy Governor, tell the governor that all the governors must support Ohanaeze Ndigbo. Chief Iwuanyanwu, all we are doing to make Ndigbo become one, God will help you, all efforts you are making God will help you.

He, then, called on the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to Ohanaeze Ndigbo and its President General, to restore peace in the South East.

We must make Tinubu to obey the rule of law, Nnamdi Kanu must be released; they should stop deceiving themselves. Let them release Nnamdi Kanu to Ohanaeze Ndigbo, let them release him to you and see what will happen. Thank God we are overcoming sit-at-home on Mondays, Peter Mbah is trying, insisting that Mondays must not be wasted, Alaigbo must not be wasted. Please all of you should cooperate, let us revive the economy of South East, Chukwuma stated.

E: Sign.

Dr. Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia (National Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide)
The fact that multiple Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) insiders offloaded a considerable amount of shares over the past year could have raised some eyebrows amongst investors. When analyzing insider transactions, it is usually more valuable to know whether insiders are buying versus knowing if they are selling, as the latter sends an ambiguous message. However, if numerous insiders are selling, shareholders should investigate more.

While we would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing, we do think it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing.

View our latest analysis for Adobe

Adobe Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The Chairman & CEO, Shantanu Narayen, made the biggest insider sale in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for US$17m worth of shares at a price of US$481 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to take some cash off the table, even below the current price of US$513. We generally consider it a negative if insiders have been selling, especially if they did so below the current price, because it implies that they considered a lower price to be reasonable. Please do note, however, that sellers may have a variety of reasons for selling, so we don't know for sure what they think of the stock price. We note that the biggest single sale was only 8.0% of Shantanu Narayen's holding.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 1.24k shares for US$356k. On the other hand they divested 92.32k shares, for US$37m. In total, Adobe insiders sold more than they bought over the last year. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. By clicking on the graph below, you can see the precise details of each insider transaction!

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Does Adobe Boast High Insider Ownership?

For a common shareholder, it is worth checking how many shares are held by company insiders. Usually, the higher the insider ownership, the more likely it is that insiders will be incentivised to build the company for the long term. Adobe insiders own about US$388m worth of shares (which is 0.2% of the company). This kind of significant ownership by insiders does generally increase the chance that the company is run in the interest of all shareholders.

Story continues

So What Do The Adobe Insider Transactions Indicate?

There haven't been any insider transactions in the last three months -- that doesn't mean much. While we feel good about high insider ownership of Adobe, we can't say the same about the selling of shares. Therefore, you should definitely take a look at this FREE report showing analyst forecasts for Adobe.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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.
Man arrested for stealing motorbike from Phuket security guard

PHUKET: Chalong Police and Rawai Municipality jointly apprehended the suspect involved in the theft of a motorcycle belonging to a local resorts security guard. The motorbike was stolen from the resorts parking lot while the guard was on duty.

crimepolice

By The Phuket News

Sunday 24 September 2023 03:00 PM

The theft was reported to Chalong Police by an unnamed security guard working at STAY Wellbeing & Lifestyle Resort on Soi Suksan 2. The man stated that at approximately 7pm on Friday (Sept 22), he rode his Narathiwat-registered Honda Wave to the resort and parked it overnight. At around 4:30 am the following day (Sept 23), the guard discovered that the motorbike had vanished.

"The victim then proceeded to meet with the investigating officers at Chalong Police Station to file a complaint," reported Chalong Police today (Sept 24).

Although Chalong Police did not provide specific details about how the motorcycle was located and the suspect apprehended, the police station emphasised in the opening sentence of the report that it was done "immediately" and "in cooperation with Rawai Municipality."

The arresting team was led by Lt Col Peerasit Nuphayan, Deputy Chief of Chalong Police, and Theeraphong Thaodaeng, Deputy Mayor of Rawai.

The suspect, identified in the report as Suthiphong Uamson, a 27-year-old native of Chachoengsao province, was charged with committing a theft at night.

According to Section 335 of the Thai Criminal Code, theft at night carries a penalty of imprisonment for one to five years and a fine ranging from B20,000 to B100,000.
Phuket hotels will be asked to save water

PHUKET: The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) will join hands with hotels in Phuket to introduce a campaign to save water in the resort island to reduce water consumption in the hospitality sector.

tourism

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 24 September 2023 12:00 PM

Phuket can use the effort to help reduce water consumption as a tourism campaign promoting the idea of sustainable tourism, according to the ONWR. Photo: Bangkok Post

ONWR Secretary-General Surasee Kittimonthon said Phuket is facing water shortage and treatment issues, reports Bangkok Post.

As the number of tourists is expected to grow, the increased need for water will grow steadily more acute. Developing canals into water storage areas instead of letting the water flow into the sea is one option to alleviate shortages during droughts.

Those canals should have water gates to keep water, he said.

Also, nine local administrative organisations which do not have wastewater treatment plants should have facilities to eliminate the environmental impact in their absence, Mr Surasee said. Phuket is also looking for options to boost water resources.

The ONWR, he said, proposed saving water use by joining hands with hotels to attach water meters in showers to display real-time water consumption. The project can start with large or international chain hotels, he said.

Phuket can then use the effort to help reduce water consumption as a tourism campaign promoting the idea of sustainable tourism. In addition, every hotel should have a green policy to encourage guests not to change towels every day, he said.

Meanwhile, Kongsak Khoopongsakorn, president of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, urged the government to build another reservoir on the island. The island has three which can store a total of 21 million cubic litres, but the island needs a total of 80 million a year.
Woman on outstanding warrant arrested at Phuket airport

PHUKET: A woman wanted by Thai police on fraud charges was arrested at Phuket International Airport on Saturday evening (Sept 23).

policeimmigrationcrime

By The Phuket News

Sunday 24 September 2023 05:25 PM

The Phuket Immigration Bureau of the Royal Thai Police reported the arrest through a standard Facebook post published today (Sept 24) on the Phuket Immigration Checkpoint page, which is dedicated to the activities of the officers stationed at the airport. The identity of the female suspect was not revealed.

The suspect was arrested at the International Departure Hall of the airport at around 7.20pm. Phuket Immigration officers did not elaborate on whether the woman was attempting to leave the country by air or was present at the airport with some other purpose.

According to the report, the suspect was arrested on a warrant issued by Nakhon Sri Thammarat District Court. The woman is accused of "jointly committing a fraud." She is to be sent to Muang Nakhon Sri Thammarat Police Station for further legal processing.

X-Ray activities focus on Chalong

As the woman was apprehended on Sept 23, the arrest was not included in the weekly report about the X-Ray activities conducted by Phuket Immigration and reported through the main Phuket Immigration page on Facebook.

The report for Sept 15-21 states that a total of five people were arrested and charged by Phuket Immigration during the seven-day period. All five individuals were charged with overstaying their visas. As the suspects were arrested, all of them face being blacklisted from visiting Thailand for the next five years.

In total, 96 foreign nationals were "X-Rayed" for visa status from Sept 15 through Sept 21. Out of those, 39 were Russian nationals, seven were Brits, six were Canadians, three were Chinese, and three more were holding French passports.

Out of 66 addresses inspected, 35 were in Chalong. During the previous week police officers inspected 42 location with 13 of them being in Chalong.
(Bloomberg) -- Sign up for the India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi  an insider's guide to the emerging economic powerhouse, and the billionaires and businesses behind its rise, delivered weekly.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Apple Inc. plans to increase production in India more than fivefold within the next five years, PTI reported, citing government officials it didnt identify.

The company surpassed $7 billion production in the country in the last financial year and is aiming for $40 billion, the same official told PTI. Apple didnt respond to an emailed query outside of office hours.

Apple manufactures iPhones in India and has plans to start making AirPods as well next year, the news wire said. In a first, the Cupertino-based phonemaker launched its India-made iPhone 15 this month on its global release day.

Meanwhile, the country is looking to expand its electronics industry to $300 billion by 2026 on the back of increased smartphone production and a global push to de-risk China based supply chains, Indias junior minister for technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, told Bloomberg TV earlier this month.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Torbung on May 3 : Where it all started Recalling the genesis

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The Sangai Express has been consistent in its stand. There should be no confusion over this. The first match stick that was struck and which set Manipur on fire in the evening of May 3 was at Torbung. The ingeniously named Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF), the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU), the Kuki Inpi Manipur (KIM) and the All Tribal Students Union, Manipur have always side stepped the question of why participants of the Tribal Solidarity March marched all the way to Torbung from Churachandpur in the first place. Situated a good 12 kilometres away from Churachandpur district headquarters, where was the need for the muscle flexing participants of the rally to march 12 kilometres ? Moreover how did elements, armed to the teeth with sophisticated weapons, become the rallying point of the rallyists in their march towards Torbung on May 3 ? Why have no answers to these posers ever come from any of the well intentioned Kuki leaders and scholars who have earned their place under the Sun during the ongoing clash ? That the situation at Churachandpur was not good at all is something known to all-the arsons, the setting on fire the very place which the Chief Minister was scheduled to inaugurate, the setting on fire the office of the Forest Department, the dawn to dusk bandh or restrictions imposed by the ITLF etc-but to the people of Imphal all these instances were seen and understood as a group of people expressing their angst and stand against the policy of the State Government. Tension leading to May 3 was high, but that tension was understood and seen as a stand off between the Kukis and the State Government and not between the Kukis and the Meiteis. Then why were the Meiteis targeted and their houses set aflame at Torbung and at Waikhurok ? Only ITLF, CoTU and KIM can answer this. Add ATSUM to this list too, for it was under their aegis that the so call Tribal Solidarity March was held. May 3, 2023 : How it all started at Torbung was the screaming headline used by The Sangai Express while telling the story of how the clash started. The affidavits filed by the Meiteis of Churachandpur with the Manipur Human Rights Commission falls neatly into the factual narrative which has been held by this paper since the evening of May 3 and this should be the start of the narrative to understand the present clash, which is nearing the five months mark.

May 3, 2023 : How it all started at Torbung is the first of a series of stories which The Sangai Express has lined up. As announced, more stories on the Meitei localities which have been levelled to the ground at Churachandpur town will hit the front page of this newspaper in the coming days. The stories are meant to set the record straight and get the inside story at Churachandpur, according to the testimonies filed by the Meiteis who managed to flee the town in the evening of May 3 and later. A stark reminder that most, if not all, of the media houses from other parts of the country and which had sent their represen- tatives to Churachandpur had overlooked to run a detailed story on the mayhem and destruction caused to the Meitei settlements there while running the stories that have been skilfully peddled by those on the other side of the clash divide. Hopefully such stories should help get a grasp of the reality and counter the false narrative that has been peddled to the outside world. It should also help in neutralising the victim card that has been played with so much aplomb while painting the valley districts as the villain of the piece. Slowly and gradually the real picture from Churachandpur, the place which engineered the current clash, is beginning to emerge and one hopes more such stories also come out from Moreh and Kangpokpi. On the other hand, it should be kept in mind that recalling the genesis of the clash should not be any reason to see another round of fresh clash, but is just a sincere attempt to bring the right narrative to the people. The Government should also answer why the Tribal Solidarity March was allowed to be held in the first place, for tension was already high at Churachandpur.
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The chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, returned to Kolkata after a 12-day foreign trip, on Saturday, while on Tuesday, the governor, CV Anand Bose, is set to embark on his own foreign journey. As of now, there hasnt been any official announcement from Raj Bhavan regarding the purpose of the governors trip. However, it is known that he will depart for America on Tuesday.

Interestingly, Bose had obtained approval from the Presidents Office for his overseas trip. Approval from the Presidents Office is required for any governor to travel abroad.

Mamata Banerjees trip included visits to Spain and Dubai, where she engaged in discussions with industrialists and met with non-resident Indians. The discussions primarily revolved around investments in Bengal, and she returned to Kolkata on Saturday after a successful visit. In the backdrop of this, tensions continue to simmer between Nabanna (the state governments headquarters) and Raj Bhavan (the governors house).

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The recent appointments of temporary vice-chancellors for various universities by the governor sparked a dispute involving the state government and the University Grants Commission. Even on Sunday, the governor held meetings with all vice-chancellors, a meeting that was preceded by instructions to ensure their presence. Furthermore, there has been an ongoing conflict regarding the oath-taking ceremony for the newly elected MLA Nirmal Chandra Roy of the Trinamool Congress.

Although preparations were made at Raj Bhavan to administer the oath, the state secretariat (Nabanna) contested this arrangement. While the Raj Bhavan had initiated preparations to administer the oath, the event is yet to take place. It remains to be seen whether the conflict will escalate further. During these developments, the upcoming Red Road Durga Puja Carnival, where the governor is traditionally invited, assumes added significance this year. However, given the current atmosphere of political tensions and courtesy exchanged through letters, the implications of these developments remain uncertain.

The governor will meet some NRIs and take part in a literary conference and return to Kolkata on 7 October.
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who returned from her trip to Spain this evening, told newspersons that she was happy that she was able to do some good work for Bengal.

The meetings she attended in Madrid, Barcelona and Dubai with investors would come handy and were meaningful and encouraging for the upcoming Bengal Global Business Summit to be held in November.Miss Banerjee, who left the city for Spain on 12 September with an eye to attract investment with an entourage packed with industrialists and officials of three big clubs of Kolkata Maidan, returned this evening.

On her return, while speaking to newspersons at the NSC Bose Airport, she expressed happiness that her foreign trip went off according to plan with the amount of response she received from the investors there was encouraging to say the least, the chief minister contended.

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She added, We have been able to do some good work for Bengal for which Im grateful to all of you who rendered support. You know that we could able to ink some big deals. The meetings organised by FICCI, ICC held in Barcelona, Madrid and Dubai with investors there turned out to be fruitful in the lead up to the BGBS summit. The most pleasing thing was to notice the presence of the Indian Diaspora among others in those meetings.
The governor, CV Anand Bose, has sent a letter to the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee inquiring about the details of her recent foreign trip. Banerjee returned to Kolkata on Saturday night after a 12-day visit to Spain and Dubai.

While the exact content of the letter remains undisclosed, reports from Raj Bhavan suggest that Bose is eager to gather information about Banerjees foreign trip and related matters. The political circles in the state view this exchange of letters as a courtesy, as Banerjee replied that the trip had a very positive outcome.

This development occurs in the context of recent events in West Bengal, where the governors office appointed temporary vice-chancellors for several universities, including Netaji Subhas Open University, Rajabazar Science College, Kalyani University, Bardhaman University, and Diamond Harbour Womens University. These appointments led to a clash of authority between the state government, the governor, and the University Grants Commission (UGC). Even on Sunday, the governor called some VCs to the Raj Bhavan.

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It remains to be seen whether there will be a face-to-face meeting between the chief minister and the governor soon. However, despite the exchange of pleasantries through letters, the conflict between Nabanna and Raj Bhavan continues.
AR/VR interactive caring and epidemic prevention are advanced smart technologies

BANGKOK, September 24, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The ASTER_Wise Smart Community Theme Alliance has successfully brought together 13 Taiwanese manufacturers specializing in various fields such as smart sensors, information security protection, and online audio and video marketing. Their collective goal is to establish a comprehensive smart community system in response to the growing trend of new lifestyles in North America and Southeast Asia. In light of the global trade disruptions caused by the pandemic, this initiative aims to extend its impact beyond North America by leveraging the resources of small and medium-sized enterprises in Southeast Asian nations. By forging strategic alliances and developing diverse business models, this collaboration is poised to explore promising opportunities in overseas markets, ultimately positioning Taiwan's industry on a global stage.

The goal of the alliance is to create a smart community that connects artificial intelligence recognition, behavioral data, and digital ecosystems. By introducing smart monitoring and AI intelligence, the construction environment process becomes transparent. Residents can use their mobile phones to browse community information and services, optimize resident experience, enhance the safety of the living environment, and provide remote medical services. Use AR/VR to visualize overall service security and collect data to identify behavioral data to verify. Then, combine a variety of digital marketing tools and technologies to accelerate the development of the Southeast Asian market.

The alliance plans a variety of customized solutions based on the needs of residents. Based on the smart security control system, combined with smart community platforms, information security systems, and face and license plate recognition technologies, coupled with the value-added application functions of life value such as telemedicine, it plans to promote smart community solutions to the Southeast Asian market.

Story continues

The benefits of the ASTER_Wise alliance include: 1) Expand new customer areas, develop new markets, and maintain sustainable competitiveness. 2) Promote the development of various smart community technologies and creative services through the overseas development of the ASTER_Wise Alliance. 3) In addition to North America, the initial operational targets also include individual cities in four countries, i.e. Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, and service introduction can also be extended to smart park units.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230920239440/en/

Contacts

Maurice Liu

T +62-61-29061524

maurice.liu@twoway.com.tw

Jeffrey Hu

T +66-6-49357564

jeffrey.hu@twoway.com.tw
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has urged the local police to clear the footpath of an eminent city hotel near New Market of hawkers as per the existing rules. According to the mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation Firhad Hakim, the officer-in-charge of New Market police station has been asked to make the 50 feet stretch free of hawkers.

The move comes after the Calcutta High Court questioned Kolkata Municipal Corporation and Kolkata Police on allowing hawkers on the footpath of the iconic hotel that has heritage value. The court is also said to have asked for a report on the measures taken to prevent encroachment in front of the heritage structure along with a list of hawkers operating on the pavement of the hotel.

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The West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, made an unexpected visit to the SSKM Hospital in the state capital, on Sunday. Reports suggest that she arrived at the hospitals Woodburn Ward around 4pm.

Accompanied by the health secretary, NS Nigam, and other medical staff, the chief minister underwent a health check-up. While the exact nature of her health issue remains undisclosed, there have been rumours of a leg-related problem. Specialists in orthopaedics were present during her examination.

The visit comes just a day after Banerjees return from an extensive 12-day foreign trip, which included visits to Spain and Dubai. The chief minister appeared in high spirits when she landed at the airport, expressing immense satisfaction with her overseas journey. However, her sudden visit to the hospital has raised concerns and curiosity about her health condition.

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All Municipal Corporation of Delhi schools celebrated the International Day of Sign Languages, on Saturday.

The United Nations had declared September 23 as International Day of Sign Languages. The main objective behind celebrating this day is to recognize the crucial role sign language plays in facilitating communication, preserving cultural identities, and promoting inclusion.

The theme of this years Sign Language Day was A World Where Deaf People Everywhere Can Sign Everywhere. On this occasion, MCD schools organized many activities in their premises to promote use of sign language while communicating with deaf people. Special educators working in the schools conducted awareness programmes about use of sign language during morning assembly.

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Many awareness programmes for teachers and students will be conducted in the MCD schools after the mid-term examinations. This will include the use and importance of sign language while communicating with deaf people.

Competition on sign language will be held in schools after the exams. Students will be able to learn sign language through these competitions but will also be able to take part in various activities with hearing-impaired students. Students will be able to communicate with each other without speaking.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off a group of students who performed excellently in the Devprayag Assembly Class 10 council examination for Bharat Darshan Educational Tour at the Chief Sevak Sadan located at his residence office on Saturday, said a statement from Chief Ministers Office (CMO).

Congratulating everyone, the Chief Minister said that through this educational tour, students will be able to understand the history, science, culture, and nature of India in detail, and along with the tendency to live in groups, their sense of self-confidence will also be strengthened.

In the future, the state government will organise educational tours for the top students in every block of the state, the Chief Minister added.

Earlier in July, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the National Education Policy of India 2020 (NEP 2020) will provide opportunities to all sections of society to get education and give school education and higher education a new dimension.

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In the year 2020, the new education policy was put in front of us by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to meet the new challenges of the new era. With the new education policy, on the one hand, school education and higher education will get new dimensions; on the other hand, it will also provide opportunities to all classes of people to get education on the basis of equality. Skill development at the school level will make youth work efficiently, the Chief Minister said.

The Chief Minister said that the social and economic development of any country depends on the quality of education being provided to the students in that country. He said that Uttarakhand is the first state in the country to implement the new education policy in school education.

Through the new education policy, along with employment-oriented education, children will also be helped to achieve success in competitive examinations. This will also encourage research and develop scientific thinking among the students.
Director Vivek Agnihotris bio-science film The Vaccine War has released a hard rock version of the Rigveda hymn Nasadiya Sukta.

Combining the traditional sonic aesthetics of mantras and its complex intonations in Hindi, this rendition gives a hard rock touch to the Hymn of Creation, feeling extremely serious and yet calming and peaceful.

Nasadiya Sukta from The Vaccine War features heavy and hard edged rock riffs combined with traditional folk music reminiscent of classical Carnatic style, complete with sitars, chanting and shreddy guitar solos.

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The production is booming loud with a very fine audio design, the bass is a bit subdued and the drums are simple though dont have a loud enough impact on the snare or the cymbals.

But that can very easily be ignored due to the power packed guitar riffs combined with the feeling of being inside a temple, as if priests are chanting the Sukta right in front of you.

Vivek Agnihotri, taking to his X account (formerly Twitter) announced the song and wrote: THE WAIT IS OVER: Launching Nasadiya Sukta from Rigveda that features in #TheVaccineWar #ATrueStory. Nasadiya Sukta is the worlds first scientific theory on the creation of the universe. Pls share this and make the world aware about the scientific temperament of Hindu civilisation.

The song is accompanied by a music video showing clips from the movie regarding both vaccine preparation, medias largely negative role, political controversies and the determination of the scientists to Make In India something real and achievable.

For the unversed, Nasadiya Sukta is a hymn from the Rigveda and is the 129th sukta from the 10-th mandala of the text.

In its Sanskrit passages, the whole sukta narrates the beginning of the world from a void born of nothingness before even existence.

It proceeds to talk about the primal seeds that were sown by the One up above before darkness, light, mortality, immortality.

The seeds eventually find their perfect soil bringing up strength and creating life, though this is not attributed to gods because the hymn narrates that even gods came after existence began, and all that was born will be returned to the void one day.

In between, the music video cuts in the song as some very important moments are featured, such as the media criticism of the vaccine due to their political affiliations, a complete no-trust of the government, and having no belief in Indian quality.

The two most important dialogues shown in the music video are from Nana Patekar, the first when he is talking to the scientists at the ICMR saying: Today we have ICMR only because of the I (meaning that the Indian Council of Medical Research is only working because of its first initial which stands for Indian).

The second one is when he addresses the media and says: If this vaccine had a label which was from the West, you wouldnt even question it.

The Vaccine War will be released in theatres on September 28, 2023.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday announced government jobs for family members of martyrs in a key Cabinet meeting. In the Cabinet meeting chaired by CM Sarma, several key decisions were taken towards the empowerment of the people of the state.

The chief minister also announced Mukhya Mantri Lok Sevak Arogya Yojana to streamline medical reimbursement procedures for government employees and pensioners.

Beneficiaries of the scheme  government employees and pensioners  will be able to undergo treatment at all government and private hospitals registered under the Clinical Establishment Act.

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Their medical reimbursement claims will be processed via a dedicated online portal of Atal Amrit Abhiyan Society.

Moreover the cost of OPD medicines post operation treatment will also be reimbursed to eligible patients. Cashless facilities will also be made available in all government hospitals from the next financial year.

The Cabinet also approved government jobs for one family member of Indian Army, Navy and Air Force personnel who sacrificed their lives for the country. Besides, a DPR was also approved for the modernization of power distribution. This will cost the exchequer an estimated Rs 5196 crore and benefit approximately 67 lakh consumers across the state.

A decision to procure green power from renewable sources was also taken during the meeting. For this, the Government of Assam will execute a power purchase agreement for 100 MW at the rates offered by the Solar Power Corporation of India Limited.

Ranoj Pegu, Cabinet Minister for Higher Education, School Education, Tribal Affairs, expressed his gratitude towards the chief minister and said the decisions taken by the Cabinet will further empower the people of Assam.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali on Sunday demanded action against another BJP MP Nishikatn Dubey for accusing him of instigating Ramesh Bidhuri in Lok Sabha by using unpardonable words against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Ramesh Bidhuri, BJPs South Delhi MP on Thursday abused Ali in the Lok Sabha. The BSP leader wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla seeking action against Bidhuri for what he termed was an act of verbal lynching.

Amid the uproar over Bidhuris remarks, another BJP MP Nishikant Dubey claimed that it was Ali who first provoked Bidhuri by making highly objectionable and derogatory remarks against our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

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Reacting to Dubeys allegations, Danish Ali said that a BJP MP verbally lynched him inside the Parliament and now trying to do the same thing outside.

If what Nishikant Dubey is saying is true, there must be a video of the same Is it true that all the BJP MPs were sitting and laughing there? This means that they did not come in support of the PM They did my verbal lynching on the house Now they are trying to lynch me outside, Ali said in a press conference in Delhi.

The BSP MP called for inquiry into Dubeys claims and asked the Speaker to take an action against him as well.

I request the (Lok Sabha) speaker that this should be inquired because this is one more matter of breach of privilege. I demand action be taken against Nishikant Dubey for what he has written, Ali said.

Meanwhile, Ramesh Bihduri has reportedly refused to speak on the issue. He has not come out with any clarification on his remarks against the BSP MP. However, he was scolded by the Speaker and issued a showcause notice by BJP national president JP Nadda.
The US Ambassador to Canada, David Cohen has confirmed that the so called intelligence which prompted Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus allegations against India was shared among Five Eyes partners. The Five Eyes is a colloaboration of intelligence agencies of five countries  Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the US and the UK.

Trudeau Monday claimed to have evidence of credible allegations linking an Indian government diplomat to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India vehemently rejected Trudeaus claims and termed them absurd and politically driven.

His allegations, however, triggered a massive diplomatic row between India and Canada with both countries expelled each others diplomats and New Delhi suspending visa services for Canadians citizens.

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I will say this was a matter of shared intelligence information. There was a lot of communication between Canada and the United States about this, and I think thats as far as Im comfortable going, Cohen told CTV News in an interview.

While India has designated Nijjar a terrorist, Trudeau government considered him a Sikh activist and ignored his acts of violence and anti-India activities. He was killed by two masked gunmen in the parking lot of a Gurudwara in Surrey on June 18, reportedly by a rival gang.

Earlier this week, Trudeau had told reporters that officials had been working closely with intelligence agencies since the summer to make sure that we had solid grounding in understanding what was going on.

If the allegations prove to be true, it is a potentially very serious breach of the rules-based international order in which we like to function, Cohen added in the interview.

Earlier, on Friday (local time), US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was deeply concerned over Trudeaus allegations of an India hand in the killing of the pro-Khalistan leader Nijjar.

Blinked said that the United States wants to see accountability in the matter even as experts suggest Washington would like to stay away from the matter.

Addressing a press conference in New York City earlier this week, Blinken said the US has engaged directly with the Indian government and called on New Delhi to work closely with Ottawa on the investigation.

India, on the other hand, has demanded evidence from the Canadian prime minister to back his claims but so far, he has given none. In a press conference Indias Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also questioned Canadas stand on Khalistani extremists.

Bagchi said that Canada has become a safe haven for terrorists and failed to act against those who incite violence against India despite providing evidence on several occasions. India also shared a detailed dossier with Canada on Nijjars terror activities including his links with Pakistans ISI but Trudeau chose to look the other way around.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday explained why the Oppositions alliance was named INDIA  an acronym for the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance. Speaking at an event in national capital Delhi, the Congress MP said that the Opposition is fighting the Indian state to defend the India of India.

We are not fighting now a political party, we are fighting the Indian state and we are fighting to defend the idea of India. And that is why we have given our name INDIA, Gandhi said.

As many as 28 opposition parties, including the principal Opposition Congress, have come together to form an alliance against the BJP-led NDA to fight the 2024 Lok Sabha elections together as far as possible.

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Financial Attack on Opposition

The Congress leader also alleged a financial attack on the Opposition parties saying that businesses in the country are afraid of providing financial support to them.

Go and ask any businessman in India what happens to them if they support an opposition party. If they were to write a cheque for any opposition party, ask them what happens to them. So we are facing a financial attack, a media attack and were doing pretty well he said.

The Congress leader also termed the Ramesh Bidhuri incident BJPs attempt to distract the country from the Caste census. BJPs South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri triggered a massive political row after he abused BSP MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha during the special session of Parliament.

What youre seeing today, Bidhuri, and then suddenly this Nishikant Dubey, this is all the BJP trying to distract from the idea of the Caste census he said.

Rahul Gandhi also termed Modi governments One Nation One Election push and India vs Bharat row another distraction strategies of the ruling.
Parliament this week passed a landmark bill for womens empowerment, which provides a 33 per cent quota for women in the Lok Sabha and legislatures. This gender bill marks a significant milestone towards empowering women in politics. On Wednesday, the Lok Sabha approved the Womens Bill in Parliament and legislatures through a voice vote. Of 543 MPs, 454 supported the Bill, with only two members opposing it.

The next day, the Rajya Sabha unanimously passed the Bill, with all 215 members voting in favour. With both houses clearing the Bill, kudos are due to the Prime Minister and to all the lawmakers. Mr. Modi praised parliamentarians for overcoming agni pariksha and achieving gender equality, highlighting the need for cooperation. It shows that if the BJP and Congress are together, they can pass any bill.

Other parties also claimed credit for the legislations success. Congress leaders like Sonia Gandhi celebrated the victory and demanded prompt implementation, calling the bill our Bill. It is beneficial for parties to appeal to female voters before the upcoming Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. Despite Indias Constitution promoting gender equality, women have been historically underrepresented in Parliament and state legislatures despite making up nearly half of the population. Implementing womens quotas requires careful consideration of social, political, and cultural factors.

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The Bill has faced several obstacles till now. It has been introduced and abandoned multiple times due to disagreements among political parties. However, the primary reason for its failure is the reluctance of male legislators. They fear losing their perceived importance. Efforts to achieve gender balance in politics faced challenges in negotiating the quota. Rajiv Gandhi initiated, and Sonia Gandhi took it forward. Sushma Swaraj encountered opposition from parties like SP and RJD.

The Congress and other opposition parties insisted on a quota within the quota for OBC women. Male politicians also oppose the idea that subquotas were suggested, such as reservations for OBC women within the percentage. Although the status of women has improved in India since the adoption of International Womens Day in 1975, progress could have been faster. The Bills legislative journey started during the Rajiv Gandhi era, but it was introduced in Parliament by Prime Minister Deve Gowda on 27 September 1996.

Despite several attempts by subsequent administrations, it has failed due to a lack of political will and consensus. The Bill was passed by the Manmohan Singh administration in the Rajya Sabha in 2010 but failed to pass in the Lok Sabha. There is a divided opinion on the subject in almost all the parties except the Left. The primary opponents to the Bill were the Janata Dal-United (JD-U)), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Samajwadi Party.

Some blame should also attach to the womens organisations who refused to accept the 20 per cent reservation proposed at one point. Despite the passage, women must wait until after the next Census and delimitation processes are completed by 2029. These exercises will commence after the next Lok Sabha polls. The BJP may leverage this for electoral advantages in the 2024 and 2029 polls.

Several countries have implemented steps to ensure gender equality in political representation. They include reserving some legislative seats and promoting womens political involvement. India has signed international agreements for gender equality. Reserving political positions for women is in line with these commitments.

The United Nations praised India after Parliament passed the Bill. Susan Ferguson, the Country Representative for UN Women India, stressed the significance of women having political representation to continue their empowerment. She described the Bill as a bold and transformative measure to help reach this objective. Currently, the law reserves onethird of the chairpersons at all Panchayati Raj Institutions and urban local bodies for women.

As a result, over a million women currently serve at the grassroots level. Supporters argue that a quota is essential to address the underrepresentation of women in Indian politics and decision-making bodies. They believe it will empower women, promote gender equality, and give them a stronger voice. Additionally, it is a step towards correcting the historical gender imbalances. Some say a quota is unfair and may reinforce inequality. Rotating these seats every election could decrease motivation among MPs.

Furthermore, they apprehend women may be chosen based on connections rather than qualifications, leading to accusations of tokenism. The battle for equality is ongoing. While the Bill has been passed in Parliament, more work must be done to address all gender-related concerns.

True empowerment requires shifting peoples attitudes and eradicating harmful practices such as rape, khap panchayats, honour killings, and Sati. Despite having laws in place, their enforcement could be improved. Influential leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee, Mayawati, and Mehbooba Mufti have the power to help those who are less fortunate.

The 33 per cent reservation for women is a crucial opportunity whose benefits must be maximized.
Feature: Cambodian patients praise Chinese "Peace Angel" medics for offering free medical services

Xinhua) 09:30, September 24, 2023

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- For You Seavkheng, a 51-year-old Cambodian patient, free medical services provided by a Chinese "Peace Angel" medical team have not only helped improve her health, but also saved her money on medical expenses.

Seavkheng, who has been suffering from a chronic daily headache and high blood pressure for two years, had her health conditions checked and been treated by the medical team on Friday at the Preah Ket Mealea Hospital, known as the military hospital, here in the country's capital Phnom Penh.

"Such a free treatment is good because our country has many needy people including me, and we're delighted that good doctors come to treat us," she told Xinhua. "Some patients have no money, so this (free) treatment is very helpful."

The mother of three children said this humanitarian mission would contribute further to promoting friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

"I'm happier if such a free treatment could be conducted more often," she said. "I wish them (the Chinese medics) good health and safe travel back home."

Em Sothea, 54-year-old patient from the southeastern Svay Rieng province, said she has had diabetes, arthritis, and body aches for several years. She came to the hospital after receiving the news of the free medical services from a relative.

"It's an effective treatment, with good quality medicine provided, and I feel better," she told Xinhua. "I want such more free medical services in Cambodia."

Sothea said she highly trusted Chinese doctors and the medicine that they provided.

Zhang Yi, leader of the "Peace Angel" medical team, said the team began to offer free-of-charge medical services to Cambodian patients on Friday as part of the China-Cambodia "Peace Angel-2023" joint humanitarian exercise.

"This is the first time that our "Peace Angel" medical team has come to Cambodia to provide medical drills and medical services," he told Xinhua.

"I believe that there will be more and more medical cooperation between our two militaries in the future," he added.

Zhang was confident that medical exchanges and academic exchanges between the two sides will become better and better, and friendship between China and Cambodia will last forever.

The team is scheduled to travel to the northwestern Siem Reap province to provide such free medical services to patients there, he said.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
Supply Chain Solutions LLC recently acquired Dallas-based G4 Logistics International, a move aimed at boosting cross-border services with Mexico. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves)

Borderlands is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of United States-Mexico cross-border trucking and trade. This week: A Michigan-based 3PL aims to capitalize on Mexico trade through an acquisition; San Antonio mulls banning overnight truck parking; a Texas-based electric mini-truck maker begins production; and $9.9 million worth of marijuana is seized at the World Trade Bridge.

Michigan-based 3PL aims to capitalize on Mexico trade through acquisition

Supply Chain Solutions LLC (SCS) recently acquired Dallas-based G4 Logistics International, a move directed at boosting cross-border services as more firms leave China and nearshore manufacturing operations south of the border, according to SCS CEO Les Brand.

China trade is slowing down and it significantly took a big portion of our revenues down because consumers are buying locally now, Brand told FreightWaves.

The acquisition of G4 Logistics adds about 20 employees to SCS and offices in Mexico City and Dallas, as well as expands SCS offerings to cross-border shippers.

The people at [G4 Logistics International], theyve been friends of ours for a long time. Now were just getting the family a little closer, Brand said. When we saw China trade start to slow down a bit  we thought we needed to build up our cross-border relationship, not only with Mexico, but also in Canada.





Mexico was the top U.S. trade partner in July at $65.3 billion, marking the seventh time in the past eight months Mexico ranked No. 1 in monthly international commerce with the U.S.

Mexicos trade with the U.S. year to date is $462 billion, ahead of Canada at $450.3 billion and China at $322.3 billion.

Nearshoring of manufacturing continues to boost cross-border trade between the U.S. and Mexico. The manufacturing sector in Mexico already attracted almost $10 billion in foreign direct investments in the first eight months of 2023, according to Statista, compared to $13.7 billion in all of 2022.

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G4 Logistics, founded in 2016, is a full-service logistics company providing international freight forwarding, transportation management, freight brokerage and contract logistics services. G4 Logistics will transition and be folded into SCS.

The deal with G4 is the eighth acquisition for Grand Rapids, Michigan-based SCS since Brand founded the company in 2001. Brand said the acquisition of G4 will add transactional brokerage services to SCS offerings.

What we do is help our clients improve the performance of their supply chain, offering technology, consulting, trade management, managed transportation and contracts, Brand said. What we didnt have was a transactional brokerage  a short, quick, responsive service that a lot of our clients really want.

G4 Logistics also has a lot of experience with cross-border automotive shipments and other related industries, according to Brand.

They do durable manufacturing, foods, Brand said. By industry, were touching a lot of pharmaceuticals, were touching a lot of food, which we like right now. Both are high growth, things are stable. With automotive, well see if wheels go down or wheels up.

Brand said SCS is also looking at cross-border trade opportunities in Canada, Brazil and India. In addition to the acquisition of G4 Logistics, SCS is in the process of acquiring a Mexico City-based freight forwarding company.

Were preparing for India right now, were preparing a little more for Canadaand this Mexico relationship is going to be great for us. We do a lot of work with Brazil and thats another big trading partner with Mexico, Brand said. What the Mexico City freight forwarder will help us do is support the European inbound automotive imports into Mexico, especially German consolidations down into the automotive hubs down there.

San Antonio mulls banning overnight truck parking

The San Antonio City Council could soon consider an ordinance that would ban tractor-trailer parking along all nonresidential city streets between 2 and 6 a.m.

It can be a real public safety issue when youve got big 18-wheelers lined up on the side of a road, and cars have to swerve to miss them, San Antonio Councilman Marc Whyte told the San Antonio Report.

City and county ordinances in San Antonio already restrict parking in residential areas between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., and the city also prohibits parking trucks in a homes front yard or on the curb of a residential property.

The proposed ban on overnight tractor-trailer parking was recently reviewed by the citys public safety committee and could be taken up soon at a City Council meeting.

Texas-based electric mini-truck maker begins production

Electric mini-truck maker Ayro recently began low-rate initial production (LRIP) of the companys first vehicle, known as the Vanish, a utility truck with a modular design intended for a wide range of urban uses, according to a news release.

Ayro is a designer and manufacturer of electric commercial vehicles. The company was founded in 2017 and is based in Round Rock, Texas, about 20 miles north of Austin.

Electric mini-truck maker Ayro recently began production of the Vanish in Texas. (Photo: Ayro)

LRIP is a limited manufacturing run that is intended to validate the efficiency of the production processes and systems designed to build the Vanish, the company said. Training, tools, processes and quality measures are evaluated as the company prepares to ramp up to higher production rates.

We believe entering LRIP for the Vanish is a major milestone for Ayro, CEO Tom Wittenschlaeger said in a statement. Within a few weeks, we anticipate being able to deliver the first vehicles to our dealers and partners so they can begin showing and selling the Vanish beyond pre-orders.

The Vanish is designed to serve as a sustainable alternative to gas-powered vehicles typically used in commercial fleets.

$9.9M worth of marijuana seized at World Trade Bridge

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recently seized more than 2 tons of marijuana at the World Trade Bridge in Laredo, Texas.

The seizure occurred Sept. 14 when CBP officers were checking a tractor-trailer hauling a load of home goods from Mexico. Officers reportedly discovered 177 packages containing a total of 4,466 pounds of alleged marijuana within the trailer. The narcotics have a street value of $9.9 million.

CBP seized the narcotics and turned the case over to Homeland Security Investigations.

Border agents reportedly discovered 177 packages containing a total of 4,466 pounds of alleged marijuana hidden in a trailer-trailer. (Photo: CBP)

Watch: Waabi announces $10M deal with Uber Freight.

Click for more FreightWaves articles by Noi Mahoney.

More articles by Noi Mahoney

Texas resumes truck inspections long Mexico border amid migrant surge

CBP halts commercial truck processing at Texas port of entry

Borderlands: Mexico remains top US trade partner in July

The post Borderlands: Michigan-based 3PL aims to capitalize on Mexico trade through acquisition appeared first on FreightWaves.
The passing of the Naari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam or the Womens Reservation Bill 2023 by both Houses during the special session of Parliament has undoubtedly addressed a long-standing demand, from all progressive sections of society cutting across gender identities. The 128th Constitutional amendment proposes the reservation of one-third or 33 per cent of the seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislatures for women, and its overwhelming acceptance among parties at a time of intense polarisation is noteworthy. The 2023 Bill seems, on the face of it, to be a reiteration of the 2008 version.

It continues, for example, exempting the reservation of seats in the Rajya Sabha and legislative councils for women as did the Bill introduced by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA). But this happens at a time when the Rajya Sabha currently has a lower representation of women compared to the Lok Sabha. The 2023 Bill also does not provide a quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC), a point stressed extensively by the Opposition, and one that had become a sticking point earlier as well. The government, on the other hand, highlights the fact that the Bill does include reservation of one-third of seats for women within the existing SC and ST reservation framework. These seats will be allocated on a rotational basis, with a 15-year (extendable) sunset clause.

The preponderance of male elected representatives in the political arena even 75 years after Independence has, in essence, promoted a consensus that without a formal reservation policy in place this situation will continue indefinitely. Power has a strong adhesive quality and no social group ~ gender, caste, or class ~ will let go of it easily. In fact, there has been a mere nine per cent increase in womens representation since the first Lok Sabha of 1952. At present, women members constitute only 15 per cent of the Lok Sabha. India lags behind countries such as Rwanda (61 per cent), South Africa (43 per cent), and even Bangladesh (21 per cent), according to reports. The debate over womens reservation in India has been a long and divisive one, of course. Bills proposing seat reservations for women have been discussed in the legislative space a number of times under political dispensations of various hues ~ in 1996, 1998, 1999, and in 2008 when the UPA introduced Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha but lapsed. Political squabbles aside, however, the legislation marks an important step in achieving parity in gender representation in Indias political system. What it does not do, and perhaps is not meant to do, is tackle gender equity. The difference is subtle but critical. Even with the 2023 Womens Reservation Bill, however, the devil as always will lie in the details of implementation, given that the delimitation of parliamentary constituencies ~ and the decennial census ~ are on the anvil. Most important, of course, is that the quest for parity must not be reduced to an exercise in tokenism; the onus lies on political parties.

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As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made his return to Washington, it was clear that the heros welcome he received nine months ago had yielded space to a more complex and uncertain diplomatic landscape. This visit underscores the evolving dynamics of US-Ukraine relations and the challenges that Mr. Zelensky faces on both sides of the Atlantic. One of the most significant aspects of the visit is the shadow of Mr Donald Trumps potential return to power.

Mr. Zelensky was served an unwelcome reminder that Mr Trumps influence over the Republican-controlled House of Representatives could jeopardise Ukraines crucial lifeline of support. The Houses failure to agree on funding Ukraines defence itself highlights the political turbulence Mr Zelensky must navigate. In the midst of this uncertainty, it becomes apparent that Ukraines survival depends on maintaining strong bipartisan support in the USA. On the other side of the coin, Americans witnessed the toll that war has taken on a leader who has defiantly resisted a Russian invasion. Mr Zelensky, once celebrated as a comic actor turned wartime hero, appeared at times exhausted and unsmiling during his visit. In a candid interview, he opened up about the personal strain of being Russias top target. His emotional fatigue serves as a reminder that while Ukraine battles external aggressors, its people also bear the heavy burden of prolonged sacrifice.

Mr Zelenskys vocal criticism of the United Nations for failing to protect its members from aggression may have been a call to action, but it raises questions about the effectiveness of his relentless efforts to shame the world into action. Its possible that he, too, recognises the need for a new approach in the face of mounting scepticism among Americans regarding aid to Ukraine. As America finds itself entangled in a second impeachment saga, Mr Zelensky may need to adapt his political strategies to an increasingly contentious American political landscape. The visit also underscores the delicate balance President Joe Biden must maintain in providing military aid to Ukraine while avoiding a direct confrontation with Russia. Mr. Bidens reluctance to provide long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) highlights the challenges of this balance. While he seeks to bolster Ukraines defence, he must also prevent a dangerous escalation with a nuclear superpower. Critics argue that his approach falls short of providing Ukraine with the means for a comprehensive defeat of Russia, but it acknowledges the larger geopolitical risks at play.

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Fortunately for Mr Zelensky, there is still majority support in the US Congress for Ukraines resistance, a bipartisan stance that demonstrates the enduring strength of US-Ukraine relations. However, the refusal of Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to publicly appear with Mr Zelensky underscores the divisions within his own party. Mr Trumps promise to end the war in Ukraine if re-elected, complicates the landscape even further. Ukraines fate has become entangled with the broader struggle for the soul of the Republican Party
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that the Amrit Kaal is also a Kartavya Kaal for every citizen of the country. Addressing the 105th episode of his monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat, PM Modi said world leaders lining up to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi during the G20 summit is a big proof that ideals are relevant even today.

Who can forget that scene during the G-20 Summit in Delhi, when many world leaders reached Rajghat together to pay homage to Bapu. This is a big proof of how relevant Bapus thoughts are even today across the world, PM Modi said.

The prime minister said that India displayed its leadership by playing a decisive role in African Unions inclusion in the G20 grouping. PM Modi also hailed the India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor announced during the G20 summit and said that it will become the bases of world trade for hundreds of years to come.

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The PM also highlighted the recent inclusion of Rabindranath Tagores Shantiniketan and Hoysala Temples of Karnataka in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

It is a matter of immense pride that Santiniketan associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and the Hoysala Temples of Karnataka have been declared world heritage sites. It is Indias endeavour that our historical and cultural places get recognised as World Heritage Sites, he said.

In every Mann Ki Baat episode, the prime minister highlights inspiring stories of from across the country and highlights significant achievements. In todays episode, the PM Modi lauded the efforts of Uttar Pradeshs Sambhal district to revive the Sot River.

UPs Sambhal district exemplifies Janbhagidari. 70 villages united to revive the Sot River. People have also planted 10,000 bamboo saplings on the river banks, he added.
A day after announcing the suspension of the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with Myanmar, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh on Sunday held a meeting with senior officials of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to erect border fencing along the India-Myanmar border in the state.

After the meeting, the CM said that discussions were held to construct an additional 70 km of border fencing along the Indo-Myanmar border.

In view of the rise in illegal immigration and drugs smuggling from the neighbouring country, safeguarding our porous borders has become an urgent necessity, Biren Singh said on X.

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Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi, Director General of Police Rajiv Singh, and senior officials of the Home Department were also present in the meeting.

Currently works are going on to erect fencing on the 100 km of India-Myanmar border in Manipur, which shares around 400 km border with the neighbouring country.

Biren Singh on Saturday said that the FMR with Myanmar which allows people on either side to travel up to 16 km inside of both countries is suspended at the moment and that the Centre has been requested to permanently close it. The Manipur Chief Minister on a number of occasions said that Myanmar nationals illegally entering into the state and creating troubles in the state while drug peddlers of that country are directly involved in the illicit trans-border drugs trade.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. Temps nearly steady in the mid 30s. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mainly clear. Low 29F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, United Parcel Service fair value estimate is US$176

With US$154 share price, United Parcel Service appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value

Our fair value estimate is 5.4% lower than United Parcel Service's analyst price target of US$186

In this article we are going to estimate the intrinsic value of United Parcel Service, Inc. (NYSE:UPS) by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to today's value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

Remember though, that there are many ways to estimate a company's value, and a DCF is just one method. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about intrinsic value should have a read of the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for United Parcel Service

Step By Step Through The Calculation

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. 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:

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10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$7.54b US$8.48b US$8.87b US$8.83b US$8.85b US$8.93b US$9.04b US$9.18b US$9.34b US$9.51b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x10 Analyst x4 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 0.31% Est @ 0.86% Est @ 1.25% Est @ 1.52% Est @ 1.71% Est @ 1.84% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 7.4% US$7.0k US$7.3k US$7.2k US$6.6k US$6.2k US$5.8k US$5.5k US$5.2k US$4.9k US$4.6k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$60b

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 (2.2%) 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 7.4%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = US$9.5b (1 + 2.2%)  (7.4% 2.2%) = US$184b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$184b ( 1 + 7.4%)10= US$90b

The total value is the sum of cash flows for the next ten years plus the discounted terminal value, which results in the Total Equity Value, which in this case is US$151b. To get the intrinsic value per share, we divide this by the total number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of US$154, the company appears about fair value at a 13% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. 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 United Parcel Service 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 7.4%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.053. 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 United Parcel Service

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.

Dividends are covered by earnings and cash flows.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Logistics market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Good value based on P/E ratio and estimated fair value.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the American market.

Next Steps:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For United Parcel Service, we've compiled three important elements you should assess:

Risks: For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for United Parcel Service that you should be aware of before investing here. Management:Have insiders been ramping up their shares to take advantage of the market's sentiment for UPS's future outlook? Check out our management and board analysis with insights on CEO compensation and governance factors. Other High Quality Alternatives: Do you like a good all-rounder? Explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there you may be missing!

PS. Simply Wall St updates its DCF calculation for every American 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.
Is the Congress finally biting the bullet? After last weeks working committee confab in Hyderabad, general secretary K.C. Venugopal said the 2024 polls will be a do-or-die fight.

Not a happy phrase, I say. Alfred Tennyson used it while describing how the Light Brigades brave 600 rode into the jaws of ghastly death in the Crimean war. Looks like the Congress is biting the cannon shell.

Venugopal might not have had any such poetic or warlike association in mind. At the most, he would have been remembering a man of peace who popularised the phrase in Indias political rhetoric. Mahatma Gandhi, if you remember, had given out two calls from the Gowalia Tank (now August Kranti) Maidan in Mumbai in August 1942. He exhorted Indians to do or die, and the British to quit India. Hope the Congresss current allies dont mix up the two and quit INDIA.

Illustration: Bhaskaran

For most of them, the 2024 round will be another of those several elections in which they tie up with one or another party or go it alone. Most of them have done it time and again, winning or losing, or laying waste their fiefs. They have their pockets of political sway in one corner of India or another, and can survive to fight another day even if they lose the 2024 Lok Sabha round.

Not so with the Congress. They have always fought their elections alone at the national level, and with or without allies at the local level. But they have never been part of a national-level pre-poll coalition in which they are just another piece in the mosaic.

This time they are joining a large mosaic of parties, many of them their rivals in their turfs, if not enemies. The Congress may still be the largest piece in the mosaic, but not the predominant piece as it has always tried to be when attempting coalitions. For Congressmen, therefore, this is a never-before election.

Even a good show by the party in the coming assembly round in five states is no guarantee for a stellar show in next years Lok Sabha round. Look at what happened in 2018-19. The Congress had won the 2018 winter round to the assemblies of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, but could win just three of the 65 Lok Sabha seats that the three states had in the summer of 2019.

For all you know, the party may not even get to contest all those 65 seats this summer. It has ambitious allies in INDIA, who may ask for slices of the pie that the Congress is baking. The Aam Aadmi Party is planning to contest all the assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh, may deny Lok Sabha seats to the Congress in Delhi and, who knows?it may ask the Congress to be a puny partner in Punjab.

Therein lies a double whammy for the Congress. One, it has to more than double or triple its seats in the next Lok Sabha if it is serious about denying the treasury benches to the BJP. Two, those double or triple number of seats will have to be won from half or even less than half of the constituencies which it contested in the last round. Last time the party contested in 421 seats and won 52. This time, the field will be smaller, the yield will have to be larger. No wonder Venugopal said do or die.

No need to lose heart, Congressmen! Robert Burns also used the phrase do or die in a poem to describe how Robert Spider Bruce rode to victory in Bannockburn. Bruce is said to have failed six times, and won the seventh. You are hoping to do in the third round.

Dont like the Bruce imagery? Too many battles and too British? How about Bhagiratha, for perseverance? Verily from Bharat.

prasannan@theweek.in
Public culture in India, especially in the past decade, is not a fan of accountability. Politicians have never been a fan of accountability. It seems the dominant among the journalistic community, too, do not like to be held accountable. Ironic, because the very definition of the word journalism assumes a sense of accountability. Journalism is defined by the Encyclopaedia Britannica as the collection, preparation, and distribution of news and related commentary and feature materials through such print and electronic media. And the word news can be defined as reporting or intelligence of an event that has lately taken place.

Both definitions assume the centrality of events taking place, things happening, or facts. Thus, journalism has come to assume a certain objectivity and neutrality when reporting these facts, if it is to be considered serious journalism. So when journalism came to include interviews and commentaries, it became protocol to hold interviewees and commentators accountable if they made claims that were misleading.

Of course, nothing exists in a pure, uncorrupted form and journalism everywhere in the world has faced pressure in the form of succumbing to government diktat or falling prey to the commands of owners of media outlets. Two extreme forms of corrupt journalism that the world has witnessed are the state-dictated news that comes out of North Korea or China and the genocide-mongering Radio Rwanda stations.

From 1993 to 1994, a Rwandan radio station received support from the government-controlled Radio Rwanda, which allowed it to transmit using their equipment. Listened to by wide swathes of the population, this channel projected hate propaganda against Tutsis, moderate Hutus, Belgians, and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). It is now regarded by many Rwandan citizens and the United Nations as having played a crucial role in creating the atmosphere of racial hostility that normalised the genocide of the Tutsis.

Indian media, especially electronic media, has in the last decade come disturbingly close to resembling the Radio Rwanda stations in its hysterical demonisation of minorities, chiefly the Indian Muslim community, its relentless communal dog-whistling, vilification of dissenters, and its servile parroting of the governments position on almost all issues. India must be the only democracy in the world whose leader has never in nine years taken a press conference.

It is also a country where the democratically elected government is using overwhelming majority in Parliament to change laws and push its agenda changing the very nature of the Indian state. Most electronic Indian media channels have acted as lapdogs of the government. But what is probably more damning is that citing the TRP excuse, they have also aired fake news, targeted and vilified critics of the government.

After a decade of such poison masquerading as journalism, in the run-up to the critical 2024 general election, the opposition parties comprising the INDIA alliance have (finally) decided to boycott 14 anchors known for communal propaganda and rabble-rousing. The parties will not send their representatives to the shows of the named (and thus shamed) anchors. A lot of feathers have been ruffled. The anchors are hysterical in their indignation, the BJP is self-righteously touting free speech and even the silent-in-the-face-of-hate-speech News Broadcasters and Digital Association (NBDA) and News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) have issued critical statements claiming an attack of democratic principles reminiscent of the Emergency era.

I frankly find the clamour amusing. In my opinion these 14 (and a few more who were left out) are not journalists. They are propagandist rabble-rousers with jobs in news channels. They havent been banned. The political parties have exercised their right to protest by not appearing on these channels.

Boycott is an accepted form of peaceful protest in India, used most effectively against the British by Mahatma Gandhi himself. Those who are offended are actually stung that they and the Indian media are finally being held accountable for their words and actions. They abused their journalistic power and continue to do so, but for once the mic is pointing at them!

The writer is an award-winning Bollywood actor and sometime writer and social commentator.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday called for a balance between justice and all forms of power for the creation of a just society. He said India has made efforts to redraft or create new laws for various sectors according to contemporary needs in the last nine years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi in the last 9 years, the Indian government has made changes to many laws, such as the Arbitration Law, Mediation Law, and the Jan Vishwas Bill, which are helping reduce the burden on the judiciary, Shah said, addressing the valedictory session of the International Lawyers Conference 2023 organized by the Bar Council of India at the Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

The minister said it is crucial for any government, parliament, or law-making agency to understand that a law is not final in its form and it should be amended based on the issues that arise with time and its implementation.

The purpose of making laws is to establish an efficient system, and not to establish the supremacy of those who make the laws, he added.

Shah claimed that the purpose of the three proposed criminal laws brought by the Modi government was not to impose penalties but to provide justice to every citizen. The three bills, which were introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11, will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively.

"India's criminal justice system was imprinted with colonial law. All three new bills do not have colonial imprint but have the flavour of Indian soil. The central point of these three proposed laws is to protect the constitutional and human rights of citizens as well as their personal rights," he said.

The minister further noted that instead of the 511 sections in the Indian Penal Code, there will be 356 sections in the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, in place of the 487 sections in the CrPC, there will be 533 sections in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and instead of the 167 sections in the Indian Evidence Act, the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam with 170 sections has been introduced.

Shah remarked that the purpose of the old laws was to strengthen the British rule and to give strength to the system to run the government well.

Its purpose was to punish, not to do justice. The purpose of three new criminal laws brought by the Modi government is not to punish but to provide justice to every citizen, he claimed.

Shah informed that three more initiatives have been taken by the government to create a law-friendly ecosystem. The first is e-courts, the second inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS)and the third is adding new technology to these three proposed laws, he said.

"With the introduction of three laws and three systems, we will be able to remove the delays in our criminal justice system in less than a decade," he added.
A Vijayawada court on Sunday extended the judicial custody of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu till October 5 in the skill development scam case even as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the state police questioned him for the second day.

Naidu was produced before the Anti-Corruption Bureau virtually from Rajahmundry Central Jail.

The judge enquired from Naidu if he was subjected to any third-degree method during the questioning. The court will take up his bail petition for hearing on Monday.

The CID on Sunday questioned the TDP leader for the second day after the ACB court granted the agency two days' custody of the 73-year old leader for further interrogation in the case.

Naidu was arrested on September 9, for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation, leading to a purported loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state exchequer.

The TDP chief on Saturday moved the Supreme Court after the Andhra Pradesh High Court rejected his petition for quashing the FIR against him in connection with the alleged scam.

The high court dismissed his petition on Friday, saying the court was not inclined to interfere at this stage when the investigation was ongoing.
Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. Having said that, from a first glance at Tribal Group (LON:TRB) we aren't jumping out of our chairs at how returns are trending, but let's have a deeper look.

Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It?

If you haven't worked with ROCE before, it measures the 'return' (pre-tax profit) a company generates from capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Tribal Group is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.059 = UK4.0m  (UK108m - UK40m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

Therefore, Tribal Group has an ROCE of 5.9%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Consumer Services industry average of 7.1%.

See our latest analysis for Tribal Group

roce

In the above chart we have measured Tribal Group's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Tribal Group here for free.

The Trend Of ROCE

When we looked at the ROCE trend at Tribal Group, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 5.9% from 16% five years ago. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line.

On a side note, Tribal Group has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 38% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. Effectively this means their suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of the business, which reduces some elements of risk. Some would claim this reduces the business' efficiency at generating ROCE since it is now funding more of the operations with its own money.

Story continues

The Bottom Line On Tribal Group's ROCE

In summary, Tribal Group is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 39% in the last five years. All in all, the inherent trends aren't typical of multi-baggers, so if that's what you're after, we think you might have more luck elsewhere.

If you'd like to know about the risks facing Tribal Group, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

While Tribal Group isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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.
Close on the heels of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's return from an official tour of Spain and UAE, the Trinamool Congress and BJP engaged in a verbal brawl on Sunday with the latter mocking the CM's trip and the TMC responding by questioning Prime Minister Narendra Modi's foreign tours while ignoring the crisis in Manipur.

Senior BJP politician and leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused the TMC of "hobnobbing with corruption" for questioning Modi's overseas visit.

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh shot back saying, "Banerjee is more trustworthy" than Modi.

"PM @narendramodi embarked on foreign trips while Manipur was burning. He jetted off to the United States, France & UAE, but didn't bother to visit Manipur even once. Spare us the charade! We all know which leader is trustworthy & who is not!" Ghosh wrote on 'X'.

He was referring to Adhikari's post on 'X' that said, "Those who have tried to make an attempt to draw a parallel between Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi ji's foreign trips with West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's foreign vacation let me tell you the difference - his strategic trips was aimed 'to enhance the glory of the country' in the world but the other trip of CM was tinged with corruption."

"While hon'ble PM's strategic trips first laid the foundation for our country to be recognised as one with growing prominence to now being regarded as 'Vishwa Mitra' who can proudly host a successful G20," Adhikari said.

"On the other hand, judging by the current regime and ruling Tolamool party's hobnob with corruption in WB, the only thing which might be achieved after CM's trip/vacation is a successful gathering of G420," Adhikari added, twisting the name of Trinamool Congress and accusing it of extortion. Adhikari told reporters on Sunday, "When the dengue situation in West Bengal was taking an alarming proportion, the CM left for holidaying abroad with no concern for the outbreak. Meanwhile, as she has returned from a fruitless visit, the dengue situation has become worse."

Banerjee, who landed at the airport around 7pm on Saturday, said she was happy as she could do something for West Bengal.

"It was a very good trip. I have not ever seen such a successful tour in my life. I am happy that I could do so much for Bengal," the chief minister told reporters at the airport here.

She also said, "The meetings were organised by FICCI and Indian Chamber of Commerce. There were major MoUs signed."
As India reacts to Khalistan threat by confiscating the properties of Canada-based Khalistani terrorist and Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, two groups in the Canadian Sikh diaspora have urged Canadas political parties to "present a united front" on India.

This came as the relations between the two countries hit an all-time low after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had unequivocally rejected the allegations, calling them "absurd and motivated."



A joint statement by the Ontario Gurdwaras Committee and the British Columbia Gurdwaras Council said "Canadian parties of all stripes must be unequivocally clear" about their opposition to possible foreign interference relating to the death of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June.



The diplomatic row worsened over the days with India suspending visa services for Canadians this week. Soon after, a video of Khalistani leader and Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) chief Gurpatwant Singh Pannu asking issued threats in public forums to senior Indian diplomats and threatening Canadian Hindus, asking them to leave Canada, also went viral. Following this, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) confiscated the properties of Pannun in Amritsar and Chandigarh.



Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020.



Meanwhile, an NYT report said that the US provided Canada with intelligence about the possible involvement of India in Nijjar's murder. However, the communications intercepted by Ottawa were more definitive and led it to accuse India of orchestrating the plot, it read.



"In the aftermath of the killing, US intelligence agencies offered their Canadian counterparts context that helped Canada conclude that India had been involved," the NYT reported, quoting unnamed allied officials as saying. "Yet what appears to be the smoking gun, intercepted communications of Indian diplomats in Canada indicating involvement in the plot, was gathered by Canadian officials," allied officials added.



On Saturday, David Cohen, US Ambassador to Canada, had claimed that the "shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners" had informed Trudeau about India's involvement.


The recent confirmation by a top United States diplomat on Canada receiving intelligence, behind Nijjars killing, from the Five Eyes partners has sparked a controversy intensifying the India-Canada tensions. This all began after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India had termed the allegations as 'absurd and baseless' and as a tit-for-tat move it had expelled a senior Canadian diplomat after Ottawas expulsion of an Indian official.

Since the US envoys remarks, the Five Eyes intelligence alliance has gained the spotlight and questions on its role were raised.

What is Five Eyes intelligence alliance?

Five Eyes Intelligence Oversight and Review Council (FIORC) is an intelligence alliance consisting of nations involving United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand. It comes under the US Government's counterintelligence and security activities. The representatives of these five nations, known as Council Members, has signed an agreement on CI and other security aspects.

The agreement under the FIORC covers the relations of the Council Members of the five nations in intelligence oversight, review, and security matters.

At least one meeting in person is held by the Council annually. The executive secretariat has its office situated in United States.

Role of Five Eyes

The Council is established with the purpose of creating a forum where Council Members exchange views on subjects of mutual interest and concern, compare best practices in review and oversight methodology, explore areas where cooperation on reviews and the sharing of results is permitted where appropriate. It is also tasked to encourage transparency to the largest extent possible to enhance public trust; and maintain contact with political offices, oversight and review committees, and non-Five Eyes countries as appropriate.

The Five Eyes countries cooperate operationally abiding each countrys variation of law on security of information. The guidelines under the FIORC states that the Council Members commit to facilitating information sharing and collaboration between the selves to advance the stated purposes...within the respective limits imposed by law, executive or ministerial direction, or other binding authority.

It is recognised and agreed by the Council Members that the extent of information that may be shared between Council Members may be defined by or dependent upon the extent of agreements between Five Eyes intelligence agencies, it stated.

In an exclusive interview with CTV, US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen revealed that Canada received intelligence from Five Eyes relating to the killing of Nijjar, who is labelled as a Khalistani terrorist by India. Nijjar is alleged to have imparted arms training to youngesters and also accused of reviving groups including BKC.

There was shared intelligence among Five Eyes partners that helped lead Canada to make the statements that the Prime Minister made, Cohen was quoted by CTV.

Though Cohen did not comment on whether it was either human or surveillance based intelligence, he confirmed that there was shared intelligence that made PM allege Indias role in it. There were also reports that additional information on the intelligence was provided by an unspecified member of the intelligence-sharing alliance.

Trudeaus allegation against India came after the killing of Singh, a Canadian citizen in Surrey in British Columbia on June 18. As the India-Canada tensions widens, the ban on visas, the future PR status of Indians settled in Canada among others has become a matter of concern for the people.

US had earlier said that they are deeply concerned about the allegations raised by Trudeau against India.
While addressing the India-UN Global Summit, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said that it was appropriate to start the G20 presidency by convening the voice of the Global South Summit. He also added that Delhi walked the talk when it comes to South-South cooperation.

During the summit, which involved 125 nations of the South, it was clear that the global south in addition to bearing the consequences of structural inequities and historical burdens was plagued by the impact of economic concentration, Covid, tensions and disputes which have stressed and distorted the international economy, said Jaishankar while speaking at the 'India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development' event.

EAM also said that hosting at the G20 presidency was challenging as we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarisation and a very deep North-South divide.

"While we are the G20 president till the end of this year, both before the G20 presidency and after it, we will remain very much a partner, a contributor, a collaborator, in our own way perhaps an inspiration to others on how to address developmental challenges. Our experiences and our challenges, we place before in a spirit of sharing," said EAM.

While speaking at the event, India's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj said that Indias engagement with the Global South is ingrained in the very fabric of our culture and philosophy. Kamboj highlighted the Indias efforts during the Covid-19 times and also the development projects adopted over the past decade.

During Covid, India had extended a helping hand by providing made-in-India vaccines to nearly 100 countries and supplying medicines to 150 nations. Our development partnerships have also expanded significantly, reaching 78 nations across diverse regions and we have, over the past decade, initiated 600 projects that stand as a testament to our goodwill for our friends, she said.

Kamboj also added that at the UN, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund, a single country South-South initiative, has successfully developed a portfolio of 75 projects across 56 developing countries in just 6 years.

At the Summit, UNGA President Dennis Francis said that being the first to usher the African Union into the group as a permanent member sends a strong symbol of solidarity and cooperation across the Global South.

Our enduring partnership from the UN's heart to India's remotest villages serves as an inspiration to the Global South...Throughout this week, we discussed global crises and agreed that we must bridge gaps between commitments to the sustainable development agenda and its implementation, said Francis.

Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session.
The London Met police have sought the support of the Army as personnel in its force are laying down arms in protest against murder charge against a colleague. The Met police have sought counter-terrorism support from the Army.



According to reports, around 90 to 100 Met firearms officers laid down their arms by Saturday evening and refused to carry out regular armed duties. A police officer of the force was charged with the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Chris Kaba, who was reportedly unarmed when he was killed.

The Guardian quoting a Met spokesperson reported, The Ministry of Defence has agreed to a request to provide the Met with counter-terrorism support should it be needed. This is a contingency option that would only be used in specific circumstances and where an appropriate policing response was not available. Armed forces personnel will not be used in a routine policing capacity. We will keep the need for the support under constant review.

The defence ministry also said that they have accepted a request from Met police.

Kaba was killed after officers in an unmarked vehicle pursued and stopped the car he was driving. He was struck by a single bullet fired through the windshield as he sat in the Audi car. The case renewed allegations of institutional racism within the London police department.

Kaba's family welcomed the murder charge against the officer, who has not been publicly named. He was granted conditional bail and is expected to stand trial next year.

Only about one in 10 of London's police officers carry firearms, and the ones that do undergo special training. It said officers were concerned that the murder charge signals a shift in the way the decisions they make in the most challenging circumstances will be judged.

The BBC said more than 100 officers had turned in their firearm permits and that police from neighbouring forces were called in to help patrol London on Saturday night.

Home Secretary Suella Braverman, who is in charge of policing for the UK's Conservative government, said she would review armed policing to ensure that armed officers have the confidence to do their jobs. In the interest of public safety, they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures, Braverman posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

They mustn't fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Officers risking their lives to keep us safe have my full backing, and I will do everything in my power to support them, she tweeted.

(With PTI inputs.)
$7.98 billion (around Rs66,000 crore)

Indias exports to Israel in 2022-2023 (automotive diesel, diamonds, textiles, base metals, transport equipments, agricultural products and chemical and mineral products)

$2.13 billion (around Rs18,000 crore)

Israels exports to India, excluding defence (fertilisers, petroleum oils, machinery and transport equipment, pearls and precious stones)

KEY INDIA-ISRAEL PARTNERSHIPS

2017

 Seven MoUs signed in innovation, technology, water, agriculture, space and science

 The India-Israel industrial R&D and technological innovation fund (I4F) received $40 million in 2017 (around 0260 crore then); renewed for 2023-2027

2018

 Nine agreements signedcyber security, oil and gas, solar energy, space science, air transport, medicines and film production

2021

 Discovering lesser-known shared history, with Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiling Bhoodan Grove plaque in the Jerusalem Forest a reminder of the Gandhian concept of ashram or village as a self-sustaining unit and Israeli cooperatives kibbutzim and moshavim

 Agreement on mutually recognising Covid-19 vaccine certificates

2023

 MoU between Indian Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Israels Directorate of Defense Research and Development for further collaboration in high tech areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and synthetic biology

 India-Israel mobility pact to help Indians to work in Israel in fields of construction, nursing and as caregivers

 Climate technology projects on the cards

GROWING INDIAN FOOTPRINT IN ISRAEL

Indian businesses are collaborating more with the Israeli companies. Notable deals include:

 Indian Oil Corporation with Phinergy to manufacture aluminium-air battery systems

 SMV Jaipuria Group JV with Watergen for water-from-air technology products

 TCS launching Israels first fully digital bank, besides other tie-ups

 Delhi Metro Rail Corporation and RITES bidding for Tel Aviv metro project

 Adanis acquisition of Haifa Port from the government through JV with Gadot Group
ISRAEL PRIME MINISTER Benjamin Netanyahu has lauded the US-backed plan to build a rail and shipping corridor linking India with the Middle East, Israel and Europe as the great cooperation agreement in Israels history. Foreign minister Eli Cohen says the US-brokered Abraham Accordssigned in 2020has brought Israel closer to the Gulf nations.

The scope for trade opportunities between our countries is huge. We should discuss [an fta] with bilateral relations in mind.

In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Cohen says the accords have also created exciting opportunities for regional and multinational cooperation. At the heart of this expanding cooperation (between India and Israel) is the Indian footprint in Haifa. Cohen speaks about an Israeli strategic asset like the port being in the hands of an Indian company, and also about Netanyahu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanting to strengthen the strategic alliance and sign a free trade agreement. Excerpts:

Q / How do you see the Indian investment in Haifa Port and its role in Israels integration with the Middle East?

A / Haifa Port is a strategic asset for Israel, and the fact that it is now put in the hands of an Indian company shows the level of trust and friendship our business ecosystems have in each other. The ultimate goal is to boost regional connectivity and increase trade opportunities in the region. We hope to see more such partnerships and collaborations take place between our business communities in future.

Q / What is the future of the normalisation of ties between Israel and Arab states?

A / The US-brokered Abraham Accords have been a game-changer in bringing Israel closer to the Gulf nations that share common values and mutual interests. The accords have created exciting opportunities for regional and multinational cooperation in energy, sustainability, tourism, security and much more. Increasingly, we are seeing deepening people-to-people ties and business opportunities. Israel aspires to continue this regional development that started with the accords and to expand the circle of peace and normalisation.

Q / Bilateral trade has increased but there is no free trade agreement yet. What are the challenges?

A / The scope for trade opportunities between our countries is huge and there is a strong desire to finalise an FTA that hopefully will further strengthen our economic ties. I believe the scope of the FTA is far larger than trade numbers. We should discuss it with the vision of bilateral relations in mind.

Q / How do you see the friendship between the two prime ministers? Is a visit by Netanyahu to India on the cards?

A / When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel in 2017, it was a historic first for an Indian premier. His famous beach picture with Prime Minister Netanyahu became a symbol of deep friendship and close ties between our countries and leaders. The following year, Israel reciprocated with the visit of the prime minister to India. He shares a special friendship with Prime Minister Modi and believes the strong strategic alliance between the two countries is a significant partnership benefiting both nations. We hope to have another visit soon by Prime Minister Netanyahu. The agenda will be to explore ways to further boost bilateral relations in different fields.

Q / What has been a major milestone in the historic ties between India and Israel?

A / One of the major milestones has been Israel joining the Make in India initiative. Now Israeli technologies and know-how are being transferred [for manufacturing] in India. Further, Israel continues to be Indias strategic partner. Beyond the continuous dialogue between many government ministries regarding agriculture, water, health, education, innovation, technology and more, there are plenty of activities under way, including joint ventures led by our business sectors and various organisations. This continued expansion of the India-Israel bilateral relationship reflects the strategic alliance between the two nations.

Investing in the future: Cohen with students after launching an education initiative during his visit to India earlier this year.

Q / Defence cooperation remains a hallmark of India-Israel relations. What is the next step?

A / The Indo-Israeli defence relationship has been a key pillar of the growing partnership. Our relations are based on three basic foundations: shared values, mutual interests and common challenges. With such well-synchronised defence cooperation, Israel was among the first countries to take up the call for the Make in India initiative and start joint projects with a manufacturing base in India. We have no doubt in Israel that R&D serves as a growth engine for the local industry. That is why we are willing to create more platforms of joint R&D to pinpoint shared challenges, discuss and find solutions together, and even manufacture them together. Both sides have a lot to gain from this collaboration.

Q / Agriculture and water are the other two key elements of this partnership. What are the goals?

A / These two fields are so important that we have appointed two highly trained Israeli expertsan agriculture attache and a water attachewho are continuously working on the ground in India, reaching out to Indian farmers on a daily basis. Together both countries have established 30 fully active centres of excellence across India. More such centres are in the pipeline. These centres are increasing farmers yield and productivity while diversifying local crops and improving the quality of produce. These centres will gradually be expanded into villages of excellence, in partnership with state governments in India, which will further prove beneficial for larger populations. We also have a flagship water project under way in Bundelkhand, Uttar Pradesh, to address the water challenges in the region.

Q / What is the vision of the mobility pact allowing Indian workers to work in Israel?

A / The vision is to facilitate and boost employment opportunities for Indian workers in Israel. The two countries are happy to collaborate to ease the process of arrival and recruitment of Indian workers. The mobility pact will also promote the protection of labour rights of these workers while working in Israel.

Q / Can you share the outcomes of the first I2U2 meeting in the UAE?

A / I2U2 has huge potential and brings new opportunities. It combines the strengths and resources of Israel, India, the US and the UAE to find innovative solutions to address some of the most critical issues of current times, including food and water security, energy and health. The formation of this unique group has been possible [because of] the Abraham Accords (signed in 2020). These accords have strengthened bonds between nations and people, and contributed to the security and economic stability of the entire Middle East and beyond.

I2U2 was first launched during the visit of Indias External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Israel in October 2021. Since then, we have worked with members of the private sector from within the focus industries to find the right projects to begin with in conjunction with the I2U2 meeting. A lot of work has already been done to start implementation of specific projects in energy and food security, bringing together our countries and companies to steer the work ahead and make the outcomes more efficient.

Q / Israel is one of the three poles of West Asia. How do you see regional security shaping up and the threat from Iran becoming nuclear-capable?

A / Iran has funded terrorism, called for the disappearance of the State of Israel, and continuously attempted to obtain weapons of mass destruction that will allow the extremist regime to carry out its plan of the ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Middle East. The fingerprints of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard are all over the Middle East as well as Asia, Europe and America. Its terrorism reaches Lebanon through Hezbollah, Gaza through the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Syria, Yemen and more.

Iran undermines global security and threatens the existence of the State of Israel. There is no other country that is threatened by another countrys public calls for its destruction, as it pursues the development of nuclear weapons. Therefore, we need to emphasise: we will never allow Irans terror regime in Tehran to obtain a nuclear weapon. We are determined, and we will not hesitate to use all the means at our disposal for this purpose. We have already proved that we are capable of reaching Irans most hidden secrets, and I suggest that the Ayatollahs regime does not test our capabilities. I call on the countries of the world: Iran is making the world a more dangerous place and is systematically violating human rights. Stop burying your head in the sand; its time to act.

Q / What are the terror threats facing Israel today?

A / In recent years, Israel has experienced a sharp rise in the scope of attacks originating from Judea and Samaria (West Bank) in general, and more specifically from Jenin. Fifty-two Israelis were killed over the past year [because of] Palestinian terror attacks, many of which were carried out from or within the Jenin area. A total of 290 terror attacks were carried out across Judea and Samaria in the past year. Terror organisations embed themselves in the heart of a crowded civilian population; they operate command and observation centres, and place weapons and missile storage facilities (some underground) directly next to or beneath civilian infrastructure.

Israel has promoted a permissive civil policy in the area, consisting of several civil and economic steps aimed at improving the livelihood of the Palestinian population and the local economy, as well as maintaining stability. Nevertheless, terror activities carried out by militants in the area have increased and continue to pose a security threat. Because of this continuous rise of terrorism in the region, the Israeli Defence Forces is operating in a direct manner against terror infrastructure, all the while maintaining routine security operations in Judea and Samaria. All IDF operations are conducted in a precise manner under consistent efforts to reduce harm to non-combatants.
TRADITIONALLY, GOODS flowing between India and Europe have relied heavily on routes passing through the Suez Canal. After the acquisition of Haifa Port, Israels second largest port, by a consortium led by Indias Adani Group, it is being transformed into a world-class facility that can be an alternative route, besides challenging Chinas growing footprint in the region.

Ron Malka, Israels former envoy to India, took charge as the executive chairman of the Haifa Port Company this year. He says the goal is to develop Haifa Port as a true gateway connecting the east to west. With India and Israel leveraging its strategic location to boost trade linkages between Israel, neighbouring Arab states and other countries, Malka says expanding the scope of the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia would present new opportunities and open up new horizons. He also says that there is a long-term vision to establish railway connections between Haifa and west Asia through the UAE. Edited excerpts:

Q / How do you see the strategic purchase of Haifa Port by India?

A / Haifa Port is widely regarded as the leading port in Israel across various aspects, including innovation, growth potential, and the range of activities it offers. Our vision is to transform Haifa into a world-class port and position it as a key player in the Mediterranean. Our goal is to develop it as a true gateway connecting the east to Europe and the United States, and vice versa.

While the decision to invest in Haifa Port was a strategic business decision, it was supported by strong bilateral ties between India and Israel. By leveraging our expertise and resources, we aim to enhance Haifa Ports capabilities, infrastructure, and operational efficiency, enabling it to compete on a global scale. Through this endeavour, we strive to contribute to the economic growth and development of both countries while establishing Haifa Port as a premier maritime hub in the region.

Q / What role can it play in improving regional economic relations?

A / Traditionally, goods flowing between India and Europe have relied heavily on routes passing through the Suez Canal. Haifa port can potentially serve as an alternative gateway, providing more options and reducing dependence on single routes. Improved infrastructure can attract more businesses, stimulate economic growth, and create job opportunities, thereby boosting the local economy.

Adanis expertise in port management and operations can contribute to the transfer of advanced technologies and best practices to Haifa port. This knowledge sharing can enhance the overall efficiency, productivity, and competitiveness of the port, benefiting the regional economy as a whole. The acquisition can contribute to the broader regional integration of economies and facilitate smoother trade flows between Israel and other countries in the region. It can encourage joint ventures, investments, and the exchange of goods and services, leading to increased bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Same old neighbour: The Chinese-owned Bay Port seen from Haifa Port | Namrata Biji Ahuja

Q / The next step is improved regional connectivity, infrastructure and trade in west Asia. What are the short-term and long-term goals?

A / In the short term, we are looking at strong partnerships in the shipping industry; we expect a substantial increase in cargo movement through Haifa Port. Through collaborative efforts of India and Israel, we aim to strengthen ties with neighbouring countries, fostering improved regional connectivity and trade. We aim to create a more modern and advanced facility capable of handling larger volumes of cargo.

In the long term, our vision is to establish railway connections between Haifa and west Asia through the United Arab Emirates. This ambitious project aims to enhance regional connectivity, facilitating seamless transportation of goods and fostering economic integration. The international involvement of governments, from the US to India to the UAE, and the engagement of organisations like the World Bank demonstrates the seriousness and potential of these projects.

Q / How different is reviving old ports from building new private port terminals with China?

A / This is an excellent question, and indeed, these are two distinct tasks. We have entered a working port with its inherent advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, we cannot construct it entirely according to our preferences. However, on the other hand, we can immediately begin working to enhance and address any deficiencies we identify. It can be compared with taking an iconic existing building and renovating it with new ideas, rather than starting from scratch.

Additionally, we have the invaluable knowledge and expertise of the Haifa Port workers, which, when combined with the knowledge of Adani and Gadot, create a synergy that sets us apart from the Chinese or the new port in Ashdod.

Q / Which freight links are on the cards in next few years from Haifa to Arab states?

A / Shortly after the declaration of the Abraham Accords, signifying the normalisation of relations, the first ship carrying goods from the UAE arrived at Haifa Port. The MSC Paris marked the beginning of a flourishing trade relationship; ships from the UAE now make weekly calls at Haifa. And this trade trend is only growing stronger. Our business connections with Palestinian and Jordanian importers and exporters have been fruitful, as they regularly utilise Haifa Port.

However, it is clear that we have only begun to scratch the surface of the potential in this area. Haifa is, and will continue to be, the ideal gateway for trade with countries located east of us. Expanding the scope of the Abraham Accords to include Saudi Arabia would present new opportunities and open up new horizons for us. We hope to establish connections with countries to the north of Israel. By doing so, we can proudly claim that Israel truly serves as a bridge between the east and the west. The intertwining of geopolitics and global trade has been a significant aspect for centuries and we are positioned to capitalise on this convergence.

Q / How is port privatisation helping the supply chain?

A / In the past, the Mediterranean ports in Israel were dominated by two government-owned port operators, resulting in limited competition. However, the landscape has shifted, and we now have five different operators, with four of them being private entities. This includes international players like Adani and TiL (Terminal Investment Limited, owned by Mediterranean Shipping Company). This will drive more aggressive competition and lead to improved services.

As the saying goes, time is money and better service translates to enhanced efficiency and cost-effectiveness. By embracing these changes and promoting healthy competition, we are confident that the Israeli port sector will continue to evolve, ultimately benefiting businesses and consumers alike while reducing costs and enhancing efficiency in the supply chain.

Q / What are the projects to transform the area around Haifa Port to maximise benefits?

A / Haifa Port was constructed by British mandate exactly 90 years ago as a strategic hub to receive oil transported through pipelines from western Iraq. Acting as a loading point for bunker ships, it facilitated the distribution of oil across the Mediterranean. However, the ports location adjacent to the city created a physical barrier, blocking the waterfront from the public. Now, we are embarking on a plan to reclaim this waterfront for commercial and leisure activities.

Plans are underway to establish the citys first modern international cruise terminal, catering to the growing number of cruise ships choosing Haifa as their home port. These state-of-the-art facilities will undoubtedly enhance Haifas appeal as a premier tourist and business destination.

Q / What is the future of port cities like Haifa?

A / The transformation of Haifa mirrors similar endeavours in port cities worldwide. The renovation of warehouses and the construction of public spaces, such as opera houses in Copenhagen and Oslo, hotels and museums in Cape Town, and bustling cafes and shops in Istanbuls Galata district, have successfully revitalised these regions.

Nevertheless, rejuvenating Haifas waterfront poses its own challenges. The railway divides the city from the piers, necessitating significant infrastructure improvements. However, we are optimistic about the forthcoming transformation of Haifas skyline.
Kolkata, Sep 24 (PTI) The number of MSME units in West Bengal is estimated to have reached 1 crore with the economy bouncing back after the pandemic, a senior official said.

Addressing a programme, West Bengal Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd (WBSIDCL) executive director V Teja Deepak said there were 90 lakh MSME units in the state before the pandemic.

"There were 90 lakh Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Bengal before the COVID-19 pandemic, and now it must have reached 1 crore after the pandemic," he said.

Maintaining that the state government's schemes such as 'Shilper Samadhan' have been a great help to the sector, he said the time taken to give various permissions for setting up businesses has also come down significantly.

"Bengal is doing well in the export of textile and leather, and the 'Biswa Bangla' marketing is attracting buyers across the globe," he said.

Speaking at the programme organised here by SBI and The Statesman on Saturday, PSU Andrew Yule and Company's CMD RS Manku said the entity makes over 50 per cent of its procurement from MSME units.

"Around 50-60 per cent of our procurement are from the MSMEs. We urge the owners of such units to join hands with Yule," he said.

"What Mahatma Gandhi had said about the cottage industry has now come to be developed as MSMEs," he added.

SBI's chief general manager Prem Anup Sinha, who was also present at the programme, urged industrialists to take the assistance of banks and maintain a relationship for financial needs.
New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) The percentage of Indians appearing in TOEFL to pursue secondary education and certifications abroad has seen a gradual increase over the years while those taking the test for immigration purpose has declined, according to Educational Testing Service (ETS).

The Princeton-based ETS, which conducts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Graduate Record Examination (GRE), said the trend reflects the shifting aspirations of the younger demographic.

According to data exclusively accessed by PTI, the percentage of Indian test takers for licensure, certification or to attend secondary school abroad, has gone up from 5.83 per cent of the total aspirants in 2021 to 7.77 per cent in 2022. During the same period, the percentage of Indian test takers appearing in TOEFL for employment or immigration has declined from 8.19 per cent to 7.22 per cent.

Top officials at ETS have confirmed that the trend is being observed since 2018.

The data showed that the percentage of Indians appearing in TOEFL to attend a graduate or postgraduate business programme/a graduate or postgraduate programme, other than a business programme, has increased from 70.84 per cent in 2021 to 71.87 per cent in 2022.

"From our data, we observed a growing trend of secondary education students opting for the TOEFL test. This trend is testimony to the shifting aspirations of the younger demographic, especially in their pursuit of international education," Sachin Jain, the Country Manager of ETS India and South Asia, told PTI.

There was a 53 per cent growth in Indian TOEFL test takers in 2021 compared to the previous year. In 2022, the number of test takers saw a 59 per cent rise over 2021.

"There are so many industry reports that talk about the number of Indian students heading abroad hitting 2.5 million in the next three to five years. So that, I think, is a very strong macro push that is happening," Jain said.

"The second thing is, I think there is a lot more, I would say enablement by foreign countries towards Indian talents.... another big macro kind of pull which is happening right from Australia, Canada and the UK, the big destination markets as we call them like all of them have changed," he added.

The top cities in India with the highest number of test takers are New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurugram, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad.

Starting July 26, ETS executed a series of changes in the English language proficiency test to create an optimal experience for those taking it. Reducing the duration to less than two hours instead of three and allowing the candidates to be able to see their official score release date upon completion of the test, were among a few of the changes.
Car Dealer

Car dealer Pendragon is battling to have a 260m software fraud claim against it thrown out of the High Court as it attempts to secure the sale of its car dealerships.

A Pendragon subsidiary has been accused of fraud and breach of contract by a marketing company for allegedly reselling its new software directly to dealerships throughout Asia and the Pacific, according to court documents.

The company is being sued for failing to supply state-of-the-art customer software to Pinewood AP Ltd, a specialist marketing company, despite an agreement for them to market the new product in Asia, the Telegraph can reveal.

Pendragon responded by trying to have Pinewood APs claim struck out.

During a recent court hearing, Pinewood AP sought disclosure from the subsidiary regarding whether there is evidence of fraud under the reseller agreements.

A ruling on Pendragons application is imminent.

The lawsuit comes at a turbulent time for the troubled car dealership.

Last week, Pendragon agreed to sell its UK motor division to the US group Lithia for 280 million.

Two days later its largest shareholder, Hedin, attempted to derail the deal by launching a takeover bid, but this was rejected.

Pendragon  now known as Pinewood Technologies  will continue as a listed company but operate only its Pinewood software which will be rolled out to Lithias 50 sites in the UK.

It is the marketing of this software that is at the heart of the bitter legal dispute in the High Court.

Pinewood AP claim they were contracted by Pendragon to sell the software abroad.

As a result, they secured agreements with dealerships and clients covering 631 user accounts throughout Asia, and with Porsche, Jaguar, and Audi in Japan.

However, the software needed to be adapted to meet local requirements.

Pinewood AP alleges the Pendragon subsidiary failed to implement these changes, asked for internal information about their clients and promptly sold the software to those customers in Asia directly.

Story continues

Pinewood alleges this amounted to fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, according to its claim.

The company was set up by David Neilsen, a former sales strategist for Harley-Davidson, and Josephine Lee, a former marketing director for Lamborghini.

It was designed to sell the high-quality Pendragon software to their contacts and dealerships in Asia. But Neilsen believes there was a conspiracy by Pendragons subsidiary to cut them out of the business.

As a start-up, we poured significant time, money, and expertise into the contract, operating under the belief we had a partnership with Pinewood UK (the subsidiary) and Pendragon, he said.

In the process, we recruited over 40 people to service the seven countries where we had contracts. Yet, due to the conduct of Pinewood UK, we could not fulfil those contracts, were forced into making most employees redundant and suffered significant damage to our business.

Our disappointment cannot be understated or ignored. Our leadership and investors are resolute that we cannot and will not stand idly by and let Pinewood UK see this as an acceptable or professional way of working.

Last month Pendragons CEO Bill Berman described the lawsuit as shocking. It is an egregious matter, he said.

The company said: Pinewood Technologies is not able to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.

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New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Social media platform X's (formerly Twitter) government affairs head for India and South Asia Samiran Gupta has resigned, according to an update on his LinkedIn account.

Gupta joined X in February 2022 before Elon Musk acquired the company. He continued on his job after Musk fired over 80 per cent of employees in India in November.

Gupta's updated profile on Linkedin shows that he served the company till September 2023.

An email query sent to X in this regard elicited no reply. Gupta was also unavailable to comment on the development.
Nour Shams Refugee Camp, Sep 24 (AP) Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid on Sunday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said, the latest bloodshed in a surge of violence during a sensitive Jewish holiday period.

The Israeli military said it moved into the Nour Shams refugee camp, near the town of Tulkarem, to destroy what it described as a militant command center and bomb-storage facility in a building.

It said that engineering units detonated a number of bombs planted under roads and that militants opened fire and hurled explosives, as troops responded with live fire.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men  Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32  were killed by Israeli fire. The raid caused heavy damage to the camp's main road, severing water pipes and flooding parts of the street. The ground floor of the targeted building was heavily damaged, while part of the exterior wall of the second floor collapsed.

Israel has been carrying out stepped-up military raids, primarily in the northern West Bank, for the past year and a half in what it says is a campaign to root out Palestinian militants and thwart future attacks.

But Palestinians say the raids entrench Israel's 56-year occupation over the West Bank. The raids have shown little sign of slowing the fighting and contributed to the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government that administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Some 190 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

At least 31 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis this year.

The tensions have begun to spread over the past week to the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of Palestinians have been holding daily demonstrations along the fence separating the territory from Israel.

On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes hit a militant site for the second time in as many days, after Palestinians sent incendiary balloons into Israeli farmland and Palestinian protesters threw stones and explosives at soldiers at the separation fence

The spike in violence comes during the Jewish New Year holiday season. Jews are set to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day on their calendar, on Sunday night followed by the weeklong Sukkot festival later in the month.

During Sukkot, large numbers of Jews are expected to visit Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The compound, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is often a focal point for violence.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state. (AP)



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Washington, Sep 24 (AP) The Biden administration is poised to admit Israel this week into an exclusive club that will allow its citizens to travel to the United States without a U.S. visa despite Washington's ongoing concerns about the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinian Americans.

U.S. officials say an announcement of Israel's entry into the Visa Waiver Program is planned for late in the week, just before the end of the federal budget year on Saturday, which is the deadline for Israel's admission without having to requalify for eligibility next year.

The Department of Homeland Security administers the program, which currently allows citizens of 40 mostly European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for three months without visas.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is set to make the announcement Thursday, shortly after receiving a recommendation from Secretary of State Antony Blinken that Israel be admitted, according to five officials familiar with the matter who spoke Sunday on condition of anonymity because the decision has not yet been publicly announced.

Blinken's recommendation is expected to be delivered no later than Tuesday, the officials said, and the final announcement will come just eight days after President Joe Biden met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.

The leaders did not raise the issue in their brief remarks to reporters at that meeting but it has been a subject of intense negotiation and debate for months as has been the Biden administration's effort to secure a deal to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

The State Department had no immediate comment about the visa waiver program. The White House referred questions to the Homeland Security Department.

Israel's admission has been a priority for successive Israeli leaders and will be a major accomplishment for Netanyahu, who has sparred frequently with the Biden administration over Iran, the Palestinian conflict and most recently a proposed remake of Israel's judicial system that critics say will make the country less democratic.

Netanyahu's far-right government has drawn repeated U.S. criticism over its treatment of Palestinians, including its aggressive construction of West Bank settlements, its opposition to Palestinian statehood and incendiary anti-Palestinian comments by senior Cabinet ministers.

The U.S. move will give a welcome boost at home to Netanyahu. He has faced months of mass protests against his judicial plan and is likely to come under criticism from the Palestinians, who say the U.S. should not be rewarding the Israeli government at a time when peace efforts are at a standstill.

Israel met two of the three most critical criteria over the past two years  a low percentage of visa application rejections and a low visa overstay rate  to join the U.S. program. It had struggled to meet the third, which is a requirement for reciprocity that means all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, must be treated equally when traveling to or through Israel.

Claiming national security reasons, Israel has long had separate entry requirements and screening processes for Palestinian Americans. Many complained that the procedures were onerous and discriminatory. Americans with Palestinian residency documents in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were largely barred from using Israel's international airport. Instead, like other Palestinians, they were forced to travel through either Jordan or Egypt to reach their destinations.

In recent months, Israel has moved to adjust its entry requirements for Palestinian Americans, including allowing them to fly in and out of Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv and going directly to the West Bank and Israel proper, according to the officials. Israel also has pledged to ease movement for Palestinian Americans traveling in and out of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.

New regulations took effect earlier this month to codify the changes, although concerns remain and the Homeland Security Department intends to stress in its announcement that it will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that Israel complies, according to the officials. Failure to comply could result in Israel's suspension from the program, the officials said.

Palestinian American activists have been critical of the impending decision, which has been expected for some time due to the priority placed on it by both the Israeli and U.S. governments.

There are so many problems with this decision," said Yousef Munayyer, the head of the Palestine-Israel Program and senior fellow at Arab Center Washington. The reciprocity requirement is clearly still not being met since Israeli policy continues to treat some Americans, specifically Palestinian Americans, differently. The administration however seems committed at the highest levels to overlooking this continued discrimination against American citizens to rush Israel into the program before the deadline.

Munayyer said it was unclear why the Biden administration seems dead set on offering political victories for Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when his far-right government is outraging Palestinians and many Israelis with their extremist agenda.

Under the waiver program, Israelis will be able to travel to the U.S. for business or leisure purposes for up to 90 days without a visa simply by registering with the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. (AP) AMS
Ranchi/Kharagpur, Sep 24 (PTI) The Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through video-conferencing on Sunday.

It is Jharkhand's second Vande Bharat Express. The first one, which runs between Ranchi and Patna, was flagged off on June 27.

The regular run of the train will begin on September 27, an official said.

Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan, Rajya Sabha MPs Mahua Maji and Aditya Sahu were among those present at Ranchi railway station to attend the inauguration function.

"Our prime minister is on a mission for the country's development," the governor said.

"The party which Modi represents is not in power in Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal but the needs of the people are being fulfilled. Despite political differences, we should work for the development of the nation," he said.

The train, which will run six days a week, completed the 463 km distance between Ranchi and Howrah in West Bengal in seven hours.

Rajya Sabha MP Maji demanded a reduction in the fares, which will benefit the common people.

The fare between Ranchi and Howrah will be Rs 2,045 for executive AC chair car, and Rs 1,030 for AC chair car without meal.

Ranchi MP Sanjay Seth said, "I have requested the railway ministry for a Ranchi-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express and an Antyodaya Express from Ranchi to south India."

Talking to reporters, general manager of South Eastern Railway Anil Kumar Mishra said, "The decision for another Vande Bharat will be taken by the railway board. There is huge demand for the train between Ranchi and Varanasi. We hope the train will be provided very soon."

Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat has seating capacity for 530 passengers and it will take 40 minute less than Ranchi-Howrah Shatabdi Express to reach the final destination, he said.

Around 70 school students, teachers and principals also got a free ride on the train from Ranchi on Sunday.

"I feel very lucky to travel on the train on its inaugural day. I have been selected for the journey in the train through a painting competition. Vande Bharat reflects the progress of new India," Ishita Kumari, a class 9 student said.

During its regular run, the train will depart from Ranchi at 5.15 am and reach Howrah at 12.20 pm. On its return journey, the train will leave Howrah at 3.45 pm and reach Ranchi at 10.50 pm.

The trial run of the Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat was successfully conducted on September 21.

The train will have stops at Muri, Kotshila, Purulia, Chandil, Tatanagar and Kharagpur, a statement said.

"The indigenously designed train is equipped with state-of-the-art passenger amenities. It will provide more comfort to rail users. The train will be immensely beneficial for students, businessmen, tourists and entrepreneurs. Enhanced connectivity will also provide a boost to socio-economic development in the region," it said.

Meanwhile, programmes were organised at every stoppage to mark the inaugural run. Local MLAs, MPs and government officials were present, besides school students.

Medinipur MP Dilip Ghosh, who was present at a programme in Kharagpur railway station, claimed that the Centre was keen to develop West Bengal but land was a major hurdle.

"Highway and railway projects in West Bengal cannot be completed because the state government cannot provide the required land," he said.

"The Centre wants to develop West Bengal. The highway at nearby Narayangarh has been widened to 50 metres so that even jet planes can land on them. Most likely it will be opened next month," he added.

Ghosh said that earlier, only one Vande Bharat train used to be flagged off on a single day but now it is being done at a "wholesale rate".

"Today, nine Vande Bharat trains were flagged off. These will improve the socio-economic conditions of the people," he said.

With the Ranchi-Howrah and Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat trains flagged off on Sunday, the number of such trains running in West Bengal rose to five. The other three trains operate on the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri, Howrah-Puri and New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati routes.

The Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express will be the fastest train on the route, replacing the Shatabdi Express, CPRO Aditya Kumar Choudhury said.

"The schedule of the train has been designed in such a way that people who have work in Kolkata can go there, and return by night," he said.
Silchar, Sept 25 (PTI) Professor Brinda Bhowmik was appointed the dean of academics at NIT-Silchar, replacing BK Roy, after a week-long protest on the campus over a student's suicide, officials said on Sunday.

Bhowmik, a professor in the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, has been appointed as the Dean (Academics) with effect from September 25, according to a notification.

Her tenure will be provisionally for a period of two years from the date of taking over charge or till further order, it said.

Protests broke out on the campus after a third-year student from Arunachal Pradesh was found dead on September 15 in his hostel room.

The students have been alleging that Roy had insulted the victim who got six backlogs in his first-semester examination, which was held in 2021.

Due to the lockdown, he was at home and failed to attend the online classes due to lack of internet connectivity, resulting in the backlog, they claimed.

He had appealed to the authorities to conduct a special examination so that he could clear the backlogs but Roy allegedly insulted him. Following this incident, he locked himself in his room and later his body was found hanging, they said.

Among their demands was the resignation of Roy, whom they blamed for the suicide, and that no disciplinary action should be taken against the students for the protest.

The students went on a hunger strike with the demands, and withdrew from it on Friday after assurances from the college authority.
New Delhi, Sep 24 (PTI) Long-pending claims worth Rs 400 crore by a significant number of junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and other ranks of the Army have been settled following a joint initiative by the force and the defence accounts department, official sources said on Sunday.

Majority of the claims pertained to house rent allowances, pay fixation cases and education allowances to children of the Army personnel, they said.

The Army headquarters and the Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA), the office that heads the defence accounts department, carried out the pan-India outreach to clear the cases of claims, the sources said.

To clear the pending cases, a "war room" was established in the CGDA and cases were being monitored closely, the sources said, adding the exercise has benefitted a large number of JCOs and other ranks.

The outreach commenced at the beginning of this month, spearheaded by joint CGDA (grievances), under which camps were organised in all 48 'pay and account offices' across the country, they said.

Similarly, Indian Army activated their records offices to address all cases on priority, they added.

The records offices in the Army are responsible for checking the veracity of the claims while the vetted claims are finally cleared by the pay and accounts offices.

The pay and accounts offices (PAO) operate under the CGDA. There are a total 48 records offices and PAO set ups across India, one for each regiment, arm or service.

The Indian Army received a large number of grievances from the JCOs and other ranks that their claims were not cleared due to various observations.

"The issue was raised with the CGDA and the Joint CGDA (Grievances) in an unprecedented move worked expeditiously in complete synergy with the Indian Army and analysed all cases one by one through their PAOs," said an official.

The synergy between the Army and CGDA resulted in the release of long-pending claims worth Rs 400 crore for JCOs and Other Ranks, the sources said.
Jaipur, Sep 24 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday address a public rally in Jaipur, a culmination of a series of parivartan sankalp yatras taken out by the BJP in poll-bound Rajasthan, a Union minister said.

Women in large numbers will attend the 'Parivartan Sankalp Mahasabha' to thank Modi for the women's reservation bill, Union Minister of State Arjun Ram Meghwal said on Sunday.

He said 42 blocks have been set up at the venue of the rally and each block will be commanded by a woman who will oversee the arrangements there.

"PM Modi will arrive at the rally in an open jeep," Meghwal told reporters here.

Union Minister and BJP's election in-charge for Rajasthan Prahlad Joshi oversaw the final preparations for the rally in Dadiya village. He said people are determined to remove Congress from power in the state where elections are due later this year.

"Our Parivartan Sankalp Yatra received tremendous support with large crowds attending the meetings," Joshi said, adding people from across the state will gather in Jaipur on Monday for Modi's rally.

The prime minister will also pay tributes to Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay on his birth anniversary in Dhankya village before addressing the public rally.

Earlier in the day, Union Minister Gajendra Singh met former chief minister Vasundhara Raje at her residence. The meeting lasted for an hour, sources said.

The BJP's four parivartan yatras covered all the 200 Assembly constituencies in the state.

The first yatra was flagged off by party president J P Nadda from Ranthambore, Sawai Madhopur on September 2, and the second by Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Beneshwar Dham in Dungarpur on September 3.

The third yatra was launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh from Ramdevra in Jaisalmer on September 4, and the fourth by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari from Gotamedi, Hanumangarh on September 5.
Chandigarh, Sep 24 (PTI) Two drug smugglers have been arrested and 12 kgs of heroin and Rs 19.3 cash were recovered from them in a joint operation of the state police and the Border Security Force, Punjab Police said on Sunday.

The narcotics were brought from Pakistan through drones, they said.

Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav, in a post on X, said, Big blow to trans-border narcotic network: Gurdaspur police and BSF, in a joint operation, have seized 12 kg of heroin along with Rs 19.3 lakh drug money from 2 smugglers.

Drones were used to transport drugs from Pakistan, he added.

A case under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act has been registered.

Investigations underway to establish backward and forward linkages, Yadav said.
Jaipur, Sep 24 (PTI) A bus rammed into a stationary dumper in Rajasthan's Barmer district, leaving a government school principal and a girl student dead while 20 others were injured, police said on Sunday.

The accident occurred near Sehlau village on Saturday night when the victims were returning to Detani in Barmer after attending a music competition in Jalore.

A district administration official said that a group of students from Swami Vivekanand Government Model School, Detani had gone to Raniwada in Jalore to attend the competition. The students were accompanied by the principal and three teachers.

Three critically injured girls have been admitted to a hospital in Jodhpur while the other have been admitted to a hospital in Barmer.

The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Ibrahim (50) and Samina (13).
Ballia (UP), Sep 24 (PTI) A man has been arrested for allegedly abducting a 15-year-old girl here and raping her for three months, police said on Sunday.

She was allegedly abducted by Pawan Bind on May 28 and taken to Surat in Gujarat. She was rescued from Ballia's Gadwar on August 28, they said.

Based on a complaint by the girl's father, an FIR was registered in the matter on charges of rape and kidnapping under IPC and the POCSO Act.

In her statement to the police, the girl claimed that she was taken to Gujarat by the accused, where he illegally married and raped her for three months, a police officer said.

She was later brought to Ballia again following which she was rescued by the police. The accused was arrested from the Bisukia Road area on Saturday, the officer added.




When former President Donald Trump visits Detroit next week, hell be looking to blunt criticisms from a United Auto Workers union leadership that has said a second term for him would be a disaster for workers.

Trump will bypass the second Republican presidential debate on Sept. 27 to instead visit striking autoworkers in Michigan, where he has looked to position himself as an ally of blue-collar workers by promising to raise wages and protect jobs if elected to a second term.

But union leaders say Trumps record in the White House speaks for itself. Union leaders have said his first term was far from worker-friendly, citing unfavorable rulings from the nations top labor board and the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as unfulfilled promises of automotive jobs. While the United Auto Workers union has withheld an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race, its leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Trump.

Nevertheless, Trump plans to speak directly to a room of former and current union members. A Trump campaign radio ad released Tuesday in Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, praised auto workers and said the former president has always had their back.

Not everyone thinks so. Despite Trumps history of success in courting blue-collar workers in previous elections, union leaders say their members would do well to believe their own eyes.

Just look who Trump put in the courts, said Dave Green, the UAW regional director for Ohio and Indiana. Look at his record with the labor relations board. He did nothing to support organized labor except lip service.

The National Labor Relations Board, which enforces the countrys labor laws and oversees union elections, came under Republican control during the Trump administration for the first time since 2007. The board reversed several key Obama-era rulings that made it easier for small unions to organize, strengthened the bargaining rights of franchise workers and provided protection against anti-union measures for employees.

In 2017, the Trump-era board reversed a decision holding employers responsible for labor violations by subcontractors or franchisees. In 2019, the board gave a boost to companies that use contract labor, such as Lyft and Uber, by emphasizing entrepreneurial opportunity in determining a workers employment status, making organizing harder.

Mark McManus, president of the plumbers and pipefitters union, said in a statement Tuesday that Trump tried to gut the labor relations board under his administration to undo the safeguards that protect working families. Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber told The Associated Press in an emailed statement that the board was stacked with anti-worker appointees who trampled on collective bargaining rights.

The union leaders also point to unfavorable U.S. Supreme Court rulings under a conservative majority that grew during Trumps term. The nations high court has dealt a number of blows to unions, most recently ruling against unionized drivers who walked off the job with their trucks full of wet cement, allowing a civil suit against them to go forward.

In 2018, the courts conservative majority overturned a decades-old pro-union decision involving fees paid by government workers. The justices in 2021 rejected a California regulation giving unions access to farm property so they could organize workers.

If youre appointing conservatives to the court, youre often appointing people who relate to the preference for business or property owners or shareholders, more than the preference of stakeholders like workers, said Peter Berg, a professor of labor relations at Michigan State University.

As president, Trump largely sat on the sidelines during a 40-day walkout at a General Motors plant in 2019.

Still, the Trump campaign vigorously defended his record as pro-worker.

President Trump has always been on the side of American workers, his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.

Cheung responded to the criticisms from labor leaders with a long list of economic gains and policies from Trumps time as president, ranging from the surging stock market to low unemployment. He cited Trumps broad push to remove regulations and abandon or renegotiate trade deals as beneficial to American workers across a range of industries.

Republicans have long tried to position themselves as being anti-union while remaining pro-worker. The party has branded itself as being for the working class while attacking organized labor, which has supported the Democratic Party for decades.

Trump has used a similar tactic in an effort to separate workers from a UAW leadership that endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and that has attacked Trump since. In a recent campaign video addressed to autoworkers, Trump encouraged them not to pay union dues and claimed union leaders have got some deals going for themselves. Trump also claimed he would raise their wages and protect their jobs.

Job growth figures in the auto industry during Trumps presidency contradict his claim that the industry thrived under his watch. The total number of auto manufacturing jobs in Michigan, which holds the most automotive jobs in the U.S., stayed even during Trumps presidency.

In Ohio, the number of auto manufacturing jobs grew by fewer than 2,000 jobs during Trumps four years in the White House. But Green, the UAW director, said some communities that had backed Trump in 2016 were abandoned by him. He pointed to Lordstown, Ohio, an area that Trump won by a significant margin in 2016 and where Green previously served as the local UAW president.

In 2017, during a visit to the region, Trump pledged that jobs there were all coming back and implored residents to stay put. A year later, General Motors announced the closure of its Lordstown plant, one of the largest employers in the area.

The guy came to my community and flat out lied to everybody, Green said last week. Banks were closing, schools were shutting down. I wrote the guy two letters, and he didnt even reply.

AP VoteCast shows that in the 2020 presidential election, Trump was the choice of 62% of white voters without a college degree, whereas Biden won the vote of 37% in this group. Biden performed better than Trump did among union members, receiving 56% of union members votes in the 2020 election, compared with Trumps 42%.

Trump hopes in 2024 to win back the support of union-friendly states such as Michigan, which became the first in nearly 60 years to repeal a union-restricting law known as right-to-work. Its one of three Rust Belt states along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin that broke for Democrats but where Trump narrowly won in 2016, carrying him into the White House. He lost those states to Biden in the 2020 election.

(AP)




A military pilot whose advanced fighter jet went temporarily missing over the weekend is heard repeatedly requesting an ambulance in a perplexing 911 call from the South Carolina home where he had parachuted to safety, according to audio recording released Thursday to The Associated Press.

The four-minute recording captures the bizarre circumstances for the three unidentified people involved: a North Charleston resident calmly explaining that a pilot just parachuted into his backyard, the pilot who doesnt know what became of his jet, and a puzzled dispatcher trying to make sense of it all.

We got a pilot in the house, and I guess he landed in my backyard, and were trying to see if we could get an ambulance to the house, please, the resident said.

The pilot, who said he was 47, reported feeling OK after falling what he estimated was 2,000 feet. Only his back hurt, he said. The resident said the pilot looked fine.

Maam, a military jet crashed. Im the pilot. We need to get rescue rolling, the pilot said. Im not sure where the airplane is. It would have crash landed somewhere. I ejected.

Later in the call, he made another plea for medical help.

Maam, Im a pilot in a military aircraft, and I ejected. So I just rode a parachute down to the ground. Can you please send an ambulance? the pilot said.

The Marines have described the pilot as an experienced aviator with decades of experience in the cockpit.

The F-35 crashed Sunday after a malfunction prompted the pilot to eject over Charleston and land in the backyard not far from Charleston International Airport. The fighter jet, which the Marine Corps said was at an altitude of only about 1,000 feet (300 meters), kept flying for 60 miles (100 kilometers) until it crashed in a rural area near Indiantown. It took more than a day to locate the wreckage.

A feature on fighter jets intended to protect pilots in emergencies could explain how it managed to continue its travels, the U.S. Marine Corps said Thursday.

The Marines said that while it was unclear why the jet kept flying, flight control software would have worked to keep it steady if there were no longer a pilots hands on the controls.

If the jet is stable in level flight, the jet will attempt to stay there. If it was in an established climb or descent, the jet will maintain a 1G state in that climb or descent until commanded to do something else, the Marine Corps said in a statement. This is designed to save our pilots if they are incapacitated or lose situational awareness.

Other questions about the crash remained, too, notably why the plane wasnt tracked as it continued flying over South Carolina and how it could take more than a day to find a massive fighter jet that had flown over populated, although rural, areas.

The Marines said features that erase a jets secure communications in case of an ejection  a feature designed to protect both the pilots location and the planes classified systems  may also have complicated efforts to find it.

Normally, aircraft are tracked via radar and transponder codes, the Marines said. Upon pilot ejection, the aircraft is designed to erase (or zeroize) all secure communication.

The plane would have kept broadcasting an identifier on an open channel to identify itself as friend or foe  but even on an unclassified communications channel air traffic control may not have been able to pick up the signal depending on how powerful its radar was, the weather at the time, how high the plane was flying and the terrain, the Marines said. They said thunderstorms and low cloud ceilings further hampered the search for the plane.

When coupled with the F-35s stealth capabilities, tracking the jet had to be done through non-traditional means, the service said in its statement.

The incident is still under investigation and results from an official review board could take months.

However, the Marines said the feature that kept the plane flying may not only have saved the life of the pilot but of others on the ground.

The good news is it appeared to work as advertised. The other bit of silver lining in this case is that through the F-35 flying away it avoided crashing into a densely populated area surrounding the airport, and fortunately crashed into an empty field and forested area, the statement said.

(AP)




Vice President Kamala Harris said Thursday that the Biden administration is taking the first steps toward removing medical bills from peoples credit scores, which could improve ratings for millions of people.

Harris said that would make it easier for them to obtain an auto loan or a home mortgage. Roughly one in five people report having medical debt. The vice president said the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is beginning the rulemaking process to make the change.

The agency said in a statement that including medical debt in credit scores is problematic because mistakes and inaccuracies in medical billing are common.

Access to health care should be a right and not a privilege, Harris told reporters in call to preview the action. These measures will improve the credit scores of millions of Americans so that they will better be able to invest in their future.

The announcement comes after a long push by the Biden administration to minimize the importance of medical debt in how peoples creditworthiness is rated. CFPB director Rohit Chopra said the credit reporting companies Equifax, TransUnion and Experian announced last March that they would stop reporting some but not all medical bills on an individuals credit report.

In addition to pulling medical bills from credit reports, the proposal would prevent creditors from using medical bills when deciding on loans and stop debt collectors from using credit ratings to pressure people with health care-related debt. The government will hear feedback from small businesses and then issue a notice of a proposed rulemaking at some point next year.

(AP)




Former President Donald Trump has issued to fellow Republicans in Congress, urging them to initiate a government shutdown as a means to impede the ongoing federal prosecutions against him. However, experts suggest that such a move is unlikely to halt the legal cases currently underway.

The divide among Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives regarding spending legislation is intensifying, with an impending October 1 shutdown looming if a resolution is not reached. A faction of staunch conservatives, including Trumps ardent supporters, has created headaches for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy as he pushes for a short-term funding plan.

In a late-night post on his Truth Social media platform, Trump declared, Republicans in Congress can and must defund all aspects of Crooked Joe Bidens weaponized Government, referring to it as the last chance to defund these political prosecutions against me and other Patriots.

However, the U.S. Justice Department has previously clarified that activities funded by permanent indefinite appropriations would continue during any funding lapse, effectively rendering Trumps call ineffective in halting the federal prosecutions. It is worth noting that the office is covered by the permanent, indefinite appropriation for independent counsels, as indicated in its latest funding statement.

In response to Trumps call, President Joe Bidens re-election campaign accused the former president of prioritizing his personal interests over those of the nation. The campaign stated, Donald Trump is rooting for a government shutdown and couldnt care less what it would mean for American families.

Trump currently faces two federal trials, one related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, and the other pertaining to his handling of classified documents. New York and Georgia are also pursuing legal action against him, and a federal government shutdown would not impact these cases, either.

Trumps plea has ignited a partisan response, with his ally, U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, expressing support on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), stating, Trump Opposes the Continuing Resolution. Hold the Line.

Meanwhile, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on the same platform, Trump ordered House Republicans to shutdown the government. These people are too extreme to ever be trusted.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Senator John Fetterman, the cognitively damaged Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, has presented a unique proposition to Republicans whove taken issue with his unconventional attire: if they abandon efforts to trigger a government shutdown and fully support Ukraine, he will make a rare appearance in a suit on the Senate floor next week.

Fetterman has gained notoriety for his preference for shorts and hoodies over traditional suits, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer even changed Senate rules to allow this unprecedented breach of decorum. Previously, senators were mandated by the chambers rules to wear business attire while they were on the floor.

Schumer defended the decision, stating, Senators are able to choose what they wear on the Senate floor. I will continue to wear a suit.

In a statement, Fetterman declared, If those jagoffs in the House stop trying to shut our government down, and fully support Ukraine, then I will save democracy by wearing a suit on the Senate floor next week.

Sen. Rick Scott, along with 45 other senators, expressed their disapproval of the dress code modification in a letter addressed to Schumer. In the letter, they emphasized the importance of upholding the Senates dignity, stating, The world watches us on that floor, and we must protect the sanctity of that place at all costs. Allowing casual clothing on the Senate floor disrespects the institution we serve and the American families we represent.

Notably, some Democrats, including Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Mark Kelly, have also voiced their dissatisfaction with the change.

Throughout the controversy, Senator Fetterman has remained unfazed, asserting, America its about freedom and choice. Its like [a] Burger King You Rule kind of thing.

Fettermans stance on attire has even prompted a direct conversation with Senator Joe Manchin, who also expressed his disagreement with the dress code alteration. Senator Manchin has recently initiated discussions to reintroduce a formal dress code for the Senate.

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)




Staring down a fast-approaching government shutdown that threatens to disrupt life for millions of Americans, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has turned to a strategy that so far has preserved his tenuous hold on House leadership but also marked it by chaos: giving hard-right lawmakers what they want.

In his eight months running the House, McCarthy has lived by the upbeat personal mantra of never give up as he dodges threats to his speakership and tries to portray Republicans as capable stewards of the U.S. government. He has long chided Washington for underestimating him.

But with the House GOP majority in turmoil, all but certain to hurl the country into a shutdown, McCarthy has set aside the more traditional tools of the gavel to keep rebels in line. Instead, he has acceded to a small band led by those instigating his ouster, even if that means closing federal offices.

Its an untested strategy that has left McCarthy deeply frustrated, his allies rushing to his side and his grip on power ever more uncertain with the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government a week away.

We still have a number of days, McCarthy said Saturday as he arrived at the Capitol.

I think when it gets crunch time people will finally, that have been holding off all this time blaming everybody else, will finally hopefully move off, the California Republican said. Because shutting down  and having border agents not be paid, your Coast Guard not get paid  I dont see how thats good.

Governing with a narrow House majority, the speaker is facing a more virulent strain of the hard-right tactics that chased the two most recent Republican speakers before him, Reps. John Boehner of Ohio and Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, into early retirement. Like them, McCarthy has tried various tactics to restore order. But more than ever, McCarthy finds himself swept along as far-right lawmakers, determined to bend Washington to their will, take control in the House.

McCarthy tried to win conservatives support by agreeing to their demand for impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden and then by meeting their calls for spending cuts, only to be turned back whenever a few of them hold out for more concessions.

All the while, McCarthy has retreated from his budget deal with Biden months ago that established the spending threshold for the year. Instead, he is trying to reduce spending more in line with the level he promised the right flank during his tumultuous fight to become the House speaker.

Yet all the concessions seem to never be enough.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who is leading the fight, crowed to reporters Thursday that, if you look at the events of the last two weeks, things seem to be kind of coming my way.

Gaetz said he was delivering a eulogy for short-term funding legislation known as a continuing resolution  a mechanism traditionally used to keep the government functioning during spending debates.

Democrats have been eager to lay blame for the impending shutdown on McCarthy and the dysfunction in the House. Biden has called on McCarthy to stick to the annual spending numbers they negotiated to raise the nations borrowing limit.

He handed over the gavel to the most extreme in his party, said Massachusetts Rep. Jim McGovern, a senior Democrat.

With the House at a standstill and lawmakers at home for the weekend, McCarthy has turned to the plan advanced by Gaetz to start processing some of the nearly dozen annual spending bills needed to fund the various government departments and shelving for now the idea of stopgap approach while the work continues.

Its a nearly impossible task as Congress runs out of time to find a short-term spending plan.

We can in no way pass 11 bills in eight days, said Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat appropriator, referring to the number of bills Congress would have to approve before Sept. 30.

DeLauro, a veteran lawmaker, estimated it would take at least six weeks to pass the bills in both chambers of Congress, then negotiate them between the House and Senate. She urged Republicans to embrace a continuing resolution to allow government agencies to stay open.

Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, one of McCarthys closest allies, has pointed out that the Senate has advanced legislation at spending levels above those in the deal reached with Biden. He argues that House Republicans need to pass their own bills at the lower numbers to to strengthen their hand in negotiations.

For Congress to solve the current impasse, many expect that it will take a bipartisan coalition that leaves McCarthys right flank behind. That would be certain to spark a challenge to his leadership.

In the Senate, Democratic and Republican leaders are working on a package that would fund the government at levels far higher than the House Republicans are demanding and include emergency disaster aid and money for Ukraine, which some of GOP House members oppose.

Eventually, were going to get something back from the U.S. Senate and its not going to be to our liking, said Arkansas Rep. Steve Womack, a leading Republican on the House Appropriations Committee. Then the speaker will have a very difficult decision.

(AP)
SHANGHAI (Reuters) - China Reform Holdings Corp, a Chinese manager of state assets, plans to raise at least 100 billion yuan ($13.70 billion) for a fund that will invest in emerging industries, the China Business News reported on Sunday.

The fund has already received investment intentions from more than 20 central government-owned enterprises as well as local governments and private investors, and will start operating by the end of this year, the newspaper said.

China's state-owned enterprises (SOEs) have been ramping up investment in emerging and strategic industries such as artificial intelligence, new energy, new materials and biotech as part of Beijing's SOE reforms.

China Reform Holdings was set up in 2021 and tasked with deepening SOE reforms. It managed nearly 860 billion yuan of assets at the end of 2022, according to the company's website.

($1 = 7.2980 Chinese yuan renminbi)

(Reporting by Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Jamie Freed)




In late 2020, Sen. Bob Menendez met with Philip Sellinger, a private practice lawyer and former fundraiser for the senator, to assess his potential fit as the next U.S. attorney for the state of New Jersey  and to discuss one case in particular.

If appointed, Sellinger would assume control of one of the largest prosecutors offices in the country, a post that comes with the power to bust mob bosses and go after corrupt public officials.

But Menendez, federal prosecutors say, was fixated on a less consequential matter: ensuring the future prosecutor would act sympathetically toward a friend of his facing bank fraud charges, real estate developer Fred Daibes.

Daibes is now a key figure in a sweeping bribery case brought against Menendez, his wife and multiple other associates. It accuses Menendez and his wife of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of cash, gold bars and a luxury car in exchange for a range of favors, including secretly aiding the government of Egypt on U.S. policy matters and interfering in three criminal investigations, including the one involving Daibes.

The indictment unsealed Friday by the U.S. attorney in Manhattan said Daibes paid bribes, including envelopes stuffed with thousands of dollars in cash and gold bars worth more than $120,000.

Menendez has denied wrongdoing, blaming the prosecution on forces behind the scenes who cannot accept that a first-generation Latino American from humble beginnings could rise to be a U.S. Senator. An attorney for Daibes, Tim Donohue, said he was confident his client would be completely exonerated of all charges.

Daibes and Menendez both rose to prominence as power players in the same stretch of urban communities across the Hudson River from Manhattan, where local politics and real estate have long involved favor-trading.

In his home base of Edgewater, New Jersey, just up the river from Union City, where Menendez was once mayor, Daibes is widely credited with building out a gold coast of luxury high rises along the formerly industrial waterfront.

That achievement may have been helped by Daibes cozy relationship with a number of Edgewater officials, who turned away rival developers from the community and approved his lucrative deals, according to lawsuits and a recent report by the New Jersey State Commission of Investigation.

That report found Daibes rented a discounted apartment to Edgewaters mayor and provided several million dollars in revenue to a local councilmans business, while accruing development rights and reneging on promises to build affordable housing.

It said people who opposed Daibes faced reprisals. Edgewaters previous mayor, James Delaney, testified that his political support evaporated when he complained about what he believed was a corrupt agreement between local officials and Daibes. He ultimately didnt run for reelection.

This report is a cautionary tale concerning the inherent dangers of enabling an influential, politically-connected and unelected private citizen to hold outsized power in government concerns, the commission wrote.

Delaneys former wife, Bridget Delaney, who had spent 15 years working for Daibes at his restaurant, said the couple were effectively run out of Edgewater, ruining their lives.

Theres fraud all over that town, she told The Associated Press on Friday. When hes in jail, maybe that will provide some relief.

In 2018, Daibes was charged by federal prosecutors in Newark with obtaining loans under false pretenses from a bank that he owned. The charges were serious, carrying the potential for years in prison.

Daibes was still awaiting trial in 2021 when Menendez, as New Jerseys senior senator, played a key role in advising the new administration of President Joe Biden on potential candidates to be the top federal prosecutor in the state.

According to the indictment, Menendez initially rejected Sellinger as a candidate after their December 2020 job interview because the lawyer told him he would likely have to recuse himself from any case involving Daibes due to a previous matter in which he represented the developer.

But after another candidate fell through, Menendez ultimately recommended him for the job.

After Sellinger was sworn in, the Department of Justice had him step aside from the Daibes prosecution and hand responsibility for it to another senior prosecutor. Menendez, according to the indictment, then badgered both Sellinger and the prosecutor who had been put in charge of Daibes case, calling them several times.

Menendez also asked one of his political advisors to let Sellinger know he was upset with the way the Daibes case was being handled, according to the indictment.

During the months in 2022 when Menendez was trying to influence the handling of the case, Daibes arranged for Menendezs wife, Nadine, to be given two gold bars, each worth around $60,000, along with an envelope containing thousands of dollars in cash, the indictment said.

At one point, Menendez performed a web search for how much is one kilo of gold worth?

David Schertler, a lawyer for Nadine Menendez said she denies any criminal conduct and will vigorously contest these charges in court.

Sellinger and his senior prosecutor told investigators they kept Menendezs attempts to influence the case from the team of lawyers handling the prosecution and took no steps to intervene, the indictment said.

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for the New Jersey U.S. Attorneys Office noted the recusal by Sellinger, adding that all activity related to that matter was handled appropriately according to the principles of federal prosecution.

Last year, following a delayed trial, Daibes pleaded guilty in his bank fraud case. Under the agreement, he would receive only probation, according to his attorney. But his sentencing has been repeatedly delayed and is now scheduled to take place next month.

(AP)




At the annual meeting of world leaders last year, the U.N. chief sounded a global alarm about the survival of humanity and the planet. This year, the alarm rang louder and more ominously, and the message was even more pressing: Wake up and take action  right now.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres assessment, delivered in his no-nonsense style, aimed to shock. We are becoming unhinged, he said. We are inching closer to a great fracture. Conflicts, coups and chaos are surging. The climate crisis is growing. Divides are deepening between military and economic powers, the richer North and poorer South, East and West. A new Rubicon has been crossed in artificial intelligence.

Guterres has spoken often on all these issues. But this year, which he called a time of chaotic transition, his address to leaders was tougher and even more urgent. And looking at his previous state-of-the-world speeches, it seems clear he has been headed in this direction for quite some time.

In his first address to world leaders in 2017 after taking the helm of the 193-member United Nations, Guterres cited nuclear peril as the leading global threat. Two years later, he was warning of the world splitting in two, with the United States and China creating rival internets, currency, trade, financial rules and their own zero-sum geopolitical and military strategies. He urged vigorous action to avert the great fracture.

Then came the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. The global response Guterres called for never happened; richer countries got vaccines and poorer ones were left waiting. At last years leaders gathering, his message was almost as dire as this weeks: Our world is in peril and paralyzed, Guterres said. We are gridlocked in colossal global dysfunction.

This year, his message to the presidents and prime ministers, monarchs and ministers gathered in the vast General Assembly hall was unambiguous and stark.

We seem incapable, Guterres said, of coming together to respond.

THE WORLDS FUTURE, AND THE UNS

At the heart of Guterres many speeches this week is the very future of the United Nations, an institution formed immediately after World War II to bring nations together and save future generations from war. But in a 21st-century world that is far more interconnected and also more bitterly divided, can it remain relevant?

For Guterres, the answer is clear: It must.

The Cold War featured two superpowers  the capitalist United States and the communist Soviet Union. When it ended, there was a brief period of U.S.-dominated unipolarity after the breakup of the Soviet Union and its dissolution into a dominant Russia and smaller former republics. Now it is moving to a more chaotic multipolar world  and creating, Guterres says, new opportunities for different countries to lead.

But Guterres key argument is rooted in history. He says it teaches that a world with many power centers and small groups of nations cant solve the challenges that affect all countries. Thats why strong global institutions are needed, he told leaders on Thursday, and the United Nations is the only forum where this can happen.

The big question, upon which Guterres is now laser-focused, is whether an institution born in 1945  a time when the tools to address chaos and fragmentation were more rudimentary  can be retooled and updated to tackle todays challenges.

I have no illusions, he said. Reforms are a question of power. I know there are many competing interests and agendas. But the alternative to reform is not the status quo. The alternative to reform is further fragmentation. Its reform or rupture.

That is the conundrum sitting in the U.N. chiefs lap: Can 193 nations with competing agendas undertake major reforms?

To meet the challenge, Guterres has called on world leaders to attend a Summit of the Future at next Septembers U.N. global gathering, and in the coming, year to negotiate a Pact for the Future. At a meeting Thursday to prepare, he told ministers that the pact represents your pledge to use all the tools at your disposal at the global level to solve problems  before those problems overwhelm us.

The secretary-general said he knows reaching agreement will be difficult. But, he said, it is possible.

A SENSE THAT THINGS ARE FUNDAMENTALLY BROKEN

Time, Guterres says, is against the United Nations and countries that support the return of united global action. Perhaps that is why his words grow more dire each year.

He points to new conflicts like Ukraine, more intense geopolitical tensions, signs of climate breakdown, a cost-of-living crisis and the debt distress and default that is bedeviling more countries than ever.

We cannot inch towards agreement while the world races towards a precipice, Guterres said. We must bring a new urgency to our efforts, and a shared sense of common purpose.

Thats easier said than done, as this weeks high-level meetings  and the priorities and problems they raise  make clear.

Can all the U.N.s far-flung nations unite behind a common purpose? Whether that happens in the next 12 months remains to be seen. Certainly there is support. Consider Bahamas Foreign Minister Frederick Audley Mitchell, addressing the global gathering Friday night. Now, more than ever, we need the United Nations, he said.

Richard Gowan, the U.N. director for the International Crisis Group, said Guterres state-of-the-world speech spoke truth to power and was an especially blunt and bleak assessment.

He really seems to think that the multilateral system is fundamentally broken, Gowan said. The secretary-general seems frustrated after years of difficult dealings with the divided U.N. Security Council, Gowan said, alluding to the United States and its Western allies increasingly clashing with Russia and China.

Sometimes it feels like Guterres no longer believes in the institution he leads, Gowan said.

For Guterres, then, the Summit of the Future presents an opportunity but also a possible demarcation point  between a brighter future and a more desolate one, between a chance at progress and the prospect of a closing door. To Gowan, it will be a last chance for U.N. members to get their act together and rethink how the multilateral system could work.

And that could present a potentially insurmountable peak for the worlds most senior diplomat to scale. Mark Malloch-Brown, president of the Open Society Foundations and a former U.N. deputy secretary-general, pronounced Guterres keynote speech to world leaders a brave and frank admission that the U.N. is broken  no longer fit for purpose.

The problem is that precisely because of that, nobody may hear him, Malloch-Brown said. He may be speaking to an empty room.

(AP)




Five flamingos that showed up in Wisconsin to wade along a Lake Michigan beach attracted a big crowd of onlookers eager to see the unusual visitors venturing far from their usual tropical setting.

The American flamingos spotted Friday in Port Washington, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Milwaukee, marked the first sighting of the species in Wisconsin state history, said Mark Korducki, a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

The birds stood quietly 25 feet (7.6 meters) off Lake Michigans western shoreline as waves lapped against their thin legs. Three were adults, identifiable by their pink plumage, and two were juveniles clad in gray.

Jim Edelhuber of Waukesha was among a crowd of about 75 bird enthusiasts drawn to the citys South Beach after word spread on social media about the flamingos appearance there.

This is huge. This is unbelievable, said Edelhuber, an avid bird watcher and photographer.

The sighting was unexpected but not a total shock because of recent reports of flamingos in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania, said Ryan Brady, conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Wildlife biologists hypothesized that the flamingos were pushed north in late August by the strong winds of Hurricane Idalia, the Journal Sentinel reported.

The typical range of the American flamingo is Florida and other Gulf Coast states as well as the Caribbean and northern South America.

Debbie Gasper of Port Washington made the short trip to the lakefront with her husband, Mark. She said that before Friday the only flamingos she has seen have been on the couples trips to Aruba.

Gasper said she was going to send photos of the birds to relatives in Georgia who arent going to believe it.

(AP)




An explosives-laden vehicle detonated Saturday at a security checkpoint in the central Somalia city of Beledweyne, killing at least 18 people and wounding 40 others, authorities said.

Abdirahman Dahir Gure, the interior minister of Hirshabelle state, announced the toll to journalists.

Twenty of the wounded have been admitted to Beledweyne hospitals, while another 20 are in critical condition, prompting a request for their airlift to Mogadishu for advanced medical treatment, he said.

Hirshabelle is a state that includes Beledweyne, which is the capital of the Hiran region and has been the center of the Somali governments latest military offensive against extremists from East Africas al-Qaeda affiliate, al-Shabab.

Images on social media showed black smoke billowing and a smashed truck cab blazing at the checkpoint.

Dr. Suleyman Abdi Ali, the director of Beledweyne General Hospital, said the bodies of 10 victims were brought to his hospital.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility from al-Shabab, which often carries out such attacks and controls parts of Somalia.

It was a truck loaded with explosive devices that forcefully passed through the government-manned checkpoint, and a pickup vehicle belonging to security personnel was chasing it when it exploded, witness Abdikadir Arba, who said he was about 200 meters away and was one of the first responders, told The Associated Press by phone.

(AP)




Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced several support measures for Ukraine, including military, economic and humanitarian assistance, while also pledging an additional show of diplomatic backing through steps intended to punish Russia over the war.

Were continuing to impose costs on Russia and ensuring that those responsible for this illegal, unjustifiable invasion do not benefit from it, Trudeau said Friday during a joint news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ottawa, the Canadian capital.

Zelenskyy also addressed Canadas Parliament on Friday. He flew into Ottawa late Thursday after meetings with U.S. President Joe Biden and lawmakers in Washington. He spoke at the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday.

Canada and Ukraine agreed to establish a working group with G7 partners to study seizure and forfeiture of Russian assets, including from the Russian Central Bank, Trudeau said.

Canada also added 63 Russian individuals and entities to the countrys sanctions list, including those complicit in the kidnapping of children and the spreading of disinformation, Trudeau said.

Canadas pledge to stand with Ukraine will include $650 million in new military assistance over the next three years, Trudeau said.

Canada will provide Ukraine with 50 armored vehicles, including armored medical evacuation vehicles built in London, Ontario. Pilot and maintenance instructors for F-16 fighter jets, support for Leopard 2 battle tank maintenance, 35 drones with high-resolution cameras, light vehicles and ammunition are part of the intended support package, Trudeau said.

The multiyear support also will include a financial contribution to a U.K.-led consortium delivering air defense equipment to Ukraine, Trudeau said.

Canadas monetary support will continue into the 2024 fiscal year, while the governments also have signed a free trade agreement, Trudeau said.

Other assistance for nongovernmental organizations and Ukraines government will include measures to improve cyber resilience, rebuild local infrastructure and assist farmers. Canada also plans to contribute funds for Ukraines national war memorial and money to increase the availability of mental health support at the appropriate time, he said.

We stand here absolutely united in our defense of democracy and our condemnation of (Russian President) Vladimir Putins unprovoked, unjustified and unconscionable invasion of Ukraine, Trudeau said.

(AP)




Seventeen year-old Rivka Shotkin is an adorable, vivacious, extroverted, typical teenager.

Except shes anything but typical. Shes paralyzed from the chest down following a horrific ski accident that left her paraplegic two years ago. Yet, even so, she lights up any room she rolls into.

As a travel enthusiast, going on trips has posed somewhat of a challenge since Rivka became wheelchair bound. Not one to quit, she planned an action-packed trip down to Panama with her sister and two friends.

After a lot of aggravation with their initial lodging, they had finally settled into the hotel room to discover the AC was broken. While the three girls peeled off their layers to try and get some relief from the heat, Rivka piled on sweaters. She was shivering and burning up with high fever.

After being rushed to the hospital, it was discovered that Rivka was suffering from a bout of pneumonia. Things went from bad to worse and her condition quickly deteriorated. Rivka ended

up in the ICU of a Central American hospital with her lung becoming septic.

Hatzolah Air was contacted on Erev Tisha BAv to rescue her from the hospital she was in and

to transport her to Miami, Florida for emergency treatment.

At Hatzolah Air, we fly missions 365 days a year. Tisha BAv was no exception. Upon hearing Mr. Shotkin and crew were coming to the hangar, Mendel Sorkin, HAs Facilities Coordinator, prepared a plentiful and delicious spread for the crew to feast on, in preparation for the fast, as they waited for the plane. (The crew even got to take hard boiled eggs and ashes to go!) Aboard the flight down to Panama, the crew along with Mr. Shotkin, said Kinnos at 36,000 feet in the air (see picture), while seated on the floor of the aircraft.

Once down in Panama, with the incredible help of Panama Hatzalah, Rivka was transported

from the hospital to the tarmac where the plane and crew eagerly awaited her arrival. With

tremendous Siyata Dshamaya, and with our medical crew led by veteran paramedic Simcha

Goldstein, Rivka was transported via Hatzolah Air smoothly to Miami, where she received

excellent treatment and was well on her way to recovery within a week.

When timing is critical and distances are great, Hatzolah Air is there.

Mission Ready. Always.

As we enter a new year, we invite you to join our new mission:

A Sefer Torah to keep aboard our plane, offering protection of the highest form.

And you can be a part of it  for just $18 per letter.

Give your new year a lift.

Your donation can save a life. CLICK HERE TO DONATE

(YWN World Headquarters  NYC)
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

C.B. writes: I invested 5,000 in Cannadex loan bonds in 2020, with interest fixed at 11.75 per cent and repayment due in February 2022.

I have not been repaid and letters to the company go unanswered.

I finally made contact and was told to put my request to Cannadex's finance team, which I did, but I have still not been repaid.

Tony Hetherington replies: Cannadex is a medicinal cannabis company, and it was raising funds a few years ago by issuing bonds. But for unexplained reasons, the bond you have got is not the bond that Cannadex intended.

Promise: Cannadex's oil is used on skin to treat conditions such as arthritis and inflammation

For starters, you have told me you were steered into the investment by a financial adviser from Charles Hunt & Co, based in Berkeley Square in London. There is no such registered company, and no firm of this name is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

This is significant, but not crucial, as you had already lost a lot of legal protection.

You see, part of the application form for the bonds says you are a 'sophisticated investor'. This sounds flattering, but the words have a very important meaning under FCA rules. They mean you have been a director within the past two years of a company turning over at least 1million annually, or in the same period, you have made more than one investment in a company whose shares are not listed on the stock market.

You would also qualify as sophisticated if you are a 'business angel', putting money into risky start-ups, or you have worked recently as a professional fundraiser for small or medium-sized enterprises. In a nutshell, the rules mean you are well off enough to risk losing every penny, or you are experienced enough to understand the risks.

None of these things applies to you. You are 88 years old, and it is clear from everything you have told me that you had no idea what you were doing by buying loan bonds, which you seem to have thought were similar to a fixed-rate bank account. In fact, bonds like this are simply IOUs, no different to an IOU given to you by a pal in the pub who borrows a few quid until payday; there is always a risk that you will not be repaid.

I contacted Cannadex boss Amit Kochhar, whose signature appears on your bond. He did not reply, but one of his colleagues, Stephen Scanlon, told me: 'The investors who invested in Cannadex subscribed for convertible loan notes. These loan notes were to convert into shares in Cannadex.' Investors are not entitled to their money back, he explained. Instead, they receive shares.

I had to give him the exact wording that appears on your certificate. It says: 'Cannadex Limited promises to pay C.B. the sum of 5,000 along with annual interest of 11.75 per cent on the unpaid balance. This bond shall mature and be payable on February 18, 2022.' No ifs, no buts, and no swapping into shares.

Scanlon, who became a Cannadex director only recently, dug back into records. While he insisted that the investment was advertised as involving conversion into shares, he did agree there was a 'discrepancy' between this and the wording of the certificate. Cannadex has decided to make an exception and repay you, and you have just received your 5,000.

The huge gap between what Cannadex says it intended, and the actual certificate you received, remains completely unexplained. And Cannadex refused to identify whoever it was that acted as the sales force for its 2020 fundraising.

Has address been hijacked?

Ms C.M. writes: We bought our property in 2020, and the previous owners had lived there for many years. Since moving in, we have received letters from loan companies, addressed to names we do not recognise.

Some months ago, a company called Cool Poster Limited was set up using our address.

We have told Companies House, but is there any way I can put our address on a watchlist so proof is needed when anyone uses it?

Suspicious: Since moving in Ms C.M. has received letters from loan companies, addressed to names she does not recognise

Tony Hetherington replies: There is no central watchlist, I'm afraid. The closest is Cifas, the credit industry's anti-fraud body, but its list covers individuals, not addresses.

Cool Poster was set up in the name of a woman who told officials she lives in Kyiv.

I contacted Companies House and staff there have now changed the registered office address so mail will now go to them in Cardiff.

We're watching you Three weeks ago, I warned against dealing with art investment company Marks Art Ltd. It advertised a stream of glowing recommendations from people who had supposedly visited its gallery in London, but when I went to its address in the upmarket Kensington district, there was no sign of a gallery. The company's owner Mark Smith admitted that he only uses the address for post. There is a gallery, he claimed, but its real location is secret to deter criminals. Warning: Marks Art Ltd advertised a stream of glowing recommendations from people who had supposedly visited its gallery in London Review website Trustpilot took down 14 reviews it found were fake, and it ordered Marks Art not to break the site's rules by claiming a false trust rating. Now Trustpilot has acted again, after reviews for a separate website run by Marks Art were discovered to be making similar doubtful claims. Trustpilot told me: 'Our Fraud and Investigations team has identified and removed several additional reviews with suspicious patterns from both the marks-art.uk and marks-art.com profile pages.' Trustpilot has issued a Cease and Desist order to Marks Art to stop fabricating reviews, and it has placed a warning on the art dealer's Trustpilot page, alerting consumers to the firm's misconduct.

If you believe you are the victim of financial wrongdoing, write to Tony Hetherington at Financial Mail, 9 Derry Street, London W8 5HY or email tony.hetherington@mailonsunday.co.uk. Because of the high volume of enquiries, personal replies cannot be given. Please send only copies of original documents, which we regret cannot be returned.
Every time Peter Cloke visits his wife Millie in her care home in Woodbridge, Suffolk, he arrives bearing treats such as chocolates or sweet-smelling shower gel.

To pay for these, the 79-year-old former accountant invested 5,000 in March in a new bond from the Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution Care Company (RMBI).

Founded in 1850, the RMBI runs care homes and sheltered accommodation for more than 1,000 freemasons and others.

The issue was a success, raising 20million. Maturing in 2029, the bonds offer 6.25 per cent interest, paid twice a year, with the first payment due on September 7.

Peter had only invested in equities and unit trusts before but the bond's charitable nature attracted him. The Masonic backing was reassuring and he was keen on the fixed twice-yearly payments, which he decided to spend on those treats for his wife.

Weak link: Each party had done its bit except for Euroclear

Having bought the bonds via wealth platform Hargreaves Lansdown, Peter duly checked his account on September 7 for the first payment. It had not arrived and, as days passed, he worried. Peter was not alone. Hundreds of investors were in the same boat, many having poured 15,000 or more into the bond issue.

Mark Lloyd, managing director of the RMBI, was astounded when distressed bondholders contacted the charity. He had made sure the money was sent out on time to be forwarded to bondholders.

But the process is complex, with the funds going through intermediaries before reaching Euroclear, the Brussels-based clearing system ultimately responsible for sending the cash to brokers and investors.

Research by The Mail on Sunday revealed each party had done its bit except for Euroclear. It only moved the cash when urged to by Lloyd and colleagues. By the end of last week however, bondholders had been paid. Now Peter can stock up on treats for his wife.
Fugitive: 'Cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova

A top City firm is preparing a lawsuit against the fugitive 'cryptoqueen' Ruja Ignatova, who led a multi-billion pound cryptocurrency scam called OneCoin.

Mishcon de Reya, whose clients have included Princess Diana and anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller, is planning a class action lawsuit in the High Court, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The Bulgaria-based scheme has been dubbed 'one of the biggest scams in history', with Ignatova playing a central role in promoting it. She disappeared in 2017 and is on the FBI's Most Wanted list with US authorities offering $250,000 (200,000) for information leading to her arrest.

Mishcon aims to recover funds lost by investors in the fraud, with claimants able to sign up on a 'no-win, no-fee' basis.

'The claim aims to achieve at least partial redress for investors taken in by the deception and who suffered losses as a result,' said partner Rhymal Persad.

Launched in 2014, OneCoin marketed itself as a rival to Bitcoin, attracting investors worldwide with promises of huge returns.

Backers bought educational material and 'tokens' that the firm said could be converted into OneCoin cryptocurrency and would increase in value.

At its peak in mid-2017, the firm had amassed more than 4billion, according to the US Department of Justice, despite growing warnings from regulators and signs it was functioning as a Ponzi scheme, where new investment pays existing backers rather than the firm making a profit.

The business effectively collapsed later that year after US authorities charged Ignatova with fraud and issued a warrant for her arrest, leaving investors billions of pounds out of pocket.
Leading the charge: David Lockwood is the boss of Britain's second biggest defence contractor

David Lockwood was the man at the centre of one of the UK's biggest takeover rows when he sold historic defence firm Cobham to a US private equity predator. Now he is in charge of another great British defence business, Babcock International.

But he is adamant he's not aiming to sell out again.

Lockwood was brought in to overhaul Babcock in the summer of 2020 after the FTSE 250 firm issued multiple profit warnings and was struggling with underperforming businesses. Now that his sweeping turnaround strategy is starting to pay off, does Babcock, which maintains the UK's fleet of nuclear submarines, not risk becoming a takeover target too?

Lockwood insists that this is not the case. 'I think it's incredibly unlikely. I hope it's incredibly unlikely for a few reasons. For one, there aren't that many people in the nuclear space.' Anyone wanting to enter that arena would have to 'clear a UK Government hurdle, which, given that we maintain the UK's nuclear fleet, is a very, very, very, very high hurdle,' he says.

On a personal level, though, he is keen to see a shake-up of a company through to the end.

'I didn't get to do the interesting bit [at Cobham]', he says. 'And here, I'm about to head into the interesting bit.'

Babcock is a far bigger and more sprawling business than Cobham was. Set up in 1934, Cobham was one of Britain's pioneering aerospace and defence firms, with a workforce of 10,000 staff. In 2019, it became the target of a 4billion takeover by private equity group Advent International.

The situation was similar to that at Babcock: Lockwood had been brought in to turn the company around after it issued a string of profit warnings.

This was starting to take effect and investors were reinvigorated by the time that Advent swooped.

Lockwood and his fellow board members backed the deal, much to the dismay of some politicians, industry experts and even the founding Cobham family.

After furious opposition, the Government put a series of conditions on the deal. But it kicked off a bout of bids in the defence industry that later saw Ultra Electronics and Meggitt fall prey to US groups.

Cobham  as critics of the deal had warned  was swiftly broken up, and much of it was sold off within 18 months, despite Advent having insisted that it would be a long-term investor.

Was this a surprise to Lockwood?

He admits he has not tracked Cobham's post-takeover story.

'I don't really have a strong opinion, except that private equity only ever holds companies for a limited period. That's almost in their nature. They've probably done what you would expect a private equity company to do,' he adds.

'It's not been high on my radar.'

Lockwood has always insisted that he supported Advent's swoop because it was the best deal for investors, though many criticisms focused on national security fears.

But it was also not his first time dealing with Advent. The group he worked at before Cobham was Laird, another of Advent's targets.

He has also held high-level roles at firms including Thales, BT Global Services and BAE Systems, after graduating with a maths degree from the University of York.

Private equity predators might not be giving him nightmares, but Vladimir Putin's aggression against Ukraine is keeping him awake at night. The 60-year-old has become one of a handful of bosses to lead a major defence company during a war in Europe.

Even before Russia's invasion, Babcock was already the UK's second-largest defence contractor, after BAE. As well as maintaining nuclear submarines, it is also building the next generation of Royal Navy warships.

So, no pressure then.

'An analyst once wrote that the UK can't go to war without Babcock, and that's pretty true,' Lockwood says. 'That is a big responsibility. But if it doesn't keep you up at night, you're probably not the right person for the job.'

The biggest immediate threat for Lockwood to ruminate over in the early hours is Putin. China, which many Western politicians worry could invade Taiwan or try to make territorial gains in the South China Sea, is another threat.

Then there is climate change. We are 'not preparing enough' for the elements of global warming that are 'probably already inevitable', he says.

With all that swirling around in his mind, how does he decompress? Lockwood's business-like demeanour cracks and he breaks into a smile. 'Although it can horrify my wife, I play the piano  very badly. Because I'm not very good, I have to really focus, so it shuts the rest out,' he says, adding: 'I like going to the gym because, again, I think that if you're really pushing yourself, then you really focus.'

Lockwood, who says he tries to walk 20,000 to 25,000 steps a day, takes some of this mindset with him to the office. 'Everyone has got walking shoes, because if something's bugging me, I'll just say, 'Let's go around the block or the park and just talk it out'.'

Babcock's head office, where we are speaking, is in an austere building near Oxford Street in London's West End. The FTSE 250 firm has 27,000 staff, most of whom are in the UK, but its international operations are spread around the globe, the biggest being in Australia, Canada, South Africa and France.

Its sites include a dockyard alongside Devonport  the largest naval base in Western Europe  in Plymouth and the Rosyth dockyard in Fife, Scotland.

At Babcock he has had his work cut out for him. It traces its origins back to the 19th century, but it was shaped in its current form by the late Peter Rogers, who ran it from 2003 to 2016, and Archie Bethel, who was then in charge until 2020.

At that point, years of acquisitions had produced a workforce that had little shared culture. The company was a creaking mess.

There had also been some bruising allegations from an activist research outfit called The Boatman Capital, which claimed that Babcock's relationship with the Ministry of Defence was fraught and that some of its profit margins were being overstated. Babcock denied this  though certain claims appear to have had some truth in them.

Lockwood ordered a full review of the firm's accounts, which led to a daunting overhaul of the balance sheet. In July 2021, Babcock announced write-offs and charges to the tune of 2billion and started job cuts that aimed for 1,000 redundancies, mostly among the multi-layered middle management.

The scale of the problems revealed by the review was, he admits, a surprise. He and his finance chief tried to identify where the problems had begun, but he admits that 'in the end, we just couldn't. So the idea was, let's just get a clean financial baseline so that we can then measure our improvement and go from there.'

The City and investors were pleased with the fresh start. Lockwood's plans, which aimed to focus the portfolio, have included offloading a big chunk of its rescue helicopters business and parts of its civil training division. He now talks about the 'stabilisation' phase of his overhaul as being complete.

Annual results released last month showed a rise in sales but a dive in profits from 182million to just 6million. This is largely as a result of a 100million hit from a major contract to build Type 31 frigates, which is still being wrangled over with the Ministry of Defence.

This was a contract sealed by Bethel. Sources claim that Lockwood has said privately that he would never have signed it if he were in charge.

'I don't ever recall saying that,' he says. 'But I certainly would say that, if the contract had been well written, we wouldn't be having a debate about what it says today.'
Chinese lenders will provide more than half of the US$3 billion debt that Uganda requires to build a crude oil pipeline after financiers from the West backed out following strong opposition from environmental groups.

According to Uganda's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, the East African nation expects to finalise talks with the China Export & Credit Insurance Corporation (Sinosure) and the Export-Import Bank of China (Eximbank) by next month to finance the construction of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).

Irene Bateebe, the ministry's permanent secretary, said Sinosure, the Chinese state-owned provider of export credit insurance, is working with Eximbank to provide funding for the pipeline, which "is the largest portion - above 50 per cent of the debt".

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"We are at the tail-end of the discussions [with Chinese lenders] for financial close. We are confident that by the end of October of this year, we will close the debt component and we would have mobilised most of the funding for the project," Bateebe said on Friday.

Uganda needs about US$5 billion for the pipeline running from Lake Albert's oilfields to a storage and loading terminal in the Tanzanian port of Tanga. Financing is set at a 60:40 debt-to-equity ratio, meaning US$3 billion will be secured as debt with the remaining US$2 billion to be financed by shareholders through equity contributions.

TotalEnergies controls a 62 per cent interest in the pipeline; the Uganda National Oil Company holds 15 per cent; Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation has 15 per cent; leaving 8 per cent for Chinese oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).

The 1,443km (896-mile) pipeline would transport crude oil from Uganda's Lake Albert oilfields in northwest Uganda to Tanga in Tanzania on the Indian Ocean where the oil would then be sold onwards to world markets.

Story continues

Besides the Chinese lenders, Bateebe said Uganda expects to get some funding from Saudi Arabia's Islamic Development Bank and some African banks, including the African Export-Import Bank.

Bateebe said initially many Western-backed lenders had expressed interest in financing the pipeline but pulled out due to strong opposition from environmental and human rights groups who have said the oilfields and pipeline threaten the region's fragile ecosystem and the livelihoods of thousands of people. Further, environmentalists say Uganda is going against the global push for energy transition away from fossil fuels.

"We did see some Western banks withdrawing from supporting the project but we always say look at your other friend. We had other friends who were willing to come on board. We became East-looking," Bateebe said. She added that, previously, a large portion of the debt was to come from Western lenders.

In 2006, British company Tullow Oil discovered commercially viable oil deposits on the shores of Lake Albert in western Uganda at the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uganda has an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of crude oil - the equivalent of 1.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

Police detain a Ugandan activist demonstrating against the EACOP oil pipeline. Photo: Reuters alt=Police detain a Ugandan activist demonstrating against the EACOP oil pipeline. Photo: Reuters>

But it was only last year that the partners announced a US$10 billion final investment decision for the project, which includes the oilfield development and the construction of the pipeline to carry crude oil harvested from Hoima in western Uganda.

CNOOC operates the Kingfisher oilfield, located on the eastern shores of Lake Albert in Uganda. It will invest an estimated US$2-3 billion to develop the oilfield that would produce 40,000 barrels per day at peak production.

The other, larger oilfield is the Tilenga, operated by French oil multinational TotalEnergies, which is estimated to cost between US$4 billion and US$6 billion to develop. It will produce 190,000 barrels per day.

Spudding (the start of drilling) of the development and production wells for Kingfisher and Tilenga started in January and June 2023 respectively, with the landlocked East African nation aiming to join oil exporting nations by 2025.

Environmental groups under the banner #StopEACOP have been piling pressure on key financiers from the West to drop investment plans and according to them, dozens of major banks including Barclays, Credit Suisse, Citi, HSBC, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley and JP Morgan Chase have ruled out backing the pipeline.

South Africa's Standard Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) are acting as financial advisers and lead debt arrangers for EACOP, according to BankTrack, a tracking, campaigning and NGO support organisation focused on banks and the activities they finance. ICBC owns a 20 per cent stake in Standard Bank, South Africa's largest lender.

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation also ruled out financing the project but it wasn't clear if it remained one of the debt arrangers and advisers.

Last year, the issue found its way to the floor of the European Parliament, where legislators passed a resolution calling for a halt to the project over environmental and human rights concerns and warned TotalEnergies against backing the project.

Uganda has said the push by countries in the West for it to drop the oil plans do not take in the whole picture.

"That will be very unfair. It will no longer be a just energy transition, it will be an unjust energy transition," Bateebe said, adding that Uganda believes the oil and gas sector can still coexist with its plans for renewable energy.

"The oil sector, which we are developing in a sustainable way environmentally, will support us in our energy transition by providing financing. Otherwise, it is not enough to come to countries like ours and say we must transit, and there's no financing plan for the transition," Bateebe said.

In support of Uganda's projects, the Chinese embassy in Uganda last year criticised the European Union for trying to interfere with the development of Uganda's oil ambitions. Chinese ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said the EU "should not use the excuse of environmental and human rights issues to block development" of the oilfields and the pipeline.

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.
September may be the busiest month for returning holidaymakers to change unspent euros, dollars and other currencies back into sterling. But according to the Post Office, it's still only a fifth of us who get round to exchanging it, with the average household hoarding around 150 of foreign currency.

So if you have old foreign currency tucked away in a drawer dig it out and make it work for you.

Salman Haqqi of consumer website money.co.uk says: 'You can exchange your foreign money in High Street banks, but should also consider online services, as they tend to offer some of the most competitive rates. They can also provide details of nearby outlets where you can drop off your unspent money and exchange it for British cash.'

Among those Salman's firm lists for competitiveness is No1 Currency, Eurochange and NM Money. Each pays over 8 for each 10. These deals can be struck online and money exchanged at your nearest High Street outlet by tapping in your address.

The Post Office also has a 'travel money refund guarantee'. A spokesman says: 'Sometimes a trip gets cancelled. Just provide your original receipt and proof of cancellation to get every penny back.'

Cashing in: The average household is hoarding around 150 of foreign currency

You can also use the Post Office for exchanging foreign cash that you did not take out at one of its branches. There is no commission but do check the exchange rates.

Sort out the notes from the coins

You can exchange as little as a 5 note with a foreign exchange specialist or High Street bank, but coins are not accepted as part of the usual 'buy back' services.

For coins and rare or out-of-date banknotes, for example, from countries where the euro was subsequently introduced, consider a specialist website such as Leftover Currency or Cash4Coins.

Leftover Currency offers an online calculator for everything from the Albanian Lek to the Zambian Kwacha  explaining what it will pay. Tot up the total after going through your coins, fill in the form (online or paper) and post your money off to the Leftover Currency address in Berkshire.

It suggests using a Royal Mail Signed For service. This can cost 3.90 for up to half a kilogram of small change. The agreed sum should be in your bank account within five days of the cash being received.

You are not charged a fee. Leftover Currency's profit is made from the exchange rate it offers.

For example, with euro coins it currently pays about 7.40 for 10 in coins, compared with the 8 you would get for notes on the high street. If you tap in your currency details online, it promises to hold an exchange rate offer for 14 days.

You can also pop into an outlet it runs in Regent Street, London, or its Berkshire office in Datchet.

Cash4Coins provides a similar service  though the form you send with the packaged-up notes and coins is much simpler. You just supply your contact details and explain how you would like to be paid, and it calculates how much you will get. The firm does all the sorting, with processing and money transfer costs covered by the rates offered.

Cash4Coins says that if it is coins you are exchanging you can expect to receive about 78 per cent of what you would receive for banknotes.

Where coins are not redeemable Cash4Coins will treat them as scrap metal and pay about 1.50 a kilo.

Cash4Coins suggests using a recorded delivery service for currency weighing less than 500g.

It also offers a courier service for larger amounts. For weights up to 10kg the fee is 9.95, which is deducted from the sum it will pay.

Cash4Coins suggests packaging up currency into a plastic carrier bag secured with strong tape  then wrapping that bag in yet another plastic bag. Then it asks customers to put it all into a tight-fitting cardboard box with any spare space tightly packed with paper. The company promises 'the best price' but this will be less than you get for banknotes in common currencies on the High Street.

Donate the money to charity shops direct

While firms such as Cash4Coins will donate the money to charities such as the Alzheimer's Society and the RSPCA if you wish, to cut out the hassle you can simply drop off all your spare foreign currency at a charity shop, such as Oxfam or Macmillan Cancer Support, and the charity will treat it as a donation.

Use a rare coin app if pieces might have value

If you discover some old coins or notes that you feel might have an intrinsic value, then a numismatist (coin specialist) can help. The Royal Numismatic Society can provide details of local dealers.

For example, a pre-decimalisation British one penny coin can be worth anything from half a new penny to more than 8,000, depending on who was sitting on the throne when it was minted, the year and rarity. Websites such as All Coin Values also offer guidance.

There are also smartphone apps that can help you identify coins  and even provide a rough valuation and give fun facts about them.

These include the free Coinoscope and CoinSnap. The latter charges 25 a year after a free 14-day trial.

Outfits such as Cash4Coins can also offer exchanges for pre-decimalisation British coins.

and empty that jar of British coins

After the Covid lockdowns, six in ten Britons found themselves hoarding a total of 50million in loose change, according to estimates by banking trade body UK Finance, mostly in 1p, 2p, 5p and 10p coins.

But take a load of mixed coins to your High Street bank and you are likely to be shown the door. You must pre-pack them in the bank's own bags.

So visit the branch first to pick up these clear, small plastic bags for free and fill them at home. For 1p and 2p coins each bag usually totals 1; for 5p and 10p pieces 5; for 20p or 50p coins it is 10; and for 1 or 2 coins it is 20.

Do not mix the coins as they will be rejected. The banks have weighing machines that can tot up the total straight away.

Try the magic money machine at Metro Bank

Metro Bank customers can use a so-called 'magic money machine' where you pour in the coins, and it adds up the total to be put into your bank account.

Supermarkets also often have coin-sorting machines that can turn your sterling change into banknotes. Visit the Coinstar website to find machines in your area. But be aware these typically charge 10.9 per cent of the total as well as a 25p 'processing fee'.

Your High Street bank and major post offices should also take currency no longer in circulation, such as the old pound coin, but be patient and polite as they are under no legal obligation to help.
Cboe Global Markets, Inc., through its subsidiaries, operates as an options exchange worldwide. It operates through six segments: Options, North American Equities, Europe and Asia Pacific, Futures, Global FX, and Digital. The Options segment trades in listed market indices. The North American Equities segment trades in listed U.S. and Canadian equities. This segment also offers exchange-traded products (ETP) transaction and listing services. The Europe and Asia Pacific segment provides pan-European listed equities and derivatives transaction services, ETPs, exchange-traded commodities, and international depository receipts, as well as ETP listings and clearing services. The Futures segment trades in futures. The Global FX segment provides institutional foreign exchange (FX) trading and non-deliverable forward FX transactions services. The Digital segment offers Cboe Digital, an operator of the United States based digital asset spot market and a regulated futures exchange; Cboe Clear Digital, a regulated clearinghouse; licensing of proprietary market data; and access and capacity services. The company has strategic relationships with S&P Dow Jones Indices, LLC; IHS Markit Ltd.; DJI Opco, LLC; Frank Russell Company; FTSE International Limited; and MSCI Inc. The company was formerly known as CBOE Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Cboe Global Markets, Inc. in October 2017. Cboe Global Markets, Inc. was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
WidePoint Corporation provides technology management as a service (TMaaS) to the government and business enterprises in North America and Europe. The company offers TMaaS solutions through a secure federal government certified proprietary portal and secure enterprise portal that provides ability to manage, analyze, and protect communications assets, as well as deploy identity management solutions that provide secured virtual and physical access to restricted environments. It provides telecom lifecycle management, mobile and identity management, and digital billing and analytics solutions. The company also offers information technology as a service, including cybersecurity, cloud, network operation, and professional services. WidePoint Corporation was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia.
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Ltd, H-ART, HERING SCHUPPENER Consulting Strategieberatung fur Kommunikation GmbH, HeathWallace, Hill & Knowlton Limited, Hill and Knowlton Strategies LLC, Hirschen Group GmbH, Hogarth California LLC, Hogarth Worldwide Inc., Hogarth Worldwide Limited, Icon Brand Navigation Group, IntelliQuest Information Group Inc, International Meetings & Science LLC, J Walter Thompson Middle East and North Africa E.C., J Walter Thompson Publicidade Ltda, J.Walter Thompson Bridge Advertising Co. Ltd., John Street Inc., KBM Group LLC, KR Media UK Limited, KR Wavemaker SAS, Kantar TNS, Kinetic Advertising (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Kinetic Worldwide Limited, LLC GroupM, LLC Wavemaker, Landor LLC, M Media Group Pty Ltd, M2 Digital Inc., Marketeers Vietnam, Marketing Direct LLC, Marketing Perspectives Limited, Mather Direct GmbH, Maxus Communications (UK) Limited, Media Club SpA, Media Insight SNC, MediaCom - Warszawa Sp.z.o.o., MediaCom AS (Norway), MediaCom Agentur fur Media-Beratung GmbH, MediaCom Communications Pvt Ltd, MediaCom Danmark A/S, MediaCom Group Limited, MediaCom Istanbul Medya Hizmetleri A.S., MediaCom TWENTYFIVE GmbH, Mediacom AG, Mediacom Australia Pty Limited, Mediacom Canada, Mediacom Iberia SA, Mediacom Italia Srl, Mediacom LLC, Mediacom Middle East & North Africa Holding W.L.L., Mediacom North Limited, Mediacom Paris SA, Mediacom Worldwide LLC, Mediaedge:CIA Worldwide Limited, Mediaedge:cia India Pvt Ltd, Medialets, Memac Ogilvy & Mather Holding Inc, Mind Share Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., MindShare Canada, MindShare GmbH, MindShare Hong Kong Limited, MindShare Polska Sp. z.o.o., Mindshare Media UK Limited, Mindshare SA, Mindshare South Africa (Gauteng) (Proprietary) Limited, Mindshare SpA, Mindshare Spain SA, Mindshare USA LLC, Mirum LLC, Mirum S.A. de C.V., Motion Content Group Limited, OPR AGENCY PTY LIMITED, Ogilvy & Mather Brasil Comunicacao Ltda, Ogilvy & Mather Group (Holdings) Limited, Ogilvy & Mather Pvt Ltd, Ogilvy & Mather S.A.S, Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide LLC, Ogilvy Australia Pty Ltd, Ogilvy Commonhealth Worldwide LLC, Ogilvy Public Relations GmbH, Ogilvy Singapore Pte. Ltd., Ootworld, OpenMindWorld LLC, P Four Consultancy, PTR Comunicacoes Ltda, Penn Schoen & Berland Associates LLC, Penn Schoen Berland, Pep LLC, Plano.Trio Comunicacao, Potato London Ltd, Premiere Group Holdings Limited, Prism Sport + Entertainment, Promotion Execution Partners LLC, Public Strategies Inc., Quasar Media Private, Quinn Gillespie & Associates, Quirk, RLM Finsbury, Rasor Holdings LLC, Ray + Keshavan Design Associates, Real Media, Red Fuse New York LLC, Regional Management Group SAS, Russell Square Holding BV, Salmon Limited, Salmon Ltd, Sandtable, Scangroup, Set Management LLC, Shanghai Easycom Advertising Co. Ltd., Shanghai Linjie Marketing Services Co. Ltd., Shanghai Ogilvy & Mather Advertising Ltd, Shire Hall Group, Spafax Airline Network Limited, Spafax Networks LLC, Stickleback Limited, Sudler & Hennessey LLC, Superunion Limited, Swift + POSSIBLE LLC, Syzygy AG, TMARC, Taxi, Taxi Inc., Team Garage LLC, The Brand Union, The Cocktail Global S.L., The Finsbury Group Limited, The Glover Park Group, The Glover Park Group LLC, The GroupM ESP Clever Company S.R.L. de C.V., The Lacek Group LLC, The Marketing & Communication Agency, The Ogilvy Group LLC, The Performers Group, The Young & Rubicam Group of Companies ULC, Triad Digital Media LLC, Twist Image, Two Circles, VML LLC, VMLY&R, WPP (Thailand) Ltd, WPP 2005 Limited, WPP AMC Holdings, WPP AUNZ, WPP Beans Limited, WPP Brands (UK) Limited, WPP Brands Development Holdings (UK) Limited, WPP Brands Holdings (UK) Limited, WPP Deutschland Holding GmbH & Co. KG, WPP Finance 2013, WPP Finance 2015 Limited, WPP Finance Co. Limited, WPP Finance SA, WPP Group (UK) Ltd, WPP Group Canada Finance Inc., WPP Group U.S. Finance LLC, WPP Group USA Inc., WPP Health Limited, WPP Holdings Spain S.L., WPP Jubilee Limited, WPP Luxembourg Gamma Three Sarl, WPP Luxembourg Sarl, WPP Luxembourg Turris S.a r.l., WPP Marketing Communications (Hong Kong) Limited, WPP Marketing Communications Germany GmbH, WPP Media Ltd, WPP Montagu Square LLC, WPP Mexico S.R.L. de C.V., WPP Ottawa Ltd, WPP Samson Limited, WPP Sigma Limited, WPP Sphinx Limited, WPP Square one B.V, WPP UK Germany Holdings, WPP Unicorn Limited, WPPIH 2001 Inc., Warwicks, Wavemaker A/S, Wavemaker Australia Pty Ltd, Wavemaker BV, Wavemaker Canada ULC, Wavemaker Czech s.r.o., Wavemaker Global LLC, Wavemaker Global Limited, Wavemaker GmbH, Wavemaker Hong Kong Limited, Wavemaker Hungary Kft, Wavemaker Italia S.r.l., Wavemaker Limited, Wavemaker MENA FZ LLC, Wavemaker Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Wavemaker Publicidad Spain S.L., Wavemaker Sp.z.o.o, Wavemaker Taiwan Ltd, Wavemaker  Servicos Publicitarios Ltda, Who Digital, Witgoud Investments B.V., Worldwide Mediacom Mexico S de R.L. de C.V., Wunderman A/S, Wunderman Thompson (UK) Limited, Wunderman Thompson LLC, XMKT Group, Xaxis LLC, Xaxis US LLC, Y&R Propaganda Ltda, Young & Rubicam, Young & Rubicam LLC, clarus digital, dBOD, groupm Germany GmbH & Co. KG, mPlatform LLC, plista GmbH, thjnk, and thjnk AG.

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AutoZone, Inc. retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories. The company offers various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Its products include A/C compressors, batteries and accessories, bearings, belts and hoses, calipers, chassis, clutches, CV axles, engines, fuel pumps, fuses, ignition and lighting products, mufflers, radiators, starters and alternators, thermostats, and water pumps, as well as tire repairs. In addition, the company offers maintenance products, such as antifreeze and windshield washer fluids; brake drums, rotors, shoes, and pads; brake and power steering fluids, and oil and fuel additives; oil and transmission fluids; oil, cabin, air, fuel, and transmission filters; oxygen sensors; paints and accessories; refrigerants and accessories; shock absorbers and struts; spark plugs and wires; and windshield wipers. Further, it provides air fresheners, cell phone accessories, drinks and snacks, floor mats and seat covers, interior and exterior accessories, mirrors, performance products, protectants and cleaners, sealants and adhesives, steering wheel covers, stereos and radios, tools, and wash and wax products, as well as towing services. Additionally, the company provides a sales program that offers commercial credit and delivery of parts and other products; sells automotive diagnostic and repair software under the ALLDATA brand through alldata.com and alldatadiy.com; and automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through autozone.com. It has stores in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company was founded in 1979 and is based in Memphis, Tennessee.
Terreno Realty Corporation (Terreno, and together with its subsidiaries, the Company) acquires, owns and operates industrial real estate in six major coastal U.S. markets: Los Angeles, Northern New Jersey/New York City, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Miami, and Washington, D.C. We invest in several types of industrial real estate, including warehouse/distribution (approximately 79.5% of our total annualized base rent as of December 31, 2021), flex (including light industrial and research and development, or R&D) (approximately 4.8%), transshipment (approximately 6.4%) and improved land (approximately 9.3%). We target functional properties in infill locations that may be shared by multiple tenants and that cater to customer demand within the various submarkets in which we operate. Infill locations are geographic locations surrounded by high concentrations of already developed land and existing buildings. As of December 31, 2021, we owned a total of 253 buildings aggregating approximately 15.1 million square feet, 36 improved land parcels consisting of approximately 127.1 acres and four properties under redevelopment that, upon completion, will consist of two properties aggregating approximately 0.2 million square feet and two improved land parcels aggregating approximately 12.1 acres. As of December 31, 2021, the buildings and improved land parcels were approximately 95.5% and 94.8% leased (including 0.4 million square feet of vacancy acquired during the fourth quarter of 2021), respectively, to 554 customers, the largest of which accounted for approximately 4.9% of our total annualized base rent.
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.
The Macerich Company (NYSE:MAC) announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, October, 31st. The real estate investment trust reported ($1.22) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.44 by $1.66. The real estate investment trust had revenue of $218.20 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $200.63 million. Macerich had a negative net margin of 10.07% and a negative trailing twelve-month return on equity of 3.01%. Macerich's revenue was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.46 EPS.
EnerSys provides various stored energy solutions for industrial applications worldwide. It operates in three segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The company offers uninterruptible power systems applications for computer and computer-controlled systems, as well as telecommunications systems; switchgear and electrical control systems used in industrial facilities and electric utilities, large-scale energy storage, and energy pipelines; integrated power solutions and services to broadband, telecom, renewable, and industrial customers; and thermally managed cabinets and enclosures for electronic equipment and batteries. It also provides motive power products that are used to provide power for electric industrial forklifts used in manufacturing, warehousing, and other material handling applications. In addition, the company offers mining equipment, diesel locomotive starting, and other rail equipment. Further, it provides specialty batteries for starting, lighting, and ignition applications in transportation; and energy solutions for satellites, military aircraft, submarines, ships, and other tactical vehicles, as well as medical and security systems. Additionally, the company offers battery chargers, power equipment, battery accessories, and outdoor cabinet enclosures, as well as related after-market and customer-support services for industrial batteries. The company sells its products through a network of distributors, independent representatives, and internal sales forces. The company was formerly known as Yuasa, Inc. and changed its name to EnerSys in January 2001. EnerSys was incorporated in 2000 and is headquartered in Reading, Pennsylvania.
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.
Chinese loans to Africa have decreased significantly in recent years, according to a US university.

In 2021 and 2022, China made 16 new loan commitments worth a combined total of US$2.22 billion to African countries, signifying two consecutive years of lending to Africa below US$2 billion, according to new data compiled by Boston University's Global Development Policy Centre.

In its Chinese Loans to Africa Database, the centre tracked seven loans worth US$1.22 billion that Chinese lenders signed with African countries in 2021 and another nine loans amounting to US$994.48 million last year. However, there was a drop in both the number and value of loans compared with the pre-pandemic years.

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In a policy paper accompanying the loan data, the centre said that from the pre-pandemic years between 2017 and 2019 to the pandemic years (2020-2022), loan averages dropped by 37 per cent from US$213.03 million to US$135.15 million.

"This trend is more significant in terms of the number of loans, plummeting from 184 to 32 in the subsequent pandemic years," the study noted.

Senegal, Benin, Ivory Coast, Angola, Uganda, Ghana, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo were the borrowers in 2021-2022.

Of those, it was West African countries, which have historically borrowed less from China, that stood out for taking the biggest share of the Chinese loans to Africa over those years.

In fact, US$1.92 billion, or 86 per cent, of the Chinese money went into funding projects in West Africa, with Senegal, Benin and Ivory Coast being top borrowers.

Senegal borrowed US$923 million in the two years to fund the construction of roads, data centres and water projects, Benin received US$710 million and Cote d'Ivoire received US$200 million in loan commitments from China.

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In contrast, the study said only two of the historically top 10 borrowers - Angola and Ghana - received any loan commitments during this period.

Southern Africa has historically borrowed the most from China, primarily due to large-scale loans in Angola, Zambia and South Africa.

"Given the prominence of Southern and East Africa's borrowing, West Africa's borrowing in 2021-2022 is noteworthy," the study said.

The Boston University researchers said one possible explanation for the rise in Chinese lending to West Africa in recent years may be the lag in officially including the region in the Belt and Road Initiative.

When the initiative was first announced in 2013, only East Africa and the Horn of Africa were included, with the idea of developing a trade cooperation zone near the Suez Canal, according to the study.

The researchers said that while this did not exclude other African countries from borrowing from China, multiple belt and road projects were developed across East Africa, such as the Ethiopia-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) in 2013 and the Kenyan SGR in 2014. This meant loan commitments to East Africa peaked in 2013, but peaked in West Africa in 2018, driven mostly by loans to Ghana and Nigeria.

"[Recently] China has shown significant interest toward Senegal, which could be attributed to its diplomatic clout and financing demands for its development," the study noted.

Lauren Johnston, a China-Africa researcher at the South African Institute of International Affairs in Johannesburg, noted that West Africa was geographically farther from China while its commodities markets were also intertwined with Europe and the US. She said the new focus on West Africa could be seen as a second stage of the Belt and Road Initiative in Africa, shifting from a focus on the east and south of the continent towards West and francophone Africa.

"It's interesting that these new focal countries are important West African port or coastal economies that are typically also less resource rich; for example, Ghana, Benin and Senegal are now in focus," Johnston said. She said that countries including Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique in East Africa, which have coastlines, provide transport gateways to international markets.

Benin President Patrice Talon visiting China, welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, earlier this month. Benin is one of the West African countries now under focus by Chinese investors. Photo: China Daily via Reuters alt=Benin President Patrice Talon visiting China, welcomed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, earlier this month. Benin is one of the West African countries now under focus by Chinese investors. Photo: China Daily via Reuters>

"They are the nodes that can then also help landlocked economies become land-linked economies," Johnston said. In other words, China's new focus on those West African economies might also be good news for countries like Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger.

Johnston said while West Africa's distance and deep ties with Europe and the US due to oil and minerals trade previously kept China away, diplomacy also played a role. Until recently, some West African countries such as Burkina Faso, Gambia, and Sao Tome and Principe recognised Taiwan, complicating Biejing's relationship with them. But now, eSwatini is the only country in Africa to recognise Taiwan.

Overall, the study estimated that from 2000-2022, 39 Chinese lenders provided 1,243 loans amounting to US$170.08 billion to 49 African governments and seven regional institutions.

Researchers at Boston University said that through a combination of greening the Belt and Road Initiative, the China-Africa High-Quality Belt and Road Cooperation and the "small and/or beautiful" approach, future lending to Africa could mean fewer large-scale loans over US$500 million, more loans with smaller values under US$50 million and loans with more beneficial social and environmental impacts.

One of the study's authors, Oyintarelado Moses, a data analyst and database manager for the Global China Initiative at the Boston University Global Development Policy Centre, said although levels of Chinese loans to Africa have declined in recent years, the country's influence would continue to be felt.

Senegal where US$923 million was borrowed across 2021 and 2022 to fund the construction of roads, data centres and water projects. Photo: AFP alt=Senegal where US$923 million was borrowed across 2021 and 2022 to fund the construction of roads, data centres and water projects. Photo: AFP>

"China's overall lending to the continent has already served a purpose," she said.

"Lending has contributed to development, expanded diplomatic exchanges and strengthened market integration between China and African countries. Given this established foundation in the China-Africa relationship, China will likely sustain engagement with the region through commercial and diplomatic channels, even if low lending levels persist," Moses said.

Gyude Moore, a senior policy fellow at the Washington-based Centre for Global Development and a former public works minister in Liberia, explained the focus on West Africa as simply being that those projects matched Chinese interests.

"[It is] probably more likely that in the new reality of 'small is beautiful' and more stringent Chinese lending criteria, West Africa has delivered more projects that align."

He said while the drop in lending to Africa during the pandemic years compared to the pre-pandemic period was significant, it was not particularly surprising. He noted that Chinese lending for capital projects in the region had been trending down since 2016.

"With many countries struggling with debt and some effectively shut out of capital markets, it seems prudent that China would temper its lending," Moore said.

He said beyond the continent's debt difficulties, "China is also facing significant economic headwinds at home". Ultimately, it is likely that a combination of these two trends have contributed to the decline in both the value and number of Chinese loans for African projects, Moore said.

Meanwhile, Deborah Brautigam, a professor of international political economy at Johns Hopkins University and founding director of the China Africa Research Initiative, pointed out that the countries where Chinese banks are still lending are mainly those at low risk of debt distress.

"Many of these countries - Senegal, Ghana, Rwanda, Benin, Uganda and Cote d'Ivoire - did not get Chinese debt service suspensions during the pandemic. Some did not apply," Brautigam said.

For others, China Eximbank said that debt service suspensions would make them ineligible for new finance for the foreseeable future, she said.

"It's clear that the risks of lending in Africa are sharply higher, and Chinese banks are wary of lending into this environment until it is clear how defaults will be treated," she said.

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.
Comfort Systems USA (NYSE:FIX) pays an annual dividend of $0.90 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 0.50%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 11 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 11.26%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, FIX will have a dividend payout ratio of 9.41% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for FIX.
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.

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The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. was founded in 1869 by Marcus Goldman as an investment bank catering to institutions and businesses. Among the firm's first products are the revolutionary use of commercial paper for entrepreneurs which opened a new method of finance for business and industry.

The original firm expanded to Goldman Sachs in 1882 with the inclusion of son-in-law Samuel Sachs and again in 1885 with a son and another son-in-law. The firm joined the New York Stock Exchange in 1896 expanding into trading of its own and in 1898 it was worth $1.6 million. The company began its work in the IPO market in 1906 with the initial public offering of Sears, Roebuck & Co., and then moved on to Ford and other prominent names of the time.

The 1930s brings a change of leadership and a new direction for the firm. The company shifted toward a purer play on investment banking and embarks on a campaign of acquisition that lasted until the present day. The company doesnt go public itself until 1999 and from that point on it will change into a bank holding company that not only offers investment banking services but takes deposits too, and in 2016 the company added consumer banking to its list of services.

Today, Goldman Sachs is a financial institution that provides a range of financial services for corporations, institutions, governments, and individuals globally. The company operates through four segments that include Investment Banking, Global Markets, Asset Management, and Consumer & Wealth Management. According to US banking regulations, it is systemically important to the financial health of America.

The company is headquartered in New York, New York, and operates 6 regional headquarters as well. Regional headquarters are located in financial hotspots such as London, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangalore, and Warsaw. Among its many prominent CEOs are John Corzine and Hank Paulson who both went on to successful work in government.

The company's Investment Banking segment provides a full range of financial advisory services as well as underwriting for the public markets. The financial advisory services include but are not limited to strategic advisory for mergers and acquisitions, divestiture, restructuring, and spin-offs. This segment is also engaged in middle-market lending and transaction banking. Underwriting services include IPOs, preferred stock, debt instruments, and bridge loans.

Goldman Sachs Global Markets segment facilitates market transactions for institutions, banks, brokerages, corporations, and governments. Services include execution, derivatives, financing, clearing, settlement, and custody.

The Asset Management segment manages client portfolios across the investment spectrum while the Consumer & Wealth Management segment provides advisory and banking services to consumers.
The Boeing Company is the worlds largest manufacturer of airplanes and commands more than 50% of the market in some channels and categories. The company and its family of subsidiaries design, develops, manufacture, sell, service, and supports commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and related services worldwide. The company operates through four segments including Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; Global Services; and Boeing Capital providing products and services to end-users in 150 countries.

Boeing got its start in 1910 when William E. Boeing developed a love for aircraft. Soon after he takes his first plane ride which leads him to build a hangar and begin construction of his first plane. The onset of WWI helped spur the companys growth but business was cut drastically in its wake. The start of WWII was another milestone for the company and one that led to its current position of dominance. The company was incorporated in 1916 and is based in Chicago, Illinois. Boeing employs over 140,000 people in 65 countries making it one of the most diverse employers on the planet.

The Commercial Airplanes segment is built around the iconic 7-series which includes the 737, 747, and 787. The segment provides commercial jet aircraft for passenger and cargo requirements, as well as fleet support services for regional, national, and international air carriers and logistics and freight companies. In terms of global volume, the company estimates about 90% of all air freight is carried aboard one of its jets. This segment also includes the Dreamliner family of planes. The Dreamliner is a game-changing airplane for many carriers as it opens up the potential for new one-stop destinations because of its capacity and range.

The Defense, Space & Security segment develops and manufactures a range of systems including manned and unmanned aircraft, missiles, missile defense systems, satellites, communications equipment, and intelligence systems for governments. Among the many iconic brands within this segment are the AH-64 Apache, Air Force One, B-52, C-17 Globemaster, Chinook, F/A-18, and the V-22 Osprey VTOL aircraft used by the Marines.

The Global Services segment offers a range of products and services that include supply chain and logistics management, engineering, maintenance, upgrades, conversions, spare parts, pilot and maintenance training, technical and maintenance documents, and data analytics to its commercial and defense customers.

Boeing is also a leader in innovation, leveraging its many decades and avenues of experience to further aerospace and defense technology. Among the many innovations is the MQ-25 Stingray which will be the worlds first autonomous aircraft. The Stingray is only one of many areas of research that also include drones and undersea vehicles.
Devon Energy Corporation is an independent oil and gas company headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The company was incorporated in 1971 by John Nichols and his son J. Larry Nichols and later went public in August 2000. The company has since grown to be included in the S&P 500 and is one of the first energy companies to introduce resolutions requiring the company to monitor its impact on global warming. One time a major player in the global oil market, Devon has since sold off its offshore holdings in an effort to focus on US production and its transition to a lower-carbon future.

Devon Energy merged with WPX in early 2021 in an all-stock merger of equals. The new company is primarily engaged in the exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the US midwest. The company operates more than 5,100 wells in Oklahomas Delaware Basis, Eagle Ford Group, and the two locations in the Rocky Mountains. As of late 2022, the company laid claim to 1.625 million barrels of reserves including 44% petroleum, 27% natural gas liquids, and 29% natural gas. Daily production was running in the range of 300,000 BPD in petroleum liquids, 125,000 BPD in natural gas liquids, and 920 million cubic feet of natural gas.

Rick Muncrief, formally CEO of WPX, is now the head of Devon Energy. Mr. Muncrief comes to the table with more than 40 years of experience including 27 years with one of the US Big Three Oil Companies. WPX Energy (Williams Production and Exploration) brought properties in the Williston and Permian Basins to the combined company. Its proven reserves were roughly 527 million barrels of oil and equivalents. The company also owns and operates a midstream network of pipelines and storage facilities it uses to market and deliver its products.

Devon Energy Corporation has pledged to reduce its GHG impact to net zero by 2050. This will be done by a variety of methods that include improving efficiency and leakage, a reduction in flaring, and the electrification of its operations. Near-term goals include a 50% reduction in GHG by 2030 including a 65% reduction in methane release and a 100% reduction in flaring. The company is also focused on reducing its environmental impact by relying on recycled water wherever possible and plans to reduce freshwater usage by 90% in the most active areas. Total greenhouse gas emissions have been in decline since 2018 and fell 17% between 2018 and 2020 alone.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF, formerly iShares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (the Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Funds investment objective is to seek investment results that correspond to the price and yield performance of its underlying index, MSCI EAFE Index (the Index). The Index has been developed by MSCI Inc. as an equity benchmark for its international stock performance. The Index includes stocks from Europe, Australasia and the Far East. The Fund invests in a representative sample of securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index. The Fund's investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors.
Genuine Parts Company is a leading distributor of office products, automotive and industrial replacement parts, and electrical/electronic materials. The company was founded in 1928 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with operations in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. GPC's mission is to provide quality products and services that exceed customer expectations and enhance shareholder value.

GPC operates through four business segments: Automotive Parts Group, Industrial Parts Group, Office Products Group, and Electrical/Electronic Materials Group. The Automotive Parts Group provides replacement parts, accessories, and supplies for automobiles, trucks, and other vehicles. The Industrial Parts Group includes replacement parts, equipment, and supplies for industrial applications such as mining, manufacturing, and construction. The Office Products Group provides businesses and consumers with office supplies, furniture, and technology products. The Electrical/Electronic Materials Group provides electrical and electronic components, wire and cable products, and data communication products to customers in various industries.

GPC's target market includes commercial and retail customers across various industries, including automotive repair shops, industrial facilities, government agencies, and schools. The company's key customers include NAPA Auto Parts, Motion Industries, S.P. Richards, and EIS Inc.

GPC has achieved several key milestones over the years, including its inclusion in the Fortune 500 list and recognition as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute.

The GPC management team is led by Paul D. Donahue, who has been Chief Executive Officer since 2016. Donahue has been with GPC for over 40 years and has held various leadership positions.

GPC reported that total revenues and net income had increased over the past few years. GPC has a high debt level but also enough assets to cover the debt. GPC's current price-to-earnings ratio is slightly below the industry average, and the price-to-sales ratio is below the industry average. GPC's dividend yield is above the industry average.

GPC's stock has performed well over the past few years. The stock experienced a COVID-19 pandemic drop in Q1 of 2020, dropping the price to about $50. The stock has since rebounded to over $150 per share.

The automotive and industrial parts distribution industry is highly competitive, with several prominent players competing for market share. GPC's main competitors include O'Reilly Automotive, Inc., Advance Auto Parts, Inc., and W.W. Grainger, Inc. The industry is subject to regulatory and political risks, such as changes in environmental regulations or trade policies. GPC is competitive in the industry due to its scale, product range, and distribution capabilities. The company has also invested heavily in technology and digital capabilities to enhance customer service and supply chain efficiency.

Genuine Parts Company has several growth opportunities that could help it expand its business and increase revenue. One of the key areas of focus for the company is its e-commerce platform, which has become increasingly important in recent years. The company has invested heavily in its online capabilities, including launching new websites and improving its mobile app. In 2021, the company launched a new e-commerce platform called PartsTech, which allows customers to search for and order parts from various suppliers quickly.

The company also expands its footprint in the automotive aftermarket industry through acquisitions. In 2020, the company acquired Todd Group, a leading automotive aftermarket parts and supplies distributor in the Pacific Northwest. This acquisition helped expand the company's regional presence and provided access to new customers and markets.

Another growth opportunity for Genuine Parts Company is international expansion. The company operates in over 30 countries, focusing on Europe and Australasia. In 2021, the company announced plans to expand its footprint in Australia by acquiring Inenco Group, a leading distributor of industrial parts and supplies in the region. This acquisition will help the company establish a more substantial presence in the Australian market and provide access to new customers and markets.

Genuine Parts Company has several competitive advantages that give it an edge. One of the company's key strengths is its extensive distribution network, which includes over 3,100 locations worldwide. This network allows the company to reach various customers, from independent repair shops to large national chains.

While Genuine Parts Company has several strengths, some risks and challenges could impact the company's performance. One of the company's biggest challenges is the increasing competition in the automotive and industrial markets. The company competes with a range of other distributors, including national chains and online retailers, which could pressure pricing and margins.

Genuine Parts Company is exposed to regulatory and political risks, particularly in international markets. Regulation changes or political instability could impact the company's ability to operate in specific regions or increase costs.

Genuine Parts Company has implemented several risk management strategies to mitigate these risks, including diversifying its product offerings and supplier base, investing in its supply chain capabilities, and maintaining a solid balance sheet.
iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF, formerly iShares MSCI Emerging Markets Index Fund (the Fund), seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of publicly traded equity securities in global emerging markets, as measured by the MSCI Emerging Markets Index (the Index). The Index is designed to measure equity market performance in the global emerging markets. 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 may invest in securities of non-United States issuers that may trade in non-United States markets. The Fund's investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors.
iShares National AMT-Free Muni Bond ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index (the Index). The Index measures the performance of the investment-grade segment of the United States municipal bond market. The Fund invests in a representative sample of the securities included in the Index that collectively has an investment profile similar to the Index. Due to the use of representative sampling, the Fund may or may not hold all of the securities that are included in the Index. The Funds investment advisor is BlackRock Fund Advisors (formerly known as Barclays Global Fund Advisors).
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at the Presidio Tunnel Tops before the signing of a new climate agreement in San Francisco on Oct. 6, 2022. California, a state known for its ambitious climate policies, could soon adopt new laws reducing emissions from buildings, easing the burden on taxpayers to clean up abandoned oil and gas wells, and requiring the most sweeping emissions reporting mandates for large companies in the nation. They are among the hundreds of bills lawmakers sent to Newsom's desk this year. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California Gov. Gavin Newsom made big waves in the climate world recently by announcing a lawsuit alleging major oil and gas companies deceived the public about the risks fossil fuels posed for global warming and saying he would sign the nation's most sweeping emissions reporting rules for large companies.

Newsom must now decide whether to go even further. Lawmakers have sent him bills aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, help schools adapt to the changing climate and ease the cost to taxpayers for the cleanup of orphan oil and gas wells.

After the Legislature wrapped up for the year earlier this month, Newsom touted California's leadership on environmental issues at a United Nations climate summit in New York. In California, he said, climate change has led to places, lifestyles and traditions being destroyed right in front of our eyes, despite all of that leadership.

If you read the newspaper or turn on your TV ... you see a state, not just of dreamers and doers, but you see a state that's burning up," Newsom said.

Newsom said he would sign a bill requiring companies making more than $1 billion in annual revenue to disclose a wide range of greenhouse gas emissions. He also said he would sign legislation requiring companies making more than $500 million annually to disclose how climate change can affect their businesses financially and how they plan to adapt.

There were some major climate proposals that did not pass the Legislature this year, including rules to expand what pollutants have to be monitored near refineries and legislation to divest the state's public employee and teacher retirement system funds from the fossil fuel industry.

Newsom has until Oct. 14 to decide whether to sign bills into law, veto or allow them to become law without his signature. Here are some of the climate proposals that California lawmakers did, or did not, pass this year:

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ORPHANED OIL AND GAS WELLS

The Legislature passed a bill requiring companies receiving the right to operate a well to demonstrate the financial ability to clean them up. One way they could do this under the bill would be posting a bond to pay for the full cost of well cleaning.

In California, there are more than 5,000 wells without an active owner able to properly seal and close them, the state estimates. These are known as orphan wells.

With no active owner, the state has the responsibility to clean up the wells. That is a problem because taxpayers should not be on the hook for oil and gas companies not properly closing wells, said Ann Alexander, a lawyer with the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Improperly closed wells can become a public health risk through pollution capable of contaminating drinking water, according to the California Department of Conservation.

The state already requires companies to post bonds to pay for well cleanup, but the amount often falls short, Alexander said.

The Western States Petroleum Association says the bill could exacerbate the state's orphan well problem by adding another financial barrier for companies that might otherwise acquire a well.

California is among the top 10 crude oil-producing states. But production has decreased from about 230,000 barrels annually in 2005 to fewer than 125,000 barrels in 2022, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

BUILDING EMISSIONS

Lawmakers sent a bill to Newsoms desk requiring state regulators to find an approach to reduce planet-warming emissions from buildings.

The sector makes up about a quarter of California's greenhouse gas emissions, the state estimates. Those emissions stem from sources including electricity used to power buildings and refrigerants used for cooling.

The state plans to cut these emissions from homes, stores and other buildings as part of its broader 2030 target of reducing California's greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below the 1990 level.

Under the bill, the California Energy Commission would have to submit a report to the Legislature in 2026 recommending the state's next steps for lowering building emissions.

Opponents say the bill could lead to burdensome energy efficiency requirements for housing providers.

CLIMATE BILLS THE LEGISLATURE DIDN'T PASS THIS YEAR

A proposal to expand a program requiring certain pollutants to be monitored near refineries was made a two-year bill, enabling lawmakers to revisit it in January. The bill would change the program to include biofuel refineries, which use materials derived from plants or other living things.

A key Assembly committee earlier this month blocked a bill requiring schools to come up with a heat reduction plan in outside areas on campus, for example by replacing asphalt with less heat-absorbing surfaces.

Advocates say the legislation would have helped increase shaded areas at schools in low-income areas where they aren't already abundant. Another bill requiring the California Energy Commission to create a plan to help schools adapt to climate change effects reached Newsom's desk this year.

State Sen. Lena A. Gonzalez, a Democrat representing part of Los Angeles County, introduced a bill to divest the state's public employee and teacher retirement systems from the fossil fuel industry. The bill passed the Senate, but didn't get a hearing in the Assembly. Lawmakers can take it up again in January.

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Sophie Austin is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: @sophieadanna
Dominion Energy, Inc. produces and distributes energy in the United States. It operates through four segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Assets. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina. The Gas Distribution segment is involved in the regulated natural gas sales, transportation, gathering, storage, and distribution operations in Ohio, North Carolina, Utah, southwestern Wyoming, and southeastern Idaho that serve approximately 3.0 million residential, commercial and industrial customers. It also has nonregulated renewable natural gas facilities in operation. The Dominion Energy South Carolina segment generates, transmits, and distributes electricity to approximately 782,000 customers in the central, southern, and southwestern portions of South Carolina; and distributes natural gas to approximately 435,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers in South Carolina. The Contracted Assets segment is involved in the nonregulated long-term contracted renewable electric generation and solar generation facility development operations; and gas transportation, LNG import, and storage operations, as well as in the liquefaction facility. As of December 31, 2022, the company's portfolio of assets included approximately 31.0 gigawatt of electric generating capacity; 10,600 miles of electric transmission lines; 78,500 miles of electric distribution lines; and 93,500 miles of gas distribution mains and related service facilities. The company was formerly known as Dominion Resources, Inc. Dominion Energy, Inc. was incorporated in 1983 and is headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.
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.
The earliest precursor to U.S. Bancorp was founded in 1863 and is now headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company owns the 24th national charter, issued in 1863, and is the second oldest original charter holder still in existence. Today, the bank is the 5th largest financial institution in the U.S. and is considered to be systemically important by the FSB. The companys revenue in 2021 topped $22.7 billion, it listed more than $573 million in total assets and employed more than 68,700 people.

U.S. Bancorp Is now operating as a financial services holding company. The company provides various financial and banking-related services to individuals, businesses, institutions, and governments under the U.S. Bank, Elavon, and Elan Financial Services banners. Elavon is a payment processor for merchants while Elan Financial Services is a credit card issuer that works in conjunction with small banks and credit unions across the U.S.

The U.S. Bank's name got its start in 1891 as the United States National Bank of Portland. That bank was merged with several others over the years before the one resulting in US Bancorp of Oregon. That bank lasted until the late 1990s when it was merged with the First Bank System of Minnesota. That merger created the now-recognizable U.S. Bancorp but the mergers do not end there. A final takeover by Firstar, another bank with a long history of mergers, resulted in the bank being traded on the New York Stock Exchange today.

U.S. Bank operates in 5 segments that include Corporate and Commercial Banking, Consumer and Business Banking, Wealth Management and Investment Services, Payment Services and Treasury and Corporate Support segments. The companys long-term debt all carries AA or A+ ratings and are considered investment quality.

U.S. Bancorps financial services include deposits, checking, savings accounts, and CDs as well as a range of lending and investment services. Lending services include consumer and business loans, lines of credit and credit cards as well as personal loans, and others. Investment and insurance services include asset management, fund administration, IRA, and access to markets. Services are available through a network of 2,213 branch offices throughout the western and midwestern U.S. Accounts are also accessible through 4,052 ATMs, mobile, online, and telephone. U.S. Bancorp has operations in 26 states.
Eli Lilly and Company is a US-based multinational pharmaceutical company. It is the 12th largest pharmaceutical company by revenue and has offices in 16 countries. Its medicines are sold in at least 125 countries including its 8 blockbuster drugs. The company is a member of the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indices, it brought in roughly $5.5 billion in revenue for 2021 and employs more than 35,000 people across its network of research and production facilities.

Eli Lilly and Company was founded in 1876 by Colonel Eli Lilly. The colonel, a veteran of the Civil War, had recently dissolved an unsatisfactory partnership and set on his own to produce and develop medicinal chemicals. Colonel Lilly remained as president until his death in 1898. His charge to his family, company and coworkers was to take what you find here and make it better and better. The company is well-known for many drugs, including the first mass-marketing of quinine to treat malaria.

The company brought in $4,470 in its first year and saw that figure grow 10X over the next 3. Among the many innovations during this time period is the addition of gelation coatings for pills which helped set the company up for rapid expansion. The company was incorporated in 1881 as Eli Lilly and Company issuing stock to family and friends. The 1900s brought about more change for the company, change in the form of expansion which included international markets.

Advancements during the war years included increases in efficiency due to increased automation and the development of precision technologies. Among the technologies was pill manufacturing which included injecting medicines directly into a gelation capsule. This method allowed for more exact dosing, setting the standard for modern production. The company produced capsules for itself and sold excess capacity to competitors. Other major advancements include fruit flavorings in medicine, straight-line manufacturing and a method of blueprinting manufacturing tickets to prevent errors.

The modern period saw the company grow and discover new, world-class pharmaceuticals. Today, the company is engaged in the discovery, development and marketing of human pharmaceuticals. It offers a wide range of treatments, including Prozac but is perhaps most noteworthy for its work with insulin. The company is the first to mass produce insulin and has made numerous advances in treating diabetes in the time since. While other drugs are more widely known, its diabetic drugs Basaglar, Jardience, Trulicity, Humalog and Humulin are its top-sellers and contribute the bulk of revenue and cash flow.

Along with Diabetic research, the company also focuses on Alzheimer's, Oncology, Immunology, Obesity and Pain care. At the end of 2022, the company pipeline had 23 compounds in Phase 3 clinical trials and 1 in review. There were another 18 in Phase 2 trials and more than 2 dozen in Phase 1 trials. The average cost to discover a new drug was running at $2.6 billion with a 10-year discovery-to-patient timeline.
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.
ConocoPhillips is a US-based muti-national energy company. ConocoPhillips is a diversified and integrated energy company with operations in all energy industry segments. In 2021, it was ranked the 8th largest petroleum company by market cap and was #156 on the Forbes Fortune 500 list. Regarding the global economy, it is the worlds 574th largest business, with operations in 13 countries. It is one of 5 remaining companies from Standard Oils split up and is the result of decades of mergers and acquisitions.

The companys earliest origins are in 1875 with the birth of Continental Oil and Transportation Company, Conoco. The company grew quickly with the industrial revolution and the widening usage of Kerosene, among other petroleum products, for heating and lighting. By 1885 it had become part of the Standard Oil family of companies, a time in which it also saw explosive growth.

Assets related to the original Conoco were sold to oil exploration leader E.W. Marland and were later remerged following Standards demise. By 1929, the company was an independent and fully integrated energy company specializing in crude and derivative products. Phillips Petroleum Company was founded in 1917 as an oil exploration company that quickly expanded into diversified operations. The company hit the big times upon the discovery of natural gas in the Texas panhandle and it saw explosive growth in the war and post-war periods of the early and mid-20th century.

Today, ConocoPhillips explores for, develops and produces crude oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids and bitumen across a diversified portfolio of assets. The company also transports and markets crude oil, bitumen, natural gas, liquefied natural gas (LNG), natural gas liquids and their derivative products through a global network of distributors.

The companys operations span the conventional and tight oil markets, including shale gas, heavy oil, oil sands and other petroleum-related businesses. As of late 2022, the company had more than 6.1 billion barrels of proven oil and oil-equivalent reserves and was producing 1.731 million barrels of crude and equivalents per day. Roughly 50% of operations are centered in the crude oil market while less than 40% are natural gas, with the remainder made up of LNG and bitumen (asphalt).

The company's portfolio includes conventional, unconventional plays in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Assets are primarily located in Alaska (about 33% of US production), Eagle Ford, the Permian Basin, the Bakken, the Gulf of Mexico and the Anadarko Basin. Revenue topped $45.8 billion in 2021 and the company employs about 9,900 worldwide. Exploratory operations are underway in Columbia and Chile where the opportunity for both scale and flexibility is present.

ConocoPhillips was the first major oil company to adopt the Paris Climate Accord and pledge to achieve net-zero scope 1 and scope 2 emissions by 2050. Areas of focus include increasing operational efficiencies, supporting the reduction of end-use pollutants and advancing low-carbon alternatives, including hydrogen production and fuel cells.
Have you been underpaid this whole time? Half of all US job postings on Indeed now show salaries as new law rolls out in New York  here's why that's a 'very big' problem for businesses

The Empire State just rolled out its salary transparency law last weekend, joining a handful of other states and municipalities requiring employers to disclose proposed pay on job postings.

As of August, the Indeed Hiring Lab reportshalf of all U.S. job postings on its platform advertised at least some employer-provided salary information  marking a record high.

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The job networking site reported the share of such postings has almost tripled from its February 2020 level of 18% and forecasts the trend will only continue to grow in the coming months.

However, while advocates say the law marks an important step toward pay equity and reducing gender and racial gaps, some businesses are finding loopholes and pushing back.

More states are requiring salary ranges on job listings

Under the new law, all New York employers with at least four workers will need to post salary ranges on external advertisements for job roles  and same goes for internal postings for existing employees interested in a promotion or transfer.

This will also apply to remote employees of New York businesses who work outside of the state, but wont be enforced for government agencies or temporary help firms.

While seven states  California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Nevada, Rhode Island and Washington  have already passed pay transparency laws, another 16 states and the District of Columbia have been considering similar bills this year, reports the National Womens Law Center.

According to Indeed, Colorado  the first state to implement pay disclosure laws  is considered the most salary-transparent state, with 81% of postings featuring salary data.

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How these laws impact the employment landscape

TJ Freno, vice president of sales at staffing and recruiting company Orion Talent, told Axios the new pay transparency laws are becoming a very big concern because they could make it more difficult for businesses to retain employees who can now compare their compensation to other jobs and either move roles or seek raises.

But some experts are advocating for these laws to help reduce racial and gender wage gaps  which often get swept under the rug when theres less transparency in the workplace.

There's definitely a culture of secrecy in the United States, Andrea Johnson told Moneywise in an interview last year. Johnson is the director of state policy, workplace justice and cross-cutting initiatives at the National Womens Law Center, based in Washington, DC.

That comes from a lot of different directions. But it's definitely coming from employers that have long felt that it's to their advantage to keep pay and how they set pay secret.

Women in the U.S. earn 83 cents for every dollar a man makes, according to 2021 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And Department of Labor data indicates most racial minority groups also earn significantly less on average compared to white workers.

While the labor market is showing signs of cooling  with just 187,000 jobs added in August, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics  layoffs are relatively low and workers remain in demand for the time being.

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Johnson believes employers who post their salary ranges may have better luck attracting new talent and will have an easier time building trust with employees.

Transparency is power, she said.

Are there any drawbacks to these laws?

Some companies are pushing back by advertising extremely wide pay ranges on job postings instead  making it extremely difficult for job seekers and employees to determine their worth or whether they should move jobs.

Pay transparency laws can also vary across the country, which means employees and employers need to do their research first.

The devil is in the details, Beth Ann Lennon, a labor and employment lawyer at Sherman & Howard, based in Denver, Colorado, told Moneywise last year.

Some states require salary ranges on job postings, while others only provide this information upon request or during the application process.

And Lennon says while the intent behind these laws may be to encourage more open dialogue around pay and to address pay inequity, she adds, Whether that intent is being accomplished, I think, is more of the open question.

She offers the example of an employee negotiating for a higher salary in a state like Colorado that bars employers from using past wagesto determine the employees current salary.

There are laws telling you Don't talk to your employees in the way that you historically have  as it relates to what are your pay expectations, what have you made in your last jobs? That kind of back and forth sometimes really helps an employee advocate for themselves, Lennon explains.

And so one of those tools that an employee may have previously had is gone.

For anyone whos on the hunt for a new job, Johnson recommends doing your research and looking into your states laws before switching jobs or trying to negotiate a raise.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
Soon the decade of commemoration of Irelands revolutionary days of a century ago, will come to a conclusion.

During those past ten years, much has happened in county Tipperary to mark and remember the events and the people that done so much to form the country in which we live today.

This is hardly unsurprising, seeing as Tipperary was very much to the forefront during Irelands struggle for independence.

At many of the sites where seismic events happened, new monuments have been erected and older ones refurbished, usually accompanied by an appropriate roadside gathering.

Many historic seminars and lectures have also taken place, - and have added significantly to peoples knowledge and understanding of those troubled years of Irish history.

A number of books have been published also and these have contributed greatly to the narrative of the time.

Two books by historian, Denis G Marnane, one on the history of the famous 3rd Tipperary Brigade and another on the Civil War in Tipperary, are a vital possession for anyone with an interest in those subjects and in that period.

Gerard Shannon has also made two highly significant contributions to that store of historic literature, having published books on Joseph McDonagh and on Liam Lynch.

The historic group, Tipperary in the Decade of Revolution, were involved in the organising of eighteen different events across the county and each of those featured an accompanying booklet.

One of that groups founding members, John Connors, from Borrisoleigh, wrote a well-received book on the life of Sean Hogan of Knocklong rescue fame which was published in April of 2019.

In the intervening years the author of that book has been quietly studying and researching into the life of Hogans comrade, Dan Breen.

John Connors was initially hesitant in undertaking the project as he felt that everything that could be written about Dan Breen was already written and a biography that drew from already published sources, would add nothing worthwhile to the narrative.

TRUE NATURE

As Breen, even after more than half a century dead, attracted the extremes of demonisation and sanctification, the author began to believe that nothing in the published works revealed anything of the true nature of the man whose life and legacy has attracted so much print and commentary.

In his research, John Connors was fortunate to happen upon a number of sources that contained a trove of material hitherto unseen by the general public.

This, the author believes, will reveal a subject that is very much at variance with many of the perceived notions about him.

HEROICS

The essence of this book is not based on the idea of heroics as such have been interpreted down the years. This work examines Dan Breen through the lens of his relationships with people, places and things.

Naturally his relationship with his wife and family is looked into but it also features chapters on his relationship with Robinson, his political opponents, party colleagues, his revolver, etc.

As is accepted in some quarters that Breen was a committed Atheist, a chapter on his relationship with God [and His Agents] will be of special interest to many.

Both sad and humoursome in equal parts, this book reveals to the public, a man much removed from the one-dimensional character in which both his admirers and detractors like to portray him. It deals with a man, contradictory and complex, - controversial and all too often, cantankerous, - whose life has been crying out for a more detailed study for far too long.

The book will be officially launched at the Ballykisteen Hotel, Limerick Junction on Friday November 10.
Three men and a boy have been killed in four separate road collisions across Ireland over the weekend.

In Co Donegal, a nine-year-old boy died following a hit-and-run incident at about 9.20pm on Saturday.

Gardai said the boy was struck by a vehicle on Atlantic Way in Bundoran and the vehicle involved failed to remain at the scene.

In Co Kerry, another pedestrian, a man aged in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene following a collision involving a taxi.

Emergency services were alerted shortly after 2am to the incident on the R553 at Ballydonohoe, Lisselton, near Ballybunion.

The pedestrian, a male in his 20s, was pronounced deceased at the scene a short time later, gardai said.

His body has since been removed to the mortuary at University Hospital Kerry. The driver, a male in his 40s, did not require immediate medical treatment.

In Dublin, a motorcyclist died following a road collision involving a pedestrian at about 2.45am on Sunday.

The motorcyclist, a man in his early 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene at a roundabout on Whitestown Way in Tallaght.

The pedestrian, also a male in his 20s, was taken by ambulance to Tallaght Hospital, where his injures are not believed to be life-threatening.

Meanwhile later on Sunday, a man in his 30s, died following a collision in Co Clare.

Two vehicles were involved in the collision at around 1.30pm at Glencolumbkille.

Gardai said the man in his 30s was a passenger in one of the vehicles, and was fatally injured.

The male driver, age unknown, of the second vehicle was conveyed to University Hospital Limerick for treatment for injuries believed to be non-life-threatening, they said.

Gardai are appealing to anyone with information or who may have witnessed any of these crashes to contact them.
[September 24, 2023] 2023 Global Business and Law Conference held in Beijing Tweet

BEIJING, Sept. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2023 Global Business and Law Conference was held in Beijing on the evening of September 22. At the opening ceremony, former Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien, and WTO Deputy Director-General Zhang Xiangchen delivered video messages. Wang Binying, WIPO Deputy Director-General; Shoichi Okuyama, President of the AIPPI; and Marcelo Vazquez-Bermudez, First Vice-President of the International Law Commission (ILC), delivered speeches at the venue. Ren Hongbin, CCPIT President, presided over the opening ceremony and issued Beijing Declaration of the Global Business and Law Conference on behalf of participants. The Declaration features: safeguarding the multilateral trading system and advancing the global governance reform; strengthening the role of the rule of law and stimulating enterprise innovation; deepening international exchanges on rule of law and fostering global business cooperation; improving international economic and trade rules and optimizing business environment; gathering global forces to achieve common prosperity. At the main forum, Tao Kaiyuan, Vice President of the Supreme People's Court; Zhang Mingqi, Vice President andSecretary-General of China Law Society; Wu Pengyi, Permanent Secretary of Singapore's Ministry of Law and Second Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; John Denton, Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce (video), and Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah, former Hong Kong Justice Secretary, delivered keynote speeches. Yu Jianlong, Vice President of CCPIT, presided over the forum. Huang Jin, President of the Chinese Society of International Law; Stephan Wernicke, Chief Legal Officer of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce; Sheng Leiming, Vice President of All China Lawyers Association; Zhang Jinwei, Vice President of Alibaba Group; and C.M. Chan, President of the Law Society of Hong Kong, entered into discussions around the theme to promote the construction of an open world economy.



Approximately 500 people attended offline, including representatives of international organizations such as the WTO, the WIPO, the ILC, and the AIPPI, representatives of government departments of Canada, Germany, Singapore, representatives of envoys in China, Chinese and foreign legal service organizations, business associations, and enterprises, and local and industry trade promotion associations. Representatives from over 30 countries, including Egypt, Thailand, India, Japan, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Britian, France, Belgium, Italy, and the U.S., attended online. Three parallel forums themed "strengthening law-based protection for innovative development", "leveraging rule of law to foster business cooperation" and "improving international rule of law and leading the change of the times" will be held on September 23.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/2023-global-business-and-law-conference-held-in-beijing-301936928.html

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
We notice MSM going hard on this worker who is now confronting EPIC consequences for a shoplifting conflict gone horribly, fatally wrong.

Meanwhile . . .



More legit complaints focus on severity of 2nd degree murder charges.

Sadly, . . . On the dark web & social media . . . Racially charged comment indulge in hatred and boring tropes BUT probably don't help make this guy's case.

Again . . .

The main LEGIT argument on behalf of this scored worker concerns the severity of charges he's confronting.

We hope to have more and obviously this topic is something for lawyers & courts to argue with greater skill and insight than we can muster.

For now . . . KC legal eagles sent us this passage for perspective about the very real difference betwixt 2nd degree murder charges vs. manslaughter allegations:

"A person committing second degree murder, while not premeditated, has full understanding of their actions and kills someone anyway. Manslaughter involves a circumstance that may cause a reasonable person to become emotionally disturbed or considered as a murder fueled by passion or impulse."



Manslaughter charges seem more appropriate to many TKC readers who are following this case given that deets, so far, can only confirm a fight that erupted quickly and created a horrible outcome.



Again . . . Moving away from racially charged BS . . .

THERE IS LEGIT BEEF ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE 2ND DEGREE MURDER CHARGES AGAINST THIS WORKER!!!

Again, for now, here's the latest chapter in the saga . . .



An O'Reilly Auto Parts employee charged with second-degree murder in the killing of 23-year-old Diamond Steen, of Kansas City, Missouri, left the Wyandotte County Detention Center after posting a $125,000 bond.



Carl Ryan Kemppainen, 39, is accused of unlawfully, unintentionally and recklessly killing Steen.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Right now we pay more tribute to the angels as we check Sunday pop culture, community news and top headlines.



Check TKC news gathering . . .

Cowtown Feast From Far East

Smoke N Seoul: A marriage between Kansas City BBQ and Korean cuisine KC BBQ pro Teddy Liberda checks out Smoke N Seoul Korean/KC BBQ in Gardner, KS. Greg & Nancy Stears bring their traditions to the bbq scene.

Show-Me Horsey Mercy

Anheuser-Busch says its Missouri farms will no longer amputate the tails of Budweiser's Clydesdales The St. Louis-based beermaker says it will end the practice known as tail docking after it came under pressure by animal rights group PETA.

Working For Rock Chalk Relief

Kansas property tax increases have homeowners objecting and legislators looking at new laws Taxpayers are lining up at public meetings to voice frustration over increasing property taxes. State lawmakers are taking notice and could consider new restrictions on tax increases.

Building KC Sustainably

Godfrey Riddle wants to build you a home; How Civic Saint's eco-friendly bricks could reshape the foundation of affordable housing Winning $55,000 in a recent LGBT pitch competition provides Godfrey Riddle the building blocks for a hard pivot - shifting the focus of his lifestyle company Civic Saint from handmade retail goods to earthen bricks used to sustainably create artful, affordable homes.

Tradition Persists Despite Rain

'I never miss it': Plaza Art Fair artists, patrons discuss storm's impact on event Saturday's thunderstorms impacted a lot of people's weekend fun, including at the Plaza Art Fair.

No Social Media Mercy Even In House Of Angels

'Victoria's Secret Karen' video: Lawsuits show what viewers didn't see Video of a white woman taken by a Black shopper at a New Jersey mall laid bare the power of online outrage. A lawsuit has shed new light on the encounter.

MAGA WINNING?!?

Trump crushing Biden by double digits, new general election poll finds President Biden's White House was hit with a dire poll on Sunday, with the Washington Post and ABC showing former President Trump leading Biden by 10 points.

Cash For Campaign Publicity

Can Joe Biden be made cooler online? This group's placing a $70 million bet on yes ProgressNow is betting that improving Biden's online presence - through memes, videos and other social media images - will help win over voters.

LatinX Diva Decries Colleague

AOC Calls On Sen. Menendez To Resign, Bucks His Defense That He's Being Racially Targeted Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to resign after the 69-year-old lawmaker was indicted on federal corruption charges last week. The indictment, unsealed on Friday, claims that Menendez and his wife had a corrupt relationship with New Jersey businessmen Wael Hana, Jose Uribe, and Fred Daibes, who allegedly gave the senator bribes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Arguing Political Economics

Matt Gaetz, Maria Bartiromo spar over government funding stalemate, Biden probes Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo on Sunday sparred over the stalemate between House Republicans and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) when it comes to disagreement within the GOP over government funding that is set to run out on Friday. The interview also grew heated when Bartiromo pointed out investigations, which she called...

GOP Confront Political Setback

Is a government shutdown coming? Why Republican lawmakers are split on whether to brace for impact As House Republicans remain consumed by turmoil, some lawmakers have resigned themselves to an impending government shutdown.

Sketchy Report From Front

A Russian reserve army of 15,000 soldiers is pinned down near Bakhmut and will be destroyed, says Ukraine's spy chief Ukraine's spy chief said Russia's 25th Army, which was deployed earlier than planned, will be buried where they are fighting.

Public Radio Reporting Pushes Back Against Pentagon

The Sunday Story: NPR challenges U.S. denial of civilian harm in raid on ISIS leader : Up First Today on The Sunday Story, NPR's Daniel Estrin talks about his four-year long investigation into the night that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, founder of ISIS, died. The Pentagon maintains troops did not harm noncombatants. But Estrin's investigation challenges that account. Now the Pentagon says it will review new information brought to light about the incident.

Holy Land Hot Cont'd Forever

Two Palestinian men killed during Israeli incursion in camp near Tulkarem | CNN Two Palestinian men were killed in the early hours of Sunday during an incursion by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said.

Europe White People Prove Exceptionally Picky

40,000 march in Spain against plans to grant amnesty to Catalan separatists | CNN Tens of thousands of Spaniards protested in Madrid on Sunday against possible plans by acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to grant an amnesty to Catalan separatists to keep himself in office after an election he failed to win.

Tech Creativity Belongs To Everybody?!?

An old master? No, it's an image AI just knocked up ... and it can't be copyrighted US ruling on works created through artificial intelligence gives boost to creative workers fighting for livelihoods

Baller Show Scheduled

Usher to Headline 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show The iconic performer will take the NFL's biggest stage on Feb. 11, 2024 in Las Vegas.

El Papa Outcry Denounces Military Industrial Complex

Pope blames weapons industry for Russia-Ukraine war and 'martyrdom' of Ukrainian people Pope Francis is labeling the weapons industry as being a key driver of the "martyrdom" of Ukraine's people in Russia's war.

Newspaper Shares TKC Sentiments Without Campy Music

Kansas City CVS pharmacies, WyCo Fairfax plant dark: Is change for workers in the air? | Opinion It's been the "summer of strikes." When employees band together, the big bosses can't help but listen. | Opinion

Serving Kansas City Fans

'This is where I want to be': Local peach cobbler business now featured at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium A Kansas City woman's dreams are coming true as her peach cobbler business is expanding, including becoming available at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium this season.

Katie's Forecast For Now . . .

A little cloudy, but a fine day for a Chiefs game Sunday will have high temperatures around 79 degrees; the morning starts foggy. A clear week lies ahead.

Miley Cyrus cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer is the Sunday song of the day and this is the OPEN THREAD for right now.
Photo: Contributed Columnist J.P. Squire with a "seal flack jacket" out of Mason jar lids and duck tape, made following a seal attack duringa a kayak trip in Broughton Archipelago Provincial Marine Park.

(This is the first in a four-part series of related columns)

A protective seal. An itchy whale. A famished grizzly. Competitive eagles. It's a mini-series on the Sheriff's Adventures with wildlife.

After reading the Making Tracks columns during the next four weeks, some may conclude that these were more like misadventures. However, the Sheriff has always believed (since he was a youngster) that adventures begin by going out your back door. He didn't go looking for adventure but it always seemed to happen in the outdoors, and it only got better when the Sheriff met Constant Companion Carmen.

The first adventure with wildlife was during a multi-day kayaking trip to the Broughton Archipelago which is northeast of Telegraph Cove, on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. When five Kelowna women and a Summerland buddy asked the Sheriff to act as their leader in exploring Broughton Archipelago Marine Provincial Park, he joked: "We won't have to go looking for critters, they're going to come to us."

That silly promise came back to haunt the Sheriff on Canada Day as the group was going through a narrow channel between two small islands in the Canoe Islets.

Drifting through the channel, the Sheriff brought up the rear so he could keep an eye on everyone when a large seal head popped out of the water, followed by a smaller seal head. After the "Oh, aren't they cute?" comments, paddling buddy Holly held her right hand over the right side of her kayak and said with a laugh: "I want the seal to come up right here."

Within a few seconds, she was staring down into big brown eyes. Then, the momma seal disappeared underwater again.

"Be careful what you wish for," the Sheriff advised her, as everyone laughed about the close encounter. "We are looking for whales, after all."

Less than a minute later, with a loud bang, the seal smashed into the right side of the Sheriff's kayak just behind his cockpit. As he turned toward the sound, he saw the thick body of the seal halfway out of the water and felt its jaws clamp onto the jacket he wore that cool day. Fortunately, the Sheriff was wearing a PFD under the jacket so there was extra padding.

"I was just attacked by that seal," he told everyone. When several expressed disbelief, the Sheriff turned and showed them the rip in the back of his jacket, a jagged hole which was, no doubt, the result of considerable force.

"Time to get going, quickly," he advised everyone. Without hesitation, they all paddled out of the channel, but paused a short distance away and saw the same two seal heads pop out of the water. They wasted no time continuing their quick departure.

Later, several paddlers noted the Sheriff has the widest and most stable of the seven kayaks. If the seal had attacked anyone else, their kayak might have capsized, leaving the paddler at the mercy of an aggressive and experienced swimmer.

During many years of paddling on the B.C. coast, that was the first time anyone in our group experienced, or heard of, such an attack. Other paddlers they met along the way were shocked and surprised as well.

However, the next day when visiting Village Island, they met Brad, an experienced guide from North Island Kayak in Telegraph Cove. After relating hearing about frightening seal experience, he said a similar encounter happened to his buddy, Joel, in the same area the previous summer. Joel was paddling through the same narrow channel in a kayak with his spare paddle tied, as usual, to the deck behind him. Without warning, a seal jumped onto his rear deck and "was thrashing about" on top of the paddle, perhaps trying to get at him.

An experienced paddler, Joel immediately braced his kayak (using his paddle flat in the water to keep him upright) so he wouldn't end up face-to-face with the seal in the seal's watery territory.

A little jiggle and the seal slid off. Joel immediately paddled out of the channelrather quickly one can imagine. The paddle with bite marks was then displayed in the North Island Kayak shop as a warning.

The group laughed at the story, somewhat nervously, suggesting B.C. Parks erect signs at the channel entrances warning of an aggressive seal, much like its bear warning signs at trailheads. They speculated it was a mother protecting her offspring or guarding her turf.

The Sheriff also thought his wooden Greenland paddle may have resurrected a seal memory that Greenlanders in kayaks hunt seals. It was yet another reminder all these creatures are wild animals and we venture into their homes. Caution is always advised. Later, as a joke, a seal flack jacket was assembled by the other kayakers using Mason jar lids and duct tape.

Fast forward a year when a kayaking buddy in Nanaimo who heard about the attack sent a copy of a news release.

B.C. Marine Trails received a serious report yesterday (not directly from party that was attacked). On July 9, a harbour seal attacked a group of four experienced kayakers in the Canoe Islets area of the Broughton Archipelago. The group was paddling through a narrow channel in the Canoe Islets when the seal jumped on the deck of one of their kayaks. The individual knocked the seal off the boat, and then it circled around from behind and jumped out of the water biting one paddler on their side just below the arm, puncturing the dry suit and capsizing the individual.

"Two members of the group came to rescue their friend. One was bitten on the arm by the seal, the bite puncturing their skin. Another member suddenly noticed the seal lunging up toward the face of another paddler but was able to yell in time so that the individual it was coming towards could hit the seal with their paddle. It finally left them alone."

There have been two other reports of attacks in this exact same area, in 2013 and 2014, said the news release.

"The circumstances that led to the attack are unclear; there was no evidence of pups in the area. Those recreating or paddling in this area should remain cautious. Never approach marine wildlife and report any incidents to the appropriate regulatory body," said the BCMT, which works on behalf of the public - from reporting incidents, monitoring recreation and reserve sites to participating with government, stakeholders and First Nations.

Next week: What the Sheriff did in response to the second attack.



Photo: J.P. Squire This week's Secret Okanagan Spot in the SOS series is Lions Park in Okanagan Falls. Like many other SOS locations, hikers and cyclists tend to zoom past the KVR Trailhead, a quiet three-acre retreat located on the southwest shore of Skaha Lake just before crossing the KVR Bridge.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Whilst it may not be a huge deal, we thought it was good to see that the Naked Wines plc (LON:WINE) Independent Director, Jack Pailing, recently bought UK58k worth of stock, for UK0.63 per share. While we're hesitant to get too excited about a purchase of that size, we do note it increased their holding by a solid 24%.

Check out our latest analysis for Naked Wines

Naked Wines Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

Notably, that recent purchase by Jack Pailing is the biggest insider purchase of Naked Wines shares that we've seen in the last year. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at above the current price of UK0.58. While their view may have changed since the purchase was made, this does at least suggest they have had confidence in the company's future. We always take careful note of the price insiders pay when purchasing shares. As a general rule, we feel more positive about a stock if insiders have bought shares at above current prices, because that suggests they viewed the stock as good value, even at a higher price.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 222.89k shares for UK190k. But insiders sold 26.65k shares worth UK32k. In the last twelve months there was more buying than selling by Naked Wines insiders. The average buy price was around UK0.85. These transactions suggest that insiders have considered the current price attractive. The chart below shows insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

Naked Wines is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Does Naked Wines Boast High Insider Ownership?

Another way to test the alignment between the leaders of a company and other shareholders is to look at how many shares they own. A high insider ownership often makes company leadership more mindful of shareholder interests. From what we can see in our data, insiders own only about UK244k worth of Naked Wines shares. This level of insider ownership is notably low, and not very encouraging.

Story continues

So What Does This Data Suggest About Naked Wines Insiders?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And an analysis of the transactions over the last year also gives us confidence. However, we note that the company didn't make a profit over the last twelve months, which makes us cautious. We would certainly prefer see higher levels of insider ownership but analysis of the insider transactions suggests that Naked Wines insiders are expecting a bright future. So these insider transactions can help us build a thesis about the stock, but it's also worthwhile knowing the risks facing this company. At Simply Wall St, we found 2 warning signs for Naked Wines that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions of direct interests only, but not derivative transactions or indirect interests.

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.
This latest local killing spikes the KCMO 2023 homicide count to #143.

Tragically, this is the 2nd woman in the Northland killed in Kansas City so far this weekend.

Here is the first report and more info . . .

Homicide 1300 block NE 119th Ter

This morning, just after 1AM officers were dispatched to the 1300 block of NE 119th Ter. on a reported sound of shots. While officers were enroute to the call it was updated to a shooting.



When officers arrived on scene they observed a garage door open at a nearby residence. As they approached the home an adult female victim was located lying on the floor suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The female victim was safely removed from the residence and transported to an area hospital by EMS and is currently in stable but life threatening condition.



Officers were advised additional victims were inside of the home, where they proceeded to make entry into the residence. A juvenile teenage male was located inside of the home unresponsive suffering from multiple apparent gunshot wounds. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.



The preliminary investigation reveals this altercation is the result of a domestic violence argument involving multiple family members.



Homicide detectives and crime scene personnel have responded to begin gathering evidence and collecting witness statements.



An adult male was taken into custody as a person of interest from inside of the home.

Officers and detectives are confident there is not an additional threat to the surrounding areas regarding this incident at this point in time.



This incident will be investigated as a homicide and is considered ongoing.



If anyone was in or around the area at this time and saw or heard anything they are asked to contact Homicide detectives directly at 816-234-5043 or the TIPS Hotline anonymously at 816-474-TIPS there is a reward of up to $25,000 for information submitted anonymously to the TIPS hotline.



We are committed to assisting victims of violent crimes through use of Missouris Protection Program for Victims/Witnesses of Violent Crime. Funding for temporary, or even permanent relocation, may be available but is subject to pre-approval by the States administering agency.



We are working with Partners for Peace in all our homicide investigations to monitor risks for retaliation and provide social services to affected residents.

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Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

Family dispute ends in shooting death of one teen, one woman with life-threatening wounds KCPD reported an overnight shooting that left one teen dead and one woman with life-threatening wounds may have been the result of a domestic violence argument.

KCPD: Shooting death of Kansas City teenager developed from argument between family members Kansas City, Missouri, police believe a shooting that left one teenage male dead and an adult woman injured early Sunday morning was the result of domestic violence.

Teen dead, woman fighting for life after shooting in Kansas City One teen is dead and one woman is fighting for her life after a family dispute led to a shooting early Sunday morning in north Kansas City.

Developing . . .
Air deliveries like this one in the US will soon become a reality in the UK - Mario Tama/Getty Images

An Irish start-up is planning to deliver Britains first takeaways by drone after applying for a licence with the airspace regulator.

Dublin-based Manna, which is already delivering meals, groceries and coffee in Ireland with the autonomous aircraft, plans to launch its first UK service in the first half of next year.

The launch is expected to kick off a race among tech companies, with Amazon and Wing, Googles sister company, both stepping up air delivery operations.

Drone deliveries are seen as quicker and cheaper than human couriers, although the much-hyped technology has taken longer than expected to become a part of daily life.

Bobby Healy, Mannas chief executive, said the company had made a detailed licence application to the Civil Aviation Authority.

It hopes to launch in a British suburb next year, covering around 100,000 households.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Mr Healy declined to say where in the UK but said it would involve between 10 and 15 aircraft, carrying out 500 to 1,000 deliveries a day between them.

He said: The UK is probably our most important market in the continent of Europe, both in terms of cultural alignment but also the scale of the market. The UK does over 900m food delivery takeaways and deliveries a year.

Britain was previously viewed as an attractive destination for drone operators, with Amazon choosing a site near Cambridge to conduct its first tests almost a decade ago.

However, the company never launched commercial operations, instead moving testing to the US before making its first deliveries this year.

The CAA has recently made progress towards allowing autonomous drones, adopting a similar safety standard to the EU and granting limited licences. Manna received a licence for a limited test at a technology festival earlier this year.

However, Mr Healy said the regulator was only currently granting drone licences in areas where there were no other aircraft, limiting the potential in Britains congested airspace.

Manna has made more than 160,000 drone deliveries in Ireland from locations including Tesco and Subway, with only one incident in which a drone deployed its parachute.

Story continues

Orders are made via the app and loaded onto a drone at the store. A drone then hovers over the destination, lowering the cargo from the air.

The company says most orders are delivered in under three minutes and that the drones make less noise than cars while taking traffic off the road.

Manna, which manufactures its drones in Wales, has raised around $30m (25m) from investors, including British venture capital fund Molten Ventures and Patrick and John Collison, the Irish brothers behind the payment giant Stripe.

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.
His Highness, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, congratulated the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for his recent interview with Fox News, in which he spoke about improving relations with Israel.

In the interview, Prince Mohammed said that Saudi Arabia is getting closer to normalizing relations with Israel every day and that the treatment of Palestinians remains a "very important" issue to be resolved.

The Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, praised the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's interview with Fox News, saying that it "reflected the strength of achievement" in Saudi Arabia.

Sheikh Mohammed also said that he is "optimistic about the success of the Kingdom" and its "ambitious and conscious leadership".

Read More: UAE Leaders Congratulate Saudi Leaders on Their National Day

The UAE royal, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, ended his tweet on an inspiring note, saying that he is "optimistic about a new Middle East with the cooperation of countries [involved] to return to a global cultural and economic centre".

Saudi Arabia is currently in talks with the United States about normalizing relations with Israel in exchange for a US defense pact and help developing its own civilian nuclear program. This would be a major development, as Saudi Arabia is one of the most influential countries in the Arab world.
Germany has handed over another package of military support to Ukraine.

The list of the military assistance provided by the Federal Republic of Germany to Ukraine has been updated on the website of the German Federal Government, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

In particular, Ukraine received 17 SatCom terminals, one antenna hub station, four truck tractor trains 8x8 HX81 and four semi-trailers (51 and 45 accordingly were handed over before), 12 Zetros trucks (188 were delivered before), and WISENT spare parts.

All the machinery and equipment delivered to Ukraine were taken not from Bundeswehr but industry stocks.

Earlier this week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius had announced a new military aid package for Ukraine, totaling EUR 400 million.

Photo: Daimler Truck AG
The invasion of Ukraine on the part of Russia, the permanent member of the UN Security Council, undermines the credibility of the United Nations as such.

Thats according to New Zealands Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who spoke at the general debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, Ukrinform reports.

She said it was shocking to witness a permanent member of the UNSC launch an unprovoked attack on a sovereign state, trying to annex its territory and waging war against its civilian population. Russia's actions violate the fundamental principles of international law, she stressed, asking how the younger generation can now trust the UN if a permanent member of the Security Council acts in a way that is fundamentally at odds with the UN Charter.

Mahuta emphasized that Russia should be held accountable for this act of aggression in international courts.

She reiterated New Zealands strong support for the efforts to bring Russia to justice at both the UN International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

New Zealand's foreign minister also pointed to the escalation of a nuclear threat due to the Russian war and stressed that nuclear weapons must never be deployed.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, a general debate kicked off in New York on Tuesday as part of the high-level week of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

Photo: Getty Images
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria, Alexander Schallenberg, is in favor of keeping open the channels of dialogue with Russia, despite the latters attempt to take over another state in a neo-imperialist way.

Shallenberg stated this in an interview with the APA agency at the end of his visit to the the general debate of the UN General Assembly in New York.

"Of course we should. We also have relevant platforms, either in the UN or, for example, in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Such organizations have never been clubs of like-minded people. This dialogue has always been very difficult, even in the times of the Cold War. We must not forget that," Shallenberg said, commenting on the question of whether the international community should engage more in a dialog with Russia.

According to the Austrian minister, there are many global issues, from climate to disarmament, "where we can only make progress if we talk to Moscow." At the same time, he admitted that Russia is making a neo-imperialist attempt to seize another state.

"From our Western point of view, of course, it is difficult. Russia is trying in a neo-imperialist way to simply take over another state. This is not a situation where we can sit back and do nothing, because it is a matter of our own security. We live at the expense of that everyone, regardless of whether they have nuclear weapons or not, abides by international law," he added.

In addition, Schallenberg pointed to a multipolar world and "different centers of power"  the United States, Europe, China, and Russia. "I think that the most important thing from our point of view is to keep the channels of dialog open, to speak as equals, based on respect, and not to lecture anyone with an index finger raised," he said.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Federal President of Austria, Alexander Van der Bellen , and top diplomat Alexander Schallenberg, while in New York for the UNGA session, advocated the reform of the UN Security Council, whose current structure emerged as a result of the Second World War and no longer corresponds to the realities of the modern world.
King Charles is expected to host a reception in the middle of Rishi Sunaks two-day summit - Aaron Chown/PA

King Charles will host world leaders and tech bosses during Rishi Sunaks AI safety summit as Number 10 seeks to bolster international support for the flagship conference.

Members of the Royal Family are expected to host a reception centred around how artificial intelligence can support the environment and sustainability, The Telegraph understands.

The Kings involvement is set to add a level of prestige to the event after it emerged that Joe Biden would not attend the event. The summit has also sparked a row over whether to invite China.

It is expected to feature in the middle of the two-day summit, which the Prime Minister hopes will lead to co-ordinated action to address risks from AI. It is unclear whether the reception will be held at the Palace or at Bletchley Park, where the summit is being held.

The King, a passionate environmentalist who was advised by the Government to skip last years Cop27 summit, has continued to campaign on climate issues after becoming monarch.

Artificial intelligences supporters say the technology will be a key weapon in battling climate change, helping model weather patterns and improve forecasting.

Google recently claimed a major breakthrough using AI to adjust airline routes in a way that dramatically cuts the emissions produced by contrails. AI is also expected to be used to manage the electricity grid and develop new materials that could support the transition to clean energy.

The Telegraph revealed last month that Mr Biden planned to skip the summit, which it is hoped will lead to progress on co-ordinated safety. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to attend instead.

Other world leaders are yet to commit to attending, although the French president Emmanuel Macron and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, are among those expected to show.

It is also unclear whether tech bosses will fly in for the meeting. Meta and Microsofts top lobbyists, Sir Nick Clegg and Brad Smith, are expected to represent their companies.

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James Cleverly, the Foreign Secretary, confirmed last week that China had been invited to the summit, saying: We cannot keep the UK public safe from the risks of AI if we exclude one of the leading nations in AI tech.

Mr Sunak will hold the summit at Bletchley Park, the World War II code breaking site, on November 1 and 2. It is hoped that the summit will make progress towards a UK-based international regulator, building on work from the Frontier AI Taskforce, a group of experts researching safety.

Buckingham Palace did not comment.

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DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 24th Sep, 2023) "Future100," a collaborative initiative between the Ministry of Economy and the Government Development and the Future Office, has forged 25 strategic partnerships.

These partnerships are aimed at supporting the top 100 emerging companies that play a vital role in bolstering the competitiveness of the UAEs future economy sectors.

The signing of these partnership agreements was attended by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, and Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid Director-General of Community Development Authority and board Member of National CSR Fund (Majra).

The signing was also attended by Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy, and Rashed Abdulkarim Al Blooshi Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

The inaugural list of Future100 will be unveiled on World Futures Day, which coincides with December 2nd, the UAE's National Day.

These newly established partnerships are poised to achieve the initiatives objectives, including enhancing readiness for the future, solidifying the UAE's status as a hub for new economy companies, creating a conducive environment for the growth and prosperity of these enterprises, and expanding opportunities for their local and global development.

The partnerships bring with them a host of incentives and resources. These include the possibility of investing in companies that make it to the Future100 list, support for accelerating innovation and digital transformation, technical and legal assistance, competitive financing solutions, and workshops on intellectual property rights and trademark protection.

Additionally, microsoft for Startup Founders Hub will offer cutting-edge artificial intelligence services and expert guidance to foster innovation and sustainable growth among start-ups.

Bin Touq said: In line with the directives of our wise leadership and the initiatives and economic policies adopted, the UAE has made significant strides in transitioning to a resilient, innovative, and sustainable new economic model. Launched last year, the Future 100 initiative is one of the most important initiatives supporting the countrys efforts to expand the new economic sectors and encourage companies to invest in them. Each year, the initiative highlights the top 100 UAE-based future enterprises that have contributed to promoting future economy sectors competitiveness in the country.

Today marks a key milestone in our journey towards developing this initiative. We have established new partnerships to support startups readiness to expand and invest in new economic sectors. This will help establish the UAE as a global hub for the new economy, in light of the objectives of the We the UAE 2031 vision. Through this initiative, the Ministry of Economy and the Government Development and the Future Office continue to work to create more opportunities and support capabilities to enhance the countrys competitiveness in the future sectors, he added.

The Minister of Economy pointed out that the initiative aims to establish a more dynamic and attractive economy that stands out at the regional and global levels. It will drive the number of companies operating in the UAE, supporting the achievement of the national economic goals aimed at doubling the UAEs GDP to reach AED 3 trillion by 2031.

Mohamed Hadi Al Hussaini, Minister of State for Financial Affairs said:

MBRIF aims to create a thriving ecosystem for innovation and entrepreneurship in the UAE and beyond. Our partnership with Future 100 is an opportunity to support the countrys brightest future entrepreneurial stars. Through this partnership, our goal is to fast-track a number of qualified companies into MBRIFs customised Accelerator Programme, which attracts hundreds of applications from around the world. The six-month platform provides founders with the necessary tools, resources, and support to scale and grow. This includes mentorship, training, networking opportunities, and access to funding.

Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and the Future, affirmed that the Future100 initiative aligns with 'We the UAE 2031' vision, which aims to build the most dynamic and competitive economy.

She underscored that this initiative not only enhances the UAE's preparedness for the future across emerging sectors but also fosters a proactive approach to stay in sync with future trends and rapid global transformations.

Al Roumi further highlighted how the initiative serves as an incubator for the economy of the future, offering promising opportunities for companies in these emerging sectors.

She added: "We extend a warm welcome to an esteemed group of national and international partners that have joined the Future100 initiative. The expertise and high-quality services offered by our partners will be a highly added value to this initiative, solidifying the UAE's position as a global hub for the new economy. It will also serve as a magnet for the finest entrepreneurial projects, start-ups, and future-driven entrepreneurs. With a robust regulatory framework and modern infrastructure in place, this initiative marks another stride towards fortifying the business ecosystem in the country. It introduces new incentives for creative ideas, innovative minds, and emerging companies, empowering entrepreneurs to establish future-oriented enterprises and propel them onto the global stage."

The strategic partnerships encompass a diverse range of organisations, including the National CSR Fund (Majra), and accelerators category such as the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, Emirates NBD, Dubai Future District Fund, Mohammed bin Rashid Innovation Fund, Microsoft, Careem, and FTI Consulting. The community partners category includes entities like Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park, Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Campus, Ajman Chamber, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), Sharjah Entrepreneurship Center (Sheraa), Abu Dhabi Business Platform, Mashreq Bank, Sandooq Al Watan, Khalifa Fund, middle East VC Association (MEVCA), VentureSouq, Astrolabs, Flat6Labs, North Star, and the Greenhouse - Chalhoub Group, The Media Partners includes Entrepreneur Middle East.

As part of the UAE's commitment to establishing a global presence in the realms of sustainability, social responsibility, the future economy, and sustainable development, Nuha Al Harmoudi, the Director of the National CSR Fund, has been dedicated to advancing these principles across both government and other sectors throughout the country. Concurrently with the UAE's celebration of the Year of Sustainability, there will be a particular emphasis on the active engagement of small and medium-sized enterprises in shaping a sustainable future. This emphasis will be underscored by the concrete actions taken by the Fund in collaboration with its partners to identify promising small and medium-sized businesses and facilitate their growth in a structured and deliberate manner through the "Future 100" enterprises initiative.

Abdulla Qassem, Group Chief Operating Officer, Emirates NBD, said:

We are delighted to lend our support as Acceleration Partner to a significant national initiative such as the Future 100. As a leading local bank, Emirates NBD has a strong history of championing the UAEs SME sector. Our partnership with the Future 100 initiative aligns perfectly with our shared goal of fostering the growth of promising SMEs within the UAE and nurturing the overall SME ecosystem. SMEs play a crucial role in driving the growth of the national economy and we are delighted to be a part of an initiative that celebrates their entrepreneurial endeavours and acknowledges their contribution to shaping the future of the UAE.

Sharif El-Badawi, CEO Dubai Future District Fund said: We're thrilled about our collaboration with the Future 100 initiative by the UAE Ministry of Economy and Government Development and the Future Office, aiming to nurture 100 pioneering startups in sectors that will define the UAE's future economy. This partnership underscores our aspiration to discover and develop the next generation of tech innovators in transformative sectors, highlighting our mission to uncover the future's technology innovators.

The initiative supports emerging economic sectors that are poised to define the UAEs future economy. This includes the dynamic start-up sector within the country, whose growth and amplified contribution to the national economy stand as paramount goals on the UAE government's agenda. Additionally, the initiative celebrates the accomplishments of the private sector, recognising its pivotal role in the countrys development journey. Yearly, it spotlights the top 100 emerging companies that significantly bolster the competitiveness of the country's future economic domains.


Stunned by allegations of absentee ballot fraud in Bridgeport, state legislators are debating the best ways to prevent it from happening again.

Both Democrats and Republicans were alarmed by a widely seen video that shows a woman repeatedly dropping ballots into a box outside the citys government center one week before the Sept. 12 primary for mayor. The video was released by the campaign of Democrat John Gomes, who received more votes on the machines than incumbent Mayor Joe Ganim, but then lost the primary when Ganim pulled ahead with far more absentee votes.

When the legislature meets in a special session Tuesday, lawmakers are prepared to vote to appoint a special monitor to oversee Bridgeports election in November that features a rematch between Gomes and Ganim.

The General Assembly had already wanted to appoint a monitor, but an error in the language in the state budget had mistakenly sent about $150,000 to another department. Now, lawmakers are pledging to fix the error Tuesday and appoint the monitor for both this year and the 2024 presidential election.

The election monitors have a lot more power than I think people realize, House Speaker Matt Ritter said in an interview. We utilized it in Hartford in 2015 and 2016, and it was quite effective.  Some people have said the monitors only role is on Election Day. Thats not accurate at all. The election monitor will be involved the day he or she is appointed in whatever is involved in elections. They have the right to be involved in that process.

Connecticut mayor who regained office after corruption conviction wins another primary

But Republicans want to go further, with some saying that the absentee ballot boxes outside town halls should be eliminated because the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The boxes were initially installed so that voters, particularly the elderly, would not need to go inside a school or town hall to cast their ballots.

Story continues

I think we need to suspend the use of the drop boxes, House Republican leader Vincent Candelora said in an interview. The Republicans were always concerned about the chain of custody in the use of those boxes. Its a vehicle for people to cast massive amounts of ballots in an unsecured location. That is just inviting ballot harvesting. Those concerns came right out on that video, and this is exactly what we were worried about when those drop boxes were put in place.

Candelora added, There is no need for them today. They were put in place because of COVID. No one can prove to me that its a good idea to let people cast a ballot at 2 in the morning, anonymously, and having no way of tracing where those ballots came from.

While saying he wants to eliminate the boxes permanently, Candelora said he would agree to suspend the boxes for the upcoming November elections as a first step if the legislature needs more time to make a final decision.

Candelora and others said the boxes cannot be used under the early voting process that starts next year after an amendment to the state constitution. Instead, those voting early would need to appear in person at town hall or a designated election location.

Unlike some Democrats, Candelora said the monitor in Bridgeport is not enough.

The monitor is a distraction to the real issue, he said. I dont think a monitor is going to be sitting at all the locations of the lock boxes watching who puts ballots into those boxes. The monitor is filling deficiencies that Democrats have always known existed in Bridgeport, and it really is not speaking to the current issue at hand  ballot harvesting and stuffing a ballot box.

But Ritter countered that the drop boxes have not been a problem in 168 of the states 169 cities and towns.

Theyre not an issue in North Branford, so why cant they have one? Ritter asked, referring to Candeloras hometown. To restrict 1 million voters from doing that because of one incident is a harsh response.

The boxes are needed, he said, because of problems with the slowness of the U.S. mail.

There are so many times when people get their absentee ballot late, Ritter said. They get it the Saturday or Sunday before the election, and theyre going out of town. If they mail it, its not going to get there on time. So what do they do? They drop it in the drop box.

Lawsuit and investigation

While the state legislature is looking into the issue, the case is also being reviewed by the State Elections Enforcement Commission and the judicial branch.

In a five-page lawsuit, the Gomes campaign is asking a Superior Court judge for an immediate injunction to block the certification of the primary results. In addition, the campaign is asking the judge to order a new primary election.

The time stamps on the video, Gomes says, show that seven drops were made in the span of about two hours on Sept. 5, including six by the same woman and one by a man. He said he could not say how many ballots had been placed in the box.

In addition to the election monitor, Ritter said that the simultaneous actions of the Superior Court judge should help ensure the proper functioning of the November election.

Were hoping between the judge and the election monitor that there can be enough guardrails in place to get us through the next couple of weeks, Ritter said. The judge could say, I dont want absentee balloting to occur in nursing homes until further notice. The judge could do that by order.  Its one thing to have an election monitor and a judge put limitations and restrictions on things. But when people talk about outright banning absentee ballots, its unconstitutional. We have members in the military who live in Bridgeport and are overseas. They have to have the right to vote by absentee ballot. Theyre going to have to find a way to run an election down there.

Ganim, the seven-term mayor, has spoken strongly on the issue.

I want to state unequivocally that I do not condone, in any way, actions taken by anyone including any campaign, city, or elected official, which undermines the integrity of either the electoral process or city property, Ganim said last week in a statement. The Bridgeport Police Department is actively investigating all these matters, and my administration will continue to update the public as we are able to obtain more information.

Ganim served several terms as mayor before being convicted in a wide-ranging bribery scheme. He spent seven years in a federal prison after being convicted of 16 felonies, including bribery, extortion, racketeering, and conspiracy, stemming from kickback schemes when he was mayor.

History of absentee ballot fraud

Both Republicans and Democrats note that Bridgeport has a long history of election controversies.

The cases date back at least to 1988 with some involving campaign volunteers, paid campaign workers, and candidates for city council and the school board.

On a statewide basis, Republican chairman Ben Proto cited the case of a former Stamford Democratic town chairman John Mallozzi, who was arrested and found guilty after a trial for absentee ballot fraud. A judge found him guilty last year on 14 counts of second-degree forgery and 14 counts of false statements for signing ballot applications for various elective offices when serving as town chairman in 2015.

The applications were made under the names of various voters who had no idea that their names were being used. Mallozzi was sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay fines of $35,000.

Proto agrees with other Republicans that the boxes have outlived their purpose in the post-COVID world.

In my town, the box is right next to the mail box, Proto said. Literally right next to it. Theres about six inches between them. Most town halls in Connecticut usually have a mail box somewhere on the property. If youre going to drive to town hall to put it in the drop box, why dont you just put it in the mail box?

One answer, Proto said, is to increase the penalties for anyone who violates the laws on elections.

Maybe if we put some of these people in jail, maybe other people might think twice about doing it, Proto said. If they know all theyre going to do is get a slap on the wrist and they still can keep their job, whats the deal?  Maybe the Democrats need to start calling out their own people as opposed to protecting them from the criminal acts that theyre undertaking in order to rig elections.

But Ritter said that most adults are already keenly aware that absentee ballot fraud comes with strong penalties.

Its the one thing you cant do. You cannot touch somebodys ballot, Ritter said. The application is different. But the ballot is sacrosanct. Unless thats your father or your mother or your spouse, you cant touch it. I think everybody knows that in politics. They certainly should because you will be dealt with harshly, and theres history to support that.

The task for the legislature, Ritter said, is to find the right solution.

Ive always said there is fraud in elections. There is, Ritter said. There are people who do things illegally. But its not on a scale that should allow the legislature to go in and just start taking away peoples options to make it easier to vote.

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com
A group of migrants from China surrendered to a Border Patrol agent in remote Southern California as gusts of wind drowned the hum of high-voltage power lines. They joined others from Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia and elsewhere in a desert campsite with shelters made from tree branches.

Their arrival this week was another sign that agents have become overwhelmed in recent days by asylum-seekers on parts of the U.S. border with Mexico. In tiny Eagle Pass, Texas, the arrival of 6,000 migrants prompted authorities to close one of the town's two official border crossings. Border crossings have closed recently for similar reasons in San Diego and El Paso, Texas.

After a dip in illegal crossings that followed new asylum restrictions in May, President Joe Biden's administration is again on its heels. Democratic mayors and governors are seeking more relief for hosting asylum-seekers, and Republicans are seizing on the issue ahead of 2024 elections.

The Homeland Security Department said Wednesday it would grant Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who were in the U.S. on July 31, easing paths to work authorization. That's in addition to 242,700 Venezuelans who already had qualified for temporary status.

The administration is also sending 800 active-duty military troops to the border, adding to 2,500 National Guard members there. It's expanding border holding facilities by 3,250 people to nearly 23,000 and extending home surveillance nationwide for families awaiting initial asylum screenings.

The administration renewed pressure  and blame  on Congress, which has long failed to agree on comprehensive changes to the nation's immigration system. The Biden administration is now asking Congress for $4 billion in emergency funding.

Homeland Security said in a statement that it was "using the limited tools it has available to secure the border and build a safe, orderly, and humane immigration system."

Theresa Cardinal Brown, the Bipartisan Policy Center's senior adviser for immigration and border policy, said it's normal to see a dip in illegal crossings after changes like those imposed in May, but that is usually short-lived once migrants see how things play out.

"People see what happened to the last group of people that tried and they're like, 'Oh, well maybe it's not as harsh as they say,'" Brown said.

An increase in families arriving at the border led to unacceptable conditions in two of the busiest Border Patrol sectors, a court-appointed monitor reported to a federal court last week. Dr. Paul H. Wise said children as young as 8 were separated from parents during processing in South Texas, a practice that has been mainly used for boys 13-17.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was reviewing Wise's report, noting limited, temporary separations may occur during processing for safety reasons but they are nothing like the long-term separations under former President Donald Trump. Wise said even short-term separation can have "lasting, harmful effects."

U.S. authorities closed a bridge and international railway in Eagle Pass on Wednesday to redirect staff. Union Pacific Railroad Co. said Thursday that thousands of rail cars cross the border there daily.

CBP told business leaders they have no estimate of when rail traffic would resume in Eagle Pass or when U.S.-bound commercial truck traffic would reopen at a bridge in El Paso. Traffic slowed at other border crossings.

"All along the border, we're experiencing large numbers of migrants, so you will see slowdowns and disruptions" at border crossings, said Dennis McKenzie, CBP deputy director for cargo and conveyance security. "It's all hands on deck."

In San Diego, a pedestrian crossing has been closed since Sept. 14 to direct staff to an area where migrants from Cameroon to Colombia are waiting between a double-layer border wall in San Diego. Volunteers are handing the migrants food and bottled water while they wait to be processed.

Near Jacumba Hot Springs, a town of less than 1,000 people with a small hotel and general store amid boulder-strewn mountains an hour's drive east of San Diego, migrant camps began forming last week for the first time since May.

Smugglers drive migrants to a spot in Mexico where the border wall ends. One of three camps in the Jacumba Valley is about a half-hour walk on a gravel road used almost exclusively by border agents. On Wednesday, none had stayed longer than one night, occupying tents that were left behind by others.

The Border Patrol gives migrants colored wristbands marking their arrival date to determine who gets shuttled first to a processing location. Campfires and juniper shrub shield migrants from evening chills. Some climbed atop boulders hoping to get a cellphone signal.

Angel Sisa, 40, left Ecuador's coastal region with his wife and two children, ages 15 and 13, selling his general store to escape death threats from criminals demanding monthly payments. The Sisa family paid smugglers to take them by plane and bus until they reached a hotel in Tecate, the nearest town in Mexico from the roadside drop where they crossed. They hope to settle in Minneapolis with family members who left Ecuador about a year ago.

Carlos Andres Vasquez, 37, flew from his home country of Colombia to Mexico City as a tourist and paid a smuggler $800 to be driven from Tijuana on a road filled with bumps and potholes before arriving near where they would cross into the U.S.

"They treated like cattle, like animals," Vasquez said. "They put 20, 18 of us in a van, women and children in front and we went in back."

He said he and other South Americans walked to the campsite Tuesday under a "very pleasant" Border Patrol agent's watch. Vasquez, whose father was killed and who left Colombia because of death threats, plans to settle with a friend in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and save money for his wife and children, ages 7 and 2, to join him.
If you listen to the African leaders addressing the United Nations General Assembly this year, the message is emphatic and unanimous: The continent is done being a victim of a post-World War II order. It is a global power and must be partnered with  not sidelined.

Most of Africa has logged a lifetime of independence  roughly 60 years  and the continent of more than 1.3 billion people is more conscious of the challenges stifling its development. There's also a new boldness that comes with the African Union's G20 seat.

"We as Africa have come to the world, not to ask for alms, charity or handouts, but to work with the rest of the global community and give every human being in this world a decent chance of security and prosperity," Kenyan President William Ruto said.

In recent years, Africa has been clear about its capacity to become a global power, from efforts to tackle climate change at home  such as the existential threat of climate change upending lives and livelihoods in the region, despite Africa contributing by far the least to global warming  to helping to foster peace elsewhere, like in Russia and Ukraine.

In his address, Ghana's President Nana Akufo-Addo blamed Africa's present-day challenges on "historical injustices" and called for reparations for the slave trade. President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa said the continent is poised to "regain its position as a site of human progress" despite dealing with a "legacy of exploitation and subjugation." Nigeria's leader, Bola Tinubu, urged his peers to see the region not as "a problem to be avoided" but as "true friends and partners."

"Africa is nothing less than the key to the world's future," said Tinubu, who leads a country that, by 2050, is forecast to become the third most populous in the world.

With the largest bloc of countries at the United Nations, it is understandable that African leaders increasingly demand a bigger voice in multilateral institutions, said Murithi Mutiga, program director for Africa at the Crisis Group. "Those calls will grow especially at a time when the continent is being courted by big powers amid growing geopolitical competition."

A paradox, yet unstoppable

On the U.N.'s sidelines, the African Development Bank mobilized some political and business leaders at an event tagged "Unstoppable Africa," a phrase seen as reflective of the continent's aspirations just days after the first-ever Africa Climate Summit called richer countries to keep their climate promises  and invest.

But with a young population set to double by 2050, Africa is the only rapidly growing region where its people are getting poorer and where some are celebrating the rampant takeover of their democratically elected governments by militaries.

"Africa is a paradox," said Rashid Abdi, Horn of Africa/Gulf chief analyst at the Nairobi-based Sahan Research think tank. "It is not just a continent of dwindling hope, there are parts of Africa where we are seeing innovation, progressive thinking and very smart solutions."

Abdi said the world is becoming more interested in Africa and how it contributes to current global challenges.

"There is definitely potential for Africa to be more assertive and to drive progressive and fairer change in the global system," he said.

For Ghana's Akufo-Addo, correcting an "unfair" world order must begin with the payment of reparations from the era during which an approximated 12.5 million people were enslaved, according to the often-referenced Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database.

"It is time to acknowledge openly that much of Europe and the United States have been built from the vast wealth harvested from the sweat, tears, blood and horrors of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and the centuries of colonial exploitation," Akufo-Addo said.

A seat at the table

The continent relies heavily on foreign aid for its development needs, receiving the largest share of total global aid, according to the Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Still, it continues to suffer from a global financial system that forces its countries to pay eight times more than the wealthiest European nations, resulting in surging debt that eats up what is left of dwindling government revenues.

In 2022, Africa's total public debt reached $1.8 trillion, 40 times more than the 2022 budget of the continent's largest country Nigeria, according to the U.N.'s agency for trade and development.

"Africa has no need for partnerships based on official development aid that is politically oriented and tantamount to organized charity," President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of the Congo said. "Trickling subsidies filtered by the selfish interests of donors will certainly not allow for a real and effective rise of our continent."

Tshisekedi's country has the world's largest reserves of cobalt and is also one of the largest producers of copper, both critical for clean energy transition.

What Africa needs instead, according to Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi, is a more inclusive global financial system. In such a system, Nyusi said, Africans can participate as "a partner that has (a) lot to offer to the world and not only a warehouse that supplies cheap commodities to countries or international multinational corporations."

Challenges lie ahead

Africa's capacity is not only in its population but also its rich natural resources. However, speaking with a collective voice is stymied by national-focused, rather than regional, policies, said Ibrahim Mayaki, the African Union's special envoy for food systems.

"The main obstacle to Africa's development is its fragmentation in 50-plus countries," said Mayaki at a New York event organized by the Africa Center think tank.

In the richly endowed continent, at least half of its 54 countries are among the 30 least developed in the world, according to the latest U.N. Human Development Index.
At least 34 people died in Benin near Nigeria's border on Saturday when a contraband fuel depot exploded into flames, sending up a black cloud of smoke into the sky and leaving dozens of charred bodies at the site, a government official and residents said.

The blaze erupted at a warehouse for smuggled fuel in the southern Benin town of Seme Podji, where cars, motorbikes and tricycle taxis came to stock up on fuel, according to local residents.

Nigeria is a major oil producer and fuel smuggling is common inside the country and along its borders, with illegal refineries, fuel dumps and pipelines sometimes causing fires.

"I am still in shock. We heard people screaming for help. But the intensity of the flames was too much for people to try to approach," said Innocent Sidokpohou, a local carpenter.

"I got gas for my motorbike to go do my shopping. I left and barely 5 meters away I heard an explosion. When I turned around it was all black smoke."

Benin's Interior Minister Alassane Seidou told reporters a serious fire had occurred in the town but did not give details about exactly how it had happened.

"Unfortunately, we have 34 deaths including two babies. Their bodies are charred because the cause of the fire is smuggled fuel," the official said.

The minister said another 20 people were being treated in hospital, including some in serious condition.

"I live not far from the tragedy," said Semevo Nounagnon, a local bike driver.

"I can't really give you the cause of the fire, but there is a large gasoline warehouse here and cars, tricycles and motorcycles come from morning to evening."

For decades, Nigeria's low-cost subsidized gasoline was transported illegally by road to neighboring countries, primarily Benin, where it is resold on the black market by informal sellers.

When he come to office in May, Nigeria's President Bola Ahmed Tinubu abandoned the long-standing subsidy meant to keep petrol prices artificially low for Nigerians.

The subsidy cost the government billions of dollars a year and Tinubu made it his first of a series of reforms aimed at revamping Nigeria's economy and attracting more investment.

That decision caused a tripling in petrol prices in Nigeria, but also impacted the price of black market fuel smuggled over the border into Benin and other countries.

Nigeria's subsidy decision illustrated Benin's deep economic dependence on its giant neighbor, with 215 million inhabitants, the continent's largest economy and status as one of Africas top oil producers.
Ethiopia said Saturday it had begun a second round of talks with Egypt and Sudan over a controversial mega-dam built by Addis Ababa on the Nile, long a source of tensions among the three nations.

Ethiopia this month announced the completion of the fourth and final filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, prompting immediate condemnation from Cairo, which denounced the move as illegal.

Egypt and Sudan fear the massive $4.2 billion dam will severely reduce the share of Nile water they receive and had repeatedly asked Addis Ababa to stop filling it until an agreement was reached.

For years at loggerheads over the issue, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed agreed in July to finalize a deal within four months, resuming talks in August.

Ethiopia's foreign ministry wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the three countries had opened a second round of negotiations in Addis Ababa.

"Ethiopia is committed to reaching a negotiated and amicable solution through the ongoing trilateral process," it said.

Fears over water access

Protracted negotiations over the dam since 2011 have thus far failed to bring about an agreement between Ethiopia and its downstream neighbors.

Egypt has long viewed the dam as an existential threat, as it relies on the Nile for 97% of its water needs.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, in an address to the U.N. General Assembly, said that Cairo wanted a "binding agreement" on the filling and operation of the dam.

"We remain in anticipation of our goodwill being reciprocated with a commitment from Ethiopia to arrive at an agreement that will safeguard the interests of Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia," Shoukry said.

"It would be a mistake to assume we can accept a fait accompli when it comes to the very lives of more than 100 million Egyptian citizens."

The dam is central to Ethiopia's development plans, and in February 2022 Addis Ababa announced that it had begun generating electricity for the first time.

At full capacity, the huge hydroelectric dam  1.8 kilometers long and 145 meters high  could generate more than 5,000 megawatts.

That would double Ethiopia's production of electricity, to which only half the country's population of 120 million currently has access.

The position of Sudan, which is currently mired in a civil war, has fluctuated in recent years.

The United Nations says Egypt could "run out of water by 2025" and parts of Sudan, where the Darfur conflict was essentially a war over access to water, are increasingly vulnerable to drought due to climate change.


Editors Note: This is the last story in a three-part series that explores the history of the federal Indian school on the Western side of the Navajo Nation in Arizona -- and a man who taught there and in other Indian schools for more than two decades.



The 1901 Course of Study for the Indian Schools reflects the federal mission to turn Native Americans into farmers and housekeepers: Children were to spend half the day in classrooms, learning basic reading, writing and arithmetic, and spend the remainder of the day working in kitchens, fields, blacksmith shops or print shops.



There was little time for leisure: One evening in the week should be a social hour, when the pupils may spend the evening in conversation, grand marches, etc., under the direction of the teachers, the guide states.



On remaining evenings, teachers from various departments lectured students on farming, shoemaking and cooking so that each child shall grasp a practical thought that may be applied in the work to be done.

In the summer, schools were encouraged to send children on outings in non-Native homes and farms in the summer, where they would gain practical experience for their future occupations.



Some Tuba City boys were sent to work as seasonal labor in Colorado beet fields. Others remained behind to tend to the school farm.



Overworked and overtired, it is little wonder they were vulnerable to infection and disease.

Frothing at the mouth



Students and staff were hit hard during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. Brigham Young University anthropologist Albert B. Reagan visited Tuba City and pitched in to care for stricken students. The Kansas Academy of Science later published his harrowing account:



Twenty-three of my boys were frothing at the mouth, and some were delirious  sanitary conditions had gotten very bad, as many of the children were wholly helpless he wrote. Two of the girls died, both at night, and on account of the Navajos fear of death and the dead, we had to carry them out of the dormitory  with lights darkened so the other pupils would not see what we were doing.



My great-grandfather was detailed to the Hopi day school at Moenkopi and was overwhelmed with caring for sick students and their families. Reagan noted that he was heroically aided by Mr. Curn [sic] in every way possible. They purchased sheep from a local herder and made a 75-liter (20-gallon) pot of soup which they distributed by car to the families.



Of the 300 who were sick, only 16 died, Reagan wrote.

In 1922, the American Red Cross (ARC) sent nurse Florence Patterson to visit several Southwestern reservations to determine whether there was a need for public health nurses.



In November 1928, Patterson told a Senate subcommittee on Indian Affairs that children at the Tuba City school were served bread, coffee and syrup for breakfast and bread and boiled potatoes at midday dinner and supper. Though the school had a dairy, only a small amount of milk was made available and was given only to the big boys. Children as young as 5 were given only coffee or tea.

The children were not given any of the fruit or vegetables they grew, Patterson said. These were sold to help keep the school funded.



During the same hearings, Stella Atwood, a California advocate for Native rights, testified that 11 out of 44 little boys sent to work in Colorados beet fields came back with typhoid; two died on the road back to school; the fate of the others isnt known.

Over the next 20 years, Keirn bounced from the Tuba City boarding school, teaching Navajo, Hopi and Paiute children, to the nearby Hopi day school at Moenkopi. Records alternately describe him as teacher, principal or headman.



A family photo dated July 20, 1915, shows my great-grandfather, his wife and two older children descending the Grand Canyon by mule.

John divorced Clara in 1918, but they would be together at the newly established Theodore Roosevelt Indian School on the White Mountain Apache Reservation, where Clara contracted and died of diphtheria.



John left the Indian service in the mid-1930s and moved to California, hoping to stay with his son and daughter-in-law, who was my grandmother. Years later, she told me that the aging Keirn was demanding and ill-tempered, and they asked him to leave.



In 1941, at the age of 81, he died from complications of surgery.



Reconciling the past



I am still processing everything I have learned and hope that the ongoing Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, which launched in June 2021, will tell me more.



It is stunning to me that newspapers and genealogical and government archives were able to tell me the life story of my ancestor  a white man  but nothing about the hundreds of children he taught or the emotional, physical and spiritual hardships they may have endured.

I scan his face in the photograph above but I cant find any clues to his personality and cannot trust the glowing description of him in the clipping above as "loved by Indians and whites alike."

The little girls' expressions speak for themselves.



Most teachers didnt last long in service, but John Keirn stayed in Arizona for more than two decades. I would like to believe that he was one of those idealistic reformers that historian Williams writes about, but instinct tells me otherwise.



Today, Americans are locked in debate over what  if any  responsibility they hold for the racist policies of the past and whether that history should be taught to future generations.



As a reporter covering Native American issues, I have had several conversations with boarding school survivors and heard heartbreaking stories about the physical, sexual and psychological abuses they endured. Discovering that a family member was complicit in a scheme to undermine Native cultures has further strengthened my resolve to learn more about how historic policies impact tribe members and their communities today.

Today, the Tuba City Boarding School is a modern facility operating under the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education. Its stated mission is to educate Navajo and Hopi children from kindergarten through eighth grade in a safe and culturally competent environment.



We are running a lot of good programs here, and parents are excited about what's going on, principal Don Coffland told me by phone. So, we're really proud of what we do here.



To learn more about the school, watch this student-produced video.
A populist far-right politician is the front-runner in a mayoral race Sunday in the German city of Nordhausen, best known as the location of the Nazi concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora.

Joerg Prophet of the Alternative for Germany party, won 42.1% of the vote in the first round of the election earlier this month. His opponent, independent incumbent candidate Kai Buchmann, had just 23.7%.

The prospect of a far-right mayor holding a revisionist version of Germanys Holocaust past has not gone unnoticed by Holocaust survivors and people who work in Germany to combat discrimination.

Jens-Christian Wagner, director of the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation, told AFP that an AfD mayor would not be welcome at commemorative events.

Agence France-Presse reports that Prophet posted in a blog in 2020 that the Allied forces liberated Mittelbau-Dora because they were interested only in the sites rocket and missile technology.

Everything I hear, Wagner said, suggests that Prophet will be elected not despite such historical revisionist positions, but precisely because of such positions.

The AfD partys popularity has been growing, especially as thousands of migrants have sought asylum in Germany recently. Migration is AfDs signature issue.

AfDs growing popularity has presented a dilemma for other political parties that must decide whether or how to cooperate with the controversial party.

Information for this report came from The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse.
Thousands of migrants have made their way illegally into Greece from Turkey, using rickety rafts to cross the Aegean, the narrow waterway between the two countries.

United Nations data in September shows sea arrivals have already more than doubled the roughly 12,000 migrants who were caught trying to illegally enter Greece last year. Illegal entries along the land border and the massive Evros River that snakes along the rugged frontiers of the two countries in the northeast also count record increases of more than 65 percent in the last two months alone, police said.

"Much of this has to do with favorable weather conditions, and the receding levels of the Evros River that makes crossings easier," said Dimitris Petrovic, Deputy Regional Governor of Evros, Greece.

Many of the migrants are spotted and rounded up by soldiers and border police, but police officials such as Alexandros Sfeliniotis said human traffickers have become increasingly ruthless.

"They have even begun recruiting minors, paying them tiny sums of money to lead caravans of migrants through illegal crossings," he said. "They know that minors can get off the hook easier than adult smugglers."

Illegal migration has always been a thorn in relations between Greece and Turkey. In the past, the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis went as far as accusing Turkey and its leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan of instrumentalizing migration  pushing migrants to Europe in a bid to win more concessions and aid from the European Union.

But as tensions between the two NATO members have eased in recent months, a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the recent U.N. General Assembly showed strong willingness by the long-standing rivals to work together to stem illegal migration.

"We have to join forces and work together if we are going to crack down on smugglers," said Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

For Greece, this has meant an increased deployment of forces along the Evros River, as well as beefed up patrols across the Aegean Sea. Greek and Turkish coast guards that once refused to cooperate are now in contact again, and migration ministers on both sides are talking.

The endgame, senior government officials tell VOA, is to revise a key deal that the EU stitched together with Turkey in 2016, allowing for the return of the tens of thousands of illegal migrants to Turkey in exchange for more financial aid and visa-free entry of its Turkish travelers to Europe.

With relations between Greece and Turkey frequently see-sawing, the outcome remains uncertain.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday, France is imminently to withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by the French military contingent in the next months, in the wake of the coup in the west African country that ousted the pro-Paris president.

Macron's announcement appeared to end two months of French defiance over the coup, which had seen Paris keep its ambassador in place in Niamey despite him being ordered by the coup leaders to go.

"France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France," Macron told French television in an interview, without giving details over how this would be organized.

Niger's military rulers have banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website. It was not clear if this would affect the ambassador being flown out.

Macron added that military cooperation was "over," and French troops would withdraw in "the months and weeks to come" with a full pullout "by the end of the year."

"In the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully," he added.

France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger as part of an anti-jihadis deployment in the Sahel region. Macron said the post-coup authorities "no longer wanted to fight against terrorism.

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 recognize the military regime as legitimate.

Earlier this month, Macron said the ambassador and his staff were "literally being held hostage" in the mission eating military rations with no food deliveries taking place.

Macron in the interview reaffirmed France's position that Bazoum was being held "hostage" and remained the "sole legitimate authority" in the country.

"He was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice," he argued.

The coup against Bazoum was the third such putsch in the region in as many years, following similar actions in Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 that also forced the pullouts of French troops.

But the Niger coup is particularly bruising for Macron after he sought to make a special ally of Niamey, and a hub for France's presence in the region following the Mali coup. The U.S. also has over 1,000 troops in the country.

Macron regularly speaks by phone to Bazoum who remains under house arrest in the presidential residence.

The French president has repeatedly spoken of making a historic change to France's post-colonial imprint in Africa, but analysts say Paris is losing influence across the continent especially in the face of a growing Chinese, Turkish and Russian presence.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened military action to restore Bazoum but so far, its threats, which were strongly supported by France, have not transferred into action.

"We are not here to be hostages of the putschists," said Macron. "The putschists are the allies of disorder," he added.

Macron said that jihadi attacks were causing "dozens of deaths every day in Mali" after its coup and that now such assaults had resumed in Niger.

"I am very worried about this region," he said.

"France, sometimes alone, has taken all its responsibilities and I am proud of our military. But we are not responsible for the political life of these countries, and we draw all the consequences."
Dorothy Ohlsen is crowned the 49th Silver Queen by Nicole Sanok, vice president of business development for Sangre de Cristo Community Care during a ceremony Sept. 14, 2023 at Pueblo Country Club.

Bonaventure of Pueblo resident Dorothy Ohlsen, 98, was crowned the 49th Silver Queen during aprivate ceremony Sept. 14 at the Pueblo Country Club.

A total of 27 contestants competed. Charlotte Garnett, 78, of Chateau at Sharmar was crowned first runner-up, while Sally Castillo, 68, of the Trinidad Inn was crowned Ms. Congeniality.

From surviving the Dust Bowl to pulling people out of the rubble from a Category 5 tornado in Norman, Oklahoma, this years nominees recalled significant historical events, and provided stories about their lives that both inspired and endeared them to the judges, according to event organizers. The annual pageant has highlighted the areas older adults in good-natured judging of a video interview and display of character and community contribution.

The contest is open to hopefuls ages 60 and older, with contestants nominated by staff and administrators of local skilled-nursing and assisted living facilities. A panel of judges narrowed down the 27 candidates to eight finalists. The competitors interviews are streamed on Sangre de Cristo Community Cares Facebook page.

Pueblo West Chamber board, annual award nominations sought

Oct. 2 is the deadline to apply for Pueblo West Chamber of Commerce Board of Director positions as well as the chamber's annual award nominations.

To apply for the board, email a resume and a letter of interest to director@pwchamber.com. The resume should include other volunteer and board experience.

To nominate a candidate for the annual awards, go to pwchamber.com by Oct. 2. Nomination categories include member of the year, business of the year and community member of the year.

Questions can be directed to new Executive Director Samantha Hardcastle at 719-647-9086.

Colorado State University's Pueblo Works program receives grant

The Colorado State University Pueblo Foundation-CSU Pueblo Works program recently received a grant from Pinnacol Assurance, a workers' compensation insurer.

Story continues

The goal of the Pueblo Works program is to reduce workforce shortages by awarding stipends for Black, Indigenous, people of color or low-income nursing students. The program was one of 29 nonprofit organizations selected to receive $405,750 in grants.

"Pinnacol is integral to the health and longevity of Colorados workforce  one way we demonstrate that is through our commitment to the community. We are dedicated to promoting inclusiveness, resilience and access to community services that support Colorados employers, nonprofits and workforce," said John ODonnell, chief executive officer and president at Pinnacol Assurance.

Pueblo Association of Realtors hosts annual awards and installation banquet

The Pueblo Association of Realtors hosted its annual awards and installation banquet Saturday evening to celebrate excellence in the real estate industry.

The prestigious Arthur C. Leach Outstanding Salesperson of the Year award was given to Donna Austin of RE/Max of Pueblo.

Other award recipients included:

Rookie of the Year  Eli Byler of RE/Max Associates

Volunteer of the Year  Melanie Magee of Re/Max Associates and Jeff Divelbiss of Re/Max of Pueblo.

Lifetime Achievement awards  Clyde Laut, Robert OCallaghan, Diane Hartman, Phil Beeman, Scott Moore, Ralph Garcia, Bob Schilling, Karen Carlsson, and Garth Scott

Closer of the Year  Roxi Dase of Unified Title

Lender of the Year  Angela Ahlers, Advantage Home Mortgage

The evening also included the installation of new officers for the upcoming year. Kris Magby of Muldoon and Associates assumed the role of chair, and Dave Mauro of Sun Mesa Realty became the chair-elect.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo's Silver Queen crowned; Pueblo West chamber seeks nominations
The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected.

Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable.

The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the U.S. space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9 a.m. local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah.

Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface.

Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

"This sample return is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth.

But the capsule's return will require "a dangerous maneuver," she acknowledged.

Osiris-Rex is set to release the capsule  from an altitude of more than 108,000 kilometers  about four hours before it lands.

The fiery passage through the atmosphere will come in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtles downward at a speed of more than 43,453 kph, with temperatures of up to 2,760 Celsius.

Its rapid descent, monitored by army sensors, will be slowed by two successive parachutes. Should they fail to deploy correctly, a "hard landing" would follow.

If it appears that the target zone 60 by 15 kilometers might be missed, NASA controllers could decide at the last moment not to release the capsule.

The probe would then keep its cargo and make another orbit of the sun. Scientists would have to wait until 2025 before trying a new landing.

If it succeeds, however, Osiris-Rex would head toward a date with another asteroid.

Once the tire-sized capsule touches down in Utah, a team in protective masks and gloves will place it in a net to be airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby.

NASA wants this done as quickly and carefully as possible to avoid any contamination of the sample with desert sands, skewing test results.

On Monday, assuming all goes well, the sample will be flown by plane to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There, the box will be opened in another "clean room," the beginning of a days-long process.

NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference on Oct. 11.

Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth of it will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to Japan and Canada, partners in the mission.

Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from the asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 5.6 grams of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid.

But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said.

Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating to some 4.5 billion years ago, and have remained relatively intact.

They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris.

"It's our own origin story," she said.

By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said.

Scientists believe Bennu, which is 500 meters in diameter, is rich in carbon  a building block of life on Earth  and contains water molecules locked in minerals.

Bennu had surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during the few seconds of contact with the asteroid's surface, had sunk into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, sort of like a children's pool filled with plastic balls.

Understanding its composition could come in handy in the distant future.

There is a slight, but non-zero, chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182.

But NASA last year succeeded in deviating the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercise, but with much higher stakes.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin says Somali forces have made impressive progress in the fight against al-Shabab but cautioned that the terror group still can export terror from ungoverned spaces.

I think they (Somali forces) made more progress in the last year than was made in the previous five years, Austin told reporters in Djibouti.

Austin met with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in Djibouti Sunday as part of his first visit to the African continent as defense secretary. Earlier, Austin met with the Djiboutian president and defense minister, thanking them for hosting the United States primary base in Africa and for supporting Somalia in its fight against extremist groups.

Somalias army and allied clan militias have continued to drive al-Shabab fighters out of central Somalia as part of the countrys military offensive since the president declared total war against the militants in August 2022.

But terrorists continue to strike at Somali forces, with a truck bombing near a security checkpoint in the central Somali town of Beledweyne killing 21 people and wounding 52 others Saturday. Security forces had been tipped off about the truck and were inspecting it when it detonated, Beledweyne District Omar Osman Alasow told VOA.

The meeting between Austin and Mohamud comes two days after a small arms fire attack on a military barracks in Kulbiyow, Somalia, left one U.S. contractor and a partner force member injured, a senior defense official told VOA.

A pro-al-Shabab outlet claimed the attack injured four U.S. forces and nine members of Kenyas forces. The senior defense official told VOA that was "overblown, adding that no U.S. service member was injured, and the contractor's injuries did not require medivac.

Recent violence has led Somali officials to seek a 90-day delay in the scheduled drawdown of African Union peacekeepers to account for what the Somali government calls several significant setbacks.

He (President Mohamud) wants to do everything that he can to maintain momentum, Austin said in response to VOA, without commenting further on the Somali request to the African Union.

Three thousand African Union forces are expected to withdraw from Somalia by the end of this month, with all African Union forces set to withdraw by the end of next year.

Pulling support for Somalia too early, or not devoting enough resources to countering Islamic extremists in Africa, could allow terror groups to overrun the country much like the Taliban did while the U.S. was withdrawing its military forces there, says Bill Roggio, a former soldier and editor of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Long War Journal, which publishes reporting and analysis of global counterterrorism efforts.

We're operating on the margins against these jihadist groups, barely keeping them contained, Roggio told VOA. 

Wagner Group in Africa

Meanwhile, U.S. defense officials say the U.S. has not seen a withdrawal of a substantial number of Wagner Group forces following the death of its leader last month.

Wagner still has a substantial presence on the continent, Austin told reporters Sunday in Djibouti.

More than one month since Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhins death, the U.S. has not yet seen a decisive shift in Wagners relationship with the Kremlin or signs that Moscow has absorbed the groups operations across Africa, a senior defense official said.

I think what you'll see in the future here is probably some competition within the ranks to (see) who's going to be the next leader, Austin told reporters Sunday. I think you'll also see potentially the Russian government moving to either replace Wagner with some other kind of element or using Russian forces to support efforts on the continent.

Wagner forces will likely be able to sustain its presence in Africa in the near term, Austin added, but will struggle to do so in the mid- to long term without support from the Russian government.

One senior official told reporters that some governments have expressed regrets to U.S. officials after allowing Wagner to operate in their countries.

U.S. officials also said there have been signs of Wagner forces trying to exploit the political situation in Niger since military forces seized control and removed the president from power in July, without elaborating.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will pull its ambassador out of the country and end its military presence in Niger by the end of the year. The military junta had repeatedly requested for the French ambassador to leave, saying France did not recognize the junta as the legitimate leaders of Niger.

The announcement is a significant hit to Frances policy in Africa. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region to fight jihadi groups in response to requests from state leaders, but French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years following coups there.

U.S. force posture in Niger has remained steady at about 1,000 forces since the junta took power in July, but the U.S. has moved some of its forces within Niger from a base in Niamey to a base in Agadez, about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the capital.

Austin said the U.S. has not resumed counterterror operations with Nigers military forces but has conducted intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions to protect its forces from potential threats.

VOAs Harun Maruf and Mohamed Olad Hassan contributed to this report.
The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manila's coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources "strongly condemn" China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier "prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities," he said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately rep

ly to requests for comment.China claims 90% of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.

Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under then-President Rodrigo Duterte. But tension has mounted again since his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., took office last year.

Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 meters long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.

Three Chinese coast guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said.

Filipino fishermen say China typically installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area, Tarriela said.
One policeman was killed and another wounded in north Kosovo early Sunday, according to authorities, during an armed attack on a patrol as it approached a blocked road near the border with Serbia.

"As soon as they arrived in the vicinity of the place where the blockade was reported, the police units were attacked from several different positions with an arsenal of firearms, including hand grenades and shoulder-fired missiles," police said in a statement.

Kosovo's prime minister, Albin Kurti, was quick to condemn the attack, calling the ambush an act of terrorism.

"The attackers are professionals with masks and armed with heavy weapons. We condemn this criminal and terrorist attack," Kurti wrote on social media.

"Organized crime with political, financial and logistical support from officials in Belgrade is attacking our country," he added.

Tensions have been smoldering for months following the Pristina government's decision to install ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities in May.

The action has triggered one of the worst bouts of unrest in the north in years, with demonstrations, the arrest of three Kosovar police officers by Serbia and a riot by Serb protesters that saw more than 30 NATO peacekeepers injured.

Kosovo remains overwhelmingly populated by ethnic Albanians, but in the northern stretches of the territory near the border with Serbia, ethnic Serbs remain the majority in several municipalities.

The tussle in the north is just the latest in a long list of incidents to rock the area since Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 -- nearly a decade after NATO forces helped push Serbian troops from the former province during a bloody war that killed around 13,000 people.

Belgrade -- along with its key allies China and Russia -- has refused to recognize Kosovo's independence, effectively preventing it from having a seat in the United Nations.
Dozens of Serb gunmen dressed in combat uniforms killed a Kosovar Albanian police officer then stormed an Orthodox monastery in Kosovo near its border with Serbia, setting off gun battles that left three assailants dead and further raised tensions between the two former wartime foes as they seek to normalize ties.

Kosovo police surrounded Banjska, a village located 55 kilometers north of Kosovo's capital where the monastery is located, and the gunfire was continuing, according to Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Kosovo's interior minister stated later Sunday that the area was under control but did not say if the gunmen had left.

The Kosovo Diocese of the Serbian Orthodox Church said a temple of the monastery in Banjska was locked down after the gunmen stormed it. A group of pilgrims from Serbia was inside the temple along with an abbot.

Kurti said the attack was supported by Serbia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic spoke later Sunday in Belgrade to say the gunmen were local Kosovo Serbs "who no longer want to stand Kurti's terror."

Vucic condemned the killing of the Kosovo policeman, saying it "cannot be justified," but still said the clash was the result of "brutal" pressure on Kosovo Serbs by the Kosovo government. He denied that Belgrade had anything to do with the attack.

Asked how come the Serb gunmen were photographed wearing combat uniforms, Vucic said anyone can purchase such uniforms in ordinary shops and that the ones seen did not belong to the Serbian military or police force.

"The only culprit for what happened in Kosovo  is Albin Kurti," said Vucic, also blasting the West and its "hypocrisy" when it comes to Kosovo.

"You can kill us all. Serbia will never recognize the independence of Kosovo, that monster creation that you made by bombing Serbia," Vucic said.

Serbia and its former province, Kosovo, have been at odds for decades. Their 1998-99 war left more than 10,000 people dead, mostly Kosovo Albanians. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognize the move.

Earlier this month, an EU-facilitated meeting in Brussels between Kurti and Vucic to normalize ties ended in acrimony. The United States has supported the negotiations and the EU's position in trying to resolve the ongoing source of tension in the Balkans.

On Sunday, the Kosovo diocese said gunmen in an armored vehicle stormed the monastery, breaking down the locked gate and shooting guns. "Armed, masked men move around the courtyard and occasional gunshots are heard," it said.

Earlier Sunday, Prime Minister Kurti said, "Masked professionals armed with heavy weapons" launched the attack, opening fire on a police patrol at about 3 a.m. (01:00 GMT) in Banjska near the monastery.

Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said they had arrested six gunmen, two of whom were injured, and found "an "extraordinarily large amount of weaponry and ammunition, explosives."

Three of the assailants were killed. One police officer has been killed and two others injured, the last during the armed confrontation, apparently near the monastery at the village, authorities said.

At a news conference, Kurti described the armed assailants as "an organized professional unit who have come to fight in Kosovo," calling on them to hand themselves over to Kosovar authorities.

Police said the situation remained tense while "gunfire attacks against police units continue with the same intensity from the moving criminal groupings."

Kosovo police said the attack began when three police units were dispatched to a bridge at the entrance to the village that had been blocked by trucks. The police officers came under fire from weapons that included hand grenades and bombs and one was killed. The armed men then stormed the monastery.

Kurti called it a "sad day" for Kosovo, identifying the dead police officer as Afrim Bunjaku.

Local roads and two border crossings into Serbia were closed. Most of Kosovo's ethnic Serb minority lives in four municipalities around Mitrovica, in the north.

"It was a real little war: first some gunfire, then silence, shootings, detonations," Serbian news agency Kossev quoted an unidentified resident as saying.

Kurti wrote on his Facebook page that "Organized crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state."

The speaker of Serbia's parliament, Vladimir Orlic, responded that Kurti "was quick to blame the Serbs" but actually was the one who wanted an "escalation."

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, condemned "the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo police officers" and said, "All facts about the attack need to be established. The responsible perpetrators must face justice."

He added that the EU's rule of law mission, or EULEX, had representatives on the ground and in close contact with authorities and the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

Borrell talked by phone with Kurti and Vucic, reiterating "his call for the assailants to surrender immediately and the release of the pilgrims at Banjska Monastery, for them to leave safely."

International police officers from the EU mission and a limited number of Kosovo police have been responsible for enforcing the rule of law in northern Kosovo. Serbia has vehemently protested the presence of the Kosovo police.

In February, the EU put forward a 10-point plan to end the latest round of heightened tensions between Serbia and Kosovo. Kurti and Vucic gave their approval at the time, but with some reservations that have still not been resolved.

The EU warned both countries that the commitments the leaders made in February "are binding on them and play a role in the European path of the parties"  in other words, Serbia and Kosovo's chances of joining the 27-nation bloc.
As Republican-led states have rushed to ban gender-affirming for minors, some families with transgender children found a bit of solace: At least they lived in states that would allow those already receiving puberty blockers or hormone therapy to continue.

But in some places, including Missouri and North Dakota, the care has abruptly been halted because medical providers are wary of harsh liability provisions in those same laws  one of multiple reasons that advocates say care has become harder to access even where it remains legal.

"It was a completely crushing blow," said Becky Hormuth, whose 16-year-old son was receiving treatment from the Washington University Gender Center at St. Louis Children's Hospital until it stopped the care for minors this month. Hormuth cried. Her son cried, too.

"There was some anger there, not towards the doctors, not toward Wash U. Our anger is towards the politicians," she said. "They don't see our children. They say the health care is harmful. They don't know how much it helps my child."

Since last year, conservative lawmakers and governors have prioritized restricting access to transgender care under the name of protecting children. At least 22 states have now enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. Most of the bans face legal challenges and enforcement on some of them has been put on hold by courts.

All the laws ban gender-affirming surgery for minors, although it is rare, with fewer than 3,700 performed in the U.S. on patients ages 12 to 18 from 2016 through 2019, according to a study published last month. It's not clear how many of those patients were 18 when they received the surgeries.

There's more variation, though, in how states handle puberty-blockers and hormone treatments under the new bans. Georgia's law does not ban those for minors. The others do. But some states, including North Carolina and Utah, allow young people taking them already to continue. Others require the treatments to be phased out over time.

These treatments are accepted by major medical groups as evidence-based care that transgender people should be able to access.

James Thurow said the treatment at the Washington University center changed everything for his stepson, a 17-year-old junior at a suburban St. Louis high school who is earning As and Bs instead of his past Cs, has a girlfriend and a close group of friends.

"His depression, his anxiety had pretty much dissipated because he was receiving the gender-affirming care," Thurow said. "He's doing the best he's ever done at school. His teachers were blown away at how quickly his grades shot up."

For its part, the center said in a statement that it was "disheartened" to have to stop the care. Its decision followed a similar one from University of Missouri Health Care, where the treatment for minors stopped Aug. 28, the same day the law took effect.

Both blamed a section of the law that increased the liability for providers. Under it, patients can sue for injury from the treatment until they turn 36, or even longer if the harm continues past then. The law gives the health care provider the burden of proving that the harm was not the result of hormones or puberty-blocking drugs. And the minimum damages awarded in such cases would be $500,000.

Neither state Sen. Mike Moon, the Republican who was the prime sponsor of the Missouri ban, state Sen. Justin Brown nor state Rep. Dale Wright, whose committees advanced the measure, responded immediately to questions left Thursday by voicemail, email or phone message about the law's intent.

In North Dakota, the law allows treatment to continue for minors who were receiving care before the law took effect in April. But it does not allow a doctor to switch the patient to a different gender dysphoria-related medication. And it allows patients to sue over injuries from treatment until they turn 48.

Providers there have simply stopped gender-affirming care, said Brittany Stewart, a lawyer at Gender Justice, which is suing over the ban in the state. "To protect themselves from criminal liability, they've just decided to not even risk it because that vague law doesn't give them enough detail to understand exactly what they can and cannot do," Stewart said.

Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, the executive director of the Campaign for Southern Equality, said it's not just liability clauses that have caused providers to stop treatment.

Across the South, where most states have adopted bans on gender-affirming care for minors, she said she's heard of psychologists who wrongly believe the ban applies to them and pharmacists who stop filling orders for hormones for minors, even in places where the laws are on hold because of court orders.

"It's hard to overstate the level of kind of chaos and stress and confusion it's causing on the ground," she said, "particularly ... for people who live in more rural communities or places where even before a law went into effect, it still took quite a bit of effort to get this care."

Her organization is providing grants and navigation services to help children get treatment in states where it's legal and available. That system is similar to networks that are helping women in states where abortion is not banned get care.

But there's one key difference: gender-affirming care is ongoing.

For 12-year-old Tate Dolney in Fargo, North Dakota, continuing care means traveling to neighboring Minnesota for medical appointments. "It's not right and it's not fair," his mother, Devon Dolney, said at a news conference this month, "that our own state government is making us feel like we have to choose between the health and well-being of our child and our home."

Hormuth's son is on the waiting list for a clinic in Chicago, at least a five-hour drive away, but is looking at other options, too. Hormuth, a teacher, has asked also her principal to write a recommendation in case the family decides to move to another state.

"Should we have to leave?" she asked. "No one should have to have a plan to move out of state just because their kid needs to get the health care they need."

In the meantime, the family did what many have: saving leftover testosterone from vials. They have enough doses stockpiled to last a year.
A small drone flits over opened earth, and an explosion appears on the video feed.

The drone has just dropped a grenade into a trench in Ukraine. The images were being projected on a giant screen in the Netherlands, in front of NATO military officers and defense company executives.

These drones being used against Ukrainian forces are "small, fast" and finding a way to defend against them is "complex," says Willem Koedam, a former Dutch air force officer turned expert for NATO's C-UAS unit, which looks at anti-drone defenses.

The solution may be complex, but it's not impossible.

Representatives from 57 companies visited a military base in the Dutch town of Vredepeel to present their systems to the NATO brass.

The systems they offer are designed to counter threats ranging from off-the-shelf drones available to the public to the Iranian Shahed drones used by Russia's forces.

Using nets

"The best way to kill a Shahed is a jet"  meaning a jet-propelled drone  said Ludwig Fruhauf, head of DDTS, a German firm specializing in anti-drone defenses.

A jet-powered drone flying at 500 kph would be able to intercept a propellor-driven Shahed-136 travelling at 180 kph, he explained. And jet devices are cheaper than the rocket-type defenses usually employed.

But threats persist from much smaller drones, which can be deadly or destructive for critical infrastructure such as power stations, said Matt Roper of the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency, the alliance's tech and cyber hub.

In some cases, the best method is not to blow a drone out of the sky, which could cause collateral damage, but to catch or redirect it.

Argus Interception, another German company, has developed a sort of "fishing net" to be used against enemy devices.

The target first has to be detected by radar, camera or by monitoring frequencies used to guide it.

Once located, an interceptor drone is launched that fires the net over the hostile drone, allowing it to be captured. It is especially useful in protecting airports, Argus Interception boss Christian Schoening said.

For Romanian Air Force Captain Ionut-Vlad Cozmuta, however, that method may not be best against drones deployed by the Russian military close to Romanian airspace. Debris from some of them has been found in Romanian territory in recent weeks.

Romania, a NATO member, is keen to find ways to protect itself against possible drone attacks, and Cozmuta was carefully following the drone-defense exercises at the Vredepeel base.

He said signal "jamming" would be a solution, sending the device off-course rather than capturing it.

Big benefits

More aggressive than jamming is technology to seize control of an enemy drone and guide it to a new target or another destination.

But for that, NATO needs to establish a common standard allowing different anti-drone defense systems to speak to each other. That looks to now be in place with the adoption of a British system called Sapient.

Its use will bring "big benefits" to the alliance, a senior NATO officer in the NCI Agency, General Hans Folmer, told reporters.

No Ukrainian officer was present for the anti-drone exercises.

But NATO has "ongoing discussions" with the besieged country on these issues, said Claudio Palestini, a NATO science expert.

And the Ukrainians themselves "innovate on the ground all the time," he said.
Among the hundreds of trains crisscrossing Ukraines elaborate railway network every day, the Kyiv-Kramatorsk train stands apart, shrouded in solemn silence as passengers anticipate their destination.

Every day, around seven in the morning, passengers of this route leave the relative safety of the capital and head east to front-line areas where battles between Ukrainian forces and Russian troops rage and Russian strikes are frequent with imprecise missiles that slam into residential areas.

The passengers are a mix of men and women that offer up a slice of Ukrainian society these days. They include soldiers returning to the front after a brief leave, women making the trip to reunite for a few days with husbands and boyfriends serving on the battlefields, and residents returning to check on homes in the Donetsk region.

They are all lost in thought and rarely converse with each other.

Nineteen-year-old Marta Banakh anxiously awaits the trains next brief stop at one of its nine intermediate stations on the way to Kramatorsk. She disembarks at the station for a quick cigarette break, shifting her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. Her family doesnt know she has made this journey from western Ukraine, crossing the entire country to meet her boyfriend, who has been serving in the infantry since the onset of Russias full-fledged invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He rarely gets a break, and Banakh has decided to surprise him with a visit.

I worry that every day could be his last, and we may never see each other again, she said wearing her hair down, crowned with a pearl-studded headband.

Its the only high-speed daily train that drives to Kramatorsk. The city is about 30 kilometers (less than 20 miles) from the front line, which makes it susceptible to Russian strikes. And just a few kilometers away from the city, battles near the Russian-held city of Bakhmut rage for the second year.

The war has become an integral part of the lives of millions of Ukrainians, and the countrys vast railway system has remained operational despite the war. Night trains that rattle across the country still welcome customers with hot tea and clean sheets in the sleeping compartments. The trains also carry cargo, aid and gear.

The popularity of the Kyiv-Kramatorsk route highlights the reality of war.

Around 126,000 passengers used this route during the summer months this year, according to national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsia. It holds the fourth position for passenger volume among all intercity high-speed trains and maintains one of the highest occupancy rates  94%  among all Ukrainian trains.

The connection was suspended for six months early in the war. The halt in April last year followed a Russian missile strike on the Kramatorsk railway station while passengers were waiting for evacuation. The strike killed 53 people and wounded 135 others in one of the deadliest Russian attacks.

Alla Makieieva, 49, used to regularly travel on this route even before the war. Returning from a business trip to the capital and back to Dobropillia, a town not far from Kramatorsk, she reflects on the changes between then and now.

People have changed, now they seem more somber, she says. Weve already learned to live with these missiles. Weve become friends, she joked. In Kyiv, the atmosphere is completely different; people smile more often.

Kyiv is regularly attacked by Russian missiles and drones. But unlike Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, the capital has powerful air defense protection, which gives residents an illusion of safety.

As the morning light gradually gives way to the midday sun, it fills the spacious train carriages in warm radiance. The train shelves are mostly filled with military backpacks and small bags. Occasionally, a waiter breaks the silence in the aisle, offering coffee, tea, and snacks. Along the way, one can order dishes like bolognese pasta or a cappuccino.

The high-speed train ride from Kyiv to Kramatorsk costs approximately $14. In nearly seven hours, passengers cover a distance of around 700 kilometers (400 miles).

Twenty-six-year-old Oleksandr Kyrylenko sits in the trains lobby with a coffee in hand, gazing thoughtfully out of the window as the landscapes change rapidly.

Its his first time heading to the front line, and he admits he didnt expect to travel to the epicenter of the grinding war with such comfort.

He had been working as a warehouse manager in Poland when Russia invaded Ukraine. I helped as much as I could, he said. Then I decided I needed to go myself.

There is no fear. I simply want it to end sooner, he says of the war, dressed in military attire.

His parents were not thrilled about this idea, but this summer the young man returned to Ukraine and immediately went to the military enlistment office.

It even feels lighter on my conscience, he said, adding that this decision came naturally to him. Human resources are running out. Something needs to be done about it.

The train arrives at its destination on time, and the platform quickly fills with people.

Some, wearing military-colored backpacks slung over their shoulders, stride forward swiftly, while others linger on the platform in long-awaited embraces.

Twenty-year-old Sofiia Sidorchuk embraces her boyfriend, who has been serving since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. The 20-year-old soldier refrains from disclosing his name for security reasons.

He holds Sidorchuk tightly, as if trying to make up for all the lost time during their longest separation in seven years of the relationship. We missed each other,

Sidorchuk explains her decision to come from the northwestern Rivne region to Kramatorsk.

Its love, added her partner, wearing military fatigues.

His commander granted him a few days alone with his beloved to recharge. In five days, he will embark on a new assault mission.
Even after escalating its strike against Detroit automakers on Friday, the United Auto Workers union still has plenty of leverage in its effort to force the companies to agree to significant increases in pay and benefits.

Only about 12% of the union's membership is so far taking part in the walkout. The UAW could, if it chose to, vastly expand the number of workers who could strike assembly plants and parts facilities of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the owner of the Jeep and Ram brands.

Yet the UAW's emerging strategy also carries risks for the union. By expanding its strike from three large auto assembly plants to all 38 parts distribution centers of GM and Ford, the UAW risks angering people who might be unable to have their vehicles repaired at service centers that lack parts.

The union's thinking appears to be that, by striking both vehicle production and parts facilities, it will force automakers to negotiate a relatively quick end to the strike, now in its second week. To do so, though, some analysts say the union might have to act even more aggressively.

"We believe the next step for UAW is the more nuclear option  going for a much more widespread strike on the core plants in and around Detroit," said Daniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities. "That would be a torpedo."

Sam Abuelsamid, an analyst at the consulting firm Guidehouse Insights, suggested that with so many workers and factories still running, the union has a number of options with which to squeeze the companies harder.

"They could add more assembly plants to the list," Abuelsamid said. "They could target more of the plants that are building the most profitable vehicles."

As examples, he mentioned a plant in Flint, Michigan, where GM builds heavy-duty pickups, and a Stellantis factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan, that produces Ram trucks.

All three companies said that talks with the union continued on Saturday, though officials said they expected no major announcements.

Workers in Canada vote

In Canada on Saturday, Ford workers began voting on a tentative agreement that their union said would increase base pay by 15% over three years and provide cost-of-living increases and $10,000 ratification bonuses. The tentative deal was forged earlier this week, hours before a strike deadline.

The union, Unifor, said the deal, which covers 5,600 workers, also includes better retirement benefits. If the deal is ratified in voting that will end Sunday morning, the union will use it as a pattern for new contracts at GM and Stellantis plants in Canada.

UAW tries to increase pressure

In the United States, the UAW began its walkout more than a week ago by striking three assembly plants  one each at GM, Ford and Stellantis. In expanding the strike on Friday, the UAW struck only the parts-distribution centers of GM and Stellantis. Ford was spared from the latest walkouts because of progress that company has made in negotiations with the union, said UAW President Shawn Fain.

Striking the parts centers is designed to turn up pressure on the companies by hurting dealers who service vehicles made by GM and Stellantis, the successor to Fiat Chrysler. Service shops are a profit center for dealers, so the strategy could prove effective. Millions of motorists depend on those shops to maintain and repair their cars and trucks.

"It severely hits the dealerships, and it hurts the customers who purchased those very expensive vehicles in good faith," said Art Wheaton, a labor expert at Cornell University. "You just told all your customers, 'Hey we can't fix those $50,000 to $70,000 cars we just sold you because we can't get you the parts.'"

Union keeps companies guessing

The union has declined to discuss its strike strategy publicly. Fain has said repeatedly that a critical part of its plan is to keep the companies guessing about the UAW's next move. Indeed, the union has shown unusual discipline in sticking to its talking points.

On a picket line Friday, Fain was asked whether striking against the spare-parts centers would hurt  and potentially alienate  consumers.

"What has hurt the consumers in the long run is the fact the companies have raised prices on vehicles 35% in the last four years," he shot back. "It's not because of our wages. Our wages went up 6%, the CEO pay went up 40%."

Selling parts and performing service is highly profitable for car dealers. AutoNation reported a gross profit margin of 46% from service shops at its dealerships last year. The problem for the companies is that dealerships and other repair shops typically have lean inventories and depend on receiving parts quickly from the manufacturers' warehouses.

Mike Stanton, president of the National Automobile Dealers Association, said his members want to avoid anything that would impair customer service, "so we certainly hope automakers and the UAW can reach an agreement quickly and amicably."

To make up for the loss of striking workers, the automakers are weighing their options, including staffing the parts warehouses with salaried workers.

"We have contingency plans for various scenarios and are prepared to do what is best for our business and customers," said David Barnas, a GM spokesman. "We are evaluating if and when to enact those plans."

Similarly, Jodi Tinson, a Stellantis spokeswoman, said, "We have a contingency plan in place to ensure we are fulfilling our commitments to our dealers and our customers." She declined to provide additional details.

In negotiating with the companies, the union is pointing to the carmakers' huge recent profits and high CEO pay as it seeks wage increases of about 36% over four years. The companies have offered a bit more than half that amount.

The companies have said they cannot afford to meet the union's demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. They have dismissed out of hand some of the demands, including 40 hours' pay for a 32-hour work week.
The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in London Security (LON:LSC). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

Check out our latest analysis for London Security

London Security's Earnings Per Share Are Growing

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Over the last three years, London Security has grown EPS by 15% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.

One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. While we note London Security achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 21% to UK209m. That's encouraging news for the company!

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check London Security's balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.

Story continues

Are London Security Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a good habit to check into a company's remuneration policies to ensure that the CEO and management team aren't putting their own interests before that of the shareholder with excessive salary packages. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to London Security, with market caps between UK163m and UK654m, is around UK823k.

The London Security CEO received UK473k in compensation for the year ending December 2022. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.

Should You Add London Security To Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of London Security is that it is growing profits. On top of that, our faith in the board of directors is strengthened by the fact of the reasonable CEO pay. All things considered, London Security is definitely worth taking a deeper dive into. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for London Security that we have uncovered.

Although London Security certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
United Nations investigators say that human rights violations and abuse in Syria are sowing the seeds for further violence and radicalization, despite diplomatic efforts to stabilize the situation in the country, including through its re-admission to the League of Arab States.

The three-member Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria presented this bleak outlook Friday to the U.N. Human Rights Council.

Reacting to the commission assessment, a majority of the 42 countries in the meeting expressed deep concern about continuing alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes by the Syrian regime.

Nearly 12 years in, the parties to this conflict continue to perpetrate war crimes and to violate basic human rights, Paulo Pinheiro, commission chair told the council.

Today, Syrian youth are fleeing the country in droves, leaving behind a fragmented state, a crippled economy and destroyed homes, he said. They no long feel they have a future in their own country.

The U.N. estimates that more than 300,000 civilians have been killed since 2011 and over 12 million forced from their homes6.8 million within Syria and 5.4 million as refugees in neighboring countries.

During the first half of this year, with the war continuing, Syrians continued to be killed, disappeared, tortured, arbitrarily detained, displaced and dispossessed, said Pinheiro, not only by the state but also by the three other main actors controlling a third of its territory.

This is reference to the U.N.-designated terrorist group Hayat Tahriri Al-Sham, the opposition Syrian National Army, and the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria.

Additionally, the report documents attacks by Syrian forces and five foreign armies still operating in the country, including Russian air forces, Israeli forces, and Turkish-backed militias.

Pinheiro said escalating unrest and fighting along multiple front lines, a near collapse of the economy, and persistent human rights violations and abuses make it unsafe for Syrian refugees to return to their country.

The commission said some refugees who have returned to Syria have been detained and ill-treated by Syrian security forces or criminal gangs. It says some have been blackmailed for their release, others have been handed over to security services, and in some cases, people, including children, went missing.

In its report, the investigators criticized the countries reluctance to repatriate their nationals being detained in the Al Hawl and Al Rawj camps by the U.S.-backed Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces.

Their living conditions amount to cruel and inhuman treatment and outrages on personal dignity for an estimated 50,000 people, mainly women and children, Pinheiro said.

He said 14 countries have repatriated more than 2,200 foreigners from these camps since the beginning of this year, including more than 1,800 Iraqis.

Such efforts are absolutely critical, he said. We have long stated that the only human rights compliant solution for foreign nationals in the northeast is repatriations.

Syrias ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Haydar Ali Ahmad, rejected the commissions report as biased and replete with contradictory and false information which was shameful from a professional perspective.

He described the commission as a mere tool of incitement against the Syrian Government and called for the withdrawal of the occupying American and Turkish forces as the only way to improve the situation.

He said this would allow the return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and the lifting of all illegally imposed unilateral coercive measures on the country.
Sofia Oliveira was 12 years old when catastrophic wildfires in central Portugal killed more than 100 people in 2017. She "felt it was now or never to raise our voices" as her country appeared to be in the grip of deadly human-caused climate change.

Now a university student, Sofia and five other Portuguese young adults and children between 11 and 24 years of age are due on Wednesday at the European Court of Human Rights, where they are accusing 32 European governments of violating their human rights for what they say is a failure to adequately address climate change. It's the first climate change case filed with the court and could compel action to significantly slash emissions and build cleaner infrastructure.

Victory for them in Strasbourg would be a powerful instance of young people taking a legal route to force their governments to adopt a radical recalibration of their climate measures.

The court's rulings are legally binding on member countries, and failure to comply makes authorities liable for hefty fines decided by the court.

The courts are increasingly seen by activists as a way of sidestepping politics and holding governments to account. Last month, in a case brought by young environmental activists, a judge in the U.S. state of Montana ruled that state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development.

When the Portuguese group decided in 2017 they would pursue legal action, Sofia wore braces on her teeth, stood taller than her younger brother Andre and was starting seventh grade at school. The braces are long gone and Andre, who is now 15, is taller than her by a few centimeters.

The past six years, Andre noted in an interview with The Associated Press, represent almost half of his life.

What has kept them going through the piles of legal documents gathered by the nonprofit group supporting them and through lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic is what they call the pressing evidence all around them that the climate crisis is getting worse.

The Praia do Norte beach at Costa da Caparica near where Sofia and Andre live, just south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, was about 1 kilometer long when his father was his age, Andre says. Now, amid coastal erosion, it measures less than 300 meters. Evidence like that led him to attend climate demonstrations even before he became a teen.

The other four members of the Portuguese group  Catarina, Claudia, Martim and Mariana  are siblings and cousins who live in the region of Leiria in central Portugal where summer wildfires are common.

Scientists say the climate of the Sahara is jumping across the Mediterranean Sea to southern European countries like Portugal, where average temperatures are climbing and rainfall is declining. Portugal's hottest year on record was 1997, followed by 2017. The four driest years on record in the country of 10.3 million people have all occurred since 2003.

It's a similar story across Europe, and the legal arguments of the six Portuguese are backed by science. The Earth sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The world is far off its pledge to curb global warming, scientists say, by cutting emissions in line with the requirements of the 2015 Paris climate accord. Estimates say global average temperatures could rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius since pre-industrial times by 2100 at current trajectories of warming and emissions reductions plans.

Among the specific impacts listed by the young Portuguese are being unable to sleep, concentrate, play outside or exercise during heat waves. One of their schools was closed temporarily when the air became unbreathable due to wildfire smoke. Some of the children have health conditions such as asthma that makes them more vulnerable to heat and air pollution.

They are being assisted by the Global Legal Action Network, an international nonprofit organization that challenges human rights violations. A crowdfunding campaign has drawn support from around the world, with messages of support coming from as far away as Japan, India and Brazil.

Gerry Liston, a GLAN legal officer, says the 32 governments have "trivialized" the case. "The governments have resisted every aspect of our case  all our arguments," he said.

Andre describes the governments as "condescending." Sofia adds: "They don't see climate as a priority."

Portugal's government, for example, agrees the state of the environment and human rights are connected but insists the government's "actions seek to meet its international obligations in this area" and cannot be faulted.

At the same time, some governments in Europe are backsliding on commitments already made.

Poland last month filed legal challenges aimed at annulling three of the European Union's main climate change policies. Last week, the British government announced it is delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that had been due to take effect in 2030. The Swedish government's state budget proposal last week, meanwhile, cut taxes on gas and diesel and reduced funding for climate and environmental measures.

Amid those developments, the courts are seen by activists as a recourse.

The London School of Economics says that globally, the cumulative number of climate change-related cases has more than doubled since 2015 to more than 2,000. Around one-fourth were launched between 2020 and 2022, it says.

The Portuguese activists, who are not seeking any financial compensation, will likely have to wait some more. The verdict in their case could take up to 18 months, though they see the court's decision in 2020 to fast-track the proceedings as an encouraging sign.

A precedent is also giving the activists heart. The Urgenda Foundation, a Dutch organization that promotes sustainability and innovation, brought against the Dutch Government the first case in the world in which citizens argued that their government has a legal obligation to prevent dangerous climate change.

In 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court found in Urgenda's favor, ruling that the emissions reduction target set by the government was unlawfully low. It ordered authorities to further reduce emissions.

The government consequently decided to shut down coal-fired power plants by 2030 and adopted billion-euro packages to reduce energy use and develop renewable energy, among other measures.

Dennis van Berkel, Urgenda's legal counsel, accused governments of choosing climate change targets that are "politically convenient" instead of listening to climate scientists. Judges can compel them to justify that what they are doing on climate issues is enough, he said.

"Currently there is no such scrutiny at any level," he told the AP. "That is something incredibly important that the courts can contribute."
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ST. PAUL, MINN. (September 2018)  Minnesotans  including families of firefighters who died in the line of duty, firefighters from around the state, community leaders and the public  gathered at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial Sept. 30 to remember those who paid the ultimate price and honor the families that survive them.

The 2018 Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service is a solemn ceremony that will took place on the grounds of the State Capitol on Sunday. This years memorial service honored two firefighters who died within the past year, and seven families and fire departments of firefighters who died between 1934 and 1989. Governor Mark Dayton, Assistant Commissioner Robert Hawkins and National Fire Academy Superintendent Tonya Hoover attended.

Since 1881, 227 Minnesota firefighters have died in the line of duty. Their names have been inscribed on columns throughout the nationally recognized memorial, located on the south side of the Capitol grounds.

The memorial service is held each year on the last Sunday in September, which has been designated as the states official day to honor Minnesotas fallen firefighters. This years memorial service honored firefighter Timothy Royce and Fire Captain Jeffrey Vollmer, who died in line of duty in 2017  2018, two fallen firefighters families the Minnesota Fire Service Foundation was able to track down since last years memorial service, as well as four Minnesota fire departments who lost firefighters in the 1950s, 1960s and 1980s. The foundation coordinates the effort to recognize the states firefighters who died in the line of duty and provides support and resources to fire departments, firefighters and their families throughout Minnesota.

Fallen firefighters recognized at the 2018 service include:

Timothy Royce (Mapleton): On March 30, 2018, Royce suffered a heart attack after answering to a traffic crash and then a medical call the previous evening.

Fire Captain Jeffrey Vollmer (Mayer): On Dec. 19, 2017, Capt. Vollmer suffered a heart attack after a training exercise.

Harlow J. Tischer (Minneapolis): On Jan. 23, 1947, Tischer was killed along with three other firefighters during a fire rescue after the Hull-Dobbs Auto Sales garage floor collapsed into the basement.

Albert Roos (Mankato): On March 11, 1934, after helping three other firefighters to the roof of a building during a fire, Roos was adjusting their hose line when he suffered a fatal heart attack.

Flag boxes will be also presented to the Rochester Fire, Winona Fire, Lyle Fire and Ostrander Fire Departments, recognizing their line-of-duty deaths and families:

Stanley OBrien (Rochester): On Dec. 24, 1953, OBrien and a fellow firefighter died while trying to rescue a young child that fell through the ice on Silver Lake in Rochester.

Alvin Pagel (Winona): On Oct. 16, 1963, Pagel suffered a fatal heart attack while on duty at the station.

Daniel Wroblewski (Winona): On Sept. 30, 1989, Wroblewski suffered a heart attack after leaving the scene of fire.

Chief Charles L. Drenth (Lyle): On Dec 23, 1983, Drenth and his son were putting out a fire in their own chimney, while waiting for the fire truck to arrive. Shortly after the fire was extinguished, he collapsed from an apparent heart attack.

John Schwenn (Ostrander): On April 24, 1986, Schwenn suffered a fatal heart attack after leaving the scene of a fire.

An inter-denominational prayer service took place prior to the memorial service on Sunday. At 11:30 a.m., fire service personnel from the Minnesota Fire Service Foundations founding organizations read the Honor Roll  all 227 names of fallen firefighters.

Starting at 12:45 p.m., families entered the Capitol grounds through a sea of uniforms, and be escorted to their seats. The service began at 1 p.m., and concluded at approximately 3:20 p.m., when family members and the public were welcome to spend time within the Fallen Firefighter Memorial and make etchings of their loved-ones name. During the service, families of fallen firefighters who havent yet been honored in a public ceremony received a Minnesota State flag that has been flown over the State Capitol.

Firefighters from across the state attended in order to show support for their fallen colleagues and the families they left behind.

ABOUT THE MINNESOTA FALLEN FIREFIGHTER MEMORIAL

In 2011, the Minnesota Fire Service Foundation launched an initiative to move the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial from the baggage claim area at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport and create a larger, more accessible and interactive memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol. The new memorial gives families, friends, co-workers and community members a permanent location to pay tribute to these men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.

The Fire Service successfully raised $720,000 to fund the memorial through donations from the public, Minnesota businesses and, primarily, from the states firefighting community. Financial contributions to fund educational scholarships for children of active, retired or deceased firefighters, and for spouses of deceased firefighters and support for firefighters and their families in times of need can be sent to: Minnesota Fire Service Foundation c/o Beacon Bank, 7890 Mitchell Road, Eden Prairie, MN 55344. Online contributions can be made at www.MNFireServiceFoundation.org. All contributions are tax deductible.
Key Insights

Using the 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity, Haleon fair value estimate is UK3.56

With UK3.35 share price, Haleon appears to be trading close to its estimated fair value

The UK3.53 analyst price target for HLNis comparable to our estimate of fair value.

How far off is Haleon plc (LON:HLN) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by taking the expected future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will take advantage of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model for this purpose. It may sound complicated, but actually it is quite simple!

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

See our latest analysis for Haleon

Is Haleon 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 begin with, we have to get estimates of 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 need to discount the sum of these future cash flows to arrive at a present value estimate:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) UK1.61b UK1.90b UK2.15b UK2.29b UK2.39b UK2.47b UK2.54b UK2.60b UK2.66b UK2.71b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x6 Analyst x6 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 4.43% Est @ 3.51% Est @ 2.87% Est @ 2.43% Est @ 2.11% Est @ 1.89% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 8.3% UK1.5k UK1.6k UK1.7k UK1.7k UK1.6k UK1.5k UK1.5k UK1.4k UK1.3k UK1.2k

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK15b

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 8.3%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK2.7b (1 + 1.4%)  (8.3% 1.4%) = UK40b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK40b ( 1 + 8.3%)10= UK18b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK33b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of UK3.3, the company appears about fair value at a 5.9% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

Important Assumptions

Now 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 Haleon 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 8.3%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.169. 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 Haleon

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings and cashflows.

Weakness

Earnings declined over the past year.

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Personal Products market.

Opportunity

Annual earnings are forecast to grow for the next 3 years.

Current share price is below our estimate of fair value.

Threat

Annual earnings are forecast to grow slower than the British market.

Moving On:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For example, changes in the company's cost of equity or the risk free rate can significantly impact the valuation. For Haleon, we've compiled three essential aspects you should assess:

Risks: We feel that you should assess the 2 warning signs for Haleon we've flagged before making an investment in the company. Future Earnings: How does HLN'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. The Simply Wall St app conducts a discounted cash flow valuation for every stock on the LSE every day. If you want to find the calculation for other stocks 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.
We werent able to do photo shoots often  in fact we did them only rarely  in the early months after launch, so these images had to have the same mood as a photo shoot. This proved to be quite hard, and we didnt receive very many photos like this. This resulted in us allowing the addition of a flat lay bikini  the placement of a bikini laid flat. We used to post twice a day, morning and night. Both were set times  the times of most Instagram activity, according to data. This was back in the good old days of the algorithm on Instagram being nothing more than purely chronological, so the more you posted, the more you were seen. We didnt want to flood our followers pages with post after post; we saw other brands doing this, but we thought it felt needy, a bit desperate, so we stuck with 8am and 8pm, every single day. We didnt want to go after the three big Ks: Kim, Kourtney and Khloe. We looked to Kendall and Kylie, who were still teenagers at this point. After several months we had a few girls who were repeatedly posting our bikinis. They were doing a great job, so we kept sending bikinis, knowing it would result in photos we could reuse. Unbeknown to us, this was the start of Triangls biggest movement on social media, our #trianglgirls. After securing a handful of Triangl Girls in Australia (and by securing, I mean sending them bikinis; we never had any kind of formal arrangement in place), we started to look overseas. The pool of suitable girls in Australia was small, and even smaller during our winter. The US, on the other hand, was just starting its summer, and being such a huge market we felt it couldnt hurt to dip our toe in the deep end.

We wanted to focus on America as we knew the bikini business was a big deal there, but we knew it wasnt going to be as easy as it was in Australia. Craig and I had a discussion about who was the most well-known person in the online world at the time. It was already all about the Kardashians, who also jumped onto Instagram in the early days and whose numbers were growing rapidly, alongside their reality show. The very first #triangl girl, Chloe. Triangl named its first bikini style Chloe in her honour. We didnt want to go after the three big Ks: Kim, Kourtney and Khloe. They were already too old for our main target reach, which was predominantly 15- to 25-year-olds, and would have certainly required payment. We looked to Kendall and Kylie, who were still teenagers at this point but building their personal brands nonetheless. We naturally gravitated towards Kendall; she was the more active of the two sisters and often photographed beside a pool or at the beach. Now, we knew we werent going to be able to get in touch via her Instagram, or even via email  it would have gone unanswered, or with a reply seeking a fee in exchange for posting. We had to think outside the square, and lure her in somehow. I was very good at playing Instagram detective by this point and often deep-dived on a suitable girls profile to find other girls in her group of friends. This also usually assisted in the word-of-mouth flow of energy, because if you gifted a bunch of friends separately, they no doubt spoke of it offline as well and it really helped spread the brand name.

Adopting this process, I went hunting for Kendalls friends. Going through her page, finding her friends, finding their accounts, trying to match up who was friends with who, and who was in the smaller best-mate circle. It wasnt too time-consuming; I did it often. I found about five or six girls who I was sure were her good friends at the time. Funnily enough, two of them were future celebrities in their own right. Hailey Baldwin (now Bieber) and Bella Hadid were relative unknowns back then, and only familiar to me as being friends with Kendall. Now we just had to sit and wait for Kendall to take the bait. It felt completely far-fetched but completely possible. In fact, wed previously gifted Hailey because her sweet girl-next-door vibe exactly matched our usual target girl. Bella was a lot sexier, and I remember wondering if shed even be interested in our slightly fuller-cut bikini bottoms! However, they were all very happy to be gifted Triangl, and our strike rate among Kendalls circle, in terms of them replying and also posting in Triangl, was 100 per cent. Now we just had to sit and wait for Kendall to take the bait. It felt completely far-fetched but completely possible, considering how much I knew about the power of girl talk; surely theyd all be together by a pool at some point, discussing how they all were sent these bikinis.

As much as Craig and I felt this could actually work, I will never forget the morning I woke up, checked my emails as I always did, and found an email from a Gmail account with the name kennykillerrrr or something similar (no, I didnt keep the email!). I just knew, without even reading it, that it was from Kendall Jenner and that our fanciful plan to woo her had worked. It said something along the lines of Hi! My friends were all sent these really cute bikinis. Id love to get some too! BOOM. Hook, line and sinker. This was no doubt one of the most pivotal moments for Triangl. Craig and I knew this was big. We had a huge opportunity. We sent her the entire collection (we had to make up for being slightly mean and leaving her out!), and, sure enough, she tweeted (her Twitter following was five million  at the time bigger than her Instagram following) and shared our Instagram handle: @triangl.
Border Collie Trip, a retired explosives detection dog, and his handler both put their lives on the line in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But while Sergeant S  a member of special forces who cannot be identified  can join the Returned and Services League and get all the benefits of his local RSL sub-branch at North Bondi, Trip is left in the dog house.

Trip a retired Explosives Detection Dog may soon be allowed to join the RSL. Credit: Brook Mitchell

That could soon change after RSL NSW submitted a board paper requesting a change in the RSL Australia Constitution by-laws to allow military working dogs to become honorary members.

As it stands, the by-laws only recognise a person as being eligible to be a member. The request for the change will be considered by the RSL Australia Board at its AGM next week.
I read. Pulled out old CDs. Wrote. And had endless, blissful moments of just sitting out the front in silence. It was my own personal health spa. Working less was truly transformative. I had fewer urges to drop my kids off at Kings Park and drive away. The idea of not wanting to rock up to work five days isnt some Marxist manifesto aimed at overthrowing the capitalistic system so we can all get an equal serving of cabbage soup while singing Woody Guthrie songs. And I was more focused and fulfilled at work. Im not the only one who has discovered the joys of disconnecting for that one simple day.

There are organisations around the globe experimenting with various four-day working week models, all with a close eye on the bottom line. In Australia, a Parliamentary Senate committee inquiry has recommended a national trial. Public servants in Canberra have been seen gleefully hurling themselves into Lake Burley Griffin. Recently, the Australian Services Union was the first union to get a four-day week in an enterprise bargaining agreement. There is even a movement called 4-Day Week Global which has a strong following in Australia. A few different models are being tested, the most popular being the 100:80:100 model. Workers churn out the same productivity over four days but get paid for a full working week. As long as employees keep producing the goods everyone is tickety-boo.

Some miserable experts claim this could lead to stress, burnout, disconnect, scheduling conflicts (OMG, no!) and workers going to the pub for a counter meal on a Thursday instead of a Friday. Loading There are even some outlandish suggestions by economists that humans would become more slovenly and less motivated after bingeing eight hours of Buffy the Vampire Slayer on their days off. If anything, I think this will help businesses identify which workers are tragically inept. The results from the trials have been obscenely positive.

Researchers from Boston College, Cambridge University and the University College surveyed 900 employees in the United States and Ireland who shifted to a four-day week. The research uncovered profound findings with 97 per cent of the employees indicating they wanted to continue working. A small chunk surveyed said no amount of coin could convince them to go back to five days. And heres the kicker: revenue rose approximately eight per cent over the trial and was up 37.55 per cent compared to the same period in 2021. Hiring rose, absenteeism was reduced, and resignations declined slightly. And worker satisfaction was higher.

But renowned economist and British historian Robert Skidelsky has been trying to tell us for more than a decade that we were working too hard and for too long. Most of us continue to ignore his advice with irreversible, dire consequences. In Skidelskys provocative book How Much is Enough he argues most humans in wealthy countries are not living their best lives because they spend most of their week doing some pretty uninspiring jobs. People are generally happier when spending time on what they want to do, rather than on what they have to do to earn an income, he wrote. It is ethically desirable to reduce the number of hours a person has to work.

While Id posit that any quest for happiness will ultimately leave us unsatisfied, youd have to be a moron to not want to become a better human by working less. Loading The idea of not wanting to rock up to work five days isnt some Marxist manifesto aimed at overthrowing the capitalistic system so we can all get an equal serving of cabbage soup while singing Woody Guthrie songs. It comes back to Skidelskys point about nourishing our well-being. What is wrong with choosing contentment over our insatiable thirst for extra coin? Our desire for more and more money is making us miserable. We dont need that fridge that informs us were running low on anti-ageing cream and kale.
Houston: The family of a black high school student in Texas who was suspended over his dreadlocks has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the states governor and attorney general, alleging they failed to enforce a new law outlawing discrimination based on hairstyles.

Darryl George, 17, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, has been serving an in-school suspension since August 31. Officials with the Houston-area school say his dreadlocks fall below his eyebrows and earlobes, and violate the districts dress code.

Darryl George, 17, served a five-day in-school suspension for not cutting his hair. Credit: AP

Georges mother, Darresha George, and the familys attorney deny the teenagers hairstyle violates the dress code, saying his hair is neatly tied in twisted dreadlocks on top of his head.

Darryl Georges supporters allege the ongoing suspension by the Barbers Hill Independent School District violates the states CROWN Act [an acronym for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair], which took effect September 1.
Key Insights

Vonovia's estimated fair value is 22.22 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity

Current share price of 23.94 suggests Vonovia is potentially trading close to its fair value

Analyst price target for VNA is 29.43, which is 32% above our fair value estimate

Does the September share price for Vonovia SE (ETR:VNA) reflect what it's really worth? Today, we will estimate the stock's intrinsic value by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Models like these may appear beyond the comprehension of a lay person, but they're fairly easy to follow.

We generally believe that a company's value is the present value of all of the cash it will generate in the future. However, a DCF is just one valuation metric among many, and it is not without flaws. For those who are keen learners of equity analysis, the Simply Wall St analysis model here may be something of interest to you.

Check out our latest analysis for Vonovia

The Model

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. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. 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, and so the sum of these future cash flows is then discounted to today's value:

Story continues

10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast

2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF (, Millions) 1.69b 1.75b 1.76b 1.81b 1.83b 1.86b 1.87b 1.89b 1.90b 1.91b Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Analyst x1 Est @ 1.58% Est @ 1.21% Est @ 0.95% Est @ 0.77% Est @ 0.64% Est @ 0.56% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 10% 1.5k 1.4k 1.3k 1.2k 1.1k 1.0k 940 859 783 714

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = 11b

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. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 0.4%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 10%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033  (1 + g)  (r  g) = 1.9b (1 + 0.4%)  (10% 0.4%) = 19b

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= 19b ( 1 + 10%)10= 7.2b

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is 18b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of 23.9, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

dcf

The Assumptions

The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. Part of investing is coming up with your own evaluation of a company's future performance, so try the calculation yourself and check your own assumptions. 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 Vonovia 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 10%, which is based on a levered beta of 2.000. 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 Vonovia

Strength

Debt is well covered by earnings.

Weakness

Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Real Estate market.

Expensive based on P/S ratio and estimated fair value.

Shareholders have been diluted in the past year.

Opportunity

Forecast to reduce losses next year.

Has sufficient cash runway for more than 3 years based on current free cash flows.

Threat

Debt is not well covered by operating cash flow.

Paying a dividend but company is unprofitable.

Revenue is forecast to decrease over the next 2 years.

Moving On:

Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it is only one of many factors that you need to assess for a company. DCF models are not the be-all and end-all of investment valuation. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. 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. For Vonovia, there are three fundamental items you should look at:

Risks: Take risks, for example - Vonovia has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about. Future Earnings: How does VNA'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 German 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.
L. PROVIDENCE TWP., Pa.  American Water, a publicly traded company, has agreed to acquire Audubon Water for stock.

The transaction values the Montgomery County system at about $8 million, American Water said in a statement.

Audubon Water is a private, investor-owned system that serves about 2,900 customers in Lower Providence Township, between American Water's Royersford and Norristown systems.

"Through this transaction, our customer base will benefit from the financial investment needed to deliver necessary infrastructure improvements to secure long-term access to safe drinking water," Martha Russell, president of Audubon Water, said in the statement.

Audubon Water was incorporated in 1954, according to its website. In 1988, Valley Forge Corporate Water Co. joined the system.

The water system has several wells and its five steel storage tanks can hold more than 1.5 million gallons of water. The water flows through 192,045 feet of water mains  about 36 miles worth.

The transaction promotes the consolidation of American Water's Montgomery County's systems, Justin Ladner, president of the Pennsylvania American Water division, said.

American Water's Pennsylvania Water division plans to connect the Audubon, Royersford and Norristown systems. American Water said it plans to invest more than $20 million in the system within five years.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the state Department of Environmental Protection must approve the transaction. American Water estimated that the deal will be complete in late 2024. The PUC would also have to approve any rate changes.

American Water is the largest U.S. regulated water and wastewater utility. It serves more than 14 million people and employs about 6,500 workers.

Shares in American Water are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The closing price Friday was $132.25. At that price, the company's market capitalization (share price times number of shares outstanding) is $25.7 billion.
CHESTNUTHILL TWP., Pa. - Pennsylvania State Police are investigating a reported corruption of minors incident in Monroe County.

Troopers were called to the 1100 block of Lakeside Road in Chestnut Hill Township on the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 17.

Police say the suspect said he was talking to a 15-year-old male on Grindr, a popular dating app for LGBTQ people.

Police determined the suspect requested that a 15-year-old meet him at his residence for an alleged sexual encounter.

This investigation is on going.
The Williams Companies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company primarily in the United States. It operates through Transmission & Gulf of Mexico, Northeast G&P, West, and Gas & NGL Marketing Services segments. The Transmission & Gulf of Mexico segment comprises Transco and Northwest natural gas pipelines; and natural gas gathering and processing, and crude oil production handling and transportation assets in the Gulf Coast region, as well as various petrochemical and feedstock pipelines. The Northeast G&P segment engages in the midstream gathering, processing, and fractionation activities in the Marcellus Shale region primarily in Pennsylvania and New York, and the Utica Shale region of eastern Ohio. The West segment comprises gas gathering, processing, and treating operations in the Rocky Mountain region of Colorado and Wyoming, the Barnett Shale region of north-central Texas, the Eagle Ford Shale region of South Texas, the Haynesville Shale region of northwest Louisiana, and the Mid-Continent region, which includes the Anadarko, Arkoma, and Permian basins; and operates natural gas liquid (NGL) fractionation and storage facilities in central Kansas near Conway. The Gas & NGL Marketing Services segment provides wholesale marketing, trading, storage, and transportation of natural gas for natural gas utilities, municipalities, power generators, and producers; risk and asset management; and NGL marketing services. The company owns and operates 33,000 miles of pipelines, 29 processing facilities, 7 fractionation facilities, and approximately 24 million barrels of NGL storage capacity. The Williams Companies, Inc. was founded in 1908 and is headquartered in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd. underwrites specialty insurance and reinsurance products in the property and casualty markets. The company operates in two segments, U.S. Operations and International Operations. It offers primary and excess specialty casualty, general liability, commercial multi-peril, and workers compensation, as well as product, environmental, and auto liability insurance products; management liability, transaction liability, and errors and omissions liability insurance; primary and excess property, inland marine, and auto physical damage insurance; and surety, animal mortality, and ocean marine insurance products. The company also provides directors and officers liability, errors and omissions liability, and employment practices liability insurance; international casualty and motor treaties insurance; professional indemnity and medical malpractice insurance; direct and facultative excess insurance, North American and international binders, and residential collateral protection for lending institutions; and personal accident, aviation, cargo, yachts, and onshore and offshore marine insurance products. It markets its products through wholesale and retail agents, managing general agents, brokers, and third-party intermediaries. The company was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda.
graduate management education

Sangeet Chowfla, former CEO of the Graduate Management Admissions Council, reflects on the business of business education

Its a competitive dogfight for talent. And I dont mean amongst corporations and recruiters. I mean amongst business schools themselves. Talented individuals make the most of what the school has to offer. They use it as a springboard to build meaningful careers and they create a virtuous cycle where their success creates an alumni halo that, in turn, attracts other talented individuals. Readers of this column will know that I liken joining a business school to joining a club. They want to join a club of high achievers, not one of also rans.

What then attracts students to a business school? This column draws upon a decade of watching this dynamic  personal observations while interacting with students, quantitative research about student buyer behavior, and analytical studies on the topic. Let me summarize:

At the end of the day, after all the shouting is done, students selection of a school is based upon three loosely interrelated factors  geography, alumni success, and jobs. There is no great revelation here, most people would tell you something similar. Whats surprising though is how little these factors are reflected in most schools segmentation, positioning, and targeting efforts. Lets look at them in more detail.

GEOGRAPHY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT DRIVER OF A SCHOOLS ATTRACTIVENESS

Geography trumps all. Major metropolitan areas reflect where people want to live, have a rich business ecosystem that results in internship and job opportunities, and often have large and diverse university systems that enhance the student experience. Small wonder that an analysis of the FTs listing of global MBA programs had 16 of the top 50 concentrated in just 5 metropolitan areas  New York City, the San Francisco Bay Area, London (incl. Oxford and Cambridge), Singapore and Shanghai. Add in Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles and the number goes to 21. When you consider that we are looking at all such programs globally, this concentration is remarkable, but not surprising. These schools attract the most talent whether measured by application volume or GMAT/GRE percentile scores.

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Throw in other major cities such as Paris, Milan, Madrid, Hong Kong and Washington and you add another half dozen to the list.

So, geography is a plus if you have it, or a limiting factor if you dont. How then do some schools outside these hot zones thrive? Through a combination of four factors:

One is to take advantage of other natural factors  Cornell/Johnson has merged with a world leading school of hospitality, JHU/Carey links with a leading healthcare system, Broad takes advantage of linkages with its automotive industry to offer programs in supply chain management, Georgetown is in the American capital with an emphasis on global affairs.

Secondly, schools are trying to position as part of a major metropolitan area even when they are not. Cornell (again) has a campus in New York City, Darden has one in DC, it seems everyone is doing one in Dubai or Singapore. By this I mean real campuses where students spend all or most of their time  not the two week MBA tourism jaunts to business hubs that many treat their students to.

Thirdly, many regional schools located outside major business hubs take advantage of student segmentation. There has always been a segment that GMAC calls Balanced Careerists  the quintessential part time student who desires the benefits of a business education but is geographically bound by personal constraints that can be appealed to. This has been the bread and butter of many regional schools  will they stay as more part time education becomes remote? The subject of a future column. In a related play, others are shifting focus to non-degree certificate programs that may be attractive to their local milieu.

And lastly, many schools have overcome geographical disadvantage through a relentless focus on showcasing alumni success and job placement. IESE and ESADE in Europe as well as Duke, Darden and Tuck know that geography will not naturally attract candidates. They compensate.

ALUMNI SUCCESS IS A CRITICAL SIGNAL TO STUDENTS

The Dean of a leading business school once told me that he had only two assets, real estate (by which he meant geography as his school was one of the fortunate ones in a major metropolitan area) and Alumni. Not everyone thinks like that, and many would put faculty, program diversity, their university system, ahead of Alumni in their mental stack. Here they do themselves a disservice. Alumni, when considered, are seen as a resource for development funding and for recruiting. In doing so, we ignore their true value  as a signaling mechanism. Alumni success is a signal to a potential student of their own potential success. Yet, a casual visit to most schools websites (the primary place where students gain information about a school and develop their shortlist) will see chapter and verse about their faculty and facilities with nary a mention about alumni success  well, maybe mentions about placement rates and starting salaries but not much more. Faculty that gets an award are mentioned, Alumni who do great things are not.

This also sets up an interesting conflict. Educational institutions are wired to think about their mission as broadening reach and expanding opportunities. The Alumni network works best as an exclusive club. The more there are, the lower the common denominator. Admission practices that are perceived to be less selective  a valid approach to broaden access  are also perceived as lowering the common denominator. Throw in increased tuition and we have a potential problem in our strategic construct.

IN THE END ITS ALL ABOUT JOBS

People in the academy hate to say this, but the truth is that business schools are a sophisticated form of vocational school. No one goes to business school because they love the subject  there are no passionate followers of literature here, nobody in it for their love of knowledge. Its the jobs.

Now, most schools do well on this front, Placement rates are generally high to the extent that jobs are now table stakes. You get punished if placement rates are low but get no credit if they are high because everyone else has that too.

The opportunity lies in shifting the conversation from jobs to careers. Its not about getting that first job after business but the longer-term trajectory of alumni careers. Dont talk to me about your job and salary bump as a one off. Show me how you, the school and the alumni network can come together to advance my long-term career. And demonstrate this through alumni stories.

Corporations have discovered that their best testimonials lie not in the patents that they own but in what consumers do with their products. A new function called customer success has been created that focusses on how customers get the maximum usage, and benefit, from their products. Perhaps the time has come for business schools to create a student success function.

This then is the strategic triangle  geography, alumni, and careers. It seems obvious but not many get it right or as crisp as well-run corporations do. The result, students defaulting to the most visible attributes, location. And rankings!

Author and former GMAC CEO Sangeet Chowfla

Sangeet Chowfla led the Graduate Management Admissions Council as president and CEO for nearly ten years from 2014 to 2022. A globally recognized and respected executive with deep experience in the technology, telecommunications, and venture capital sectors, he began his career in New Delhi with IBM/IDM. Chowfla went on to spend 18 years with Hewlett-Packard Co. in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the United States. He culminated his tenure with the company as vice president and general manager of the Inkjet Media Division from 1995-2001. He then moved to Timeline Ventures as a partner in the venture capital partnership. In 2007, Chowfla became the chief strategy officer and executive vice president of the Mobile Services and Global Market Units of Comviva Technologies, a leading Indian telecommunications software company. Chowfla joined GMAC during a period of disruption in the organization and industry. During the last three years of his tenure, he helped to stabilize the candidate pipeline, renewed GMAT exam growth, diversified GMACs footprint and ensured a strong financial foundation to enable future investment.

Ruminations Columns by Sangeet Chowfla

The Value Of Standardized Testing: Dont Throw The Baby Out With The Bath Water

Why Students Go To Business School & How They Make Their Choices

The Changing Face Of International Student Mobility

Why Diversity Is Essential To The Health Of The U.S. Domestic Student Pipeline

A Decade Of Graduate Management Education: I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change

The post What Makes A Business School Attractive To Students? appeared first on Poets&Quants.
Medtronic PLC is a world-leading medical technology company that develops and manufactures device-based medical therapies to improve patient outcomes. Founded in 1949 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Medtronic has grown to become one of the largest medical device companies in the world. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, with over 90,000 employees in more than 150 countries.



Medtronic's portfolio of medical technologies includes products for diagnosing, treating and managing cardiac rhythm disorders and cardiovascular disease, spinal and biologics, diabetes management and neuromodulation. The company's cardiac and vascular group is the oldest and largest business unit, which develops pacemakers, defibrillators and heart valves. Medtronic's spinal and biologics business is the second-largest business unit and produces a range of implants, instruments and services to treat spinal disorders. The diabetes group develops insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitoring systems and consumables. At the same time, the neuromodulation business focuses on therapies to treat chronic pain, movement disorders and other neurological conditions.



In 2015, Medtronic acquired Covidien PLC, an Irish-based medical technology company, and moved its legal headquarters to Ireland. This transaction was the most significant U.S. corporate tax inversion in history and allowed the company to take advantage of lower corporate taxes in Ireland. The company also achieved a 100% gender and ethnically diverse pay equity in the U.S. and 99% gender pay equity globally, as reported in its Global Inclusion, Diversity and Equity 2022 annual report. Medtronic joined the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) in 2023, becoming one of the 483 companies listed in the index.



Medtronic's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol MDT and is a member of the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA). The company has had several recent recalls, including the HeartWare Ventricular Assist Device in February 2021 and the controller ports in June 2021.



Medtronic has continued to focus on developing its medical technology portfolio and announced several acquisitions and partnerships in 2021. In January, the company announced its intention to acquire Affera, Inc., Stimgenics LLC and Medicrea. In May, Medtronic announced a strategic partnership with CathWorks, and in March 2022, a contract with Vizient. The company is also working with GE Healthcare to support the needs and care demands at Ambulatory Surgery Centers in April 2022. In October 2022, Medtronic announced its intention to pursue a separation of the company's combined patient monitoring and respiratory interventions businesses.



Medtronic PLC is a world-leading medical technology company that has grown to become one of the largest medical device companies in the world. With its portfolio of medical technologies and recent acquisitions and partnerships, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growth of the medical device industry. The company's commitment to gender and ethnic pay equity and inclusion and its strategic partnerships and acquisitions make Medtronic PLC an attractive option for investors looking for a long-term growth opportunity.
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All the trading advice youve ever received boils down to one goal and one goal only: finding a reliable edge in the markets. If you can do that, grab hold of it and never let go. Because once you have that edge, and you can count on it, you never need to do anything else.
IShares are index funds that are bought and sold like common stocks on national securities exchanges as well as certain foreign exchanges. iShares are attractive because of their relatively low cost, tax efficiency and trading flexibility. Investors can purchase and sell shares through any brokerage firm, financial advisor, or online broker, and hold the funds in any type of brokerage account.
Many investors perceive gold as a "boring" investment. But according to MoneyWeek, that's a good thing. Gold helps investors sleep soundly as it preserves wealth and creates a hedge against inflation. Today, there's a unique way to invest in gold, with real advantages over coins and mining stocks.
Shares of Gran Tierra Energy reverse split before market open on Friday, May 5th 2023. The 1-10 reverse split was announced on Friday, May 5th 2023. The number of shares owned by shareholders was adjusted after the market closes on Friday, May 5th 2023. An investor that had 100 shares of stock prior to the reverse split would have 10 shares after the split.
Global Payments Inc. provides payment technology and software solutions for card, check, and digital-based payments in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. It operates through three segments: Merchant Solutions, Issuer Solutions, and Consumer Solutions. The Merchant Solutions segment offers authorization, settlement and funding, customer support, chargeback resolution, terminal rental, sales and deployment, payment security, and consolidated billing and reporting services. This segment also provides an array of enterprise software solutions that streamline business operations of its customers in various vertical markets; and value-added solutions and services, such as point-of-sale software, analytics and customer engagement, human capital management, and payroll. The Issuer Solutions segment offers solutions that enable financial institutions and retailers to manage their card portfolios through a platform; and commercial payments, and account payables and electronic payment alternatives solutions for businesses and governments. The Consumer Solutions segment provides general purpose reloadable prepaid debit and payroll cards, demand deposit accounts, and other financial service solutions to the underbanked and other consumers, and businesses under the Netspend and other brands. It markets its products and services through direct sales force, trade associations, agent and enterprise software providers, referral arrangements with value-added resellers, and independent sales organizations. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Suzano S.A. produces and sells eucalyptus pulp and paper products in Brazil and internationally. It operates through Pulp and Paper segments. The company offers coated and uncoated printing and writing papers, paperboards, tissue papers, and market and fluff pulps; and lignin. It also engages in the research, development, and production of biofuel; operation of port terminals; power generation and distribution business; commercialization of equipment and parts; industrialization, commercialization, and exporting of pulp and standing wood; road freight transport; biotechnology research and development; and commercialization of paper and computer materials. In addition, the company is involved in the business office, production packaging, and financial fundraising activities; research, development, production, commercialization, and distribution of wood-based textile fibers, yarns, and filaments produced from cellulose and microfibrillated cellulose; and research and development of wood raw materials for the textile industry. Suzano S.A. was formerly known as Suzano Papel e Celulose S.A. and changed its name to Suzano S.A. in April 2019. The company was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Salvador, Brazil.
Photo: The Canadian Press This Dec.14, 2018 handout image shows the asteroid Bennu in a composite of 12 images taken by the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft's PolyCam imager from a distance of 24 kilometres.

Seven years after it blasted into space to snag a sample of an asteroid, a spacecraft is set to deliver its rare cargo on Sunday  and Canada is getting a piece of the interstellar bounty.

The NASA-led mission launched OSIRIS-REx into space in 2016 to collect from the surface of an asteroid material that scientists hope will offer them insight into the formation of the solar system. The spacecraft began orbiting the asteroid  called Bennu  in 2018 and grabbed a sample in 2020.

It started its return trip to Earth in 2021, and a capsule with the rocks and space dust is expected to land in the Utah desert on Sunday, before the spacecraft continues on a mission to another asteroid.

Canada contributed a laser altimeter to the mission  a device that measures altitude and distance  that has allowed Bennu to become the "most precisely surveyed body in our solar system," says Cameron Dickinson, a staff engineer at Canadian space company MDA Ltd., which designed the Canadian component of the spacecraft.

By taking billions of measurements of the asteroid over two years, Canada's altimeter  known as OLA  helped scientists select the best location on the asteroid from which to gather a sample. The craft then briefly landed on the asteroid to collect the material.

"In total, we laid down more than three billion measurements  so this now provides a very highly precise map of the asteroid, Dickinson told a recent news conference.

NASAs OSIRIS-REx is the first asteroid sample-return mission in which Canada has participated  and it entitles the country to some of the space rocks.

"In exchange for this contribution, Canadian scientists have been on the OSIRIS REx science team from the very beginning," John Moores, science adviser to the president of the Canadian Space Agency, told a recent briefing on the mission.

"As well, Canada will become the fifth country in the world to receive a sample collected in space."

Tim Haltigin, planetary senior mission scientist with The Canadian Space Agency, has worked on the project for a decade. Asteroids, he said, are leftover ingredients from the formation of the solar system, and getting a sample from one "is sort of like going back into a cosmic mixing bowl and pulling out individual grains of sugar and a bit of flour and, you know, maybe a chocolate chip."

"And so this is how we're able to study the raw ingredients of the solar system as they were billions and billions and billions of years ago," Haltigin said.

The mission selected Bennu because it was close enough to reach and large enough from which to secure a sample  and also because of what it is made of.

"There was only about a handful (of asteroids) that were made of some of the most interesting scientific materials that allow us to answer some of these fundamental questions about the origins of the solar system," Haltigin said.

A piece of Bennu won't be coming to Canada right away  the country's space agency needs to first build a facility in which to store the rare find.

"We're not on the same timeline as NASA to receive the sample  that's been understood since the beginning," said Caroline-Emmanuelle Morisset, program scientist, space exploration development with the CSA. "The sample will reside at NASA for a time before it's transferred to Canada."

"What we need is a clean room," Morisset said. "Those are rooms where the air is all filtered to ensure that there's no particulates from Earth that come in contact with the sample."

The total size of the shipment of dust and pebbles is about 250 grams, plus or minus 100 grams; Canada's portion is about four per cent of that  somewhere between six and 14 grams, Morisset said.

But she says that's plenty to keep scientists busy for years. The two Japan-led Hayabusa missions brought back a total of about five grams of asteroid, which she said provided decades worth of science.

"You know, with milligrams of sample we can do a lot of science," Morisset said.
Antigua and Barbuda and Timor-Leste become first Caribbean and Southeast Asian nations - and fossil fuel-producing country - to join Pacific governments in pushing for new climate mechanism to phase out fossil fuels at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, NYC

NEW YORK, September 23, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today the governments of Antigua and Barbuda, an island nation in the Caribbean highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and Timor-Leste, a Southeast Asian state also vulnerable to climate impacts and heavily dependent on oil and gas revenues, joined a growing bloc of six Pacific nations pushing for the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230923262786/en/

The island nations announced their endorsement of the major new climate policy proposal at the main stage of the Global Citizen Festival in New York. (Photo Credit: Global Citizen Festival)

The island nations announced their endorsement of the major new climate policy proposal at the main stage of the Global Citizen Festival in New York. In a decisive step to address the climate emergency, they showed fellow world leaders what the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres meant when he asked countries to raise their climate ambition just three days ago at the UN Climate Ambition Summit.

This move makes them the first countries outside the Pacific region to endorse the call for an international pact to transition away from oil, gas and coal.

Hon. Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda said in his speech:

"The climate crisis is the most existential threat facing all humanity. It doesn't distinguish between European forests and Caribbean waters. Some carry the burden more than others, as in the case of small Islands developing states. This is why today I'm honoured to announce that Antigua and Barbuda join our Pacific friends in calling for a negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty. This Treaty will be more than words. It's a binding plan to end the fossil fuel era, a pledge to a rapid shift to clean energy, a commitment to a future where economies transcend their fossil fuel past, and an assurance that no community is left behind. With this endorsement we send a clear message: unity in purpose, unity in action. We are proud to become the first Caribbean nation to rally behind this cause, and we invite others to join us."

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Timor-Leste also became the first fossil fuel producing nation to endorse the proposal. The oil and gas sector represents approximately 70% of Timor's gross domestic product (GDP) and more than 90% of total exports, as well as more than 80% of the state's annual revenues. Ramos-Horta has expressed his desire to make Timor-Leste a model for sustainable development, which requires a major change in its oil-dependent economy.

H. E. Jose Ramos-Horta, President of Timor-Leste and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 1996, said in his speech:

"Our battle against climate change demands collective action. Fossil fuels are the chief culprits, so the world must move away from them. The climate crisis does not share blame equally among nations. Timor-Leste and fellow developing nations contribute the least to climate change, yet we bear the brunt of its immediate environmental and economic impacts. Timor-Leste stands in solidarity with Pacific nations and is formally joining the call for the negotiation of a Fossil Fuel Treaty. Its mission is simple  to halt new fossil fuel ventures, phase out existing ones and fund a fair shift to clean energy. It is more than a climate agreement between nations  it is a health, development and peace accord that can foster genuine well-being and prosperity for all."

Gillian Cooper, Political Director of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said:

"At the Climate Ambition Summit we saw world leaders finally bring fossil fuels to the center stage of climate negotiations. Now the endorsement of the Fossil Fuel Treaty proposal by Antigua and Barbuda and Timor-Leste at the main Global Citizen stage shows who are the real climate leaders. This bold move also shows that even fossil fuel-producing countries want to break free from the grip of oil, gas and coal, a system imposed on them by wealthy nations, and the main cause of the climate crisis. Their support to fellow Pacific Island nations is an example to the world that international cooperation and partnership is the only path forward."

With the support from Antigua and Barbuda and Timor-Leste, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty proposal is now being pushed by a bloc of eight nation-states, including Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji, Niue, and the Solomon Islands. The proposal is also supported by the World Health Organization, the European Parliament, 101 Nobel Laureates, 600+ parliamentarians in 83 countries, 2,100 civil society organizations including 380 in the USA, 3,000 scientists and academics and over 90 cities and subnational governments, including most recently the State of California, the fifth largest economy in the world, and 9 Peruvian Indigenous Nations.

Visit fossilfueltreaty.org/antigua-timor for additional details.

About the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative

The Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative is spurring international cooperation to end new development of fossil fuels, phase out existing production within the agreed climate limit of 1.5C and develop plans to support workers, communities and countries dependent on fossil fuels to create secure and healthy livelihoods. For more information on the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative and proposal, access here.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230923262786/en/

Contacts

Nathalia Clark

Communications Director, Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty (NYC)

nathalia@fossilfueltreaty.org

+55 61 99137-1229
Aflac (NYSE:AFL) pays an annual dividend of $1.68 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 2.17%. The company has been increasing its dividend for 41 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.
United Parcel Service, Inc. is a global package delivery and logistics company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The company was founded in 1907 and has since become a significant player in the logistics industry. UPS operates in more than 220 countries and territories, with a network of over 500,000 employees worldwide.

UPS's primary business is package delivery, but the company also provides supply chain solutions and specialized transportation services. In recent years, UPS has expanded into e-commerce, offering services like same-day delivery and order fulfillment for online retailers. In addition to its delivery services, UPS also operates a freight division that provides air and ground transportation for commercial shipments.

UPS has been recognized for its commitment to sustainability, with initiatives such as alternative fuel vehicles and a carbon offset program for shipping. Fortune magazine has also named the company one of the World's Most Admired Companies for several years.

UPS is led by CEO Carol Tome, who joined the company in 1995 and became CEO in 2020. Tome has extensive finance experience and served as The Home Depot's CFO before joining UPS. In addition to Tome, UPS's executive team includes Executive Vice President and President of U.S. operations, Nando Cesarone, Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Kevin Warren, and Chief Financial Officer Brian Newman.

UPS has reported stable revenue over the past several years. UPS's profit margins have remained steady, with an average gross profit margin of 56.4% and an operating margin of approximately 9.3%. UPS has a strong balance sheet, with total assets of $69.4 billion and total liabilities of $43.4 billion as of the end of 2022.



The company's debt-to-equity ratio is higher than the industry average but within a reasonable range. UPS's valuation metrics are generally in line with industry peers, and overall, UPS's valuation suggests that the market views the company as fairly valued. UPS's stock performance has been robust in recent years, with the company's share price increasing by 33% from 2020 to 2022. This outperformed the S&P 500 index, which increased by 26% over the same period. Trading volume for UPS has been relatively stable, with an average daily volume of around 2.83 million shares.

The logistics industry is highly competitive, with several large players vying for market share. In addition to traditional competitors such as FedEx and DHL, UPS competes with newer players in the e-commerce space, such as Amazon and Shopify. The industry is also subject to regulatory and political pressures, such as changes in trade policies and labor regulations.

Despite these challenges, the logistics industry is expected to grow in the coming years. E-commerce, in particular, is driving demand for package delivery and supply chain solutions, and UPS is well-positioned to benefit from this trend.

UPS has several potential growth opportunities in the coming years. The company's expansion into e-commerce has been a significant growth driver, and this trend is expected to continue. UPS's recent acquisition of Roadie, a same-day delivery platform, could also help the company capture more business in the rapidly growing same-day delivery market.

In addition to e-commerce, UPS is investing in technology to improve its operations and customer experience. The company is testing drone delivery in specific markets and has developed digital tools to help customers manage their shipments.

UPS has also announced plans to expand its presence in healthcare logistics. The company has already invested in specialized facilities and services for pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, and this market is expected to continue growing in the coming years.

UPS faces risks and challenges like any company that could impact its future performance. One critical risk is the potential for increased competition, particularly from newer entrants in the e-commerce space. These companies may have lower overhead costs and more agile business models, making it more difficult for UPS to compete on price and speed.

Another risk for UPS is the potential for regulatory or political changes that could impact the logistics industry. Changes in trade policies or labor regulations could increase costs for the company or limit its ability to operate in certain markets.
Vistra Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an integrated retail electricity and power generation company. The company operates through six segments: Retail, Texas, East, West, Sunset, and Asset Closure. It retails electricity and natural gas to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across 20 states in the United States and the District of Columbia. In addition, the company is involved in the electricity generation, wholesale energy purchases and sales, commodity risk management, fuel production, and fuel logistics management activities. It serves approximately 3.5 million customers with a generation capacity of approximately 37,000 megawatts with a portfolio of natural gas, nuclear, coal, solar, and battery energy storage facilities. The company was formerly known as Vistra Energy Corp. and changed its name to Vistra Corp. in July 2020. Vistra Corp. was founded in 1882 and is based in Irving, Texas.
Edison International (NYSE:EIX) pays an annual dividend of $2.95 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.70%. EIX 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 20 consecutive years, indicating the company has a strong committment to maintain and grow its dividend. The dividend payout ratio is 118.95%. Payout ratios above 75% are not desirable because they may not be sustainable. Based on earnings estimates, EIX will have a dividend payout ratio of 58.07% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for EIX.
BEIJING, Sept. 23 (Xinhua)  Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed the importance of high-quality development in promoting new industrialization to lay a strong material and technological foundation for Chinese modernization.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on pushing forward new industrialization.

Xi said that realizing new industrialization is a key task in China's pursuit of Chinese modernization to build a stronger country and advance national rejuvenation in the new era.

To lay a strong material and technological foundation for Chinese modernization, Xi called for efforts to adapt to and lead the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation, seek high-quality development in the promotion of new industrialization, and integrate the construction of a manufacturing powerhouse with the development of the digital economy and industrial informatization.

Xi's instruction was read out at a national meeting on pushing forward new industrialization held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the meeting and stressed the importance of improving the resilience and safety of industrial and supply chains, accelerating the improvement of China's industrial innovation capacity, and constantly promoting the optimization and upgrading of the country's industrial structure.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, urged the deep integration of digital technology and the real economy, and the green development of the industrial sector.

Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, called for efforts to strengthen scientific and technological innovation and safeguard industrial security at the meeting.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a national meeting on pushing forward new industrialization and delivers a speech during the meeting in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 22, 2023. The meeting was held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing. [Xinhua/Li Tao]

Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attends a national meeting on pushing forward new industrialization in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 23, 2023. The meeting was held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing. [Xinhua/Liu Weibing]

(Source: Xinhua)
A ride. A free hotdog. A job application. Just some of the things officials say an escaped convict got on his day of freedom
United Auto Workers members and supporters picket outside a General Motors facility in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, on September 22. The United Auto Workers expanded its strike against major automakers Friday.
Key Insights

Institutions' substantial holdings in Novartis implies that they have significant influence over the company's share price

15% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders

Using data from analyst forecasts alongside ownership research, one can better assess the future performance of a company

Every investor in Novartis AG (VTX:NOVN) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 51% to be precise, is institutions. That is, the group stands to benefit the most if the stock rises (or lose the most if there is a downturn).

Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. Hence, having a considerable amount of institutional money invested in a company is often regarded as a desirable trait.

Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Novartis, beginning with the chart below.

See our latest analysis for Novartis

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Novartis?

Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices.

We can see that Novartis does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This can indicate that the company has a certain degree of credibility in the investment community. However, it is best to be wary of relying on the supposed validation that comes with institutional investors. They too, get it wrong sometimes. 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 Novartis' earnings history below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Novartis. Sandoz Family Office SA is currently the largest shareholder, with 4.3% of shares outstanding. In comparison, the second and third largest shareholders hold about 2.8% and 2.4% of the stock.

Story continues

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While it makes sense to study institutional ownership data for a company, it also makes sense to study analyst sentiments to know which way the wind is blowing. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future.

Insider Ownership Of Novartis

While the precise definition of an insider can be subjective, almost everyone considers board members to be insiders. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves.

Insider ownership is positive when it signals leadership are thinking like the true owners of the company. However, high insider ownership can also give immense power to a small group within the company. This can be negative in some circumstances.

Our most recent data indicates that insiders own less than 1% of Novartis AG. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. As it is a large company, we'd only expect insiders to own a small percentage of it. But it's worth noting that they own CHF213m worth of shares. Arguably recent buying and selling is just as important to consider. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.

General Public Ownership

With a 44% ownership, the general public, mostly comprising of individual investors, have some degree of sway over Novartis. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run.

Private Company Ownership

It seems that Private Companies own 4.3%, of the Novartis stock. It might be worth looking deeper into this. If related parties, such as insiders, have an interest in one of these private companies, that should be disclosed in the annual report. Private companies may also have a strategic interest in the company.

Next Steps:

While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Novartis that you should be aware of before investing here.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Philip Paxson, pictured with his wife, Alicia Paxson, drowned on September 30, 2022, after driving off a collapsed bridge, according to a lawsuit.
On September 15, just four days after schools reopened in Turkey, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca announced that the Eris variant, EG.5.1, had been detected in Turkey. He claimed that it is not a cause for concern.

Relatives of Munevver Kaya, who died of COVID-19, wearing face masks for protection against the coronavirus, offer their prayers during a funeral in Istanbul in 2020. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

In another statement last Tuesday, he said, The variant called Eris has been seen in a limited number of cases in our country, after countries where life is still going on normally. There is nothing to worry about. Scientists can talk about it, but it is not worthy of being on the agenda for our people.

Almost two weeks after the opening of schools, Prof. Dr. Tevfik Ozlu, a chest diseases specialist at Karadeniz Technical University (KTU), said, During this period, we see many patients with respiratory infections, because they are very easily transmitted diseases. Schools in particular are the area where such diseases increase. With the opening of schools, such diseases spread among students immediately.

With scientists warning against variants like Eris and Pirola, the governments reopening of crowded schools, downplaying of the pandemic and taking no public health measures is a social crime.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogans government has been forced to admit that the pandemic, which it has long claimed is over, continues. This is because the situation can no longer be denied: the pandemic has again become a topic in the bourgeois media. However, the main concern of bourgeois politicians and the media is not public health, but suppressing calls for necessary public health measures and ensuring that the capitalists extraction of profits from the workers is not disrupted in any way.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which the government considers not worthy of being on the agenda, has killed more than 26 million people globally since its onset, according to estimates of The Economist. Around 400 million people are also thought to be afflicted by Long COVID. According to the magazine, globally around 11,000 excess deaths continue to occur every day that can be attributed to the ongoing pandemic.

COVID-19 has significantly shortened life expectancy worldwide. In Turkey, according to official data, it decreased from 78.6 years in 20172019 to 77.5 years in 20202022.

The Turkish Health Ministry had stopped sharing data on the pandemic in parallel with the World Health Organizations (WHO) unscientific termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). According to the last official data released in March, the total number of deaths from COVID-19 in Turkey was over 102,000. However, according to a study by Guclu Yaman, a member of the Turkish Medical Association (TBB) Pandemic Working Group, the number of excess deaths had reached 292,000 by June 2022.

Health Minister Kocas statements are a mass of contradictions. In a tweet, he said that the virulence of the Eris variant was low, and that its occurrence in Turkey was a development that should not be considered a matter of concern. He then all but admitted that the virus is in fact deadly, saying, We will protect our elders, our chronically ill patients.

Koca also tried to downplay the deadly disease, speaking before the opening of the schools, announcing that the Eris variant had not yet been detected in Turkey. However, since it has become extremely difficult to get tested for COVID-19 in Turkey, the fact that it had not been detected did not in reality mean that it was not present.

Koca said, however, that Turkish officials would respond to the COVID-19 virus as they would to the flu, stating, Our citizens should rest assured and not worry. Our general protection and precautions should be the same as they are for the flu.

He assured the ruling class that there was no question of any lockdown measures, however limited: Dont let these variants worry us, and there is no question of going back to the periods when we locked down. ... We are still seeing COVID. We are seeing a period of variants that are becoming less and less effective, with mutations.

Unlike the political establishment, scientists and public health specialists are demanding that necessary public health measures be taken.

Prof. Dr. Mehmet Ceyhan, an infectious diseases specialist, stated, The most effective way to prevent it is to stop the virus from spreading around by vaccinating and isolating people who are sick. If we do not prevent the transmission of the variant, the pandemic may continue with new variants for a long time.

Prof. Dr. Esin Davutoglu Senol, an infectious diseases and clinical microbiology specialist, also said that in order to track the spread of COVID-19 in the population, Wastewater screening is very important for COVID-19 surveillance. Assuming that it does not exist does not make it disappear.

Despite extremely limited data, the Eris variant has already demonstrated its high virulence and dangerousness, leading a new surge around the world. WHO COVID-19 Technical Officer Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove was forced to admit in August that millions of people are being infected every week around the world. As the World Socialist Web Site reported last month, it accounted for 71.6 percent of all sequenced cases in China.

Moreover, updated vaccines for Omicron and later variants are not available in Turkey, nor is there official information on whether they will be available.

On August 29, the Turkish Medical Association issued a statement titled We Call on the Health Ministry to Act Responsibly! COVID-19 Pandemic Continues with New Variants! It drew attention to the governments criminal irresponsibility, which is causing increasing confusion within the population.

According to the statement, The rate of those vaccinated with two doses of COVID-19 vaccine in the Turkish population is 62.4 percent. The rate of those vaccinated with three doses is only 33.1 percent. In 2023, the total number of COVID-19 vaccines administered was approximately 110,000, but this number was only around 1,000 in August.

It continued, We are at a point where even a significant number of healthcare workers in the country do not trust some of the COVID-19 vaccines. The ambivalence about vaccines is one of the most important issues we urgently need to tackle for the coming outbreaks.

The futility of calling on the capitalist ruling class and its governments to act responsibly has been demonstrated in countless examples since the beginning of the pandemic. In China, where a Zero-COVID policy was initially in place, the Stalinist regime abandoned it in November 2022 under pressure from the imperialist powers and the Chinese bourgeoisie. It led to the infection of almost the entire population and at least 1.4 million deaths.

This experience in China has confirmed that the pandemic cannot be fought on a national perspective, within national borders.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a social and political question on a global scale. The World Socialist Web Site and the International Committee of the Fourth International have explained from the outset that resolving this crisis requires the mobilization of the international working class, in coordination with principled scientists in every country. It is necessary to deepen this struggle on a global scale as new and potentially more dangerous variants continue to infect millions.
Pintaras Jaya Berhad (KLSE:PTARAS) has announced that on 17th of January, it will be paying a dividend ofMYR0.03, which a reduction from last year's comparable dividend. The dividend yield will be in the average range for the industry at 3.2%.

View our latest analysis for Pintaras Jaya Berhad

Pintaras Jaya Berhad Is Paying Out More Than It Is Earning

Solid dividend yields are great, but they only really help us if the payment is sustainable. Despite not being profitable, Pintaras Jaya Berhad is paying out most of its free cash flow as a dividend. Paying a dividend while unprofitable is generally considered an aggressive policy, and with limited funds retained for reinvestment, growth may be slow.

EPS is forecast to rise very quickly over the next 12 months. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we could see the payout ratio reach 111%, which is on the unsustainable side.

Dividend Volatility

The company has a long dividend track record, but it doesn't look great with cuts in the past. The annual payment during the last 10 years was MYR0.125 in 2013, and the most recent fiscal year payment was MYR0.05. The dividend has shrunk at around 8.8% a year during that period. Declining dividends isn't generally what we look for as they can indicate that the company is running into some challenges.

Dividend Growth May Be Hard To Achieve

Given that dividend payments have been shrinking like a glacier in a warming world, we need to check if there are some bright spots on the horizon. Earnings per share has been crawling upwards at 4.3% per year. Earnings growth isn't particularly strong, and if the company isn't able to become profitable fairly soon, the dividend could come under pressure.

The Dividend Could Prove To Be Unreliable

Overall, it's not great to see that the dividend has been cut, but this might be explained by the payments being a bit high previously. The payments are bit high to be considered sustainable, and the track record isn't the best. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income.

Investors generally tend to favour companies with a consistent, stable dividend policy as opposed to those operating an irregular one. Meanwhile, despite the importance of dividend payments, they are not the only factors our readers should know when assessing a company. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Pintaras Jaya Berhad that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. Is Pintaras Jaya Berhad not quite the opportunity you were looking for? Why not check out our selection of top dividend stocks.

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.
John A Van Den Bosch

John A. Van Den Bosch made the best of the worst of times.

When John and his son, William, lost their jobs at the onset of the Great Depression, they started hauling vegetables from farmers to food processors. Then, when the banks went on holiday, they pivoted into making and selling feed out of their home and barn near the corner of Washington Street and State Street in Zeeland.

Then, they bought land and built a feed mill on E. Washington Street. When a fire at the feed mill and the difficulty of finding replacement parts during World War II slowed them down, they started another new business: making ration boxes for the military.

To get the space they needed, they bought an abandoned coal yard, including an old building with a train track running through it on the corner of Church Street and Washington Street. William and his brother, Marv, unable to report for war duty because of their heart conditions, stayed on at the disabled feed mill. Johns other sons  Fred, John Jr. and Clarence  fought in the war. Clarence never returned.

When World War II ended, the Van Den Bosches still had five train cars of Ponderosa Pine and their coal yard building. So they decided, in 1947, to start a lumber company. But no one in the Van Den Bosch family knew anything about the lumber business, and there were already two lumber yards in town: Workers and Wichers.

But John knew the people running Workers were going to quit. So, the Van Den Bosches hired Louis Timmer, and later Edna Klunder, and a third person to teach another son, Harold, to run the yard. They hired John Jr. and Fred when they returned from military service. They also borrowed money to restore the feedmill.

Two years later, Louis Timmer died of a heart attack. The Van Den Bosches hired Bert DeVries to help in the office. They also hired a truck driver, Harolds father-in-law, John Huyser. The lumber business grew, benefitting from a long post-war economic expansion.

Story continues

By the 1950s, Harold and John Jr. were running the lumber yard and Fred, Marv, and William were running the feed mill. William eventually became chairman of both Van Den Bosch Feed and Zeeland Lumber and Supply.

Steve VanderVeen

When they couldn't buy enough windows to keep up with the demand for houses, the Van Den Bosches bought glass and built window frames at Zeeland Lumber, which saved builders time on the construction site. When they couldn't find enough cabinet doors, they started making cabinet units in the shop They bought real estate around Zeeland and built houses of their own.

In 1962, the Van Den Bosches purchased their first forklift. In 1968, Zeeland Lumber became one of the first lumberyards to make deliveries with a dump truck. Eventually it would be one of the first to put a forklift on the back of a truck to make unloading lumber easier.

As a young boy, Harold Jr. (Herk) worked for his father. In 1971, he decided against attending law school in favor of making the family business his career. Ten years later, he took over the presidency of Zeeland Lumber. At that time, Zeeland Lumber operated two forklifts and three trucks, and employed 13 people.

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In the 1980s, Zeeland Lumber generated 80 percent of its sales from lumber, and 20 percent from supplies and materials. By 2000, Zeeland Lumber was a full service supplier and a leader in the West Michigan building industry, and generated 40 percent of its sales from lumber and 60 percent from supplies and materials.

Then came the housing crash of 2008-2009, which downsized the industry and caused several independent lumber yards to fail. Zeeland Lumber was not one of them; instead, it strengthened relationships with building material manufacturers and shortened its supply chain.

In 2009, Zeeland Lumber expanded its manufacturing capabilities when it acquired Hamilton Truss and Hamilton Lumber from the Hamilton Farm Bureau.

By 2011, Zeeland Lumber employed 140 people, garnered annual sales of more than $50 million, and operated a fleet of 25 semi-tractor trailers.

In 2020, US LBM acquired Zeeland Lumber.

Next week, we'll finish the story of the John A. Van Den Bosch's feed business.

 Steve VanderVeen is a resident of Holland. His book, "The Holland Area's First Entrepreneurs," is coming soon. You may reach him at skvveen@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Holland History: The origin story of Zeeland Lumber
The Bachelor in Paradise stars said "I do" on Saturday during a romantic weekend-long celebration in Meredith, Colorado

Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert are married!

The Bachelor in Paradise stars tied the knot on Sept. 23 at Beyul Retreat in Meredith, Colorado, near where Unglert gew up.

The couple's "Camp Bell" wedding theme was a sentimental nod to Miller-Keyes' longtime love for summer camp and Unglert's late mother Debbie Bell, who died from breast cancer when he was a teenager. After the couple's wedding, the pair plans to change their last name to Bell in her honor.

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keys and Dean Unglert seal the deal with a kiss.

"We both love the [Colorado] area and it made it even more special," explains Miller-Keyes, who first met Unglert on Bachelor in Paradise in 2019. "We also wanted a way for everyone to be together all weekend versus just for a night or two. When we toured this venue we immediately knew it was the one. Everyone has their own cabin and is staying on property.

Carter Rose Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes tie the knot in an outdoor ceremony in Colorado.

Ahead of the couple's big day, Miller-Keyes told PEOPLE that the festivities were going to be "very unique and special. I'm so excited to be able to spend so much time with everyone. It won't be super traditional."

Related: Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes' Relationship Timeline

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert celebrate their wedding.

To kick off the weekend celebration, Miller-Keyes and Unglert hosted a "bright and colorful" welcome dinner, where all 75 guests enjoyed a meal together at one long table.

"I loved summer camp more than anything growing up, so we incorporated some camp themes throughout the weekend, like field day, to really allow everyone to get to know each other," she says. "For the welcome dinner, we also wanted to incorporate a little bit of Italy, one of our favorite places we've been to together."

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes wears a Lihi Hod strapless wedding gown.

They kept decor for the nuptials "minimal" in terms of color, and incorporated white and green throughout the ceremony. Carly Wilde and Emily Mournian from Milk Glass Productions helped plan the details of the wedding, while Lady Sunshine Floral created the floral arrangements. "We wanted this day to feel like an elegant night in the mountains," she says. "The whole weekend will be a perfect mix of us as a couple."

Carter Rose Dean Unglert smiles at his wedding to Caelynn Miller-Keyes.

Miller-Keyes adds that one non-negotiable for the pair while planning their wedding was to be able to bring their dog, Alastor. Luckily we found a venue that allows dogs and has acres and acres of land for him to run around on," she says.

Related: 'Bachelor' Alum Caelynn Miller-Keyes Says She Has 4 Engagement Rings from Dean Unglert  Here's Why

Carter Rose

For her walk down the aisle, the bride wore a Lihi Hod gown from NWLA. It was the second dress I tried on and I immediately knew it was the one, she says. I wanted something simple, classic, and elegant. The designer allowed me to make a few customizations, we lowered the waistline a bit, removed the pockets, and added a removable corset.

She later changed into a second dress by Katherine Tash. I went into my dress fittings knowing the style of both dresses I wanted, and I'm so happy with how they turned out, says Miller-Keyes.

She adds: I worked with PS Bridal Rental in the UK to help style each look. They helped me from the very first dress fitting, before I picked anything, to figuring out the perfect jewelry and shoes.

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert enjoy a boat ride on their wedding day.

One of Unglerts best friends, Jackson, officiated the wedding ceremony. Unglert entered to "Don't Worry Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin, while Miller-Keyes chose "Kiss Me" by Sixpence. At the altar, the couple exchanged wedding bands  Unglerts from Stone and Strand and Miller-Keyes Nicole Rose Jewelry  and personal vows.

Carter Rose Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes enjoy a boat ride on their wedding day.

I'm most excited to hear Dean's vows, she told PEOPLE ahead of the ceremony. He's such a good writer, he's a good public speaker, he's great at articulating his feelings, and I think he's hilarious, so I know they will be perfect.

During the reception, guests dined on Alaskan salmon and rib eye, plus a three-tiered vanilla cake and ice cream sandwiches from Afternoon Delight, while Stratosphere from the Jordan Kahn Music Company performed.

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert dance at their wedding.

Later, the couple shared their first dance to "Bring It On Home to Me" by Sam Cooke. We looked up the meaning of the song, and it's about a guy who loses a girl and will do anything to get her back, she says. It felt very true to us and how our relationship began on the beach in Mexico when Dean came back.

Following the wedding, Miller-Keyes says she and her husband will head to Aspen to relax and simply enjoy being married before they jet off to South Africa in December for a honeymoon.

Carter Rose Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes pose for a photo after tying the knot.

Dean is so compassionate. He has a way of making everyone feel so special and I really admire that about him, Miller-Keyes says. He's taught me a lot in the past four years of us being together. He never says no or he can't do something, he always tries, and almost always succeeds and it's been great to flip my perspective on things and start challenging myself more.

Each year with Dean gets better, so I'm excited to see how we grow as husband and wife, she says. Hopefully kids are in our future as well.



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Read the original article on People.
The 'Bachelor in Paradise' stars tied the knot in a camp-themed wedding in Meredith, Colorado, over the weekend

Carter Rose Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes had a tattoo artist at their wedding on Sept. 23.

Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert welcomed a special guest at their wedding reception  a tattoo artist!

During their Meredith, Colorado, nuptials over the weekend, the Bachelor in Paradise stars invited a tattoo artist to their reception to help keep the celebrations going.

"We are having a tattoo artist come in after dinner on the wedding day," Miller-Keyes, 28, told PEOPLE ahead of the couple's big day. "The tattoo artist gave me my first tattoo, which happened to be a couple's tattoo with Dean, so it feels even more special."

Related: 'Bachelor' 's Dean Unglert Suggests Using Brother's Sperm to Impregnate Fiance Caelynn Miller-Keyes

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes holds Dean Unglert's hand as he prepares to get a tattoo.

The theme of the couple's wedding weekend was "camp," a tribute to some of Miller-Keyes' favorite childhood memories.

"I loved summer camp more than anything growing up, so we incorporated some camp themes throughout the weekend like field day to really allow everyone to get to know each other," she explains. "We wanted this day to feel like an elegant night in the mountains. The whole weekend will be a perfect mix of us a couple."

The celebrations, which were planned by Milk Glass Productions also included a performance by Stratosphere from the Jordan Kahn Music Company, Alaskan salmon and ribeye dinner, dancing and a three-tier vanilla cake from Afternoon Delight.

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes works on new husband Dean Unglert's tattoo.

"We really wanted to be able to spend quality time with the people we love all weekend long," says Miller-Keyes of the festivities, which included brunches and dinners with her 75 guests during the multi-day celebration. "We've heard from other couples that they were so busy all weekend, and we just wanted to relax and enjoy being with our friends and family."

Miller-Keyes and Unglert, 32, first connected in 2019 while both contestants on Bachelor in Paradise. The couple dated for four years before getting engaged in October 2022. In June, while on a trip to Bali the Miller-Keyes celebrated their anniversary by getting a tattoo of a bell pepper.

Carter Rose Caelynn Miller-Keyes and Dean Unglert smile as he awaits his new tattoo.

She posted a photo of the Instagram captioned: "I got my Mrs. Bell tattoo on our four year anniversary. The bride explains to PEOPLE that the duo plans to take the name "Bell" to honor Unglert's mom who died from breast cancer.

Although the couple's wedding night came together perfectly, Miller-Keyes explains they still faced challenges when it came to wedding planning. "There have been a lot of highs and some lows," the bride says. "It's mostly been really fun, but everyone warned us about the stresses that come with weddings so we did feel prepared."

Carter Rose Dean Unglert shows off his new tattoo.

Related: Are Bachelor in Paradise's Dean Unglert and Caelynn Miller-Keyes Married? Here's the Evidence

Following the wedding, Miller-Keyes says she can't wait to continue learning and growing alongside Urglert.

"I'm excited to have a partner for the rest of my life," she says. "Someone who makes me laugh everyday, someone who is so kind and caring."

She adds: "We're both interested to see how marriage changes our relationship because we already feel married, but we've had some kid conversations so we'll see! That would be further down the road."



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Read the original article on People.
Republican primary candidate Chris Christie joined new Meet The Press host Kristen Welker on Sunday to talk his campaign, his former support for Donald Trump and the indictment of Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez .

When asked about voters who feel like theyre getting whiplash after seeing Christie defend Trump during previous controversies, Christie said, Well, they shouldnt feel like it, because Ive explained it really well. First off, I supported him in 2016 because he was going to be the nominee, and I didnt want Hillary Clinton to be president of the United States. And I make no apologies for that. I still dont want Hillary Clinton to be President of the United States.

Christie cited the turning point for him: Nov. 3, 2020.

I broke from the president very clearly, from President Trump, on election night 2020, Christie said. When you stand before the American people behind the seal of the president, in the East Room of the White House and say the election has been stolen when it wasnt, and theres no evidence to prove that its stolen now nearly three years later, that to me, made it a disqualifying moment for Donald Trump.

Christie again defended his decisions based on the choices available in the 2016 and 2020 elections.

Listen, American elections are about whos left to vote for, and I made the decisions I made then. And Donald Trump left me; I didnt leave him, Christie said.

Explaining why he felt what happened in 2020 was different than when Trump claimed Iowa was stolen in the 2016 primary by Ted Cruz, Christie responded that he pointed it out on the debate stage during that primary, and that this is much different, much different. When youre president of the United States and people think you actually know something they dont know, because youre president of the United States, thats what made what he did in 2020 so destructive. And we know from looking at whats happened since then that lots of American people believed it because he was president, because they thought he knew things they didnt know.

Christie also explained why he apparently changed positions on Trumps famous phone call threatening to withhold military aid for Ukraine with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

What you need to do is to make sure that when you get all of the facts you dont stay handcuffed to something that you said when you didnt know all the facts, Christie said. And by the way, hes also made very clear that he didnt want to be supportive of Ukraine anyway, Kristen. And hes made that clear by making clear he turned Ukraine over to Vladimir Putin in 24 hours if he became president again. Thats not the kind of person we want in the Oval Office. Thats the kind of person who will destabilize Europe and will destabilize the world by America not being the leader.

On another topic, Christie said that hes not going to run against indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez for his New Jersey Senate seat, even assuming Christie were to lose the Republican primary.

I have no interest in being the United States Senate, Christie said, agreeing with Welker that hes ruling it out completely. I had a chance to appoint myself to the United States Senate, Kristen, in 2013 when Frank Lautenberg passed away and I was governor. If I didnt appoint myself to the United States Senate, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it.

When it comes to his primary chances, Christie argued that Republican voters in Iowa and New Hampshire havent made up their minds yet. Welker asked Christie why he isnt gaining traction in the Republican primary, citing new NBC News polling data out Sunday.

Well Kristen, look. I know you all spent a whole lot of money on national polls, so I dont mean to go after the polling folks, but the fact is that national polls dont matter. We dont have a national primary, Christie said.

He went on to cite Donald Trumps numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire polls, with around 60% of voters not supporting Trump  which he said means theyre open to alternatives.

The post Chris Christie Says He Supported Trump in 2016 Because I Didnt Want Hillary Clinton to Be President (Video) appeared first on TheWrap.
In late 2017 three conspiracy theorists  one YouTuber and two moderators from anonymous message board 4chan  began collaborating and producing posts under the name Q. The posts were the foundation of QAnon, which is often described as a far-right political theory and movement. QAnon is still going strong in 2023 and, as CNNs Anderson Cooper and Donie OSullivan uncover in an upcoming documentary, its impact is harshly felt in the families of those who begin to to believe what QAnon espouses.

On Sundays The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, OSullivan shares the plight of dozens of families who feel they have lost loved ones to QAnons theories. The investigation, Waiting for JFK: Reports from the Fringe, is the result of a yearlong look into the path that so many who have joined QAnon have walked.

In November 2021, hundreds of people met in Dallas, Texas at Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. These members of QAnon had gathered because they believed that Kennedys son, John F. Kennedy Jr., was also in attendance and would be introducing his parents at the days event. There are obvious holes in the plot, most importantly that JFK, JFK Jr. and Jackie Kennedy Onassis have all passed away.

Of course, none of the Kennedys showed up by way of the Mirror of Erised or otherwise. But the fact that the family, which is a symbol of democracy and Democratic Party values for so many, is now touted as an extension of Donald Trumps MAGA world is a head-scratcher that has confounded political analysts and QAnon family members alike.

Anyone could fall prey to online misinformation. As Colleen Protzman, mother of QAnon member Michael Protzman, told CNN, her son wasnt a computer person, but he began spending more time on conspiracy theory websites following the 2008 financial collapse. Michael, who voted for President Barack Obama twice, soon begged his mother to cash in her 401(k) and invest in silver instead to get ahead of a looming financial disaster.

Protzman explained, He just was so adamant about the fact that he was afraid that we, his family, his sisters and me and his wife and his daughter was going to be left without if we didnt all understand that this was going to happen and that we didnt invest.

Soon, Michael believed the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was a hoax and bought into theories about the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. As he became more obsessed, his family pulled further away, increasing his isolation.

The Protzmans arent the only family who wrestle with the impact of QAnon, much of which happens behind closed doors. As journalist Jesselyn Cook told CNN, Its not playing out in the public eye. Its happening at the dinner table. Its happening over the phone with your grandmother.

Waiting for JFK: Report from the Fringe airs Sunday on CNN at 8 p.m. ET.

The post CNN Reveals QAnon Family Members Trauma in Anderson Cooper Doc: These People Are Lost appeared first on TheWrap.
This week, former White House aide Cassidy Hutchinson revealed in her book Enough that Rudy Guiliani groped her during the Jan. 6, 2021 attacks on the Capitol in Washington. That claim was backed up by her fellow former aide and current The View cohost Alyssa Farrah Griffin.

The move seems to have angered Trump adviser Peter Navarro who posted to X (formerly Twitter) multiple times, beginning with a tweet that read, Watched Hutchinson in West Wing suck candy daily outside Meadows office doing NOTHING. Pimping new book with White House loser Alyssa Farah.

Navarro continued, Hutchinson sold soul to J6 witch hunt. This her next 15 minutes of fame. Rudy Giuliani hero, Cassidy trash.

On Friday, Navarro added to his tirade against the women. He posted, Why would White House men  prez, vp, senior aide  EVER hire a woman after watching book pimps Cassiday[sic] Hutchinson, Alyssa Farah, Stephanie Grisham, Kayleigh McEnany, Olivia Troye throw mud at Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani et. al. Pimp ladies be giving real MAGA WOMEN bad name.

Why would White House men  prez, vp, senior aide  EVER hire a woman after watching book pimps Cassiday Hutchinson, Alyssa Farah, Stephanie Grisham, Kayleigh McEnany, Olivia Troye throw mud @realDonaldTrump @RudyGiuliani et. al.

Pimp ladies be giving real MAGA WOMEN bad name https://t.co/gofMPqmrb5  Peter Navarro (@RealPNavarro) September 23, 2023

On Friday night, Griffin returned fire via Twitter. She explained that she would typically ignore such commentary, but let me state for the historical record: Navarro was seen as a liability, distraction, & sideshow in the West Wing.

To put it as politely as I can: he was strategically left off of calendar invites, she concluded.

Hutchinson also shares in Enough that Donald Trump stopped wearing N95 masks during the COVID-19 pandemic because the straps on the masks smudged the bronzer that he wore. The move had major ramifications around the country, as many people stopped wearing a mask once Trump did.

She wrote, The press would criticize him for not wearing a mask not knowing that the depth of his vanity had caused him to reject masks  and then millions of his fans followed suit.

Enough will be in bookstores on Tuesday.

The post Former Trump Adviser Calls Cassidy Hutchinson and Other Female White House Aides Pimp Ladies appeared first on TheWrap.
Sunday is the first day of Fashion Week Columbus, featuring seven days of runway shows, presentations, parties and more at various locations.

One thing that will not be featured is real fur, as the event has established a new fur-free policy. In fact, it is the first fashion week in the U.S. to take the step, according to the Humane Society of the United States, a nonprofit focused on animal welfare.

Another "first" for the event will be a "Curvy Runway," presented by BG Luxe on Friday at Due Amici.

What remains unchanged is the major opportunity Fashion Week Columbus has provided for local designers and models since its inception in 2010.

"It's the biggest platform that you could possibly have in Columbus and central Ohio," said Keira Chatman, executive director of the Columbus Fashion Council nonprofit, which hosts the event. "They're able to get on the stage for a very minimal entry (fee). And it catapults their whole business because most of the people who are interested in fashion are there."

Fashion Week Columbus is the flagship program and major fundraiser for the Columbus Fashion Council, which was founded by Thomas McClure. The organization provides year-round programs, and collaborates with the Columbus Downtown Development Corporation and IL Moda Brand Development on the Columbus Fashion & Retail District. The district includes the Common Thread shops on the ground floor of the Columbus Commons Garage.

The Columbus Fashion Council, which has given $55,000 in scholarships to Columbus College of Art & Design students, has played a role in growing the fashion industry in the city, which ranks third in the country for its number of resident fashion designers.

Despite that fact, Chatman said many Columbus residents are still unaware of the local fashion industry.

"You don't know until you actually do your research," she said. "And that's why I think that a lot of people haven't gone to Fashion Week Columbus, because it is just not a lot of trust and faith that this will be a good presentation."

Read on for more information about Fashion Week Columbus, which features headline designer and "Project Runway" star Prajje O. Jean Baptiste.

All tickets can be purchased at fashionweekcolumbus.org/events.

More: 'Bringing couture to Columbus': A look at the city's fashion community

High Fashion Tea Runway Show

On Sunday, from 1-4 p.m., the 14th Annual High Fashion Tea Runway Show will take place at Le Meridien Columbus, The Joseph, 620 N. High St. The afternoon will feature a fashion show, silent auction, tea and snacks. Tickets are $90.

The Macy's Fall Fashion Show will take place Monday on the roof of the Easton location of the department store.

Macy's Fall Fashion Show

On Monday, from 6-9 p.m., the Macy's Fall Fashion Show will take place on the roof of the Easton location of the department store, 4141 Easton Loop East. About 60 to 70 models will participate, and about 300 people are expected to attend, Chatman said. Tickets are free.

The Passport 2 Fashion show will celebrate diverse designers and their designs Tuesday at Strongwater Food and Spirits.

Passport 2 Fashion By The Spice Age

On Tuesday, from 6-9 p.m., the Passport 2 Fashion show will celebrate diverse designers and their designs at Strongwater Food and Spirits, 401 W. Town St. Tickets are $35-$50.

"It's really the breaking-in point for a lot of designers into Fashion Week Columbus," Chatman said. "It's all local designers."

But attendees can expect diversity throughout the entire week of events, Chatman added.

"It's always been diverse, but I think we've had the reputation that it wasn't diverse enough. But 90% of our models are Black, and our leads and directors are all diverse. I really wan to be able to showcase that a little bit more. That's definitely one of the goals this year."

The Recycled Runway Fashion Show will take place Wednesday at Gravity.

Recycled Runway Fashion Show by Nurtur

Sponsored by Nurtur Salon, the Recycled Runway Fashion Show will take place Wednesday, from 6-8 p.m., at Gravity, 500 W. Broad St. The designers will be focused on sustainability and zero waste, and the winning team will be given $100 Easton gift cards. Tickets are free.

"We really just want to make sure that we're trying to be as ethical as possible." Chatman said. "Everything that they present is (from) materials that they already had or they found. And then they revamp it. It's one of my favorite shows. It's really fun."

Philanthropy Meets Fashion hosted by CCAD

On Thursday, from 6-9 p.m., Philanthropy Meets Fashion will feature an interview with headline designer Prajje O. Jean Baptiste, as well as a presentation by Walking Wild Rescue, a nonprofit that rescues captive bred foxes, some of whom will be onsite at CCAD, 60 Cleveland Ave. The event is sold out.

"It's really an opportunity for the local community to come out and get to know the headliner, and also for the students to learn from someone who has gained so much success as a designer," Chatman said.

The Fashion Industry Mixer by IL Moda Brands will take place Friday at Due Amici.

The Fashion Industry Mixer by IL Moda Brands

The category is "Tuscan couture" for the Fashion Industry Mixer by IL Moda Brands, which will take place Friday, from 7-10 p.m., at Due Amici, 67 E. Gay St. Tickets are free.

An annual staple, the mixer is hosted by IL Moda Brands owner and Columbus Fashion Council President Lubna Najjar. The event will feature a "Curvy Runway" featuring curvy models.

"It's high-energy and really fun," Chatman said. "But it's not a sit-down event. You mingle and network and see some looks in between."

The 14th Annual Finale Runway Show will take place Saturday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

Finale Runway Show

The piece de resistance, or 14th Annual Finale Runway Show, will take place Saturday, from 6 to 10 p.m., at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, 400 N. High St. Tickets are $50-$300.

Chatman said about 600 people are expected to come out to see the works of the designers, which include headliner Prajje O. Jean Baptiste.

"It gives you New York City  it's an awesome production," Chatman said. "I think that when people get there, they're really surprised about how high-level it is."

Official After Party

The week of festivities will wind down with the FWC23 Official After Party on Saturday, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., at Parlay Sporting Club + Kitchen, 570 N High St.

ethompson@dispatch.com

@miss_ethompson

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Fashion Week Columbus 2023 features 7 days of fashion shows and more
The Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 237 release date and time have been revealed. After Gojo vs. Sukuna ended with Gojo emerging victorious, Chapter 236 began a new arc. However, it also saw Gojo admit that Sukuna didnt give it all he had, something which all the readers suspected while reading Chapter 235. It will be interesting to see what Akutami has in store for us in the next installment.

Heres when the next chapter of Jujutsu Kaisen comes out.

When is the Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 237 release date & time?

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 237 release date is expected to be on Sunday, October 1, 2023.

Buy Jujutsu manga on Amazon

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 237 release time in the US based on past release patterns is:

7 AM PT

10 AM ET

Meanwhile, it should arrive in Japan on Monday, October 2 at 12 am JST.

Where to read the JJK manga

Fans can read Jujutsu Kaisen chapter 237 digitally on Viz Medias official website, Shueishas MangaPlus website, Shonen Jump+ app, and MangaPlus App.

The entire Manga is available to read on apps like Shonen Jump. To subscribe, you could pay $2.99 a month and even get a 7-day free trial before the charges become applicable. The app will enable you to read several other Manga titles including One Punch Man, One Piece, Naruto, My Hero Academia along with JJK.

Jujutsu Kaisen Chapter 237 Release Date

After Chapter 236 shows the death of the extremely important character, Gojo, at the hands of Mahoraga, it will be interesting to see how Akutami moves forward with the narrative.

This demise comes as a major gut punch to the readers who just saw Gojo win rather convincingly against Sukuna. Whether Gojo could be brought back in later chapters remains to be seen. But his incoming death could be the reason why he got to win so easily against Sukuna.

For more Jujutsu Kaisen updates, check out when the animes third season could arrive.

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Borrowers saddled with unmanageable student debt may wonder if they should have avoided college altogether.

Don't have second thoughts, one expert said  but with caveats.

"Higher education is absolutely worth it," Natalia Abrams, founder and president of the Student Debt Crisis Center, recently told Yahoo Finance Live (video above). "But student loans, no."

Americans owe over $1.7 trillion in federal student loan debt with a million borrowers defaulting every year. But at the same time, the cost of attendance  tuition, fees, room and board  has tripled in the past four decades such that even with financial aid, many lower and middle-income families can't afford it, creating a "funding gap," according to a Brookings Institution study.

That's why they rely on student loans.

"It's a difficult financial product for people to take on and there's so much dishonesty that goes on the back end," Abrams said. "So for loan borrowers, they may not feel that the loan itself is worth it, but the education is."

Read more: Student loan issues? Here's how to file a complaint with the Department of Education

The reality of college tuition debt was on display at the Northeastern University graduation at the TD Garden on May 3, 2019. (The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

One reason education is worth it has to do with job prospects. By 2027, 40% of all jobs are expected to require a bachelor's or master's degree, according to AAUW research.

And a majority of Americans do view higher education as valuable to get a well-paid stable career, according to New Americas Seventh Annual Survey on Higher Education, but they also believe it is unaffordable.

"We made a promise to young people in this country for generations work hard, go to school, get good grades, you'll go to a great college and that's your ladder into thriving in this country," Blake Zeff, the director of "Loan Wolves," a documentary about student loans, told Yahoo Finance Live. "Guidance counselors would tell these kids don't worry about these loans, you'll get a great job when you graduate. Everyone has these loans, and you'll pay them down easily."

Story continues

"The truth is these loans are very complicated financial instruments have compounding interest, which means that you could start paying down your debt right after college, but the interest is so high it multiplies and becomes impossible to get out from under it," Zeff said.

Fortunately, as of July 1, the Department of Education has eliminated the interest capitalization for borrowers in most income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, except for the IBR plan due to statutory regulations. Unfortunately, that doesnt help borrowers who for years had interest capitalized, turning a small principal balance into six-figure debt.

"In the documentary, Scott was the first person in his family to ever go to college and got a master's degree to be a teacher," Zeff said. "Scott initially was $35,000 in debt, but is now over $100,000 in debt due to interest."

When borrowers start repayment, it is the loan servicer that typically tells them about their repayment options.

Read more: Can you change your student loan repayment plan?

However, loan servicers havent always been fully transparent with borrowers, which is why the Biden administration is implementing the one-time IDR payment adjustment that counts certain previously ineligible months toward forgiveness. That helps to reverse some of the damage caused by servicers that did not properly track deferments or steered borrowers to forbearance instead of income-driven repayment plans that would have counted toward years of payment.

"The real problem with student loans is on the back end with compounding capitalizing events that is not explained by the loan servicer," Abrams said. "Our tax dollars pay for these loan servicers to just create more money problems for the student loan borrower."

Ronda is a personal finance senior reporter for Yahoo Finance and attorney with experience in law, insurance, education, and government. Follow her on Twitter @writesronda.

Click here for the latest personal finance news to help you with investing, paying off debt, buying a home, retirement, and more

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance
Attorneys for Ternell Brown allege she was "forcibly" taken by officers to an unmarked police facility and subjected to body cavity searches without her consent

Baton Rouge Police Department The unmarked Baton Rouge police warehouse facility that has since been closed

A 47-year-old Louisiana woman has filed a lawsuit alleging she was sexually humiliated by police officers who performed a body cavity search on her without her consent at an unmarked Baton Rouge police facility, which was permanently closed two weeks ago after allegations of abuse came to light.

On Sept. 18, Ternell Brown filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court, claiming she was taken to the alleged torture warehouse on June 10 after she was stopped by patrol officer while in the car with her husband. Her attorneys say the officers searched Browns car without consent, and that the officers claimed it was illegal to have different prescription medication in the same pill container, according to the complaint, which was reviewed by PEOPLE.

Mrs. Brown informed the officers a minimum of four times that she is in lawful possession of the pills as they had been prescribed to her, the lawsuit, which also names the city and Police Chief Murphy Paul Jr., states.

Her attorneys say her possession of the pills is not illegal. They claim that despite her pleas to officers, Brown was forcibly taken to the Brave Cave, a purported unmarked facility where members of the police departments Street Crimes Unit take suspects to interrogate them, gather intelligence, and attempt to 'flip' them to begin cooperating with BRPD.

According to the lawsuit, the officers took Brown there because they suspected she might be involved in illegal drug activity and had to determine whether there was probable cause to arrest her.

Browns attorneys say she was held at the facility for over two hours, during which at least three officers  two of whom are identified in the lawsuit as Troy Lawrence Jr. and Matthew Wallace  allegedly subjected her to strip and body cavity searches without her consent.

The defendants allegedly forced her to spread her vagina and buttocks for inspection and examined her vagina using a flashlight, the lawsuit says. Brown was eventually released from the facility without any charges. Following her release Brown tried to file a complaint in person at police headquarters but was allegedly told the officers had done nothing wrong and that her treatment was proper, per the suit.

Brown is the second person to have filed a lawsuit against the Baton Rouge Police Department and the city in recent weeks.

In a separate lawsuit filed on Aug. 29, Jeremy Lee, 21, alleged he was taken to the Brave Cave on Jan. 9 and was beaten so badly by officers that the local jail refused to admit him until he was treated by a nearby hospital. He reportedly suffered multiple broken bones and other injuries, and was never charged with a crime. The ordeal was captured on body-camera footage.

Like Browns filing, Lees filing names officers Lawrence Jr. and Wallace among the defendants.

Both lawsuits allege that Lawrence Jr., the son of BRPD Deputy Chief Troy Lawrence, has a history of complaints.

Numerous incidents have involved Troy Lawrence Jr. needless escalating ordinary encounters, strip-searching Black citizens, and responding to criticism with violence, Browns attorneys said in her lawsuit.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Referring to Wallace, Browns filing alleges he has also been investigated several times by Internal Affairs, including one recent incident involving a death in custody.

According to Lees filing, Lawrence Jr. resigned from the job in late August. The status of Wallace's employment is unclear.

NBC News, citing Police Chief Murphy Paul Jr., that Lawrence Jr. was arrested this week on suspicion of battery in a separate incident that allegedly took place while he was still on the force. Its unclear if Lawrence Jr. has been formally charged, or if he has an attorney to speak on his behalf.

In response to the lawsuits, LJean McNeely, a spokesman for the Baton Rouge Police Department, provided a statement to PEOPLE on Friday.

"The Baton Rouge Police Department is committed to addressing these troubling accusations and has initiated administrative and criminal investigations," the statement reads. "Chief Paul met with FBI officials and requested their assistance to ensure an independent review of these complaints. The Narcotics Processing Facility has been permanently closed and the Street Crimes Unit has been disbanded and reassigned."



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Read the original article on People.
Ms. Lauryn Hill, one of the headliners at the 2023 Global Citizen Festival, brought out Wyclef Jean and Pras for a surprise Fugees reunion in New York Citys Central Park on Saturday (Sept. 23). The formally dormant trio is back again on Hills ongoing 25th anniversary tour celebrating her Grammy album of the year-winning debut, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

Despite persistent sheets of rain badgering the crowd through the events six-hour runtime, Global Citizen attendees were captivated when Ms. Lauryn Hill took the stage to deliver a satisfying helping of Miseducation, from the timely Everything Is Everything (change, it comes eventually is a fitting rejoinder to any doubters of the organizations cause to end global poverty and tackle climate change) to Ex-Factor to Doo Wop (That Thing). Hills voice remains rich and resonant when she sings and fierce and dexterous when she spits; watching her, you find yourself alternating between joyous sing-alongs and immobile, mouth-agape moments.

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Following six tracks from her 1998 debut, Hill brought out her Fugees bandmates for four of the groups best loved songs. The trio ripped through How Many Mics with a fervor that made the wet ground seem to disappear from beneath your feet, and the ecstasy continued with a masterful reading of Ready or Not. Killing Me Softly With His Song brought the crowd back to reality in a beautiful way, with people sharing in the communal joy of experiencing an all-time classic surrounded by Manhattans iconic skyline at night (even if the tips of the skyscrapers disappeared into the storm clouds). After that, the trio trotted through a victory lap of Fu-Gee-La before exiting the stage ahead of Red Hot Chili Peppers set.

This isnt the first time the Fugees have spiced up Global Citizen with a reunion. The trio delivered Ready or Not during Hills 2021 set at the festival, which was one of their first performances together in 15 years. And it was far from the only surprise at Global Citizen Festivals 2023 edition: Jung Kook brought out unannounced guest Latto for a high-energy performance of their Hot 100 topper Seven; plus, just before the Fugees rocked the stage, Harlem DJ/producer D-Nice put together an all-star salute to #HipHop50, with genre pioneer Big Daddy Kane, rising star Rapsody, mic destroyer Busta Rhymes and legendary wordsmith Common celebrating hip-hop in the city that spawned it.

The 2023 edition of the fest was its most sustainable yet, with the stage made entirely out of repurposed and recycled materials, and the all-vegetarian menu coming with fully compostable packaging and utensils, among other initiatives. Global Citizen  which works to end extreme poverty, combat climate crisis and promote equity  began holding free, ticketed concerts in New York City in 2012 and has expanded to stages around the world, including the Power Our Planet concert in Paris in June.

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Celine Song s directorial debut was already my favorite movie of 2023 so far, but the Past Lives Blu-ray made me appreciate it even more. Featuring an informative commentary track, a great making-of featurette, and a handful of deleted scenes, the home video release is worth every penny. The film itself is even more impactful upon rewatch, with it being a thought-provoking and wonderful exploration of love, fate, and the what ifs that fill our lives.

Buy Past Lives on Blu-ray

Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrested apart after Noras family emigrates from South Korea, reads the synopsis. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.

Past Lives is anchored by an incredible performance by Greta Lee , who has a natural chemistry with co-star Teo Yoo and delivers one of the best scenes of the year during the films penultimate scene. Lees performance is particularly effective during the little moments that show that Nora is happy and comfortable in her current life, but who could possibly not flirt with the allure of what could have been? Beautiful New York City scenery coupled with raw emotion is a winning combination that really shines through.

The movies title is a reference to in-yun, a South Korean word referencing the shared fate that impacts our relationships with others. Its an idea that we meet the same people in each life, interacting with them in different manners. A lover might just be a stranger that you barely notice in another lifetime. If two people get married, they say its because there have been 8,000 layers of in-yun, over 8,000 lifetimes, Nora explains during the film. Its an endlessly fascinating subject. One that encaptures a bond that is hampered by both Nora and Hae Sung being at different places in their lives despite their shared connection.

There are plenty of special features that are worth checking out here. Bound by Fate, a 17-minute featurette that shows some great behind-the-scenes footage alongside Song and the stars discussing the film, is nicely edited and an intriguing watch. It also reveals the real-life inspiration for the movie, which Song explains and is really sweet. The five deleted scenes range from OK to interesting (a subway sequence is the most intriguing of them), although the film really didnt lose anything by not including them.

However, the big value add is the commentary track that features Song, Lee, and Yoo discussing the film, sharing great stories from production (Yoo has a group chat with the actors that play his Korean drinking friends), and exploring its themes. Particular highlights are the stories of filming scenes in South Korea from Song and Yoo, who explain some of the differences between how American and South Korean films are filmed, and the behind-the-scene details on how the Skype calls with internet issues were shot. These are exactly the types of details that inform viewers, helping them gain context and further appreciation for all aspects of the film. I cant recommend it enough.

Past Lives Blu-ray Review: The Final Verdict

While the film is truly special and is worth owning on its own merit, its the bonus features that make the Past Lives Blu-ray as easy a recommendation as possible. Song has delivered one of 2023s best movies and one that you will want to keep revisiting over time.

Disclosure: The publisher provided a copy for our Past Lives Blu-ray review.

The post Past Lives Blu-ray Review: Celine Songs Debut Is a Must Buy appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More.
"My dream to have a big family finally came true," says Phuong Doan, who hit it off with brother Juan Lewis when they met in person for the first time

Linda Truong Phuong Doan and Juan Lewis meet face-to-face in Katy, Texas

Juan Lewis says a fevered COVID-fueled dream led him on a search for a brother he never knew he had, while Phuong Doan believes his late mother had something to do with the vision. But both are basking in the joy of finding each other  and marveling that they live so close to each other in Texas.

I would pray to my mom, if you are somewhere, if you have anything you can do, help me find my dads side of the family, Doan, 51, tells PEOPLE. And I got that feeling when I heard from my brother. She helped me out.

Related: Complete Strangers Find Out They're Brothers Thanks to TV  and Now They're Making 'New Memories'

Lewis, who had retired from the Air Force in 2012, tells PEOPLE he was working in Germany for NATO in 2020 when he contracted COVID during the early stages of the pandemic. Lewis says he was near death and being treated in the hospitals ICU with a mixture of experimental drugs. He was hallucinating and having vivid dreams while fighting for his life.

I think only five of us made it out of ICU during that time frame, Lewis, 57, tells PEOPLE. And the five who made it out of there were in really, really, really bad shape.

During his hospital stay he says he experienced weird dreams about dying" as well as a recurring dream about a brother he didnt know. Lewis did have an older brother, Andre, 62, and half-sisters through his moms second marriage, but he didn't have any other brothers.

I said if I make it out of here, Im going to explore that," Lewis recalls.

Linda Truong Family members Glen Green,Kenneth Stueart, Chiquita Green, Ethan Stueart, Linda Truong, Phuong, Jeanette Lewis, Juan Lewis, Amara Holland, Janae Lewis Holland, Sonja Davis

Related: Woman Learns She's Daughter of Man with 'Swiss Family Robinson' Connection  and Finds Sister! (Exclusive)

However, that exploration ended up taking a backseat to his recovery.

When I got back to the States, I had to learn how to walk again. I had to learn a lot of basic life functions, Lewis says.

While Lewis was recovering, Doan was living in Minnesota and continuing his lifelong search for his American military police dad who had been stationed in Vietnam during the war.

"There's a lot of kids like me, half American, half Vietnamese, still over there," Doan says. "They are all dreaming of coming to what we call the father land."

My Extraordinary Family is PEOPLE's new series that explores fascinating families in all their forms. If you have a sweet story the world needs to know, send the details to love@people.com.

Doan grew up in Vietnam with his mom and grandmother. His mom disclosed little about his father except they met while she worked security and he was an MP at the local military base Long Bein near Saigon.

After troops left Vietnam, there was a tremendous amount of animosity towards anything American, especially Amerasian children. Doan says his mom tried to shield him from both the government and the people who hated seeing anything American, especially the mixed race children left behind.

My mom was afraid because the government didnt want (the Amerasian children) and my mom cant hide me all the time, Doan says. I look different from the kids in the neighborhood so it was very difficult for me. I just wanted to be with my dad. I prayed for that every day.

When the Amerasian Homecoming Act was signed in December 1987, the new law allowed the children of American servicemen to come to the United States as immigrants, not refugees, and granted entry to those who had a Western appearance. They could also bring family members with them.

Doans mom filled out the paperwork and accompanied her son to the States. It took almost two years before their request was granted and they came to Rochester, Minnesota, on Aug. 12, 1990.

I immediately wanted to go find my dad, but my mom got sick, explains Doan, who says he was about 18 at the time. She ended up at the hospital all the time, so we couldnt look. Then my mom passed away.



Related: Couple with 3 Kids Find Out They're Cousins After Taking DNA Test 10 Years Into Marriage: 'I Was in Shock'

On his own in a new country, Doan says he had no way of finding his dad. He only had his fathers name from the immigration paperwork: Melvin Lewis.

Doan settled into his life in Minnesota, had three children, and still tried finding his father.

When I turned 28, my son was born. Not long after that, my 2 daughters were born, Doan says. For many years, it was my dream to have a family. I wanted to find my dads side so I can have something about him that I can tell my kids.

He joined a genealogy site and submitted his DNA, but heard nothing.

Meanwhile, Lewis had taken almost two years to recover from COVID. After remembering his dreams about a brother he decided to join the genealogy website and submit his DNA in the hopes of getting a hit.

And lo and behold, it came back and said I had a match of a brother, but I thought they had made a mistake when I saw his name, Lewis says. Im a type A military guy so I just called them and said this cant be right. And they said no, its not mixed up. The results are right.

Linda Truong Juan Lewis and Phuong Doan

He thought about the Vietnamese name that had popped up and thought about his fathers two tours of duty in Vietnam, one around the time of Doans birth. Lewis says he had a lot of doubt, but also a lot of curiosity.

He emailed Doan  who had recently moved to Texas to be near his fiancee Linda  and said that his DNA results indicated they were siblings. Doan messaged back saying he had been working with a genealogist and was trying to find his father.

He said hed been trying to find his dad for 50 years, but I still wasnt sure I believed him, Lewis admits. Then we FaceTimed and I saw he was the spitting image of my dad. I didnt need to know anything more to convince me.

Then, Lewis had to tell Doan that their father had passed away in 1988.

I didnt really grow up with my dad, and he didnt talk to me for two years after I joined the Air Force in 1984 instead of the Army, Lewis says. We didnt have a good relationship.

Linda Truong

When he and Doan connected, he was surprised to learn his brother lived so close to him, just 7 miles away from where he went to high school.

The two hit it off immediately when they met in person on Sept. 3.

When you are almost on your deathbed, you think about all your life events and things, maybe I wasnt the best son and it was time to bury that, Lewis says. So now when I look at my brother, who looks just like my dad, its a second opportunity to rebuild a stronger relationship that I didnt have with my dad but with my brother.



Related: Woman Meets Biological Son She Never Knew Existed  All Thanks to DNA Test: 'Instant Love'

Doan says he originally thought about 70 people might come to their wedding, but now they're looking for a place to accommodate all of his new family members.

After many years of struggling to find my family, I finally found them, Doan says. This December, Im getting married to my lovely soulmate Linda, and finally my dads side of the family will all be there with me. My dream to have a big family finally came true.



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What to know about NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission

A seven-year-long NASA mission has come to an end with the first asteroid sample collected in space.

This capsule, the size of a microwave oven, landed safely on Sunday morning to a crowd of cheering spectators -- a bit earlier than planned but exactly in the manner it was supposed to land.

Before it landed, the capsule's cover was ejected at 102,000 feet above Earth's atmosphere, and rogue parachutes were deployed to stabilize it.

Operations for the capsule have begun. It will take several hours to recover and process it, officials said.

MORE: Asteroid that passes nearby could hit Earth in the future, NASA says

Back in September 2016, the federal space agency launched the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft on a daring mission to snare a batch of rocks from the asteroid Bennu, located about 200 million miles away.

The spacecraft is now heading back into Earth's orbit now and will jettison its cargo over the Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah. If successfully performed, it will release a capsule containing nearly nine ounces of rock and soil believed to be 4.5 billion years old.

OSIRIS-REx will be visible above Salt Lake City at 6:41 a.m. ET and will release its capsule 63,000 miles above Earth about a minute later.

PHOTO: In this photo provided by NASA, recovery teams participate in field rehearsals to prepare for the retrieval of the sample return capsule from NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission at the Department of Defense's Utah Test and Training Range on Aug. 29, 2023. (Keegan Barber/NASA via AP, FILE)

The spacecraft will then fly in tandem for 20 minutes before firing its thrusters to head off onto its next mission to the asteroid Adophis, reaching it in 2029.

NASA will air a live stream of the delivery beginning at 10 a.m. ET and the capsule will enter Earth's atmosphere around 10:42 a.m. ET. The canister cover will be ejected at 102,000 feet and the drogue parachutes will then be deployed to stabilize the capsule.

Finally, the capsule has a projected lading in the Utah dessert at 10:55 a.m. ET.

If OSIRIS-REx does not make this window, the next attempt would be in 2025 because that's when it will next orbit Earth.

Nicole Lunning, lead OSIRIS-REx sample curator -- who is responsible for taking care of the sample after landing -- said it could change what we know about the origins of the solar system.

MORE: Astronaut Frank Rubio marks 1 year in space after breaking US mission record

"This sample is so important because it's really going to give us a new insight into understanding how our solar system formed and the building blocks of life that may have been contributed to the planets on Earth as well as if we have life elsewhere in our solar system," she told ABC News.

To be mindful about organic contaminants, the samples will be stored in a hyper clean room built just for the mission in Building 31 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where all the Apollo moon rocks were also processed.

Lunning said that just about any scientist from the broader community who requests a sample will be able to receive one as soon as possible.

"There are hundreds of scientists around the world who are super excited to be able to study these samples to answer new scientific questions that we haven't been able to answer with the samples that we have on Earth right now," she said.

PHOTO: A hyper clean room that was built just for OSIRIS-REx mission samples in Building 31 at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. (ABC News)

This is not the first time NASA has attempted a sample return mission. In 2004, NASA's Genesis was returning to Earth after collecting solar wind particles when Its drogue parachute did not deploy, and it crashed in Utah. Most of the samples were damaged but some were successfully recovered.

Two years later, another sample return mission, Stardust, landed successfully after collecting samples from Comet Wild 2 and interstellar dust.

What to know about NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
President Joe Biden's job approval rating is 19 points underwater, his ratings for handling the economy and immigration are at career lows. A record number of Americans say they've become worse off under his presidency, three-quarters say he's too old for another term and Donald Trump is looking better in retrospect -- all severe challenges for Biden in his reelection campaign ahead.

Forty-four percent of Americans in the latest ABC News/Washington Post poll say they've gotten worse off financially under Biden's presidency, the most for any president in ABC/Post polls since 1986. Just 37% approve of his job performance, while 56% disapprove. Still fewer approve of Biden's performance on the economy, 30%.

On handling immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, Biden's rating is even lower, with 23% approval. In terms of intensity of sentiment, 20% strongly approve of his work overall, while 45% strongly disapprove. And the 74% who say he's too old for a second term is up 6 percentage points since May. Views that Trump is too old also are up, but to 50% in this poll, produced for ABC by Langer Research Associates.

PHOTO: Biden approval poll graphic (ABC News/Washington Post)

Such is down-on-Biden sentiment that if a government shutdown occurs at month's end, 40% say they'd chiefly blame him and the Democrats in Congress, versus 33% who'd pin it on the Republicans in Congress -- even given the GOP infighting behind the budget impasse.

See PDF for full results, charts and tables.

Trump

Trump, for his part, has improved in retrospect. When he reluctantly left office in January 2021, 38% approved of his work as president, essentially the same as Biden's rating now. But currently, looking back, 48% say they approve of Trump's performance when he was in office -- matching his peak as president. Essentially as many -- 49% -- now disapprove, down from 60% when he left the White House.

Comparison with Biden may be a factor. Among the 56% of Americans who disapprove of Biden's work in office, a wide 75% say that, looking back, they approve of Trump.

It's also notable that Trump has an even split in his retrospective job approval rating even as most Americans continue to reject his assertion that the 2020 election was stolen from him. Sixty percent of Americans instead say Biden legitimately won, and an additional 12% have no opinion; 29% think Biden did not win legitimately.

Election

These views play into early-stage election preferences. A remarkable 62% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the party should pick someone other than Biden as its nominee in 2024; just a third back Biden. Desire for a different candidate is at a numerical high, but also consistent with past results (56 to 58%) the past year.

Who, if not Biden, is an open question. In an open-ended question, 8% express a preference for Kamala Harris, 8% for Bernie Sanders and 7% for Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with other mentions in the low single digits. Just "someone else" comes in at 20%.

Trump has far broader intraparty support; 54% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents favor him for the GOP nomination, again similar to previous results, and well ahead of his opposition. Ron DeSantis has 15% support, compared with 25% (using a slightly different question approach) in May. All others are in single digits.

PHOTO: poll presidential election (ABC News/Washington Post)

Head-to-head in a hypothetical November 2024 matchup, Trump has 51% support while Biden has 42% -- numerically up 3 points for Trump and down 2 points for Biden from an ABC/Post poll in February, shifts that are not statistically significant.

There's even less change from the most recent ABC/Post poll in May, which had the race at 49-42% (again with a different, but comparable, question wording). Still, with Trump inching over 50% -- and other polls showing a closer contest -- a close look is warranted.

Factors

A variety of factors may be at play. Biden's poor performance ratings, the extent of economic discontent, the immigration crisis and doubts about his age clearly are relevant. All have been the subject of extensive recent news coverage, focusing public discourse on negatives for the president. Trump, meanwhile, has used his criminal indictments to bolster his base through claims of political persecution and enjoys positive coverage of his GOP frontrunner status.

Question order can be a factor. As is customary for ABC/Post polls at this still-early stage of an election cycle, this survey asked first about Biden and Trump's performance, economic sentiment and a handful of other issues (Ukraine aid, abortion and a government shutdown) before candidate preferences. That's because these questions are more germane than candidate support in an election so far off. Since many results are negative toward Biden, it follows that he's lagging in 2024 support. Nonetheless, those sentiments are real, have been consistently negative in recent surveys and clearly mark Biden's challenges ahead.

Another possible factor is message-sending. A hypothetical vote-preference question 14 months before an election is predictive of nothing; it's best seen as an opportunity for the public to express its like or dislike of the candidates. Biden is broadly unpopular and doubts about his suitability for a second term are extensive; wherever they end up in more than a year, a substantial number of Americans today are taking the opportunity to express their displeasure.

In one example of message-sending, among people who say Trump should be prohibited by the U.S. Constitution from serving again as president, 18% also support him over Biden for 2024. Such people seem to be expressing their antipathy toward Biden, not their support for Trump.

In terms of sampling, this survey was conducted using the ABC/Post poll's longstanding methodology. Demographic results are typical. So are partisan preferences; 25% of respondents identify themselves as Democrats, 25% as Republicans and 42% as independents. Forty-one percent are Democrats or independents who lean toward the Democratic Party; 45% are Republicans or lean toward the GOP, consistent this year.

Additionally, survey respondents who say they voted in 2020 report having supported Biden over Trump by 50-46%, very close to the actual outcome, 51-47%.

Groups

Trump-Biden results are essentially identical among those who report being registered to vote, 52-42%. Some polling analysts focus on this group, even though there's more than a year to register, an activity on which political campaigns expend great effort. We focus on the general population at this stage to give all adults a voice, regardless of their current registration status.

Even with the public's general discontent with Biden, some group-level results are notable. Among them:

Biden has just 50% support from members of racial and ethnic minority groups (the same as in May), while Trump has inched up from 32 to 39 to 43% support in this group in this year's ABC/Post polls. Among Hispanics, it's a surprising 50-44%, Trump-Biden, albeit with a small sample.



Among 18- to 35-year-olds, Trump has a slight 53-38% advantage (marginally significant at this sample size). Still, that essentially matches what it was in May, and Trump also was numerically ahead in this group (albeit not significantly) by 50-43% in February.



Trump has gained 7 points from May among men, now a 61-34% result against Biden. That's led by a 15-point gain for Trump among non-college-educated white men, a mainstay group for him, to 79% support.



Americans continue to oppose the U.S. Supreme Court ruling ending the constitutional right to an abortion, 64-30%. Biden is preferred to Trump by critics of that decision by 57-35%. Supporters of the ruling favor Trump by a much wider 81-16%.



Preferences have fluctuated among non-Hispanic white Catholics, often a contested group. They supported Trump over Biden by 63-33% in February; this shrank to a dead heat in May; and it's back to 66-32% now.



Among people who reported having voted for Trump in 2020, 96% still support him now. Biden, though, retains fewer of his 2020 supporters, 88%. Of the rest, 7% support Trump now (up from 3% in February), with the rest undecided, supporting another candidate or not planning to participate.



Among people who say they did not vote in 2020, Trump has a 57-32% advantage currently. This was 52-31% in May.



Among the 62% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents who oppose Biden for the nomination, 16% say they'd vote for Trump over Biden.



The relationship between candidate preference and economic sentiment is strong. Among the 44% of Americans who say they've gotten worse off financially under Biden's presidency, Trump has an 84-12% advantage. Among those who are in the same shape financially -- not worse, but also not better off -- it flips to 66-25%, Biden-Trump, and is similar among the comparatively few who are better off.

The economy

PHOTO: Poll on the economy (ABC News/Washington Post)

Candidate-preference results also are differentiated by ratings of the national economy -- which 74% overall rate negatively, with sharp partisan differences. The poll probed for details on that sentiment, finding two major irritants: food prices, rated negatively (as not so good or poor) by 91%; and gas and energy prices, rated negatively by 87%.

Not that other ratings are rosy: Seventy-five percent rate the incomes of average Americans negatively. It's much lower for the unemployment rate, 57% -- but still negative, given the dark public mood.

Methodology

This ABC News/Washington Post poll was conducted by landline and cellular telephone Sept. 15-20, 2023, in English and Spanish, among a random national sample of 1,006 adults. Partisan divisions are 25-25-42%, Democrats-Republicans-independents. Results have a margin of sampling error of 3.5 percentage points, including the design effect. Sampling error is not the only source of differences in polls.

The survey was produced for ABC News by Langer Research Associates, with sampling and data collection by Abt Associates of Rockville, Md. See details on the surveys methodology here.

Trump edges out Biden 51-42 in head-to-head matchup: POLL originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Chicken is one of the most popular types of meat around the world, but that doesn't mean it's the easiest to cook. As white meat, chicken is prone to drying out fast, and can become tough and stringy. Its gentle flavor may give it an enviable versatility, but it also means that unless it's prepared well, it can end up being pretty tasteless.

That's where brining comes in. An ancient preparation method, brining involves soaking meats like chicken, fish, turkey, or beef in a liquid, and giving it time for that liquid to permeate the meat's proteins. In doing so, it gives the meat additional moisture, adds flavor, and makes it more tender. Brining is related to marinating, a similar process of soaking meat in a flavorful concoction, but it has a slightly different primary intention. While marinating focuses mainly on adding extra taste to meat, brining's main goal is to give it moisture.

Brining solutions can be simple concoctions combining salt, water, sugar, and just a few flavorings. But there are also plenty of liquids out there that work excellently as brining solutions that you might not suspect, and which can add totally unique flavors to chicken -- and some of them might be sitting in your refrigerator or your cupboard this very second.

Read more: 15 Tricks For Making The Most Crispy Chicken Thighs Ever

Milk

chicken being brined in milk - Marioguti/Getty Images

Combining milk and chicken might not be your first instinct, but we urge you to give it a try. Brining chicken in milk is especially effective at creating extra moisture and tenderness due to the liquid's composition. Milk, as we all know from our school days, contains calcium, and this calcium reacts with the chicken's enzymes when the two are combined. This helps the chicken to gently tenderize, while also soaking up all of the moisture in the milk.

The calcium is helped by the lactic acid that exists in milk, which assists in further softening the chicken. And the liquid also has a few extra attributes that make it well-suited to the meat. Milk has a gentle, neutral flavor, which pairs well with the natural mildness of chicken, and stops it from overpowering the taste of the meat. It also works brilliantly as a base for other, stronger flavors, as it does in buttermilk fried chicken, where the dairy flavors help to highlight the spicier, saltier notes. Brining chicken in milk is also a great choice if you're using especially fiery flavors in your eventual dish and don't want them to be too powerful, thanks to the casein helping to temper the spice.

Pickle Juice

pickle juice in glass with pickles - Viktoriya Telminova/Getty Images

If you haven't used pickle juice to brine your chicken yet, you're missing out. Anyone who's tried pickle-brined fried chicken will be able to tell you that using pickle juice gives your meat a boost of flavor and a serious salty sourness. Pickle juice is primarily made with vinegar, water, and salt, with additional flavors added in. While this makes it similar in structure to the standard salt-and-sugar solution you make at home to brine your Thanksgiving turkey, the added vinegar works to gently tenderize the meat.

The added spices, and the flavor of the pickles themselves, also give pickle juice an extra kick of flavor -- and as pickle juice has had time to develop while the pickles soak, this flavor is often way more developed and nuanced than we give it credit for. Using leftover pickle juice as a brine is also a great idea from a food waste perspective, and stops you from pouring it all down the sink. If you don't have a large amount of pickle juice to use, even just a little bit added to a regular brine will give it a kick of extra flavor. You can also mix it into buttermilk, for a sour, creamy brine.

Chicken Broth

chicken broth in bowl - Mironov Vladimir/Shutterstock

If you want your chicken to taste like, well, chicken, this brine is the way to go. Chicken broth is a natural choice for brining chicken, thanks to its inexpensive nature, its saltiness, and its inherent savory flavors. The salt in chicken broth helps the moisture to get into the meat more effectively, and these broths are often flavored with herbs and well-chosen spices that give any meal immediate depth, and which takes the work of trying to figure out quantities of aromatics in a DIY broth out of the equation.

Chicken broth is especially effective at boosting the umami levels in your chicken, giving it a more well-rounded flavor. A study conducted by Knorr in association with Kantar found that when chicken was brined with chicken broth, almost all of the chefs who used it found that their eventual dish had way more umami (per Unilever Food Solutions). The vast majority of chefs also found that broth-brined chicken made all of the other flavors in a meal richer and punchier. They also found that they achieved this effect by using just a small amount of broth powder in a brine. For the best results, it's advisable to submerge your chicken in as much broth as possible.

Tea

different tea varieties in box - Lunanaranja/Getty Images

Tea may seem like an out-there choice for a brine, but its unique structure makes it a particularly effective choice. The majority of teas (apart from herbal ones like ginseng, jasmine, and ginger) have tannins in them. These are chemical compounds that are also found in wine, and which give tea both its darker color and its slightly bitter taste. But these tannins also have an effect on the proteins in chicken and can help to tenderize the meat, while also imparting and boosting flavor. The liquid content in the tea, meanwhile, helps to keep the chicken moist.

As different types of tea can taste pretty different, the type you use will inevitably have an effect on the flavor of your chicken. Darker, stronger-flavored teas will produce more of a pronounced taste, while more floral-focused teas like Earl Grey will add delicacy and variation to your meal. If you want to make your chicken really interesting, try steeping whole spices in the tea, allowing them to infuse before adding your meat. Bear in mind, too, that like other brines, you'll need to leave your chicken in your tea solution for a good amount of time for it to achieve maximum flavor. Let it soak at least overnight, and for up to 24 hours if you have the time.

Beer

glasses of differently-colored beer - Mar Fernandez/Shutterstock

Beer doesn't just go well with chicken -- it works inside it, too. A beer brine has some distinct advantages over other liquid brines, thanks to its light alcohol content. Alcohol reacts positively with fat and works to permate the fats in chicken meat, making everything way more moist. The water content of beer, meanwhile, also helps to keep the meat juicy and tender and also stops the alcohol from reacting too harshly with the chicken's protein, inadvertently causing it to toughen up and begin converting to a cooked state. Importantly, diluting stronger beers with water will help to prevent this.

Beer also has a unique, complex flavor, that's all too often missed when it's being drunk casually. It has a maltiness and a slight sourness that other brines find difficult to replicate, and which work superbly with the natural flavors of chicken. Different types of beers will give a different taste: Stronger ales will be meatier and denser, whereas lagers or pilsners will have more of a lightness to them. It's useful to combine beer with other aromatics in brine, like onions and garlic, to make sure you're getting a well-rounded flavor profile. Remember to add salt to your brine, too, to highlight the notes in the beer properly. 

Apple Juice

apple juice and apples - Tacojim/Getty Images

Apple juice isn't just for drinking, folks. This classic morning beverage can also work effectively as a brine. With its high 88% water content, apple juice provides the moisture that chicken brines need to imbue the meat with juiciness. As the rest of apple juice is predominantly made up of sugars, it provides ample sweetness and helps to impart a gently floral taste to your chicken.

It can be helpful to balance the flavors in apple juice brine with a good amount of salt and other aromatics so that your chicken doesn't end up too sweet or one-note. As it's naturally acidic, apple juice also has a tenderizing effect on meat -- although it's important to be careful with which one you choose, as too much acidity can turn your chicken to mush. Tart apple juices can be sharper and more acidic than those made with certain types like Delicious or Golden Delicious apple varieties. The best thing to do is to give it a taste test. If your apple juice tastes too sharp, dilute it with some water, and add more flavor to the brine by pouring in more salt and sugar. 

Coca-Cola

person pouring coke from bottle - Asadykov/Getty Images

Coca-Cola has way more uses in the kitchen than you might think. As well as being at home in glazes and braising solutions (and also part of our favorite cleaning hacks), Coke is also awesome in a brine. Coca-Cola has a tenderizing effect on chicken and other types of meat, thanks to its low pH level of 2.6-2.7. This acidity has a deconstructive effect on protein molecules, breaking down the amino acids to make the formerly tough cells soft and moreish.

Coca-Cola also provides plenty of taste in every sip, thanks to its high levels of sweetness and caramelized, slightly spicy flavor notes. When used in brine, all of this ends up in your chicken, giving it a deep, mellow flavor. Crucially, though, you shouldn't brine your meat in Coke for too long. The longer that chicken hangs out in a Coca-Cola solution, the more the proteins break down, and if left for long enough, they will completely disintegrate. We would recommend always cutting your Coca-Cola with a good amount of water (which is alkaline when from the tap, with a pH level of 7.4) to stop it from destroying your meat. Alternatively, only brine your chicken for a short window. 

Salt And Sugar Water Solution

chicken wings soaking in brine - Jade Y/Shutterstock

Why mess with the best? There are plenty of reasons why the classic brine recipe for chicken and other poultry, combining simply salt, sugar, and water, has been around for so long. Salt-sugar-water solutions are easy to make and use readily available, cheap ingredients that you'll usually have somewhere in your home. Their core ingredients provide exactly what you need from a brine, with the salt working to simultaneously soften the meat and season it from within, while the sugar provides flavor and helps the chicken caramelize when it's cooked. The salt also causes the chicken to soak up the water in the brine, helping to safeguard against moisture loss when it's cooked.

Ideally, you'll want to aim for between a 10:1-20:1 ratio of water to salt -- so, if you're using a liter of water, use between 50-100 grams of salt, and slightly less sugar. It's advisable to use a lower-concentration brine if you're planning to soak your meat for longer periods so that it doesn't absorb too much salt. You can use pretty much any salt you have to hand in your brine, and it's best not to use your most expensive kind -- save that for seasoning your chicken at the end. Remember, too, that a salt-sugar-water solution is the perfect foundation for any and all herbs, spices, or vegetables that you also want to include for extra flavor. 

Wine

pouring red wine into glass - Alexander_Kuzmin/Shutterstock

Wine has many functions for food beyond just accompanying it, and one key function is its use in brining solutions. Well-made wines have incredibly developed flavors, and depending on the wine you choose, can provide fruity, tangy, or even meaty notes. Using white wine in a brine can give your chicken a crisp, citrusy edge, while a full-bodied red can give your meat a bold color and chocolatey or cherry-like flavors. The alcohol in the wine will also help to break up the fats in the chicken, making everything way juicier and easier to eat.

Wine is also acidic, which will assist in tenderizing the tougher parts of the chicken, although like other acidic liquids, you'll want to dilute them with water. Importantly, you should always try and align your other flavor elements with the wine you're using. If you're going for a fruity Riesling or a Moscato, throw in some orange and apple slices, to amp up the zestiness. If, on the other hand, you're using a spicy Syrah or Grenache, pair this with some cloves, allspice, or juniper berries. As an added bonus, you can then pair the wine you used in your brine with the chicken during your meal.

Feta Brine

feta cheese with feta brine - BN OKUR/Shutterstock

Feta commonly comes packed in brine, and that brine usually ends up being poured away once you're done with the cheese. But in our view, it should be put to good use. Marinating or brining chicken in feta cheese is a little-known, but effective trick to create juiciness and flavor. Feta brine is, essentially, a more flavorful and developed version of a regular salt-water solution, with the cheese giving it a creaminess and light sourness that works excellently with chicken. The more aged your feta is, the more pronounced the taste of the brine will be.

Feta brines are especially effective as the sheep's milk cheese is abundant in calcium and lactic acid, both of which have a softening effect on the chicken. And if you can't wait to get through your cheese to use its brine, you're in luck. You can use the already-flavorful brine, and create a replacement one for your feta using a simple salt-water solution so that it doesn't dry out in the fridge. We would recommend pairing feta-brined chicken with similar flavors when you cook it, for example by stuffing it with feta, spinach, and pine nuts. 

Kimchi Juice

jar of kimchi - Andriy Blokhin/Shutterstock

Anyone who's tried kimchi will know that its flavor is unlike nothing else out there, with a combination of sweetness, spice, funk, and salt that's totally moreish. And all of those flavors can be put to good use once you've finished the jar, by utilizing its brine for chicken. Brining your fried chicken in kimchi has a similar effect to using a pickle brine but with even more complexity and punch. Kimchi is made using spicy gochugaru flakes, garlic, fish sauce, dried shrimp, and ginger, and when it's all fermented with the vegetables used, it creates a spicy and deeply flavored juice.

The fermentation process also produces lactic acid. This has slightly less tartness than the raw vinegar used in pickle juice but still works as a tenderizer for the meat. This is helped by the high salt content of kimchi juice, which helps the chicken draw in liquid more effectively. Kimchi juice can be diluted with another solution, like buttermilk, which can add more flavor notes and also help to tone down its spice. Just remember that ideally, you'll only want to use kimchi juice from a jar that's almost finished. Removing it can cause the vegetables in the solution to dry out and lose flavor. 

Orange Juice

orange juice and sliced oranges - Fcafotodigital/Getty Images

Orange flavors pair superbly with chicken, which makes orange juice a natural choice in sauces and marinades. But it can also give your brines a boost. Orange juice gives sweetness and tartness to chicken brines, and its acid levels can make the meat way more succulent. The sugars in orange juice will also help the chicken develop a sweet browned crust when it's cooked, and all of that flavor will soak deep into the chicken flesh, removing the risk of a bland, dry meal.

Orange juice should always be diluted with water when used in a brine, so as not to denature the protein too much and break it down. As orange juice can be quite sweet, make sure that you include ample amounts of salt in your brine -- remember, you'll want your final meal to have savory notes as well as sweet ones. Orange juice works especially well with herbal flavors, like rosemary, thyme, and parsley. Stirring a bouquet garni into your orange juice brine can give it further flavor notes, and cut through the juice's sweetness effectively.

Read the original article on Daily Meal.
A-List travel advisor Zach Rabinor shares his tips for a perfect vacation in the city.

Courtesy of Casa Dragones Sit down for an intimate tasting at small-batch tequila producer Casa Dragones, in San Miguel de Allende.

The city of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, affectionally nicknamed San Miguel, offers gorgeous colonial architecture, quaint cobblestone streets, and the main square's iconic pink parish, the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel. The city's charm draws visitors from all corners of the globe, many of whom spend the winter or move full time, adding a cosmopolitan air to a town brimming with character. A go-to for romantics, creatives, and foodies, San Miguel has rightly been voted the World's Best City multiple times in the past by Travel + Leisure readers.

At Journey Mexico, a luxury travel company, I specialize in seamless experiences that connect discerning travelers with Mexico's cultural and historic heritage, natural wealth, and active adventures. After countless trips to San Miguel, here are my 12 top tips for maximizing your visit.

Fly Under the Radar

Many travelers make the four-hour journey from Mexico City to San Miguel de Allende, but it's worth remembering that Guanajuato Airport (BJX) is just a 1.5 drive away and has connectivity through California, Chicago, and Texas.

Skip the Rental Car

San Miguel is essentially a small town, with many of its cobblestone streets and winding alleyways closed off for pedestrian use. I recommend skipping the rental car  limited parking downtown can be stressful and you can get to most places on foot within 20 minutes.

Anna Haines/Travel + Leisure In San Miguel, a top pedestrian destination is the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel, the citys famous cathedral.

Take it Slow

Downtown San Miguel is ideal for wandering, checking out cafes, boutiques, and galleries as you go. Leave room for spontaneous stops, as a lot of the coolest venues can be found in old buildings that have turned into multifunctional spaces, including art galleries, stores, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

Listen to Live (Free) Music

Live music is king in San Miguel, with many bars and restaurants hosting bands, solo musicians, or DJs. At sunset, the heartfelt croons of mariachis fill the main square. If you're lucky, you might catch a callejoneada, a celebration in which wedding parties parade through the streets with a band and colorful adornments.



Jeremy Woodhouse/Getty Images A mariachi band performs on the steps of Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel cathedral.

Make Reservations

Book ahead if you've got your heart set on a particular bar or restaurant. This is a must on weekends, and I'd strongly suggest reserving for weekdays too  Opentable is great for easy online reservations.



Buy From Local Artists

Downtown San Miguel is brimming with art galleries and specialty shops, but make sure to visit the artisan markets too. Browse colorful papier-mache creations, handmade blown-glass hearts, and brass trinkets, from the city's emblematic "burning heart" design to larger pieces like lighting fixtures and geometrical stars.



Jason Gallant/Getty Images Ornate "burning hearts" are a popular motif in San Miguel de Allende.

Pack Mindfully

In a town where cobblestone streets are part of the allure, skip the heels and opt for comfortable shoes. Packing lots of layers is also key  while you can get away with shorts and a t-shirt in the daytime, it can get chilly after the sun goes down, especially in winter. You can stay warm and enjoy amazing views from the Rosewood San Miguel de Allende's Luna Rooftop, a tapas bar where cozy wool blankets are provided.

Perfect Your Drink Order

Travelers can sit down for intimate tequila tastings at Casa Dragones, a premium small-batch, San Miguel-based producer. Or, shake up the dynamic with mixology tastings and classes at Bekeb or Hotel Matilda's Monkey Bar.



Sip Local Wines

Just outside the city, Cuna de Tierra's vineyard is known as the state of Guanajuato's first winery (it released its first wines for sale in 2008). Sit down for the gourmet lunch and wine pairing with beautiful landscape views.

Courtesy of Cuna de Tierra Cuna de Tierra vineyard is a 40-minute drive from the city center of San Miguel de Allende.

Get Cooking

The city's gastronomic offerings range from taco carts to fine dining to creative culinary classes. I love arranging for travelers to meet private chefs to shop together at the local markets and make mole from scratch, as well as eating out in restaurants like Moxi, Aperi, and Zumo. San Miguel's rooftop bars are a must for sunset drinks: try Trazo 1810 for 360-degree panoramas views.

Study Mexican Folk Art

Learn about San Miguel's iconic mojigangas, huge papier-mache puppets, and make your own mini-mojiganga at Casa de Sierra Nevada, A Belmond Hotel, San Miguel de Allende with resident artist Hermes Arroyo.

Kobby Dagan/VW Pics/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Mojiganga puppets at the Valle del Maiz festival, in San Miguel de Allende.

Beat the Crowds

San Miguel tends to get busy on weekends with both domestic and international travelers. Aim to schedule your excursions on the weekend so you have the weekdays free to stroll around town with less people. Our long weekend escape itinerary can give you some ideas.



Zachary Rabinor is a member of Travel + Leisure's A-List of travel advisors and creates custom trips across Mexico. All of the experiences mentioned above can be arranged as part of a tailor-made itinerary by contacting the Journey Mexico team, or emailing info@journeymexico.com.



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Corn is everywhere in the American household. This ubiquitous crop is on our plates, in our products, and even in our gas tanks. Maybe it's because of its versatility -- it can be considered a vegetable or grain, depending on when you harvest it. Because it has been modified to resist all kinds of external threats, a bumper crop is ensured every time so you can have perfect corn on the cob every summer.

Yes, corn is a modern wonder of technology found everywhere thanks to Big Agriculture (Big AG) -- those corporate entities that make millions from pushing factory-farmed corn across the country.

But this abundant crop has a dark side. Industrial farming with advanced technology has done far more harm than good to the planet, farmers, cattle, and workers. There are even questions about the health impacts and safety of Big AG corn.

The way America farms corn puts the entire industry and our food supply at risk. There are many things that the corn industry does not want you to know.

Read more: Mistakes You're Making With Your Corn On The Cob

Corn Farming Methods Increase Air Pollution

tractor and corn crops - Fotokostic/Shutterstock

Right off the bat, corn farming was recently found to be one of the top causes of air pollution. Studies show that 16% of all pollution caused by humans can be attributed to industrial farming processes including fertilization, seeding, and harvesting. These processes cause small, toxic particles to enter the atmosphere that we can actually inhale.

Recently, some researchers wanted to explore this problem in more depth. In the first study of its kind, the journal Nature Sustainability published a 2019 report that broke down each process involved with industrial corn farming and how they contribute to air pollution. They looked at the entire pre-harvest process around the U.S., from farming to fertilizer manufacturers. By combining corn production and emission models with what is known about how pollution impacts human health, they discovered that corn farming could be responsible for a stunning 4,300 premature human deaths per year.

GMO Corn May Be Bad For You

inspector looking at corn crop - Casarsaguru/Getty Images

Most corn in the U.S. today is produced by Big AG. These companies use genetically modified organisms (GMOs) to create herbicide-resistant corn. Bt corn is a GMO that carries a pesticide to ward off pests. The health hazards of this product are hotly debated. GMO foods have been accused of being an allergy trigger even though research shows that they are no more likely to cause an allergic reaction than their non-GMO counterparts.

Another accusation links GMOs to cancer and other health conditions. While the American Cancer Society has said there is no evidence linking the GMO pesticide, glyphosate, to cancer, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization (WHO), called GMOs a potential carcinogen in 2015. The WHO dismissed the study, calling it tainted, but the agency disagrees. That said, many other studies are calling the safety of glyphosate into question. For example, new research has linked it to non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Another challenge of GMO crops is that it allows for the rise of super pests. In Canada, the corn borer -- a moth that can devastate crops -- adapted to resist genetic modifications. Over time, according to some researchers, a similar resistance could become widespread among moth populations. If crops are at risk from pesticide-resistant pests, stronger -- and potentially more harmful -- solutions may be developed to protect corn.

Industrial Corn Farming Creates Toxic Algae

toxic algae in water - mivod/Shutterstock

Most of us understand that our oceans are polluted by many byproducts of modern convenience. Corn is no exception. Across America, our watershed resources are falling victim to toxic algae. This issue is primarily caused by industrial corn farming. These algae blooms come from the runoff of the phosphorus and nitrogen found in corn fertilizer. Algae outbreaks force authorities to shut off water supplies, which can cause water shortages.

Ironically, these fertilizers were promoted as an eco-friendly way to farm. The U.S. Farm Bill has authorized programs in the past that encouraged fertilizer runoff. Although they are not harmful themselves, they create a toxic form of algae in the water. Even the Environmental Protection Agency recognizes "nutrient pollution" as one of the country's worst problems contributing to climate change.

The issue is so prevalent that NASA recently designated satellite tools to track these algae blooms, which can clearly be seen from space. They estimate that nearly 2,000 tons of marine life have been killed due to these blooms, including fish, sea turtles, and marine mammals. And that damage is not just limited to wildlife. When algae come ashore at beaches, harmful toxins are released into the air that can cause respiratory problems in humans.

Corn-Based Ethanol Could Be Even Worse For The Environment Than Gasoline

ethanol factory blowing pollution - Simplycreativephotography/Getty Images

A recent study shows that ethanol, derived from corn, contributes far more to global warming [Note: That's a fairly well disguised misinformation site, hence the slide exclusion.] than regular gasoline. The research was published in February of 2022 and was partly funded by the National Wildlife Federation and the U.S. Department of Energy. The study concluded that ethanol releases far more carbon into the atmosphere than gasoline derived from petroleum. The main culprit here? Once again, industrial farming deserves the credit.

This study examined the U.S. renewable fuel standard, which has regulated fuel standards since 2005. The regulation requires all fuel produced in the U.S. has renewable fuel mixed into it. In other words, all standard gasoline available today has ethanol mixed in. Since then, the corn industry has grown and greatly profited from this regulation.

The Renewable Fuels Association accuses the study of faulty methods and incorrect assumptions. In 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture performed its own study, which claimed that the carbon emission of ethanol was far below gasoline. The debate continues, but with climate change at the forefront of politics, the corn industry needs to answer for its process.

Corn Crops Are One Of The Most Wasteful

man irrigating corn crops - Simonskafar/Getty Images

Factory-farmed corn is an incredibly wasteful crop. First, it requires a large amount of water to thrive. Because the corn industry is so immense -- comprising about a third of all industrial farming in America -- that the need for water during dry seasons and periods of drought is high. Irrigation must be employed, but as of 2017, corn uses more irrigation water than any other crop in the U.S. with some 12 million acres of irrigated farmland. Some systems are inefficient, too. The increased need for irrigation also leads to more fertilizer runoff and nutrient pollution.

Plus, much of the harvested crop ends up as waste. Only about a third of America's corn harvest is used for food today; the rest is split equally between ethanol and livestock feed. Nearly 50% of harvested plants are tossed aside and burned by many corn producers, including stalks, leaves, husks, and cobs. Researchers are now seeking ways to repurpose this corn waste into activated carbon rather than add more injury to the environment with these fires.

Corn Is Harmful To Ecosystems Around The Globe

man inspecting corn crop - Casarsaguru/Getty Images

From the U.S. to Brazil to the Amazon rainforest, the demand for corn has led to a loss of natural ecosystems. Factory-grown corn relies on monocropping, which destroys the beneficial biodiversity found in nature.

In traditional farming, land and crops are rotated. This is key to keeping the soil healthy, ensuring a plentiful harvest every season. Industrial farming, on the other hand, employs monocropping -- the process of exhausting the land by planting the same thing over and over. How did it become so popular?

Decades ago, global leaders wanted to create solutions to combat hunger. They believed that monoculture was the best way to increase crop yields. By creating large industrial farms dedicated to a single crop, they saved time and money.

However, with monocropping, when a crop fails -- as it might during a drought or when pests successfully work their way through the field -- it fails spectacularly.

But it gets worse. Countries around the world are destroying their native ecosystems to plant this monocrop. For example, Brazil's increase in corn production has increased deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest. And in Africa, water resources in areas at risk of drought are being depleted by corn irrigation. Such widespread loss of natural biodiversity and resources leaves us at serious risk of a global environmental disaster.

Industrial Corn Farming Creates New Risks

corn borer on corn cob - Bigc Studio/Shutterstock

Industrial corn farming also can breed new diseases. Scientists are already warning that a new pandemic danger could arise that impacts high yield crops instead of people. Once again, monocropping is at the root of the issue. When so many acres of farmland are dedicated to a single crop, the risk of a virus or bacteria wiping out much of the yield is comparatively high.

It's happened before. In the 1970s, a fungus swept through the U.S. Corn Belt, devastating 15% of the anticipated harvest. And today? Recently, a new bacterial disease spread through corn fields in one of those corn belt states: Texas. This fungus cost some farms up to 90% of their crops. The pathogen first struck in 2021 during a fungicide trial and in 2021 at seven farms. The corn industry could look for ways to re-introduce biodiversity to farming methods to protect both crops and the affected ecosystems.

Corn Crops Cause Soil Degradation

field soil degradation - Meryll/Shutterstock

There is yet another ecological challenge of industrial corn farming: Soil degradation. In 2021, satellite imaging demonstrated that the American Corn Belt has lost at least a third of its topsoil, with some farms losing as much as 50%.

That poorer soil quality means worse yields of corn, which could be quite a blow since this region produces 75% of corn in the U.S. And soil degradation is costing farmers millions of dollars in fertilizer to compensate for increasingly infertile soil. In other words, more and more nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich fertilizer is required, which contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and toxic algae in a vicious eco-cycle.

The farming industry must seriously consider rethinking its processes to maintain crop yield while protecting the environment; the current paradigm does not appear remotely sustainable. Better tools such as regenerative agriculture can help restore soil integrity and reduce costs, but will the corn industry listen?

Corn Feed Harms Cattle

Doctor looking over cattle - Tomazl/Getty Images

As mentioned, one-third of all factory-farmed corn is used for livestock feed. Unfortunately, this feed can lead to pain, illness, and death for livestock. Cattle are natural grazers. Their bodies are designed to ingest and process grass and other fiber-based foods. This helps maintain the microorganisms in their stomach system and aids in digestion, keeping the animals healthy.

Unfortunately, cattle grazing is more expensive for farmers than feeding them grain. Since corn is overproduced, it's cheaply available as feed. Feeding cattle grain is also more convenient for monocropping than grazing. It makes cattle gain weight faster, which is good for the beef industry.

Despite these benefits, eating grain is harmful to cattle. These animals have a unique stomach system adapted to eating grass, not grains. Eating grains causes gas buildup, making them bloat. This leads to inflammation that stresses their lungs, which can get so bad that cattle may slowly die of asphyxiation.

Besides this agonizing death, corn feed can cause other health issues in cattle, including abscess, tumors, and acidosis, which are prevalent among factory-farmed cattle.

Industrial Corn Farming Is Killing Small Farms

father and son on farm - Maksim Shmeljov/Shutterstock

Small- and medium-sized family farms are being gradually pushed toward extinction. The numbers prove it. In a 12-month period, farm bankruptcies increased 50% in the Northeast and 12% in the Midwest, in 2019. While several factors contribute to this phenomenon, the rise of factory farming, especially from products like corn, is the prominent cause.

How did this happen? In the '70s, the government pushed smaller farms to massively increase production. Many complied, but in 10 years, overproduction led to skyrocketing costs. This put many farms upside-down in debt. Some went bankrupt, leading corporations to sweep in to pick up the slack. These corporate farms make CAFOs -- short for "concentrated animal feeding operations." Today, CAFOs are the only way to run a farm and still earn a profit. Most small farms were forced to change from traditional farming, including dairy or livestock, to corn and soybean farming to stay alive. The crop is then sold as cattle feed for Big AG companies.

Some farmers claim that companies game the system by intentionally keeping prices low, hiring cheap labor, and preventing the remaining farmers from earning more. This caused many Midwestern farming towns to die out or slide into poverty as the CAFO companies turned a big profit.

Most Corn Is Grown On Farm Subsidies

female farmer with tablet - Simonskafar/Getty Images

Once the continual overproduction of corn became a reality, farmers needed subsidies supported by American taxes. This is another hotly debated issue, but many small farmers believe they have done more harm than good.

One point of contention is the problem of who truly benefits from farm subsidies. They should benefit farmers, but if they did, why would so many farms go bankrupt? However, there is conflicting information on this topic. The Cato Institute states that corn, soybeans, and wheat farmers get 70% of subsidies. Yet in 2018, Forbes found that the top 10 subsidy recipients earned over $150 million from their farms. Most commonly, subsidies go to the landowners. However, most working farmers today rent and, thus, do not receive any subsidies.

Subsidies encourage and support the proliferation of factory farming, which can harm the environment, cattle, towns, and people. And since they are regulated under the U.S. Farm Bill, which is reviewed by Congress every few years, this regulation can come with political strings attached, further muddying the integrity of the corn industry.

Corn Farms Exploit Laborers

worker with corn plant - encierro/Shutterstock

Most people know that many farm workers come to America from Mexico and other Central and South American countries to find jobs. You might not know how these workers are treated at industrial corn farms. They are hired by factory farms and paid very little, often less than the low wages they are promised.

As if that wasn't bad enough, some workers are actually trafficked. Workers are lied to about where they will work and then relocated to other farms. Housing conditions can be deplorable, with issues ranging from lice and roach infestations to broken water and bathroom facilities. But that's nothing compared to how they are treated.

One worker speaking to The Guardian revealed the details of a farm trafficking ring in Georgia. He was forced to work 12-hour days for 15 days straight for a total of $225. After that, he was moved to another farm to work for free and eventually returned to Mexico. Other migrants harmed by this ring claimed they were abused, tortured, or raped, and two workers died. Fortunately, this trafficking program was discovered and at least 24 defendants were indicted.

Unfortunately, investigation into this type of trafficking by the U.S. Department of Labor has significantly dropped over the years. This can lead to many more criminal trafficking organizations preying on migrant workers.

Read the original article on Mashed.
Climate collapse has begun. With these ominous words, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres kicked off this years U.N. General Assembly.

Guterres opening press conference, following heatwaves that shattered records on virtually every continent, was meant to spark urgency among the worlds decision-makers. It is terrifying," he said. "And it is just the beginning.

With this warning in mind, as my own flight landed in New York, I pondered my purpose.

I was set to speak with a panel of youths on our hopes for the outcome of this assembly.

While some might label my hopefulness as naivete or delusion, for as long as one mangrove survives the heat in our warming city, Ill continue in my refusal to see my world through a bleak lens and keep pursuing my lofty goal to halt climate change. But to borrow the words of American journalist David Wallace-Wells, Its time to panic.

Will Charouhis

More: When will Florida be completely underwater? A look at the future of sea level rise

Guterres goal is for the 193 member states to commit to take enough action to catch up on the lagging sustainable development goals that must be achieved to ensure our survival. The 17 sustainable development goals, known as the SDGs, were entered into voluntarily by all nations in 2015 and are considered essential to achieve a sustainable future for us all by 2030.

In the UNs most recent stock-taking, more than half of our targets show alarming deviations from the necessary course. In a last-ditch effort to get us back on track, Guterres packed the weeks agenda with a multitude of offensive plays, including an SDG Weekend, an SDG Leaders Summit and a Climate Ambition Summit.

More: Will summer of climate change impact GOP presidential politics for Trump, DeSantis?

At the SDG hub, I met youths from Bangladesh and Nigeria and had lunch with the Saudi Arabian delegation. In a nod to increasing diversity, females and youths dominate multiple panels, the U.N. defining youth as ages 18 to 35.

Story continues

But as I looked around the assembly rooms, a few players I hoped would help lead the action were missing.

Children under 18, making up a third of the worlds population and facing the worst impacts of climate change, were virtually absent.

Indigenous peoples, our best stewards of the natural world, are included in low numbers.

And multiple world leaders have bowed out altogether, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Even President Joe Biden, who made his appearance Tuesday, did not attend the U.N. Climate Ambition Summit set for later in the week.

My takeaway was this: While our warming planet is expected to contribute to more than 3.4 million deaths per year by the end of the century, it wont be climate change that does us in. Humanities greatest danger, the peril that threatens our very existence, is our disconnect from nature and from one another.

More: Heat advisories in South Florida canceled but weather still hot, humid in era of climate change

Symbiotic relationships that exist in the natural world have ensured the survival of millions of species. Yet as I scanned the seats that remained empty at this weeks General Assembly, I had to ask myself: Will we, the most intelligent species ever to roam the planet, care enough for our environment and each other to forge a future out of the mess weve made? And if those with the most to lose, those with the most instinctive know-how and those with the most power are notably absent, how do we possibly forge a sustainable future?

Im trying to remain hopeful. But the clouds have rolled in and I cant see the stars anymore.

Will Charouhis is a 17-year-old climate activist from Miami. He is the founder of Forces of Nature, a youth-led organization with a mission to stop climate change. This opinion piece was distributed by The Invading Sea website (www.theinvadingsea.com). The site posts news and commentary on climate change and other environmental issues affecting Florida.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Climate change teen environmentalist UN conference


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Julianne Hough seemed to channel her "inner Barbie" recently in a look reminiscent of the vintage doll's very first look  the iconic black and white chevron bathing suit outfit  that debuted all the way back in 1959.

The former Dancing With The Stars judge hit the streets of New York City on September 13 after an appearance on Good Morning America where she announced the upcoming season's dancers in a vertically striped black-and-white sleeveless top and knee-length skirt combo by Marc Jacobs. She paired the outfit with a small black Prada handbag, earrings with dangling pearl charms, large oversized black sunglasses and pointy-toed white strappy stilettos by Paul Andrew. The 35-year-old's traditional long blonde locks were in loose curls, with some pulled back out of her face. Her makeup was very minimal and finished off with a nude lip, which allowed her bright red nails to really pop.

When the Safe Haven actress shared some photos of the look in a post she captioned, "Strolling through my favorite city ," fans were quick to share their thoughts.

Gotham





Gotham

"Such a 20s vibe ," someone wrote. "Oh oh oh . Looking fit, fab and so fashionable ," a different person commented. "One thing about you is you will serve a lewk Miss Hough!" another person said. One fan chimed in, "You look phenomenal!"

Julianne will once again be a part of the long-running professional dance competition this fall but with a twist. Although she has served as a permanent judge for five seasons total, she will now act as co-host with Fresh Prince alum Alfonso Ribeiro for the upcoming season 32, replacing Tyra Banks who left last March.

In a statement to Good Morning America, she said, "The show holds such a special place in my heart from the many years and different roles I have had the privilege of being a part of... the incredible team that brings the ballroom to life every night has been my family for the past 17 years."

After watching her evolve so much over the past 15+ years with the show, we have to say we're excited to see both her co-hosting skills and what are sure to be some stunning outfits week after week.

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Joon Park is a Christian hospital chaplain who counsels people on their deathbeds.

He reveals the worries people have just before they die.

Patients often have regrets about their pasts, and worries about their loved ones' futures, he said.

A Christian hospital chaplain who regularly counsels patients on their deathbeds shared with Insider the things that people worry about most before they die .

Joon Park has been a hospital chaplain at the Tampa General Hospital in Florida for eight years. He recently described himself to CNN as a "therapriest," because he is present at every death at the hospital and counsels people in their last moments.

He said that due to his job, he has "death anxiety," or a fear of losing his loved ones. However, this has allowed him to be fully present when spending time with family and friends, because he knows it could be their last conversation.

Park has been through trauma himself, having experienced verbal and physical abuse as a child and once being hospitalized after a suicide attempt.

"I had always hoped to enter a field where I could be a voice and sounding board for others who experienced trauma like I did. Only chaplaincy gave me a real place for that," he said.

Here's what Park said dying patients think most about.

Regretting not having lived fully

Park said that regret is a common emotion among his dying patients, mostly centering around thinking that they did what everyone else wanted, not what they wanted to do.

He told Insider that people regret "listening to everyone else's vision for their life except for their own."

"People at the end cannot help but imagine a 'phantom life' of untapped possibility. We are naturally so good at imagination, invention, and dreaming, that at times it can curve inward upon us and we imagine millions of other phantom parallel lives unlived," he said.

There might be other reasons people have regrets, too. Researchers at Towson University, Maryland, asked 124 hospice and palliative care nurses what the most common reflections were from people at the end of their lives. Their study found that 42% of nurses said the most common reflections were ones of regret from working instead of spending time with family and relaxing, missing opportunities, or not accomplishing more.

Leaving loved ones behind

As well as having regrets about the past, Park said that his patients also worry about the future .

He said they have almost an "empathic anticipatory grief," where "the dying person vicariously experiences how their own death will be experienced by their remaining loved ones. It's almost a guilt, a burden, an injury via empathy."

He said: "The dying worry about very specific needs that only they know about their loved ones. I think what can be harder than dying is the fear of separation and no longer being able to care for the remaining."

He told CNN: "Even my patients who are most at peace with their dying are still anxious about how their own death will affect their family ."

The researchers at Towson University found that over half of nurses reported their patients worried about their loved ones, namely thinking about spending time with their friends and family, about what will happen to their loved ones after they die, and about being separated from loved ones when they die.

The study also found that spirituality is one of the most common themes in people's end-of-life reflections, according to the nurses, which is why chaplains such as Park can "provide comfort to patients and their loved ones" as well as "attendance to their spiritual needs," as he told CNN.

Read the original article on Insider
Travel advisor Jay Ternavan, a Greece expert on Travel + Leisure's 2023 A-List, shares his love of a less-visited peninsula on the Mediterranean.

StratosGiannikos/Getty Images

On my first visit to the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece, I dont remember what exactly prompted me to jump in a rental car and start exploring. I do remember the route: it was a narrow road through a quintessentially Greek landscape, bathed in spring afternoon sunlight. To my left, an orange grove stretched for as far as I could see, filling the air with the sweet scent of orange blossoms. On the opposite side, a forest of centuries-old olive trees turned from green to silver with every breath of a light breeze. I felt the urge to pull over and take it all in. Only one thought lingered: I wanted to share this share this place with the travelers I work with at JayWay.

The Peloponnese peninsula is abundant in turquoise-water beaches, UNESCO-listed archaeological sites, and medieval castles. In my opinion, it also features one of the most flavorful regional cuisines in the country, along with a wealth of local customs and traditions. And while the area has much in common with Greeces famous islands, the Peloponnese has the benefit of fewer crowds (and far fewer of the islands seemingly endless ferry rides). Thanks to its geographic diversity, the peninsula can feel like Greece in miniature, where magnificent seascapes, dramatic mountain passes, small villages, and dynamic cities combine.



During that first trip, I drove for several days. My stays alternated from sun-drenched seaside towns that dared me to do nothing but lie on the pebbled beaches and read a book, listening to the sound of the waves, to wellness resorts in the lush countryside, offering more peace and tranquility.



Leamus/Getty Images

On some days I forgot about my rental car completely as I hiked along the same footpaths that descendants of ancient Spartans tread for centuries, occasionally stopping at half-hidden coves for a refreshing dip in crystal-clear waters. On others, I dedicated my time to learning about the region's history. I met knowledgeable guides who quickly came to feel like friends as we visited sites from the ancient ruins of Olympia and Messini to the imposing medieval town of Mystras to Nafplio, the first capital of Greece. Nothing gave me more pleasure than talking to locals, sometimes over cups of steaming hot coffee or glasses of wine made from local grapes.



As an A-List travel advisor, I can't recommend a trip to the Peloponnese peninsula enough. This diverse region showcases the best of mainland Greece, often with an island feel. I doubt I'll ever find another place that can awaken such powerful emotions in my soul whenever I return, or evoke so many heartwarming memories at the sheer mention of its name.

Jay Ternavan is a member of Travel + Leisure's A-List of travel advisors and creates custom trips across central and Eastern Europe. Contact him at 800-344-5785 or t.and.l@jaywaytravel.com.



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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
As a Nordic country, Finland is known for its incredibly harsh, long winters. Consequently, Finns welcome the onset of summer with a big celebration known as Vappu, or May Day. Similar to Mardis Gras or Carnaval, May Day is a time to eat, drink, and be merry. Munkki are fried, cardamom-dusted donuts that are always front and center on a May Day spread. Donuts are a favorite in most cultures because who doesn't love deep-fried dough? However, Finnish Munkki has two distinct ingredients that set them apart from the donuts you'd find in other nations: coarse cardamom and quark.

Quark is an ultra-rich dairy product with a flavor and texture somewhere between cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. It's a popular breakfast food for its creamy, thick texture, and mellow sour and salty flavors. Quark gives the dough more depth of flavor and a decadent density. Some recipes omit the quark, but all of them feature cardamom.

Cardamom is a popular baking spice, imparting a sweet flavor profile with notes of citrus and fresh mint and a smokey, warming finish. Finnish cardamom is a thicker, paste-like baking spice you use to infuse the dough. The sour quark brings out the citrus and herbal notes in the cardamom. You can also use it together with coarse sugar for a crunchy topping.

Read more: 25 Best Ice Cream Brands Ranked

How To Make Munkki And Flavorful Pairings

fresh Munkki with two glasses of Sima - Books and peonies/Shutterstock

Making Munkki is similar to most conventional donuts; they involve yeast and various waiting periods to achieve the fluffy, yeasty dough. You can substitute quark for milk, sour cream, or Greek yogurt if you cannot find it at your local grocery store. Heat quark and water, or plain milk, before combining it with yeast. Once the yeast dissolves, you mix in sugar, butter, egg, flour, and cardamom.

The dough will rest for around 20 minutes before you roll it out, cut it into individual balls, and form them into doughnuts. After another 30-minute resting period, the doughnuts are ready to fry in a deep pan of hot neutral oil for two minutes per side. Upon fishing them out of the hot oil, you can dip them in coarse sugar or a mixture of sugar and cardamom. Another idea is to fry the dough balls without shaping them into a doughnut, so you can stuff them with fruit jelly or vanilla cream. You can also serve Munnki with jelly or make a cardamom and vanilla glaze instead of the sugar coating.

The Finns accompany Munkki with a fruity brew known as Sima that's similar to mead but uses a tart fruit like rhubarb or berries. If you'd rather have a non-alcoholic accompaniment, you could serve them with a fresh glass of hibiscus tea. Of course, coffee is always the perfect pairing for a fresh donut.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.
Prince William may be back home in England, but we're still thinking about his trip to New York City earlier this week.

During his final engagement at FDNY Ten House, he briefly met members of the public during a surprise walkabout. "Will you come back with Catherine and the kids?" one onlooker asked him. Prince William replies, "One day, I'd love to!" One fan even gave him three "I  New York" souvenir t-shirts for Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Alyssa Budihas, the royal fan who gave William the shirts, told Town & Country afterwards she was "very overwhelmed, very happy, very grateful that he was as kind and gracious as that I had always imagined he would be."

You can watch the moment here:

The royal kids rarely travel with their parents on official engagements outside the United Kingdom. However, memorably, Prince George traveled with his parents to New Zealand and Australia in 2014, and in 2016, George and his younger sister, Princess Charlotte, went with their parents to Canada. The following year, they went on another royal trip to Poland and Germany.

Prince Louis, the youngest son of Prince William and Kate Middleton, has yet to join his parents on a royal tour. Now that all three kids are in school, their vacation time is typically used for private, family vacationsnot official duties.

When William and Kate visited Wales in March 2022, he revealed a tradition their family has before they travel on royal duty. "They are always asking us where we are going," Prince William said. "And we show them where we are on the map."

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Texas-based deextinction company Colossal Biosciences is working with BioRescue Consortium to restore the functionally extinct northern white rhino. Colossal board member Thomas Hildebrandt, who has been leading efforts to save the species for over 25 years, stands with Najin, one of the last two northern white rhinos alive at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya.

Colossal Biosciences, the Texas company best known for its efforts to bring back the woolly mammoth and other extinct animals, is partnering with conservation group BioRescue Consortium in an effort to help save an animal on the edge of extinction.

Colossal plans to use gene-editing technologies and other related innovations that it has been developing to bring back extinct animals, to join efforts to restore the quickly vanishing northern white rhinoceros, which has just two members of its species left and is considered "functionally extinct."

Before it was poached to near extinction, the species previously populated areas of Africa including Uganda, Chad, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its two remaining members are both female and were born in a Czech Zoo. They have been living at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya since 2009, according to BioRescue. The last male member of the species died in 2018.

BioRescue Consortium has been working to use assisted reproductive technologies and stem cell technologies to save the species and develop new conservation approaches. Colossal board member Thomas Hildebrandt leads the white rhino project at BioRescue and heads the department of reproduction management of the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research.

What is Colossal Biosciences?

Colossal, which was founded in 2021, previously made headlines for its plans to bring back the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo bird  or at least close genetic relatives of those extinct animals. Austin-based serial entrepreneur Ben Lamm and geneticist George Church of Harvard Medical School started the company with the goals of advancing the field of deextinction and combating climate change.

The company  which has grown to 115 people with 60 board members and is funding about 30 external post-doctoral researchers  has offices in Austin, Dallas and Boston and works with a team at the University of Melbourne. Last year, Colossal spun off a software team focused on computational life science to create Austin-based Form Bio, which still works closely with Colossal.

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Lamm, who serves as CEO, said Colossal is joining BioRescue on the white rhino project as a "genetic rescue partner," working on genetic sequencing, genomic studies and working to engineer genetic diversity into future lines of white rhinos.

"Our goal is that all the technologies that we develop on the path to deextinction can be used for species preservation and conservation, and we're doing that for free," Lamm said. "It's something that we want to do to help the world."

The white rhino work will be similar in many ways to Colossal's work on extinct animals, which uses emerging biotechnology to sequence and edit DNA in a variety of ways.

With the extinct animals, the company aims to create hybrids of the animals that look and act like their extinct ancestors. If successful, Colossal's mammoth, for example, is expected to be a hybrid of an Asian elephant and a mammoth. The company is building from work done by Church at Harvard using a gene-editing technology known as CRISPR, short for "clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats." Church used the technology to edit mammoth genes into the genome of an Asian elephant in 2015.

On the rhino project, Colossal's work will include creating a registry of museums that have preserved samples of the northern white rhino that can be used to sequence the animals' genes. The company then plans to identify edits that can be made based on these samples to restore genetic diversity in cells that will be used to create new northern white rhino embryos. Colossal, along with Form Bio, will also study the southern white rhino, a close relative, and use Form Bio's comparative genomic tool to compare DNA between the species and further identify genetic diversity.

BioRescue has only so far sequenced 12 individual rhinos to be used to help regrow the species. Matt James, Colossal's head of conservation and chief animal officer, said too few samples can lead to a "bottleneck" in which a population lacks needed genetic diversity and is therefore more susceptible to extinction.

"Genetic diversity is important because it gives species options in the way that they adapt to an ever-changing environment, whether that's wildlife disease or climate change," James said.

The more comprehensive an understanding the company has of the species, the more it is able to understand what is important to the species, and therefore where to focus genetic edit efforts, he added.

While Colossal works on the genetic engineering, BioRescue will be working on the reproductive side of the challenge. James said BioRescue has already made a lot of headway and estimated it could be possible for a successful embryo transfer to occur within two to four years.

How soon could we see extinct animals return?

As it works on the white rhino project, Colossal also will continue its work on its other species. Lamm said "everything is on track" with its efforts to bring back extinct animals so far, and there could be a return of the currently extinct animals in the not-so-distant future. This includes aiming to have the first woolly mammoth calves by 2028. The company also hopes to eventually reintroduce all its animals into their environments, which Lamm said will help restore ecosystem rebalance.

The thylacine, also known as the Tasmanian tiger, was a marsupial that went extinct in 1936. It was native to Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. The company estimates it could see a return within the next decade. Colossal is working with thylacine DNA, as well as other members of the Dasyuromorphia order of marsupials, which includes the Tasmanian devil, to recreate the animal.

Lamm said the dodo, which presents its own challenges because it is not possible to clone a bird, is also on track, though the company has not shared dates as to when it could see its return. The company is working on pairing dodo DNA with the genome of the Nicobar pigeon, the extinct bird's closest living relative, using a method that would involve working with primordial germ cells, or cells that eventually become sperm or egg. Scientists plan to remove cells once an egg is laid that can then be grown in a lab.

Beth Shapiro, left, leads a team focused on bringing back the dodo bird as part of deextinction efforts by Colossal Biosciences, the company led by CEO Ben Lamm, right.

Lamm said the white rhino work will act as a showcase to demonstrate what the company can do. He also expects the efforts on the northern white rhino will also help teach the company a lot about working with a coalition of scientists, as well as governments, indigenous people, groups, rewilding partners and other nonprofit partners, lessons he expects will be used as the company works to rewild once-extinct animals.

"While we have this long-term vision, not just of deextinction, but building the extinction toolkit that anyone will be able to leverage for species preservation, it's great to start to use even pieces of that toolkit now, where we can be helpful in species that are at the brink of extinction, or functioning extinct, like the northern white rhinos," Lamm said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas deextinction startup joins effort to save northern white rhinos
BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said on Sunday the country expected to receive investment of at least $5 billion from Tesla, Google and Microsoft.

"Tesla would be looking into an EV manufacturing facility, Microsoft and Google are looking at data centres," he said, without detailing whether the $5 billion was expected to be a combined investment or made individually by each company.

Tesla, Google and Microsoft did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

Srettha was speaking to reporters in Bangkok after attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York where he also held talks with company executives earlier this week.

Fresh foreign investment would boost Thailand's flagging economy, which is expected to grow by 2.8% this year, less than previously projected, due to weaker exports.

Srettha spoke with Tesla CEO Elon Musk last week about the electric vehicle sector.

Thailand, Asia's fourth-largest automobile assembly hub, has been offering incentives to EV and battery makers, and tax cuts to local EV buyers, to remain a regional auto centre.

(Reporting by Chayut Setboonsarng and Panarat Thepgumpanat; Editing by Jamie Freed)
Warren Buffett famously said, 'Volatility is far from synonymous with risk.' When we think about how risky a company is, we always like to look at its use of debt, since debt overload can lead to ruin. We note that EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG) does have debt on its balance sheet. But should shareholders be worried about its use of debt?

When Is Debt Dangerous?

Debt and other liabilities become risky for a business when it cannot easily fulfill those obligations, either with free cash flow or by raising capital at an attractive price. In the worst case scenario, a company can go bankrupt if it cannot pay its creditors. However, a more frequent (but still costly) occurrence is where a company must issue shares at bargain-basement prices, permanently diluting shareholders, just to shore up its balance sheet. Of course, the upside of debt is that it often represents cheap capital, especially when it replaces dilution in a company with the ability to reinvest at high rates of return. The first thing to do when considering how much debt a business uses is to look at its cash and debt together.

See our latest analysis for EOG Resources

What Is EOG Resources's Debt?

As you can see below, EOG Resources had US$3.81b of debt at June 2023, down from US$5.09b a year prior. But it also has US$4.76b in cash to offset that, meaning it has US$950.0m net cash.

A Look At EOG Resources' Liabilities

We can see from the most recent balance sheet that EOG Resources had liabilities of US$3.73b falling due within a year, and liabilities of US$11.5b due beyond that. Offsetting this, it had US$4.76b in cash and US$2.26b in receivables that were due within 12 months. So its liabilities outweigh the sum of its cash and (near-term) receivables by US$8.20b.

Given EOG Resources has a humongous market capitalization of US$71.4b, it's hard to believe these liabilities pose much threat. However, we do think it is worth keeping an eye on its balance sheet strength, as it may change over time. While it does have liabilities worth noting, EOG Resources also has more cash than debt, so we're pretty confident it can manage its debt safely.

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On top of that, EOG Resources grew its EBIT by 49% over the last twelve months, and that growth will make it easier to handle its debt. There's no doubt that we learn most about debt from the balance sheet. But it is future earnings, more than anything, that will determine EOG Resources's ability to maintain a healthy balance sheet going forward. So if you're focused on the future you can check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

Finally, a company can only pay off debt with cold hard cash, not accounting profits. While EOG Resources has net cash on its balance sheet, it's still worth taking a look at its ability to convert earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) to free cash flow, to help us understand how quickly it is building (or eroding) that cash balance. Over the most recent three years, EOG Resources recorded free cash flow worth 68% of its EBIT, which is around normal, given free cash flow excludes interest and tax. This free cash flow puts the company in a good position to pay down debt, when appropriate.

Summing Up

While EOG Resources does have more liabilities than liquid assets, it also has net cash of US$950.0m. And we liked the look of last year's 49% year-on-year EBIT growth. So we don't think EOG Resources's use of debt is risky. The balance sheet is clearly the area to focus on when you are analysing debt. However, not all investment risk resides within the balance sheet - far from it. These risks can be hard to spot. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for EOG Resources (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

If you're interested in investing in businesses that can grow profits without the burden of debt, then check out this free list of growing businesses that have net cash on the balance sheet.

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.
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said Sunday that the special counsel appointed in the Hunter Biden case, David Weiss, will come before a congressional committee next month.

David Weiss has committed to come in front of the committee on Oct. 18, so we can look forward to that, Jordan said on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo.

Weiss, who is also the U.S. attorney for Delaware, was appointed as special counsel in August to investigate President Bidens son after a previous plea deal fell apart in July during a hearing in Delaware. A grand jury later indicted Hunter Biden on three gun-related charges as part of Weisss elevated investigation.

The Hill has reached out to the offices of Jordan and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, for clarification on which committee Weiss is slated to go before.

Meanwhile, Weiss has found himself also involved with the House Republicans widespread investigation into the Biden familys foreign business dealings. Jordan, alongside Comer, has spent recent months probing Hunter Biden and his time on the board of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, while his father was vice president.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced earlier this month he was moving to launch an official impeachment inquiry into President Biden in the wake of these investigations. The House will hold its first hearing on that matter this week.

Earlier this year, the Oversight Committee heard testimony from two IRS whistleblowers who said Weiss was sometimes hesitant to aggressively pursue the younger Bidens case, which included alleged tax crimes.

Jordan told Bartiromo that his committee has a number of witnesses at the Department of Justice (DOJ) it is looking to depose. Pointing to a series of allegations about Hunter Biden and his fathers involvement with Burisma, Jordan echoed previous claims that the DOJ mishandled the investigation.

And then what does the [Attorney General Merrick] Garland Justice Department do? They try to sweep it all under the rug, Jordan said.

The investigations so far have not found the president directly financially benefited from his sons business dealings or proved that he made any policy decisions because of them when he was vice president.

Jordans comments follow his request earlier this month to the DOJ to turn over a series of documents related to the two IRS whistleblowers. In a letter to Garland, the committee asked for an Oct. 11 interview with Weiss and other top DOJ officials mentioned by the IRS whistleblowers, including U.S. Attorney for D.C. Matthew Graves and Lesley Wolf, a deputy to Weiss.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
ST. CHARLES PARISH, La. (WGNO)  An Oklahoma man was arrested in Georgia on Sunday after he allegedly faked his own death in August during a kayaking trip in Louisiana.

St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said Melvin Emde, 41, of Talihina, Oklahoma, was reported missing by his son just after 12 a.m. on Aug. 7. He had reportedly gone overboard and drowned while kayaking on the Mississippi River near Matis Road.

The next day, Champagne said deputies learned that Emde was wanted on indecent liberties with a child and statutory rape of a child charges in Brunswick County, North Carolina. He was due in court the same day.

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We immediately became quite suspicious that this may have been a faked accidental drowning

and death in order for Mr. Emde to escape charges in Brunswick County, North Carolina.

However, we could not publicly expose our suspicions for fear of tipping him off, said Champagne.

According to Champagne, investigators learned Emde was wearing an ankle monitor and had purchased two prepaid phones from the Boutte Walmart store the day of his reported drowning.

Deputies worked with authorities in North Carolina and the U.S. Marshals Service to track the phones. They said Emde used one phone discreetly and turned it on for short periods of time. An initial search focused on Oklahoma until it became clear the phones werent being used anymore.

Then, on Sunday around 3:30 a.m., Champagne said a Georgia State Highway Patrol officer tried to pull over a motorcyclist for not having a license plate. The driver allegedly fled, crashed and was eventually arrested.

Champagne said the driver gave a fake name, but when he was fingerprinted, officers identified him as Melvin Emde.

Now its time for Mr. Emde to face the music for his charges in North Carolina, said Champagne.

Anyone with further details about this case can call Detective Joshua Deroche with the St. Charles Parish Sheriffs Office at (985)-783-6807.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WesternSlopeNow.com.
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KTVI)  The Missouri correctional officers assigned to guard a convicted child sex predator, who escaped custody by walking out of a hospital, are no longer employed by the department.

Tommy Wayne Boyds mad dash for freedom ultimately ended around 8 p.m. on Thursday, nearly 16 hours after walking out the doors of Mercy Hospital South in St. Louis.

He had quite a bit of lead time, St. Louis County Police Lt. Col. Jason Law said.

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Law said officers set up a perimeter but realized Boyd may be in the South City area after a good Samaritan gave him a ride.

They didnt know each other. The gentleman was just being a nice person trying to help somebody out, Law said.

Law said the good Samaritan called police after realizing Boyd had been at the center of a county-wide alert.

Authorities took no chances Thursday, immediately labeling Boyd as dangerous because of his two-time child sex crime convictions.

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Witnesses called in reports of possible sightings after photos of the 45-year-old escapee were circulated to the public. One of those sightings was reported at Tower Grove Park in the citys south side.

There was a political event going on of some sort where they were registering voters, Law said. He contacted those folks during the event. They were giving out food and [he] obtained a hot dog.

Officers searched the park, but Boyd had already left. County police are still trying to piece together a timeline of where he went.

Boyd was captured several hours later at a shopping center after someone spotted him and dialed 911.

This person did an outstanding job of telling us where he was. We were able to respond and take him into custody, Law said. He had a black coat with a handcuff key.

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News 2s sister station, KTVI, requested an interview with the Missouri Department of Corrections, but the agency said nobody was available to speak on the convicts capture.

Missouri Department of Corrections Communications Director Karen Pojmann wrote in a statement Friday that the correctional officers involved are no longer employed.

While the Missouri Department of Corrections has a strict protocol in place for transportation and supervision of offenders receiving hospital care, our investigation has concluded that departmental protocol was not followed regarding offender Boyd at Mercy Hospital South, Pojmann wrote.

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Pojmann, in her statement, further said she would not elaborate on the departments policies when it comes to guarding a prisoner at a hospital.

Personnel records and security-related investigation reports are confidential, so I am not able to provide them to you, Pojmann wrote.

In a statement, Mercy Hospital South said its personnel followed all established protocol for treating inmates.

Mercy followed its policies and procedures and relies on the department of corrections to keep inmates contained while on our campus, which did not occur in this case, a spokesperson said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2.
In a few days, we'll get a rematch of the Republican presidential hopefuls duking it out on a nationally televised stage.

Well, not all of them.

Just like with the first debate last month, the GOP front-runner doesnt deem Wednesdays event at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Southern California worthy of his presence. In fact, former President Donald Trump is acting like he's already the chosen one.

Theres no question Trump is still dominating the GOP presidential race so far. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who has long been Trumps main challenger, continues to lose standing in the polls.

From left, former Vice President Mike Pence, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley at the first debate of the Republican primary season on Aug. 23, 2023, in Milwaukee.

Voters want someone else. How about Nikki Haley?

Surveys of voters, though, keep showing that the majority arent happy with a rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden. In fact, they are put off by it.

Whenever I write about this lack of enthusiasm for a replay of 2020, my inbox is flooded with self-proclaimed moderates and conservatives who agree they want new choices.

President Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, at the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 24, 2018, in New York.

I have no idea why that dissatisfaction isnt translating into more support for another Republican. But theres still time.

Anecdotally, among my conservative friends and Republican donors Ive spoken with in recent months, Nikki Haley  the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under Trump  has started to emerge as a candidate of real interest.

Her excellent debate performance in Milwaukee also helped propel her image among voters. Haleys experience and thoughtful answers on abortion, the national debt and foreign policy show shes got the leadership chops  and reasoned temperament  to do the countrys top job.

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Haley bests Biden in election matchups

While Haley has only seen a modest bump in the national primary polls following the debate, she is rising more quickly in early primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire. Thats because, unlike Trump, shes putting in the time and going to the fairs and events that are integral to the process. The more people get to know her, the more they like her.

Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also saw a bump following the first debate because he got a lot of airtime from attacks by others on stage. Even though his performance was largely obnoxious and ill-informed (Haley schooled him on numerous issues), he earned attention  albeit for the wrong reasons.

Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley campaigns for president on Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.

In this next debate where six will likely compete, the five other contenders should make a point of engaging less with Ramaswamy and more with one another.

Id like to see Haley shine. A few polls in the past month show shed hold her own in hypothetical general election matchups against Biden.

GOP debate is refreshing alternative: Without Trump, Republicans focus on serious issues

One from Harvard/CAPS-Harris shows Biden losing to Trump, Haley and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C.

And then another poll from CNN showed Haley as the only Republican with a decisive lead over Biden. In that survey, she bests Biden 49% to 43%.

GOP has to get abortion messaging right

If Republicans would be smart enough to choose someone with broad appeal like Haley to run against Biden, they could easily win back the White House.

For instance, one of the biggest issues that will be in play in 2024 is abortion. Much like we saw in the midterm elections, voters are motivated to protect abortion rights following the overturning of Roe v. Wade last year. Republicans must improve their abortion messaging beyond the fact they think it's bad.

Republicans, listen to voters: If GOP doesn't listen on abortion, the party can count on losing big in 2024

Haley has a message with bipartisan appeal. As the only female candidate, she's also in the strongest position to speak on this very personal issue. While she is personally "pro-life," she understands that the matter is nuanced and that talking about a national abortion ban is unrealistic and not helpful. Rather, she has said that the focus should be on access to contraception, encouraging adoption and banning late-term abortion.

"Lets treat this like the ... respectful issue that it is and humanize the situation and stop demonizing the situation," Haley said at the first debate.

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.

Haley, 51, has also made age a part of her campaign. She often talks about how Trump at 77 and Biden at 80 are simply too old and disliked. In addition to her relative youth, she brings some refreshing diversity. Haley is the only woman in the GOP race, and shes the daughter of Indian immigrants.

I think the majority of Americans know we need a new generational leader, that we need to leave the negativity of the past behind us, Haley told CNNs Jake Tapper this month.

Like most conservatives (and unlike liberals), I tend to eschew identity politics. In this case, Haley could be the best option Republicans have to oust Biden.

Bring on the girl power.

USA TODAY columnist Ingrid Jacques

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X, formerly Twitter: @Ingrid_Jacques

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: Nikki Haley can lead in 2024, but she must shine again in GOP debate
Canada will receive a portion of the asteroid material

LONGUEUIL, QC, Sept. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - This morning at 10:52 a.m. ET, an asteroid sample collected as part of NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission landed in the Utah desert. In return for the Canadian Space Agency's (CSA) contribution to this mission, a portion of the asteroid material will go to Canada. It will be studied by generations of Canadian and international scientists.

Canadian Space Agency Logo (CNW Group/Canadian Space Agency)

The sample retrieved on asteroid Bennu could hold the answer to some of the most fundamental questions about the solar system's history and the origins of water and life on Earth. The Canadian OSIRIS-REx Laser Altimeter (OLA) instrument played a key role in the mission. It was used to scan and measure the shape of the entire surface of the asteroid and to help select the best site to collect the specimen.

The sample will be sent to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, where it will be curated and distributed to scientists and international collaborators. CSA experts and Canadians scientists will participate in the selection of the material that will make up the Canadian sample, set to arrive at the John H. Chapman Space Centre (CSA headquarters), no earlier than 2024. Canada will become the fifth country in the world to get and curate a sample collected in space.

Quote

"Thanks to a sought-after expertise in optics, Canada played a major role in the largest sample return mission from outside the orbit of the Moon. With OSIRIS-REx, Canada is paving the way for decades of exciting space research and scientific discovery for generations to come while setting itself apart as a global leader, through the efforts of our world-renowned scientists and researchers."

The Honourable Francois-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

Quick facts

Timeline of the OSIRIS-REx mission Launch: September 8, 2016 Asteroid Arrival: December 3, 2018 Sample Collection: October 20, 2020 Asteroid Departure Maneuver: May 10, 2021 Sample Return Capsule in the Utah desert: September 24, 2023

Building on the legacy of missions like the Phoenix Mars Lander, OLA was built by MDA, with significant contributions from subcontractor Optech. OLA is the most sophisticated scanning lidar ever to fly to an asteroid, capable of centimetre-scale precision from up to 7 kilometres away.

The CSA is funding Canadian researchers: Curatorial and scientific expertise: Dr. Kim Tait, Royal Ontario Museum/University of Toronto Sample analysis  members of the Science Team: Dr. Dominique Weis, University of British Columbia Dr. Edward Cloutis, University of Winnipeg Dr. Alan Hildebrand, University of Calgary Dr. Michael Daly, York University



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OSIRIS-REx Mission (CSA)

Website: https://asc-csa.gc.ca

Email: asc.medias-media.csa@asc-csa.gc.ca

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View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/24/c4191.html
Colleges across the country are playing a key role in regions of the country disproportionately affected by an influx of asylum seekers.

For at least one of them, it's paying off handsomely.

A private college in New York City is being paid tens of millions of dollars by the citys public health care provider to use its dorms to house some of the thousands of people seeking asylum who have arrived in the city since last spring. Contracts obtained by USA TODAY and a report to New York City Health and Hospitals board of directors show the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, an arts school in Manhattan, received millions of dollars earlier this summer to move students out of its dorms on the Upper West Side. The money was part of a multiyear contract with the institution valued at more than $109 million.

Colleges in Illinois, Massachusetts and elsewhere in New York also have been tapped to deal with a surge in the need for housing for people crossing into the United States. In New York, the arrivals have overwhelmed the citys social safety net and pitted an increasingly exasperated mayor against national politicians he says arent doing enough to help.

This issue will destroy New York City, Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, said earlier this month in a rant that was widely panned by his progressive counterparts.

Biden's visit, speech at UN overshadowed by a crisis just across the street in NYC

A range of factors has driven the migration  including instability in Central and South America, political gamesmanship by Republican governors in border states and New York Citys legal mandate to provide shelter to anyone who needs it.

Per the latest count from city officials who testified in front of the New York City Council on Thursday, more than 116,000 migrants have sought refuge in the city since the spring of 2022.

All we want is stability, Cristina Garcia, an asylum seeker from Ecuador staying at the Roosevelt Hotel in Manhattan, told USA TODAY earlier this week.

The city has enlisted a wide array of outside contractors, including for-profit and nonprofit companies, to accommodate the migrants. Hundreds of contracts have been signed. Collectively, theyre worth billions. Though officials largely acknowledge the need to humanely accommodate the asylum seekers, the contracts have come under renewed scrutiny in recent weeks.

These firms have quickly gotten huge payouts under looser emergency contract procedures to stand up an entire ecosystem of facilities and services, said Gale Brewer, a city council member whose district includes Manhattans Upper West Side, at an oversight hearing on Thursday.

College received $2.7 million to move students out

In June, Adams announced that several of the American Musical and Dramatic Academys dorms would be converted to emergency shelters to help respond to the rush of asylum seekers. In a press release at the time, Ted Long, a senior vice president at New York City Health and Hospitals, the city-run not-for-profit that oversees the shelters, praised the decision.

These two humanitarian centers for adult families and single women build upon the success of our existing relief centers, which connect guests to meals, medical care, mental health support, language access, technology, and reconnection services, Long said. I am proud to be a part of the Adams administration as we help to make a better life possible for those who turned to us for help.

The contracts show Health and Hospitals paid the college $2.7 million in non-refundable transition fees in June to move students out of the dorms on West 70th Street and West 85th Street. It paid about $530,000 more in an upfront fee to use the 85th Street locations.

Exactly how much the college has charged Health and Hospitals so far is unclear. Health and Hospitals redacted the room rates from its contracts, which USA TODAY obtained through a public records request. However, a July 27 report to the organizations board of directors from Mitchell H. Katz, the president and CEO, discloses the contract may be terminated for an amount not to exceed $109,010,880.

Health and Hospitals has committed nearly $2.2 billion in contract dollars so far related to the migrant crisis, according to a recent city council report. That commitment is larger than any city agency.

Katzs report to his board of directors says the organization has done the necessary due diligence in procuring its contracts.

Though it's unclear how many students were relocated from AMDAs dorms earlier this summer, Sam Goldsmith, Brewers press secretary, said they were moved to other properties owned by the school. Health and Hospitals then transferred approximately 600 single adults into the dorms in June, Goldsmith said.

Starting the first week of September, they were moved to a different asylum-seeker shelter, the citys largest, on Randalls Island so that Health and Hospitals could move families into the single-room occupancy dorms. About 50 families have moved in this month, according to Goldsmith.

The facility is now full, Adam Shrier, a spokesperson for Health and Hospitals, said in an email to USA TODAY. Though AMDAs school year starts Oct. 23 according to the schools website, the dorms will remain occupied by the migrant families throughout the school year.

John Galgano, a spokesperson for AMDA, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Kayla Mamelak, a City Hall spokesperson, referred USA TODAY to Health and Hospitals for a response.

Addressing a surge in immigration: NY to spend $25M in state funds to rent homes for thousands of asylum seekers

Colleges nationwide respond to the migrant crisis

The arts school is far from the only college that has been recruited to respond to the arrival of large numbers of asylum seekers in parts of the U.S.

After Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey declared a state of emergency over the migrant crisis in August, she asked her states colleges to consider providing space for people. Massachusetts, like New York City, has a right-to-shelter law. Officials at the University of Massachusetts said in August that one of the university's dorm and conference centers would be repurposed to potentially house migrants. Other schools around the state, including Eastern Nazarene College and Salem State University, have provided space for asylum seekers, too.

Over the summer, migrant families lived in gyms at two public colleges in Chicago. About 700 people were moved to Wilbur Wright College and Richard J. Daley College in May and June, according to Block Club Chicago. Despite some local opposition, Juan Salgado, chancellor of City Colleges of Chicago, said he felt it was important for the schools to step in and relieve the citys police stations, which he said were being overwhelmed by the number of migrants living there.

We had a better solution, he said in an interview earlier this summer. We just raised our hand and said we think we can help here.

Housing asylum seekers hasnt been without debate on some campuses. In May, Buffalo State University in upstate New York agreed to house several dozen migrants in its dorms. It abruptly evicted them in August, though, after some students expressed concerns about crime in local hotels where other migrants were staying, according to The Buffalo News.

Politicians weigh in on housing asylum seekers on campus

The debate over using colleges to host asylum seekers stretched from campus to Congress this summer.

In a May letter, two New York Democrats  Reps. Jamaal Bowman and Dan Goldman  urged the president of New York University, along with the chancellors of the city and states public university system, to step up their support.

State governors such as Floridas Ron DeSantis and Texas Greg Abbott would like us to turn against each other and embrace anti-immigrant sentiments, they wrote. We must show the rest of the country that when all sectors of our society come together, we can live up to our highest values and ideals as we welcome new immigrants to our community.

Many conservatives rejected that idea. Rep. Marcus Molinaro, a New York Republican, introduced a bill called the Schools Not Shelters Act that would deny federal funding to K-12 schools and colleges that house or otherwise provide support to migrants. It passed the Republican-majority U.S. House in July. Facing a Democratic president and majority in the Senate, though, its unlikely to go any further.

Zachary Schermele is a breaking news and education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As more migrants arrive in NYC, a college gets millions to house them
Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy speaks about his play for the United States to declare economic independence from China during a rally at Axium Packaging near Columbus.

Describing China as the adversary of America, Ohio presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy laid out his plan Thursday for a new "declaration of independence" from the communist country.

"What we are laying out here is a clear and pragmatic vision for how we will actually, finally at long last declare economic independence from China while actually advancing American prosperity at home," the biotech investor turned presidential candidate told a crowd gathered at Axium Packaging in New Albany, near his suburban Columbus home.

More: Who is Vivek Ramaswamy? Ohio presidential candidate to take stage in first GOP debate

To do this, Ramaswamy gave four steps he would take if elected president:

Declare "independence from the climate change agenda" that Ramaswamy described as both a "farce" and "hoax."

Achieve independence from Taiwan by increasing production of U.S. semiconductors, the "little chips" that power our phones, satellite systems, medical devices and other communication devices.

Increase military spending to "defend our own homeland."

Move away from Chinese-controlled pharmaceutical supply chains out of concern that China "could lace our legal pharmaceutical supply chain with poison, including fentanyl."

The first major company Ramaswamy founded had a Chinese subsidiary, but the business quietly exited China as "his eyes were opened to the real risks of doing business there." His next major business, Strive, was based in Columbus and was committed to not doing business in China.

"I think the problem is the U.S. government whose job it is to actually look after U.S. security interests," Ramaswamy said. "We can't rely on companies to do it. That's the job of a U.S. president, that's the role I'm running for, and that's why I'm able to say, in an unencumbered way, what many other people who are captured by business interests cannot. We have to declare economic independence from China."

Ramaswamy has surged in the Republican presidential primary race after his performance in the first debate last month. A new CNN poll has him second in New Hampshire, ahead of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

The next debate is Sept. 27 in California.

More: Trump declares Ohioan Vivek Ramaswamy winner of GOP debate for singing his praises

The 38-year-old has positioned himself as a vocal supporter and heir apparent to former President Donald Trump's brash style of "tell it like it is" politics. He's promised to pardon Trump if he wins; proposed raising the legal voting age to 25 unless voters can pass a citizenship test or serve in the U.S. military; and would expand fracking, coal and nuclear energy to spur economic growth.

Anna Staver and Kayla Bennett are reporters 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: Vivek Ramaswamy calls for tech, pharmaceutical independence from China
New Jersey Democratic Rep. Andy Kim announced Saturday that hell run next year against Sen. Bob Menendez in the wake of the senators indictment and refusal to step down.

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity, Kim posted on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Kim has been representing New Jerseys 3rd Congressional District, which includes suburbs east of Trenton, since 2019. He won reelection last November by more than 10 percentage points.

Kim is a member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American and Progressive caucuses. He also serves on the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs committees.

Kim made headlines following the January 6, 2021, insurrection after he was photographed cleaning up the debris and trash left at the Capitol by the rioters who ransacked the building hours prior. He later donated the suit he was wearing that day to the Smithsonian.

Menendez was first appointed to the US Senate in 2006 to fill the vacancy left by Jon Corzine, who had been elected New Jersey governor. He was reelected in 2018 with 54% of the vote. Prior to becoming a senator, Menendez represented New Jerseys 13th Congressional District.

On Friday, Menendez and his wife, Nadine Arslanian Menendez, were charged with corruption-related offenses. The indictment alleged that the couple accepted bribes, which included gold, cash and home mortgage payments, in exchange for the senators influence.

Many New Jersey Democrats swiftly called for the senators resignation, including Gov. Phil Murphy, who said, The alleged facts are so serious that they compromise the ability of Senator Menendez to effectively represent the people of our state. Murphy would have to appoint a senator to replace Menendez should he resign.

Other members of the New Jersey delegation in Washington, DC, have also called on Menendez to resign. Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill said, There is no room for this kind of conduct in public service.

Democrats in Menendezs chamber have been slow to comment on the indictment, including junior New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker. But Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman on Saturday became the first senator to call for Menendezs resignation.

Menendez made it clear in a statement Friday evening that he does not intend to resign.

Those who believe in justice believe in innocence until proven guilty. I intend to continue to fight for the people of New Jersey with the same success Ive had for the past five decades. This is the same record of success these very same leaders have lauded all along.

Friday marked the second time the senator has been charged with corruption-related offenses.

In 2015, Menendez was charged with conspiracy, bribery and honest services fraud relating to allegedly abusing the power of his office. Prosecutors said the senator accepted more than $600,000 in political contributions and other gifts from a wealthy ophthalmologist in exchange for political favors.

The case ended in a mistrial in November 2017 after the jury reported it was deadlocked.

This story has been updated with additional details.



CNNs Kara Scannell, Katelyn Polantz, Dan Berman, Manu Raju and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report.

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Photo: The Canadian Press Buildings sit in the water along the shore following hurricane Fiona in Rose Blanche-Harbour Le Cou, Newfoundland on September 27, 2022.

One year after a wave driven by post-tropical storm Fiona slammed into the back of her house and twisted it like a corkscrew, Lori Dicks now lives up on a hill, far from the water.

She still has a view of the ocean, but she's far enough away that there's no chance it will swell up and swallow her entire life again like it did on the morning of Sept. 24, 2022, in Port aux Basques, N.L.

"I still think about it all the time. So much change has happened for us, for everyone. Even the whole town I find is affected, even the landscape has changed," she said in a recent interview from her new home across the province in Burin Bay Arm, N.L. "On our side of the street where all our homes were, it's completely gone. All of our homes are torn down now."

Fiona destroyed about 100 homes that morning in southwestern Newfoundland, and a 73-year-old woman died when she was swept out to sea. Houses that had belonged to families for generations were washed away or destroyed, and some lost everything inside their home.

Dicks and her husband Claude had lived in their Port aux Basques home for nearly three decades. They raised their daughter there. After Fiona cracked its foundation, the house was deemed too dangerous to return to, and it was condemned. Dicks was allowed back in for a brief time to remove what she could.

She feels lucky she was able to salvage anything at all.

Port aux Basques has now established what it calls the high-impact zone  an area deemed to be most at risk for severe damage from storms, even those with a fraction of Fiona's power. Some residents call it the "Fiona line."

Within that line, more than 80 homes were washed away by Fiona or later torn down after damage wrought by the storm left them uninhabitable, Mayor Brian Button said in an interview. Another 57 houses behind the line are still standing and occupied. Button said the owners will be bought out by the province so they can move somewhere else.

The provincial government has paid out about $41.6 million in compensation to people in southwestern Newfoundland who lost their homes in the storm, according to a statement from the Department of Justice and Public Safety. Owners of the 57 homes still inside the impact zone will receive at least $200 per square foot for their houses, as well as money for their land, the department said.

The decisions to move people have been devastating to make, Button said, but they were necessary: Fiona crumbled so much of the town's shoreline into the sea, those houses are now dangerously close to the water.

"The whole thing is very emotional," he said. "We see all the damage that's around, that's visible. But nobody has realized the mental health aspect that this has had on the community."

"For me, personally, it's been a struggle ... just to mentally try to keep it together and deal with it all," he added.

Beyond the long hours and gut-wrenching decisions required of him as the volunteer mayor of a town beset by a crushing disaster, he's borne the brunt of some residents' grief. Heartbroken residents have yelled at him, only to approach him later in tears to apologize, he said.

"I've had people say to me, 'Well, you don't understand you didn't lose anything.'" But Button said he has sat with hundreds of affected families, and he's heard their stories and cried with them.

Ashley Smith is owner and managing director of St. John's-based climate consulting firm Fundamental Inc. She says that as the planet warms and powerful storms are expected to hit more frequently, the difficult discussions forced upon Port aux Basques need to happen in other coastal communities.

She uses the term "managed retreat" to describe a process of identifying vulnerable coastal areas, and perhaps enacting bylaws against building new homes in those areas and moving people out of them, just as Port aux Basques is doing.

"Any community along the coast is going to be vulnerable. Especially the small ones that are largely unchanged from like 50, 60, 70, 100 years ago," Smith said in a recent interview. "Most of the very small communities along (Newfoundland's) very long coasts are positioned right on the water ... and that is a vulnerable situation."

Nova Scotia's Atlantic coast is also vulnerable, she noted, as are parts of Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Conversations about managed retreat are fraught, she acknowledges. Asking people to leave behind homes that in many cases were built by family members generations ago is not easy. Most towns also don't have the data they need to inform those decisions, she added.

But it will be safer and less traumatic for communities to begin the work voluntarily, rather than have it be forced upon them by a storm like Fiona, she said.

In their hilltop home in Burin Bay Arm, Dicks and her husband have started over. She's rebuilt her hairstyling business in her new community, and she's a short drive away from her 29-year-old daughter, who is set to give birth next month  Dicks's first grandchild.

But she still fights back tears when she speaks about the morning Fiona hit, and the way it changed her life forever. She worries about her husband, who watched helplessly as the wave crashed into their house. Even their dog, Cooper, is having a hard time, she said.

She misses her neighbours back in Port aux Basques but doesn't think she could handle regularly passing by her old neighbourhood, where many of the homes are gone.

"In a way, I'm glad I'm not there to drive around on our street and see it," she said. "Because I don't think I could get past it, to tell you the truth."
NEWMARKET, ON, Sept. 24, 2023 /CNW/ - The Town of Newmarket is excited to announce a multi-year sponsorship commitment with telMAX, Canada's fastest Internet service provider. This partnership supports Town facilities and amenities, including naming rights for both the Indoor and Outdoor Skateparks.

telMAX Outdoor Skatepark (CNW Group/telMAX)

"We are delighted to have telMAX as an active partner in our community and supporting our residents with this exciting addition to our recreational offerings," says Mayor John Taylor. "This skatepark had wonderful participation from residents throughout the development and planning stages. It is great to see so many residents using the park since it was opened in 2022. We're grateful for telMAX's support and involvement in the skateparks and many other community events and initiatives that are all making Newmarket even better."

The Town would like to thank its partners at telMAX for making this sponsorship possible. Relationships with sponsors allow the Town to continue to provide exceptional experiences for the community at free to low cost.

Stuart Roberts, CEO of telMAX, expressed his enthusiasm for this meaningful collaboration with the Town of Newmarket: "We cherish our strong partnership with the Town of Newmarket and have worked closely alongside their administration as we build out our 100% pure fibre technology to neighbourhoods throughout the Town. When the Town approached us with this idea of branding the skatepark, we eagerly embraced this cultural partnership. We firmly believe that the park's fresh new look will not only enhance the local streetscape but also create a welcoming environment for everyone who enjoys the skatepark and Magna Centre. We take immense pride in our participation in numerous town events this past summer, from sponsoring the Canada Day shuttle service and the hydration station to actively engaging in the Thursday night music festivals, ward movie nights and the fun New'bark'et festival!"

Story continues

There are a wide range of event and sponsorship opportunities available to local businesses who would like to support Town events and initiatives. For more information about the Town's sponsorship opportunities, visit our Advertising & Sponsorship webpage.

About the Town of Newmarket

Just north of Toronto, in central York Region, Newmarket is home to 90,000 extraordinary people. As one of the most densely populated communities in Ontario, Newmarket may be small in area, but BIG things are happening there, like the ongoing transformation of the landmark Mulock Park into Newmarket's very own urban oasis, which will feature works from the Art Gallery of Ontario at the historic Mulock House. Newmarket's award-winning Main Street (voted the best in the country) is vibrant, thriving and will soon welcome York Region's first boutique hotel, the Postmark. Find out more about why Newmarket has the best events in Ontario and was recently named as one of the Happiest Places to live in Canada at newmarket.ca.

About telMAX

telMAX, a locally based company headquartered in York Region offers Internet, TV and Home Phone services. telMAX has built its own 100% fibre optic network to serve the residents and businesses of Brooklin, Stouffville, Newmarket and has plans for the Town of Aurora later this year. Using the latest available technology, the telMAX network is capable of delivering speeds up to 10 Gbps. telMAX proudly employs staff from the communities where it operates and is committed to supporting a wide range of community development activities in these towns including participation in events and shows. In 2022 and 2023 telMAX was recognised as the fastest Internet service provider in Canada following an independent assessment by PC Magazine.

telMAX Logo (CNW Group/telMAX)

Town of Newmarket logo (CNW Group/telMAX)

SOURCE telMAX

Cision

View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2023/24/c6272.html
Rep. Tim Burchett is considering supporting a possible effort to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy if McCarthy makes a deal with Democrats as a way out of this weeks impending government shutdown.

That would be something I would look strongly at, ma'am, if we do away with our duty that we said we're going to do, Burchett (R-Tenn.) told host Dana Bash on CNNs State of the Union when asked if he would support removing McCarthy as speaker.

Burchetts comments come as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has used the shutdown as a launching pad to call for McCarthys removal as speaker. Overall, McCarthy has faced attacks from fellow Republicans accusing him of failing to lead his party, which holds a slim majority in the House, through the chaos.

The House last week failed to pass legislation to fund the government amid Republican infighting with hardliners who have promised to object to any stopgap measure. McCarthy wants to deliver a GOP opening bid to the Democratic Senate while also holding back a rebellion by far-right members of his party.

Republicans are preparing to vote Tuesday on whether to start debate on four government funding bills: Defense, State, Homeland Security and an agriculture bill.

We are going to be governing over a pile of rubble if we're not careful," Burchett said. Our financial ship is sinking. And the American public needs to realize, all these fancy titles, C.R.s and omnibus, to confuse the American public is not working. The curtain's off. We need to do our duty. We should be back in Washington right now and dealing with it. But what are we doing? Well, they sent us home.

In an interview with CNN, Burchett last week indirectly compared McCarthy unfavorably to another California lawmaker, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

I dont agree with her ever, hardly on anything, he said of the San Francisco Democrat. But she was pretty successful.
Tropical Storm Ophelia crossed into Virginia on Saturday afternoon, leaving a trail of floodwater and downed trees in its wake after making landfall in near a North Carolina barrier island earlier in the day.

Forecasters warn the storm is expected to bring impacts to major cities including Washington D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York.

On Saturday afternoon, Ophelia had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph with higher gusts, and some coastal towns were experiencing several inches of floodwaters.

Waves shoot over the jetty on the Manasquan side of the Manasquan Inlet. Tropical Storm Ophelia visits the Jersey Shore on Sept. 23, 2023.

The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland declared states of emergency Friday. Some schools closed early as communities prepared for the storms arrival.

Ophelia is predicted to move over land as it tracks north, passing over Virginia, Washington, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, southern New Jersey and southeastern Pennsylvania. But the storm's impacts will stretch farther, with rain forecast as far north as Massachusetts.

AccuWeather forecasters said Saturday Ophelia will lose wind intensity as it travels over land Saturday and Sunday, but the potential for flooding and storm surge will be high in some areas. The storm is expected to exit off the coast of New Jersey and return to the Atlantic Ocean by Monday morning, AccuWeather reported.

Because the storm is expected to travel over so much land, its impacts across multiple states "will be much more significant when compared to Hurricane Lee which passed offshore last week," AccuWeather reported.

Zach Wright, 12, skimboards in floodwaters from the Lafayette River in the Larchmont Neighborhood of Norfolk, Va., Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, as Tropical Storm Ophelia approaches.

Ophelia is expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression as it moves through the eastern U.S.

Its bringing rain through much of the Mid-Atlantic and some gusty winds from coastal North Carolina through the eastern Mid-Atlantic, said Alan Reppert, a senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Wind gusts along the coast are expected to be up to 45 mph, with chances of coastal flooding from the Outer Banks, in North Carolina, through eastern Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and onward to Long Island, he said. Rainfall can be expected to be between 2 to 4 inches through Monday as it makes its way northward.

Tens of thousands of customers were without power in North Carolina and Virginia Saturday, according to poweroutage.us.

Trees down, roads closed in New Jersey

Ophelia's winds downed trees in New Jersey, and conditions were expected to worsen along the coast later Saturday.

In Manalapan Township, about 20 miles from the coast, winds knocked a tree onto a bilevel home, temporarily trapping three people and two dogs on the upper level and rendering the residence uninhabitable, the Asbury Park Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.

The tree fell shortly after 11 a.m., Sgt. Philip Accatatta said, trapping two women, a man and two dogs. The fire department helped the people get out through a window and down a ladder, he said. Firefighters also carried the dogs down the ladder to safety. One of the women sustained a minor injury.

"They were pretty wet, but the dogs are okay," Accetta said.

In Atlantic City, roads were closed and photos posted by city officials on social media showed flooded streets.

 Route 40 and other roads are closed in Atlantic City due to flooding. Follow our Facebook page for updates on closures  https://t.co/jt0d3XLNG8@AtlanticCityOEM @AtlanticCityPD pic.twitter.com/2QSkmFqr7t  City of Atlantic City (@AtlanticCityGov) September 23, 2023

Ophelia brings inland storm surge, flooding risk

The National Hurricane Center warned of "life-threatening inundation" from rising waters moving inland and asked residents to promptly follow evacuation orders. Storm surge impacts can affect more than just coastal areas, as rising waters travel up rivers far from the ocean.

Coastal towns in North Carolina, Virginia and Delaware saw flooding Saturday morning, with several inches of water pooling along neighborhood streets. On Friday night, five people aboard an anchored 38-foot catamaran near Cape Lookout, North Carolina, had to be rescued by the Coast Guard due to weather conditions wrought by Ophelia.

In Bethany Beach, Delaware, entire neighborhoods were under several inches of water, prompting street closures, AccuWeather reported.

Rain from Ophelia to impact about a dozen states

The National Hurricane Center said rain from the storm would impact about a dozen states from North Carolina to Massachusetts, and as far inland as West Virginia. Most areas are expecting less than 4 inches of rain, but a few areas could see up to 6 inches.

Wind is a concern too. On Saturday, tropical storm-force winds were extending over 300 miles from the center of Ophelia, the Hurricane Center said. Cape Lookout in North Carolina reported wind gusts of 71 mph.

Coastal Delaware and New Jersey were expecting wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph through Saturday evening, with the strongest winds mid-morning through early afternoon Saturday. Downed trees and power lines were also possible, forecasters said.

'Significant impacts' possible in Washington D.C. area

Rain was falling lightly but steadily with some moderate wind gusts across the Washington, D.C. region on Saturday afternoon.

But things were expected to pick up later in the day and residents in some areas should be prepared for potential significant impacts, said Austin Mansfield, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Sterling, Virginia.

Mansfield said heavier rain is expected through Saturday and overnight, and there could be some isolated incidents of flooding.

Overall, flooding potential remains fairly limited across our area, he said. But people living along the coast should still be on guard, he said.

Just because were seeing some light rain right now doesnt mean that we wont see some more significant impacts later today, he said.

Wind could have more of an effect in the region, he said. Saturated ground from the rain plus strong gusts of wind up to 40 to 50 mph could lead to some trees toppling.

We've already seen some instances of trees down, so certainly could see that happen over the next 24 hours, Mansfield said.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul warned that heavy rain would bring a flooding risk in New York City, Long Island and Hudson Valley this weekend. Forecasters said light to moderate rain has begun in the area as winds continued to increase in strength, peaking later in the day Saturday.

The tops of trees blow sideways at the Virginia Beach, Virginia Oceanfront on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 as Tropical Storm Ophelia approaches the area. Tropical Storm Ophelia was gaining strength as it churned toward the North Carolina coast on Friday, promising a weekend of heavy rain and windy conditions throughout the mid-Atlantic.

Tropical Storm Ophelia path tracker live

This forecast tracker shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.

Tropical Storm Ophelia spaghetti models

A note about the spaghetti models: Model plot 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.

Contributing: Associated Press; Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tropical Storm Ophelia live updates: NHC forecast, power outages
The Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting apparatus from the Yakima Fire Department was requested at the fire north of Toppenish due to its ability to discharge a large amount of foam. The apparatus is usually stationed at the Yakima Air Terminal-McAllister Field.
Editor's note This story was written by Kate Smith, a former Yakima Herald-Republic reporter who is now based in Walla Walla. The Yakima Herald-Republic is planning additional coverage about Latino voter engagement and participation in October, along with coverage of the municipal races on the November ballot. Find election stories online at yakimaherald.com.

WALLA WALLA -- Dozens of people attend public meetings in Dayton and write letters to the editor about a proposal to dissolve the Columbia County Rural Library District.

New and traditional political groups in Walla Walla County work to elect their favorite school board candidates.

Low voter turnout in Yakima County sinks a proposal to form a new hospital district in the Lower Valley as new groups form to encourage Latino voter participation.

In Central and Eastern Washington, the fabric of political engagement is changing.

If political parties and local political action committees are the needle, the changes of 2020 might be the thread and changes in participation are the stitches.

Columbia, Walla Walla and Yakima counties claim Republican majorities in a Democratic-led state, which may be a factor in galvanizing political participation in the region, said Yakima County Auditor Charles Ross, a Republican who oversees Yakimas election process.

Parties used to be really big and energized and connected to all the businesses, and then it went into a lull and party politics just subsided, Ross said. It seems like there's kind of a regeneration coming.

Since 2020, political organizing in Yakima, Walla Walla and Columbia counties has reenergized, and the impact is visible in local engagement, from Election Day observers to competitive precinct-level races.

2020 as a marker

Largely, 2020 is the marker Eastern Washington politicians and elections officials described as the moment of change for political participation and engagement. The year brought a pandemic, racial justice movement and presidential election wrought with false claims of election fraud.

Donald Trumps presidency and reelection campaign had a hand in stimulating local politics in Eastern Washington.

When Donald Trump got involved in politics is where I really noticed just a surge of interest from both sides of the spectrum, said Ross, with Yakima County Elections. There are more people participating in wanting to be involved than I've ever noticed before.

Yakima County had its largest ballot return in 2020, he said. The county saw about 78,000 ballots returned in the presidential general elections in 2008 and 2012, according to ballot return data from the elections office. That grew to 80,912 returned ballots in 2016 and 97,332 in 2020.

Ross attributed the volume of returned ballots to Trump-related engagement. Yakima County also fielded a high figure of 750 people looking to register or vote on general election night in 2016.

There's some real markers out there that show Trump, himself, as a political figure, has motivated people on both sides of the political spectrum, Ross said.

Trump carried Columbia, Walla Walla and Yakima counties in both the 2016 and 2020 elections, according to the Secretary of State's Office.

In 2016, he won 53% of the vote in Walla Walla and Yakima counties and 68% of the vote in Columbia County. In 2020, he garnered 52% of the vote in Walla Walla and Yakima counties and 70% of the vote in Columbia County.

Pandemic effects

The pandemic is another key marker for political participation in Eastern Washington, said state Sen. Perry Dozier, a Republican in Walla Wallas District 16.

Dozier said area conservatives were looking for a way to get involved in opposing state-level restrictions imposed by a Democratic governor and took to political organizing.

People disagreed with state decisions related to schooling, masking and vaccines, he said.

Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, introduced bills to limit Gov. Jay Inslees emergency powers and to repeal or reform other legislation while the state government was operating in an all-remote format.

We didnt get to see people because they were closed out of campus, but there was a strengthening of peoples awareness of what was happening, Dozier said.

People testified virtually, an option that offered more flexibility for people traveling to Olympia from Eastern Washington, Dozier said, but people were looking for other ways to get involved, too.

Thats when these conservative groups formed, he said. I could see that being a driving force.

New on the landscape

Two new conservative groups formed in Walla Walla and Columbia counties in 2021, tying their platforms to 2020 issues such as election security, parental rights in schools and public health measures.

The Common Sense Conservatives in Walla Walla declined an interview for this story, though its steering committee sent some basic information in an email.

Founded in 2021, CSC has grown rapidly as more and more people discovered that our organization shares similar concerns about the direction of our country, election integrity, health freedom, and the actions of our local school board, the email said.

The groups website lists four focus areas: election integrity, education, emergency preparedness and the Walla Walla County Republican Party.

The steering committee said CSC is a casual organization without a formal structure.

A stated goal of the group, per the steering committee and the group's website, is to elect conservatives to office. CSC supports candidates for school boards and county offices, though the group itself makes no political contributions, according to the steering committee.

CSC is not registered with the Public Disclosure Commission, the state organization that enforces campaign finance and disclosure laws.

Trumps impeachment, the House Republicans (including two from Washington) who voted to support the second impeachment, false claims of fraud in the 2020 election, and grievances with COVID-19 mandates also spurred the formation of the Columbia County Conservatives.

The political action committee in Washingtons second least-populous county first registered with the Public Disclosure Commission in 2021. Political action committees are political groups that raise and spend money for election campaigns.

According to its website, the CCC seeks to elect conservative candidates who support an America First Republican agenda.

America First'' is a nationalist political slogan and strategy with antisemitic roots that was popularized by Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign and later by his political cabinet.

The CCC did not respond to interview requests for this article, but other language on its site highlights the group's priorities when it comes to pandemic policies, gun rights and schools.

CCC members are also active in the effort to dissolve the Columbia County Rural Library District after attempts to remove books concerning gender, sexual identity and anti-racism from library shelves failed.

Fred White, the chair of the Columbia County Republican Party, said he has no involvement with the CCC but he does see overlap in the membership of his party and that of the CCC.

White said the CCC had a strong following early on of people who wanted to get involved, and the pandemic seemed to be a factor.

There's a lot of opposition between political parties and the way people view things, and possibly COVID could have had people up in arms about what was going on during that time in 2020, White said. I think people now feel like they want to be more involved and don't want to settle for what's going on.

Drawing out candidates

In Yakima County, the pandemic spurred political engagement in the form of party involvement and campaigns for public office.

That was the case for Yakima County Commissioner LaDon Linde, a Republican who was appointed to a vacant seat on the Board of Yakima County Commissioners in 2020.

Linde was long active in political campaigns in his voting precinct and as a member of the Republican Party central committee, but he didnt make the decision to seek office himself until 2020, when he saw the effects of the pandemic and related restrictions on housing developments, businesses, schools and churches, he said.

I really started to have some real concerns that, although COVID was a real issue, some of the things were doing more harm than good, he said. That's when I first started thinking about actually becoming involved and looking at running for an office.

Matt Brown, a Yakima council member and the chair of the Yakima County Republican Party, said he decided to get involved with the party for those same reasons.

Before 2020 I was just running my business and being a pastor, Brown said. Then 2020 hit, and I just felt like, You know what, I can complain, or I can get involved, and instead of being a complainer, I'm a guy that wants to get involved and help my community.

Linde said other people were affected by the pandemic and decided to get involved, wanting to take on the issues they care about, he said.

I think you're seeing a lot of interest now in school board races that you wouldn't have seen three or four years ago, as a response to pandemic-related policies in schools, he said. Theres definitely that aspect, that there are people that are paying attention, that they're getting involved, that they might be passionate about certain issues. But the interesting thing about that is that voting numbers don't seem to be going up.

A changing party

Brown became active in the Yakima County Republican Party in 2020 and was elected to serve as chairman beginning in 2023.

A change he wanted to bring to the party was a focus on local issues and elections to school boards, city council and county commission. The party also passed an updated platform this year for the first time since 2016, he said.

Folks are showing up and engaged and we've got people helping local candidates; we've got folks involved, Brown said. There's been a lot of people stepping up, and I think it's been really cool to see the community really active in trying to make our community better.

The field of political organizations that are active in Yakima has changed since 2020.

Conservative organizations Citizen Courage and Yakima Valley Alliance are no longer active, according to Brown.

Brown said an ideological wedge between the traditional Republican Party and the Yakima County Republican Liberty Caucus, comprised of typically more conservative people, is disappearing, though the Liberty Caucus involvement is waning, generally.

The Yakima Republican Womens Club is active, and the party collaborates with that group to host speakers at the monthly luncheon hosted by the club and other events, Brown said.

Latino participation

Yakima County is more than 50% Latino, and a number of nonprofits and advocacy organizations have been involved in voter registration, get-out-the-vote efforts and education. Some initiatives are strictly nonpartisan, while others have focused on specific candidates and platforms.

Discussions about political participation and voting rights for Latino and Indigenous voters in the Yakima Valley are not new. The Yakima Valley's 15th District was a sticking point during statewide redistricting conversations in 2022 and is still under review in court. The city of Yakima and Yakima County both faced voting rights lawsuits in the past decade alleging the election systems disenfranchised Latino voters and made changes as a result.

Bengie Aguilar has been active in Yakima Valley politics for years, from Parent Teacher Associations to Sunnysides city council to running for the Legislature as a Democrat. Shes working this year with a team of six candidates in Sunnyside who are running for school board and city council positions.

(Representation) matters because they understand. Many of our community grew up in the fields. A lot of our community is agricultural, Aguilar said. They better understand it, they come from the roots of it.

She hopes the entire community, Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking, is represented in local government.

Yakima County nonprofit Empowering Latina Leadership and Action (ELLA) also has been involved in the Sunnyside municipal elections. The group is working to get out the vote, provide election trainings and local politics classes for candidates.

There were a record number of voters with Spanish surnames in Sunnysides 2023 primary election, which also had more total registered voters and returned ballots than general elections  which are traditionally more popular  in 2019 and 2021.

In Grandview, a group of incumbent candidates and a group of challengers have posted social media flyers encouraging voter turnout and supporting candidates within their group.

I know this is rare in a world where most leadership is fragmented and unable to work together to address pressing city problems. We actually appreciate one another, listen to one another, and concur on effective fixes for our city, said Gloria Mendoza, the citys incumbent mayor.

Working together

In Walla Walla, conservatives are collaborating similarly. Dozier, the state senator for the area and a former county commissioner, said the Republican Party and Common Sense Conservatives were almost competing when CSC formed.

I believe what happened was when the Common Sense Conservatives came in, it just kind of energized the GOP party, from what I saw, a little bit more, and so we began getting more participation, Dozier said. I see great participation with conservative groups, and I see them working together, which is probably the best thing that could ever happen.

Walla Walla County Republican Party Chair Wendi Kregger said the party has become more energized.

I think it was just a change in the climate across the United States, she said. Were grateful that people want to get involved in their local community, and its encouraging to see.

Dozier said the groups are attracting candidates and reaching out to voters.

I can't really speak to what's going on on the Democrat side, but I will say that they are very active, Dozier said. I can tell you that from my 2020 election, because I had a really tough election against my opponent.

Kari Isaacson, chair of the Walla Walla County Democrats, said the party has been in the rebuilding process.

Especially since the 2016 election, we're seeing a rebound, I am told by long-timers, in interest in the party, she said, and weve got a great slate of officers.

She said she understands that CSC members have also become precinct committee officers  individuals elected to represent a political party in a voting precinct  for the Republican Party and emphasized her belief that two parties are better than one.

We need two functioning parties that  used to  balance each other out and ultimately come to a compromise for the good of all, she said.

Multipartisan

While the field of political groups in Yakima and Walla Walla counties seem to be consolidating, in Columbia County more groups are forming.

A multipartisan political action committee called Neighbors United for Progress formed in 2022 to counteract the CCC.

That was the initial formation of our group, and then as time went by, we realized that we could do so much more, founder and Chair Elise Severe said.

NUP includes Democrats, Republicans and independents who host town halls, community forums and membership meetings. The group filed a complaint in court aiming to block the measure to dissolve the county's library district from appearing on the general election ballot. The court temporarily blocked the measure from appearing on the ballot and just recently made the block permanent.

We don't tell people in our membership meeting how they need to vote, which I think is a big difference about our PAC, she said. We just present facts and information and then allow people a space to ask a bunch of questions.

Severe said having a variety of perspectives is beneficial when strategizing on topics like the library dissolution effort, which the group opposes, and fentanyls impact in the community, the topic of a recent town hall.

I think that makes us a really strong group because we may not all immediately agree on a compromise or a path, but we eventually get there, she said.

Columbia County Commissioner Marty Hall said hes seen local participation increase since NUP and CCC formed.

Few community members attended commission meetings when Hall was first elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2020, he said. Now, its rare to have a meeting without members of the public sitting or listening in.

The same is true of library board meetings at Dayton Memorial Library, where community members have accumulated in the dozens during the past year. About 50 people attend the monthly meetings.

Hall said hes also seen more signs in yards and more letters to the editor published in the Dayton Chronicle, the communitys weekly paper.

I think a positive effect that both of the local PACs have had is that it has spurred people to get more involved locally, Hall said. It's also created a level of animosity in town, which is very unfortunate.

Amy Rosenberg, chair of the countys Democratic Party, recognizes the tension.

There's not a lot of people who are willing to go out and make phone calls or doorbell for Democratic candidates, she said. Right now, it is a very tough climate in Columbia County, and people are a little bit scared.

She said participation in the Democratic Party is down locally, but participation generally is up. People are disillusioned with both parties, she said, which could be why theyre looking to nontraditional political organizations such as the CCC and NUP instead. Rosenberg is also a member of NUP.

I think people have political fatigue right now because nationwide and all of the stuff that's happening in Dayton is exhausting, she said. I understand why people want to take a step back, but Im hopeful that things can turn around.

White, with the countys Republican Party, said involvement is just time. Most of the partys members have been active for 20 years or longer, he said.

It takes a lot of time, he said. I think the people that are a part of the membership now want to be a part of something. They feel strong about where they're at, how they want things done and they don't want to see anything die.

Precinct-level leadership

Precinct committee officer elections offer one lens with which to view party participation.

Precincts are the smallest voting units that make up each county, and precinct committee officers are the organizers elected to be the connection between the precinct and the Republican and Democratic parties.

Walla Walla County Auditor Karen Martin said she has seen more contested precinct committee officer, or PCO, races in recent elections.

Walla Walla County has 67 precincts, each with a Republican and Democratic officer seat. In 2022, seven contested PCO races  six for Republican seats and one for a Democratic seat  appeared on the primary ballot.

I could definitely say I think we have more contested races, even though there's not very many, Martin said. A few years ago, it would have been very seldom that we would have any contested ones on there.

About two thirds of Republican PCO seats are filled in Walla Walla, as are about half of the Democratic seats. Republican Party chair Kregger and Democratic Party chair Isaacson both said interest in PCO positions has increased in recent years in Walla Walla.

In Yakima County, about 65% of the Republican seats are filled, compared to less than 10% of the Democratic seats. The county has 174 precincts.

I've seen a changing of the guard here locally, if you will, auditor Ross said. There's a lot of new people  a lot of younger people  who are filling (party) positions, and there's been a real surge of interest in precinct committee officer positions, which tells me that people are interested, Ross said.

In Columbia County, six Democrats and six Republicans hold PCO seats within the countys 13 precincts, according to elections supervisor Cathy Abel.

White said the Republican Party has appointed people to lead the precincts without an elected PCO  the party can designate captains when a seat is not filled by election. PCO leadership is important for connecting with voters and encouraging participation, he said.

That's what the precinct officers are in charge of in their little area, to talk to their neighbors and have a face to the party and just try to get people out there to vote, he said.

Election security

Elections officials in Walla Walla and Yakima counties are also seeing more people participate in the elections process by observing ballot processing.

As claims of voter fraud became more widespread, people wanted to learn about their local election process, said Martin in Walla Walla and Ross in Yakima.

Over the last several years, there's been strong criticism (alleging) fraudulent voting, Ross said.

He saw the allegations grow from Trumps 2020 campaign, he said, but voter fraud is rare. A recent investigation into a Yakima voter accused of voting twice in two elections was the first case Ross had seen in his decade with the office.

We just don't see voter fraud very often, if ever, Ross said. If and when it happens, we take it very seriously.

He said the elections office engages with people who come in with concerns about election security, showing them the process.

There were more over the last couple of years than we've ever had before, observers coming in and just wanting to see, Ross said.

By the end, he said, people would either say, It wasnt like I thought it would be, or (Fraud) doesnt happen here, but it happened somewhere else.

Martin also said the political parties in Walla Walla have been more engaged with observing the elections process since 2020. Ballot processing is open to the public, and political parties can designate official party observers.

Depending on the climate, we very seldom ever had observers come in, Martin said. They would only come in probably during Election Day, watching the tabulators run. Now, parties are coming in and theyre observing pretty much the whole process, which is a good thing.

Discussions about election security could be driving that, she said. More people are coming to get their questions answered and learn how local elections are run.

Since the 2020 election, there's been a lot more people interested and wanting to get out, Martin said. If they really feel there's things happening that shouldn't be, they've figured out the best way to get involved.

Columbia County election officials declined an interview for this article. As in other counties across the state, the ballot process is open to the public, and county officials field questions about election security.

Turnout

How to get involved Register to vote Register online or by mail by Oct. 30 to vote in the Nov. 7 general election. Voters can register in person at their county elections office through 8 p.m. Election Day. To register online, visit olvr.votewa.gov. To print or request a registration form, or to learn more about voter eligibility and deadlines, visit www.sos.wa.gov/elections. Connect with your local elections office Learn how elections work, see district maps and access other voting resources. Yakima County Elections: bit.ly/electionsYakima, 509-574-1340, iVote@co.yakima.wa.us, 128 N. Second St., Room 117 in Yakima. Walla Walla County Elections: bit.ly/electionsWalla, 509-524-2530, elections@co.walla-walla.wa.us, 315 W. Main St., Room 203 in Walla Walla. Columbia County Elections: bit.ly/electionsColumbia, 509-382-4541, auditor_elections@co.columbia.wa.us, 341 E. Main St., Suite 3 in Dayton. Connect with your local party Learn about Washingtons political parties and get in touch with local party leadership. Washington State Republican Party: bit.ly/republicanWA Washington State Democratic Party: bit.ly/democratWA

Voter turnout is the confounding question elections officials are trying to answer, said Ross with Yakima County Elections.

It feels like people are more energized. We can definitely tell there's more people participating, you know, either coming in asking questions, all these different things, but overall participation rates are declining, he said.

Yakima County sees its highest turnout rates in presidential years, as shown with the ballot return figures from 2016 and 2020, Ross said, but thats not the case in mid-term or off-year elections.

The turnout rates in Yakima County are consistently lower than those in other counties, including Walla Walla and Columbia. In the 2021 general election, Yakima County had the lowest turnout in the state at 49.78%.

On the flip side, Columbia County is regularly among the top counties in the state when it comes to turnout. The county has a population of 3,952 and 2,879 registered voters.

Everywhere, you see this ebb and flow between presidential and then non-presidential elections, Ross said. That tells me that when people are interested in and they're motivated, they participate. Then the rest of the time, I just think they're not so concerned, therefore they don't participate."

Low participation sank a proposal to form a new hospital district in the Lower Yakima Valley in the most recent primary. The measure needed a simple majority of 50% plus one favorable vote to pass. It also had to meet a turnout requirement of 2,802 votes, which is 40% of the total number of votes cast in the district during the last general election.

The measure easily surpassed the simple majority, earning 66% support, but it fell 325 votes short of the turnout requirement.

When people tell me, I feel like my vote doesn't matter, I mean I have a slew of examples where your vote does matter, Ross said.

Walla Walla County and Columbia County also see the highest turnout in presidential years.

That's when the people want to turn out. They want to vote for president, said Martin with Walla Walla County Elections. The off-year elections, these nonpartisan elections, those are generally low in voter turnout.

Grappling with polarization

Players on all sides are grappling with political polarization, though they see the issue playing out in different ways.

There's, I would say, a lot of division inside our country right now, on both sides of the aisle, said Brown, chair of the Yakima County Republican Party. I'm not saying Republican ideas are always the best ideas, but Im saying our country was founded on us working together to find a solution.

The way to get to the solution is to be able to have a conversation with one another, with civility and respect, he said.

White, chair of the Columbia County Republican Party, sees polarization stunting participation and regular government business.

To make anything work, you have to find common ground within the political parties, whether youre a Democrat or a Republican, he said. To get business passed through, or to build and proceed, you have to find ways to agree. At this time, I dont think were there.

The lack of willingness to work together leads to more drastic outcomes, he said, using the library dissolution effort as an example.

Nothing got done, and now it's probably gone farther than it should, he said.

Isaacson, chair of the Walla Walla County Democrats, said its important to have two functioning political parties to balance each other out  having one party dominating doesnt help the community.

You have to have a robust debate, she said. You have to have robust points of view. You have to have people who are really community minded and well-equipped to handle how intricate and complicated current issues are that confront us.

Herald-Republic reporter Jasper Kenzo Sundeen contributed to this report.
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Today

Sunshine and a few clouds. High near 85F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 54F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.

Tomorrow

A mainly sunny sky. High 86F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph.
Trichy: A group of farmers in Tamil Nadu's Trichy on Sunday staged a protest in Cauvery River water over the ongoing dispute with Karnataka. The farmers were demanding the release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, the farmers in Karnataka's Mandya are protesting to stop water from being released from Karnataka dams to Tamil Nadu.

Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13.

#WATCH | Farmers in Tamil Nadu's Trichy stage protest by standing in Cauvery water, over the Cauvery water release issue.



They are demanding the release of the Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. pic.twitter.com/ja8PCUOyFr  ANI (@ANI) September 24, 2023

A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday while refusing to interfere in the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are regularly meeting and monitoring the water requirements every 15 days.

The court declined to entertain an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government to increase its current share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs per day. Tamil Nadu has sought fresh directions for the release of Cauvery River water from Karnataka, claiming that the neighbouring State had changed its stand, and had released a reduced quantum of water as against what was agreed upon earlier.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, which India proposed at the recent G20 Summit, will be a foundation for world trade in the coming centuries and India will be remembered for this vision. He was speaking in his monthly Mann ki Baat programme and mentioned the Silk route, an ancient trade route used by India when it was a prosperous and great trading power.

PM Modi said the G20 Summit was a success for India, especially after the achievement of Chandrayaan-3 mission. "India's leadership was acknowledged by the world as it succeeded in making the African Union a member of the G20," he said. He also talked about Bharat Mandapam, the venue of the G20 Summit, which has become a celebrity as people have been taking selfies with the modern conference hall.

Modi said that September 27 is the World Tourism Day and tourism is a sector that creates maximum jobs with minimum investment. He said that goodwill is very important for attracting tourists and Indias goodwill has increased in the last few years. He said that more than one lakh foreign delegates visited different parts of India during the G20 meetings and experienced its diversity and heritage.

The Prime Minister expressed his happiness that Santiniketan associated with Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore and the Hoysala temples of Karnataka were recently declared as world heritage sites. He said that India has 42 such sites now and it is working to get more places related to its culture and heritage recognised as the World Heritage Sites.

He said that October 2 is the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi and it was a memorable sight to see world leaders paying tribute at his memorial during the G20 Summit. He said that this shows how his ideas are still relevant globally.

He said that many cleanliness programmes are being planned to mark his birth anniversary and the central government departments have launched Swachhta hi sewa programme. PM Modi urged the people to join a big cleanliness drive at 10 am on October 1 in their locality or any public place.

He said that it will be a true homage to Gandhi ji and asked people to buy some khadi products. He also reminded people to remember vocal for local and buy Made in India products in the upcoming festival season.
New Delhi: Nowadays, in a rapidly evolving economic landscape, innovative entrepreneurs are constantly exploring new avenues to supplement their income and diversify their financial portfolios. In this era of creative entrepreneurship, side businesses have emerged as a compelling trend, providing individuals with opportunities to turn their passions and talents into profitable ventures.

Many people choose to invest in real estate and collect rent from it, while others choose to start an online business and make money from it. Farming is yet another highly profitable industry. The industry we are discussing is sandalwood production. (Also Read: Earn Rs 1-2 Lakhs Monthly With Rs 7 Lakh Investment: The Profitable Business Idea You May've Been Waiting For)

Although it is a profitable endeavor, patience is a must. One of the most sought-after and well-liked types of wood worldwide is sandalwood. They have a distinctive smell and are used to produce many different items. (Also Read: Savings Account Closure Charges Compared: SBI vs HDFC vs ICICI vs Other Banks -How Much You'll Pay To Close Your Account? Check)

Sandalwood Plantation Business: Production Method

In general, there are two methods for planting sandalwood trees. The first option is organic farming, and the second is using conventional techniques.

The traditional approach takes about 20 to 25 years to cultivate sandalwood trees, whereas the organic method requires about 10 to 15 years. The first eight years are not when the trees need any further protection.

The air then begins to smell nice after that. The need to defend the trees from animals and smugglers who might want to harm them arises at that point. The ability to grow anywhere, with the exception of sand or icy areas, is another significant characteristic of sandalwood trees.

Sandalwood Plantation Business: Profit

Sandalwood trees are extremely profitable. You can make between Rs 3 and Rs 5 lakh per year by planting only one sandalwood tree. Similar to this, you can make more than 30 lakh every year by planting even just 510 trees.

You might make up to Rs 5 crore a year if you are successful in growing more than 100 trees and selling their wood once they reach maturity.

To keep such a lucrative industry in check, one must be aware of the laws and guidelines that the government has put on this line of work. The government of India outlawed the sale and purchase of sandalwood in 2017.

A sandalwood tree may be planted in accordance with this regulation, but you may only sell it to the government. The Forest Department must first be notified and given permission. You will sell them the sandalwood tree.

(Disclaimer: This article is for sole information purpose and for readers' project identification. The earning calculator is also mostly based on assumptive figures to give an example of certain type. Zee News article does not intend to give any financial advice of any sorts. For initiating any venture, you must do your own due diligence and market research.)
New Delhi: BJP leader Nishikant Dubey defended his party colleague Ramesh Bidhuri, who made offensive remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha. Dubey said that Bidhuri was provoked by Ali, who repeatedly insulted Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him neech. Dubey said that Alis words were unacceptable and that they triggered Bidhuris reaction.

Speaking to news agency ANI, Dubey said, "The words used by him are not acceptable. I was present in the Parliament when all this took place. BSP MP Danish Ali kept calling PM Modi 'neech'. I have written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting him to constitute an Inquiry Committee to investigate Danish Ali's remark and the utterances made by various members during the discussion that day including the speeches of Saugata Roy and others"

#WATCH | Delhi: On BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's remark, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey says "...The words used by him are not acceptable. I was present in the Parliament when all this took place. BSP MP Danish Ali kept calling PM Modi 'neech'. I have written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om pic.twitter.com/TIg4A9bc1a  ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023

"We need to understand that people like Danish Ali and some leaders of Congress, DMK, and TMC are habitual offenders and they make derogatory comments to provoke BJP MPs," he added.

Ramesh Bidhuri's objectionable remarks against Danish Ali have triggered anger among the Opposition parties, with their demand for strict action against Bidhuri. Ali has given an ultimatum of leaving the Parliament if the Speaker will not conduct an enquiry into the matter.

BSP MP Danish Ali Denies Charge

BSP MP Danish Ali denying Nishikant Dubey's allegations said "BJP's crisis management group should have at least made proper allegations after sitting for 48 hours."

He said "Danish Ali has not stooped so low that he will make such comments about the Prime Minister...These allegations are baseless, I do not take them seriously because the training given in BJP-RSS is to tell a lie 100 times and make it look like the truth."
Universal Store Holdings' (ASX:UNI) stock is up by a considerable 33% over the past three months. We wonder if and what role the company's financials play in that price change as a company's long-term fundamentals usually dictate market outcomes. In this article, we decided to focus on Universal Store Holdings' ROE.

Return on Equity or ROE is a test of how effectively a company is growing its value and managing investors money. In simpler terms, it measures the profitability of a company in relation to shareholder's equity.

See our latest analysis for Universal Store Holdings

How Do You Calculate Return On Equity?

The formula for ROE is:

Return on Equity = Net Profit (from continuing operations)  Shareholders' Equity

So, based on the above formula, the ROE for Universal Store Holdings is:

17% = AU$24m  AU$136m (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023).

The 'return' is the profit over the last twelve months. That means that for every A$1 worth of shareholders' equity, the company generated A$0.17 in profit.

Why Is ROE Important For Earnings Growth?

So far, we've learned that ROE is a measure of a company's profitability. Based on how much of its profits the company chooses to reinvest or "retain", we are then able to evaluate a company's future ability to generate profits. Generally speaking, other things being equal, firms with a high return on equity and profit retention, have a higher growth rate than firms that dont share these attributes.

Universal Store Holdings' Earnings Growth And 17% ROE

At first glance, Universal Store Holdings seems to have a decent ROE. And on comparing with the industry, we found that the the average industry ROE is similar at 20%. Consequently, this likely laid the ground for the decent growth of 15% seen over the past five years by Universal Store Holdings.

Next, on comparing with the industry net income growth, we found that Universal Store Holdings' reported growth was lower than the industry growth of 20% over the last few years, which is not something we like to see.

Story continues

Earnings growth is an important metric to consider when valuing a stock. What investors need to determine next is if the expected earnings growth, or the lack of it, is already built into the share price. Doing so will help them establish if the stock's future looks promising or ominous. If you're wondering about Universal Store Holdings''s valuation, check out this gauge of its price-to-earnings ratio, as compared to its industry.

Is Universal Store Holdings Efficiently Re-investing Its Profits?

The high three-year median payout ratio of 66% (or a retention ratio of 34%) for Universal Store Holdings suggests that the company's growth wasn't really hampered despite it returning most of its income to its shareholders.

Along with seeing a growth in earnings, Universal Store Holdings only recently started paying dividends. Its quite possible that the company was looking to impress its shareholders. Upon studying the latest analysts' consensus data, we found that the company is expected to keep paying out approximately 60% of its profits over the next three years. Therefore, the company's future ROE is also not expected to change by much with analysts predicting an ROE of 20%.

Summary

In total, it does look like Universal Store Holdings has some positive aspects to its business. The company has grown its earnings moderately as previously discussed. Still, the high ROE could have been even more beneficial to investors had the company been reinvesting more of its profits. As highlighted earlier, the current reinvestment rate appears to be quite low. The latest industry analyst forecasts show that the company is expected to maintain its current growth rate. Are these analysts expectations based on the broad expectations for the industry, or on the company's fundamentals? Click here to be taken to our analyst's forecasts page for the company.

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.
Amritsar: The growing tensions between India and Canada have raised concerns among Indian parents whose children are studying in Canada with many stating that not only they are worried but their children are also unable to put focus on their studies in Canada. Speaking to ANI, Balwinder Singh whose daughter studies in Canada said, "We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, and it's been 7 months since she has left. There is news in the media that there is tension going on between both countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she can't focus on her studies."

On the India-Canada row, Kuldeep Kaur, whose daughters study in Canada said that both governments should try to find a solution in the erupted controversy after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau PM Trudeau said that his country's national security officials had reasons to believe that "agents of the Indian government" carried out the killing of the Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

#WATCH | Amritsar, Punjab: " We are worried, my daughter went to Canada to study, it's been 7 months since she has left...there is news in the media that there is tension going on between both the countries (India and Canada). My child is also worried there, she can't focus on pic.twitter.com/c9HLChwg4F  ANI (@ANI) September 23, 2023

"My two daughters are in Canada and I am tensed. They have gone there to study. Govts of both countries should find a solution," Kuldeep Kaur said.

Earlier Canada's Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre condemned the "hateful comments" targeting Hindus in Canada. He stated that Hindus have made "invaluable contributions" to every part of Canada and added that the Hindu community "will always be welcome here."

Conservative leader Poilievre said that each Canadian deserves to live without fear in the country. His remarks come after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, chief of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a pro-Khalistan organisation banned in India in 2019, in a viral video, threatened Hindus of Indian origin and asked them to leave Canada.

Shiromani Akali Dal President and MP Sukhbir Singh Badal on Thursday appealed to the Central Government to establish a good relationship with Canada soon to avoid increasing panic among the citizens living there. Badal also met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and requested him to 'find a solution' over the matter soon.

Keeping the whole situation in mind, I request the government of India and the government of Canada, especially the government of India that it needs to be settled as soon as possible because more delay means more tension and panic, Badal said while talking to the reporters after meeting with Shah.

He further said that a panic-like situation is developing among the people living in Canada due to the recent developments between both countries. Earlier Govt of India issued an advisory for Indian Nationals and Indian Students in Canada.

"Our High Commission/Consulates General will continue to be in contact with the Canadian authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of the Indian community in Canada. Given the deteriorating security environment in Canada, Indian students in particular are advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant," the advisory read.

"Indian nationals and students from India in Canada must also register with the High Commission of India in Ottawa or Consulates General of India in Toronto and Vancouver through their respective websites or the MADAD portal madad.gov.in. Registration would enable the High Commission and the Consulates General to better connect with Indian citizens in Canada in the event of any emergency or untoward incident," advisory added.

India has already refuted the claims made by Canada with Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi on Thursday stating that the allegations made by Canada regarding the "potential links" of India behind the killing of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar are Politically driven.

"Yes, I do think there is a degree of prejudice here. They have made allegations and taken action against them. To us, it seems that these allegations by the government of Canada are primarily politically driven," Bagchi said while addressing a weekly presser.
New Delhi: The Samsung Galaxy S23 FE has been repeatedly leaked and teased over the past few months, but the South Korean juggernaut has not yet announced an official launch date. A fresh landing page on Amazon India, though, gives us hope that our wait might be over soon.

The rear of a phone that resembles Samsung's newest flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S23, is seen on the teaser website, which announces that "The New Epic" is shortly to be released. (Also Read: Game-Changing Business Idea: Earn Rs 30 Lakh Per Year With THIS Money-Making Hack)

Additionally, the back panel resembles the marketing photographs for the Galaxy S23 FE that have just recently appeared online. (Also Read: Time Travel through Tunnels: 10 Oldest Metro Stations On Earth)

The text "Samsung Galaxy Oct Launch" can be seen on the landing page's left bar, giving away the fact that the Galaxy S23 FE will be released sometime in October.

In a nutshell, the Samsung Galaxy S23 FE resembles the standard Galaxy S23 in appearance and is expected to have a 6.3-inch AMOLED screen, 8GB of RAM, and up to 256GB of storage.

A 50MP primary camera with an 8MP ultrawide and 12MP telephoto lens may be present on the camera side.

The well-known tipper Evan Blass provided photographs of three products in a post on X (previously Twitter), which most likely represent the future Galaxy Tab S9 FE, Galaxy Buds FE, and Galaxy S23 FE.

The anonymous tipper also provided in-depth pictures of the Galaxy Buds FE, which also reveal their interior workings. The low-cost Samsung earbuds appear to include a one-way speaker, an internal microphone, and two exterior microphones. Samsung is most likely to include active noise suppression as well.

According to other rumors, Samsung may introduce the Galaxy FE devices on October 4, the same day that Google is expected to introduce the Pixel 8 series and Android 14, its most recent mobile operating system.
Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. By way of example, Hercules Silver (CVE:BIG) has seen its share price rise 325% over the last year, delighting many shareholders. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com?

In light of its strong share price run, we think now is a good time to investigate how risky Hercules Silver's cash burn is. For the purposes of this article, cash burn is the annual rate at which an unprofitable company spends cash to fund its growth; its negative free cash flow. The first step is to compare its cash burn with its cash reserves, to give us its 'cash runway'.

See our latest analysis for Hercules Silver

When Might Hercules Silver Run Out Of Money?

A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. When Hercules Silver last reported its balance sheet in June 2023, it had zero debt and cash worth CA$6.7m. Importantly, its cash burn was CA$2.7m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of about 2.5 years as of June 2023. Arguably, that's a prudent and sensible length of runway to have. You can see how its cash balance has changed over time in the image below.

How Is Hercules Silver's Cash Burn Changing Over Time?

Because Hercules Silver isn't currently generating revenue, we consider it an early-stage business. So while we can't look to sales to understand growth, we can look at how the cash burn is changing to understand how expenditure is trending over time. Remarkably, it actually increased its cash burn by 231% in the last year. Given that sharp increase in spending, the company's cash runway will shrink rapidly as it depletes its cash reserves. Admittedly, we're a bit cautious of Hercules Silver due to its lack of significant operating revenues. So we'd generally prefer stocks from this list of stocks that have analysts forecasting growth.

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How Hard Would It Be For Hercules Silver To Raise More Cash For Growth?

Given its cash burn trajectory, Hercules Silver shareholders may wish to consider how easily it could raise more cash, despite its solid cash runway. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. Many companies end up issuing new shares to fund future growth. We can compare a company's cash burn to its market capitalisation to get a sense for how many new shares a company would have to issue to fund one year's operations.

Hercules Silver's cash burn of CA$2.7m is about 5.6% of its CA$48m market capitalisation. That's a low proportion, so we figure the company would be able to raise more cash to fund growth, with a little dilution, or even to simply borrow some money.

So, Should We Worry About Hercules Silver's Cash Burn?

On this analysis of Hercules Silver's cash burn, we think its cash runway was reassuring, while its increasing cash burn has us a bit worried. Based on the factors mentioned in this article, we think its cash burn situation warrants some attention from shareholders, but we don't think they should be worried. On another note, Hercules Silver has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is potentially serious) we think you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies insiders are buying, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts)

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
The goal of Columbus Landmarks is to preserve buildings it believes are worthy of staying because of their historic nature or architectural significance. There are five sites on the group's 2023 most endangered list, but plans are in the works to save at least two, and one building on a third site.

Columbus Landmarks recently hosted a bus tour of the five sites, with discussions at several about what's to come.

The five:

The Hayes-Henderson House, 1544 Atcheson St., Near East Side, which Landmarks said was likely built by Judge John Green somewhere between 1865 and 1868 on farmland once owned by the family of President Rutherford B. Hayes. It was later owned by local attorney Leon Pearl Henderson, who used his home as a social center and hosted prominent African-American entertainers.

Summit on 16th United Methodist Church, 82 E. 16th St., in the University District, built in 1954.

Fire Engine House No. 10, at1096 West Broad St., Franklinton, built in 1896.

Downtown YMCA, 40 W. Long St., built in 1924.

Old Lazarus Block 171-191 S. High St., Downtown, with 171-177 S. High built in the 1800s and 185-191 S. High in 1906.

Here's where things stand:

Hayes Henderson House

Residents and advocates feared the house would be lost when Ohio State University's Wexner Medical Center planned on using the site for its new Dodd Rehabilitation Hospital. But in May, hospital officials said that they would be looking at other sites for the new adult inpatient rehabilitation center.

Ohio State University now plans to save the Hayes Henderson House at 1544 Atcheson St. The OSU Wexner Medical Cent is now looking at other sites for an adult rehabilitation hospital.

Wexner Medical Center spokeswoman Marti Leitch said officials are still exploring what to do with the property, which Ohio State still owns.

"Our intention is that it gets preserved," Leitch said.

Facilities crews are maintaining the grounds, and making sure the house is weathertight, she said.

"We want to be a good partner in the community," Leitch said.

Rebecca Kemper, CEO of Columbus Landmarks, said the house is not under imminent threat now.

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Summit United Methodist Church

Up Campus Properties of Chicago wants to build a seven-story, 229-unit apartment building on the church site. Opponents say the project is too big and doesn't fit with the neighborhood just east of the Ohio State campus.

Columbus Landmarks wants to save the former Summit on 16th United Methodist Church at 82 E. 16th Ave. from demolition. A developer wants to clear the site to make way for apartments.

The worship space also served as civic space for the community.

The developer plans to salvage and repurpose the building's stained glass windows, wood ceiling, wood screen wall panels and exterior mural.

Kemper said that Landmarks officials remain concerned about the site.

"Something we hear continually is that women's lives were better because of that place," she said.

"It's quite magnificent on the inside. We are keeping pressure on this one.

"The feeling is this space need to be saved," Kemper said.

Fire Engine House No. 10

The station was used as a fire house for more than 100 years until the city built a new one next door. Since then it has been vacant and Landmarks officials worry about its deterioration.

Columbus Fire Engine House No. 10 was built in 1896 and served as a fire house for more than 100 years. It closed in 2008 and is now on Columbus Landmarks most endangered list for 2023.

In an email, Ann Kelly, administrator of Columbus' real estate management office, said the city plans to use the building for internal operations, and has issued a request for proposals for quotes for designing the project. The responses are due back on Oct. 9.

Downtown YMCA

In September, The Dispatch reported that Columbus-based Woda Cooper plans to buy the building at 40 W. Long St. from the Columbus Downtown Development Corp., which acquired the building in March for $1 million after the YMCA moved the last residents out.

The YMCA downtown at 40 W. Long St., photographed on Thursday, October 17, 2019. [Fred Squillante/Dispatch]

Woda Cooper plans to renovate the building into 110 to 120 apartments, called The Lofts at the Y, to be affordable for those making 30% to 80% of the area's median income. Woda Cooper plans to buy the building at the end of 2024, start construction in early 2025, and finish by the end of 2026.

Kemper called the building's Jacobethan and Gothic revival influences exquisite and unique.

Old Lazarus Block

Harsax Managment Co. of Cleveland wants to incorporate the Ohio National Bank building, built in 1912 at 167 S. High St. into the project, which also calls for replacing two older buildings to the south of the bank with a 15-story modern apartment tower.

Harsax Management Co. of Cleveland is proposing a 15-story apartment and retail building on South High and West Town streets Downtown.

Landmarks said that one of the buildings to be demolished was once part of the first Lazarus department store, which grew to seven buildings on the site until it moved to the Lazarus Building in 1909. The same building also housed the first Kroger grocery store Downtown in the 1930s.

mferench@dispatch.com

@MarkFerenchik

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Five sites are on Columbus Landmarks most endangered list for 2023
It looks like FFI Holdings Limited (ASX:FFI) is about to go ex-dividend in the next four days. The ex-dividend date occurs one day before the record date which is the day on which shareholders need to be on the company's books in order to receive a dividend. The ex-dividend date is important because any transaction on a stock needs to have been settled before the record date in order to be eligible for a dividend. This means that investors who purchase FFI Holdings' shares on or after the 29th of September will not receive the dividend, which will be paid on the 12th of October.

The company's next dividend payment will be AU$0.10 per share, and in the last 12 months, the company paid a total of AU$0.10 per share. Last year's total dividend payments show that FFI Holdings has a trailing yield of 2.4% on the current share price of A$4.25. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing.

Check out our latest analysis for FFI Holdings

If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. FFI Holdings paid out more than half (62%) of its earnings last year, which is a regular payout ratio for most companies.

Click here to see how much of its profit FFI Holdings paid out over the last 12 months.

Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing?

When earnings decline, dividend companies become much harder to analyse and own safely. If earnings decline and the company is forced to cut its dividend, investors could watch the value of their investment go up in smoke. FFI Holdings's earnings per share have fallen at approximately 5.7% a year over the previous five years. Such a sharp decline casts doubt on the future sustainability of the dividend.

The main way most investors will assess a company's dividend prospects is by checking the historical rate of dividend growth. FFI Holdings's dividend payments per share have declined at 8.2% per year on average over the past 10 years, which is uninspiring. While it's not great that earnings and dividends per share have fallen in recent years, we're encouraged by the fact that management has trimmed the dividend rather than risk over-committing the company in a risky attempt to maintain yields to shareholders.

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Final Takeaway

From a dividend perspective, should investors buy or avoid FFI Holdings? We're not overly enthused to see FFI Holdings's earnings in retreat at the same time as the company is paying out more than half of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. We're unconvinced on the company's merits, and think there might be better opportunities out there.

With that being said, if dividends aren't your biggest concern with FFI Holdings, you should know about the other risks facing this business. Be aware that FFI Holdings is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit concerning...

A common investing mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a full list of high-yield dividend stocks.

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.
By Nathan Gomes and Mrinmay Dey

(Reuters) -Canadian labor union Unifor said on Sunday its members had voted to ratify a new contract with Ford Motor, a relief for the Detroit automaker locked in a separate tussle with its U.S. union over demands for better pay and benefits in the country.

Unifor, which represents about 5,600 Canadian auto workers, said its members at Ford ratified a new three-year collective agreement.

Ford has offered the union members wage increases of up to 25% in its new contract. The agreement provides a 10% wage increase for the first year followed by increases of 2% and 3% through the second and third years and a $10,000 productivity and quality bonus to all employees on the active roll of the company.

The Detroit automaker reached a last-minute deal earlier this week, preventing walkouts at its Canadian operations. On Friday, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union announced an expansion of its U.S. strikes against General Motors and Stellantis.

The UAW said it had made real progress in talks with Ford, but that its workers would remain on strike at the automaker's Wayne, Michigan, assembly plant.

Unifor had sought improved wages and pensions, support in the transition to electric vehicles and additional investment commitments from Ford. The union has yet to reach a deal with Stellantis and GM to avoid walkouts at their Canadian facilities.

Ford's new deal covers Unifor members at the company's plants in Ontario, as well as its parts distribution centers in Bramalea and Paris, Ontario, and in Alberta.

Unlike the UAW, Unifor chose one of the Detroit Three as a "target" to negotiate with first - in this case, Ford - in a pattern bargaining tactic used to set the tone for subsequent deals with other companies.

(Reporting by Nathan Gomes and Mrinmay Dey in BengaluruEditing by Pooja Desai and Matthew Lewis)
When former prisoner of war Porter Halyburton visits Spotsylvania County in early October to discuss his Vietnam War experiences, hell no doubt share the philosophy that kept him going then, and throughout life.

I always try to look for the silver lining, Im always trying to concentrate on what Im grateful for, not what Im sorry about, the 82-year-old said during a phone interview from his home in Greensboro, North Carolina. I do that every day.

Searching for the positive certainly wasnt easy during the 7 years Halyburton was held in North Vietnamese prison camps, including time in the notorious Hanoi Hilton.

As detailed in his book, Reflections on Captivity, the young naval officer was a POW for 2,675 days, held in eight different prisons and moved 30 times, never knowing how horrible the next ordeal might be.

He was brutally tortured along with other American POWs, lived on stale bread, rice sometimes tainted with rat droppings or glass and wire pieces and rats, snakes, monkeys and all sorts of things I had never heard of, he wrote in his book.

If it was food and I could get it down, I ate it, he said.

A crewman on an F4 Phantom jet, Halyburton was shot down north of Hanoi in October 1965 and initially listed as killed in action. His family in North Carolina  wife, Marty, baby daughter, mother and grandparents  held a memorial service for him, and Porter Halyburton has kept the granite that marked his empty gravestone all these years.

Im grateful to look down on it instead of up, he said, repeating a line he wrote in the book and has mentioned in several interviews.

Bill Shugarts of Spotsylvania County, also a Vietnam veteran, happened to see a video of Halyburton being interviewed at the U.S. Naval Institute. Shugarts started the Fawn Lake Veterans Group in 2019 and helped grow it from about a dozen members to more than 200, representing all branches of the military. Hes also a part of several other networks for veterans.

Shugarts read Halyburtons book, twice, and was amazed.

How the heck did this man do this? Shugarts wondered.

He was particularly struck by Halyburtons words when he walked away from the Vietnamese compound for the last time. Unlike other POWs who wanted revenge, Halyburton didnt want to spend the rest of his life thinking about his captors.

The hatred he had cultivated kept him going during his imprisonment, but upon release, he was ready to put it all behind him  and not take the emotions home to his wife and child.

Before I get on the bus, Halyburton wrote about his final hours in Vietnam, I turn back to Hoa Loa Prison, that place of misery and hatred, and I say, I forgive you. All the hatred that I have nurtured for the North Vietnamese for over seven years disappears, and I walk away from two prisons.

Halyburton timed the release of the book last year to coincide with the 50th anniversary of his release in 2023, and hes given talks about it across the country. Shugarts invited him to visit the Fredericksburg area and was pleasantly surprised that Halyburton and his wife, Marty, whos become his driver and public relations agent after almost 60 years of marriage, agreed.

Theyll be at the Wilderness Community Church on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to noon. The church is at 10501 Plank Road in Spotsylvania County. The event is called Faith, Hope and Forgiveness and is open to the public.

Those interested in more information can contact wccprayerandinfo@wildernesschurch.org.

Shugarts hopes more than 100 veterans, including disabled servicemembers from the Richmond area and local residents whove served in Vietnam, Gulf War conflicts, Afghanistan and Iraq, will attend.

Even while he was imprisoned, Halyburton wrote poetry and songs to his wife, committing words to memory because POWs werent allowed the most basic supplies, such as pencil and paper. In the decades after his 1973 release, he compiled 50 stories that detail his experiences.

Theyre a mixture of humorous and horrendous, from the ways POWs learned to communicate with each other  by lightly tapping on walls, coughing, spitting or even sweeping a bamboo broom a certain way to correlate with a code they developed  to the lack of medical care injured prisoners received.

One POW had open wounds that hadnt healed after his plane crashed. When they became infected, his captors washed him down with gasoline to remove the pus and dead skin, Halyburton wrote.

Halyburton spent 20 years on active duty with the Navy and retired a commander, then spent another 20 years on the faculty of the Naval War College. Hes devoted almost two decades to public speaking, stressing that what happens in life isnt as important as how a person reacts to those events.

As hes traveled the country, he said people have told him his story made an impact on them and helped them get through some really tough times.

It makes me feel really good that my somewhat terrible experience is having a good effect on some people, and helping them, he said. Its very gratifying.

Organizers are covering travel expenses for the Halyburtons, who have waived their normal speaking fee. Donations will be taken at the event for Semper Fi & Americas Fund, which assists wounded veterans.
A fresh fall chill and a gradient of golden aspens welcomed visitors to Teller County on Saturday for the annual Steampunk Soiree held throughout historic downtown Victor.

The streets of the old mining town could be seen littered by patrons and vendors carrying an array of Victorian-industrial goods, metaphysical instruments, and jewelry made of found treasure  from rusted gears and mechanical parts to animal bones and teeth.

Established in 1891, Victor is known historically for its vibrant mining industry throughout the late 19th and early 20thcentury.

Scientist and inventor Nichola Tesla was even known to conduct some of his research on the uses of electricity and wireless technology throughout Victor in 1899, making it the perfect backdrop to host Saturdays soiree.

I wish this was every day, I never want to take this skirt off said Maurice Clause, a steampunk enthusiast dressed in a full Victorian-bodice.

Clause traveled to Victor from her home state of Texas for last years soiree and told the Gazette shes been counting down the days as this years event approached.

Her love of the subculture deriving from both of her parents, Clause said she carries the steampunk movement close to her heart.

Both of my parents were artists and performers. As a child when theyd come down the stairs decked out in their steampunk attire, I remember how badly I wanted to go with them. Now, I attend steampunk events any chance I get, Clause said.

Victor is special. Theres something about the vibe of the town, mixed with the vibe of the (steampunk) community that just feels right.

Its hard to pin-point exactly what the alternative subculture of steampunk is, and where it truly came from. Although many attribute the genre of steampunk to be published throughout 60s and 70s science fiction, the term and subculture originated largely throughout the 80s.

Drawing inspiration from the Victorian ages of 1837 to 1901, the movement works to embody what the people of Victorian England had predicted the world may be like in the future as its people and inventors prevailed over modern technology, according to an article from the Iowa State Universitys Institute for Transportation.

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When somebody asks me, what steampunk is; its ubiquitous, its everywhere, Terry Mark, a local science fiction author, said, its the first 15-minutes of Star Wars, its airships, its trains, the old times, the industrial revolution,

its technology, but its not modern technology, which makes it so much more challenging and interesting.

Hundreds of Soiree attendees walked throughout the streets, looking to be from a world of their own. Wearing everything from corsets, top hats, metal goggles and chains to long capes, pinstripes and platform buckled boots; patrons looked almost to be a cast of characters from a Tim Burton film, intentionally weird and gothic.

What do I like about steampunk? Well, everything, said Terri Sillt, traveling from Denver to attend Saturdays Soiree.

Working in the world of banking, Sillt said it can be difficult living as a creative in corporate America, attributing her sanity to diving into cultures like the steampunk movement.

Life can feel so serious, and so mundane. When you have that creative spark, you need an outlet, Sillt said. Steampunk has been the most energizing, beautiful, and unique demographic of humans Ive had the pleasure of meeting. When you put such a cool group of people in such a cool place like Victor, it creates such a welcoming, interesting environment. It just sucks you right in.

I think one of neatest parts is that although the culture carries historical ties in its Victorian influence, the culture is made up, its imaginative. You can really picture a world like this existing, without it ever even occurring in the first place.

The heart of the steampunk community isnt the eclectic attire, or the futuristic ideologies  it isnt even the imaginations of those behind the subculture, although intrinsically necessary to the cause.

Through speaking with Saturdays attendees and vendors, the true heart of steampunk is a sense of belonging, a place for the outcasts, a home for the self-proclaimed weirdos.

Were all just a bunch of misfits, Brandi Ritte, owner of Hive of Bs and member of the steampunk movement, said. Its a different kind of community because theres no judgement, you get to dress up and have fun!
In the most significant case in our state, the People of the State of Colorado are not being represented by people from Colorado. Attorney General Phil Weiser has outsourced the prosecution of the case involving the death of Elijah McClain to civil (not criminal) lawyers in national law firms, one from Chicago, the other from Los Angeles. Neither are licensed to practice law in Colorado.

This is unprecedented.

In 28 years of working in Colorados criminal justice system, I have never heard of a Colorado prosecutor contracting out the handling of a local criminal case to any attorneys imported from outside of Colorado, let alone noncriminal attorneys.

Perhaps Weiser went outside Colorado to find the best-of-the-best trial attorneys in the area of criminal prosecution of law enforcement officers  subject-matter experts in the use of force? Nope.

Based on their law firm website biographies, neither out-of-state civil lawyer has any experience as a state prosecutor. The Chicago civil partners trial experience lists several areas of the law in which he has handled trials, including trade secret disputes, products cases, trademark matters  and the only area that arguably touches upon crime, white collar criminal law matters.

The Los Angeles civil partners bio touts his expertise in white collar criminal defense. His listed clients include Twentieth Century Fox, Home Depot, and Shell Oil. Now, he can add the State of Colorado. Over the course of his 37 years as a California attorney, he has conducted a mere 25 trials. For perspective, most Denver metro area prosecutors conduct more than 25 jury trials in their first few years of practice.

It appears that neither civil lawyer has handled a homicide case. The death of Elijah McClain appears to be their first.

Remember that Gov. Jared Polis, finding that this specific case is a matter of statewide importance, specifically appointed Weiser to handle this case, because it is necessary for the attorney general to act as the states prosecutor Weisers response? Outsource the matter of statewide importance to civil partners from cities nowhere near Colorado.

While Colorado tradition is for the elected prosecutor to personally handle the largest cases in their jurisdictions  think DAs Dougherty, Allen, Rourke, Rubenstein, Kellner  Weiser has the disadvantage of having to come to elected office with zero courtroom experience. Weiser would need to rely on experienced attorneys for this Polis-described truly exceptional case. He has a lot from which to choose.

In only five years under Weiser, the staff of the AGs office has exploded by 20%. Are the attorneys he has hired so unqualified to lead the prosecution of this important Colorado case that he is required to go far away from Colorado?

Are these lightly qualified partners in a giant Richie Rich law firm better than what the AG has put on his own team? Weiser has a token representative on the team: a young attorney with less than 10 years experience in  you guessed it  white collar crime.

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Meanwhile, Colorados 22 elected district attorneys employ more than 800 prosecutors with myriad experience in handling Colorado-defined crimes  like homicide and assault (charges in the McClain case) in Colorado courts, winning cases in front of Colorado juries. Did Weiser ask any district attorneys if they, or their prosecutors, were interested in prosecuting this Colorado case? If so, did they all decline his offer? No member of the media has asked.

Heck, Adams County DA Brian Mason has dozens of super-experienced prosecutors who daily work right in the same courthouse in which Weisers imported attorneys are in trial in front of Adams County jurors. None of them could help out?

What does this big-firm approach to local criminal prosecution cost Coloradans? We do not know yet.

Even if these wealthy civil partners are working pro bono  for free  so what? I would happily volunteer to play center for our Nuggets, but we would get exactly what we would be paying for. It appears that big-firm, out-of-state lawyers like spending big firm-like dollars on out-of-state experts. For instance, from day two of the trial, we know that Weisers out-of-state team hand-picked a Los Angeles-based expert to clean up the audio and video from police body-worn cameras.

At a work rate of $445/hour, the LA expert has already racked up bills to Colorado taxpayers of $125,000. His rate to testify is $525/hour. It remains to be seen what the additional cost of his Colorado-funded airfare, hotel and hours on the stand will be. The two experts hand-picked by Weisers tourist attorneys to contradict the opinions of the Colorado-based medical examiner in front of the McClain grand jury are also rumored to be from out of state. How much did Weiser pay for their opinions? And testimony?

Apparently, nobody in Colorado does any of this work. And for less.

Was any of this shared with Gov. Polis, who appointed Phil to handle the case? Was this shared with voters as Weiser sought re-election? Was any of this shared with the devastated and grieving McClain family?

A Colorado criminal case in Colorado courts in front of Colorado jurors involving Colorado police and paramedics accused of killing an innocent Colorado man on Colorado streets is being prosecuted in Colorados name by civil attorneys who do not live here using paid experts who are not from here. Regardless of the jurys verdict, this is unprecedented and unnecessary.

Colorado can do better. Elijah McClain deserved better.

George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District. He also is an Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute and president of the Advance Colorado Academy, which identifies, trains and connects conservative leaders in Colorado. He hosts The George Brauchler Show on 710KNUS Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. Follow him on Twitter: @GeorgeBrauchler.
I fly to Dallas a little too often.

When I go for personal reasons, like to visit my daughter, Ill take Frontier Airlines. Im willing to be treated like luggage in exchange for a $30 one-way ticket. Yep, I gamble I might spend my night camped out at an airline gate waiting for the new flight crew, or a missing mechanical part, or forgotten paperwork, or whatever.

I once waited two hours for them to empty the sewage from the plane. Ill assume that one was worth the wait.

For those interested in the hospitality reviews: DIAs mostly carpeted terminals are a luxurious 5-star overnight stay compared with the rather utilitarian, Motel 6-laminated floors of the DFW Airport.

If Im going for business, Ill pay more to fly United or American to increase the odds of getting there on time. No guarantee, just increased odds.

But I have another option Ive wanted to try, but could lose the chance.

If I wanted to shell out a few extra bucks I could fly JSX airlines right out of convenient (for me), smaller Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport just off U.S. 36 in Broomfield.

JSX is the closest to a personal jet a middle-class schmo like me could afford. They fly small regional jets, give free snacks, free drinks, free checked bags and free Starlink internet. And best still, like Taylor Swift boarding her private plane, you can arrive just 20 minutes before your departure and off you go without the inhumane, dehumanizing, cattle-car treatment of modern airline/TSA travel.

Its part of the wonders of a competitive transportation market. So, of course, the Federal Aviation Administration is trying to ban them.

Its not just a story of nasty government bureaucracy trying to squash the little guy. Its good old corporatism at work as big airlines like American Airlines and their unions get government to outlaw their competition.

Hows this little airline a threat to the big boys? I just looked up flights to Dallas for around 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 1. Mind you, airline ticket prices change like the moods of 13-year-old girls, but when I looked to fly: the Greyhound bus of the skies, Frontier Airlines, would cost me $155. To fly American Airlines, it would be $244. But first class on American was a whopping $809.

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JSX is all first class.

The regional jets they use are made to have 50 seats, but by regulation they can only have 30. The 6:30 p.m. flight to Dallas is only $489. Thats $320 less than American Airlines. No wonder American wants to have them put out of business.

JSX can do it for less for many reasons, including how it operates in smaller, often private, regional airports that charge much less for gate fees.

Also, they can hire pilots who have far fewer flying hours than those flying large passenger airplanes. This is by the rules set out by the FAA  rules the FAA now wants to change under pressure from big airlines and their unions.

There have been no safety problems with airlines like JSX. None. So why change the regulations now? Because this business model is growing, serving more customers and hiring more pilots, giving them more hours behind the wheel so someday they can fly the big planes.

Everyone is winning except the entrenched interests giving us lousy air service. Other regional airlines are looking to get into the business.

Regional carrier Sky West has proposed an operation under a similar model to serve smaller communities that cant be attended to with costly large aircraft and pilots paid more than $200,000 a year.

Pilot unions want to make sure the shortage of pilots continues indefinitely. They want this FAA rule to ban charter airline routes that appear to offer to the public as essentially indistinguishable from flights conducted by air carriers

Just as the taxi cartel hated Uber and Lyft when they got started, the airline cartel hates JSX. Colorado is in desperate need of air travel competition. Public comment on the rule change will make a big difference to the FAAs decision. Your voice can be heard at: www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2023-1857-0001.

Or I can save you a space on the floor by the airline gate. Oh, that plush DIA carpet  its like a night at The Broadmoor.

Jon Caldara is president of the Independence Institute in Denver and hosts The Devils Advocate with Jon Caldara on Colorado Public Television Channel 12. His column appears Sundays in Colorado Politics.
Changing voting patterns

Should I vote early? Ive always voted on election day. Its my voting pattern.

I have long trusted the system to count my vote, as small as it is. Now Im reconsidering that pattern. Maybe I should vote as soon as my ballot arrives in the mail. Sometimes our household gets many ballots in the mail.

Democrats like the idea of early voting. They win elections.

Republicans have trouble doing that sometimes. I think its because we are traditional and like the old way of doing things.

I dont like the Democratic agenda. They like to talk about climate change, how much they hate Trump. I dont like some things about former President Trumps personality but I do like some of the things he did, as president especially his Supreme Court picks.

Democrats win elections because they change election patterns.

Its not cheating. Its democracy at work.

Can Republicans win elections by keeping their own, traditional voting patterns? That seems to be the question.

Should I trust the system or should I play by the rules the liberals have given us? I dont know.

I do like voting on the day of our elections. I like showing my ID.

But perhaps I need to wake up and smell the coffee. I think I will vote early this time.

Chuck Asay

Manitou Springs

Building a skilled, prepared workforce

This November, Cripple Creek-Victor School District is hoping voters in Cripple Creek will approve 1% Education Enhancement sales tax increase to expand our Career & Technical Education Programs and Adult Education Center. For decades, CCVSD has done our part to fill voids within the community. We have successfully written and been awarded grants that have allowed us to establish our School Based Health Center, now Gorman Medical, providing medical and mental health care for residents of all ages.

The Childcare Partnership Grant brought 10 child care centers to Teller County. And most recently, the $1.49 RISE grant allowed the school district to reestablish and bolster our Career & Technical Education Programs and open an Adult Education Center. In the first year, we were able to place 17 district-paid student interns to work in 10 local businesses at no cost to the local business owner(s); help 37 adults in our community earn licenses, certifications and/or complete their GED at little or no cost to them; 100% of our Fire Science students obtained their Fire Science I certification and went on to fight wildfires locally and in Arizona; and we enrolled 19 students in Culinary Arts/Hospitality who went on to cater several events for local community organizations.

Our construction trades students have completed projects throughout the community and will soon begin our Building Up CC-V Initiative that will contribute one energy efficient, affordable home to the community every year, helping families experience the gratification of home ownership.

In Cripple Creek-Victor School District, we are committed to building a skilled and prepared workforce, contributing to our community and giving our students learning opportunities that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

Miriam Mondragon

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Cripple Creek

Rescheduling marijuana

In response to County Commissioner Longinos Gonzalezs guest opinion on the rescheduling of marijuana, from a Class I drug to a Class III drug, I would like to offer counterpoints in regards to Colorado Springs.

First, rescheduling would allow our medical marijuana dispensaries to deduct normal business expenses like rent and salaries. Federal income tax now is levied on the dispensarys gross profits, and many had a net loss last year but have a substantial federal tax liability.

It would also allow access to regular banking, which costs $750 per month per account, if you can find one. Eventually, debit and credit cards will be legally accepted at dispensaries.

So rescheduling marijuana to a Class III drug allows our local businesses to be treated like any other business.

Second, he comments on the increase of law enforcement in seizures of illegal marijuana and the decline in tax revenues from the sale of legal marijuana in Colorado. Both of these factors are indicative of the success of black-market operators. Bear in mind, legal marijuana is controlled, tested, taxed and, because of all this compliance, a lot more expensive than the black-market product. Rescheduling will have no impact on these market forces.

Marijuana is here, and its not going away anytime soon.

So, do you want the local legal business to succeed, or do you want the illegal business to?

A little support from our local council and county commission members for the local medical marijuana businesses in Colorado Springs would be sincerely appreciated.

Peter Green

Colorado Springs

Iranian hostage release

My first question is why did those Americans travel to an extremely hostile nation (Iran) that has been at war in one form or another with the United States since the Shah was disposed in 1979? In my way of thinking, that certainly would be enough time for me to ponder whether I should visit and to decide against it.

I dont care if they had family or business in Iran. They went there on their own volition. No one forced them to go.

Now the Nany State has spent a billion dollars to free them. And almost as bad, they also released two Iranian criminals who were convicted of supporting terrorism and mayhem.

Some of the readers might say, But the money was Irans in the first place. In war (in any way, shape or form) no one is a friend of ours.

John Wear

Elbert
Political parties evolve and change. The Republican Party of Ronald Reagan was hardly that of Dwight Eisenhower, much less Abraham Lincoln. The modern Democratic Party bears only a faint resemblance to the assemblage led by John F. Kennedy, to say little of Woodrow Wilson.

While Democrats today certainly have their wings, factions and internal debates, they operate within some boundaries of normalcy. The differences between Elizabeth Warren and Joe Manchin, even here at home between, say, John Hickenlooper and Lisa Calderon, are part and parcel of party coalitions.

On the flip side, the GOP remains in the grips of a full-blown identity crisis that has been the case since Donald Trump stole the keys from the likes of Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Scott Walker.

For an illustration of that core confusion, lets look to three prominent, elected Republicans, two from Colorado and one from neighboring Utah. All have made headline news lately. Those above-the-fold stories tell us much about the battle for the GOPs heart and soul.

Our tale begins with none other than Colorados proudest contribution to national political discourse, U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert.

Even the likes of Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene must have privately thought, She takes it a bit far, and, Wheres the decorum?

For those awakening from some self-imposed hibernation, Boebert, along with a very handsy date, was escorted out of Denvers Buell Theater for being way too juiced during a performance of the Broadway hit, Beetlejuice.

I am all for public officials having a chance to unwind and enjoy life. But that is a far cry from Boeberts antics. She chose to spend her night out vaping (against the rules); ignoring a request to stop from a pregnant woman sitting immediately behind her (against all decency); obnoxiously snapping photos (against the rules and any sense of judgment); and, engaging in a spectacle of breathless groping (best left back in high school and the backseat of a borrowed car).

This was all too much, even for someone whose patented political move is to constantly double down and never express regret. An apology of sorts came a few days later.

All of us make mistakes. Though in Boeberts case, instead of being out of character, her display at the theater seemed very much in character. Her entire, well-cultivated persona is based on outrage, and, yes, performance.

As is the case with far too many others who came of political age in the era of Trump, Boeberts core conviction is that societys rules dont apply to her.

Since Boebert blasted onto the scene in 2020, more than a handful of Republicans have told me that I really needed to get to know her and that deep down she is a far better person than her public image suggests. I have deferred and her latest escapades indicate otherwise.

This leads us to Boeberts colleague in Colorados Republican congressional delegation. U.S. Rep. Ken Buck yields nothing to Boebert in terms of conservative ideology. Yet, he has become her polar opposite when it comes to discernment, principle and adherence to the U.S. Constitution.

Bucks conservatism goes hand in hand with his prosecutorial roots and his respect for that code. Taken together, that has resulted in a distinctly conservative voting record befitting his district, a loyalty to the established institutions of government and a requirement that serious charges of wrongdoing be accompanied by that pesky little thing called evidence.

Buck and Boebert are both members of the House Freedom Caucus, representing the GOPs right flank. But absent evidence (that word again) to invalidate the 2020 presidential election, Buck departed from most of his fellow caucus members in voting to certify Joe Bidens election.

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For those with short memories, that vote took place on the evening of January 6, 2021, just hours after that days unprecedented violence.

Now, Buck is making national headlines for resisting the Biden impeachment push led by many in the Freedom Caucus. While there is no doubt as to Hunter Bidens sleazy grift, Buck insists on demonstrable proof of the presidents involvement and culpability.

In his spare time, when not dealing with his partys internal lunacy, Buck has become the foremost Republican taking on big tech and endeavoring to hold the likes of Apple and Google to account.

For all of this, mainly for refusing to lend his name to every evidence-free, partisan pile-on, Buck has come to be regarded as a rebel in his caucus. Which says more about the Republican ranks at the moment than it does about Buck.

On a related note, lets close today by turning to the retirement announcement from the Republican senior statesman from our western neighbor. Via Michigan and then Massachusetts, Utahs Mitt Romney was the last GOP presidential standard-bearer not named Trump.

Contrary to the image of him in MAGA-world, Romney is hardly some closet leftie. He was sufficiently conservative to be his partys nominee for president just 11 years ago. And to then be nominated to run for a Senate seat by Republicans in one of Americas most conservative states.

But what distinguishes Romney, especially in todays GOP, is his commitment to virtues, once conservative in nature, that have grown decidedly old-fashioned. Included on this list are conscience and conciliation.

Romney is self-aware enough to realize that he no longer fits in a party that, in the span of less than two decades, went from compassionate conservatism to American carnage.

In an Atlantic magazine excerpt from a forthcoming biography of Romney, he is quoted, A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution.

Have more damning words about a political party ever been spoken by someone recently such a central figure?

Not pulling his punches, and recognizing life is short, Romney conveys particular scorn for those newly ascendant Republicans who clearly know better but debase themselves in opportunistically mouthing Trumps tunes. The shameful trio of Josh Hawley, Ted Cruz and J.D. Vance come in for special derision.

What those three and plenty more have in common is abundant brainpower. What they lack together is any moral compass or commitment to principle.

Now imagine some coming gathering of leading Republican activists. Romney, Buck and Boebert are all there and each gets their five minutes of stage time.

Care to hazard a guess which one receives a heros welcome and which two are greeted with boos and catcalls?

Eric Sondermann is a Colorado-based independent political commentator. He writes regularly for Colorado Politics and the Gazette newspapers. Reach him at EWS@EricSondermann.com; follow him at @EricSondermann
After the 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, Colorado lawmakers passed a bill requiring the states Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board to publish a public database containing some basic disciplinary information about police officers.

But Colorado still refuses to release a more extensive database of all law enforcement officers whom the state has certified to arrest people and carry a gun, and where they have worked.

The refusal to release this information makes Colorado one of just 15 states that keep this type of police officer data secret, according to a nationwide reporting project, preventing the press and public from adequately monitoring the states oversight of wandering or second-chance officers.

In other states where such databases are disclosed, reporters and researchers have shown significant gaps in state oversight systems that have allowed officers with troubled pasts to be shuffled to school district departments and passed around tiny suburban departments. Departments have failed to notify criminal defendants about officers histories of misconduct, and officers have continued to work in law enforcement even after criminal convictions. In Florida, researchers showed that wandering officers are not only more likely to be fired at their new departments, but also rack up even more citizen complaints.

I dont understand why its something that our state would want to keep from people, said University of Colorado law professor Ann England. Nobody wants officers that are getting fired from one agency to be able to go to another agency with impunity, with nobody knowing.

Second-chance cops

In 2014, Rocky Ford police Officer James Ashby killed Jack Jacquez in one of the few on-duty police shootings in Colorado for which prosecutors have ever brought criminal charges. As the trial  which eventually resulted in a 16-year conviction  played out, Ashbys status as a second-chance cop was revealed.

He had been fired as a Walmart security guard in Pueblo. His personnel file from the Walsenburg Police Department revealed allegations of making vulgar remarks to female coworkers and excessive force complaints, one of which led to his resignation from the force.

Still, he ended up at the Rocky Ford Police Department, which then-Denver Post reporter Chris Osher showed was a destination for second-chance cops, also known as wandering officers  those who leave one police department after committing misconduct and simply find work at another.

Osher reported a series in 2015 showing how POSTs lax regulations allowed officers accused of serious misconduct to wander between departments  usually small, rural ones like Rocky Ford without large hiring budgets. This extended to officers who came from out of state and were granted training waivers by POST based on their previous certification elsewhere.

He did all this without the benefit of the comprehensive data POST maintains about police employment histories. POST refused his requests. Although the Legislature then passed a modest reform law requiring police departments to at least review the histories of officers they hire from other agencies, it did nothing to ensure better public access to data that could show the true extent of the problem in Colorado  or require the state to track wandering officers.

Colorado in the minority

More than 30 states make this type of information public, a coalition of news organizations found, including Colorados neighbors Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska and Kansas.

That group used to include Colorado  the state released its certification data at least once before, in 2004, records show. But now Colorado POST, which certifies and oversees police officers in the state, claims that releasing this basic information could reveal undercover officers to criminals and that it would be technologically impossible to provide electronic data.

Questions have been raised around both claims, but a Denver District Court judge and a panel of Colorado appellate court judges upheld POSTs denial of its database to Osher  now an investigative reporter and editor with The Gazette  and my organization, the Chicago-based Invisible Institute. We have petitioned the Colorado Supreme Court to take up the case, represented by Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press attorney Rachael Johnson.

CORA or CCJRA?

The lower courts upheld a central claim by Colorados attorney general that POST, as a licensing agency for law enforcement officers, is itself a criminal justice agency and thus subject to the far more restrictive Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) rather than the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).

CORA entitles requesters to copies of public records kept in sortable formats (like databases) minus any fields of information that must not be released under state law. But the criminal justice records law has no such provision, and the standard to overturn a CCJRA denial is whether an agency abused its discretion in withholding the records.

Abuse of discretion?

In deciding that question, Denver District Court Judge J. Eric Elliff found that POSTs records custodian, Deputy Attorney General Natalie Hanlon Leh, had properly weighed the interests on both sides of the argument, even though there was no paper record showing she had considered the public benefit to releasing the data at all.

He also gave weight to her claims that POSTs enterprise database software, made by a company called Benchmark Analytics, could not query the data held within it to produce the information sought by The Gazette and Invisible Institute. My understanding is you cant just export data from these databases, Hanlon Leh testified.

Elliff found there was credible evidence that fulfilling the request would be an undue burden for POST. But records POST released after this decision showed this is not the case. POSTs own RFP that Benchmark responded to stated clearly that the ability to query data was a feature POST was seeking in its software.

Benchmarks bid submission went into more detail on its ability to meet this need: Our reporting tool allows permissioned users to export reports in a variety of formats." The tool can produce a fully editable file that can be saved or manipulated by users in multiple formats.

Hanlon Lehs claims of technical inability were in service of POSTs larger claim that determining who is an undercover officer, in order to remove them from release, would be too difficult. Experts have questioned the premise of the argument. According to former Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank, the deep undercover policing that POSTs denial seems to anticipate just doesnt happen anymore.

When you look at these officers that they claim are undercover, theyve been in uniform assignments the year before, or therell be a uniform assignment a year from now, and their names are already a part of the record, he said in an interview. At the same time, during the time while they are undercover, officers use assumed identities, in his experience: Any undercover officer whos using their true identity is not really undercover.

Upheld again

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The Colorado Court of Appeals upheld Eliffs rulings and seemed to go beyond what POST had asked for. A three-judge panel found that essentially any public body that maintains criminal background investigations on employees could be covered under the CCJRA.

This throws decades of CORA practice and case law out the window, according to the Colorado Supreme Court petition filed to challenge this appellate opinion. Because many regulated bodies are required to maintain criminal background checks, under the courts ruling, every one of those governmental entities is no longer subject to CORA, First Amendment attorney and Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition president Steve Zansberg said when the appellate opinion was released. That is absurd and cannot stand.

Its an absurd result, RCFPs Johnson agreed. An agency could essentially say, Oh, well, wait a minute, we review criminal records information, and we keep it. And therefore, were a criminal justice agency, so we no longer need to comply with CORA. Were under the CCJRA.

Fighting for access

Since The Gazette and Invisible Institutes lawsuit was filed in 2021, we have joined a national coalition of news organizations seeking police certification and employment history data in every state. Members of the coalition, convened by Big Local News, a program of Stanford Universitys Journalism and Democracy Initiative, are fighting for data in some states where records were denied.

Besides Colorado, legal appeals have been filed in New York, Michigan and Utah.

Access to police certification and employment history data is definitely critical for not only the public and media, but also wrongful conviction and criminal defense attorneys, said CU Boulder law professor England, a former public defender who directs the law schools Korey Wise Innocence Project and its criminal defense clinic.

Youre looking at the credibility of this particular officer, based on what role they played in the investigation. Those records can be helpful also because you can say, Oh, they got fired after or they failed their training after they worked on the case.

New database, less information

In January 2022, the Attorney Generals Office launched a different database, one its required to maintain for the public by the wave of reform legislation passed after George Floyds murder and the killing of Elijah McClain by Aurora police. It mostly exists to house information about disciplinary actions taken by POST, and down the road, some other kinds of records about misconduct by individual police departments and prosecutors offices.

But it also allows users to check the certification of any current officer  much of the information The Gazette and Invisible Institute are seeking, except for data about past employers and officers who werent decertified but are no longer actively employed. POST also established a way for officers, including those who may be undercover, to remove their names from the lookup tool.

So what prevents the state from releasing the rest of the data being sought in our request  the employment history of officers and data about officers who are no longer currently employed but were not decertified?

The states attorneys have argued in their own brief to the Supreme Court that the creation of the public-facing POST database was tantamount to the General Assembly express(ing) a policy preference for the particular information included in the law creating that database to be public  implying that lawmakers meant that nothing else should be. (State Rep. Leslie Herod, a prime sponsor of the bill, did not respond to requests for comment.)

But that is not how public records laws work in Colorado  not even the CCJRA. In 2005, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that responses to requests for most criminal justice records must consider both the public and private interests at play  not simply go by the preferences of the records custodian, or use some process of elimination based on separate records that theLlegislature expressly made public.

An agency cant hide information from the public because they dont want it to be known, Johnson said in an email. That would completely defy the purpose of CORA, the CCJRA, and its clearly not what the Legislature intended by creating public records laws in the first place.

Refusal complicates

While POSTs refusal to release its more comprehensive database makes it difficult to track wandering officers, some recent examples have come to light.

Jon Geiger, a Georgetown police officer decertified by POST in 2018 after a conviction in an excessive-force case, got his certification back on appeal and was hired as interim chief for the tiny department in Nunn near Fort Collins.

Tim Collins, the Clear Creek County sheriffs deputy seen in bodycam footage standing on the hood of Christian Glass car before Glass was shot by Collins fellow deputies, was hired in April by the nearby Georgetown Police Department.

Despite continuing examples of wandering officers in Colorado, POST has no program to track them. And the agencys new online database will only include future terminations and resignations of officers while under investigation.

Whats more, police officials nationwide have said they fear an officer hiring shortage  also impacting Colorado  could allow for more opportunities for officers with histories of misconduct or poor entrance exams to find work in law enforcement.

Every agency is screaming for more police officer applicants, and so that makes hiring and the acceptance of officers who may have questionable backgrounds a problem for us, said Patrick Solar, a former police chief in Genoa, Ill., and a criminal justice professor at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. To hire people to fill the ranks, we may intentionally or inadvertently lower our standards. It brings in the opportunity for officers who may run into trouble moving from one agency to the next.

Without public access to POSTs data, theres nothing that the community can do to push back if that happens, because we dont know, said CU Boulder law professor England. Its a public safety issue. Who do we want on our streets, who do we want giving our tickets, who do we want running around and doing the work theyre doing?

Its part of the publics right to know and feel safe in their community.
Its a drizzly, overcast day at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, but that wont stop a muddle of guinea pigs from their feast.

Piggies! calls out Courtney Rogers, senior animal keeper in the Waters Edge: Africa exhibit, as she tries to draw the 27 common American guinea pigs, Abyssinian guinea pigs and teddy bear pigs out of their temperature-controlled hut. Piggies!

She knows the way to a guinea pigs heart: veggies, hay, grass and a pile of leaves, where pigs frolic, bury themselves and chew on the crunchy dead leaves like potato chips.

Here they come  Brenda, Clover, Street Taco, Blanche, Dolores, Stevie Nicks, Shirley, Domino, Nefertiti, Georgia, Grandpa and Prince Consuelo  running on their squat, little legs. Some have a bedhead situation going on with their fur, while others have perfectly symmetrical coloring. Periodically a pig will popcorn  that little jump and quarter turn in the air. A few wheek wheeks can be heard, that high-pitched squeal that can indicate excitement.

Theyre rodents so their teeth are growing all the time, Rogers said. Their job is to eat and eat. And they do a good job. Look how well mowed this yard is. They did all of it. Theyre great at lawn maintenance. They maybe took it a little short.

And then theres Farrah. Shes easy to pick out thanks to her stylish bangs.

Unaware of her on-point hair game, the little pig munches contentedly on a leafy green bough, surrounded by 24 of her best gal pals and two boys, who were quickly neutered when keepers learned of their boyhood. Guinea pigs could be described as fertility gods.

Rogers is well-practiced by now in the art of the guinea pig bang trim. But theres a specificity to Farrahs hairdo. Because her pink eyes are sensitive to the sun, she needs a little length to keep them shaded, but not too much that she cant see.

Just a bunch of quirky pigs

Each pig is a character with their own set of friendships within the group. Brendas a bold extrovert, who gets so excited about getting on a scale during a training session that its hard to get her off.

Its like OK, Brenda, Ive got your weight about 20 times today, Rogers said. Often when we get their weights we have to subtract Brendas weight from the scale, so itll be Brenda plus Blanche.

Brenda also loathes fruit, but loves peppers. Street Taco, with whitish fur on her face resembling shredded cheese, adores tomatoes so much her little snout gets stained with them.

Grandpa and Prince Consuelo, the two boys, dont hang out together too much, but they do love their lady friends.

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Guinea pigs at a zoo?

Its true that guinea pigs arent your typical zoo animal, but when Waters Edge opened in 2020, there was a nice shady spot with lots of greenery. It was a perfect spot for the creatures who originated in South America and dont take up much space.

The first round of pigs arrived that year, and the second round arrived at the beginning of this year, when a reputable breeder decided to retire and needed to rehome her pigs.

Bringing two muddles together took some work. Keepers did howdys, the same process they use for bigger animals: Theyre just saying howdy from afar, Rogers said. A separator kept the groups apart, but allowed them to smell each other so they knew new pigs were afoot.

We started with the ones that seemed more interested in saying hi to each other, and built relationships during the day, Rogers said. At night theyd go back to their separate spaces. And now theyre all living together peacefully.

Do guinea pigs brawl?

Theres been no warfare Rogers has ever seen. Maybe a few extra popcorns from the pigs who were most excited about their new friends, and a few chases where one pig would run off another pig in their territory. But for the most part, guinea pigs could teach humans a lot about peace and love.

People love a pig

We turned them into pets around 5,000 B.C., Rogers says, which is how the pigs developed their fancy, wildly colored coats. They dont look as colorful or beautiful in the wild, where theyre typically more brown with some striations. Theyre also taller, leggier and not quite as big.

One of Rogers favorite parts of the exhibit is the nostalgia the pigs spark. And even though this particular group of piggies hasnt been socialized as pets and dont really want to be picked up or touched, theyre still capable of producing joyful memories for guests.

Some people have guinea pigs that definitely like to interact, Rogers said. I have heard so many stories of people who like to sit in their living room and watch TV with their pig.

Pig life

Pigs sleep at night, but they love their naps. They can often be found lounging under their log caves or in their hut. And when its hot, they snooze on refrigerated marble slabs keepers put in the yard.

The rodents can live up to 10 years old, and right now the muddle contains a bunch of 4- and 5-year-olds. A few, who have started to show signs of arthritis and other senior issues, are members of what keepers call the Silver Whiskers Club, and get their own section in the hut.

Some pigs are considered retired, Rogers said. If youre an old lady pig, maybe you dont want to deal with having young pigs trying to steal your food. They get their own special food. Theyre at that stage in life where they want to cuddle up and sleep, hang out in a sun puddle, eat a bunch of grass and hang out.

Contact the writer: 636-0270
Stop the presses!

Or whatever other device to which you turn for news.

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Georgia U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green, hard-line Republican loudmouth from the South, finally has said something with which  gasp!  I agree.

This unusual moment of comity came on the heels of a directive from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The New York Democrat directed the chambers sergeant-at-arms to stop enforcing the bodys unwritten yet faithfully followed dress code, which is coats and ties for men and business attire for women.

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Although Greene is not a senator, she still poked her nose into the social network chatter on X, formerly Twitter. Disgraceful, she tweeted. Dress code is one of societys standards that set etiquette and respect for our institutions, she tweeted. Stop lowering the bar!

Yeah! Amazingly, I agreed with her. Thats probably because, well, Im old. I appreciate the enduring niceties from more courteous and respectful times.

I was raised to believe you should show your respect for important institutions, jobs and events by dressing in a way that wont be mistaken for a visiting high school tour group. With that in mind, I was encouraged to see Greene calling for maintaining the dress code because of etiquette and respect for our institutions.

What a refreshing contrast her stated respect for institutions was from her failed attempt two years ago to justify the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the institution where she works, the Capitol. On Steve Bannons podcast that year, she tried to downplay the attack as just a riot at the Capitol and if you think about what our Declaration of Independence says, it says to overthrow tyrants.

Just a riot is a breathtaking understatement to describe a calamity that led to the deaths of five people and injuries to more than 100 police officers, not to mention that more than 600 people have been charged with criminal behavior related to Jan. 6.

Now, like many other Republicans, she is pinning the blame for Schumers dress code update on Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, whose sartorial tastes lean to gym shorts and hoodies. Standing at 6 feet, 8 inches, he is a striking standout among most of his colleague in the hallowed marble halls of Congress. In his typical suffer-no-fools-gladly style, he responded to Greenes scolding with about as much dignity as it deserved.

Thankfully, the nations lower chamber lives by a higher code of conduct: displaying ding-a-ling pics in public hearings, he wrote on X.

That was a sarcastic reference to Greenes gratuitous showing of sexually explicit images of Hunter Biden during a House committee hearing in July.

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Yet, also to my surprise, my throwback attitude appears to have some allies on the Democratic side, most significantly Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who also expressed a less-than-enthusiastic attitude toward abolishing the traditional dress code.

Well, Im concerned about it, he said on The Briefing Room With Steve Scully on the SiriusXM POTUS channel.

Durbin said he understood the effort to accommodate Fettermans preferences, but there needs to be a limit.

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The senator in question from Pennsylvania is a personal friend, Durbin said in the radio interview. But I think we need to have standards when it comes to what were wearing on the floor of the Senate, and were in the process of discussing that right now as to what those standards will be.

Thats how most touchy matters are handled in Congress: Refer them to committee.

Questions of custom and propriety are hardly new to Congress. When I am asked why lawmakers make such a big deal out of customs and tradition, I am reminded of the day Massachusetts Sen. Charles Sumner was brutally beaten with a cane by Rep. Preston Brooks of South Carolina in 1856 for opposing slavery in the run-up to the Civil War.

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Weve made progress in settling disputes and maintaining decorum since then. But these days, we have to be more vigilant than ever.

cpage@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @cptime
Marking a historic moment, two Danville teenagers have been selected as student representatives on the Danville School Board.

Trustees made the final approvals at Thursday nights meeting.

Kyra Alexander will represent George Washington High School and Jurnee Mitchell will be GWs alternate. For Galileo Magnet High School, Neil Shroff will be the representative with Darrien Saunders serving as the alternate.

Its been a dream of mine since Ive been on the board, to have student reps to give our students a voice, Danville School Board Chair TyQuan Graves said. I didnt have it when I was here, thats why I wanted it.

The representatives  selected via a screening process by Graves and Superintendent Angela Hairston  will serve in an advisory capacity as a liaison between the students and the school board.

They will attend regular, open meetings and complete assignments, such as research or data collection, when scheduled by the board, Lanie Davis, a spokesperson for Danville Public Schools, explained to the Register & Bee.

Alexander, a member of the GW color guard and National Honor Society, was approved at the Sept. 7 meeting.

Mitchell, Shroff and Saunders attended Thursdays session to be approved.

Shroff, a student-athlete at Galileo Magnet High School, wants to go into the medial field when he graduates.

Hopefully I can represent my school well, he said.

I am really proud with you guys, Graves said, explaining the interview process for representatives started out early on morning. I really loved your positive energy.

Philip Campbell, a school board member, often references intent and impact.

In this case, the intent was to make sure the schools and student body had representation.

This is historical, thank you so much, Campbell said.

Danville School Board Vice Chair Tyrell Payne also extended the historic theme, explaining its something they board has been trying to do for years.

The school board also honored Hispanic and Latino Heritage Month with board member Charles McWilliams reading the states proclamation. The month officially commenced Sept. 15 and extends through Oct. 15.

Thank you for inviting us to be here tonight to recognize our family, our children and our wonderful students, Anna Fulton, the coordinator of world languages at Danville Public Schools said.

There are some 600 Hispanic and Latino students in the school system.

Fulton said they were set to take part in the Festival Latino of Southern Virginia hosted Saturday in Axton, however that was postponed due to weather. This week, Schoolfield Elementary School will host a Hispanic Heritage spirit week.
State Fair of Virginia officials were pleased with the number of visitors who came to the State Fair in Caroline County Sept. 24 through Oct. 3, after the event was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
I first covered U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney in 2012, when he was former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, then running for president. At the time, he was so gee-whiz and perfectly presented that he was hard to take seriously. It was almost like Barbies Ken was running for president, if Ken had political consultants and a mansion with a car elevator in California. Regrettably, I often referred to him on social media as Mittens.

The Mitt Romney of 2012 didnt connect with many voters, it turned out, and President Barack Obama was easily reelected to a largely successful second term. But the Obama years also gave rise to the Donald Trump years, which eventually led Romney to run for the U.S. Senate. As Trumps opposite in nearly every way, he wanted to provide a counterpoint to the president he saw as not just dishonest but dangerous.

GOP conscience

Once elected to the Senate, a different Romney, maybe the real Romney, emerged. He was still earnest, but also frank, self-deprecating and, in his forthcoming biography, Romney: A Reckoning, brutally forthright about what he has seen in Washington since then.

That same gee-wiz quality was transformed into a sort of conscience for Senate Republicans, whether they wanted it or not. That frequently left him on the outside looking in but always speaking up.

Media coverage of Romneys retirement announcement last week has mostly focused on his statement that being in his 70s is part of the reason hes going. And its true that he warned his fellow senior citizens, including President Joe Biden and Trump, to give it up and let the kids in their 50s and 60s lead the country for once.

But an extraordinary excerpt from Romneys biography released the same day as his announcement makes it clear that he is leaving the Senate for the same reason he came  because he fears American democracy is dangerously close to being broken forever.

But what he didnt realize when he ran for the Senate, but he said he does know now, is that too many of his fellow Republicans like the brokenness. In fact, they depend on it.

Its a warning to the rest of us about the deepest rot in Washington and the dangers ahead if new leaders dont step in and change course.

High school culture

The book came from weekly conversations between Romney and journalist McKay Coppins over several years.

It reveals a cliquish, high school culture inside the GOP Senate caucus, which is actually endemic to both parties and nothing new on Capitol Hill. But Romney also talks about his own disillusionment as he watched his fellow Republican senators disparage and even laugh at then-President Donald Trump privately, only to go along with him in public to protect their own hides.

He should first consider what is best for his reelection, a fellow senator counseled him, followed by whats best for the party and then for his state.

The go-along attitude continued throughout Trumps term and after Trump lost the 2020 election as he worked feverishly to overturn the elections in Georgia and across the country.

"You're the reason ...!

Romney said his breaking point came on Jan. 6. He believed the insurrection had been caused not just by Trumps combustible rhetoric, but also by far-right Republican senators who had fanned the flames among GOP voters for months. When he saw U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley huddling for safety as the Capitol was being stormed, the book recounts him yelling at Hawley, Youre the reason this is happening!

As the weeks passed, Romney began to watch Republicans going along with Trump not just to save their jobs, but also out of fear for their families safety as violent threats became routine. With Republican challengers already planning to run against him and angry voters turning up at events to yell at him, Romney made the decision to leave.

A very large portion of my party really doesnt believe in the Constitution, he told Coppins.

A quick snapshot of Capitol Hill last will tell you that the Trump-driven chaos that Romney describes in his book is not just flourishing, its ruling the day.

On the Senate side, Alabamas Tommy Tuberville is blocking senior military promotions for every branch of service over abortion language in a defense spending bill. Approving military promotions is typically one of the easiest lifts on Capitol Hill, but not this year.

On the House side, GOP leaders have no plan to pass the 11 appropriations bills they need to approve to avoid a government shutdown in two weeks. But they did announce an impeachment inquiry against Biden last week that Trump and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene had demanded.

U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Trump ally, delivered a floor speech calling the impeachment inquiry a baby step and scolding House Speaker Kevin McCarthy like a toddler. If McCarthy does not come into full compliance with conservatives expectations, Gaetz warned, hell call a vote to depose him as speaker. McCarthy told Gaetz to just try it.

Cheering it all on from the sidelines have been Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. According to Politico, DeSantis told the members threatening a shutdown, Ive got your back, dont give up the fight. All the while, those 11 appropriations bills sat untouched.

Chaos, confusion and self-serving delusion  Romney described it all, and its only gotten worse.

The ultimate message of Romneys biography and of his decision to leave this week is that American democracy is under serious threat  but there was little that he, a senator and former presidential nominee, could do to save it.

Its both a warning and a challenge for someone new to step up to the plate  and a reminder that life under President Mittens should not have been so easily dismissed.
DECATUR  Eliana Kopetz's two grandfathers are both veterans who served during the Vietnam War.

It was in their honor that she signed up for Operation Obstacle, a two-mile obstacle course event sponsored by the VA Illiana Healthcare System to raise awareness of veteran suicide. This was the third year for the effort.

I've never done it before, and I think it'd be good to support veteran suicide awareness, Kopetz said.

Statistically, an average of 17 veterans a day die by suicide. The money raised at the event will support Richland's Veterans Resource Center, which serves some 100 veterans enrolled at the college.

A 2021 study by the Cost of War Project concluded that since 9/11, four times as many service members and veterans have died by suicide as have perished in combat. The study detailed stress factors particular to military life: high exposure to trauma  mental, physical, moral, and sexual  stress and burnout, the influence of the militarys hegemonic masculine culture, continued access to guns, and the difficulty of reintegrating into civilian life.

You don't have to be a mental health professional to check in with someone to see if they're OK, said Hannah Jordan, suicide prevention specialist with VA Illiana. If someone is struggling, go ahead and ask, and offer to assist them in finding help. Veterans can call 988 and press 1 to be connected to someone who can help them, not only if they're having thoughts of harming themselves, but with any need they might have.

VA Illiana partnered with Richland Community College for the event, which drew 70 participants and 30 volunteers. Runners were divided into competitive, semi-competitive, and leisure. The leisure pace runners could skip obstacles if they wanted to.

I've done obstacle courses before, said Bema Williams of Decatur, whose father is a Marine veteran. This is my first time doing Richland's, and I just wanted to try it out.

Mia Eshoo's grandfather was in the Army and her stepfather served in the Navy, so veterans' issues are important to her.

Supporting veterans in general is a big thing for us, she said. Also, I've done cross-country in the past in school and in college, and I've never done a competitive run with obstacles before, so it will be interesting to see how I do.

Obstacles included jumping over fences and pipes, crawling through tunnels, and dragging concrete blocks. Men had to take two blocks at once; women took one. The two-mile course wound through Richland's campus.

The race was started in an unusual way. A sprint car, owned by Paul Shelton and driven by his son, Eric, was pushed with a four-wheeler and when the motor turned over, that was the starting gun. The second group, the semi-competitive runners, started by the horn from a Decatur Fire Department truck.

And because it was a veterans' event, the Macon County Honor Guard was there to post the colors. They also explained the significance ascribed to each of the 13 folds in the traditional presentation of the American flag.

When a flag is folded formally, each fold represents something, such as the families who send sons and daughters to the military, honor for veterans who served and a tribute to the armed forces.

The final fold, when the stars are all that's visible, represents the national motto: In God we trust.

RESOURCES If youre a veteran in crisis or concerned about one, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week:  Dial 988 then Press 1  Chat online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat  Text 838255 Anyone in crisis, or concerned about someone in crisis, can call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at any time:  Call 988  Chat online at 988lifeline.org/chat

The Associated Press contributed.

Photos: How a Florida nonprofit is helping veterans overcome PTSD
Monday, Sept. 25

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

The Harrisburg Farmers Market will be open from 3-6 p.m. at the Old Post Office, 6960 Robinson Church Road.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

The Rotary Square Concord Farmers Market will be open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 111 Union St. S., Concord.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road., NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Thursday, Sept. 28

Kannapolis Farmers Market will be open from 4-7 p.m. at the corner of Vance Street and Dale Earnhardt Boulevard.

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is located at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord . For deliveries call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Sept. 29

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

The Old Courthouse Theatre, 49 Spring St. NW Concord, hosts "A Night with Elvis" by Jacob Eder, a tribute to Elvis. The show begins at 7 p.m. Eder comes to the main stage at Old Courthouse Theatre and performs his tribute to Elvis with his original country music and covers. Tickets are $20 and are available online www.octconcord.com or at the door. Concessions will be available for purchase. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday, Oct. 1

The author of Pearls Kaleidoscope, Reflections of a 95-year-old African American Womans Life will be hold a book signing in Concord from 3 to 5 p.m. at The Allen Small Family Life Center at Price Memorial AME Zion Church at 192 Spring St. SW.

Monday, Oct. 2

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Tuesday, Oct. 3

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road., NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Cabarrus County ECA 's Health and Wellness Committee is sponsoring an Outdoor Community Flu Clinic from 10 a.m. to noon at 715 Cabarrus Avenue West, Concord. This Outdoor Flu Clinic makes it very quick and easy to receive a flu shot and a COVID booster shot with one quick stop. Adults are invited to call NC Cooperative Extension Office weekdays at 704-929-3310 to reserve you shot. Flu shots for adults 65 years of age will also be available. True Care Pharmacy will be providing the shots and urges everyone to take advantage of this opportunity. September and October are the ideal times to get the flu shot. In the case of rain the Outdoor Flu Clinic will be offered inside.

Papa Capps Open Mic/Open Stage Variety Show is back at Old Courthouse Theatres Black Box Theatre. The show will be family friendly from 7:30 to 9 p.m. and then they kick it up at 9:15 with the Stupendously Hilarious Incredible Talent Show (more mature themes permissible). You can watch or participate Acts may include dance, karaoke, original songs (guitars, electric keyboard and mics are provided), stand-up comedy, improv, poetry, storytelling, juggling, monologues, performance art, and much more! Come celebrate the Humanities and show your art. A $5 donation is suggested. Concessions available for purchase.

Wednesday, Oct. 4

The Cabarrus Senior Center Photo Club is alive and clicking away. If you like taking photos, come join the members on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 1:30-3 p.m. at the Cabarrus Senior Center, 331 Corban Ave. SE, Concord, and share your photographic creativity. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or strictly amateur, all are welcome.

Saint James The Greater 69th Parish BBQ will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. People may dine in or take out. To order ahead of time on the day of the event, please call 704-720-0600 extension 24. The church is located at 139 Manor Ave, SW, Concord.

Thursday, Oct. 5

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is located at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord . For deliveries call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Oct. 6

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 7

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Sunday, Oct. 8

The author of Pearls Kaleidoscope, Reflections of a 95-year-old African American Womans Life will be hold a book signing in Concord. The book signing will be held at 3 p.m.. at The Allen Small Family Life Center at Price Memorial AME Zion Church, 192 Spring St. SW, Concord.

Monday, Oct. 9

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Tuesday, Oct. 10

TOPS #437 (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) meets every Tuesday at 10 a.m. (weigh-in begins at 9:30 a.m.) at Lakeview Baptist Church, 2532 Lane St., Kannapolis. Visitors are welcome.

If you need help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member or friend, you are invited to join us for A Griefshare Support Group at Pitts Baptist Church, 140 Pitts School Road., NW, Concord, weekly on Tuesdays, through Oct. 31, from 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, call Linda Bounds at 704-793-8155.

Thursday, Oct. 12

Epworth United Methodist Church will have a hot dog sale from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Epworth is located at 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord . For deliveries call 704-786-5500.

Friday, Oct. 13

The Concord Duplicate Bridge face-to-face games through Concord Parks and Recreation at Hartsell Recreation Center, 60 Hartsell School Road, at noon. Cost is $5 per player. You must have a partner and provide proof of vaccination.

Hot dogs at McGill Baptist Church, 5300 Poplar Tent Road, will be sold along with fried bologna and barbecue sandwiches and desserts from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 14

The Piedmont Farmers Market is open from 8 a.m. to noon at 518 Winecoff School Road. It features lots of local produce, meat, flowers and other products.

Hot dogs at Center United Methodist Church at 1119 Union St. S., are offered on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dine in and take out. Call-in orders are welcomed at 704-782-1785.

Got news or events?

Does your community group or nonprofit agency have an upcoming event that would be of interest to the public? Email it to mplemmons@independenttribune.com.
Nick Ross is a veteran technology journalist who has contributed to many of Australia's top technology titles and edited several of them. He was also the launch editor of the ABC's Technology section. He now spends his time being a journalist, editor, publisher, media commentator, digital marketer, producer, copywriter, corporate host and media consultant, to various degrees. He covers all things business and technology including IoT, cybersecurity, UC and the professional Audio/Visual space: from consumer to B2B and Enterprise.
And then there was the story of the cable car in Pakistan that lost a couple cables and dangled helplessly hundreds of feet in the air with terrified children inside. A nightmare in broad daylight. A rescuer harnessed to the remaining cable had to bring the children one by one to safety.

It dawns on you, watching this, that what makes a society a civilized society is the existence of rescuers who will put themselves at risk in service to others. It isn't having a street system or social media or manufacturing capacity that define civil society, it's public service.

The giraffe is a bony creature whose meat is too lean and sinewy for our taste and nobody has thought to saddle them up and race them and their hide doesn't suit us particularly and so they were never bred by man as horses and cattle were, so this spotless child belongs to a species in steep decline, just as I do, being a writer.

I was a mediocre student so the academic life was never an option for me: there were no grants or fellowships available; I needed to earn my way by writing. I admired journalists like A.J. Liebling and Murray Kempton and was lucky to be able to support my family by putting words on paper. And in the course of it, I encountered numerous rescuers, such as the editors Roger Angell and Bill Whitworth. You labor month after month in your gloomy study and feel you are dangling by a wire and one day you walk to the end of the driveway and there's a letter in the mailbox with two or three paragraphs of lavish encouragement and without that, I'd have become a parking lot attendant.

Which is not to say that attending a parking lot is an unworthy occupation. It's a monastic calling and great good has been accomplished by monks. Look at Luther, look at Buddha. He didn't park cars but he wandered as a beggar, meditating, taking life simply, and attained enlightenment, and enlightenment is, I must admit, not my strong suit. I sat the other morning at breakfast listening to a friend talk about the Medicis and Machiavelli and Michelangelo, and it occurred to me, as it has so often lately, that I am an uneducated 81-year-old man and it is too late for me to catch up with the class.

I supported my family by entering into the amusement business and I'm still in it. Last Sunday, I did a show under a big tent in Bayfield, Wisconsin, that a thousand people enjoyed considerably for two hours. They liked my advocacy of the advantages of old age. They laughed at the line about not going to Taylor Swift concerts because the vulnerabilities she sings about I forgot long ago  if she sang about the pleasure of a long happy marriage I'd be interested but I doubt I'll live long enough to know if she discovers that. They liked when I said I found people's stories more interesting than their political opinions. And that tolerance comes from loving individuals as individuals and therefore accepting their cranky beliefs and bizarre theories. And also the song from my childhood: Passengers will please refrain from flushing toilets while the train in standing in the station, I love you. When the train is in the station, you must practice constipation; if the train can't go then why should you? There was a lot of singing, including America and some falsetto R&B and the sounds of a man swallowed by a whale and living in its stomach and then being expelled out the rear.

I am deeply moved by America's faith in the goodness of longevity, even for giraffes like me. I don't take that for granted. Thank you very much.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Garrison Keillor is an author and radio personality. His latest book is "The Lake Wobegon Virus: A Novel". Buy it at a 33% discount! by clicking here. Sales help fund JWR.
 Jean Merritt of Philadelphia has a special knack for spreading goodwill. She writes letters.

According to Philadelphia magazine, Merritt solicits mailing addresses and then responds with a handwritten ("in meticulous cursive") letter on captivating stationery. Her missive to reporter Victor Fiorillo mentioned that she has an overabundance of writing papers and postcards.

"I've been writing letters since I was a little girl, and never stopped," Merritt said.

Along with requested letters, she writes to people in nursing homes through Letters Against Isolation and to people in prisons.

"My mother collected stationery, and I'm still using the stationery I found in her house when she died in 2011. ... I see stationery on clearance, and I can't resist it."

Sadly, she said most people don't write her back. But, she noted, "Doing this is also just really good for my brain." [Philadelphia magazine, 2/2/2023]
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When President Joe Biden urged world leaders on Tuesday not to diminish support for Ukraine, he used a phrase whose importance you may have missed. Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly, Biden charged (correctly) that Russia's price for peace is "Ukraine's capitulation, Ukraine's territory, and Ukraine's children."

I've added italics to those last two words because of Moscow's policy of illegally transferring tens of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia proper, or Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and trying to transform them into good little Ukraine-hating Russians.

In his own speech to the United Nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also denounced Russia's seizure of his country's children as "purely a genocide." That Russian war crime goes to the heart of why Ukraine believes it must win this war.

According to official data from the Ukrainian government, at least 19,546 children have been transferred illegally to Russian control since the war began. However, those numbers only include cases reported by a parent or guardian. The real figures are probably much higher, and there is no record of whether those children have been adopted or sent to Russian orphanages. Only 386 have been returned.

In a war where bombing civilians is central to Russian military strategy, no war crime seems too heinous to Moscow  from bombing schools, markets and hospitals to torture, rape and murder in Russian-occupied cities.

Yet there is something especially evil about kidnapping children, which relates directly to Vladimir Putin's belief that there is no such thing as a Ukrainian nationality and that the state has no right to exist.

According to this thinking, deporting Ukrainian children makes sense: All Ukrainian youngsters should ultimately be "reeducated" to love the Russian motherland and despise the Ukrainian "Nazis."

"Forced deportation and adoption of Ukrainian children is one of the elements of a war of genocide," Ukrainian Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin told me when I visited Kyiv in July. "This is a matter of intentional policy."

That is why the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Putin and his commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, alleging their responsibility for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine.

Russia has weaponized food (blocking Ukrainian grain exports) and energy (making threats to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which it occupies), as Zelenskyy pointed out. It has also weaponized ecology, blowing up the Nova Kakhovka dam, which flooded cities, farmlands, and animal life. As if this was insufficient, Putin has even weaponized Ukrainian kids.

"The Russians use different ways to take the children out of Ukraine," Kostin related, "not only taking them from orphanages but from families."

In some cases, parents in occupied Ukraine were encouraged to send their children for "rest and recuperation" to camps in Crimea that sought to reeducate them. Many kids were bused there directly from school without parental permission. Many never returned.

During the Russian destruction and occupation of Mariupol and other cities, many thousands of children from orphanages, boarding schools, shelters and hospitals were taken to Russian-controlled areas, even though they might have had family members elsewhere in Ukraine. Children weren't allowed to call friends or relatives, who had no way to find them. Phones were taken away. Young children were put up for adoption.

Often, children were in shelters because their families had been killed by Russian bombing, as in Mariupol, where Russia flattened the city and refused to permit a humanitarian corridor to let civilians exit.

Moscow has made propaganda out of kidnapped children, filming youngsters being given toys and candy and being "happily" adopted. "Children are a sacred cause. We took them out of the conflict zone, saving their lives and health," said the utterly cynical Putin in June. Naturally, he never mentions that most of the children were displaced or orphaned by Russian bombs.

A recent documentary called "Uprooted," produced by the Kyiv Independent newspaper and available on YouTube, interviews some of the few children who were rescued by incredibly brave relatives or guardians.

I interviewed one of those relatives featured in the film, Valentina Yermachkova, who was a 19-year-old student in Dnipro when the war started. Her mother and brother were killed by a Russian shell as they sought food after the Russians invaded Mariupol. Her two younger sisters were moved to a hospital in occupied Donetsk, but not allowed to contact relatives. Fourteen-year-old Sofiia had hidden her brother's phone and eventually managed to sneak a call to her older sister.

Yermachkova, on her own, took buses through Poland, Lithuania, across Russia and back into occupied Donetsk, and demanded the return of her siblings. "I was afraid, but I knew I had no choice," she told me when I met her and her sisters in Dnipro. "Now I realize I might have gotten stuck there, too." She now studies law in the hopes she can work on efforts to rescue other Ukrainian kids.

Rescuing children is one main reason why Prosecutor General Kostin was set to arrive in Washington, D.C., this week to discuss the issue with top U.S. officials; it will also be raised at side meetings during the U.N. General Assembly. "Bringing our children back is a priority," Kostin told me, "for us as a state and for the civilized world."

"Countries in the global south that suffered in the past from violations of basic human rights need to understand that this evil will return if they put their short-term interests higher than their values," Kostin insisted. He was referring to countries such as South Africa, which maintains close ties with Russia and isn't supporting Ukraine.

Whether Ukraine can retrieve its stolen children is a huge question mark, and U.S. officials should offer any help requested. But public focus on the issue is rightly aimed at those leaders worldwide, and in this country, who still seek to shake Putin's hand.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Trudy Rubin

Philadelphia Inquirer

(TNS)

Previously:

 9/22/23: Biden should resolve the blockage of visas for Iraqis and Afghans who helped our troops

 9/11/23: Even on vacation, there's no escaping Putin's murderous intentions

 08/18/23: With new weapons slow to arrive from NATO allies, Ukraine surprises Putin with sea drones

 08/09/23: Lessons from a military funeral in Ukraine

 07/28/23: As Russian missiles again rain down on Odesa, Putin sneers at the UN and NATO allies

 07/24/23: Putin is playing a game of food blackmail. The West can't let him win

 07/19/23: Can Ukraine win the war against Russia? I'm traveling there to find out

 07/17/23: From hell to Harvard: One Ukrainian's escape and how you can help fulfill her dreams

 07/11/23: At the NATO summit in Vilnius: Will Biden seize or squander the chance to end Putin's war on Ukraine?

 04/21/23: The Pentagon documents leak will embolden Putin as he tries to outlast Ukraine

 03/22/23: The Russian attack on a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone underlines why we must help Ukraine win

 03/15/23: Will the White House have the courage to propel a Ukrainian victory this year?

 02/21/23: On the first anniversary of Putin's invasion, Ukraine fights on for its independence and for the security of the West

 02/17/23: A former Pakistani leader's death, and his wise peace plan that failed

 02/09/23: Earthquakes killed nearly 12,000 people this week. Three men are partly to blame

 01/24/23: As Russia murders civilians in Dnipro, why won't NATO send weapons that could end the war?

 12/28/22: What Zelensky worried about when he addressed a cheering Congress

 12/13/22: The US-China conflict to watch is the Chip War --- which centers on Taiwan

 09/14/22: Ukraine scores sudden breakthrough that should energize Western support

 09/09/22: Queen Elizabeth's death deprives Britain and the world of a rock of stability

 09/08/22: After Gorbachev's death, Putin wants the world to know he is the 'anti-Gorbi'

 08/26/22: 6 months after Russia's war vs. Ukraine began, the West still won't give Kiev the weapons to win

 08/15/22: Ukraine's civilian volunteers work to give aid and rebuild, even as Russia continues to bomb them

 08/08/22: A trip near the front lines finds Ukrainian troops ready for a battle that could decide the war

 06/13/22: The critical battles for Ukraine and for America are being fought right here, right now

 05/02/22: Save Odesa to save the world from hunger and high food prices

 05/02/22: Bloodless Ukrainian War, not utopian fantasy says one-time largest foreign investor in Russia

 04/11/22: The only way to end Putin's war crimes

 03/28/22: Don't let Putin's nuclear and chemical threats stop us from giving Ukraine what it needs

 03/24/22: An elegy for Mariupol, where I walked six weeks ago. Now razed by Russian bombs

 03/18/22: Zelensky's brilliant speech should impel Biden and Congress to protect Ukrainian skies

 03/11/22: Mariupol's bombed maternity hospital exemplifies why NATO should protect Ukraine's skies

 03/10/22: No 'no-fly zone'? Then NATO must find another way to protect Ukraine's skies

 03/07/22: The third World War has already started in Ukraine. Europe and the US should wake up

 03/04/22:Putin must be stopped from turning Kiev into Aleppo

 03/02/22:Why is Belarus helping Russia invade Ukraine? An explainer on the latest in the conflict

 02/25/22: What the UN should finally do about Russia

 02/24/22: Why Putin's Ukraine aggression will change the world --- an explainer on how we got here

 02/10/22: Ukrainian civilians train for war with cardboard guns: 'We are scared but we are ready

 01/13/22:Putin wants to reestablish the Russian empire. Can NATO stop him without war?

 12/10/21: Can Biden and NATO prevent Putin from invading Ukraine? Summit puts it to the test

 12/02/21: Boris Johnson stirs up new Irish Troubles for his own personal political gains

 11/22/21: Xi Jinping thinks America is on the rocks. Is he correct?

 08/18/21: President Biden, get our Afghan allies on evacuation planes

 08/18/21:The horror of Afghan women abandoned by Biden's troop pullout

 08/09/21:China is pushing a big COVID-19 lie that makes a new pandemic harder to prevent

 05/27/21: Punish Belarus leader for Ryanair hijacking before air piracy becomes dictators' new tool

 04/14/21: Can Beethoven temper the political tensions between US and China?

 06/01/20: US must stand with Hong Kong against Beijing's efforts to crush its freedoms

 05/20/20: COVID-19 offers a chance to halt Iran's hostage diplomacy

 05/21/14: Newscycle spurs visit to country my family fled

 04/21/14: Blind to Putin's strategy?

 12/24/13: Obama's Syrian indifference has led to more death and destruction. Meet some real heroes

 12/13/13: Where liberals have come to love the military

 12/09/13: The China strategy

 11/05/13: Return to Iraq is worth a close look

 10/01/13: Obama's call to Iran: Who was really on the line?

 09/11/13: How Obama got Syria so wrong

 07/24/13: It's time for Obama to tell Putin 'nyet'

 05/15/13: What Russia gave Kerry on Syria --- very little





Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Countless Joffrey Ballet alumni descended on Chicago this week to celebrate the companys co-founder, Gerald Arpino, so the Auditorium Theatres lobby was as star-studded and joy-filled as the stage on Saturday for the Gerald Arpino Foundations Centennial Celebration.

Arpino would have turned 100 this year (he died in 2008). He led the Joffrey for two decades after co-founder Robert Joffrey died in 1988. Arpino moved the ballet company from New York to Chicago in 1995 as it was on the brink of closure.

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It was risky. Chicago loved the Joffrey when it toured here, but there was no evidence Chicagoans would embrace a full-time ballet company of their own. Even the dancers werent totally convinced; many kept their New York addresses for a few seasons until they knew the move was going to stick.

Spoiler: It worked. Arpino and the Joffrey captured Chicagos heart and the company is now inseparable from the citys arts landscape. Celebrating his centennial could not have happened any other place. The Joffreys longtime former home at the Auditorium Theatre provided a perfect frame for a two-part retrospective of his best ballets this weekend  Arpinos favorite box empty and illuminated as Joffrey prima ballerina Victoria Jaiani stood alone onstage after Saturdays curtain call.

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Jaiani begins her 20th season with the Joffrey this fall, one of only two dancers Arpino hired still active in the company. But this weekend serves as a reminder that Arpinos legacy is still felt here, and in fact, all over the country. Former Joffrey dancers are now rehearsal directors, artistic directors, college professors and academy directors, each passing on the work ethic, aesthetic and tenacity Arpino required  in their own way. Dancers from seven companies staged nine Arpino works for the centennial, a fitting tribute that captures not only the depth and breadth of his catalog, but the broad impact Joffrey alumni have had on 21st century American ballet.

Joffrey Ballet dancer Victoria Jaiani alone on stage in the Arpino Chicago Centennial Celebration at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago Sept. 23, 2023. (Cheryl Mann/HANDOUT)

Two duets performed Saturday gave a sense of Arpinos choreographic lifespan with Sea Shadow (1962) and RUTH, Ricordi per Due, from 2004. The former is an example of how modern dance influenced him, with moody, enigmatic floorwork; a Maurice Ravel score and minimalist set (by Ming Cho Lee) evoking an underwater world. Blink and you might guess it was a Martha Graham dance. Dancers Hee Seo and Cory Stearns, from American Ballet Theatre, seemed the least comfortable with their assignment. Coincidentally, Sea Shadow is an introspective (if not altogether enthralling) example of how Arpino and the Joffrey moved American ballet in a distinctly different direction from their New York competitors: ABT and New York City Ballet.

RUTH, on the other hand, fits Ballet West dancers Katlyn Addison and Hadriel Diniz like a glove. I dont know if Arpino knew it would be his last ballet, but it comes across as a requiem, in hindsight, endeavoring toward a longer view than something like Sea Shadow. The latter was created at a time when Arpino was charged with filling out the Joffreys rep to make sure they had something to go on stage; the former, near the end of his life, when commissions were few and far between.

Diniz opens the pas de deux alone, with longing gazes toward the downstage right wing as Albinonis Adagio in G minor hums over top. He crouches, like Rodins The Thinker, fist to forehead; the piece ends this way, too. Where most pas de deux are intended to highlight the woman, Addison, a ghostly figure in Maria Pintos long, white gown and pointe shoes, only momentarily tugs Diniz out of (or perhaps within) his contemplation, despite several sumptuous attempts to the contrary.

Katlyn Addison and Hadriel Diniz of Ballet West in "RUTH" as part of the Arpino Chicago Centennial Celebration at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago Sept. 23, 2023. (Cheryl Mann/HANDOUT)

Oklahoma City Ballet kicked off Saturdays program with an inspired rendition of Birthday Variations. The 1986 romp was commissioned by Becky DAngelo as a birthday present for her husband, Dino  a Verdi lover and then-owner of the Civic Opera House (bought and renamed by the Lyric Opera in 1993).

With its Verdi score and plotless panache, Birthday bears a striking resemblance to Michel Fokines Chopiniana, its five ballerinas in pastel, romantic tutus swirling about a sole man donning tights and waistcoat (Alejandro Gonzalez, in this case). Chicagoans got a taste of Birthday Variations two years ago, resurrected by the Joffrey as an aperitif to the coming centennial celebration.

Then, as now, it is a feat of strength for any dancer endeavoring to do it, requiring simultaneous pinpoint precision and reckless abandon. That is a hallmark of Arpinos style, even more present in his 1978 Suite Saint-Saens, which closed Saturdays performance with the Joffrey Ballet.

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Joffrey pulled Suite Saint-Saens back into rotation last season after a long and intentional break from Arpinos catalog, imposed by current artistic director Ashley Wheater. Having performed Suite Saint-Saens ad nauseam himself as a Joffrey dancer in the 80s, Wheater smartly shelved works that had become overplayed out of financial necessity even after the Joffrey arrived in Chicago.

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The break affords us an opportunity to once again relish in Arpinos style, with Suite Saint-Saens a shining example of his particular brand of neoclassicism.

For any dancer, Arpinos works are a litmus test  not of technique, exactly, though they require incredible skill. Rather, what makes someone an Aprino dancer is the ability to push to the edge. Its risky. A near slip or a bobble means youre probably doing it right. With Birthday and Suite as the evenings two ensemble works, made 10 years apart, one gets the sense of Arpinos uncanny ability to paint the stage  each dancer managing sweeping brush strokes filling every corner of their canvas. Add to this Arpinos magic at extracting the best from each dancer, an ensemble of soloists, if you will.

The year 1978 turned out to be a good year for Gerald Arpino. His grand pas de deux LAir dEsprit, created the same year as Suite Saint-Saens, is one of his best, flawlessly danced by San Francisco Ballets Misa Kuranaga and Wei Wang and staged by former Joffrey dancer Tina LeBlanc. Modeled after the classical style as a tribute to early 20th century superstar Olga Spessivtzeva, Kuranaga and Wang perfectly captured Arpinos idiosyncratic interplay between legato and staccato and his unapologetic desire to make audiences feel good, above all else.

Time hasnt quite figured out where Gerald Arpinos legacy sits. His works can look dated. He does not often appear in history books as anything other than a footnote  the other guy who started the Joffrey Ballet. Having a dedication like this is meaningful and validating. But, though I never had the pleasure of meeting him, I suspect Arpino didnt think all that much about legacy. Every day of his life was about getting the best from a dancer and making sure the Joffrey Ballet survived.

The Arpino Chicago Centennial Celebration concludes Sept. 24 in a separate program featuring the Joffrey, Eugene Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Ballet West; 1 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B Wells Drive; tickets $53-$146 at 312-341-2300 and auditoriumtheatre.org

Lauren Warnecke is a freelance critic.
CHARLESTON  The corporate headquarters of the Kirchner Building Centers is scheduled to move to Charleston, which is also set to get Ginger Ale's and Jersey Mike's fast food and drink locations.

Kirchner Building Centers

TCI Realty LLC of Charleston reported on Saturday that is has closed on the sale of the former First Financial Bank building at 820 W. Lincoln Ave. and that the property will become the new home for Kirchner's corporate headquarters. This office is currently in Kansas, Illinois.

"This family run, family focused business is now in the fifth generation of leadership and continues to grow. With over a dozen locations in Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky we are so pleased they have chosen Charleston," TCI reported. Kirchner has a retail location in Charleston on North Sixth Street.

TCI reported the move will come after renovations to the building at 820 W. Lincoln, with a timeline yet to be determined.

"The building will house a group of honest, hardworking people who provide the behind-the-scenes support for this growing and thriving operation. The move will also give the business access to the high-quality Charleston area workforce as they add staff," TCI reported.

Ginger Ales

This Olney-based fast food and drink business reported on Saturday that it has awarded a Charleston franchise to the Casey and Brad Walk family of Sigel. The Walks, a farm family, already own Ginger Ales franchise locations in Mattoon and Effingham.

Founded in 2015, Ginger Ales offers sodas, teas, fresh ground specialty coffees and espressos, smoothies, frappes and more. Ginger Ales drive-thru facilities also offer a range of breakfast foods, soft pretzels and gourmet cookies.

Casey Walk said she and her family are excited to bring Ginger Ale's to Charleston, adding that the city has been great to work with and very supportive of bringing a new business and new jobs to the community.

"We have a strong customer base from Charleston at our Mattoon location, and we are thrilled to announce that you will soon be able to satisfy your Ginger Ale's addiction right in your hometown," Walk said.

The Charleston location will be announced in the coming weeks.

Jersey Mike's

Alex Gowin, a franchise partner with the Jersey Mike's location in Mattoon, reported recently that the Charleston location is coming along nicely. This new sandwich and wrap shop will be part of the larger Lambo's BP service station that is being constructed next to the current one at 200 Lincoln Ave.

"We plan to open in January. (We) look forward to seeing everyone there," Gowin said.

Franchisers Alex Gowin and Michael Lanman, president of the Lanman Oil Co. in Coles County and its Lambo's locations, opened the Mattoon Jersey Mike's in fall 2020 in Mattoon, with Payton Hartbank as district manager.

Photos: 2023 Coles County new businesses Side by Side Gaming family (copy) Defense Depot plans (copy) Winery owner (copy) DHM exterior (copy) CRAFT EMPORIUM 060123-mat-nws-sports-groundbreaking_01.JPG (copy)
A Winston-Salem man was recently sentenced to a prison after pleading guilty to causing a head-on collision last December that injured five people, including a teenager who suffered a severe brain injury, authorities said Friday.

Peter Anthony Bosch III, 45, of Lake Drive, pleaded guilty earlier this month to felony serious injury by motor vehicle, the Forsyth County District Attorneys Office said.

Judge Stanley Allen sentenced Bosch to serve 17 months to 30 months in prison, the district attorneys office said.

Bosch was initially charged with driving while impaired, careless and reckless driving, exceeding safe speed, traveling the wrong way on a dual-lane highway and operating a vehicle without financial responsibility, Winston-Salem police said.

The wreck happened about 2 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2022, on Salem Parkway near Peters Creek Parkway.

When first-responders arrived, they found two vehicles had collided head-on, with both drivers pinned inside, police said.

The first vehicle, a 2002 Ford Taurus driven by Bosch, was carrying one passenger, Danielle Burris of Salisbury.

The second car, a 2016 Toyota Corolla driven by Kristen Blakemore, 24, of Clemmons, had two passengers, McKenzie Williams, 25, of Clemmons, and 15-year-old Brianna Kinsey, according to police and the district attorneys office.

Bosch, Blakemore, Burris, Williams and Kinsey were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries, police said.

Bosch appeared unconscious at the scene, so Forsyth County emergency medical technicians administered four doses of Narcan to revive him, the district attorneys office said.

Bosch had a blood-alcohol level of 0.24, the district attorneys office said. In North Carolina, people are legally impaired with blood-alcohol levels at 0.08.

At the scene, emergency medical technicians found Kinsey motionless on the backseat floorboard.

Kinsey was taken to Brenner Childrens Hospital at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, where she was treated for a life-altering traumatic brain injury, the district attorneys office said. She remained in the hospital for three months.

Kinseys brain injury has left her mostly unable to speak and walk, the district attorneys office said.

Kinsey is making progress with the help her family and caregivers, the district attorneys office said.

At Boschs court hearing, Kinseys mother told the judge that Boschs actions changed her daughters life.
The state budget bill that cleared the General Assembly on Friday will allow legislators to determine whether documents are public records, shield them from public release and destroy them if they choose.

The language on Page 531 of House Bill 259 was inserted during compromise negotiations between House and Senate Republicans.

No Republican legislator has claimed responsibility for the public records language.

Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said in a statement Friday that he will allow HB259 to become law without his signature because moving forward with Medicaid expansion outweighs what he considers as an overall bad budget.

Cooper could not be immediately reached for comment on the public records changes.

However, Cooper said in his statement that make no mistake, overall this is a bad budget that seriously shortchanges our schools, prioritizes power grabs, keeps shady backroom deals secret, and blatantly violates the Constitution.

Many of its provisions will face legal action.

The N.C. Press Association and the N.C. Association of Broadcasters said they aim to turn back this unprecedented and unjustified attempt to change the publics right to know in North Carolina.

It is a dark day for democracy in North Carolina, said Phil Lucey, the NCPAs executive director.

How any legislator could on one hand say they truly represent those that elected them and on the other say you can no longer have access to any of the work they do on your behalf.

It is the height of hypocrisy.

Lucey said that the question for the public is, what is there to hide?

To essentially exempt the General Assembly from the Public Records Act is quite frightening and should cause alarm for all citizens of North Carolina.

This shortsighted game, with the publics right to know in the balance, puts our state at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to transparency, and that is a shame.

Bill language

The bill says the custodian of any General Assembly record shall determine, in the custodians discretion, whether a record is a public record and whether to turn over to the (N.C.) Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, or retain, destroy, sell, loan, or otherwise dispose of, such records.

That could mean a constituents correspondence citing concerns or pointing out potential wrongdoing to a legislator could be kept from public disclosure.

It also could mean prohibiting the public disclosure of legislators emails  often the subject of public records and Freedom of Information Act requests to reveal details and comments on potentially contentious public issues.

The language does not state what exemptions, if any, would be applied to General Assembly records, whether past, present or future.

The legislative public records language could impact the pending redistricting process where partisan gerrymandering has been permitted by federal and state courts, but not racial gerrymandering.

Legislative analysts cited as a potential example a previous redistricting attempt in which Rep. Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, relied upon maps that were not made public. A lawsuit against the subsequent redistricting maps requested copies of the maps, but the legislature said the maps didnt exist anymore.

House speaker Tim Moore, R-Cleveland, said in a statement that this provision is intended to clarify the ambiguity in current statute and broadens the purview of what constitutes a public record, increasing transparency and efficiency in responsiveness from legislators.

Senate leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, told the News & Observer of Raleigh that the reasoning for the public records language is to settle a dispute with the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources on whether or not the executive branch should have the ability to tell the legislature that certain things have to be saved in order to be archived.

However, the News & Observer reported that the department said it had answered legislative questions about archiving in 2021 and that we are not aware of any dispute.

This new provision appears to be the legislature entirely exempting themselves from the public records law and the archiving process that has retained government records throughout the states history, said Schorr Johnson, the departments communications director.

During Thursdays Senate debate, Sen. Brent Jackson, R-Sampson, said lawmakers arent hiding anything more than they have in the past and are just codifying existing practices of the General Assembly.

Democratic opposition

During Fridays Senate floor debate, Sen. Greg Meyer, D-Orange, said the public records language was disturbing in at least four ways based on conversations he has had with legislative staff and attorneys who specialize in public records law.

It is not a Democratic vs. Republican partisan difference, Meyer said.

This is about the publics right to access our (legislators) public records that we do not own, but the public should own.

Meyer said there is a complete repeal of the public records law on redistricting records. That is not existing practice, but a repeal of existing practice.

There has never been the ability for legislators to shield our external communications from public records requests from constituents, advocates. This law would change that, along with allowing us to destroy records while in office.

Perhaps most egregious, Meyer said, was the bill giving legislators express permission to sell our records.

If public records belong to the public, then why would we have the individual ability to sell them?

One question that was left ringing ... who does the check get written to to access legislative documents and computer files Meyer said, citing the legislative services office or a legislators campaign as possibilities.

Are they allowed to write a check larger than the maximum contribution to my campaign, or to me personally?

Am I allowed to profit from my service to the people of North Carolina by selling my public records?
The budget delay

After more than an 80-day delay, North Carolina legislators have finally reached a budget agreement. Perhaps the next time the legislators are not able to do their job or fulfill their job description they should forfeit their pay for each day that they are delinquent. Also, perhaps they should be deprived of their medical insurance as thousands of working-poor North Carolinians have been due to delays in much-needed Medicaid expansion.

I would bet the house (at one of the casinos that state Senate leader Phil Berger so much wanted to have built and that he held Medicaid expansion hostage in order to get his way) that the above suggestion will never happen.

Gary Benesh

North Wilkesboro

The GOP strategy

Presidential election strategies are crystalizing. Biden will run on an impressive, if unsung, record of success. After inheriting Trumps mess, Biden has been quietly fixing America. Unemployment is at a 50-year low; the average hourly wage is up; manufacturing is booming again; and allies and enemies alike respect us again. All while pulling America out of the pandemic and Trumps dumpster-fire response.

Comparatively, Republicans presided over arguably the worst presidency in history. Trump was the only president to leave office with a net loss in job creation since World War II. Economic output during Trump was lower than any of the previous 12 presidents. The manufacturing sector fell into recession. The trade deficit and national debt soared. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. Iran restarted nuclear weapon development. Not to mention, Americans in body-bags being stacked on loading docks.

Nevertheless, Republicans have a bold three-part strategy:

First, exclude non-Republicans, non-Caucasians, young people, most women and sane people from voting and/or having their vote count.

Second, invent stupid culture war issues to scare their base. Who needs cogent policies on issues of national and worldwide importance when its much easier to frighten the gullible with imaginary villains? And, of course, Hunters laptop.

Last, erase all memories of the years 2016-2020. It was all very happy and successful, as evidenced by, well, nothing. But believe them because something-something woke. And they love America. Just ignore the insurrection they led to overthrow it.

Hunters laptop has nudes on it.

J. Kevin Bokeno

Boone

Free speech vs. fact

The First Amendment guarantees unfettered political speech. This is good, everyone agrees. According to one expert, misinformation in the media and social media about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines resulted in the deaths of upwards of 200,000 Americans who refused vaccinations in reliance on the misinformation. This is not good, everyone agrees. Questioning authority is good, but not with misinformation.

Ah, but there were legitimate concerns raised at the time about the efficacy of many of the measures proposed and taken to combat the virus and spread of the virus, including mask mandates and school closings.

These concerns were wrongly labeled by mainstream media as misinformation, yet it turns out that many of the measures did prove less effective than promoted. And havent the courts found that the government went too far in its dealings with social media platforms to combat what the government claimed was misinformation, chilling First Amendment freedoms?

True, but hindsight always beats sight in real time. Decisions often have to be made with incomplete knowledge which later turns out to be incorrect as decision-makers learn more. But this doesnt mean they were acting in bad faith, hell-bent on taking away our rights. They did the best they could with what they had to work with at the time.

Misinformation is a problem, everyone should agree. How to successfully counter misinformation without chilling free speech is the challenge, everyone should agree. With artificial intelligence, that challenge explodes exponentially. It would seem that cracking this nut should be a high priority. Agreed?

Steve Fletcher

Lexington

Inspired

I am a musician who returned to Winston-Salem five years ago to care for my father. Last month, I performed at SECCA to mark the release of my new album. The event was well-publicized and well-attended.

Shortly thereafter, I received an anonymous $1,000 donation through a local law firm, citing: It is with the return and participation of artists like yourself that we can hope to realize being a city of the arts.

This is an aspiration, not our reality and The City Of Arts can often seem complacent about the actual individuals that earn us this title. I applaud those who support SECCA, the Sawtooth and the Arts Council, but I believe direct action  donating money to the artists you appreciate  can have the biggest impact.

I can say from personal experience that nothing will inspire and motivate like a heartfelt testimonial and financial consideration, indicating that you, as an individual, are making a difference here.

Jonathan Kirby

Winston-Salem
Though Lincoln's mayor has repeatedly declined to say whether she asked former Police Chief Teresa Ewins to resign ahead of her surprising departure in July, Leirion Gaylor Baird somewhat abruptly scheduled a meeting with Ewins the day before news of her resignation broke, according to internal city emails.

Gaylor Baird sent a calendar invite to Ewins on the afternoon of July 19, scheduling a meeting for the next day in the mayor's conference room, according to emails the Journal Star obtained through a public records request.

The meeting had initially been scheduled for July 21, but Gaylor Baird moved it up by one day, inviting the police chief and Gaylor Baird's chief of staff, TJ McDowell Jr., to attend.

Less than 24 hours after the meeting, Ewins resigned without explanation.

McDowell last week declined to detail what was discussed at the July 20 meeting, and he declined to say whether Gaylor Baird asked the police chief to resign.

In an email, McDowell said questions about the gathering, which was described in the mayor's invite as a meeting on public safety, "involve personnel matters that the city does not comment on publicly."

He also said the meeting was regularly scheduled and that it is "not unusual for these types of meetings to be rescheduled to accommodate (the mayor's) busy schedule."

"We have nothing else to add at this time," he said.

Multiple attempts to reach Ewins for comment  which included an unreturned phone call, multiple emails to her sister, who is a California-based employment attorney, and a trip to Ewins' south Lincoln home, which she still owns  were unsuccessful.

The correspondence obtained by the Journal Star includes every email Ewins sent and received between July 15 and July 22, except for those withheld by the city that include attorney-client communications, personnel records and investigative updates.

City officials, including Human Resources Director Barb McIntyre and attorneys working under City Attorney Yohance Christie, have also so far declined to release the financial terms of Ewins' departure. Her annual salary was $187,460 when she resigned.

The records the city did turn over provide little insight into what led to Ewins' departure and little indication that she expected to resign when she did.

The Santa Monica, California, native had scheduled or accepted invitations to at least five meetings that were set to take place the week after she resigned effective immediately July 21, according to the emails.

And Ewins, along with 13 other city leaders, was scheduled to attend an all-day mayoral cabinet retreat July 21, which the mayor canceled the day before, around the same time she met with Ewins, according to the emails.

The day before she met with Gaylor Baird and McDowell, Ewins sent an email to a city HR employee with the subject line "Meeting this afternoon" but received an automatic reply from the city's employee engagement division leader indicating she was out of the office.

It's unclear if the two ever met or why Ewins had sought the meeting. The city did not provide the email that prompted the automatic reply, indicating city attorneys determined its contents weren't subject to disclosure under Nebraska's public records laws.

The former police chief's July 20 meeting with the mayor came three days after a mayoral aide sent a note to Ewins on the messaging platform Teams reducing Ewins' one-on-one meetings with the mayor from monthly to quarterly gatherings, citing Gaylor Baird's "growing calendar commitments."

"Since your meetings are always so productive and since you and TJ (McDowell) have a great working relationship, she felt confident in changing her monthly meetings with you to quarterly," the aide said in a July 17 message. "(The) mayor has asked TJ to continue to meet with you monthly to stay connected."

Three days later, Gaylor Baird, McDowell and Ewins met for what seems to be the last time in her tenure as police chief.

That meeting also came as Ewins' commitment to transparency  which was one of the reasons Gaylor Baird said she hired her  came under increased public scrutiny.

A week before she resigned, Ewins, who was the first woman and first LBGTQ person to lead the Lincoln Police Department, announced she would reduce daily press briefings that had been a staple of the department for more than a century to a three-day-per-week schedule. And two days before she resigned, Ewins denied the Journal Star's public records request for bodycam footage from a crash involving a Lancaster County Sheriff's deputy in May.

In an email sent after the paper published a story noting that the end to daily media briefings was a break with more than 100 years of precedent, Ewins questioned that timeline to other department employees.

"What is he talking about?" Ewins wrote in a July 18 email, which included a screenshot of the Journal Star's story, to Erika Thomas, the department's public information officer manager.

"That guy," Ewins wrote. "100 years? Pls look into that for me of when the daily briefing started."

Thomas responded hours later, sharing with Ewins a link to the same blog post the paper had cited that former Police Chief Tom Casady wrote in 2009. Casady, in his blog, cited a 1909 newspaper clipping that referred to the department's daily media briefing as a time honored routine.

Thomas forwarded Ewins a message from then-Assistant Police Chief Michon Morrow, who has since been named the department's acting chief, in which Morrow said a review of LPD history files made clear "we have always enjoyed a working relationship with the local media."

"We have countless articles from the early 1900s where we clearly shared information with them. What cant be discerned is how the information was shared," Morrow said, before speculating that "it is more than likely the reporters called or stopped by" rather than attending a daily briefing.

Ewins didn't respond to Thomas' emails, according to the records provided by the city.

In August, Morrow said the changes made under Ewins to the department's media practices "had had an impact that I dont think was fully measured when that decision was made."

"To that end, I wasnt a part of those decisions," she said.

However, the department has not reinstituted daily media briefings in the months since Ewins' resignation.

In her 689 days as Lincoln's police chief, Ewins steered the department through a series of controversies, including some of her own creation. LPD's slow shift away from transparency under the former San Francisco Police commander marked only one such dilemma.

The department was embroiled in controversy the day Ewins was sworn in in August 2021, already marred by allegations of sexual misconduct, discrimination and retaliation that first surfaced more than a year before she arrived in Lincoln, when a former police officer became the first of five current and former department employees to file lawsuits against the city.

Though allegations of a toxic culture toward women within the department existed before Ewins was hired, allegations of retaliation against whistleblowers only amplified after her arrival.

Ewins fired four officers who had raised concerns over what they described as systemic harassment, discrimination and retaliation that pervaded LPD. A fifth officer who raised such concerns resigned, citing the hostile work environment her complaints had created.

In interviews, Ewins maintained that the firings were justified.

The city commissioned an independent assessment of the Police Department that in September 2022 revealed half of the agency's female officers surveyed reported they had encountered discrimination or harassment.

In a video message sent to department employees after the city released the 58-page assessment, Ewins asked officers to put that statistic "in perspective" and "not blow it up to a level that dissuades you from understanding the assessment" as a whole.

The public report was at least the third draft the independent firm provided to the city, according to internal emails obtained through a separate records request earlier this year. The city declined to release earlier versions of the report, for which it paid $110,000.

The firm, 21CP Solutions, largely recommended only minor policy changes in response to reports of harassment, discrimination and retaliation at the department, where more than 30 current and former department supervisors have been accused of discriminating against female officers or enabling such discrimination in more than 100 pages of lawsuit and EEO complaint filings.

City leaders, including Ewins and Gaylor Baird, struggled in a December 2022 news conference to point to changes that would address the root causes of those issues.

The policies, the training are all important to try and deter that kind of behavior, Ewins said then. At the end of the day, its about people being held accountable.

In the only lawsuit over the Police Department's workplace culture that has been resolved, the city settled out of court with former Officer Sarah Williams, paying her $65,000 in December 2021  three months into Ewins' tenure.

Still, under Ewins, the department's response to the whistleblowers  and public safety in general  became a focal point of attack ads targeting Gaylor Baird's reelection bid this spring.

Mailers and television ads blanketed the city, touting cherry-picked statistics saying Lincolns crime had skyrocketed under Gaylor Bairds administration, and that her administration had silenced whistleblowers.

The Lincoln Police Union, which supported Ewins' hiring in 2021 over a group of three other finalists, endorsed Gaylor Bairds challenger, Suzanne Geist, who failed to unseat the mayor.

Though homicides reached double digits in Lincoln last year for the first time since 2016, the city's violent crime rate is substantially lower now than it was the 1990s and early 2000s.

Chief Ewins demonstrated a commitment to making our community safer and making our city stronger, even though police departments are facing a lot of different challenges every day," City Council Chairman Tom Beckius said upon her resignation.

But the public's safety did not shield Ewins from other tribulations, internally and beyond.

The Police Department was short staffed before Ewins arrived in Lincoln, an issue that Ewins repeatedly tried, but ultimately failed, to remedy in her 23-month tenure in Lincoln. The staffing shortfall left the department increasingly reliant on overtime  a solution that Ewins noted would save the city money in the long run but worried could impact the health and welfare of officers.

The department had approximately 25 vacant officer positions when Ewins took over in August 2021. When she left, the department, which has the budget for 366 sworn officers, employed 339 officers  a figure that included 10 recruits who will not police Lincolns streets without supervision until next summer.

Some of the department's community partnerships faced setbacks or ended altogether under Ewins.

In December 2021, a year after uniformed officers gave away $53,780 to unsuspecting residents in concert with the Malone Center, a plan to renew the program fell through in part due to communication breakdowns between the nonprofit and police.

And after offering a safe place for police to take intoxicated people to sober up for nearly 40 years, The Bridge opted not to renew its contract with LPD and other area law enforcement agencies in 2022, a decision that followed miscommunications between the nonprofit and city and county officials.

Ewins also clashed with the union early on in her tenure at LPD when she tried to re-create the position of lieutenant within the department and unilaterally appoint them to different stations and shifts, rather than allowing would-be lieutenants to submit requests for the location and time they'd prefer to work.

She had hoped to hire lieutenants by the end of 2021. The department ultimately didn't do so until February of this year.

Ewins also faced muted criticism in her initial months for being inaccessible to rank-and-file officers  a shortcoming the former chief acknowledged in December 2021, when she said she didn't feel like she had done enough to communicate with Lincoln's residents or its police force.

"That's completely on me," she said then.

But qualms over Ewins' accessibility did not quiet as time marched on.

Tom Duden, a former police officer elected to the City Council in May who was critical of Ewins and city administration during his campaign, said in July that hed heard comments from staff concerned that she wasnt making herself available to officers.

Shes been creating so much resistance with media and attorneys and staff, so I think its all a good move, he said of her departure.

The former police chief's inaccessibility marked a stark contrast from the kind of law enforcement official Ewins promised to be at a candidate forum before she was hired. Then a 26-year veteran of the San Francisco Police Department, Ewins billed herself to Lincoln residents as the city's next communicator-in-chief.

"This is gonna be very normal if I'm here," Ewins said in June 2021 at a town hall-style candidate forum, less than two weeks before Gaylor Baird hired her.

But Ewins followed through on that promise only sparingly, appearing at as few as six town halls across Lincoln in her nearly two-year tenure. The department did not invite the media or residents at large to a series of four town halls that Ewins appeared at this summer, sending invitations through homeowner association mailing lists.

When she did take questions from the public at such events, her answers, at times, trafficked in half-truths and often prompted backlash.

At town hall in Havelock in July 2022, which came less than two months after a Memorial Day weekend crash on O Street killed two people and injured 20 others, Ewins drew an angry response when she suggested she liked the idea of impounding the cars of perilous drivers  a quip that overshadowed the police chief's prepared talking points on traffic enforcement and education.

In a town hall at the Malone Center in January 2022, people questioned the chief's public comments on the firing of Sgt. Angela Sands after Ewins had answered questions on Sands' firing in a radio interview.

Ewins, in her response, said she "will not" talk publicly about internal matters, but also described responding to lawsuits and media coverage about the department's internal culture as a responsibility.

"For a long time, we've been asked to be transparent, and I didn't give details that really  I did not say names, and I did not give details to the point where it really tells you much about the case," she said.

But Ewins had identified Sands by name in the interview and said her firing had to do with "untruthfulness." The interview  and Ewins' rewriting of it at the town hall  were both mentioned in the lawsuit Sands filed against the city this year.

"I hope we have our day in court, so the public can understand," Ewins had said at the town hall. "Because transparency is exactly what communities are asking for."

Photos: Teresa Ewins tenure as Lincoln police chief
This year, students are paying more attention to their teachers, and their eyes are now facing up toward the whiteboard instead of looking down at a cellphone hidden beneath their desks.

Theyre in class more, too  where students are supposed to be  rather than chatting with their friends in the hallways or bathrooms.

Since school started back up for Lincoln Public Schools in mid-August, teachers and administrators say they have seen a lot of positive improvement to student behavior in comparison to past years.

What caused the change? The answer is simple: a new districtwide cellphone policy and digital hall pass system.

The policy, which was announced by Superintendent Paul Gausman this summer, limits high school students phone use, only allowing it during passing periods and lunch, and prohibits the use of devices during class entirely.

Students can have the phones on them, as long as the phones are shut off and put away.

At the same time, LPS implemented a new system at all eight high schools for students to have permission granted via students' laptop computers to use the restrooms, visit the library, see the nurse or leave the classroom for other appropriate reasons during class times.

Students are able to request hall passes from a portal on their Chromebooks and teachers can then confirm or deny the requests. This also allows other faculty members to see if a student has permission to be in a certain part of the school at that time.

The e-passes, which were piloted during summer school, are meant to maximize instructional time, limit a students time spent outside of the classroom and help teachers and staff keep track of where students are at any given time, according to Jess Fries, the director of secondary education at LPS.

Students are allotted three passes per day, but teachers can grant more if necessary based on their judgment. Faculty- and staff-issued passes for scheduled reasons such as regular trips to the nurse, and meetings with a counselor are not counted in the three daily passes.

We've been really, really clear: We trust our teachers, Fries said. They work with kids every day. We want them to use their professional judgment, and they know their students, and if a student needs to leave class, they can override that through a teacher proxy pass.

Just over a month in, the two policies seem to be a success. Hallways are quieter, the bathrooms are emptier and more library books are being checked out than before, Fries said.

Fries and Ryan Zabawa, director of student affairs at LPS, have heard plenty of positive feedback from teachers, administrators, clerical staff and campus security to support this claim, including a long list of staff members who shared their praise for the policy at the Sept. 12 school board meeting.

But, the policys success story goes beyond stopping excessive bathroom and hallway use. Suspensions are down across the board, too.

As part of the school board's equity goal, Zabawa said the district hoped to decrease out-of-school suspensions by 20% from the baseline year of 2019-20. So far, suspensions are already down 19.23% from this time last year and 27% from the start of the 2019-20 school year.

Zabawa said he isnt sure if the decrease is solely due to the new phone policy, but he said the district is going to continue to collect data surrounding student behavior, specifically with phone usage.

We're very pleased with the results and the feedback that we're receiving, he said.

Another reason the phone policy was implemented was in response to rising concerns about students' mental health, Zabawa said. However, he doesnt expect to see results of how the policy has impacted students mental health for a while.

I would hope that we're going to see positive results with that as a result of limiting the time that students are on cellphones, Zabawa said. We know that cyberbullying is a huge problem, and I hope that this is limiting, or stopping, that from occurring during our school day.

Lincoln Southwest High School was one of two schools, alongside Lincoln Northwest High School, to implement a schoolwide policy last year banning cellphone use during class.

John Matzen, principal at Lincoln Southwest, implemented stricter rules around cellphones at the start of last year after seeing an increase in students meeting up in bathrooms during class or using phones in the middle of instruction.

The policy has made students more productive in their downtime, too, according to Matzen, and theyre interacting more with each other face-to-face rather than on a screen.

This has helped us to focus more on the human-to-human contact, and the community within a classroom, not having those devices get in the way, Matzen said.

Teachers love the phone restrictions, too.

John Matzke was thrilled when he first heard about the districtwide phone policy, which is actually very similar to rules he had previously implemented in his own classroom. So thrilled, in fact, he was one of the first in line to speak to the positive changes brought about by the policy.

The math teacher at Lincoln East High School said he has been battling cellphone use in class for a long time, and he made his class into a no-phone zone last year.

It's a tough competition between phones and math content, and the phones are easily going to win, he said. In math class, it's a lot easier to focus on a five-second TikTok video than it is to focus on a five-step algebra equation.

Part of the reason he loves the new policy so much is the added consistency between not only other East teachers and classrooms, but across the entire district.

Before, Matzke said he received a lot of complaints from students for being one of the few teachers to have a phone policy. Now, students know what to expect in every single classroom, and their friends at other Lincoln schools have to follow the same rules, too.

But, that doesnt mean the policy brought about the end of student complaints.

We're six weeks in and so they're pretty used to the policy, but I wouldn't say they like the policy, Matzke said with a chuckle. Now it's this consistent, fairly restrictive policy, and they obviously aren't super excited about that when they're used to having more freedom.

Regardless of how students feel about losing access to their phones during class, Matzke said the success of the policy is clear.

I've been teaching for 30 years and this policy change has had the most positive effect on our school culture of any that I can remember over those 30 years, Matzke said. "So, it's been a great change.

Photos: Inside the new Standing Bear High School in southeast Lincoln Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21 Standing Bear Highschool, 7.21
Name: Rathe Thompson

Age: 56

Current city of residence: Caledonia

Connection to Racine County: I grew up in Caledonia and went to North Park, Gilmore and Horlick. Other Racine connections in the book consist of the former U.S. Army Reserve Unit (Bravo Company, 961st Engineer Battalion), former Horlick High School classmates who joined the military to include Sgt. Cheryl Lebeau O'Brien, who was killed in the first Gulf War and author Nick Cibrario, my former Latin teacher.

Occupation: Retired after serving over 37-years in the U.S. Army. I am also a substitute teacher for RUSD.

Title of book and publisher: "Until Our Paths Cross Again: A 37-year journey from the Cold War through COVID," self-published.

Synopsis of book: "Until Our Paths Cross Again" is a story of an adolescent boy and his maturation in the U.S. Army. The journey began amidst the Cold War and ends during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it was Thailand, Haiti, Germany or Afghanistan, Thompsons storytelling draws you into the time period. His wit and humor resonate along with the technological advances and societal changes.

Is this your first book? Yes

Why did you write the book? This book gave me closure regarding my military career. It allowed me to move on.

How long did it take you to write the book? Two years.

How did you get interested in writing? I had a great English teacher at Horlick, Susan Lasky.

Where is the book available for purchase? Amazon.com.

Is the book available at the library? The book is available at the Racine Public Library.

Website or Facebook page readers can visit for more information? Amazon.com and https://www.facebook.com/rathe.thompson.

If you are a Racine County author who has published a book within the last year and would like to be featured in Our Authors, please send a request to community@journaltimes.com.
RACINE  The Racine Unified School District Board plans to appoint two new members Monday.

The School Board will interview five candidates Monday at the end of its business meeting, which is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.

Before the business meeting, the board will have a public hearing at 6 p.m. regarding its proposed 2023-24 school year budget.

During a Sept. 19 special meeting, the RUSD Board chose finalists to interview for the two vacancies.

For the District 6 position, which covers Downtown Racine and the surrounding area, the board will interview April Harris and Chris Hefel.

For the District 8 position, which covers North Bay, Wind Point and parts of Caledonia, the School Board will interview Christian de Jong, Nikki Fisher and Denis Navratil.

After the interviews, board members will vote to appoint one person to District 6 and one person to District 8.

Former RUSD board members Auntavia Jackson and Matthew Hanser resigned effective Aug. 31.

Jackson represented District 6. Hanser represented District 8.

The person appointed to represent District 6 will complete Jacksons three-year term that ends April 21, 2024.

The person appointed to represent District 8 will serve until April 21, 2024.

A special election for District 8 will be held in April 2024. The winner will have a one-year term ending in April 2025.

Both positions pay $3,600 per year.

New pharmacy benefit manager

The School Board will consider changing the RUSD pharmacy benefit manager from Express Scripts to Rightway Health.

A pharmacy benefit manager negotiates the prices of prescription drugs.

If approved, the change would take place Jan. 1, 2024. The move would save the district an estimated $1.5 million in its first year, according to a review done by insurance company Brown & Brown.

Jerstad-Agerholm engineering increase

The board will consider authorizing an increase from $110,790 to $234,350 for electrical engineering work as part of the renovations to Jerstad-Agerholm K-8 School.

Ryan Schmidt, senior project manager at CG Schmidt, the firm working with RUSD on referendum-funded projects, said during the boards Sept. 11 work session that the cost increase would be covered by project contingency funds and will not affect the total budget cost for work at Jerstad-Agerholm.

Vaping lawsuit settlement

The School board will consider accepting a settlement offer of $120,705 as part of litigation against the company Altria.

Altria, a tobacco company, agreed earlier this year to pay $235 million to settle about 6,000 lawsuits against the company related to teenage vaping.

Replacing fridges, freezers

The board will consider buying five reach-in refrigerators, five reach-in freezers and four milk coolers to replace the districts existing units.

RUSD administration recommends contracting with DA Berther, a Milwaukee-based business, at a cost of $117,945 to buy the refrigerators, freezers and coolers.

Superintendent search firm

The School Board will consider approving a contract worth $34,729 with Hazard, Young, Attea Associates to provide consulting services for the boards search to find a permanent superintendent.

Soren Gajewski has served as RUSD interim superintendent since July 1. He also was acting superintendent from May 1 to June 30.

The interim superintendent contract does not have an end date, but Gajewski anticipates holding the position through the end of the 2023-24 school year.

The boards budget hearing begins at 6 p.m. Monday in the Mygatts Room at the RUSD Administrative Service Campus Building 1, 3109 Mt. Pleasant St.

Close Teen Outreach Program facilitators Semake Abdullah, from left, Savannah Davis and Makiah Bouchee helped register people during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. For the 2023-24 school year, the program will be offered at five schools and four community centers. Arman Reed, with football, prepares to throw a ball while Maddox Vento, left, faces Tyquise Reed during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Jerome Lambert smiles with his son Jordy Lambert while playing basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Jordy Lambert plays with a basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. David Foster, left, and Maddox Vento play football during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday. The program is starting its fourth year in October. Kimberly Rice, left, and Jerry Gomez help serve food during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Amelia Lambert prepares to shoot a basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Alfred Lopez shoots a basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Erianys De Jesus plays basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Nine photos of RUSD's Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Energetic music blared from a DJ booth and fresh food was served Wednesday late afternoon during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event. Teen Outreach Program facilitators Semake Abdullah, from left, Savannah Davis and Makiah Bouchee helped register people during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. For the 2023-24 school year, the program will be offered at five schools and four community centers. Arman Reed, with football, prepares to throw a ball while Maddox Vento, left, faces Tyquise Reed during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Jerome Lambert smiles with his son Jordy Lambert while playing basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Jordy Lambert plays with a basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. David Foster, left, and Maddox Vento play football during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday. The program is starting its fourth year in October. Kimberly Rice, left, and Jerry Gomez help serve food during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Amelia Lambert prepares to shoot a basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Alfred Lopez shoots a basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave. Erianys De Jesus plays basketball during a Racine Unified Teen Outreach Program kickoff event Wednesday at the Caesar Chavez Community Center, 2221 Douglas Ave.
RACINE  An email exchange between the county executive and the mayor of Racine that accuses the city of not being involved in the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative was shared publicly Monday.

District 12 Alder Henry Perez posted an email from Racine County Executive Jonathan Delagrave to Mayor of Racine Cory Mason on his Facebook page. In the email, Delagrave accuses the city of minimal investment and participation in the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative.

The validity of the email was verified by the county and the city.

In the email, Delagrave says that without significant changes, the VCRI would operate independently from the city.

In an email response sent Aug. 30 that was obtained by The Journal Times, Mason says the city intends to continue its collaboration with the county on reducing crime.

It is not realistic to think that the City and County will agree on everything, Mason says in the email. It is my hope that where we can agree, we continue to find ways to work together. I would hope that our work to reduce gun violence in out community is one of those areas.

In an interview with The Journal Times, Mason said city officials are continuing to attend meetings for the VCRI.

This is not the time to pause this work over personal feelings, Mason said. Its actually the time to lean in and continue to do more to keep the community safe.

Mason said the citys involvement with the VCRI has not changed.

Weve been engaging with (the county) in all this, he said. Weve shared $50,000 of our own ARPA funds to train county staff in this space.

Andrew Goetz, Racine County communications director said the county remains committed to the safety and wellbeing of its residents regardless of their ZIP code.

The county executive believes that all residents have an inherent right to safety and the county is working to end violent crime as evidenced by its investment in the Violent Crime Reduction Initiative, he said.

Delagrave declined to comment further or provide specific details about the ongoing conversation between the city and the county.

Office of Violence Prevention

In Delagraves email to Mason, he accuses the city of establishing the Office of Violence Prevention without notifying or collaborating with the VCRI steering committee.

Establishing an office of violence prevention re-creates the VCRI framework, inadvertently claims credit for previous collaborative efforts and shifts ownership of the violence prevention work exclusively under the city, Delagrave says in the email.

These efforts are really important and really make a difference, Mason told to The Journal Times, in response to Delagraves allegation. Our responsibility is to the taxpayers to do everything we can to collaborate to reduce violent crime in our community.

According to Mason, gun violence has gone down 45% citywide during the past year.

Delagrave also says in his email to Mason that many RPD officers have expressed anger about John Tates appointment as violence prevention manger.

The County Board and other elected officials and community stakeholders are seething at an appointment of an individual who actively worked against a long-term goal of building a youth center that will play a big part in the VCRI initiatives, Delagrave says.

Tates appointment in August came after a judge dismissed a case against him regarding his role as an alder and the creation of the previously titled Violence Interruption Coordinator role for the City of Racine.

In 2022, Tate resigned as chairman of the Wisconsin Parole Commission, at the request of Gov. Tony Evers following Republican criticism over parole plans for a convicted murderer.

Tate was appointed to the position by a panel which included the chief of police, the public health administrator, the Medical College of Wisconsin and the National Safe Communities, Mason said.

I think hes highly qualified for the job, Mason said. I wasnt involved in the process. A panel of four experts with very diverse backgrounds all unanimously agreed he was the highest-qualified candidate for the job.

Racine Police Department

Delagrave says in the email that the Racine County Sheriffs Office had committed six or seven deputies to RPD, which cost the county nearly $800,000.

Its been helpful to have sheriff deputies assisting where we can, Mason said. City taxpayers are also county taxpayers, so I think its helpful to remember where there may be issues for us to work together collaboratively on.

Mason said the city is pleased to partner with the sheriffs office and other entities, such as the ATF and FBI, and that those partnerships are helping the rate of violent crime decrease.

Youth employment programs

In the email to Mason, Delagrave says the county and Racine Unified School District have an equal partnership to administer the Summer Youth Employment Program for at-risk youth, mainly in the City of Racine. He also notes that the city did not partner with this program.

The city created its own youth jobs program for individuals ages 16 to 24 to work directly in city departments. Mason said this program serves as a pipeline for future city employees.

While the county was setting up their program, we were setting up ours. Theyre both advantageous for the community, Mason said. I dont think one existing diminishes the other.

Violence prevention grants

In June, the city was awarded $1.5 million from the Medical College of Wisconsin for violence prevention. In his email to the mayor, Delagrave says the city has not given the county any details, updates or the intent of the grant.

I dont know that its reasonable to think that the county would dictate to the city how to spend its grant funding, Mason said.

Mason said that in order for the VCRI to work, the city and the county need to work together where they can and agree to disagree where they cant.

We work for the taxpayers, Mason said. At the end of the day, its our job to be professionals and get in a room to work together to keep the community safe.
RACINE  A significant part of Laura Vanderheydens job involves working proactively to help students view themselves in a positive light.

As Racine Unified prevention and wellness coordinator, she supports students and staff in a variety of ways, including training to help prevent suicide.

RUSD did not have any students who died by suicide last school year, the first time that has happened in many years, according to Vanderheyden.

Vanderheyden and Andrea Rittgers, RUSD executive director of student services, aim to continue that proactive work so students can lead meaningful lives.

We want everyone in our community to feel as mentally healthy and physically healthy as possible, Rittgers said. Feeling a certain way right now is an OK thing, and there are resources and support available for you.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, and area professionals shared information about suicide prevention, helpful resources and potential risk factors.

Warning signs of suicide include, but are not limited to, hopelessness, despair, talking about death, giving away important items and losing interest in activities one usually enjoys.

Sheri Hess, National Alliance on Mental Illness Racine County outreach coordinator, believes every adult has thought at least in passing about suicide, so knowing risk factors is key.

It affects 100 out of 100 people, so it is important to know the facts, and it is important to know warning signs and symptoms, and it is important to know how to help yourself or help others, Hess said.

NAMI Racine County also has a monthly Survivors of Suicide support group for people whose loved ones have died by suicide.

There is no archetype of what a suicidal person looks like.

If someone appears happy in some settings, they may still have warning signs that should not be ignored, according to Hollie White, project coordinator of improving childrens mental health through school and community.

White works in Racine County to prevent mental health crises and suicide and to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention services.

Services include a Racine County website with a multitude of mental health resources for children and adults, including immediate help for someone with suicidal thoughts.

The website can be accessed at racinecountyfamilyresources.com.

Wisconsin is on track to report more than 900 deaths by suicide this year, according to a Racine County news release.

According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, in September, about 1.3 million people in the U.S. will have suicidal thoughts, 142,000 will attempt suicide and 4,000 people will die by suicide.

Suicide is the 12th leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the second leading cause of death among people ages 10-14 and 25-34, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Addressing the mental health of students is also foundational to learning. People ages 6-17 with mental, emotional or behavioral concerns are three times more likely to repeat a grade, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. High school students with significant symptoms of depression are more than twice as likely to drop out compared to their peers.

At RUSD, middle school and high school students review signs of suicide in health class and learn how to get support if they or their peers are experiencing suicidal thoughts.

According to Rittgers and Vanderheyden, students often initially discuss struggles with each other, so it is important for students to know how to refer peers to a staff member like a counselor, social worker or psychologist.

RUSD teachers receive similar training on potential risk factors and how to refer someone to an appropriate staffer.

During training, educators ask this question out loud: Are you thinking about killing yourself?

That way, teachers are more likely to ask the question to someone if needed.

Its a difficult question to ask if youve never asked it, Vanderheyden said. Its OK to ask that question  You have to be that blunt. That opens the door for open conversation.

Asking that question does not make someone more likely to act on suicidal ideation.

The thought is already there, Hess said. Youre not going to make them do it. What youre doing is acknowledging that that thought is there and that youre there to help them.

If a person mentions suicidal ideation, one should listen in a non-judgmental way and assist them in receiving professional help.

Its actually good that theyre telling you that and that they want to talk about it, Hess said. Sometimes thats all they need, is to be able to talk about it and say, This is how Im feeling.  Thats the chance where they can get help.

It is also not helpful to stay quiet about your struggles or someone elses struggles.

You cant handle this alone, White said. If somebody tells you that theyre suicidal or youre seriously concerned about them, youre not doing them any favors by keeping quiet. You need to talk to somebody.

A stigma around discussing suicide exists, but local professionals said that has decreased over time.

According to Rittgers and Vanderheyden, students understanding and acceptance of verbalizing mental health challenges has improved.

The more we talk about it, the more we normalize having these conversations and using this language, the more kids are open to it, Rittgers said.

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing challenges for many, but it also made more people aware of the importance of mental health and suicide prevention.

If there was a benefit of any kind to this pandemic, it was the national spotlight on mental health and wellbeing, Rittgers said.

Through access to local resources and practice, people can build up their mental wellbeing and be less likely to die by suicide.

Its a muscle, Vanderheyden said. Theres muscle memory to it. You can lose it, but you can gain it.

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health or suicide crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the free and confidential 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor. You can also get crisis text support via the Crisis Text Line by texting NAMI to 741741.

US Navy deploys more chaplains for suicide prevention
Palestinians inspect a damaged building following an Israeli army raid in Nour Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2022. Palestinians said at least two people were killed in the raid, which the army said was carried out to destroy a militant command center and bomb-storage facility in the building. (Majdi Mohammed/AP)

NOUR SHAMS REFUGEE CAMP, West Bank  Two Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid Sunday in the northern West Bank, Palestinian health officials said, the latest bloodshed in a surge of violence during a sensitive Jewish holiday period.

The Israeli military said it moved into the Nour Shams refugee camp, near the town of Tulkarem, to destroy what it described as a militant command center and bomb-storage facility in a building.

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It said that engineering units detonated a number of bombs planted under roads and that militants opened fire and hurled explosives, as troops responded with live fire.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said two men  Asid Abu Ali, 21, and Abdulrahman Abu Daghash, 32  were killed by Israeli fire. The raid caused heavy damage to the camps main road, severing water pipes and flooding parts of the street. The ground floor of the targeted building was heavily damaged, while part of the exterior wall of the second floor collapsed.

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The Hamas militant group claimed Abu Ali as a member.

Elsewhere in the West Bank, Birzeit University, a major Palestinian institution, said the Israeli army carried out a rare raid on its campus near the city of Ramallah and arrested nine students, including the head of the student council. It said the students were all supporters of the Hamas militant group. The university denounced the raid, which it said caused damage to university property.

The Israeli military claimed the suspects were plotting an attack on Israeli targets.

Israel has been carrying out stepped-up military raids, primarily in the northern West Bank, for the past year and a half in what it says is a campaign to root out Palestinian militants and thwart future attacks.

But Palestinians say the raids entrench Israels 56-year occupation over the West Bank. The raids have shown little sign of slowing the fighting and contributed to the weakening of the Palestinian Authority, the self-rule government that administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

Some 190 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Israel says most of those killed have been militants, but youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

At least 31 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis this year.

The tensions have begun to spread over the past week to the Gaza Strip, where hundreds of Palestinians have been holding daily demonstrations along the fence separating the territory from Israel.

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On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes hit a militant site for the second time in as many days, after Palestinians sent incendiary balloons into Israeli farmland and Palestinian protesters threw stones and explosives at soldiers at the separation fence

The spike in violence comes during the Jewish New Year holiday season. Jews are set to mark Yom Kippur, the holiest day on their calendar, on Sunday night followed by the weeklong Sukkot festival later in the month.

During Sukkot, large numbers of Jews are expected to visit Jerusalems most sensitive holy site, revered by Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary. The compound, home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is often a focal point for violence.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek those territories for their hoped-for independent state.
One Mount Pleasant family is proof going back to college isnt just for people in their early 20s.

Samantha Malczewski, Mia Carter, Amy Malczewski and Christy Schwan are all enrolled and attending Carthage College at the same time for the 2023-24 academic year and are all related.

Samantha, a sophomore studying nursing and a Case High School graduate, was the first of the four to enroll at Carthage last year.

I decided to become a nursing major and Carthage has an amazing nursing program ... a direct entry program, Samantha said. zits really close to home, and I like being able to get home-cooked food and do my laundry for free, so thats always a plus.

This year, she has been joined by her sister, Mia, a freshman studying accounting and marketing and a Union Grove High School graduate. Also enrolling this fall are their mother, Amy, and grandmother, Christy, who are both graduate students pursuing Masters of Business-Design and Innovation degrees.

When I first started looking at schools, I was looking at bigger schools because thats I thought I would want to get that college atmosphere, Mia said. I ended up touring (Carthage) and I forgot how pretty the campus was. The smaller atmosphere is much nicer; I think because everyone is much closer together.

Christy and Amy talked each other into going into the masters program together.

I said, I think you really ought to do that, Christy said. When she suggested we do it together, it was a pretty easy decision that we would pursue it.

Though all four are all enrolled together, they often do not see each other due to conflicting schedules and different course offerings.

I was a little concerned that the girls wouldnt want us to be there because. when you go away to college, you want to be independent and you want to do your own thing, Christy said. I thought, Oh, I hope theyre okay with that, But our classes are at night and on the weekend, so were not in the same classes at all with them. We really only see them if we ask them to go to dinner with us.

Samantha and Mia said they both see Amy  who also works on campus as the career specialist for Arts, Communication and Culture  on campus as they choose.

I always make sure to stop by my moms office once a day, Mia said. Im glad I didnt go to school far away because I talk to my mom too much to be far away from her.

Amy said her favorite part of going to Carthage together is they will also be alums together once they earn degrees.

I think my favorite part is going to be in the future when were all Firebird (alumnae), she said. Therell be a lot of pride in that.

Classes at Carthage

The four women said their classes, albeit challenging, are going well and have been enjoyable overall.

Mia said she was still navigating her first semester as a college student and adjusting to her course workload.

Its still a lot, she said. My last year in high school, I didnt really have homework, and now I have homework every single night. I just have to get used to it. I like all my classes as of now.

Christy said the classes she takes with Amy are less homework-heavy and more based on projects and discussions in class.

Probably the hardest part for me is that we also have group projects with other students in our class, she said. Everybodys very busy, so finding time outside of the class to work on group projects is a challenge. Weve sort of set up a schedule that were meeting early, before our classes start.

Within Amy and Christys class, there are two other nontraditional masters students, which Christy thinks adds perspective to class discussions.

Its interesting to hear from the kids who are right out of college and their perspective on things, she said. I think its just a great learning opportunity.

Amy said she enjoys class with her mom, noting her mom is an active participant in discussions.

She answers a lot of questions and raises her hand a lot. We are vastly different in that area, but its good actually, she said. She has so much experience when she answers questions or talks in class, I find myself learning things from her.

In the news

When news about the four women all attending College got out online, their story went viral in a matter of days.

Christy, Mia, Samantha and Amy have made appearances on the Drew Barrymore Show, been interviewed by Good Morning America and been featured in several other online and print publications, which they all say was unexpected.

We were happy that the school was going to do an article on us. Everything else just been unbelievable, Christy said.

Samantha said acquaintances in her nursing program even mentioned her trip to New York to be interviewed by Drew Barrymore.

Some people also come up to me and ask, Are you the person whose grandma goes to school here, and Im answer, Yup, thats my grandma.

Amy said its been very surreal to be asked what Drew Barrymore is like.

Its a very cool experience to have with your mom and your children, she said. I would be cool (to be on television) if it was just by yourself, but to have that experience with your mom and also your daughters is something we are going to remember for the rest of our lives.

I think the hardest part is just like keeping up with the work, Samantha said. I think its been a little difficult with all the scheduling and things going to New York, it was kind of spontaneous. For the most part, its been good, just a little a little crazy.

Words of Wisdom

Though each are at different points in their lives and academic careers, they have advice for students and future students.

If youre an older, non-traditional student it can be a fear factor thing. I believe that you need to approach those things as opportunities, and that when you face your fear, it really makes you a stronger person, Christy said. Never be afraid to do something thats outside of your comfort zone.

Mia encouraged students to be open to new opportunities and not take anything for granted.

This is a time for us to truly find out what we like and who we are as a person, so definitely be open to new experiences and what that can do for you, she said.

Samantha encouraged students to ask for help when they need it.

We want to be independent and we dont want to be a burden to our professors, but they are there for you, she said.

Amy said students should follow their interests, because it will help them in finding a career they are passionate about.

If youre driven and have interests, they combine and create a career, she said.
1. Yes. If KHA cant continue to run it, the city should step in. Its a necessary asset to the area.

2. Yes. The city already uses it as a warming and cooling center. It would be a smart move.

3. No. It may be in the citys interest to help subsidize insurance for the center, but nothing more.

4. No. The city doesnt need the added burden of staffing and insuring the center. Its a bad idea.

5. Unsure. It may be seem like a good idea, but other options should be explored as well.

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Back in the spring of this year, I received an invitation from Bryan Rugh, leader of the Temple/Belton chapter of Legacy Outfitters. He invite
People walk through the rain on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C. Tropical Storm Ophelia brought waves of heavy wind and rain to the district, with residents bracing for potential flooding and power outages. (Anna Rose Layden/Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images North America/TNS)

Nearly a day after being downgraded from a tropical storm, Ophelia still threatened parts of the Northeast on Sunday with coastal flooding, life-threatening waves and heavy rain from Washington to New York City, the National Hurricane Center said.

As Ophelia weakened, a new tropical storm named Philippe brewed in the Atlantic.

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Even though Ophelia was downgraded Saturday night, meteorologists warned that swells generated by the storm would affect the East Coast for the rest of the weekend, likely causing dangerous surf conditions and rip currents. Ophelia was also expected to drop 1 to 3 inches (2.5 to 7.6 centimeters) of additional rain over parts of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Isolated river flooding was also possible.

Ophelia was south of Washington on Sunday morning and was expected to continue moving northeast before turning east and then weakening more over the next two days, according to the hurricane center. Meanwhile, Philippe was 1,175 miles (1,890 kilometers) west of the Cabo Verde Islands, which are off the west coast of Africa. That storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (75 kph).

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The National Weather Service said numerous New Jersey communities reported coastal flooding, including, including Sea Isle City and Brielle. Thousands of people in the state remained without power Sunday. NJ.com reported more than 6,000 customers were without electricity Sunday morning, down from a high of 13,000.

Flooding and road closures were also reported in coastal Delaware.

The storm came ashore Saturday near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph (113 kph), but the winds weakened as the system traveled north, the hurricane center said.

Videos from social media showed significant flooding in the states riverfront communities such as New Bern, Belhaven and Washington. A few thousand North Carolina homes and businesses remained without electricity Sunday morning, according to poweroutage.us, which tracks utility reports.

Even before making landfall, Ophelia proved treacherous enough that five people, including three children, had to be rescued Friday night by the Coast Guard. They were aboard a 38-foot (12-meter) catamaran stuck in choppy water and strong winds while anchored off Cape Lookout, North Carolina.

On Saturday, Greenville police posted a video on Facebook of an officer rescuing a small pit bull from floodwaters. Police said the dog was tied to a fence and just inches from drowning when an officer responded after someone called authorities. Animal protection authorities opened an investigation.

Elsewhere, a rescue team helped the Beaufort County Sheriffs Office evacuate 15 people from a campground between the Pamlico River and the Chocowinity Bay, according to Brian Haines, a spokesperson for the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management.

At the southern tip of North Carolinas Outer Banks, organizers on Sunday were finally able to open the long-running Beaufort Pirate Invasion, a weekend event centered on the 1747 Spanish attack on the town. Winds tore down the big tent for a banquet planned for Saturday, and several other tents were damaged or shredded.

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In other developments, high winds forced New York City officials to suspend ferry service to Rockaway. Other ferries were operating on schedule.

The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland each declared a state of emergency on Friday.

Scientists say climate change could result in hurricanes expanding their reach into mid-latitude regions more often, making storms like this months Hurricane Lee more common.

One study simulated tropical cyclone tracks from pre-industrial times, modern times and a future with higher emissions. It found that hurricanes would track closer to the coasts, including around Boston, New York City and Virginia, and would be more likely to form along the Southeast coast.

In some areas where the storm struck Saturday, the effects were modest.

Aaron Montgomery, 38, said he noticed a leak in the roof of his familys new home in Williamsburg, Virginia. They were still able to make the hour-long drive for his wifes birthday to Virginia Beach, where he said the surf and wind were strong but the rain had stopped.

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No leak in a roof is insignificant, so its certainly something we have to deal with Monday morning, he said.

Ungar reported from Louisville, Kentucky. Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee. AP Radio reporter Jackie Quinn in Washington and AP writers Brian Witte in Annapolis, Maryland, Ron Todt in Philadelphia, Sudhin Thanawala in Atlanta, Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and David Collins in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to this report.
The GOP play book seems to follow the Trump plan of "Throw it against the wall. If it sticks, keep repeating it." It makes no difference if "it" is true, right, or good for the county, state, or country. The primary goal is party dogma.

In Kenosha County, the failed Racial Equity Commission struggles because of the blatant racism of its commissioners. The trail of departed commissioners lays bear witness to the problem.

At the state level, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) threatens impeachment of Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Janet Protasiewicz because she received campaign donations from the Democratic Party. Vos believes that her court decisions will be influenced. He, conveniently, ignores the fact the GOP-backed justices received party funding for decades. Meanwhile, Vos is behind the attempt to fire the non-partisan Administrator of the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Meagan Wolfe, because she would not (illegally) manipulate the 2020 election results for a Trump victory. Wisconsin would be better off if Vos went back to popping corn.

Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has begun the impeachment process against President Joe Biden in a veiled attempt to draw attention from Trump's myriad legal problems heading into the presidential campaign. Likewise, Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH) is turning up the heat on President Biden by attacking his son, Hunter. None of this is legitimate. It is being done solely for the purpose of helping McCarthy retain his speakership while being manipulated by the Far-Right party members. One wonders if a DNA test would reveal that Kevin is related to the infamous Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin who spewed false accusations of Communism.

As Ronald Reagan famously said, "Tear down this wall!"

Tim Somers, Kenosha
WASHINGTON  President Joe Bidens education chief said hes open to using whatever levers are available  including federal money  to discourage colleges from giving admissions preference to the children of alumni and donors.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said legacy admissions must be revisited for the sake of diversity on campuses following the recent Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action. In a step beyond his previous comments, Cardona said he would consider taking stronger action to deter the practice.

I would be interested in pulling whatever levers I can pull as secretary of Education to ensure that, especially if were giving out financial aid and loans, that were doing it for institutions that are providing value, Cardona said Wednesday. He made the remark when asked about using federal money as a carrot or rod on legacy admissions.

Legacy admissions, long seen as a perk for the white and wealthy at selective colleges, have come under renewed fire since the ruling in June that colleges can no longer consider the race of applicants. By banning affirmative action but allowing legacy preferences, critics say the court left admissions even more lopsided against students of color.

Cardona didnt elaborate on his options, but the federal government oversees vast sums of money that go to colleges in the form of student financial aid and research grants. The Education Department can also issue fines for civil rights violations, including racial discrimination.

The agency recently opened an investigation at Harvard University after a federal complaint alleged that legacy admissions amount to racial discrimination.

Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling leaves colleges looking for new ways to promote diversity The Supreme Court has sent shockwaves through higher education with a landmark decision that struck down affirmative action and left colleges across the nation searching for new ways to promote student diversity.

A handful of small colleges have disavowed legacy admissions in the wake of the affirmative action decision, but theres been no sign of change in the upper echelons of Americas universities.

Some colleges and alumni defend the practice, saying it builds community and encourages fundraising. And as campuses become more diverse, they argue, the benefit increasingly extends to students of color and their families.

Cardona, who attended a technical high school and earned his bachelor's degree from Central Connecticut State University, has added his voice to the advocates, civil rights groups and Democratic lawmakers denouncing the practice.

Your last name could get you into a school, or the fact that you can write a check could get you into a school, he said. But using affirmative action to promote diversity  that tool was taken away.

Still, he shied away from supporting a ban of the type proposed by some Democrats in Congress and in several states. Cardona sees it as a matter of local control, with universities having the final decision.

There is no edict coming from the secretary of Education, he said.

Without action, Cardona warned that the nation could face the same setbacks seen in California after it ended affirmative action in 1996. The states most selective colleges saw steep decreases in Black and Latino enrollment, and the numbers never fully rebounded.

If we go the route that California went when they abolished affirmative action, what chance do we have competing against China? Cardona said. This is more than just ensuring diverse learning environments. This is about our strength as a country.

Advocates have also pushed the Education Department to start collecting data showing the number and demographics of legacy students.

I was hopeful wed be seeing more colleges volunteering to drop it, said James Murphy, a deputy director at Education Reform Now, a nonprofit think tank. I think I think theyve got to keep the pressure on and shine a light on it.

Cardona declined to speculate on what the administrations new student loan forgiveness proposal might look like or whether a final regulation could be in place before the 2024 presidential election. We are going to work as quickly as possible, he said. We know there are students that are waiting, borrowers that are waiting. So many folks are struggling right now to get back up.

History of affirmative action in higher education History of affirmative action in higher education 1946: 85% of Black college students attended poorly funded Black schools 1961: JFK signs an executive using the phrase affirmative action for the first time in its modern context Late 1960s: Civil Rights Movement prompts elite universities to prioritize greater diversity in admissions 1972: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act amended to include educational institutions 1978: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke 1996: California and Texas ban affirmative action in college admissions 2003: Grutter v. Bollinger 2016: Fisher v. University of Texas 2022: Supreme Court hears Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard History of affirmative action in higher education 1946: 85% of Black college students attended poorly funded Black schools Late 1960s: Civil Rights Movement prompts elite universities to prioritize greater diversity in admissions 1972: Title VII of the Civil Rights Act amended to include educational institutions 1978: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke 1996: California and Texas ban affirmative action in college admissions 2003: Grutter v. Bollinger 2016: Fisher v. University of Texas 2022: Supreme Court hears Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard
LANSING, Mich.  When former President Donald Trump visits Detroit next week, hell be looking to blunt criticisms from a United Auto Workers union leadership that has said a second term for him would be a disaster for workers.

Trump will bypass the second Republican presidential debate on Sept. 27 to instead visit striking autoworkers in Michigan, where he has looked to position himself as an ally of blue-collar workers by promising to raise wages and protect jobs if elected to a second term.

But union leaders say Trump's record in the White House speaks for itself. Union leaders have said his first term was far from worker-friendly, citing unfavorable rulings from the nations top labor board and the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as unfulfilled promises of automotive jobs. While the United Auto Workers union has withheld an endorsement in the 2024 presidential race, its leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Trump.

Nevertheless, Trump plans to speak directly to a room of former and current union members. A Trump campaign radio ad released Tuesday in Detroit and Toledo, Ohio, praised auto workers and said the former president has always had their back.

Not everyone thinks so. Despite Trump's history of success in courting blue-collar workers in previous elections, union leaders say their members would do well to believe their own eyes.

Just look who Trump put in the courts," said Dave Green, the UAW regional director for Ohio and Indiana. Look at his record with the labor relations board. He did nothing to support organized labor except lip service.

The National Labor Relations Board, which enforces the countrys labor laws and oversees union elections, came under Republican control during the Trump administration for the first time since 2007. The board reversed several key Obama-era rulings that made it easier for small unions to organize, strengthened the bargaining rights of franchise workers and provided protection against anti-union measures for employees.

In 2017, the Trump-era board reversed a decision holding employers responsible for labor violations by subcontractors or franchisees. In 2019, the board gave a boost to companies that use contract labor, such as Lyft and Uber, by emphasizing entrepreneurial opportunity in determining a workers employment status, making organizing harder.

Mark McManus, president of the plumbers and pipefitters union, said in a statement Tuesday that Trump tried to gut the labor relations board under his administration to undo the safeguards that protect working families. Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber told The Associated Press in an emailed statement that the board was stacked with anti-worker appointees who trampled on collective bargaining rights.

The union leaders also point to unfavorable U.S. Supreme Court rulings under a conservative majority that grew during Trump's term. The nation's high court has dealt a number of blows to unions, most recently ruling against unionized drivers who walked off the job with their trucks full of wet cement, allowing a civil suit against them to go forward.

In 2018, the courts conservative majority overturned a decades-old pro-union decision involving fees paid by government workers. The justices in 2021 rejected a California regulation giving unions access to farm property so they could organize workers.

If youre appointing conservatives to the court, youre often appointing people who relate to the preference for business or property owners or shareholders, more than the preference of stakeholders like workers," said Peter Berg, a professor of labor relations at Michigan State University.

As president, Trump largely sat on the sidelines during a 40-day walkout at a General Motors plant in 2019.

Still, the Trump campaign vigorously defended his record as pro-worker.

President Trump has always been on the side of American workers, his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement.

Cheung responded to the criticisms from labor leaders with a long list of economic gains and policies from Trump's time as president, ranging from the surging stock market to low unemployment. He cited Trump's broad push to remove regulations and abandon or renegotiate trade deals as beneficial to American workers across a range of industries.

Republicans have long tried to position themselves as being anti-union while remaining pro-worker. The party has branded itself as being for the working class while attacking organized labor, which has supported the Democratic Party for decades.

Trump has used a similar tactic in an effort to separate workers from a UAW leadership that endorsed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020 and that has attacked Trump since. In a recent campaign video addressed to autoworkers, Trump encouraged them not to pay union dues and claimed union leaders have got some deals going for themselves. Trump also claimed he would raise their wages and protect their jobs.

Job growth figures in the auto industry during Trump's presidency contradict his claim that the industry thrived under his watch.

In 2017, during a visit to the region, Trump pledged that jobs there were all coming back and implored residents to stay put. A year later, General Motors announced the closure of its Lordstown plant, one of the largest employers in the area.

The guy came to my community and flat out lied to everybody, Green said last week. Banks were closing, schools were shutting down. I wrote the guy two letters, and he didnt even reply.

Photos from the first 2024 Republican presidential debate
Across China: China's power infrastructure technology helping Arab countries

Xinhua) 09:44, September 24, 2023

YINCHUAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Deng Guoxue, 40, is sanguine about his company's future cooperation with Arab countries in power infrastructure construction after participating in a project that installed 5 million electricity meters in Saudi Arabia in order to establish a power consumption information collection system.

During their busiest time, the engineer from the Ningxia branch of the State Grid Corporation of China and his team set up 1.5 million electricity meters within 300 days in the foreign country.

Thankfully, their hard work paid off, as the system started operation in October 2021.

The agreement for the project was signed by the State Grid Corporation of China and Saudi Electricity Company in 2019, and included the installation of electricity meters in nine southern provinces in Saudi Arabia and the development of supporting facilities for power supply lines.

Technology services, equipment integration, trial tests, and maintenance and personnel training were also part of the project, which marked the first whole electricity consumption information collection system exported from China to overseas.

Deng's team was in charge of the project construction in Najran, located in the south of Saudi Arabia. They found it quite challenging due to the local arid and hot climate, unique terrain, and the alien cultural environment, but still inspiring as it could become a helpful reference for future project construction efforts in foreign countries.

"The most difficult part was to train the local personnel how to run the system. We designed the curriculum, prepared textbooks and materials, as well as built a real-scenario experiment workshop with simulation equipment all on our own," Deng recalled.

"Because of the language and cultural barriers, we had to spend extra hours on interaction with the foreign students, sometimes in our dormitory," the senior engineer added. Deng has been working for the company's branch in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region since 2008.

The Ningxia branch of the Chinese company is also working with another Arab country, Oman, to help the country upgrade its grid. Last year, State Grid Corporation of China sent a team on a field trip to Oman.

"The project is aimed at modernizing Oman's grid system, which remains largely unchanged since 1967, with severe imbalances of power supply between its northern and southern parts," said Ma Jun, a member of the 40-person team in charge of the project.

With abundant experience in green energy development and research, Ningxia hopes to take its clean power technologies to the Gulf region, which now relies on fossil oil and natural gas for power generation, while boasting rich wind and solar resources.

Facing the challenge of fossil oil depletion, Oman plans to raise the proportion of green power to 20 percent of its total power generation by 2026, thus demanding a complete renovation of its grid system.

"Through building a new grid system which introduces green energy and helps power source transformation, we are expected to help them solve the imminent problem of oil resource depletion as well," said Ma.

Currently, Ningxia is also running a joint laboratory with Oman to carry out experiments on how to quickly introduce new energy into the grid system of Oman while maintaining the stability of power supply, according to the State Grid Corporation of China.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
Chicago police are investigating at least eight armed robberies that occurred late Saturday night into Sunday morning.

Police said detectives havent yet established a pattern or connection between the robberies, most of which happened on the citys Northwest Side. At least three people were injured in the robberies and two involved delivery drivers. No suspects are in custody.

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The first robbery happened at 8:02 p.m. in Wicker Park. A 25-year-old man was delivering food in the 1700 block of North Maplewood Avenue when three or four men got out of a dark-colored sedan and took his phone and wallet at gunpoint, police said. Police said the burglar hit the victim in the face with a gun, but he refused emergency medical services.

About 15 minutes later, police said six men exited a blue SUV and a silver sedan, stealing a 24-year-old mans phone at gunpoint while he was delivering food in the 1700 block of North Rockwell Street in Humboldt Park. The victim wasnt injured, according to police.

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At 10:30 p.m., three men driving a silver Hyundai SUV stole a cellphone and purse at gunpoint from a 20-year-old man and 21-year-old woman walking on the sidewalk in the 3000 block of North Tripp Avenue in Avondale, police said. Police said the man and woman werent injured.

About an hour later, three men exited a vehicle and took a phone from a 22-year-old woman at gunpoint in the 800 block of North Leavitt Street in Ukrainian Village. Police said the woman was hit in the head with a handgun, but refused EMS.

Three men driving a silver Hyundai SUV also took a wallet and cellphones at gunpoint from a 40-year-old man and 33-year-old woman walking on the sidewalk at 11:41 p.m. in the 300 block of North Leavitt Street in West Town, according to police. Police said the victims werent injured.

The sixth robbery happened at about 2:30 a.m. in Bucktown. Three men driving a black sedan took a 40-year-old womans backpack, phone and wallet at gunpoint in the 1800 block of West Fullerton Avenue. The woman was transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in good condition with a head injury, police said.

At about the same time, six men in a tan sedan took purses from two 25-year-old women at gunpoint in the 500 block of South Wells Street in the Loop, police said. Police said the women werent injured.

Four men driving a gray Nissan sedan took a 30-year-old man and 28-year-old womans phones and wallets at gunpoint at 4:10 a.m. in the 1000 block of West 16th Street in Little Italy, police said. The victims werent injured, according to police.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Sept. 23, 2023, (EIRNS)From the outset of his address to the UN General Assembly today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov identified the underlying cause of conflict in the world, as being the Western powers desperation to stop the unstoppable: the nations of the world joining together in new waysthrough the BRICS, the SCO, the African Union, ASEAN, CELAC, etc.so as to develop in freedom. He was equally blunt about the supreme danger: The West not only seeks global NATO domination, but also has revived plans for nuclear war against the Russian Federation.

An official translation of his speech is not yet available, but given its strategic importance, we provide here some key quotes via machine translation, despite the inadequacies.

...A new world order is being born right before our eyes. The contours of the future are being created through struggle between the world majority, which stands for a more equitable distribution of global benefits and civilizational diversity, and the few who use neocolonial methods of subjugation to hold on to their elusive dominance.

The hallmark of the collective West has long been its rejection of the principle of equal rights and its total incompetence. Accustomed to looking down on the rest of the world, Americans and Europeans make promises and commitments, including written and legally binding ones. And then they simply do not fulfill them....

In 1945, when we, along with Washington and London, were together vanquishing the enemy on the front in World War II, our allies in the anti-Hitler coalition were already preparing plans for the military operation called Unthinkable against the Soviet Union. Four years later, in 1949, the Americans drafted Operation Dropshot to launch massive nuclear strikes on the U.S.S.R. These insane plans remained on paper. The U.S.S.R. created its own weapons of retaliation. It took the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the world was on the brink of nuclear war, for the idea of unleashing it and the illusion of winning it to cease being the basis of U.S. military planning....

Unprecedented since the end of the Cold War, was the recent series of joint exercises between the United States and European NATO allies, including scenarios for the use of nuclear weapons on the territory of the Russian Federation. The declared objective of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia has finally blinded the eyes of irresponsible politicians who are obsessed with their own impunity and have lost their elementary sense of self-preservation....

The world minority is trying its best to slow down the natural course of things. The North Atlantic Alliances Vilnius Declaration characterizes the growing partnership between Russia and China as a threat to NATO. Speaking recently to his ambassadors abroad, President Macron expressed sincere concern about the BRICS expansion, considering this event as evidence of the complication of the international arena, which threatens the risk of weakening the West and Europe in particular.... Here is a revelation: If someone gathers somewhere without us, makes friends without us or without our permission, that poses a threat to our dominance. NATOs advancement in the Asia-Pacific is a good thing, while BRICS expansion is dangerous.

However, the logic of the historical process is inexorable. The main trend has become the desire of the majority of world states to strengthen their sovereignty and defend their national interests, traditions, culture and way of life. They no longer want to live under anyones dictate. They want to be friends and trade among themselves, but also with the whole worldonly on an equal footing and for mutual benefit. Associations such as BRICS and the SCO are on the rise, providing the countries of the Global South with opportunities for joint development and defending their worthy place in the objectively emerging multipolar architecture.

Perhaps for the first time since 1945, when the United Nations was established, there is a chance for genuine democratization in world affairs. This gives optimism to all who believe in the rule of international law and wish to see the UN revitalized as the central coordinating body of world politics. Where they agree on how to solve problems together on the basis of a fair balance of interests....

I would like to urge Western politicians and diplomats to once again carefully re-read the UN Charter. The cornerstone of the world order created as a result of World War II is the democratic principle of the sovereign equality of states, large and small, regardless of their form of government, internal political or socio-economic structure.
UN Charter Friends Group Mobilizes To End Sanction Warfare against One-Third of Humanity!

Sept. 23, 2023, (EIRNS)One of the less-publicized but important meetings held Sept. 22 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly was the Fourth Ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. The group, which according to the Russian Foreign Ministry now counts around 20 members, was formed in 2021 to defend the principles enshrined in the UN Charter of sovereignty, equality of states, non-interference in the internal affairs of states and peaceful settlement of disputes, against unilateralism and the so-called rules-based order. The four documents issued from their Sept. 22 meetinga general political declaration and separate declarations on neo-colonial practices, unilateral coercive measures and food securityare clear that securing the universal human rights of food for all people and development for all nations was front-and-center in their discussions.

Representatives of the nations of Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cambodia, China, Cuba, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Iran, the Lao Peoples Democratic Republic, Mali, Nicaragua, the Russian Federation, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Syria, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe participated in Fridays meeting.

The Group of Friends announces that they are organizing for the UN General Assembly to hold a plenary debate on the urgency of forcing through a complete and immediate end to the use of sanctions against nations. Such measures assault the right to development, food and health ... constituting a direct and deliberate attack on development, representing today the greatest obstacle to the implementation of the development plans of nations subjected to such illegal measures, the declaration against unilateral extraterritorial economic measures states.

Look at the scope of such sanctions, whose new generation ... are much more cruel and destructive than ever before! These measures now affect the daily life of over one-third of humanity ... in more than thirty countries around the world.

The declaration on food security likewise denounces the use of sanctions as a tactic of warfare, for the purpose of inflicting starvation or the extermination of entire peoples, including through the deprivation of access to food, as a direct result of the application of such illegal measures....

[T]he continued, systematic and relentless promulgation, application and even expansion of unilateral coercive measures, which have no legal basis within the scope of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, constitute an affront among others, to the right to food and development, and have a direct impact on the current state of food insecurity worldwide. We cannot overemphasize, in this context, the cruelty of these illegal measures, which seek, among others, to deprive entire populations from their means of subsistence, in flagrant violation of the basic norms of international law.

Their discussion of food security, while also denouncing the effects of the food cartels and the disastrous effects of the monetary system on agriculture, does not stop there, but identifies positive measures needed so as to end hunger in the world: cooperation on research in modern agricultural technology, the development and transfer of that technology, a fairer trading system, predictable access to financing, so that nations can make proper and sufficient long-term investment in their national food systems.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL FOR SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 24, 2023

No Let-Up of the Nuclear War Danger; Act Accordingly

Sept. 23, 2023, (EIRNS)There is no let-up of the danger of nuclear annihilationthere is even a worsening threatfrom either an accidental or deliberate triggering of warfare into nuclear exchange. As of this weekend, there is a renewed barrage of projectiles from Ukraine targeting Sevastopol, the Crimean headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the second barrage in two days. Whatever the military facts of the matter, the escalation danger is to be seen in the way the trans-Atlantic media establishment is portraying this maneuver: See, Ukraines cunning attack shows that Russia cannot defend itself. Russia is on the way down and out.

This is madness. Note that it also conforms to the prescription from Chatham House, the British government think-tank, issued in a Sept. 20 article by Keir Giles, resident anti-Russia scholar, posted by CNN. He wrote that the West should drop any concerns over all-out arming and backing of Ukraine going on the attack against Russia inside its home territory.

The Sevastopol attack episode makes clear, among many similar reasons, why it is so critical for the process expanding the activities of the International Peace Coalition that are critical to the future of humanity. There is no alternative to starting immediate negotiations to peacefully resolve the Ukraine crisis.

The situation is not static, despite the delusionary view expressed recently by Ukraine President Zelenskyy that one option for Ukraine-Russia, might be the model of ongoing Palestinian-Israel strife. Yesterday, Zelenskyy was in Canada, to brief the Parliament. He conveyed the messages, Moscow must lose ... once and for all. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at their press conference, We are shifting our approach to provide multi-year assistance to ensure Ukraine has the predictable support it needs for long-term support.

Once again, this is madness. It goes right along with the escalation of weapons types and supplies. According to a CBS report Sept. 22, to be confirmed, President Biden informed Zelenskyy this week that the U.S. will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions for long-range missile use. The ATACMSArmy Tactical Missile Systemweapons can go 190 miles, to deliver the cluster missives. ATACMS can be fired from the HIMARS mobile rocket launchers that Ukraine already has in its possession.

Fortunately for the human race, there is at the same time gathering strength of the development dynamic in the world, which is scheduled to be celebrated in a very few weeks, at the third Belt and Road Initiative Summit in Beijing. The speaker for China at the UN General Assembly General Debate spoke about this Sept. 21. Vice President Han Zheng reported that over 3,000 cooperation projects have been undertaken. One example is the 16,000 freight trains on the China-Europe Railway Express last year. He stressed that development should be at the center of the world agenda, with win-win outcomes reaching every country and individual in a more fair way.

Today, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in a very hard-hitting speech in the General Assembly Debate, warning of present danger of Western new scenarios for nuclear weapons against Russia. He spoke about the expanding configurations aligning with the concept of a common future for the common good. He cited by name many groupings, including the BRICS, ASEAN, the African Union, CELAC, CSTO, EAEU, and the BRI.

These few updates underscore our task: Expand the forces to succeed in pulling the world back from war, and rolling along the track for humanity in peace.
VOA Learning English presents Americas Presidents.

Today we are talking about Herbert Hoover. He took office in 1929.

Hoover was president for the early years of what Americans call the Great Depression. During those years, the United States economy slid into a severe recession.

Many banks and businesses failed. At times, nearly one in four people in the U.S. workforce were unemployed. Millions of people lost their homes and savings.

Hoover did not cause the depression. The conditions had been in place before he took office.

But many Americans blamed Hoover for their suffering. They believed he permitted the economic crisis to continue  and even deepen  during his time in office.

Early life

Herbert Hoover was born in a small house in the state of Iowa. His parents were Quakers. Their religion valued simplicity, hard work, equality among people, and peaceful resolution of conflict.

Hoover and his brother and sister were influenced by these beliefs, even after their parents died.

By the time young Herbert Hoover was nine, he was an orphan. He moved to the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest, and lived with an uncle.

Hoover did not thrive in that situation. Reports say that he usually kept to himself. And he did not do particularly well in school.

Yet one official from Stanford University liked what he saw in the young man  hard work and a desire to learn new things. At the time, Stanford University was just getting established. It admitted Hoover into its first class.

Hoover had to work hard at Stanford, both in class and to earn money to pay tuition. But the experience brought many benefits.

Hoover studied geology, and went on to work as a mining engineer. The job led to positions in Australia, China and other parts of the world. He became an internationally-known expert on mining. He also wrote a leading textbook on mining.

These experiences, along with good business investments, led to great wealth for Hoover.

At Stanford, he also met the woman who would become his wife. Her name was Lou Henry. She was the first woman from Stanford to complete a study program with a degree in geology.

The Hoovers went on to have two sons.

Humanitarian work

During World War I, the Hoovers lives changed dramatically. The family was living in London when the war began. U.S. government officials asked Hoover to organize an evacuation effort for American tourists who were in Europe. In only a few weeks, Hoovers committee succeeded.

Later, he helped get food and supplies to people in Belgium.

As a result, Hoover earned a public image as a smart, skilled humanitarian.

When the United States entered World War I, President Woodrow Wilson asked Hoover to lead the governments Food Administration.

In that position, Hoover led an effort to change Americans behavior in order to support the war effort. He asked them to limit the kinds of food they ate and goods they bought.

The effort was, for the most part, successful. Americans called their moves to limit their consumption to Hooverize.

Hoover went on to organize programs to aid other countries, including Russia. He also helped parts of the U.S. recover after terrible flooding.

And, as secretary of commerce, he pushed businesses, researchers, and government officials to work together. Hoover aimed to reduce boom and bust cycles and keep the U.S. economy healthy.

In all his efforts, Hoover urged Americans to choose to participate. He did not believe in using government requirements to force cooperation.

Instead, he supported individualism  the idea that Americans must protect the qualities of creativity, equal opportunity, and service to others.

Hoovers beliefs were popular with many Americans at the time  and with many Americans today.

In the election of 1928, Hoover easily won the presidency. He promised to continue leading the country down the path of prosperity.

Presidency

When Hoover took office in 1929, he said, I have no fears for the future of our country. It is bright with hope.

That was in March.

In October, the U.S. stock market crashed. Thousands of investors lost their savings.

The event was part of a sharp downturn in the economies of the United States and of many other countries.

At first, Hoover believed the downturn would pass. But as time went on, the situation grew worse. Businesses could not expand their workforce. Farmers could not afford to harvest their crops. Everyday people had too little money to pay for housing costs and, in some cases, food. And then banks across the country began to fail.

President Hoover worked hard to fix the problems. He tried many approaches: creating government agencies, urging private and public groups to cooperate, and working to balance the federal budget.

But Hoover did not want to use federal money to provide direct aid to Americans. He worried that such actions would make people dependent on the government, and reduce peoples individual power and morale.

Nor did he want to use the federal government to try to control the economy. Government intervention, he said, would lead to socialism, and eventually destroy the countrys founding beliefs.

Instead, Hoover tried to support states and businesses indirectly and urged people to find ways to help one another.

Yet many lawmakers and members of the public rejected Hoovers measures as insufficient, and even cruel.

Some used his name differently than they had before he took office. Now, they called the dirty shelters where hungry and homeless people lived Hoovervilles.

And they called mens empty pockets Hoover flags.

Although Hoover tried to persuade Americans that he was protecting their interests in the long run, voters refused to elect him for a second term.

Instead, they overwhelming chose a president who promised an activist federal government and a hopeful new deal for Americans.

Legacy

After they left the White House, the Hoovers retired to their home in Palo Alto, California.

Lou Henry Hoover died in 1944. But Hoover lived 20 more years, many of them working for the public good. He helped international relief efforts, advised the U.S. government, and led committees to reform the presidency.

Hoover also commented on later presidents and their policy decisions. He was especially critical of government programs set up to provide aid and intervention in Americans lives.

Until his death from cancer at the age of 90, Hoover remained committed to his beliefs. He spoke for limiting the power of the federal government and for supporting freedom of opportunity for individuals.

But in the eyes of many Americans, Hoover is linked to the failure of the federal government to lessen the Great Depression.

Im Kelly Jean Kelly.

Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Listening Quiz

See how well you understand the story by taking this listening quiz. Play each short video, then choose the best answer.

Quiz - America's Presidents: Herbert Hoover Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

orphan - n. a child whose parents are dead

thrive - v. to grow or develop successfully : to flourish or succeed

benefit - n. a good or helpful result or effect

consumption - n. the use of something

boom and bust - n. a rapid increase in growth or economic success, followed by sudden economic losses

opportunity - n. an amount of time or a situation in which something can be done

prosperity - n. the state of being successful usually by making a lot of money

morale - n. the feelings of enthusiasm and loyalty that a person or group has about a task or job

insufficient - adj. not having or providing enough of what is needed : not sufficient
The American Medical Association (AMA) recently said the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling on affirmative action dealt a serious blow to the medical fields goal of increasing the number of Black doctors.

Affirmative action describes the idea that it is good for society to favor people who come from groups thought to have been discriminated against in the past.

Earlier this year, the nations high court ruled it is unlawful for colleges and universities to consider race in choosing students.

Because the Supreme Courts decision includes medical schools, the AMA said the ruling will hurt gains made in the battle against health inequities.

Many medical schools used affirmative action ideas to increase the number of Black students. But even with those efforts, a University of California at Los Angeles study in 2021 said the percentage of Black doctors had only increased by four percent from 1900 to 2018.

Experts believe increasing the number of Black doctors could help Black peoples health. Right now, only six percent of physicians in the U.S. are Black but 13 percent of the population is Black.

'A crisis of humanity'

A series of reports by the Associated Press (AP) said that Black people do not get taken care of as well as white people starting at birth. The AP reported that patients said doctors ignored or brushed aside their concerns partly because of bias and racism within the U.S. medical system.

Uche Blackstock is an emergency doctor in New York City. He wrote a book called Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine.

He called the low number of Black doctors a crisis of humanity.

Starling Tolliver is a 30-year-old Black doctor trying to influence peoples opinions. She is in her final year of residency  or training  in dermatology. A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in diseases of the skin. She is training at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

As a girl growing up in the Midwestern city of Akron, Ohio, she felt like her dream of being a doctor was out of reach. She did not often see doctors who looked like her when she went for treatments for a condition that caused her to lose her hair.

She stayed with her goal of becoming a doctor because she made an agreement with two friends. When they were young, they all said they wanted to be doctors, so they could help other Black people.

One of the friends, Charmaine, became a nurse and one, Maria, died as a teenager. Tolliver said Marias death made her work harder.

Im going to continue to go on this path of medicine, Tolliver said. Not only for myself, but for Maria, and to potentially help others in the future from similar backgrounds...

Minorities less likely to seek care for skin problems

Tollivers plan of being a skin doctor might be a good way to help Black people. The Association of American Medical Colleges says just 65 of almost 800 applicants for residencies in dermatology were Black in 2020. But many Blacks do not go to dermatologists for treatment.

The AP reports that minority patients are half as likely to see dermatologists when compared to white patients. Also, more Black men die from skin cancer compared to men of other races. That information came from a study published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Dr. Ashley Wysong was one of the writers. She said 75 percent of white men survive skin cancer but only 52 percent of Black men do.

She said if there is a difference in results for patients being treated for the same problem, we have to look at ways that we are falling short.

Efforts to support minorities in dermatology

Some education experts say ending affirmative action might increase interest in medical schools at HBCUs, or historically black colleges and universities. Morehouse College, in Atlanta, receives over 7,000 medical school applications each year for only 115 openings. The medical schools president and CEO is Dr. Valerie Montgomery Rice. She said she expects the number of applicants to rise at Morehouse and other HBCU medical schools.

Tolliver, the dermatology resident, said financial aid programs that target minority students who are interested in becoming doctors are important. The American Academy of Dermatology has a program called Pathways. Its goal is to increase the number of minority dermatology residents from 100 in 2022 to 250 by 2027. The program aims to help young people who are interested in medicine and guide them into dermatology.

It targets high school students and supports them as they go to college and medical school. Some receive financial aid.

Tolliver received financial aid from Ohio State University for her studies, but she also believes Pathways was important for her later training.

Financial aid and mentoring

Azariah Providence is a 17-year-old high school student who lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands. She hopes to be a dermatologist one day. She joined the Pathways program last month. She wants to be a skin doctor so she can help other girls who have skin problems like she did.

She said she never had a chance to talk with and learn from minority college students and doctors before. Providence said it is important for Black people to learn to care for skin because some problems appear differently on Black skin than white skin.

She hopes more people who look like her can get a correct diagnosisand the correct treatment, from dermatologists.

Adam Friedman is a dermatologist and the leader of the department at George Washington School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. He said updating textbooks is important, but programs such as Pathways are very important.

As Tolliver finishes her training, she said she hopes she can push dermatologists to seek better outcomes  especially for Black women. She said her goal since childhood has been for Black women to see the beauty of themselves, within themselves.

Im Caty Weaver. And Im Dan Friedell.

Dan Friedell adapted this story for Learning English based on a report by The Associated Press.

Quiz - Programs Aim to Increase Number of Black Doctors Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

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Words in This Story

inequities n. unfair or unequal things

bias n. to lean to one side; to not be balanced but, instead, to show only one side

potentially adv. something that could be or has the possibility of becoming real

applicant n. a person who is seeking entry into a school or trying to get a job; anyone who applies to get something

diagnosis n. the act or process of finding out what disease, illness, sickness or other problem affects a patient

We want to hear from you. Do you think more Black women will be helped by Black dermatologists in the future?
VOTING

Over the past several years, election officials have been forced to adjust to rapid changes in election administration. Among other things, they had to adjust after a court ruling banned absentee ballot drop boxes, and they administered the 2020 presidential election during a pandemic.

As the 2024 election cycle approaches, Wisconsin's 1,800 local clerks are again steeling for last-minute court rulings and claims that elections are rigged despite no evidence of widespread fraud.

"It's predictability that local election officials crave," said UW-Madison political science professor Barry Burden. "They want to know what the rules are, what resources they have and when the elections are happening, and then their job is to execute them. And that becomes a much more difficult job if things are changing."

One clerk likened administering elections to the pain and eventual reward of giving birth. Another told the Wisconsin State Journal that elections have become the worst part of her job. Yet another said policy instability and election disputes are simply the new normal.

"Those that have stayed in it are fully expecting that when you have two parties so divided, our job, when it comes to elections, is going to be done on shifting sands, and that's OK," said Lorena Rae Stottler, the clerk-treasurer of Janesville.

Meagan Wolfe, the state's embattled nonpartisan election administration, said last minute-changes to election laws are not necessarily new. For example, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled one month before the Aug. 9 primary that absentee ballot drop boxes could no longer be used.

Since then, liberals have taken a 4-3 majority on the court and could overturn that and other rulings.

One lawsuit filed by one the nation's largest Democratic organizations challenges Wisconsin's requirement that returned absentee ballots must come with a valid witness signature; the Wisconsin Supreme Court's 2022 ruling that unmanned absentee ballot drop boxes are illegal; and state law setting an 8 p.m. Election Day deadline for when voters can "cure" or correct errors on their absentee ballots.

Natalie Megow, the Poynette village clerk, said the potential of sudden change "doesn't upset me as much as it used to, because it's become the new normal. But it gets stressful when it gets close to an election."

Megow added that policy instability has led to more residents calling her because they don't understand the rapidly changing voting rules.

Similarly, Stottler, the Janesville clerk, said she's more adaptable to changes than she used to be, adding that last-minute changes are still chaotic.

Looming large, too, are potential changes to Wisconsin's legislative boundaries, which are regarded as some of the most gerrymandered in the nation.

Days after liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz joined the state Supreme Court in August, liberals filed two lawsuits directly with the state's high court alleging the current legislative boundaries violate the state Constitution and seeking new maps.

Earlier this month, Assembly Republicans unveiled and voted on fast-tracked legislation that would shift Wisconsin closer to a nonpartisan redistricting process much like Iowa's model. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said the measure  which Democrats say they support in principle but oppose in this case because they say the rules are still rigged in Republicans' favor  could keep the redistricting process out of the state's liberal majority high court.

If new boundaries are ordered before the 2024 election, Wolfe said state officials will need to provide the Wisconsin Elections Commission with ample time to input voter address information and create district and ward-specific ballots.

"Where your address is, and exactly where that pin for your address is placed on the map in relation to the district and boundary lines, determines what ballot you get," Wolfe said. "So you might not have the same ballot as your neighbor next door or across the street."

Wolfe said she didn't have an estimate for how long such a process would take but said it could depend on how much boundaries ultimately change.

"It's a really complicated process and the stakes are really high  you can't make a mistake (and send) somebody the wrong ballot," Wolfe said, adding that accuracy in that process is paramount.

"We can take the data, but that's not enough," Wolfe continued. "We need enough time to accurately implement it and work with all the locals to make sure that every single voter is put in the right spot."

Election denial

Beyond potentially changing laws, election officials across the state are still facing fallout over GOP criticism of the 2020 election, which has focused largely on pandemic-related changes made by the bipartisan Wisconsin Elections Commission and driven by ongoing and baseless claims of fraud, most notably by former President Donald Trump.

The Republican distrust of elections came to a head earlier this month with Senate Republicans voting to fire Wolfe. The state Department of Justice immediately sued, and Wolfe has pledged to continue in her role pending a court decision.

Before the vote, Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu, R-Oostburg, said rejecting Wolfe's nomination represented "the lack of faith" among some in Wisconsin's elections, due in part to actions taken by Wolfe and the bipartisan commission.

Wolfe dismissed that claim. "If I had the ability to leave and take away all the skepticism around the election system in Wisconsin and make people all have confidence in the system, I would do that in a heartbeat," Wolfe said.

"That said, I don't think that is true," Wolfe continued. "I think skepticism, lack of trust, false claims, would just be transferred to another election official. Unfortunately I don't think there's a way for me to just absorb all of that and take it away from our state."

Clerks across the state have expressed support for Wolfe.

"As somebody who has served on various federal committees, the Wisconsin election model has stood through some pretty extreme testing," Stottler said. "And so with or without the stability of the commission, we have been given resources that we will be OK. But I would prefer that there be a solid structure in place. And, you know, my personal preference  is that Meagan leads through next year."

Trump, who faces multiple indictments, including for his involvement in the events leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the nation's Capitol, is expected to be on the ballot again next year in a possible rematch with President Joe Biden, who defeated him in Wisconsin by 21,000 votes in 2020.

Trump's false claims about the election continue to drive some Republicans to remain distrustful of, among other things, the security of voting machines, despite multiple reviews finding no evidence of fraud or widespread errors resulting from use of the machine tabulators.

That doubt exists in northeastern Florence County, where Florence town clerk Shelly Van Pembrook began counting ballots by hand in addition to using voting machines to alleviate many town residents' concerns about the electronic tabulators.

"Elections have become one of the worst parts of this job," she said. "It's the attitude of the people that just don't trust anything."

About Republicans' attempt to oust Wolfe, Van Pembrook said, "I'm very disappointed. I thought Meagan did a very good job working with us clerks and providing guidance and information ... I feel it was unjustified."

Though clerks expect the upcoming election cycle to be stressful, longtime clerks who have stayed in their jobs have generally said the added workload is worth it. Stottler likened working elections to the pain and payoff of giving birth.

"When you first have a baby, it's the worst thing ever. You're never doing it again until you hold that precious child and then you go, 'Oh, maybe I'll do this again,'" she said. "Elections are kind of like that, where the outcome and the pride that comes with having a part in such a crucial part of our society, you start to see the good again, and you know that it's a good and noble career to have."
I've seen some ads bemoaning the idea of impeachment for the latest elected Wisconsin Supreme Court justice.

The justice in question was very clear during the campaign about her stance on abortion and redistricting. Previous Supreme Court candidates were careful not to express publicly their views on issues that were most likely to come before the court. Was this an ethics violation? I think so.

Justice Janet Protasiewicz was elected primarily because of her liberal stance on abortion. That in and of itself is a most pathetic reason to elect a Supreme Court justice. The second reason for her election was her stance on redistricting. Aren't those two issue up to the voters and the people they choose to represent them.

The courts are supposed to determine the constitutionality of a bill, not create legislation from the bench.

Impeachment may be the appropriate resolution to resolve these unjust behaviors as well as the fiasco during the "reorganization" of the current court.

Marcella Danti, Livingston
Tycoon Lucio Tan and wife Carmen relinquished their directorships in Philippine National Bank (PNB) as part of the banks commitment to good governance and to promote diversity in the board composition.

PNB said in a disclosure to the stock exchange its board of directors designated Tan as chairman emeritus, while his wife would join the banks advisory board.

The board of directors and the management of PNB extended their heartfelt appreciation to Tan for his exemplary stewardship spanning over two decades.

Tan supervised the successful completion of the PNB-Allied Bank merger in 2013, which elevated PNB to its current status as one of the countrys leading privately-owned commercial banks.

Under his leadership, PNB expanded its global footprint, catering to the financial needs of millions of Filipinos overseas.

Meanwhile, PNB also reported the election of Atty. Eusebio Tan and Chester Luy as new members of its board.

PNB said these appointments are a significant step in aligning the banks leadership to better serve our customers and stakeholders.

They also reinforce PNBs commitment to achieving long-term objectives, ensuring sustained profitability under the guidance of a highly experienced and professional leadership team.

I am confident that having directors Luy and Tan in our board further strengthens our roster of leaders. PNB is now on its 107th year of serving Filipinos, PNB president Florido Casuela said.
Immigrants from Venezuela are reflected in a marble wall while taking shelter at the Chicago Police Department's 16th District station on May 1, 2023. Chicago officials have signed a nearly $30 million contract with a private security firm to relocate migrants seeking asylum from police stations and the citys two airports to winterized camps with massive tents before cold weather arrives. (Charles Rex Arbogast/AP)

Volunteers assisting with the effort to care for asylum-seekers who have arrived in Chicago said Saturday rates of arrival are higher than ever before.

Annie Gomberg, a lead volunteer organizer at the Austin District station on the West Side, said she received an email from a top immigrant staffer with Mayor Brandon Johnsons administration informing volunteers to expect five buses of migrants to arrive Saturday, which would be the largest number of buses carrying asylum-seekers the city has ever received in one day.

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The volunteers late Saturday were still trying to determine how many buses actually arrived, but the email from Rey Wences-Najera, first deputy mayor of immigrant, migrant and refugee rights, underscored the concern many share as they scramble on a daily basis to provide basic care for new arrivals.

We just dont know. Its really really difficult to plan when you dont know, Gomberg said, adding late Saturday the city predicted even more buses could arrive Sunday.

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Hundreds of volunteers have stepped up to help at Chicago police stations housing migrants, as the number of recent arrivals has soared past 14,000 in recent weeks. Gomberg, who estimates she volunteers about 40 hours per week, said numbers have ballooned since she started volunteering at the end of April and that the number of migrants living in police station is near 2,000 now.

[ A year in, Chicagos migrant crisis exacerbated by City Hall and state delays, hefty contracts and questionable decisions ]

It doesnt feel like were in a space that will promote public health, or public safety, or human dignity for the residents of the stations, Gomberg said.

The latest influx of asylum-seekers comes as Johnsons administration has begun moving forward with plans to put up migrant base camps across the city with the aim to place migrants at the camps rather than inside police stations. Johnsons administration recently signed a nearly $30 million contract with a private security firm for the base camp project.

Gomberg is concerned about how the citys infrastructure will be able to withstand the winter months.

Its management. Theres interpersonal conflict, theres crises, operational conflicts and so many logistics, she said.

Nationally, the arrival of large groups of migrants has recently overwhelmed Border Patrol agents.

Migrants were stopped at the border 142,037 times during the first 17 days of September, up 15% from 123,777 the same period last month, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures released Thursday by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

Mexicos top diplomat, Alicia Barcena, said at a news conference in New York that migrant shelters in Ciudad Juarez, across from El Paso, Texas, are 95% full.

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Soledad Alvarez Velasco, a social anthropologist and human geographer at University of Illinois at Chicago who recently got back from a fieldwork trip to the Darien Gap, said the number of people traversing the Panamanian border to the U.S. continues to grow, due mainly to unprecedented levels of unemployment following the pandemic and climate change.

Chicago has been a migrant city, but this is a new moment in migration history all over the world. Its the 21st century and we have to understand that were facing a global collapse. This is not the same Chicago as three decades ago, nor even a decade ago, she said.

Assistant professor at the University of Chicago Chiara Galli, who specializes in international migration and volunteers at the 2nd and 3rd Districts, said that many of those helping at police stations are not medical professionals, and are not equipped to identify health needs.

Migrants themselves are very confused about how to navigate the health care system in Chicago, she said. Theres an issue of resource constraints.

Associated Press contributed.

nsalzman@chicagotribune.com
Mali will not stand idly by if foreign governments intervene in neighouring Niger, Bamakos top diplomat warned the United Nations on Saturday, after both countries juntas joined a mutual defense pact.

Rebel elite soldiers overthrew Nigers president Mohamed Bazoum on July 26 and have since detained him at home with his family.

The West African regional bloc ECOWAS has threatened the coup leaders with military intervention if diplomatic pressure to reinstate the democratically elected Bazoum fails.

A week ago, the military leaders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso  all of whom came to power in coups since 2020  signed a defense pact that provides for mutual assistance in the face of attack.

Mali remains strongly opposed to any military intervention by ECOWAS, said Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop, representing the Malian junta at the UN General Assembly.

Any invasion of this country constitutes a direct threat to the peace and security of Mali, but also to the peace and security of the region, and will necessarily have serious consequences. We will not stand idly by, he said.

The Mali junta has made sovereignty a priority, ending its cooperation with France and its allies in fighting jihadism, and turned militarily and politically towards Russia.

At the General Assembly, Diop repeated his criticism of Paris and its neo-colonial domination, and also made special mention of Russias active solidarity and reliable commitment both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Bamako has also pushed out UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA, which is due to complete its expedited withdrawal by the end of the year.

The government of the Republic of Mali has no intention of extending this deadline, the minister said.

Instability in the Sahel has heightened international worries over the impoverished region, which faces growing jihadist insurgencies linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Since 2012, Mali has been faced with the spread of jihadism and a security, humanitarian and political crisis.

Hostilities have resumed in the north of the country, coinciding with the ongoing withdrawal of MINUSMA.

The government reassures the Malian people and the international community that all measures have been taken to ensure the continuity of state services after the departure of the MINUSMA, Diop said.

The government of the Republic of Mali is more determined than ever to exercise its sovereignty and assert its authority throughout the national territory.
The Philippines made a plea before the United Nations General Assembly Saturday for the preservation of a rules-based global order as it called for an amicable resolution of disputes in the South China Sea.

Speaking before the 78th session of the UN General Assembly on Saturday (early Sunday, Manila time), Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said the preservation of a rules-based global order is our collective responsibility.

Its present and future rest on the predictability and stability of international law, which safeguards the rights of all states. If multilateralism must endure, all states must adhere to the rule of law, he said.

The countrys top diplomat said the Philippines is working with other countries to promote a rules-based international order.

We advocate the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law. This has always been our position with respect to the disputes in the West Philippine Sea, inasmuch as we are prepared to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and territorial integrity, he said.

Although China claims the South China Sea nearly in its entirety, the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague invalidated this claim in July 2016 following a case filed by the Philippines in 2013.

China has refused to recognize the ruling and insists on the legitimacy of its massive claims over the South China Sea, including part of the West Philippine Sea.

But at the UN, Manalo asserted that the arbitral award is now part of international law.

Adherence to international law contributes to keeping the Indo-Pacific, with the ASEAN at the center, free and open, stable and peaceful, he said.

Last week, the Office of the Solicitor General said it was considering filing another case before the PCA, following reports of damage to the corals in the West Philippine Sea, supposedly by Chinese vessels that swamped the area.

At the UN, Manalo also said the Philippines is working with partners for rules to govern lethal autonomous weapons systems.

We advocate the peaceful uses of outer space, the elaboration of the principle of due regard in the space domain, and greater responsibility among states to reduce space threats, including debris from rocket launches, he said. (See full story online at manilastandard.net)

We call for UN partnerships that would guarantee that new technologies are not weaponized or misused in any way to subvert democracy and freedom, to challenge international humanitarian law, and to exploit the vulnerable and violate human rights and human dignity, he added.

On climate change, the Philippines emphasized the need for decisive, responsible, just, and sustainable solutions that look after populations and protect persons that have contributed the least to global warming but have the highest vulnerability [due to] their geography.

The Philippines also joined the call for industrialized countries to abide by their obligations to mitigate the impact of climate change under mechanisms such as the Paris Agreement.

We thank Vanuatu and the core group of states for rallying the UN to bring the question of state obligations relating to climate change to the ICJ (International Court of Justice). The Philippines will actively participate in the proceedings, he said.

On achieving sustainable development, Manalo said the Philippines supports initiatives to make international financial and development mechanisms more attuned to the needs of middle-income countries.

The Philippines also supports the Contingency Fund for Emergencies, the COVAX Facility, and other mechanisms that harness the power of partnerships to address persistent health challenges and emergencies, he said.

The Foreign Affairs secretary pointed out that in order to foster trust and engagement, dialogue on human rights must be genuine, based on evidence, and depoliticized.

When constructive and carried out in good faith and with full respect for the agency of states, collaboration on human rights can achieve concrete impact, he said.

The remarks follow the current administrations refusal to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has opened an investigation into the human rights abuses in President Rodrigo Dutertes bloody war on drugs.

Recognizing human rights as an unfinished business in all parts of the world, we remain a dedicated advocate for the human rights of vulnerable groups, especially women, children, indigenous peoples, migrants, persons with disabilities, refugees, and older persons, Manalo said.

Manalo said the Philippines candidacy for a seat on the UN Security Council for the term 20272028 manifests our desire to offer the best of the Philippine diplomatic tradition.

We count on the support of all UN member states in this regard, he added.
They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia

SHUSHA, AzerbaijanAzerbaijan forces tightened their grip on the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh on Saturday as international concern mounted over the plight of ethnic Armenian civilians trapped there.

As the first Red Cross aid convoy crossed into the disputed enclave since Azerbaijan launched this weeks lightning offensive, government forces said rebel demilitarization had begun.

Moscow announced on Friday that ethnic Armenian separatist fighters had begun to surrender weapons under a Russian-mediated agreement. On Saturday, the Azerbaijan forces were keen to show off a captured rebel arsenal.

They displayed infantry weapons including sniper rifles, hundreds of Kalashnikov rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and four tanks painted with cross insignia, that they said they had seized from the separatists.

We have more like that in the forest, but we cant bring them all here, said Lieutenant General Mais Barkhudarov, commander of Azerbaijans 2nd Army Corps.

From the Shusha district, outside the regional capital Stepanakert, Azerbaijani Colonel Anar Eyvazov said they were working closely with Russian peacekeepers conducting the demilitarization process.

Bakus forces now control the area and the town of Shusha appears deserted. Troops have mortar positions on high ground overlooking the approach to Stepanakert, AFP reporters saw.

They also control the so-called Lachin Corridor to the southwest, that once connected the breakaway region to Armenia. Baku has mounted a de facto blockade there for the past nine months.

Food convoy

A humanitarian convoy of the International Committee of the Red Cross was nevertheless able to cross into the area on Saturday  the first since fighting erupted earlier this week.

On the Armenian side of the border, at the Kornidzor checkpoint, local ICRC spokesman Zara Amatuni told AFP that 70 metric tonnes of food and humanitarian aid had passed through the Lachin Corridor.

If the ceasefire holds, it could mark the end of a conflict between the Christian and Muslim Caucasus rivals that has raged, off and on, through the three decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In a hint of the bad blood between the sides, Azerbaijans defence ministry on Saturday accused Karabakh Armenians of setting fire to their homes in one village to keep them from Bakus advancing troops.

Some villagers also set fire to their homes before fleeing after Azerbaijan first began to re-establish control over parts of Nagorno-Karabakh in a six-week war in 2020.

Russia said an Azerbaijani soldier had been wounded during an exchange of fire. It was investigating the incident with Baku and separatist officials, it added.

Deep concern

A US congressional delegation travelled to Armenia to show support for embattled Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and to inspect the regions blockade.

At the United Nations General Assembly, Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov insisted that Azerbaijan is determined to reintegrate ethnic Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan as equal citizens.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan, also addressing the General Assembly in New York, called for a UN mission there to monitor treatment of the ethnic Armenians.

Also in New York, Russia Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Armenian leaders of worsening tensions, referring to criticism by some of their politicians of Russias role in the crisis.

He nevertheless voiced confidence that Armenians would remain linked to Russia and other friendly states in the region rather than those who swoop in from abroad.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan that the Washington had deep concern for ethnic Armenians in there, in a phone call Saturday, a spokesman said.

The years of fighting in Nagorno-Karabakh have been marked by abuses on both sides and there are fears of a new refugee crisis.

Trapped civilians

In the Armenian border town of Kornidzor, civilians were gathered at the last checkpoint before Azerbaijani territory hoping for news of relatives.

Ive been here for three days and nights, sleeping in my car, said 28-year-old Garik Zakaryan, as displaced Armenians borrowed a soldiers telescope to scan a village across the valley.

It was shelled by Azerbaijani forces on Tuesday. No one was killed, but witnesses who managed to escape reported that 150 inhabitants had been forced to take refuge close to a Russian peacekeeper base a kilometre from the last Armenian positions.

Zakaryan got his family out in December, three days before Azerbaijan blockaded the area, but he is worried for friends and family still across the border.

I dont have much hope of seeing them soon, but I couldnt just do nothing. Just being here, being able to see the Russian base, I feel better, he said.

Separatist leaders have said they are in Russian-mediated talks with Baku to organise the withdrawal process and the return of civilians displaced by the fighting.

They say they are discussing how citizens access to and from Nagorno-Karabakh, where up to 120,000 ethnic Armenians live, will work.
Transitioning to renewable energy is the key to securing humanitys survival, as without renewables, there can be no future, says UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Renewable technologies like wind and solar power are, in most cases, cheaper than the fossil fuels that are driving climate change, but the world needs to prioritize the transformation of energy systems to renewable energy.

Fossil fuel subsidies are one of the biggest financial barriers hampering the worlds shift to renewable energy.

The UN Secretary-General has consistently called for an end to all international public and private funding of fossil fuels, one of the major contributors to global warming, calling any new investments in them delusional.

All actors must come together to accelerate a just and equitable transition from fossil fuels to renewables, as we stop oil and gas expansion and funding and licensing for new coal, oil, and gas, he said.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that $5.9 trillion was spent on subsidizing the fossil fuel industry in 2020 alone. The figure includes subsidies, tax breaks, and health and environmental damages that were not priced into the initial cost of fossil fuels. Thats roughly $11 billion a day.

Shifting subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy leads to a reduction in their use and also contributes to sustainable economic growth, job creation, better public health, and more equality, particularly for the poorest and most vulnerable communities around the world.

An estimated $4 trillion a year needs to be invested in renewable energy until 2030 in order to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Net zero is the term which describes achieving the balance between carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the carbon removed from it.

Investment in renewables will cost significantly less compared to subsidizing fossil fuels. The reduction of pollution and climate impact alone could save the world up to $4.2 trillion per year by 2030.UN News

The funding is there, but commitment and accountability are needed, particularly from global financial systems. This includes multilateral development banks and other financial institutions, which must align their lending portfolios towards accelerating the renewable energy transition.

Renewables are the only path to real energy security, stable power prices and sustainable employment opportunities, the UN chief said.

He further urged all governments to prepare energy transition plans and encouraged CEOs of all oil and gas companies to be part of the solution.

For renewable energy technology to be a global public good, meaning available to all and not just to the wealthy, efforts must aim to dismantle roadblocks to knowledge-sharing and the transfer of technology, including intellectual property rights barriers.

Essential technologies such as battery storage systems allow energy from renewables to be stored and released when people, communities and businesses need power.

When paired with renewable generators, battery storage technologies can provide both reliable and cheaper electricity to isolated grids and off-grid communities in remote locations, for example, in India, Tanzania and Vanuatu.

A robust supply of renewable energy components and raw materials is a game changer. More widespread access to all the key components and materials is needed, from the minerals required for building wind turbines and electricity networks to elements for producing electric vehicles.

The UNs International Seabed Authority is currently working with its member states on how to exploit such abundant mineral resources in international waters as those crucial for manufacturing batteries while ensuring the effective protection of the marine environment from harmful effects that may arise from deep-seabed-related activities.

It will take significant international coordination to expand and diversify manufacturing capacity globally. Greater investments are needed, including in peoples skills training, research and innovation and incentives to build supply chains through sustainable practices that protect ecosystems.

While global cooperation and coordination is critical, domestic policy frameworks must urgently be reformed to streamline and fast-track renewable energy projects and catalyse private sector investments.

Technology, capacity and funds for renewable energy transition exist, but policies and processes must be introduced to reduce market risks to both enable and incentivize investment, while simultaneously preventing bottlenecks and red tape.

Nationally determined contributions, or countries individual action plans to cut emissions and adapt to climate impacts, must set renewable energy targets that align with the goal of limiting the increase in global temperatures to 1.5C (2.7F) above pre-industrial levels.

To achieve this, it is estimated that the share of renewables in global electricity generation must grow from 29 per cent today to 60 per cent by 2030. c
Insufficient progress towards climate goals is slowing down the global fight against poverty, hunger and deadly diseases, according to a report released by the UN World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed that message, warning that record temperatures and extreme weather were causing havoc around the world.

The global response has fallen far short, Guterres recently said, just as latest UN data indicates that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are only 15 percent on track at the midway point of the 2030 Agenda.

According to WMO, current policies will lead to global warming of at least 2.8 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels over the course of this centurywell above the Paris Agreement target of 1.5C.

This years northern hemisphere summer has been the hottest on record, prompting the UN chief last week to reiterate his call for a surge in action.

Guterres underscored in his foreword to the report that weather, climate and water-related sciences can supercharge progress on the SDGs across the board.

The United in Science report, which combines expertise from 18 UN organizations and partners, shows how climate science and early warnings can save lives and livelihoods, advance food and water security, clean energy and better health.

After recent flooding in Libya that has claimed thousands of lives, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas stressed that a lack of adequate forecasting capacity can have deadly consequences for a country when faced with extreme weather events.

He highlighted the risky situation developing in Sudan, where conflict has crippled the agencys capacity to forecast hazards.

The head of the countrys meteorological service told him that most of her staff members escaped Khartoum and were unable to run their business in a normal way, he said.

They are not able to forecast this kind of high-impact weather events anymore, he warned.

Extreme weather events are also a key factor in the spread of global hunger and the new report seeks to inform urgent action on this front as the UN estimates that nearly 670 million people may be food insecure in 2030.

The reports authors explore the link between life-saving food production and nutrition, and investments in weather sciences and services which enable farmers to make decisions on crops and planting.

Early warnings are also crucial to helping identify potential areas of crop failure that may lead to emergencies.

United in Science includes analysis from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warned that climate change and extreme events such as heatwaves are set to significantly increase ill health and premature deaths.

The reports findings show that integrating epidemiology and climate information makes it possible to forecast and prepare for outbreaks of climate-sensitive diseases, such as malaria and dengue.

Early-warning systems can also help to reduce poverty by giving people the chance to anticipate and limit the economic impact of disasters.

The WMO-led report shows that between 1970 and 2021, there were nearly 12,000 reported disasters from weather, climate and water extremes, causing $4.3 trillion in economic lossesthe majority of them in developing countries.

WMO deplored the fact that so far, there has been very limited progress in reducing the gap between promises that countries made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the level of emissions cuts really needed to achieve the temperature goal of the Paris Agreement.

To limit global warming to 1.5C, global greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030, with carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions falling close to net zero by 2050.

The reports authors wrote that while some future changes in climate are unavoidable, every fraction of a degree and ton of CO2 matters to limit global warming and achieve the SDGs.

WMO has also underscored the importance of the UNs Early Warnings for All initiative aiming to ensure that everyone on Earth is protected from hazardous weather, water, or climate events through life-saving early warning systems by the end of 2027.

Currently, only half of the countries worldwide report having adequate multi-hazard early warning systems.

UN News

The United in Science report was issued ahead of the SDG Summit and Climate Ambition Summit which take place at the UN General Assembly.

These meetings will shine a spotlight on how to rescue the SDGs at the half-way mark to 2030 and boost ambition to tackle the climate crisis.,the UN chief told reporters in New York on Wednesday. UN News
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: Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash

Flat-faced or brachycephalic dogs breeds such as English and French bulldogs may be likely to display "helpless" traits by looking at humans more often than a longer-muzzled dog breed during a food retrieval task, suggests a small study published in Scientific Reports.

The increased engagement with humans and lower levels of task success may make people consider these breeds as "infant-like," which may partially explain their continuing popularity as pets despite noted health problems, according to the authors.

Dorottya Ujfalussy and colleagues assessed how the behavior of 15 English bulldogs and 15 French bulldogs compared to that of 13 Hungarian Mudis (a herding dog with a mid-length muzzle) during a task in which the dogs had to try and open three boxes to retrieve a piece of food.

The boxes involved different opening techniques, varied in difficulty (with Box A being the most challenging), and were presented to the dogs in a random order. All dogs observed the experimenter place a piece of Viener sausage in the box and were then given two minutes to attempt to open the box. During this time, the experimenter and the dog's owner stood behind the dog out of direct sight.

Both English and French bulldogs were successful at opening the box 93% less often than Mudis. Successful Mudis were also quicker than successful bulldogs; by the time one minute had elapsed approximately 90% of Mudis had opened the box compared to approximately 50% of bulldogs. However, compared to Mudis, English and French bulldogs were 4.16 and 4.49 times as likely to look back at the people than Mudis.

The authors suggest that these findings indicate a propensity for short-faced dogs to seek out human assistance when faced with problems, which may in turn promote a stronger social relationship between owners and these breeds of dogs due perceived helplessness. However, this study could not establish whether flat-faced dogs are genetically predisposed to appear more dependent on humans than other dogs, or whether owners' attitudes towards flat-faced dogs encourages dependent behavior.

More information: Dorottya Julia Ujfalussy et al, The difference between two brachycephalic and one mesocephalic dog breeds' problem-solving performance suggests evidence for paedomorphism in behaviour, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41229-8 Journal information: Scientific Reports

Provided by ELTE Eotvos Lorand University
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: CC0 Public Domain

Researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine found an association between "social determinants of health" and outcomes and survival in patients undergoing surgery and treatment for non-small cell lung cancer.

The findings are based on a statistical scoring system the researchers developed that consolidates and analyzes several measures of socioeconomic status and related factors.

"We believe our social determinants of health scoring system is the first to provide a composite perspective on many of the nonmedical factors that affect outcomes in patients receiving treatment for non-small cell lung cancer," said Dao Nguyen, M.D., Sylvester Thoracic Cancers Group co-leader. He said the study focused on patients with stage 2 or stage 3 NSCLC, with surgically confirmed metastasis to regional lymph nodes within the chest cavity.

Ideally, Nguyen said, patients with these cancers should receive 'multimodal' carechemotherapy, immunotherapy and, in some cases, radiotherapyand this high level of expertise and care may best be provided by specialized, comprehensive centers like Sylvester, a National Cancer Institute-designated center.

But studies have shown that better or worse outcomes result from more than just medical and surgical treatments. Socioeconomic disadvantages, for example, have been associated with lower-quality care and suboptimal outcomes. Social determinants of health, or SDH, include income, wealth, education, geographical location, access to specialized care and other nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes.

"Our analysis shows that SDH scores can identify patients who are at increased risk even if they undergo adequate initial treatment. Our research also may help point the way toward improving strategies and care for patients with lung cancer who are socioeconomically disadvantaged," said Nguyen, a thoracic surgeon who treats and studies lung and other cancers and is the senior author of an article published online ahead of print in The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery.

Nguyen and colleagues analyzed data from 11,274 patients with locally advanced NSCLC in the National Cancer Database (NCDB), a registry provided by the American College of Surgeons and the American Cancer Society. Patients with locally advanced disease make up about one-third of the NSCLC population. In the study sample, average patient age was about 68, and 57% of patients were female. Eighty-four percent of patients in the sample were non-Hispanic white, 8.8% were Black, 3.0% were Hispanic, and 3.3% were Asian.

The researchers quantified results based on the medical research term "textbook oncological outcome," which considers several metrics and translates to the most desirable or optimal outcome for patients undergoing surgery to remove a primary cancer. These factors include complete resection, adequate lymph node removal, timely initiation of other therapies when needed, and short hospital stay. Textbook outcomes also are reflected in statistics on mortality, re-intervention, readmission, and major complications.

The Sylvester study aimed to determine the rate of achieving ideal outcomes in relation to social determinants of health scores, the association between these scores and optimal outcomes, and the association between SDH and overall survival.

The researchers focused on income, place of residence, level of education, and location of hospitals in proximity to patient residence. Other variables of interest included patient demographics, types of treatment facilities, surgical volumes at treatment facilities (representing experience and expertise), and whether patients had other medical conditions or diseases in addition to NSCLC.

"In this cohort, we found that socioeconomic statusindicated by SDH scorehas an important association with both textbook outcomes and survival," said Ahmed Alnajar, M.D., the paper's first author. "Significant socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with a 21% decrease in textbook outcomes and a 32% decrease in overall survival when compared to a patient subgroup that was not disadvantaged. Vulnerable patient population groups living in areas with limited income, limited education, rural locations, and areas with limited access to specialized cancer care settings are at increased risk of poor outcomes and long-term mortality."

Among highlights from the article:

In this study, patients living in rural areas had a 30% decreased likelihood of overall survival and long-term outcomes.

Having access to only community hospitals adversely affected survival.

Having surgery performed in a high-volume hospital decreased mortality risk by 31% and increased textbook outcome likelihood by 93%, compared to having surgery completed in a low-volume hospital.

Black patients were 31% less likely to achieve optimal, textbook outcomes than were white patients.

The authors say policymakers should ensure equitable access to surgery and multimodality therapy to be sure all patients receive the best care. They also say surgeons and other care providers can strategically allocate resources and target interventions to counter the effects of SDH inequities.

In addition to Nguyen and Alnajar, Karishma Kodia, M.D., and Nestor Villamizar, M.D., contributed from Sylvester and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Syed Razi, M.D., contributed from Hackensack Meridian Health in Edison, New Jersey.

More information: Ahmed Alnajar et al, The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Textbook Oncological Outcomes and Overall Survival in Locally Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, JTCVS Open (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.xjon.2023.09.013
RUTHERFORD COLLEGE  The town of Rutherford College once again invited the masters of barbecue from around the southeast for the annual Pigmasters BBQ Challenge. The competition took place on Friday and Saturday at Rutherford College Town Hall. The Pigmasters BBQ Challenge is a Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned competition that required the teams to cook four types of meat  chicken, pork ribs, pork butt and pork brisket. Teams competed on Friday afternoon in the Dessert War, Burger Battle and Turkey Smoke Series. On Saturday, official Kansas City BBQ judges were in town to sample and score pork, brisket, ribs and chicken. Foothills Service Project was onsite selling barbecue plates with all funds going toward FSP projects.
Fake listings have emerged as a major problem for Airbnb, threatening to scare off consumers and prompting the short-term rental service to use AI in an effort to crack down on fraudsters.

Airbnb says it has removed 59,000 fake listings and prevented another 157,000 from joining the platform this year.

Fake listings and high cleaning fees are among several issues that Airbnb said its users highlighted in a company survey. Others included high cleaning fees and a desire for lower prices.

The San Francisco company said more than 260,000 listings have lowered or removed cleaning fees this year, since it gave consumers the means to sort listings in order of all-in pricing.

Airbnb says the change in how prices are displayed discourages hosts from touting low prices but piling on extra fees. However, only about one-third of Airbnb renters are using it.

We got a lot of feedback that Airbnb is not as affordable as it used to be, CEO Brian Chesky said in an interview. The pricing changes are starting work, he said, and more measures are in the works.

One of those is seasonal dynamic pricing  technology that would help hosts adjust prices more often, like airlines and hotels do. Chesky said that will prod hosts into cutting prices during the off-season, but it could also help them raise peak prices.

Airbnb also said that later this year it will begin verifying all listings in its top five markets including the United States and the United Kingdom to combat an outbreak of fakes.

Fraudulent listings create refunds and rebooking costs for Airbnb, but the biggest risk is to our reputation, Chesky said. If you can't trust when you book an Airbnb that it's real and you're going to like it, then you're going to stay in a hotel."

The company plans to use AI to help it verify listings in those top five countries.

It will have hosts go inside the property and open the Airbnb app. GPS will verify they are at the correct address, and AI will be used to compare live photos with pictures that the host uses on the listing.

Properties in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France and Australia that pass the test will get a verified icon on their listings starting in February. The company said it will verify listings in 30 more countries starting late next year.

Here's why some Airbnb rentals are so expensiveand tips to save on your next trip Here's why some Airbnb rentals are so expensiveand tips to save on your next trip How Airbnb prices vary across top tourist destinations Most expensive Airbnb neighborhoods in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago The premium for personal space is $70: How less privacy can lead to more savings on Airbnb Planning to swim or work out? Expect to pay nearly 50% more
Members of the European Parliament urged to reconsider the EU-Baku relations and impose sanctions against the Azerbaijani authorities. The corresponding statement was made by Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, MEP David McAllister, Head of the Delegation for Relations with the South Caucasus, MEP Marina Kaljurand, Permanent Rapporteur of the European Parliament on Armenia, MEP Andrey Kovatchev, Permanent Rapporteur of the European Parliament on Azerbaijan, MEP Zhelyana Zovko.



We condemn in the strongest terms today's pre-planned and unjustified attack of Azerbaijan against Nagorno-Karabakh. We deplore the loss of life in reported landmine explosions earlier in the day and express our condolences to the families of the victims. However, this under no circumstances justifies Azerbaijan's large-scale military escalation. The clearly pre-planned attack, reported along the entire line of contact, coming just hours after the blasts and following weeks of observed Azerbaijani military build-up and aggressive rhetoric, is totally unacceptable.



We call for the immediate halt of all military actions. Direct negotiations between Baku and Stepanakert are the only way to achieve progress on the relations between the Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians and Azerbaijan and the EU has always been ready to support this process.



We deplore the fact that Baku's offensive seriously undermines the ongoing peace negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and urge the President of Azerbaijan to accept recent calls of the Armenian Prime Minister for the resumption of talks at the highest level.



We recall that the attack takes place in the context of a major humanitarian crisis in Nagorno-Karabakh, following Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor for the past nine months, in violation of Baku's commitments under the ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and of the legally binding orders of the International Court of Justice. Humanitarian access to Nagorno-Karabakh needs to be fully and permanently restored.



We are seriously concerned about the consequences of Azerbaijan's actions on the civilian population and urge Azerbaijan to refrain from using military escalation as a pretext to force the exodus of the local population. In the absence of an immediate halt to the ongoing attack, we call on the Council to fundamentally reconsider the EU's relations with Azerbaijan in this light, and consider imposing sanctions against responsible Azerbaijani authorities, - the statement of the members of the European Parliament reads.
Volunteer firefighter Clare Doran puts on her gear at the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company headquarters on Aug. 30, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

DALZELL, Ill.  The 76-year-old man was sitting at his kitchen table one Tuesday morning in June when he lost consciousness and fell to the floor.

A few blocks away, Alex Justis emergency pager went off. The 24-year-old firefighter and paramedic is one of only six people who make up Dalzells volunteer-run fire department, and one of only two who lives in the town of about 660 residents in north-central Illinois, near Starved Rock State Park.

Justi raced to the station, jumped in an engine and drove, solo, to the mans house. Once there, he quickly realized the man wasnt breathing. Justi placed a device over the mans nose and mouth and manually pumped oxygen into his lungs, continuing for at least five minutes until first responders from a neighboring town arrived to help.

The man survived. But, Justi reluctantly acknowledged, the outcome could have been different.

If somebody wasnt breathing for him, he would have been dead by the time the ambulance showed up, Justi said.

That was when we realized that we need some help here.

Just over half of all firefighters in the United States are estimated to be volunteers: men and women who, like Justi, leave their homes and jobs at any moment to respond to house fires and car crashes, medical emergencies and natural disasters.

In Illinois, about two-thirds of the states roughly 1,100 fire departments rely almost entirely on volunteers.

And, with few exceptions, those departments are running out of volunteers.

The fluctuating ranks of volunteer departments make it difficult to accurately track the losses. But fire chiefs across Illinois say theyre facing historic staffing lows.

In Dalzell, the roster of six should be 16 to be fully staffed, said Chief Tom Riordan. Over in Divernon, in central Illinois, Chief Randy Rhodes said hes lost eight volunteers just in the past two years. And the bylaws for the Galena Fire Department, billed as the states oldest, cap volunteer membership at 62. Theyve got 24, Chief Bob Conley said.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 22 Volunteer firefighter Jeff McCloskey, right, yells to other firefighters as they test hoses and engine pumps in the Dalzell Grade School parking lot in Dalzell, Illinois, on Aug. 31, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

The alarming shortages come amid increased service demands driven by rising medical calls attributed largely to the states growing senior population.

As a result, departments are increasingly relying on surrounding agencies to aid in their emergency responses, while some chiefs have tapped into federal grant dollars to pay for part-time help to augment their aging rosters of existing volunteers.

Its going to become very critical, very shortly, said Kevin Schott, an Illinois Firefighters Association board member. The county and the state are going to need to look at this because the public safety is going to be impacted.

Firefighting organizations and some state lawmakers have tried over the years to address the dearth of volunteers, offering tax breaks and other incentives aimed at buoying department ranks.

Those efforts have thus far found little success. And some department leaders fear the worst is yet to come.

If nothing changes, fire chiefs in Dalzell and elsewhere say theyll no longer have enough people to answer medical calls, ceding that responsibility to neighboring agencies or private ambulance services. Other departments are looking at mergers as a way to hopefully prolong their survival.

All this could put hundreds of thousands of Illinois residents in the dangerous position of having to wait longer for help to arrive.

A lot of people think when they call 911, help is going to be there, said Jim Gielow, chief of the volunteer fire department in Pinckneyville, in southern Illinois. They may not realize one day that wont be the case.

A long tradition, a slow decline

It wasnt always like this.

Veteran fire chiefs wax nostalgic about decades past when the volunteer fire service thrived, ensconced in a centuries-old tradition (Ben Franklin is credited with creating the model with his Union Fire Company in Philadelphia) and encapsulated in a 1931 The Saturday Evening Post cover illustration by famed artist and chronicler of Americana, Norman Rockwell.

They had full rosters and waiting lists back then. They had generations of the same last names in their ranks, and high school explorer programs, like internships, that infused their departments with a youthful energy.

The residents of those communities, meanwhile, enjoyed fire protection without the costs of salaries and benefits, which freed up tax dollars for police and parks and roads.

The system worked, until it didnt.

To be clear, the long, steady decline of the volunteer fire service isnt unique to Illinois. Headlines across the country tell similar stories of depleted ranks

In 1995, there were an estimated 838,000 volunteer firefighters in America, according to figures from the National Fire Protection Association.

Twenty-five years later, that number fell to 676,900.

The ratio of volunteers per 1,000 people dropped by nearly 25% in that same time, estimates show.

There are plenty of explanations for the downfall.

One obvious factor is Illinois shrinking population. The state lost a little over 104,000 residents between 2021 and 2022, U.S. Census Bureau estimates show. The losses were felt in all but 11 of the 102 counties.

Some chiefs believe the sense of community pride and civic duty that once motivated people to volunteer has vanished.

It just seems to be getting harder and harder to get the younger generation to step up and donate their time, said Eric Lancaster, fire chief in the central Illinois town of Girard, population 1,785. Its definitely been a struggle. And it is definitely getting worse.

And while its true that volunteerism has generally fallen over the last decades, a report earlier this year from the U.S. Census and AmeriCorps found that Illinois was one of only two states (Wyoming the other) that did not see a drop in the percentage of Americans who formally volunteered with organizations between 2017 and 2021 (Illinois formal volunteering percentage went from 28.1% to 28.3% in that time).

Changing economic conditions also play a role. Families are increasingly unable to survive on one income. And with fewer job opportunities in rural communities most dependent on volunteer firefighters, people are forced to travel farther to work for employers who arent always as willing to let their staff answer emergency calls.

Lt. Kirk Huot speaks to other volunteer firefighters during the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company training at a vacant motel in Glen Ellyn on Aug. 30, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Then theres the simple reality that being a volunteer firefighter is demanding on the person and their families. Emergency pagers can go off during family dinners and at 2 a.m., on Christmas morning and at a school recital.

There were times I missed things, said Lt. Chris Garza, 48, a father of two who has volunteered with the Galena department for the past 13 years. And you cant get those moments back. But I know Im helping somebody when theyre having the worst day possible.

Others say the training requirements have made the volunteer fire service a hard sell. A basic firefighter certification can take around 180 hours to obtain, and though volunteer firefighters arent required to be certified, they do have to be trained to the state standard.

That means departments typically ask their members to attend weekly training sessions, usually one night a week.

Emergency medical training, also not required, can take another six months, and is often crucial given that medical calls account for about 70% of the incidents Illinois fire departments respond to each year.

Guys get burned out after a while, said Pinckneyvilles chief, Gielow. Theyre a little more on edge, working their full-time jobs and running a bunch of calls. Its hard on their personal lives. It all kind of adds up.

We cant let off the accelerator

On the last Monday of July, about 30 members of the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company gathered for a weekly training exercise. In this particular session, they wore full protective gear, face masks and oxygen tanks strapped to their backs, and waited for their turns to go inside an abandoned motel to rescue one of their own from a room filled with smoke billowing from a machine.

There was Vinh Lu, 50, a freelance film location scout and father who started volunteering with the fire department nearly five years ago because, like his military service, it gave him the chance to be part of something bigger.

Richard Arehart, 49, wanted to be a firefighter as a kid but instead became a banker. Nearly three years ago, he saw an online ad looking for volunteers and moved his family to Glen Ellyn so he could make his childhood dream come true.

Volunteer firefighters take a break after participating in the Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Company training at a vacant motel in Glen Ellyn on Aug. 30, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Clare Doran, 53, went to a department open house seven years ago thinking shed file paperwork or tidy up the office, only to realize the ask was to be a firefighter.

I was like, I dont think thats a good idea. I dont think I could carry anybody out, Doran remembered. And chief said, well teach you. And they taught me.

The west suburban fire department is one of the few in the Chicago area that still relies almost entirely on volunteers. And with about 60 members, its thus far managed to avoid the shortages that have plagued other volunteer departments. About 35 people showed up to a recruitment open house earlier this month, said Matt Andris, second assistant chief. Seven submitted applications to join, with more expected.

I cant put a finger on why were successful other than really hard work, Andris said.

There are, of course, other contributing factors.

For one, the village has a separate, paid ambulance service. That means fire department volunteers arent required to go through more intensive emergency medical training, nor are they faced with the added strain of answering medical calls, which state data show have climbed by 35% in the last decade.

Unlike in rural parts of the state, Glen Ellyns 28,000 residents offer a large pool of potential volunteers, plenty of whom work in professions with flexible schedules that allow them more opportunity to donate their time. Some department members volunteer elsewhere. Doran, for example, volunteers with four other community groups.

The department also hired a Glen Ellyn-based marketing company to lead its recruitment efforts, which include targeted mailers, Google ad campaigns and volunteer profiles posted on the departments website.

We cant let off the accelerator, Chief Chris Clark said. We have to continue to recruit the way we do. Thats just a fact for any volunteer organization.

The bigger conversation is coming at us

For the volunteer fire service to survive, recruitment needs to be the focus of every person in the department, said Steve Hirsch, a volunteer firefighter in Kansas and chair of the National Volunteer Fire Council.

Thats our success, he said. Its all those who wear red helmets out there recruiting friends and bringing names to us all the time.

Departments also need to make sure their recruitment efforts are geared toward women and people of color, two groups that have historically been underrepresented in the fire service.

Weve not done a good job of recruiting in those communities, Hirsch said of the fire service. Youre overlooking half your population.

It also takes money. The federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grant program offers departments money for recruitment, retention and hiring. Since 2015, a little over 70 fire departments in Illinois received SAFER grants totaling close to $55 million.

Some departments use those federal dollars to pay volunteers a small stipend based on the number of calls they answered. Others have spent the money on part-time firefighters to answer calls during weekday hours when volunteer availability is especially limited.

Even Glen Ellyn, with its 60-member roster, still needs to augment its volunteer force by paying contractors to staff a fire engine during those hours.

But for some, the moneys not enough. They exist on fundraisers  50/50 raffles, cookouts and craft fairs. They drive used fire engines donated by more fortunate peers and wear protective gear they cant afford to replace despite it being too old by state standards.

A list of upcoming fundraisers and training sessions are written on a whiteboard at Dalzell fire station on Aug. 31, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Near the Quad Cities, the Colona Fire Department had hoped a federal grant could help it hire two people to cover daytime shifts in the town of 5,300 residents. Even with the money, the department couldnt do it, Chief John Swan said.

Wed have to pick up the tab after three years, and we cant afford to do it, said Swan, who noted that the department tried and failed last year to persuade residents to pass a tax increase to pay for daytime help.

I have people in the department who are in their 50s and 60s that have to stay on because theres no one available in the daytime, he continued. The public doesnt understand. It just does not seem to sink in.

Elected leaders in Springfield have passed bills in recent years aimed at giving volunteer departments a lift. One bill allowed volunteers to buy discounted tires for their personal vehicles at a government-discounted rate; another protects volunteers from being fired if theyre late to work or absent because of an emergency call.

This session, they passed a $500 tax credit for volunteer firefighters and a bill that allows state employees to leave work to attend firefighter training.

Some of these bills look gimmicky, said state Sen. Patrick Joyce, D-Essex, who sponsored the training bill. But you have to throw something out there as a benefit. The bigger conversation is coming at us, and its going to be a lot of money.

Lawmakers could pull from ideas generated 20 years ago, when Illinois fire department leaders and a bipartisan group of House members released separate reports on how to preserve the future of the states fire service.

Among the recommendations: Pass pensionlike legislation. Establish a life insurance and disability plan for volunteers. Create a scholarship program for volunteers and their families to attend Illinois universities and community colleges. Develop an incentive program for employers when their employees need to leave to answer emergency calls.

I think youre going to have a handful of firefighter bills every session from here to the end of time, Joyce said. You chip away at it and you try to address it.

A dying tradition

Their efforts might not be enough to save what Justi, the assistant chief in Dalzell, called a dying tradition.

In Peoria Heights, trustees in the town of 5,900 have been embroiled in an ongoing debate over the future of their volunteer fire department, which, like many, is short on volunteers.

After significant public pushback, trustees recently backtracked on a plan to offset that shortage by contracting help from the neighboring Peoria Fire Department, staffed by career firefighters.

What they do next will depend on whomever is picked as the next fire chief, said Matt Wigginton.

Theres a lot of identity wrapped up in a local fire department, Wigginton said. But overarching, the biggest concern is public safety. At what point does that identity and nostalgia run up against public safety?

Illinois already has a model program, called the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS for short), that instantly dispatches help from neighboring fire departments when needed. Some fire chiefs think that system will become increasingly necessary for every call, no matter the severity.

As much as anybody hates to have to call out to assist, I see it happening more and more now, said Lancaster, the fire chief in Girard.

Assistant Chief Alex Justi puts away a hose after testing engine pumps and hoses in the Dalzell Grade School parking lot on Aug. 31, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Others see a future where volunteer departments merge with their neighbors, hoping the combination of resources could free up enough money to pay people to offset dwindling volunteers.

But Swan, the chief in Colona, fears department consolidation will lead to longer response times.

Colona has a roster of 17 volunteers, Swan said, well below the 32 needed to be considered fully staffed.

If nothing changes, there will be calls where we dont show, said Swan, who also serves as past president of the Illinois Firefighters Association.

Its already happened, he said, medical calls at night that his department couldnt answer because there was no one to respond.

We have an ambulance backup, but minutes count, he said.

If nothing changes in Divernon, Chief Rhodes said his department could no longer have the ability to respond to emergency medical calls. Those would then fall to neighboring towns and private ambulance services, both of which are also facing paramedic shortages.

A few high school seniors have expressed an interest in taking emergency medical classes and volunteering at the department. But that wouldnt be until next summer, he said, and we dont know if we could hold it until then.

Back in Dalzell, the forecast looks no better.

Two hospitals in the area closed this year  one in Peru, the other in Spring Valley  and the fallout has hit Dalzell and surrounding departments hard, exacerbating their staffing woes as ambulance crews are now tied up with longer transport times to and from hospitals.

Riordan, the fire chief, said they, too, might have to abandon medical calls.

Its the first thing thats going to stop, he said. To be blunt, people are going to die because theres nobody to take care of them.

Assistant Chief Alex Justi, right, leads a training session while volunteer firefighters, from left, Kevin Schultz, Chris Mason, and Chief Tom Riordan listen at the Dalzell fire station on Aug. 31, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

On a Thursday night in August, all six department members sat around a table in the fire station (also village hall) while Justi led a training on how to identify the types of hazardous materials that could be carried in the semitrailer trucks that lumber along Interstate 80 at the towns northern border.

Unfortunately, were not able to really mitigate the incident, he told them. Our job is to pretty much protect ourselves and everybody else that hasnt been involved yet.

All six said they were concerned about the departments future and perplexed that no one in town seemed to care about the dire circumstances it faced.

Its really rough, said Chris Mason, 44, a lieutenant whos been with the department for nearly 17 years. Theres not enough people to do anything.

Later, they drove two fire engines and a water tanker truck  two of the three donated from other departments  to the elementary school parking lot to test hoses and engine pumps.

The first fire engine they tested, built in 1989, barely pumped water into its 500-gallon tank. It could be an easy fix, they hoped. If not, it could cost a few thousand dollars, money they can barely afford to spend.

Volunteer firefighter Chris Mason helps test hoses and engine pumps in the Dalzell Grade School parking lot on Aug. 31, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Volunteer firefighters return to the Dalzell fire station after participating in training on Aug. 31, 2023. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

During the testing, a man who lived nearby walked up to a few of the members. Hed been a volunteer years earlier but was asked to leave, he said, for missing too many training sessions.

He blamed his work schedule at the time. Now, standing in the grass as water sprayed from a fire hose attached to a nearby hydrant, he blamed the testing for turning the water at his house a funny color.

He asked them to stop, then turned and left.
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan gave a speech during the 78th session of the UN General Assembly. We present the full text of the speech below:

"Honorable Mr. President,

Excellences,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, let me congratulate Mr. Dennis Francis on assuming the Presidency of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

I will not be the first and definitely not the last speaker in this august body who will identify global threats for democracies, challenges for security, violations of the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including non-use of force and peaceful resolution of conflicts, as a main source of instability and tension in the world.

The devastating developments of the past years, which disrupted the security architecture in the world and especially in Europe, have significantly damaged multilateralism. If a couple of years ago we were contemplating the decline of multilateralism, today we see erosion of that very tenet and its foundation such as international law, human rights and cooperative security.

This is not just a theoretical inference but a reality with which the Armenian people in the South Caucasus are coping for the last three years. The repetitive aggression of Azerbaijan against the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia and military attacks against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh significantly disrupts peace and stability in our region, massively violates human rights and humanitarian law representing existential threat for Armenians.

My government, having a sincere belief and aspiration to establish peace and stability in our region, has made significant and duly recorded efforts to this end. Alas, we do not have a partner for peace but a country who openly declares that Might has Right and constantly uses force to disrupt the peace process. Literally a year ago, from this very stage the PM of Armenia presented the fact of aggression and occupation of the Republic of Armenias sovereign territories by neighboring Azerbaijan. Since then, the situation has deteriorated even more and today I have to present yet another very recent act of large-scale offensive, this time against the indigenous people of Nagorno-Karabakh, in blatant violation of the international law and Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020.

It happened this week and the timing was not accidental. It shows open disregard and defiance of Azerbaijan against the international community who gathered here in New York. The message is clear: you can talk about peace and we can go to war and you will not be able to change anything. The 120,000 people, whose sole aspiration is to live and create in peace and dignity in their ancestral homeland and who have already been suffering under the more than 9-month blockade and siege by Azerbaijan, were subjected to military attack by tens of thousands of troops. In the course of this inhumane attack, the whole territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Stepanakert and other towns and settlements came under intense and indiscriminate shelling with heavy weaponry such as rockets, artillery, combat UAVs, aviation, including prohibited cluster munition.

This atrocious large-scale offensive which claimed hundreds of lives, including of women and children, was cynically defined as a local counter terrorist operation. According to the recent information there are confirmed cases of more than 200 killed and 400 wounded, including among civilian population, women and children, also accepted by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fate of hundreds of people is uncertain.

As I speak today, 30 percent of the population of Nagorno-Karabakh is displaced. The entire population of Nagorno-Karabakh remains without any means of subsistence, as just limited humanitarian assistance has been able to enter into Nagorno-Karabakh. There is no food, no medicine, no shelter, no place to go, separated from their families, terrorized and scared for their lives.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The policy and actions of Azerbaijan for the last 10 months, evidently demonstrate the pre-planned and well-orchestrated nature of this mass atrocity. On December 12, 2022, Azerbaijan blockaded the Lachin corridor - the only road, the lifeline connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia and the outer world, in blatant violation of its obligations under the international humanitarian law and the Trilateral Statement of 9 November 2020. The blockade was further consolidated by the installation of illegal check-point since April 23, as well as with the complete cessation of any movement, even for humanitarian aid through the Corridor since June 15.

More than 9 months-long blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh caused a severe shortage of food, medical supplies, fuel and other essential goods, almost depleting the resources necessary for the survival of the population. The blockade was accompanied by deliberate disruption of electricity and natural gas supplies, further exacerbating the situation into a full-fledged humanitarian crisis.

I would like to emphasize that on 22 February, 2023 the International Court of Justice indicated a provisional measure, according to which Azerbaijan shall take all measures to ensure unimpeded movement of persons, vehicles and cargo along the Lachin corridor in both directions. This order was later reconfirmed by the Courts order of 6 July.

A number of partner states, international organizations, including UN Special Rapporteurs, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House, Amnesty International, Transparency International had been continuously voicing an alarm about the deteriorating situation on the ground. Moreover, on August 16, during the emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council conveyed by the request of Armenia, the majority of UNSC member states expressed clear position regarding the need to unblock the Lachin corridor and halt the suffering of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh and ensure their fundamental human rights. Whereas, in response to these clear-cut calls, Azerbaijan has worsened its inhumane actions by launching this military attack against the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

On September 21, 2023, the United Nations Security Council gathered once again to discuss the devastating situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. The majority of the UNSC members expressed their position regarding the imperative of cessation of hostilities by Azerbaijan, opening of the Lachin corridor, ensuring international humanitarian access and addressing the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The chronology of truly devastating developments in our region come to prove that the issues cannot be addressed merely with statements and generic calls. Armenia has repeatedly warned the international community about the need for concrete and practical action, including the dispatching of a UN inter-agency needs assessment and fact-finding mission to Nagorno-Karabakh. But the international community, the United Nations failed to come to the rescue of people for the last 9 months, 285 days.

The use of starvation as a method of warfare, depriving people of their means of subsistence, obstruction and denial of humanitarian access of UN agencies, hindering the ICRC humanitarian activities, constitute early warning signs of an atrocity crime. A number of international human rights organizations, lawyers, genocide scholars, reputable independent experts, including the former ICC Prosecutor and the former Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide have already characterized the situation on the ground in Nagorno-Karabakh as a risk of genocide. Just yesterday, the Special Advisor of the UN Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide Alice Wairimu Nderitu stressed and I quote: Military action can only contribute to escalate what is already a tense situation and to put the civilian population in the area at risk of violence, including risk of genocide and related atrocity crimes. All efforts need to be made to prevent violence and sustain peace, end of quote.

Let me draw your attention to the fact that after failure of preventing Genocide in Rwanda, the United Nations managed to create mechanisms for prevention, thus making the never again a meaningful pledge. But today we are at the brink of another failure.

The people of Nagorno-Karabakh, trapped in this inhumane blockade and hostilities inflicted by Azerbaijan and under the threat of their very existence, still hope that prevention will not remain a feature of language, but will become a line of actions.

The claims that the United Nations is not present on the ground, so has no capacity to verify the situation cannot be an excuse for inaction. The United Nations is a universal body, which should stand with the victims of mass atrocity crimes all over the world regardless of the status of territory instead of delivering dismissive statements.

We are hopeful that the international community, namely the UN will demonstrate a strong political will to condemn the resumption of hostilities and targeting of civilian settlements and infrastructure and demand full compliance with obligations under the international humanitarian law, including those related to the protection of civilians, in particular women and children, and critical civilian infrastructure

The international community should undertake all the efforts for an immediate deployment of an interagency mission by the UN to Nagorno-Karabakh with the aim to monitor and assess the human rights, humanitarian and security situation on the ground. The unimpeded access of the UN agencies and other international organizations to Nagorno-Karabakh in line with the humanitarian principles is an imperative. In this regard we also stress the need to ensure full cooperation of the parties in good faith with the International Committee of the Red Cross to address the consequences of the military attack, including the removal and identification of the bodies, search and rescue of missing personnel and civilians, release of POWs, safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance, in strict compliance with the international humanitarian law.

Azerbaijan must finally adhere to its legally binding obligations and ensure freedom of movement of persons, vehicles and cargo, along the Lachin corridor, in line with the ICJ orders.

We firmly believe that relevant mechanisms must be introduced to ensure the return of persons displaced in the course of the recent military attack, as well as persons and refugees displaced as a result of 2020 war, to their homes in the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions under the monitoring and control of the UN relevant agencies, as it was foreseen in the Trilateral Statement of November 9, 2020.

A sustainable and viable international mechanism for preventing the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous population of Nagorno-Karabakh and for ensuring dialogue between representatives of Nagorno-Karabakh and official Baku to address the issues related to rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh is an imperative. Furthermore, excluding punitive actions against NK political and military representatives and personnel should be guaranteed.

We also believe that the international community must demand the exit of any Azerbaijani military and law-enforcement bodies from all civilian settlements in NK to exclude panic, provocations and escalation, endangering civilian population and create a possibility for a United Nations-mandated Peacekeeping Force to keep stability and security in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The ethnic cleansing policy against Nagorno-Karabakh is just a part of a bigger picture. In this regard we clearly see an intention to involve the Republic of Armenia in military actions thus widening the geography of hostilities into our sovereign territories.

The unwillingness of Azerbaijan to genuinely and constructively engage in the peace process with Armenia, including to recognize the territorial integrity of the Republic of Armenia, withdraw its Armed forces from the occupied territories of Armenia, delimitate the Armenian-Azerbaijani interstate borders based on the latest available maps from 1975 corresponding with Almaty 1991 declaration, create a demilitarized zone along the interstate border, clearly illustrates the mentioned intentions.

Likewise, Azerbaijan has a hidden agenda when it comes to unblocking regional transport and economic communications. As a landlocked country, Armenia is vitally interested in implementation of the agreement on the unblocking of all the regional communications on the basis of sovereignty, national jurisdiction, equality and reciprocity. Armenia is a long-standing advocate of the inclusive and equitable transport connectivity with the view to promote trade, cooperation and people-to-people contacts, whereas our neighbors continue to impose the three decades-long blockade of Armenia, as part of its well-established policy of economic coercion of my country. The so-called corridor logic promoted by Baku and their hidden and open sponsors is aimed at undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia and justifying its territorial claims. The narrative generated by them along with the use of force by Azerbaijan both against the Republic of Armenia and the people of Nagorno-Karabakh shows that forcefully imposing on Armenia an extraterritorial corridor, a corridor that will pass through the territory of Armenia but will be out of our control can be the next target. This is unacceptable for us and should be unacceptable for the international community.

Mr. President,

Despite all the challenges Armenia continues to engage in the negotiations to achieve normalization of relations and establishment of lasting peace in the region and supports the efforts of the international partners to this end. Respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty within the internationally recognized borders, addressing the underlying causes of the conflict, namely the rights and security of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh are the foundation of a lasting peace.

In the end, let me state that the people of Armenia will firmly stand for our sovereignty, independence and democracy and will overcome the hybrid-war unleashed against us.

I thank you."
If no real living conditions are created for Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their homes and if no effective mechanisms of their protection from ethnic cleansing are created, there will be an extremely high possibility that the they will see removal from their homeland as the only way to save their lives and identity, Armenias Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said in a live address.

He said that a series of events that took place in recent years have forced all of us to assess, re-evaluate the situation, and draw conclusions.

"What happened in Armenia?" What is happening and what should happen? These are the questions whose answers are strategic for the future. The latest attacks undertaken by Azerbaijan against the Republic of Armenia lead to an obvious conclusion that the external security systems in which we are involved are not effective from the point of view of the state interests and security of the Republic of Armenia. This was became clear both during the 44-day war, during the events of May and November 2021, and in September 2022, and the list can be continued.

The capture of Khtsaberd and Old Tagher villages of Nagorno-Karabakh in December 2020 and the capture of more than 60 Armenian servicemen, the events of Parukh, the numerous expressions of intimidation of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh, the illegal blocking of the Lachin corridor, the Azerbaijani attack on Nagorno-Karabakh on September 19 raise serious issues also about the goals and motives of the activities of the Russian peacekeeping troops in Nagorno-Karabakh. Contrary to the tripartite statement of November 9, 2020, the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh are still facing the threat of ethnic cleansing," he said.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, in recent days humanitarian goods delivered to Nagorno-Karabakh, but this does not change the situation. If no real living conditions are created for Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh to live in their homes and if no effective mechanisms of their protection from ethnic cleansing are created, there will be an extremely high possibility that the they will see removal from their homeland as the only way to save their lives and identity, he added.

The responsibility for such a development of events will fall entirely on Azerbaijan, which has adopted the policy of ethnic cleansing, and the Russian peacekeeping force in Nagorno-Karabakh. Of course, the RA government is working with international partners on the formation of international mechanisms to ensure the rights and security of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, but if these efforts do not yield concrete results, the government will welcome our brothers and sisters of Nagorno-Karabakh to the Republic of Armenia with all care. With this, however, the above-mentioned issues will not only not be addressed, but will also be exacerbated.

The Republic of Armenia has never abandoned its obligations to its allies and has never betrayed its allies, but the analysis of events shows that the security systems and allies on which we have relied for many years have had a goal of demonstrating our vulnerabilities and justifying impossibility that the Armenian people can have an independent state, he added.
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Naturalist Nathanial Garcia, left, explains the types of wildlife living in trees at the Sand Ridge Nature Preserve while discussing queer ecology on Sept. 15, 2023. (John Smierciak/for the Chicago Tribune)

As Raquel Garcia-Alvarez guides hikers on a trail surrounding the Sand Ridge Nature Center, her remarks on flora and fauna are interrupted by geese honking. She explains, as curious onlookers admire the birds skirting the water, that theres more to them than meets the eye.

Geese are known to display homosocial behavior, she said. For example, theres been documented instances of two male geese pair-bonding with each other.

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Wildlife does not live within the context of us assigning them, Oh, youre gay, youre straight. They show homosocial behavior because they use it to bond. It also just brings them joy, said Garcia-Alvarez, the policy and sustainability manager at the Forest Preserves of Cook County.

Raquel Garcia-Alvarez, a Cook County Forest Preserve policy and sustainability manager, holds a photo of a gynandromorph rose-breasted grosbeak during a Queerness of Nature Walk at the Sand Ridge Nature Preserve on Sept. 15, 2023. (John Smierciak/for the Chicago Tribune)

On a sunny September afternoon, about 20 community members embarked on the Queerness of Nature Walk at the South Holland nature preserve. Naturalists used plants and animals like geese to teach queer ecology, the idea that nature doesnt always express itself in a binary way.

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Lanie Rambo, a Forest Preserve naturalist, described queer ecology as a new way of looking at nature that acknowledges how sometimes labels such as gay or straight, and male or female, arent precise. She said people often anthropomorphize, taking human characteristics and applying them to nature.

This is a bad idea, because nature is much more fluid. Its much more flexible, and theres a lot more going on than just these binary categories, she said.

In fact, Rambo said theres evidence that 1,500 animal species, from insects to mammals, engage in same-sex behavior. These relations werent historically recognized largely due to homophobia, she said.

A lot of times when scientists saw these things, theyd say, Oh, this animal is doing something abnormal or this is wrong. This is bad or this animal has gone crazy. Thats not necessarily true, Rambo said.

Eliot Schrefer, author of the book Queer Ducks (and Other Animals), chronicled some of this history in an article in The Washington Post. Explorer George Murray described same-sex relations among penguins as depraved in 1911, and the Edinburgh Zoo director T.H. Gillespie said bisexual penguins enjoy privileges not as yet permitted to civilized mankind in 1932.

Visitors walk through the Sand Ridge Nature Preserve during a Queerness of Nature Walk on Sept. 15, 2023. (John Smierciak/for the Chicago Tribune)

Some theories suggest scientists mistakenly misgendered animals engaging in same-sex relations, while others believe scientists overlooked the behavior to avoid censure from colleagues, Schrefer wrote. Emerging research also acknowledges that some animals have sex for reasons other than procreation, and it doesnt necessarily affect their species ability to survive.

Rambo said female-female pair bonds in American kestrels, small falcons that are common in Illinois, have raised eggs together successfully.

As someone who has been working with animals since I was about 18 years old, my working theory is that it brings them joy to live this way, to be with each other, she said. They dont need to be ostracized from their communities. Things that bring you joy reduce your stress and reduce your heart rate and prolong your life.

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Birds challenging gender norms

At the beginning of the walk, Rambo pointed out the nature centers resident great horned owl, identifiable based on its prominent feathered tufts and large yellow eyes. At first, she said staff believed the owl was male based on size, but recent behavior seems better aligned with a female. Rambo said its difficult to tell males and females apart in many bird species.

A great horned owl greets visitors at the Sand Ridge Nature Preserve during a Queerness of Nature Walk on Sept. 15, 2023. (John Smierciak/for the Chicago Tribune)

For us, as the caretakers of the animal, it doesnt really matter. Theyve got to eat. They need to have enclosure, they need to have stimulation for taking care of them, Rambo said. But whether or not theyre male or female, it doesnt matter.

Later on, a bright red northern cardinal, the state bird of Illinois, perched on a fence in front of hikers. Though rare, Garcia-Alvarez said bilateral gynandromorphism is possible among the birds, essentially meaning that theyre half-female, half-male. These birds appear almost perfectly split along the middle, with bright red feathers characteristic of a male on one side and pale brown feathers common to females on the other.

Garcia-Alvarez added scientists have also identified half-male, half-female rose-breasted grosbeaks, a common summer resident in northern parts of Illinois. The gynandromorphs have one yellow-brown wing pit that is common in females, while the other side has the pink color typical in males.

Theres a lot of violence toward individuals who consider themselves trans  trans women, trans males, and theres also high suicide rates within the LGBTQIA+ community because they are not accepted, Garcia-Alvarez said. So imagine if they were to hear those words, You are perfect just the way you are, or You are natural just as nature intended.

Impact on humans

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Flowers also prompt people to think critically about gender, Garcia-Alvarez said. A flower is considered perfect when it has both male and female parts within one flower structure.

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Imagine if we talked about humans in that same way, like you are perfect because you embody both the masculine and female spirit, she said.

For some, this science feels personal. When Christine Fleming, who volunteers at other nature preserves throughout the state, got an email explaining the event, the 22-year-old knew it was worth driving an hour from her home in Skokie. She thought the discussion on the cardinals was particularly informative.

I love nature. Ive been camping with my family since I was a kid, Fleming said. I had gotten a major in environmental science. So this is my thing.

As a gay Latino member of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Anthony Quezada said its important to talk about different identities  even in nature. The walk was part of the countys Racial Equity Week.

As a queer person growing up in a poor community, I was thought to believe in a binary for myself, Quezada said. But as I got older, I started to understand that I love multiple people, that I express myself in multiple ways, just as nature does.

rjohnson@chicagotribune.com
Amid the controversy over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri's objectionable remarks targeted at BSP MP Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Nishikant Dubey on Saturday said that his fellow party lawmaker got "provoked" as the Muslim MP kept calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi "neech". "The words used by him (Bidhuri) are not acceptable. I was present in the Parliament when all this took place. BSP MP Danish Ali kept calling PM Modi 'neech'...If you would provoke someone by using derogatory remarks against the Prime Minister then definitely such reaction will come," Dubey told ANI. Meanwhile, BJP MP Dubey has written a letter to Om Birla urging him to constitute an inquiry committee that should look into the extent of culpability of MPs who instigate other citizens with their comments in the House. "I have written a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla requesting him to constitute an Inquiry Committee to investigate Danish Ali's remark and the utterances made by various members during the discussion that day including the speeches of Saugata Roy, who questioned the existence of Lord Ram, and others...We need to understand that people like Danish Ali and some leaders of Congress, DMK, and TMC are habitual offenders and they make derogatory comments to provoke BJP MPs," he said. In his letter, Dubey has also accused Ali of offering a running commentary during Bidhuri's speech in Lok Sabha on Thursday and making unsavoury remarks aimed at instigating him to lose his composure. When Shri Danish Ali was busy instigating Bidhuri with his intemperate comments, he made a highly objectionable and derogatory remark against our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Jee. In his desperation to denigrate the ruling dispensation and the Prime Minister's achievement of landing Chandrayaan3 on the moon, he screamed across the aisle, without the microphone but could be clearly heard saying that "neech ko neech nahi kahenge to kya kahenge, Dubey said. He added that it was more than enough for any patriotic public representative to lose his calm and fall into his trap by uttering unsavoury words. If Bidhuri has committed an inappropriate act, then, in my view, other Honourable Members, including Danish Ali, have also contributed to spreading enmity amongst communities, Dubey said. He said that the aspect of 'Breach of Privilege', which Danish Ali and some other members of Parliament have been quoting vociferously, cannot be a one-way street and if applied in isolation will be a serious and irrevocable 'miscarriage of justice'. I, therefore, request you to constitute an 'inquiry committee' to investigate the utterances made by various members during the said discussion and also to inquire into the extent of culpability of various other Members of Parliament in instigating our citizens by way of their comments made in the House by taking shelter of Article 105 of our Constitution, he said. Dubey, however, has condemned the remarks of his party members made in the Lok Sabha. It is also a commendable display of profound respect for our Temple of Democracy' and maintaining the dignity of Parliament by your good self that the unsavoury words uttered by Shri Bidhuri were immediately expunged from the proceedings of the House. I along with other like-minded Members of Parliament congratulate your good self for your prompt action, he said. Ramesh Bidhuri's objectionable remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) MP Danish Ali have triggered anger among the Opposition parties, with their demand for strict action against Bidhuri. Ali has given an ultimatum of leaving the Parliament if the Speaker will not conduct an enquiry into the matter. Meanwhile, the BJP has issued a show cause notice to party MP Ramesh Bidhuri on the instruction of party president JP Nadda for his use of unparliamentary language againstBSPMP Danish Ali, sources said. Earlier on Friday, leaders of Congress, NCP, TMC and DMK wrote to Om Birla to act against the BJP leader and demanded that the matter should be sent to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee. On Saturday, Congress leader Salman Khurshid said that the BJP suspends others in no time but in this matter, they are taking time. BJP in order to dismiss this matter will show that they are taking action on it but this isn't the question. The question is, what makes BJP leaders talk in this manner again and again? This issue came to light as it was said in the Parliament... They speak similar things in front of the media...They suspend others in no time and in this matter, they are taking time, Salman Khurshid said. Member of Parliament and DMK leader, Dr Thamizhachi Thangapandian said that the remarks of the BJP MP need to be condemned vehemently. "It is to be condemned vehemently. Madam Kanimozhi registered her protest when the incident took place. Spreading hatred in the name of a community needs to be condemned. Rajnath Singh had apologised on his behalf when had protested on this. Some of us have written to the Speaker, and hope he takes action," Thamizhachi Thangapandian said. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav said that the BJP has crossed all the limits. They have crossed all the limits. The words they are using in Parliament are similar to the language of street goons, and even then, there is no action to be taken against them. This is a dictatorship because if you are in the BJP, then you are good. BJP people work to promote such people. Reacting to the same, Congress leader Nana Patole hit out at the BJP, saying that the ruling party is drunk with power. The BJP has gone drunk in power. The proof of this is that a BJP leader has verbally abused a member of the Opposition and this is a first in this country. This should change. Indias democracy has always been strong. Such persons and their dictatorial spirit would be cast off at the drop of a hat. Such kind of behaviour is harmful to democracy, the Congress leader said. (ANI)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party wanted to create a dispute between India and Bharat and this was the reason why they called a special session of the Parliament, but stopped it and brought the Women's Reservation Bill. "When the government called for the special session, there was no mention of the Women's Reservation Bill. Discussions on changing the name of the country were doing rounds. They wanted to create a dispute between India and Bharat," said Rahul Gandhi. "The constitution says, 'India that is Bharat...'. Later, they understood that the public would not accept this. Now that they had called for a special session, they needed to have some agenda. So, they brought up the Women's Reservation Bill. We did support the bill, it was brought by Rajiv Gandhiji (Former Prime Minister) into the Panchayati system," he added. Rahul Gandhi started the election campaign with the worker's conference in Rajasthan. In the workers' conference in Jaipur, he promised that if the government comes to power at the Centre, women's reservations will be given immediately. It is worth mentioning that the Women's Reservation Bill cleared its final legislative hurdle at the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with 214 members voting in support and none against. Earlier on Wednesday, the bill was shown the green flag by the Lok Sabha with the brute majority of 454 votes in favour and just 2 against. The Rajya Sabha had earlier passed the Womens Reservation Bill in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha and subsequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament. He said that the entire opposition supported women's reservation adding that they too wanted women's reservation to be implemented from today itself, but BJP wants to implement it after 10 years. "I want to ask them why there is no provision for reservation to the OBCs. Let me tell you one thing, 33 per cent of reservations to women in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha can be granted today. But they made a pretence. It will be provided after 10 years. We want it to get implemented today", he added. The Congress leader also attacked the central government over allegations against the Adani group stating that the latter is afraid to talk about the Adani issue. "A few days back, I gave a speech in the parliament on the Adani matter. Earlier, they used to turn off our mics, but now they have started turning off the cameras too. My Lok Saha membership got cancelled. For the first time, someone got the maximum punishment in a defamation case. Why? Because 'darr lagta hai'. Just mention 'Adani' before a BJP worker, he will run away. Ask them what is the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adaniji, and they will flee away", the Waynad MP said while addressing a public gathering in Rajasthan's Jaipur. It is worth mentioning that Rahul Gandhi has been questioning the central government over the allegations against the Adani group on the basis of the Hindenburg report which earlier claimed accounting fraud, stock price manipulation and improper use of tax havens by the business giant, Adani group. Taking a jibe at the central government over the caste census, the Congress leader said, "Ahead of my speech in the parliament, I did some research. I found out that the country is being operated by the Prime Minister along with his 90 officers. I further dove into how many OBCs are amongst them. There are only three OBCs among the 90 officers who decide on merely five per cent of the total budget. They have no power". "The answer to how many people are there in the different sections of the society can be figured out through the caste census. Why the PM is afraid of the cast census?" he asked. "Ask the BJP workers why they are not in favour of conducting a cast census and how much benefit the Prime Minister gave to Adaniji. Be truthful. Nafrat ke bazar mein mohabbat ki dukan kholiye (Let us open shops of love in a market of hate)", Rahul Gandhi added. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi lauded the Rajasthan Government's efforts in providing accessible healthcare services. "I went to talk to porters in Delhi. They had seen a video of mine and called me for a talk. They told me how the Rajasthan government saved their lives by providing accessible healthcare services. In Rajasthan, we opened 3,600 English medium schools, we provided healthcare services. We provided domestic gas cylinders at Rs 500," he said. The assembly elections in Rajasthan are due later this year, with the BJP setting sights on wresting power from the ruling Congress. In the 2008 Assembly polls, the Congress secured 100 seats, one short of securing an absolute majority. It formed the government in alliance with Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). (ANI)
Telugu Desam Party leaders on Saturday held a candle march here in the district party office to protest against the arrest of their leader and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu in an alleged multi-crore scam. The TDP leaders raised slogans against the state government and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Former MLA and TDP Parliamentary in-charge Palla Srinivasa Rao, Palla Srinivasa Rao, state party Polit Bureau member Anitha Vangalapudi, and senior party leaders were among those present during the demonstration. Earlier, Andhra Pradesh Crime Investigation Department chief N Sanjay on Sunday said that Chandrababu Naidu was the prime conspirator in the AP Skill development scam adding that the TDP leader in his capacity had orchestrated the whole idea of corruption during his tenure as Chief Minister. The agency officials also claimed that the alleged fraud has caused a huge loss to the state government in excess of Rs 300 crore. On Friday, TDP MLAs held a protest for the second consecutive day against the illegal arrest of the TDP chief with members of the party expressing their concerns over a conspiracy to kill the TDP chief. Visuals from outside the Assembly showed TDP MLAs and workers protesting and raising slogans of 'We Want Justice'. Former YSRCP MLA Undavalli Sridevi also joined the protest and said that the procedure to arrestChandrababu Naiduwas not correct and that he is being suppressed mentally as well as physically in prison. "...The procedure of arrest was not correct and we are going to protest against it...Chandrababu Naiduhas been illegally arrested and kept in Rajahmundry Central jail. We came to know that a person (in the same jail) died of dengue fever which is a severe disease as it causes internal bleeding and the patient can go into comma...." said Undavalli Sridevi. Speaking to ANI, Sridevi said they were concerned about the health of Naidu even though prison authorities have stated there was no mosquito breeding in the jail. "We are asking for the immediate release of Chandrababu Naidu as we are worried about his health," she said. (ANI)
The farmers in Mandya, protesting to stop water being released from Karnataka dams to Tamil Nadu, continued their demonstration here on Saturday. Farmers across Karnataka have been protesting since the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) ordered the state to release 5000 cusecs of water to its neighbouring state Tamil Nadu, for 15 days, effective from September 13. Earlier on Thursday, the Supreme Court refused to interfere with the CWMA order. Disappointed with the Supreme Court's Thursday order, a strike in Mandya was called by activists and farmers. Due to the strike, most of the private and public vehicles were off the road and business establishments remained shut in the Mandya district on Saturday. HD Kumaraswamy accused the Congress government of having failed the people of the state on the issue. "Cauvery water is our lifeline water. This year we didn't get proper rain. We have been fighting for many years for Cauvery water. Every day we are watching these protests on TV. There has been a Rs 30,000 cr loss for our farmers as per a government report. The government has failed on the Cauvery water issue," he said. A bench of Justices BR Gavai, PS Narasimha and Prashant Kumar Mishra on Thursday while refusing to interfere in the Cauvery water dispute between Karnataka and Tamil Nadu said both CWMA and Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) are regularly meeting and monitoring the water requirements every 15 days. The court declined to entertain an application filed by the Tamil Nadu government to increase its current share of Cauvery water from 5,000 to 7,200 cusecs per day. Tamil Nadu has sought fresh directions for the release of Cauvery River water from Karnataka, claiming that the neighbouring State had changed its stand, and had released a reduced quantum of water as against what was agreed upon earlier. (ANI)
Days after the Bangladesh Government permitted traders to sell nearly 4,000 metric tonnes of Hilsa fish to India, the imports are likely to fall due to "fish catching ban." The Fish Importers' Association here on Saturday alleged that the government of the neighbouring country will not export more than 1,000 metric tonnes of 'Poddar Ilish' as a "fish catching ban" is to be implemented there with effect from October 12. Indian fish traders can import up to 3,950 metric tonnes of Hilsa from Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government allowed the import of Hilsa fish during Durga Puja after receiving a request from the Fish Importers Association. Syed Anwar Maqsood, Secretary Fish Importers' Association said that on the same day, the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry allowed the export of the silver crop top of water, an annual fish-catching ban was announced by Bangladesh's fishing department, which has reduced the import window by 18 days. "On September 20, the Bangladesh Commerce Ministry issued a notice (to export Hilsa fish till October 30). We had 40 days to import Hilsa. On the same day, Bangladesh's fishing department announced the annual fish caching ban, which will be implemented with effect from October 12. This means that we have only 22 days, instead of 40," Maqsood said. "I am sure that a maximum 700-800 metric tonnes or 1000 metric tonnes to an extent Hilsa can be imported in these 22 days and not more than that," he added. Bangladesh Commerce Ministry on Wednesday gave its nod to 79 business organisations to export 3,950 metric tonnes of Hilsas to India. The exporters would be able to export 50 metric tonnes of Hilsas each. This order will remain valid till October 30, according to the official release by the Sheikh Hasina administration. Maqsood, while speaking to ANI, said that this is not the first time that the Bangladesh government will export fewer metric tonnes of Bengalis' favourite delicacy as compared to what was promised. "This happened last year too. (When) they promised us 2900 metric tonnes. But we could import only 1300 metric tonnes," he said. "We have written a letter to the Commerce Ministry, Bangladesh and Deputy High Commission to allow us to import fish after the fishing ban is relaxed on November 2," he added. According to the Secretary of the Fish Importers' Association, on September 21, a day after the notification was issued, the first consignment of 70 metric tonnes of Hilsa reached India. "On Friday, the borders were closed, and on Saturday 50 metric tonnes of Hilsa reached Indian shores," he added. However, the First Secretary (Commercial) at the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh, MD Shamsul Arif, told ANI that the 3950 MT Hilsa have already reached the Bangladesh border and will reach the Indian market in a few days. "It has already come to our Bangladesh border and the necessary documents are going to be submitted, hopefully, by today or tomorrow morning, it will be reaching the Indian market," he said. Arif said that the Bangladesh government is focussing on "completing" the export of 3950 MT Hilsa and more consignment would be "considered" only after the promised quantity of Hilsas are delivered. Meanwhile, the Padma Hilsa also arrived in Howrah, India's biggest wholesale fish market. Observing that the prices of the Padma Hilsa are driven by market forces -- demand and supply -- Maqsood said that fish lovers should pray that in Bangladesh, the landing of Hilsa is more so that the Bengalis' favourite delicacy is imported more. "When the supply is more, the rates will go down," he added. The Secretary of the Fish Importers' body said that the secondary aim to import more is because the Hilsa is to satisfy the connoisseurs of Hilsa across the country. "We are (also) looking to import the most out of the 3950 MT Hilsa as the fish is to be distributed in many states like Tripura, Assam, Delhi, Telangana and others from Howrah fish market," he added. The national fish of Bangladesh, Hilsa is one of the country's export items that come with the Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The Hilsa from Bangladeshs Padma and Meghna rivers as well as Chandpur, where the two rivers intersect, has long been prized by Hilsa connoisseurs as among the tastiest of fishes. In 2020, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee urged Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during the latter's visit to Kolkata, to consider lifting the ban on the export of Hilsas to India. However, Hasina said for her country to lift the curbs on the export of Hilsa, which tops the cravings of the fish-loving Bengalis, India should first ensure a fair share of water from the Teesta River of North Bengal to the neighbouring country. The decision of Bangladesh to send fish to India ahead of the festive season over the past few years is considered a part of diplomacy as the neighbouring country has been a part of the Teesta water-sharing treaty with India. (ANI)
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia, along with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, will inaugurate the revamped Tezu airport in Arunchal Pradesh's Lohit district on Sunday. "A new Terminal Building at Tezu Airport is scheduled for inauguration on September 24, 2023. Currently, this domestic airport operates with a single runway and covers an area of 212 acres," the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a post on X. "The upgraded airport now includes two aprons designed for ATR 72 type aircraft, a runway extended to 1500m x 30m, a traveler-friendly terminal, and a Fire Station cum Air Traffic Control Tower with a wide 75m runway strip," added Scindia in his post. This endeavour marks a step in expanding connectivity in the northeastern region of India and bolstering the local economy, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a statement earlier. According to the statement, Tezu Airport, a domestic airport situated in the town of Tezu, has undergone a transformation with the implementation of infrastructure upgrades worth Rs 170 crores. These developments include the extension of the runway to 1500 meters by 30 meters, the construction of a modern apron capable of accommodating two ATR 72 type aircraft, the establishment of a new terminal building, and the creation of a fire station cum Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower, the statement read. Operationalized under the RCS UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in 2018, Tezu Airport has played a pivotal role in enhancing regional connectivity by offering regularly scheduled flights to Dibrugarh, Imphal, and Guwahati through Alliance Air and Flybig Airlines. Features of the New Terminal Building-Terminal Area of 4000 square meters, peak hour serving capacity of 300 passengers, 5 check-in counters (3 in the future), 2 arrival Carrousels, 2 aircraft parking bays- ATR-72 type of aircraft, it said. The infrastructure upgrades at Tezu Airport prioritize sustainability and energy efficiency. Double insulated roofing system, energy-efficient HVAC and lighting system, low heat gain glazing, ECBC-compliant equipment, solid waste management system, re-use of treated water for flushing and horticulture purposes, rainwater harvesting integrated with sustainable urban drainage system, use of efficient water fixtures, it added. The enhancements are expected to yield multiple benefits- Expansion of airport capacity to handle increased traffic, improved connectivity of the northeastern region with the rest of the country, boost to tourism, trade, and employment generation, promotion of infrastructure development and economic growth of the region. Tezu, situated on the picturesque banks of the Lohit River and serving as the headquarters of the Lohit District in Arunachal Pradesh, is celebrated for its natural beauty. Surrounded by lush green forests and rolling hills, this small town is poised to leverage its enhanced airport infrastructure to welcome more visitors and contribute to the region's prosperity. The inauguration of the new infrastructure at Tezu Airport underscores the commitment of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to enhance connectivity and stimulate economic growth in India's northeastern states, the ministry's statement added. (ANI)
Carlos Ramirez sleeps next to his wife, Betzabeth Bracho, in the lobby of a Chicago police station on June 22, 2023. The two traveled from Venezuela seeking asylum and have been staying at the police station since arriving in Chicago in May. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Fall arrived this past week, and it doesnt take a prophet to predict that winter will arrive soon. And once winter arrives with its frigid weather and subzero nights, its certain that  as always  demand for Chicagos homeless shelters will skyrocket. As in the past, homeless shelters will come up with creative solutions, from adding cots to hallways to clearing tables out of cafeterias, in order to make as much room as possible for people in desperate need.

We dont know how rough a winter we will experience, but what is well known is that Chicagos shelters are already overtaxed, housing 6,500 migrants of the more than 14,000 who have arrived in our city. Not only are hallways and cafeterias already filled, but so, too, are many police stations and our airports.

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We fear what will happen when, come the first freeze, many of our citys people without stable housing arrive at shelter doors.

We fear that people will be turned away, afforded no shelter. On cold Chicago nights, closed doors at homeless shelters could be a death sentence to those who come knocking. It is horrifying to conceive of the loss of life that could occur this winter.

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And we fear even beyond this unnecessary and avoidable loss of human life. We know that 75% of Chicagoans who experience homelessness are African American. We know that just about all of the migrants arriving in Chicago come from Latin America. And so we fear that the crisis that will arrive in the cold will pit community against community; in the parlance of our day, it will pit Black against brown.

Intentional or not, our city has a history of making our minority communities feel like they are fighting over crumbs. Different communities, caucuses and coalitions rise up to argue for their critical needs. Different politicians pause over difficult choices about which initiatives to fund and which to postpone. There are winners, and there are losers. In our current system, communities need to fight against each other if they want to win. Thats how the systems seems to be established.

But it doesnt need to be that way anymore. Real leadership from City Hall can change Chicago from a city where communities fight over crumbs to a model of how we unite to solve deeper problems.

[ Faith leaders: We have the resources, as a city and as houses of worship, to provide for immigrants and youths ]

City Hall, by wintry December, will have spent $255.7 million on the migrant crisis. There are discussions to build winterized base camps and talk of working with other cities. But no table is being set, no meetings convened, to gather experts and advocates and explore how, in this moment, we might not respond to one crisis (migrant arrivals) at the expense of others (budgetary cuts will come from somewhere), but rather how we might holistically find a new path to affordable and permanent housing in Chicago. A chance to unite communities to find new ways forward is being squandered by sinking into crisis mentality.

Albert Einstein famously taught that every crisis carries opportunity. We have an opportunity now to think differently about our neighbors who lack stable housing: the struggles they face, the options we create for them and the root causes of this problem. On the last subject, we would do well to remember that it is the same gun violence that destabilizes Chicago communities and drives Latin Americans to seek shelter in the United States.

If we can predict that with the winter comes the cold, we do not need to behave anymore as if with crisis comes communities being forced to fight with each other. Instead, we can bring people together to unite us around larger solutions to the same problems that cause our many crises. Following this winter, warmer weather will arrive, and with it, the Democratic National Convention. Would it not be a powerful opportunity if, by then, we have made Chicago and Illinois a national model for addressing homelessness and the migrant crisis through a unified, holistic solution?

Chicago Tribune Opinion Weekdays Read the latest editorials and commentary curated by the Tribune Opinion team. By submitting your email to receive this newsletter, you agree to our Subscriber Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy >

Prophets dont always predict the future. Sometimes, they draw a road map about how to arrive at a better one. Isaiah, more than 2,000 years ago, reminded us that the path to a better future is paved by looking holistically at the causes of human concern and working to find solutions. In words that will be read in synagogues throughout the world on the coming day of Yom Kippur, he taught that the goal of our work is to share our bread with the hungry, to bring the oppressed poor into homes; when we see the naked, to clothe them, and not to ignore the plight of humanity.

Before the winter comes, let us turn this crisis into an opportunity and work together to find new solutions to long-standing problems.

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Chicago faith leaders Rabbi Seth Limmer and the Revs. Otis Moss III, Ciera Bates-Chamberlain and Michael Pfleger joined the Tribunes opinion section last summer for a series of columns on potential solutions to Chicagos chronic gun violence problem. The column continues on an occasional basis.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
The incident took place during the inauguration of the 'Happy Street' program in the Annanagar area of Madurai.

Visuals show people struggling to rescue each other, while others check over their injured relatives.

Speaking to ANI, Kanchana, who was present at the event said, "This event was organized by Madurai Corporation. The police department did not properly provide security in the event."

As Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan along with Minister P Moorthy and District Collector M S Sangeetha inaugurated the program, people tried to rush to the front, she said.

"Shortly after, the stage barricade collapsed and injured several people. Some people got suffocated and some were left unconscious in the incident," she added. (ANI)
In his condolence message, the Chief Minister said that the death of KG George is an irreparable loss to the Malayalam film industry.

Director KG George, 78 years passed away at the Signature Age of Care geriatric centre, Kakkanad today morning.

He had been in respite care at a nursing home for the past five years following a stroke and his health has been deteriorating last two months. George''s body is kept in cold storage in Thammanam.

It is suggested that the funeral may take place on Tuesday after his relatives from Goa and Doha arrive.

KG George was a filmmaker who won hearts by dealing with socially responsible issues. His unique method was to analyze the structure of society and the structure of individual minds.

KG George made interventions that blurred the distinction between artistic cinema and commercial cinema. That in turn raised the quality and enjoyment level of the movie remarkably.

His first film ''Swapnadanam'' won the National Award for Best Film in 1976.

Major movies are Yavanika, Kolangal, Panchavadi palam, Mannu, Lekhayude maranam oru Flash Back, Adaminte variyellu, ullakadal and irakal. He was a member of national and state award selection committees. (ANI)
Nikhil Kumaraswamy, a Janata Dal (Secular) leader and the son of former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy, on Sunday morning met with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader BS Yediyurappa at his residence in Bengaluru. BJP MLA Muniratna also accompanied Nikhil Kumaraswamy on the visit to the former Karnataka CM's residence. "As we all know JDS and BJP are now a part of the NDA alliance. On that basis, Mr Yediyurappa is one of the tallest leaders in Karnataka. So I just came here to take his blessings personally. We all know that they share a good bond," Nikhil Kumaraswamy said after the meeting. "Even in 2006-07 when BJP and JDS had a coalition, HD Kumaraswamy's tenure has given a lot of developments and so did Yediyurappa in his tenure," he said. On being asked about the JD(S) leaders including Vice President Syed Shafiulla Saheb's resignation from the party, Nikhil Kumaraswamy said that the party would be taking up the matter for discussion. "I dont want to comment on that as of now. There are 3-4 people who have shown their disregard but later on, we will have a discussion on it," he added. Syed Shafiulla Saheb announced to cut his ties with the party days after JDS joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the ensuing 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Shafiulla, in his resignation letter to the JD(S) Karnataka president said that he had opted to stay outside the party for the period during which our state unit of the party had joined with the BJP to form the state government. "I would like to state that I have worked hard and served the party in order to serve the society and the community only because our party believes and was standing on the secular credentials, except when our leader Sri Kumara Swamy had earlier joined hands with the BJP to form the government in the state. I also like to mention that, I had opted to stay outside the party for the period during which our state unit of the party had joined with the BJP to form the state government," Shafiulla Saheb said in the letter. Apart from Saheb, many leaders including M Srikanth and UT Ayesha Farzana also resigned from the party. The Janata Dal (Secular) of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Friday announced an alliance with the BJP in Karnataka and formally joined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. JD(S) leader and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy made the announcement after meeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda in the national capital. The JD(S) had aligned with the Congress in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, however, the parties faced a drubbing as the BJP swept 25 out of the 28 seats in Karnataka and even an independent candidate supported by the BJP won from the Mandya constituency. (ANI)
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains including one in Bihar, Union Minister of State (MoS) Ashwini Choubey on Sunday lashed out at Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, adding that despite giving the invitation, he did not come. "Several ministers of the state (Bihar) did not come despite the invitation by the Railways. They are jealous of the country and state's development. The Chief Minister (CM Nitish Kumar) did not come despite the invitation. This is a matter of shame for Bihar," Choubey said. Earlier in the day, PM Modi flagged off the Patna-Howrah Vande Bharat Express through video-conferencing on Sunday. "25 Vande Bharat Express trains are already running, now nine more have been added," he added. PM Modi virtually flagged off nine Vande Bharat Express trains, and said that the speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with aspirations of 140 crore Indians. "The speed and scale of infrastructure development are matching with the aspirations of 140 crore Indians. Today people of Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Bihar, West Bengal, Kerala, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gujarat will get the facility of Vande Bharat Express trains. These new Vande Bharat Express trains depict the new energy of the country," PM Modi said while speaking at the launch of new trains. PM Modi said that 25 Vande Bharat Express trains are already running, now nine more will be added to them. "The popularity of Vande Bharat trains is constantly rising. Over 1,11,00,000 crore passengers have already travelled on them," he added. The launch of these trains will connect religious and tourist destinations across 11 these states, a PMO statement said earlier. The new trains are Udaipur Jaipur Vande Bharat Express, Tirunelveli-Madurai- Chennai Vande Bharat Express, Hyderabad Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express, Vijayawada Chennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express, Patna Howrah Vande Bharat Express, Kasaragod - Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express, Rourkela - Bhubaneswar Puri Vande Bharat Express, Ranchi Howrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express. The introduction of these Vande Bharat trains will herald a new standard of rail service in the country. These trains, equipped with world-class amenities and advanced safety features, including Kavach technology, will be a key step towards providing modern, speedy and comfortable means of travel to common people, professionals, businessmen, student community and tourists," the PMO statement added. (ANI)
Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Sunday inaugurated the revamped Tezu airport in Lohit district adding that it is a "historic day" for Arunachal Pradesh. After inaugurating the revamped Tezu airport, Scindia said, "Today is a historic day for Arunachal Pradesh. An airport with a Rs 170 crore capital investment and a 40,000 square foot area has been inaugurated," Scindia said. He further said that this happened because of the commitment and determination of Prime Minister Modi. "The North-East region had only nine airports; today there are 17 airports. This connectivity will bring strategic importance and prosperity. An airport is a medium for bringing economic activity to the region," he added. The upgraded airport includes two aprons designed for ATR 72 type aircraft, a runway extended to 1500m x 30m, a traveller-friendly terminal, and a Fire Station cum Air Traffic Control Tower with a wide 75m runway strip. The inauguration event was also attended by the Deputy Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Chowna Mein. The Civil Aviation Minister of the state, Airports Authority of India (AAI) member planning AK Pathak, local MPs, and MLAs including other senior government officials also attended the event. According to AAI officials, the terminal will be able to handle 300 passengers at peak hours, due to which two ATR aircraft can come here at the same time. The length of the runway is 1,500 meters. AAI carried out development and upgradation work to make Tezu Airport operational at the request of the State Government. The domestic airport has undergone a transformation with the implementation of infrastructure upgrades worth Rs 170 crore. These developments include the extension of the runway to 1500 meters by 30 meters, the construction of a modern apron capable of accommodating two ATR 72 type aircraft, the establishment of a new terminal building, and the creation of a fire station cum Air Traffic Control (ATC) Tower. Tezu Airport was operationalised in 2018 under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The airport is currently connected to Dibrugarh, Imphal, and Guwahati through regular scheduled flights by Alliance Air and Flybig airline. Tezu is a small town situated on the banks of the Lohit River and is the headquarters of the Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh. The city is known for its natural beauty, where there are lush green forests and high hills all around. (ANI)
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday was seen interacting with a group of students onboard the Vande Bharat Express from Bhubaneswar to Angul. Odisha's second Vande Bharat Express was among the nine new Vande Bharat Express trains that was flagged off virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. "This is the way PM Modi works, with speed, on a big scale and with big ambition and new aspiration. I am so happy today, the Vande Bharat Express is going through my village, Pradhan said This (Vande Bharat) will connect Odishas cultural capital to Industrial cities of the state and will increase job opportunities for the youths of Odisha. It will provide transport facilities to people, and this train is dedicated to common people," the Union Minister said. Meanwhile, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan and Union Minister L Murugan also travelled by the Thirunelveli-Chennai Vande Bharat Express train. "I am very happy to travel on the Vande Bharat train, I thank our PM Modi for making this possible. Today, people were very happy, they praised the facilities on the train...this is a great experience", said Soundararajan while interacting with mediapersons. She also shared her happiness over South Tamil Nadu getting a Vande Bharat Express train.Soundarajan said that earlier during her interaction with Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw she had requested superfast trains for South Tamil Nadu following the limited number of trains in the region. "When I met the Railway Minister in Hyderabad, I told him that South Tamil Nadu people are struggling for transportation without trains and buses and fewer flights. So I asked him for Vande Bharat and the superfast trains for South Tamil Nadu. He replied in a positive manner. I am very happy that South Tamil Nadu is getting the Vande Bharat train today," said Soundarajan who is also the Lt Governor of Puducherry. (ANI)
As per the IAF, the Defence Minister would also formally induct the C-295 transport aircraft into the Indian Air Force.

The induction ceremony will be done in the presence of top military officials including IAF chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari.

Notably, the IAF, recognizing the potential of indigenous drone design and development, is collaborating with the Drone Federation of India to jointly host 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023.'

This event, scheduled for September 25th and 26th, will take place at the IAF's Hindan airbase in Ghaziabad and will feature live aerial demonstrations.

In India, the utilization of drones is on the rise, spanning across military and civilian applications.

Drone technology has rapidly transformed both civil and defense sectors, enhancing efficiency, reducing risk exposure, and elevating capabilities, said the press release.

The IAF has extensive experience in deploying Remotely Piloted Aircraft for Intelligence Surveillance and reconnaissance operations.

To harness the burgeoning drone technology sector in India, the IAF initiated the Meher Baba Swarm Drone competition, showcasing its faith in the nation's drone capabilities, according to the release.

Now, with 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023,' the IAF is poised to further leverage this expertise.'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' promises to spotlight the full potential of the Indian drone industry, with an impressive lineup of over 50 live aerial demonstrations.

These demonstrations will encompass a diverse range of drone applications, including survey drones, agriculture drones, fire suppression drones, tactical surveillance drones, heavy-lift logistics drones, loitering munition systems, drone swarms, and counter-drone solutions, said the release.

The event will also witness the active participation of more than 75 drone start-ups and corporate entities.

Anticipated to draw approximately 5,000 attendees, 'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' will serve as a convergence point for a wide spectrum of stakeholders.

Representatives from central government agencies, state departments, public and private industries, armed forces, paramilitary forces, friendly foreign countries, academic institutions, students, and drone enthusiasts are expected to grace the event, said the release.

This collaboration between the Indian Air Force and the Drone Federation of India underscores the commitment to advancing drone technology and its applications in India.

The event promises to showcase the capabilities of Indian drones and provide a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and collaboration among industry leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts.

'Bharat Drone Shakti 2023' marks a step towards harnessing the full potential of this transformative technology for the nation's benefit. (ANI)
All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) on Sunday claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will not be able to win more than 7 out of 14 Lok Sabha seats from Assam in the 2024 general elections. "BJP wouldn't able to win more than 7 seats in Assam in upcoming Lok Sabha polls," Jeherul Islam Badshah, spokesperson of AIUDF said. The AIUDF leader also informed that his party will contest elections from three Lok Sabha seats this time including Nagaon, Dhubri and Karimganj. "Our party is now focusing on these three seats and we are very much hopeful that, we will able to win from all three seats. Earlier also, AIUDF won three Lok Sabha seats in Assam," Jeherul Islam Badshah said. Talking about the INDIA bloc, the AIUDF leader said, "Our party chief Badruddin Ajmal already declared that, AIUDF will unconditionally support INDIA." "Our party is yet to be a part of INDIA. But, we are hopeful that, AIUDF will become the biggest party who will give maximum seats to INDIA from outside to form the next government at centre," the AIUDF leader added. INDIA or Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by PM Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The first meeting of the joint opposition convened in Patna on June 23 and the second meeting was held in Bengaluru on July 17-18. The third meeting in Mumbai on August 31-September 1. (ANI)
Two students of the Loreto Convent Tara Hall in Himachal Pradesh's Shimla, Aahana Verma and Jiya Verma donated Rs 10,229 and Rs 9,806 respectively by presenting their 'Gullaks' to State Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the statement read.

"It is a matter of happiness that the children are also sharing their responsibility for this noble cause by making contributions to mitigate the sufferings of the disaster affected people serving as an inspiring example of solidarity and compassion", CM Sukhu said.

It is worth mentioning that Himachal Pradesh has witnessed a catastrophe this year with the monsoon causing a massive infrastructural damage and claiming several lives.

According to officials, the current monsoon season has claimed the lives of 400 individuals in rain-related incidents and caused damage to more than 13,000 houses.

Incessant rains in Himachal Pradesh have led to multiple landslides and cloudbursts in several places.

Meanwhile, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution demanding the Union government to declare destruction caused by recent heavy rains in the state as a "national disaster."

Earlier on September 18, the Himachal Pradesh government moved a resolution in the state assembly recommending the central government to declare the destructions caused by heavy rains in the state during the monsoon season this year a national disaster.

According to state officials, Himachal Pradesh has incurred a loss of Rs. 12000 crores in the rain-induced calamities during the monsoon this year so far. (ANI)
Union Minister Ramdas Athawale on Sunday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the passage of Women's Quota Bill calling it a 'historical decision'. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken a historical decision. 33pc of the women from across the nation will now come to the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha as 'lawmakers'. It is a revoltutionary step. All the other parties have supported us", Athawale told reporters in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. The Women's Quota Bill, cleared its final legislative hurdle at the Rajya Sabha on Thursday with 214 members voting in support and none against. Earlier on Wednesday, the bill was shown the green flag by the Lok Sabha with the brute majority of 454 votes in favour and just 2 against. The Rajya Sabha had earlier passed the Womens Reservation Bill in 2010 during the Congress-led UPA government but it was not taken up in the Lok Sabha and subsequently lapsed in the lower House of Parliament. In 1996, under the United Front Government (an alliance of 13 political parties) headed by then Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda, the bill was brought but it faced opposition from the alliance parties due to the latter's demand to take into account the OBCs. Since then, the bill had been in limbo for 27 years. Meanwhile, taking a dig at the Congress, Athawale said, "Rahul Gandhiji says that the bill should account for OBCs too. Why didn't you do it then while you were in power?" Attacking the INDIA bloc, which is an alliance of 28 political parties formed to take on the BJP in 2024 general elections, the Union Minister said, "They are gathering to defeat Modiji. In 1975 when there was an emergency, Indira Gandhi (former PM) put all the leaders behind the bars now they are standing with the Congress today". "Modiji is doing such a good work for the countries. No matter what the opposition does, the public is with us. We will surely win over 300 seats in the upcoming general assembly polls", he further claimed. Meanwhile, before the general assembly polls, the elections are scheduled to be held in five states this year, including, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana and Mizoram for which, the parties are leaving no stone unturned in wooing voters. Prime Minister Modi is all set to arrive in the Dadiya village of Rajasthan's Jaipur to culminate the party's Parivartan Sankalp Yatra, which covered 200 constituencies in the state, thus reaching out to over one crore people, with the BJP aiming to achieve the maximum number of seats in the state assembly polls. Earlier on Saturday, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge and leader Rahul Gandhi arived in Jaipur and addressed the public gathering. Gandhi hailed the Rajasthan government'sefforts in providing accessible healthcare services. "I went to talk to porters in Delhi. They had seen a video of mine and called me for a talk. They told me how the Rajasthan government saved their lives by providing accessible healthcare services. In Rajasthan, we opened 3,600 English medium schools, we provided healthcare services. We provided domestic gas cylinders at Rs 500," he said. (ANI)
Nythaniel Tena of Plano gets a COVID-19 vaccination from nurse Linda Hartley of Campton Hills last year at the Kane County mass vaccination site in Batavia. Kane County health officials are advising residents to get the new COVID-19 vaccine to fight against mutations of the virus. (David Sharos / The Beacon-News)

The Kane County Health Department is recommending residents get the new COVID-19 vaccine to fight against mutations of the virus as the area enters the cold and flu season.

Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson stressed the importance of getting vaccines for COVID-19, the flu and RSV to avoid a seasonal tripledemic of respiratory viruses.

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Kane County Health Department Executive Director Michael Isaacson. (Kane County / HANDOUT)

The health department is offering the new COVID-19 vaccine to children 18 years old and younger with Vaccines for Children (VFC) and Childrens Health Insurance Plans (CHIP). Isaacson said people 19 years old and older should seek the vaccine and a flu shot through their primary care doctor or local pharmacy.

I talked with peers in health departments and most are not going to vaccinate adults because they are not set up to bill private insurances and its expensive to purchase the vaccine, Isaacson told the Kane County Board Public Health Committee.

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The county is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and are monitoring the situation, but have yet to see a dramatic spike, he said.

Isaacson said it looks like the nation is heading in the direction of offering COVID-19 vaccines each fall, similar to a flu shot, rather than as a booster.

Only one new COVID-19 shot is needed and can be done at least two months after the last vaccination, health officials said.

The new vaccine touts protection against new variants like the Kraken strain and other mutations such as BA.2.86.

The federal government will no longer be paying for vaccinations, but most Americans will still receive the vaccine for free through their health insurance plans, officials said.

To schedule an appointment with the Kane County Health Department for a child, residents can call 630-208-3801.

COVID is still around, Isaacson said. It is crucial to reemphasize the importance of getting vaccinated not only to protect yourself but to control the spread of the virus in our community.

mejones@chicagotribune.com
Union Minister of State (MoS) V Muraleedharan and several Bharatiya Janata Party workers welcomed the Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram Vande Bharat Express train that reached the district's Central Station late Sunday evening around 11 pm. Muraleedharan, while speaking to ANI, said that this is the first time in the history of Indian Railways that a train has become a celebrity. "The second Vande Bharat allocated for Kerala which was inaugurated by PM Modi has travelled and reached Thiruvananthapuram. It has been a lifetime experience for everyone who travelled on this train. The thousands of people who gathered at various railway stations, thousands of people including school children who travelled in the train, every one of them told me how they loved, how they cherished the travel. There were thousands of people who were taking selfies with the train...Perhaps this is the first time in the history of India, in the history of Indian Railways that a train has become a celebrity," he said. The second semi-high-speed train of Kerala was among the nine Vande Bharat Express, which were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday. People welcomed the Vande Bharat on its arrival at the Thiruvananthapuram Central Station by clicking pictures and showering flower petals. "I must thank the Prime Minister for providing this world-class facility to the state of Kerala," added Muraleedharan. The train will operate six days a week except Tuesday from Kasaragod-Thiruvananthapuram up and down. It will take 8 hours and 5 minutes to reach its destination. The second train dedicated to the state will be operated via the Alappuzha route while the first Vande Bharat is being operated via Kottayam. Apart from Kasargod-Thiruvananthapuram, the other new trains flagged off on Sunday, are UdaipurJaipur Vande Bharat Express, Tirunelveli-Madurai-Chennai Vande Bharat Express, HyderabadBengaluru Vande Bharat Express, VijayawadaChennai (via Renigunta) Vande Bharat Express, PatnaHowrah Vande Bharat Express, Rourkela-BhubaneswarPuri Vande Bharat Express, RanchiHowrah Vande Bharat Express and Jamnagar-Ahmedabad Vande Bharat Express. The Vande Bharat train is an initiative of the government under PM Modi's vision of 'Make in India'. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday (local time) said that India will be a partner, contributor and collaborator on how to address development challenges. He said that India has endeavoured to walk the talk when it comes to South-South cooperation. While addressing the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development in New York, Jaishankar called the inclusion of the African Union in the G20 as one of the important outcomes of the G20 Summit. He said that India's experiences of the G20 Presidency will be placed before everyone in a "spirit of sharing." "While we are, of course, the G20 president till the end of this year, both before the G20 presidency and certainly after it, we will remain very much a partner, a contributor, a collaborator in our own way, perhaps an inspiration to others on how to address developmental challenges. Our experiences and our achievements be placed before you in a spirit really of sharing," Jaishankar said at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development. "We know that there may be aspects of it which you may find useful from, as Ambassador Kamboj mentioned, that we are today active in almost 80 countries around the world. And what I can say is that when it has come to South-South cooperation, we have endeavoured to walk the talk. My remarks on this subject would, of course, not be complete without my underlining what I believe was one of the really important outcomes of the G20, which was the membership of the African Union. And certainly, it is our hope that that message would resonate not just in the G20, but beyond them as well," he added. He emphasised that geopolitical calculations and geopolitical contests today are affecting the very basic requirements of many nations, including their affordable access to food, fertilizers and energy. "With each passing day, in fact, it has become clearer to us that today geopolitical calculations and geopolitical contests are impacting very basic requirements of many countries, including their affordable access to food, to fertilizers and to energy," Jaishankar said. "It was therefore, for us a particularly onerous responsibility to make sure that in collaboration with all our G20 members, we were able to refocus the G20 on the urgent depressing needs of the Global South and this was reflected in my mind in eight key outcomes of the New Delhi G20 Summit - the action plan for sustainable Development Goals, the reform of international financial institutions, a Green development Pact, the high principles for Life the Lifestyle for Environment Initiative, an understanding on debt management, a consensus on woman-led development, an acceptance of digital public infrastructure and an agreement to undertake global skills mapping," he added. He said that the G20 Summit held in India laid the foundation for the international community to look at the development prospects. "We do believe that the New Delhi summit of the G20 has in many ways laid the foundation for the international community really to look at its development prospects, hopefully with greater optimism, certainly in our expectation, with more resources, and that the decade ahead would allow us really to overcome the challenges that we have all experienced over the last few years," Jaishankar said. Jaishankar called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a "very deep North-South divide." He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future,'" Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organization on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. Earlier, Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations said, "...As far as India is concerned, our engagement with the Global South is not just a matter of policy, it is ingrained in the very fabric of our culture and philosophy. Earlier this month, the G20 New Delhi leaders' declaration reinforced our commitment to the comprehensive development of fellow developing nations." In her address at the at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development, Kamboj recalled that India had during the COVID-19 pandemic extended a helping hand by providing made-in-India vaccines to nearly 100 countries and supplying medicines to 150 nations.(ANI)
Bhutan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Tandi Dorji congratulated India for the remarkable success of the G20 Summit held in Delhi. He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the External Affairs Minister for their "adept diplomacy" in achieving unanimous consensus on the comprehensive joint Declaration on the opening day of the G20 Summit and the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor. While addressing the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Tandi Dorji said that the G20 Summit marked a significant milestone with the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member. "Let me begin by extending my heartful congratulations to India for the remarkable success of the G20 Summit held recently in New Delhi. This summit marked a significant milestone with the admission of the African Union as its newest member, ensuring the representation of all 55 African countries within the G20, which was previously limited to South Africa alone," Tandi Dorji said. "Undoubtedly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi deserves recognition for championing the inclusion of the African Union in the G20. His proposal made three months prior to the Summit laid the foundation for this historic decision," he added. He said, "Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge and commend Prime Minister Modi and DrJaishankar for the adept diplomacy in achieving unanimous consensus on the comprehensive Joint Declaration on the opening day of the Summit, as well as the successful launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor." He called India's ties with the Global South "dynamic and multifaceted." He said that India has robust bilateral ties with various nations in the Global South and places significant emphasis on South-South cooperation. "India's relationship with the Global South is both dynamic and multifaceted. The nation has cultivated robust bilateral ties with numerous countries in the Global South and places a significant emphasis on South-South cooperation," Bhutan's Foreign Minister said."This cooperative approach involves collaborations among these nations to foster mutual development through various forums and initiatives. India also extends technical assistanceand concessional loans to support development projects in partner countries. The Vaccine Maitri Initiative, which was one of the biggest humanitarian initiatives undertaken by India, has provided COVID vaccines to nearly 100 countries around the world," he added. He stated that the partnership between India and Bhutan serves as a "remarkable example" of strong bilateral ties in the Global South. Lauding India's support for Bhutan, Tandi Dorji said that it has not only boosted Bhutan's economy but also enhanced its energy security."The enduring partnership between Bhutan and India serves as a remarkable example of strongbilateral relations in the Global South. Rooted in shared values and historical ties, this partnership spans various sectors, including trade, education and development," Tandi Dorji said. "India's consistent support for Bhutan's socioeconomic development, coupled with collaborative efforts in the hydropower sector, has not only boosted Bhutan's economy but also enhanced regional energy security. The enduring people-to-people ties between the two nations further strengthened this bond," he added. He said that India stands as a "stalwart leader" of the Global South. Praising India for its "stewardship" of the G20 Presidency, Tandi Dorji said that New Delhi has played a key role in showcasing the concerns and interests of the Global South. He said that India's hosting of the G20 Summit and its dedication to the welfare of the Global South showcases its leadership in the international arena. "In many respects, India stands as a stalwart leader of the Global South, advocating for the interests and concerns of developing nations on the international stage. Through its stewardship of the G20 Presidency, India has played a pivotal role in amplifying the concerns and interests of the Global South, embodying the spirit of solidarity and cooperation among nations. Speaking about the challenges faced by Global South, he said, "the Global South confronts an array of challenges ranging from poverty, income equality and limited access to health care and education to issues such as food insecurity, inadequate access to clean water and sanitation, high unemployment rates, political instability, climate change, trade imbalances and digital divide.""Addressing these complex issues necessates a multifaceted approach involving international collaboration, investment in human capital and infrastructure, enhanced governance and accountability, and the adoption of sustainable development practices," he added. Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development in New York, Jaishankar began his speech by speaking about India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future," Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organization on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. (ANI)
Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji on Saturday (local time) lauded India's G20 Presidency calling it "stunning and exemplary." He called India a "very strong partner" for Bhutan. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Tandi Dorji said, "India has always been a very strong partner for Bhutan and will continue to wish India the best. And we hope that India will continue to be the voice of the Global South." "Absolutely stunning, as I mentioned, India's presidency of the G20 was very, very exemplary. In that, it represented all of the global south. And for the entire year, India has always included the participation of all the countries from the Global South. And we are very, very proud to be a partner of India," he added. Speaking to ANI, Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa said,"The colleagues who spoke on the presidency of India's G20 encapsulated, I think, the general feeling of the South in terms of India's leadership and stewardship of the development process and in partnerships with the South. And I think there's been a significant leadership role. And you can see by the representation at the meeting today people's appreciation of that leadership, which is very much needed in the current geopolitical framework and architecture." In an interview with ANI, three-time Grammy Award-Winning Ricky Kej said that India is taking strong leadership considering how highly the leaders have spoken about India's role in the South South Cooperation. Kej said that India has been looked upon as a leader of the Global South and he feels "proud about it." Ricky Kej said, "I'm really glad to be at this beautiful event over here in New York on the sidelines of the General Assembly Week. And it's so amazing to see where India is right now, because in the past, we've always felt that India was always on the sidelines when it came intergovernmental decisions and right now, India is not only participating, but India is taking strong leadership, especially right now, looking at all these amazing excellencies speaking about India's role in South South cooperation that India has looked upon as a leader of the Global South." He further said, "And it made me so proud to see all of these amazing leaders speaking so highly about our country, India. And under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, we're really going from strength to strength. We are taking all of these countries along with us and moving forward because, as they say about Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, at the end of the day, it's one planet, it's one family, andit's one common future for all of us. And we are taking that very, very seriously." External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, UNGA President and foreign Ministers of several nations, including Bhutan, Dominica have participated in the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event. Jaishankar called India's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." In his address at India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development in New York, Jaishankar began his speech by speaking about India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. He said that India was very determined to ensure that India's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. "Your presence means a lot to us. It also expresses the sentiments that you feel for India and underlines the import of South-South cooperation. We meet just a few weeks after the New Delhi G20 Summit, a summit which took place on the theme of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future," Jaishankar said. "Now, it was a challenging summit. It was actually a challenging presidency, and it was challenging because we were confronting a very sharp East-West polarization as well as a very deep North-South divide. But we were very determined as the Presidency of the G20 to make sure that this organization on which the world really had put so much hope and was able to get back to its core agenda," he added. Jaishankar stressed that the core agenda of India's G20 Presidency was global growth and development. He said that India began its G20 Presidency by convening the voice of the Global South Summit. "And its core agenda was of global growth and development. So it was appropriate that we started our G20 Presidency by convening the voice of the Global South Summit. An exercise which involved 125 nations of the south of which most of you in some capacity participated," Jaishankar said. (ANI)
Administrator of UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Achim Steiner has lauded Indias G20 presidency and underscored Indias prominent role in significant initiatives for South-South cooperation. In an exclusive interview with ANI, Steiner said, So, at the end of very intense UNGA week with over 100 heads of state and hundreds of ministers and civil society representatives discussing the future of development, climate change, but also geopolitics, I think it became clear that India has had a very prominent role, particularly this year G20 presidency, but also many of the significant initiatives for South-South cooperation that we discussed here. He was speaking on the sidelines of the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event. Steiner also stated that the UNDP will continue to walk alongside India to aid the developing countries. This afternoon feature the United Nations, the United Nations Development Program, and particularly as we look forward to India's leadership. For instance, on digital public infrastructure. UNDP will continue to walk alongside India in helping developing countries take advantage of the digital opportunities of the future, he said. Other countries have also congratulated India's G20 Presidency. Bhutan's Foreign Minister Tandi Dorji on Saturday (local time) said India's G20 Presidency was "stunning and exemplary" and termed India a "very strong partner" for Bhutan. Dorji said, "Indiahas always been a very strong partner forBhutanand will continue to wishIndiathe best. And we hope thatIndiawill continue to be the voice of the Global South." "Absolutely stunning, as I mentioned,India's presidency of the G20 was very, very exemplary. In that, it represented all of the global south. And for the entire year,Indiahas always included the participation of all the countries from the Global South. And we are very, very proud to be a partner ofIndia," he added. Speaking to ANI,Samoa Prime MinisterFiame Naomi Mataafasaid,"The colleagues who spoke on the presidency ofIndia's G20 encapsulated, I think, the general feeling of the South in terms ofIndia's leadership and stewardship of the development process and in partnerships with the South. And I think there's been a significant leadership role. And you can see by the representation at the meeting today people's appreciation of that leadership, which is very much needed in the current geopolitical framework and architecture." External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, UNGA President and the foreign ministers of several nations, including Bhutan, Dominica participated in the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event. Jaishankar calledIndia's G20 Presidency challenging due to a "very sharp East-West polarization and a very deep North-South divide." In his address atIndia-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development inNew York, Jaishankar spoke abou India's G20 Presidency and recently held the G20 Summit. He said thatIndiawas very determined to ensure thatIndia's G20 Presidency was able to get back to its core agenda. Notably, Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York city, Jaishankar will travel to Washington, DC. (ANI)
The accident took place after a Mianwali-bound passenger train hit a freight train already parked on the main railway line, say police.

The injured victims include women and children as well, according to ARY News.

After the incident, the rescue teams reached the spot and shifted the injured to a nearby hospital. The condition of five victims is said to be critical.

Notably, this incident comes just months after the major Hazara Express train derailment which killed at least 34 people.

Earlier on August 6, at least 34 people were killed and over 100 people sustained injuries after 10 bogies of Hazara Express traveling from Karachi to Rawalpindi derailed near Nawab Shah.

Railway officials reported that the tragic incident occurred near Saharai Railway Station, located between Shahzadpur and Nawabshah when the Hazara Express was en route from Karachi, as per ARY News.

The derailment resulted in 10 bogies veering off the tracks, leading to chaos and injuries among the passengers on board.

A preliminary report into the accident stated that the accident happened due to missing fishplates and a broken track, Dawn reported.

After the incident, Pakistan Railways also suspended six officials in connection with the horrific train accident.

Notably, the old rails and historic bridges make Pakistan Railways dangerous and unsafe. Over the system, there are 13,841 bridges, including 532 major and 13,309 minor ones. Surprisingly, practically all of the bridges were built when the subcontinent's railway system was inaugurated in 1870, according to The Nation

Also, the theft of rail tracks, engines and particular parts has been commonplace for decades in Pakistan, The Nation reported. (ANI)
An unarmed young man, allegedly transporting betel nuts (chhalia) in his car, was fatally shot by police after he failed to stop his vehicle in Orangi Town Dawn reported. The incident that took place on Saturday sparked a robust protest by the victim's relatives, prompting immediate action from the authorities, who ordered the arrest of the police officer responsible for the shooting. West-SSP Mahzor Ali informed Dawn that during a routine inspection, the Pakistan Bazaar police signalled for a car to halt. However, instead of stopping, the driver attempted to flee. In pursuit, a police officer fired at the vehicle from behind, and the bullet struck the man, later identified as Ajmal, according to Dawn. Ajmal was rushed to Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival, according to SSP Ali. The SSP noted that upon inspecting the car, it was discovered that a significant quantity of betel nuts was being transported, suggesting a possible reason for the victim's attempt to escape. Taking swift action, SSP Ali initiated an arrest of the police officer, Ahmed, for discharging his firearm at the vehicle. An FIR was lodged against him under Section 319 (manslaughter) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC). In response to the incident, the family and friends of the victim organized a protest outside the office of SSP-West, demanding that the police officer be charged under Section 302 (premeditated murder) of the PPC instead of manslaughter. However, SSP Ali asserted that the police constable had no 'intention' of causing the man's death, as he had fired his weapon solely to bring the car to a halt for inspection. He further clarified that the victim had no prior criminal record, Dawn reported. (ANI)
ISS is conducted by the US Navy at US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island and provides the opportunity to engage with Friendly Foreign Countries towards the shared vision of enhancing maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

I firmly believe that despite all technological advancements, our men and women have been and will remain our greatest asset in the foreseeable future, US Navy quoted Adm R Hari Kumar as saying.

The CNS also held bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the ISS with his counterparts from various countries including the USA, Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Israel, Italy Japan, Kenya, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the UK.

The extensive engagements during the visit are a demonstration of the Indian Navys steadfastness towards realising the vision for a Free Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific and International Rules-Based Order.

During the visit extensive deliberations were also held towards exploring greater IN-USN operational engagements at bilateral and multilateral exercises such as the Malabar, RIMPAC, Sea Dragon and Tiger Triumph.

Regular Subject Matter Expert exchange also takes place between both the Navies to institutionalise interoperability in various fields.

At the ISS the CNS spoke extensively about the challenges of Human Resource Management, with specific reference to recruitment and retention of trained personnel and Indias initiatives towards addressing these through the Agnipath Scheme, empowering women and driving the Indian Navy into a gender-neutral force.

Kumars visit to the US provided a significant opportunity for Apex Level Navy to Navy engagements for deepening bilateral cooperation as well as engaging with diverse partners across the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)
St. Olaf Lutheran Church on Douglas Road in Montgomery hopes to fill the pews for its 135th anniversary celebration on Oct. 1, as well as keep them filled throughout the year. (St. Olaf Lutheran Church/HANDOUT)

We dont have a religion writer like we did back in the days when I first began working for this newspaper, but if we did, that reporter would be plenty busy trying to keep up with all the news thats occurring in our faith-based communities.

Its not all positive, by any means.

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Even a couple decades before the pandemic, which greatly impacted all institutions where people go to gather, national surveys revealed significant drops in church attendance as society became more secular and fewer Americans identified with any one denomination.

In 1999, a Gallup poll showed 70% of U.S. adults attended services regularly. In 2018 that dropped to 50%, and three years later was down to 47%. So it should come as no surprise there have been a number of church closings in the area, as well as some surprising mergers.

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About five years ago, for example, Auroras once-thriving Fourth Street United Methodist Church, founded 127 years earlier on the citys near East Side, was down to about 45 members when it merged with another UMC looking to grow its congregation.

In April, Aurora Advent Christian, which had been around for 163 years and was only a few decades ago one of the citys largest churches, held its final service with 75 current and past members in attendance. The following week it became part of Redeemer Community Church, formerly of Oswego, which had been using Advents building on North Edgelawn Drive since 2020.

And as I reported last week, on Oct. 8 the predominantly white Ginger Creek Community Church off Butterfield Road, which had been founded nearly 40 years ago, will officially become Purpose City Church as it merges with All Nations Aurora, a fairly new and mostly African-American church.

Its mission - to become more inclusive and a resource for the needs of a diverse community. Which makes sense. While churches will always be a place of worship, Jesus did not spend a lot of time inside a synagogue when he walked the Earth, but rather went directly to the people, as he instructed his apostles to do.

Members of Ginger Creek Community Church and All Nations Aurora met recently to talk about the upcoming merger of the two Aurora congregations, which will become Purpose City Church on Oct. 8. (David Smith/HANDOUT)

Churches have to get involved in the community and be a resource for that community, insisted Purpose City Church member David Smith, who has founded several successful youth mentoring programs in Aurora.

It means knocking on doors, sending out flyers, doing what it takes to let people know you are here, he said. You can go by a church a million times on your way to and from work and not even know it is there.

That same attitude is shared by St. Olaf Lutheran, which will hold its 135th anniversary celebration at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 1 in its red brick church at 1233 Douglas Road in Montgomery.

That Sunday service will honor the rich history of St. Olaf, with former pastors and longtime members sharing many stories. Plus, the Sons of Norway will make a visit in native costumes to celebrate its rich heritage.

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But St. Olaf, like so many mainline churches, is struggling to fill the pews. Membership is down from about 250 when the current church was constructed in 1969 to around 50 to 75 active members now, says former church council member Jennifer Meyer.

Meyer, a self-described Gen Xer who joined St. Olaf in 2015, immediately became active in its leadership, along with her husband, because the people are so warm here  it is so much like family.

But the members are getting older, and that spells trouble.

Even its preschool, vibrant for 21 years, ceased to exist this year, in part because of the aging demographics of the congregation. So the question becomes, who is the next group coming through the doors that will bring new life to it? Meyer asked.

We need ideas. We want to learn from each other.

The Rev. Joshua Skogerboe, who has served at four churches over his years as a minister, maintains that St. Olaf, where hes been pastor for the last nine, is one of the friendliest and most welcoming.

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The Rev. Joshua Skogerboe takes some time on Friday afternoon going door to door and handing out flyers about St. Olaf Lutheran Church's 135th anniversary celebration Oct. 1. (Dan Britton/HANDOUT)

Thousands of lives have been changed through the ministry here, he said.

Still, any institution thats been around this long should look back and take stock, Skogerboe added, including a willingness to do things weve never done before to reach people with the gospels.

Their plan is much like the mission of the newly-named Purpose City Church, to not only offer more resources to the community around it, but be more assertive in drawing people in.

That includes going out and meeting our neighbors instead of waiting for them to come to us, said Skogerboe. If we dont know them we cant love them.

Thats why he and Council President Dan Britton have been going door to door, handing out flyers about the upcoming celebration. Britton predicts by the time the anniversary rolls around next month, between 750 to 1,000 of these invitations will have gone out.

Its all part of a revival, not through gimmicky marketing but by making people feel welcome and letting a diverse community know there is something for them here, he said.

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In addition to Bible programs, including one that incorporates exercise into it for women, the church has a food pantry, prison ministry and longstanding partnership with Wayside Cross Ministries, including hosting its summer youth program that this year alone was attended by over 70 kids. The church also hosted a special concert for the public this spring that featured international Christian pianist Huntley Brown.

So much of what you buy is disposable. This is solid, said Meyer, adding that people are looking for ways to connect, not just spiritually but personally.

The Rev. Dan Haas, who has been a faith leader in Aurora for as long as I can remember, tells me the churches that are growing tend to have a more charismatic approach in theology and practice. If a church has a strong Biblical foundation and is willing to address issues of the day from that Biblical basis while also being welcoming and looking to build into peoples lives, then they will grow, he said.

One such congregation enjoying a robust membership is Calvary Assemblies of God on Route 59, where the Rev. Marty Sloan tells me the weekly in-person services attract around 5,000. Yet even he is fully aware of how these days even areas of spirituality are viewed through a secular and cultural lens and not necessarily a theological one.

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Therein lies the problem, the lead pastor added.

While much could be said about why church attendance is declining, in the end, he noted, I believe that the theological mindset behind the church, its purpose and presence in a society and a persons life is missing.

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Churches these days are viewed more so as a conversation of psychology, anthropology, sociology and even ideology rather than a working theology, Sloan continued. And since the pandemic, every church hes familiar with has experienced a reshaping, including Calvary.

We work to be very Bible-centric  we focus on each person being a disciple of Christ, he said, adding that the church has many passionate tenured people who want to see it grow and even change as all growth demands.

And so, despite the poll numbers, optimism is evident, not just at Calvary but from other church leaders I spoke with who remind me of the many uphill battles found in the Bible.

God has a mission to redeem humanity, insisted Sloan, and the local church is in that plan.

dcrosby@tribpub.com
Abu Dhabi [UAE], September 24 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, has met with Antnio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York. The meeting discussed the partnership between the UAE and the UN and its organisations and programmes across various areas, including humanitarian work, renewable energy, climate action and sustainable development. Sheikh Abdullah and the UN chief reviewed the outcomes of the UAE's membership in the UN Security Council during 2022-2023, its major contributions to multilateral work aimed at achieving international peace and security, as well as its rapid humanitarian response, and its leading efforts and initiatives to tackle various global challenges, including climate change. The two sides further discussed the UAE's preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) next November in Expo City Dubai. In this regard, the UAE's top diplomat affirmed that the UAE recognises the need to accelerate global response to climate change and achieve peace and security, noting that in hosting COP28, the country is looking forward to collaborating with the UN and all world nations to transform climate challenges into opportunities to drive sustainable and economic development and prosperity, securing the future of generations to come. Additionally, Sheikh Abdullah and Guterres discussed developments in the Middle East, and exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as challenges impeding international peace and security. The UAE foreign minister highlighted the UAE's firm commitment to working with the UN to enhance security and stability globally, support efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, and direct focus towards efforts to accelerate comprehensive sustainable development for all. For his part, the UN Secretary-General thanked the UAE for its strengthened engagement with the UN and its hosting of COP28. Attending the meeting were Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and UAE's Permanent Representative to the UN in New York; Mohamed Issa Abu Shehab, UAE's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; and Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of COP28. (ANI/WAM)
Holding his own party-led government in Canada responsible for inaction against Khalistan extremists, Liberal party MP Chandra Arya on Sunday asserted that Hindu Canadians were fearful after threats issued by extremist elements. Arya, who is a lawmaker from PM Justin Trudeaus party, has repeatedly raised the issue of threats to Hindu Canadians and urged the community to stay calm and vigilant. Arya's remarks came after Gurpatwant Singh Pannun and other extremist elements issued threats to the Hindu community in Canada, warning them to go back to India, amid the ongoing standoff between the two countries. Speaking to CBC News, Chandra Arya said, I am more worried about the consequence of what happened after the Prime Ministers (Trudeau) statement. The concerns of the safety of Hindu Canadians here, Hindu Canadians are fearful. He also cited a popular column, which had stated The risk of ethnic and sectarian bloodshed in Canada is real What I am worried is that the bloodshed is going to be Hindu Canadians blood, Arya added. The Canadian MP emphasized three major reasons, why he thinks that the Hindu Canadians are fearful today. First, the history of the Khalistan movement is filled with violence and killings. Tens of thousands of Hindus and Sikhs have been killed by Khalistani terrorists in the history of the Khalistani movement. The Canadians forget the biggest mass killing in history happened 38 years back, in the Air India bombing. That was the biggest aviation terrorism before 9/11. And that was done by a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist. The fact is that those terrorists are still worshipped at some places in Canada, he said. Arya also condemned the tableau parade, which was organized to celebrate the assassination of former PM Indira Gandhi Secondly, just a few months back, here in Toronto, a floor, a public parade of a cutout of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with a white saree splattered in blood, and her two assassins pointing guns at her. A public floor celebrating the attackthis is the core of terrorism, the killing of a duly elected Prime Minister of the largest democracy in the world. It was allowed to be publicly displayed and celebrated. Tell me, which country would allow, in the name of freedom of expression and freedom of speech, allow this to happen, Arya further said. He added, Thirdly, the leader of Sikhs for Justice, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun threatened the Hindu Canadians to leave the country and go to India. And this type of hate crime is done openly, without any consequences. The Liberal party leader also clarified that a vast majority of Sikh-Canaidans dont support the Khalistani movement and are closely integrated with the Hindu Canadians. Most Sikh-Canadians, a vast majority of Sikh-Canadians in Canada is not supporting the Khalistani movement. Well, they may not openly speak against the Khalistan movement, but they have a very close relationship with Hindu Canadians, through family relationships, and social and cultural ties. There is a very great integration of Hindu and Sikh Canadians here. However, a small fraction of the Sikh community are hardcore Khalistani terrorists, Arya added. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that Ottawa had credible intelligence linking Indian agents to the killing of Khalistani terrorist Nijjar in Vancouver. India, however, dismissed the allegations as absurd and motivated. This triggered diplomatic tensions between the two countries, with both New Delhi and Ottawa taking diplomatic steps and India suspending visa services to Canada. Hardeep Nijjar, a designated terrorist in India, was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. (ANI)
One Kosovar police officer was killed and another sustained injury in a shooting incident in a village in the north of Kosovo, near Serbia, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti has accused Serbia of politically, financially and logistically supporting the organized crime. Kurti said that Masked professionals armed with heavy weapons opened fire on a police patrol in the village of Banjska, Leposavic, 55km (35 miles) north of the capital, Pristina, at 3 am (local time) on Sunday. Organized crime, which is politically, financially and logistically supported from Belgrade, is attacking our state, Kurti wrote on his Facebook page. The government of the Republic of Kosovo and its state institutions are ready and coordinated to respond to crime and criminals, terror and terrorists, he added. On the other hand, the police have alleged that they were attacked from several different positions with an arsenal of firearms during an armed attack on a patrol as it approached a blocked road near the border with Serbia. The attackers were also reportedly armed with hand grenades and shoulder-fired missiles, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, Serbia has not yet commented on the incident and the accusation. Notably, tensions have been smouldering for months in the former Serbian province following Kosovos decision to install ethnic Albanian mayors in four Serb-majority municipalities last May, as per Al Jazeera The decision ignited clashes that left more than 90 NATO peacekeeping soldiers and some 50 Serb protesters injured in northern Kosovo. Ethnic Albanians form more than 90 per cent of the population in Kosovo, with Serbs being the majority only in its northern region, near the Serbian border, where a Serb-majority municipalities association is planned, according to Al Jazeera. European Union-sponsored talks on normalising relations between Kosovo and Serbia, two former wartime foes, stalled again last week, with the blocs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell blaming Kurti for failing to set up the association of Serb-majority municipalities, which would give them more autonomy. (ANI)
The exchange of fire took placeduring an Intelligence-Based Operations (IBO) in the general area of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

A statement issued by the military's media wing said, "During the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists. Own troops effectively engaged terrorists location."

ISPR further said that the sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any other terrorists found in the area, according to Geo News.

The security personnel was identified as 21-year-old Sepoy Shakeel Shafqat.

"Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve," the ISPR added.

Earlier in August, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said that

Last month, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir said that Pakistan was acting as a bulwark against terrorism. Moreover, the COAS also talked about regional security issues.

Pakistan security forces killed the former group commander of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Swat in an Intelligence-Based Operation (IBO) in the Swat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, The Express Tribune reported.

The former TTP Swat commander was infamous for whipping women and was identified as Naik Muhammad alias Niko alias Umar.

Earlier, nine Pakistan soldiers were killed and five others were injured in a suicide attack on a military convoy in Jani Khel general area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Bannu district, Dawn reported citing the armys media affairs wing.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), a motorcycle-borne suicide bomber exploded himself on a military convoy.

Since the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistans (TTP) ceasefire with the government ended last November, Pakistan has seen an increase in terrorist activity, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, Dawn reported.

According to a report published in July by the think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, the country saw an alarming spike in terror and suicide attacks in the first half of this year, which claimed the lives of 389 individuals, Dawn reported. (ANI)
Opposition leader in Gilgit-Baltistan, Kazim Mesum has questioned the six-day visit of US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome and expressed concern over what he called his mysterious activities, Dawn News reported on Sunday. During the six-day visit, US Ambassador visited different areas and met local representatives and Gilgit Baltistan government officials. As per the Pakistan-based news daily, the Ambassador's tour was kept secret by both the embassy and local government as no details were provided to media about the visit. The only official information about the envoys visit came in a statement issued by the GB deputy speakers office. Blome also met Food and Tourism Minister Ghulam Muhammad in Gilgit. The opposition leader of GB, Kazim Mesum in the GB assembly on Friday said, the mysterious activities of the US ambassador in the region has raised questions, adding that the GB government was not aware of the visit. There is a set procedure for any countrys ambassador to visit the region, he said, and called Blomes arrival in Gilgit after visiting Gwadar suspicious. According to the Dawn News, the US Ambassador also visited the port city days before his visit to GB, where China is executing infrastructure projects as part of CPEC. The opposition leader said visits to the two most vital areas of CPEC were part of the US CPEC containment policy. The ambassador visited areas from which the CPEC route will pass, Mr Mesum said. There are many under construction mega projects in GB including CPEC, Diamer Bhasha Dam, while threats of insurgency from Afghanistan and local security issues also exist. During this time, the undisclosed visit was alarming, he said. (ANI)
India-Mexico relations have consistently been friendly, warm and cordial, characterised by mutual understanding and growing bilateral trade and all-round cooperation.

Both countries are large emerging economies, with similar socio-economic development priorities and constraints, and have democratic, secular, and pluralistic systems, as well as convergent worldviews, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Earlier, Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings with the Cambodian Prime Minister and foreign minister of Guinea Bissau, Cyprus, Uganda and Egypt during his visit to the UNGA session in New York.

Earlier on Friday, the External Affairs Minister had a productive and busy day of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries on the margins of the 78th United National General Assembly in New York.

EAM began his day in New York with the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting which included the foreign ministers of the four-nation bloc -- External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Yko Kamikawa.

External Affairs Minister held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa and discussed regional, multilateral and global cooperation.

Jaishankar is leading the Indian delegation for a week-long visit to New York, where he will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26. (ANI)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is currently in New York to participate in the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, has been engaging in meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the event. A video shared on the social media platform X captures Jaishankar's interactions with his counterparts, including Sameh Shoukrey of Egypt, Gen Jeje Odongo of Uganda, Constantinos Kombos of Cyprus, Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau, and Abdul Momen of Bangladesh. Additionally, he also paid a visit to Prime Minister Hun Manet of Cambodia during his stay in New York. https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1705917683634520431 In the video, Jaishankar is also seen meeting the Samoan Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata'afa and his Bhutanese counterpart Tandi Dorji, Dominica's Foreign Minister Vince Henderson and Guyana's Foreign Minister Hugg Todd, among many others. It's worth noting that the External Affairs Minister is in New York to lead the Indian delegation at the United Nations General Assembly session. As per an official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs, he is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26. Following his engagements in New York, he will proceed to Washington, DC. Earlier on Friday, theExternal Affairs Ministerhad a productive and busy day of engagements with his counterparts from multiple countries on the margins of the 78th United National General Assembly in New York. On Saturday (local time)External Affairs MinisterS Jaishankar held a bilateral meeting with Cambodia's Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Manet Hun on the sidelines of 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.Earlier, Jaishankar held a meeting with Guinea Bissau counterpart Carlos Pereira and discussed expanding the development partnership and enhancing trade and investment between the two nations. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet FM Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed expanding our development partnership and enhancing our trade and investment." EAMS Jaishankarheld a bilateral meeting with his Cyprus counterpart Constantinos Kombos here on Saturday on the margins of the 78thUNGAsession. After shaking hands, both the leaders held bilateral talks in the presence of officials from both sides. Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, "Nice to meet Foreign Minister @ckombos of Cyprus this morning. Conveyed best wishes to President @Christodulides. Talked about follow-up steps to my visit last December. Indias interest in the Mediterranean is steadily growing. Cyprus will always be a valued partner." Prior to this, the EAM Jaishankar met Uganda's Foreign Minister General Odongo Jeje.During the meeting, the two leaders noted the progress of various bilateral initiatives. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "So glad to meet FM @GenJejeOdongo of Uganda again, now on #UNGA78 sidelines. Fondly recalled my visit to Uganda. Happy to note that the progress of various bilateral initiatives. Offered our fullest support on their upcoming NAM and G77 Presidencies." He also met his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry and held bilateral talks. After meeting his Egyptian counterpart, Jaishankar posted on X, "Great to see my friend FM of EgyptSameh Shoukryin New York on #UNGA78 sidelines. Appreciate his warm words for the Indian Presidency of G20. Took stock of the great progress in our bilateral cooperation. 2023 has been a landmark year in India-Egypt ties. Committed to take them forward." (ANI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited university students and young professionals who want to pursue further education for the G-20 University Connect Finale programme. The G-20 University Connect Finale is slated to take place at the Bharat Mandapam Convention Centre on September 26. In a post on the social media platform, LinkedIn, PM Modi said, "Over the last one year, the G-20 University Connect programme brought together Indias Yuva Shakti. The initiative, spanning the entire year, proved to be incredibly fulfilling, yielding highly satisfying outcomes. It showcased to the world how our youth have emerged as vibrant cultural envoys, who have cemented enduring connections with the G-20 fraternity." Extending the invite, the Prime Minister said, "I am delighted to invite you all, especially the university students and young professionals who are keen to pursue further education to a very special programme which will take place on Tuesday, 26th September. "On that day, the G-20 University Connect Finale will take place at the iconic Bharat Mandapam - the same place where esteemed world leaders converged for the G-20 Summit a few days ago," he added. The Prime Minister said that it has given the young the opportunity to learn more about India's G-20 Presidency, the issues we have focused on during our Presidency, spark a sense of global community, and get ready to be active creators of a Viksit Bharat by 2047. "The G-20 University Connect initiative has witnessed many programmes under its banner. These programmes have been held across the length and breadth of India and have witnessed extensive participation from higher education institutions. In fact, what initially began as a programme for universities quickly grew to include schools and colleges, reaching an even wider audience, PM Modi said in his LinkedIn post. "One particularly noteworthy event was the Model G20 Meeting, where students from 12 different nations, including 10 G20 countries, came to discuss the theme Youth for LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)," PM Modi noted. Prime Minister Modi said he is excited to hear about our Yuva Shakti's experiences at the unique G-20 University Connect programme and to learn from them. "Their enriching journey is bound to ignite inspiration among the youth of our nation. I particularly urge all the youngsters to join this unique endeavour," PM Modi added. (ANI)
United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis on Sunday shared his delight to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at a special event "to showcase the success story of India-UN cooperation with the Global South." Francis met EAM Jaishankar during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly and addressed the session on India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York on Saturday (local time). Sharing a glimpse of his meetings on social media 'X', the UNGA President stated, "Glad to join Minister @DrSJaishankar & @IndiaunNewyork at a special event to showcase the success story of India-UN cooperation with the Global South. India, home to one-sixth of humanity, plays an unparalleled role in our global mission for a better, more sustainable world." https://twitter.com/UN_PGA/status/1705920691273359754?t=KKiKL8jO1ultXJ1jNJne_A&s=08 While addressing the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event in New York, Francis said, "India's recent G20 presidency marked a historic milestone. Being the first to usher the African Union into the group as a permanent member. A strong symbol of solidarity and cooperation across the Global South." Francis said that India plays an "unparalleled role" in the global mission for a better and more sustainable world. He called India's legacy of contribution a "guiding light" and encompassing endeavours like championing democracy and promoting women-led development. "India, home to one-sixth of humanity, plays an unparalleled role in our global mission for a better, more sustainable world. India's legacy of contributions serves as a guiding light, encompassing endeavours such as championing democracy, promoting women-led development, and being among the pioneers in adopting the UN's global goals. Indeed, it is a matter of great honour for me to follow in the footsteps of Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit, the first-ever female President of the General Assembly, whom India proudly entrusted to the United Nations," Dennis Francis said. He stressed that the partnership between India and the UN serves as an "inspiration" to Global South, adding that the India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event echoes the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. UNGA President further said that multilateral organisations including the United Nations need the reform to fully recognise and leverage the significance of the Global South. "Our enduring partnership from the UN's heart to India's remotest villages serves as an inspiration to the Global South. Today's event echoes the messages of the G20 Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - The world is one family and we must support each other," he highlighted. Moreover, he also praised India's role in bolstering digital public infrastructure and innovative capacity-building. (ANI)
A Chinese ballet troupe celebrated the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria with impressive performances at the Algiers Opera House on Friday and Saturday.

The captivating performances were staged by artists from the Suzhou Ballet Theatre, and were jointly sponsored by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Algeria's Ministry of Culture and Arts, and the Chinese Embassy in Algeria.

These performances were part of "many magnificent cultural events celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria," said Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Jian

The ballet performance featured elements of Chinese culture through ballet in an Arab country, symbolizing the merging of cultures, the universal pursuit of beauty, and humanity's shared desire for peace and happiness, the Chinese envoy said.

For her part, Algerian Minister of Culture and Arts Soraya Mouloudji emphasized the deep friendship between Algeria and China, noting that cultural exchanges based on mutual respect are a crucial part of the two countries' enduring friendship and cooperation.

She stated that the Chinese artists' performance in Algeria exemplified the shared commitment of both nations to building stronger cultural ties.

Wang Quanxing, director of the Suzhou Ballet Theatre, expressed his gratitude for the warm reception from the Algerian audience.

He hoped that this series of performances would help introduce traditional Chinese culture, especially the distinctive culture of Suzhou, an eastern Chinese city with a rich cultural heritage. This, Wang believed, would also strengthen the enduring friendship between China and Algeria.

The Suzhou Ballet Theatre is performing in Algeria from Sept. 20 to 23, staging three performances in the capital Algiers and the northeastern province of Constantine.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with the foreign minister of Armenia, Ararat Mirzoyan on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Sunday in New York. Armenia and India's relations have been established since New Delhi recognized the independent Republic of Armenia on December 26, 1991, and after that, an ambassador in Moscow was concurrently accredited to Yerevan. Earlier, in September, the India Eurasia Trade Council (IETC) organized the India-Armenia Conference 2022 in Bengaluru where participants discussed with the Ambassador of Armenia the issues and prospects of the bilateral economic cooperation and presented several interesting proposals aimed at jointly implementing them. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also met the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konakovi in New York. The World leaders, notably are in New York for the UNGA session that is taking place there currently. Notably, EAM Jaishankar is in New York to lead theIndian delegation for theUNGA session where he will address theUnited NationsGeneral Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC. Earlier, External Affairs MinisterS Jaishankaralong withUnited NationsGeneral Assembly President Dennis Francis and foreign ministers of other nations arrived to attend theIndia-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development event. The event took place on Saturday(local time) in New York. The leaders posed for the pictures before the start of the event. Jaishankaron Saturday (local time) held a bilateral meeting with Cambodia's Prime Minister Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Manet Hun on the sidelines of 78th session of theUnited Nations General Assemblyin New York. He also held a meeting with Guinea Bissau counterpart Carlos Pereira and discussed expanding development partnership and enhancing trade and investment between two nations. In a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, "Good to meet FM Carlos Pereira of Guinea Bissau on #UNGA78 sidelines. Discussed expanding our development partnership and enhancing our trade and investment." EAMS Jaishankarheld a bilateral meeting with his Cyprus counterpart Constantinos Kombos here on Saturday on the margins of the 78thUNGAsession. After shaking hands, both the leaders held bilateral talks in the presence of officials from both sides. Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, "Nice to meet Foreign Minister @ckombos of Cyprus this morning. Conveyed best wishes to President @Christodulides. Talked about follow-up steps to my visit last December. Indias interest in the Mediterranean is steadily growing. Cyprus will always be a valued partner." (ANI)
The Philippines has strongly criticized China for the installation of what they have referred to as a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, according to CNN. The floating barrier was found by Philippine warships on Friday during a normal marine sweep, according to a statement by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela on X, previously known as Twitter. It was around 300 metres (984 feet) in length. Bajo de Masinloc, also known as the Scarborough Shoal, is a small but strategic reef and fertile fishing ground 130 miles (200 kilometers) west of the Philippine island of Luzon. The shoal, which China calls Huangyandao, is one of a number of disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea, which is home to various territorial disputes. The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn the China Coast Guards installation of a floating barrier in the Southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc, which prevents Filipino fishing boats from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities, the statement read. Following the arrival of a Philippine government vessel in the region, according to images given by Tarriela showing the purported floating barrier and claims made by three Chinese coast guard boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat, the floating barrier was built, CNN reported. This Monday, the Philippine coast guard released a video showing extensive swaths of shattered and bleached coral, leading authorities to charge China with widespread devastation in the region. ThePhilippineshas accusedChina's shadowymaritime militiaof causing extensivecoral reef destructionin the SouthChina Sea, which has ignited a public dispute between the two nations. Videos released by the Philippine Coast Guard have revealed substantial damage to coral reefs along the Rozul (Iroquois) Reef and Sabina (Escoda) Shoal in the SouthChinaSea. These underwater features fall within thePhilippines' internationally recognizedexclusive economic zone(EEZ) and are located near Palawan, a southwestern island chain facing the SouthChinaSea. However,Chinaasserts sovereignty over a significant portion of the SouthChinaSea, challenging competing claims by neighbouring countries and international rulings. Between August 9 and September 11, the Philippine coast guard reported monitoring 33 Chinese vessels nearRozul Reefand approximately 15 Chinese ships in the vicinity of Escoda Shoal. The presence of crushed corals strongly suggests potential dumping, possibly involving dead corals that were previously processed and then returned to the seabed. The Philippine military had previously accusedChina'smaritime militiaof causing extensive destruction in the area. However,Chinainitially remained silent on the allegations until its foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, refuted the claims as "false and groundless." Mao advised Philippine authorities not to utilize fabricated information for political purposes, according to CNN. Chinahas asserted "indisputable sovereignty" over a vast portion of the SouthChinaSea, including the Spratly chain, which consists of 100 small islands and reefs. These territorial claims are contested, in full or part, by thePhilippines, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan. China's actions in the SouthChinaSea, including the construction of military installations on reefs and atolls, have challenged not only thePhilippines' sovereignty but also themarine biodiversity of the highly disputed region. (ANI)
Adm R Hari Kumar visited the US from September 19 to 22 to attend the 25th International Seapower Symposium (ISS).

ISS is conducted by the US Navy at US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island and provides the opportunity to engage with Friendly Foreign Countries towards the shared vision of enhancing maritime cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

Taking to their social media 'X', formerly known as Twitter, Indian Navy stated, "Adm R Hari Kumar #CNS, during the 25th ISS met Adm Lisa Franchetti, Ag CNO, @USNavy & VAdm Charles B Cooper, Commander NAVCENT, @US5thFleet. Discussions on enhanced defence engagements & collaborative #maritimesecurity, & shared commitment to Free, Open & Inclusive #IndoPacific."

https://twitter.com/indiannavy/status/1705923973031284862

Earlier, the US Navy quoted Adm R Hari Kumar saying, I firmly believe that despite all technological advancements, our men and women have been and will remain our greatest asset in the foreseeable future."

The CNS also held bilateral engagements on the sidelines of the ISS with his counterparts from various countries including the USA, Australia, Egypt, Fiji, Israel, Italy Japan, Kenya, Peru, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and the UK.

The extensive engagements during the visit are a demonstration of the Indian Navys steadfastness towards realising the vision for a Free Open and Inclusive Indo-Pacific and International Rules-Based Order.

During the visit extensive deliberations were also held towards exploring greater IN-USN operational engagements at bilateral and multilateral exercises such as the Malabar, RIMPAC, Sea Dragon and Tiger Triumph.

Regular Subject Matter Expert exchange also takes place between both the Navies to institutionalise interoperability in various fields.

Kumars visit to the US provided a significant opportunity for Apex Level Navy to Navy engagements for deepening bilateral cooperation as well as engaging with diverse partners across the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)
Militarization of Russia's public schools has intensified since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In schools across the country, service in the armed forces is being glorified, reported CNN Playgrounds in schools are becoming parade grounds. At schools from the Pacific to the Black Sea, children in nursery grade don uniforms and take part in marching practice. Older kids are being taught how to dig trenches, throw grenades and shoot with real ammunition. Service in the armed forces is being glorified in schools across the country. Voluntary companies of teenagers are being formed and the national curriculum is being changed to emphasize the defence of the motherland. Russias children are in short being prepared for war. The militarization of Russias public schools is driven not by a spontaneous surge of patriotic feeling, but by the government in Moscow, as per CNN. Russian President Vladimir Putin in August signed a law introducing a new mandatory course in schools, Fundamentals of Security and Defense of the Motherland. The Education Ministry subsequently promoted courses as part of this initiative to include excursions to military units, military-sports games, meetings with military personnel and veterans, and classes on drones, as per CNN. High school students would also be taught to use live ammunition under the guidance of experienced military unit officers or instructors exclusively at the firing line, according to the ministry. The program, which is currently being tested, will be introduced in 2024. It was designed to instill in the students an understanding and acceptance of the aesthetics of military uniforms, military rituals and combat traditions, according to an Education Ministry document uncovered by the Russian independent media outlet Important Stories. (ANI)
Pakistans 40 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line, as per the World Bank, Dawn reported. Dawn is a Pakistani English-language newspaper. The country now needs to take a look at its policy decisions driven by strong vested interests of military, political and business leaders, as per the World Bank. The warning by the financial institution comes ahead of the new election cycle so that the upcoming government can make early choices. The World Bank has asked Pakistan to tax its agriculture and real estate to achieve economic stability through steep fiscal adjustment of over seven per cent of the size of the economy, as per Pakistan-based The Express Tribune newspaper. The lender on Friday also revealed that poverty in Pakistan shot up to 39.4 per cent as of last fiscal year with 12.5 million more people falling into the trap due to poor economic conditions. About 95 million Pakistanis now live in poverty. The Washington-based lender unveiled the draft policy notes that it prepared with the help of all stakeholders for the next government. The lender identified low human development, unsustainable fiscal situation, over-regulated private sector, agriculture and energy sectors as the priority areas for reforms for the next government. The World Bank proposed measures that immediately increase the tax-to-GDP ratio by five per cent and cut expenditures by about 2.7 per cent of GDP, aimed at putting the unsustainable economy back on a prudent fiscal path, according to the Express Tribune. Meanwhile, the WBs lead country economist Tobias Haque said the bank is deeply concerned about the economic situation of today. Pakistan is facing serious economic and human development crises and it is at a point where major policy shifts are required, he added. The banks note on strengthening government revenues showed a host of measures to improve the revenue-to-GDP ratio by five per cent through the withdrawal of tax exemptions and increasing the burden of taxes on the real estate and the agriculture sectors, as per The Express Tribune. (ANI)
Pakistan Railways denied the media reports of multiple injuries during a collision of two trains in Punjab's Sheikhupura on Sunday, reported Dawn. The Mianwali Express which was en route to Lahore collided with another train at 4:50 am which was parked in the loop line at the Qila Sattar Shah Station early in the morning. According to ARY News, at least 20 people were injured in the accident, including women and children. However, the Railways spokesperson Babar Ali said, "All passengers aboard the train remained safe during the accident." He further added that one passenger, who had a pre-existing heart condition, was wounded and had been moved to the hospital, reported Dawn. Reports of 31 or 21 injured persons in the Mianwali Express accident are based on lies, the railways spokesperson confirmed. Ali also clarified that that the track was cleared by 7:30 and shortly after that Mianwalii Express continued its journey to Lahore. Train driver Imran Sarwar and assistant driver Muhammad Bilal have been suspended for negligence, he said. Moreover, Ali further noted that an inquiry committee had been formed on the directives of the Ministry of Railways and they will submit a report on the incident within 24 hours, according to Dawn. Meanwhile, Railways Chairman Mazhar Ali Shah said that appropriate action would be taken against those responsible as per the law. Whereas, CEO Shahid Aziz said that there would be no compromise on safety. Moreover, such accidents and derailments happen quite often in Pakistan's antiquated railway system which has around 7,500 kilometers of track and carries more than 80 million passengers a year. Earlier in August, at least 30 people died and several others were injured in the Hazara Express train derailment incident in Nawabshah. Over 100 people sustained injuries after 10 bogies of Hazara Express travelling from Karachi to Rawalpindi derailed near Nawab Shah. As the inquiry proceeded, six Railway officials, including two 18-grade officers were suspended, according to Dawn. A preliminary report into the accident stated that the accident happened due to missing fishplates and a broken track, Dawn reported. Notably, the old rails and historic bridges make Pakistan Railways dangerous and unsafe. Over the system, there are 13,841 bridges, including 532 major and 13,309 minor ones. Surprisingly, practically all of the bridges were built when the subcontinent's railway system was inaugurated in 1870, according to The Nation. Also, the theft of rail tracks, engines and particular parts has been commonplace for decades in Pakistan, The Nation reported. (ANI)
New York [US], September 25 (ANI/WAM): Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the United Arab Emirates delegation continued to strengthen sustainable partnerships with countries of the world based on trust, mutual respect, and shared interests during the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 78). Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed the UAEs eagerness and commitment to supporting all efforts to maintain and enhance relations and bilateral cooperation in meetings with several heads of state participating in UNGA 78. He met with Hamza Abdi Barre, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia; Jakov Milatovi, President of Montenegro; Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; and Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus. In addition, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed discussed bilateral cooperation and several agenda items at UNGA78 with a number of foreign ministers. He met with Murat Nurtleu, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan; Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran; Tanja Fajon, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia; Pter Szijjrt, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary; and Jos Manuel Albares Bueno, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain. For his part, Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Adviser to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met with Feridun Sinirlioglu, Special Coordinator, Independent Assessment as Mandated by Security Council Resolution 2679 (2023) on Afghanistan. Separately, Gargash met with Daniel Benaim, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Peninsula Affairs; and David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, met with Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme. Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, continued to strengthen bilateral ties between the UAE and its African partners in meetings with several foreign ministers and leaders. Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan met with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The Minister also met with Rui Alberto de Figueiredo Soares, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cape Verde; Lejeune Mbella Mbella, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cameroon; Shegun Adjadi Bakari, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Benin; Abdoulaye Diop, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mali; and Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, Vice President of Equatorial Guinea. For his part, Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State, participated in the launch of the I2U2 Private Enterprise Partnership, alongside India, Israel, and the United States. At the event, the I2U2 website was unveiled, which will play a pivotal role in achieving the partnerships ambitions to mobilise private sector capital, modernise infrastructure and promote green technologies. AL Sayegh delivered an intervention at the informal ministerial meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA). He stressed the importance of multilateral action to address regional and global challenges, including the empowerment of women and the prevention of extremism. He also spoke about climate change, which the UAE is addressing as President of COP28 by intensifying international cooperation to make the utmost progress, increase financing for global climate action, and strengthen adaptation and resilience. Al Sayegh also met with Rola Dashti, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia. For his part, Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, participated in the high-level informal interactive dialogue between members of the Arab Summit Troika and the Security Council on the topic Cooperation between the United Nations and the League of Arab States, organised by the UAE in partnership with Albania and the League of Arab States (LAS). In a statement during the session, Al Marar emphasized the need to take Arab views into account when dealing with pressing issues, avoid duplication of work and ensure unity of purpose, enhance joint coordination between the Security Council and regional organizations such as the LAS and the African Union, and make cooperation between the UN and the LAS more systematic and institutionalized. Al Marar also participated in the high-level ministerial meeting held by the Liaison Committee concerned with the situation in the Palestinian Territory, which was chaired by the Kingdom of Norway. In his intervention, Al Marar referred to the challenges and difficult conditions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a result of the Israeli authorities continued illegal practices, unilateral measures, and deteriorating economic conditions, which confirms the need to explore ways to enhance international cooperation and coordination to provide basic services in Palestine. He supported the Ad Hoc Liaison Committees efforts in that regard and enumerated the UAEs efforts to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people, including providing aid amounting to more than USD 750 million from 2018 to 2023. Al Marar, together with Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN, also met with Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. (ANI/WAM)
A Levies man was killed after terrorists opened fire in Mazai Adda Chaman area of Pakistan's Balochistan, Pakistan-based ARY News reported. According to details, DPO Muhammad Ali Kasi said that Levies man was heading home from his workplace when the terrorists opened fire, according to ARY News report. He said that the Levies man was killed on the spot and his body was taken to hospital. Earlier, one soldier and three terrorists were killed after a security forces post was attacked near Wali Tangi area of Quetta, according to the statement released by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). According to ISPR statement, the terrorists attacked a security forces post near Wali Tangi. During the exchange of fire, Subedar Qaiser Raheem was killed and one soldier was seriously injured, ARY News reported. On Saturday, a soldier was killed during an exchange of fire with terrorists in the North Waziristan district of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan-based Dawn reported citing the militarys media wing. In a press release, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said security forces carried out an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in North Waziristan's general area of Mir Ali. During the operation, an intense fire exchange took place against terrorists. ISPR said, "Own troops effectively engaged terrorists location." It further said that during the operation, Sepoy Shakeel Shafqat aged 21 years was killed, Dawn reported. According to ISPR, the area was being sanitised to eliminate any terrorists found in the vicinity. In a press release, ISPR said, "Security forces of Pakistan are determined to eliminate the menace of terrorism and such sacrifices of our brave soldiers further strengthen our resolve." Earlier in July, a think tank Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said that 389 people died in terror and suicide attacks in half of the current year, according to Dawn report. According to the report, a total of 271 attacks had taken place in Pakistan during the period under review, which took 389 lives and injured 656 others, Dawn reported. During the same period in last year, Pakistan witnessed 151 attacks, causing 293 deaths and 487 injuries. The figures depict a staggering 79 per cent increase in attacks during the first half of 2023 in comparison to the period last year. (ANI)
1. Sen. Bob Menendez rejects calls to resign following indictment

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) rejected calls for his resignation on Friday, hours after he and his wife were indicted on federal charges of bribery and corruption. The couple is accused of engaging in a "corrupt relationship" with New Jersey businessmen, as well as accepting bribes from numerous parties, including the government of Egypt. Federal agents are alleged to have found more than $500,000 and numerous gold bars stashed in the senator's home. This marks the second time that Menendez has been federally indicted, and many in Congress have called for him to step down. In a statement, though, Menendez said he would "continue to fight for the people of New Jersey...I am not going anywhere." The Washington Post, The Guardian

2. Ukraine launches missile attack on occupied Crimean city

Ukrainian forces launched a second missile attack Saturday on the city of Sevastopol, a day after a prior attack on the occupied Crimean locale left dozens dead. Blasts could be heard in the surrounding suburbs of Sevastopol, followed by large plumes of smoke, as Ukraine continued to shell the city. One of the largest cities in the illegally annexed Crimean territory, Sevastopol has become a frequent target of Ukrainian shelling. The prior attack on Friday afternoon struck Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters, and Ukrainian officials said many were left dead and wounded, "including senior leadership." Any fatalities from the second attack were unclear. The Associated Press, NBC News

3. GM and Stellantis face parts shortages as UAW strike continues

Two of the Big Three U.S. automakers, GM and Stellantis, are anticipating a struggle to find parts for their vehicles as the United Auto Workers' strike continues. As workers are picketing for higher wages and more benefits, the union expanded the strike Friday to 38 GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers across the country. This could prove to have a major impact on the ability of service centers to acquire parts for repairs. "It's going to become near impossible to get a lot of these parts," Richard Fasulo, a Cadillac diagnostic technician, told Reuters, adding that many shops will "[start] telling their customers, 'We don't know when we can fix your vehicle. It might be indefinitely.'" NPR, Reuters

4. Biden creates White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention

President Biden announced Friday that his administration was creating the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The office, which will be led by Vice President Kamala Harris, will attempt to address the epidemic of American gun violence and mass shootings. In remarks given during the announcement, Biden said he established the office to "send a clear message about how important this issue is to me and to the country. It matters," adding that his administration "has announced dozens of executive actions to reduce gun violence." The office is the latest push by the Biden administration to crack down on shooting deaths, with the president working to pass bipartisan legislation on gun control. ABC News, CNN

5. GOP to hold 3rd presidential debate on Nov. 8 in Miami

The third GOP presidential primary debate will be held on Nov. 8 in Miami, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee confirmed on Friday. The third matchup will come more than a month after the second debate, which is slated to occur this coming Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California. The RNC also released new criteria for the third debate, which will likely narrow the field on the stage. In order to qualify for the Nov. 8 debate, candidates will need to poll at least 4% in either two national polls or one national poll and two state polls, up from 3% for the second debate. The Hill, CNN

6. Tropical Storm Ophelia slams North Carolina

Tropical Storm Ophelia made landfall on the East Coast on Saturday, slamming into North Carolina and resulting in storm watches across the region. Ophelia landed in the United States with sustained winds of up to 70 mph, and while it is expected to weaken as it heads inland, experts are expecting a slew of heavy rain and whipping winds for large swaths of the East Coast. "People in coastal areas should take this storm seriously," AccuWeather meteorologist Bernie Rayno told USA Today. "This is going to be a nasty and formidable storm." Ophelia currently appears to be heading north toward Washington, D.C., and will likely pass through Virginia, southern New Jersey and Delaware. USA Today

7. White House reportedly in talks with Vietnam over arms deal

The Biden administration is in talks with Vietnam over a potential arms deal that would be the largest in history between the two countries, Reuters reported Saturday. Two White House sources told the outlet that the deal, which could be consummated as early as next year, would likely see Washington, D.C. sell Hanoi a fleet of F-16 fighter jets. While the exact details of the agreement have yet to be worked out, the talks could potentially result in a deal that serves to stiff-arm a growing Chinese influence in South Asia, particularly in the disputed South China Sea. Vietnam has continued to see tensions with China rise in recent years over territorial claims in these waters. Reuters

8. Colorado judge in Trump ballot case issues protective order

The Colorado judge overseeing the effort to have former President Donald Trump kept off the state's election ballot in 2024 issued a protective order Friday prohibiting threats and intimidation in the case. District Judge Sarah B. Wallace issued the order barring all sides in the case from making threats, saying she understood "everybodys concerns for the parties, the lawyers, and frankly, myself and my staff based on what weve seen in other cases." Wallace will be overseeing the first-of-its-kind case to keep Trump off the presidential ticket in Colorado next year, which was brought by a liberal group arguing that the 14th Amendment prevents the former president from holding office again. The Associated Press

9. WGA and studios to continue meeting in effort to end writers strike

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is slated to continue meeting with studio heads on Saturday in a continued effort to end the writers' strike that has been ongoing for more than 140 days. WGA officials have been meeting for the past four days with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major Hollywood studios. Picket lines have continued across the industry, as no deal has been reached yet despite negotiations appearing to inch closer. The writers' strike, along with the dual actors' strike that has been ongoing since July, has effectively shut down Hollywood. Little movement has been seen in regard to the latter strike coming to an end. Los Angeles Times, Deadline

10. Amazon to implement ads on Prime Video

Amazon's flagship streaming service will soon be implementing a widely seen industry feature, as the company announced Friday that Prime Video will soon feature advertisements. The ad rollout is slated to begin in 2024, though an exact timeframe was not announced. Prime Video has been one of the few remaining streaming services that didn't feature ads, and users will still be able to watch Prime without them  for an extra $2.99 per month. The company added that the price of a standard Prime Video subscription would not be increased. Streaming services like Netflix, Max and Disney+ which were also previously ad-free have similarly shifted to ad-based content. The Hollywood Reporter
While Joseph Smith is known for being the first president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he left behind another legacy related to his faith: a robust defense of religious liberty.

When a Methodist preacher came to visit Nauvoo, he asked Smith if only Latter-day Saints would be allowed to preach. Smith responded, On the contrary, I shall be very happy to have you address my people next Sunday, and I will insure you a most attentive congregation.

Smiths willingness to open up the pulpit to people of other faiths is just one instance of many where he demonstrated his defense of religious freedom for all people. In discourses and in his journals, he also offered support for the principle. These defenses can be found in The Joseph Smith Papers.

Here are 12 quotes where Joseph Smith defends religious liberty from the Joseph Smith Papers, which released its final volume on June 27.

Related

It is one of the first principles of my life, and one that I have cultivated from my childhood, having been taught it of my father, to allow everyone the liberty of conscience. I am the greatest advocate of the Constitution of the United States there is on the earth. (Joseph Smith, Journal, Oct. 15, 1843).

Meddle not with any man for his religion; every government ought to permit every man to enjoy his religion. (Joseph Smith, Discourse, April 7, 1844).

If it has been demonstrated that I have been willing to die for a Mormon, I am bold to declare before heaven that I am just as ready to die for a Presbyterian, a Baptist, or any other denomination. It is a love of liberty which inspires my soul. Civil and religious liberty were diffused into my soul by my grandfathers, while they dandled me on their knees. (Joseph Smith, Journal, July 9, 1843).

I never thought it was right to call up a man and try him because he erred in doctrine. It looks too much like Methodism and not like Latter-day-Saintism. Methodists have creeds which a man must believe or be kicked out of their church. I want the liberty of believing as I please. It feels so good not to be trammeled. It doesnt prove that a man is not a good man because he errs in doctrine. (Joseph Smith, Discourse, April 8, 1843).

I believe that a religion is instituted of God and that men are amenable to him and to him only for the exercise of it unless their religious opinion prompts them to infringe upon the rights and liberty of others. But I do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men nor dictate forms for public or private devotion. The civil magistrate should restrain crime but never control conscience, should punish guilt but never suppress the freedom of the soul. (Joseph Smith, Brandywine, Pa., to the Editor of the Chester County Register and Examiner, Jan. 22, 1840).

We, brethren, are deprived of the protection of this glorious principle by the cruelty of the cruel, by those who only look for the time being for pasturage, like the beasts of the field, only to fill themselves and forget that the Mormons, as well as the Presbyterians and those of every class and description, have equal rights to partake of the fruit of the great tree of our national liberty. (Joseph Smith et al., Liberty, Mo., to Edward Partridge and the Church, Quincy, Ill., [ca. Mar. 22, 1839]).

We wish it likewise to be distinctly understood that we claim no privilege but what we feel cheerfully disposed to share with our fellow citizens of every denomination, and every sentiment of religion, and therefore say that, so far from being restricted to our own faith, let all those who desire to locate themselves in this place, or vicinity, come, and we will hail them as citizens and friends and shall feel it not only a duty, but a privilege, to reciprocate the kindness we have received from the benevolent and kind-hearted citizens of the state of Illinois.(Joseph Smith et al., A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered Abroad, Times and Seasons, Jan. 15, 1841, 2:277).

There is a principle also, which we are bound to be exercised with, that is in common with all men, such as governments and laws and regulations in the civil concerns of life. This principle guarantees to all parties, sects, and denominations and classes of religion equal, coherent, and indefeasible rights. They are things that pertain to this life; therefore, all are alike interested. They make our responsibilities one toward another in matters of corruptible things, while the former principles do not destroy the latter but bind us stronger and make our responsibilities not only one to another but unto God also. (Joseph Smith et al., Liberty, Mo., to Edward Partridge and the Church, Quincy, Ill., [ca. March 22, 1839], Revelations Collection, Church History Library).

Be assured, sir, that I have the most liberal sentiments and feelings of charity towards all sects, parties, and denominations, and the rights and liberties of conscience I hold most sacred and dear, and despise no man for differing with me in matters of opinion. (Joseph Smith, Liberty, Mo., to Isaac Galland, [Commerce, Ill.], March 22, 1839, in Times and Seasons, Feb. 1840, 1:53, 5556).

We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our conscience, and allow all men the same privilege; let them worship how, where, or what they may. (Joseph Smith, Church History, Times and Seasons, March 1, 1842, 3:710).

When we see virtuous qualities in men, we should always acknowledge them, let their understanding be what it may in relation to creeds and doctrine. For all men are, or ought to be, free, possessing unalienable rights and the high and noble qualifications of the laws of nature and of self-preservation; to think and act, and say as they please, while they maintain a due respect to the rights and privileges of all other creatures, infringing upon none. This doctrine I do most heartily subscribe to and practice. (Joseph Smith, Nauvoo, Ill., to James Arlington Bennet, Arlington House, Flatbush, N.Y., Sept. 8, 1842, JS Collection, Church History Library).
New measures released by the Beijing and Shanghai municipal governments to grant greater freedom to foreign investors to move their capital in and out of China underscore the nation's efforts to improve the business environment, attract more foreign investment and better facilitate the country's institutional opening-up, experts said on Friday.

Within the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, all investment-related inward and outward remittances made by foreign investors will be allowed to flow freely as long as they are deemed aboveboard and compliant, according to a set of 31 new measures released by the Shanghai government on Thursday.

The policy has been in effect since Sept 1, according to the government's document.

Lou Feipeng, a researcher at Postal Savings Bank of China, said the new measures will help to better protect the legitimate rights and interests of foreign investors in China. Considering it a major step forward in China's continued institutional opening-up to foreign investment, Lou said the moves will help improve the entire business environment, which is also conducive to China's high-quality economic growth in anticipation of more foreign capital inflows following these measures.

Similarly, the Beijing municipal commerce bureau said in a draft version of the city's foreign investment regulations released on Wednesday that it will support free inward and outward remittances of foreign investors' actual and authorized capital transfers related to investments. Such remittances should be made without delay, said the regulations, on which the public can comment until Oct 19.

Cui Fan, a professor of economics at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said the measures aim to facilitate cross-border capital flows in line with the 33 measures released by the State Council in June, in order to advance institutional opening-up among the six designated free-trade zones and the free port.

In terms of capital remittances, businesses are allowed to freely and promptly transfer their legitimate and authorized transfers related to foreign investment. Such transfers include capital contributions, profits, dividends, interest payouts, capital gains, total or partial proceeds from the sale of investments and payments made under contract, among others, according to the State Council.

The measures will initially be implemented in FTZs in Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, and the provinces of Guangdong and Fujian, and Hainan Free Trade Port.

The latest measures announced by the Beijing municipal commerce bureau that will promote a pilot program from the Beijing FTZ to spread to the rest of the capital, demonstrate Beijing's resolve and courage to expand high-level opening-up, Cui said.

Free and smoother cross-border capital flows are also of great importance to the renminbi's internationalization, he added.

Wang Xin, director of the research bureau at the People's Bank of China, the nation's central bank, said companies and individuals in the above-mentioned six locations will undergo initial trials, and are thus expected to see their investment channels largely enriched due to the State Council's policy.

The top-down structuring will help prevent scattered or fragmented opening-up. It will facilitate China's institutional opening-up with regard to rules, regulations, management and standards, and better serve the country's dual-circulation development paradigm, Wang said.




13-foot alligator killed in Florida after being seen with human remains in its mouth

A massive 13-foot alligator was "humanely killed" after it was discovered next to a deceased adult in Florida Sept. 22.

Jamarcus Bullard, who spotted the male gator, told WFLA, an NBC affiliate in Tampa, Florida, that he saw the animal holding human remains in its mouth.

I threw a rock at the gator just to see if it was really a gator and like it pulled the body, like it was holding on to the lower part of the torso, and pulled it under the water, he told the affiliate.

The alligator, which measured 13 feet and 8.5 inches, was killed and removed from the canal in unincorporated Largo, the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said in a news release. The remains of an adult were also recovered.

The medical examiners office will conduct an autopsy to determine cause of death and if the alligator was involved. The investigation is ongoing, authorities said.

The canal where a 13-foot alligator was seen in Pinellas County, Fla. (WFLA)

Immediately after spotting the animal, eyewitness Bullard said he pulled out his phone to record what was going on.

I never thought Id see one out here, Bullard told WFLA. I thought it would be in the swamps and all that, but it was a big gator out here in our water.

When deputies and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived on the scene, they tried to capture the animal, who put up a bit of a fight, Bullard said.

They put a rope around its neck and put it on a pully of a truck, Bullard said. They were reeling it in, but it started to pull the truck in the water so the guy was like we just got to get it out a different way.

Bullard said authorities shot the gator once they were able to get its head out of the water.

"Once they reeled it all the way out, they stretched it out and measured it 13 feet long, and they shot it again, he said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is assisting Pinellas County Sheriffs Office on this investigation. People with concerns about an alligator should call FWCs toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286), and it will dispatch a contracted "nuisance alligator trapper."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
Although Barack Obama was the first Black person to become the President of the United States, he likely wont be the last. There are plenty of qualified candidates who have the brains and skills to become the next leader of the nation. So we decided to come up with a list.



Some of the names generated by The Root staff might be expected; others may surprise you. Tell us what you thinkand who we might have missed.

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Stacey Abrams has tried multiple times to become the next governor of Georgia but has lost twice. Along the way, shes gained a huge following and support base; we would not be shocked if she ran for president in the near future and wed be even less shocked if she won.

Ayanna Pressley

Photo: Tom Williams-Pool (Getty Images)

One of the politicians at the forefront of ensuring abortion access, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) will have the support of thousands of women who believe in abortion rights.

Cori Bush

Photo: Tim Evans/Bloomberg (Getty Images)

One thing we know about Cori Bush: shell always be one to stand up for Black peoples rights. Bush consistently calls out Republicans and anyone else who is doing things that will negatively affect her people.

Kamala Harris

Photo: Mark Makela (Getty Images)

Kamala Harris has already tried to work in the Oval Office but failed during her 2020 Presidential campaign. Now, shes the Vice President which makes her an obvious choice as the next possible president.

Michelle Obama

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris (Getty Images)

Who doesnt love Michelle Obama? Although shes never expressed political dreams, shed be one of the most popular candidates to ever run.

Wes Moore

Photo: Nathan Howard (Getty Images)

Wes Moore made history earlier this year by becoming the first Black governor of Maryland. Why not make more history by becoming the next president of the United States?

Raphael Warnock

Photo: Paras Griffin (Getty Images)

Senator Raphael Warnocks victory against Republican and all-around idiot Herschel Walker was a huge win for Democrats. He may be eyeing an even larger victory during future presidential elections.

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Photo: Drew Angerer (Getty Images)

Former Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is currently on Bidens administration, serving as the director of the Office of Public Engagement. Before she accepted that role, she was under consideration as Bidens VP pick. We can only hope shes looking for a larger role down the line.

Austin Davis

Photo: Mark Makela (Getty Images)

Austin Davis is currently Pennsylvanias second-highest elected official. Hes young, driven, and full of energy. His current role as the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania could prepare him for a future run as president. Although, these old tweets could haunt him.

Hakeem Jeffries

Photo: Chip Somodevilla (Getty Images)

The first Black House Democratic leader, Hakeem Jeffries is qualified to run for president, but does he have the name recognition to win the top prize? Maybe not but man does he have the drive and charisma.

Deval Patrick

Photo: Rick Friedman/Corbis (Getty Images)

Once the governor of Massachusetts, Deval Patrick may elect to get back into politics during the 2024 Presidential race.

Barbara Lee

Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call (Getty Images)

Barbara Lee is a career politician who recently announced plans to launch her campaign for the California Senate. Does she have higher political aspirations?

Oprah Winfrey

Photo: Steve Jennings (Getty Images)

Obviously, this has less to do with politics and more to do with her astronomical popularity. Everyone loves Oprah Winfrey! If anything, Donald Trump proved that billionaires can win the presidency without any political experience. But heres the difference. Oprah is smart, empathetic and beloved.

Dwayne Johnson

Photo: Jesse Grant (Getty Images)

Dwayne The Rock Johnson already shot down any rumors that hell be running for president in 2024, but it was seriously talked about for a while and is the premise for his sitcom, Young Rock.

Robert F. Smith

Photo: Paras Griffin (Getty Images)

One of the richest Black people in the world, similar to Oprah, Smith could also make a serious bid for president because of his huge influence and presence.

Tim Scott

Photo: Scott Olson (Getty Images)

Currently on the campaign trail hoping to be the next Republican nominee for President, Scott is the most notable Black conservative who has a chance at being the next Black leader of this country.

Brandon Johnson

Photo: Scott Olson (Getty Images)

More than a year ago, Brandon Johnson was an unknown politician who had a goal of becoming the next Mayor of Chicago. In April, he achieved it. If he has his eyes on the White House, dont doubt him.

Antonio Delgado

Photo: David Dee Delgado (Getty Images)

Antonio Delgado is the current lieutenant governor of New York. Hes another young and energetic politician who has the charisma to galvanize a country.

Karen Bass

Photo: David McNew (Getty Images)

Karen Bass has made history before. In 2008, she became the first Black woman to serve as a speaker of a legislative body. Currently, the Mayor of Los Angeles, dont be shocked if she has her eyes on a bigger prize.

Sylvester Turner

Photo: Brandon Bell (Getty Images)

The Mayor of Houston has been a politician for more than 30 years, so he definitely has the experience. If he tries to run for president, will he have a chance?

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International coworking company IWG plans to add flexible office space in Charlotte through its Regus brand as more firms shift to hybrid working models. It will also open a coworking space in Asheville under its HQ brand.

ALSO READ: Turning office space into apartments in Uptown

IWG is one of the worlds largest providers of hybrid working options, with brands such as Spaces and Regus. The 20,000-square-foot Regus office will be at 4037 E. Independence Blvd. in east Charlotte, stretching across four floors. The space will include private offices, meeting rooms, and coworking and creative spaces.

IWG plans to open that office in the second quarter of 2024.

Keep reading here.

(WATCH BELOW: Mecklenburg County to lease StarMed building to help kids needing placement)




Two armed robbery suspects were taken into custody after leading police on a chase in Penn Hills.

Pittsburgh Police were called for reports of a man robbed at gunpoint at the 5900 block of Second Avenue in Hazelwood at around 6 p.m. on Friday.

SWAT units were called to Second Avenue after authorities were told the suspects in the robbery might have been barricaded in a house on the 5600 block of Second Avenue.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> SWAT called to Hazelwood after armed robbery

PHOTOS: SWAT called to Hazelwood after robbery

They surrounded the residence and did multiple hails for individuals to come out, said Cara Cruz, the public information officer for Pittsburgh Public Safety. It appeared that they had left the home following the initial robbery.

While trying to gain access to the house, Penn Hills Police told Pittsburgh Police that they had seen the car suspected to be involved in the robbery and began a pursuit.

During the chase, a Penn Hills Police officer crashed into a house. The officer was not seriously injured.

RELATED COVERAGE >>> Penn Hills Police cruiser crashes into house in Pittsburgh during chase with armed robbery suspects

PHOTOS >>> Penn Hills Police cruiser crashes into house in Pittsburgh

One of the Penn Hills officers did crash their vehicle. They are okay, fortunately, said Richard Ford, the assistant chief of operations with Pittsburgh Police. The city picked up the pursuit from there.

Officers chased the car until it rolled over on Verona Road and 3rd Street in Penn Hills.

Police say the victim was able to identify a man and a woman as the people who robbed them in Pittsburgh. They were both taken into custody.

These two individuals, by the crime that they perpetrated in this armed incident, the necessity to take those people into custody, obviously, is very important, Ford said.

The man and woman were taken to a hospital to be medically cleared before they are taken to Allegheny County Jail.

A gun was found at the crash scene and police are working to get a search warrant for the house on Second Avenue and the crashed vehicle.

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Authorities are investigating a triple shooting that took place at a party.

Statesboro police said on Saturday at 3:10 a.m., officers in various locations heard multiple gunshots fired from Pine Street and Johnson Street.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

When officers arrived, they found gunshots still being exchanged between individuals attending a very large party in the area.

As a result of the gunfire in the middle of this large group, three people arrived at a local hospital in a private vehicle with gunshot wounds, police said.

Authorities added that a fourth person was taken to the hospital with a non-gunshot leg injury.

TRENDING STORIES:

The identities of the victims have not been released.

Detectives believe since so many people attended the party, many potential witnesses could identify the shooters.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call Captain Jared Akins at 912-764-9911.

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IN OTHER NEWS:
Two adults and a 3-year-old were shot and killed after an argument turned violent at a Florida apartment complex, investigators say.

Deputies with the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office responded to a call about a shooting at an apartment complex on Jacksonvilles south side at about 10 p.m. Sept 23, Assistant Chief J.D. Stronko said at a news briefing posted on Facebook.

Deputies found four people shot, Stronko said, and three ultimately died, including a toddler.

The victims have not been publicly identified.

Investigators were told a group of five traveled to the complex in order to sell a dog, according to Stronko. At some point, an argument broke out in a breezeway and four members of the group were shot.

Witnesses said two unknown men left the scene, got into a sedan and drove away, Stronko said.

An investigation is underway, Stronko said, and anyone with information regarding the case is asked to contact the sheriffs office at 904-630-0500.

Grocery store employee fatally shot while petting customers dog, Texas cops say

Man gave brother motorcycle in exchange for killing ex-wife  mom of 4 kids, feds say

Masked man is shot dead after deputies show up to bogus home invasion call, CA cops say

Pet groomer accused of killing goldendoodle is arrested at dog show, Oklahoma cops say




Celebrating Bisexual Elected Officials

Photo Gallery Bi Elected Officials

Photos Courtesy Elected Officials (sources listed below)

Despite polls that indicate bisexuals make up over half of the LGBTQ+ community, bi people often are stereotyped or not acknowledged, but that's changing. For Bi Visibility Day, observed annually on September 23, The Advocate is highlighting bisexual state lawmakers and members of Congress. That doesn't begin to count the numerous bi people who hold local offices  the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund/Victory Institute counts more than 130 bi elected officials at the state, local, and federal levels. For comparison, when The Advocate published a gallery of bi officeholders in 2012, we could find only six  five then serving in office, one out of office. This gallery doesn't include those no longer in office, but we'll give a shout-out to a few of them who were pioneers: Kate Brown, governor of Oregon from 2015 to 2023 and the nation's first out bi governor; Angie Buhl O'Donnell, a South Dakota state senator from 2011 to 2017; and Evelyn Mantilla, a Connecticut state representative from 1997 to 2007, believed to be the nation's first out bi state legislator. Scroll on for our list of currently serving bi state and federal lawmakers, who are male, female, and nonbinary; cisgender and transgender; and representative of a diverse range of ethnicities.

Pictured, from left: State legislators Marisabel Cabrera, Zooey Zephyr, Ismail Izzy Smith-Wade-El, and Emily Dievendorf

Kyrsten Sinema

Kyrsten Sinema

Photo via sinema.senate.gov

U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona is the only out bisexual currently in Congress. Sinema, once a Democrat and now an independent, has disappointed some of us by taking less-than-liberal positions and supporting the filibuster, which has blocked some progressive legislation. But there's no doubt she has been a pioneer in bi representation. In 2012 she became the first out bi person elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, and she followed that in 2018 by becoming the first known bi U.S. senator. Before serving in Congress, she was an Arizona state legislator.

Melody Hernandez

Photo via azleg.gov

Melody Hernandez, a Democrat, is in her first term in the Arizona House of Representatives. Hernandez, who has worked as a paramedic, recently succeeded in getting legislation passed to assure that 911 dispatchers have access to the same crisis counseling as other emergency personnel.

Alex Lee

Alex Lee

Alex Lee website

Alex Lee, a Democrat, became California's first out bisexual legislator and its youngest Asian American legislator when he was elected to the state Assembly in 2020. He's an advocate for better housing, criminal justice reform, environmental protection, and much more.

Jennifer Lea Parenti

Jennifer Lea Parenti

Photo via leg.colorado.gov

Democrat Jennifer Lea Parenti is a first-term member of the Colorado House. Successful legislation that she's sponsored includes a measure allowing some of the steps toward getting a marriage license to be done virtually.

David Ortiz

Photo via leg.colorado.gov

Democrat David Ortiz is in his second term in the Colorado House. His legislative accomplishments include measures for tenants' rights and the rights of people with disabilities.

Liz Bennett

Liz Bennett

Photo via legis.iowa.gov

Democrat Liz Bennett was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2014, making her the first queer woman in that state's legislature. She served four terms in the House, and In 2022 she was elected to the state's Senate, becoming the first woman from the LGBTQ+ community in that chamber as well. She has been an advocate for LGBTQ+ equality, reproductive freedom, and the rights of workers and all marginalized people. She was one of The Advocate's Champions of Pride in 2020, and she has also received honors from Planned Parenthood, LGBTQ+ group One Iowa (where she once worked), Iowa Safe Schools, Des Moines Pride, and the Young Womens Resource Center.

Heather Meyer

Heather Meyer

Photo via kslegislature.org

Heather Meyer, a Democrat, was appointed to fill a vacancy in the Kansas House of Representatives in 2021 and was elected in her own right in 2022. In the legislature she's advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, a nonbinary marker on driver's licenses and other identification, the legalization of recreational marijuana, and much more. She has also spent time pushing back against right-wing legislation and addressing the everyday concerns of her constituents. "There are people like me," she told The Advocate last year, "who are regular people, who have struggled through life, who have tried really hard to make a difference in their communities, who threw their hat into the ring because I just wanted to do shit for people."

Lydia Crafts

Lydia Crafts

Photo via lydiacrafts.com

Democrat Lydia Crafts is in her second term in the Maine House of Representatives. With a background in school social work, she has been active on issues including public education, environmental protection, climate change, health care, and support for small business.

Amy Roeder

Amy Roeder

Photo via legislature.maine.gov

Amy Roeder, another second-term Democrat in the Maine House, brings a varied resume to her post. She has been an actress and director of film and stage productions; her credits include a stint in Chicago's prestigious Second City comedy troupe, and she still takes occasional acting jobs. She's a member of SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity, is the daughter of union workers, and is passionate about labor rights and other progressive causes. I owe my entire life to labor, she said in an article published last year on the Maine AFL-CIO's website. She's also an adjunct professor at the University of Maine. And she keeps her sense of humor: On her personal X (formerly Twitter) bio, she warns, "I'm a former comedian so be prepared for politics AND fart jokes."

Charles Skold

Charles Skold

Photo via maine.gov

Democrat Charles Skold was elected to the Maine House in 2022. He has pledged to fight back against right-wing efforts to roll back LGBTQ+ and minority rights. In June, as legislators debated a rating system for books with sexual content, he wondered aloud what rating the Bible would receive, as it includes stories of "sex, incest, rape, murder," as reported by the Maine Wire (which, it should be noted, is a far-right site). Skold knows his Bible; he earned a master of theological studies degree at Harvard University (along with a master of public administration degree) and worked for five years in college ministry at Tufts University.

Laurie Pohutsky

Laurie Pohutsky

Photo via michiganlcv.org

Laurie Pohutsky, a Democrat, is in her third term in the Michigan House and is its speaker pro tempore. With a degree in microbiology, she has worked in food safety, toxicology, and health care. "She brings this knowledge, along with her experience in water quality testing, with her to the Michigan House of Representatives," says the Michigan House Democrats website. "She has a deep commitment to bringing a scientific perspective to government and advocating for environmental causes.

Emily Dievendorf

Emily Dievendorf

Photo via housedems.com

Emily Dievendorf, the former executive director of Equality Michigan, is in her first term as a Democratic member of the Michigan House and is the first nonbinary person in the legislature. Dievendorf has worked for a variety of nonprofits dealing with civil rights, AIDS, and other concerns, and was on the Michigan Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, at one point becoming cochair. "As a legislator, Rep. Dievendorf is passionate about advocating for progressive policy, particularly on LGBTQIA equality, racial justice and equality, sexual and domestic violence, womens rights, and HIV/AIDS," says the Michigan House Dems website.

Zack Stephenson

Zack Stephenson

Photo via house.mn.gov

Democrat Zack Stephenson was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018. Before running for office, he was one of the lawyers representing LGBTQ+ students in a lawsuit over bullying and discrimination in Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin school district and helped negotiate a settlement. He went to school in that district, and in an Advocate column published in February, he noted that a gay schoolmate of his died by suicide  and he believes it was caused by homophobic harassment. He also wrote that he himself went through "sleepless nights full of internal struggles" in his youth over being bisexual. He once didn't feel entitled to come out as bi, as he's a masculine-presenting man married to a woman, but he decided it was important to do so to help others. "If being open about my own sexuality helps even one other person avoid feeling the way that I felt back then, it is worth it to me to tell this part of my story, regardless of the consequences for my own professional and political life," he wrote.

Liz Reyer

Liz Reyer

Photo via house.mn.gov

Liz Reyer, a Democrat, was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2020 and was elected from a different district in 2022. She's an advocate for reproductive rights, gun regulations, public school funding, and equality for all. She has "made a conscious commitment to use my time and my privilege to work for racial and economic justice in Minnesota," she wrote on her campaign website last year. She added, "I consciously use my white privilege to lift up the people who are too often let down by our systems. I am working to ensure that all voices are part of building the future of our community."

Jessica Hanson

Jessica Hanson

Photo via house.mn.gov

Jessica Hanson has been a Democratic member of the Minnesota House since 2021. She's particularly proud of her recent accomplishments in helping to legalize recreational marijuana use, reform the state's tax system, and enact additional LGBTQ+ protections in the already queer-friendly state.

Andrea Olsen

Andrea Olsen

Photo via leg.mt.gov

Democrat Andrea Olsen served four terms in the Montana House, beginning in 2015, and moved up the the state's Senate with last year's election. She has been outspoken against the rash of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the state. On a bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors, she said, Who are we to deprive our constituents of their self-determination? Strip them of their access to live their lives fully in the pursuit of happiness? Unfortunately, the bill passed and was signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte.

Zooey Zephyr

Zooey Zephyr

Photo via leg.mt.gov

Zooey Zephyr, a bisexual trans woman, was elected last year to the Montana House seat Andrea Olsen vacated to run for Senate, becoming one of the first two trans legislators in the state. Zephyr, a Democrat, quickly made waves and made news, as she was vociferously opposed to the bill to ban gender-affirming care for trans minors in the state. After she said lawmakers who voted for it would have blood on their hands, Republicans in the legislature voted to censure her and to eject her from the House chamber for the remainder of the session. She's ready to keep fighting, though, and she has had happy news in her personal life, as she recently became engaged to journalist Erin Reed.

Megan Hunt

Megan Hunt

Photo via nebraskalegislature.gov

Megan Hunt, first elected in 2018, has been a force to reckon with in Nebraska's one-chamber, officially nonpartisan state legislature, where all members have the title of senator. She was the first out LGBTQ+ person to be elected, and she is the mother of a transgender child, so she's been outspoken in favor of LGBTQ+ equality and other progressive causes. This year she and gay Sen. John Fredrickson joined in a filibuster led by straight ally Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh against a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. They weren't able to keep it from passing, but they have taken their fight national, forming a political action committee, Don't Legislate Hate, to support pro-equality candidates around the country. She was once reluctant to talk about her child in a political context, she told The Advocate, but then she realized I really have a unique platform and position to tell other parents of trans kids that I have their backs and also tell other Nebraskans who dont have a trans person in their life that its normal.  There are trans people everywhere, and there always have been.

Cecelia Gonzalez

Cecelia Gonzalez

Photo via Facebook: @CeceliaGNV

Cecelia Gonzalez is in her second term as a Democratic member of the Nevada Assembly. She is of Thai and Mexican descent, and she has cited the importance of representation for both the Asian American and Latinx communities. Last year, she won reelection against Jake Holder, who'd switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican and decried "woke" policies. Gonzalez's priority issues include reproductive freedom, which she's said she'll "fight like hell" to protect, and criminal justice reform.

Melanie Scheible

Melanie Scheible

Photo via melaniefornvsenate.com

Melaine Scheible, a Democrat, has been in the Nevada Senate since 2018. She has been a human rights lawyer and a prosecutor, and her priority issues include affordable health care, reproductive freedom, and gun regulations.

James Roesener

James Roesener

Photo via victoryfund.org

James Roesener, a Democrat, was elected to New Hampshire's House of Representatives last year, becoming the first out trans man to serve in any state legislature in the U.S. "From safeguarding reproductive rights to increasing investment in New Hampshires education and health care systems, James is well prepared to enact legislation that will deliver lasting results for his community," Victory Fund President and CEO Annise Parker said in a press release when he was elected. "At a time of intensifying transphobia at all levels of government and society, he showed incredible courage throughout his historic campaign."

Cecil Brockman

Cecil Brockman

Photo via ncleg.gov

Cecil Brockman, a Democrat, was been in the North Carolina House of Representatives since 2015. He came out as bi in 2016 after a man made homophobic comments to him and two friends  a married gay couple  in a restaurant, because his friends were wearing buttons expressing opposition to the state's infamous anti-trans "bathroom bill." That's now been repealed, but Brockman continues to fight for LGBTQ+ rights and other progressive concerns. "Coming out meant that the LGBTQ citizens of our state knew that someone had their back," he wrote for The Advocate in 2018. "It also would show my colleagues that these discriminatory bills aren't just exercises in rallying their base; they affect real people like me. Because of that, I will never stop fighting or using my voice as an openly LGBTQ representative on behalf of our community."

Annie Menz

Photo via okhouse.gov

Democrat Annie Menz was elected to the Oklahoma House of Representatives in 2022, becoming its first Latina member. She's a military veteran and a former nonpartisan legislative and executive assistant at the state capitol. Im fighting for the millions of Oklahoma children, veterans, and working families who need fully-funded public schools, mental health care, and a living wage," she said on her campaign website. "We lose too many neighbors to suicide, yet behavioral health appears less of a priority to some state leaders than a turnpike our community doesnt want. As your State Representative, I demand accountability, meet folks where they are, and put service into action.

Ismail "Izzy" Smith Wade-El

Ismail Izzy Smith-Wade-El

Photo via pahouse.com

Democrat Ismail "Izzy" Smith Wade-El, who is bi and nonbinary, was elected to the Pennsylvania House last year, becoming its first nonbinary member. He was previously president of the Lancaster City Council, and he has worked as a community organizer and with nonprofit groups as a behavioral health counselor, grant writer, and provider of services to people experiencing homelessness. "Izzy has come to Harrisburg to partner with likeminded legislators to correct the Commonwealths laws that favor giant corporations, lobbyists, and a status quo that hurts working families," says his House website. "Those laws prevent the leveling of the playing field for friends and neighbors. He will advocate for legislation that puts power to the shared values of kindness, welcome, dignity, and care."

Greg Scott

Gregory Scott

Photo via Facebook: @RepGregScott

Greg Scott, a Democrat, was elected to the Pennsylvania House last year. He was inspired to become politically active when he was in sixth grade and met President Bill Clinton. He's been a firefighter, the youngest sitting judge in the state, and a congressional aide, and he helped mobilize COVID-19 vaccine distribution. His priorities include criminal justice reform, improving access to health care,

Abigail Salisbury

Abigail Salisbury

Photo via salisburyforpa.com

Democrat Abigail Salisbury won a seat in the Pennsylvania House in a special election this year. She is a longtime human rights activist, has practiced and taught law, and has been executive director of Jurist.org, a legal news and commentary site. "Key issues for Salisbury include updating infrastructure, standing up for human rights for all citizens, fostering small business development, supporting public schools, and preserving the environment," says her House website.

Melissa Murray

Melissa Murray

Photo via Facebook: @MurrayforRI

Melissa Murray was elected to the Rhode Island Senate in 2018 after serving two terms on the Woonsocket City Council, where she was the first out LGBTQ+ member. She's an advocate for higher taxes on the wealthy, better benefits for the needy, improvements in health care, and restroom access for all genders.

Samuel Bell

Sam Bell

Photo via Facebook: @sambellforstatesenate

Rhode Island Democrat Samuel Bell was spurred to activism by the massacre of children and teachers in Newtown, Conn., in 2012. He became an advocate for reform of gun laws but found resistance, then discovered the National Rifle Association was making illegal campaign contributions to some Rhode Island legislators. The NRA ended up paying a huge fine. Elected to the Rhode Island Senate in 2018, he's continued his work for gun control, along with better access to health care and other moves to improve the quality of life in his state. When not legislating, he's a geologist with the Planetary Science Institute.

Erin Zwiener

Erin Zwiener

Photo via erinforyall.com

Democrat Erin Zwiener has been in the Texas House since 2019. She's now part of a record nine out Texas lawmakers doing what they can to fight anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the state. One of the strengths of having so many out members is we all have different expertises, she told The Texas Tribune. It saved us from being pigeonholed in a way that I think was really powerful for helping many people both in this building and in the larger community see LGBTQ people as full humans. She's also a teacher and author, and she actually is from Driftwood!

Sahara Hayes

Sahara Hayes

Photo via Facebook: @votesahara

Sahara Hayes, a Democrat, was elected to the Utah House last year after a career in local government and nonprofit groups. She's an advocate for public education, environmental protection, health care access, affordable housing, and the rights of LGBTQ+ youth.

Mary-Katherine Stone

Mary-Katherine Stone

Photo via legislature.vermont.gov

Mary-Katherine Stone is a first-term Democrat in the Vermont House. She's an occupational therapist, a volunteer with many community organizations, and an artist and performer with interests including stained glass and dance. Her priority issues include paid family and medical leave, assistance to people experiencing homelessness, reproductive freedom, and the environment.

Kelly Convirs-Fowler

Kelly Convirs-Fowler

Photo via virginiageneralassembly.gov

Democrat Kelly Convirs-Fowler was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2017. She has advocated for improved access to health care, reproductive freedom, public education, and much more. I knew I had to be the change I wanted to see in the world," she notes on her website. "I knew I owed it to my daughters to do more than just march. So I ran and I won. I will continue fighting for families in Virginia.

Beth Doglio

Beth Doglio

Photo via housedemocrats.wa.gov

Beth Doglio served in the Washington House of Representatives from 2017 to 2021, leaving office after she'd lost the 2020 Democratic primary in her district, but was elected to the House again last year. Before running for office, she worked with environmental and reproductive rights organizations. As a legislator, she has continued to work on those issues along with gun control, workers' rights, and services for the unhoused, among others.

Marisabel Cabrera

Marisabel Cabrera

Photo via Facebook: @votemarisabel

Marisabel Cabrera, a small-business owner and immigration attorney, was first elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2018. A Democrat, she has advocated for elimination of the "LGBTQ+ panic" defense in criminal cases and other moves benefiting the queer community. She's a former chair of the Wisconsin Democratic Party's Latino Caucus and has been named one of the state's most powerful members of the Latinx community. She is vice chair of the immigration task force of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators.

Lee Snodgrass

Lee Snodgrass

Photo via benwikler.com

Democrat Lee Snodgrass was elected to the Wisconsin Assembly in 2020. She's an advocate for environmental and LGBTQ+ causes, among others. She became the Minority Caucus Sergeant at Arms in 2023.
A man is being summonsed to appear in court in connection with multiple attacks of students at Berklee College of Music in Boston over the weekend.

Police said four students were assaulted at three separate locations near the school Saturday night between 5 and 5:45.

According to Berklee Police, the first assault occurred outside of a Dunkin at 153 Massachusetts Ave.

Police believe the same suspect went on to assault three more Berklee students in a one block radius.

Two of those incidents happened on Haviland Street and one happened outside of the Symphony Mart at 1130 Boylston Street.

Berklee College of Music freshman Michaela Holman told Boston 25 News that she witnessed the first attack.

She described it as random and unprovoked.

It was just surprising because we were in a big group, said Michaela Holman. Everyone was confused because we were all facing one way and he came and pushed everyone from the back.

Students later got a public safety advisory through text and email with a picture of the man they were looking for.

We got back here we walked inside we checked our emails. We were like, the person in this email just walked by us!, said Berklee student Asher Roseman.

Asher Roseman and Naomi Stefens believe they saw the suspect before police caught up with him.

He looked like he was in a rush but kind of aggressively going that way, said Stefens. It was strange to see him back in the area right next to where it happened.

Berklee Police said they eventually located the suspect near the campus about six hours later and issued him a summons to appear in court.

Students received a follow-up alert updating them on the investigation and acknowledging the potential impact on their sense of safety and security on campus.

Incidents such as this are not common on and around campus but when they do occur they can cause stress and negatively impact our communitys sense of safety and security, said a school spokesperson.

Police have not provided information on the nature of each attack, but authorities said none of the victims went to the hospital.

The suspect has not yet been named by police.

Officials havent said why he was not formally taken into custody.

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.

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Five people were hospitalized after overdosing on drugs in Long Beach early Sunday morning, authorities said.

Officers with the Long Beach Police Department responded to a home in the 800 block of Grand Avenue shortly after 2:50 a.m. Sunday morning to assist Long Beach Fire Department paramedics with multiple patients in full arrest, LBPD said in a statement.

1 dead, 2 wounded in shooting outside home in Wilmington

First responders administered Narcan to revive the patients, who were identified only as four men and one woman.

Their conditions and the substance or substances they ingested were not released.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
SAN DIEGO  Now that the fall season has arrived, cozy sunset bonfires are coming back to mind.

From North County to Coronado, there are several San Diego area beaches with fire pits ready to be stacked with wood for the burning.

Here are five beaches where dusk can be enjoyed next to a crackling fire:

Oktoberfest San Diego: Celebrate Bavarian culture at these events

 Shelter Island: Located within minutes of downtown, this quaint bayside beach offers views of the San Diego skyline and Point Loma. Fire rings can be found down in the sand along the coast. There are also picnic areas as well as pathways for strolling and biking.

Shelter Island, San Diego

 Silver Strand State Beach: Nestled between Imperial Beach and Coronado, day-use visitors and campers can access beaches on both sides of the Coronado Island Peninsula. The area has fire pits ready for use. The Silver Strands remote location makes for a more quiet bonfire setting.

Aerial view of Silver Strand Beac

 Moonlight State Beach: This North County gem, located in Encinitas, boasts several fire pits for beachgoers looking to stay warm as the sun goes down. One bonus for visitors checking out this beach is its large and free parking area.

From cider pressing to tomahawk throwing, kick off fall at the Julian Autumn Jubilee

Moonlight Beach

 Mission Bay: Fire rings are available at many Mission Bay beaches. For instance, Playa Pacifica a cozy beach park, is a great spot to enjoy a sunset bonfire. The beach area wraps around a cove known as Leisure Lagoon. Fires are permitted between 5 a.m. and midnight.

Where to find pumpkin patches in San Diego County

Mission Bay beaches

 Oceanside Harbor Beach: This North County beach is known for having a large area of sand thanks to two rock jetties. There are some fire pits facing west to the Pacific Ocean and some that give views of the famous Oceanside sign above the harbor. Better move quick to snag a spot at this popular bonfire setting.

Beach fire pit in Oceanside, Calif.

Put on your favorite flannel, grab some stacks of wood, and claim an open firepit to enjoy a sunset bonfire this fall in San Diego.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
The China-EU Cooperation and Development Forum on Geographical Indications is held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province on Friday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Officials and diplomats from China and the European Union on Friday expressed confidence in China-EU pragmatic cooperation in trade, the economy and agriculture, saying that a landmark agreement on geographical indication protections is expected to further maintain the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides.

They made the remarks at a forum in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, on China-EU cooperation regarding GI  a distinctive symbol used to identify a product whose quality, reputation or other such characteristics are related to geographical origin.

China and the EU signed an agreement on GI in 2020 after more than eight years of negotiations. As the first and so far the only trade agreement between China and the EU, it officially entered into force in March 2021.

"The agreement demonstrated the Chinese government's determination to protect intellectual property rights and to further open up its economy," said Liu Qibao, vice-chairman of the 13th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

It is also an example of joint efforts made by China and the EU to conduct free and open trade, support a rules-based multilateral system and promote an open world economy, said Liu, who is also president of the China-EU Association.

So far, the agreement has enabled the protection of 100 Chinese GIs in the EU and 100 EU GIs in China against imitation and usurpation. The second list of GIs, including iconic names like Peking duck, was preliminarily finalized in December.

John Clarke, director-general of international relations at the EU Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, had worked as the chief EU negotiator for the agreement.

Clarke said he considered this agreement as his own child and the EU side built up a lot of trust with the Chinese side during the negotiations.

"Trust is the essential ingredient for any successful negotiation. I think we had a very good trustful relationship  against difficult domestic backgrounds sometimes," he said.

Martha Mavrommati, the ambassador of Cyprus to China, said the EU list of GIs to be protected in China includes a sweet wine from her country that dates back 7,000 years, and she is looking forward to the expansion of the list to include more products.

Apart from the economic aspects, the agreement also gives more opportunities for European and Chinese consumers to taste each others' agricultural products, she said.

"The cross-cultural understanding, which will be created through this, is a crucial element for cultivating cooperation and synergies in values," she added.

Bertie Ahern, who served as prime minister of Ireland from 1997 to 2008, said the signing of the agreement and the progress over the last three years indicate new areas and developments in China-EU economic and trade relations. Ahern also mentioned the comprehensive investment agreement between China and the EU, which wrapped up negotiations on schedule but was halted by the EU Parliament in 2021, citing so-called "human rights" issues.

"It is a win-win agreement that will ensure more investment opportunities for enterprises on both sides," Ahern said, noting that it will not only benefit China and the EU, but also the recovery and growth of the world economy.

China and the EU are each other's second-largest trading partners. Official statistics showed that two-way trade between China and the EU hit a record $847.3 billion in 2022, with a year-on-year increase of 2.4 percent.
Riselle Celestina is a Caribbean native and travel writer helping visitors plan trips to the region.

She lives in St. Maarten and has visited both popular and lesser-known Caribbean islands.

She's encountered tourists behaving badly by mocking accents and forgetting to cover up.

Riselle Celestina lights up whenever she has the chance to talk about the Caribbean.

Born on the island of Curacao, Celestina has called St. Maarten home for more than two decades.

Including the region's welcoming people, diverse landscapes, historic sites, hidden destinations, and rich cultures, Celestina told Insider she'd seen and experienced many of the islands that make up the Caribbean.

She isn't afraid to share the highlights of her home on her travel blog, The Traveling Island Girl, or her podcast, "Paradise Perspectives." And while she's eager to broadcast the good, she doesn't hesitate to share the ugly, too.

Celestina told Insider that some tourist habits frustrate both her and other Caribbean natives. Whether it's a cruise passenger who prances around stores in St. Maarten wearing only a skimpy swimsuit or a visitor who forgets to say hello, Celestina said there are plenty of things tourists do that had annoyed both her and other islanders.

Before a trip to the Caribbean, Celestina urges travelers to research. And once you're there, don't be afraid to keep learning.

"It's your vacation destination, but it's our home," she said.

Celestina's biggest annoyance is when tourists don't say hello or start a conversation off with a greeting.

A boulevard in the capital of the Dutch part of St. Martin in the Caribbean. Marica van der Meer/Arterra/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Celestina wears many hats. Beyond her travel blog, podcast, and travel consulting business, Celestina owns a bar in St. Maarten.

While Celestina is happy to welcome tourists into her business, she said they sometimes enter without even saying hello.

And this doesn't just happen inside the bar. She said there have been plenty of instances where tourists flagged her or another local to ask a question. Instead of greeting her or the other locals first, they immediately ask their questions.

Celestina said it's common courtesy across the Caribbean to start a conversation by saying good morning or asking how someone's day is going. Even a simple hello would suffice, she said.

"This is super important to us," she said. Not only does this create a friendly atmosphere, but it also opens up a dialogue so everyone can learn about one another.

While Celestina says she loves to see tourists around her island, she gets frustrated when they enter businesses in only their bathing suits.

Riselle Celestina wearing a dress outside St. Maarten's courthouse. The Traveling Island Girl

Celestina said she wishes she could remind people visiting the Caribbean that a bathing suit isn't all they need to pack. Across many islands, businesses require tourists to wear a shirt, shoes, and pants.

"What you need to remember is that at the end of the day, it's still a functioning society," she said.

For example, in St. Maarten, tourist shops are next to government offices and other important buildings. Many of these business owners and professionals find it more appropriate when tourists are covered up while walking around town or shopping.

Celestina added that she's noticed the problem increasing in recent years and added that more and more businesses have started posting signs telling tourists they need to be clothed when they enter their shops.

Celestina acknowledged that visitors might not realize it at first.

"Everybody's really pushing the beach scene, and we're pushing the shopping on the front street, which is parallel to the beach. I can totally understand that," she said. "We have lost our way of actually communicating to the visitors that it's actually not exactly nice for you to be walking half-naked in the street."

While you might be excited to spend an hour sun tanning on the beach and the next shopping in the island town you're visiting, Celestina said it's respectful to throw on a coverup first.

All-inclusive resorts can be appealing, but visitors who never leave the property are missing out on other incredible parts of their destination, she says.

Tourists at the Memories Paraiso Azul in Cuba. Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images

All-inclusive resorts are sprinkled across many of the Caribbean's most popular islands.

While it can be appealing to have restaurants, entertainment, drinks, a hotel room, and a beach all at one location, Celestina encourages travelers to think twice about booking an all-inclusive stay.

First, all-inclusive resorts often don't showcase all a destination has to offer. For example, tourists may miss historic sites, natural wonders, or local cuisines if they never leave the property, Celestina said.

"You haven't experienced the people of the island; you haven't experienced the atmosphere, the vibrancy, all of that. It's just that it's kind of lost," she said.

On top of that, Celestina added that all-inclusive resorts don't benefit the island as much as locally-owned businesses, restaurants, and hotels do.

When a tourist stays at an all-inclusive, which are often owned by major corporations, less money goes into locals' hands.

"I think I can speak for St. Maarten," she said. "Most of the money doesn't stay on the island. The whole point of an all-inclusive is to keep the visitors in that resort at all times."

Celestina said her advice for any incoming tourist is to think twice about booking an all-inclusive vacation. And if you do, make sure you leave the resort a few times throughout your trip to explore all the destination has to offer.

Celestina loves to remind tourists that every Caribbean island is different  they're not all beaches and palm trees.

Side-by-side images of the islands of Curacao and Dominica. The Traveling Island Girl/Shutterstock/emperorcosar

The Caribbean has a reputation for its white sandy beaches, crystal-clear oceans, and palm trees.

While plenty of the region's islands have that, they have so much more to offer, she says, adding that it can be frustrating when visitors go to one island and think they've seen all the Caribbean has to offer.

"There's such a big variety when it comes to the different Caribbean islands," she said. For example, the island of Saba doesn't have any of the stereotypical beaches tourists expect, and Aibonito is filled with waterfalls and rainforests.

Instead of asking whether you should visit Aruba or St. Maarten  a common question Celestina said she gets asked  Celestina's advice is to figure out what type of vacation you want. Do you want to dine on a variety of cuisines? Lie in the sun all day? Go diving or explore rainforests?

From there, you can start researching and asking which of the hundreds of islands might be the right fit for your trip.

Celestina said tourists sometimes joke about stereotypes they've seen on screens.

An "Island Time Begins Here" sign. Jeffrey Greenberg/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Celestina said TV and Hollywood had created a handful of negative stereotypes when it comes to the Caribbean. The two immediate ones that popped up for Celestina were the concept of island time and accents.

Celestina says she dislikes the assumption that she and other Caribbeans are always late.

"I strive to be exactly on time every time," she said.

"We talk about island time in a very negative 'ha-ha' way. That's how it's perceived in television," she added. "But no, that's not who we are."

Along similar lines, Celestina said there have been multiple instances when tourists put on a Jamaican accent when they chatted with her.

"We don't talk like that, and I'm not in Jamaica," she said. "That is such Jamaican slang, and people don't understand there are so many different languages and different connotations and different accents across the Caribbean."

Celestina wants tourists to remember that when they're visiting, they're the ones with the accents and that it's rude to mimic another culture.

She encourages travelers to leave the stereotypes at home and come to the island with an open mind.

Finally, Celestina said tourists shouldn't assume all Caribbean natives are in the hospitality industry and there to serve tourists.

Riselle Celestina at a hotel in St. Martin. The Traveling Island Girl

Celestina urged travelers to remember not every Caribbean local is Black, not every visitor is white, and not every local is there to serve tourists.

Celestina said plenty of promotional videos have showcased just that: "It's always white people being portrayed as the visitors. And whenever you portray someone from the Caribbean in those promotional videos, it's always someone in the hospitality industry assisting or helping the white person."

"That is something I think we need to start changing," she said.

Celestina said these promotional videos and stereotypes about race trickled into her daily life as a Black business owner. Plenty of times, she said, tourists had doubted that she was the owner because of her race.

"Their mouth drops to the floor when they learn I'm the owner," she said. "People assume that we are all in hospitality helping the visitor and not in a position of power or in a managerial position or owning a local business. That is always aggravating."

Instead of visiting the Caribbean with expectations of who you might encounter, Celestina said tourists can expect to see all sorts of people in all sorts of roles across all islands.

To Celestina, this is a beautiful thing and just one of the many reasons she loves her home.

Read the original article on Insider
Women in the Bible held positions of power and were called prophetesses, judges and leaders, warriors, healers and caregivers, mothers and wives, disciples, and followers of Jesus Christ who testified of him. | Eliza Anderson, Deseret News

There are approximately 180 named women, both real and fictional, discussed in the New Testament alone.

Women in the Bible held positions of power and were called prophetesses, judges and leaders, warriors, healers and caregivers, mothers and wives, disciples and followers of Jesus Christ who testified of him.

Related

Which women in the Bible preached and taught of Christ?

1. Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was the first witness of Jesus Christs resurrection and spread the word to the Twelve Apostles. In Mark 16: 9-10, it says Mary went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. She taught of the resurrected Christ.

2. Joanna and Mary, mother of James

Several more women who were close to Jesus proclaimed the resurrection, including Joanna and Mary the mother of James as Luke 24:9-11 demonstrates. All three women were there to tend to Christ, per Luke 24:1-10.

3. Priscilla

Priscilla invited many to come into (her) house, and abide there after being baptized in Acts 16:15. She later became a missionary with the Apostle Paul.

When a man came to the synagogue in Acts 18:26, speaking boldly, both Priscilla and Aquila, expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

4. Phebe

Phebe is referred to in the King James Version of the Bible in Romans 16:1-2 as sister, servant, and succorer, which some have interpreted to mean deacon or minister, per Biblical Archaeology. She is the only woman in the Bible referred to as such.

Paul recommended her to the Christians in Rome and said Phebe was a succorer of many and left her to teach the congregation in his stead.

5. Mary, mother of Jesus

Mary, Jesus mother, gave a beautiful testimony of the divinity of Christ in Luke 1:46 often referred to as Marys Magnificat, or the Ode of the Theotokos or the Canticle of Mary.

In part of her account she says, For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is his name.

6. An unnamed Samaritan woman

A Samaritan woman at the well, spoken of in John 4, listened and believed Jesus Christ speak before his disciples joined him. John 4:28-30 reads that the woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city where she taught of what she heard.

Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

She brought many more people from town to listen and learn about Christ.

Verse 39 reads, And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

More Samaritans joined the group and many more believed because of his own word.

Related
Nine orcas have died after becoming entangled in fishing equipment off the Alaska coast this year.

Only five orcas died from fishing equipment in the region between 2016 and 2020.

While equipment-related orca deaths have risen since 2020, they spiked this year.

Nine killer whales, also called orcas, have died this year after being found caught in fishery equipment off the Alaska coast.

Trawl fisheries have found 10 orcas in their nets so far in 2023. But only one of them was released alive, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. From 2016 to 2020, meanwhile, just five orcas were caught and killed by fishing gear off the Alaska coast, NOAA reported.

Killer whale deaths as a result of trawler equipment have been on the rise since 2020, with numbers peaking in 2023, Hannah Myers, a marine biology graduate student studying the creatures, told the Anchorage Daily News.

With only 2,500 orcas in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, these nine dead orcas could represent .4% of the remaining population in the region.

Researchers are working to determine the exact cause of death and to analyze the whales' genetic data to determine which species they belong to, according to the NOAA statement.

These orcas likely aren't members of the Southern Resident species, of which there were only 73 individuals left in 2022. Southern Resident orcas live off the coasts of Northern California, Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia  likely too far south for these fisheries.

Orcas made headlines throughout this summer, but for a very different reason: killer whales began ramming into boats off the coast of Spain and Portugal almost daily.

Experts say they can trace these attacks to one orca who started it all: White Gladis, a killer whale that was likely pregnant when the bizarre trend began in 2020. Scientists have debated why the orcas have been engaging with boats. Some think it could be related to past trauma, while others say it's just orcas having fun.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Ukrainian Air Force has reported a possible launch of Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea, as well as Shahed assault drones and Onix supersonic anti-ship missiles, towards Odesa Oblast. The all-clear has been given in most oblasts after an air-raid lasting for about an hour.

Source: Air Force on Telegram

Quote: "Attention! Launches of Kalibr cruise missiles from the Black Sea are likely! Do not ignore the air-raid warning!"

Details: Russian forces are also reported to have launched Shahed-type UAVs in the direction of Odesa Oblast.

The Air Force added that their course may change.

A threat of missile attacks has also been reported in Ukraines central and eastern regions.

According to the latest data, the Kalibr cruise missiles are now between Kirovohrad and Mykolaiv Oblasts, heading west.

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!
J.J. Saldana, a vital leader within Idahos Latino community, has died.

Saldana, who will be remembered for over two decades of work with the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs  died in his sleep sometime late Thursday or early Friday, Rebecca De Leon, a longtime friend, told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview. He was 49.

Its unknown what caused Saldanas death, De Leon said.

He was somebody who always stood up for what was right. He was somebody who never faltered in his values, De Leon said. He was always very true to himself. He was always J.J.

Saldana was originally from Elko, Nevada, a small city about 100 miles from Idahos southern border, but he moved to Boise in 1995 to attend Boise State University and never left. Saldana graduated from Boise State in 2000 and immediately began working for the state Commission on Hispanic Affairs  where hed still be working nearly 24 years later as a community resource development specialist.

The commission is a state agency that works underneath Gov. Brad Littles office to inform him about issues within the community. Saldanas work for the commission included overseeing the agencys communication and public relations along with educational programs including the Idaho Hispanic Youth Leadership Summit, which he co-founded.

Last year, the leadership summit awarded over $14 million in college scholarships to Latino high school students  many of whom became the first person in their families to attend college, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.

J.J. was a leader in our communities and a relentless advocate for Idahos growing Hispanic population. Teresa and I send our condolences to the family and many loved ones of J.J., Little said in a statement provided to the Statesman by email.

Saldana uplifted Latino community, longtime friend says

Another of Saldanas most well-known accomplishments was his work as a host of the Latino Card. The award-winning radio show started in 2019 as a part of the Idaho Press and has since branched as an independent show.

De Leon, who hosted the Latino Card with Saldana along with Antonio Hernandez, said by phone that Saldana immediately took her under his wing roughly 10 years ago when they met.

De Leon was working as a reporter at the Idaho Press and she was the only bilingual journalist of color at a time when the journalism landscape was very hostile to Idahos Latino community, she said.

Saldana, according to De Leon, had already been publicly complaining that Latinos were only ever in the news when it came to coverage of immigration or crime.

He helped me navigate some difficult situations when I was a journalist, De Leon said. He leveraged his connections and his powers because he really wanted me to succeed, and there was really nothing in it for him.

This inevitability prompted Saldana and De Leon to start the Latino Card with then-Idaho Press reporter Nicole Foy, who was the states first Latino affairs reporter, which De Leon said was revolutionary at the time. (Foy also worked for the Idaho Statesman.)

De Leon said the position was partly created because she and Saldana pushed for it behind the scenes.

We started the Latino Card because we were like, We need more of this and we cant just like, sit back and just wait for somebody else to make it happen,  De Leon said. So, lets do this ourselves.

And it didnt stop with them. Every time a new journalist of color moved to Idaho or began their career, De Leon said, Saldana would immediately offer them support.

Now, there are a number of bilingual journalists throughout Idaho, with most newsrooms employing at least one Latino journalist and outlets like KTVB offering the news in Spanish with KTVB En Espanol.

Saldana served as a part of Voces Internship of Idahos advisory council, which started in 2022 and has already offered nearly a dozen Latino students internships in various Idaho newsrooms. Saldana was also a member of the Idaho Statesmans editorial board from January 2021 through May 2022.

He was truly somebody that so many people immediately turned to when they wanted advice, when they wanted connections and he was always there, De Leon said. He was always available. He was always on time. He was always supportive.

De Leon continued: Nobody really gave him credit because he wasnt the type that demanded it. All he cared about was that the work was done, and that our community was being uplifted  that was what drove him.

Idaho kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month on Sept. 15, something Saldana led annually with the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs. De Leon said that Saldana was the one to make awards like the Amigo del Ano, which was awarded to a local artist, sought after.

When asked whats one thing  big or small  that Saldana would want to be remembered for, De Leon said that Saldana prided himself on dressing well and almost never wore the same pair of shoes twice.

De Leon said that Saldana would wear velvet embroidered shoes and shoes that always looked incredibly uncomfortable. To which Saldana, according to De Leon, would respond that pain is beauty.

Were not going to find  ever  another human being that can fill his very beautiful shoes, De Leon said.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on Sunday she wanted to trade in her Tesla for a union-made EV.

She said she bought her Tesla Model 3 during the pandemic when EVs were the "safest way" to travel.

The New York lawmaker has repeatedly clashed with Tesla CEO Elon Musk over unions.

As the historic United Auto Workers strike heats up across the country, so, too, is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's ongoing feud with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

On Face the Nation on Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez was asked when she would be switching her Tesla for a union-made EV. Ocasio-Cortez previously said she bought her Tesla Model 3 back in 2020 to travel between Washington and her district in New York. It was the only EV that could get her there "on like one, or one-and-a-half charges," she said.

While it was the "safest way" to travel at the time, she said, it was also before some of the new models from other manufacturers hit the market. "We're actually looking into trading in our car now," she said on Face the Nation.

This isn't the first time that Ocasio-Cortez has expressed an interest in switching out her Tesla for a union-made EV. It's also not the first time she has expressed her distaste for Musk, who's been highly critical of the United Auto Workers union in the past.

Back in May, Ocasio-Cortez said she wanted to own an electric vehicle made by a company that allowed employees to unionize. Tesla is one of the only major American automakers not represented by a union. "He's a billionaire. I could care less what he thinks," Ocasio-Cortez said in reference to Musk at the time.

Ocasio-Cortez and Tesla did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

There aren't many union-made electric vehicles that might foot the bill for the representative. Insider's Tim Levin laid out her slim choices of models here.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A bird flies over an office building. Its reflection is visible on the glass windows.

APPLETON - Alex Schultz was working downtown when he witnessed two pine warblers smack into the glass windows on the back of the ACOCA Coffee shop.

One warbler survived. One didn't.

"They just thought it was more sky," Schultz said of the reflections on the panes of glass. "It was a little bit shocking to see."

Schultz said he particularly was bothered because the collisions involved "cute little pine warblers," which are relatively uncommon in the city.

As a member of the Appleton Common Council, Schultz asked himself what could be done to prevent further songbird deaths. He noted Appleton is affiliated with Bird City Wisconsin.

Alex Schultz

Resolution calls for two-pronged approach

Schultz's efforts led to a bird-safe glass resolution asking that Appleton:

Identify all public buildings with glass panes at heights and of surface areas that pose a danger for birds and then apply glass safety films or other bird-strike abatement measures "as soon as practical and within budget and staffing constraints."

Include educational language on its website to inform nonpublic entities, businesses and urban residential housing managers and owners whose buildings have glass panes that meet the bird-strike risk criteria of Bird Citys recommendations.

As many as a billion birds die annually in the U.S. after colliding with windows, according to the Save Our Songbirds campaign.

"It can happen anywhere," Schultz said. "It's glass of a size that's reflective enough where it deceives the birds into believing that they're flying into an open airspace."

The resolution passed the Community & Economic Development Committee on a 4-0 vote last week. The Appleton council will consider it this week.

How many public buildings meet the criteria?

According to a spreadsheet prepared by city staff, Appleton has four public buildings that meet the criteria for bird-strike abatement measures: City Hall (first, fifth and sixth floors of City Center Plaza), the new Appleton Public Library, the Yellow Parking Ramp and the water treatment plant.

"It's not a huge number of buildings, and I think the cost would not be significant," Schultz said.

The window treatments can be films with a dot pattern to break up reflections, he said, or they can be as simple as placing stickers on windows.

"There's a lot more buildings in the private sphere that have a lot more glass than anything the city has," Schultz said, "but the city's got to show a little leadership and do some things to bring about a little awareness."

Downtown development: Valley Transit will reapply for $25 million in grants for new Appleton Transit Center

Resolution authors initially sought stronger action

Schultz initially proposed a much stronger approach with his resolution, which was co-signed by council members Israel Del Toro and Vered Meltzer.

The resolution stated that Madison adopted a bird-friendly ordinance in 2020 that requires large construction and expansion projects to use bird-safe strategies and materials, and it called upon Appleton to do the same.

Appleton City Attorney Chris Behrens said Madison's ordinance faces legal challenges that have advanced to the District 4 Court of Appeals.

"One challenge is that imposing glass requirements such as these is not statutorily permissible," Behrens said in a memorandum. "Cities are prohibited from adopting a local-specific commercial building code, unless it is in strict conformity with the statewide code."

Behrens recommended Appleton wait on considering anything similar to Madison until the legality is decided.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: Our subscribers make this coverage possible. Click to see The Post-Crescent's special offers at postcrescent.com/subscribe and download our app on the App Store or Google Play.

Development committee settles on a compromise

Members of the Community & Economic Development Committee debated tabling the resolution.

Council member Denise Fenton said she was concerned that the bird-friendly glass requirements might raise the cost of new construction and make developers hesitant to pursue projects in Appleton.

In the end, the committee amended the resolution to make the provisions a recommendation, rather than a requirement, for the private sector.

The compromise was "acceptable and pretty admirable," Fenton said.

More: Head of United Way Fox Cities resigns effective immediately

Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton bird-safe glass resolution heads to Common Council
A shiny pile of shattered glass sits in the parking lot outside of El Centro Hispano in the Lakewood Plaza shopping center.

Its a grim reminder of the increasing insecurity for Nery Blandin, a community education worker at the Durham-based Latino nonprofit. Her car was broken into on Tuesday morning right outside of her job.

I dont feel safe, Blandin, 50, told The News & Observer in Spanish. I have a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear ... the Hispanic community shouldnt be outside by themselves, and also shouldnt be afraid to speak out, and should look for a place that can support them.

Nery Blandin, a community education worker at El Centro Hispano, is photographed in the Lakewood Plaza shopping center on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Durham, N.C. Blandins car was broken into in the parking lot outside of the Latino nonprofit in September.

The day before Blandins car was broken into, the Durham Police Department announced it was investigating a string of crimes targeting Hispanic women.

Those crimes included offenses like carjackings and armed robberies:

 In the residential area on 4000 Meriwether Drive, one woman was robbed at gunpoint on Sept. 3 and another womans vehicle was stolen at gunpoint at an apartment complex on Sept. 12.

 Two carjackings were reported on the 2000 and 3000 blocks of North Roxboro Street on Sept. 10 and 12, in the same neighborhood of Braggtown, where many Latino residents live.

 On Sept. 10, a woman reported that her vehicle was stolen at gunpoint at a shopping center in the 6000 block of Fayetteville Road in southern Durham.

No injuries were reported in these crimes.

Why victims struggle to report crimes, get help

Blandins money and personal documents were stolen from her car, and she said police had delayed assisting her.

Blandin is originally from Honduras and has lived in the U.S. for two decades. Like many who migrated to North Carolina from Latin America, she prefers to speak in her native language.

She laments that there arent enough bilingual police officers to speak to on the phone or in person. Victims are more likely to talk to police when officers can speak their native language, The N&O reported previously.

Language and immigration status are among the factors that can make people in the Latino community apprehensive about speaking out, she said.

Firstly, theres language barrier and second reason is racism because were Hispanic, Blandin told The N&O. They dont listen to us, we dont matter to them. Id like for there to be more attention to us as Latina women.

Nery Blandin, a community education worker at El Centro Hispano, is photographed in the Lakewood Plaza shopping center on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Durham, N.C. Blandins car was broken into in the parking lot outside of the Latino nonprofit in September.

Reluctance to report crimes among Latino immigrant communities is common, and not all crimes are being reported to Durham police, community members told The N&O.

They rob us because they know were defenseless, she said.

El Centro Hispano, where Blandins car was broken into, offers help in filing police reports for victims, including translation services and legal assistance for victims, according to communications director Berenice Malagon.

A need for bilingual officers to help victims

Durham resident Victoria Tafoya immediately reported the theft of her car she had parked outside of Food Lion on Fayetteville Street on Sept. 5.

But she says police took her report and then declined to follow up with her, even after her car was found.

Honestly, I feel helpless and paranoid, Tafoya, 30, said in a Facebook message to an N&O reporter. Im moving much more careful (than) before. Being a woman is dangerous enough, but a Hispanic single mom not only do I have to look out for myself but also for my children.

According to Tafoya, the thief left several items in her car and she never heard from police on what to do with them or if the suspect was caught.

Longtime resident Monica Rosa said people in the community shouldnt be daunted when it comes to stepping forward to report crimes.

In 2018, Rosa reported being robbed at gunpoint and worked with a group of people who helped her obtain a U Visa, which allows some undocumented immigrants to gain legal status when they are victims of violent crime.

You have to fight, not stay silent and not be afraid, Rosa, 49, said in Spanish during an interview with The N&O. When youre an immigrant, youre afraid to speak up. Lift your head up and speak.

Rosa, who migrated from Uruguay more than two decades ago, emphasized that there should be more police officers, specifically bilingual officers to help victims.

The most recent report from Durham Police Chief Patrice Andrews showed there were currently 122 vacancies for sworn officers within the department as of late August.

The N&O previously found that 10 local police departments offer additional pay to officers who are fluent in Spanish and have the linguistic capability to serve local Latino residents.

Durham police chief Patrice Andrews talks to Latino community members at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church on July 10, 2022, after a meeting with the NC Congress of Latino Organizations.

Last year, the city of Durham doubled the bonus to $2,000 for bilingual police officers who use written and verbal Spanish in their work.

A police spokesperson couldnt confirm the current number of certified bilingual officers, but there were at least 30 officers on the force last year who were, according to previous reporting.

Previous robberies targeting the community

Robberies specifically targeting the Hispanic community have been an issue in different parts of Durham, particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the city.

In the first two weeks of July, the Durham Police Department said it responded to at least 12 different armed robberies near Avondale Drive and Foushee Street east of downtown.

Around $33,000 worth of items were reported stolen, according to police reports. Most victims reported losing a phone and wallet but thieves also stole cars, jewelry and debit cards.

Durham Rapid Response, a grassroots organization for the Latino immigrant community that relays messages through social media, has routinely spoken out about these crimes.

Most recently, the group warned the public about young Hispanic men allegedly robbing residents at their homes.

Latino families keep being victims of crimes and now, by our own people, be very careful! a Facebook post in Spanish said on Sept. 1.

Last summer, a juvenile was charged by Durham police after being sought for seven armed robberies targeting Latinos in Braggtown.

Durham police offer tips to the Hispanic community

The Durham Police Department is encouraging victims to step up and report their crimes, and emphasizes that police will not ask residents about their immigration status.

On Wednesday, Hispanic Liaison officer Rut Avila and a robbery investigator with the police department met with residents of an apartment complex on Meriwether Drive, the site of two of the reported crimes with Hispanic female victims, according to police spokeswoman Crystal Price.

Avila, who conducts victim advocacy and community outreach as part of her work, handed out crime prevention tips in English and Spanish during the outreach, according to Price.

The police department released the following tips for the public:

Have your keys ready when approaching your home or vehicle.

Park in well-lit areas.

If someone is following you, do not drive directly to your neighborhood. Instead, drive to a well-lit area. If you can, drive to a police substation.

Do not walk alone in dark areas.

Refrain from carrying large amounts of cash with you.

If you are confronted, always cooperate with the robber. Your life is more important than items of material value.

Get as much information as you can about the suspect (s) and any vehicle involved, including the plate number if at all possible.

Call 911 as soon as possible after the robbery. Provide the dispatcher with as much information as possible.

Do not be concerned about your immigration status if you are a foreign national when reporting a crime. Please report all suspicious activity and crime by calling 911.

Anyone with information about the above-mentioned crimes in Durham is asked to call Investigator T. Blake at (919) 560-4440 ext. 29282 or Investigator S. Ellison at (919)560-4440 ext. 29550.
Soldiers will be drafted in to replace armed police officers following a mass walkout by firearms teams to protest against the decision to charge one of their colleagues with murder.

More than 300 officers  10 per cent of all firearms staff  have refused to carry a gun, forcing Scotland Yard to submit a formal request to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for help with counter-terror policing.

On Sunday Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, issued an open letter calling for an overhaul of the way police officers are treated by the justice system and better legal protection for those who use force while on duty.

His comments came just hours after Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, gave her backing to firearms officers and said she would launch a review to ensure they have the confidence to do their jobs while protecting us all.

The Telegraph understands that special forces could be asked to step in to cover for Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers, who are among those currently refusing to carry guns.

The unit is on duty round the clock to provide a response should there be a major terrorist incident.

The walkout came after an officer, identified as NX121, appeared in court accused of murdering Chris Kaba, 23, an unarmed black man who was shot dead during a police operation in south London last September.

Chris Kaba

The decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge the marksman sparked a huge backlash, with many specialist firearms officers saying they were no longer willing to run the risk of ending up in court for doing their job.

The Metropolitan Polices decision to ask the MoD for help came after some firearms officers in other parts of the country refused to help, in solidarity with their London colleagues.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: The Ministry of Defence has agreed to a request to provide the Met with counter-terrorism support should it be needed.

This is a contingency option that would only be used in specific circumstances and where an appropriate policing response was not available.

Armed forces personnel will not be used in a routine policing capacity. We will keep the need for the support under constant review.

The officer accused of murdering Kaba appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court and then the Old Bailey on Thursday.

An anonymity order meant he could not be named but that order is to be reviewed on Friday.

Sources have told The Telegraph that the outcome of that hearing at the Old Bailey could be a factor in armed officers deciding whether to return to work.

A source said: There is so much anger around this decision. The feeling is among AFOs [authorised firearms officers] that it is just not worth it.

You dont get paid any extra for carrying a gun and if something goes wrong you can end up on trial for murder looking at serving a life sentence. Is there any wonder they are saying Im out?

On Sunday, Mrs Braverman ordered a review and said officers must not fear ending up in the dock.

Mrs Braverman tweeted:

They mustnt fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties.

Officers risking their lives to keep us safe have my full backing & I will do everything in my power to support them. 2/3  Suella Braverman MP (@SuellaBraverman) September 24, 2023

She added: Thats why I have launched a review to ensure they have the confidence to do their jobs while protecting us all.

Welcoming the review, Sir Mark called for changes to the way the justice system treats officers.

He said armed officers in the Metropolitan Police responded to about 4,000 incidents every year but only discharged their weapons on average twice, representing less than 0.05 per cent.

In an open letter, he said: Armed officers know they need to justify their actions, especially where lethal force is used.

They are extremely well trained and an intrinsic part of their training reinforces that shots can only be fired if absolutely necessary to save life.

But there is concern on the part of firearms officers that even if they stick to the tactics and training they have been given, they will face years of protracted legal proceedings which impact on their personal wellbeing and that of their family.

He called for more clarity in the law as to when officers could defend themselves and a quicker resolution to investigations and prosecutions.

Firearms officers are highly trained, making it difficult to replace them at short notice.

They face reviews twice a year but do not get any extra pay for volunteering to carry a weapon.

Need for sufficient legal protection

In his letter, Sir Mark said he was proud of the policing by consent model in the UK and that the public relied on on officers who are willing to put themselves at risk on a daily basis to protect the public from dangerous criminals, including terrorists.

He added: Officers need sufficient legal protection to enable them to do their job and keep the public safe, and the confidence that it will be applied consistently and without fear or favour.

One area of the Metropolitan Police that has been significantly hit is the armed response vehicle units that contain three firearms officers and patrol the capital 24 hours a day, providing quick responses in the event of a major incident.

Sources have told The Telegraph that the unit has been severely depleted over the weekend, with officers from neighbouring forces called in to provide cover.

An MoD spokesman said: We have accepted a Military Aid to the Civil Authorities request from the Home Office to provide routine counter-terrorism contingency support to the Metropolitan Police, should it be needed.

Military personnel will only assist the police if needed with specific tasks and will not have powers of arrest. They are not expected to be used to perform the routine duties of unarmed officers.

Soldiers have previously been requested by government departments to assist with the Governments Covid task force and to help when large parts of the country have been flooded.

In December last year, military personnel and civil servants filled in at major airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow, for 1,000 Border Force officers who were on strike over pay. Like police, members of the military cannot strike.

There was significant backlash from the Armed Forces when they were asked to give up their Christmas in 2022 to cover for striking NHS workers.

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Walking into Allapattahs Sastreria & Confecciones Aquino tailoring and alterations shop feels like a journey back in time. Colorful thimbles of threads can be seen all over the small shop and custom guayabera shirts with intricate designs hang on the walls.

In the back of the quaint place, a man wearing a navy blazer, distressed jeans and dark brown loafers moves around energetically with measuring tape hanging from his neck. That man is the owner and tailor Fidel Aquino, a 73-year-old native of the Dominican Republic.

I enjoy working, he said, gesturing with the fervor of a high school student. My work is like art for me, so I do it with joy. When I tailor a suit, it has the perfect fit. I take pride in my work because its not about the money. If you do good work, the money will come.

Aquino has been sewing and altering clothing since he was 14 in the Dominican Republic. He figures hes worked on more than 2,000 mens suits. The sophistication that comes with a tailored suit is priceless, he said. Typically, he spends two days working on a suit hes tailoring and altering for his customers.

Aquino first visited Miami in the early 2000s and quickly fell in love with the city. In 2008, at the age of 58, he moved to Miami by himself before his wife, Quintina, 70, later joined him here. He got a $10,000 loan from a friend and after scouting different properties in Miami, he knew that setting up shop in the Dominican-friendly neighborhood of Allapattah would be perfect.

All types of different people come here. We have affluent customers, as well as customers with less money. Everyone receives the same quality of service, Aquino said with a smile.

Choosing to let his work speak for itself, he credited his faith in God as a source of inspiration throughout his entrepreneurial journey. Certainly, his work has done the talking and his skills have gained the attention of celebrity clients like Dominican rapper El Alfa, a Santo Domingo native known as The King of Dem Bow.

Operating a tailoring shop in the United States made more sense to Aquino than remaining in the Dominican Republic. His three children, Richard, 40, Darven, 32 and Betty 31, still live in Santo Domingo with their families.

As an entrepreneur, he found that Dominican government policies made it more difficult for individuals to start their own businesses. By comparison, he was able to get his shop in urban Miami off the ground relatively quickly. That was just the signal he needed that America was where he belonged.

Much of the appeal of Aquinos shop comes from seeing the vintage sewing machines and benches customers see upon entering. Having worked as a tailor for much of his life, he pointed to his head when he talked about the skills hes refined over the years of taking measurements and understanding his clients senses of style.

Still, he is always looking for ways to improve his workflow. As a small business owner, he doesnt always have the money to make improvements to his shop.

That changed when Aquino recently received a $15,700 grant from a Wells Fargo Bank fund for small businesses. Nonprofits Miami Foundation and Partners for Self Employment manage the disbursement of the grants locally.

Check this out, he said, as he tapped a button on the back of one of the new sewing machines. Suddenly, the machine began saying commands like an Alexa home device would. At $2,700 each, Aquino said the six new machines will enable him to do more tailoring. By upgrading his sewing machines and adding an embroidery machine, his shop can also do embroidery for customers.

Fidel Aquino, owner and tailor at Sastreria & Confecciones Aquino, works in his shop in Allapattah on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. on one of his new sewing machines.

Brittany Morgan, Miami Foundations director of economic resilience, understands the difficulties entrepreneurs of color face to secure capital to support their businesses. Industrial machines such as the sewing and embroidery machines Aquino uses are expensive, but she thinks the $15,700 investment in Aquinos shop can double or triple the business he does.

Its really especially challenging for business owners of color to get capital even when theyre incredibly profitable, Morgan said. On paper, theres just a lot of practices in underwriting and lending that tends to disadvantage business owners of color.

Using Black households as an example, Morgan said those with an entrepreneur have a net worth 10 to 12 times higher than a Black family without a small business owner. Helping small business owners gain access to credit and capital can be a game changer, she said.

Back at his Allapattah tailor shop with business humming, Aquino sees the place as a continuation of his work. His next goal is to open another shop to the south in the Coral Way neighborhood and serve residents in a different area.

Even in his early 70s, he has no plans of slowing down. Quickly, he gets up from his seat at a sewing machine to show off the latest tailored suit he just finished after many hours.

You can always make more money, he said. But you cant make more time.

Tailor Fidel Aquino stands in his shop in Allapattah on Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. Hes been working as a tailor since he was 14 in the Dominican Republic.
Myanmar eyes more corn exports to China this year

Xinhua) 09:46, September 24, 2023

YANGON, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar Corn Industrial Association (MCIA) is seeking ways to boost corn exports to China in 2023, the MCIA has confirmed to Xinhua.

"We expect to export 400,000 tons of corn to China this year. Corn is exported to China, Vietnam and the Philippines from September to January," an MCIA source told Xinhua.

Although Thailand is No. 1 importer of Myanmar's corn, the association also seeks a bigger share of the Chinese market this year to boost the country's corn export as a whole, according to the association.

Corn is a main export item of the Southeast Asian country after beans and pulses.

Myanmar is estimated to export 2 million tons of corn this year, of which 1 million tons have been exported to Thailand during the February-August period.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
Photo taken on Sept. 23, 2023 shows exhibition goods from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue being shipped to China for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2023 at Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand. [Photo/Xinhua]

A shipping container loaded with products from New Zealand and Pacific Island nations Vanuatu and Niue left the Port of Tauranga, the largest port in New Zealand, on Saturday for the China International Import Expo (CIIE) 2023.

The CIIE, in its sixth edition this year, will be held in Shanghai on Nov. 5-10.

The COSCO Shipping container, which left for China on Saturday, carried a wide range of products from New Zealand, Vanuatu and Niue, such as dairy products, honey, juice, and art crafts. The container is expected to arrive at Shanghai Port in mid-October.

Kang Xiaoyu, managing director of COSCO Shipping Lines New Zealand, said that her team in New Zealand had been preparing for the shipment for quite a long time.

"In order to better meet the logistics needs of exhibits at the CIIE in New Zealand and surrounding South Pacific island countries, COSCO Shipping strives to create a complete exhibit supply chain service plan for exhibitors," Kang said.

In response to the difficulties encountered by local companies in production and operations, a special working group was established for the transportation of exhibits for the sixth CIIE and dedicated personnel was assigned to coordinate the work, she added.

COSCO Shipping is the official international shipping service provider for the CIIE.

According to Joe Pacoa, director of Vanuatu's Department of External Trade, Vanuatu's exhibition products are natural and distinctive. They have received positive feedback from Chinese consumers at previous CIIEs. Vanuatu's water, kava and noni juice have forayed into the Chinese market.

Encouraged by this, Vanuatu will continue to introduce more exhibition products at this year's CIIE, including local jewellery, sea cucumber-based cancer-fighting health products, mineral water, kava-based foods and daily necessities, chocolates, coconut oil, Tamanu oil, as well as traditional local handcrafted items and wood carvings, Pacoa said.
(Inside California Politics)  California State Assembly Member Evan Low , D-Campbell, joined Inside California Politics co-host Nikki Laurenzo to discuss his letter requesting an expedited decision on former President Trumps eligibility to hold public office.

That letter requested action from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in the form of directing a state judge to rule on the former Presidents eligibility to be on the California ballot.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
California Assemblymember James C. Ramos with his award he received from the State of California Native American Heritage Commission. (Photo/Linda Sacks)

California Assemblymember James C. Ramos (D-San Bernardino), the first and only California Native American elected to the legislature, received an award from the California Native American Heritage Commission for serving as the longest serving chair. Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Ramos received the award on Thursday night at the California Tribal Chairpersons Association.

It is an honor to receive this recognition from an organization I hold in high regard for protecting the states Native American sacred sites and resources. I valued the opportunity to bring attention to the diversity and history of Californias tribes and to engage in the work of protecting our cultural patrimony, Ramos said.

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The Commission was established by the California State Assembly in 1976 as the primary government agency responsible for identifying and cataloging Native American cultural resources. Up until then, there had been little government participation in the protection of Californias cultural resources.

As a Commission, it was authorized to identify a Most Likely Descendant (MLDs) when Native American human remains are discovered at places other than a dedicated cemetery so MLDs could make recommendations for the respectful treatment of those discovered human remains.

Ramos was appointed to the Commission by Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. He served as chairman of the Commission from 2008 until 2018 when he was elected assemblyman.

Commissioner Wayne Nelson (Pala Tribe) introduced Ramos at the Thursday meeting and observed Ramos would probably have served longer but for his 2018 election to the Legislature.

In his time as a state legislator he has been able to challenge institutions to address and correct the lack of accurate and respectful representation of Native Americans. He is a true champion for Native American communities, Nelson said.

Raymond Hitchcock, the Commissions Executive Secretary stated, It is our distinct pleasure to honor Assemblymember James Ramos as a longstanding Chairman of the Native American Heritage Commission from 2008 until 2018, said Executive Secretary, Raymond C Hitchcock. His passion and leadership of the Heritage Commission, fighting and advocating for the protection of our tribal Ancestors and communities is now on full display to the entire State of California. This is a testament to the beautiful soul this man really is!

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
(Bloomberg) -- Australia will continue pursuing a case at the World Trade Organization against Chinas tariffs on wine imports, rejecting a proposal to tie the issue to a separate dispute on steel products.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Chinas Commerce Ministry said Thursday the nations should seek a package solution to address Australias complaint about wine levies and Beijings disagreement over Canberras anti-dumping action on wind towers, railway wheels and stainless steel sinks.

We see these as entirely separate matters, Agriculture Minister Murray Watt told Australian Broadcasting Corp. television Sunday. We will continue our WTO case when it comes to wine, and we will continue to defend the case when it comes to steel  but we hope that all these things can be resolved by dialogue.

Read more: Australia Sends Barley Shipment to China After Tariffs End

After removing levies on Australian barley last month, China has signaled a willingness to discuss other issues, including wine.

The nations should promote a package solution to the wine case and Chinas lawsuit against Australia for anti-dumping and countervailing measures on three products, Chinas Commerce Ministry spokesman He Yadong said Thursday at a briefing. China is also open to continuing to resolve the above-mentioned issues through multilateral channels.

Chinas decision to impose wine tariffs in 2020, as relations between the nations deteriorated, decimated what was once Australias most lucrative export market for the product. Australias wine industry is currently facing a major glut, with supply in storage equivalent to about 2.8 billion bottles, according to Rabobank analyst Pia Piggott.

We have been able to stabilize our relationship with China and that is paying dividends for our farmers in areas like barley, horticulture, cotton and others, Watt told the ABC. Wine remains an issue that we want to see resolved.

--With assistance from Zoe Ma and James Mayger.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov accused Armenia of revanchism and military provocations in an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 23.

"Efforts for durable peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia have again become hostage to Armenia's policy of revanchism," Bayramov said.

Throughout the speech, Bayramov accused Armenia of undermining Azerbaijani sovereignty and framed the military operation in Nagorno-Karabakh as a legal anti-terrorism measure.

Baryamov said that prior to the operation, Armenia planted mines in a military provocation that killed six Azerbaijani citizens.

These claims have not been independently verified.

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Baryamov also denied imposing a blockade on Nagorno-Karabakh, calling the reports "fabricated allegations."

The blockade, imposed in 2022 after the withdrawal of Russian troops, drew widespread international condemnation. In February 2023 the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in favor of Yerevan's appeal to lift the blockade .

Baryamov's speech blamed the international outcry on an Armenian propaganda campaign.

"Armenia further embarked on igniting tension through a global campaign of manipulation and disinformation targeting the sovereign territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," Baryamov said.

Despite the litany of accusations, Baryamov also said that Azerbaijan was open to dialogue with Armenia and believed that the two countries could establish "good neighborly relations."

On Sept. 20, authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered to the Azerbaijani military in exchange for a Russian-brokered ceasefire after one day of attacks by Azerbaijani forces.

Read also: Russias peacekeeper act crumbles as Azerbaijan overwhelms Nagorno-Karabakh

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN)  Planning to attend college in the Volunteer State? A new study shows the top 10 colleges where you can get the most bang for your buck.

SmartAsset, a personal finance website, released their ninth annual Best Valuable Colleges study comparing Tennessees institutions based on several metrics including scholarships, starting salaries, tuition, living costs and retention rates to determine the the best value college in the state.

These are the Top 10 colleges in Tennessee where students get the best value:

1.) Vanderbilt University

Vanderbilt University in Nashville ranked number one, according to the study. In fact, the institution was the only Nashville-based college to be ranked in the top 10.

Although Vanderbilts $58,783 tuition was the among the highest, the study did find that the university gives out an average of $45,342 in scholarships and grants.

However, students looking to attend the university should expect to spend a pretty penny on student living costs  at least $23,989  according to SmartAsset. With a score of 71.03, Vanderbilt Universitys college education value index is the best in the state.

2.) Christian Brothers University

SmartAsset found that students who graduate from Christian Brothers University are expected to make at least $55,100 as a starting salary.

Out of the three Memphis colleges that made the list, Christian Brothers boasted the highest college education value index with a score of 55.74

3.) Rhodes College

Between the three Memphis institutions ranked on the list, Rhodes College gives out the most money with $33,407 provided in scholarships and grants. Like Christian Brothers University, students who graduate from Rhodes are also expected to make at least $55,100 as a starting salary.

The college ranked second-highest and was just points behind Vanderbilt when it came to student retention rates. According to the study, 94% of students who attend Rhodes are likely to return the following semester.

4.) Le Moyne- Owen College

Le Moyne-Owen College boasted the lowest student living costs in the state with students paying an average of $9,558 for expenses that include books, supplies, transportation and other personal expenses.

However, the study shows the college had the lowest student retention rate on the list with only 53% of students returning to the same institution the following semester.

5.) The University of Tennessee- Martin

Students attending The University of Tennessee- Martin pay an average of $11,224 in tuition fees and are given at least $8,203 in scholarships and grants.

SmartAsset says students at the university pay $13,846 in student living costs with 70% returning the next year.

6.) Middle Tennessee State University

Blue Raider alumni come out of MTSU making at least $50,800 upon graduation, according to SmartAsset.

The study found that MTSU gives out an average of $7,121 for college scholarships and grants per person -which was the lowest on the list. However, the $10,452 tuition is among one of the cheapest in the state.

7.) Tennessee Technological University

With an average tuition costing $10,303, Tennessee Technological University is named a best value college with the cheapest tuition in the state.

After completing their degree, students at Tennessee Tech can expect to make at least $58,400 once they enter the workforce.

8.) Southern Adventist University

Southern Adventist college ranked eighth on the list as a best value college in Tennessee. The study found that the university provides an average of $12,226 in scholarships and students pay at least $15,387 in student living costs.

Students who attend the Hamilton County university make at least $50,200 as a starting salary upon college graduation, according to the study.

9.) University of Tennessee, Knoxville

According to SmartAsset, the home of the Volunteers ranks among the colleges with highest student retention rates, with 88% of students re-enrolling the following year.

However, costs including room and board, books, supplies and transportation equal up to a total of $21,835. UT students pay the second-highest living costs among all the schools ranked on the list.

10.) Freed-Hardeman University

The private liberal arts university ranked in the final spot among the top best value colleges and last in the college education value index category with a score of 49.70.

Despite the ranking, the Henderson-based university shows a good return on students investment. In fact, 85% of students re-enroll into the institution the following year.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
President Bidens disapproval rating hit the highest mark of his presidency in a new poll that also showed support by essential voting blocs is slipping.

Bidens disapproval rating ticked up to 56 percent, with 41 percent saying they approve. The survey also shows support for Biden slipping with voters aged 18-24, who reported a 46 percent approval rating; Latinos, who reported 43 percent; and independents  who will be key to deciding the general election  at 36 percent.

The NBC News poll released Sunday continues the trend of showing an overwhelming majority of voters expressing concern about Biden as well as his likely 2024 general election opponent, former President Trump.

But Trumps lead in the GOP primary has also surged ahead of a crowded field of opponents; he is leading by 43 points despite a myriad of legal troubles in the form of four state and federal criminal indictments.

Trump was the first choice among national Republican primary voters at 59 percent, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis clocked in at only 16 percent, according to the poll. It also showed Republicans increasingly believing that Trump should remain the Republican Partys leader at 58 percent, an increase from 49 percent in June.

Trump has been indicted four times this year, including three times since June in cases involving the potential mishandling of classified documents and interference in the 2020 election results on the federal level and in the state of Georgia.

Voters continue to see the 80-year-old Bidens age as an issue, with 74 percent of voters saying they have major or moderate concerns that he doesnt have the mental and physical capacity to be president, while 44 percent said the same of 77-year-old Trump.

Still, 1 in 5 voters who expressed concerns about Bidens age said they would still vote for him over Trump. A hypothetical 2024 match-up in the poll shows Trump and Biden in a dead heat at 46 percent among registered voters. Biden held a 4 percent lead over Trump in the same poll in June.

The NBC News poll was conducted Sept. 15-19 and surveyed 1,000 registered voters with an overall margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden on Monday will host leaders from Pacific island nations for a summit, senior administration officials announced.

The president is hosting the second US-Pacific Islands Forum Summit, after hosting the leaders a year ago. Chinas influence in the region likely played a role in the White Houses decision to host the leaders.

The summit involves the president following up on his pledge to take our commitment and our engagement in the Pacific region to the next level, officials said.

When asked about if the U.S.-China competitive relationship has renewed this engagement, officials said it is a factor.

Theres also no question that there is some role that the [Peoples Republic of China] has played in all this, officials said. No question that its assertiveness and influence, including in this region, has been a factor that requires us to sustain our strategic focus.

But what were really focused on doing is showing our Pacific Island friends that the United States, working with like-minded partners, can provide viable alternatives that will work for Pacific island nation, they added.

The summit will involve most nations  including Australia and New Zealand and two nations new to the group, Cook Islands and Niue. Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare wont be in attendance, officials said, after attending the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York last week.

The Solomon Islands in July signed an agreement on cooperation with China to build a comprehensive strategic partnership around law enforcement and security matters.

The United States is disappointed that Prime Minister Sogavare  he has been in New York this week, but is returning to Solomans over the weekend and I think were disappointed that he has chosen not to come to this very special summit, officials said.

The leaders coming to Washington are riding a special Amtrak train from New York to Baltimore on Sunday and they will also be a guest at the Ravens game, officials said. They are set to appear on the field to be recognized for their roles as American friends in the Indo-Pacific.

Then, the group will go on a Coast Guard ship in Baltimore to be briefed on maritime issues and U.S. efforts to combat illegal fishing. Official meetings  including Biden, senior members of the administration and members of Congress  will begin on Monday.

Biden, at the United Nations last week, outlined that the U.S. is not seeking conflict with China but that the U.S. will push back on aggression and intimidation.

The Biden administration has sought to counter Chinas influence in the Indo-Pacific while, at the same time, increasing outreach to China through Secretary of State Antony Blinken and others. Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have gone nearly a year without having a face-to-face meeting.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Biden is making the case that fighting climate change can create jobs, countering a key Republican narrative surrounding the autoworker strike.

The presidents GOP opponents have sought to paint climate action as a job-killer, seizing on concerns over worker pay in the transition to electric vehicles in light of the ongoing United Auto Workers (UAW) strike.

But Biden, who has argued throughout his presidency that efforts to combat climate change can go hand in hand with workers interests, underlined that stance this past week in both words and actions.

He created a climate-jobs program that is expected to, in its first year, employ 20,000 people in jobs to fight climate change and protect the environment.

Were not just opening up pathways to decarbonization. Were opening up pathways to good-paying careers, White House climate adviser Ali Zaidi told reporters of the program.

Biden also launched a Partnership for Workers Rights alongside Brazils president. One of the issues the partnership aims to address is advancing worker-centered approaches to the clean energy transition.

As Ive told labor from the very beginning: When I think of climate change, I think of jobs, Biden said in remarks announcing the labor partnership.

His comments starkly contrast recent rhetoric from his GOP rivals on the issue.

Former President Trump, looking to court Michigan voters, has repeatedly bashed Bidens electric vehicle policies, saying on social media that they will ensure the Great State of Michigan will not have an auto industry anymore.

Other Republicans have also chimed in. Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) wrote in a recent op-ed that those who have claimed there will be a just transition to EVs should visit Northeast Ohio for a glimpse into the industrys bleak future.

Up the road from the once-iconic Lordstown Assembly Complex, where 15,000 union workers once assembled millions of cars, now stands a battery plant that employs a fraction of the workers at a fraction of the wages, he added.

Union leaders, however, have said they do not oppose a shift toward climate-friendly cars, just that they want workers to be paid fairly for electric vehicle jobs.

The UAW has accused automakers of using the transition to electric vehicles to cut wages, particularly citing the 2019 closure of a General Motors (GM) plant in Lordstown, Ohio, where it said workers were on track to make more than $30 per hour. It noted that after the closure, a new battery plant from a joint GM-LG venture opened in the area, but said workers there only make 16.50 per hour. The joint venture, Ultium, has said that it will work in good faith with the UAW to reach a competitive agreement.

The discontent related to this shift is one of several issues fueling the strike, with the UAW and major car manufacturers yet to reach an agreement on a new contract. But the strike is related to pay issues more broadly, as workers are calling for wage increases, getting rid of temporary employment, pensions and cost-of-living adjustments.

The UAW has called on the Biden administration to do more to ensure that workers are protected during the EV transition.

In comments last week at the start of the strike, Biden similarly backed the transition but said he thinks it should be fair and a win-win for auto workers and automakers. On Friday, it was reported that Biden is set to speak to striking workers in Michigan next week and the president said he plans to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with UAW workers.

Democratic strategists say that Biden and the party at large should be making this case that climate action can be a positive for workers, and should generally be looking to frame the energy-transition in economic terms.

Democratic strategist Eddie Vale, who used to work at the AFL-CIO federation of unions, said that the latest announcements from Biden are good projects for appealing to both environmentalists and labor.

He praised how Biden has handled the issue throughout his presidency.

He basically doesnt make remarks talking about green jobs, solar power, green energy  anything  without talking about how making those jobs union is also what gives people the path to the middle class, Vale said.

Fellow Democratic strategist Jon Reinish also said that Biden was doing a good job but added that he should be doing even more.

Reinish said Biden and the Democrats should work to further emphasize that there is a lot of money to be made in the energy transition, including by doing a lot of interviews on the subject.

He spoke to The Hill before Biden announced he would join workers on the picket line. In a follow-up email after the announcement, Reinish said that going to Michigan was a great move but that the broader point that even more needs to be done still stands.

Vale noted that with the election still a year away, the president is likely to take further action on the issue.

Theres a lot more things to come. Theres a lot more announcements, theres a lot more policies, theres a lot more campaigning, he said, adding that Biden will likely continue to address climate and jobs policy together.

As climate change warms the planet and contributes to destruction, leaders around the world are looking to shift to energy sources that emit less carbon, or none at all.

The labor consequences of this are complicated  as some industries will see a decline, but others will grow. But the skills required for the clean energy jobs are not always directly transferable, and the locations where workers are needed may differ.

On net, ambitious climate policies will probably create more jobs than they destroy, but thats cold comfort if youre working in a coal-fired power plant or producing oil in West Texas, said Daniel Raimi, director of equity in the energy transition initiative at climate think tank Resources for the Future.

Most clean energy workers are not going to be coming directly from the fossil fuel industry, he added. The geographies and the skills are not lined up very nicely to do that.

Sanya Carley, an energy policy professor at the University of Pennsylvania, said that in the case of the auto industry, many workers will have similar skills, but she also noted that some plants are being moved into southern states that have lower labor costs, cheaper electricity and less union activity.

We will see plants close as a result of less production of the internal combustion engine and more production of the electric vehicle, Carley said.

She added that if a factory is local, many workers could potentially move over into a battery plant because of the transferability of skills, but  theres this geographic mismatch that makes it a little difficult.

Carley also said achieving a just transition to electric vehicles will include a balance of decarbonization, worker pay and keeping prices low.

This energy transition, if it is to be done in a just and equitable way raises a whole bunch of really complicated trade-offs, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday rebuked what he called "extreme Republicans", saying the party's lawmakers needed to take immediate steps to prevent a government shutdown ahead of a Sept. 30 deadline.

The deal reached between congressional Republican leadership and his administration in May would have funded essential domestic and national security priorities and still cut the budget deficit by $1 trillion over the next 10 years, Biden said at a congressional awards dinner on Saturday.

"Now a small group of extreme Republicans don't want to live up to the deal," he said.

A shutdown would harm food safety, cancer research and children's programs, Biden said, adding that ensuring that the government is funded is one of the core functions of congress.

"[I]ts time for Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do. Let's get this done," he said.

Biden also cast his 2024 campaign against likely Republican challenger former President Donald Trump as a battle against political extremism.

"I wish I could say our threat to democracy ended with our victory in 2020 but it didn't," Biden said. "Our democracy is still at stake, don't kid yourself."

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicut and Joel Schectman; Editing by William Mallard and Jamie Freed)
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg rejected a claim Sunday that President Joe Biden is joining the picket line of auto workers in Michigan only because former President Donald Trump announced a visit to the state.

President Biden is doing what he has always done, which is to stand with American workers, Buttigieg said on CNNs State of the Union. He is proud of being the most pro-union, pro-worker president, not only compared to the Trump administration, with its anti-union policies, but really compared to any modern president.

Biden announced on Friday that he plans to travel to Michigan on Tuesday to join the picket line of auto workers on strike nationwide. The presidents plan to visit Michigan came as some Democrats began to question his response to the strike.



On late Friday, Trump posted to his social media platform Truth Social that Biden was only visiting Michigan because Trump planned a visit on Wednesday, the same day as the second Republican primary debate. Jason Miller, a spokesperson for Trump, also criticized Bidens decision to go to Detroit in his own post on X.

You're not going to find somebody who has more consistently stood with unions, Buttigieg said of Biden.

Having said that," he said, "it's also the case that these auto companies can thrive in a win-win deal that does what the president has called for, which is to say that record profits should lead to record pay and record benefits for the workers who are creating all of that benefit.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday that Biden showing up to the picket line on Tuesday is a "historic event" and that if Biden wants to gain the endorsement of UAW, he needs to earn it.

"We have never seen in modern history a president show up to a picket line like this and I think it should be earned, it needs to be earned and I believe President Biden is working toward that, especially when he lands in Michigan on Tuesday to earn that," Ocasio-Cortez said.
You are here: China

A giant "scan the palm to enter" sign is seen on the floor of the entrance to a subway station in Beijing, capital of China, May 21, 2023. [Photo/Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport]

Multiple subway lines in Beijing will participate in a pilot project to transport express parcels during off-peak hours from Saturday, aiming to reduce road congestion and lower carbon emissions.

Beijing's urban rail transit network has been expanding in recent years, with 27 lines currently covering a total distance of 807 kilometers, according to Wang Shuling from the Beijing Transport Institute.

The capital handles approximately 15 million express parcels every day, and most are delivered via urban road transportation.

The pioneering project "leverages the surplus capacity of subway systems during off-peak hours," Wang said. "It is expected to gradually alleviate traffic congestion while lowering carbon emissions."

To ensure the safe and orderly operations of the pilot lines, the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport has stipulated that goods transported must adhere to a catalog of items prohibited on Beijing subways and pass security checks, according to commission official Zhou Yuan.

Participating enterprises have designed reusable express delivery boxes that are compatible with urban rail transit dimensions, and developed dedicated trolleys that can facilitate safe and convenient transportation, Zhou said.
Washington  One week ahead of a potential government shutdown, President Biden issued a stark warning that "America could be forced to pay the price" if Republicans in Congress fail to act.

"Let's be clear: if the government shuts down, that means members of the Congress  members of the U.S. military are going to have to continue to work and not get paid," Mr. Biden said at a dinner hosted by the Congressional Black Caucus, or CBC, in Washington Saturday night. "A government shutdown can affect everything from food safety to cancer research to Head Start for children."

Mr. Biden said funding the government is one of the "most basic responsibilities of Congress," and blamed "extreme Republicans" for failing to adhere to a previous debt ceiling agreement that included limits on federal spending. House Republicans continued to strategize over the weekend and plan to move forward on a package of appropriations bills this week, hoping to build support for a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government open.

President Biden speaks onstage at the Congressional Black Caucus' Phoenix Awards dinner on Sept. 23, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

"That's our plan," House Speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters as he exited the Capitol Saturday. "If we're able to get 45 more days, just like a stop-gap, and get the rest of our business done, it would be very productive."

Mr. Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris spoke during the CBC's Phoenix Awards dinner and made a vociferous case for their reelection in 2024. A recent CBS News poll showed Mr. Biden trailing former President Donald Trump by one point, 49%-50%, in a potential rematch. Only a third of voters surveyed said they believed the president, who is 80 years old, could finish a second term.

"You may have noticed a lot of people have focused on my age," Mr. Biden noted Saturday. "Well, I get it, believe me. I know better than anyone. But there's something else I know. When I came to office, this nation was flat on its back. I knew what to do. I vaccinated the nation and rebuilt the economy."

Mr. Biden thanked caucus members and told them "I owe you," nodding to overwhelming support from Black voters during his 2020 campaign. Harris said the administration will continue to fight for issues impacting communities of color, from reproductive rights to anti-gun and civil rights legislation.

"They know when Congress passes a bill to put back in place the protections of Roe v. Wade, that our President Joe Biden will sign it, that when Congress renews the assault weapons ban, President Joe Biden will sign it, and when you pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and Freedom to Vote Act, Joe Biden will sign them!" Harris said.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during the Phoenix Awards dinner at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 23, 2023. / Credit: ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images

The CBC's conference

Their appearance capped the CBC's 52nd annual legislative conference, which had the theme of "Securing Our Democracy, Protecting Our Freedoms, Uplifting Our Culture."

"What we're seeing is that we are in a place where many of us thought we would not be at this day and age, where there are those forces that are trying to pull back the kind of freedoms and democracy and [equity] that we have seen expanding in this country," conference co-chair and Virgin Islands Delegate Stacey Plaskett told CBS News.

Plaskett pointed to recent battles over book banning, Florida's African-American history standards, the Supreme Court's decision to roll back affirmative action policies and efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

"There are so many forces that are really trying to restrict that and trying to at the same time erase history," said Plaskett. "It takes on a greater significance as we go into an election year."

Del. Stacey Plaskett speaks on a panel at the Congressional Black Caucus' annual legislative conference on Sept. 21, 2023, in Washington, D.C. / Credit: Jemal Countess/Getty Images

This year's conference opened up with a national town hall discussion on voting rights, redistricting and defending democracy. The session was headlined by Plaskett, CBC Chair Steven Horsford, CBC Foundation President Nicole Austin-Hillery, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones of the "Tennessee Three" and entertainer Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Sessions also spanned a range of topics with panels on artificial intelligence, closing the racial wealth gap, health care, education, gun safety and the 50th anniversary of hip hop.

"The Black Caucus is not for one age group or one group of Black Americans or even just for African-Americans," Plaskett said. "It's for our allies who want to understand our history, want to understand the challenges, be a part of uplifting and recognizing how that helps all Americans."

The caucus' annual legislative conference is the largest gathering of African-Americans in the country. The CBC, often referred to as the "conscience of the Congress," was founded by 13 Black lawmakers in 1971.

Laura Garrison contributed to this report.

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On Friday, a Ukrainian missile hit the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea.

Ukraine's latest blow to the fleet's warships and facilities gave soldiers a morale boost.

"It gives us hope," Oleksandr Tarnavsky, the general leading the counteroffensive in the south, told CNN.

A Friday strike on the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea was an important move to boost the morale of Ukrainian armed forces, a top Ukrainian general told CNN.

Oleksandr Tarnavsky, the Ukrainian general leading the counteroffensive on the country's southern front line, said recent blows to Russia's Black Sea Fleet's ships and facilities have been significant to Kyiv's counteroffensive strategy.

"It helps us, but it also gives us hope for the future," he said.

The strike that hit the Russian Black Sea Fleet's HQ on Friday was the latest in a series of attacks that were "all orchestrated as part of a sophisticated, multi-domain counteroffensive" aimed at making Crimea "untenable" for Russia, as experts previously told Insider.

Ukrainian spy chief Kyrylo Budanov reported that two top Russian leaders were "severely wounded" in the attack, and videos shared online showed heavy smoke coming out of the Sevastopol building.

Budanov hinted that Ukraine had plans to retake the occupied peninsula of Crimea in an interview with The War Zone, published on Saturday.

Voices of the Army  (@SmartUACat) September 22, 2023

This week, the Black Sea Fleet also suffered blows to one of its naval infantry brigades, which was rendered "combat-ineffective" for the second time since the beginning of the war, according to US think tank Institute for the Study of War.

"The success of offensive operations is not only about destroying the enemy in front of you, it's also about destroying places of concentration of equipment, personnel and especially destroying the command centers," Tarnavsky said in the CNN interview.

The general also said his troops had broken near the city of Verbove in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region and that they continued to advance further.

It is the latest move in a weeks-long effort to penetrate Russia's southern line of defense. On Wednesday, Ukrainian troops breached Russia's main defensive line with armored vehicles for the first time.

Despite recent successes, Kiyv still has a hard fight ahead, analysts told Insider.

"It remains to be seen whether or not they can get there and consolidate the foothold in order to push the Russians back," Marina Miron, a researcher at the Department of War Studies at King's College London, told Insider on Wednesday.

Tarnavsky recognized that his troops were not moving slower than expected in the grinding counteroffensive.

"Not as fast as it was expected, not like in the movies about the Second World War," he said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Felix Llerena, a Cuban immigrant and political activist now living in Texas, poses for a photo at Arthur Storey Park, Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)

MIAMI (AP)  When Felix Llerena arrived in Miami in 2017, he quickly got involved in the citys politically active community of Cuban exiles. He was soon drawn to President Donald Trump for his aggressive approach toward Cuba's communist government and his stated affinity for Cuban American culture.

Today, Llerena is ready to apply for citizenship and vote for the first time. He's more skeptical of the former Republican president. And his mother was able to come to the United States earlier this year under an immigration program created by Democratic President Joe Biden 's administration that's admitted tens of thousands of Cubans and other people from countries with expatriate communities in South Florida.

Both parties' efforts affect Llerena's life and fulfill different priorities he has. While he's leaning toward a Republican candidate next year, he says he tries to avoid sticking to one side.

I do not worship politicians," he said. "They are simply doing their job. I do not defend political or partisan interests.

His story illustrates how both Republicans and Democrats are perceived by South Floridas powerful bloc of Cuban American voters, which has influenced presidential elections for decades. Even as the Republican Party has made huge inroads in Florida's Latino communities, flipping Miami-Dade County in the governor's race last year, national Democrats say they won't give up on Florida and still think it can be a swing state next year.

The parties use sharply different strategies and arguments and often paint the other side as extremist or socialist  an especially grave insult among Cuban exiles.

Democrats have attacked Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , another GOP presidential candidate, on immigration and typically emphasize their treatment of recent border crossers who often include Cubans, Venezuelans, Haitians and other nationalities widely represented in Florida. Republicans generally focus on economic issues and argue Democratic efforts to target inequality end up hurting middle-class families including Latinos.

Both sides will have to respond to a Trump criminal trial next year in South Florida on charges that he mishandled classified information.

The GOP has been winning in Florida since 2016, when Trump flipped a state that twice went for Democrat Barack Obama . That year, Democrats had about 327,000 more registered voters in the state. Today, the GOP has a voter-registration advantage of about half a million. And after barely winning the governor's race in 2018, DeSantis was reelected last year by 1.5 million votes.

Last month, the Florida Democratic Party launched a voter registration effort called Take Back Florida to try to regain some lost ground. The party chair said it would be all hands on deck" in Miami-Dade, where 60% of the voters are Hispanic.

What the Democrats have lost are the younger Cuban American voters, said Dario Moreno, a political science professor at Florida International University.

Llerena, now 27, pays attention to his image, often wearing a suit and a tie at community events. He has appeared on Spanish-language local networks and as a guest of Univision's Jorge Ramos. He has met with elected officials from both parties in Miami and Washington.

I may be a muelero," he said, an expression for someone with the gift of gab. But I am pragmatic and realistic.

Growing up in Cuba, he said, youth are instructed to be loyal to the state and idolize its revolutionaries, foremost of all Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba for half a century after overthrowing a U.S.-backed government in 1959. Castro suppressed dissent, jailed political prisoners, and antagonized Washington for half a century.

In Cuba, the alphabet is not F for flowers or R for roses," Llerena said. F is for Fidel and R is for revolution.

It wasnt until he was in his teens and began using Internet cafes that Llerena says he formed different opinions. He paid attention to the U.S.-funded Radio and Television Marti networks. Eventually he began resisting the Castro-led government as a religious freedom and pro-democracy activist.

He remembers being 18 and hearing an announcement from then-President Barack Obama that Washington and Havana would move toward trying to normalize diplomatic relations. He still feels admiration for Obama but also disappointment, saying Cuba ultimately took advantage of him.

The U.S. gave, gave, gave and Cuba gave nothing in return, he said. The reality for the Cuban people remained the same. I never benefited from the thaw, never felt a real change.

Cuban government agents detained him in 2017 after a visit to the United States that he documented on social media to meet with members of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. He was expelled from his university and forced to sign a warning for public disorder, which human rights groups say Cuba uses to intimidate activists, political opponents and critics. Llerena left Cuba shortly after.

In 2020, Llerena was vocal about his support of Trump, saying those rallies showed the Cuban government that it wasn't only the aging exiles who arrived after the Cuban Revolution or in the ensuing decades, but those who have come more recently that also support hard-line policies against the Cuban government.

Trump often mentions how Cubans have come to love him. After his arraignment earlier this year in the classified documents case Miami, he made a stop at the iconic Cuban restaurant Versailles Cafe and the crowd serenaded him with Happy Birthday."

But Llerena said he was offended by the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

I have fled a dictatorship where there has been a cult of personality for many decades, he said. Politicians are all human beings and they make mistakes. There are many good things to like about Donald Trump, but in others, it was a disaster.

Llerena greatly benefited from changes implemented by Biden to curb the rising numbers of migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border, including many Cubans. A lawsuit from Republican-led states objects to the humanitarian parole program, which started in 2022 for Venezuelans and was expanded to migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Nicaragua. It allows up to 30,000 people to enter the U.S. each month to stay for two years and get a work permit.

Llerena said he wanted to apply right away for his mother, who he had not seen in more than five years. Anticipating a court challenge, he filed her application as soon as the program opened.

He praises Biden for his immigration policies and for his support for Ukraine against the Russian invasion, but notes that he doesn't think the Biden administration prioritized Cuba. Instead, he prefers two Republican foreign policy hawks, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence, who both strike him as presidenciables  Spanish for presidential.

If Llerena gets his citizenship in time, he likely won't vote in the state where he entered American politics. He travels often to Miami for events with the exile community but is now living in Texas  another state where the Latino vote is critical and where Republicans have made inroads with Latino voters to win statewide elections.

I am obviously Cuban and I am going to die Cuban," he said. "I have to advocate for my people.
David G. Burnet became the President of the Republic of Texas on March 17, 1836, days after the new nations birth. His position was only an interim position, but the 47-year-old New Jersey native was overwhelmed with reports of military defeats and retreats. The newborn republic may not have survived.

Burnet had not been elected as a delegate to the independence convention at Washington-on-the-Brazos, but instead was supposedly on his way to assist William B. Travis and his defense of the Alamo when he stopped in an effort to recruit the delegates to fight. The decision to stop in Washington saved his life as all the defenders at the Alamo were killed on March 6 and news reached the convention a few days later. Delegates considered Sam Houston as the interim president of the independent Texas, but he was away commanding the army. Stephen F. Austin was in Washington, DC, lobbying for support from the United States.

Bridges

The convention instead settled on Burnet as interim president by a narrow vote on March 17, with Lorenzo de Zavala as interim vice-president. Presidential runner-up Samuel P. Carson was named secretary of state and immediately left for the United States to seek recognition of Texas independence and possible annexation.

Texas settlers were now fighting for their lives as the Mexican Army seemed unstoppable. Fearing the new government would be captured, Burnet chose to flee to a safer location. He ordered the government to move to Harrisburg (later renamed Houston). The retreat touched off a wave of panic and lead to the decisive battle at San Jacinto. As the overwhelmed Texas army retreated to the east, a long column of refugees accompanied them, desperate to seek safety, even as far as the United States.

Burnet attempted to enlist the support of the United States but was unsuccessful. He wrote an executive order declaring martial law and ordering all able-bodied men to enlist, but it was Gen. Sam Houston, the overall commander of Texas forces, who had the attention of Texans. Houston criticized Burnets decision to leave Washington as untimely and cowardly, making the bad situation steadily worse. After reaching Harrisburg, Burnet moved the government again to Galveston and was prepared to leave Texas altogether. Burnet, in turn, criticized Houston for failing to fight the army of Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Houston, aware of his limited resources and manpower, was waiting for the right moment to strike.

Houston and his forces won the day at San Jacinto on April 21, scattering Mexican forces and capturing a fleeing Santa Anna several days later. Burnet, so far removed from Houston, had lost contact with the army for several days and did not learn of the victory until well after it had occurred. As Texas troops nursed their wounds and basked in their victory, Burnet arrived on the scene, only to criticize Houstons actions.

By Oct. 22, Burnets term as interim president ended. Seven months had allowed Texas to stabilize, but his efforts to raise funds for Texas only had limited success. Sam Houston followed as the first elected president of Texas.

In 1838, Burnet returned to politics as vice-president, elected on a separate ticket from the new president, Mirabeau B. Lamar.

Burnet and Houston continued to clash with each other repeatedly through the years.

By any measure, Houston had been far more successful politically and far more popular, but this never stopped the two from their many squabbles. Their arguments, along with Houstons rivalry with Lamar, became staple features of Texas politics during those years. In spite of these rivalries, Houston towered over both men. Several times, an incensed Burnet challenged Houston to a duel over his insults. Houston always laughed off or ignored Burnets challenges.

Burnet supported Lamars antagonistic approach to Mexico, hoping to redirect the valuable trade of Mexicos northern provinces to Texas in the process. The result was one military disaster after another that left Mexico threatening another invasion of Texas and an empty treasury. In 1840, while Lamar was forced to receive medical treatments in New Orleans, Burnet served as acting president. He tried to convince the Texas Congress to launch a raid into Mexico, fearing Texas was about to be attacked. Houston and his allies blocked the reckless move.

In 1841, Burnet ran for president against Houston. He and his allies launched a series of bitter attacks on Houston as an alcoholic. Houston appealed to practical interests, such as stabilizing the finances of Texas through less military spending, easing tensions with Mexico, and encouraging more trade with foreign nations instead of more fighting. He told his supporters, Our motto ought to be fewer officers and more corn-fields. In spite of the spirited support that Burnet received, he and his supporters could not put a dent in Houstons popularity or reputation. Burnet was soundly defeated in the election, receiving a scant 26% of the vote.

After 1841, Burnet never ran for election again. However, he did not stay out of public service. After statehood was achieved in 1845, the states first governor, James Pinckney Henderson, appointed Burnet in May 1846 as the states secretary of state. He would serve ably until January 1848.

In 1866, Burnet was appointed by the state legislature to serve in the U. S. Senate, but the Senate refused to seat him because of his support of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Burnets health continued to decline. His increasingly erratic behavior has led some historians to suggest that he may have been suffering dementia.

Burnet died at his home in Galveston in 1870 at the age of 82. In 1852, the state named Burnet County in his honor. A statue to Burnet was erected in the Northeast Texas community of Clarksville in 1936 as part of the states centennial celebrations. Regardless of how his performance may be judged, Burnet was an important figure in a defining era for Texas.

Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Bridges: David G. Burnet was an early leader of Texas
In a Sept. 23 conversation with Voice of America, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov addressed CNN's report that Ukraine likely participated in drone strikes against a Wagner-backed Sudanese militia.

"A year ago, I personally openly said that all Russian war criminals who fought, are fighting, or plan to fight against Ukraine will be punished anywhere in the world," Budanov said.

On Sept. 19, CNN published evidence that Ukraine was behind a military operation against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a Wagner-backed militia fighting for control of Sudan.

A source in the Ukrainian military told CNN that Ukrainian special services were likely responsible.

Budanov would neither confirm nor deny the report.

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"As for the confirmation or denial of the information in CNN's reports, I have no comment, I have nothing to say. Let everyone find the answers themselves," he said.

On Sept. 23, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that he held an "unplanned meeting" with Sudans Sovereign Council Chairman Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the nation's de facto ruler.

Zelensky said they discussed security issues, including Wagner-supported RSF activity in Sudan.

Budanov told Voice of America that the coup in Sudan was "fully supported by the Russian side" and that the Wagner Group was directly involved.

"These are our enemies, and we will act anywhere in the world," Budanov said.

Read also: Wagner boss Prigozhin is dead. Heres what it means for Africa

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National homebuilder Taylor Morrison Home Corp. is placing increased emphasis on townhomes as it looks to become an even bigger player in Charlottes residential real estate scene.

The Arizona-based builder is working to take advantage of a boom in townhome construction as more buyers seek lower-maintenance and more affordable options when compared to single-family homes.

ALSO READ: Construction begins on Habitat for Humanitys 39-home development in west Charlotte

Taylor Morrison entered the local market in mid-2015 by way of acquisition, after purchasing the Charlotte, Raleigh, and Chicago divisions of Orleans Homes for about $166 million. Andrew Bodary, Taylor Morrisons Charlotte division president, says the publicly traded builder is plotting aggressive growth here.

The homebuilder is actively selling in two communities totaling 202 townhomes: Hudson Oaks and Terraces at Farmington. It has an additional 651 townhomes in the works across five more projects set to open by early 2024.

Read the full story here.

(WATCH BELOW: Neighbors push back on plan to move historic building to Dilworth)




Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) said Sunday that he would consider supporting an effort to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) if he allows a deal to pass to keep the government open that gets Democratic votes.

That would be something I would look strongly at, Burchett told CNNs Dana Bash on State of the Union when asked whether he would support such a measure.

Theyre all talking about this promise that he made with Biden a year ago, Burchett continued, referring to the deal reached by President Biden and McCarthy earlier this summer to suspend the debt ceiling in order for the country not to default that also set spending caps on next years funding. What about the promise we made to the American public that we were going to be responsible Americans?

Burchetts comments come as he and some other hard-right Republicans continue to push for larger spending cuts and have refused to support any continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government open beyond this upcoming Friday.

Some proposals have emerged to find a way forward to stave off a government shutdown, including one which would require Democratic votes  an effort that proves increasingly difficult as McCarthy has taken steps to antagonize his Democratic colleagues in order to appease his far-right contingency in the House.

It remains unclear whether a bipartisan compromise would come to the floor for a vote, let alone get the necessary votes to pass.

Burchett said McCarthy should have called the House back over the weekend to work on a funding deal.

We are going to be governing over a pile of rubble if were not careful. Our financial ship is sinking, and the American public needs to realize all these fancy titles  CRs and omnibus  to confuse the American public is not working, Burchett said. The curtains off. We need to do our duty. We should be back in Washington right now and dealing with it. But what are we doing? They sent us home.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that House Republicans need to come to their senses in order to avoid a government shutdown.

The American people dont want a shutdown. From what I can tell, the Senate is ready to go. The administration is ready to go. House Republicans need to come to their senses and keep the government running, Buttigieg said in an interview on CNNs State of the Union.

Buttigieg referened the deal made between President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and said the spending levels agreed upon then were already a concession for Democrats, who agreed to the deal to avoid the government defaulting on its debt.

Look, Speaker McCarthy and the President made a deal. They made a deal earlier this summer. And by the way, it wasnt an easy deal. I mean, just from the transportation side alone, it meant us accepting cuts that Republicans were demanding to programs that we wanted to use to fund more roads and bridges and airports, Buttigieg said.

But we made that deal, and all were asking is that they live up to that deal, he added.

Buttigiegs comments come as time is running out for Congress to pass legislation to keep the government funded before the end of the fiscal year at the end of this month.



While the McCarthy-Biden deal struck earlier this summer set spending caps that were meant to avoid a shutdown, many members of the House GOP conference insisted on setting levels below the caps set in the deal. Members have also been unable to agree and move on the bills in a timely manner.

This is something that can and should be prevented, Buttigieg said about a shutdown. So the administration, as always, well be ready for anything.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Cassidy Hutchinson , a former aide to White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, is seen as the House Jan. 6 select committee holds a public hearing on Capitol Hill on June 28, 2022. Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former Trump White House aide, testified before the January 6 committee.

She revealed, among other details, how Donald Trump once lunged at his Secret Service protection.

Hutchinson said was getting cold feet moments before she gave her bombshell testimony.

Cassidy Hutchinson, former aide to Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, was tempted to back out of the January 6 hearing just moments before she gave testimony that revealed damning details about Donald Trump's behavior in the final days of his office.

"I almost ran," Hutchinson said in an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning. "There's a little hold room outside the committee room that we were about to walk in and I  I almost started."

Hutchinson was a top aide in Trump's orbit who testified before a bipartisan panel of Congressmembers in June of 2022.

In her testimony, she revealed how Trump had a temperament problem, throwing dishes and flipping tablecloths in the White House dining room when he got angry.

Hutchinson also claimed that Trump lunged at a Secret Service agents who was driving "The Beast" on the day of the Capitol riot.

The former aide recently published her memoir, "Enough," recounting her experiences in the White House.

In her interview with CBS News, Hutchinson described how she got last-minute cold feet before she stepped inside the committee hearing room.

"I heard the door click open, and I turned around, and I looked at my attorney and said, 'I can't do this,'" she said. "And I started to walk and he gently pushed my shoulders and he said, 'You can do this.' And then we walked out."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Two cast members received an announcement that changed their careers and brought a new wave of magic to the Disney community.

The company announced cast members Serena Arvizu and Shannon Smith-Conrad as the 2024-2025 Walt Disney World Ambassadors or the Emissaries of Goodwill.

In a special EPCOT ceremony on Friday, Disney honored Arvizu and Smith-Conrad with their families, coworkers and former Disney Ambassadors in attendance.

Arvizu and Smith-Conrad started their journeys through the Disney College Program, with Arvizu as a hostess at The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom and Smith-Conrad in recruitment at Disneyland Resort.

Read: Walt Disney World releases newly designed Florida license plate benefiting Make-A-Wish

Disney said the current ambassadors, Ali Manion and Raevon Redding, will continue to serve their terms through the end of the year.

Both cast members will begin their term in October in time for the 100-year celebration.

They will also step into their roles as new experiences and attractions debut at the parks in the coming years.

These include the opening of the Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana at EPCOT, Tianas Bayou Adventure at the Magic Kingdom, and a new EPCOT fireworks night show.

Read: Experts say these are the best days to visit Walt Disney World this year

The Ambassador Program began in 1965, and cast members are selected every two years to represent the parks, resorts and experiences worldwide.

According to Disney, only 82 cast members have had this privilege since the Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971.

Disney said the current ambassadors, Ali Manion and Raevon Redding, will continue to serve their terms through the end of the year.

Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

After spending a few months bonding with mom Pearl backstage, yellow-backed duiker baby Penny, born in the spring, can now be spotted on Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

After spending a few months bonding with mom Pearl backstage, yellow-backed duiker baby Penny, born in the spring, can now be spotted on Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

After spending a few months bonding with mom Pearl backstage, yellow-backed duiker baby Penny, born in the spring, can now be spotted on Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

Disney officials said the two Hartmanns mountain zebra foals can now be seen at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom with their dad, Domino.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

The pair are clinging tightly to their parents as they explore their new home on Discovery Island.

A pony named Pixie will someday pull the reins of Cinderellas pumpkin coach through Walt Disney World.

A pony named Pixie will someday pull the reins of Cinderellas pumpkin coach through Walt Disney World.

A pony named Pixie will someday pull the reins of Cinderellas pumpkin coach through Walt Disney World.

A pony named Pixie will someday pull the reins of Cinderellas pumpkin coach through Walt Disney World.

A pony named Pixie will someday pull the reins of Cinderellas pumpkin coach through Walt Disney World.

A Shetland foal born Tuesday morning at Disneys Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground will one day help pull Cinderellas pumpkin coach.
Guest Opinion. Cherokee leaders throughout history have known that informed citizens are the backbone of our thriving democracy. Well-executed journalism strengthens tribal sovereignty and self-determination by ensuring that our government remains accountable and transparent. That is as true today as it was when the Cherokee Phoenix first began publishing nearly 200 years ago.

That is why I, in collaboration with Deputy Principal Chief Bryan Warner, the Council of the Cherokee Nation, and the editorial leadership of the Cherokee Phoenix, am proud to announce the expansion and continuation of the Cherokee Nations Free Phoenix for All Program. The timing is especially significant, with National Newspaper Week coming in early October to appreciate newspapers and their staffs across America.

Our initiative offers a free one-year subscription to any citizen who opts in through our online Gadugi Portal. The portal has also proven extremely effective in connecting citizens to services they can utilize. At the same time, it saves the nation critical dollars by giving an easy way for Cherokees to provide their most up-to-date contact information. Once you sign up on the portal, one subscription per household can be mailed anywhere in the country at no cost.

We started this program during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Cherokees stay informed of the news in this difficult time. The accurate, timely information provided by the Phoenix was crucial for Cherokee families and communities to receive updates on public health and recovery efforts. Now, we are renewing that commitment, because it is just as much of a priority to keep our citizens across the globe engaged on the workings of their government.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

The Cherokee Phoenix newspaper has been a stalwart source of information for Cherokee people since its establishment in 1828. It was the first newspaper published by Native Americans in the United States and the first bilingual newspaper in the countrys history. It has played a pivotal role in communicating and sharing our story with the world.

Additionally, the Cherokee Phoenix has been a vital resource for preserving our language and keeping it in daily use. It continues to serve as a valuable tool for language learners and first-language speakers alike.

Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr.

Today, led by Executive Editor Tyler Thomas, the Phoenix embraces its legacy of unbiased reporting about issues shaping Cherokee Nation. While the Cherokee Nation does provide funding for the newspaper, it remains entirely separate from the government. As a free press entity, the Cherokee Phoenix is overseen by an independent editorial board and offers a platform for a wide variety of Cherokee voices.

Cherokee Nation is one of the few tribes that has a freedom of the press act, which underscores our commitment to an independent media. This is vital because a free press holds elected leaders accountable. It is a value that will endure long after my term as Principal Chief. By renewing the Cherokee Nation Free Phoenix for All Program, we are reaffirming our commitment to open government.

I encourage our citizens to sign up for the Phoenix. As a subscriber, you will receive the latest information about tribal programs and services, special events, Cherokee communities, and the significant achievements by Cherokees worldwide.

The deadline for enrollment is Oct. 31. For those in need of assistance with the Gadugi Portal, our dedicated team is available at 918-453-5058 or via email at support-gadugiportal@cherokee.org.

Chuck Hoskin, Jr. is the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie shut down on Sunday the possibility of running against newly-indicted Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez (N.J.) for his seat in Congress.

Speaking to Kristen Welker on NBCs  Meet the Press , the Republican presidential candidate said he had no interest in being a United States senator if he ends up losing the partys primary race.

When Welker followed up by asking if Christie would rule it out completely, the former governor maintained his stance.

Yes, I have. I have throughout my entire career, he said. I had a chance to appoint myself to the United States Senate, Kristen, in 2013 when Frank Lautenberg passed away and I was governor.

If I didnt appoint myself to the United States Senate, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it.

WATCH: Fmr. N.J. Gov. Chris Christie rules out a run for Senate if Sen. Menendez (D) runs for re-election.@GovChristie: I had a chance to appoint myself to the U.S. Senate  If I didnt appoint myself, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it. pic.twitter.com/wsHC0bMvmp  Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) September 24, 2023

Christies remarks come just days after federal prosecutors indicted Menendez on corruption charges, accusing the Senate Foreign Relations chair and his wife of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in exchange for favors he administered using the power of his office.

In addition to the half a million dollars in cash found at the Menendez home, investigators said they also found over $100,000 worth of gold bars allegedly given to the senator and his wife by their New Jersey business partners. One of those partners was an Egyptian American accused of giving sensitive information from Menendez to the Egyptian government.

An increasing number of lawmakers, including Democrats, are calling for Menendez to resign from the Senate. Menendez has denied the allegations, suggesting that the indictment is part of a conspiracy to oust him, a first-generation Latino American, from his Senate seat. The Democrat plans to step down from his leadership position on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, but has maintained that he will not resign from his position as senator.

Christie, meanwhile, continues to trail significantly behind former President Donald Trump, who despite facing multiple indictments is leading the GOP primary by more than 40 points, according to a new NBC poll. In that poll, Trump is the first-choice pick of 59% of national Republican primary voters, followed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley and former Vice President Mike Pence.

Finding himself behind Trump by 55 points, according to the national poll, Christie stressed that he is closer to the former president when looking at individual states.

This whole race is gonna change once people actually vote, Kristen, he said. If its a national poll, [and] if we dont have a national primary, I dont spend more than three minutes thinking about it.

Related...
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie condemned Sen. Bob Menendez s actions Sunday after the New Jersey senator was indicted last week on bribery charges.

There is no way that any public official has any legal, or plausible, or ethical explanation for having $500,000 in cash stuffed in jackets and envelopes throughout their home, gold bars that have the fingerprints, DNA of someone who you were attempting to fix the system for, Christie said on NBCs Meet the Press.

Menendez, a Democrat, and his wife were indicted on Friday for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in cash, gold bars, a Mercedes-Benz C-300 convertible and home mortgage payments in exchange for using the senators position to benefit the businesspeople and the government of Egypt from 2018 to 2022.



Menendez, 69, called the charges baseless allegations and said prosecutors have misrepresented the normal work of a Congressional office. Numerous New Jersey Democrats have pushed for him to resign, including Gov. Phil Murphy.

Christie, a GOP presidential candidate, found himself once again discussing Menendez's legal troubles Sunday. Menendez was indicted in 2015 when Christie was governor of New Jersey, and in 2006, Christie investigated Menendez when he was U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

Christie posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday that Menendez should resign.

Rep. Andy Kim (D-N.J.) said Saturday he would run against Menendez, who is up for reelection in 2024. When asked by "Meet the Press" host Kristen Welker on Sunday, Christie ruled out a Senate run against Menendez.

I had a chance to appoint myself to the United States Senate, Kristen, in 2013 when [Sen.] Frank Lautenberg passed away and I was governor, Christie said. If I didnt appoint myself to the United States Senate, the easiest way to get there, I sure as heck am not going to run for it.
Q. How Is Tommy Tuberville able to stop military promotions in the Senate?

A. The United States Senate is sometimes referred to as the worlds greatest deliberative body. This description is often attributed to President James Buchanan back in 1867 and suggests that the chamber is a place for thoughtful and stimulating debate. The image is a bit better than the reality.

In the modern Senate, rousing debates are not common, and much of the time the chamber is largely empty. The Senate is probably better known for clever political maneuvering and contentious battles using the rules of the Senate which grant considerable power to members, especially the hold. While not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution, placing a hold, or delay on a vote, plays an important role in shaping the Senate's dynamics. It can also spark anger and controversy, such as Senator Tubervilles (R-Ala.) hold on military promotions.

More: Alabama's U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville a Florida man. No thanks.

The Constitution grants the Senate the authority to provide "advice and consent" on presidential nominations and treaties. This is intended to check the executive nomination authority. However, the framers of the Constitution did not outline specific procedures for how this advice and consent should occur, leaving room for innovation and adaptation over the years.

As the Senate lacks a rules committee which establishes the parameters for how each bill or nomination is handled on the floor, much of the process for confirming a nomination is governed by unanimous consent requests. The Senate's use of holds began as an informal practice, allowing individual senators to delay or block nominations and bills by objecting to a unanimous consent request.

More from the Civics Project: Civics Project: Can good government and artificial intelligence go hand-in-hand?

The idea behind this was to provide senators with a way to voice concerns and seek more information before moving forward. Critics argue that holds can be weaponized to undermine the principle of majority rule, allowing a minority of senators or even one Senator to effectively veto presidential appointments. Others support the holds, and content it is an important way to force legislators to act more cautiously and build consensus more thoroughly.

The obstructionism in the Senate is not new. In 1911, one frustrated member of the House of Representatives introduced a constitutional amendment to abolish the Senate, writing into the preamble, Whereas the Senate in particular has become an obstructive and useless body, a menace to the liberties of the people, and an obstacle to social growth.... This assessment of the Senate is probably pretty close to how many feel today.

More from the Civics Project: Civics Project: Can good government and artificial intelligence go hand-in-hand?

Recent events have highlighted the need for a closer examination of Senate rules and practices, including the use of holds. Perhaps it is time for a conversation on how the Senate can fulfill its constitutional duties while acting in a more efficient and accountable way. Senate rules can be changed but Senators are reluctant to give up the individual power they can wield.

Kevin Wagner

Kevin Wagner is a noted constitutional scholar and political science professor at Florida Atlantic University. The answers provided do not necessarily represent the views of the university. If you have a question about how American government and politics work, email him at kwagne15@fau.edu or reach him on Twitter @kevinwagnerphd.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Civics: How a U.S. Senator can delay military confirmations
Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) hedged questions over Vice President Harriss leadership role in the Democratic party, saying she is part of the partys future but that its not a given she will be the successor to President Biden.

When asked Sunday by NBCs Meet The Press moderator Kristen Welker if he sees Harris as the future of the Democratic party, Clyburn said: I see her as a part of that future, absolutely.

Welker, though, pressed the South Carolina Democrat further, asking, Is she the future, though? Is she the future of the Democratic party?

Oh, she could very well be. I think she is running a very good campaign, Clyburn responded, adding that Harriss speech at the 2023 Congressional Black Caucus Foundations Phoenix Awards Dinner on Saturday was great.

And I look to her as a successor to this president, but I also know the history of that as well, Clyburn continued. Its not a given, you dont automatically move up. Shell have to compete going forward with whoever may have dreams and aspirations, and I think she will equip herself well.

Pointing to a NBC News poll released Sunday that showed Harriss favorability rating at 31 percent, lower than Bidens 39 percent, Welker asked Clyburn why he thinks Harris may not be resonating with voters.

I think when you compare the first woman of color and first woman to be vice president of the United States, and compare that to all of the history before, you will get that, Clyburn said. I think that during this campaign, she will demonstrate  as she did in that hall last night  that she knows exactly what shes doing. She has the capacity and the capability to be president of the United States if called upon to do so.

Clyburns comments come amid a series of columns published earlier this month suggesting Harris be replaced on Bidens reelection ticket to both boost enthusiasm among Democrats and thwart concerns over Bidens age.

Clyburn, who is credited with Bidens ascent in the 2020 Democratic primary in South Carolina, spoke out against chatter regarding Harris earlier this month, definitively saying Biden should not replace her as his running mate. Speaking with CNN, Clyburn said her gender and race are playing too much of a role in discussions about the Biden administration.

Meanwhile, growing concerns from both sides of the aisle regarding Bidens age have forced Harris, 58, to speak on the potential of being commander in chief if needed. At 80, Biden is the oldest U.S. president; he would be 86 at the end of a potential second term.

In an interview earlier this month with CBS Newss Margaret Brennan, Harris said she is prepared to be president if necessary, though she dismissed concerns over the presidents age.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
President Trump is shown in 2018. President Reagan greets Mother Teresa at the White House in 1985. (Associated Press)

The Republican Party will hold a presidential candidate debate at the Ronald Reagan library Wednesday. Its a bad fit. The GOPs modern idol is exactly the opposite of Reagan in personality and character.

For upbeat Reagan, America was a shining city on the hill. For whining Donald Trump, its a waste bin for venom and lies.

Reagans soaring rhetoric made people feel good about themselves. There was always a bright dawn ahead  "Morning in America.

Yes, maybe that was a tad naive and corny, but it brought a collective smile  and won over many Democrats.

Trump spews hate  hate of immigrants and of Democrats. He demonizes his critics. He incites riots and insurrection.

Reagan truly liked people. Trump merely uses them.

But theres a large hardcore of Republican voters who worship the guy, even if GOP leaders fear hell again drag the party down to defeat next year. Hes polling far ahead of his closest rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

As Times Washington reporter David Lauter recently wrote, barring some sudden, dramatic event, the die is pretty much cast for former President Trump to win his third straight GOP nomination and face President Biden in next years election.

Having covered Reagan up close for 20 years as a candidate, California governor and 40th president, I cant believe he would support Trump even if he were the GOP standard bearer. Oh, he conceivably might whisper something about supporting the party ticket. But I very much doubt that in private hed vote for Trump.

Reagan had no respect for blowhards and egomanics, regardless of party. He would have shuddered at Trumps caustic rhetoric.

Read more: Calmes: Has the GOP once and for all ditched 'morning in America' for 'American carnage'?

The Gipper used tough words  "Tear down this wall, Evil empire  but was always dignified and gracious, especially in public. Trump comes off as a childish bully who needs anger management.

Ronald Reagan could throw a political punch, but he did it with courtesy, with humor, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger once told a gathering at the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

One example was when he gently jabbed President Carter in 1980: Anyone who says he likes cold showers will lie about other things too.

Reagan would have never called people stupid even if he thought they were, George Steffes, his legislative lobbyist in Sacramento, once told me.

Unlike Trump, Reagan also would never have questioned whether the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) was a war hero after being captured by the North Vietnamese and held prisoner for more than five years. Reagan idolized McCains military service.

Reagan was a true believer in conservative principles. Trumps a con man.

But Reagan was no knee-jerk ideologue. He often governed as a moderate, especially in Sacramento  sometimes compromising with Democrats to achieve half a loaf, other times because thats what he believed.

On the environment, Reagan was practically a liberal as governor. He once led a pack train into the High Sierra to declare the spectacular John Muir Trail and Minaret Summit, south of Yosemite, off-limits to federal highway builders.

Although hostile to intrusive, centralized government, Reagan helped create a bi-state agency with Nevada to control growth at pristine Lake Tahoe. To preserve a Native American burial site and protect wild trout, respectively, he blocked dam building on the Eel and Feather rivers. And he signed legislation creating the California Air Resources Board, leading to the nations first tailpipe emissions standards.

On taxes, Reagan raised and lowered them to fit the governments revenue needs  both as governor and president.

As president, he signed legislation granting amnesty to millions of undocumented immigrants.

Could Reagan have won the Republican presidential nomination in todays polarized, ultraconservative, uncompromising GOP? Many think not. Too suspiciously centrist. Hed be considered a dreaded RINO  Republican in name only.

I disagree. Reagan could win in any era with his personality, optimism, character, authenticity and rhetorical skills. He was a rarity.

Obviously the training he had as an actor gave him an advantage. And he had that velvet radio voice that melted people, says Ken Khachigian, Reagans main speech writer on many occasions.

If he got in trouble, hed start telling stories about Ginger Rogers or Bob Hope to take the edge off things. Other candidates have no way to match that skill.

Reagan didnt skip candidate debates. Trumps about to duck his second in a row.

He always liked to debate, recalls his career-long political guru, Stu Spencer.

He usually rose to the occasion, delivering precision remarks remembered to this day: There you go again. I am paying for this microphone. Are you better off than you were four years ago?

His one shellacking was by Democratic nominee Walter Mondale in the first debate of the 1984 campaign. Reagan sounded too old and out of it.

But Reagan recovered with a legendary age quip in the second debate that pretty much sealed his reelection: I will not make age an issue in this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponents youth and inexperience. Even Mondale laughed.

Can anyone recall much of what the current GOP candidates said in their first debate?

Theres nobody in the field Reagan would be wild about, Spencer told me.

With the exception of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the GOP candidates are afraid of being honest about Trump for fear of alienating his loyal voter base  and him.

Reagan called on his party to offer voters a cause to believe in  raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors.

He symbolized bold colors. This Republican candidate group paints itself in pastels.

These presidential aspirants should tour the Reagan library while theyre there. They might learn something about courage and boldness.





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  Misty Flanagan moved to Las Vegas to leave a marriage and get a second chance at life in a city known for giving people one.

A divorce is a big deal. Its trying to move on with your life. So, it felt like that got paused for that whole period of time, Flanagan told 8 News Now.

It turns out a bad business deal caused that pause.

I just kind of put into Google cheap fast, Las Vegas divorce, and theyre one of the first three results that came up, Flanagan said.

What was supposed to be a quick divorce, turned into a drawn-out nightmare. Flanagan showed 8 News Now an invoice where she paid the company Vegas Divorce Pros $1,300 on March 22, 2023.

No emails, no text messages got returned after that and they kind of just ghosted me honestly, Flanagan said.

She shared with 8 News Now screenshots of text messages and a chain of emails that were ignored.

8 News Now stopped by the address Vegas Divorce Pros listed on its website and found signs for another business.

Even though their website has information for an attorney on the side, on their Facebook and things. They tell you that the actual company isnt a lawyer. Theyre not lawyers, Flanagan said.

The Better Business Bureau of Nevada gives Vegas Divorce Pros an F rating.

It lists several complaints from customers who have similar stories to Flanagan. They paid the company and then they received no response.

Flanagan said next time shell do some research on a company before paying.

Remember theres human beings at the other end of this. Im not just somebody to get money out of, she said.

Clark County does offer Nevada residents an opportunity to get a divorce if they pay a $299 filing fee through the Family Court and Services Center. Heres a link: Family Law Self-Help Center  Filing Fees and Waivers (familylawselfhelpcenter.org)

That is what Flanagan eventually did to get her divorce.

8 News Now reached out to the Nevada Attorney Generals office if there were any complaints filed on Vegas Divorce Pros, and there werent.

The business did not respond to 8 News Nows request for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Each year, the month of August provides members of Congress a special opportunity to spend a handful of uninterrupted weeks back home in our districts, away from the political bubble and noise in Washington D.C.

Throughout the past month, I crisscrossed the 12th Congressional District, stopping in dozens of communities, large and small, along the way.

August was packed with 102 visits, which included facility tours, roundtable discussions and community events. I met with hundreds of Ohioans, from small business owners, to manufacturers, to health care workers. There was something to learn and see at each visit, but a couple stops stood out.

In June, Guernsey County became home to the United States newest state-of-the-art power generation facility. Fueled by natural gas, the Guernsey Power Station is designed to be highly efficient, capable of producing 1,875 megawatts that can power the equivalent of 1.4 million homes.

Guernsey County, and a large portion of Ohios 12th Congressional District, is located atop the Utica and Marcellus shale deposits. From this shale, we get our natural gas  a clean-burning, reliable, and energy efficient fuel. We have successfully tapped into these deposits here in Ohio, making it possible to build this kind of plant in our own backyard.

With this plant, residents of Ohios 12th Congressional District and beyond can power their home using the resources we have beneath our very feet. Ohio is showing the rest of the country whats possible if you take advantage of the abundant resources we have domestically. Its time for this administration to follow Ohios lead and prioritize affordable, reliable American natural gas.

Since coming to Congress, I have worked to empower community health centers, which have a profound impact on the lives and wellbeing of folks across rural Ohio.

What are community health centers? These neighborhood facilities provide access to innovative, high-quality and affordable primary care to anyone who walks in the door, regardless of ones ability to pay or whether they have health insurance. They reduce the biggest barriers preventing people from seeking care and provide a great community service.

I visited two of these centers in August: the Quaker City Family Community Health Center in Quaker City and Hopewell Health Centers in New Lexington.

The physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists and staff at these centers provide high-quality care to their patients. They told me about their incredible work and described to me the challenges they face as they seek to further expand access to care.

Community health centers are the textbook definition of a successful government investment and their federal funding is set to expire later this month unless Congress steps in to fund the program for another two years. These are neighbors helping neighbors and I am proud to support them in Washington.

In Congress, I serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has the primary jurisdiction over the issues impacting places like the Guernsey Power Station and our community health centers. As I head back to Washington, I will remember the stories of the people I met and their concerns as they work to better the world around them.

Ive driven thousands of miles this summer, crisscrossing my district. Whether it was a tour of a steel mill in Coshocton or meeting shop owners along the Main Streets of Perry County, I saw proud, hardworking communities. Because of the tenacity and spirit of the people here in Ohio, we are entering a new era of prosperity.

Jobs and investments are flooding into Ohio from other states, and despite alarming proposals from the White House, Ohioans are pushing to produce more energy than ever. And most important of all, we are preserving our sense of community along the way.

Rep. Troy Balderson (R-Zanesville) represents the 12th Congressional District.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: Balderson shares the spirit and determination of Ohio
An Oklahoma police officer is accused of pepper spraying and repeatedly shocking a dog with a Taser, according to officials.

William Roy Golden, an officer with the Broken Arrow Police Department, is facing charges of animal cruelty and acts resulting in gross injury/outraging public decency, court records filed Sept. 22 show.

William Roy Golden is accused of repeatedly shocking the dog with a Taser and threatening to shoot it with a handgun, as well as pepper-spraying the animal, officials say. Screengrab from video by KOTV.

The charges stem from an August incident in which residents of a Wagoner County neighborhood witnessed Golden spray a 50-pound English bulldog with pepper spray, the Broken Arrow Sentinel reported.

Video shared to social media showed Golden spraying the dog, which had gotten loose from a residents home, the newspaper reported, and Wagoner County officials soon launched an investigation.

In addition to using pepper spray, investigators say Golden shocked the dog with a Taser at least eight times, according to court documents. Golden also drew his handgun and was threatening to shoot the animal, the documents said.

At some point, the dog, named Rusty, jumped inside of Goldens patrol vehicle, according to documents obtained by KOTV.

Although the dog approached Golden, it was not acting aggressive, documents said, the outlet reported. Golden couldnt explain why he felt the need to pull out a gun, but told investigators he was angry, the station reported.

Attorney information for Golden was not listed in court documents.

Scott Wood, an attorney who KTUL in early September reported was representing Golden, told the TV station at the time that the video seen online is missing important context, and the force that was used was reasonable to use on an animal in a situation like he confronted.

The incident occurred outside of Broken Arrow city limits, so the Wagoner County Sheriffs Office has been in charge of the criminal investigation, Broken Arrow Police Department said in a news release.

Golden has been put on administrative leave while the investigation is underway, the department said, adding that it has conducted its own internal investigation into the matter, but will wait until the criminal investigation is over before sharing its findings.

We share the communitys concern and appreciate your understanding that due process is necessary and takes time to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation, the release said. Ultimately, the internal investigation will conclude and determine if the actions taken are aligned with our core values of courage, integrity, professionalism, accountability, and compassion.

Broken Arrow is a suburb of Tulsa, roughly 14 miles southwest of the citys downtown.

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Chase Mitchell and Ariana Emmer got married at Burning Man this year.

The couple shared their love story, and why Burning Man is so important to them, with Insider.

Their wedding day was filled with fateful moments, known to Burners as "playa magic."

From the night they met to the day they got married, Chase Mitchell and Ariana Emmer's love has been filled with playa magic.

Ariana Emmer and Chase Mitchell got married at Burning Man this year. Julian Walter Photography

"Playa magic" is a phrase you'll hear often from Burners, those who trek to Black Rock City every year for Burning Man.

It's a phrase used to describe incredible moments that almost feel like divine intervention. A story that gets told over and over again, often beginning with "You won't believe what happened."

Playa magic followed Mitchell and Emmer everywhere during their Burning Man wedding. This is their beautiful love story.

Mitchell and Emmer met by chance during a New Year's Eve party.

The couple first met on New Year's Eve. Ariana Emmer

As the calendar was about to switch from 2015 to 2016, Mitchell and Emmer both found themselves at The Big One, an electronic music party in San Francisco.

Mitchell decided to go to the show at the last minute after an acquaintance offered him an extra ticket.

"I was at the same event with a couple who I was really good friends with, but they were arguing so I ditched them to go meet up with this shared acquaintance who invited Chase," Emmer recalled. "Chase and I met that night and instantly felt a connection."

While DJ Tycho's music filled the auditorium, Emmer and Mitchell recalled looking into each other's eyes and realizing there was something special between them.

"He took me on our first date two days later," Emmer said. "And then we saw each other for 18 days straight."

Burning Man became an important part of Mitchell and Emmer's relationship.

Emmer and Mitchell at their first Burning Man together. Ariana Emmer

Mitchell had gone to his first Burning Man in 2015, which was a huge plus for Emmer.

"It was a dream of mine to go to Burning Man," she said. "I was very pleased when I stalked his Instagram on the night we met and saw he was a Burner."

Emmer went to her first Burning Man with Mitchell in 2018 and has gone every year with him since. Together they help lead the 70-person Android Oasis camp.

"Burning Man really lets you be your fullest and most complete self," Mitchell said. "I think people can be their most authentic out there and she glows and shines so brightly. She excels."

"Every year it brings us closer and closer together and makes our relationship stronger," Emmer added. "Our strengths complement each other."

As the sun rose over the playa at their third Burning Man together, Mitchell got down on one knee and asked Emmer, "Will you marry me?"

The couple on the morning Mitchell proposed. Ariana Emmer

Mitchell popped the question to Emmer in front of 50 of their friends during Tycho's annual sunrise set, bringing their love story full circle.

"The night we first met, it was Tycho playing when we first looked at each other and really saw each other," Mitchell said in his proposal speech. "Our souls recognized each other in that moment. And that moment was the beginning of such a beautiful and loving and truly incredible relationship."

Emmer said the proposal felt like "such divine timing."

"I could feel the energy of everyone around us, but all I could see and hear was Chase," she added.

The same morning Mitchell proposed, the couple decided they were going to get married at Burning Man the following year.

Mitchell and Emmer immediately knew they wanted to get married at Burning Man. Julian Walter Photography

The couple knew they wanted to get married on the same day at Burning Man that they had gotten engaged  but this time at sunset.

"White Wednesday is always such a big camp community night," Emmer said. "Everyone dresses in white, everyone's there, everyone's in the spirit of Burning Man."

"Burning Man is in full swing and sunset is just so beautiful out there," Mitchell added. "It was always a given."

Before the wedding, the couple decided what they wanted to include from a traditional ceremony  and how they wanted to make theirs fit the unique Burning Man spirit.

Mitchell and Emmer on the back of the art car they rode to their wedding. Julian Walter Photography

"We didn't want it to be traditional," Emmer said. "We wanted it to be silly and funny but also heartwarming and focused on bringing people together to celebrate love. We knew it was going to be more heart-centered and spiritual."

Emmer and Mitchell also worked on their special wedding day outfits.

Mitchell and Emmer on the playa. Julian Walter Photography

Mitchell always knew he was going to wear purple, his favorite color, on his wedding day. Emmer found his coat on Etsy and together they made the hat he wore at the altar.

Emmer said she spent three months trying to figure out what to wear as she searched for the "perfect already-made playa wedding dress."

When she still couldn't find anything a month before the wedding, Emmer decided to create her own bridal look  complete with a flowing skirt and classic Burner braids, of course.

But the couple also knew that when it comes to Burning Man, you can't plan everything.

Mitchell and Emmer knew to expect the unexpected on their wedding day. Julian Walter Photography

"There could be a whiteout, it could rain, your bike could break," Mitchell said.

"You can plan as much as you want, but so much of it is just going to happen as it wants to on the day of," Emmer added.

Little did they know, there'd be some playa magic to help them out on their wedding day.

As their wedding began, Mitchell and Emmer rode to the playa on an art car while a procession of 100 friends biked behind them.

The 100-person bike procession following behind Mitchell and Emmer. Julian Walter Photography

People from other camps whooped and hollered as the wedding parade rode past them and the song "Chapel of Love" blasted from a speaker.

"Turning around and seeing all our friends behind us, it was one of the most surreal moments," Emmer said.

"The procession with 100 bikes behind us is burned into my mind forever," Mitchell added. "Just absolutely incredible."

But when Mitchell and Emmer got to their chosen art piece, they realized they were too late  it was already taken.

The couple searched around the playa for a new wedding venue. Julian Walter Photography

Before Emmer and Mitchell left for Burning Man, they went on the official website to look through art installations for their potential "venue." They found a few art pieces they loved, but their favorite was Oneirotica  a magenta mirror-steel orchid with giant, reflective petals  by Kirsten Berg.

Two days before their wedding, Emmer and Mitchell rode out to the playa to see how their favorite installations looked in real life  but the orchid was nowhere to be found. So they selected a wooden art installation that they both loved, convinced it was the place they'd say "I do." The universe had other plans.

"We headed towards that art piece, but as we were getting closer, we saw there were dozens of people gathered there," Emmer said. "So we started looking around, and realized every art piece within eyesight was having a wedding."

With 100 people trailing behind them, Emmer and Mitchell checked out a few other art pieces. For a moment, it seemed like their only option was in front of some black polka-dotted tentacles.

Just as the sun began to set, Emmer and Mitchell found their dream art piece to get married at.

Mitchell and Emmer's wedding guests behind the Oneirotica art piece. Julian Walter Photography

Some of Emmer and Mitchell's friends had gone scouting around the playa for a different installation and stumbled on one that was nearly finished.

It was the orchid.

The nearly-newlyweds  plus their 100-person procession  rode out to the installation and convinced the build crew to let them be the first couple to get married there.

"We helped them move their tools and pack up their U-Haul as they put the finishing touches on it," Mitchell said. "Apparently someone had come by like 30 minutes earlier asking to have a wedding there, and they said they just weren't ready."

"It's almost like it was being held for us," he added.

As their friends encircled Mitchell and Emmer, the wedding began.

Mitchell and Emmer at the beginning of their wedding ceremony. Julian Walter Photography

"Once we settled on that perfect art, it felt like we were being protected and guided," Emmer said. "I felt very in the moment, in the flow, and it was just so beautiful feeling everyone's energy."

The couple then took their place at the altar, and Emmer had a surprise for her soon-to-be husband.

The couple's wedding ceremony was full of laughs. Julian Walter Photography

Before they left for Burning Man, Emmer made a list of sweet memories and anecdotes about Mitchell that she called "13 Things I Love About You"  in honor of Mitchell's lucky number  and selected a group of friends to read them during the wedding.

"Part of the fun of a playa wedding is having surprises, and I felt it was a special way to add to my vows and also have our closest friends up there with us, sharing the moment," Emmer said.

"They were funny, they were meaningful, they were adorable," Mitchell said. "I laughed, I almost cried, it was beautiful."

Mitchell and Emmer then shared their vows, bringing laughter and tears to the crowd.

Emmer said their Burning Man wedding "felt magical the whole time." Julian Walter Photography

"It just felt magical the whole time," Emmer said. "Just staring into each other's eyes and absorbing everything and seeing how everything went so smoothly and perfectly. Just magical and surreal and love-filled and emotional."

As the ceremony came to an end, the newlyweds shared hugs with their friends and headed back to camp for a Burning Man wedding reception.

Mitchell and Emmer with all their wedding guests. Julian Walter Photography

"Every year, we have our big white party and it's always the best night of the year," Emmer said. "And to have that also be our wedding reception with some of our best friends DJing, it just felt like there was a lot of extra love in the air. It was the perfect playa wedding reception."

Two days after Mitchell and Emmer's wedding, a storm hit Burning Man and turned it into national news.

Mitchell and Emmer on the art car, heading back to camp after their ceremony. Julian Walter Photography

While many media outlets painted Burning Man as a disaster after a storm turned the grounds muddy and attendees were asked to shelter in place, Mitchell and Emmer said it didn't hamper their wedding week in the slightest. They continued to dance and bond with their camp, popping celebratory bottles of champagne in the mud as Ziploc bags protected their feet.

"My socks were a little soggy, but spirits were high!" Mitchell said. "I'm impressed at the Burner spirit broadly, and also at our own camp for still having a good time, rallying, and making the most of it."

"Our wedding day was the most perfect weather I've ever seen at Burning Man," Emmer added. "I'm not thinking, 'Oh, the mud ruined my wedding week.' I had an amazing wedding, and I got to make lots of 'muddymoon' jokes along the way."

Burning Man is a huge part of Emmer and Mitchell's lives, and they said they couldn't have imagined starting their life as husband and wife anywhere else.

Mitchell and Emmer on their wedding day. Julian Walter Photography

The newlyweds plan to have a legal family wedding later this year but said it was a "no-brainer" to get married at Burning Man first.

"It holds a special place in our hearts," Mitchell said. "I really wouldn't have it any other way."

And for those who don't understand why anyone would get married at Burning Man, Emmer has just one simple question: "Wouldn't you want to get married at your most favorite place in the entire world too?"

Read the original article on Insider
The Russian-installed head of the annexed eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk has imposed a nightly curfew on weekdays, according to a decree published Sunday.

Denis Pushilin prohibited residents from being outside from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., unless they are specifically permitted to be outdoors, the decree says.

Rallies and demonstrations, as well as other mass events, in Russia-controlled parts of the Donetsk region have also been forbidden unless they are permitted by the Operational Headquarters for Military Threat Response in Donetsk Peoples Republic, it says.

Public officials, conscripts and members of some organizations will have to formally declare leaving the territory no later than a month before their departures, it says. They will also have to declare their destination and length of stay.

It adds that public, private and official transport is to be limited during the curfew without special permission. However, that does not apply to government agency employees, some services and security agencies, Russias security service (the FSB) or the Internal Affairs Ministry, it says.

Checkpoints and security posts will also be installed at the borders of Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia, two neighboring regions in the southeast of Ukraine, it adds.

Military censorship of postal mail and messages transmitted via telecommunications systems as well as control of telephone conversations will also be introduced, it says.

The opening paragraph of the decree, which Pushilin signed Sept. 18, says that the regulations are designed to establish a state of war and that they will combat sabotage and reconnaissance formations.

Ukrainian forces have been battling Moscow-backed separatists in Donetsk and neighboring Luhansk since Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014. The two areas together make up the Donbas region. After President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, Russian troops entered the area, which was once Ukraine's industrial heartland.

Along with the regions of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, Putin illegally annexed Donestk and Luhansk last year.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said no peace negotiations can proceed until the countrys full territory is returned.

Ukraine's grinding counteroffensive continues in the south and the east.

Ukrainian paramedics carry a wounded soldier injured in Andriivka, Donetsk region, on Sept. 12, 2023. (Mstyslav Chernov / AP file)

Inside Russia, Roman Starovoit, the regional governor of Kursk, near Ukraine's northeastern border, said in a Telegram post that the roof of an administrative building was "slightly damaged" by a drone attack.

While he was in southern Ukraine, the head of the Kherson Military Administration, Oleksandr Prokudin, said two people had killed and three others were injured by shelling on the city. Private houses were destroyed, he said on his own Telegram channel.

NBC News has been unable to independently verify the report, and Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilian infrastructure and private residences in its war on Ukraine.

Fighting intensified as Washington approved a $325 million military aid package Thursday, including air defense capabilities, controversial cluster munitions and anti-tank weaponry.

President Joe Biden told Zelenskyy on Friday that the U.S. would provide a small number of long-range Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS and colloquially as attack-ems, to boost the fight against Russia.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
To many community members, the Oak Cliff Assembly is more than just a historic building in Dallas.

Located at 919 Morrell Ave., the building has transformed into a creative center where the community can enjoy and celebrate the works of local artists and creators.

The Oak Cliff Assembly hosts art walks, which are events designed to celebrate the restoration of the historic landmark.

At only its third art walk, hundreds of people showed up at the event on Saturday, where more than 600 pieces were submitted and 120 artists had their work displayed.

Several artists attended the Oak Cliff Assembly art walk Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, where they have an opportunity to display their work at no costs or fees.

What was previously known as the home to Oak Cliff Assembly of God and then Zion Missionary Baptist Church, the building was under the threat of being knocked down as it was up for public auction and zoned for townhouses. Although no longer primarily a church, the members at Zion Missionary Baptist Church still gather for services at the building on Sundays.

This wouldnt be possible if it werent for the efforts of Proxy Property Management.

AJ Ramler, of Proxy Property Management, purchased the building and had the zoning passed in June. The real estate firm aims to preserve and restore historical properties.

The Oak Cliff Assembly, built in 1941, was in a really bad condition when the firm came across the property, according to Ramler.

With the roof caved in, flooded floors, and rotting pews, he took it as an opportunity to create beauty from ashes.

The Oak Cliff Assembly art walk organizers encourage artists, creators, small companies and local entrepreneurs to use the property as a place to host or showcase their work and to offer more accessible services to the community.

This is just an area that needs a lot of love, said Ramler. The property, which is made up of four separate buildings, has several areas that are blighted and have been boarded up.

Ramler, who also works as an artist, began renovations by starting with the rotted pews. Turning them into canvases, more than 30 artists were invited to rework the pews and turn them into their own creative pieces.

There was a lot of this kind of underground pop-up art movement happening and it has kind of faded away, said Ramler.

According to Ramler, the Oak Cliff neighborhood became commercialized and institutionalized, which led to the need of a more unified, artistic space.

Thats what we do, is we buy and renovate historic properties, but I see that also as an art, so its all connected in that way, said Ramler. Its just been a really awesome opportunity for me to be able to combine two things that I love in one place.

Ray Alvarez was one of the many artists at the event who got to contribute to the renovation of the space.

Ray Alvarez was one of 120 artists whose art was featured at the Oak Cliff Assembly art walk on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023.

I think its important to have artwork from the community, said Alvarez, who was using spray paint as a medium for his work at the event. Any wall of space they give me, Im going to take advantage of it.

Like Ramler, Alvarez says the area, specifically the Oak Cliff Assembly, has been gentrified and local art is a way to help maintain the property.

Alvarez believes artwork of all kinds allow the assembly to integrate more with the community. Its good that theyre working with the local people and the local artists, Alvarez said about the event and its organizers.

We really just want to invite people in, said Haley Leavitt, who works for Proxy Property Management. I hope that people walk out feeling encouraged... just taking that and hopefully doing something really big and maybe even creating something like this in their own town.

The building is also home to creative collectives and groups such as Urban Arts Center, a nonprofit that focuses on creative works by African-American artists, and Apprentice, which focuses on hosting literary workshops.

Ramler says the Oaks Cliff Assembly is trying to provide more resources to the community through the art space.

The Oak Cliff Assembly property at 919 Morrell Avenue in Dallas has several spaces open for local artists and creators to use or rent to showcase their work.

When I-35 was built cutting through the Oak Cliff neighborhood, some community members lost easy access to amenities, according to Ramler.

Were trying to come over here and say, Hey, look, this area needs love and care and nurturing also.

One of the landmarks buildings has also turned into office spaces that creators, artists, local entrepreneurs, and neighbors can rent in the attempt to provide more services to the community.

We want to be a hub for the neighborhood, said Ramler.

Leavitt says the future for Oak Cliff Assembly looks optimistic and full of opportunity as they plan to have more art shows and events.

I can see it growing in a beautiful way, said Leavitt. With several offices available, small companies and creators looking for a space away from home are encouraged to turn to Oak Cliff Assembly when taking the next step of their careers.

We can be a slew of different things, said Leavitt. We have changed so much as a company in the past year and a half... This has just been such a rewarding experience and we just want to continue to open doors for people and offer a platform.
Dan Patrick meddled in justice





Ken Paxton was not exonerated by the Texas Senate. He was not absolved. He was excused. (Sept. 17, 10A, A sad day for Texas: Acquitting Ken Paxton condones corruption, abuse of power)

As Lyndon Baines Johnson might have said, you cant make chicken salad out of the character of those GOP state senators who, fearing for their political lives, turned a blind eye to justice.

I wish Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had taken his thumb off the scale long enough to call defense attorney Tony Buzbees bluff on those granite countertops.

- William Joslin, Fort Worth

Im no longer voting Republican

I have been a Republican my whole life. Since Republicans condone Ken Paxtons corruption, I wont vote for any beyond the local level. Ill vote Democratic for all state and federal elections. By his remarks after the acquittal, Gov. Greg Abbott made clear he shares in the problem, too.

- Kevin Beatty, Corsicana

Verdict was politics as usual

In many criminal acquittals, prosecutors often offer a comment such as, We respect the jurys decision, even though they lost their case. It speaks volumes that after the Texas attorney generals acquittal, those who brought his prosecution cannot show similar humility and instead continue to repeat the accusations that the state Senate jury resoundingly rejected.

The denial and indignation about the verdict might lead voters to conclude that this historic impeachment was nothing more than ordinary politics through extraordinary means.

- Jason Adams, Southlake

Trying to overturn voters will

The blatant attempt to overturn the will of Texas voters has been exposed. The political ambitions of those who pursued Ken Paxton are now visible. I hope people will see through efforts to disenfranchise those of us who are not part of the groupthink.

- Jon Loyal Rodenmayer, Garland

Cheers for state senators courage

Our Republican household is proud of our state senator, Kelly Hancock, for his vote for decency and honor. Mark Davis infers Kelly Hancock could suffer for voting to convict Ken Paxton, but a lot of us think it is time for less partisan politics and more common sense in this country. (Sept. 19, 10A, Will Paxtons foes pay price in GOP House primaries?)

We will work hard to see that Hancock is reelected if he chooses to run again.

- Wanda Conlin and Don Boren, Fort Worth

Rushed out when we want to eat

Bud Kennedys Sept. 15 commentary on restaurants that are seeing customers coming to eat dinner at earlier times than in the past hit a nerve with me. (1C, Restaurants see earlier dinner crowds; Fort Worth chefs react)

We have found if you arrive one hour before closing, you will find the staff starting to shut down. Tables are being wiped off, the bar is being cleaned and floors are being swept.

I remember when closing time meant no new customers. Now, it means the time the staff locks the door and leaves.

- David Jones, Arlington

New, endless cycle of impeachment?

The announcement that Republicans will explore impeaching President Joe Biden is telling. It makes me think the attitude in D.C. is, Get even at all costs. Considering the process of succession to the presidency, its hard to believe House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has thought this thing through. Weve seen it before, with Bill Clinton and twice with Donald Trump. Are we in for more endless reading of speeches but minimal real evidence?

The idea of governing for the good of the people has taken a back seat to tit for tat.

- Bob Schultz, Haslet
A military vehicle makes it's way down a flooded St. Bernard Street in Louisiana on September 25, 2005, after the region swapped by Hurricane Rita. The storm made landfall on September 24, 2005. File Photo by A.J. Sisco/UPI

Sept. 24 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1789, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. The number of justices became nine in 1869.

In 1929, aviator James Doolittle demonstrated the first "blind" takeoff and landing, using only instruments to guide his aircraft.

In 1942, as World War II raged, popular bandleader Glenn Miller ended his long-running radio show and announced he was going into the U.S. Army. He was succeeded on radio by Harry James.

In 1957, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Ark., to enforce the Supreme Court's desegregation decision.

Demonstrators and police during the 1968 Democratic Convention on in Grant Park. On September 24, 1969, the Chicago 8 trial began for eight men accused of taking part in anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. UPI File Photo

UPI File Photo

In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev met at Camp David, Md.

On September 24, 1929, aviator James Doolittle demonstrated the first "blind" takeoff and landing, using only instruments to guide his aircraft. File Photo courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

In 1964, Chief Justice Earl Warren hand-delivered to President Lyndon B. Johnson the Warren Commission report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy a year prior.

In 1969, the so-called Chicago 8 -- later to be known as the Chicago 7 -- trial began for eight men accused of taking part in anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Some of the accused were convicted, but all were overturned.

Members of the Warren Commission present their report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 24, 1964. From L-R: John McCloy, J. Lee Rankin (general counsel), Sen. Richard Russell, Rep. Gerald Ford, Chief Justice Earl Warren, President Lyndon B. Johnson, Allen Dulles, Sen. John Sherman Cooper and Rep. Hale Boggs. File Photo by LBJ Library/UPI

In 1998, Iran's foreign minister announced the country had dropped its 1989 call for the death of Salman Rushdie, author of The Satanic Verses, which many Muslims found blasphemous.

In 2005, the eye of Hurricane Rita made landfall at the Texas-Louisiana border. The Category 3 storm was responsible for more than 100 deaths and more than $18.5 million in damage, bringing a devastating storm surge that only worsened the effects of Hurricane Katrina weeks before.

On September 24, 1789, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. The number of justices became nine in 1869. File Photo by Pat Benic/UPI

In 2007, about 73,000 members of the United Auto Workers went on strike against General Motors after contract negotiations bogged down over wages and benefits. The walkout ended within two days.

File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI

Salman Rushdie arrives for the Metropolitan Opera's Premiere of Jules Massemet's "Manon" at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York on March 26, 2012. On September 24, 1998, Iran's foreign minister announced the country had dropped its 1989 call for the death of = Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses," which many Muslims found blasphemous. File Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/UPI

In 2009, the discovery of a treasure trove of more than 1,500 finely crafted gold, silver and copper artifacts, found with a metal detector and believed buried by seventh-century Anglo-Saxon rulers, was termed one of most important in British archaeological history.

In 2013, authorities in southwest Pakistan said a 7.7-magnitude earthquake in Balochistan province killed at least 500 people and destroyed hundreds of houses throughout the region.

In 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced an official impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump over allegations he pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to announced an investigation into Joe Biden and threatened to withhold military aid.

In 2022, Post-Tropical Storm Fiona made landfall in Nova Scotia, setting a storm surge record of 9 feet.
A dead body was found in the jaws of a huge alligator in Florida on Friday.

The body has been identified as Sabrina Peckham, 41, who was previously caught trespassing onto nearby wetland.

Authorities are yet to determine whether the animal played a role in her death.

Authorities have identified the person found dead in the jaws of a nearly 14-foot alligator's mouth on Friday.

Police said in a press update that the victim was 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham but that the manner and cause of her death have yet to be determined.

Her lifeless body was spotted in the mouth of the reptile in a canal by a witness who alerted authorities.

Peckham, who had been homeless, was caught by police in July for trespassing onto county wetland just blocks away from the location she was later found dead, per court documents, seen by Insider.

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said that the alligator was "humanely killed" with the assistance of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The sheriff's office's dive team later recovered the woman's remains.

Authorities are yet to determine whether the animal played a role in her death.

In a similar incident in March, the body of a two-year-old boy was found in the mouth of an alligator, in a location close to where Peckham's corpse was retreived.

The father of Taylen Mosley was alleged to have put the toddler in the lake by his father after his mother, Pashun Jeffery, 20, was found dead in her St. Petersburg home with multiple stab wounds. Thomas Mosley, was charged in both deaths, according to a police affidavit, per CNN.

A St. Petersburg police statement said that the Pinellas Medical Examiner confirmed the child died of drowning.

Fatal alligator attacks are very rare. The US generally reports an average of six annually, per AZ Animals.

There have been at least two known reports of fatal alligator attacks in Florida this year.

The state has a population of about 1.3 million alligators, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates.

Read the original article on Insider
Russia expected a swift victory against Ukraine when it first invaded the country last February.

A combination of strategic mistakes and strong Ukrainian resistance dashed those hopes.

Russia has since improved its weapons and defense, setting the stage for a long, deadly war.

When Russia first invaded Ukraine in February of last year, Moscow shocked much of the West and the world when the country managed to fumble an apparent military advantage.

Ukraine's top military brass has said Russia had 10 to 15 times more artillery, while CNN reported Russian forces outnumbered Ukraine's foot soldiers by more than two to one.

But strategic mistakes and unexpectedly strong resistance from Ukraine dashed President Vladimir Putin's hopes of a swift victory.

A senior US defense official acknowledged in February of last year that Russia has been frustrated with its performance. He said, however, Russia would reevaluate its strategy.

More than a year later, that premonition has come true: Russia shifted its defense tactics and changed the tides of the war using deep trenches, cheap drones, and a war machine producing more artillery shells than the West had anticipated, The Wall Street Journal reported.

"We have seen quite a few areas where they're adapting, and of course, we're paying close attention to that," Gen. James Hecker, the commander of US Air Forces in Europe, told The Journal.

The result of the country's shift was made clear this summer with the glacial pace of Ukraine's counteroffensive.

Ukrainian troops struggled to break through Russia's defensive lines, plagued with barbed wire, land mines, and anti-tank ditches.

George Barros, a Russia analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, previously told Insider the slow rollout of weapons support from the West provided Russia "time to reequip or reconstitute themselves."

Russia has also adapted to Ukraine's weapons, setting up air-defense systems that can shoot down missiles and drones and tools that can jam the other side's GPS signals.

While Russia took down Ukraine's drones, the country had stockpiled cheap drones of its own from China, the Journal reported.

Ukraine managed to break through Russia's defense by the end of August, two months after it launched its counteroffensive, Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

Defense experts say Russia may have made a "very costly" mistake by focusing too much on its first line of defense, making the second line more vulnerable and easier to break.

An Institute for the Study of War report also stated that Ukrainian forces recaptured two villages near the front lines, causing a "severe degradation" of Russian troops.

But Moscow's war machine continues to churn, the Journal reported.

An unnamed Western defense official told the newspaper that Russia was initially expected to produce about one million artillery shells a year. The official said the West now believed Russia was expected to produce two million artillery shells in the next couple of years.

Putin had indicated he was bracing for a long war in Ukraine as the death toll racked up, Reuters reported.

By mid-August, US officials roughly estimated Russia's military casualties included 120,000 dead and up to 180,000 injured, The New York Times reported. Ukrainian deaths, in comparison, were estimated to be about 70,000, with 120,000 wounded.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Ukrainian military destroyed 51 units of Russian military equipment and four ammunition storage points on the Tavriia front over the past day.

Source: General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi , Commander of the Operational and Strategic Group of Troops Tavriia, on Telegram

Details: Among the equipment, 6 tanks, 11 anti-aircraft guns, 5 artillery systems, 1 anti-aircraft system, 21 unmanned aerial vehicles, 4 vehicles and 2 special vehicles were destroyed. Four ammunition storage points were also destroyed.

Over the past day, Russian personnel losses amounted to 224 (70 killed, 154 wounded, and 1 captured).

Tarnavskyi reported that the Russians attacked Ukrainian positions 17 times during the past day and carried out 783 artillery attacks, 1 missile attack and 17 airstrikes.

Rocket Forces and Artillery performed 1,116 fire missions on the Tavriia front during the day.

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 Biden reelection campaign sees Florida as a potential state on their expansion map, per WaPo.

But donors remain skeptical of Florida being a part of Biden 's reelection calculus, per the paper.

According to WaPo, there were "deep eye-rolls" among donors when Florida was brought up during a presentation.

For deep-pocketed Democratic donors, it used to be all about Florida.

Florida, Florida, Florida.

But that conventional wisdom has shifted dramatically in recent years.

As the onetime swing state has taken on an increasingly red tilt  backing Donald Trump for president in both 2016 and 2020, fueling the political ascent of Gov. Ron DeSantis, and electing Republicans up-and-down the ballot in 2022  donors want to see the party consistently compete in more favorable states like Arizona and North Carolina.

Still, that's not stopping President Joe Biden's 2024 campaign staff from trying to win the state next year, as they see the Sunshine State as one of many pieces of an electoral calculus that could get them to 270  the requisite number of Electoral College votes needed to win the election.

With 30 electoral votes, Florida's appeal as a presidential juggernaut can't be ignored.

But many of the party's biggest donors remain skeptical of a push to win the state next year, according to The Washington Post.

At a Biden campaign National Finance Committee meeting in Chicago earlier this month, donors were privately briefed on the paths that top officials were mapping out to keep the president in the Oval Office for a second term.

Per The Post, campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez and deputy campaign manager Quentin Fulks spoke of their vision for the president's reelection drive, which included holding the battlegrounds of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

And they also spoke of states that they sought to win again, including Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada, while also mentioning their desire to win North Carolina  which Biden narrowly lost in 2020.

The attendees were all onboard with the strategy until Florida was shown during the slide presentation, according to two individuals present at the meeting who spoke with The Post.

"Everybody who was in the audience was doing deep eye-rolls over Florida being on the expansion map," one of the individuals told the newspaper.

Florida has multiple media markets, an expensive proposition for any campaign, and many Democratic officials will likely want the campaign to help boost vulnerable candidates in lieu of running in a state that could be a money sink.

Simply put, Florida is a tough sell for most Democrats these days.

But the Biden campaign seemingly isn't giving up hope, despite the odds.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Democratic Party is divided on the issue of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendezs resignation as he faces federal bribery charges.

The senator is accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars of cash and gold from three New Jersey businessmen with ties to Egypt.

In exchange the senator, formerly chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, provided sensitive information to benefit the government of Egypt. He is also accused of interfering in a criminal investigation of the businessmens allies.

Mr Menendez has denied the allegations and while he has stepped down from his committee post, he is digging in on his Congressional seat.

His partys leadership in the Senate has, so far, backed his decision to remain in office. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Friday that the senator had a right to have the allegations play out in court, a tacit refusal to call for his resignation.

Bob Menendez has been a dedicated public servant and is always fighting hard for the people of New Jersey. He has a right to due process and a fair trial, Schumer said, in the statement.

Dick Durbin, the majority whip and No. 2 Democrat in the chamber, backed Mr Schumer on Sunday.

In terms of resignation, thats a decision to be made by Senator Menendez and the people of New Jersey, he told CNNs State of the Union.

This is a very serious charge. Theres no question about it. But it bears reminding us of what Ive said about the indictments against Donald Trump, equally serious charges, the senator told Dana Bash. These are, in fact, indictments that have to be proven. Under the rule of law, a person who is accused is entitled to the presumption of innocence. And its the responsibility of the government to prove that case.

I said that about Donald Trump. Ill say the same thing about Bob Menendez.

Yet a growing list of Democrats are calling for the senator to step down including Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman, the caucuss newest member in the upper chamber, and House members Dean Phillips, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Andy Kim. New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has also called for him to relinquish his seat.

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity. Please join me:https://t.co/QFIaMsgJc9  Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 23, 2023

Mr Menendez released a combative statement in response.

"It is not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat," he said. "I am not going anywhere."

Representative Kim announced on Saturday that he would run against Mr Menendez in next years Senate primary should he choose to remain in office.

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity, he tweeted.

President Joe Biden has not yet addressed the charges against Mr Menendez. He remained at the White House this weekend, and released a statement observing the Yom Kippur holiday on Sunday.

The case is the second corruption-related investigation that Mr Menendez has faced as an elected official. The senator was previously acquitted of bribery and mail fraud charges in 2018.
Andrew Grover is a neighborhood resident, educator, and artist. Adriana Hazelton is advocacy manager at the Providence Preservation Society. Sam Bell is a state senator representing District 5. Ariana Packard is a Mount Pleasant High School teacher.

Walking along Academy Avenue in Providence toward Smith Street, one can admire classic, stately Providence homes and the notable Water Supply Building. But a gaze farther west over the La Salle Academy playing fields catches sight of one of the citys true jewels: the Collegiate Gothic spires of Mount Pleasant High School.

As reported in The Providence Journal, the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Providence Public School District may demolish or seriously alter this landmark structure, and these proposals are deeply concerning. At very limited public engagement sessions, residents, teachers, and preservationists were staunchly against demolition, and even the idea of partial demolition was met with skepticism. These sentiments were largely unacknowledged by RIDE, and there is a strong foreboding we are coming perilously close to destroying a Providence landmark. As one long-term neighbor pleaded during public "engagement," Mount Pleasant was built during the Great Depression, and the people of the city put everything into it when they had nothing. The result was the architecturally stunning and distinct Collegiate Gothic structure that one can see from multiple points in the city. And as the neighbor also added, RIDE seems to want to replace it with something "that looks like a Staples."

The 85-year-old Mount Pleasant High School in Providence.

Much of RIDEs proposals are based on estimates that demolition is cheaper than renovation, paltry reasoning compared to what Depression-era Providencers built for their children. There is doubt, however, that the quoted costs are even accurate. As if Rhode Islanders need examples, costs of new construction are always underestimated and inevitably run over. To preservationists, the case of Mount Pleasant feels extremely similar to that of Nathan Bishop Middle School, another situation where the people of Providence were told it was cheaper to demolish a beautiful building. Only with outside review did the school department admit it had omitted a very expensive item before the bulldozer arrived: material removal. Renovated instead, a beautiful East Side landmark was restored to splendor. It would be unfortunate to have learned nothing from this and once again raze a beautiful landmark before realizing cost estimates were pulled out of thin air and did not pass muster under public scrutiny.

And for whom is this new academic vision being built? PPSD talks endlessly about 21st century learning principles and career tech tracks without specifying how many students are projected to take these courses, with what equipment, and why current classrooms are not adequate. Teachers are frustrated by this, and one can only surmise that this new school would not serve current Mount Pleasant students.

Environmental costs were also largely out of the conversation. How much carbon emission and waste would the demolition of this 300,000-square-feet footprint create? Providence has experienced dreadful flooding and poor air quality. Discounting how demolition would further impact climate change in Providence is grossly irresponsible. As was said by renowned architect Carl Elefante in 2007, the greenest building is the one already built.

There are several key questions RIDE needs to address. What public engagement are their proposals based on? How exactly does new, cheaper construction meet the needs of Mount Pleasant as seen by teachers and students? Do cost estimates include material removal and can there be an outside review of these estimates? Have carbon footprint estimates been factored in? How does the carbon cost of new construction vs. renovation square with the states 2030 net zero goals? Robust public discussions on these topics are required before wrecking balls show up at Mount Pleasant.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: There is a strong foreboding we are coming perilously close to destroying a Providence landmark.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) is facing a make-or-break moment in this weeks second Republican presidential debate, as he looks to give his campaign a boost amid falling poll numbers.

A CNN/University of New Hampshire poll released last week showed the governor dropping 13 points in the critical early state, falling behind candidates Vivek Ramaswamy , Nikki Haley and Chris Christie.

But a knockout performance at the debate could give DeSantis the much-needed boost in the polls that both Ramaswamy and Haley saw after their performance at the first debate last month.

The pressure is on DeSantis to do really well because of the fact he is slipping in the polls and he is slipping fast, said Ford OConnell, a Florida-based Republican strategist.

The narrative that this is a two-person race is gone, he said. This is a one-person race with Donald Trump dominating and leading the pack.

Other Republicans say the debate is an opportunity for the governor as more GOP primary voters turn their attention to the race.

Lets not say that its over yet, said Matt Bartlett, a New Hampshire Republican strategist. Were just past Labor Day, we got through the first debate, I think people are tuning in now. Its an opportunity to turn the ship around. Yes, the expectations are high. What is possible shrinks and what is probable becomes real as we enter into a much more serious campaign phase.

Trump will not attend the debate and will instead address striking auto workers in Michigan in an effort to counter-program the event. The former president also skipped the first debate, instead opting to do a sit-down interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson.

The move allowed the rest of the field to soak up the limelight without being directly in Trumps shadow. Many predicted DeSantis would be the top target on stage, but instead, Ramaswamy and Haley garnered the most post-debate chatter.

I thought for sure going into it that he would be under a lot more fire than he ended up being, but Vivek seemed to be able to draw that fire really well, said New Hampshire state House leader Jason Osborne (R), who has endorsed DeSantis.

If Ron maybe can do something similar, he only needs to be less of a jerk about it than Vivek was, he added.

Osborne said any debate topic on the economy will draw attention to the governors record.

I think thats where Ron really has a chance to dominate that stage with his record, the New Hampshire Republican said. I think that will give the opportunity for the other participants to fire away at him.

The second debate comes as Trump continues to eclipse the others in polling. Meanwhile, some other candidates, including Ramaswamy and Haley, have seen bumps in support.

But DeSantis supporters are firmly pushing back against the narrative that its no longer a two-person race and that hes been surpassed.

Trump is acting as if the primary is over. Its not. Perception is reality. Trump is increasingly looking like the default winner of the GOP nomination. DeSantis has to demonstrate that isnt a done deal, said Dan Eberhart, a DeSantis donor.

DeSantiss team has made the first caucus state of Iowa a priority, spending the majority of his time on the campaign trail in Iowa with the goal of hitting all 99 counties. The strategy is that DeSantis is hitting Trump in a state he lost in the 2016 GOP primary. The governors supporters argue that if Trump were to lose Iowa as the front-runner and DeSantis were to win, the former president would lack the momentum needed to steamroll the rest of the primary.

DeSantis needs to put in a strong showing in Iowa, Eberhart said. That will set him up to win New Hampshire and keep winning going into Super Tuesday. Even if he loses one of the contests other than Iowa, voters will start to swing his way and move away from Trump.

Additionally, DeSantis supporters have also pointed to Trumps recently increased attention to Iowa as evidence there is a sense of nervousness there. The former president visited the state last week and has plans to head there next month. The Trump campaign also said that more than 27,500 Iowa voters have signed pledge cards supporting him.

The pitch has always been that Trump cant win the general. DeSantis needs to show that Trump cant win the primary first, Eberhart said. A strong showing in next weeks debate could set the stage for DeSantis to win Iowa. But its not crucial.

However, some of DeSantiss supporters in New Hampshire are voicing concerns hes not spending enough time in the Granite State.

His team has chosen to focus on this hyper-right-wing, religious campaign in Iowa, and its really causing him to shit the bed here in New Hampshire, said one Republican supporting DeSantis.

Other DeSantis supporters maintain that this has always been a part of the campaigns strategy.

He has stated that he understands that its going to be different in every state and thats how we work, said Kate Day, the former chairwoman of the Cheshire County, N.H., Republicans and a DeSantis supporter. We have 50 different states and 50 different cultures basically.

The CNN/University New Hampshire poll showed DeSantis dropping 13 points since the last survey in July, landing DeSantis at 10 percent support among likely New Hampshire GOP primary voters. Ramaswamy clocked in at 13 percent support, while Haley and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) came in at 11 and 12 percent, respectively.

Osborne said his biggest takeaway from the poll was candidates circling each other around the margin of error.

I wouldnt expect anything else when you have all of those other candidates spending all of their time and resources into New Hampshire whereas the governor is running a full campaign focusing on all of the early states and looking ahead toward actually finishing the campaign all the way to the end, he said.

Day pointed to there still being a number of undecided voters in the partys primary.

There are a lot of people who are undecided right now and thats why its so important for us to get him in front of a lot more people, she said. We have somewhere between 60 and 70 percent of New Hampshire Republicans that are looking elsewhere besides Trump.

Day added that she would like to see more of DeSantis in her state in the future.

People in New Hampshire want to see their candidate face to face, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Ron DeSantis , a leading Republican candidate in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, said in a Sept. 23 podcast he believes that it's not in NATO's best interests to admit Ukraine as a member.



I dont think NATO membership is in our interest, DeSantis, governor of Florida, told the Glenn Beck Program. All that would do was add more obligations to us, so if youre adding more obligations, then what are benefits that were getting in return?

He also said the U.S. shouldn't give Ukraine a "blank check" without trying to force the fighting to end.

The governor has called Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine a "territorial dispute" but later called Russian dictator Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" and condemned the invasion.

DeSantis is known in the U.S. for his right-wing policies, such as banning all discussions of sexual orientation in all Florida public schools, and his publicized feud with the Disney Corporation over its statements backing LGBTQ+ rights.



He has said that, if elected president, he would revoke funding for COVID vaccines and eliminate the Internal Revenue Service and the education, commerce and energy departments.



Glenn Beck is a conservative and libertarian American commentator and conspiracy theorist.



Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis s (R) office announced Friday the suspension of school choice scholarships to four schools over their alleged direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

Through a thorough investigation, [the Florida Department of Education] has determined that Lower and Upper Sagemont Preparatory Schools in Weston, Parke House Academy in Winter Park, and Park Maitland School in Winter Park have direct ties to the CCP and their connections constitute an imminent threat to the health, safety, and welfare of these schools students and the public, reads a news release from the governors office.

The release also noted a bill DeSantis signed into law in May barring private schools in the state from participating in an educational scholarship program if they are owned or operated by a person or an entity domiciled in, owned by, or in any way controlled by a foreign country of concern or foreign principal. The law then references a different law that lists China as a country of concern.

The Chinese Communist Party is not welcome in the state of Florida, DeSantis said in the release. We will not put up with any attempt to influence students with a communist ideology or allow Floridians tax dollars to go to schools that are connected to our foreign adversaries.

The schools are part of a multi-brand education network called Spring Education Group. On the schools websites, the group says it is controlled by Primavera Holdings Limited, an investment firm (together with its affiliates) principally based in Hong Kong with operations in China, Singapore, and the United States, that is itself owned by Chinese persons residing in Hong Kong.

DeSantis has also recently signed bills that ban Chinese citizens from buying land in Florida and make the states Department of Management Services create a list of prohibited applications owned by a foreign principal or foreign countries of concern, including China, which present a cybersecurity and data privacy risk.

A federal judge denied a request by Chinese citizens to halt the land ownership law in August.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised that states would be equal partners in enforcing border policy if wins the 2024 general election.

When I am president, we are going to unleash the states, they are going to be equal partners with enforcing immigration law, DeSantis said in a new interview with Glenn Beck.

DeSantis said if someone comes over the border into a state illegally, the states government should be able to send them back.

Why are we in this big process where people are going to court and stuff, its absurd, DeSantis said. I think the reality is if they did more, they would face the DOJ and all this other stuff.

The Florida governor said the notion that securing the border is a sole federal responsibility is not true.

Well be an administration that works hand-in-hand with the states to secure our border, theyre a force multiplier for the federal government, DeSantis said. People say its a sole federal responsibility if we have a strong border policy a state cant let people in of course, but if we have a policy and its not being enforced fully, why should the states not do it, they should absolutely be able to enforce the law, well make that happen.

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DeSantis comments come after the Biden administration granted more than 400,000 Venezuelans work permits, while at the same time sending 800 new troops to help with the migrant influx at the southern border.

Biden has faced widespread criticism from Republicans over his border policies, namely governors in GOP-led states, who have told the president that shelters are full and food pantries are empty.

A letter from 25 governors, led by Montanas Greg Gianforte, asked the administration for information on where the migrants were admitted and when they were relocated. At the same time, the governors asked for real-time border numbers on asylum claim timelines, qualification rates and successful deportations.

At the same time, the governors accused Biden of encouraging illegal immigration.

Meanwhile, Democrats praised Bidens move to expand work permit expansion, underscoring the heated debate over border policy that has and continues to divide both parties.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Texas multifamily developer Embrey has bought land in NoDa for its fourth Charlotte-area apartment project.

The San Antonio company acquired 7 acres at 3035 N. Tryon St., next door to NoDa Brewing Co., where it plans to build a 403-unit, four-story community. Embrey paid $13 million for the parcel on Sept. 5, according to Mecklenburg County real estate records.

READ MORE: More development planned for dramatically different Sterling neighborhood

The property will have studio, one- and two-bedroom units at market rate-rent prices.

Keep reading here.

(WATCH: Proposed development near Plaza Midwood receives pushback from neighbors, council)
SEIU Local 503 state workers picket June 28 outside the Department of Human Services in Eugene.

Oregon state, county, city, college and school district employees are paid with taxpayer funds. And employee salaries are typically the largest expense for a government agency.

But the state has no single place for the public to see how much they are paying those employees, or for employees to see how their salary compares to similar workers for other government bodies.

The Register-Guard believes in transparency in how government spends public money. Using the power of the state public records law, reporters filed numerous requests to individual agencies to get that data.

The results of those requests, with salary data for more than 76,000 government positions, can be found online at data.registerguard.com/salary/.

The latest posted salary information is for the 2022 fiscal year (mid-2021 to mid-2022). Information for Springfield is based on the calendar year 2022.

Salary database: Which Salem, Eugene city employees are paid the most?

Which agencies are included?

The data include workers for the state, Lane County, Lane Community College, and numerous local cities and school districts.

The Register-Guard requested detailed salary information for each employee, including annual rate of pay, actual wages and overtime pay.

Some agencies, including Springfield and Lane County, provided the public information promptly and at no or little cost. Some agencies provided only partial information or cited very large fees to provide some of the data.

Some, like Eugene, were in between, providing a prompt response but charging more than $100 for records.

Eugene School District 4J was sent a public records request seeking salary data in May. 4J has not yet provided any data. Bethel School District was also sent a public records request in May and responded promptly, but cited a fee of $414 for the information requested.

What does the data show?

Agencies were asked to provide every employee's name, position, employment status, gross earnings, annual pay, actual wages, hourly rate and overtime pay. The information listed online is the data provided by the government agency. If data is missing, it is because the agency did not provide it.

The only changes The Register-Guard made to the data were to match column titles and order, such as splitting first and last names into two columns, including the name of the agency or spelling out abbreviations.

For each employee, the table may show:

Employment status: This field states whether an employee works full- or part-time.

Annual pay: This is the employee's official annual salary. It may not be the same as the actual wages, as it typically does not take into account overtime, bonuses, furloughs or other factors that might have caused an employee's actual wages to increase or decrease.

Actual wages: This is what the employee was actually paid last year, minus benefits or bonuses. If an employee was hired later in the fiscal year, their actual wages for that fiscal year will be less than what their annual pay states.

Hourly rate: The amount an employee is paid per hour of work. Some employers only provided this for workers paid by the hour, while others also calculated the hourly rate for salaried employees.

Overtime: This amount paid is listed in all cases in which the employer reported it.

Do you see something in the data that merits further investigation? Have a tip about public employees? See something an employer is reporting inaccurately? Email the newsroom at RGnews@registerguard.com.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: How we did this: Eugene, Springfield government salary database
You are here: Travel

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A cruise ship registered in the Bahamas docked at a port in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Friday upon arrival, signaling a promising revival of the city's cruise tourism industry.

The ship, named "Mediterranea," is scheduled to embark on an international cruise route on Sept. 30 with Tianjin as its home port, according to its operator Adora Cruises.

To ensure the efficient berthing of the ship, local authorities assisted more than 900 Chinese and foreign crew members in completing all necessary formalities for port entry.

In July, the cruise ship "Dream" also docked in Tianjin. Registered in Liberia, the vessel boasts more than 1,000 cabins and can accommodate over 2,000 passengers.

The upcoming voyages of two cruise ships mark the post-pandemic recovery of Tianjin's cruise tourism sector.

The largest cruise homeport in northern China, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port has received over 880 international cruise ships and handled more than 4.26 million inbound and outbound passengers.

China's Ministry of Transport announced on Tuesday the full resumption of international cruise ship transport to and from ports in the country.

The ministry said in its notice that local transport authorities at the ports where cruise ships dock should formulate plans for restoring international cruise transportation and proceed with the resumption work after obtaining approval from local governments.
More than 1,000 state of Oregon workers from various agencies rally June 8 in Salem for a union contract. They carried signs telling their stories.

Oregon state, county, city, college and school district employees are paid with taxpayer funds. And employee salaries are typically the largest expense for a government agency.

But the state has no single place for the public to see how much they are paying those employees, or for employees to see how their salary compares to similar workers for other government bodies.

The Statesman Journal believes in transparency in how government spends public money. Using the power of the state public records law, reporters filed numerous requests to individual agencies to get that data.

The results of those requests, with salary data for more than 76,000 government positions, can be found online at data.statesmanjournal.com/salary/.

The latest posted salary information is for the 2022 fiscal year (mid-2021 to mid-2022). Future years, and additional government entities, will continue to be added.

Salary database: Salary database: Which Salem, Eugene city employees are paid the most?

Which agencies are included?

The data includes workers for the state, Marion and Polk counties, Chemeketa Community College and numerous local cities and school districts.

The Statesman Journal requested detailed salary information for each employee, including annual rate of pay, actual wages and overtime pay.

Some agencies, including Independence and Polk County, provided the public information promptly and at no or little cost.

Some agencies provided only partial information or cited very large fees to provide some of the data. Marion County, for example, told the Statesman Journal it would cost $278.13 for data that would include overtime payments. Silverton, which reported having 54 employees, said it would cost $439.60 for data that includes actual wages and overtime.

What does the data show?

Agencies were asked to provide every employee's name, position, employment status, gross earnings, annual pay, actual wages, hourly rate and overtime pay. The information listed online is the data the government agency chose to provide. If data is missing, it is because the agency did not provide it.

The only changes the Statesman Journal made to the data were to match column titles and order, such as including the name of the agency or spelling out abbreviations.

For each employee, the table may show:

Employment status: This field states whether an employee works full- or part-time.

Annual pay: This is the employee's official annual salary. It may not be the same as the actual wages, as it typically does not take into account overtime, bonuses, furloughs or other factors that might have caused an employee's actual wages to increase or decrease.

Actual wages: This is what the employee was actually paid last year, minus benefits or bonuses. If an employee was hired later in the fiscal year, their actual wages for that fiscal year will be less than what their annual pay states.

Hourly rate: The amount an employee is paid per hour of work. Some employers only provided this for workers paid by the hour, while others also calculated the hourly rate for salaried employees.

Overtime: This amount paid is listed in all cases in which the employer reported it.

Do you see something in the data that merits further investigation? Have a tip about public employees? See something an employer is reporting inaccurately? Email the newsroom at salemnew@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: How we did this: Salem-area government salary database
SAN DIEGO  San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan has joined efforts to get the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on a federal court case out of Oregon that could reshape rules surrounding how cities can address homeless encampments.

On Thursday, Stephans office submitted a brief as an amicus curiae, or friend of the court, to support the case City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Gloria Johnson, et al. that is angling to be heard by the highest court in the land.

The lawsuit, which was brought by three unhoused residents in the small Oregon town of Grants Pass, sought to overturn city ordinances that restricted camping and sleeping in public through fines and other regulations.

Last year, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the homeless plaintiffs, saying in its decision that it was a violation of the Eighth Amendment to punish people for sleeping in public when there is nowhere else for them to go.

SANDAG board votes to remove mileage tax from 2025 Regional Plan

The decision built on a 2018 precedent set by the Ninth Circuit court in the case of Martin v. City of Boise, which held that the cruel and unusual punishment clause of the Eighth Amendment narrowly prevented governments from imposing criminal penalties on homeless individuals for sitting, sleeping, or lying outside on public property if there is no accessible alternative.

However, Grants Pass is attempting to get another opinion, filing an appeal last month to get the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case.

In the citys petition for appeal, they posed the question: Does the enforcement of generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property constitute cruel and unusual punishment prohibited by the Eighth Amendment?

In the brief filed, the District Attorneys office argued that local governments allowing encampments is cruel and creates more suffering than the alternative, citing health and safety risks for the unhoused residents that occupy them and the general public.

  while being mindful of the health and safety of both the homeless population and that of the greater community, many issues still must be resolved by (the Supreme Court) to clarify what other efforts may be made within the bounds of the law, the District Attorneys petition read. The questions raised by this case are of paramount importance to local governments  and warrant this Courts thoughtful attention.

The brief also brought up the possibility for legal challenges under the Ninth Circuit court rulings in Martin and Grants Pass to enforcement of the city of San Diegos unsafe camping ordinance. However, the city contends that they are in compliance with what both decisions stipulate.

FOX 5 reached out to the San Diego District Attorneys Office for comment but did not immediately hear back.

The full brief from Stephan can be found below:

Amicus Brief San Diego County District AttorneyDownload

This comes several days after San Diego city officials also voted 6-2 to join the case during a closed session meeting. The city will be joining Seattle and other metro areas within the Ninth Circuit court jurisdiction in their petition, which has yet to be officially filed.

What were seeing is a disturbing trend of courts really tying the hands of cities and consequently, limiting our ability to welcome people into the shelter system, San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told FOX 5 on Monday after the vote. These kinds of rulings probably only make sense in a courtroom, but not necessarily in real life.

San Diego was the latest in a swath of public officials and local groups within the Ninth Circuit courts jurisdiction that have sought to participate in the case  many of whom filed briefs with the Supreme Court over the last several days.

Gov. Gavin Newsom was among those who submitted petitions on Friday, a little over a week after announcing his intention to intervene in court battles over homeless encampments during an interview with Politico on Sept. 12.

Ive had it, he said during the interview. Were going to intervene, and I hope this goes to the Supreme Court, and thats a hell of a statement for a progressive democrat  to say.

He added that federal judges have gone too far in interpreting Martin v. Boise and earlier Grants Pass rulings.

However, advocates for homeless individuals argue that these decisions are an important backstop to prevent policies that criminalize life-sustaining activities without another choice, as they often lead to additional barriers that make it more difficult to exit homelessness.

Mayors and other local officials are under pressure to do something, anything, wrote Jeff Olivet, executive director of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.   many communities are understandably struggling with how to address homelessness. But blaming, criminalizing, and moving people from streets to jails does not solve homelessness or fix the systems that created it.

  criminalization does not reduce the number of people experiencing homelessness. It breaks connections people had made with providers trying to help and exacerbates homelessness and the conditions that lead to itsuch as health problems and racial disparities, Olivet added.

South Bay church helping to house migrants

Other groups that have also already filed briefs in the case include: the California State Association of Counties, Arizona state representatives, the Brentwood Community Council, and conservative think tank, the Goldwater Institute.

The best case scenario is that we get some certainty of what expectations of cities are and hopefully, those expectations are set by the localities themselves, Gloria continued. What we are hoping for is a ruling that would say that cities can continue their enforcement efforts, obviously doing those in the most compassionate ways  the ways that follow best practices and formed by the experiences of those who have lived on our streets.

While it is unclear if the Supreme Court would be interested in the issues at hand, its useful to note that the City of Boise also attempted to appeal to the high court, but the justices at the time declined to take it up.

The Supreme Courts term begins on the first Monday in October. It is unclear when the justices will make a determination on whether they will hear the case.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
A group of U. S. citizens stolen from their birth mothers in Chile converged on the U.S. capital Saturday to confront visiting Chilean President Gabriel Boric .

They left with a promise.

"How can I help?" Boric told Jimmy Lippert Thyden, an Ashburn, Virginia man who was taken from his mother in Chile as a baby and adopted out to unsuspecting parents in the U.S. about 40 years ago.

It was a major victory for Thyden and other stolen children, who have struggled for years to get the attention of Chile's government.

It took a 5,000-mile trip to Washington, D.C. for them to be heard.

Chilean President Gabriel Boric listens to Constanza del Rio, founder and president of the Nos Buscamos nonprofit talks to him in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Del Rio has been fighting to get the Chilean government to help identify thousands of babies stolen from their mothers in Chile in hopes of reconnecting them with their birth families.

'I love you so much': Watch the moment Virginia man reunites with mom 42 years after he was stolen from Chile

Leap of faith

Leading Saturday's charge was Constanza del Rio, founder and president of Nos Buscamos, a nonprofit working to reconnect adoptees with their birth families with the help of DNA tests from MyHeritage.

Del Rio has been trying to get a meeting with Boric since his election in March 2022. She had been fighting for years to get the attention of presidents who preceded him.

Frustrated with a lack of progress, she said she decided that her best bet would be to get Boric's attention when he spoke Saturday at a memorial event at the site of the car-bombing deaths of prominent Chilean diplomat Orlando Letelier and 25-year-old Ronni Moffitt on Sept. 21, 1976. The bombing was ordered by Chilean Gen. Augusto Pinochet , who took power following a military coup three years earlier in what's now known as "the other 9/11."

Del Rio and the Chilean adoptees didn't know what to expect from Saturday's event, but it certainly wasn't an invitation to meet with the president. That's what they got.

Upon arrival at the event, they were handed an invite to meet with Boric afterward, thanks to their cultivation of a relationship with Juan Gabriel Valdes, Chilean ambassador to the U.S. A spokesman for Valdes said he is "close with the cause" and was happy to help.

Del Rio and two adoptees, including Thyden, spoke with Boric for about 10 minutes and left elated, speaking about the interaction first with USA TODAY just outside the Chilean embassy.

Constanza del Rio, founder and president of the Nos Buscamos nonprofit, celebrates minutes after meeting personally with Chilean President Gabriel Boric, a conversation she's been fighting to have for a year and a half.

What they want

Del Rio handed Boric a letter calling on him to establish a government agency to help upwards of 20,000 people taken as babies from mostly low-income mothers and adopted by unsuspecting parents in foreign countries.

The practice amounted to an elaborate human-trafficking operation that involved a network of midwives, doctors, social workers, nuns, priests and judges, many of whom got rich off the scheme while fulfilling a key goal of Pinochet's regime to make Chile an economic success.

The scheme came to light in 2014, when an investigative news agency called CIPER wrote about some cases involving a priest and a doctor. Thats also when the stolen babies, now adults, started learning that they werent voluntarily given up as they had always believed.

"The time has come for the state of Chile to recognize the trafficking of children as a historical truth, just as they have with the crimes of the dictatorship," read the letter, which was signed by 50 of Chile's stolen children and calls on Boric to create an investigative agency dedicated to the issue under the country's Ministry of Justice.

I told him he has the opportunity to change people's lives," del Rio said. "People that are alive now who are victims of Pinochet and all the child trafficking that occurred in those years, and he was very interested and he was very emotional about that. And he said, 'Yes, let's talk in Santiago.' ... He said that hes willing to do something."

Del Rio is now set to meet with the Chilean Minister of Justice Luis Cordero Vega on Oct. 16. After that, she expects a longer meeting with Boric. And then action.

This is a dream come true, she said as tears welled. Its a promise. Im going to be on them until they do it.

USA TODAY has been writing about the stolen children of Chile since April, and that coverage has led at least 21 Americans who were adopted from the South American nation to find out the truth about their past, according to del Rio.

"Your stories have changed so many lives," she said Saturday.

More about Gabriel Boric

Boric's trip to Washington came about two weeks after the 50th anniversary of the U.S.-supported coup that put Pinochet in power in 1973.

Now more than 30 years after Pinochet stepped down, Boric is working to address some of the atrocities of the regime.

He recently announced that his government would launch a national search for more than 1,100 people who were disappeared during the regime and have never been found.

"The only way to build a future thats free and respectful of life and human dignity is to know the whole truth," he said in a statement announcing the search on Aug. 30.

In Washington on Saturday, he honored Letelier and Moffitt at a ceremony in Sheridan Circle, the site of the 1976 bombing that took their lives and also sent a message from Pinochet to the rest of the world at the time: I am untouchable.

"Orlando's and Ronni's ideals won and we are very proud of that," said Boric, who was born 10 years after the attack.

The leftist former student protest leader and millennial ran on promises to tackle poverty and inequality and became Chile's youngest president at the age of 35.

'The other 9/11': As US marks attack anniversary, another infamous milestone looms

Car-bombed in Washington: How a Chilean diplomat's death woke up the US to dictator's evil

'Stars aligned'

(From left to right) Constanza del Rio, founder and president of the Nos Buscamos nonprofit, smiles in front of the Chilean embassy in Washington, D.C. alongside two of Chile's stolen children, Jimmy Lippert Thyden of Ashburn, Virginia, and Adrian Reamey of Los Angeles.

Thyden said his talk with Boric was everything he wanted it to be.

"It took him about five seconds to say, 'How can I help?'" Thyden said. "That's all we wanted to hear. And at this point, you know, it starts the conversation. Now we have the foothold."

He said he told Boric about his own illegal adoption and said, "You can't make this right, but you can make it better."

"We have taken a big step towards towards getting accountability for all the mamas that were robbed, all of the children that were robbed, and we're finally starting to build progress," said Thyden, who reunited with his own mother in August after he'd begun to question the truth about his past, prompted by one of USA TODAY's stories.

The victory came as a bit of a shock to Rachel Smolka, who grew up in a loving adoptive home in Staten Island, New York and only recently found out she had been stolen as a baby from her birth mother. (She had an emotional reunion with her mother in Chile in February.)

"We didn't even know that (del Rio) was going to be able to get the letter to (Boric), let alone meet with him," said Smolka, who traveled from New York to join the group hoping to get Boric's attention. "It's amazing to me that she got Boric here and that she had to fly all the way from her own country to speak to her own president.

"The stars aligned for this to happen."

Constanza del Rio, founder and president of the Nos Buscamos nonprofit, meets with Chilean President Gabriel Boric in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Del Rio has been fighting to get the Chilean government to help identify thousands of babies stolen from their mothers in Chile in hopes of reconnecting them with their birth families.

Amanda Lee Myers covers news and human-interest stories at USA TODAY. She can be reached at AmandaMyers@usatoday.com and found on X, formerly Twitter, at @AmandaLeeAP.

More: US adoptees stolen as babies from Chile find families, each other in growing support network

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chile's stolen children get DC meeting with President Gabriel Boric
(Bloomberg) -- Billionaire Stanley Druckenmiller hosted a fundraiser for Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott on Wednesday in New York.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Fundraising events for South Carolina Senator in New York and Charleston this past week brought in $1 million, according to a person familiar with the campaign. Hosts of the Charleston event included longtime backers Mikee Johnson and Ben Navarro, the person said, asking not to be identified discussing information that hasnt been made public.

Scott has already piqued the interest of key Wall Street benefactors. Druckenmiller, an early supporter of Scott and founder of Duquesne Family Office, was among of group of wealthy donors who hosted a fundraiser for the GOP candidate last month in the Hamptons. He has said that Scott is probably best placed to unite the GOP.

Read more: Republican 2024 Hopeful Scott Eyes Debate to Electrify Campaign

The fundraising events come less than a week before the second GOP debate in Simi Valley, California  seen as crucial for candidates to present themselves as alternatives to former President Donald Trump.

The latest polling average from RealClearPolitics shows Scott tied for sixth place with former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie at 2.3%. Trump leads in polling with about 57.7% of support on average.

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

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Poland has prepared transit corridors for Ukrainian grain to pass through and be "exported to where it is needed," Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with local channel TVP1 on Sept. 24.

"Transit corridors have been prepared in Poland, thanks to which Ukrainian grain can pass through Poland and be exported where it is needed. We are trying to help Ukraine and those countries that require this help," Duda said, as quoted by his office.

Ukraine's dispute with Poland, traditionally one of its most ardent supporters in its struggle against Russian aggression, was sparked by Warsaw's decision to extend the import ban on Ukrainian grain products past its expiration date set by the EU on Sept. 15.

The EU instituted the measure in May at the request of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, who feared that the influx of cheaper Ukrainian products would put pressure on their farmers.

"I believe that it is the right decision that the Polish government has maintained the ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain on the Polish market. However, we must do everything to ensure that transit is as high as possible," Duda said in his recent interview.

He also said that "thanks to the work of our farmers, we are self-sufficient," adding that Poland does not need grain from Ukraine.

"Very little of their excellent harvests, during the war, reached the countries that actually needed them," Duda said.

Earlier on Sept. 22, Duda said that disagreement over grain exports should not upend Polish-Ukrainian relations.

The grain dispute is just "an absolute fragment of the Polish-Ukrainian relations" and that it should not threaten the close ties between the two countries, the president added.

Although the BBC connected the grain dispute to the weapons announcement, other media outlets have linked the increasingly strong language used by the Polish government towards Ukraine as an electoral tactic ahead of the upcoming Polish parliamentary elections set for Oct. 15.

Read also: Poland threatens further import bans, summons Ukrainian ambassador over grain dispute

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Those at City Hall are working hard to pretend not just that they are doing a better job than former Mayor Lori Lightfoot but to make darn sure that any residual credit coming her way lands with them instead.

The latest salvo in this battle of branding is Invest South/West, a signature Lightfoot program that kicked off in 2019 and aimed to level up investment in Chicago for the benefit of 10 historically underfunded neighborhoods on the South and West sides. The focus was on helping build vibrant, walkable, transit-oriented communities and on getting oft-myopic developers to look south and west and not just fight with each other over the middle and the north.

We wrote often and approvingly about this program. In May, we noted that the effort had been to slow to roll out and was far from perfect, which is inevitable given how things work in Chicago and the complexity of fusing for-profit agendas with the political sector and an aim of reducing inequity. But we argued that the good far outweighed the problems. Heres what we wrote about the situation after Lightfoot failed to make the mayoral runoff: The programs fulcrum  combining public and private sector money and resources to stoke investment and job growth in neglected South and West side communities  represents smart policymaking that should not die a slow, quiet death simply because Lightfoot will be a one-term mayor.

Now WBEZ-FM 91.5 quotes Mayor Brandon Johnsons deputy mayor of business and neighborhood development, Kenya Merritt, as saying the new administration will take a very different path toward investing in the South and West sides. Those differences include nixing the programs name, just as those who might actually do something good for these neighborhoods were getting used to it.

Heres what Merritt told WBEZ: I think that theres a perception of Invest South/West, particularly with folks that live in neighborhoods, of an unfulfilled promise. And thats not what we want to continue to perpetuate in terms of the branding, or how we speak about investing on the South and the West side. And so because of that, we wont be calling it Invest South/West.

Thats mostly nonsense. First of all, all folks in Chicago live in neighborhoods, yes, even Chicago-based developers. Secondly, what really matters with Invest South/West is not just the perceptions in the neighborhoods (which really has become a code word), but also how the people who will do the actual investing feel about it. If you want private investment, you have to appeal to private investors. And to the neighborhoods. As with so much in this city, politicians have to operate on two different but interlocking tracks.

As we have noted, Invest South/West had a major commitment of $750 million in public money and, just as importantly, a sizable buy-in from the private sector actually doing the investing. During the Lightfoot administration, we lauded such investments as Englewood Connect, United Yards and several others. You can find many other projects listed on the Invest South/West city webpage, which was still alive at the time of writing, although you might want to click on it fast before the new administration confines it to the memory hole.

These big projects take time and dont always offer politicians the chance to declare victory as quickly as they would like. And lets not forget that for most of the history of Invest South/West, as was true for the majority of the Lightfoot administration, Chicago was in the grips of the pandemic. Nobody could have predicted that, and you could argue that the ability of Invest South/West to get anything done at all between 2020 and 2022 was a notable achievement all by itself.

Even with all the political will in world, these partnerships are dependent on broader economic forces. But as we said many times, this was not just throwing government money to try to resolve historic underinvestment but also forging actual partnerships that had the potential to be transformative. This is the only way to go, so we dont understand this very different path rhetoric.

What will the Johnson administration do instead? As is often the case with those at City Hall these days, details are in short supply. They seem to know they dont like the name because it was not their name and surely because the well-respected legacy commissioner behind the initiative, Maurice Cox, made his exit earlier this month. He is a class act, but he made it clear as he left that he was no longer needed by the new administration.

In short, members of the Johnson team have yet to come out and describe a replacement for Invest South/West in any kind of useful detail. They speak of evaluation and reconsideration. Fair enough. But only for a while. Life is short.

They surely cannot do this alone, not with a projected budget deficit over the next three years of $538 million, if were lucky. Weve heard about exploratory plans for a city-owned grocery store and that canary in the coal mine might indicate how the new administration feels about partnerships with the private sector.

Lets hope not. The South and West sides will not enjoy meaningful investment if City Hall does not make nice(r) with the private entities that care deeply about this city and its historic inequities. We know some of them, and well vouch for that: One cheering recent development came from the Chicago Blackhawks, who are looking to invest significant new dollars in the Near West Side.

And, for the record, Invest South/West had a very nice ring to it. It was easy to understand too.

Join the discussion on Twitter @chitribopinions and on Facebook.

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
Suppose you are arrested for stealing a car. You'll be brought to the police station, where the officer on duty will tell you the price for your release. Under the 2022 version of the Los Angeles Superior Court felony bail schedule, a violation of the California Penal Code Section commonly known as grand theft auto, you must come up with $35,000 in order to go home.

If you show up for trial, you'll get your money back, even you're found guilty.

Read more: Editorial: Goodbye to cash bail. L.A. is moving to a better approach to pretrial justice

But few people walk around with that kind of cash. In that case, you can call a bail bond company, and the agent will pledge to pay the court the full amount if you dont show up for your hearings. Bail bond agents will usually charge 10%, in this case $3,500, for the service. Even if you stay out of trouble and show up for all your court dates, you will never get that money back.

If you cant come up with the 10%, you go to jail  at least until your arraignment several days later.

Read more: Editorial: How the poor get locked up and the rich go free

What are all these payments called? It matters, because disagreements or misunderstandings about the terminology fuel confusion over justice policy. And those with a stake in the status quo  the bail bond industry, police, some politicians  can use that confusion to further their aims.

Most bail bond agents will tell you that the deposit of the full amount with the court is bail. The payment or promise posted with the court by the bail bond agent is known as bond.

Read more: Editorial: Tehama shooting is deadly evidence that California needs to reform its bail system

But in practice, the use of the word "bail" is more complicated. The definitions found in glossaries and dictionaries and used by courts, bail bond agents and others often conflict. There's no single correct definition.

"Bail" has been used to mean the right to release; actual release, subject to conditions such as travel restrictions; money paid in exchange for release; a person who takes responsibility for the suspect who is released; and many other things besides.

"Bond" can be used to describe your promise to appear in court, whether or not it involves a bail agent.

Read more: Editorial: A justice system that frees the monied and locks up the poor isnt worthy of the name

New terms have been invented to distinguish between bail as a right to release regardless of payment, and bail as a payment to buy release. For example, some use "money bail" or "cash bail" to refer to a system that requires payment.

But others insist that cash bail refers exclusively to the defendants act of depositing the full refundable amount of money in court, as distinguished from using a bail bond agent. Still others say it can include depositing a percentage with the court, but not a bail bond agent.

Read more: Editorial: 'Zero bail' and release from jail are not the same thing

The confusion about the term was made worse during the height of the pandemic, when California courts temporarily dropped bail for various crimes to $0 to reduce the jail population and stop the spread of the virus. That meant those arrested for most nonviolent crimes could not be jailed for failing to pay bail because there was nothing to pay. The courts call it zero-dollar bail, but police and other critics generally shorten it to zero bail, which sounds like no bail but means the opposite.

Read more: Editorial: No, criminals aren't rampaging across California because of our zero-dollar bail policy

The Los Angeles Superior Court's new Pre-Arraignment Release Protocol includes new bail schedules eliminating money payment as a condition of release for most crimes, not including serious crimes such as murder. It includes a zero-dollar bail program.

Those in the bail industry like to point out that bail is a right belonging to the defendant. Therefore, they imply, eliminating money bail undermines a right of the defendant. But that's just a clever way of using the many meanings of "bail" as a political tool. As set forth in the state Constitution, the right to bail means the right to be released and does not necessarily involve money  no matter how many ways people willfully or mistakenly define the word "bail."





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Miguel Cardona , the US Secretary of Education, called out people attacking public schools over curriculums saying the same people who think they know whats right for kids are misbehaving in public.

In an interview with The Associated Press on Friday, Mr Cardona seemingly referenced the rise in school board fights over the last few years.

Ive been in education about 25 years Ive never seen it where it is now, he said.

There was civility, we could disagree, we could have healthy conversations around whats best for kids. I respect differences of opinion I dont have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and then acting as if they know whats right for kids.

Since the pandemic, school board meetings have been the venue for many viral videos showing angry parents and others fighting with school leaders about implementing various topics or requirements.

Tensions have risen from an array of topics: mask mandates; teaching on the USs history of slavery; discussions surrounding gender; using LGBT+ characters in stories, and book bans.

A conservative culture war against wokeism has emerged arguing that progressive notions are an attempt to indoctrinate children.

Teachers and administrators have borne the brunt of angry protestors at school board meetings.

In June, a brawl occurred outside of a school board meeting in Los Angeles between pro and anti-LGBT+ protestors because school board members were voting to recognise June as Pride Month.

An investigation by ProPublica identified nearly 90 incidents in 30 states going back to the spring of 2021 where school board meetings turned sour. In some instances, people were arrested.

Secretary Cardona openly dismissed thousands of American parents who have been speaking out at school board meetings:



I dont have too much respect for people that are misbehaving in public and acting like they know whats right for kids. pic.twitter.com/QafoiKwAdB  Nicki Neily (@nickineily) September 22, 2023

The Secretary of Education further described attacks on education by calling out lawmakers who were furious with President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness plan.

People that have a problem when we are trying to provide some sort of support to folks who are buried in debt and complain about a $10,000 support for thousands of their constituents but are ok taking over a million dollars in loan forgiveness themselves as an elected official  that hypocrisy I want to call it out, Mr Cardona said.

When Mr Biden unveiled his student loan forgiveness plan last year, many Republicans criticised it as unfair and quickly dismissed it as an overreach of government power.

Mr Cardona said the increasing attacks on public education shows that: Theres a team thats fighting for kids and a team thats fighting against kids.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday met with Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province.

China and Nepal have set an example of equal treatment and win-win cooperation between big and small countries. The two countries are partners and opportunities for each other on their way to national development and prosperity, Xi said.

The two sides should always understand and support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and constantly consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations, Xi said.

Noting that the two countries have made progress in Belt and Road cooperation and the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network has taken shape, Xi urged efforts from both sides to promote infrastructure connectivity and expand transit transportation cooperation to help Nepal transform itself from a landlocked country to a land-linked country at an early date.

China is willing to strengthen multilateral coordination with Nepal, safeguard the common interests of the two countries and other developing countries, and promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, Xi said.

Prachanda said Xi is a visionary global leader and a good friend of all Nepalese people.

Hailing Nepal and China as friends and partners who can understand, rely on and support each other, Prachanda reiterated Nepal's firm adherence to the one-China policy.

Both Taiwan and Tibet are inalienable parts of China's territory, and Nepal will not allow any force to use its territory to undermine China's sovereignty and security, Prachanda said, adding that this position is firm and unshakable.

Prachanda noted that Nepal highly appreciates the Belt and Road Initiative and will actively participate in Belt and Road cooperation, and that it will also promote the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network.

The Nepalese prime minister said he believes that the Hangzhou Asian Games will be a great success and will contribute to mutual understanding and friendship among the Asian people.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and Shen Yiqin attended the meeting.
By Sharon Bernstein

(Reuters) -The dramatic increase in migrants crossing the U.S. border from Mexico has pushed the city of El Paso, Texas, to "a breaking point," with more than 2,000 people per day seeking asylum, exceeding shelter capacity and straining resources, its mayor said on Saturday.

"The city of El Paso only has so many resources and we have come to ... a breaking point right now," Mayor Oscar Leeser said at a news conference.

The arrival of largely Venezuelan asylum seekers is part of a larger swell of immigrants who traveled dangerous routes on buses and cargo trains to Mexican border towns near San Diego, California, and the Texas cities of El Paso and Eagle Pass.

Migrant numbers had plummeted in recent months, and the recent rise has generated a new wave of political attacks on U.S. President Joe Biden heading into the 2024 election.

Lesser said El Paso plans to open a new shelter, and on Saturday chartered five buses to take migrants to New York, Chicago and Denver.

Republican governors in Texas and Florida have been criticized for sending migrants to cities perceived as liberal such as New York and Sacramento. But Leeser, a Democrat, said all of the migrants on the El Paso buses were going voluntarily to the cities of their choice.

Leeser said the Biden had been a good partner. But he said the overall U.S. immigration system was broken.

Many migrants from Venezuela, he said, lacked transportation to their desired destinations, while El Paso's current shelter houses only 400 people, and must also be available to help the homeless.

As recently as six weeks ago, about 350 to 400 people were crossing into El Paso per day, but the past few days have brought 2,000 or more.

Over the past 10 days, the city has worked with the U.S. Border Patrol to provide shelter for 6,500 people, Leeser said.

About two-thirds of those crossing into El Paso currently are single men, he said. About 32% are families and just 2% are unaccompanied children.

"I think it's really important to note that we have a broken immigration system," he said. "It's the same thing over and over again."

(Reporting by Sharon Bernstein; Editing by David Gregorio and Jamie Freed)
The Gulf Coast is known for many things  our beaches, our wildlife, our leisure and hospitality industry  and now for our burgeoning tech sector that has brought jobs, innovation, and growth to our local economy.

As a member of Mississippis Senate Technology Committee, I have seen firsthand the positive impact of the tech sector here on the Gulf Coast. One example is the Mississippi State University-led Mississippi Cyber Center, located on the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community Colleges Harrison County Campus. As part of the Mississippi Cyber Initiative, this center has brought an initial state investment of $3.5 million and serves as a hub for a growing network of partners, including our own Keesler Air Force Base, across our state working to put Mississippi at the forefront of cybersecurity.

The Gulf Coast is also attracting tech companies from other corners of the U.S., like Ocean Aero, which relocated to Mississippi from San Diego in 2021. These companies bring new high-tech jobs, research opportunities, and industry development with them. These investments help foster a thriving economy and drive growth in our region.

Im proud that the Magnolia State has chosen to welcome the tech sector with open arms. By supporting tech-friendly policies and investing in innovative programs, Mississippi has sent a clear message that tech companies can call our state home. Weve worked hard to attract these companies that we believe will do right by Mississippians  but theres still more to do.

Its crucial that our state stands up to the Biden administration and its anti-tech policies that are stifling innovation and preventing regions like ours from reaching their fullest potential.

The current Department of Justice (DOJ) trial against Google is a prime example of these poor policy choices. The Biden administration alleges that Google is harming consumers by maintaining a dominant share of the search market. In essence, they are arguing that Google has worked too hard; become too successful; innovated too much.

This sends a bad message to companies and discourages competition in the tech space. If the government punishes the most successful company in its field, why should anyone else strive to be the best? In targeting Google for its successes, the administration is creating a chilling effect on innovation and depressing competition.

And yes, the implications of this lawsuit reach far and wide, but they hit close to home, too. Google employs hundreds of Mississippi workers and, in 2021, invested over $10 million in the states post-pandemic economic recovery. We need companies like Google  here in Mississippi and across the country.

Perhaps most concerning is that this is more than just an attack on a successful American company. This is a gross miscalculation that leaves the Gulf Coast and the rest of our country vulnerable to national security threats as other countries like China continue to innovate and reward, not punish, success in the tech space.

There are real issues out there that the administration needs to address. Curbing American innovation in the tech sector just isnt one of them.

We must consider the implications of this kind of policy position here in Mississippi and take a different approach to preserve our progress and remain open to future opportunities. Lets continue to embrace innovation and tech development here on the Gulf Coast. Its the right thing to do.
An ex-Wagner group commander was shot at and arrested by Norwegian police, Reuters reported.

Police said Andrei Medvedev was trying to sneak back into Russia illegally.

Medvedev abandoned Russia for Norway in January, claiming he feared for his life.

Authorities say a former commander of the Wagner group was arrested while trying to cross the Norway-Russia border.

Andrei Medvedev was shot at and arrested after authorities suspected he trying to cross the Russian border at an undesignated entry point on Saturday, Reuters reported.

Medvedev's lawyer, Norwegian attorney Brynjulf Risnes, told Reuters his client was arrested following a misunderstanding.

"He was up there to see if he could find the place where he crossed (into Norway in January). He was stopped when he was in a taxi. He was never near the border," Risnes told the publication. "It was never his intention to cross the border (into Russia)."

Medvedev abandoned Russia for Norway in January, claiming he feared for his life after witnessing the mistreatment of Russian prisoners of war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. Since then, Norwegian authorities charged him with being involved in a bar fight, carrying an air gun, and committing violence against police. He was only convicted of the first two charges and later said he hoped to seek asylum in Norway, Reuters reported.

Medvedev's arrest comes after Wagner leader and founder Yevgeny Prigozhin was killed in a private jet crash on August 23 in what some have called a possible assassination. The crash came months after Prigozhin launched a short-lived mutiny against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Before his death, the Wagner boss had been exiled to Belarus.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Exasperated Republican leaders in the House are pointing fingers at the holdouts in their own party who are keeping them stuck and without a clear plan to avert a government shutdown in just one week.

Leadership does not have the votes to advance a short-term funding bill to keep the lights on past Sept. 30, with a handful of hard-line Republicans handing Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) setback after setback. They are also not yet taking the step of working with Democrats on a compromise, a move that would further inflame the rebels and potentially threaten McCarthys Speakership.

They like to stop everything and then they turn around and say its your fault, youre not getting anything done, McCarthy said of the hard-liners on Saturday.

I think peoples perverted intentions have really caused problems this year, Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.), a key McCarthy ally, told reporters.

In a concession to the hard-liners, Republican leaders plan to advance four full-year appropriations bills next week  a last-ditch effort that does nothing in of itself to avert a shutdown, but that GOP leaders will build enough goodwill with holdouts to move them to vote in favor of a short-term funding bill.

But they are doing so while taking jabs at the members who have long made advancement of their priorities difficult.

When the GOP conference reached the apparent breakthrough agreement on Wednesday on how to proceed on the full-year funding bills the conservatives have been demanding, some of them  such as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.)  took a victory lap and said that GOP leadership was adopting their strategy.

That frustrated GOP leaders and their allies.

The arsonists are out there, number one, whining that their house is on fire; number two, are going to want credit that they put the fire out; and then number three, are gonna set up a GoFundMe site to get paid for it, Graves said.

I think that if we get into a shutdown, its because there was a failure in strategy that was absolutely manipulated or distorted by disingenuous behavior, intentions and probably ignorance, he later added.

Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) told reporters on Friday that Some of the same people who were objecting to the whole process saying we should be bringing up individual bills are the reason were not bringing up individual bills. So, lets not have a circular logic here.

Were not going to put up with this nonsense that somehow certain people are taking credit that were running individual bills. Weve been trying to run individual bills since July.

On the whole, leaders are sharpening their messaging as the Sept. 30 funding inches closer.

McCarthy suggested that the holdouts who want to throw some fit would be responsible if the government shuts down.

I dont understand, if a few people here want to hold it out why do the border agents have to pay? Why do the Coast Guard have to pay? Why do they not have to be paid because somebody wants to throw some fit here? McCarthy told reporters on Saturday. Thats not right.

Hard-line Republicans have repeatedly stymied McCarthy on funding and handed him several embarrassing defeats over the past week. They twice sank a normally routine procedural vote for a full-year Pentagon funding bill. And they lined up against a proposed short-term stopgap funding bill the party worked out  then again after Republican leaders touted a breakthrough in negotiations.

In the GOPs narrow majority, just a handful of Republican holdouts can sink any partisan legislation.

The difficulty leaders face was on full display with a chance encounter during a news conference on Saturday.

As Graves, Rep. Erin Houchin (Ind.), and Rep. Bryan Steil (R-Wis.) projected that the vast majority of the conference is unified in opposing a government shutdown, Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-Mont.)  one of a handful of hardline holdouts opposing any continuing resolution (CR) short-term funding plan  walked past in the background.

I wont support a CR, Rosendale told reporters who ran after him.

Rosendale and other never CR Republicans argue that Congress should only work on passing regular appropriations bills and break the pattern of stopgaps that often force lawmakers to swallow huge funding bills just before end-of-year holidays. Some of them insist that Congress, if it really wanted to, could figure out how to fund the government for the next year before the government shuts down on Oct. 1.

But leadership allies flatly reject that possibility.

If folks continue holding out on the solution of currently moving forward on the four appropriations bills and then moving forward on the continuing resolution  because anyone, anyone who says that were gonna finish all 12 appropriations bills between now and next Saturday is absolutely hallucinating, Graves said.

Graves added that a government shutdown further empowers a liberal solution by empowering Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and President Biden.

As the House struggles to come up with a solution, the Senate is making moves to keep Washington running. On Friday, Schumer set up a path for the upper chamber to move first on a bill to fund the government beyond the end of the month, despite the fact that the House traditionally moves first on spending and revenue bills.

Even as GOP leadership allies vent their frustrations, they remain optimistic about finding a path through the conservative blockade in the final days before the funding deadline.

Were in a legislative body where people think that theres an infinite array of options when in reality, its a short menu. Its a very short menu of options, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), who has been a key negotiator for McCarthy in multiple standoffs this year, told reporters on Friday. Over time they start realizing that is in fact, the menu.

The Speaker placed faith in conservatives relenting amid the deadline pressure.

I always believe when you get to the final deadlines is when the real crunch comes, McCarthy said Saturday. So Im believing in human behavior for those that have been holding out knowing that crunch times coming and even if they say, well, why didnt all this happen sooner? Well, youre the ones who held it up.

Maybe theyd see the pressure to do something different, he added.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Cars filled the streets Saturday near Thomas Walkers Elk Grove home. When he heard traditional Greek music blaring, he decided to leave his residence to see what the commotion was about.

Across the street from Walkers home is Saint Katherine Greek Orthodox Church, at 9165 Peets St. It hosts its annual Weekend in Greece, inviting the church family and local residents to partake in a celebration of Greek culture.

Walker isnt a member of the church, he was just curious about the weekend activity.

Church member Mike Lutz said the annual event is a major fundraiser.

Everybody volunteers their time. We make contributions to pay for some of the meat, Lutz said. We put all of our time into that and all the money, the proceeds go towards an annual fund to keep the church active throughout the year.

Its known to leave people at the events full of smiles as they come together for food, fun and hospitality.

The event has something for all ages: face painting for children; learning Greek traditional dances; vendor stands with clothing items, vintage wear and accessories; and for those 21 and up  tasting Greek beer.

They have a variety of food options from lunch to dinner, including desserts.

Main courses include chicken, lamb and gyros. They also serve souvlaki, a pork skewer seasoned with dry rub of salt, pepper, granulated garlic and oregano that is basted in a sauce made with olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, minced garlic, salt, pepper and oregano.

A traditional Greek plate featuring chicken, rice dolmades, pastitsio, souvlaki and spanakopita.

And theres moussaka, a type of Greek beef and eggplant lasagna, sometimes made with zucchini and potato baked with a creamy bechamel sauce.

Other dishes include: rice dolmades, grape leaves stuffed with rice; and pastitsio, layers of macaroni seasoned with a ground beef filling and cheese, also baked with bechamel sauce.

Not in the mood for a huge meal, well thats OK.

They also have snacks, pastries and desserts such as: spanakopita, a filo dough filled herb-seasoned spinach and a blend of feta, parmesan, ricotta and cream cheese; triopita, filo dough triangles filled with a blend of feta, parmesan, ricotta, cream cheese and eggs; kourabiedes, a powdered donut hole; and moustokouloura, a soft cookie with an essence of grape.

Also, koulouraki, a sweet, butter-based pastry with a hint of vanilla; galatoboureko, a custard, crispy filo shell topped with a honey syrup; baklava sundaes; and paximadaki, a twice-baked cookie with a distinct flavor of almonds and citrus thats similar to a Biscotti cookie.

Baklava sundae, a Greek dessert dish.

And if youre not hip to all those sweet, high caloric dishes, they also have a Greek salad featuring sliced tomatoes, red onions and English cucumbers in a Greek salad dressing.

History of Saint Katherine church, event

The church was founded by Father Constantine Pappademos, known affectionately as Father Dino, who serves as the pastor of Saint Katherines.

It first opened in 1988 and was at an Elk Grove warehouse on Dino Drive, near Elk Grove Boulevard and Waterman Road.

Theres no relationship between his nickname and the previous street name the church existed at.

Constantine is his formal name in Greek, however it can be short for Constantinos, which is sometimes spelled or pronounced as Constantdino. He shortened it to Dino.

The church moved to its current location on Peets Street in 1995. A year later, in 1996, the Weekend in Greece fundraiser event began.

After we opened the church, we started doing it on a much smaller scale, Pappademos said. We saw it as an opportunity to bring the Greek culture and the Greek traditions to the people of Elk Grove and the surrounding Sacramento area.

They do that, he said, by primarily providing excellent homemade natural ingredients in their Greek food, including traditional recipes prepared by the ladies of the church.

The traditions have gained a reputation for quality over the years, Pappademos said.

The church is the epitome of Greek heritage and culture, starting with its design.

During the weekend, Pappademos has been giving tours, providing history lessons to educate those who might be visiting a Greek Orthodox Church for the first time.

The church is designed in the ninth century Byzantine style of architecture with a dome on top, which is a characteristic of Greek orthodox churches, Father Dino said. And inside we have iconography which is the religious paintings that are unique to orthodox Christianity.

He even provides samples of Byzantine chant music thats used in the church.

Defining Greek Culture

Pappademos said that Greek heritage is very ancient dating back to before Christ. He believes the culture is about positivity, tradition and family.

Greek people tend to be very positive with a can-do spirit, Pappademos said. And then they are very traditional people. They love to preserve all the great things throughout history, the language, the foods, the dances, the Christian faith. All those things.

One of things Pappademos said is extremely important to the element of Greek culture is the concept of family.

The whole idea of family is very strong, from grandparents and parents and children, Pappademos said. They tend to have a very strong bond thats enforced with the faith, the food, the traditions.

Attending the event

For those who want to get a head start on experiencing Greek culture, Pappademos is inviting people to his Sunday service called Divine Liturgy, which will primarily be conducted in English, but feature some original Greek language. The service begins at 10 a.m.

The festival will continue through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

It will be a dancefest beginning in the afternoon starting with a dance performance by Ta Pethakia, a group of children from pre-K to kindergarten at 1 p.m. That will be followed by an older group called Glendi dancers. Festival attendees can hit the dance floor and learn how to dance in traditional Greek style at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Pappademos will conduct another tour of the church at 3 p.m.

There will also be music by Helios Greek Band throughout the day.

Carmichael resident and church member Sophia Stathos said the food is excellent.

If you didnt come Saturday, Stathos said. (Youll want to) come on Sunday.
A small town in southern Spain has been rocked by fake naked pictures created by an AP app.

AI-generated naked images of local girls have been circulating in Almendralejo, Extremadura.

More than 20 girls aged 11 to 17 have been identified as victims.

A small town in southern Spain has been rocked by the distribution of AI-generated images of young girls in several schools.

The images, which were mainly taken from the girls' social media accounts and had showed them fully clothed, were spread in at least four of Almendralejo's five middle schools, El Pais reported.

The photos were processed by an AI application that created new, fake images showing the girls naked, per the report.

The deepfakes were made using Clothoff, an AI-powered app that allows users to "Undress girl for free," Euronews reported.

More than 20 girls aged 11 to 17 have been identified as victims in the town, in the western Spanish region of Extremadura.

The story came to light after Miriam Al Adib, a doctor and the mother of one of the affected girls, used her prominent social media profile to draw attention to the incident.

She said in a video on Instagram: "When I arrived home, one of my daughters said with tremendous disgust 'look what they've done to me'. They'd taken a picture of hers and made it seem as if she were naked. They've done it to her and dozens more girls."

Another girl told her mother that "they did it with an artificial intelligence app. I'm scared. Some girls have also received it," El Pais reported.

It soon became apparent that dozens of girls had been affected, and parents set up a WhatsApp group to provide support for the victims.

Maria Blanco Rayo, the mother of a 14-year-old, told BBC News the images were having a significant impact on some of the girls. Some "won't even leave their house," she said.

In the caption on her Instagram post, Al Adib wrote that things were "not going to stay like this. We are all here as one to stop this now."

At least 10 people have been identified as suspects in the case, with police saying that some are 13 years old or younger. Children under 14 years of age cannot face criminal charges in Spain.

Spain's national police force, la Policia Nacional, is continuing to investigate the case.

Read the original article on Business Insider
US soldiers stand to attention at the United States Army military training base in Grafenwoehr, southern Germany, on July 13, 2022. (Photo by CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP via Getty Images)

The decline in confidence in America's military is giving rise to a significant crisis that extends beyond matters of defense and security.

According to a Gallup poll from June 1-22, the latest figures show that Americans' confidence in the military has reached its lowest level in 25 years, standing at 60%.

As a nation's military strength has profound implications for its global standing, economic stability, and diplomatic relationships, a weakening perception of America's military prowess leads to concerns that reverberate far beyond national security.

This crisis concerns military capabilities and the intricate interplay between military confidence, economic resilience and international influence.

Factors Contributing to Falling Confidence in America's Military

Several factors have contributed to the declining confidence in America's military, giving rise to a genuine crisis. One significant factor is the prolonged engagement in conflicts, for instance, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The extended duration and evolving nature of these conflicts have led to war fatigue among the public, leading to skepticism about the effectiveness and purpose of military actions.

Another factor is the increasing focus on budgetary concerns. The push for fiscal responsibility has led to budget cuts in defense spending, raising concerns about the military's readiness and ability to address emerging threats. These cuts have raised questions about the adequacy of resources for maintaining a strong and capable military.

The rise of asymmetrical threats, such as cyber warfare and terrorism, has also impacted confidence. Traditional military capabilities might not be as effective against these new challenges, leaving the public uncertain about the military's ability to protect the nation in this evolving security landscape.

The media has also played a role with its ability to expose both the positive and negative aspects of military operations. Sensationalized stories, often focusing on failures or controversies, can shape public perception, sometimes leading to undue skepticism about the military's overall competence.

Lastly, political polarization has seeped into discussions about the military, making it a divisive debate. This polarization can lead to biased perceptions, affecting the public's trust in the military's role, actions and motivations.

Addressing these factors requires a multifaceted approach involving transparent communication, responsible use of resources, ethical conduct, adaptability to new threats, and efforts to bridge the political divide.

Impact of the declining confidence in America's military

The declining confidence in America's military is causing significant concerns from a debt and financial perspective.

The U.S. military has long been viewed as a pillar of strength, stability and security, influencing global perceptions and economic factors. When confidence in the military diminishes, it can lead to financial challenges.

Firstly, a strong military has historically contributed to geopolitical stability, attracting investments and fostering economic growth. A weakening perception of the military's capabilities can undermine this stability, potentially affecting trade, investments, and economic partnerships. International investors may become hesitant, leading to economic uncertainty and fluctuations in financial markets.

Secondly, defense spending constitutes a substantial portion of the U.S. budget. If confidence in the military wanes, there might be calls for reductions in defense expenditures. While responsible budgeting is essential, drastic cuts without strategic planning can compromise national security and disrupt defense industry contracts, impacting employment and regional economies.

The current situation may also cause uncertainty in military families. Military families often grapple with daunting uncertainties that make financial planning challenging. Questions about future relocations, potential deployments, housing choices, job prospects, and the possibility of force reductions keep them on their toes.

In such unpredictable circumstances, having an emergency fund and maintaining a budget is vital. Furthermore, military families must exercise caution in making financial commitments that could turn burdensome if situations change. For instance, if financial circumstances become a burden or you are trapped in an endless debt repayment cycle, a debt management plan can be helpful.

A decline in military confidence could also affect the nation's borrowing capacity. The U.S. Treasury often issues bonds to finance military expenditures, relying on investor confidence. Suppose doubts arise about the effectiveness of the military. In that case, it might lead to reluctance among investors to buy these bonds, increasing borrowing costs and potentially adding to the national debt burden.

Additionally, global economic systems are intertwined, and shifts in military confidence can influence international relations. Trade agreements, sanctions, and diplomatic negotiations can affect economic ties and lead to unintended financial consequences.

In essence, the loss of confidence in America's military has broader ramifications than just defense-related issues. It has the potential to ripple through economic sectors, affecting investor sentiment, trade, defense budgets, borrowing costs, and international relations.

Therefore, maintaining a strong military and ensuring public confidence is crucial for national security and the country's overall economic and financial well-being.

Possible Solutions

The falling confidence in America's military poses a significant crisis, but several potential solutions can address this issue.

These solutions include transparent communication with the public, efficient resource allocation, upholding ethical conduct and accountability, adapting to new security threats, public education and outreach, bipartisan support, responsible media reporting, support for veterans, fostering patriotism, and demonstrating global leadership.

By implementing these measures, the U.S. can rebuild trust in its military, ensuring its effectiveness in safeguarding national security and maintaining public support.

The waning confidence in America's military presents a complex crisis transcending traditional defense boundaries. It underscores the intricate connections between military might, economic stability, and international reputation.

As the nation grapples with this challenge, it must recognize that rebuilding confidence in its military is not just a matter of national security; it's also essential for maintaining its economic resilience, global leadership, and diplomatic relationships.

Addressing this problem requires a comprehensive approach that bolsters defense capabilities, restoring public trust and effectively communicating the nation's commitment to its security objectives. Only through a renewed focus on rebuilding confidence can America navigate these turbulent waters and ensure a secure and prosperous future on both domestic and international fronts.
The family of Jennifer Kesse , who disappeared in 2006, hopes that DNA testing and new police partners will crack open the cold case.

Ms Kesse, 26, disappeared from her condo in Orlando, Florida on 24 January.

After her disappearance, her home was discovered with outfits laid out on the bed, and her black 2006 Chevy Malibu found at a nearby apartment complex.

Jennifer Kesse, from Orlando, Florida, disappeared in 2006 (findjenniferkesse.com)

The only person of interest was an individual who has never been identified, spotted on the apartment complexs security system. Police havent had a major break in the case in years.

Ms Kesses uncle, Bill Gilmour, spoke at CrimeCon, a true-crime event in the city this weekend, where he said that he hopes DNA evidence taken from the car could point police towards new leads.

He also claimed the Orlando Police Department (OPD) originally told the family that no DNA evidence had been gathered. They later learned through a lawsuit the DNA had been collected.

After my sister and brother sued them and got the records from the OPD and had their own team comb through the records  some 15-18,000 records  it said that they collected DNA in the car, which they originally said that they did not," Mr Gilmour said.

The lawsuit also yielded images of the car which appeared to show signs of struggle, he said.

"We were never aware of that either. So its just, its just disheartening, he added.

(The family settled with the OPD in 2019.)The Independent has contacted the police department for comment.

In 2022, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement cold case unit took over the case.

After years in the hands of our private investigator who did incredible work, FDLE will now take over the investigation and will essentially start from the beginning, Drew Kesse, Jennifers father, wrote on a GoFundMe page.

We have never felt so hopeful and optimistic. This is Jennifers best chance at being found.

The Independent has contacted FDLE for comment on whether they will test the DNA evidence.

A missing persons flyer for Jennifer Kesse (Orlando Police Department)

Mr Kesse said he had sold his house and paid monstrous legal fees and PI bills to keep the search for Jennifer alive.

The missing womans uncle penned a book about her disappearance. In it, he writes how Jennifer was concerned about construction workers in her building staying in vacant condos and at one point filed a formal complaint to her propertys management company.

"Anyone who has bought a new home knows there will be continuing involvement with the developer and maintenance staff for some time. Unfortunately, Jenn lived alone and felt like she was being watched and subjected to unwelcome stares," he wrote, Fox News reports.

Family members said they had little reason to suspect Jennifer was in danger. She was in a healthy relationship with her boyfriend and worked at a resort in Ocoee, Florida, they said.

"What we knew at that time was whatever happened was totally out of character for Jennifer. She was predictable in a good way. She was intelligent, always conscious of her surroundings and planned for her safety," Mr Gilmour wrote.

"Those who knew Jennifer would agree she didnt show any signs of discontent with her life, relationships, or work environment."

Ms Kesses boyfriend, Rob Allen, lived several hours away from the site of the disappearance and was cleared as a suspect early on by police.
 Flash

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday met with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Hangzhou, capital city of east China's Zhejiang Province.

Noting that China and the ROK are immovable close neighbors and inseparable cooperative partners, Xi said the steady and solid advancement of the bilateral ties serves the common interests of the two countries and their peoples, and bodes well for regional peace and development.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1992, friendship and cooperation have always been the mainstream of China-ROK relations, said Xi.

He expressed the hope that the ROK will work with China in the same direction, formulate policies and take actions that demonstrate the importance attached to China-ROK relations, uphold mutual respect, and stick to the direction of friendship and cooperation.

The modernization of China, with its 1.4 billion-plus population, will further unleash huge market opportunities, Xi said.

Noting that China and the ROK enjoy close economic ties and deeply integrated industrial and supply chains, Xi said the two countries can deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, strengthen their communication and coordination, and promote the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction.

As a close neighbor of China, the ROK sincerely wishes the Hangzhou Asian Games a complete success, Han said.

In the face of numerous challenges in the current international community, maintaining high-level exchanges between the ROK and China is conducive to advancing the development of bilateral ties and collaborating to address these challenges, he noted.

The ROK is willing to work with China to foster a healthy and mature bilateral relationship, Han said, expressing the hope that the two sides strengthen cooperation and exchanges to jointly contribute to global economic recovery and growth.

Senior Chinese leaders including Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Yi and Shen Yiqin attended the meeting.
Its now been 14 years since Maryanne Humphrey was shot and killed at the convenience store where she worked, and the person responsible still has not been caught.

Police say that in September 2009, a masked man walked into the Circle K on Stewart Mill Road in Douglasville and tried robbing the store at gunpoint.

The 63-year-old mother and grandmother was not going to let it be that easy.

Law enforcement officers said Humphrey fought back, even unmasking the armed robber.

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During the struggle, she was shot and killed.

More than a decade later, Humphreys killer still hasnt been identified.

Through all that time, Humphreys family has not given up on solving her murder.

Now, theyre hopeful The Coleman-Baker Act, which passed in July, could help solve the case.

Speaking with Channel 2s Veronica Griffin, Humphreys granddaughter Kailyn Kaiser said the law could allow the case to be considered for a new investigation. She was only 16 when her grandmother died in 2009, the two were extremely close.

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The Coleman-Baker Act, named for murder victims Tara Baker and Rhonda Coleman, created a cold case unit in the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and created a request form for families or other loved ones to submit a case for reconsideration or investigation.

While there are no major leads in the Humphrey case right now, the family is still holding out hope and fighting the fight.

Its hard. Having to go through Christmas, Thanksgivings without her. Its hard Kaiser told Channel 2 Action News.

The closeness between Kaiser and Humphrey is what fuels her efforts to keep getting the word out until justice is served.

Posting to Facebook on the anniversary of her grandmothers murder is one way Kaiser keeps the crime in the public eye. In 2022, one of her posts caught the eye of the sheriffs department, which then recirculated the photo.

Every year its a reminder that we dont have answers, Kaiser continued.

Kaiser told Griffin that with the Coleman-Baker Act now law, shes working to meet with the lead detective on the case in the coming days. If the case qualifies for new investigation from the laws provisions, she said it could bring her family a little closer to some level of closure.

Now me and the captain are in talks about what we can do to have it reinvestigate again, with all new fresh set of eyes, Kaiser said.

If the case qualifies, it would be sent over to the GBIs new cold case unit.

The detectives on the case told Griffin the investigation is still active.

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The FBI is offering up to $20,000 to anyone with information that leads to an arrest and conviction in an armored car robbery Tuesday outside a Chicago Heights grocery store.

In a video provided by the FBI, the scene shows three men right after the robbery of an armored truck in the parking lot of Food 4 Less at 1333 Western Ave. One is bringing something into the car, while another is trying to enter on the passenger side. Then, a Loomis armored truck is driven into one of the people.

After reviewing this footage and other evidence, the FBI said they are looking for three men in their twenties, one of whom may be injured after sustaining the hit from the truck. The getaway car, a dark Nissan sedan, had no plates but was severely damaged from the crash.

This robbery is one of many bank and armored car robberies in Chicago and one of several this year in the south suburbs. In February, a man robbed a bank in Homewood, according to the FBI. Four people were suspected of being involved in an armored car robbery in Orland Park in March. Then, in May, two armed robbers hit an armored car also in Homewood. In June, a bank in Frankfort was robbed.

There was a bank robbery in Country Club Hills as recently as Sept. 18, following another bank robbery in August. According to the FBI, banks in Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park have also been hit.

The FBI did not immediately respond to an inquiry if any of these robberies were suspected to be related.

hsanders@chicagotribune.com
(Bloomberg) -- Representative Matt Gaetz , a key Republican holdout on a stopgap spending measure, said hes ready for a multiday US government shutdown if thatll get demands such as conservative border policies into the federal budget.

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If the departments of labor and education have to shut down for a few days as we get their appropriations in line, thats certainly not something that is optimal, Gaetz said on Fox Newss Sunday Morning Futures. But I think its better than continuing on the current path we are to Americas financial ruin.

House Republicans are expected to move forward on four appropriations bills this week, though that still leaves Congress set to miss its quickly approaching end-of-the-month budget deadline. In the meantime, Republicans are considering a stopgap measure that would fund the US government for somewhere between 14 and 60 days.

Representative Jim Jordan said that in principle everyone wants to get the 12 appropriation bills done but frankly, were not going to get it done in the next six days.

So theres going to have to be some stopgap measure, the Ohio Republican told Fox News, though Republicans would have to win something in passing a so-called continuing resolution.

Democrats such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries have repeatedly portrayed Republicans as holding the federal government hostage with a civil war of infighting between House factions. President Joe Biden renewed his call for Republicans to get this done in a speech at a Congressional Black Caucus event Saturday evening.

Conservative hardliners have been a sore spot for House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whos caught between appeasing the far right and catering to more moderate members of the House while relying on a single-digit Republican majority.

Another Republican holdout, Representative Tim Burchett, said he would look strongly at supporting McCarthys removal as speaker if he backed any budget deal that relies on Democratic votes.

The American public needs to realize that all these fancy titles, CRs and omnibus, to confuse the American public is not working, Burchett said on CNNs State of the Union.

Representative Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, suggested he opposes a continuing resolution.

If there is a hard cliff, then they are forced to come together, he said on CBSs Face the Nation. And thats what I think we need, we need to have a hard line that forces everyone to get in the room and pass these bills.

A key McCarthy ally, Representative Garret Graves, floated the new funding option on Saturday after several far-right lawmakers rejected the idea of a 31-day continuing resolution that would cut domestic spending and include a conservative border bill.

With a narrow House majority, the small group of Republican holdouts can upend any proposed stopgap measure. While any plan passed by the House is unlikely to pass muster in the Democratic-led Senate, Republicans view the House version as a way to start negotiations with a lower spending threshold.

Gaetz, a Florida Republican, said hes not pro-shutdown but wants to hold McCarthy to a promise he said the speaker made to pass separate single-subject spending bills.

So Im not here to hold the government hostage, he said on Fox News. Im here to hold Kevin McCarthy to his word.

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Robert Day speaks at the Los Angeles Police Foundation's 11th annual True Blue Gala at L.A. Live in 2010. (Jerod Harris / FilmMagic)

While addressing recipients of the Claremont McKenna College scholarship that bears his name, Robert Addison Day made the seemingly gratuitous offer to meet them individually for lunch at the exclusive California Club in Los Angeles.

Two dared to ask and found out the offer was real.

"Another scholar and I reached out and were soon having lunch with Mr. Day," Juliet Archer, a member of the class of 2011, wrote in a post on the college website.

The two students found Day genuinely interested in their experiences and aspirations.

"He patiently answered our questions and regaled us with tales of his career and what hes learned along the way," Archer wrote. "When he got to a funny point in the story, he always leaned in with a knowing smile."

That humor and personal touch were common threads of the tributes that poured out from former students and colleagues of the financier, philanthropist and longtime Claremont McKenna trustee who died Sept. 14 at age 79.

" In his soft-spoken voice, he always tried to answer each student, sometimes with a twinkle in his eye or smirk on his face when he knew his response was going to draw a laugh," wrote Michelle Chamberlain, a vice president at the college who heads the Robert Day Scholars Program.

Day was the third generation of his family to lead the W.M. Keck Foundation, started by his grandfather, oil entrepreneur William Myron Keck.

In that role, he had a major impact on Southern California through donations to Claremont McKenna and USC and to health research nationally.

Gifts of more than $272 million to USC are "visible every day in the universitys hospitals, clinics, research labs and classrooms," the university wrote in a memorial.

Born in 1943 in Los Angeles, Day enrolled at Claremont Mens College in 1960.

Rick Learned, a 1966 graduate, recalled that Day had the only electric calculator in their dorm and "was generous about letting us check our accounting homework on it."

In 1966, Day submitted his senior thesis, A Proposal for an Investment Advisory Company.

After working in institutional sales for White Weld & Co. in New York, he returned to California to start that company. Beginning with $2 million in assets under management in 1971, Trust Co. of the West grew over 40 years to $248 billion.

At age 29, Day became Claremont McKenna's youngest elected trustee and two decades later its youngest chairman.

His $200-million pledge in 2007 to create the Robert Day Scholars Program was the largest recorded gift to a liberal arts college, according to the college biography.

He took over leadership of the Keck Foundation in 1996 after serving on its board for 28 years.

In a statement posted on the foundation website, his son Joseph Day and cousin Steve Day , co-chief executives, said the foundation awarded grants totaling $2 billion under his direction and currently has $1.5 billion in assets.

"His tenure saw a remarkable eight scientists the foundation funded early in their work granted nine Nobel Prizes, five named MacArthur Fellows, two receive Benjamin Franklin Awards, and two receive Lasker Awards," they wrote.

Day was a crack skeet shooter, according to former U.S. Secretary of State James A. Baker III, who called him Addison in recognition of their shared middle names.

"First, he was a deadeye shot. And second he knew how to teach that skill, something he employed to make me a better hunter," Baker wrote on the Claremont McKenna remembrance page, adding that he met Day on the skeet range at Northern California's Bohemian Grove.

In addition to his son Joseph, Day's survivors include his wife, Marlyn Day; his daughter, DiDi; his son Jon, and several grandchildren.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR)- Oklahoma City Police responded to a multi-victim shooting at SW 26th and S Agnew early Sunday morning.

OKCPD reported five people were shot and transported to a local hospital.

One person is in critical condition. The condition of the other victims is currently unknown.

The shooting stemmed from a fight at a parking lot in the surrounding area. Shots were fired shortly after.

The suspect of the shooting is unknown.

The scene of the shooting is under investigation.

KFOR will update as more information arrives.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
By Felix Light

GORIS, Armenia (Reuters) - After the village was bombed so hard there was no way to bury the truckloads of dead, he fled with his family and stuffed whatever possessions could be salvaged into two vans.

Petya Grigoryan is one of the first ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to make it to Armenia after a lightning 24-hour Azerbaijani military operation defeated the Karabakh Armenian forces.

The ethnic Armenians of Karabakh, internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan, say they will not live as part of Azerbaijan and that almost all of the 120,000 Armenians there will leave for Armenia.

So far several hundred have reached Armenia.

Grigoryan, a 69-year-old driver, said his Kochoghot village in what the Armenians know as the Martakert district of Karabakh was pummelled by Azerbaijan armed forces. There were two KAMAZ-truckloads full of civilian dead in the village, he said.

"There was nowhere to bury them," Grigoryan told Reuters after making his way down the Lachin corridor and across the border into Armenia, where Reuters interviewed him and other refugees in the border town of Goris.

"We took what we could and left. We dont know where were going. We have nowhere to go," he said.

Of the 500 villagers, he said 40 had got out.

Reuters was unable to independently verify his account but it chimed with the outline given by other ethnic Armenians fleeing Karabakh, which Azerbaijan says will be turned into a "paradise" and fully integrated.

Azerbaijan said it launched the operation against Karabakh forces after attacks on its own citizens. President Ilham Aliyev said his army had only targeted Karabakh fighters and that civilians had been protected.

STRICT ORDER

"Before the operation, I once again gave a strict order to all our military units that the Armenian population living in the Karabakh region should not be affected by the anti-terrorist measures and that the civilian population be protected," he said in an address to the nation on Sept. 20.

"Civilians felt protected entirely thanks to the professionalism of our armed forces," he said.

Grigoryan and thousands of other Armenians made their way to the airport near the Karabakh capital, known as Stepanakert by Armenians and Khankendi by Azerbaijan, where some Russian peacekeepers are based.

"It was scary there," he said. Thousands slept on the ground without food and little water. "There was nothing to eat or drink; three days without food," he said.

Nairy, a builder from Leninakan, Armenia, said he had been trapped in Karabakh since December by the blockade. Then the Azerbaijan military shelled the Shosh village where he was staying.

"The kids were injured. We sat in the basements until the peacekeepers came in and took the people out," he said.

He too had made his way to the airport.

"We are extremely grateful to the lads for sharing their rations with the kids," he said. "The Russian peacekeepers went hungry to give the kids their rations."

At the airport, he said, there were thousands sleeping outside.

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by David Holmes)
A Florida sheriff is taking a stand against the four-legged, furry creatures wreaking havoc in his territory: bears.

Franklin County Sheriff A.J. "Tony" Smith went live on Facebook Thursday calling on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to come up with a new solution for the growing number of calls his office gets about bears in residential areas.

Some of the bear reports Smith has gotten include a group of young bear cubs, which apparently had lost their mother, were running amuck in Carrabelle, Florida, he told USA TODAY. Bears have also broken into people's garages and porches, he said. One bear even got into a woman's house in the middle of the night, causing the resident to barricade herself in her room while she called police, Smith said.

"Bear management is not my day job," Smith said in the video. "Something needs to be done. I'm not a bear biologist, but I know that there comes a time when people need to move out of the office, get out in the field, and see what's going on and that's what I'm challenging these bear biologists."

He said that he is prepared to issue a letter to the governor, the legislative delegation and the cabinet for help in the matter. "Get to work and get us a solution," Smith concluded in the video.

Sheriff calls on fish and wildlife commission to act on bear problem

The video prompted the FWC's executive director to schedule a meeting with the sheriff's office, the agency said.

"The FWC Bear Management staff continue to be active in Franklin County to help educate and share information with residents on ways to prevent conflicts with bears," the agency said in a statement to USA TODAY. "FWC staff are working closely with the community and local officials on solutions to help them address any human/bear conflicts and will continue to be a resource for assistance."

Florida: Dead body, 13-foot alligator found in Florida waterway, officials say

Sheriff: Bear sightings on rise in Franklin County, Florida

His office has received more than 40 calls about bears in the last year, said Smith, who has served as the county's sheriff since 2017. Bears have increasingly become an issue over the last five years, he told USA TODAY.

"The bear problem is epidemic in all these rural counties. I mean, you got a bear at Disney World so you probably got bears everywhere," said Smith, referencing the Sept. 18 sighting of a bear, which resulted in the temporary closing of parts of the amusement park.

Bear complaints from Franklin County account for 21% of the calls from the East Panhandle and 3% of calls statewide, according to the FWC. Spokesperson Lisa Thompson said that bears are likely to be more active in the fall as they prepare for winter.

Florida black bear range shows how frequently bears visit each area around the state based on data collection by bear researchers, managers, as well as the public, which include calls for assistance, research and management captures, vehicle strikes, and sightings.

In a subsequent Facebook video posted Friday, Smith said FWC had set traps to catch some of the recently reported bears. Smith said he was "very happy that (FWC) are listening to our concerns and that they're taking action."

No laws with these bear claws Watch 3-legged bear named Tripod bust into mini fridge in Florida, downs White Claws

What to do when you see a bear? Better responses needed, official says

Some of the FWC's suggested solutions for bear problems were unreasonable, Smith said during the initial video about the issue. At one point, he held up a stack of paper approximately two-inches thick and explained that it is the FWC's bear management plan.

"I almost fell out of my chair when I saw this," Smith said, before dropping it loudly on the desk in front of him. He explained later that it was too much for people to digest and did not make sense.

Thompson said that people can play a big part in helping to prevent conflict by removing food sources like garbage cans or trash feeders. "If a bear is not able to find food, it will move on," she said. "Feeding bears can make them lose their natural fear of people."

Smith said that some solutions the FWC had proposed in the past, such as electric fences, bear spray or trash guards, were too expensive.

"I'm gonna be on this until you get over here and come up with a solution that's gonna work for the bears and for the people," he said.

More: Fat Bear Week 2023 hasnt even started but these burly bears are already winners

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Florida sheriff: Bears 'not my job,' wants wildlife agency to step up
 Flash

China is ready to work with Italy to improve bilateral security cooperation mechanisms to better safeguard the security interests of both countries, Chen Wenqing, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, has said.

Chen, also head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks in a meeting with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani in Rome on Friday.

In the face of the complex international situation and severe global challenges, China is also willing to work with Italy to comprehensively strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation in various fields and at all levels, and make new contributions to safeguarding security interests of the two countries, he said.

Chen noted that China attaches great importance to its relations with Italy, and regards Italy as a comprehensive strategic partner and a positive force for promoting the sound development of China-EU relations.

China and Italy are both ancient civilizations with a long history of friendly exchanges, broad common interests and profound foundation for cooperation, Chen said, adding that the two countries should inherit and carry forward their tradition of friendship and continue to set a good example for countries with different social systems and cultural backgrounds to develop bilateral friendly ties.

Noting that the year 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, Chen expressed his hope that the two sides will work together to implement well the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and push for steady and long-term development of bilateral relations.

Chen noted that law enforcement and security cooperation is an important part and positive driving force of China's relations with Italy. Over the years, he said, relevant departments of the two countries have achieved practical cooperation results in such fields as counterterrorism, maintaining security of large-scale events and combating transnational organized crimes.

For his part, Tajani spoke highly of the current close communication and high-level political exchanges between Italy and China. Noting that China is an important partner and Italy enjoys broad and diversified cooperation with China, he said more achievements could be made in security cooperation.

Italy is willing to strengthen law enforcement and security exchanges and cooperation with China to safeguard the security of their people, Tajani said.

During his visit to Italy, Chen also met with Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and other heads of Italian departments.
Debby Hampton, president and CEO of the United Way of Central Oklahoma, recently announced that she is leaving the organization. She is shown here in August at her office in Oklahoma City.

Amid the shock and horror of the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, Debby Hampton thought about how the day must have started, as normal and routine, for the victims.

It really hit me that they were just going to work that day and didnt come home, Hampton recalled in a recent interview.

And I kind of decided that day that I would only work somewhere I really wanted to be, with people I really enjoyed working with. And it really kind of came true.

On the day of the bombing, Hampton worked for the American Red Cross in Oklahoma City; she spent 16 years with the organization, the last four as CEO.

In 2010, she took over as president and CEO of the United Way of Central Oklahoma and has seen that organization through a worldwide pandemic and multiple local disasters.

'Debby has been a force for good in Oklahoma City'

Hampton announced recently that she is stepping down, and a search process has begun to choose a successor.

To say that Debby has left a mark on the community with the work shes done over the last 13 years is an understatement, said Shane Wharton, president of Loves Travel Stops and Country Stores, who is chairman of the board of United Way of Central Oklahoma.

Shes helped raise more than $278 million during her tenure at the United Way, directly helping people in the community by funding agencies that provide health and human services in central Oklahoma and by bringing awareness and resources to their causes. Im forever grateful for her service and the impact shes made along the way.

Hampton said, Our United Way is one of the strongest United Ways in the nation. It was really strong and well-run when I started. And we were able to take that to a whole nother level. It just came to a point that I think its now time for a new CEO to see the incredible potential and take it to a whole nother level.

The Central Oklahoma organization is celebrating its centennial.

Among its founding partner agencies is Sunbeam Family Services in Oklahoma City.

Sarah Rahhal, the CEO of Sunbeam, said, Debby has been a force for good in Oklahoma City. Her leadership has made a positive impact on our community and United Way partner agencies. Her compassion and dedication have inspired businesses to support United Ways mission of connecting people and resources to improve the well-being of those in our community.

Debby Hampton, who guided the United Way of Central Oklahoma through a worldwide pandemic, is stepping aside after 13 years with the organization. She is shown here in August at her office in Oklahoma City.

How Debby Hampton transformed United Way in OKC over the years, and through the COVID pandemic

Hampton led the United Way through multiple challenges, including economic downturns, but there was never anything like the pandemic and its impact on fundraising at an organization that relies heavily on workplace donations.

In an interview, Hampton recalled the first rally she had to lead on Zoom for employees at a business. For some reason, she said, the employees were told to turn off their video, meaning she was making her pitch to a bunch of names on her screen.

You just cant get the same point across, she said.

The United Way office itself went virtual only briefly.

More: COVID-19 hospitalizations are once again rising. What does it mean for Oklahomans?

Our agencies needed support, she said. We were seeing it all during that time.

However, isolated in their homes, many people were no longer seeing the problems confronted by the organizations the United Way helps fund. The homeless became less visible; so too did victims of child abuse and domestic abuse.

And while many people have moved on, the nonprofit sector is still dealing with the aftermath, and almost reeling from the aftermath, Hampton said.

Waiting lists at partner agencies have grown dramatically, particularly for mental health, housing and other social services. The region was making progress in many areas before the pandemic, she said, but now it almost feels like were starting over.

Hampton, who grew up in Del City and graduated from high school there, began college at East Central University, in Ada, and finished at the University of Oklahoma nearly 40 years ago, with a psychology degree.

She got a job as a mental health case manager, then fell into the nonprofit world, at the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits, the American Red Cross and the United Way.

Debby Hampton

Ive never not wanted to go to work, she said. But there were days that I knew it was going to be incredibly difficult.

Hampton took no credit for any accomplishments, giving credit to the local board and to the people who run organizations like Sunbeam, the Homeless Alliance, the YWCA, Boys and Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County, Positive Tomorrows and many others.

There are 70 nonprofits I get to work with every single day, she said. They really are, truly, my heroes. I watched what they did during the pandemic. I watched what they did during the 2013 tornadoes  just the most compassionate people. I say every day they have the solutions to the toughest health and social service problems. They just need the resources.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC United Way CEO Debby Hampton plans step down
Savannah Chrisley and Nic Kerdiles , shown here celebrating their 2019 engagement, broke off their relationship the following year. (Paul Archuleta / Getty Images)

Former Anaheim Ducks forward Nic Kerdiles, 29, died in a motorcycle crash early Saturday in Nashville.

Nashville police said Kerdiles ran a stop sign in a residential area before striking the driver's side of a BMW SUV with his Indian Motorcycle around 3:30 a.m., the Tennessean reported. Police found no signs of impairment at the scene from either driver.

Nic Kerdiles was the first player from Orange County drafted by the Anaheim Ducks. He played two seasons with the team from 2016-2018. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)

Kerdiles, an Irvine native, was the first player from Orange County drafted by the Anaheim Ducks. A 2012 second-round draft pick, Kerdiles' time on the ice was curtailed by a backlog of young forwards in Anaheim's system and struggles with concussions and other injuries. He played three regular season games for the Ducks over two seasons from 2016-2018 before being traded to the Winnipeg Jets.

In a statement, the Ducks organization said it was heartbroken to hear about his death. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family and loved ones, the Ducks wrote on X.

Off the ice, Kerdiles was known for his appearances on the reality TV series Chrisley Knows Best, which documented the lavish lifestyle and family escapades of real estate mogul Todd Chrisley and his wife, Julie. Kerdiles and the Chrisleys' daughter, Savannah, began dating in 2017 and became engaged in 2019, before breaking off the relationship in 2020.

Todd and Julie Chrisley were convicted in June 2022 of tax evasion and bank fraud and are serving time in federal prison.

Savannah Chrisley addressed Kerdiles death on social media, posting photos of them frolicking on a beach. "We loved hard, she wrote. I can't wait to ride bikes with you along the beaches of heaven one day."

TMZ reported that Kerdiles posted a photo to his Instagram story Friday night that showed him cruising on his Indian bike. The caption read "Night rider."





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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
DES MOINES, Iowa  Former U.S. Sen. Dick Clark, a Democrat who unexpectedly won a single term representing Iowa in the 1970s after campaigning by walking around the state, and who later played a key role in aiding refugees after the Vietnam War, has died. He was 95.

Clark died Wednesday at his home in Washington, said his daughter, Julie Clark Mendoza.

Clark was elected to the Senate in 1972 after launching a longshot bid against two-term Republican Sen. Jack Miller. With little money for his campaign, Clark opted to walk across Iowa during numerous trips in 1972.

The walks, on which he often was joined by supporters, were credited for his convincing victory with 55% of the vote.

During his time in the Senate, Clark devoted time to Africa, pushing for policies to help newly independent nations and to oppose apartheid.

Clark lost in his run for reelection in 1978, and he believed his work in Africa prompted funding against his campaign.

After leaving the Senate, President Jimmy Carter appointed Clark as ambassador-at-large for a refugee crisis related to the Vietnam War. Clark worked with Congress to help create a refugee policy and set up a structure to help refugees.

Later, Clark joined the Aspen Institute, an international nonprofit, and focused on helping members of Congress better understand specific foreign policy issues. He also worked to restore relations with Vietnam, including arranging meetings between U.S. and Vietnamese officials.

Clark was born Sept. 14, 1928, in the unincorporated community of Paris, Iowa. His parents made a living selling eggs door to door and later opened a grocery store.

He was drafted into the Army and served in Europe from 1950 to 1952. He attended Upper Iowa University and the University of Iowa, obtaining bachelors, masters and doctorate degrees.

Survivors include his wife, his daughter and two sons, three grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.
France will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday, marking the latest major development amid high tensions between the two countries since a military junta seized control of Niger in July.

We are putting an end to our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger because they dont want to fight terrorism anymore, Macron said regarding the military leaders who took over rule of the northwest African country.

France has not recognized Nigers military authorities and insists that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, who was toppled in the coup, remains the countrys only legitimate authority.

The decision to end the cooperation is because we are not there to deal with internal politics and be hostages of putschists, Macron said, referring to the military group.

The withdrawal will be organized in the coming weeks, he said.

They will come back in an orderly manner in the weeks and months to come, and for that, we will coordinate with the putschists because we want this to happen calmly, Macron said.

Nigers ruling military power said it welcomes Frances decision to pull its troops from the country, according to a statement posted to Nigers state television, Tele Sahel.

This Sunday, we celebrate another step towards Nigers sovereignty. French troops and the French ambassador will be leaving Niger by the end of the year, the statement said. Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory.

Any person, institution or structure whose presence threatens the interests and outlook of our country will have to leave the land of our ancestors, whether they like it or not, it added. Our resistance will be unwavering, and will deal with any institution or structure attempting to challenge the higher interests of our nation.

France had stationed military troops in the country, many of whom were there to assist with counterterrorism missions, on the basis that Niger was a relatively stable democracy in a region fraught with political upheaval, terrorism and Islamist insurgencies, CNN has reported.

Some 1,500 troops remain.

Responding to a question on the withdrawals timeline, Macron said there will not be any French soldiers in Niger by the end of 2023.

Thousands of Nigeriens gather in front of the French army headquarters, in support of the putschist soldiers and to demand the French army to leave, in Niamey, Niger, on September 2, 2023. - Mahamadou Hamidou/Reuters

Earlier this month, two US officials also said the United States could begin withdrawing troops from Niger in the coming weeks, CNN has previously reported. As many as half of the roughly 1,100 US troops stationed in Niger could be pulled from the country, the two officials said.

French ambassador will also return

The French president also said he has decided to bring back the countrys ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to France.

France has decided to bring back its ambassador, Macron said. In the coming hours, our ambassador along with several diplomats will return to France.

That announcement comes just over a week after Macron said the ambassador was literally being held hostage at the French embassy, and that food was prevented from being delivered to the embassy in Niamey, the capital.

After their July coup, the military junta ordered Itte to leave the country, and it later revoked his visa and instructed police to expel him.

But the diplomat remained in place, according to the French presidency, and French authorities reiterated they did not recognize the juntas authority.

Itte was still working, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said earlier this month, adding he will stay as long as we want him to stay and that the officials return was Macrons decision.

CNNs Sahar Akbarzai and Josh Pennington contributed to this report.

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French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech during the National Roundtable on Diplomacy at the foreign ministry in Paris, Thursday, March 16, 2023. France's Foreign Ministry is undertaking a sweeping review of its vast diplomatic corps, an effort driven by President Emmanuel Macron to adapt French diplomacy to 21st century challenges. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

French President Emmanuel Macron delivers his speech during the National Roundtable on Diplomacy at the foreign ministry in Paris, Thursday, March 16, 2023. France's Foreign Ministry is undertaking a sweeping review of its vast diplomatic corps, an effort driven by President Emmanuel Macron to adapt French diplomacy to 21st century challenges. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, Pool)

PARIS (AP)  President Emmanuel Macron announced Sunday that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to Frances policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the Sahel region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didnt recognize the coup leaders as legitimate.

Tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, have mounted in recent weeks, and Macron said recently that diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy.

Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to deposed Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum , told The Associated Press that Bazoum requested that Macron withdraw the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, in order to reduce tension.

In an interview with France-2 television, Macron said that he spoke Sunday to ousted Bazoum, and told him that France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France.

He added, And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities because they dont want to fight against terrorism anymore.

He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year, in coordination with the coup leaders because we want it to take place peacefully.

He said Frances military presence was in response to a request from Nigers government at the time. That military cooperation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup, however. The junta leaders claimed that Bazoums government wasnt doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency.

The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.

Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist who assists Nigers new military rulers with their communications, said they would continue to monitor developments until the French ambassador leaves the country. He also demanded a clear deadline for the withdrawal of the French troops.

This announcement from the French president announces the victory of the people of Niger. However, we are going to take it with a lot of reservation because I no longer believe in Mr. Macron, said Saidou.

The junta in August gave the French ambassador 48 hours to leave. After the deadline expired without France recalling him, the coup leaders then revoked his diplomatic immunity.

In New York on Friday, the military government that seized power in Niger accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the West African nations full participation at the U.N.s annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France and its allies.

Experts say that after repeated military interventions in its former colonies in recent decades, the era of France as Africas gendarme may finally be over, as the continents priorities shift.

Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute, a think tank, said the decision marks both an acceptance of a harsh reality for France in the region and may possibly put some limits on the U.S. deployments in Niger, though as we have seen the U.S. and France have not followed exactly the same positionings in Niger.

Rida Lyammouri, a senior fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, a Morocco-based think tank, said Niger will feel the loss of French support in its fight against violent extremist organizations.

France has been a reliable partner providing support to its operations and Niger simply doesnt have an alternative to fill this void by the French, at least in short and mid term, Lyammouri said.

Macron last year withdrew French troops from Mali following tensions with the ruling junta after a 2020 coup, and more recently from Burkina Faso, for similar reasons. Both African countries had asked for the French forces to leave.

France also suspended military operations with Central African Republic, accusing its government of failing to stop a massive anti-French disinformation campaign.

___

Associated Press writers Sam Mednick in Toronto, Dalatou Mamane in Niamey, Niger and Chinedu Asadu in Abuja, Nigeria contributed to this report.

Related...
PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to invest $150 million in the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to fight poverty and climate change in rural areas.

France decided to host and organise the 13th replenishment of IFAD, and was now launching a call for contributions by making the commitment, Macron said in a video message broadcast during a charity concert organized in New York by non-profit group Global Citizen.

IFAD is a Rome-based United Nations agency working to address poverty and hunger in developing countries' rural areas.

France also committed to give 40 million euros ($43 million) to the U.N.'s global fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), during 2023-2026, French Secretary of State for Development and International Partnerships Chrysoula Zacharopoulou said.

($1 = 0.9388 euros)

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Camille Raynaud; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
FILE PHOTO: A person holds a paper that reads 'We no longer want France' as Nigerien women demonstrate by hitting and carrying kitchen utensils in support of the putschists in front of French Army headquarters, in Niamey

By Sybille de La Hamaide and Richard Lough

PARIS (Reuters) - France will pull its soldiers out of Niger following a July coup in the West African country, President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday, dealing a huge blow to French influence and counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel region.

Macron said 1,500 troops would withdraw by the end of the year and that France, the former colonial power in Niger, refused to "be held hostage by the putchists".

France's exit, which comes after weeks of pressure from the junta and popular demonstrations, is likely to exacerbate Western concerns over Russia's expanding influence in Africa. The Russian mercenary force Wagner already present in Niger's neighbour Mali.

The French president has refused to recognise the junta as Niger's legitimate authority but said Paris would coordinate troop withdraw with the coup leaders.

"We will consult with the putschists because we want things to be orderly," Macron said in an interview with France's TF1 and France 2 television stations.

France's ambassador was also being pulled out and would return to the country in the next few hours, Macron added.

French influence over its former colonies has waned in West Africa in recent years, just as popular vitriol has grown. Its forces have been kicked out of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso since coups in those countries, reducing its role in a region-wide fight against deadly Islamist insurgencies.

Until the coup, Niger had remained a key security partner of France and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region.

RUSSIA'S EXPANDING PRESENCE

France's military base in Niger's capital, Niamey, had become the epicentre of anti-French protests since the July 26 coup.

Groups have regularly gathered on the street outside to call for the exit of troops stationed in the capital. On one Saturday this month, tens of thousands rallied against France, slitting the throat of a goat dressed in French colours and carrying coffins draped in French flags.

Pro-coup demonstrators in Niamey have waved Russian flags, adding to Western countries' fears that Niger could follow Mali's lead and replace their troops with Wagner fighters.

Before his death in a plane crash last month, Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin spoke in a social media clip of making Russia greater on all continents and Africa more free. Wagner's future has been unclear since his demise.

Wagner is also active in Central African Republic and Libya. Western nations say it is also present in Sudan, though it denies this. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a return to constitutional order in Niger.

French nuclear power plants source a small amount - less than 10% - of their uranium from Niger, with France's state-owned Orano operating a mine in Niger's north.

Macron said he still regarded democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as Niger's legitimate leader and had informed him of his decision.

(Reporting by Sybille de la Hamaide, Richard Lough and Michel Rose; Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Bill Berkrot)
FILE PHOTO: The questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris

FILE PHOTO: The questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris

PARIS (Reuters) - France's centre-right Les Republicains (LR) party maintained its majority in the Senate after Sunday's vote, in which three senators from Marine Le Pen 's far-right party were elected.

"This senatorial renewal reinforces the senatorial majority of the right and the center and is a testimony of its territorial roots," Gerard Larcher, the leader of Les Republicains and president of the senate, said in a statement.

The Senate is indirectly elected by France's mayors as well as regional, departmental and municipal councillors. Half of the Senate's 348 seats were being contested.

Le Pen's Rassemblement National had been widely expected to make a new breakthrough in the Senate but the score of three wins was above expectations.

The election of far-right senators is mostly a delayed reflection of strong results by Le Pen's party in previous local elections and does not necessarily predict her results in the next elections.

The only member of the French government running in the elections, Secretary of State for Citizenship Sonia Backes, was defeated in the French territory of New Caledonia.

Under France's Fifth Republic, the Senate has less influence over legislating than the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. In case of disagreement over legislation, it is the Assembly which has the last word.

French President Emmanuel Macron's Renaissance party remains the biggest party in the lower house, but lost its majority in June last year, giving more weight to senators whenever a compromise is necessary with the upper house to pass legislation.

Macron has struggled to anchor his party at a local level, with local authorities mostly controlled by France's historically dominant political forces, the conservative LR and the left-wing Socialist party.

(Reporting by Michel Rose and Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
French afro-trap rapper MHD has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for the murder of a young man at the hands of a violent mob.

On Saturday, MHD and five other defendants were sentenced for the death of 23-year-old Loic K., who was killed on July 5, 2018, after being rammed by a black Mercedes and then swarmed by more than a dozen people, who beat and stabbed him, according to The Guardian.

MHD, whose real name is Mohamed Sylla, has repeatedly denied being at the scene, and in his final statement to the court, he said, From the beginning, I have maintained my innocence in this case, and I will continue to maintain my innocence.

Though the rapper claims he was not present for the murder, which took place in Paris bustling 10th arrondissement, video from witnessing neighbors helped identify the black Mercedes as his vehicle.

French rapper Mohamed Sylla, aka MHD, arrives at Paris' Palais de Justice courthouse on Sept. 4. He was sentenced to 12 years in jail on Saturday.

French rapper Mohamed Sylla, aka MHD, arrives at Paris' Palais de Justice courthouse on Sept. 4. He was sentenced to 12 years in jail on Saturday.

Onlookers were also able to identify MHD by his haircut and his Puma brand sweatshirt. The rapper previously served as an ambassador for the German apparel brand.

One day after the attack, the car was found burned and abandoned in a parking lot.

Authorities believe the dispute was a fight between rival gangs.

MHD and the other defendants have 10 days to appeal the courts decision.

The rapper is a major figure in Frances afro-trap genre, which blends hip-hop and traditional African music.

Since rising to fame, MHD has continued to frequent his former neighborhood, the Cite des Chaufourniers, a multicultural, working-class estate in the French capital.

Related...
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World leaders attending the 78th session of the UN General Assembly's general debate have emphasized the need for intensified efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with midpoint assessments falling short.

Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley (at the podium and on the screens) delivers a speech at the General Debate of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Rui)





The UN Secretary-General's 2023 SDGs Report: Special Edition shows that about 12 percent of targets are on track; more than half, though showing progress, are moderately or severely off track. Some 30 percent have seen no movement or regressed below the 2015 baseline.

On Friday, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stated that the prolonged impacts of the pandemic and the consequences of the climate crisis have significantly hindered the attainment of SDGs in developing countries.

Looking ahead to next year's Summit of the Future to reset the global push to attain the SDGs, she said: "We must make all efforts to collectively address the common challenges of humanity to secure a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all."

"Are we going to be too late for the SDGs?" Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley questioned on Friday, urging leaders to "summon the determination to make the fundamental governance changes."

Highlighting the SDGs as "the conferral of dignity on our people," she expressed concerns about achieving the goals given the challenges like the climate crisis and rising global hunger.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Prime Minister of Nepal, urged greater international support through development, technical assistance and foreign direct investment to overcome shocks induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and geopolitical tensions.

"To ensure sustainability and ownership of our desired developmental goals, we have engaged in extensive consultations at all levels," President Taneti Maamau of Kiribati said on Thursday.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, African leaders expressed their dedication to sustainable development and advocated for a world that embraces equity and prosperity.

President Salva Kiir of South Sudan on Thursday said South Sudan has developed a SDGs rescue plan focusing on seven SDG targets.

"This plan provides a roadmap of a better future for our people," he said, noting, for example, that the constitution guarantees all children free access to education in South Sudan.

Seychelles' President Wavel Ramkalawan emphasized the need for joint global efforts to achieve transformative progress towards the SDGs.

"Sierra Leone raises its voice alongside our Economic Community of West African States community, expressing unequivocal dissent towards any extra-constitutional changes of Government," said Sierra Leone's President Julius Maada Bio.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says he'll back Trump should the ex-president win the GOP nomination.

Trump's hand-picked candidate was unable to unseat Kemp in last year's GOP gubernatorial primary.

Kemp told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Trump "would still be a lot better than Biden ."

In 2021, former President Donald Trump recruited ex-Sen. David Perdue to oust Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp from office after he refused to help the then-commander-in-chief overturn Joe Biden's 2020 presidential victory in the state.

Perdue eventually lost last year's GOP gubernatorial primary in a landslide.

And Kemp has repeatedly chided Trump over his continued claims about the 2020 election, arguing that the party cannot win in 2024 if they continue to hark back on the past.

But in an interview, the two-term Republican governor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday that he would still back Trump as the GOP nominee should the former president win the party's 2024 nomination.

"Despite all of that, despite all of his other trials and tribulations, he would still be a lot better than Biden," Kemp said of Trump. "And the people serving in the administration would be a lot better than than Joe Biden."

"And it has nothing to do with being a coward. It has everything to do with winning and reversing the ridiculous, obscene positions of Joe Biden and this administration that literally, in a lot of ways, are destroying our country," he continued.

Last month, Kemp alluded to his support for the eventual GOP nominee, writing on X that the 2024 election is "too important for political games."

It is unclear how heavily Kemp will campaign for Trump given their tumultuous history, but with Republicans energized in their drive to retake the White House, the former president will undoubtedly be a frequent presence in Georgia.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A Georgia man was ruled guilty of a 2020 armed robbery earlier this week.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

On Sep. 18, 2020, Howatdrick Jamal Jones of Woodbury, entered the First Bank of Pike in Concord and handed the bank teller a note that read Give me the money before I shoot!!!!

Thinking she was in danger, the bank teller complied, giving Jones more than $4,000.

Jones prints were left on the banknote and were a key piece of evidence that led to his conviction.

TRENDING STORIES:

Jones was convicted of armed robbery.

He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole.

Officials said Jones is also implicated in a bank robbery in Meriwether County. These charges are pending in federal court.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:
Local law enforcement and officials from the 20th Judicial Circuit  which includes Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties  joined forces on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, to announce the creation of a regional task force focused on combatting human trafficking. Authorities have announced the arrest of 25 suspects and rescue of 37 victims in recent months.

Law enforcement leaders from five Southwest Florida counties have announced a shared goal: Creating a task force that will combat human trafficking in the region.

Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Glades and Hendry counties comprise the 20th Judicial Circuit, presided by State Attorney Amira Fox.

Fox compared creating the new team to the Narcotics Enforcement Task Force  known by its acronym NETFORCE  in late 2019 to coordinate a circuit-wide approach and resources to dismantle organized crime, narcotics, racketeering and criminal enterprises in the five counties.

"They really don't stay in one place when it comes to human trafficking," Fox said. "They are moving these victims around."

New task force will 'chase those people ... arrest them'

During a Thursday groundbreaking ceremony in Naples, Fox said perpetrators are selling victims out of hotel rooms and apartment complexes, among others.

"They're traveling to different jurisdictions, and what we have here is one big information-sharing entity that will now cross over through all those jurisdictions and chase those people, investigate them, arrest them and get them to the system."

Fox said the comparison to NETFORCE comes because "traffickers oftentimes control their victims through the use of narcotics."

"Everything fits together in the criminal justice system, so that's why I think it's really going to make a difference," Fox said.

Aim is to protect victims more

Fox explained that often victims don't report the crimes due to the trauma they've experienced.

"They're sometimes highly drug addicted," Fox said of the victims. "And it takes sometimes years to come forward, if they haven't died."

Fox said added challenges come when victims have to face their perpetrators in a courtroom.

"The victim has to sit in a room with the defendant during a trial, point to that person and say, 'That's the person who did this to me,'" Fox said.

Fox said that leads to other complications in the process to justice.

"We as prosecutors and investigators have to make very difficult decisions sometimes," Fox said. "It makes some of these cases very difficult to prosecute."

Bryan Weight, chief operations officer at Operation Light Shine, said he wants to focus on helping local law enforcement nationwide combat human trafficking.

"I left the corporate space to know that what I'm doing every day is making a difference and that we're making an impact," Weight said.

SWFL one of five such task forces nationwide

Operation Light Shine, which operates out of Nashville, Tennessee, created the Inter-agency Child Exploitation And Persons Trafficking Task Force, known by its acronym INTERCEPT, effort in 2021.

Weight said they now have five task forces nationwide  Southwest Florida; Northwest Florida, in Jacksonville; Frederick, Maryland; Richmond, Virginia; and Nashville, Tennessee. He said funding is tied to the effort's national expansion.

However, Weight clarified Southwest Florida is their "official" third location after Nashville and Jacksonville.

He noted they "haven't quite launched" the Richmond, Virginia or Frederick, Maryland franchises yet.

"Our goal is to have one in every state, if not multiple in each state," Weight said.

Weight said that since they first launched they haven't heard directly from older victims.

"What we have heard is from older victims that have been an issue in this case, or even law enforcement agencies that have fought this for years," Weight said.

Collier, Lee sheriffs among the local driving forces in the fight against human trafficking

Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said the effort to bring such a task force to fruition locally had been ongoing "for the better part of the year."

Rambosk said the digital era and the challenges that link that to human trafficking were among the factors that led to the creation of the task force in Southwest Florida.

Local law enforcement and officials from the 20th Judicial Circuit  which includes Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties  joined forces on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, to announce the creation of a regional task force focused on combatting human trafficking. Authorities have announced the arrest of 25 suspects and rescue of 37 victims in recent months.

"A lot of this has to do with victimizing children, making videos or photographs, then distributing them around the world," Rambosk said. "Our goal is to get back, to find the victim and save them."

Rambosk said the local effort began with a "soft start," which includes 25 arrests across the five-county region in recent months.

"Many [were] felony-level cases," Rambosk said. "Some [were] horrific cases."

Rambosk pointed out that the problem extends beyond borders.

"We see a lot more videos and pictures coming in from outside of actually the United States into the United States ... into the state of Florida ... into Collier County," Rambosk said.

Rambosk explained the benefit of being part of a task force is they can investigate more cases together, bringing them to resolution and arresting the perpetrators. He expressed his commitment to human trafficking for the last 10 years.

Collier has focused on human trafficking for years

The Collier County Sheriff's Office has had a child exploitation and human trafficking team for about 10 years, Rambosk said.

"Some of their duties will be to support this effort," Rambosk explained. "We have a lieutenant assigned and a detective assigned."

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno echoed Fox, emphasizing that narcotic offenders "also do other bad things."

"There's no jurisdictional boundaries, and our reach is everywhere in the country at this point," Marceno said. "The ultimate goal is to protect our children."

Local law enforcement and officials from the 20th Judicial Circuit  which includes Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties  joined forces on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, to announce the creation of a regional task force focused on combatting human trafficking. Authorities have announced the arrest of 25 suspects and rescue of 37 victims in recent months.

Marceno is asking parents to pay attention when giving their children a cellphone or computer.

"Know what they're dealing ... Who they're speaking to," Marceno said. "Sometimes people can say they're a 13-year-old friend, and meanwhile, they're talking to someone on the other end that's 65 years old and a predator."

More news: Former Lee deputy accused of leaking street racing probe reaches plea deal, avoids prison

John Yancey, resident agent in charge at U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Fort Myers, during a brief address, said authorities in the circuit have identified 37 victims in addition to the 25 made arrests.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: SW FL welcomes second human trafficking statewide task force
Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) said Sunday that he has no doubt that the country is headed for a government shutdown.

I dont want to see a shutdown, Gonzales said in an interview on Face The Nation on CBS News. But there is no doubt in my mind that the country is headed for a shutdown, and everyone should prepare as such.

Gonzales reiterated his opposition to a continuing resolution (CR), a short-term measure that would sustain current funding levels to buy lawmakers more time to pass the appropriations bills. Congress often passes CRs to avoid government shutdowns when funding runs out at the end of September.

Unlike some of his conservative colleagues, Gonzales stated clearly that he does not want the government to shut down at the end of the month, but he said he doesnt think a CR would solve the problem of Congresss failure to fund the government. He pointed to the frequent way Congress gets necessary legislation through right at the last minute.

In my experience, if you give Congress more time, theyre just going to take that time. Time does not equal solutions. The exact opposite  If there is a hard cliff, then they are forced to come together, and thats what I think we need, he said. We need to have a hard line that forces everyone to get in the room and pass these bills.

Continuing resolutions dont solve the problem. They just kick the can down the road, Gonzales said.

Gonzales was also critical of the Biden administrations border policies and said hes been working with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and will meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken this coming week to find tangible policy solutions to solve problems in the more immediate term.

On the prospect of attaching conservative border-related legislation to a CR, Gonzales dismissed the move as a messaging tactic rather than a strategy to produce results.

Theres a difference between fantasy and reality. And I live in reality. My district is hit with the realities of this border crisis, Gonzales said. So Im not looking for a messaging bill that says all the right things and accomplishes nothing.

In my eyes, a continuing resolution that just has fake things doesnt get us any closer, he added. What we need to do is draw a hard line in the sand and pass appropriation bills, and move that over to the Senate and work with the Senate to get this ultimately signed by the President.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Christmas in the Fort Worth area has, since 1912, given big folks a chance to help little folks. The charity that started out providing food and firewood to less fortunate families evolved into a program that now provides new clothes for the holiday season.

Last year, the Fort Worth Star-Telegrams Goodfellow Fund provided gift cards for 8,000 needy Tarrant County school children.

The Exchange Club of Fort Worth historically leads the way, and last year was no exception. The Exchange Club members at their annual holiday luncheon provided a gift of $425,000.00.

The Goodfellow Fund couldnt do it without its donors and volunteers.

Id want to thank area charitable foundations, civic clubs, neighborhood associations, churches and social service agencies and our entire community that continue the 110-year legacy in supporting the Goodfellow Fund with thousands of donations, said Richard Greene, the executive director of the Goodfellow Fund.

More than 100 trained volunteers contribute thousands of hours conducting interviews with each family to ensure the family is qualified.

The Goodfellow Fund has seen an increase in applicants from the Middle East and needs Arabic-speaking volunteers.

Volunteer information can be found goodfellowfundfw.com.

Qualifying interviews are conducted in Fort Worth and Arlington through Dec. 7.

Applicants will receive Old Navy Store gift cards to buy clothes and shoes for their children.

Some wrap the treasures and put them under trees so the kids have presents to open Christmas morning. Many others let the children wear their new clothes to school as soon as theyre purchased.

How to donate

Since 1912, the Star-Telegrams Goodfellow Fund has provided practical gifts for schoolchildren. You can join this tradition by sending a contribution to Goodfellows, PO Box 149, Fort Worth, TX 76101. Or visit GoodFellowFundFW.com and make a secure credit card donation.
Since 1972, men have studied, sewn, and strutted their way to victory in the Miss Gay America pageant, a celebration of drag and female illusion.

Contestants are born males who perform in drag, donned in sparkly, beautiful gowns, dazzling makeup and hairdos that blow audiences away.

Whoever wins the national crown will get cash, jewelry, gifts and attend events throughout the year. Miss Gay America can earn as much as $70,000 during their tenure as queen, organizers said.

But first, they compete in preliminary competitions, hoping to advance to the national pageant so they can reign as Miss Gay America for an entire year.

In September and October, contestants are competing in preliminary competitions in states such as North Carolina, Pennsylvania for a chance to advance.

The pageant was first held in Tennessee in the 1970s. Nashville native Jerry Peek started the pageant after his own bar struggled to draw crowds during the week. He heard about a bar in Indianapolis with female impersonators and went to check it out himself, he told OutVoices in 2013.

Norman Jones, also known as Norma Kristie, was crowned the first-ever Miss Gay America in 1972. Jones later bought the pageant himself. The competition had another set of owners before landing in the hands of Michael Dutzer and his husband Rob Mansman.

Through the years, the pageant has faced its obstacles in the wake of tumultuous political climates, with far right groups becoming more and more comfortable expressing their disdain for such celebrations. Last year, organizers had to hire security because the Proud Boys threatened to show up.

The next national winner will be crowned in January in Little Rock, Arkansas, where organizers say they've received lots of support.

Michael Dutzer, Pattaya Hart and Rob Mansman. Dutzer and Mansman are owners of Miss Gay America, an annual pageant celebrating the art of drag and female illusion.

Arkansas is affordable and 'very welcoming' for performers, hosts

Dutzer, current co-owner of the pageant, said he and his husband were promoting local pageants and wanted to get more involved when they found out the pageant was up for sale.

They wanted to help preserve its legacy and put more money into the pageant because previously, it had been on a very strict budget.

The pair chose Little Rock to host the national pageant because its very affordable for both contestants and attendees.

And despite Arkansas being a Republican state and very anti-LGBTQ, the city has been very welcoming to the pageant and its hosts, said Dutzer, who testified in front of the Arkansas senate to speak out against the state's proposed anti-drag law.

Little Rock offered us a great deal on the theater for the week, he said about the upcoming pageant in January. Take a hotel room in Phoenix at the same time a year  that hotel room could be over $300 a night where we could get the rooms for $99 a night in Little Rock.

Drag is huge, he said, which means performers are traveling with lots of suitcases. Performers are responsible for funding dancers, costumes, wigs, gowns, a week of travel, hotel rooms and they have to feed people on their teams.

The Little Rock hotel where the pageant will be held is also connected to the theater, which helps make things safer for attendees, 'not having to travel outside in drag or open up to the public where they can possibly be victims of attacks or slurs,' Dutzer said.

Dutzer said some parts of the pageant have changed since its beginning in the 1970s. Categories have evolved and currently include: personal interview, presentation, evening gown, on-stage interview and talent.

One of its categories, male interview was renamed a few years ago. Contestants can identify as anything theyd like, including trans or nonbinary, Dutzer and Mansman, his husband, said.

The category is an opportunity for drag queens to be vulnerable and share sides of them theyve never revealed. Some contestants have shared their HIV status, talked about suicide attempts and being forced out of their homes as teenagers. Its the only category contestants do out of drag.

Right there is where the growth happens and that is why personal interview is so very, very, very important, Mansman said.

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Drag pageants are nothing new, experts say

Craig Loftin is a Cal State Fullerton lecturer in American Studies. Drag pageants within gay culture date back as far as the 1880s complete with categories and awards, he told USA TODAY.

During the Harlem Renaissance, he said, many people were "challenging sexual mores," especially in non-white communities. In 1940s Los Angeles, there were drag balls in prominent Black clubs and hotels advertised in Black newspapers, he said.

And much of the backlash happening today has already taken place, he said. During the Great Depression, there was a moral panic, Loftin said, where laws were adopted banning drag. Then came the very repressive 1950s which forced people to host events in underground or out-of-the-way speakeasies.

Loftin said 1972, when Miss Gay America was founded, was a huge step in LGBTQ history and possibly the biggest development in terms of public visibility that the country has ever seen.

Theo Greene is an associate professor of sociology at Bowdoin College in Maine and said Miss Gay America was created at the height of the Gay Liberation Movement.

This is also one of the very first kinds of nationwide opportunities where you see the spread and diffusion of people coming out, celebrating the art of female illusion or what we now think of as drag, he said.

He also said Miss Gay America and female illusion is just one form of drag.

Other forms of drag include classic drag, comedy drag, and even political drag, where performers tackle social issues and protest, reported Florida-based outlet OutCoast.com.

Do people feel safe competing in drag pageants?

Deva Station, 52, is a Columbus, Ohio native who was crowned Miss Gay America in 2018. Until a few years ago, he didnt take safety into account when competing. He had been to Pride celebrations crashed by protesters but in small numbers.

Now, we have armed militia and Nazis and things that I thought were a thing of the past picketing and standing strong against drag, he told USA TODAY. It's become very scary and very concerning, not only for myself, but for others, for spectators, for fellow queens, for fellow fans.

Deva Station, a Columbus, Ohio native and drag queen who was crowned Miss Gay America 2018.

Dextaci, a Louisiana native and Miss Gay America 2022, said 10 years ago he didnt look over his shoulder at pageants. That has changed in recent years.

I always map out the exit, he said. How do I get out of here in the event that something goes haywire?

Miss Gay America organizers always have great security though, he said.

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Drag pageants give people a sense of community, create opportunities, owners say

Dutzer and Mansman, current owners of Miss Gay America, bought it in 2016.

They say drag pageants and their participants become families for some people, especially those who are shunned by their society and their biological families. The pageants also help people develop and sharpen their skills.

People work really hard on interview skills, their interpersonal skills and speaking publicly, Dutzer said. They not only speak to a panel of judges for their interviews but they get on stage and speak to an entire audience.

Miss Gay America winners have gone on to appear on RuPauls Drag Race and open their own businesses as well.

Many drag queens compete year after year for the top spot, including Deva Station, the Ohio native who took the crown in 2018. He started to perform in drag as a dare.

I said that if I ever had to do this for a living or if this was something that I did consistently, I would be devastated, he told USA TODAY. That is where the name came from. I definitely came at it from a very biased angle and an uneducated (angle).

He didnt understand drag initially but once he started doing it, he realized the men who compete are true artists who put in tons of work.

I guess Deva Station started from a bad place but actually led me to a really good place, he said.

Deva Station won Miss Gay America 2018 after competing multiple times, starting with Miss Gay Ohio America.

Then I went on to Miss Gay America and it was a whole different world, he said. I absolutely did not win that the first time but I learned a lot and studied a lot.

Deva Station, a drag queen from Columbus, Ohio who won Miss Gay America in 2018.

He recalls sitting in front of a panel of judges to talk about his goals, what he could do for the Miss Gay America system and how he embodies leadership.

I love that they looked at your male persona and then the transformation into the character, he said. That's kind of what made me fall in love with Miss Gay America.

Performing is almost like therapy, he said.

I had a great career as a dancer but I was also aging, he said. Miss Gay America gave me the opportunity to continue dancing, to continue entertaining, but be ageless.

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Standing tall in the face of hatred

Dextaci, 35, was crowned Miss Gay America 2022. The Louisiana native started doing drag shows in March 2009 and shortly after, began competing in local drag pageants.

Dextaci is also one of two plus-sized drag queens to win in the contests 51 years. He said it has been challenging to compete against smaller contestants.

That was something that I always found very challenging, was me being a size 3X or 4X t-shirt having to compete against guys that are in small and medium t-shirts. But in turn, it was actually a me thing. It was something that held me back because it was a mind game.

Dextaci, a Louisiana drag queen who won Miss Gay America in 2022. She is one of two plus-sized drag queens to win in the pageant's 51-year history.

But Dextaci has learned that Miss Gay America was never pushing him away because of his size. Thats not what the pageant is about.

The Miss America system does judge a person on their merits and their good qualities, not the size of my body, he said.

To Dextaci, Miss Gay America is so sacred because its the oldest pageant system in the world for female impersonators, allowing participants to celebrate the artistry of female illusion. You can live your life as a man and create the illusion of a woman, he said.

Dutzer, co-owner of the show, is thrilled because for the first time ever this year, Miss Gay America will be represented in Alaska. He wishes people would make an effort to learn more about drag.

The fact that people think that we're out there hurting people or grooming people is ridiculous, he said. We are out there to have fun and entertain people.

Drag has raised money for LGBTQ youth, hurricane victims and more, he said. Drag has also allowed contestants to grow, which he loves seeing.

It's a very personal journey for us, getting to see how good people are, he said. Overall, goodness wins out.

Andora Tetee (center), Miss Gay America 2020.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miss Gay America: The female illusion pageant's 50-year journey
The Department of Justice has taken Google to court, in the most significant antitrust lawsuit to hit in decades. Its arguing that Google unlawfully struck billion-dollar deals to be the default search engine on smartphone browsers, with executives of Apple expected to testify about the companys cozy partnership. If the trial moves in favor of the DOJ, Google could be forced to break up its various businesses (like Android and YouTube) into separate entities.

But, the search giant is arguing, people love Google! They choose to use it because its simply the superior option. So what exactly is the problem?

The DOJ and antitrust law experts would say there are actually many problems. Heres a look at the groups arguably being put at a disadvantage by Googles business practices, and how it affects them.

Big and small businesses use Google as a critical bridge to reach consumers, relying heavily on the companys search algorithms to place them in the best possible position. Thats because Google is usually the first stop on a consumers path to making a decision, whether its to consider a new restaurant, headphones, or a car. And since there really isnt any other comparable search engine, advertisers really need Google to place them in a high-up position, within the first page or two of search results. This also means Google wields a lot of power in establishing what price itll charge advertisers for these coveted positions, which is one of the DOJs main arguments that it holds a monopoly on search (about 90 percent of Googles revenue comes from general search advertising).

Advertisers are locked into dealing with Google and maybe they could get better deals on other search engines, but theyre not able to do that, explained Michael Carrier, law professor at Rutgers University. Thats because there isnt a competitive market for search currently, which results in advertisers having no choice but to work with Google when they could otherwise be negotiating with others and securing better terms.

The fact that Google does have a significant percentage, maybe 90 percent of a relevant market, means that they dont have to have flexibility and Google is in the drivers seat, said Carrier.

Small businesses in particular say theyre being squeezed by Google, with limited marketing budgets that must compete with larger corporations for the same keywords. Thats on top of Google eliminating its free G Suite, apps for Docs, Calendar, and email, that included limited features for businesses. In order to keep their access, businesses would have to pay a monthly fee.

Google is free to use, but it collects millions of pages worth of data per user every single day that it then uses to fuel its advertising services. That data is worth tens of billions of dollars, so really consumers are paying Google by our attention to the advertising that they book, said James Speta, law professor at Northwestern University. However, consumers have grown disillusioned with Google in recent years. A Brookings Institution survey found confidence in Facebook, Amazon, and Google dropped between 2018 and 2021, likely because of how consumer data is used.

If there were more search options beyond Google, the DOJ argues, the company would be motivated to offer better consumer protection policies and higher quality search results and algorithms. Instead, consumers basically have to just accept whatever Google puts out there. The company is so ubiquitous as the default search engine on Apple and Android smartphones that users might not realize they can seek out a different oneand that dominance means competitors dont have a real shot at entering the market.

Consider DuckDuckGo, a private search engine that prides itself on offering greater consumer protection than Google or Facebook by identifying and blocking online trackers. It launched in 2008 but only holds 2 percent of U.S. market share. Given the number of people that seem to care about privacy, you would think that their market share would be higher than it is, and the fact that it isnt maybe says something about their ability to break into the market, said Carrier.

Theres also Microsofts Bing and Yahoo Search, but none of these companies have secured exclusivity deals like Google has with Apple and Android. That may be because Google is just so dominant, fueled by 16 times more data on average than Bing, which has created an impossibly high barrier to entry. If the search market were more fair, as Slates Nitish Pahwa put it, all of this consumer data could be shared among competitors, allowing each of them the opportunity to improve their software accordingly.

In fact, the European Union previously charged Google with violating antitrust laws, including its deal to require that Google-owned appsYouTube, Google Play and Google Mapsbe pre-installed on all Android phones. Microsoft ran into the same exact problem 20 years ago when it bundled its Internet Explorer app into its Windows operating system. The DOJ sued and restricted how Microsoft could impose its Windows operating system on manufacturers that distributed Windows.

Some argue that Googles iron grip on search could harm the future of the entire tech industry. Consider artificial intelligence, and how Google already has the upper hand, given the vast amounts of consumer data at its disposal. The question is: What could be harmed in the future in a way that were barely noticing now? explained Carrier. A.I. is the wave of the present and future. Does Googles ability to control search mean that theyll have a leg up in dealing with A.I. issues?

Speta also pointed out that Google searches reveal when there are flu outbreaks faster than the public health authorities know it. Thats rich, real-time data, especially in a post COVID-19 world, and it could become a relevant input as A.I. takes off. And, once again, that would mean just one company owns the majority of that data and has an outsized influence on new technologies. That may be a good thing, that may be a bad thing, said Speta.

Google being the dominant search engine also makes it more likely that it could fall into complacency, becoming less motivated to foster innovation that brings consumers better information, faster, and through safer methods. Competitors that might innovate stronger search options simply wouldnt get to see the light of day, hurting the overall tech industry.
A Republican congressman, vowing to vote against a resolution to keep the government open, admitted on Sunday that Americans are sick and tired of Congresss constant fights over the federal budget.

The US government will run out of funding for many nonessential services, including pay for thousands of Americans who work at various agencies, if Congress does not pass a short-term funding bill, called a continuing resolution, before 1 October.

House Republicans, who control the lower chamber by a single-digit margin, have yet to agree on a package that would attract enough Republican and/or Democratic support to pass a vote.

Tim Burchett, a member of the Freedom Caucus, was asked by CNN on Sunday why he didnt support an effort to keep the government open for another month.

I have not voted for [continuing resolutions], I didnt vote for one under President Trump and I havent voted for any any in the past, he said.

GOP House speaker Kevin McCarthy has backed a deal that would keep the government open in exchange for cutting federal spending levels by 8 per cent and reviving some Trump-era border security measures.

Mr Burchett had harsh criticism for both parties and said that Americans were tired of Congress not passing a regular budget every year, and instead relying on omnibus spending bills crafted behind closed doors.

This dysfunctional Washington cannot continue. The American public knows what were up to, and theyre sick and tired of it, he said.

You close those doors and the only colour they see is green. Thats why they love an omnibus package; its like [former] Speaker Pelosi said, we have to pass it to know whats in it.

He added: We had the whole month of August to deal with this, and yet they sent us home.

Omnibus spending bills combine two or more yearly bills passed by the 12 appropriations subcommittees into a single piece of legislation.

Found on a baby changing table in restroom underneath House floor:



Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant, from Rep. @mattgaetz, Sept. 15, 2023, 11:22am pic.twitter.com/6p7uJ2qNvh  Matt Laslo (@MattLaslo) September 19, 2023

Such bills are often easier to pass, as the political pressure for opposing them is far greater, especially given the constant threat of shutdown looming behind.

Critics of omnibus bills point to the tremendous amount of earmarked-spending often attached, which drives up the total cost of the bill as pet projects for various legislators are approved through the process.

Mr Burchett and others in the far-right wing of the Republican House caucus have vowed to vote against the resolution offered by Mr McCarthy. The GOP leader does not currently have the votes to pass a continuing resolution without support from Democrats.

Were Mr McCarthy to cut a deal with Democrats, he would likely have to give up on some, or all, of his spending cuts  and would certainly face a motion to vacate his control of the GOP caucus from the far right.

That motion to vacate was actually discovered, written by Rep Matt Gaetz, left in a House bathroom this week by congressional reporter, Matt Laslo.

On Sunday, Mr Burchett called on Republicans to pass a budget funding the federal government for next year, mentioning a plan authored by one of his colleagues.

Jodi Arrington out of Texas, God bless him...they gave him 10 minutes in [the Republican conference meeting] to talk about a budget, Mr Burchett said.

Nobody paid any attention, but thats what were supposed to do.

An unspoken truth complicating that idea: Mr Arringtons budget proposal is not yet supported by enough House Republicans, let alone a Democrat-controlled Senate or President Joe Biden.
In 2022, fringe right-wing congressional candidate Joe Kent had a little trouble convincing the far right that he was the genuine article and not, in fact, a deep-state plant.

This go-around, the America First conservative appears to be getting ahead of that narrative as he makes another run for Congress. This time, hes shoring up his radical credentials by calling to gut the FBI.

The FBI, Kent suggested in a video last month, is essentially operating as a secret domestic intelligence agency, which will continue to take us down this road towards total authoritarianism. He has repeatedly called to defund the agency, even as it faces mounting threats from the MAGAsphere, and has pushed the false claim that deep state infiltration was to blame for the Jan. 6 attack.

But Kenta former CIA paramilitary officer himself, who claims to have joined the agency early in Donald Trump s termhas to reconcile those views with an earlier version of himself.

Dem Beats MAGA Candidate to Flip House Seat in Washington

For instance, he initially denounced the Jan. 6 attackers as atrocious and said they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Kent also saw the FBI itself differently a few years ago, when the target was on the left, arguing that the FBI should be the ones doing the defundingtracking the leaders & financiers of antifa, taking away their funds, arresting their leaders on federal charges.

But Kents right-wing extremism isnt genuinely in doubt. His 2022 campaign was battered with reports about its connections to the Proud Boys and a number of other white identity extremists, which, combined with his far-right views on issues from vaccines to immigration, contributed to a narrow 2022 loss to Democrat Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez.

But Kent has continued to pepper his social media with fringe rhetoric, taking regular political potshots at deep state agencies including his former employer, the CIA.

Asked for comment, the campaign did not say Kent would work to defund the FBI. Instead, the campaign replied that if Kent were elected, he would have the FBI reprioritize its domestic threat list, focusing on leftist organizations and cartels.

While Marie Perezs auto shop provided free repairs to ANTIFA while they were assaulting police and burning down Portland and voted to keep the border open to the cartels and fentanyl killing people in Washingtons 3rd Congressional District, Joe will go to Congress and demand the FBI prioritize targeting domestic terrorist like ANTIFA and cartels trafficking these dangerous drugs instead of parents attending school board meetings, the campaign said in a statement, referencing a story about his opponent from the last election.

(Members of Congress cannot dictate the investigative priorities of executive branch law enforcement agencies, including the FBI.)

Kent, of course, has called to defund the FBI, and he also did so in 2022. And in the wake of the court-sanctioned search of Mar-a-Lago that summer he declared that we are at war with some sort of undefined shadowy leftist cabal.

The day Kent delivered those we are at war remarks, he landed a GOP primary win against then-Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), who voted to impeach Trump for inciting an insurrection. Two days later, a Trump supporter breached an Ohio FBI field office, then died during a shootout with agents. The agency said at the time that it was experiencing an unprecedented level of threats.

Kent was back at it after another tragedy this August. After FBI agents shot and killed a 74-year-old MAGA supporterwho had repeatedly made assassination threats against Democratic officials and allegedly pointed a gun at officers during the raidKent posted a live feed in which he falsely claimed the man had been killed for Facebook posts.

In response, Kent for the first time personally articulated his defunding platform on video.

I really dont know if we actually can save the FBI, he said.

I saw somebody asked me, Can we do anything about the FBI? I mean, look, at this point, especially, you know, post-Provo, where we saw the FBI essentially go and shoot and kill someone for Facebook postsand this is somebody who had cooperated with the FBI before, Kent said in the video.

The manwho had a history of violent behavior and armed public confrontationswas not killed for Facebook posts. He was shot because he allegedly pointed a gun at law enforcement officials. While he had posted numerous Facebook threats to kill Democratslike President Joe Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garlandand warned agents he would have a loaded gun handy if they came by his home again, court documents in the case revealed that it was ironically Donald Trumps own platform, Truth Social, that first alerted the feds to the potential threat.

Still, the event seemed to serve as a tipping point for Kent.

He proposed using the appropriations process to gut the agency, taking away the teeth of the FBI. The reforms would make the agency a purely investigative body, which could do investigative heavy lifting alongside local operations, such as sheriffs.

I think that might be a good way to go, Kent said. But having them as a secret domestic intelligence agency, I think that is going to continue to take us down this road towards total authoritarianism, like were on right now.

MAGA House Candidate Joe Kent Never Worked for His Pay, Ex-Staffer Says

Notably, the Kent campaigns comment said the opposite, endorsing the use of the FBI to target domestic threats.

But if Kent has changed his mind, other right-wingers, like GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, have also proposed dissolving the agency. (Ramaswamys plan would fire 20,000 bureaucratic workers and reassign the 15,000 field agents to various other federal law enforcement outfitspresumably without also porting over the bureaucratic support.)

But going by some of Kents past statements, his view today appears unavoidably politicaland hypocritical.

In June 2020, as the country was gripped in the unrest following the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, Kent said the Trump administration should refrain from deploying military forces and turn to the FBI, specifically as a domestic intelligence agency. Of course, the domestic target at the time was not conservatives, but leftists.

The use of active duty mil to quell riots is the last & worse case scenario. Local leaders must empower their police forces to restore law & order & work w/ FBI JTTFs to ID key antifa leaders, financiers & communications coordinators, Kent tweeted on June 1, referring to the FBIs Joint Terrorism Task Forces.

The previous day, Kent tweeted not that the FBI should be defunded, but that the agency itself should be doing the defunding.

The federal response to the riots needs to be the FBI tracking the leaders & financiers of antifia, taking away their funds, arresting their leaders on federal charges, he wrote.

Kent also called on local officials to collaborate with the agency, saying there was a danger of Trump taking too much of a lead in managing the unrest, letting local governments off the hook.

Then on June 2, Kent retweeted a post from priest Father Edward Beck, who was criticizing Trumps photo-op at St. Johns Church after using federal forces to violently disperse peacefully gathered protesters.

Has the Bible ever been used in a more disingenuous and exploitative way? Beck wrote, over the infamous photo of Trump raising the book in the air.

That about-face would be yet another spin for Kent, whose 2022 bid was riddled with attacks from his own right-wing allies.

At the time, some of Kents fellow fringe-dwellers looked past his resounding right-wing extremism to seize instead on biographical detailslike his previous CIA stint and subsequent work for a shadowy IT company that he repeatedly mis-namedto attack him as a subversive deep state operative. One PAC even created a website titled, Joe Kent: Anti-Christian Socialist RINO, at the address JoeKentIsCIA.com. The New York Times summed up the infighting by saying that Kenta Trump-endorsed election denierwas discovering just how far the modern far right will go.

Its unclear if Kent will try to outflank the right-wing again this time around. Of course, thats also in part a function of how much further afield the extreme end of the party will go.

But if Kent survives the primary, hell likely face a moderate incumbent in Gluesenkamp Perez, whom he wont be able to tar as a leftistbecause the far left has already denounced her.

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Chinese ballet troupe mesmerizes Algerian audience in celebration of 65th anniversary of ties

Xinhua) 09:47, September 24, 2023

ALGIERS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese ballet troupe celebrated the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria with impressive performances at the Algiers Opera House on Friday and Saturday.

The captivating performances were staged by artists from the Suzhou Ballet Theatre, and were jointly sponsored by China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Algeria's Ministry of Culture and Arts, and the Chinese Embassy in Algeria.

These performances were part of "many magnificent cultural events celebrating the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Algeria," said Chinese Ambassador to Algeria Li Jian

The ballet performance featured elements of Chinese culture through ballet in an Arab country, symbolizing the merging of cultures, the universal pursuit of beauty, and humanity's shared desire for peace and happiness, the Chinese envoy said.

For her part, Algerian Minister of Culture and Arts Soraya Mouloudji emphasized the deep friendship between Algeria and China, noting that cultural exchanges based on mutual respect are a crucial part of the two countries' enduring friendship and cooperation.

She stated that the Chinese artists' performance in Algeria exemplified the shared commitment of both nations to building stronger cultural ties.

Wang Quanxing, director of the Suzhou Ballet Theatre, expressed his gratitude for the warm reception from the Algerian audience.

He hoped that this series of performances would help introduce traditional Chinese culture, especially the distinctive culture of Suzhou, an eastern Chinese city with a rich cultural heritage. This, Wang believed, would also strengthen the enduring friendship between China and Algeria.

The Suzhou Ballet Theatre is performing in Algeria from Sept. 20 to 23, staging three performances in the capital Algiers and the northeastern province of Constantine.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
A local restaurant is getting praise and business after what the owner did for some elementary school students.

>>RELATED: Local restaurant pays off elementary students lunch debt so they can enjoy Ice Cream Friday

Naiyozcsia Thomason is the owner of Mz. Jades Soul Food and she paid off all lunch debts at Donovan Elementary School, a Lebanon school, so every student could participate in Ice Cream Friday.

News Center 7s Taylor Robertson spoke with the owner who saw the districts social media post saying students who have an unpaid lunch balance could not take part in the ice cream event.

Tomorrow is the highly anticipated first ice cream Friday! We wanted to send out a few reminders to hopefully make the day go smoothly for everyone. A student must have money on their account to purchase an ice cream. If a student has a negative balance they will not be able to purchase an ice cream even if they bring their $1 for ice cream. Students are only allowed to purchase 1 ice cream and are not permitted to buy an ice cream for a friend. We hope to have a great first ice cream Friday. Donovan Elementary School original Facebook post

People went out to the restaurant on 1131 Central Ave., to show their thanks for the owners selfless act.

I donated the balance of everything which was $411.15, Thomason said.

Thomason has owned Mz. Jades Soul Food in Middletown for five years, and when she saw that some elementary students may have to miss out on ice cream due to their lunch balance being unpaid, she wanted to step up and do something.

I called the school [Friday] morning and I spoke to the administration and I assured her that I wasnt mad or anything, I just wanted to know how I can go about my restaurant donating to pay the money, Thomason said.

>>Woman pleads to charges connected to 2021 death of Springfield man

She was compelled to donate because she was a parent who was once in a position where she couldnt pay off those school balances.

I was once that parent. I have six kids, Im a single mother and I was that parent with balances and I couldnt do nothing about it. But this time, I could do something about it, Thomason said.

Some families whose children attend Donovan Elementary went to Mz. Jades for dinner Saturday, to show their appreciation.

News Center 7s Taylor Robertson spoke with two Donovan Elementary students, Ryder and Annabella Gutierrez who are in the fourth and fifth grades.

Ryder said Mz. Jades donation meant a lot to him because last year he was the kid that had to miss out on the ice cream.

It made me sad when I saw the other people eat ice cream and have a good time, Gutierrez said.

>>Multiple injured after separate crashes slowdown I-75 near Tipp City Saturday

Ryder was very happy to hear that all the students were able to enjoy the sweet treat, especially his little sister.

Im grateful that my sister gets to experience something that I didnt, he said.

Thomason said she would do it again if the kids needed it.

Whatever these kids need, they are our future you got to provide, we got to give it to them theres just no way around it, Thomason said.

We understand this post lacked empathy. We are sorry for the way the message was communicated. The wording lacked empathy and sensitivity for students who have low or negative meal account balances. We work very hard to provide school lunches to students by removing barriers and eliminating the stigma associated with the lunch assistance program. This post inadvertently sent the message that we would embarrass students or turn them away for an issue outside their control. The message fell short of our values as a district and we sincerely apologize. The post was intended to communicate to Donovan parents how several district-wide rules apply to a la carte items purchased in the cafeteria. These rules are not new. Students who have a negative balance on their account are not turned away; they are provided a meal. Students are not allowed to purchase a la carte items if they have a negative balance in their meal account. Ice cream is an a la carte item. Therefore, if students have a negative balance on their meal account, they are not allowed to purchase ice cream. It is also important to note that we do not accept cash at our cafeteria registers. We also do not permit students to purchase food for their classmates without prior parent permission. We sincerely apologize for the way this information was communicated. Lebanon City School District response to its original post, Sept. 22 at 9:30 a.m.
ST. LOUIS  Ben Phillips childhood memories include basketball games with friends, and neighbors gathering in the summer shade at their St. Louis housing complex. He also remembers watching men in hazmat suits scurry on the roofs of high-rise buildings as a dense material poured into the air.

I remember the mist, Phillips, now 73, said. I remember what we thought was smoke rising out of the chimneys. Then there were machines on top of the buildings that were spewing this mist.

As Congress considers payments to victims of Cold War-era nuclear contamination in the St. Louis region, people who were targeted for secret government testing from that same time period believe theyre due compensation, too.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Army used blowers on top of buildings and in the backs of station wagons to spray a potential carcinogen into the air surrounding a St. Louis housing project where most residents were Black. The government contends the zinc cadmium sulfide sprayed to simulate what would happen in a biological weapons attack was harmless.

Dynamite brings down some of Pruitt-Igoe in April 1972 in St. Louis. Demolition of the 33-building complex had begun two months before. (Michael J. Baldridge/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP)

Phillips and Chester Deanes disagree. The men who grew up at the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex are now leading the charge seeking compensation and further health studies that could determine whether the secretive testing contributed to various illnesses or premature deaths that some Pruitt-Igoe residents later suffered.

We were experimented on, Phillips said. That was a plan. And it wasnt an accident.

The new push comes as federal lawmakers are weighing compensation for people claiming harm from other government actions  and inactions  during the Cold War.

The Associated Press reported in July that the government and companies responsible for nuclear bomb production and atomic waste storage sites in and near St. Louis were aware of health risks, spills and other problems, but often ignored them. Many believe the nuclear waste was responsible for the deaths of loved ones and ongoing health problems.

The AP report, part of a collaboration with The Missouri Independent and the nonprofit newsroom MuckRock, examined documents obtained by outside researchers through the Freedom of Information Act.

Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley introduced legislation soon after the news reports calling for expansion of an existing compensation program for exposure victims. The Senate endorsed the amendment. While the House has yet to vote, Democratic President Joe Biden said last month that he was prepared to help in terms of making sure that those folks are taken care of.

Former residents of Pruitt-Igoe say they should be taken care of, too.

Phillips and Deanes, 75, are co-founders of PHACTS, which stands for Pruitt-Igoe Historical Accounting, Compensation, and Truth Seeking. Their attorney, Elkin Kistner, said it would be appropriate and necessary for Hawleys proposal to be widened to include former Pruitt-Igoe residents.

The government released documents in 1994 revealing details about the spraying. And St. Louis wasnt alone in being subjected to secretive Cold War-era testing. Similar spraying occurred at nearly three dozen other locations.

Cold War radiation testing in US widespread, author claims

There were other types of secret testing. In a 2017 book, St. Louis sociologist Lisa Martino-Taylor cited documents obtained through a FOIA request to detail how pregnant women in several cities were given doses of radioactive iron during prenatal visits to determine how much was absorbed into the blood of the mothers and babies. The government also created radiation fields inside buildings, including a California high school.

The area of the testing in St. Louis was described in Army documents as a densely populated slum district. About three-quarters of the residents were Black.

We were living in so-called poverty, Deanes said. Thats why they did it. They have been experimenting on those living on the edge since Ive known America. And of course they could get away with it because they didnt tell anyone.

Pruitt-Igoe was built in the 1950s with the promise of a new and better life for lower income residents. The project failed and was demolished in the 1970s.

Despite the ultimate demise, Deanes and Phillips said that through their youth, Pruitt-Igoe was a welcoming place. Yet over the years, both men cited countless premature deaths and unusual illnesses among relatives and friends who once lived at Pruitt-Igoe.

Phillips mother died of cancer and a sister suffered from convulsions that puzzled her doctors, he said. Phillips himself lost hearing in one ear due to a benign tumor. Deanes brother battled health problems for years and died of heart failure.

Both men wonder if the spraying was responsible.

A government study found that in a worst-case scenario, repeated exposures to zinc cadmium sulfide could cause kidney and bone toxicity and lung cancer. Yet the Army contends there is no evidence anyone in St. Louis was harmed.

A spokesperson for the Army said in a statement to the AP that health assessments performed by the Army concluded that exposure would not pose a health risk, and follow-up independent studies also found no cause for alarm.

Phillips and Deane believe the previous health studies were half-hearted. In addition to a new health study, theyd like to see soil tested to see if any radioactive material was part of the spraying.

Its unclear if Hawleys bill might be expanded. Messages left with his office were not returned.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Cori Bush of St. Louis said in a statement that she and her staff are currently looking into alternative pathways that the federal government can take to ensure those impacted by the spraying of radioactive compounds and biochemicals in Pruitt-Igoe are also addressed.

Deanes and Phillips say that in addition to compensation and more detailed studies, they want an apology.

This shouldnt go on, Deanes said. How are we supposed to be the leader of the free world and this is the way we conduct ourselves with our own citizens?
Russian forces dropped two aerial bombs on the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Sept, 24, Governor Oleksandr Prokudin reported.

According to Prokudin, the attack hit civilian infrastructure in Khersons Korabelnyi district, as well as targeted an industrial zone in the Dniprovskyi district.

A 49-year-old woman was injured due to the attack, the governor said.

"She has minor injuries. The help was provided at the site (of the attack)," Prokudin wrote on Telegram.

This was the third reported Russian bombing that took casualties in Kherson Oblast in the day. Earlier, Prokudin reported that a Russian airstrike had killed one person and injured three in the town of Beryslav in Kherson Oblast.

A separate airstrike killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Prokudin added.

According to him, over the past day, Russian troops conducted a total of 83 barrages against Kherson Oblast, using 332 munitions, including mortars, tube artillery, Grad rockets, tank shells, drones, and military aviation.

Kherson, the regional capital, was targeted with 28 projectiles, Prukudin said.

Read also: US will reportedly give ATACMS to Ukraine. Will it change the war?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The G. Lamar Harrison Library at Langston University was built in 1948 and is named after the college's ninth president, Generale Lamar Harrison. Langston is Oklahoma's only HBCU, or historically Black college and university.

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have long been institutions of empowerment and excellence for the Black community. HBCUs were created during the era of racial segregation when the law in many states prohibited Black youths from enrolling in exclusively white public universities in the state.

Langston University was founded in 1897 as the Oklahoma Colored Agricultural and Normal University. It was created as a result of the Morrill Act of 1890 which was a federal law enacted by Congress pursuant to its spending power. The law required states with land-grant colleges to either admit Black students or provide an alternative school for them as a condition of receiving federal funds.

But the Morrill Act did not require states to provide equal funding to their HBCUs as compared to their colleges and universities for whites. Consequently, those in power intentionally appropriated less funding to HBCUs, including Langston University, than funding appropriated to exclusively white public universities. The goal was to ensure that Black students who pursued higher education would have an inferior experience to white students who pursued higher education.

After Oklahoma statehood in 1907, the racist tradition of providing less funding to Langston University continued in an effort to ensure the continued subordination of Black students to white students in higher education.

Oklahoma was no outlier in this respect. With the exception of Ohio and Delaware, every state that created institutions for racially segregated higher education underfunded their HBCUs compared to their public institutions for whites only.

Despite inadequate funding, Langston and other HBCUs across the country persevered and made do with what they had. Over the decades, Langston has produced countless leaders, teachers and professionals who have made important contributions to our state and our nation. I have aunts and cousins who were educated at Langston during the segregation era, and a niece who is studying there now.

Even after the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964 was adopted in an effort to bring equality in various areas of life, including higher education, the chronic underfunding of HBCUs continued, and Langston was no exception.

The U.S. Departments of Education and Agriculture recently released a report documenting the extent of state underfunding of land-grant HBCUs. For Langston, the underfunding totals nearly $420 million.

Today HBCUs and historically all white colleges and universities are open to all people without regard to their race. Nonetheless, the poor quality of primary and secondary public education received by many Black children and children of all races from low-income families leaves them ill-equipped to compete for a seat in their states flagship public predominantly white universities (PWIs).

Consequently, HBCUs serve the important function of extending higher education opportunities to many students (including white students) who would be denied higher education. HBCUs meet those students where they are in their education journey, thereby filling gaps in learning while also teaching them at a collegiate level and helping them earn a degree.

The neglect of HBCUs like Langston reflects a broader trend in which institutions that serve predominantly Black communities are under-resourced. Whether we examine public schools, health care access or access to wealth generating educational and employment opportunities, a similar pattern emerges. The societal consequences are profound: Reduced opportunities exacerbate inequalities and diminish potential for economic and cultural growth.

Oklahoma is a stronger state when every part of it is strong. Hence, in neglecting Langston University, Oklahoma neglects its own potential. While the Oklahoma Legislature could immediately cease the underfunding of Langston going forward, and begin investments that reduce or eliminate the historical funding gap, there is also a role that each of us as Oklahomans can play. We can be allies that hire Langston graduates, mentor Langston students and include Langston in our charitable giving. We also can vote and ask our representatives in the Oklahoma Legislature to end the underfunding of Langston.

By investing in Langston, we as Oklahomans can honor the transformative power of education and reaffirm our commitment to equality and justice for all.

Carla D. Pratt

Carla D. Pratt is the Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher Chair in Civil Rights, Race and Justice at the College of Law at the University of Oklahoma.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: In neglecting Langston University, Oklahoma neglects its own potential
A New Hampshire teen was recently honored for her dedication to helping the homeless in Manchester.

Fourteen-year-old Elise White has been assisting at her local soup kitchen, spending hours serving hot meals to those in need ever since she noticed a group of unhoused.

Elise even inspired a group of ninth graders to volunteer at the soup kitchen weekly.

On Tuesday, Elise was presented with a Chick-fil-A prize pack and a $2,000 check to use a dining credit for hot meals.

We are honored to recognize Elise as a Community Hero for the impact shes making on our community and our neighbors in need, said local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Somerset Plaza, Anthony Piccola. We admire her servant leadership and want to encourage her and others to continue being good stewards, prioritizing showing care for their community.

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In the coming years, Springfield may have access to passenger rail service with the implementation of an Amtrak station. The station would connect the city to the remainder of the country's rail infrastructure, including a new route to Branson.

The Missouri Department of Transportation requested the creation of a new corridor from Kansas City to Springfield and Branson in an application to the Corridor Identification and Development Program in October 2022.

The Corridor Identification and Development Program, managed by the Federal Railroad Administration, was established to develop passenger rail services throughout the country. For each selected applicant, the FRA will grant an initial $500,000 for eligible activities related to the proposed development.

Springfield has not been served by passenger rail since 1967 when the Frisco Meteor train ceased operation.

Even if selected by the Corridor Identification and Development Program, creation of an Amtrak station in Springfield is still several years away. Applications for the program were due to the FRA in March of this year.

In addition to the proposed corridor to Springfield and Branson, MoDOT submitted three other applications, requesting:

Improvement to the existing corridors in St. Louis and Kansas City, with the addition of a third roundtrip and new stops for both cities

Extension of the existing Chicago to Quincy, Illinois corridor to Hannibal

Creation of a new corridor from Kansas City to St. Joseph, which represents another region of the state that is not served by Amtrak

In its application letter, MoDOT also expressed interested in partnering with passenger rail services in Minnesota and Iowa for the creation of a potential Minneapolis-Des Moines-Kansas City corridor.

"In evaluating corridor proposals, the agency will target projects that bring tangible public benefits, and special emphasis will be paid to projects that benefit rural and underserved communities," a FRA news release published in December 2022 stated. "Proposed corridors should make regional travel more sustainable and reduce congestion, boost local economies and create jobs, among other benefits."

Where is the program's funding coming from?

The Corridor Identification and Development Program was created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, by President Joe Biden in November 2021. At its core, the law's focus is developing roadways, bridges, passenger rail, airports, waterways and other public transportation, while addressing how transportation effects the environment.

Specific to passenger rail, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law allocated $66 billion and up to an additional $36 billion for the next five years (from 2022) for Department of Transportation rail programs. This funding will be distributed to states based on "formulas specified in federal law" and competitive grant programs, like the Corridor Identification and Development Program, according to the FRA.

Similar proposal deemed unsuccessful 15+ years ago

This is not the first time MoDOT has proposed the implementation of an Amtrak station in Springfield. In 2007, MoDOT conducted a report which analyzed the feasibility of passenger rail service from St. Louis and Springfield, with stops in Kirkwood, Sullivan, Rolla and Lebanon. The rail would have also serviced Branson.

The report revealed that the project was not viable, due to its significant financial investment, lack of competitive trip time versus a standard vehicle (train travel time would have taken six hours, compared to three hours in a vehicle) and the projected lack of ridership base, according to a report prepared by Amtrak.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: MoDOT requests Amtrak rail service expansion to Springfield, Branson
Popular items from this list include:

A Denman Hair Brush to help you form perfectly styled and defined curls while also detangling and reducing frizz

LOreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear powder foundation that is literally witchcraft in a compact  it promises up to 24 hours of transfer- and sweat-resistant wear all while providing a mattifying, smooth, flawless complexion, even after a full day of activities

A fabulous lip-plumping gloss set to create absolutely luscious lips for anyone who likes the look of lip fillers but not the price or commitment.

HuffPost receives a share from retailers on this page. Prices and availability are subject to change.

A Denman hair brush

www.amazon.com

A Denman hair brush

Promising review: "TikTok made me do it. I never knew I had 3a curls until I used this brush. It evenly spreads product throughout the hair and clumps up your curls. Its just an amazing brush!"  mariela



$21.96 at Amazon

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Powder Foundation

www.amazon.com

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Fresh Wear Powder Foundation

Promising review: "I have purchased this three times in the color Sienna, and it is perfect! It's totally worth all the hype on TikTok. This is a very emollient powder that sticks to the skin. I prep with sunscreen then use this. The fragrance dissipates quickly. I noticed the actual powder is bouncy to the touch. I have not used the pelican or sponge it comes with. I like to use a powder brush. It gives me full coverage, and I look flawless all day. I also dont need to blot. And I am very oily. I will certainly continue to repurchase. This is the best powder I have tried since Mac Studio Fix."  Maria Webba



$16.74+ at Amazon

A fabulous lip-plumping gloss

www.amazon.com

A fabulous lip-plumping gloss

You'll get one lip plumper and one minty sleeping mask for your lips.



Promising review: "I discovered this product from TikTok and I had to give it a try. I tried the day lip plumper and within a few seconds, there was a subtle tingling/burning that lasted for a few minutes but as it occurred, the plumping started to happen! It made a noticeable difference and made my lips look like I had filler! I'm obsessed!!  Amazon customer

$10.98+ at Amazon

A bottle of Elizavecca Hair Treatment

Bek O'Connell / BuzzFeed

A bottle of Elizavecca Hair Treatment

Check out a TikTok of the hair cream in action. This is designed to work on all hair types, with reviewers with 2b4c curls mentioning it worked for them! Just apply it to your wet hair after shampooing, wait five minutes, rinse it out and voila!



Promising review: "TikTok made me buy this the first time. I liked it enough to buy it again. It leaves my hair super hydrated and soft. If you have issues with oily hair, maybe not for you. But those with dry or curly hair needing moisture  yes yes yes! Keep the box for directions because you cant read the ones on the bottle if you dont understand the language."  Kandyce D.

$7.13 at Amazon

A teeth-whitening pen

www.amazon.com

A teeth-whitening pen

Promising review: "I bought this on a whim when I saw someone review it on TikTok. After using it several times over the course of a week, I immediately noticed the difference in the color of my teeth. I'm a smoker and a heavy coffee drinker. I'm finding that this product will be a lifesaver in terms of what my smile looks like. I would definitely recommend!!"  Mully



$18.95 at Amazon

A pack of Mighty Patch pimple spot treatment

www.amazon.com

A pack of Mighty Patch pimple spot treatment

See them in action on TikTok here!



Promising review: "I heard all about these on TikTok, so I decided to order. I switched my birth control and was having a ton of breakouts, these are amazing! They helped me stop picking at my face and my skin is so clear now. I will always have these in my house from now on!"  Kiara Galloway



$10.77 at Amazon

An eye primer

www.amazon.com

An eye primer

Promising review: "So let me start by saying I have used nearly every eyeshadow primer available. From high end to low...they don't hold a candle to Thank Me Later. I have very oily skin. Using this primer, shadow lasts a full eight hours or more. I could get maybe five or six out of the other brands if I was lucky. I got this as a sample in my Ipsy bag, and I had to buy the full-size product straight away! I couldn't be happier with my purchase. Thank you, Elizabeth Mott, for finally making a primer that lasts! I love this stuff!"  Melissa Mae



$13.99 at Amazon

And a long-lasting Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray

Jenae Sitzes / BuzzFeed

And a long-lasting Urban Decay All Nighter setting spray

BuzzFeed shopping editor Jenae Sitzes has this and absolutely loves it. "I first put this setting spray to the test for a wedding that involved taking many trains in and out of Manhattan on a hot day and being in crowded rooms where airflow was limited. As such, I was sweating up a storm, but my makeup looked flawless by the time I got home that night  all thanks to this Urban Decay setting spray that I knew after one use I'd be repurchasing," she said. "I'm new to setting sprays, so it felt weird at first to spray something on top of my carefully crafted makeup look, but it dried in no time without messing anything up. It also didn't feel heavy or sticky on my face  it didn't feel like anything at all, actually  and my makeup looked better than it ever has after hours of wear. (For reference, I have dry, sensitive skin, and it caused me no issues.)



"Soon after that event, I put it to an even bigger task: surviving sweat, tears, and 12 hours of wear for the Taylor Swift Eras Tour. My makeup look (pictured above) was done by 2 p.m., and thanks to my now highly trusted Urban Decay spray, it stayed completely intact (minus the lipstick I purposefully wiped off while scarfing down post-concert pizza) until the time I got home just after 2 a.m. Here's what it endured during that timespan: multi-leg public transportation to and from the venue, waiting in lines under the blaring sun to get in, multiple meals and drinks, jumping, screaming, and literally full-on crying multiple times during the show. My liquid eyeliner, eyeshadow, non-waterproof mascara, foundation, blush, and even glitter (for the most part) were unfazed, and I owe it all to this setting spray."

$30.60 at Amazon

VieBeauti eyelash growth serum

www.amazon.com

VieBeauti eyelash growth serum

Promising review: "I bought this in January because of TikTok reviews. I tried to be consistent with this 12 times a day for a little over two months now, and Ive seen a huge difference. My eyelashes are noticeably longer and I wear way way less mascara. I usually give up on things like this when I dont see results instantly, but Im glad I stuck with it. It takes a couple of months, but I definitely will keep using this serum."  Julie



$24.69 at Amazon

And a lash-lifting kit

www.amazon.com

And a lash-lifting kit

This kit includes lash glue, lash perm, lash fixation, lash nutrition, lash cleanser, five silicone pads, three lash cleaning brushes, 10 lash micropores, 10 brushes and five gel under-eye pads.



Promising review: "Okay I'm not gonna lie, I was worried that this stuff would either not work at all or make all my lashes fall out. Thankfully, it was neither and the results are UNREAL. I HIGHLY suggest watching some YouTube videos of other people using their perm kits before attempting to use yours. I have big fingers and small eyes so it was difficult for me to get the lift pads in the right positions but once that was over, the rest was a breeze. Unlike some of the other kits I've seen on here, this one has basically everything you need. The only other things I needed were a mirror, some tissue, and a little bit of plastic wrap to cover my lashes while waiting for the lotions to work their magic. I'm totally impressed and will definitely be buying this again!  Ryan

$20.09 at Amazon

A Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue spray

Sephora

A Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue spray

Tower 28 is a small biz whose founder, Amy Liu, has struggled with eczema for years. The brand specializes in products for sensitive skin, and everything is also vegan and cruelty-free.



I've been seeing hypochlorous acid sprays all over my TikTok FYP so obviously I was influenced and wanted to try it out. I really hate the feeling of getting all sweaty in a workout and not being able to wash my face right away, so this has been a great option to just spritz on right away to help me feel more refreshed (and cleaner, knowing some of the bacteria is getting killed and won't make me break out). I just keep the bottle in my car and will spray it on when I finish a workout. Aside from the myriad benefits this spray has, there is something sooo soothing and refreshing about spritzing a cool mist on your face when you're hot and sweaty. I have seriously become obsessed with it, it just feels so dang good!! I love knowing that this is helping to protect me from breakouts, and I also am glad to have it on hand for any time I inevitably break out into a mysterious rash (yes this happens, my skin hates me).

$12+ at Sephora

A powerful snail repair cream

www.amazon.com

A powerful snail repair cream

Promising review: "I'm 55 years old and my skin is a bit sensitive. I don't have a lot of wrinkles, but I'm definitely noticing a few more laugh lines and forehead crinkles than I had a few years ago! I've tried several moisturizers and have not been terribly impressed with any of them until now. This stuff really is great  incredibly hydrating without feeling greasy and it absorbs quickly. It feels great on my skin. In just a few short weeks, I definitely notice an improvement in my skin tone and fewer lines and wrinkles! Plus, the customer service is great. I had questions when I first received the product and got a follow-up response immediately. I will definitely be ordering this product again. I use it in the evening and morning; no need for two different moisturizers. Very pleased!"  sbakey



$15.15 at Amazon

A microplane foot file

www.amazon.com

A microplane foot file

Check out a TikTok of the foot file in action (warning: it's kinda gross).



Promising review: "I have purchased every callus cream on the market and it has been a waste of time and money. This simple device is a miracle worker. The callous on my big toe is very, very hard and the nearby callus along the side of the foot, while not as large and hard, is also difficult. I have used this device three days in a row, taking off a little at a time and not applying pressure. I apply lotion before and after using it and both areas show substantial improvement. It is important that you do not rush this process. Just a little at a time. Remember how long it took for that callus to form! Because I have been gentle and careful I have no pain. Cleaning is simple. I wholeheartedly recommend!"  desertdragonfly

$9.95 at Amazon

A spray bottle of SoCozy Curl Spray leave-in conditioner

www.amazon.com

A spray bottle of SoCozy Curl Spray leave-in conditioner

Check out a TikTok of the SoCozy Curl Spray in action. This is designed to work on all hair types, with reviewers with 2a4c curls swearing by it!



Promising review: "Amazing!! I had NO idea that my frizzy-haired little girl had beautiful curls. I went down an Instagram rabbit hole and saw a similar girl show how her frizz was curls. I ordered this!! My mind has been blown!! This has changed our lives. It smells so good! It is easy to use and air dry. Before my daughter woke up with terrible bed head that looked like this! Now it is gorgeous soft curls. We will definitely buy again and tell everyone about this product!!"  Amazon customer



$7.99 at Amazon

A firming eye cream

www.amazon.com

A firming eye cream

Promising review: "Incredible product! Still cannot believe what a difference it has made in the lines and wrinkles around my eyes. I use it twice a day, and actually use it for my entire face and my neck. My skin feels so soft, and lines are disappearing."  Melissa



$25.01 at Amazon

A color corrector pen

Ulta

A color corrector pen

Live Tinted is a South Asian woman-owned small biz that specializes in vegan cruelty-free beauty products for all skin tones.



Promising review: "I can't believe I've lived without this product for so long! This is SOOOO much better than the concealers I've used in the past because it really covers up my dark circles. This product is a staple in my makeup routine! Can't live without this!"  Undisclosed

$24 at Amazon

A roll-on waxing kit

www.amazon.com

A roll-on waxing kit

The kit includes a 40W high-power roll on wax warmer, two boxes of wax (honey and lavender scents), six packs of calming oil wipes and 100 nonwoven wax strips. AND! Don't feel any pressure to wax your body hair if that's not your style. You do you, boo!



Promising review: "Ive spent TONS of money and time going to spas and nail salons trying to find the perfect wax. After doing some research, I came across this bad boy and let me tell you, I am NEVER going back! Its so easy to use, and also so convenient. They send enough product to thoroughly try everything out. I also love that they send two scents, so you can find which one you love the most. The wax strips are sturdy enough to undergo the pressure you apply before pulling it off, as well as the actual pull. They get everything underneath and you can even use a single strip multiple times. No need to fly through the pack of strips anymore, when you can reuse the single strip a few times! HIGHLY RECOMMEND if youre always busy, and on the go, or just wanting some extra self-care in the comfort of your home. "  Alisa Garza

$32.49 at Amazon

Radha Beauty Rosehip Oil

www.amazon.com

Radha Beauty Rosehip Oil

Promising review: "My new holy grail! I have super sensitive, acne-prone skin in a very dry climate. This stuff is seriously so amazing. I use it from my face to my toes. Its completely eradicated any dry skin I had and makes me glow. Ive gotten so many compliments on my skin since Ive started using it, even my boyfriend noticed! I love it after chemical peels too. It gets rid of peeling and dry patches as well as soothes any redness. Its a decent-sized bottle for what you pay!"  Brynnieb09

$14.95 at Amazon

A heat-activated anti-frizz treatment

www.amazon.com

A heat-activated anti-frizz treatment

Promising review: This product is incredible  just WOW. In all my years of existence, I was never able to tame my naturally curly hair into a sleek, silky, frizz-free look, until now. I l don't know what kind of magical sorcery went into making this product, but this stuff is amazing.  Lillee45



$28 at Amazon

A bottle of Blume's meltdown acne oil

Blume

A bottle of Blume's meltdown acne oil

See why one TikToker is a fan here! Blume is a BIPOC woman- and family-owned small biz based in Vancouver that makes cruelty-free, vegan and environmentally-friendly skincare in snazzy packaging.



Promising review: "Been using Meltdown for two weeks straight and I'm happy to say that it has done wonders for my skin. It has brightened up my complexion and kept my skin moisturized during these cold winter months. Don't skip out on this magic serum."  Linnea V.

$28 at Blume

A bottle of cuticle repair oil

www.amazon.com

A bottle of cuticle repair oil

Watch one TikToker apply it here!



Promising review: "I am not kidding you, this is my first Amazon review ever. Just a few weeks ago my nails were brittle and peeling, I always have my nails done and they were pretty much destroyed then I saw this on TikTok and decided to give it a try and I legitimately have never had healthier nails in my life! If youre thinking about buying this buy it!"  Jocelyn Nackley



$9.90 at Amazon

Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm

www.amazon.com

Juno & Co.'s Clean 10 Cleansing Balm

Juno & Co. is a small business focused on moving away from the traditional beauty market to sustainable and simplified formulas.



Promising review: "I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!!!! I found it on TikTok and OMG!! It works so well. I don't have to sit there and rub the crap out of my eyelashes to get the waterproof mascara off. I will admit, it doesn't take 100% of the makeup off but about 95% of my makeup comes off. It is not water-resistant, as emulsifying it with water helps take the makeup off. I have not found a better makeup remover, and yes, that includes micellar water (which also works well but leaves my skin feeling oily). With this cleansing balm, my face feels hydrated and smooth. LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!!!!!!! 1,000/10 would recommend!!!"  Deetje Frederick



$14.99 at Amazon

Or a super-soft Makeup Eraser

Amazon

Or a super-soft Makeup Eraser

Promising review: "I am amazed by this product. I would even say that this is life-altering! I have not had to buy makeup remover in three months and don't believe I will ever have to again! When I used makeup remover, I felt like I could never get all of my makeup off and I had to rub my eyes quite a bit to get it off. Even after a lot of rubbing when using makeup remover I still would wake up the next morning with makeup residue from the previous day and I never felt I could completely get my makeup off. With Makeup Eraser, there is not one bit of makeup left!! It is like magic!! Make sure you follow directions, you have to use warm water and use the correct side!"  Sprklbuz



$19 at Amazon

An extremely easy-to-use and downright magical spray

www.amazon.com

An extremely easy-to-use and downright magical spray

Gray hair is honestly pretty fierce, so feel free to let those silvery strands shine!



Promising review: "I use this in between my monthly 'cut and color' trips to the beauty salon. That third week really shows the grey roots, so I use this until my next appointment. A few sprays along the hairline and part, and I am ready to go. It will stay for a couple of days if you don't have to wash your hair daily. Otherwise, it will wash right out with your shampoo. The red that I buy is a more auburn color, and gives a great look to my hair. I buy this on a regular basis. One can lasts about 10 applications of touch-ups for me."  Jean

$9.97 at Amazon

An outrageously popular Differin gel

www.amazon.com

An outrageously popular Differin gel

Because of the prescription-strength retinoid, make sure to consult your dermatologist before introducing this into your skincare routine.



BuzzFeed Shopping editor Natalie Brown has tried this out on her own skin! Here are her takeaways:



"1. One pea-sized application per day is all it takes.



"2. It's just as effective over moisturizer as it would be if you applied it directly to your skin.



"3. Apply it at night, and you MUST wear sunscreen every day when you use this!"



Promising review: "I don't have too much of an issue with acne, however I do have hormonally based pimples once a month, with a few pimples that break through every now and then. I really purchased because it is a retinoid that you don't have to go to the doctor for and I wanted it to help with some sun damage on my face and fine lines. I've only been using this for a month, but I can honestly say that within the first week I could see a change in my skin. I have absolutely had not one break out of any kind and my skin is so smooth. I sincerely believe that the discoloration and hyperpigmentation on my skin is beginning to fade."  Catattack

$14.97 at Amazon

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer

www.amazon.com

Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer

Promising review: "Best under-eye concealer ever. I wouldn't go out without applying this concealer. It blends nicely with my foundation and has never caked. The sponge applicator is soft and makes application quick and easy. I will continue to use this product and hope, like many products I've used over the years, that it doesn't get discontinued."  Morty

$8.52 at Amazon

The highly effective Bio-Oil

www.amazon.com

The highly effective Bio-Oil

Bio-Oil contains retinol, which accelerates skin turnover but can make you more sensitive to the sun, so don't forget your sunscreen!



Promising review: "Bio-Oil is the BEST skin product on the market. I use it as a twice a day  morning and before I go to bed. Small lines have disappeared. My skin is very smooth and seems to glow. A doctor recommended this to one of my friends who told me about it. I have bought several bottles as gifts. Be patient. It will take a few months for you to see notice the changes. I am 71 years old. No one paid me to write this."  Amazon customer

$9.99 at Amazon

Bread Beauty Supply Elastic Bounce Cream

Sephora

Bread Beauty Supply Elastic Bounce Cream

Bread Beauty Supply is a Black woman-owned small business that excels in creating haircare for not-so-basic hair. And they cater for curl types 3a to 4c.



Promising review: "This curl cream is really it. I have tried different ones before but I feel like this one leaves my hair bouncy and moisturized. I really like the smell, too  its so sweet, makes me want to eat it hehe. I like that a little goes a long way and the packaging is really great size so it would last a long time."  Sephora customer

$28 at Sephora

A color-correcting treatment

Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed

A color-correcting treatment

Promising review: "This product is a game changer for anyone with red rosacea-prone skin. I have used everything from drugstore to expensive products from my dermatologist, plus many IPL treatments to reduce the redness. Nothing worked until I found this. A small amount goes a long way so I use a sunscreen underneath. I found patting it on my skin worked and the redness is gone instantly and stays that way all day."  DGladMarten



$54 at Sephora

Or a calming cream that'll help soothe skin

www.amazon.com

Or a calming cream that'll help soothe skin

Promising review: "Absolutely worth every single cent! I have severe rosacea that leave my nose and cheeks dry, flaky, and breaking out. Ive had little success with anything topical that will provide and relief to my irritated skin. My sister recommended it to me when I was looking for a moisturizer after a severe sunburn that left my nose blistered and raw. I received my order Wednesday and applied it that night after washing my face. By Saturday afternoon my face is almost completely healed, preventing pealing, and helped clear up my rosacea skin irritation! Im completely amazed! Ive applied less than a dime size over my face four times! My skin has truly never felt better! Its got to be witchcraft because not even the different prescriptions Ive tried over the years have produced these results."  Amazon customer



$24.50 at Amazon

A bottle of sulfate-free Biotin shampoo

www.amazon.com

A bottle of sulfate-free Biotin shampoo

Talk to your doctor before using this product if you're experiencing hair loss. Read more about biotin shampoo and hair at Cleveland Clinic.



Promising review: "I love this shampoo! I had gastric sleeve surgery and my hair was very, very thin. I started taking biotin and switched to biotin shampoo as recommended by my doctor. It doesnt make your hair grow by washing it but it makes your hair and roots stronger. And it worked. After using the whole bottle, my hair was stronger. I had a lot of new growth that was sticking around (the previous new growth fell out early on) and my hair was getting thicker. Eight months later, my hair is back to normal. It's longer and thicker than ever. I still use it twice a week and love it! Im not in love with the way it smells but others love it when they smell my hair."  Diane J. Huff



$11.95 at Amazon

Related...
Texas House Democrats Trey Martinez Fischer , D-San Antonio, Victoria Neave Criado, D-Dallas, and John Bryant, D-Dallas, discuss their party and an upcoming special legislative session at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Saturday. Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune

Following a disappointing 2023 legislative session for Texas Democrats, state Rep. John Bryant, D-Dallas, said its time to take an active stand against Republicans after the party seemed unwilling to work together during the session.

Bryant, Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, and Victoria Neave Criado, D-Dallas, discussed weak consensus within their own party during a panel Saturday at The Texas Tribune Festival moderated by Matthew Watkins, managing editor of news and politics.

The party failed to exert its influence on many important issues in the House during the session  something Bryant blamed on go-along-get-along Democrats.

Bryant cited property tax cut legislationas a major missed opportunity for Democrats, who failed to wager their power to amend the bill to benefit renters.

Part of the problem is we have 25 members who are either chairman or vice chair or have received other emoluments from the Speaker of the House, Bryant said. They argue in our caucus every single time not to take action that offends the Republican majority.

Martinez Fischer serves as chair of the Texas House Democratic Caucus and Neave Criado chairs the County Affairs Committee and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus.

Despite a contrast in opinion, Criado said there is a benefit to different leadership styles within the caucus. It's about doing the right thing for the people that we represent, she said.

All three panel participants said they will oppose the school voucher bill during the special legislative session next month, a proposal that if approved would let parents take their kids out of public schools and enroll them into private ones using taxpayers' money. This will require Democrats to be unified with no room to waver or compromise, Bryant said.

I think the case is so strong in our favor, it's really going to be a question of whether we can overcome  the billionaire caucus that is out there, he said. Putting the pressure on these Republicans and keep our wobbly Democrats in line. Not all the Democrats are talking the same way as the three of us.

Neave Criado said the party will need to focus on what unites it to focus on raising teacher pay and taking care of public schools.

I want to see us united.  I know that there are so many of us that are [united] and so that's what's important in the end is being united to fight for the people that we care about and our constituents back home, Neave Criado said.

To get things done, Bryant said the responsibility falls on the public hold their representatives accountable.

I have no confidence whatsoever that working as a caucus alone is going to do this, he said. It's going to require the public to come down on your individual member with phone calls, letters and your personal presence to guarantee that we don't lose so many Democrats that we can lose hope.

As The Texas Tribune's signature event of the year, The Texas Tribune Festival brings Texans closer to politics, policy and the days news from Texas and beyond. Browse on-demand recordings and catch up on the biggest headlines from Festival events at the Tribunes Festival news page.
While Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) said definitively Sunday that he will bet on Kevin McCarthy any day amid the Republican House Speakers struggle to wrangle enough votes from his party to fund the federal government and stave off a government shutdown next month, one of Turners colleagues took a different approach.

I wouldnt bet on Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) said on CBS Face the Nation, but I also wouldnt bet against him.

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales: "I wouldn't bet on Kevin McCarthy, but I also wouldn't bet against him." pic.twitter.com/tvxoSyVHD3  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 24, 2023

McCarthy, who finally won the speakership back in January thanks to apparent concessions to far-right members of his party, is seeing some of those members, like Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), resist a stopgap spending bill to avoid a shutdown. Gaetz, whose confrontation with McCarthy on the House floor during one of the 15 rounds of voting earlier this year went viral, has also threatened to call daily votes to take the gavel back from the California congressman.

Amid this backdrop, Gonzales, who has said he too opposes a stopgap spending bill, was largely critical of McCarthy.

Continuing resolutions dont solve the problem. They just kick the can down the road, he told anchor Margaret Brennan.

"If you give Congress more time, they're just going to take that time," GOP @RepTonyGonzales says when asked if he still won't support a short-term spending bill.



"I don't want to see a shutdown, but there is no doubt in my mind that the country is headed for a shutdown." pic.twitter.com/wKvoWDWmDy  Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 24, 2023

I called it a month ago, and I said weve on a path toward a shutdown because Speaker McCarthy wants that and President Biden wants that, he argued.

When pressed on whether he effectively wants to see a shutdown given the time required to pass the legislation that he prefers, Gonzales maintained that he didnt.

I dont want to see a shutdown, but in my experience, if you give Congress more time, theyve just going to take that time, he said, adding that a rapidly approaching deadline would facilitate action. I dont want to see a shutdown, but there is no doubt in my mind that the country is headed for a shutdown, and everyone should prepare as such.

More from Rolling Stone

Best of Rolling Stone

Click here to read the full article.
Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told the Russian state news agency TASS on Sept. 22 that new sanctions against Russia "are not necessary."

Szijjarto said the sanctions "cause more harm to Europe than to Russia."

The minister also said Ukrainian grain shipments would harm Central Europe's agriculture sector.

"If Ukrainian grain starts to spread into Central European countries, it will definitely destroy the agricultural markets of Central Europe. Not to mention our farmers, whom we obviously need to protect," Szijjarto said.

The Hungarian government implemented a ban on 24 Ukrainian agricultural products after the European Commission decided to end the Ukrainian grain embargo on Sept. 15.

In response, Ukraine has said it will sue Hungary, along with Poland and Slovakia, over the import ban.

Hungary also has a history of opposing international sanctions against Russia while blocking funding for Ukraine.

Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine strikes Russias Black Sea Fleet headquarters; Abrams to arrive next week

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is welcomed at the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters, where he was felicitated a day after the women's reservation bill was passed by the Indian Parliament in New Delhi, Friday, Sep. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/STR)

NEW DELHI (AP)  The Group of 20 Summit, hosted by India earlier this month, couldnt have gone better for Prime Minister Narendra Modi . His pledge to make the African Union a permanent member became reality. And under his leadership, the fractured grouping signed off on a final statement. It was seen as a foreign policy triumph for Modi and set the tone for India as a great emerging power.

Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was expected to seize on Indias geopolitical high in his speech at the United Nations on Tuesday. But circumstances have changed  quite abruptly  and India comes to the General Assembly podium with a diplomatic mess on its hands.

On Monday, Canadian leader Justin Trudeau made a shocking claim: India may have been involved in the killing of a Sikh Canadian citizen in a Vancouver suburb in June.

Trudeau said there were credible allegations of links to New Delhi, which India angrily rejected as absurd. It has been a free fall since: Each expelled a diplomat, India suspended visas for Canadians, and Ottawa said it may reduce consulate staff over safety concerns. Ties between the two once-close countries have sunk to their lowest point in years.

In the immediate term, this will bring New Delhi back down to Earth. It has a crisis that it needs to work through, quickly but carefully, said Michael Kugelman, director of the Wilson Centers South Asia Institute.

TENSIONS WERE ALREADY SIMMERING

On the last day of the G20 summit, Trudeau posed and smiled with Modi as world leaders paid respects at Mahatma Gandhis memorial. Behind the scenes though, tensions were high.

Trudeau skipped an official dinner hosted by the Indian president, and local media reported he was snubbed by Modi when he got a quick pull aside instead of a bilateral meeting. To make things worse, a flight snag saw him stranded in New Delhi for 36 hours. Finally back in Canada, Trudeau said he had raised the allegations with Modi at the G20.

As India heads to the United Nations, the allegations have thrown cold water on India's G20 achievements," said Happymon Jacob, founder of the New Delhi-based Council for Strategic and Defense Research.

India has long sought greater recognition at the United Nations. For decades, it has eyed a permanent seat at the Security Council, one of the worlds most prestigious high tables. But it has also been critical of the global forum, partly because it wants more representation thats in line with its rising soft power.

The U.N. Security Council, which is the core of the United Nations system, is a family photo of the victors of the Second World War plus China, Jacob said. India believes it simply does not reflect the demographic, economic and geopolitical realities of today, he added. Others in the elite group include France, Russia, Britain and the United States.

In April, Jaishankar said India, the worlds most populous country with the fastest growing economy among major nations, couldnt be ignored for too long. The U.N. Security Council, he said, will be compelled to provide permanent membership."

The United States, Britain and Indias Cold War-era ally Russia have voiced support for its permanent membership over the years. But U.N. bureaucracy has stopped the council from expanding. And even if that changes, China  India's neighbor and regional rival  would likely block a request.

INSTEAD OF THE UN, INDIA MAKES SOME END RUNS

Kept out of the U.N.s most important body, Modi has made sure that his country is smack at the center of a tangled web of global politics. On one hand, New Delhi is part of the Quad and the G20, seen as mostly Western groups. On the other, it wants to expand its influence in the BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, where Russia and China dominate.

The deft juggling of the West and the rest has come to define Indias multipolar foreign policy.

Its diplomatic sway has only grown over its reluctance to condemn Russia for its war in Ukraine, a stance that resonated among many developing countries that have also been neutral. And the West, which sees an ascendant India as crucial to countering China, has stepped up ties with Modi. By doing so, it looks past concerns of democratic backsliding under his government.

In the immediate aftermath, the first reaction from Canadas Western allies  including its biggest one, the United States  was tepid. But as the row deepens, the question likely worrying Indian officials is this: Will the recent international fiasco jeopardize its surging ties with the West?

After an initial muted response, the White House has intensified its concerns. Theres not some special exemption you get for actions like this, regardless of the country, security adviser Jake Sullivan said. On Friday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. was deeply concerned about the allegations and that it would be important that India work with the Canadians on this investigation.

While there's been no public evidence, a Canadian official told The Associated Press that the allegation of Indias involvement in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Sikh separatist, is based on surveillance of Indian diplomats in Canada  including intelligence provided by a major ally. On Friday, the U.S. ambassador to Canada confirmed this, saying information shared by the intelligence-sharing Five Eyes alliance helped link India to the assassination.

At the United Nations, where he held a news conference and meetings but will not be speaking for his nation on Tuesday, Trudeau told reporters that he doesnt want to cause problems but said his decision was not made lightly. Canada, he said, had to stand up for the rule of law and protect its citizens.

For New Delhi, the U.N. meeting may present a possible opportunity. Indian and Canadian diplomats could meet on the sidelines to try to lower temperatures with a potential assist from Washington, Kugelman said. Canada's delegation chair, Robert Rae, is delivering the country's remarks 10 spots after India.

Jaishankar could also hold face-to-face meetings with other key partners to minimize the damage. Since arriving, hes held chats with ministers from Australia, Japan and Britain.

Lets be clear: Were not going to see foreign leaders avoid or isolate Jaishankar at the U.N. General Assembly, Kugelman said.

But it could also lead to more fireworks if they bring the spat to the U.N. podium and the global audience of leaders it tends to command. Ultimately, though, India doesnt want the Canada row to be a sideshow here, and especially not one that moves to the center stage, Kugelman said. That would take attention away from the achievements it hopes to publicize on one of the worlds biggest global platforms.
In many parts of what is now the United States, communities have in recent years replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day.

Celebrating Indigenous cultures every October is important. But in this moment when the U.S. is reckoning with legacies of racism and colonialism, many Indigenous nations call for something more  the return of ancestral lands.

Having spoken to Native Americans activists, leaders and community members in the course of my research into sacred sites protection movements, I understand that land is often the center of Indigenous life. It is not just where people live, but a site of complex relationships among humans, waters, plants, animals and spiritual beings. This is why the famous Standing Rock Sioux scholar and activist Vine Deloria Jr. wrote American Indians hold their lands  places  as having the highest possible meaning, and all their statements are made with this reference point in mind.

Stolen lands

In my research with California Bay Area Ohlone tribes, I have learned how land is central to identity and culture. Even in highly urbanized places like San Francisco and Oakland, Ohlone people have talked to me about how the land still holds meaning.

As a non-Indigenous Latino scholar, I have also been challenged to continually reimagine those places  and the continent as a whole  as Indigenous land. Like many people in the U.S., my education growing up taught me to think about Indigenous peoples in the past tense  looking at their history and not their contemporary experiences.

This reimagining is necessary given important U.S. policies related to Indigenous lands. Laws such as the Indian Removal Act of 1830 worked to displace tribes from their homelands into Indian Territory in Oklahoma. This law intended to open lands for non-Native settlers.

Such is the context of the Trail of Tears, the forced removal of the Cherokee and other tribal nations from their homelands to reservations in the 1830s.

A 1911 poster advertising Indian land for sale. WikiMedia Commons

Similar policies are found in the Allotment Act of 1887, which sought to dissolve communally held reservation lands into individual allotments. After allotments were granted, the excess land was sold to white settlers. Tribes lost 90 million acres as a result.

Some policies sought to take away land through less explicit means. These include the establishment of Indian boarding schools that worked to assimilate tribal youth. Native children were forcibly taken from their homes to assimilate them. Many suffered physical, sexual and psychological abuse.

Other policies like the Indian Relocation Act of 1956 worked to assimilate Native peoples by encouraging them to move to major cities.

This last policy ended up backfiring significantly. Instead of assimilating, Native peoples in urban spaces eventually joined forces to create the American Indian Movement in 1968. This intertribal political movement sought to protect tribal lands, stop police brutality and hold the U.S. government accountable to treaty agreements with tribal nations.

Beyond acknowledgments

In recent years many institutions in the U.S. have attempted to recognize the wrongs done to Indigenous peoples. For example, some organizations, universities and businesses have issued land acknowledgments  brief statements that mention the Indigenous peoples of the land where the institution operates.

The land acknowledgment at Syracuse University, where I work, is typical of such statements:

The Syracuse University College of Arts and Sciences would like to acknowledge with respect the Onondaga Nation, firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee, the indigenous peoples on whose ancestral lands Syracuse University now stands.

These statements work to bring awareness to Indigenous lands and peoples. They can also be a first step toward solidarity between Native and non-Native peoples. Leaders like Corrina Gould of the Bay Areas Confederated Villages of Lisjan/Ohlone encourage institutions to take this further. Land acknowledgment must begin with a relationship with the people on whose land you are on, she said at a workshop in San Francisco. And I think the next step Im looking for is, how do we now live in reciprocity with one another on our homelands?

Indigenous leaders also call for the return of land. The social media hashtag campaign #LandBack addresses this directly. Forbes writer Michela Moscufo traces the origins of the campaign to Indigenous activists critique of the ways Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has handled pipelines through First Nations territories. Moscufo also notes that the phase Land Back has been used in the U.S. as well.

This has included protests by Lakota peoples and allies during a July 4, 2020 visit by then-President Trump to Mount Rushmore. The site is part of the Black Hills, a sacred place to the Lakota that was taken by U.S. forces after gold was discovered in 1874, a violation of the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie.

Resistance at the U.S./Mexico border

The phrase Land Back has also been invoked in resistance to the construction of the border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Tribal nations whose territories exist along this border such as the Kumeyaay in California, Tohono O'odham in Arizona, and others are active in protesting against its construction.

In 2020, two Kumeyaay activists were arrested while protesting the wall construction. The San Diego Tribune reported that activists were part of Camp Land Back, which began in August to protest the wall. Kumeyaay leaders have voiced concerns that the construction of the wall will disrupt ancestral lands, especially sacred and burial sites. On the Instagram page @kumeyaaydefenseagainstthewall, the campaign describes itself as a Small indigenous initiative that is rooted in prayer to defend Kumeyaay lands and people.

Expanding Indigenous Peoples Day

The Yellowhead Institute, a Canadian First Nations-led research center, describes land back as being about reclaiming Indigenous jurisdiction and breathing life into rights and responsibilities.

As Indigenous peoples the world over continue to defend ancestral lands, Indigenous Peoples Day can have important meaning, more than just the renaming of a national holiday. It is an invitation to contend with the impacts of colonialism and the wrongful appropriation of Indigenous lands.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Abel R. Gomez, Syracuse University.

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Abel R. Gomez does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Injured Russian soldiers are being sent back to the front line without being treated amid manpower and ammunition shortages, report says

Members of the SPG-9 anti tank recoilless gun crew fire the gun onto Russian positions near the occupied Ukrainian city of Bakhmut on August 14, 2023 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Roman Chop/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images

Injured Russian soldiers are being sent back to the front lines without treatment, a report says.

One soldier's mother reportedly said that they were being treated "like cows at a slaughterhouse."

Russia appears to be suffering from manpower shortages as Ukraine's counteroffensive continues.

Injured Russian soldiers are being sent back to the front lines in Ukraine without being treated as Putin's forces suffer manpower shortages, Siberia.Realities, a regional outlet of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, reported.

Irina, the mother of a Russian soldier called Nikolai, told the outlet that her son could not walk "without screaming" or painkillers due to shrapnel in both of his legs  but he had still been sent back to the front line.

She said he had been serving with 27th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade and has been wounded twice in battle.

The first time he was taken to a hospital, but the shrapnel was not removed, and the second time, he returned to the front line the day after getting injured.

She said that troops were being treated "like cows at a slaughterhouse" and that she believed her son's poor treatment was due to the fact that he was a former prisoner who had been recruited to fight.

Ekaterina Bogdanova, from Irkutsk Oblast in Siberia, told the outlet that her husband Kostya, who served in the same brigade, had also been wounded by shrapnel on the same day as Nikolai.

"That day they had terrible losses, six men for every 10," Bogdanova said, adding that her husband had told her his unit was running out of ammunition.

"They come with only automatic rifles and half-empty cartridges. There's not enough ammo for half a minute. The fact that they came back  a quarter of those who left  is a great miracle," she added.

Both women said they had appealed to the military prosecutor's office on behalf of their son and husband, but they told the outlet that they had not heard back.

The claims come amid further reports about Russia's mounting losses and ammunition shortages as Ukraine continues its counteroffensive.

A video shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, earlier this week by Anton Gerashchenko, an advisor to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, showed a group of men claiming to be Russian artillerymen complaining about being sent to the front lines as infantrymen, without proper training, after running out of ammunition.

A recent investigative report by independent Russian outlets said that the average time for a mobilized Russian troop to die in Ukraine was just four-and-a-half months.

Read the original article on Business Insider
ROME (Reuters) - A German plan to finance charities helping migrants in the Mediterranean causes difficulties for Italy, defence minister Guido Crosetto said on Sunday, as Rome tries to enforce tougher measures to stem the flow of sea arrivals.

Following reports in Italian media, a spokesperson for the German foreign ministry said on Friday that Berlin was implementing a parliamentary financial support programme for both civilian sea rescue and projects on land.

"We have received several applications for funding. The review of the applications has already been completed in two cases," the spokesperson told Reuters, saying the funding amounted to between 400,000 and 800,000 euros ($426,000-$852,160) for each project.

Italy's Crosetto told daily La Stampa that Rome regarded the German move as "very serious", adding his government was instead committed to fighting the human smugglers he said should be treated as "international criminals."

"Berlin pretends not to realise that, in doing so, it causes difficulties to a country that in theory should be a friend," said Crosetto, a senior member of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party.

Germany's foreign ministry said rescuing people at sea is a "legal, humanitarian and moral duty".

Latest interior ministry data shows over 132,000 migrants have reached Italy by boat so far this year against around 69,000 in the same period of 2022.

On Saturday, charity SOS Humanity said in a statement it would receive around 790,000 euros from the German government.

Italy, which takes a hard-line against illegal immigration, said this week it would increase the number of detention centres to hold migrants ahead of their possible repatriation and lengthen the time they could be detained.

The government also ruled they will have to pay to avoid detention while their request for protection is being processed, drawing strong criticism from human rights groups.

($1 = 0.9388 euros)

(Reporting by Angelo Amante in Rome and Friederike Heine in Berlin; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarsie)
President Joe Biden on Sept. 10 visited Vietnam at Hanoi to strengthen ties and, perhaps, to add to the Pacific partnerships to balance China. With Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party, they announced a new comprehensive strategic partnership between the United States and Vietnam, the highest level of foreign partnership which Vietnam recognizes.

Vietnam is unique among mainland Southeast Asian nations for its long history with China. Chinese records mention the Vietnamese during the third century B.C. The kingdom of Nam-Viet goes back to 208 B.C., comprising part of present-day southern China and three provinces of the northern part of Vietnam in the Red River delta and northeastern coastal plain. It was an autonomous kingdom under Chinese suzerainty. (George McTurnan Kahin, Governments and Politics of Southeast Asia, 1964).

Then, in 111 B.C., Nam-Viet was annexed to China until 939 A.D., about 1,000 years, and governed by China as a province known as Giao Chi. (Ibid). The Vietnamese were able to break away from China, but the threat was ever-present.

The long history of Vietnam from 939 was marked by much division as Vietnam moved south until it was unified by Gia Long in 1802. It did not engage in warfare with its neighbors such as the Thai, but remained relatively isolated in its internal conflicts, except regarding Cambodia and Champa.

Then came European colonialism in the mid-nineteenth century under France. The Japanese dominance during World War II produced the Viet Minh and Ho Chi Minh as anti-Japanese and anti-French nationalists, who cooperated with the U.S. OSS in anti-Japanese activities. With the defeat of Japan, on Sept. 2, 1945, Ho declared independence in Hanoi for the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Ho quoted the famous second paragraph of the American Declaration of Independence. Ho contacted the U.S. for support. Had President Franklin D. Roosevelt lived, support may have been forthcoming. (Russell H. Fifield, Americans in Southeast Asia, 1973).

At this critical juncture of history, with FDR having died in April 1945, American foreign policy sided with France, a future NATO ally, in its desire to return to Vietnam. This all got wrapped up in the U.S. anti-Communist containment strategy. The U.S. financially supported France in its war to return but did not enter the war. Unfortunately, the U.S. did not accept the Geneva Settlements of 1954 which ended the said French-Indochinese War. It saw those settlements as a Communist victory. The war against Ho eventually became an American war, and we know the outcome of that tragic American decision.

Vietnam became unified again on July 2, 1976, following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, as the new Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The U.S. and Vietnam normalized relations in 1995. Now, with the new strategic partnership, the two have elevated their relations to the highest level according to Vietnams hierarchy. With its land border with China and a long coastline of the South China Sea, Vietnam is on the forefront of possible trouble with China, which legally claims areas in the said sea, regardless of a U.N. court of arbitrations decision to the contrary. Vietnams Exclusive Economic Zone is involved. The U.S. has supported Vietnam in this dispute. (Huong Le Thu, Hanois American Hedge, Foreign Affairs, Sept. 12, 2023).

Meantime, Vietnam continues to have a decades-long relationship with Russia with a recent weapons deal (Josh Boak and Aamer Madhani, Associated Press, Sept. 12, 2023), and with China: Hanoi is thereby turning the countrys vulnerability into a strength by maintaining relations with both China and the United States and even benefiting from their competition. (Huong Le Thu, Ibid.).

Vietnam has had a long history of independence before the French came and since 1975. They will pursue their interests. They will continue relations with U.S. opponents in an ideologically unbalanced structure of relationships. On the downside, the U.S. is again operating in the Chinese sphere of influence and the Vietnamese relationship may drag the U.S. into legal disputes with China, or worse. We do not need another Taiwan, which risks nuclear war, or another adventure on mainland Southeast Asia, which greatly divided American society and was very costly. What are we getting out of this deal?

James W. Pfister, J.D. University of Toledo, Ph.D. University of Michigan (political science), retired after 46 years in the Political Science Department at Eastern Michigan University. He lives at Devils Lake and can be reached at jpfister@emich.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: James Pfister: Vietnam: from enemy to strategic partner
An alligator that's missing her entire top jaw was rescued in Florida.

The director of the park that rescued her says the injury is actually kind of common.

But this gator is unique because her injury is a clean cut, possibly caused by a boat propeller.

A wildlife park in Florida rescued a jawless alligator, and her injury is more common than you might think, the park's director says.

The 4-year-old gator, who's missing her entire top jaw, was first discovered in a lake in Sanford, Florida, by residents who posted pictures of her on social media, Mike Hileman, the director of Gatorland wildlife park, told Insider.

He said it took the Florida Wildlife Commission about a month to "wrangle the little thing," but now she's adjusting well to her new home at Gatorland, where she'll receive the care she needs to survive.

The 4-year-old alligator weighs about 20 pounds. Gatorland

"She's actually in pretty good condition for the injuries she's got," Hileman told Insider. "We just got to get her some calories. She's kind of malnourished because eating has got to be difficult."

"It's a pretty debilitating injury for an alligator that's left to their own devices in the wild," Hileman added.

Hileman said he believes the gator probably lost her top jaw from a boat propeller, based on how clean and smooth of a cut it was.

And alligators losing one of their jaws is, surprisingly, "actually kind of common," he said. Except usually, when they do, it's from fights with other gators, which leaves a jagged cut with "little bits and pieces that are connected and some that aren't connected."

"I'm amazed," Hileman said of the park's newest gator, which joins two others that are missing their top jaws at the park. "It's a testament to how hardy alligators are. You compare that to some other animals and that's definitely a death sentence to many different animals. But alligators and crocodiles are just so doggone hearty. Even the fact that it didn't get infected, how does it not get infected?"

The jawless alligator is adjusting to her new home at Gatorland. Gatorland

Hileman said the 20-pound gator appears to be happy in her new environment. Her personality is pretty "laidback" and "calm," he said, adding that she doesn't even thrash around or bite when picked up.

"When I walked into the pen this morning, I just kind of dabbled my fingers in the water, and she didn't come over to me, but she also didn't run away from me, which is a great sign," Hileman said. "So usually alligators that are high-stressed and freaking out  they run away. They try to get away from people. She was just kind of like saying, 'Good morning, I'm here.'"

As for her name, Hileman said the park is still deciding, but some top contenders are Jawlene, Gumdrop, Jaws, or Flapjack.

Read the original article on Insider
New Jersey Representative Andy Kim made a snap announcement on Saturday that he will run against Senator Bob Menendez for his seat after the incumbent was indicted on federal bribery charges.

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him, Mr Kim wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Mr Kim, and other New Jersey Democrats, have urged Mr Menendez, a three-term senator, to resign after he and his wife were indicted on corruption and bribery-related charges.

Federal prosecutors allege Mr Menendez played a role in several schemes involving New Jersey businessmen and the government of Egypt. However, Mr Menendez has maintained his innocence and so far refused to give up his seat.

Mr Kim said he did not expect to run for Senate but he feels it is necessary because NJ deserves better.

We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity, he added.

Prior to his announcement, Mr Kim had asked Mr Menendez to resign. I dont have confidence that the Senator has the ability to properly focus on our state and its people while addressing such a significant legal matter. He should step down, he said.

Mr Menendez and his wife are accused of accepting lavish gifts in exchange for allegedly increasing US assistance to Egypt and influencing criminal investigations linked to the New Jersey businessmen.

Both Mr Menendez and his wife are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right.

Other New Jersey representatives, Mikie Sherril, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell Jr and Josh Gottheimer, echoed Mr Kims statements.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy also said Mr Menendez should resign as the indictment is so serious it compromises Mr Menendezs ability to represent the state. However, Mr Menendez has dug his heels in.

After calls to resign, Senator Menendez said I am not going anywhere. As a result, I feel compelled to run against him. Not something I expected to do, but NJ deserves better. We cannot jeopardize the Senate or compromise our integrity. Please join me:https://t.co/QFIaMsgJc9  Andy Kim (@AndyKimNJ) September 23, 2023

Mr Kim is the first representative to announce his intent to challenge Mr Menendez in the 2024 New Jersey Senate election. Several other less prominent people have thrown their hats into the ring.

Kyle Jasey, a real estate businessman; Maia-Cusick Shirley, an immigration consultant; Dan Cruz, a former school board member; and Gregg Male, a businessman, all have made an official bid for Mr Menendezs seat.

Former New Jersey governor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie confirmed he would not run for Senate, telling Meet the Press on Sunday that he had no interest in being a senator.
To meet a heightened demand for abortion care, New Jersey may permit midwives to perform abortions.

Since the overturn Roe v. Wade, many states have limited access to abortion care or implemented bans.

Many states  including New Jersey, until years  require a physician to perform the procedure.

New Jersey is mulling over a plan to allow midwives to perform abortions to meet the rising demand for abortion care.

If successful, it would make New Jersey one of about ten states that allow certified midwives or nurse-midwives to perform abortions. Several states with stronger restrictions require the procedure to be performed by a physician, a policy that New Jersey did away with in 2021, according to the New Jersey Monitor.

The potential new rule, proposed by the state's Board of Medical Examiners, would allow midwives to perform surgical abortions through the 14th week of gestation, the Monitor reported.

Over 90% of abortions in the US take place at or before the 13th week of gestation  during or very shortly after the first trimester, according 2020 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many abortions performed early in pregnancy use medication, called Mifepristone, instead of surgery; the US Food & Drug Administration permits the use of Mifepristone to end pregnancies through ten weeks of gestation.

"Many midwives currently provide safe and effective abortion services, including options counseling, ultrasound, comprehensive abortion care, and post-abortion care," the American College of Nurse-Midwives previously said in a statement.

The New Jersey proposal comes amid rising demand for the procedure after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, ending the national right to abortion care. From June to November 2022, the number of legal abortions performed in New Jersey rose by 7%, the New Jersey Monitor previously reported, citing statistics from a national study on abortions.

States imposing anti-abortion policies and bans have forced patients to travel out-of-state to acquire services. Nearly 90% of counties across the US lack an abortion clinic, according to 2020 data from the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that focuses on reproductive health and access.

Read the original article on Business Insider
PLAINS, Ga.  Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, on Saturday made a surprise appearance at the Plains Peanut Festival in their Georgia hometown, the Carter Center wrote in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The former president and his wife are seen in a reposted video riding through the festivities in a Black SUV.

Beautiful day for President & Mrs. Carter to enjoy a ride through the Plains Peanut Festival! And just a week before he turns 99, the Carter Center wrote on X after sharing the video taken by a spectator.

The former president is 98 and has been in home hospice care since February. He is set to turn 99 on Oct. 4. The former first lady has since been diagnosed with dementia. The couple this summer marked their 77th wedding anniversary, extending their record as the nations longest-married first couple.

It was amazing considering that he is in hospice care, and he is tough enough to come out here. In my opinion, he is one of the toughest men to serve as President, and he is my favorite, Reed Elliotte, a Corbin, Kentucky resident, told WALB-TV.
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, made a surprise visit to the Plains Peanut Festival in Georgia on Saturday, the Carter Center wrote in a social media post.

The visit took place just about a week before Carter's 99th birthday, which is on Oct. 1. Video shows the pair riding through the festival in a black SUV.

"We're betting peanut butter ice cream is on the menu for lunch," the Carter Center said, alluding to the former president's favorite ice cream flavor. The Carters attended the festival last year, too.

Peanut farming was a mainstay of the former president's upbringing in Plains, Georgia. The former first lady, who was also born in Plains, worked in the peanut business after their marriage "managing the accounts of the peanut, fertilizer, and seed enterprise," according to her White House biography.

The couple marked their 77th wedding anniversary in July. They hold the record for the longest presidential marriage.

Carter has been receiving hospice care at home since February. He became the oldest living former president in U.S. history in 2019. The former first lady, who was diagnosed with dementia in May, continues to live at home with her husband.

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Did you survive the budget cuts from the last debt ceiling fight?

President Joe Biden called them "draconian," while Republicans praised the deal's "historic reductions in spending."

But both parties conned us, as my new video explains.

What they call "cuts" were just a reduction in their planned spending increase. Instead of raising spending by 7.8%, they increased it by "only" 3.9%. Only politicians get to call an increase a cut.

John Stossel

Biden praised the deal, saying, "We're cutting spending and bringing the deficits down at the same time!"

But they didn't.

Now they're using tricks to spend even more.

"Call it an emergency  done," says Cato Institute budget specialist Romina Boccia. "Spend the money on whatever you want."

Spending caps ignored by 'emergency' items

Boccia reports how the Senate is moving to increase spending beyond the agreed-upon caps simply by calling it "emergency" spending.

Congress can spend money however it wants if it calls it an 'emergency' measure.

"They gave $296 million to NASA for 'emergency infrastructure.' What's 'emergency infrastructure?'" I ask.

"That's not really a thing," she replies. "It's just a way to plus up the NASA budget  a huge slush fund."

"How do they justify this?"

"They don't even try!" Boccia complains. "Unfortunately, Congress has complete discretion over what it calls 'emergency.'"

This trick isn't new. Under President Barack Obama, $150 million for fisheries got added by calling it "emergency funding."

"I don't think that's an emergency," says Boccia. "It's not sudden; it's not urgent."

In the current budget, even useless agencies that should be eliminated, like the Education Department, get more money. It will now spend 300% more than it spent 10 years ago.

"By the end of this decade, spending will be about $10 trillion," says Boccia. "Who will be willing to lend that money to the U.S. government?"

Good question.

Recently, Fitch Ratings downgraded the U.S. government debt.

"The rating agencies and investors are catching on that the federal budget is highly unsustainable," she points out.

It sure is. Politicians have voted to spend much more money than the government will ever have.

'The math does not work out'

On the other hand, so far, nothing terrible has happened.

"The fact that it hasn't happened yet does not mean that it will not happen," says Boccia. "The math does not work out."

The biggest reasons are Social Security and Medicare.

But when anyone proposes cuts, my fellow old people scream, "Government deducted money for Social Security and Medicare from my paychecks for years. I'm just getting my money back!"

They don't realize that because we now live longer, most of us will get triple what we paid in.

But of course, we old people are the biggest voting bloc.

"Asking members of Congress running for office to reform old age entitlement programs is a bit like asking an astronaut in space to turn off his oxygen supply," says Boccia.

So she and the Cato Institute propose a solution: Congress should create an independent commission to do the cutting. That way politicians can say, "Don't blame me, the commission made the cuts!"

That worked once with military bases.

The military actually wanted to close some bases. But selfish members of Congress fought any closure in their states.

"In the middle of a war, you don't close a base like Groton," declared Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn.

"Circumstances at our base are unique," claimed Sen. John Thune, R-S.D.

By ignoring the self-serving politicians, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission got 350 bases closed.

"It was quite successful until Congress turned it off," says Boccia.

Since Congress won't cut, and Biden definitely won't, an independent commission may be our only hope.

We need to do something before our debt explodes, mauling our future.

Every Tuesday at JohnStossel.com, Stossel posts a new video about the battle between government and freedom.

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Stossel: How does Congress justify 'emergency' spending?
A Collier County judge has declined a request to reduce the bond of one of the co-defendants in the attempted murder plot of an accomplished swamp buggy racer and her boyfriend.

Collier Circuit Judge John McGowan on Friday said denied a request filed by James Derek Verderamo on behalf of Ryan Guy Toranzo, 38.

Toranzo will remain in custody without bond on two attempted first-degree murder counts, in addition to a $250,000 bond for one counts of shooting into an occupied vehicle.

Along with Julian Mendes-Wolf, 28, and Rebecca Gabay, 36, he's one of three arrested in the attempted murders of swamp buggy racer Amy Chesser and her boyfriend, Scott McCandless. Only Gabay has since been released from custody.

The June 1 shooting at the intersection of Immokalee Road and Twin Eagles Boulevard caused a rollover crash in Rural Estates. A GoFundMe identified the victims as Chesser and McCandless, who both suffered life-threatening injuries.

The couple was airlifted to Gulf Coast Medical Center in Fort Myers, a report indicates. Investigators later found both had been shot.

Both victims underwent several lifesaving procedures, including brain surgery.

At the hospital, McCandless told police his ex-wife hates him, and the two had a custody battle over their two children. Police were told Gabay said she would have him killed before he got custody of their children, an arrest report detailed.

According to their custody agreement, McCandless was supposed to receive more visitation with the children two days after he was shot.

McCandless told police Toranzo was his ex-wife's boyfriend, who lived with her. At a visitation with his children at a public park, he said Toranzo told him, "He would have him taken care of if he saw him outside of the park," according to the report.

During McCandless' visitation with his children the day before he was shot, his cellphone alerted him that an Apple Air Tag was tracking his location, according to that report.

Toranzo is next due in court Nov. 2 for a case management conference.

Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Threads @tomasfrobeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran, Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews and Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran.

This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Judge won't reduce bond in shooting of swamp buggy racer, boyfriend
Scotlands most senior judges have warned the SNP plan to pilot juryless rape trials may be unlawful and breach the accuseds human rights.

The Senators of the College of Justice at the Supreme Courts said it could be argued that the pilot scheme was a court set up by the government with a limited lifespan, and subject to examination and review by the government.

This could strip the court of its status as an independent tribunal, they warned, exceeding the powers of the Scottish Parliament and breaching the right to a fair trial under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

They also argued that the combination of such a court with judges who have no security of tenure in that court may not satisfy the requirements of a fair trial.

Under the current proposals, they said a judge could be removed from the scheme for any or no reason and with no prior procedure other than consultation.

Jurors of differing ages

They also argued that it is preferable for a decision to be reached collectively by jurors of differing ages and backgrounds than a single judge, most of whom they said are white, male and in late middle age.

The submission by judges who sit in the Court of Session, the High Court and the Court of Criminal Appeal was among almost 250 made to a Holyrood inquiry into the plans.

Although it made clear that some senior judges support juryless rape trials, it followed warnings from the Law Society of Scotland that they pose a serious risk to the presumption of innocence and the right to a fair trial.

SNP ministers want to overhaul how sexual offences are tried in Scotland, warning that the substantially lower conviction rate risks undermining public confidence in the justice system.

The Scottish Governments Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill gives ministers the power to enable a pilot of single judge rape and attempted rape trials to be conducted without a jury for a time limited period.

The legislation would also establish a specialist sexual offences court, scrap the not proven verdict and reduce the number of jurors from 15 to 12.

Humza Yousaf, the First Minister, has backed the pilot, citing a weight of evidence that juries are affected by rape myths that lead them to unjustly acquitting the accused.

The latter term refers to stereotyped prejudices in rape cases, such as jurors wrongly believing that the victim asked for it by being drunk or seductive.

Holyroods criminal justice committee is examining the plans and on Wednesday will hear evidence from Angela Constance, the SNPs justice secretary.

Security of tenure essential

In their submission to the committee, the Senators said the Bill gives the Lord Justice General, the most senior judge in Scotland, the power to remove a judge sitting presiding over one of the new sexual offence courts.

This may constitute interference with a judges security of tenure, they warned, and Article 6 of the ECHR requires an accused person to be tried by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law.

They cited case law that held that security of tenure was essential for judicial independence and said the lack of this in the new courts could be sufficient to render them neither independent nor impartial.

The judges opposed to the pilot scheme also questioned the Scottish Governments claim that rape myths among jurors were partly responsible for low conviction rates.

Given that the accused is asserting that there was consent, it is not surprising that on some occasions the jury finds that there is reasonable doubt about what happened. That is inevitable, they concluded.

They added: The majority of judges are in late middle age, male, from a white Scottish ethnic background and are educated to university level.

Many would argue that a number of people from differing backgrounds and ages combining to reach a decision is preferable to one person deciding alone.

A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: The Senators of the Colleges of Justice response clearly sets out that there was not one view held on the proposal for the pilot with some supportive and some not.

The proposed pilot is in in response to a recommendation of a review carried out by Lady Dorrian, Scotlands second most senior judge, to improve how the justice system treats rape victims by piloting judge only rape trials.

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Editors note: This story discusses suicide. Call or text the Central Coast Hotline at 800-783-0607 if you are thinking of hurting yourself for 24-7 assistance.

Stephanie, a retired Grover Beach resident and U.S. Army veteran, first experienced suicidal thoughts while serving in the military.

I was going through a lot of stress with the military and with my gender identity, said Stephanie, who asked to be identified by their first name only to protect their privacy. I wanted to talk to the therapist about it, but I couldnt.

After years of struggle with depression and suicidal thoughts, Stephanie was able to find peace eight years ago after coming out as transgender to a therapist.

Today Stephanie is an active participant in a suicide attempt survivors group at Transitions-Mental Health Association in San Luis Obispo. They also lead a meditation class at T-MHA.

September is National Suicide Prevention Month, when local mental health experts share resources to help people who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide or have attempted suicide in the past get necessary support.

One of the best ways to help someone who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide is to create a safe and supportive space to talk about the challenges that may be contributing to these thoughts, T-MHA clinical director Meghan Boaz Alvarez said.

Thats really one of the most effective things we can do for somebody whos at risk of suicide, is provide the space for them to talk about why theyre feeling this way, have the opportunity to unburden themselves, Boaz Alvarez said. It may be that they have not had a safe place to do that, and that piece alone can be really significant in reducing risk and providing some hope.

Transgender service member struggled with identity, mental health

Stephanie served in the Army for 10 years before being honorably discharged in 2005 after sustaining a service-related injury.

Stephanie, who identifies as transgender, served in the Army while U.S. militarys discriminatory Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy was in effect. The policy kept many gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and gender nonconforming service members closeted for fear of retribution.

The policy put Stephanie in an impossible situation. They wanted to serve, but were struggling with their mental health and couldnt access mental health services or come out as transgender without risking dramatic consequences.

It was a huge internal struggle and it made me suicidal, Stephanie said.

In 2015, 10 years after leaving the military and four years after Dont Ask, Dont Tell was repealed by former President Barack Obama, Stephanie came out as transgender while in therapy at the Modesto Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic.

I felt more pent-up emotion like I was just trapped. I couldnt be who I wanted to be, they said. Being able to express that to that therapist really got a lot of that off my chest and I was able to feel more free at that point. 

One of the best ways to help someone who may be experiencing thoughts of suicide is to create a safe and supportive space to talk, T-MHA clinical director Meghan Boaz Alvarez said.

Thats really one of the most effective things we can do for somebody whos at risk of suicide, is provide the space for them to talk about why theyre feeling this way, have the opportunity to unburden themselves, Boaz Alvarez said. It may be that they have not had a safe place to do that, and that piece alone can be really significant in reducing risk and providing some hope.

Stephanie frequently walks on the state beach in Grover Beach.

SLO County suicide rate is higher than state average

San Luis Obispo has been recognized as one of the happiest places in the United States, but recent data shows that the rate of suicide deaths is higher in SLO County than the state of California.

Data from the California Department of Public Health shows the age-adjusted suicide rate in California from 2018-20 was 10.5%, while it was 16.2% in San Luis Obispo County for the same period.

A total of 146 deaths by suicide were recorded in SLO County in those two years.

Ranked from the county with the highest suicide rate to the lowest, SLO County came in at No. 12 of 44 California counties, according to the data.

That disparity between SLO Countys reputation for happy living and its rate of suicide deaths is kind of hard to wrap our heads around, Boaz-Alvarez said.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff-Coroners Office investigates deaths that are sudden or unexpected and deaths involving suspected injury, intoxication or trauma, such as possible suicides.

Coroners Office data from 2019-21 shows the total number of deaths by suicide have varied.

In 2019, 49 deaths investigated by the Coroners Office were found to be suicide, in 2020, the number dropped to 44 and in 2021 the number of suicides jumped to 58.

As of September 2023, coroner data for 2022 deaths is still being analyzed, Sheriffs Office Sgt. John McDaniel said in an email.

The San Luis Obispo Suicide Prevention Council, which Boaz Alvarez and many other T-MHA staffers are a part of, is working to build a stronger relationship with the Coroners Office in the hopes of having quicker access to data showing who is dying by suicide locally, she said.

Transitions-Mental Health Association or TMHA is a non-profit organization covering San Luis Obispo and North Santa Barbara Counties offering a variety of mental health services. This office is on High Street in San Luis Obispo, seen here Aug. 23, 2023.

Who is most at-risk for dying by suicide in California and SLO County?

The demographic that historically had the most deaths by suicide in California are middle-aged, white males, according to a study of population-level data on suicide deaths from 2017-21.

This is largely due to that demographics access to firearms, said Melanie Barket, program director of Central Coast Hotline. The mental health crisis phone number serves San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties.

The study showed a change in suicide demographics in California before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Mirroring national trends, the rate of deaths by suicide in California declined in the two years during and after the pandemic.

This was driven largely by the decline in suicide deaths among white, middle-aged men in 2020 and 2021, the study showed.

While deaths by suicide declined in this demographic, deaths by suicide increased or only decreased marginally among those that were once least likely to die by suicide: youth, women, Black, Hispanic and Asian populations in California.

Although white, middle-aged men are still more likely to die by suicide than any other group in San Luis Obispo County, there are disparities in who is more likely to attempt suicide.

Veterans and people who identify as LGBTQ+ are at a higher risk of attempting suicide than the general population, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death in U.S. military veterans under 45 and the thirteenth leading cause of death among veterans overall, according to a 2022 report by the the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Transgender veterans are twice as likely to die by suicide than cisgender veterans, according to recent VA research.

Stephanie was serving in the Army when the Sept. 11, 2023, terrorist attacks happened, followed shortly after by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I was worried about being sent over and I had buddies that were over there and I lost some friends over there, they said.

The stress of military life coupled with attitudes toward LGBTQ+ service members contributed to Stephanies depression and thoughts of suicide, they said.

I think if the military had been like it is now, had it been accepting of LGBTQ+ people, that could have been much more helpful, Stephanie said, because now you can openly serve but back then you could not.

Suicide Prevention Council reaches out to local youth

Youth experienced a spike in mental health crises during the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, Boaz Alvarez said, and data shows SLO Countys LGBTQ+ youth were particularly vulnerable to suicidal thoughts and attempts.

The results of the 2019-21 California Healthy Kids Survey showed that seventh, ninth and 11th graders in SLO County that identify as LGBTQ+ or are unsure of their sexuality were more likely to have considered suicide in the past 12 months compared to their heterosexual peers.

The 10- to 14-year-olds are the fastest growing group that are considering suicide and that is tragic, Barket said. Its just tragic, and we had that young of people texting us and calling us (at the Central Coast Hotline), so thats a trend for sure.

T-MHA has been going into local high schools to provide mental health outreach and education, Boaz Alvarez said.

Staffers go into health classrooms to talk about the importance of self-care, resiliency and mental wellness, she said.

The messaging really works to destigmatize mental health, Boaz Alvarez said. Instead of waiting for someone to call the hotline or come into a community-based mental health clinic, taking that messaging out into the community and into the classroom onto our campuses is I think one of the biggest things were doing to reach youth.

San Luis Obispo County has the Central Coast Hotline to help people experiencing suicidal thoughts access local mental health resources. Part of the team, from left, Roberto Cueva, program coordinater, Melanie Barket, program manager, and Mary Mills, program coordinator with Central Coast Hotline.

Central Coast Hotline answers crisis calls, texts

Since 1970, the Central Coast Hotline in San Luis Obispo has been taking calls from people in crisis. In the winter of 2022, the hotline expanded its capabilities to include text messages in an effort to reach teens.

The Central Coast Hotline responds to about 10,000 crisis calls and texts each year from people in San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties, Boaz Alvarez said.

We are the No. 1 source for suicide crises, Barket said. We have all the resources. Were experts at our local resources, so we know exactly where to send people when they are in crisis.

Unlike the people who respond to calls to the National Suicide Hotline, Central Coast Hotline specialists are up to date on resources available locally.

For instance, the behavioral health navigator program at T-MHA connects people in crisis with those with lived experiences to talk about their stressors and help them navigate the complex mental health system, Barket said.

When youre having challenges, its really nice to have an advocate or someone by your side to handhold you through the process, she said.

The Central Coast Hotline is also available for people who need help connecting themselves or their loved one with local services, which can be complicated due to patient privacy laws.

The people that love people that are in crisis are also in crisis, Barket said.

T-MHA offers Zoom-based family support groups for families with adult children and children under 18 in crisis.

Finding local mental health resources can be a challenge when the San Luis Obispo County behavioral health system is strained.

To bridge the gap, T-MHA established the brief therapy clinic during COVID, which connects Cal Poly students training to be licensed therapists with the underserved for free therapy sessions.

Stephanie regularly walks the state beach in Grover Beach.

SLO County veteran shares coping strategies, safety plan

Today, Stephanie participates in the T-MHA Support for Suicide Attempt Survivors Group, where they and other survivors share experiences and coping strategies in a nonjudgmental space.

I have a pretty regimented activity list that I keep up to date, Stephanie said. Because there are a lot of different things that I do keep me regulated.

For Stephanie, those coping strategies include taking walks outside, exercise, meditation, connecting with friends and family and therapy through the VA.

Many suicide attempt survivors have a suicide safety plan, which includes a list of resources, coping strategies and trusted support people to reach out to in case of a crisis.

Stephanie has a suicide safety app on their phone that includes resources tailored to their specific needs, with various levels of intervention depending on the level of crisis.

If you start to feel a little upset, well, (you think about) What can I do to cope with this little emergency? Well, maybe I can go for a walk or maybe I can go for a drive. You look at your coping mechanisms, they said. Then if those dont work, and you look at Who can I reach out to? if that doesnt work, then whats the next step? 

Most people that are thinking about suicide, what they need is a good intervention, a caring person to listen, the opportunity to unburden themselves and a good plan for some followup care, Boaz Alvarez said.

How to get help if you or a loved one is having suicidal thoughts

If you notice someone has become more withdrawn or displayed warning signs of suicide, the best practice is to ask them directly.

Asking directly helps the person in crisis feel seen and heard, and introduces the opportunity to tell their story, Barket said.

A common misconception is that people who may be displaying warning signs of suicide are highly motivated to kill themselves, when in reality, many are ambivalent, Barket said.

Suicidal ambivalence can be mitigated by having open and honest conversations with someone who is truly listening, Barket said.

Thats what we do on the hotline. We do mostly active listening and referring to resources as needed, she said.

According to the CDC, warning signs of suicide include extreme mood swings, increased anxiety, increased substance abuse, expressing hopelessness, being isolated and talking about being a burden or feeling trapped.

People may also make plans for suicide, look up ways to access lethal means and talk or post about wanting to die.

How to get help

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with a certified listener, call 988.

You can also call or text the Central Coast Hotline at 800-783-0607 for 24-7 assistance. To learn the warning signs of suicide, visit suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

The Trevor Project has resources for LGBTQ+ youth thinking of hurting themselves. Call at 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678-678 to connect with a crisis counselor.

Transitions-Mental Health Association hosts a weekly LGBTQ+ lunch in September at the Safe Haven house at 203 Bridge St. in Arroyo Grande. Call 805-540-6500 or Central Coast Hotline for more information.

The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential hotline, online chat, or text. Dial 988 and Press 1 or visit veterancrisisline.net for crisis chat services and more information.
SAN DIEGO  A driver was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a crash on Interstate 8 sent five juveniles to the hospital, authorities said.

The incident occurred around 6:30 p.m. Saturday when a 26-year-old man was driving a green Ford Expedition on the Qualcomm Way onramp to I-8, California Highway Patrol explained.

The Ford was carrying seven passengers, five of which were juveniles.

For reasons under investigation, authorities say the Ford overturned, causing one of the passengers  a 3-year-old boy  to be ejected. The child was transported to Rady Childrens Hospital with major injuries.

The four other juveniles were also transported to the hospital with various injuries.

Motorcyclist killed in SR-94 crash

According to CHP, the driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI in relation to this incident.

The cause of this crash and sequence of events are under investigation by the California Highway Patrol (CHP) San Diego Area. Anyone who may have witnessed this crash is encouraged to contact the CHP San Diego Area at (858) 293-6000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
The Legislature's top two Republicans have embarked on a statewide campaign to promote a controversial income tax cut that failed to become law last session  and there is no clear plan for how it would become law next year.

Enacting a single rate income tax, also referred to as a flat tax, is a top priority of Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, and House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita.

"I may be a little bit aggressive in this, but I want to see it teed up within in the first few weeks," Hawkins said.

But Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly has indicated she won't ever sign a flat tax bill.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, shakes hands with Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, before the start of Thursday's event at the Statehouse.

"You know, I think I've been pretty clear over time that I think the flat tax is very irresponsible," Kelly told reporters on Thursday. "And it will take us down a path we don't want to go, sort of back to the days when we weren't able to fund our schools and our roads and everything else.

"I think there are ways to do responsible tax cuts. I offered several options last year to the Legislature. They're dead set, at least some of them are dead set, on this flat tax, which won't work. So we will have to negotiate it as we go through the session. But I don't plan to react any differently to a flat tax proposal this year than I did last year."

Which leaves GOP leadership in the position of needing the support of all Republicans in their slim supermajorities. Last year, the flat tax narrowly died in the Senate in a dramatic pair of late-session votes as a trio of Republicans flip-flopped.

So what is the plan to get those and all other Republicans on board?

"We're going to talk to them," Hawkins said.

"All of those members you mentioned," Masterson said of Republican Sens. Rob Olson, Carolyn McGinn and Alicia Straub, "have been out on the campaign trail in the past promoting themselves as champions for the taxpayer. I think what you saw last year was political gamesmanship, and I'm just hoping they realize it's about their constituents and not about themselves or about me."

While the Kansas Chamber isn't involved in the tax-cutting campaign efforts, president and CEO Alan Cobb said it remains in support of a single rate income tax.

"I hope there's some tweaking that you can get the governor support, and if not, yeah, we'll look for an override," Cobb said.

If it comes to that, Cobb said, he is guessing that Republicans will have the votes needed this time around.

This year's GOP tax cut plan will be similar to last year's failed plan

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, R-Wichita, right, chats with Senate President Ty Masterson, R-Andover, left, before the start of Thursday's event at the Statehouse.

Masterson and Hawkins have teamed up with Americans for Prosperity-Kansas on a statewide campaign to promote their tax cut plan. Their "Prosperity Express" stopped in Topeka on Thursday.

They said the details will be largely similar to last session's plan, featuring their priorities of a single rate income tax and elimination of state taxes on Social Security income. But there won't be a provision to accelerate the end of the food sales tax. It would add a state property tax cut while repealing an unfunded program intended to help local governments cut property taxes.

"Nobody likes income taxes, so why did Gov. Kelly say no to creating prosperity and lowering taxes for Kansans?" said a video played by AFP at the event.

The state currently has a progressive income tax structure. The design of the Republican single rate plan is most beneficial to the lowest and highest income earners while providing less benefit to those in the middle. The substantial benefits for the richest Kansans are a top criticism for Democrats, while Republicans are quick to point to the substantive benefits for the poorest Kansans.

"Gov. Kelly's veto makes the people who earn the least hurt the most," the video said. "And Kansas doesn't need higher taxes. We have a $3 billion budget surplus in the bank. So guess what, Gov. Kelly, Kansas lawmakers will be bringing back the single tax rate in the next legislative session."

Bundling of tax policy could risk failing to pass any tax relief

Kansas does have a burgeoning budget surplus that Republicans and Democrats agree should go toward tax cuts, but they disagree on how. Michael Austin, an AFP lobbyist, likened the surplus under Kelly to a "mountain of your cash that she is sitting upon."

The bundling of various tax policies makes it impossible to pass broadly supported tax cuts without passing controversial ones, leaving legislators and the governor with taking all of it or none of it.

"Ty and I were astonished when the governor actually decided to veto that plan because it had so many good things in it," Hawkins said.

The reason for bundling, Masterson said, is "because we think that is the most important structural thing in the tax plan, and we're willing to get other things to get there."

But that also risks a situation like last year, where a veto without an override leaves Kansans without any tax relief, and such a possibility could happen again this year.

"There's always that concern simply because we've got to come up with a supermajority," Hawkins said.

Laura Kelly calls GOP tax plan irresponsible

Gov. Laura Kelly talks about education funding in Kansas prior to ceremonially signing the K-12 education budget at Seaman Middle School on Aug. 30.

Hawkins said their tax plan is sustainable and responsible.

Kelly disagrees, calling it irresponsible and predicting that it would have led to budget cuts, especially for rural public schools.

"My main concern is what it would do ultimately to revenues coming into the state," Kelly said after an event at Seaman Middle School. "You know, we've lived through a tax disaster. Back in 2012, 2013, when we had the great tax experiment, we saw what happened to our state.

"We saw that we're not funding our schools. We're not funding our roads. We're not funding our foster care system. We're not doing anything, and things were absolutely falling apart.

"So yes, I want that (flat) tax not to happen so that we can continue to fully fund our schools, but also everything else. The implications of the flat tax are such that while it wouldn't be as fast and dramatic as the Brownback tax experiment, ultimately it would have the same impact as it drains revenues from state coffers. And that would force us back into making some of the same cuts."

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 Republicans push flat tax amid threat of a Laura Kelly veto
The Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pictured here in 2022. Credit - Bryan TarnowskiBloomberg via Getty Images / AP

A long-lasting drought in Louisiana is impacting the drinking water in the Mississippi River, posing a risk for the states near 5 million residents, and particularly those in the New Orleans area.

At the root of the cause are low freshwater levels in the Mississippi River, making it vulnerable to a process known as saltwater infusion, which brings an influx of saltwater from the Gulf of Mexico. This marks the second year in a row when drought has decreased the flow of the water in the Mississippi River. Much of the central and southern regions of the state are currently recording exceptionally high drought levels.

The process is cause for concern. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said on Friday that he is just a few days away from requesting a declaration of emergency from the federal government to help. Unfortunately, we just havent had the relief from dry conditions ... so that intrusion is worsening, in the sense that its moving further up the river, said Edwards during a Friday news conference.

In the meantime, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency declaration for the city on Friday. And some areas of the state, including Plaquemines Parish and Empire Bridge in the southeast, are currently under drinking water advisories.

Heres what to know about Louisianas water emergency.

What is happening in the state?

When climate conditions are balanced, the movement of freshwater stops saltwater from infiltrating bodies of freshwater. But in a process called saltwater intrusion, the zone of transition between saltwater and fresh groundwater is affected and saltwater enters the aquifer, reducing the amount of freshwater.

Droughts are relatively common in Louisiana, where periods of dryness are a natural part of their climate. But global warming is increasing the risk of drought all across the country. The Southwest is expected to be particularly affected by droughts that occur more frequently, intensely, and for longer periods of time, according to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

Most of the state has been experiencing prolonged drought and above-average heat, and has presented a number of challenges including wildfires, drought, heat-related deaths, injuries and so forth and now saltwater intrusion, said Edwards during a press conference Friday.

How are officials trying to combat it?

Officials built an underwater sill in the Mississippi River to reduce the flow of saltwater in July. Authorities are working on expanding that sill by 25 feet, but construction would take at least another 24 days and will only delay saltwater intrusion by another 10 to 15, according to a press release from the Louisiana Governors office.

The best thing that can be done to help avoid greater saltwater intrusion, however, is out of the officials' hands. I found out today that the forecast is for above average amounts of precipitation in winter. But thats still several months away, said Edwards. And what we need most in Louisiana right now, for the Mississippi River, we need rain further up north in the Ohio Valley. About ten inches of rain would be sufficient to help the river flow high enough to push back against saltwater.

For now, authorities advise residents to stay calm and avoid hoarding bottled water. We just need to make sure that we are aware of the situation and that we dont do anything that would exacerbate it and do anything that we reasonably can, as soon as we can, to help us get through this period of time, Edwards said.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will also be sending 36 million gallons of freshwater daily to affected areas in southern Louisiana.

How is climate change impacting the state of Louisiana?

A 2016 Enviornmental Protection Agency report predicted that climate change in Louisiana would bring about severe floods and droughts, with rainfall expected to arrive in heavy downpours, impacting the soils health.

The Mississippi River has been at the center of climate emergencies for years, as intense flooding impacted the region in 2019, a year that was particularly rainy. Now, in 2023, we're seeing the opposite. In August, residents were impacted by the Tiger Island Firethe largest wildfire in Louisianas historywhich forced 1,200 people to evacuate and took down at least 20 homes and structures. That same month Gov. Edwards issued a state of emergency due to record-breaking heat levels after temperatures reached the mid-90s and low-100s for weeks.

Aside from concerns about access to drinking water, increased temperatures due to climate change have already impacted peoples health. The state passed its average number of heat-related deaths and emergency room visits in mid-August, according to local public radio station WWNO.



Contact us at letters@time.com.
Vladimir Kara-Murza, an imprisoned critic of the Kremlin, has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia and placed in a punishment cell. Photo courtesy of Vadim Prokhorov/Facebook

Sept. 24 (UPI) -- Vladimir Kara-Murza, an imprisoned critic of the Kremlin, has been transferred to a maximum security prison in Siberia and placed in a "punishment cell."

Kara-Murza, 42, was convicted of treason earlier this year for denouncing Russia's war in Ukraine and sentenced to 25 years in prison as President Vladimir Putin 's regime cracked down on dissent.

He arrived at the IK-6 prison in the Siberian city of Omsk on Thursday, his lawyer Vadim Prokhorov said in a statement on Facebook.

Prokhorov appeared to criticize Moscow for taking three weeks to transport Kara-Murza "in the 21st Century" and detailed where his client had been held along the way.

"It is good that Vladimir Kara-Murza was found. But there is also very disturbing information," Prokhorov said.

He added that Kara-Murza has survived two poisonings in 2015 and 2017, leaving him hospitalized.

Kara-Murza was monitored by the same unit of the Federal Security Service -- the successor agency of the Soviet-era KGB -- that monitored Alexey Navalny before he was poisoned in August 2020, according to a 2021 investigation.

That investigation was carried out by Bellingcat, a company that publishes open-source intelligence, which worked with Russia's The Insider and Germany's Der Spiegel.

The nonprofit organization OVD-Info, which documents such arrests in Russia, noted that Prokhorov himself was forced to leave Russia a few days before Kara-Murza was sentenced due to the threat of criminal prosecution.
The Outsider: The Life and Work of Lafcadio Hearn: The Man Who Introduced Voodoo, Creole Cooking and Japanese Ghosts to the World by Steve Kemme.

Aficionados of history and literature should be excited about the new biography of Lafcadio Hearn. For those who dont know Hearn, the late-19th-century journalist and writer began his career in Cincinnati writing for The Enquirer and went on to gain acclaim for translating Japanese folklore.

Hearn is mostly forgotten today, except in his adopted Japan, where he is held in the sort of high esteem we hold Edgar Allan Poe.

In Japan, hes an icon. But in the U.S., he barely qualifies as a literary cult figure, said Steve Kemme, author of The Outsider: The Life and Work of Lafcadio Hearn: The Man Who Introduced Voodoo, Creole Cooking and Japanese Ghosts to the World.

As the title of Kemmes new book suggests, Hearn is hard to sum up. An enigma with many lives.

Born Patrick Lafcadio Hearn in 1850 on the island Lefkada, near Greece, to a Greek mother and Irish father, he was abandoned by both parents and his aunt raised him in Ireland. At age 19, he made his way to Cincinnati, nearly penniless, then started writing for The Cincinnati Enquirer in 1872 and made a name for himself.

Hearn went on to chronicle Creole culture in New Orleans and Caribbean island life on Martinique before settling in Japan, where he married, took the name Koizumi Yakumo, and translated Japanese folktales and ghost stories in his own style to share with the West.

Putting a spotlight on Hearns Cincinnati writing

Kemme, a retired Enquirer reporter himself and president of the Lafcadio Hearn Society/USA, understandably brings more attention to Hearns Cincinnati years. Although Hearns great-grandson, Bon Koizumi, who wrote the foreword, helped open doors in Japan for Kemmes research.

One of the reasons I wanted to do the book was because I felt like previous biographers had kind of dismissed the Cincinnati years in terms of his writing, Kemme said. They all paid attention to a lot of the sensational crime stories but I think didnt really give full credit to the quality of some of the stories.  He learned the basics of writing in Cincinnati.

Kemme sets the scene, describing post-Civil War Cincinnati  a city with aspirations of culture that was also densely populated, dirty and smelly with the industrial machinations of meatpacking and soap-making  that gives context to Hearns early writings. It was largely because of Hearns rich descriptions of the less desirable facets of the city that we have been able to get a wider historic picture of Cincinnati.

While Hearn is best remembered for his sensational stories and grisly details  he called himself a reporter who reveled in thrusting a reeking mixture of bones, blood and hair under peoples noses at breakfast time  it was how he approached the stories that was different.

He really brought a literary style to journalism during his Cincinnati years, when he used dialogue and used a lot of description and scene setting, passages in his news stories, and really helped draw the reader into the stories, Kemme said.

Hearn often included himself in his stories as this reporter, a forerunner to the participatory New Journalism of Tom Wolfe and Hunter S. Thompson.

Also different was who and what he wrote about. He penned sensitive stories of the marginalized citizens, the Black residents of Bucktown, the stevedores and their songs, prostitutes and psychics and gravediggers.

I think he felt an empathy for them more than most people because he understood what it was like to be on the outside, on the fringes of family, on the fringes of society, Kemme said.

Hearn, too, was an outsider.

In 1874, Hearn married Alethea Mattie Foley, a formerly enslaved woman who worked as a cook in the boarding house where he lived. Interracial marriage was against Ohio law at the time and The Enquirer, tiring of his controversies, used it as the excuse to fire Hearn. The Cincinnati Commercial then hired him for less money.

But Hearn soured on Cincinnati and his marriage. He took assignments to New Orleans and elsewhere. He moved to Japan in 1890 and settled there with a new wife and family until his death in 1904.

Kemme ably covers Hearns entire life with the same level of detail and insight. But this reporter concedes it is gratifying that his biography at last gives the Cincinnati chapter of Hearns story its full share.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: New book explores literary 'icon' Lafcadio Hearn's Cincinnati writings
Human rights lawyers working with the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine are preparing a dossier of war crimes for submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing Russia of deliberately causing starvation during its war against Ukraine.

Source: The Guardian

Details: The Guardian notes that the lawyers aim is to document cases where the Russian invaders used hunger as a weapon of war, in order to provide evidence that will allow the ICC to launch the first such criminal prosecution that could bring charges against Russian Pre

sident Vladimir Putin.p> Yousuf Khan, a senior lawyer with law firm Global Rights Compliance (GRC), emphasises that "the weaponisation of food has taken place in three phases," beginning with the initial invasion, during which food supplies were cut off and Ukrainian cities were besieged. He described the second phase as the destruction of "objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population" throughout Ukraine, including food, water, and energy sources. The third phase is Russia's attempts to prevent or restrict the export of Ukrainian food. The Guardian recalls that in 2018, the UN Security Council approved a resolution condemning the use of hunger as a means of warfare, and in 2019, the Rome Statute of the ICC was amended to expand the list of cases that may be brought in this regard. GRC will be assembling the dossier in close cooperation with Ukrainian prosecutors until the end of next year. The aim is to file under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, which allows third parties to send information about alleged war crimes to the ICC prosecutor. The prosecutor, who is based in The Hague, would have the final say regarding whether to move forward. Some of the lawyers efforts will be directed towards identifying the perpetrators, in particular, to call for the indictment of Putin, as happened in March, when the ICC issued a warrant for the Russian presidents arrest for overseeing the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia from territories occupied during the war. Khan notes that one could argue for hunger-related crimes in the same way. "Putin could bear responsibility for having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others," he said, as well as for his failure to exert proper control over Russian forces or other individuals who have been charged with specific criminal acts. 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!

On 14 September 2023, the International Criminal Court opened a field office in Kyiv. This is the largest office of the ICC outside The Hague.

On 2 March 2023, the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into possible crimes committed in Ukraine. A joint investigative group, which includes several European judicial bodies, was set up to collect evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova. They are suspected of involvement in the illegal deportation of children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.
Yaroslav Hunka, right, waits for the arrival of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the House of Commons in Ottawa, Onatario on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023. The speaker of Canadas House of Commons apologized Sunday, Sept. 24, for recognizing Hunka, who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II. Just after Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave the 98-year-old a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)

TORONTO (AP)  The speaker of Canadas House of Commons apologized Sunday for recognizing a man who fought for a Nazi military unit during World War II.

Just after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy delivered an address in the House of Commons on Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka a standing ovation when Speaker Anthony Rota drew attention to him. Rota introduced Hunka as a war hero who fought for the First Ukrainian Division.

In my remarks following the address of the President of Ukraine, I recognized an individual in the gallery. I have subsequently become aware of more information which causes me to regret my decision to do so, Rota said in a statement.

He added that his fellow Parliament members and the Ukraine delegation were not aware of his plan to recognize Hunka. Rota noted Hunka is from his district.

"I particularly want to extend my deepest apologies to Jewish communities in Canada and around the world. I accept full responsibility for my action," Rota said.

Hunka could not be immediately reached for comment.

Canadian lawmakers cheered and Zelenskyy raised his fist in acknowledgement as Hunka saluted from the gallery during two separate standing ovations. Rota called him a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero, and we thank him for all his service.

Zelenskyy was in Ottawa to bolster support from Western allies for Ukraines war against the Russian invasion.

Vladimir Putin has painted his enemies in Ukraine as neo-Nazis, even though Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost relatives in the Holocaust.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus office said in a statement that Rota had apologized and accepted full responsibility for issuing the invitation to Hunka and for the recognition in Parliament.

This was the right thing to do, the statement said. No advance notice was provided to the Prime Ministers Office, nor the Ukrainian delegation, about the invitation or the recognition.

The First Ukrainian Division was also known as the Waffen-SS Galicia Division or the SS 14th Waffen Division, a voluntary unit that was under the command of the Nazis.

The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies issued a statement Sunday saying the division was responsible for the mass murder of innocent civilians with a level of brutality and malice that is unimaginable.

An apology is owed to every Holocaust survivor and veteran of the Second World War who fought the Nazis, and an explanation must be provided as to how this individual entered the hallowed halls of Canadian Parliament and received recognition from the Speaker of the House and a standing ovation, the statement said.

Bnai Brith Canada's CEO, Michael Mostyn, said it was outrageous that Parliament honored a former member of a Nazi unit, saying Ukrainian ultra-nationalist ideologues who volunteered for the Galicia Division dreamed of an ethnically homogenous Ukrainian state and endorsed the idea of ethnic cleansing.

We understand an apology is forthcoming. We expect a meaningful apology. Parliament owes an apology to all Canadians for this outrage, and a detailed explanation as to how this could possibly have taken place at the center of Canadian democracy, Mostyn said before Rota issued his statement.

Members of Parliament from all parties rose to applaud Hunka. A spokesperson for the Conservative party said the party was not aware of his history at the time.

We find the reports of this individuals history very troubling, said Sebastian Skamski, adding that Trudeaus Liberal party would have to explain why he was invited.
Our Wichita Falls area readers reflect many diverse opinions and viewpoints. Letters to the Editor are written by members of our local community and reflect their personal beliefs, not those of the Times Record News. The opinion of these letters is neither endorsed nor opposed by the Times Record News.

He was just a twenty-two-year-old kid who was taking a trip to Washington to stand up for America. He was pushed into the Peoples House amid a crowd of mostly innocent lookers. Some of the doors were opened by Capitol guards.

Newly released videos show that many instigators who pretended to be part of the Trump movement were urging the crowd into the building and encouraging violence.

Because he walked into the building that day, in August this young man was arrested and charged with four misdemeanors, including entering a restricted building. (Remember this was a public building.)

He had heard the horror stories about the Jan. 6 defendants who had been severely mistreated and kept in solitary confinement, without any trials, no bail hearings, no one to come to their aid and he simply could not stand that kind of future. So, this gentle boy who had his whole life in front of him, killed himself.

He was not the first who could not face that kind of imprisonment. Another good man had committed suicide earlier. They will probably not be the last because the FBI swat teams are arresting anyone who was there on Jan. 6.

Whats more, if you rant out your frustrations on social media, instead of arresting you, they will come to your house and shoot you.

The swat teams always arrive before daybreak, dressed in full riot gear. That is what frightened a crippled senior citizen who came to the door with a gun when his door was pounded on. They shot him not once but several times just as they did the disabled veteran who wasnt even carrying a gun and had his hands in the air when he went to the door and was shot.

The Justice Department and its intimidation force, the FBI, is totally out of control. Yes, President Trump is being treated horribly but when you think of these young men dying, and the ones who have been rotting in that D.C. jail, deprived of their life, for almost three years, it should make us angry enough to demand justice.

Billie Gorham, Burkburnett

Times Record News prints every letter received if it is signed, free of abusive language and free of personal attacks. We cannot print letters from individuals who are incarcerated. Letters are subject to editing for length, grammar and spelling. We reserve the right to print a letter anonymously if requested by the letter writer and the individual identifies themselves to us with a name, address and/or phone number. Letters to the editor can be submitted to Editor Claire Kowalick at ckowalick@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Letter to editor: Jan. 6 defendants mistreated
To the editor: Gone are the days when most members of Congress adhered to venerable democratic traditions in striving to best serve their constituents.

Over the last decade, the GOP has shamelessly abandoned that priority in favor of gaming the political system to enhance its power.

How so? Republicans have learned that petty performative politics reliably produces far more electoral benefits than an incisive party platform.

Democrats efforts to game the system have proven less effective, as they have been inclined to overestimate the intelligence  and underestimate the gullibility  of the average voter.

Hence the GOP's impeach-Biden theatrics that columnist Jonah Goldberg denounces (Why Republicans impeachment of Biden may be stupid enough to work, Opinion, Sept. 19). With the vast majority of voters already decided  and nearly evenly split  swaying a minute percentage of undecided voters with impeachment misinformation may well suffice for former President Trump to defeat President Biden.

David Schaffer, Santa Monica

..

To the editor: Democratic bigwigs and their smaller party siblings maintain fidelity to a Democratic National Committee narrative that gives new credence to our lying eyes as we view President Bidens fibs and confabulations. The party tale is that there is nothing to see in the investigations of multiple House committees that have disclosed tantalizing evidence about potential skullduggery about and within the Biden family. They will sacrifice Hunter Biden to preserve the big guy by claiming that there is nothing sticking to the president. How these claimants maintain a straight face when parroting party propaganda that defies common sense is why most citizens detest our politics. A formal impeachment inquiry will force Democrats of all sizes to put their long pants on and take care of important business.

Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati, Ohio

..

To the editor: With all the reasons Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) has given for starting impeachment hearings against President Biden, he has failed to state the one that is most obvious to me, and the one that he was most foolish to state during Trump's first run for the presidency. Welcome to Benghazi 2.0.

In 2015, McCarthy boasted on national television that the Benghazi panels work had hurt Hillary Clinton in the polls. I don't think that he will be that foolish to make a similar statement again with regard to Biden, but you never know when McCarthy is involved.

Robert Rosen, Granada Hills

..

To the editor: The first impeachment effort of former President Trump was a joke. The second impeachment effort of Trump, for all intents and purposes, is still going on. President Biden did his job as president even before he took office by defeating Trump. And now it has come to light that when Biden was vice president, he was allegedly using his influence to help his son with his nefarious moneymaking schemes involving foreign countries. All these impeachment efforts of the controversial Trump or the hustler Biden should stop now. Both parties should retire these two guys in the primaries and start over with two new candidates.

Mark Walker, Yorba Linda

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
By Harmeet Kaur

(CNN)  Alray Nelson and his partner Brennen Yonnie are married in all but name.

Theyve been together for 12 years. Theyve raised a child together. They wear wedding rings and refer to each other as husbands. Unlike straight married couples, however, they cant benefit from each others insurance, file taxes jointly or build a house together on tribal land.

Same-sex marriage is banned on the Navajo Nation, the sprawling reservation that spans Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. The two could have married in another jurisdiction and moved somewhere that recognizes the rights of LGBTQ couples. But the reservation is home, and they feel theres no other place for them to go. So despite a lifelong commitment to each other, they dont plan to marry until the ban is lifted.

When it comes to having a marriage certificate, thats something that we will not obtain until that marriage certificate says the Navajo Nation on it, Nelson, executive director of Navajo Nation Pride and an executive assistant to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren, told CNN.

That day could be on the horizon.

In June, Navajo Nation Council Delegate Seth Damon introduced a bill to repeal the prohibition on same-sex marriage. The legislation has cleared three committees and faces just one more before it can go before the full council. Meanwhile, key Navajo leaders have voiced support for the measure.

If the bill clears the committee stage, Nelson said he expects it to go before the full council in mid-October. And if it passes, he added, it could have a ripple effect on Indigenous nations in the US.

It sends a message of inclusiveness across Indian Country and the United States  that the largest target tribal nation in the country stands on the right side of history, he added. It supports our LGBTQ relatives, as our nations always have since time immemorial.

Navajo leaders banned same-sex marriage in 2005

Though the Supreme Courts 2015 ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage nationwide, the Navajo Nation and other federally recognized tribes are sovereign and not bound by the courts decision. While at least 37 tribal nations have marriage equality laws on the books, others  including the Navajo Nation  explicitly prohibit it.

In 2005, the Navajo Nation Council passed the Dine Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman and declared same-sex marriage void and prohibited. Its sponsor characterized the law as promoting family values and preserving Navajo tradition.

Jennifer Denetdale, professor and chair of American Studies at the University of New Mexico, said that the Dine Marriage Act was enacted during a moment when broader American society appeared to be concerned about the preservation of the nuclear family. But according to Denetdale, some Navajos were surprised that the council felt such legislation was necessary. (Then-President Joe Shirley Jr. vetoed the legislation, calling same-sex marriage on the Navajo Nation a non-issue and the ban discriminatory, but the council ultimately overrode the veto.)

Our matrilineal system recognizes that kin relationships are the building blocks of our nation and our relationships, she told CNN. We privilege and we prize our kin relationships. This means that we remember our inclusion of our LGBTQ2 (Two-Spirit) relatives.

Though supporters of the Dine Marriage Act have cited concerns over preserving Navajo tradition, what constitutes Navajo tradition has also been a subject of debate. Some scholars have written that Navajos traditionally acknowledged and respected a third gender, the nadleehi (and even multiple genders)  though theres disagreement over whether relationships between the nadleehi and their partners correspond to modern LGBTQ relationships.

The proposed legislation to repeal the Dine Marriage Acts ban on same-sex marriage maintains that the traditional Navajo wedding ceremony will remain between a man and a woman. LGBTQ couples will be able to marry on the Navajo Nation through other methods, and the tribal government will also recognize such marriages performed in other jurisdictions.

The way in which its written is intended to acknowledge that the Navajo people consider marriage to be sacred between a man and a woman, Denetdale said. But the legislation recognizes and acknowledges that there are relationships between people who we may consider to be of the same sex, who have always had long-standing and fruitful and loving relationships as well. And those relationships deserve to be recognized by the Navajo Nation.

The proposed legislation also calls for changing gendered language in tribal statues to be more inclusive, and removing provisions of Navajo code that require married women to have their husbands consent before making certain financial decisions.

Damon, who sponsored the bill, did not respond to CNNs requests for comment.

Some Navajos are hesitant to return home without marriage equality

Nelson said a repeal of the same-sex marriage ban would have a profound impact on him and his partner, as well as other LGBTQ couples on the Navajo Nation. For example, if his partner were to experience a medical emergency, he might not have visitation rights or any authority over decisions regarding his care.

God forbid something happened to his life, I do not have any decision making power over what happens to my husband  a privilege that same-sex couples and my mom and my dad had in their marriage, he said.

While Nelson and his partner have chosen to remain on the Navajo Nation, others say they could be forced to build a life elsewhere if circumstances dont change.

If things dont go the way I want them to go, then its quite possible that I may have to leave and find a place where I am welcomed and celebrated, said Charlie Amaya Scott, a scholar and educator who runs the popular Instagram account Dine Aesthetics.

Such considerations are partly why Josie Raphaelito doesnt currently live on the Navajo Nation.

Raphaelito, a board member for Dine Pride and a vocal advocate for marriage equality on the Navajo Nation, grew up in Pine Hill, New Mexico, on the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation and left to attend college and graduate school on the East Coast. Though she now lives in Buffalo, New York, with her wife, she said she always planned on returning home eventually.

While there are other factors affecting her decision, Raphaelito said shes hesitant to move back to the Navajo Nation when she knows she and her wife would lack protections afforded to straight married couples.

Its hurtful to not be seen as equal and to have your partner not seen as equal either, she said.

Marriage equality advocates are optimistic about the bills future

There have been other attempts to repeal the Navajo Nations ban on same-sex marriage.

The first bill, introduced last year by Navajo Nation Council Delegate Eugene Tso, was initially withdrawn and resubmitted with changes. The council concluded its legislative session before the second proposal could come up for a vote.

Nelson and Raphaelito are optimistic that the third time will be the charm.

The years and years of advocacy and education are starting to really pay off, Raphaelito said. (People) are serving as allies and introducing bills and encouraging their colleagues to listen with their hearts and be a better relative to all of our Navajo people.

While some LGBTQ and Two-Spirit Navajos report not feeling welcome in their communities, the tide is turning. Organizations such as Dine Equality have long advocated for LGBTQ rights. The Navajo Nation, meanwhile, observed Dine Pride Week for the first time in 2017 and the festivities have continued in the years since.

Its time for the Navajo government to really exercise its sovereignty to protect people that look and live like me and my husband, Nelson said.

Nelson said he feels confident that the council has the votes to pass the legislation this time around. And if that happens, he and his partner plan to be first in line for a marriage license issued by the Navajo Nation.

The-CNN-Wire

 &  2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

Pictured above is Alray Nelson and his partner Brennen Yonnie.
The co-founder of Loaves & Fishes, one of Sacramentos largest homeless service providers, didnt just serve more than seven million meals across 40 years to homeless people and participate in Californias iconic civil disobedience protests leading to getting arrested more than 30 times.

Marie Chris Josephine Delanys ethos helped change the perception around Sacramentos unhoused population. It stemmed from Delany, guided by her deep Catholic faith, seeing the dignity and humanity in everyone, no matter who they were, said her friends and family.

She probably wouldnt think it was as important for her to be personally remembered as to have the work be remembered, said her daughter, Rebecca MacLaren.

Delany died Sept. 3 peacefully in her sleep from natural causes. She was 90.

Loaves & Fishes started with Delany and her husband, Dan Delany, moving to Sacramento from Southern California and serving sandwiches from their car trunk starting in 1983.

I have always thought of Loaves & Fishes as miraculous, Chris Delany is quoted on the charitys website. When we started, Dan and I didnt know how it would grow but people came to help and the guests were always fed. It was a miracle every day!

Chris and Dan Delany are photographed outside Loaves & Fishes, which was started by the former Catholic servants in 1983. Chris Delany died Sept. 3, 2023, at the age of 90. Dan Delany had died in 2015. Their small operation, started in the trunk of their car, evolved into wraparound services that provide help, food and shelter to near 1,000 homeless people daily.

Their small operation evolved into a 4-acre campus in the River District providing legal services, showers, laundry, a school for homeless children and mental health counseling for nearly 1,000 adults daily, according to the charity.

Dan Delany crafted lofty visions and dreamed of expanding operations. But it was Chris who worked to bring those amorphous goals to life, said Loaves & Fishes Executive Director Angela Hassell, who added their gradual expansion downtown along North C Street happened without taking any government grants.

Its really difficult to be around somebody that is that inspired and that committed to this work and not also feel inspired by it, she added.

Last year, the charity served more than 10,000 and made over 143,000 meals.

Family and friends said that commitment  sleeping in homeless encampments, working alongside labor leader Cesar Chavez, opening her home for patients diagnosed with AIDS and protesting bloody wars  werent done for accolades.

Every cause she championed sprung from her passion for serving others and her strong religious beliefs. She taught volunteers to see Christ in every persons eyes at that moment and not worry about tomorrow, said Sister Libby Fernandez, Chris friend of 20 years. Fernandez served as Loaves & Fishes executive director for more than a decade before starting Mercy Pedalers, a ministry of volunteers that also helps the homeless, in 2017.

She wouldnt think of herself as a leader, MacLaren, the daughter, added. But, she kind of just was naturally.

Chris Delany, left, who founded Loaves & Fishes and Sister Libby Fernandez, right, leads a parade to celebrate the organizations 30th anniversary in 2013. Delany, 90, died Sept. 3 from natural causes. Her memorial service is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 28.

Beginning roots

Born Jan. 3, 1933, on a kitchen table in Altadena, Delany observed her first-generation Italian father, Salvatore Pacino, work hard as a butcher, MacLaren said.

Chris mother, Caroline Pacino, was a seamstress in Los Angeles San Gabriel Valley; Delany had two brothers, John and Jim Pacino.

A cataclysmic tragedy struck the family: John, the oldest brother, died serving in World War II, MacLaren said. Her mother was a young child when it happened.

The family didnt know what happened to John until decades later, she added. John was killed in Operation Tiger, a rehearsal exercise for the D-Day invasion on Normandy.

In high school, Delany was the president of the drama society. She had a flair for the arts, MacLaren said. She added her mother also loved to draw.

Delany went straight to a convent after graduating from high school and soon met a priest, Dan Delany, at a retreat. They left their orders after falling in love, but never left their deep Catholic faith.

In her family, Chris Delany was a gracious host and loved to entertain her large group of diverse friends, MacLaren said.

Even when Delany was stretched thin at Loaves & Fishes, her gracious nature never wavered. MacLaren recalled how her mother cooked a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for days and became nauseated when cooking turkey once again for her family.

But it was her love language, MacLaren said, to cook for people and serve others.

She had an eye and a feel for comfort, MacLaren added.

I feel so honored to be arresting you

Despite the gritty and tough work, Chris always found a way to make people around her laugh, Hassell said.

She added she will miss Chris sassy nature and her off-color remarks punctuated with a curse words.

You wouldnt expect someone who was a nun and a Mother Superior to use the F-word as much as she did, Hassell said. But, she did.

Fernandez added she never once saw Chris get mad.

She recalled how a starstruck police officer asked for a picture with Chris after getting arrested during a protest and waiting to get booked in jail.

I feel so honored to be arresting you, Fernandez fondly remembered the officer saying to Chris.

A 1990 story in The Bee chronicled the Delanys many protests and the inevitable brushes with the law. As Bee writer Stephen Magagnini wrote at the time, The Delanys have been arrested more than 30 times, but they still get a charge out of civil disobedience.

Were s--- disturbers, Chris Delany said then of her and Dan, who died in 2015 at the age of 80.

The Delanys legacy will live on through everyone the couple inspired, MacLaren said.

We have a thousand miracles on the streets of Sacramento because of Loaves & Fishes, Libby said.

Whenever they see a homeless person who can smile, that is a miracle, Libby said. When a homeless person gets into housing, that is a miracle.

Chris is survived by her son, John Delany; daughter, Becky MacLaren, and her husband, Carl; grandchildren Tim Delany, Erin Delany, Sara Delany and Malcolm MacLaren; and sister-in-law and friend, Sister Mary Jo Delany; as well as nieces, nephews, cousins and a wide circle of friends.

Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Thursday at St. Francis of Assisi Church, 1066 26th St. The public is invited.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be sent to Loaves & Fishes, 1351 N. C St., or online at sacloaves.org.
In a bizarre and infuriating story, the local government of a small city in Kansas was accused of sabotaging one residents attempts to create a wildlife refuge on his property.

The story, which first appeared in The Wichita Eagle and was later posted to the r/NoLawns subreddit, details how Stafford, Kansas, resident Daniel Wallach was attempting to turn his six-acre property into a nature experience, experimental farm, and bed-and-breakfast for birdwatchers.

This was a seemingly reasonable and achievable goal  until the city sent people to mow down all the plants on the property, leaving a barren swath of stubble.

Even worse, one of Wallachs assistants was arrested and is now facing aggravated assault charges after chasing off one of the mowers, who did not announce who he was or that the city had hired him.

The stated reason that the city eventually gave for the mowing was that it was trying to control burr ragweed, a common weed that grows in patches on the property. But considering that the weed grows all over the place and the mowers destroyed everything on the property, The Wichita Eagle posited that other forces were at play.

For one, Staffords mayor also attempted to buy the property when Wallach purchased it in 2021. Wallach says that dealing with the local government has been a nightmare ever since.

In addition, there is an ongoing water war between the protected Quivira National Wildlife Refuge and local farmers. This, Wallach says, has led to an unfortunate anti-wildlife sentiment that extended to his project.

It never ceases to amaze me how the environment got stuck as a political pawn, Wallach told The Eagle. Now more than ever, people who care about the environment are viewed as left-wing ideologues. And its just nonsense.

The commenters on the Reddit post agreed with Wallach.

The mayor of the town tried to buy the same land and now is throwing every piece of red tape he can think of to try to drive the man out of town. Stinks of blatant corruption. Like a bad 80s movie, wrote one commenter.

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MACOMB, Okla. (KFOR)  The Macomb School District announced that they are holding a Saturday night vigil just one day after officials announced Makayla Meave-Byers was dead.

Meave-Byers, according to the school staff was a dedicated teacher and parent and was loved by many throughout the district.

Our hearts are heavy as we grieve this tragic loss of a beloved Macomb Public Schools educator and parent. Makayla cared deeply for our students and families and will be greatly missed, the schools post on Facebook stated.

| Family begs for help finding missing Pottawatomie woman >

Meave-Byers had been missing for quite some time according to the Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office. They said that she had been last seen on Friday, Sept. 15 at her home in Macomb.

A massive search that lasted days was conducted.

Wednesday the sheriffs office announced that they had found a body wrapped in carpet south of Oklahoma Highway 59B and Hamilton Road. It would be Friday afternoon that they reported the body found was that of Myers-Beave.

Macomb Public Schools is grateful for the strength and compassion of our community. We offer our heartfelt condolences to Makaylas family, friends, students, and all those impacted by this terrible loss, the school stated in their post.

The vigil was announced on Facebook Saturday morning that it would occur around 7:30 p.m. at Lexington High School.

In previous interviews with KFOR, her family said how much they loved Makayla, they called her a great mother. Her sister mentioned that she had two adopted children and was a mother to four stepdaughters.

| Update: Pottawatomie County Sheriffs Office confirms body found is missing woman >

I just ask the lord to give them strength to make it through this and to be with Makayla, said Jerry Clifton, family pastor.

Macomb Schools posted that their district has secured additional licensed counselors for those needing support on Monday.

Open communication between families, children, and staff is very important. If you think your child is having a particularly difficult time dealing with the situation, please do not hesitate to contact the school for assistance or you may also contact the Youth Crisis Mobile Response at 833-885-CARE (2273) through Heartline of Oklahoma, the school posted.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
Atlanta police are looking for a suspect accused of assaulting a man at his home, stealing his credit cards, and then using them at a local Walmart and gas station.

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The alleged assault happened at a home on Hurt Street at around 5 a.m. on Sept. 17.

Officials did not share which gas station or Walmart the stolen cards were used at.

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Police are asking for the publics help in finding the man.

The suspect who used the stolen cards was seen on surveillance camera wearing sunglasses and a silver watch.

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Anyone with information on the case can submit a tip anonymously to the Crime Stoppers Atlanta tip line at 404-577-TIPS (8477), online www.StopCrimeAtl.org or by texting CSA and the tip to CRIMES (274637). Tipsters do not have to give their name or any identifying information to be eligible for the reward of up to $2,000.

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A man is behind bars after officials say he engaged in inappropriate conversations with someone online he believed to be under 16 years old.

Floyd County sheriff officials said on Sept. 18, deputies arrested B.J. Helton of Huntsville after he traveled to Georgia to meet who he believed to be a minor.

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According to the report, Helton messaged who he believed to be a minor on social media and engaged in a graphic sexual conversation with them.

Deputies said Helton also sent inappropriate photos of himself during the conversation.

Authorities did not specify how long the correspondence was.

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Eventually, Helton traveled to Floyd County to meet the child to engage in sexual activity, deputies said.

Helton was charged with attempted aggravated child molestation, furnishing obscene materials, electronic enticement and obscene internet contact.

Deputies also charged Helton with possession of meth after they found the drug and two glass smoking devices on him at the time of his arrest.

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The defence attorneys of a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend by choking her and throwing her off a third-floor balcony rested their case without calling any witnesses.

Gareth Pursehouse, 45, is on trial for murder and burglary in connection with the death of Dr Amie Harwick, 38, a renowned Hollywood sex therapist.

Los Angeles authorities testified last week that Mr Pursehouse had developed an obsession with Dr Harwick after their relationship ended in 2012 and that she had filed two restraining orders against him, fearing he would harm her.

In the early hours of 15 February 2020, she came home to find that Mr Pursehouse had allegedly broken into her apartment. According to prosecutors, a fight ensued and the defendant then threw Harwick off the balcony.

Throughout the proceedings, Mr Pursehouses attorneys argued that he didnt push Harwick and that she fell off the balcony while attempting to climb it down to escape from their client. The defence then rested their case without calling any witnesses.

He set the chain of actions into motion that led to her death, but the evidence will show that he never intended on killing her, attorney Evan Franzel told the jury, according to FOX News.

Robert Coshland, a friend of Harwick, told NewsNation that he was surprised by the legal strategy.

I definitely thought they were going to present something, Mr Coshland said. I know that the angle they were leaning toward was completely different from what they postulated during the preliminary hearing that I also testified in, but when they didnt present a case, I was shocked. I think everyone was shocked.

Mr Coshland took the stand on Wednesday and testified that Harwick had told him that if anything happened to [her], it would be Gareth.

Gareth Pursehouse is charged in the 2020 death of Dr Amie Harwick

Mr Pursehouses attorneys showed the trial a picture of Dr Harwick wearing a black lace bodysuit and posing on the balconys edge. They then tried to argue that Harwick had a certain comfort level with the balcony railing.

In a panic, she runs through her bedroom to her balcony, climbs up and over the railing, attempts to lower herself and climb down and is unsuccessful and falls, Mr Franzel said.

The lawyer had previously argued that Mr Pursehouse had ample opportunity to use a lethal nicotine syringe found on the scene on Ms Harwick, but that he didnt do so. The defence suggested that Mr Pursehouse brought the injection to use it on himself.

Prosecutors have argued that Mr Pursehouse threw Ms Harwick off the balcony. Her roommate testified that she heard what sounded like bodies hitting the ground as well as the sound of women choking.

Drew Carey introduces Amie Harwick as his fiancee on the set of The Price is Right in 2018 (CBS)

One month before she died, Dr Harwick saw Mr Pursehouse at a porn awards party hosted by Stormy Daniels. By that point, her second restraining order had lapsed.

The doctor was attending the party because she had worked for a charity providing mental health guidance to people in the sex industry, while Mr Pursehouse was there as a photographer, DailyMail.com reported.

The pair reportedly argued at that part, with Mr Pursehouse allegedly saying that she had ruined his life.

The next month, Ms Harwicks roommate called police to their apartment after she heard screaming. She later testified that, with the police, she found Harwick on the back patio struggling to breathe. She was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

The LA coroner determined that the cause of death was blunt force trauma to her head and upper body. The coroner also said there was evidence of manual strangulation.

Dr Harwick authored The New Sex Bible for Women and was engaged to The Price is Right host Drew Carey before the couple called it off in 2018.

Mr Pursehouse is also charged with a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait.

If found guilty, he could be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A man was critically injured late Saturday in a North Highlands parking lot shooting that may have been gang-motivated.

Sacramento County sheriffs deputies responded between 10:20 and 10:30 p.m. to reports of a shooting near Madison Avenue and Jackson Street, said Amar Gandhi, a Sheriffs Office spokesman.

About 10 minutes after deputies arrived, Gandhi said, they learned a man injured in the shooting was at a nearby hospital with a life-threatening gunshot wound. He is now stable and expected to recover.

Sheriffs detectives investigating the shooting believe it may be gang-motivated, Gandhi said.

The incident involved at least two sets of gunfire from two weapons, he said. Deputies recovered a fully automatic Glock handgun at the scene.

Twenty to 40 people were in the parking lot at the time of the incident, Gandhi said, and deputies detained three of them. None of the witnesses to the shooting cooperated with the Sheriffs Office investigation, he said.
Pittsburgh police are investigating the death of a man who showed up at a local hospital after he was shot in a Pittsburgh neighborhood.

According to police, the man was brought to the hospital by a private vehicle in critical condition around 4 a.m. He later died of his injuries. The Office of the Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified him as Davondre Bruce, 27, of Homestead.

Police learned that the shooting may have happened in the 1500 block of Lincoln Ave., in the Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar neighborhood. They later found a vehicle struck by gunfire and other ballistic evidence in the area.

Violent Crime Unit detectives are investigating.

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LAS VEGAS (KLAS)  A man is dead after he was injured while working on F1 preparations on the Las Vegas Strip, according to 8 News Now Investigators sources.

On Saturday around 11:30 a.m., officers responded to 3600 Las Vegas Boulevard after a report of an injured worker. Police said that a man sustained a major laceration to the neck while working at the Bellagio Fountains.

The man was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

OSHA will be investigating the incident, police said. No other details have been released at this time.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Russian forces shelled Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast overnight on Sept. 24, injuring a 25-year-old man and damaging a supermarket and a kindergarten, according to Serhiy Lysak , head of the regional military administration.



The victim, who was pierced with shrapnel from the attack, was hospitalized in serious condition, the governor said.



Russian attacks also struck the Chervonohryhorivka community, damaging four private homes, a car, and some powerlines.



The Myrove and Pokrovske communities were also shelled; details of the damage have yet to be reported.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  A shooting in Parkway village left a man severely injured Sunday morning, Memphis Police say.

Officers responded to Fire Station #34 at 3909 Knight Arnold Road regarding the victim of a shooting who arrived at the station by private vehicle.

The man was transported to Regional One Hospital in critical condition, police say.

This is an ongoing investigation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Each week, Marion Technical College shares MarionMade! stories of our many wonderful people, places, products and programs in the greater Marion community. To read more positive stories of Marion, or to share some of your own, visit us at marionmade.org or on social media.

While some high school students spent the summer focusing on fun, Emily Hypes opened her own business. This senior at River Valley High School and Tri-Rivers Career Center studied esthetics her junior year and received her state license. She opened Esthetics with Emily in July. She rents space from the Ooh La La Beauty Salon at 1448 Marion  Waldo Road in Marion.

Ive always liked taking care of my own skin, and I have a desire to help others to do so as well, Hypes said.

In addition to receiving her state license, she obtained her independent contractor license. She holds an additional certification through Art of Skin Care for chemical peels.

Emily Hypes earned her esthetician license after taking classes during her junior year at Tri-Rivers Career Center.

Hypes offer facials, waxing, brow lamination, tints, threating, eyelash lifts and tints. She will offer chemical peels in the future. She also offers a professional line of skin care products both online and at her studio.

I enjoy being able to bond with my clients and building relationships with others, Hypes said.

Hypes has lived in Marion since her parents, Tom and Jenni Hypes, adopted her from Kazakhstan when she was 8 months old. She has been a Marionite ever since. Tom is currently the lead pastor at The Shepherds Fellowship Church. Jenni is the director of Aspire Ministries (formerly Love INC.), which helps local people in need find resources from area churches and community agencies.

I loved growing up in Marion, Emily said. Its a privilege to be able to invest back into the community with care services even at my age.

Emily says she works to create a relaxing atmosphere with personal attention and a spa-like feel. She appreciates residents supporting local businesses.

Tom Hypes owns the business while Emily is still a minor. He is also a client. Emily features him receiving treatments including laminating his eyebrows and tinting them red in a video series called Emily Esthetics with Dad on the business Facebook page.

Other customers also offer rave reviews.

I loved my first ever facial! Emily was incredibly sweet and told me what she was doing and what to expect. She also did my eyebrows and eased my apprehension about getting my eyebrows done  thanks to the 90s and early 2000s for that  by making sure she did exactly what I wanted. I'll definitely be using her again, said Mallory Caeton of Marion.

I had my first ever facial today thanks to Emily, and I will be returning! I was incredibly relaxed and Emily explained every step of the process, said Melissa Scoville of Urbana. I enjoyed the enzyme treatment, as well as the anti-aging jelly, but that facial massage was the icing on the cake! My face feels great!

Jenni Gaston Hypes, left, Emily Hypes and the Rev. Tom Hypes take a selfie during a family trip to Alaska in 2022. All three are very involved in Marions faith community.

Emily is a member of the Marion Area Chamber of Commerce and will hold a ribbon-cutting with them on Oct. 11.

There has been a strong movement of new business and community pride over the last several years, and Im excited to see Marion continue to growth with professionals who work to support one another, Emily said.Hypes found a mentor in Rebecca Salyer, the esthetics teacher at Tri-Rivers. She also enjoys working with other owners at the salon where they support and encourage each another.

I do believe we should consider the impact of our resources invested locally instead of just where someone can get the cheapest price. Investing in your community grows and impacts the quality of life in your community, Emily said.

Emily Hypes is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Technical Honor Society. She is active in show choir and orchestra at River Valley High School.

In addition to running her business, Emily is studying to be a nail care technician during her senior year at Tri-Rivers. She is also active in the River Valley show choir and orchestra. Hypes is supporting her fellow students by donating 20% of October purchases booked with the code RVMB to the Music Boosters.

Its my way of giving back, Hypes said.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion teen entrepreneur is all about skin care
Miami Marlins' Garrett Hampson, right, scores on a wild pitch by Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Joel Payamps during the eighth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

MIAMI (AP)  Jake Burger hit a three-run homer, the Marlins scored the tie-breaking run in the eighth inning and Miami beat Milwaukee 5-4 on Saturday to stay within a game of the Cubs for the third NL wild card and prevent the Brewers from clinching the NL Central.

Pinch runner Garrett Hampson scored the winning run on a wild pitch by reliever Joel Payamps (6-5).

Burger drew a leadoff walk before Bryan De La Cruzs single to right advanced Hampson to third. Payamps slider got past catcher William Contreras and Hampson sprinted home.

Obviously, a very good ball club over there, so anything we can do to get a win from them and hopefully ride momentum going into (Sunday), Burger said.

Miamis Luis Arraez went 1-for-5 and his major league-leading batting average dropped to .353. Carlos Santana hit the 300th homer of his career and Christian Yelich had career hit 1,500 for Milwaukee.

Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said Arraez didnt play the top of the ninth after he slipped on the dugout steps heading to his position. Arraez sprained his left ankle on Tuesday when he stepped on a baseball during infield drills and missed the last two games of Miamis series against the New York Mets.

Another freak injury, Schumaker said.

Andrew Nardi (8-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and Tanner Scott closed with a perfect ninth for his 10th save.

You ask anybody in that clubhouse  thats why Im so proud of them  whatever it takes, Schumaker said. I know other guys say it but they literally believe that.

The Brewers erased a 4-0 deficit with a four-run sixth on William Contreras infield single and Santanas three-run homer over wall in center off reliever A.J. Puk.

It was great in the dugout, game-tying three-run homer, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said of Santanas milestone. Really happy for him and its something to be proud of.

Marlins starter Jesus Luzardo allowed three hits, struck out four and walked three in five innings. His outing ended after Contreras single.

Frustrating the way it ended, Luzardo said. But I felt good. Felt strong overall. My pitches were doing what I wanted to. Not too upset about it, especially after the win.

Miami struck quickly on Burgers three-run homer in the first. Burger drove the first pitch from starter Brandon Woodruff over the wall in left for his 34th homer and ninth since joining the Marlins Aug. 1.

He has a really good fastball and just reacted to the slider there, Burger said. You have to honor his fastball always because its an electric one.

Nick Fortes sacrifice fly in the fourth made it 4-0.

Woodruff, who threw a complete-game shutout against Miami in a home win Sept. 11, was lifted after five innings. The right-hander gave up four runs, six hits, struck out six and walked two.

Earlier Saturday, Marlins ace right-hander Sandy Alcantara said he will not pitch again this season after experiencing a setback during a minor league rehab start Thursday. Alcantara, the reigning NL Cy Young winner, went on the injured list Sept. 6 because of a right forearm flexor strain.

SPECIAL REUNION

Arraezs parents received visas from their native Venezuela and arrived in Miami on Thursday. They had never seen their son play in a major league game until the series against Milwaukee.

ROSTER MOVE

The Marlins selected the contract of RHP Jeff Lindgren from Triple-A Jacksonville and placed RHP Eury Perez on the 15-day injured list because of left SI joint inflammation.

TRAINERS ROOM

Marlins: RHP Huascar Brazoban (left hip impingement) threw one inning in a rehab appearance with Triple-A Jacksonville on Thursday and is scheduled to throw two innings on Sunday.

UP NEXT

RHP Freddy Peralta (12-9, 3.71) will start the final game of the series for the Brewers on Sunday while the Marlins will go with RHP Edward Cabrera (6-7, 4.35).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Is the Bay State secretly littered with banana peels?

New data has determined Massachusetts is one of the most accident-prone states in America, ranking fifth, according to a new study.

The study, undertaken by the Schiller Kessler Group in Florida, says Massachusetts has searched for accident-related terms 85,775 times in the last 12 months, 1,229 per 100,000 residents, with sprained ankle and ER near me ranking as the fourth and fifth most popular.

The study analyzed average monthly searches for accident-related terms like urgent care or how to tell if a bone is fractured

Ahead of the Bay State is Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina and Washington. Minnesota, Maryland, Oregon and New York round out the Top 10.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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A 13-foot-8.5-inch alligator was euthanized by authorities in the Tampa Bay, Florida, area after it was seen with human remains in its mouth.

The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said it removed the large alligator from the waterway after responding to a report of a human body seen in a canal in unincorporated Largo on Friday afternoon, according to a news release.

The alligator was humanely killed with the assistance of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FCW).

Jamarcus Bullard, who contacted police after seeing the human remains in the alligators jaws, described spotting the alligator to local station WFLA.

I threw a rock at the gator just to see if it was really a gator, and it pulled the body, like it was holding on to the lower part of the torso, and pulled it under the water, Bullard said.

He went on to detail watching authorities corral the alligator after the shocking encounter.

They spotted it over here on this side, Bullard told the local outlet. And they got this long stick thing, pulled the head out of the water, then they shot it. And once they reeled it all the way out, they stretched it out and measured it 13 feet long, and they shot it again.

The victim was publicly identified as 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham, officials said in an updated press release on Saturday.

The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said the Medical Examiners Office is investigating the victims manner and cause of death.

American alligators are typically found in freshwater lakes, slow-moving rivers and sometimes in brackish water habitats, but rarely in salt water, according to the FWC.

From 1948 to 2021, 26 people were fatally killed in alligator attacks in Florida, according to the agency.

Related...
AfD candidate for mayor of Nordhausen, arrives at the polling station to cast his ballot, in Nordhausen, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. The German city of Nordhausen is best known as the location of the former Nazi concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora. A mayoral election on Sunday could again put the focus on the municipality of 42,000 people if a far-right candidate wins the vote. (Silvio Dietzel/dpa via AP)

BERLIN (AP)  The German city of Nordhausen is best known as the location of the former Nazi concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora.

On Sunday, a mayoral election again put the focus on the municipality of 42,000 people over fears that a far-right candidate would win the vote  a prospect the town ultimately seems to have avoided.

Preliminary results Sunday night showed Joerg Prophet, a candidate from the populist far-right Alternative for Germany party, or AfD, losing the race to incumbent mayor Kai Buchmann, who is not affiliated with a political party.

After an initially close race while votes were counted, Buchmann had 54.9% of the vote, compared with 45.1% for Prophet, according to the news agency dpa.

The results were a surprise after Prophet entered the race as the frontrunner: Earlier this month, he won 42.1% of the vote in the first round of the election, far ahead of Buchmann and other candidates.

Despite Prophet's apparent loss, Sunday's election underscored recent gains nationally for the AfD and the increasing influence it has on the political discussion in Germany. It also raised concerns about the normalization of far-right rhetoric in places like Nordhausen, drawing criticism from Holocaust survivors and those who work to combat discrimination.

The significance of the election in Nordhausen extends far beyond (its) borders, Felix Klein, the German governments antisemitism commissioner, told the Funke Media Group.

The AfD was founded as a euroskeptic party in 2013 and first entered the German Bundestag in 2017. Polling now puts it in second place nationally with around 21%, far above the 10.3% it won during the last federal election in 2021.

The party has seen its support grow for a number of reasons. Its politicians have seized on frustration with the German governments climate and energy policies, such as the plan to replace fossil-fuel heating systems with greener alternatives.

Whats more, a spike in the number of asylum-seekers entering Germany in recent months has put political attention back on the topic of migration, which has long been the AfDs signature issue.

The AfD mobilizes their support with two fearful narratives related to cultural and economic modernization: Both migration and climate policies are turned into a threat to peoples cultural identity and lifestyle, said Johannes Hillje, a Berlin-based political consultant who tracks far- and extreme-right rhetoric in Germany.

That strategy has proven successful in recent months. In addition to growing its support nationally, the AfD won its first executive-level positions earlier this summer: An AfD candidate was elected county administrator in the eastern city of Sonneberg in June, and in July, the party won its first mayorship in the town of Raguhn-Jessnitz.

The AfDs strength, particularly in eastern Germany, has prompted discussions among other parties about whether and how to cooperate with it. Despite a longstanding taboo against collaborating with the far right, the center-right Christian Democrats in Thuringia made headlines when they recently passed new tax legislation with AfD support.

In Thuringia, the state in which Nordhausen is located, the AfD is both especially strong and especially radical. Recent polling puts the party in first place in Thuringia, where most surveys have its support above 30%.

Bjoern Hoecke, the AfD leader in Thuringia, is the symbolic face of the partys furthest-right faction. Germanys domestic intelligence agency has placed the AfDs Thuringia branch under formal observation.

Hoecke has espoused revisionist views of Germanys Nazi past. In 2018, he referred to the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a monument of shame and called for the country to perform a 180-degree turn in its memory culture.

As a result, there was a particular significance to the prospect of an AfD mayor in a city like Nordhausen, given the work that has been done there to preserve the Mittelbau-Dora camp as a site of memory and to rebuild trust among Holocaust survivors.

Its inconceivable that the last survivors of the concentration camps and their families () could be welcomed in Nordhausen by a mayor from the ranks of a party whose political program consists of calls for xenophobia, racism, antisemitism, antigypsyism, nationalism and revisionism, an international committee of survivors of Mittelbau-Dora and the nearby Buchenwald concentration camp said in a statement.

With three important state-level elections in Germanys east on the horizon in 2024, including in Thuringia, there is increasing pressure on Germanys other political parties to combat its rise.

Winning posts like mayorships and growing its support nationally helps normalize the AfD in the German political landscape, and puts increasing pressure on parties like the CDU to collaborate with it  which experts argue would only strengthen and legitimize the AfD's far-right positions.

Its a huge strategic mistake to help the AfD to have political impact, Hillje said. This will mobilize their supporters even more.
WASHINGTON  A small town on the Texas border declares a state of emergency as tens of thousands of migrants cross the border. The Biden administration grants protection to nearly half a million Venezuelans in the country, giving them the ability to work. This comes after some Democratic mayors and governors warn that growing numbers of migrants in their care are busting their budgets.

The various scenarios playing out across the country paint a picture of a strained immigration system making an impact far from the U.S.-Mexico border. The Biden administration late Wednesday announced measures intended to alleviate the problems.

The U.S. has had immigration surges before so what's different now, and why?

Migrants who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico wait to be processed by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Thursday in Eagle Pass, Texas. Migrants have always come to the U.S., but the immigration system now seems strained nationwide more than ever.

How does the number of migrants arriving now compare to previous decades?

Part of the issue is that a lot more people are coming to the U.S. The numbers dropped earlier this summer after pandemic-era migration rules ended and tougher enforcement measures kicked in. But the numbers are climbing again.

On Wednesday, the border town of Eagle Pass, Texas, announced a state of emergency after nearly 6,000 migrants crossed the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the town of roughly 28,000 people in two days.

In fiscal year 2022, Border Patrol encountered 2.2 million people crossing the border illegally. The numbers have gone down in the fiscal year ending this month  about 1.6 million so far  but that's still high.

You have to go back decades to see comparable numbers. From 1990 to 2006, Border Patrol encounters nearly always topped one million a year, with a peak of 1.6 million in 2000. Then the numbers began to fall. From 2010 to 2020, the agency recorded below half a million encounters a year, except for 2019 when they climbed to 859,501.

Statistics aren't always a perfect measure, of course. The numbers from the 1990s and 2000s are considered vast undercounts because migrants often evaded authorities as they entered the U.S. Now, migrants often turn themselves in so they can request asylum.

Migrants who crossed into the U.S. from Mexico walk past concertina wire lining the banks of the Rio Grande as they move to an area for processing on Thursday in Eagle Pass, Texas. Migrants have always come to the U.S., but the immigration system now seems strained nationwide more than ever.

In recent years, the measures used to contain the COVID-19 pandemic skewed the count. The government relied heavily on a public health tool called Title 42 to quickly eject people from the country. But there was no penalty so experts say migrants returned again and again, thus pushing up the statistics.

What's the government doing?

The Biden administration late Wednesday announced it was giving Temporary Protected Status to an estimated 472,000 Venezuelans who arrived in the country as of July 31. That makes it easier for them to work in the U.S. Venezuelans make up such a large proportion of the people coming to the U.S. that changing their status has an outsized effect. In New York City, about 40% of the roughly 60,000 asylum seekers the city is paying to house are from Venezuela.

The administration also vowed to speed up the time it takes for migrants who are already eligible to work to get their authorizations processed  a key demand from Democratic governors and mayors.

In Massachusetts: Eliminate 'backlogs.' Gov. Healey asks feds to expedite work authorizations for migrants

More broadly, the administration has relied on a carrot-and-stick approach over the last year to deal with immigration. That has involved doing things such as giving humanitarian parole to people from certain countries provided they have a financial sponsor and fly into the country. And then relying heavily on consequences for those who don't follow the rules. For example, they have beefed up deportations and expulsions.

Republicans say it's not enough and accuse the administration of doing little to control the southern border.

Who is coming and does that affect resources?

Julia Gelatt, of the Migration Policy Institute, said there are key differences between what's going on now and during past immigration surges.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there were more single adults coming to the U.S. Now, families with children are increasingly arriving, and they have different needs. While a single adult traveling by himself may be OK with crashing on a friend's couch, families often expect more for their children and may be more likely to need government services to protect them. Kids need to go to school.

Also, communications have advanced. These days, migrants can easily share information on social media about the best places to go and what services are available.

Gelatt noted that many of the migrants crossing the border don't hide from the government. Some have been granted humanitarian parole or have a notice to appear in immigration court. They may feel more empowered to ask for assistance.

Where are migrants staying?

One of the challenges that has thrust immigration into the spotlight is housing.

New York City and Massachusetts have right-to-shelter rules, meaning they must provide housing to people who need it with certain restrictions. In addition to the roughly 60,000 migrants New York is housing, Massachusetts is also paying to shelter about 11,000 new arrivals.

Murad Awawdeh, who heads the New York Immigration Coalition that advocates for immigrants' rights, said immigrants arriving in the city previously didn't really use the city-run shelter system. They had friends or relatives to help them find places to stay. But that's changing.

The most unique thing about this situation is simply that folks dont have a family connection here or community connections like they have had historically, Awawdeh said.

Decades ago, migrants arriving in the U.S. were almost all Mexican nationals. Experts and officials note that migrants today arrive from a vast array of countries across South and Central America and Africa, as well as from China and India. Their disparate countries of origin complicate deportations because they have to be flown. In some cases, migrants can't be deported because the U.S. has no agreement with their native countries, notably Venezuela.

What's the impact of migrants being bussed from the border?

In 2022, Texas began busing migrants to Democrat-led cities around the country to challenge the Biden administration's border policies. Arizona has also bused migrants out of state.

The numbers are relatively small compared to the overall migrant flow. For example, since the spring of 2022, New York says it has counted 113,000 newly arrived migrants compared to the 8,200 Texas said it bused there.

But the Migration Policy Institute wrote last year that the Republican-sponsored trips had repercussions far beyond the numbers. After crossing the southern border, migrants used to spread organically, quietly, and gradually across the U.S., the Institute wrote.

The buses have instead brought migrants to these cities in an orchestrated, visible, and deliberately disorderly way. ... In generating this chaos, the busing scheme has succeeded at least in showcasing the challenges at the border," the organization wrote.

___

Associated Press reporter Steve LeBlanc in Boston contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Current US immigration strain differs from previous years. Here's how
A drone struck an administrative building in the Russian city of Kursk on Sept. 24, according to Roman Starovoit, the governor of the eponymous Russian region.



He said that this was a Ukrainian attack that did minor damage to the roof of the building.

The drone struck a building of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), online newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, news agency UNIAN and media outlet Hromadaske reported, citing their sources.

Ukrainska Pravda cited intelligence sources and confirmed that this was a Ukrainian operation. The Ukrainian government has not officially claimed responsibility for the strike.



Casualty numbers are unknown for now.

Kursk is about 100 kilometers northeast of the Sumy Oblast border with Russia.

Ukraine has ramped up its attacks on Russian territory primarily using long-range warhead-equipped drones.



Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Amy Lemco works on the Monmouth Historic Commission and has a new book out called Wading In: Desegregation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast."

This is part of a weekly series introducing readers to individuals who are passionate about our Mid-Valley community.

Amy Lemco lives a lot of her life in the past.

When she finds a historical subject that interests her, she has a hard time letting go.

The Monmouth resident has a college degree in history and creative writing, has been on the Monmouth Historic Commission since 2022, and her first full-length, non-fiction book, "Wading In: Desegregation on the Mississippi Gulf Coast," was published Sept. 11 by University Press of Mississippi.

Growing up in Biloxi, Mississippi, she didnt learn about the history she explores in the book.

I dont remember that we covered that, the local events, Lemco said. I was an adult the first time. Thats the first time I thought about what under-told history should I write?

A packed life

In the rest of her life, Lemco is a constant blur of motion.

Besides her unpaid position on the historic commission, she teaches an online course on creative writing to English Language Learners, makes deliveries through DoorDash and works weekends at the Donut Bar, a food truck in Monmouth.

That goes along with spending time with her husband, Richie Jaramillo, and their two children. And she finds time to research and write books.

Lemco has self-published a string of historical fiction, family history and childrens books since 2016. "Wading In" is the first one to be picked up by a major publisher.

She first wrote it as a childrens book. When she shopped it to University of Mississippi Press, the editor told her they didnt publish childrens books, but said they would be interested in publishing a full-length book on the topic.

Her answer was: I would absolutely sit down right now and do four months of intense research 12 hours a day.

The book follows civil rights leader Dr. Gilbert Mason as he led the effort to desegregate Biloxi Beach and other beaches in Mississippi.

Lemco said the efforts of Mason and others werent taught to her in Biloxi schools.

I just always like the story of an underdog and for that information to be out here, she said.

Ties to Oregon

For someone who loves history, Lemco admits she doesnt do a great job of keeping track of her own.

I have no concept of time, Lemco said.

But Lemco was born in Oregon and moved to Biloxi, Mississippi, where she lived until age 14. After that, she split time between her fathers home in Bonney Lake, Washington, and Mississippi.

Lemco has held a long list of jobs like delivering pizza and working in the beauty department of a grocery store.

Somewhere along the line, Lemco decided she wanted to be a writer. She figured the best way to do that was to go to school to become a massage therapist. It made sense to her at the time.

That didnt work that well, but she followed a friend from that school to Ashland after Hurricane Katrina.

She supported herself with jobs like barista and making bagels. And she met Richie there.

He was the DJ at a Spanish restaurant that converted to a Salsa bar at nighttime and I would go dancing, Lemco said.

They married and moved to Virginia, where Amy went to college at Emory & Henry College and got a degree while pregnant.

That was around the time she self-published her first book of historical fiction, "The Song of the Phoenix." A string of books have followed.

Choosing Monmouth

She and her family decided to move to Monmouth in 2020.

We moved here sight unseen, Lemco said. Never been here, never visited. That was 2020. We moved in the middle of the pandemic.

In choosing a new home, she was looking for an area with colleges around it so she could go to graduate school.

But she didnt get into the masters program to which she applied, so she decided to write what became "Wading In."

She said she doesnt have a specific idea to write a book about Monmouth yet but has several ideas.

Lemco likes the community and is exploring its history.

Now I am invested, Lemco said. I am invested in both of the project ideas Im thinking about.

If you have an idea for someone we should profile for this series, please email Statesman Journal senior news editor Alia Beard Rau at arau@gannett.com

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Author Amy Lemco publishes first full-length, non-fiction book
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.
One of the greatest love stories of our times is currently playing out on TVand no one seems to be talking about it.

Its the story of two frustrated, aging artists whose talents have never been recognized. Their paths have crossed before, but, like ships (or perhaps more like ferries) in the night, theyve always just missed each other. And so, theyve been traipsing around New York City, their matching statement scarves tossed artfully over their shoulders, trying against all hope to make their dreams come true. When they finally meet, its like lightning has struckinstantly, they see the artistic potential in each other that no one else could. Where have you been? he asks her.

I am talking, of course, about the improbable love story of Loretta and Oliver in Only Murders in the Building.

Oliver, one of the shows core trio, is played by the always-hilarious Martin Short , no matter what that misbegotten writer at Slate said (ticking off the entire internet while he was at it). Loretta, a newcomer this season, is played by none other than Meryl Streep. The Oscar-winning actress is an unlikely addition to any Hulu show, but she supposedly asked to join the cast after a Zoom call with old pals Short and his Only Murders co-star Steve Martin .

(Warning: Spoilers ahead for the most recent episode of Only Murders.)

When the cast was first announced, a friend of mine made a prediction: Streep would only have agreed to join the cast if she was going to play the murderer. Well, by the very dramatic ending of Episode 8, which premiered Tuesday, it seems clear that Streeps Loretta is probably not the killerinstead, Loretta offers meaty acting material for Streep in other, possibly more interesting, ways. Shes an actor who never got her shot, but who quietly, doggedly kept pursuing her dreameven when that meant giving up her only son for adoption. Plus, shes a woman of a certain age who is given not only a late-in-life shot at artistic success, but also one at love.

The story behind Oliver and Lorettas pairing in the series is actually quite brief, but thanks to impeccable writing, detailed performances, and effortless chemistry, in about six scenes, they have become one of the best TV couples maybe ever.

Only Murders in the Building Just Revealed a Major Meryl Streep Twist

Their relationship is built on a strong foundation: their shared passion for and belief in the magic of the theater. After a near perfect lightning bolt meet-cute in which Loretta blows Oliver away during her audition for his play, their relationship unfolds over the course of several impossibly delicate, sweet scenes. A pattern emerges: In the face of mass doubt and zero interest from the cast and producers, Oliver and Loretta keep seeing each others potential.

After Lorettas disastrous table read, Oliver sticks up for her. Similarly, Oliver, who is known only for such Broadway flops as the ill-fated Splash!, in which Oliver squandered his budget with an actual pool into the stage floor. He takes what is the already questionable play (Death Rattle) that he had been working on the previous season and turns it into what appears on the surface to be a truly unhinged musical, complete with breeding crabmen, now called Death Rattle Dazzle. However, Loretta sees past the wackiness and helps him uncover the real heart of the show. What I love about Oliver Putmans shows is that underneath all the bombast and the chaos and the breeding crab men, its just theres a vulnerability, she says. Thats what makes Oliver Putman special as a director.

Meryl Streep and Martin Short. Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Later, in a last ditch attempt to save his musical, Oliver asks Loretta to sing the Nannys lullaby. Her performance is the epitome of theatrical magicsomehow, she seems to memorize the lyrics in a matter of moments before delivering a fully embodied, mesmerizing rendition of the song. Earlier, when Oliver was writing the music, no one in the room took any noticein fact, they were fast asleep. Only Loretta seems to get it and together, they create magic. I never thought Id be swooning over Martin Short and Meryl Streep, but the look they share as she finishes the song is so full of depth and understanding and love that I couldnt help it.

Next up for the best couple ever: a painfully awkward, yet impossibly sweet first date, in which can be seen some of the most cringe-worthy moments of television ever created. For instance, Short accidentally lowers her foldaway bed and actually utters the words, Dinner before dessert. Things get worse when he loses a tooth while chomping into her overcooked pork chop.

But what could have been the worst date ever soon blossoms into yet another magical moment. Loretta takes him on the Staten Island Ferry, where she explains that her mother used to take her after she lost a tooth as a little girlbecause, you know, tooth ferry. As their nerves settle, they discover that they were both at the same birthday party in the 70s. Loretta brought a joint rolled in a purple streamer that she took from the party all those years ago and, it turns out, Oliver was the one who had rolled it. Its fate! They are meant to be! If only they had met in the 70s, they could have been creating shows together, smoking joints, and sharing scarves all of this time!

Later, we are treated to a vision of Short lounging with Loretta on the drop-down bed. Hes wearing her dressing gowndespite the disastrous dinner, they evidently made it to dessert.

The Surprising Broadway Stories Behind the Best Only Murders in the Building Costumes

In the latest episode, their relationship develops further. After their date, Oliver steals a creepy book he discovers in her apartment that seems to be a stalkerish collection of photos of murder victim Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd). It really is, it turns out, a book of photos of Bens adopted brother and Lorettas biological son, Dickie. Oliver returns it and underhandedly asks for an explanation. She is understandably annoyed and disappointed. You dont trust me, she says sadly. Later, Oliver pulls her aside and delivers one of the loveliest romantic speeches in TV history:

I do trust you and I dont care about the book. I dont care about any of it. I just want to be with you. To do our show, excuse me, our hit show and go back to your funny little apartment and just fall asleep in your arms. And theres more. And its a biggie. I love you. Wow, I havent said those words in a minute. You know what it felt right so Im going to say it again. Here it goes. I love you.

I never expected Oliver Putnam to be one of TVs best romantic heroes. After all, we knew him only as a slightly manic gut milk-drinking, dip-loving, director of Broadway flops. And yet, somehow, in eight short episodes, he has become one.

When, moments later, Loretta takes the fall for the sake of her son and confesses to Bens murder, Oliver is so upset he has another heart attack as shes carted off by the policehe is literally heart broken. Its perhaps more Shakespearean and melodramatic than Only Murders has any right to be, but thanks to their beautifully crafted relationship and skilled performances, we completely buy it.

Martin Short and Meryl Streep. Patrick Harbron/Hulu

Although their love story is beautifully written, it is the two actors chemistry and understated performances that really make the romance work.

While it may be thought of as nothing more than a slightly silly Hulu show, Only Murders is shaping up to be a showcase of Streep at her best. She brings a fullness to Loretta that shines through in every scene. You can sense her long history of lonely striving, her underlying quiet determination. When we see her in her apartment, with its cozy reading nook and makeshift pull down bed and careful sentimental clutter, it makes perfect sense thanks to Streeps deft portrayal. Of course that's where Loretta lives! As for Short, when hes bouncing off of Streep, he brings remarkable new depths and subtleties to Oliver. The pairing of Streep and Short is an endless delight.

Praise Meryl Streep: This Is the Best Only Murders in the Building Season Yet

Perhaps most delightful of all is the simple fact that its rare to see an older couples love story play out with such sincerity. Ill never forget Meryl saying to meI mean its ridiculousshe said, Thank you for this, showrunner and director John Hoffman said in the podcast Only Murders in the Pod. She said, No, I really mean it. Its the romance. For people who are older, he explained, you never see a love story thats not twee, thats not about her age, that makes perfect sense.

I would also like to thank John Hoffman for the romancebecause in my opinion, it is one of the best things on TV this year.

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Some Big Tech companies that early this year were cutting workers now want some of them back.

They are ramping up hiring in hot areas like artificial intelligence.

How the company handled the layoffs might determine whether workers are willing to go back.

It's not the call you'd expect to get: The company that laid you off wants you back.

Do you go? It's a question that many of us might think we know the answer to: Hell, no! Yet, for some workers, the calculus is more complex.

Companies like Meta, the parent of Facebook, and Salesforce are bringing back some of the workers they let go . Big Tech is hungry for people with skills in areas such as artificial intelligence. Yet, like romantic breakups, whether one-time employees agree to try again will have a lot to do with how things ended.

Companies that handled layoffs poorly are likely to have a harder time convincing ex workers to go back, Sandra Sucher, a professor of management practice at Harvard Business School who's studied layoffs, said. In some cases where the layoffs were conducted reasonably well, a return might be something former workers would consider.

"If you want me back, you value me," Sucher told Insider. Still, former workers will want to know how they can rebuild their careers at an organization, she said. "What is my path going forward? Not just for right now."

We want you back

The renewed demand is an about-face from the start of the year, when many Silicon Valley giants were culling staffers after saying they'd taken on too many people during the pandemic. So far this year, tech companies have slashed about 350,000 workers, according to Trueup.io., the tech jobs site. But the cuts peaked in January.

Whether to return is a question some former Salesforce workers are likely asking. The company plans to hire some 3,000 employees after cutting 10% of its workforce at the start of the year. Salesforce told Bloomberg it expects to hire in areas like sales, engineering, and data cloud product teams  and said the new workers will help grow the company's AI business to draw further investments.

CEO Marc Benioff is calling on former workers who landed elsewhere, not just those who might have been laid off, to consider coming back. Salesforce recently held an event to court alums where it handed out stuffed toys with "boomerang" shirts to about 50 former execs.

But for the workers who were laid off  and who didn't leave to take another job  there might still be some hard feelings over how Salesforce handled the separations. Some workers criticized how the company communicated the cuts. The layoffs also seemed to fly in the face of the culture the cloud software company had built. Salesforce execs, and Benioff in particular, have over the years encouraged workers to view their colleagues and the company itself as "Ohana ," a Hawaiian term referring to family.

Earlier this year, the company  under pressure from activist investors to boost growth and margins  said it would step up its focus on profitability and efficiency . The implication was that focus would trump the company's "Ohana" philosophy.

Things to ask yourself before you return

Sucher said for some workers, the fact that the company knows you  and you know it  could mean it's worth considering a return.

She said workers considering returning to a former employer might ask themselves questions such as: Why was I laid off? What's changed that you need me now? Why should I trust you again?

The decisions, in many cases, might not be easy. For some workers, there will be difficulty rebuilding the level of trust they once had.

"There'll be a part of me that is kind of looking at the organization and not trusting it in some very fundamental way," Sucher said.

One Reddit user, in late July, asked for advice on whether to return to a former employer that had laid the person off only to turn around weeks later and offer a management position in a different division.

The person, who'd already started another, less-lucrative job, faced a dilemma: "The company laid me off not too long ago so I obviously have reservations," the user wrote. The advice varied to return but keep looking, don't return, or demand more pay to return.

Another user wrote about getting a call from a department head who'd both hired and laid off this person asking if there was any interest in returning. "This was honestly the last thing I expected," the person wrote.

Workers who do go back are likely to remain guarded

Of course, this hot-cold approach to workers isn't new for those in industries like hospitality. At the onset of the pandemic, for example, many restaurant workers got laid off. When lockdowns eased, employers scrambled to fill open roles because those workers wanted better working conditions .

Now it's tech workers' turn. Some might demand better pay to go back, while others could be accustomed to the idea that there's little they could do to protect against sizable job cuts. Job security will remain a visible consideration though: On Trueup.io, alongside job listings for high-profile companies like Amazon and Meta, is a number showing how many days it's been since there have been layoffs at the employer.

It's possible that strong demand will pull some workers back. Broadly, there is robust appetite for people with AI skills. On LinkedIn, the number of global English-language job postings that mention artificial intelligence technologies is up 21 times from November 2022, when ChatGPT debuted, a LinkedIn spokesperson said in an email to Insider.

Sucher said those workers who do decide to give it another go with a former employer are likely going to want to know what a company's strategy is so that it doesn't find itself once again cutting staff.

She said, ultimately, those who do return after layoff will likely view the organization differently. "This has lasting effects on how people feel about security," Sucher said. "It destabilizes their assumption that if I do a good job, I get to keep my job."

Have you considered returning to a company after a layoff? Or do you have something else to share about what you're seeing in your workplace? Insider would like to hear from you. Email our workplace team at thegrind@insider.com with your story or to ask for one of our reporter's Signal numbers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Mid-Mo Pridefest kicked off Saturday with an opening ceremony at Rose Music Hall, featuring an always entertaining blessing by the City of Fountains Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from Kansas City.

Sister Molly Alice Minx delivered the blessing.

"Even if sometimes it seems like we are moving backward, let us remember those whose struggle gave us so many rights and blessings," she said. "Let their memory continue to help up banish stigma and shame."

Sanctions and bans only strengthens them, she said.

"After all, we endured a pandemic before it was headline-worthy," she said.

Today's LGBTQ+ community owes a debt to those who came before, Minx said.

"May we revere the elders who lived unapologetically so we can strut proudly," she said.

There was a nod to a local gay bar in her blessing.

"Blessed be the Arch and Column," she said. "Blessed be the gayest spots in town. While I have not been there I have benefitted from their pride of place and those who drank, laughed and loved within their walls."

Nothing will stop the queer community, she said.

"LIke road construction in Missouri, we are ongoing," she said. "We are persistent. We are loud."

Columbia is one of the few blue dots in a red state, Minx said before the ceremony.

"It's always such a blessing to be a part of such a diverse community," Minx said. "It's nice to be among such a diverse group of people."

Mayor Barbara Buffaloe welcomed attendees.

"With all of the adversity, Columbia has time and time again shown up and made our voice heard for our community," Buffaloe said.

Pridefest is a vibrant and diverse celebration, she said.

"In the state of Missouri, at times we are attacked for just being who we are," Buffaloe said. "In Columbia, that is not the case."

Several Columbia faith leaders made a statement on stage.

"Together we act to resist attempts to limit expression of self," they said, taking turns reading. "We resist attempts to control our bodily autonomy, to deny access to healthcare and to limit the stories we can tell about ourselves. We resist any faith community or religion that tries to tell us we are anything less than beautiful and beloved. May this celebration sustain your resistance."

Among the crowd was Tisya Cooke, a member of Congregation Beth Shalom, Columbia's Jewish congregation.

A trans woman, Cooke said Pridefest is important, but she noted the prominent mobile phone company booth in front of the venue.

"I think there's an unfortunate amount of commercialism," she said.

Unaware of Cooke's comment, an organizer onstage noted the sponsors make Pridefest possible.

Dozens of vendors featuring companies and organizations lined the streets.

Pridefest events continue on Sunday.

Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: A weekend of events at Mid-Mo Pridefest began Saturday with ceremony
"Unknown saboteurs" attacked military facilities in Russia's Moscow and Kaluga oblasts overnight on Sept. 24, Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported.

A tanker truck was allegedly destroyed at a military base in the Naro-Fominsky district of Moscow Oblast, while four vehicles with trailers were destroyed at another base in the city of Kaluga, HUR said, without providing further details.

Earlier in the day, Roman Starovoit, the governor of the Russian Kursk Oblast, had said that a drone had struck an administrative building in the regional capital.

However, Ukrainian media outlets Ukrainska Pravda, UNIAN, and Hromadske reported, citing their sources, that a drone struck a building of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB).

Ukrainska Pravda cited intelligence sources and confirmed that this was a Ukrainian operation.

The Ukrainian government has not officially claimed responsibility for the strike.

Read also: Military intelligence: Russian airbase hit by sabotage attack

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
The number of victims of the Russian strike on Kremenchuk on 22 September has risen to 55 people. One person was killed.

Source: Dmytro Lunin , Head of Poltava Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The number of victims of the enemy strike on Kremenchuk has risen to 55 people.

19 people are in hospital, including one child. Six children were injured in total. A pregnant woman is among those injured."

Background:

It was previously reported that the number of people wounded and injured in the missile attack on Kremenchuk had risen to 32.

Russia launched the missile attack on Kremenchuk, Poltava Oblast, on the evening of 22 September. Dmytro Lunin says air defence forces shot down one missile. There were strikes on civilian infrastructure.

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 family of a 2-year-old girl who went missing is relieved she was found safe with their two family dogs watching over her in Michigan, news outlets reported.

On Wednesday, Sept. 20, Marcus Christy, the toddlers uncle, told WJMN that the girl had been outside with him while he was pressure washing the familys Faithorn house and that he had told her to go inside because it was getting dark.

But shortly after, he and the childs mother, Brooke Chase, noticed that the toddler, Thea Chase, was not in the house, and they immediately started looking for her, according to CNN.

She is her uncles shadow and is constantly with him, thats why its such a shock to us that she left his side, Chase told WJMN.

Michigan State Police troopers were called to the home around 8 p.m., WLUC reported. Officials used drones and multiple police K9 teams, and search and rescue, police and residents helped look for Thea.

When we get a call like that, everything else stops, Michigan State Police Lt. Mark Giannunzio told CNN.

After four hours of searching, a family friend on an ATV came across one of the family dogs and found Thea, CNN reported.

He went way, way farther than anybody else was searching, Chase told WJMN. And she was way out there. He had said that if it wasnt for the dogs poking out of the trees, he would not have seen her.

Thea was asleep nearby, using the familys other dog as a pillow, according to WJMN

She has those dogs wrapped around her finger, Chase told CNN.

Thea was checked for injuries and found to be OK, WLUC reported.

Faithorn is in Michigans Upper Peninsula, just east of the Wisconsin state line.

2-year-old was in car when it was stolen, Georgia cops say. Familys iPad saved her

10-year-old awakes in dads car to find stranger driving him from gas station, cops say

Toddler left alone for hours dies, Florida cops say. Couple arrested 300 miles away
FAITHORN, Mich. (WJMN)  It was a normal evening in Faithorn, Michigan for the Chase family on Wednesday that quickly turned into an extensive search-and-rescue operation for a toddler.

Brooke Chase was home with her son and 2-year-old daughter, Thea. Her husband Alex was at work. Also at the house was Marcus Christy, Alexs brother-in-law.

She is her uncles shadow and is constantly with him, thats why its such a shock to us that she left his side, Brooke Chase told Nexstars WJMN.

Christy said he had been taking a break from pressure-washing the side of the home when he told Thea to go into the house because it was getting late.

We thought she went back in the house, Christy explained. A little while later, Brooke and Christy realized neither knew where Thea was. Thats when the search began.

6 dead after train crashes into familys SUV in Florida

After their initial search, they noticed she wasnt the only one missing.

We were searching all around the yard up and down the road, screaming at the top of our lungs her name, calling for the dogs because the dogs were missing too, said Brooke.

It was around then that Brooke called Alex at work. My wife called me, and as soon as I heard her voice, I knew that something was definitely wrong. I didnt think twice, I just came home.

Brooke said the search for Thea started around 7:40 p.m., and by 8 p.m. police were mobilizing resources.

We had a lot of boots on the ground in a very short period of time, said Jeremy Hauswirth, Iron Mountain Post Commander for Michigan State Police. We had drones that were on site, police K-9s from several different departments, both state police and county. We had citizen volunteers and search and rescue available.

Ex-NHL player dies in Tennessee motorcycle crash

Christy and the Chase family said the response from the community was incredible. This place was flocked with people within half an hour.

Four long hours later came news of the discovery, not by the drones or the K-9s, but by a family friend on an ATV.

He went way, way farther than anybody else was searching, Brooke said. And [Thea] was way out there. He had said that if it wasnt for the dogs poking out of the trees, he would not have seen her.

It was Buddy, the big Rottweiler that the man found first. Brooke says he was lying near a berm a short distance from an ATV trail, roughly three miles from their home. When he stopped to investigate, he found Thea sleeping with her head resting on the familys other dog, Hartley.

When she was found, Brooke was at the house while Marcus and Alex were leading a search party in another part of the woods.

As soon as we heard she was found I started running. And I was like I stopped because I was like Oh, I dont even know where the heck she is. You know what I mean? Me and Alex both just started running. And then they said theyre en route back to the house. We started running back to the house.

Medical staff determined Thea was in good health after she was found.

Boy missing for 2 days in Michigan mountains found sheltering under log

As far as the police investigation, authorities dont believe foul play or negligence played any part in the whole ordeal. Commander Hauswirth said sometimes things like this are inevitable.

Ive raised four kids of my own, and you can be the best parent on the planet and they have their own minds. They will do things in an instant that will surprise you. Even the best of parents can blink and their child can be gone.

With Thea in her arms, Brooke said, She has no idea the amount of stress that she put me through last night, and her father, and everybody else.

The Chase family says they want to thank everyone involved in the search to find their daughter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS.
Blue lights flash atop a police car, with several other vehicles also flashing in the background. PHOTO BY DIEGO PARRA.

A Mississippi man has pleaded guilty in the case of a CVS Pharmacy robbery in December.

In Oklahoma City federal court Friday, Charles Lamar Scott, 35, pleaded guilty to interference with commerce by robbery, using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a machine gun.

Authorities said Scott tried to rob the CVS Pharmacy at 2412 N Classen Blvd.

Shots were fired inside the store, including at least one from a firearm modified to operate as a machine gun, authorities said.

During the robbery attempt, a store clerk was struck and suffered minor injuries, police said.

A police pursuit started north of NW 23 before quickly turning south on Classen Boulevard and ending near NW 14.

No officers were injured, according to authorities.

At sentencing, Scott faces up to life in prison and a fine of up to $750,000.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: In OKC CVS robbery case, Mississippi man pleads guilty
A while back, I wrote about Robert Herkimer  born April 9, 1813  who is one of Monroe Countys most industrious men. His second great-grandson, Bill Musgrave of Raisinville Township, shared details about the Herkimer family and their rich family history in Monroe County. As a car guy (Ive been a member of the Society of Automotive Historians since 1993 and the National Association of Automobile Museums since 1998), I wanted to learn more about one of Robert Herkimers sons  Clarence S.  who became one of Buicks first sales professionals.

This 1905 Buick is a fine example of Brass-era automotive design and one that Monroes Clarence Herkimer probably drove while developing early Buick dealers in Monroe and Wayne counties in the early 1900s and 1910s.

According to Bulkleys "History of Monroe County Michigan," Clarence S, Herkimer was born Oct. 18, 1876, on the old family homestead in Exeter Township and was a son of Robert C. and Augusta (McManus) Herkimer. Clarence S. Herkimer was said to have bridged the gap between the farming that took place on the Herkimer homestead in Exeter Township and the grist/sawmills operated by the family in Flat Rock, Exeter Township and near Toledo. Clarence S. Herkimer also later moved to Maybee where he represented the new age of the automobile, which would soon become Michigans most notable industry.

Bulkley writes, The advent of the automobile opened up a wide field of business opportunity, and in the ranks of those who have devoted their attention to this industry may be found many who formerly confined their energies to the cultivation of the soil. The world-old occupation of farming has developed men of brawn and brains, capable of achieving success in any of the fields of industrial endeavor, and Monroe County has its full quota of recruits to the modern business of automobile dealing. Clarence S. Herkimer, of Maybee, Michigan, representative of the Buick Automobile Company.

Buick became one of Americas iconic car brands and survives today. This Electra model is an example of the post-World War II, aircraft-inspired design at its height, including fins and sculptured body panels.

Bulkley continues, Clarence S. Herkimer was educated in the public schools and reared to farm work, to which he gave his entire attention until coming to Maybee to engage in the automobile business. He has become widely known throughout Wayne and Monroe counties as a salesman for the Buick car, and has met with great success in his chosen field, his pleasant personality and honorable methods having gained him numerous friends. On January 3, 1900, Mr. Herkimer was united in marriage with Miss Louisa M. Dexter, who was born and educated at Milan, daughter of Josiah F. and Rhoda R. (Throop) Dexter, natives of York Township, Monroe County, Michigan, the latter of whom died June 28, 1900. The Dexters had three children: Louisa M., who married Mr. Herkimer; Amy and Edwin. Mr. and Mrs. Herkimer have one daughter: Mamie Gladys, a bright and interesting child of ten years, now attending school. The Herkimer home is situated in Exeter Township, and is a center of social refinement, where the numerous friends of Mr. and Mrs. Herkimer often congregate.

As a Buick factory representative, Clarence S. Herkimer established one of the first Buick dealerships in Maybee along with other dealerships around Detroit and Monroe. He joined other early Buick auto sales pioneers in Michigan like Guy Garber of Saginaw who, in 1907, opened his first dealership in Battle Creek and another in Saginaw in 1910. The Saginaw location holds the distinction as the oldest operating Buick dealer in the U.S. According to the Buick Club of America, Garber was recommended for the job of Buick factory representative by William C. Durant, founder of General Motors. Garber operated dealerships in the Saginaw and Battle Creek areas for over 60 years, and Garber Automotive now operates 16 dealerships in 4 states.

While the Buick Riviera name was introduced in the 1950s, the model survived successfully into the 1990s. This example is similar one the author owned as a member of the Riviera Owners Club.

While it is unknown how many Buick dealerships Clarence S. Herkimer started, he was definitely an early automotive sales pioneer.

Tom Adamich is president of Visiting Librarian Service, a firm he has operated since 1993. He also is project archivist for the Greening Nursery Co. and Family Archives and the electric vehicle awareness coordinator at Monroe County Community College.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe County History: Clarence Herkimer was early Buick dealer
Biden continues to struggle with voters over his handling of immigration at the US-Mexico border.

A new Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that 62% disapproved of his efforts on the issue.

Biden's relationship with NYC Mayor Eric Adams has noticeably cooled as the city struggles to house migrants.

Throughout his presidency, Joe Biden has grappled with the surge of immigrants at the US-Mexico border, with members of both parties seeking divergent solutions to the crisis.

Former President Donald Trump has long advocated for a border wall, and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas has bused migrants to Democratic-led Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York to protest what conservatives have long said are the outsized costs that border states have had to shoulder in addressing illegal immigration.

Biden  who last week granted temporary legal status to hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants who have already entered the United States  continues to receive low marks from voters on the issue.

In a newly released Washington Post-ABC News poll, only 23% of registered voters approved of Biden's handling of immigration at the southern border, compared to 62% of respondents who disapproved.

In February, 28% approved of Biden's handling of immigration, compared to 59% of respondents who disapproved, a reflection of the administration's continued struggles on the issue.

And it isn't just Republicans who have tussled with the administration over immigration.

Over the past year, the once-chummy relationship between Biden and New York City Mayor Eric Adams has grown cold as the city has had to shoulder massive costs to house and feed the stream of roughly 110,000 migrants that have arrived in the city from the southern border.

Adams earlier this month said that the unforeseen expenses of the migrant crisis could cost the city $12 billion over the course of three fiscal years.

The Democratic mayor recently attracted national headlines when he told attendees at a Manhattan town hall that the migrant crisis "will destroy" the city.

"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 said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Angel Moroni at the top of the Salt Lake City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Credit - Tamilisa MinerGetty Images

September 21, 2023 marks the 200th anniversary of the date that Joseph Smith claimed to have been visited by the Angel Moroni in Palmyra, New York. According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints canonical account, the 17-year-old Smith was in bed when the divine visitor appeared in his room. The prophet-to-be was then instructed to dig up a sacred record inscribed on ancient golden tablets that was located in a nearby hill.

The resulting text, the Book of Mormon, published in 1830, became a cornerstone for a new world religion. Today, the Latter-day Saint church claims over 17 million members across the globe. But while they have achieved a degree of cultural acceptance, especially among American Christians, there remains a suspicionsometimes subtle, sometimes explicitthat Mormon beliefs are fundamentally irrational, if not heretical.

While there are plenty of doctrinal principles that have drawn scorn, like their since-rescinded belief in polygamy and an anti-Black racial restriction, the story of an ancient scripture record found on buried gold plates has long served as a lynchpin for external skepticism. How could otherwise rational people believe in what appears to be a fundamentally irrational myth? And does such a belief forfeit their place within mainstream culture?

Read More: Why the Mormon Church Finally Let Black Men Into the Priesthood

Yet debates over the boundaries of religious respectability, and whether the Mormons could be accepted therein, reveal as much about America as it does about its most famous homegrown religion.

Charles Dickens once wrote that Joseph Smiths true audacity was in claiming to have communion with angels in an age of railways. By that, he meant that the 19th century was supposed to usher in a new enlightened era in which eccentric frauds could no longer dupe the gullible. How is a religion that believes in ancient gold plates, angelic ministrations, and prophetic revelation supposed to function in a rational society?

Smith was raised in a family that believed in a miraculous world. That included buried treasure that could only be acquired through supernatural means. Smith was therefore part of an earnest though unsuccessful circle of treasure diggers who used seer stones to unearth priceless wonders. (It was on one such magic quest that Smith met his wife, Emma Hale.) So when Smith eventually produced a book of scripturean alleged account of ancient Christians who had inhabited the American continenthis fellow seekers and skeptical neighbors alike connected it to his folkloric practices.

Indeed, few critics felt it necessary to actually examine the Book of Mormons text. Its purported origins were scandalous enough. An early dissenter exposed the fact that Smith had used the same seer stone with which he sought treasure to translate the gold plates. In response, Smith refused to detail the exact method through which he produced the Book of Mormon, only insisting it was through the gift and power of God. It was an indirect confession that some stories appeared too fanciful.

Of course, some who took the time to read the new scripture were still not impressed. Mark Twain claimed that the real miracle of the Book of Mormons origins was Smith keeping awake while dictating chloroform in print.

Read More: The Living Book of Mormon

But for the scores of believers who followed Smiths teachings, the book represented an open canon of truth and a sign that God still spoke to a modern world. Their most successful proselytizing tract throughout the 19th century, Parley P. Pratts Voice of Warning, argued that the Book of Mormons appearance was evidence of the end times. Moroni, who had delivered the gold plates to Joseph Smith, was soon identified as the angel prophesied in the New Testament who would preach the gospel to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6). The image of the Angel Moroni and his horn therefore became the faiths unofficial symbol, gold statues of which appeared on the top of their temples.

For the remainder of the 19th century, Mormons were proud of their peculiar image. Their founding stories set them apart from a fallen society and corrupt Christendom. Eventually other principles, most notably polygamy, became their doctrinal center. But when the church was forced to renounce their distinctive practices at the end of the 19th century, and encouraged to adopt more mainstream culture in the 20th, Latter-day Saints were forced to consider how their faith would fit in a society they had previously scorned.

After decades of slow, uneasy, but steady cultural assimilation, Mormons appeared on the brink of cultural acceptance by the 1970s. Yet an upswing in evangelical anti-Mormonism threatened such advances. Part of the resurgent animosity was rooted in resurrected fears of cults that accompanied backlash to the mass murder-suicide at Jim Joness Peoples Temple in 1978. A wave of books, pamphlets, and movies dredged up old stereotypes of conniving Mormon leaders and duped LDS followers. Most successful was the film The God Makers, which showed a caricatured version of the gold plates story to millions of viewers across the nation.

Mormons were forced once again to adapt. They accomplished this by framing their faiths story, including that of the Book of Mormons origins, as one of Christian sincerity. They announced a subtitle to the Book of Mormon meant to cement their Christian affiliation: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Leaders even re-formatted the churchs logo so that the words Jesus Christ were far larger than the rest.

The most successful form of improved collaboration, of course, was in the political sphere. Starting with their fervent opposition to the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, followed by their central role in opposing same-sex marriage in the 1990s and 2000s, Latter-day Saint leaders formed firm alliances with Evangelical groups that otherwise found their truth claims blasphemous.

Mitt Romneys presidential runs in the 21st century demonstrated both how little and how much things had changed. During his first campaign for the 2008 GOP nomination, he was blindsided by hostility from those on the left and the right. Progressive critics already prone to question religion pounced on the irrationality of stories like the gold plates. Someone who truly believed in the founding whoppers of Mormonism, wrote an editor at Slate, exhibited a basic failure to think for himself or see the world as it is.

Meanwhile, evangelical opponents, like the supporters of Mike Huckabee, quickly identified the theological chasm between Mormons and acceptable Christianity. The outspoken Reverend Bill Keller went so far as to say that a vote for Romney was a vote for Satan, as it would validate Mormonisms blasphemous beliefs. Though declared an early frontrunner, Romneys candidacy fizzled well before the GOP convention.

Yet much changed in the succeeding four years. Once exposed to national attention, the vehement anti-Mormon sentiment seemed neutered, or at least drowned out by a cultural fascination with the faith. Dubbed the Mormon Moment, 2012 featured a wave of media obsession with the faith in the form of Broadway musicals, television hits, and a successful LDS public relations campaign titled Im a Mormon that highlighted the faithfuls cultural commonalities. Either out of growing tolerance or forced necessity, Republican voters this time embraced Romneys message. Baptist pastor Robert Jeffress explained that while Mormonism was still obviously a cult, he clarified that it was a theological cult, not a sociological onea distinction that reflected the Religious Rights emphasis on political over doctrinal fidelity.

More From TIME

The supernatural elements of the Latter-day Saint faiths founding stories no longer appeared so exotic. Stephen Colberts satirical Comedy Central character skewered Christians who dared to claim Mormonism illogical. Mormon beliefs that Joseph Smith received golden plates from an angel on a hill were weird, he protested, only because everyone knows that Moses got stone tablets from a burning bush on a mountain. The message was clear: Mormon supernatural claims were no more outlandish than traditional Christianitys.

Indeed, the Latter-day Saint church has continued to be repackaged to appear less intrusive to mainstream Christians. Its most recent prophet, Russell M. Nelson, encouraged the media to no longer use the Mormon nickname, claiming it distracted from their Christian message. He also ceased their century-long production of the Hill Cumorah Pageant, where thousands of saints gathered each summer to witness a dramatic reproduction of Joseph Smith receiving the gold plates on the same New York hillside where he claimed to find them. And while the church has rapidly increased its construction of temples, most of the new sacred buildings no longer feature the Angel Moroni.

This is not to say the church is forfeiting core doctrines. Far from it. Latter-day Saint belief in the Book of Mormons historicity, Joseph Smiths divine calling, and prophetic revelation are as firm as ever before. But after two centuries of heated battles with Christian contemporaries, Smiths successors have learned how to frame these fundamentals in less threatening ways. The Book of Mormon is no longer posited as a correction to an apostate world, but a supplement to the Christian canon; his followers are not separated from Babylon, but fellow travelers in a world of pilgrims.

Two hundred years later, Joseph Smiths Moroni story is as salient as ever, even if its tone and significance have evolved.

Want more fresh perspectives? Sign up for TIME POV, our opinion newsletter

Contact us at letters@time.com.
Trotwood Police and Fire are responding to a crash involving a single motorcycle and a pole Saturday night, according to Montgomery County dispatcher supervisors.

>>You got to provide, Restaurant owner pays off lunch debt money so students can get ice cream

A person driving a motorcycle hit a pole on 4044 Salem Avenue in Trotwood, dispatch supervisors said.

News Center 7 went to the scene of the crash and observed a white sheet covering what appeared to be a body. However, police have not confirmed the conditions of the driver involved.

Police scanners said the person who crashed was unresponsive. The cause of this crash is unknown.

>>Former president, first lady make first appearance in seven months at hometown festival

Crews on scene have started an investigation, according to scanner traffic.

Fire crews on scene say there is damage to the pole that was hit, according to scanner traffic.

News Center 7 teams are on scene working to learn more information.

This is a breaking event and News Center 7 will update the story once more information becomes available.

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash

Salem Avenue Motorcycle Crash




DULZURA, Calif.  A San Diego man was killed Saturday morning after crashing his motorcycle on State Route 94, said California Highway Patrol.

Around 10:49 a.m., authorities say the 28-year-old motorcyclist was driving a 2024 Kawasaki ZX-6R westbound on SR-94, east of Roma Road in the unincorporated area of Dulzura.

Multiple vehicles found, arrests made in El Cajon with license plate cameras

Preliminary investigation and physical evidence suggests the rider failed to negotiate the curvature of the roadway, CHP explained. As a result, the man traveled off the road where he was ejected from the motorcycle.

The motorcyclist was transported by air ambulance to Scripps Mercy Hospital in San Diego, where authorities say he succumbed to his injuries. His identity has not been released at this time.

Winning $5.4 million Powerball ticket sold in Southern California

According to CHP, impairment is not suspected to be a factor in this crash.

Anyone with further information regarding this incident is encouraged to call Officer Jared Grieshaber at (619) 401-2000.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
More than a decade after he became the first former migrant worker to soar into space as a NASA astronaut, Jose Hernandez reached another milestone this month.

The film about his remarkable journey from the fields of California to the International Space Station debuted as the most popular movie streaming on Amazon Prime and has been earning praise from critics and audiences since its September 15 launch.

Actor Michael Pena stars as Hernandez in A Million Miles Away, which tells the story of a boy who grew up picking cucumbers and cherries but kept his eyes trained on the stars.

Hernandez, an engineer, made history aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery in 2009, the first shuttle mission sending two Latino astronauts into space.

Who better to leave this planet and dive into the unknown than a migrant farmworker? Hernandez says in the film, quoting his cousin at a press conference as he gets ready to fly on that mission.

Hernandezs story made headlines from the moment NASA selected him for its astronaut class in 2004. And he and his family members have spoken with CNN and CNN affiliates many times over the years, from the days of his first space flight to the films highly anticipated release. Heres a look at what weve learned.

What growing up in a family of migrant workers taught him

For years, Hernandez grew up in a family of migrant workers who followed the harvest back and forth from California and Mexico. His parents were originally from the Mexican state of Michoacan. Hernandez was born in California.

While others looked forward to summer vacation, I hated it, Hernandez told CNN in 2016. Summer vacation meant working seven days a week in the fields.

"A Million Miles Away" portrays Hernandez helping his family harvest fruits and vegetables and the frustrations he felt at the time. - Daniel Daza/Prime

In a 2009 interview with CNN, his father, Salvador Hernandez, described the conversations hed have with his kids after they finished a hard day of work.

Id sit them down in the back seat of the car. They were all very dusty. Id tell them, theyd better start taking school seriously because if they dont do that, they will be all the time working in the fields.  That will be their future.

Its a scene viewers of the film will recognize, portrayed almost word for word by actor Julio Cesar Cedillo.

Hernandez says his dream of becoming an astronaut began after he watched the Apollo 17 moon landing in 1972, holding up the rabbit-ear antenna to get reception on his familys black and white television. When he shared his dream, Hernandez says his father offered him crucial advice.

He had the wisdom to sit me down in the kitchen and give me a recipe with five ingredients, Hernandez told CNN en Espanol in 2020.

In the film, director Alejandra Marquez Abella uses those five ingredients as chapters in her retelling of Hernandezs story:

 Find your goal

 Know how far you are

 Draw a roadmap

 If you dont know how, learn

 When you think youve made it, you probably have to work harder

How he persevered without losing sight of his goal

With these steps in mind, Hernandez did everything he could to further his education. He earned bachelors and masters degrees in engineering and went on to work for 15 years at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

But his goal of becoming a NASA astronaut remained elusive.

The film portrays Hernandezs perseverance as the space agency rejected Hernandezs astronaut applications 11 times before selecting him for the program in 2004. And it shows what a critical role Hernandezs family played supporting him along the way.

In the film, actress Rosa Salazar portrays Hernandezs wife, Adela, with emotional grit as someone who both holds her husband accountable and pushes him not to give up.

In "A Million Miles Away," Michael Pena and Rosa Salazar portray Hernandez and his wife Adela and show what an important part their relationship played in helping him achieve his dreams. - Daniel Daza/Prime

In a 2016 interview with CNN, Hernandez described how important Adela was in his journey.

The sixth year that NASA rejected me, I crumpled up the rejection letter and threw it on the bedroom floor. I was going to quit trying, but she talked me out of it, Hernandez said.

His wifes words: Let NASA be the one to disqualify you. Dont disqualify yourself.

The husband and wifes determination paid off when Hernandez became an astronaut against the odds.

I was 41 when I became an astronaut, Hernandez said. The average age of new astronauts is 34.

Soon after returning from space, he made a controversial comment

In an interview with Televisa after returning from space, Hernandez made a comment that was controversial at the time, telling the Mexican TV network that he hoped the Obama administration would pass comprehensive immigration reform. He noted that viewing Earth from outer space, there were no borders.

His comments caused NASA to take its own stand. In a statement released to the media, NASA said Hernandezs opinions were his own and did not represent the space agency. The statement added that Hernandez had every right to express his personal views.

This 2009 photo from NASA shows Hernandez working aboard the International Space Station. - NASA/Reuters

Hernandez has reiterated his initial point over the years.

When I went to the window, doing my best impression of Superman as we were floating over North America, I could see Canada, the United States and Mexico. What I thought was so beautiful was that you couldnt tell where Canada ended and the United States began, or where the United States ended and Mexico began, Hernandez told CNN en Espanol in 2020.

That is to say, from my perspective, down below, we were all one. How sad that humans invented the concept of borders to divide us.

In a recent interview with CNN en Espanol, he said he hopes that in the future officials will create a more welcoming environment for migrants.

I would ask more that they be more tolerant, and that they make the environment better for our migrants, he said. Because right now everything is anti-immigrant in our country.

What turning his life into a film was like

Hernandez recently opened up to CNN en Espanol about what it was like to see his life turned into a film.

The former astronaut has an on-screen cameo, helping Pena suit up as he heads into space. But he said his role in the movie went far beyond that appearance.

Hernandez discusses his upcoming space shuttle flight in a 2008 interview. - Steve Ueckert/Houston Chronicle/AP

I was involved in the process because Alejandra took the time to get to know our family. When she was writing the script, she would send it to me and I would give her comments, Hernandez said. Some were incorporated and others they couldnt because of time. Its difficult to put a whole life into two hours, right? So sometimes it wasnt included. But she did a great job putting together the story and getting it on screen.

The film is based on Hernandezs 2012 memoir, Reaching for the Stars: The Inspiring Story of a Migrant Farmworker Turned Astronaut. Hernandez says he hopes that bringing the story to the screen will help an even larger audience.

Its a great opportunity to motivate those who watch the film to really maximize their potential and realize any dream they have, he told CNN en Espanol.

One thing the movie doesnt show: His next big dream

Back in 2009, soon after hed returned from space, Hernandez told CNN en Espanol that fame hadnt changed him.

I am still the same person. Family keeps your feet firmly on the ground, he said. I keep being a father and a husband and taking the trash out every Thursday. I have my chores at home that I have to complete.

Space shuttle Discovery crew members, Mission Specialists Nicole Stott, Christer Fuglesang, Jose Hernandez and Patrick Forrester along with Pilot Kevin Ford as they prepare to head to the launch pad from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on August 28, 2009. - Joe Raedle/Getty Images

These days, when hes not doing those chores, promoting the new movie, working as an aerospace engineering consultant or telling his story as a motivational speaker, the 61-year-old sometimes finds himself back in the fields working alongside his father.

I started working in agriculture, and here I am working in agriculture, albeit under different conditions now, under my own terms now, and I really, really enjoy it, Hernandez told CNN affiliate KCRA in a recent interview.

This time, theyre working in California at a winery they own together.

On its website, Tierra Luna Cellars is described as the next big dream for Hernandez, with a line of wines inspired by the constellations he saw from space.

CNN en Espanols Eduardo Serralde and CNNs Octavio Blanco contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the brigades fighting in the east and south of Ukraine for their successes this week.

Source: President's evening address

Quote: "And our soldiers. My gratitude to you. I am proud of you! This week, there is much to commend the brigades fighting in the east and south.

The 5th Separate Assault Brigade and the 80th Separate Air Assault Brigade. Thank you for your strength in the battles near Klishchiivka!

The 93rd Separate Mechanised Brigade. Guys, thank you! The 15th Operational Brigade of the National Guard and the 71st Separate Jaeger Brigade  thank you for your true Ukrainian strength in the battles near Verbove...

The 116th Separate Mechanised Brigade  well done, guys!"

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!
Alex Murdaughs defence attorneys revealed to a packed audience of true-crime fans that theyre optimistic the disgraced legal scion will get a new trial - but say there is no money left, so theyll do it for free.

Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin, appeared at CrimeCon in Orlando, Florida on Saturday. Creighton Waters, the prosecutor who put Murdaugh in prison, spoke in a separate panel.

The three-day event drew thousands of true-crime fans for a range of podcasters, TV personalities and victims families. Kerri Rawson, daughter of BTK killer Dennis Rader, spoke about her father being investigated for additional murders.

Murdaughs lawyers joined 20/20s Eva Pilgrim for a tell-all conversation about the Southern crime saga that captivated the world. Alex Murdaugh, a wealthy South Carolina lawyer, was convicted in March for the brutal slayings of his wife, Maggie, and son Paul on 7 June 2021 at their family property.

The lawyers shared the unexpected challenges they faced at trial, and what theyve learned since, including a substantial amount of information about a new suspect in the case.

Earlier this month, the pair filed a motion requesting a new trial, alleging jury tampering that involved Becky Hill, the Colleton County Clerk of Court.

Ms Hill, who has written a tell-book about the trial, has not responded to the allegations, but her co-author said that she is assembling a legal team.

Mr Griffin told the CrimeCon crowd that after Murdaughs six-week murder trial in Walterboro, South Carolina, they were approached by jurors who alleged that they had been urged to reach a verdict quickly.

We have no doubt in our minds that these jurors are telling the truth, Mr Griffin said. He added that if a judge agrees with him, then Murdaugh would be entitled to a new trial.

Mr Harpootlian said that in his all his years as a lawyer, he had never seen anything like it.

Its bizarre, what we were hearing, he said. When we heard, we challenged [the jurors], we pushed them wanted to make sure there wasnt a vendetta or something.

Mr Harpootlian said if the South Carolina Court of Appeals grants a new trial, they would request a change of venue outside of Colleton County, to get a jury thats not pre-cooked.

And you should sequester them, he added, about the jury.

Both attorneys, who have known Murdaugh for years, expressed their belief in his innocence.

No, he did not have anything to do with the murders of Maggie and Paul, Mr Harpootlian said, on stage.

He recalled a time when Murdaugh, his wife Maggie and son Paul visited his office.

Alex and Maggie were holding hands and Alex had his arm around Pauls shoulders, he said. So why would he blow his sons head off, and kill his wife? It just doesnt add up.

A major question has been how the two attorneys were paid for their legal services. While the Murdaugh family was tied to wealth, this dwindled following the murders and other allegations of financial crimes.

Mr Griffin revealed that the lawyers was paid handsomely in a separate case involving Murdaughs son, Paul.

In February 2019, Paul Murdaugh was allegedly drunk-driving the familys boat and crashed it, throwing his friends overboard. One passenger, Mallory Beach, could not be located in the water, and her body washed ashore a week later.

Paul Murdaugh was charged with multiple felonies over the boat wreck and was facing 25 years in prison at the time he was murdered.

Mr Griffin said that he also received money from Alex Murdaughs fathers trust and his retirement savings.

However despite their desire for a new murder trial, Mr Griffin conceded that there was now no money left.

Theres no more money for the murder case, he said. When asked by Ms Pilgrim if the lawyers would do it for free, he said yes.

Thats what we do, he said. We dont quit on our client.

Mr Harpootlian said that Murdaugh got a raw deal.

Mr Griffin then asked the audience: Would you turn your back on your client if you believe they got a raw deal? Its not who we are.

If Alex Murdaugh did not kill his wife and son, then who did? The question came up in the Q&A part of the session.

Mr Harpootlian said the legal team have theories on other possible suspects in the case. He claimed that a great deal of information has emerged since the trial that would be beneficial in a second trial.

The Q&A session became heated when one audience member told the attorneys that nobody likes your client so there would be no way of finding an unbiased jury.

Another man asked: How do you sleep at night knowing you defended a murderer? Mr Harpootlian calmly responded that he took an oath to do my job with integrity, to reap resent that person to the best of my ability and to abide by the rules.

Its what we do, he added.
Infrared sensors on the ground detected the heat signature of the OSIRIS-REx spacecrafts sample-return capsule when it slammed into the atmosphere at more than 45,000 km/h (27,650 mph), at 8:42 a.m. MDT today. The 46 kg (101 lbs.) capsule was dropped off by its much larger OSIRIS-REx mother ship as that spacecraft went whizzing briefly by Earth. The capsule hit the air off the coast of California, aiming for a parachute landing in the Department of Defenses Utah Test and Training Range southwest of Salt Lake City. Even before the capsule landed, four search helicopters scrambled to meet it, and the people at NASA waited anxiously to hear that it had returned safely.

It had. The capsule thumped down at 8:55 a.m. MDT and the helicopter crews scooped it up and whisked it to a clean-room on the military base, preparing to send it off to the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

The scientists there will have a lot to look at. Sealed inside the capsule are 250 gm (8.8 oz.) of rock and dust from the asteroid Bennua 4.5 billion-year-old fossil of the ancient solar system that NASA has spent more than $800 million and seven years working to explore. The return of the sample made OSIRIS-REx only the third spacecraftand the first American oneto pull off the asteroid-spelunking trick, after Japans Hayabusa and Hayabusa 2 managed it in 2010 and 2020 respectively. Understand the chemistry and history of Bennus dust and you can understand the chemistry, history, and even origins of the solar system and the Earthas well as the life that calls our planet home.

It sort of speaks to the reasons people explore, says Rich Burns, the OSIRIS-REx project manager. We can learn about the evolution of the solar system, why the Earth exists in its present state, why its special. We can get at the question of where we come from.

Graphic by Lon Tweeten for TIME

Collecting that Bennu sample was not easy. It was on Sept. 8, 2016, that OSIRIS-REx (short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer) lifted off from Cape Canaveral in a round-about pursuit of Bennu. The asteroid is a small targetjust 492 m (1,614 ft.) acrossand circles the sun in more or less the same orbit as the Earth. At its most remote, it is about 300 million km (186 million mi.) from us. The most direct way to reach it would be to cut across the solar system in an as-the-crow-flies pursuit, intercepting Bennu on the other side of the sun. But that would have seen the spacecraft approaching the rock at a 90-degree angle, blazing past it at 19,300 km/h (12,000 mph). Thats fine for the kind of brief, photographic flybys the Voyager spacecraft conducted of the outer planets in the 1970s and 1980s; the OSIRIS-REx mission, however, called for the spacecraft not just to fly past Bennu, but to enter a lazy orbit around it. To do that, the ship had to make two complete circuits around the sun, slowly catching up to the asteroid and matching its speed and trajectory. During that time, OSIRIS-REx put more than 2 billion km (1.24 billion mi.) on its odometer.

On Dec. 3, 2018, the spacecraft at last caught up with Bennu and fired its thrusters to enter orbit around the rock. It took barely a puff of propellant to do that, and it would take just as little to pull away: Bennus gravityto the extent that it has any at allis 100,000 times less powerful than that of Earth. Settled into the asteroids tenuous gravitational grip, the spacecraft began a remote surveying campaign, using its multiple on-board instrumentsincluding three cameras, an infrared spectrometer, an X-ray imaging spectrometer, and a laser altimeterto study Bennus mineral and elemental makeup. It also exhaustively mapped the asteroids surface, looking for a place to collect its sample. At some points, OSIRIS-REx flew at altitudes as low as 1.6 km (0.99 mi.) above Bennuthe closest any spacecraft has ever gotten to any body it was orbiting.

Read more: Scientists Solve the Mystery Behind the Oumuamua 'Alien Spacecraft' Comet

Drawing so close came with perils. Bennu rotates on its axis once every 4.3 hoursgiving it 2.15 hours of sun-facing day, and 2.15 hours of space-facing night. During those transitions, the temperature on any given spot on the rock swings from 116C (240F) to -73C (-100F) and back again. All those changes in thermal pressure make for a lot of expansion and contraction of the rocks and other rubble on the surfaceenough to make them, effectively, leap off Bennus surface.

It ended up looking like popcorn, says Dante Lauretta, professor of planetary science at the University of Arizona and principal investigator on the OSIRIS-REx mission. Every time we looked we saw stuff exploding off the surface. We were saying, Oh man, this could be a hazardous environment for the spacecraft. We might have to back away and redesign the whole encounter. Ultimately the team concluded that that wouldnt be necessary. It doesnt take much energy for small rocks to pull free from Bennus microgravity grip, so even if the rubble struck the spacecraft it wouldnt be packing any meaningful wallop.

All of the up-close orbital scrutiny the rock got paid off: just a week after the spacecraft arrived at Bennu, NASA announced that it had discovered the presence of hydratedor chemically water-loggedminerals mixed in with the soil. With no atmosphere and its mere whisper of gravity, Bennu could not harbor any deposits of pooling liquid, but the finding of even traces of water does suggest that the rock was once part of a much bigger massperhaps even a moon or planetthat did have muscle to hang onto its water.

The thinking, says Burns, is that Bennu was part of a larger parent body that had a collisional event.

It wasnt until Oct. 20, 2020, nearly two years after OSIRIS-REx arrived at Bennu, that the spacecraft began the capstone maneuver of its missiondescending that last mile to collect its sample. NASA had narrowed the potential collection sites down to four candidates that it dubbed Sandpiper, Osprey, Kingfisher, and Nightingalechoosing those because they had the fewest rocky obstacles for the spacecrafts descent, as well as abundant loose soil to collect. Ultimately NASA determined that Nightingalelocated in a crater high in Bennus northwas the best of that group.

Taking the sample required the spacecraft to land briefly on Bennu, in a maneuver NASA named TAG, for touch-and-go. In the 16 seconds OSIRIS-REx was on the surface, it extended its 3.3 m (10.8 ft.) robotic arm, which was equipped with a collection chamber at the end. At that point, nitrogen bottles in the arm fired, blowing soil and loose pebbles into a chamber. The lid to the chamber was then sealed and the precious sample transferred to the return capsule. On May 10, 2021, after completing nearly seven more months of orbital surveying, OSIRIS-REx at last peeled off and headed back for Earth.

Read more: NASA Tried To Knock an Asteroid Off CourseAnd Succeeded Wildly Beyond Expectations

With the Bennu sample now on the ground, more than 200 scientists from around the world will set to work studying it. The most intriguing questions theyre trying to answer concern the role incoming asteroids may have played in seeding the Earth with water, nitrogen, carbon, and other ingredients necessary for life to take hold.

The moon is believed to have formed close to 4.5 billion years ago, when a Mars-sized planetesimal collided with Earth, throwing up a cloud of debris that coalesced into a brand new body. Any oceans, much of the atmosphereand any potential earthly biologythat may have existed on our planet would have been wiped out in the violence. We think the surface was completely sterilized, says Lauretta. For life to reemerge, it would take asteroids crashing into Earth and resupplying it with the necessary chemistry. Studies of Bennus soil and rocks will help show if asteroids indeed carry sufficient quantities of those raw materials in the first place.

And as for OSIRIS-REx itself, which did not even pause in this mornings flyby of Earth? Originally, the spacecrafts mission was supposed to end after the sample-return capsule was released. In April 2022, however, NASA announced that it had other plans for the ship, and would be sending it off for a second orbital rendezvous, this time with the asteroid Apophis, after the 340-meter (1,100 ft.) rock makes a close approach by Earth in 2029. OSIRIS-Rex will spend about 18 months at Apophisand some members of the team are dreaming that it may not be finished even then.

Never say never, says Lauretta. Im stepping down as the principal investigator and one of my mentees is taking over. I told her, Dont break the spacecraft. It might have a third asteroid in it.

Write to Jeffrey Kluger at jeffrey.kluger@time.com.
An asteroid sample collected by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft landed in the Utah desert Sunday.

The landing marked the end of NASA's first ever mission to collect an asteroid sample.

The rocks and dust from asteroid Bennu will prove useful to scientists for centuries to come.

In 2016, NASA launched OSIRIS-REx, the first US mission to collect samples from an asteroid.

Now, the historic mission is coming to an end seven years later. The sample capsule from OSIRIS-REx  which NASA calls the daredevil spacecraft  landed in the Utah desert Sunday morning. It was carrying rock and dust samples collected by the spacecraft from the asteroid Bennu in 2020.

Those samples will prove useful to scientists born centuries from now.

"Those samples will be analyzed in the weeks, months, years, decades, really centuries to come," Noah Petro, a research space scientist with NASA, told Insider.

That's because scientists will be searching the samples for organic materials and amino acids  the building blocks of proteins  to better understand how life may have developed on Earth billions of years ago, Petro said.

Finding that organic material is everyone's hope, but it may be a bit of a "long shot," Richard Burns, project manager for OSIRIS-REx, said at a press conference Friday.

"What would be really exciting is if we saw any evidence that those amino acids had started to link together to form a chain, which we call peptides. That would give us some indication that, towards the origin of life, protein evolution may have occurred," Burns said.

Researchers targeted Bennu because they believed there would be carbon and water locked up in the clay of the asteroid, Dante Lauretta, principal investigator for OSIRIS-REx, said at the press conference.

The OSIRIS-REx mission hasn't been total smooth sailing for the team, however. Soon after the spacecraft first gathered the Bennu sample, a valve on the container couldn't close properly because of how much sample was inside. As a result, dust began leaking out, Insider previously reported.

The team had to pivot, storing the sample inside its return capsule straight away instead of weighing it first as planned.

"We were almost a victim of our own success here," Lauretta said at the time.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WASHINGTON  In addition to articles already covered by Native News Online, here is a roundup of other news released from Washington, D.C. that impacts Indian Country recently.

Senators Coordinate Effort to Tackle Native American Drinking Water Crisis

Chairman of the Water and Power Subcommittee of the Energy and Natural Resource Committee Ron Wyden, Chairman of the Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife Subcommittee of the Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee Alex Padilla, and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs Brian Schatz today announced they will hold coordinated hearings on water access challenges in America.

Clean drinking water is a human right, and it is unacceptable that anyone in this great nation is struggling to access clean water. Yet, families and communities across America continue to fall between the cracks and face significant threats to safe, affordable, and reliable water supplies, Wyden, Padilla and Schatz said in a joint statement. As Committee and Subcommittee chairs with jurisdiction over water access, we are committed to addressing Americas drinking water crisis. By bringing together panels of experts who possess a comprehensive understanding of these challenges, we and the Congress at large will gain valuable insights, and hear recommendations, that can help overcome both short- and long-term water access challenges. Our shared goal is to emerge from these hearings with concrete and actionable solutions that can effectively address water access issues in the United States.

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will hold a hearing on Wednesday, September 27 at 2:30PM ET to examine access to clean, reliable water for Native communities as part of its work to uphold the federal trust responsibility. More information on the hearing can be found here.

Never miss Indian Countrys biggest stories and breaking news. Click here to sign up to get our reporting sent straight to your inbox every weekday morning.

Bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act Introduced

U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who is a tribal citizen of the Cherokee Nation, introduced the bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act, legislation to create a permanent buffalo program at the U.S. Department of the Interior and help promote and develop Tribal capacity to manage buffalo.

The Indian Buffalo Management Act provides secure, consistent funding for tribes and tribal organizations that have an established buffalo herd and management program, as well as provides resources for Tribes that would like to establish new herds.

"The bison has been a critical part of our culture for many generations, in New Mexico, across the West, and especially in Indian Country. The growth of Tribal buffalo herds over the last few decades is both a symbol of the enduring resilience of this iconic species and a major economic development opportunity, Heinrich said. I am proud to champion this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our federal support for Tribal bison programs. I hope that within my lifetimethanks to a broad coalitionwe will see bison return to the prominent place they once occupied as the keystone species on American shortgrass prairies.

I am proud to co-lead this important legislation that will help Tribes reestablish buffalo herds on reservation lands, Mullin said. Doing so ensures that Native peoples across the country will continue reconnecting with a keystone of their historic culture and way of life.

The bill has been endorsed by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the National Bison Association, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Wildlife Federation.

Additional Background:

Rep. Peltola Advocates for Changes to National Standards for NOAA Fisheries Management

On September 12th, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) completed the public comment period for its notice of proposed rulemaking to update the National Standards of the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

The National Standards are principles that govern fisheries management decisions nationwide, including goals for allocation, bycatch, and fisheries-dependent communities. The Standards were last updated in 2016, prior to significant population crashes among key marine species in Alaska. Representative Peltola has worked since entering office to bring attention to the need to update the Standards to address scarcity in crucial species including salmon and crab.

In Alaska, fishing is our way of life. Its how we feed our families, keep roofs over our heads, and pass on our traditions through generations, Rep.Peltola said. The oceans and freshwater habitats are continually changing, now more than ever. King crab, snow crab, and Yukon River salmon fisheries collapsed last year, and in Norton Sound, crab pots are coming up filled with cod instead of crab. For fisheries management to succeed, the tools fisheries managers and councils use to make decisions must change and adapt. We need to overhaul our entire system to be pro-fish. Thats not just a sloganits a mission statement, and it begins with the National Standards. While we figure out this piece of the puzzle."

As NOAA reviews the public comments and considers moving forward with the rulemaking process, Rep. Peltolas office will continue to advocate for updated standards that prioritize a productive ocean for all user groups.

President Biden Amends Hoopa Valley Tribe Disaster Declaration

President Joe Biden on Thursday, September 21, 2023, made additional disaster assistance available to the Hoopa Valley Tribe by authorizing an increase in the level of federal funding for Public Assistance projects undertaken as a result of severe winter storms and mudslides during the period of February 14 to March 5, 2023.



Under the Presidents major disaster declaration issued for the Hoopa Valley Tribe on April 25, 2023, federal funding was made available for Public Assistance and Hazard Mitigation at 75 percent of the total eligible costs.



Under the President's order Thursday, the federal share for Public Assistance has been increased to 90 percent of the total eligible costs.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
A TSA-friendly toiletry bag, a packing checklist and a rolling suitcase designed to fit underneath your seat.

A TSA-friendly toiletry bag, a packing checklist and a rolling suitcase designed to fit underneath your seat.

Popular items from this list include:

Some no-tie elastic shoelaces so you can easily slip your shoes on and off at security

A collapsible silicone water bottle to help you stay hydrated without taking up space in your bag

A sturdy TSA-friendly toiletries set you can fill with your regular go-to products.

HuffPost and its publishing partners receive a share from retailers on this page. Prices and availability are subject to change.

A five-year Global Entry membership (which includes TSA PreCheck!)

Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed

A five-year Global Entry membership (which includes TSA PreCheck!)

It'll help shorten your security line times and end up being a great value if you get out of the country at least once a year and fly domestically a few times annually. I put off getting TSA PreCheck and even Global Entry for YEARS despite flying 10 times a year because I'm a person who likes to get to the airport early and I have getting through security down to an efficient routine. However, my breaking point was July 2021 when I had to wait soooo long at the airport when coming back to the country from Croatia. I went to Italy about a month later after signing up for Global Entry and coming back into the country was a breeze. I just had to let a machine take my picture, print out a receipt with said picture, and then place it in a nearby TSA agent's open palm. Then onto baggage claim! I've since used the Global Entry portion six times and the TSA PreCheck about a dozen times since getting it, so I feel as if I've already gotten my money's worth in less than two years.



You can apply with the Department of Homeland Security for $100. Once you're approved, you have to do an in-person interview and if approved on the spot, you can have your TSA PreCheck and Global Entry privileges available immediately. I just so happened to find a date for my interview the day before I flew to Italy and was able to update my boarding passes and flight reservations with my info to reap the benefits ASAP.

$100 at the Department of Homeland Security

A packing list pad

Amazon

A packing list pad

This way you can rest assure that you did bring everything you intended.



Promising review: "I hate packing  I mean, I really hate packing! I am always afraid I am going to forget something, and the entire ordeal is a stressful one for me. Since I have to travel a lot, this is a game changer. No more guessing if I forgot my underwear  everything I need is on this list. I am thinking of just keeping one bag totally packed, filled with the items on the list, and just add my suit in when I am ready to travel. :)"  Dr. Oceanfront

$7+ at Amazon (originally $10.50+)

A Carhartt backpack with a pocket that fits up to a 17-inch laptop

www.amazon.com

A Carhartt backpack with a pocket that fits up to a 17-inch laptop

Now, if you've got to pull your computer out at airport security, you can do it in one quick move instead of taking it out of your backpack and then a zippered holder. It's available in two colors.



Promising review: "Im transitioning to using this bag as my daily. I already really preferred it over my last bag. It feels great and looks great and Im looking forward to use it more. I got a 13-inch HP computer and a 2017 Macbook Pro to fit nicely in the dedicated laptop sleeve. I currently have two notebooks in the bag and plenty of room for more."  henry

$49.99+ at Amazon

A reversible vegan-leather travel tote if you'd rather travel with a shoulder bag

www.amazon.com

A reversible vegan-leather travel tote if you'd rather travel with a shoulder bag

It'll hold basically everything you'd need on board your flight. Simply reach in and pull out that laptop or toiletries bag when you're going through security. It's available in three sizes and 14 colors.



Promising review: "I bought this bag for a trip I recently took and am extremely pleased with it. The versatility of being reversible (dark to light) was a plus, getting two for the price of one. It is soft and supple, and holds a ton of stuff! My 13" laptop/tablet fit perfectly and there was still room for a lot of other travel stuff. The magnet that holds the flaps together was strong, too. I would definitely purchase this product again and will use it on future trips!"  LadyThor

$39.99 at Amazon

A handbag organizer insert with lots of pockets

www.amazon.com

A handbag organizer insert with lots of pockets

It'll help you easily track down your ID and just about anything else you'll need to take out and put in a tray. It's available in sizes SL and in 26 colors.



Promising review: "I have always purchased handbags with lots of pockets and sections because I hate having to dig around trying to find something in the gaping hole of purses with no sections. But I have passed up so many cute bags because of this, and I was frustrated with having to do so. I purchased this medium size organizer, and I couldn't be happier!! It is very well-made, and it has so many great pockets to organize everything I need. THE BEST PART is, I can easily lift it out of one purse and put it into another one, and I always know where everything can be found. I wish I had gotten one of these years ago. When I first ordered this organizer, I didn't realize it had two zipper compartments on each side, and I was tickled to discover even MORE storage!!! With all the fun colors and patterns, it was hard to select one, but I've always been partial to polka dots. I love it and can't imagine anyone not being has pleased with this as I am!"  Ronna

$7.99+ at Amazon (originally $11.99+)

A wheeled carry-on bag small enough to qualify as a personal item

www.amazon.com

A wheeled carry-on bag small enough to qualify as a personal item

It's designed to fit underneath an airplane seat, so you won't even have to pull your suitcase out of the overhead. It's available in three colors.



Promising review: "This is the perfect bag that will fit Spirit's 'strict' personal item policy. I was able to fit it under my seat on Spirit and had no problems from any flight attendants about its size (no one even checked to begin with). Very lightweight and easy to maneuver around. All the zippers and wheels work perfectly. I recommend investing in this bag if you're a college student and/or travel a lot for short breaks."  Haegi Oh

$59 at Amazon

A weekender bag that'll slide over the handle of your wheeled suitcase

www.amazon.com

A weekender bag that'll slide over the handle of your wheeled suitcase

Reviewers say it'll also fit under an airplane seat. It's available in 15 colors and patterns.



Promising review: "Im so happy I purchased this bag! Ive been using a backpack as my carry-on for years but saw this and thought Id give it a shot. I was able to pack a small backpack (approx. 12"x14" but the top was folded), a purse (approx. 10"x6"), Beats headphones (in their bubble case), a pair of Birkenstocks, and a travel blanket with plenty of room to spare. The side zipper/compartment is SO convenient to hold your cellphone/wallet/passport for easy access. I love that it sets nicely on top of a carry-on size bag without toppling over. The bag also has a shoulder strap which was nice to use when actually boarding the plane."  Jen

$34.99+ at Amazon

A simple luggage strap

Amazon

A simple luggage strap

It's designed to hold essentials like a travel pillow, jacket, personal item and more as you move along through the airport and once you land. It's available in six colors and a two-pack option.



Promising review: "I love this little gadget. I used it to attach my jacket and computer bag to my luggage on an extended business trip. It made my airport walks so much easier. Now that I'm back home, I've been using it daily to attach my jacket or cardigan to my work bag or purse."  Michele

$8.49+ at Amazon

A travel belt to help you secure your personal item to the top of your rolling bag

Cincha Travel

A travel belt to help you secure your personal item to the top of your rolling bag

The travel belt is adjustable to 38 inches to fit most bags. The belt itself is vegan leather with elastic accents and a quick-release buckle. It's available in 16 colors and can be monogrammed for an additional $20.



Cincha Travel is a small business in California that develops adjustable travel belts made out of vegan leather. The brand donates 100 airline miles for each purchase, which are used to reconnect separated migrant families.



Promising review: "Love this! I am constantly struggling between holding my jacket and two carry-ons. This is the perfect solution! I cant wait to start using it when Im back to regular business travel."  Allison

$39.99+ at Cincha

A trifold travel wallet so all your important documents are in one place

www.amazon.com

A trifold travel wallet so all your important documents are in one place

Now you won't hold up the line when it comes time to show the TSA agent your passport and boarding pass. It's available in 38 colors and has a passport pocket, boarding pass compartment, three credit card slots, an ID slot, a slim card pouch, slim pocket, a ticket slot, a cellphone pouch, a coin zippered pocket, key holder and pen holder.



Promising review: "Guys, I'm beyond happy with this. I've been looking for a passport and ticket holder for a while but had never found the right size until I decided to try out this one. Besides, the material feels high quality and long-lasting, the red color is even better in person and it's wildly pretty."  BazantSol

$11.99+ at Amazon (originally $16.99)

Some no-tie elastic shoelaces so you can easily slip your shoes on and off at security

www.amazon.com

Some no-tie elastic shoelaces so you can easily slip your shoes on and off at security

They're available in 35 colors.



Promising review: "At first I was skeptical that these laces wouldn't hold my shoes on tightly enough, but I decided to give them a try in my Converse Chucks. They're fantastic! I like the way the 'hidden' fasteners sit inside the shoes below the eyelets, but on top of the tongue, and I can't feel the fastener at all with my foot in the shoe. I've had them in for around eight months, and they're still just as elastic as ever. They haven't stretched at all and show no signs of wearing out. I loved them so much that I bought five more sets to put in all of my shoes! No more triple knotting my shoes so they don't become untied. I tie knots pretty slowly so these laces have honestly saved me tons of time. I couldn't be happier with them."  lucidity

$11.99 at Amazon

A collapsible silicone water bottle

Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed

A collapsible silicone water bottle

It'll help you stay hydrated without taking up space in your bag, and is available in 14 colors and styles.



I bought this water bottle before a 2.5-week trip to Vietnam (where you don't drink tap water) and Malaysia (where you do). I didn't want to bring one of my ride-or-die S'well bottles because it would take up extra room in my bag when I wouldn't be able to use it during the majority of the trip. This handy silicone bottle did just the trick! It's very easy to roll up and stays rolled up thanks to the just-stretchy-enough loop. Said loop was also very handy while walking through airports and sightseeing. The bottle is easy to clean and doesn't make my water taste weird. I'm now using it as my daily water bottle and feel confident it'll serve me well for a long time. Plus, with a collapsible water bottle, it's easier to remember if you left water in it before you go through security.

$9.59+ at Amazon (originally $22.99)

A 24-count of Pedialyte powder packets

Amazon

A 24-count of Pedialyte powder packets

Sometimes on a trip you indulge a little too much or haven't been hydrating properly and could use some electrolytes. I always pack these for trips and have never regretted it. And they're much tastier than electrolyte tablets you dilute in water. Go through security FULLY hungover knowing you can fill up your water bottle with this right after. They REALLY came in handy when I went to the Greek islands for 10 days with an apparent mission to eat every piece of seafood and cheese within sight while washing it down with jugs of wine. These are powder in small individual packets, so they're so easy to pack! And you won't have to lug around a bottle of Gatorade to feel better.

$25.59 at Amazon (originally $28.50)

A solid hair conditioner bar

Elizabeth Lilly / BuzzFeed

A solid hair conditioner bar

You won't have to put it in your toiletries bag for TSA, plus you won't be stuck with the subpar hotel conditioner. The bar is basically foolproof. You rub it directly on your wet hair after rinsing out your shampoo. Each bar is supposed to last 200 washes and it might do a little less for me, but I know this'll be good for many future trips! I've used it on about five trips now and it doesn't look any smaller than it did when I used it the first time.

$13.99 at Amazon

A pack of insect-repellent wipes

Amazon

A pack of insect-repellent wipes

It'll be easier to keep on you at all times than a bottle of liquid. Plus, it can be tucked in your luggage anywhere because it's not a liquid that has to fit in with your toiletries. I keep mine in a side packet on my backpack. It comes in three packs of 12 wipes. I've used these wipes on several park days, but I really found success with them on a recent hot weekend trip to Savannah, Georgia. I don't notice any smell when using them and have found one wipe to have enough repellent for my arms and legs. Plus, I have extremely sensitive skin but haven't had any irritation from these seemingly powerful wipes!

$25.47 at Amazon

A makeup-removing cloth to gently help erase the day instead of dirtying hotel washcloths

Amazon

A makeup-removing cloth to gently help erase the day instead of dirtying hotel washcloths

The plush microfiber gently lifts away dirt, oil and makeup. Use it wet with water or your favorite liquid makeup remover. It's available in seven colors.



Promising review: "This product...I have no clue how this works, but it does! Let me start by saying I was wearing a full face of makeup. I mean foundation, contour highlight, eyeliner, seriously the whole nine yards. All I did was wet it and wiped my face, my jaw literally dropped. This is hands-down my favorite makeup remover. The best part is that they are reusable so you don't have to keep buying those expensive disposables that leave your face feeling greasy."  Heather and Ryne Griffith

$6.99 at Amazon

A sturdy TSA-friendly toiletries set you can fill with your regular go-to products

www.amazon.com

A sturdy TSA-friendly toiletries set you can fill with your regular go-to products

Yep, I also own and love this set! it includes the zippered bag, four soft silicone bottles with leakproof caps, three compact jars and two toothbrush caps. I've used this set on more than five trips and and for trips when I don't require body wash or shampoo (like to visit my parents). I use the extra room in the bag to shove in all my beauty products and daily contacts. Plus, it comes with labels that stay on the containers really well despite my thoroughly washing these containers between trips. I bought this set in spring 2019 and have, admittedly, lost a container or two. But the ones that I've held onto over dozens of trips have all held up well!

$12.99+ at Amazon

A clear TSA-approved toiletry bag for all your liquids and creams

Amazon

A clear TSA-approved toiletry bag for all your liquids and creams

It's available in 11 colors.



Promising review: "Everything I needed fit perfectly, and I had no issues in TSA/China security. So far I have been through MSP, IAD, NKG, and PEK airports using this pack already, and it's a life-changer! I will never again have to worry about having to scramble to buy baggies just for liquids, and it is much more durable."  Courtney Swanson

$13.99 at Amazon

A set of seven Cadence containers

Cadence

A set of seven Cadence containers

These containers are magnetized, so they'll stick together in your toiletries bag. They're designed to be sturdy and leak-proof, and also work for a few days' worth of vitamins or holding small jewelry. They've quickly become one of my packing go-tos. Cadence is an AAPI woman-owned small business that was founded by Steph Hon as a way to eliminate single-use travel-sized plastics. The containers are made from recycled ocean-bound plastic.



My co-worker Abby Kass has these and loves them, too! "I recently got a set of four of these, and, wow, I love them so much," she said. "I used them on a six-day trip recently, and they were perfect. I customized the label so I knew which one was my shampoo vs. conditioner and did a general label for any other things I wanted to bring along. They do hold a surprising amount. According to the brand, they hold approximately one to two weeks' of skincare products, more than two weeks' worth of serum, two to three days' worth of haircare, and more than 15 tablets (for medicine and such). And while two to three days worth of haircare might not seem like enough, I found it held more than that for me, but I also don't wash my hair every single day. They were small enough to slip right into my toiletries bag and go through TSA with no problem. The container was easy to open in the shower (even with wet hands), and I had no leakage from them. These are an incredibly useful tool anyone who travels will want."

$134 at Cadence (originally $154)

A set of six silicone travel bottles

Amazon

A set of six silicone travel bottles

It'll help you decant your go-to shampoo that you can't find in a travel size. I've used containers like these to carry shampoo, conditioner, hair masks, body wash, clothes detergent and more.



Promising review: "This product delivered on the description. Traveled abroad, no leaks, easy to fill and dispense, and easy to clean. Dont be fooled by other products that will become brittle and crack. Buy these, you will not be disappointed."  Gary Rebok

$5.99 at Amazon (originally $9.99)

A set of three leak-proof refillable pouches you can decant your toiletries into

Amazon

A set of three leak-proof refillable pouches you can decant your toiletries into

Then when your trip is over, you can easily empty them (I can't be the only one who does this!) and shove them in your suitcase because sometimes fitting all your toiletries back INTO your toiletries bag can be a major pain. These lie almost completely flat when empty, so they'll take up minimal suitcase room.



Promising review: "Love these! I needed them in a pinch and was so happy to find them on Amazon. The pouches are great because you can squeeze every last drop out of them, unlike most hard plastic travel bottles."  LD

$9.99 at Amazon

Tide detergent packets so you can wash your clothes in the sink

Tide

Tide detergent packets so you can wash your clothes in the sink

Each pack comes with three packets. And, because they're liquid, they'll easily slide into the side of your toiletries bag. I've packed these on international trips to much success! They're available in multiple pack sizes.



Promising review: "Taking these out of the country to wash under things is exactly the right size."  Laura Wilson

$6.94 at Amazon

A solid Neutrogena SPF 50 sunscreen

Amazon

A solid Neutrogena SPF 50 sunscreen

Because it's a solid, it's carry-onfriendly. I first bought this for a weeklong Croatian vacation last year, and as long as you are thoroughly reapplying, this stuff stays on pretty well. Since then, I've packed this for any trip I've been on, including a two-day Disneyland trip where I toted this around in my bag and shared with friends. I sometimes carry it with me in my purse on my everyday adventures because I know it's so easy to apply.



And if you're a bit hesitant about jumping on the solid sunscreen bandwagon, you can pack a stick of this, knowing you have enough sun protection to get you through to finding some spray-on or lotion SPF at your destination.

$9.55 at Amazon (originally $10.17)

A handmade leather cord organizer

Amazon

A handmade leather cord organizer

It'll help keep your wired earphones from getting tangled up in your pocket, making it easier to empty said pockets for the security line. It's available in multiple colors and in sets of two and three.



Promising review: "No more tangled headphone cables! I bought a pair for my desk at home, and I'm purchasing another pair for my office. I love how neat and untangled my earbud cords are when using this organizer. It's leather, which I'm sure will last many, many years for such a great price."  Jane M

$6.09+ at Amazon (originally $6.99+)

An electronics organizer

Amazon

An electronics organizer

It has a place for just about every one of your and your family's devices, and has corresponding cable pockets so you don't get everything tangled up while placing items in the security line trays. It's available in two sizes and four colors.



Promising review: "Used this to keep cords and chargers organized for a family of 4 on a long trip. Kept everything super organized and is well made. I kept the cords organized by type in the same area. I will never go back to throwing all cords and power adapters in a backpack and then having to find them and untangle a birds nest of cords."  CU

$17.99+ at Amazon (originally $23.99+)

A 30-pack of waterproof zippered pouches to help you organize a variety of things

Amazon

A 30-pack of waterproof zippered pouches to help you organize a variety of things

Because these are transparent, you can easily dig around in your carry-on to track down what you need to put in a security bin and push aside what can stay in your bag. They're available in seven color combinations.



Promising review: "I bought these for a trip for my family of five. I like to plan in advance to make sure no one forgets anything! These were a life saver packing for three kids! I was able to create a carry-on, toiletries, wires/chargers, and snacks pouch for everyone! I used clear sticker paper to create name labels, and it all worked perfectly! Would definitely recommend if you need to travel with family and need to set things out and pack."  mommyandbri

$14.99+ at Amazon

A set of five compression bags if you tend to overpack

www.amazon.com

A set of five compression bags if you tend to overpack

They come with a hand pump for travel. They're available in packs of 10 and 15, as well as in four bag sizes.



Promising review: "This is a great product. I have a memory foam pillow that I try to take on trips, due to neck issues, so I purchased this product and put it to the test to see if it could flatten the pillow so I can also carry my clothes and the pillow in the same bag, carry-on size travel bag. The pillow's been sitting in the vacuum pack for the last three days now and hasn't let any air into the package at all. The pump removed so much air that the foam is as solid as a rock with less that an 1/8 of an inch of give when I press on it firmly with my thumb."  EE

$26.99+ at Amazon (originally $30.99+)

A pack of four compression packing cubes you can use over and over again

www.amazon.com

A pack of four compression packing cubes you can use over and over again

These packing cubes don't require a pump for sucking out the air. They're available in multiple size and color combinations and also in sets of eight.



Promising review: "Easy to clean, lightweight material. All of the compression bags have a mesh front which makes it easy to see whats inside, plus there is a small clear vinyl pocket on the front for a label. I tested one of the medium bags with four sweaters (one long and bulky, plus three medium-thickness pullovers). They fit in the bag nicely with the bag zipped closed (not compressed yet). It was not difficult to zip the compression closure, although I did take special care to push down and 'help' the zipper along. No signs of strain or damage to the zippers once fully closed. These bags seem very sturdy. As seen in the pictures, there is a significant size reduction! Will definitely use in my travels and would highly recommend."  Clarissa Sheats

$39.99+ at Amazon

Related...
Floridas extremism has come home to roost. The Sunshine State has the distinction of championing misinformation on COVID-19 vaccines and intolerance on book bans.

Just as Gov. Ron DeSantis  administration recommended people under age 65 do not get the new COVID-19 vaccine boosters, the state led the country in coronavirus hospitalizations.

During the week ending Sept. 9, Floridas hospitalization rate reached 10.65 per 100,000 residents, Politico reported. Thats a small number compared to the peak of the pandemic, but emblematic of how Floridians have paid the price for the ignorance DeSantis has labeled freedom.

While his hand-picked surgeon general didnt rule out vaccinations for those most vulnerable to the virus, people ages 65 and up, he left enough room for anti-vax fears to set in. He recommended they consult with their healthcare providers, including about potential concerns hes raised about the shots that have saved nearly 20 million lives worldwide, according to a study published last year.

DeSantis hope is that his approach to the pandemic  ignoring and ridiculing mainstream public health recommendations  will help his presidential campaign resurface in the polls. But, as Politico reported last week, the pandemic, once a driving issue among Republicans, doesnt appear to be top of mind for voters anymore.

When blue states were shutting down businesses, mandating masks and closing schools, DeSantis could draw a clear contrasting line. But now that most of the country has moved on from strict restrictions, all DeSantis has left is his dangerous rhetoric against vaccines. If elected president, he told ABC News he wouldnt support further federal funding for immunizations.

Florida is no beacon of freedom as the governor is selling it to the rest of the nation. We have become the poster child for what happens when ideas leave the fringes of political discourse and are instituted as public policy.

Florida also is No. 1  and by far  in taking books off school shelves.

Of 3,362 instances of book bans in public schools in the United States, 40% took place in the Sunshine State, according to a tally by PEN America, a nonprofit that advocates for freedom of expression. Most book removals in the country were classified as banned pending investigation, meaning a book has been removed during review, the Herald reported.

Thanks to Floridas expanded law known as Dont say gay, any resident can object to instructional or library materials and get them removed until a school district conducts an investigation. The law also prohibits instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and has driven groups to request banning books dealing with LGBTQ issues.

DeSantis has also signed laws to restrict how teachers speak about race and racism. His appointees, in their takeover of New College of Florida in Sarasota, voted to eliminated a major deemed too woke, gender studies.

This is Florida, where knowledge is restricted and free thinking is admonished. But youre free to spew as much dangerous information to the public  the crazier and more conspiratorial, the better.

This time, it doesnt feel good to be No. 1.

Click here to send the letter.
Most of us have been there: the moment of horror when facing one of the worst meat grinders on earth.

Flying out of Logan.

I hate Logan.

First, God help us, the traffic. Were Dante still alive, I have no doubt hed add Route 93 south of Boston as the 10th circle of hell.

You have to plan for a two-hour drive from Providence  just in case  and once you make it through those scary tunnels, its equally stressful finding your way to the right terminal. Whoever designed Logan wasnt hugged enough by their mother.

And the parking.

You need a home equity loan for Central  and that word is questionable. The walk to the ticket counters feels like miles.

This is why I love an amazing new ad just put out by Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport.

Its not just that the ad disses Logan, its how edgy it is.

The Bruce Sundlun Terminal at Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport in Warwick.

The scene opens with a voice-over of the captain as a passenger jet heads toward the sky.

Thank you for flying from Rhode Island today, folks.

Cut to an aerial shot of a monster jam on Route 93 approaching downtown Boston.

Captains voice: Oh, if you look out your left window, you may catch a soul-crushing view of the traffic backed up to Logan.

The screen then flashes a dozen emoji popups  angry, frustrated, gone-crazy and one throwing up.

We appreciate you choosing an easier way to fly, says the captain, as the screen shows destinations from Green Airport.

Now sit back, relax and forget about 

This is my favorite part.

 all the B.S. at BOS.

ICYMI, our new TV commercial is out and its getting a lot of buzz ! Keep your eyes peeled for more exciting commercials to come soon. #FlyRI #tvcommercial #buzz pic.twitter.com/msfTcXVcxQ  Rhode Island T. F. Green International Airport (@IFlyRhodeIsland) September 18, 2023

This is not what one might expect from the Rhode Island Airport Corporation. Can we agree that state agencies are usually stodgy? Or at least all about propriety.

Well, God bless them for taking off the gloves and telling it straight. With the ad flashing an ending slogan:

B.S. @ BOS.

Personally, for the sake of candor, I think Logan should adopt that as its official slogan. As someone with a hate-hate relationship with that airport, I endorse it.

I called Green Airport and reached John Goodman, head communications guy there. He told me the commercial was put together by a firm called Karsh Hagan out of Denver, known for airport ads.

I assume whoever they sent to fly out of Logan for research came back saying, My God, that was such B.S. And an ad was born.

John Goodman points out that its not just flyers who have to endure the Logan meat grinder.

Ive had to pick up friends and relatives there, he said. I try to sow the seeds that friends dont let friends pick them up at Logan Airport.

Goodman hopes the ad might even draw Boston folks to Green. As he points out  we may be an hour from Boston, but often, Logan can be an hour from Boston, too.

Amen, brother.

Patinkin: Weird works in 2023, and that's why I'm giving RI's giant stuffies a chance

Goodman often hears of folks who try Green, see the light and vow thereafter to avoid Logan if they can help it.

The traffic there, Goodman explained, and the cost of parking  rated as one of the highest in the globe.

I thought he was exaggerating, but I looked it up, and at almost $40 a day, the cost of parking at Logan is indeed the fourth-highest in the world, after Doha in Qatar, Heathrow in London, and San Francisco International, according to simpleflying.com.

By contrast, Goodman said, with a coupon, you can park for $12 a day at Green, and catch a free shuttle to the terminal.

I should add that, because of airport lines, Bostons Department of Transportation advises arriving at least two hours before your flight. Between that and blocking in two hours for the drive from here, you can spend more time in pre-takeoff for Logan than even a 2,000-mile flight from there.

B.S. @ Bos, indeed.

Speaking as a Green Airport acolyte to the wretched souls trapped in Logans purgatory, I have a closing message.

Join us.

mpatinki@providencejournal.com

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: T.F. Green Airport's new TV ad calls on flyers to avoid the B.S.@BOS
The number of injured in the Russian attack on Kremenchuk on Sept. 22 has risen to 55 people, including six children, Kremenchuk Mayor Vitalii Maletskyi reported on Sept. 24.

Nineteen people have been hospitalized, including one child, the mayor said .

He earlier reported that one person was killed.

Russian forces attacked Kremenchuk around 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 22, damaging residential buildings in the citys downtown area. Poltava Oblast Governor Dmytro Lunin reported the same day that a Russian missile struck some civilian infrastructure.

The governor also said the air defenses downed one missile but hasnt specified the total number of missiles launched against the city.

Read also: Russian forces strike Kremenchuk on anniversary of Amstor shopping mall attack

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called on Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) to resign after he was indicted on federal bribery charges this past week.

The situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Sen. Menendez to resign in this moment, Ocasio-Cortez said in an interview on CBS Newss Face the Nation.

Ocasio-Cortez, who had also called on Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) to resign after he was indicted earlier this year, said the issue should not be partisan. She joins several other high-profile Democrats in calling for Menendezs resignation, including the New Jersey governor and the states party chairman, as well as fellow House and Senate Democrats.

Consistency matters. It shouldnt matter whether its a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious. They involve the nature of, not just his, but all of our seats in Congress, Ocasio-Cortez said.

Menendez was accused of accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes and gold to assist three New Jersey businessmen and interests in Egypt.

Menendez has denied the allegations and called the indictment part of a smear campaign against him, noting too that people were quick to judge him, in part, because hes Latino.

Asked about Menendezs concerns about bias against Latino people, Ocasio-Cortez, who is Latina, acknowledged such biases exist but said the indictment includes strong evidence. She insisted, however, that everyone must be presumed innocent until proven guilty.

As a Latina, there are absolutely ways in which there is systemic bias. But I think what is here in this indictment is quite clear, she said, noting that she believes Menendez resigning, is in the best interest to maintain the integrity of the seat.

I want to emphasize that all people are  they must be extended the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. That is the legal reality in our country. But when it comes to the political and the standard of dignity that we want to maintain for the public in the United States Congress, I do believe it is in the best interests, she said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Washington  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the latest Democratic lawmaker to call for the resignation of New Jersey Sen. Robert Menendez after his indictment on federal bribery charges, saying he should step down over the "extremely serious" allegations.

"I think the situation is quite unfortunate, but I do believe that it is in the best interest for Sen. Menendez to resign in this moment," Ocasio-Cortez told "Face the Nation" moderator Margaret Brennan on Sunday. "Consistency matters. It shouldn't matter if it's a Republican or a Democrat. The details in this indictment are extremely serious. They involve the nature of not just his but all of our seats in Congress."

An indictment unsealed on Friday charged Menendez, his wife and three New Jersey business associates with various crimes related to an alleged bribery scheme. Prosecutors said the Menendezes received hundreds of thousands of dollars and lavish luxury gifts in exchange for the senator wielding his influence to benefit the businessmen and the government of Egypt.

Menendez, a Democrat who has served in the Senate since 2006, vigorously defended himself after the indictment was made public, saying the "baseless" charges were part of an "active smear campaign of anonymous sources and innuendos to create an air of impropriety where none exists."

A wave of Democratic lawmakers and New Jersey officials, including Gov. Phil Murphy, soon began calling for Menendez to step aside as the legal process unfolds. Menendez rejected those calls out of hand, saying he is "not going anywhere." He added that it was "not lost on me how quickly some are rushing to judge a Latino and push him out of his seat."

Asked about those comments on Sunday, Ocasio-Cortez said the details in the indictment were damning enough to warrant his resignation.

"As a Latina, there are absolutely ways in which there is systemic bias, but I think what is here in this indictment is quite clear. And I believe it is in the best interest to maintain the integrity of the seat. I want to emphasize that all people, they must be extended the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. That is the legal reality in our country," she told "Face the Nation." "But when it comes to the political and the standard of dignity that we want to maintain for the public in the United States Congress, I do believe it is in the best interest."

Cassidy Hutchinson on being forced into hiding

Author Ken Follett discusses final book in "Kingsbridge" series

More details emerge about crashed F-35 plane
For decades, Utahs Great Salt Lake has been declining. As the pool of water shrinks, minerals and chemicals are concentrated into a smaller and smaller amount of water, while the exposed lake bed dries out.

After years of this, both the water and the dust have become hazardous to the living things in the surrounding environment  including people  The Nation reported.

Whats happening?

The Great Salt Lake hit a record-low water level in November 2022, The Nation stated. As a result, the lakes Antelope Island is no longer an island and is now connected to the shoreline by the exposed ground. Nearby Farmington Bay is drying out, too.

Whats left behind is dust. In some places its protected by a hard, dry crust, but in others, the dust is loose and can easily be blown into the air.

Why worry about the Great Salt Lakes water level?

Starting in 2016, Kevin Perry, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Utah, received funding to study the dust from the lake bed, per The Nation. Utahs Division of Facilities, Construction, and Management wanted to know if the dust would pose a health risk at the site of a new prison.

The prison couldnt be in a worse location because of dust and other nearby pollution sources, Perry said. But the state went ahead with building the prison there anyway.

The pollution problem extends much farther than just the new prison. All of Salt Lake City and surrounding areas will be affected  although the communities heavily populated by people of color on the west side of the city will get the worst of it.

Meanwhile, populations of brine flies and brine shrimp, which are the foundation of the areas ecosystem, are being damaged by the lakes record salt content. The lakes South Arm measured 19% salinity last fall; by comparison, the ocean is 3.5%. The migrating birds that rely on the shrimp and flies for food have no other alternative food sources in the desert and could be seriously harmed by the dropping water and rising salt levels.

What can be done about the water problem?

This spring, the Great Salt Lake got a record-setting boost from snow melt, which raised the water level a little. However, that isnt enough to fix the problem long-term.

According to The Nation, the Earths rising temperature is part of the reason for the shrinking lake, but about 70% of the issue is overuse by people, including water-guzzling alfalfa farms.

This is a good and a bad thing, Perry told The Nation. The future of the Great Salt Lake is within our power to fix.

Concerned residents have formed Friends of Great Salt Lake, an organization inspired by the success story of Mono Lake in California. That lake has had a legally established minimum water level since 1994. Friends executive director Lynn de Freitas told The Nation: We can learn from others how we can avoid those mistakes, how we can maintain the system, and the value that it provides by keeping water in it.

Join our free newsletter for cool news and cool tips that make it easy to help yourself while helping the planet.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in a very difficult position as Republicans this week are preparing to start debate on four government funding bills and hardliners refuse to pass any stopgap measure, Rep. Mike Turner said Sunday.

I'll bet on Kevin McCarthy any day. And we certainly have time yet to go. But he's in a very difficult position because the holdouts keep saying to Kevin McCarthy, don't bring bipartisan bills to the floor, Turner (R-Ohio) said on ABCs This Week. We don't want you to use Democrat votes to try to avert a shutdown.

Congress has yet to pass legislation that would fund the federal government past the end of the month.

But they're using Democrat votes to try to cause the shutdown," Turner said of the GOP hardliners. "And these individuals, these Republican holdouts are voting with Nancy Pelosi against Republican bills that have been brought to the floor, that will  could trigger a shutdown.

Turners comments come after the House last week failed to pass legislation to fund the government amid Republican infighting with hardliners who have promised to object to any stopgap measure.

Republicans are preparing to vote Tuesday on whether to start debate on four government funding bills: Defense, State, Homeland Security and an agriculture bill.

Now, I think Kevin is going to continue to negotiate until the end, Turner said. But, you know, the Republicans need to vote for Republican bills, and we can avert the shutdown.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) held a sharply contrasting view Sunday by plainly stating on MSNBCs The Sunday Show that the government is headed toward a shutdown.

The Republican Party is in complete disarray. It is chaotic. The speaker is on his knees begging, but he sold his soul when we had 15 Roll calls that was taken in order for him to get to be speaker, and now he has no control. We're headed for a shutdown, Waters said.
Typical "Police Line Do Not Cross" barricade tape, often seen cordoning off crime scenes.

Oklahoma City police responded to shots fired Saturday night at the Oklahoma State Fair.

One person was shot in the chest after a fight occurred in the Bennett Event Center at the fairgrounds, and one juvenile is in custody in relation to the shooting, said Oklahoma City police Lt. Jeff Cooper.

Fairgoers reported people running and quickly exiting the fair following the gunshots. One witness said people were stampeding and children were crying in the confusion.

Cooper said the shooting was an isolated incident and not an active shooter.

The gunshot victim was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, Cooper said.

This is an ongoing story.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Police still investigating shooting at state fair; 1 confirmed shot
One person was in critical condition after being shot and wounded at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City Saturday night following an apparent confrontation between two groups, police said. File photo by Mike Theiler/UPI.

Sept. 24 (UPI) -- One person was in critical condition after being shot and wounded at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City following an apparent confrontation between two groups.

Gunfire erupted Saturday night just before 9 p.m. inside the Bennett Event Center on the fairgrounds, sending crowds scrambling for safety, KOCO and KFOR reported.

The victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and police said a few other people were reportedly injured in the chaos.

Two people were arrested at the scene and a handgun was recovered by the Oklahoma City Police Department.

Police said someone may have been firing shots into the air around the time the victim was struck.

It was unclear how the weapon made it past security personnel and metal detectors at the entrance gates.
(This Sept. 24 story has been refiled to add the full name of Kosovo's prime minister in paragraph 8)

By Fatos Bytyci and Daria Sito-Sucic

NORTH MITROVICA, Kosovo (Reuters) - Ethnic Serb gunmen in armoured vehicles stormed a village in north Kosovo on Sunday, battling police and barricading themselves in a monastery in a resurgence of violence in the restive north that killed four people.

The siege centred on a Serbian Orthodox monastery near the village of Banjska in the Serb-majority region where monks and pilgrims hid inside a temple as a shootout raged.

One police officer and three of the attackers died, according to authorities in Kosovo and Serbia.

Ethnic Albanians form the vast majority of the 1.8 million population of Kosovo, a former province of Serbia.

But some 50,000 Serbs in the north have never accepted Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence and still see Belgrade as their capital, more than two decades after a Kosovo Albanian guerrilla uprising against repressive Serbian rule.

A group of Kosovo Serbs positioned trucks on a bridge into the village, shooting at police who approached them, before the battle moved to the nearby monastery, according to accounts by both Kosovo police and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic.

The gunmen had left the monastery by night, the Serbian Orthodox Church said, though it was unclear where they went.

Vucic said the action was a rebellion against Kosovo's Prime Minister Albin Kurti , who has refused to form an association of Serb municipalities in north Kosovo. "Serbia will never recognise independent Kosovo, you can kill us all," he said.

Two Serbs were seriously injured and a fourth among them may have died, Vucic said. He condemned the killing of the police officer and urged restraint from Kosovo Serbs.

The Serbian Orthodox Church's diocese of Raska-Prizren, which includes Banjska, said men in an armoured vehicle entered the monastery compound, forcing monks and visiting faithful to lock themselves inside the temple.

The Kosovo police later said they had entered the monastery and were checking for possible infiltrators among worshippers. Three of their personnel were also injured, as well as the fatality in their ranks, police said.

Kosovo's Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla said police found a large number of heavy weapons, explosives and uniforms "that were enough for hundreds of other attackers", indicating preparations for a massive assault.

INTERNATIONAL CONCERN

The head of the U.N. mission in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh, and European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the violence.

Borrell talked with both Kurti and Vucic, according to his office.

NATO troops, along with members of the EU police force EULEX and Kosovo police, could be seen patrolling the road leading to Banjska, according to a Reuters reporter nearby.

Kosovo border police closed two crossings with Serbia.

Serbs in north Kosovo have long demanded the implementation of a EU-brokered 2013 deal for the creation of an association of autonomous municipalities in their area.

EU-sponsored talks on normalising relations between Serbia and Kosovo stalled last week, with the bloc blaming Kurti for failing to set up the association.

Pristina sees the plan as a recipe for a mini-state within Kosovo, effectively partitioning the country along ethnic lines.

Serbia still formally deems Kosovo to be part of its territory, but denies suggestions of whipping up strife within its neighbour's borders. Belgrade accuses Pristina of trampling on the rights of minority Serbs.

Unrest intensified when ethnic Albanian mayors took office in north Kosovo after April elections the Serbs boycotted.

Clashes in May injured dozens of protesters and NATO alliance peacekeepers.

NATO retains 3,700 troops in Kosovo, the remainder of an original 50,000-strong force deployed in 1999.

The area of north Kosovo where Serbs form a majority is in important ways a virtual extension of Serbia. Local administration and public servants, teachers, doctors and big infrastructure projects are paid for by Belgrade.

(Reporting by Fatos Bytyci; Writing by Daria Sito-Sucic; Editing by Bernadette Baum and Andrew Cawthorne)
This radar shot from the ZoomEarth website shows the position of the core of Tropical Storm Ophelia at 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. At that point, the core was about 17 miles south of Petersburg heading north at 9 mph.

PETERSBURG  Tropical Storm Ophelias core slowly but surely made its way through central Virginia with about half the windspeed it had when making landfall early Saturday morning.

As of 8 p.m. Saturday, the National Weather Service said the storm was about 17 miles south of Petersburg and moving at about 9 mph, with winds topping out at about 40 mph. Using those calculations, Ophelia would pass over the city at about 10 p.m. Saturday and continue northward to Richmond, where it is expected to turn northeast and cross the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey before heading back out to sea sometime Monday afternoon.

NWS said Doppler radar indicated that Ophelia had poured about 1-3 inches of steady rain across the Tri-City area as of 8 p.m. Saturday. No more than an extra inch was expected to fall as the storm weakened on its way out of town.

Ophelia made landfall around 6:15 a.m. Saturday near Emerald Isle, North Carolina with maximum winds of 70 mph, five miles per hour slower than a category 1 hurricane. Once ashore, the storm appeared to follow the Interstate 95 corridor northward, rolling into Virginia Saturday afternoon.

Electrical outages appeared to be minimal across the Tri-City area, according to the tracker website poweroutage.us. No lights were reported out in Petersburg or Hopewell as of 8:30 p.m. Saturday, while Dinwiddie and Prince George counties combined for a total of 22 outages. Most of the area losses were in Colonial Heights with 228 and Chesterfield County with 273.

The National Weather Service continued to issue flash-flood watches and warnings throughout Saturday, particularly for the low-lying portions along the James and Appomattox rivers. Public-works crews in Petersburg spent Friday cleaning out storm drains and creek areas to minimize flooding chances.

The U.S. and POW-MIA flags fly in the winds of Tropical Storm Ophelia Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, outside the Mission BBQ restaurant in Colonial Heights. The National Weather Service says between 1-3 inches of rain fell across the area due to the storm.

No major problems with traffic or other weather-related incidents were reported across the area. Traffic along I-95 and the areas other major corridors moved with minimal issues.

Overnight Saturday into Sunday, NWS has predicted periods of rain before 2 a.m., then patchy fog through the morning daylight hours giving way to cloudy skies with a high temperature of 70 degrees. The first full week of fall will see sunshine mixed with rain chances on Tuesday and Thursday with temperatures no higher than the mid-70s.

More: Tropical Storm Ophelia tracks up East Coast, downing trees and flooding roads

Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Tropical storm passes over area without major injuries, issues
The feds are coming after Google. In January, the Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the technology giant monopolized the lucrative space of digital advertising. A sure-to-be exhaustive trial underway in the U.S. District Court in Washington is expected to last until November.

The lawsuit focuses on three key players: advertisers, publishers and vendors of ad tech tools that match publishers with advertisers and orchestrate ad targeting and delivery. However, monopolization also affects another key group that remains largely unprotected by U.S. laws: you and me, the end users. Googles dominance has led to a singular method of how ads target us, and weve been left with little choice and with no legal safeguards in the current setup.

Read more: Opinion: Hollywood strikes prove Netflix and other streamers have grown too powerful. Time to break them up

Many of us are familiar with incessant social media ads on Facebook and Instagram. Thats called closed web advertising and is operated in-house by those companies. But how does digital advertising on the open web work, say, when we search Google?

As explained in the Justice Department complaint, the process begins when the user opens a publishers website thats programmed to show personalized ads. During the short time that the website loads, an automatic auction takes place on an ad exchange to determine which ads to show to the user. The ad exchange receives information about the website and the user from the publisher, supplements it with any additional information it may have about the users demographics, location, interests and web browsing history, and then matches it against bids from the advertisers.

The more information the ad exchange has about the user, the better it is able to personalize the ads and then maximize the likelihood that the user will click on an ad, and ultimately buy the product or subscribe to the service. Google owns the leading ad exchange, AdX, along with the leading publisher ad server, Google Ad Manager (formerly DoubleClick for Publishers), and the leading platform used by advertisers, Display & Video 360. As the leading search engine, it is also in control of much of its users data. All of this lets Google control the ad tech market, receiving the lions share of the profit and suppressing competition from other vendors.

Read more: Opinion: The misuse of personal data is everywhere. Here's one measure that fights back

Google has faced antitrust litigation before. In 2017, the European Commission fined the company 2.42 billion euros for breaching European Union antitrust rules and giving an illegal advantage to Google Shopping, by promoting it in search results and demoting competing services.

The federal U.S. complaint identifies monetary harms to users: "As publishers make less money from advertisements, fewer publishers are able to offer internet content without subscriptions, paywalls, or alternative forms of monetization. But the harms to users are far more than monetary. They also concern our collective loss of agency  our loss of power to decide what types of ads we wish to see, and to influence the ad delivery strategy to which we are subjected.

Why is this an issue? Because ad delivery is not simply predicting our preferences, but also shaping them, by steering us toward specific choices and opinions.

Read more: Opinion: Is it time to start considering personhood rights for AI chatbots?

The contract is simple and familiar: When we agree to use a free service  read the news online, listen to music or search for apartments  we implicitly agree to pay with our attention by seeing ads. Google is uniquely positioned to steer our preferences because it has access not only to how we respond to ads, but also to how we search and navigate the web. This large-scale surveillance of our lives through our data makes Googles steering very efficient, and it is usually done without our knowledge or permission.

Personalized ads can be persistent and annoying. Remember how that pair of shoes that you really wanted to buy, but really didnt need, followed you around online? Or how you kept seeing ads for apartments after you already signed your lease?

These ads can also be convincing. They dont just nudge us to buy things we dont need, but also often change our preferences and opinions. Remember the Cambridge Analytica scandal? Facebook shared data with the research firm connected to Donald Trumps 2016 campaign so it could try to sway voters. Ads also affect our opportunities to build skills and make a living, and may even hurt our reputation by falsely suggesting to others that we may have a criminal record. The list goes on.

Read more: Op-Ed: How an antitrust trial could reshape the books we read  and who writes them

Googles ad technology aims to maximize engagement  to show an ad to a user who would feel compelled to click on it. But engagement is not always a reasonable goal. It often needs to be balanced with considerations such as curbing misinformation that fuels political polarization or with goals such as equity and non-discrimination. For example, one study found women were less likely than men to be shown ads on Google for high-paying jobs.

Federal regulators previously took steps to shield users against unlawful discrimination in housing ad delivery on Facebook. But such action is reactive and slow.

As users, we need more expansive legal protections. In the U.S., we are especially vulnerable because, unlike in the European Union, we lack comprehensive data protection laws. And we need new technologies to enforce these protections.

Breaking Googles ad tech power could allow new vendors to enter the market and encourage the development of systems to make digital advertising safer by prioritizing privacy and user control.

We all are bearing the cost of Googles monopolistic practices, by losing control over what ads we are fed, and force-fed. We must allow the ad tech market to partition, to make way for a new digital world in which each of us has more power over what we see and consume.

Julia Stoyanovich is an associate professor and director of the Center for Responsible AI at New York University.

If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
The child tax credit should be extended to all children in America who need it. | Adobe.com

Impoverished kids live in misery, through no fault of their own. Worse, childhood poverty diminishes their life chances because poor nutrition harms their small brains, as does a home made stressful by lack of money. It all hurts their ability to learn, leaving them less likely to graduate and find good paying jobs.

Yet child poverty can be alleviated, as we learned when Republicans and Democrats joined efforts during the covid crises to ensure that each child received a child tax credit of at least $3,000. Studies found this money was used to feed, clothe and shelter kids and purchase school supplies.

Related

But Congress failed to renew this life-affirming legislation, almost doubling the child poverty rate, according to Census Bureau data.

Some say kids shouldnt get the child tax credit if their parents lack jobs or dont make enough money. But should children be forced into poverty through no fault of their own?

Crime rates rise  with attendant costs for police, courts and prisons  when life-chances are squelched. Really, its cheaper to feed and clothe kids. Not to mention humanitarian concerns.

As budget negotiations approach I encourage our Utah delegation to expand the child tax credit to our poorest kids.

Georgia Platts

South Jordan
Editors Note: Michael Bociurkiw (@WorldAffairsPro) is a Canadian global affairs analyst currently based in Odesa. He is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He is a regular contributor to CNN Opinion. The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion at CNN.

It is hard to imagine any world leader wanting to share the foreign policy swamp in which the beleaguered Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau , currently finds himself.

Michael Bociurkiw - Chrystia Chudczak

Having spent the past months fighting accusations that he acted too slowly to address serious allegations that China attempted to meddle in Canadas 2019 and 2021 elections, Trudeaus has landed in a potentially costly diplomatic dog fight with the worlds most populous democracy, India, at exactly the time he needs Delhi the most.

Put simply, the timing couldnt be worse.

Earlier this week, Trudeau claimed in Parliament that Canadian intelligence agencies had been investigating credible allegations that agents of the government of India carried out the killing of Sikh Canadian separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia last June while sitting in his truck. Nijjar led a group pushing for the creation of an independent Sikh homeland in northern India called Khalistan. India has vehemently denied Canadas claim, calling it absurd and motivated.

What has surprised critics is that Trudeau made the allegations public before the police investigation was completed. That has angered the Indian government, which is demanding that Ottawa show the evidence.

Another head scratcher is why, shortly after Trudeaus bold claim, foreign affairs minister Melanie Joly expelled an Indian diplomat  whom she described as the head of Indian intelligence in Canada and who wouldve presumably known about the alleged assassination  while the investigation continues. (Meanwhile, despite intense pressure from the Ukrainian diaspora over Russias aggression in Ukraine, Joly has not expelled a single Russian diplomat).

Facing accusations of moving too slowly on the Chinese interference file, Trudeau may have felt a need to press forward. Given the prime minister spent the better part of a year dealing with a foreign interference scandal  allegations he knew about Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections and turned a blind eye because it helped his party  there was no way he could sit on this information. Imagine if it got out that he buried knowledge of a foreign state assassinating a Canadian on Canadian soil. Hed be done, Yaroslav Baran, of Pendulum, an Ottawa-based political analysis and communications firm, told me.

Trans-Pacific diplomatic dog fight

In a rapidly deteriorating bilateral relationship, both sides have expelled diplomats. A Canadian trade mission has been postponed and trade talks frozen. Delhi has gone even further by temporarily stopping the processing of visas for Canadian citizens and warning its citizens about visiting Canada.

Meanwhile, pressure on Trudeau to fill the information vacuum is growing: The Prime Minister needs to lay out his case, immediately, to bolster support for the governments actions both at home and abroad, the Toronto Globe and Mail said in an editorial. Canadians deserve clarity on such an important matter, particularly given the potential for significant diplomatic and economic repercussions.

Oh, Canada!

India is the most important counter balance that the West has to Chinas ascension as the dominant superpower of the 21st century. That explains why Canadas main ally, the United States, is sitting resolutely on the sidelines. The Biden administration cant be blamed for prioritizing its ongoing bromance with India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the bilateral relationship with Ottawa.

For Trudeau and Joly  his former Quebec lieutenant who came to the post with no foreign affairs experience  the crisis comes shortly after the government unveiled a long-awaited and much vaunted Indo-Pacific strategy meant to make relations with India and the region a cornerstone of Canadian foreign policy.

The current crisis  coming after one with China over the arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou in 2018 on a US warrant for alleged bank fraud and evasion of economic sanctions against Iran  places Canada in a difficult position to boost ties with the two major powers in the region. (The charges against Meng were dismissed by a federal judge last year.)

In addition to losing a protracted and costly 2020 campaign to snag one of the two temporary seats on the UN Security Council, Canada is losing its mojo on the international stage as a middle power.

This is a big deal, Baran said. Canadas relations with China have been in a deep freeze since China abducted two Canadians in retaliation for the Meng arrest. The new Indo-Pacific strategy calls for a pivot away from China towards India  an equally massive market but with democracy and the rule of law thrown in. India was the big hope for a China offset.

Facing an election between now and 2025, Trudeau needs to keep domestic political considerations in mind going forward. Canadians of Indian origin represent a significant voting bloc, almost four percent of the population or 1.3 million; more than half of them Sikhs, including minority opposition leader Jagmeet Singh whose New Democratic Party keeps Trudeaus ruling Liberals in power.

If the relationship with India becomes more corrosive, it could impact the ailing Canadian economy: Indian students represent a whopping 40% of total overseas foreign students, it is one of Canadas top ten trading partners and the fourth biggest source of tourism.

For Trudeau, who has survived three ethics violations and will go down in history as the first Canadian prime minister to be found guilty of breaking federal ethics laws, the crisis occurs in the background of plummeting ratings, brought about by a stubborn cost of living and housing crisis.

A cynic might say that prematurely publicizing the explosive findings against India is a diversion tactic to steer attention away from the China interference file and the domestic issues piling up. Or that it is simply amateur hour at the offices of the prime minister and foreign affairs.

Or  as was acknowledged Tuesday in an Atlantic Council panel on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly  that major actors are increasingly leaning into transnational repression to eliminate or silence opponents. Goody-two-shoes Canada, wanting to defend freedom of expression at home, innocently finds itself in the jaws of the very superpowers it is trying to court.

Whatever the case, even for someone described as being made of Teflon, the consequences of the India crisis for Trudeau could be politically fatal if not deftly handled  especially with Ottawas traditional best friend, Washington, unlikely to throw a lifeline.

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Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSP) Troopers responded to a crash in Springfield early Sunday morning.

Troopers were dispatched at 1:32 a.m. to 620 East Possum Rd on reports of a vehicle striking a pole.

>> Motorcyclist crashes into pole in Trotwood Saturday night

OSP told News Center 7 that the pole snapped off at the base but no wires were in the road.

Ohio Edison was called, but no power outages related to this incident were reported.

>> Former president, first lady make first appearance in seven months at hometown festival

No injuries were reported. The cause of this crash is still under investigation.

We will provide updates as new information becomes available.




China's WBO interim champion Zhang Zhilei knocks out British Joyce in rematch

Xinhua) 14:09, September 24, 2023

LONDON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Zhang Zhilei from China needed only three rounds to knock out British boxer Joe Joyce here on Saturday to retain his title of WBO interim heavyweight champion.

Zhang, nicknamed Big Bang, smashed Joyce with a sixth-round technical knockout in London this April, snatching the WBO interim title from his undefeated opponent.

But Joyce activated the rematch clause soon, expecting to reclaim his title from Zhang.

However, 38-year-old Joyce, who was much heavier than last time, could still not bear Zhang's heavy punches. He struggled in the second round before falling to the floor in the next round.

"He was not stronger after gaining weight," said Zhang. "On the contrary, he had more loopholes. His footwork was slower."

Zhang, 40, has targeted another British boxer Tyson Fury as his next opponent. In fact, Zhang's team had almost made a deal with Fury's before Joyce announced his decision to rematch unexpectedly.

Since arriving in London 10 days ago, Zhang had shown his overwhelming confidence to win the rematch and even said he would end Joyce's career with this fight.

"I would never boast," said Zhang after claiming the sensational win in Wembley Arena. "I'm confident because I have been working so hard. I know I'm capable of doing that."

The 2008 Olympic silver medalist is still dreaming about a world champion title in the professional ring. "It won't be waited for too long. Maybe it will come true in the next match," he added.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
Over 20 combat engagements took place over the past day. The Russians launched 5 missile strikes and 57 air strikes, and fired 38 times from multiple-launch rocket systems on the positions of Ukrainian troops and civilian facilities.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, information as of 06:00 on 24 September

Details: Russian terrorist attacks have resulted in civilian casualties. Private homes and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged.

The Russian occupiers continue to ignore international humanitarian law, attacking not only the positions of Ukrainian troops but also civilian infrastructure in settlements. For example, yesterday the Russian Federation attacked Ukraine with Shahed-136/131 attack UAVs. Ukrainian air defence destroyed 14 out of 15 Shahed drones launched.

The Ukrainian Defence Forces continue to conduct defensive operations in the east and south of Ukraine and offensive operations on the Melitopol and Bakhmut fronts, killing Russian troops, liberating the temporarily occupied territories step by step, and consolidating their positions.

Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts were hit by air strikes.

More than 70 settlements in Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts came under Russian artillery fire.

On the Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna fronts, the Russians are maintaining a military presence in the border areas. They are actively conducting sabotage activities in the border areas to prevent the deployment of Ukrainian troops to threatened fronts, and are increasing the density of minefields along the state border in Belgorod Oblast, Russian Federation.

In the area of responsibility of the Khortytsia Operational Strategic Group on the Lyman front, the Ukrainian Defence Forces successfully repelled Russian attacks near Bilohorivka in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Bakhmut front, the Russians attempted to regain lost ground near Klishchiivka in Donetsk Oblast, but were unsuccessful. The Defence Forces are continuing their assault operations south of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast, inflicting losses in manpower and equipment on the Russians, and consolidating their positions.

In the area of responsibility of the Tavriia Operational Strategic Group on the Avdiivka front, Ukrainian troops successfully held the defence on their positions and repelled Russian attacks near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.

On the Marinka front, the Russians conducted unsuccessful offensives in the area of Marinka and Pobieda in Donetsk Oblast, where they made over 10 unsuccessful attempts to drive Ukrainian units out of their positions over the past day.

On the Shakhtarsk front, Ukrainian defenders continued to hold the line and defend the land from the occupation forces.

On the Melitopol front, the Defence Forces continued their offensive. In particular, the Ukrainians were forcing the Russians to withdraw from their positions and were consolidating their positions near Verbove, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

In the area of responsibility of the Odesa Operational Strategic Group on the Kherson front, the Ukrainian Defence Forces continue counter-battery combat, destroying supply storage points and successfully striking at the Russians rear.

Over the past day, the Ukrainian Air Force carried out nine strikes on areas where Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment were concentrated, and seven strikes on Russian anti-aircraft missile systems.

Ukraines Rocket Forces and Artillery struck a cluster of Russian military personnel, weapons and equipment, an anti-aircraft missile system, eight artillery pieces and one radar station.

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!
Utah mother-of-three Kouri Richins - prior to allegedly poisoning her husband last March - knowingly sold a home with mold problems that turned out to be so severe they sickened the new owners and forced them to move out, according to a civil lawsuit.

Alex and Taryn Wright sued Richins realty company in November, alleging that a 2,000 square foot home they purchased from her in January 2020 had hazardous levels of mold, which they believed was behind a spate of mysterious illnesses they suffered. Richins owned and renovated the house before selling it to the couple.

"There was no trying to right any of the wrongs that she had thrown at us, Ms Wright, told Dateline. Were just innocent bystanders in her path of destruction.

"We envisioned having barbecues and hosting and just spending time with family and being able to look out at that beautiful view, she added.

The couple claims in the suit they found extensive mold on the wall behind a new dresser in their sons room and pooled water on the floor.

The conditions in the house caused them to suffer asthma, protacted infections, and mental fogginess, the couple alleges.

In August 2022, the Wrights decided to inspect the house for mold, with contractors discovering hazardous levels of fungus in the basement.

The discovery prompted the family to move out of the house and into a relatives rental home, saddling the Wrights with a mortgage for a house in which they no longer live.

The realty company denies any wrongdoing, writing in a court filing that it had made a fulsome disclosure and that the condition of the Heber City home would have been revealed by a reasonable inspection by an ordinary prudent buyer.

The Wrights say that they did inspect the home initially and found no problems.

A text message, shared with Dateline, shows Ms Richins allegedly discussing how one of the rooms in the home was super moldy.

Her real-estate activities are also under scrutiny in the main case against her: Utah prosecutors allege she poisoned her husband with a fentanyl-laced cocktail on 4 March, which she denies.

Following the death of her husband, Eric Richins, she went on to write and promote a childrens book about grief called Are You With Me?

Utah officials allege she used fraudulent power-of-attorney to execute a $250,000 line of credit against one of her husbands properties.

This month, prosecutors accused Ms Richins of witness tampering after a letter found in her cell appeared to direct a number of family members on how they should testify. Officials say the note amounted to telling the individuals to testify or inform falsely.

Ms Richins has insisted that the letter is part of a jailhouse novel shes writing.

Her lawyers told People that publishing the letter in the court record broke an agreed upon gag order covering attorneys in the case and are an extrajudicial statement made for the apparent purpose of influencing the court of public opinion.
The Olympia School District is reestablishing its relationship with the Olympia Police Department, in hopes of reinstating School Resource Officers (SROs) on campuses.

But, although the decision was made after guns were brought to Capital High School twice in the first week of school, that decision wasnt made easily. The Olympia School Board conducted what became a five-hour meeting where a dozen people spoke and nearly a dozen amendments were made to the policy.

Julian Gabbard was the only student to speak to the school board. The Avanti High School junior who used to attend Capital High School said hes been involved in activism at his schools for years, including in walkouts. He said hes also one of two Black students he knows of at his school, and he noted he was one of maybe two Black people at the board meeting.

Gabbard said the recent talk of police officers in schools feels like the wrong type of change, one that doesnt break out of what he called the white comfort zone.

I worry about the Black and undocumented students that attend Capital High School and that are in this district, that they will have the safeness of what school is supposed to be shattered, he said.

He said as a student, he isnt at all comfortable with police being in schools regularly. Its not because hes doing anything illegal, he said, but because he said he knows men with the same level of power in a police uniform have unjustly killed people of color.

He said statistically theres no evidence to support SROs. From Gabbards research, he said data shows that having officers present causes higher rates of arrest, exclusionary discipline and high rates of violence.

But what youre trying to do is just to ease the sense of danger that we, as Americans, are feeling, Gabbard said. And while I do appreciate that, I agree with only any policy or security practice that prevents these things from happening.

Gabbard said the district already tried SROs, and it didnt work. He said hed like to hear some discussion of how the previous implementation of SROs went and how much they contributed to school safety prior to 2020.

Parents speak out

Matthew Dorcy told the board he was commenting as a community member and not a parent because he withdrew his daughter from Capital High School after the two gun events unfolded.

He said his family had a lot of conversations around the house after the first incident happened on the first day of school, trying to decide if his daughter should remain enrolled.

After a weekend of discussions we really wanted to continue giving our daughter the opportunity to be on campus, Dorcy said. After the first period of the first day on Monday, after I dropped her off and before I even got back to the highway, alerts started coming back in, and I immediately went back to the school and pulled her out.

Dorcy said hes heard it said that SROs wouldnt prevent a gun from showing up on a campus, but hes not convinced. He said a relationship with the young man who brought a loaded weapon to school could have prevented the situation from happening.

He said his family isnt the only one from the Griffin School District, which feeds into Capital High School, who is talking about the situation. He said the Griffin School Board recently discussed whether OSD is continuing to serve Griffin students well. He urged the Olympia school board to vote to bring SROs back.

Jason Cornelius, a CHS parent, told the school board his gut reaction to the incidents was to pull his daughter from the high school.

There has to be a safer place, a more stable place and a better learning environment out there, Cornelius said.

He said his youngest is a sophomore who has joined the band and has a group of friends at Capital. He said she has big plans for the future.

Im asking you to provide a safe and stable place for her to learn and grow, he said. Im asking you to reinstate the SRO program.

He said he believes the Olympia Police Department and the Thurston County Sheriffs Office have professional officers with up-to-date training who are ready to provide services to Olympia students.

Megan Green spoke in support of SROs as well. She said staff and parents at Capital asked the board to reinstate them two years ago but were stonewalled.

Green said there hasnt been any concrete evidence presented that SROs have had any negative effects in Olympia schools, especially regarding students of color. She questioned why the district wouldnt be proactive in ensuring that isnt an issue.

SROs can be a very valuable part of school, Green said. While not under the illusion that they will prevent everything, they are an extra set of eyes and ears.

But Stephanie Scott, a Lacey resident, spoke in support of Gabbard, the student speaker, and against reinstating an SRO program. She said she strongly supports young leaders.

I believe there is power in coming together across jurisdictions, to think critically and creatively about how to provide a certain safe learning and work environment that allows all of our students to thrive, Scott said.

Scott said the reality is that school shootings are rare, and it isnt because SROs are preventing them. She cited a study from Texas State University that found school shootings typically ended when the shooter was restrained by an unarmed staff member, or they simply stopped shooting.

What we do know is that policing in schools increases arrest rates, and that marginalized students are the ones disproportionately targeted for police intervention, Scott said.

She said data shows that the arrest rates for schools with SROs are 3.5 times higher than schools that do not have SROs. Students of color are arrested or referred to law enforcement at significantly higher rates than their white peers, and students with disabilities are arrested or referred to law enforcement nearly three times the rate of non-disabled students, Scott said.

We cannot ignore that SROs contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline, shifting youth into the juvenile justice system, which places them at an increased risk of being rearrested and ending up in juvenile or adult prisons, Scott said.

Scott challenged the notion that no local information on the impacts of SROs was presented. She said because the district would pull its SROs from the Olympia Police Department, the district has to take into account the situations OPD officers have found themselves in.

She referenced the death of Timothy Green, a Black man who was shot and killed by police last year. The incident is still under investigation; two of the officers involved still serve in the OPD.

Instead, Scott believes the answer is significant investment in mental health counselors, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and more educators.

Policy amendments

Board member Hilary Seidel presented the board with several amendments to the School Safety and Security Services Program policy.

Seidels main point was to adopt a policy that establishes a formal, collaborative relationship with the Public Safety Division of the City of Olympia, not simply puts police in schools. Her amendment to the agreement adds an emphasis on a holistic approach, including consultation, multi-tiered support systems, crisis response unit members, and uniformed officers.

Another amendment includes having a process in place for placing officers that involves students, family, staff and the board. It also ensures theres an evaluation process for the program, as well as the requirement to conduct surveys and listening sessions with students, family and staff.

Another amendment updates language around SROs becoming involved in formal school discipline situations that are the responsibility of school administration. Seidel said striking the word formal was an idea that came to her after speaking to students.

I think that the rationale for it was that students have shared often that what they consider to be discipline, and what is technically formal discipline, we may not have agreement on that, Seidel said. Personally, I know many of us have heard from students who felt they experienced discipline interaction, but there was no record of that interaction, in which case one would determine thats not formal discipline.

Director Talauna Reed said she wanted to add to the amendment some language that ensures all discipline-related incidents are documented, to avoid confusion in the future. Along with that, she said police and school personnel should be prohibited from speaking to minors about potential criminal conduct without consent from a parent or guardian. The policy already exists but has exceptions for situations such as human trafficking and imminent threat/danger.

Lastly, the board agreed that at the beginning of each school year the district will conduct a gun safety awareness campaign in all schools to provide education for both students and staff. The program may also include providing gun safes to families that need them.
Carrie Barnett was a student at Stephens College in the late 1970s when it was a very different world for those in the LGBTQ community. She moved back to Columbia five years ago after spending much of her life in Chicago, where she owned a LGBTQ bookstore in the 1990s.

Carrie Barnett in 1978 was a freshman at Stephens College and had heard the murmurings that there possibly was going to be a queer prom held somewhere at the University of Missouri.

Those rumors were accurate, and so, after shopping at a vintage clothing store in downtown Columbia, Barnett put on her tuxedo with tails, walked to the MU campus with her Stephens College roommate  they went as friends  and danced at the queer prom.

Exactly where the event was on the MU campus is lost to the ether for Barnett, who said visiting MU was a rare occurrence during her time at Stephens. There were roughly a dozen visits, she said.

"I remember being totally thrilled about it," she said about the queer prom, adding she also would wear the tuxedo she bought to dances at Stephens. "The dances there were not necessarily queer, but we were, so then they were, even though Stephens in the 1970s was not hip to the queer scene at all. They tried to shut us down a whole lot."

The Tribune, in recognition of the Mid-MO PrideFest, has worked to take down oral histories, however brief, of LGBTQ life in Columbia dating back 40-50 years and how acceptance of those with LGBTQ identities has progressed in the community.

While Barnett mostly was in Columbia for her college years, she still has gotten to see the then and now of acceptance in Columbia. She moved back to Columbia from Chicago five years ago.

"I think I was ready to change the pace of my life," Barnett said. "Chicago, I loved Chicago and I lived a block from Lake Michigan. But there were the taxes, traffic and I work from home, so it didn't matter where I work. I have a really good friend who lives here and teaches at Stephens, so I came back to be here."

During Barnett's first stint in Columbia in the late '70s and early '80s, the only way a person could learn about gay culture or bars was through grapevine whispers. One of those bars was a Quonset hut on Mexico Gravel Road known as Zazoos. She went here in the year after she graduated, but now as a Stephens employee.

"I had a car by then. I remember piling people in the car and driving out there. There was nothing north of Interstate 70 then. Columbia was half the size it is now. There was no GPS or Mapquest. Gaydar took us there, I don't know," Barnett said with a laugh, adding there was a $5 membership fee because the place likely didn't have a liquor license. "So, they had to be a membership club. It was pretty big. There was all this seating and tables, a dance floor and a bar. We would go there and just dance and dance and dance."

Making no apologies

Barnett was unapologetic about her identity as a lesbian at Stephens, even in the face of the homophobia and harassment she faced from other students and faculty.

"When I came to college I knew I was queer, but I didn't understand there was a culture," Barnett said, adding that even though being LGBTQ at the time still was classified as a mental illness, that still was reassuring because that meant there were other people out there like her. "It's kind of a strange thing. I think being (at Stephens) was thrilling. To see other people and to be so young and to start to get a glimmer of an idea of (LGBTQ) culture and community."

Even so, Barnett had to contend with "painful and confusing" rumors of what were false sexual assault allegations made by a group of other Stephens students.

Carrie Barnett, right, in a 1978 photo with her Stephens College roomate at a queer prom held on the University of Missouri campus. The pair went as friends, not as a couple, Barnett said.

"The rumor was that I was inviting women to my room under the guise of having men from Mizzou there and then I would get them drunk and have sex with them. They were essentially calling me a rapist. It was unbelievable to me," Barnett said, adding she requested to have the accusers say all this directly to her face in a meeting she had with the dean.

"They couldn't because it wasn't true and they just wanted (the dean) to be their hammer," she said. "I wish I kept a journal then because it went on for weeks where (the dean) was trying to control me. I was the head of the Warehouse Theater, which was a student run organization and she said, 'Well you have so much power, you have to consider yourself like a faculty member. I remember saying to her, 'I'm 19.'

"There was nothing she could do but harass me and I think they made me go see the psychologist at school."

After consulting with her brother, who is a lawyer, he advised her to tell the dean that she would take her story to Newsweek and Time Magazine. After doing so, the harassment and rumors were stopped.

"Why should I have to threaten a dean to stop harassing me because these students would not meet me face to face and had no true things to say? It was unpleasant," Barnett said.

A compromise that was developed was in-dorm meetings with incoming freshman about campus life.

"They would talk about things to get used to as a freshman and how to go to dinner and all those basic things. 'And there are some women here who have a different idea about sexuality, but you do not have to do what they say,' essentially. Isn't that bananas? That was the '70s at Stephens," Barnett said.

Last year, when Barnett was watching the Mid-MO PrideFest's inaugural parade, she saw a contingent from Stephens College who were just as unapologetic about their identities as she was in the '70s.

"It was overwhelming and emotional to me to remember what it was like then. I jumped in and asked if I could march with them for a block," Barnett said, adding she received an enthusiastic yes. "I think the parade here is so sweet and lovely and I really enjoyed being there last year."

A place for 'People Like Us'

Barnett was a theater major at Stephens, graduating in 1982. She stuck around in Columbia for about year afterward to work at the Assembly Hall at Stephens, which was demolished a decade ago. After her extra year in Columbia, she went to graduate school in Wisconsin.

Her life path then led her to a career in Chicago where she worked in the theater industry for about three years. By 1988 she and her gay male friend and business partner Brett Shingledecker opened People Likes Us Books, a LGBTQ bookstore. It remained open for about a decade.

Carrie Barnett and her business partner Brett Shingledecker celebrating the one-year anniversary in 1989 of the LGBTQ bookstore, People Like Us, they opened in Chicago.

"I was pretty immersed in the community at that point. It was weird how it was sort of scandalous and people would ask us if we were really gay," Barnett said, smiling. "... We mixed our fiction. We had gay and lesbian fiction all on one bookshelf on one wall. People were aghast at that.

"Any time people came in, they would say 'People like us. It's either a gay bookstore or a young Republican's club.' Which were you hoping for? People came in and would say the most random things to us," she said.

This business venture eventually would lead to Barnett and Shingledecker's induction into Chicago's LGBTQ Hall of Fame in 1998.

"My mom was there. It was really cool. I was so excited she got to come. She cried. It was so sweet," Barnett said.

The bookstore would welcome major names in LGBTQ authorship and history through its doors, such as Harry Hay, founding member of the Mattachine Society; English writer and humorist Quentin Crisp; comic artist Alison Bechdel; Olympic diver Greg Louganis; and author Armistead Maupin, among others.

Barnett has an original Bechdel comic, which is the sixth entry in Bechdel's "Essential Dykes to Watch Out For" collection.

When Louganis was preparing to come out, there already was knowledge among the LGBTQ community about what was coming.

"So, we ordered cases of his book. Most other places ordered two copies. We lobbied to have him appear at the store and he agreed," Barnett said, adding while he did end up making an appearance at the Barnes and Noble one-half mile away the night before, the event at People Like Us had greater attendance. "That was quite gratifying."

Barnett was part of the growth of LGBTQ indie bookstores in the U.S. in the '80s and '90s and their unfortunate shrinkage due to the advent of big box bookstores like Barnes and Noble. She is pleased there now is a seeming resurgence of LGBTQ bookstores.

"Is there a place for queer bookstores now? I think the answer always is yes, but then it also is really good to be in a place with a store like Skylark (Bookshop)," she said.

Changing moods, changing laws

When Barnett moved back to Columbia from Chicago five years ago one of her earliest questions was to ask a date about where the city's LGBTQ community congregates. In Chicago, not only from running the bookstore, there was community in bars and gyms and other locations frequented by those in the LGBTQ community.

Carrie Barnett, from left, and her business partner Brett Shingledecker in their Chicago LGBTQ bookstore, People Like Us, welcoming LGBTQ comic artist Alison Bechdel in March 1991.

"I was thinking she would say, 'Join this, do that,' but she said, 'Well, we are everywhere here,'" Barnett said. "Yeah, we are everywhere, everywhere else, but where is the community? And she said it isn't like that in Columbia because everybody is so accepting.

"It's a statement that really surprised me having been in the Chicago community. As big as Chicago is, there still was a community and organizations and ways to hang out with people. The Center Project is doing that a little here," she said.

While Columbia is very accepting, that doesn't mean the rest of state is, and certainly not in the Missouri General Assembly, Barnett said.

"I was walking by the library home in a 'Protect Trans Kids' T-Shirt and somebody pulled their car over and said 'I love your T-shirt,'" she said. "There is so much more acceptance, but at the same time, the government is staging this horrific hatred campaign in the form of anti-trans legislation and all these other things.

"It feels better because people are more open, but then it feels worse because back in the day nobody accepted us and we flew under the radar and we were tilting against the windmills to get acceptance. It feels pretty horrifying to live in a state where the government is so dead set discriminating against a small group of people who are just trying to be themselves."

Carrie Barnett, right, and her former partner Liz Huesemann are chaperones at a queer prom in Chicago in this undated photo. Huesemann ran Horizons, an LGBTQ youth group similar to Prism at The Center Project in Columbia, Barnett said. Barnett went to a queer prom at the University of Missouri in 1978 when she was a student at Stephens College.

Even with this, Barnett still feels empowered in coming back to Columbia and Missouri to reclaim space and understand it in a different way.

"There are so many of us who are undeniably who we are and willing to risk the dangers of living that life. Ultimately, it has a resulted in a country where queer people can get married," Barnett said, adding this is not something she thought she would see in her lifetime and that while marriage isn't for her, she understands how important it is for others. She expressed wishes that organizations like Lambda Legal had put as strident a focus on trans issues dating back 20-plus years as it had on marriage equality.

More: Smaller community Pride events more important than ever, say Mid-MO PrideFest headliners

While there is more representation in media of LGBTQ identities, internalized hatred still happens for those in the community.

"People are still scared, especially with government judging us so harshly. You just have to be who you are and trust that you will find your people because we are out here," is the advice Barnett has for younger generations. "I am really proud to have been part of the culture and creating the culture and doing it scared. Opening the bookstore. Being so public. It all paid off in a lot of ways for me.

"We are always impacting the generation that follows. It's exciting to see Gen Z being who they are now and to see that as a continuum. I guess I am glad to have been a small part of the continuum of queer liberation."

More: How has Columbia LGBTQ acceptance changed in 40 years? Arch and Column regulars share stories

Charles Dunlap covers local government, community stories and other general subjects for the Tribune. You can reach him at cdunlap@columbiatribune.com or @CD_CDT on Twitter. Subscribe to support vital local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Columbia resident witness to then and now of LGBTQ acceptance
A grizzly bear and cub were euthanized after months of break-ins to garages and cabins in search of food, Montana wildlife officials reported.

In early August, officials relocated the 6-year-old grizzly and her male cub from Lincoln County to a forest near Frozen Lake, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks said in a news release.

The bears were trapped and moved following complaints from residents about bears breaking into unsecured garages to look for food, the agency said.

After being relocated, the bears traveled to the North Fork of the Flathead River and broke into garages, cabins, outdoor freezers and a trailer, officials said.

The agency again trapped the mama grizzly and cub.

Based on reports and video footage, the bears were severely food conditioned and habituated to people, the release said.

After consulting with federal wildlife officials, the agency decided to euthanize the two bears Wednesday, Sept. 20, officials said.

Once a bear has become food-conditioned, hazing and aversive conditioning are unlikely to be successful in reversing this type of behavior, officials said in the release. Food-conditioned and habituated bears are not relocated due to human safety concerns.

What to do if you see a bear

Bear attacks in the U.S. are rare, according to the National Park Service. In most attacks, bears are trying to defend their food, cubs or space.

There are steps people can take to help prevent a bear encounter from becoming a bear attack.

Identify yourself: Talk calmly and slowly wave your arms. This can help the bear realize youre a human and nonthreatening.

Stay calm: Bears usually dont want to attack; they want to be left alone. Talk slowly and with a low voice to the bear.

Dont scream: Screaming could trigger an attack.

Pick up small children: Dont let kids run away from the bear. It could think theyre small prey.

Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said. Bears like to keep their distance from groups of people.

Make yourself look big: Move to higher ground and stand tall. Dont make any sudden movements.

Dont drop your bag: A bag on your back can keep a bear from accessing food, and it can provide protection.

Walk away slowly: Move sideways so you appear less threatening to the bear. This also lets you keep an eye out.

Again, dont run: Bears will chase you, just like a dog would.

Dont climb trees: Grizzlies and black bears can also climb.

Navy vet punches aggressive grizzly that severely mauled him in Montana, daughter says

Bear that fatally mauled Kansas woman in July is killed after breaking into house

Grizzly charges at hunters in thick brush, Idaho officials say. Then its shot dead
Workers expanding gas lines accidentally dug up eight mummies in Lima, Peru.

The mummies are older than Incan culture and were likely buried hundreds of years ago.

Over years of expanding gas lines, Peruvian workers have found about 2,000 ancient artifacts.

Peruvian workers expanding gas lines were shocked when they dug up eight mummies on the side of the road in Lima.

Surrounded by chicken restaurants near the road leading to Peru's sole nuclear power station, the funeral bales are thought to predate the Inca empire, the Associated Press reported.

The mummies were wrapped in cotton cloth and were sitting about a foot below the ground. One archeologist working in the trench said the bundles probably held two adults and six adolescents.

The eight burial offerings from the pre-Inca Ychsma culture, found by city workers. Martin Mejia

Jesus Bahamonde, an archeologist for Calidda, Lima's natural gas distributor, said the company was discovering forgotten artifacts as it developed.

"We are recovering those leaves of the lost history of Lima that is just hidden under the tracks and streets," Bahamonde told AP.

Per AP, Bahamonde and the company's other archeologists think the mummies are likely relics from the Ichma or Ychsma culture.

According to previous reporting from Insider, the Ychsma people were part of an ancient society that built at least 16 pyramids on Peru's central coast before being absorbed into the Inca Empire in the 15th century.

"When the Spaniards arrived in the 16th century, they found an entire population living in the three valleys that today occupy Lima ... what we have is a kind of historical continuation," Bahamonde told AP.

The eight burial offerings from the pre-Inca Ychsma culture, found by city workers. Martin Mejia

It's not the only ancient discovery made in Peru lately. As Peru has expanded its natural gas lines, it has discovered almost 2,000 ancient artifacts over nearly two decades.

Earlier this month in the country's capital, archeologists discovered a mummy with a full head of hair in a cemetery near a wealthy neighborhood. That mummy was likely about 1,000 years old.

Archeologists also found a 3,000-year-old mummy in June, which researchers said was probably a religious sacrifice from the Manchay people.

Read the original article on Insider
PETERSBURG  A shooting late Saturday night near an apartment complex in the city's Walnut Hill area is apparently Petersburg's 15th homicide of the year.

Petersburg Police Chief Travis Christian confirmed for The Progress-Index that the incident near Ivy Gates Apartments on North Boulevard was in fact a death investigation. No other details about it are available.

The incident was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday, according to a police Facebook post. It was initially reported as a shooting but the post said there was "heavy police presence in the area," and citizens were being encouraged to avoid the area. Police also closed both lanes of South Sycamore Street between North Boulevard and Mount Vernon Street while the initial investigation was carried out. That road, a main corridor between downtown and south Petersburg, has since reopened.

The World War I Doughboy statue at the intersection of North Boulevard and South Sycamore Street was knocked over in the aftermath of the shooting.

Police have not released the victim's identity, nor suspect information or a motive.

In 2022, Petersburg recorded 18 murders.

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg investigating shooting death near apartment complex
Philippine authorities on Sunday condemned the China Coast Guard for allegedly installing a floating barrier in a disputed territory in the South China Sea.

In a statement, Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela said a floating barrier with an estimated length of 300 meters was discovered on Friday during a routing maritime patrol.

Tarriela said the floating barrier is preventing Filipino Fishing Boats (FFBs) from entering the area and conducting their fishing and livelihood activities.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) strongly condemn the China Coast Guards (CCGs) installation of floating barrier in the Southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc (BDM), which prevents Filipino Fishing Boats (FFBs) from entering the shoal and depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities, Tarriela said in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He included photos of the incident.

Tarriela said the floating barrier was seen being installed by three China Coast Guard boats and a Chinese Maritime Militias service boat, upon the arrival of the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessel. There were more than 50 FFBs spotted in the area on Friday, Tarriela said.

Four CCG vessels tried to drive the BFAR vessel and FFBs away by initiating a series of radio challenges. The crews on the CCG vessels allegedly claimed they were violating international law and domestic law, but Philippine authorities insisted emphasized that they were carrying out a routine patrol within the territorial sea of BDM.

Tarriela said CCG crews backed off when they noticed a media presence on board the BFAR vessel.

The PCG will continue to work closely with all concerned government agencies to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains, Tarriela wrote.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-nine people were injured when a passenger train collided with a cargo train in Pakistan's east Punjab province on Sunday morning, state-run rescue organization Rescue 1122 said.

The incident happened at 4:30 a.m. (local time) due to possible negligence of the railway staff in Sheikhupura district of the province, Muhammad Ateeq, shift-in-charge of Rescue 1122 Headquarters in the provincial capital of Lahore, told Xinhua.

"The railway staff failed to switch the track for the passenger train and it kept moving on the track where the cargo train was already parked," Ateeq said.

The passenger train was running at a low speed, which led to the low intensity of the crash, and most of the people got minor injuries in the accident, he added.

"Twenty-seven injured people were administered first-aid at the site while two critically injured were shifted to hospital," he added.

Talking to Xinhua, sources from Pakistan Railways said that a team was investigating the cause of the accident at the site, and strict action will be taken if it turns out to be the negligence of the railway staff. 
MANILA (Reuters) -The Philippines on Sunday accused China's coast guard of installing a "floating barrier" in a disputed area of the South China Sea, saying it prevented Filipinos from entering and fishing in the area.

Manila's coast guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources "strongly condemn" China's installation of the barrier in part of the Scarborough Shoal, Commodore Jay Tarriela, a coast guard spokesperson, posted on the X social media platform, formerly Twitter.

The barrier blocking fishermen from the shoal was depriving them of their fishing and livelihood activities", he said.

"The (Philippine Coast Guard) will continue to work closely with all concerned government agencies to address these challenges, uphold our maritime rights and protect our maritime domains," Tarriela said.

The Chinese embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

China claims 90% of the South China Sea, overlapping with the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines. Beijing seized the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and forced fishermen from the Philippines to travel further for smaller catches.

Beijing allowed Filipino fishermen to return to the uninhabited shoal when bilateral relations were improving markedly under then-President Rodrigo Duterte. But tension has mounted again since his successor, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, took office last year.

Philippine coast guard and fisheries bureau personnel discovered the floating barrier, estimated at 300 m (1,000 feet) long, on a routine patrol on Friday near the shoal, locally known as Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said.

Three Chinese coast guard rigid-hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the barrier when the Philippine vessel arrived, he said.

Filipino fishermen say China typically installs such barriers when they monitor a large number of fishermen in the area, Tarriela said.

The Chinese boats issued 15 radio challenges and accused the Philippine ship and fishermen of violating international and China's laws, before moving away "upon realizing the presence of media personnel onboard the (Filipino) vessel", he said.

(Reporting by Enrico Dela Cruz; Editing by William Mallard)
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan hinted on Sept. 24 that his country can no longer rely on Russia's protection after the Azerbaijani army quickly defeated ethnic Armenian forces in the restive Nagorno-Karabakh region.



"The recent attacks on Armenia by Azerbaijan allow us to draw an obvious conclusion that the external security systems in which we are involved are not effective from the point of view of state interests and the country's security," he said in a public comment on TV.

Armenia belongs to the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a Russian-led military bloc.



Moscow has sent "peacekeepers" to the region but they had very little impact on Azerbaijan's military strike. Hundreds are believed to have died and there were widely publicized images of Armenians fleeing through Russia's own peacekeeping base.

Several of these "peacekeepers" were killed, Moscow later admitted.

This may be reportedly causing an upswell of anti-Russian feelings in Armenia. It is also being reported as a sign of Russia's waning influence in the lands of the former Soviet Union.

Meanwhile, Pashinyan's chief of staff, Araik Harutyunyan, charged that Russian media is already waging a hybrid disinformation war against his country.



In his Facebook account, Harutyanyan cited an example of a fake story, in which protesters in Yerevan supposedly broke into a government building and saw American airborne troops inside.



In reality, no protesters stormed government buildings that day, he added.

On Sept. 20, Nagorno-Karabakh surrendered to the Azerbaijani military in exchange for a Russian-brokered ceasefire after one day of attacks by Azerbaijani forces.

Nagorno-Karabakh is recognized as Azerbaijani territory under international law. Its population of 120,000 is predominantly Armenian.

The territory declared independence in 1991 with Yerevan's military support. Until 2020, Armenia de facto controlled Nagorno-Karabakh together with the surrounding regions.

In 2021 Azerbaijani forces also invaded several internationally recognized Armenian territories in the east of the country and are still occupying them.

Azerbaijan's 2023 offensive in Nagorno-Karabakh came amid deteriorating relations between Armenia and Russia. Speculation is rife that the Kremlin has intentionally allowed Azerbaijan to defeat Nagorno-Karabakh in an effort to unseat Pashinyan, who has flirted with the West.

On Sept. 11, Armenian and U.S. forces started joint military exercises.

Moscow reacted negatively to the exercises. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said he does not expect "anything good" to come out of the drills.

On Sept. 1, the Armenian government also sent the Rome Statute, the founding treaty of the International Criminal Court (ICC), to the parliament for ratification.

The move irritated Russia because the ICC has issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. Russia has called Armenia's intention to ratify the statute "unacceptable" and warned about "extremely negative consequences."

Meanwhile, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov has threatened that the Kremlin could launch an invasion of Armenia and Georgia.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Police: Man charged with running illegal dental office in back of Milford convenience store

A man is facing several charges after he was accused of running an elaborate dental office in the back of a convenience store in Milford, according to police.

Juan Hermida Munoz, 64, was summoned Monday in connection with the illegal operation being conducted at the Alternativa Convenience Store located at 140 Main Street, Suite 7 in Milford.

Milford police said the proprietor of the convenience store, Maria Magdalena Guaman-Castro, rented a room in the back of the store to Munoz, who provided multiple dental services without a license, including examinations, tooth extractions, anesthetics and cleanings.

Mr. Munoz is not board certified and holds no certifications to practice medicine within the United States. This practice puts the lives of patients in danger by unsanctioned and unsanitary conditions in receiving medical treatments, the Milford Police Department said in a statement released Saturday.

Milford police said Guaman-Castro was also summoned and is facing a conspiracy charge.

Munoz has been charged with unauthorized practice of medicine and unauthorized practice of dentistry.

No additional information has been released.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak believes that Poland will amass a force of 300,000 soldiers, making it the largest land army in Europe, Polskie Radio reported on Sept. 23.

Blaszczak made these remarks at a celebration held at the Grunwald Battlefield, where 850 Polish soldiers swore a military oath.

The site commemorates Poland's historic victory in the 1410 Battle of Grunwald.

The defense minister told the assembled troops that the Polish army may number 300,000 soldiers, in order to deter Russian forces from entering the country.

"And if we add the fact that every inch of Polish land is defended by the Polish army, we have a guarantee of the security of our homeland," Blaszczak said.

Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us

In July, Polish officials announced that Poland planned to double the size of its military in response to threats from Russia and Belarus.

On Sept. 20, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told Polsat News that his government would stop sending weapons to Ukraine in order to focus on its own military stockpiles.

"We no longer transfer weapons to Ukraine, because we are now arming Poland, Morawiecki said.

Later, other Polish officials clarified his statements by saying that Poland continues to supply arms and ammunition that are part of previously agreed deliveries.

Read also: US will reportedly give ATACMS to Ukraine. Will it change the war?

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
A Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday shows President Joe Biden trailing Donald Trump by 10 percentage points nationally, though that number is probably an outlier in part due to other recent polls showing a tight contest, as the Post notes.

Still, Bidens disapproval rating remains relatively high, as shown by another poll conducted by NBC News that was also published Sunday. In that survey of 1,000 registered voters earlier this month, 56 percent of respondents disapprove of the presidents job performance  the highest mark since he has been in office.

Among the demographics where Biden is not cracking 50 percent are young voters between 18 and 34, women and Latino  all areas where Democratic candidates traditionally best their Republican challengers. Biden is also underwater among independents, with just over one-third (36 percent) giving their approval.

Bidens age and health are also top of mind for most voters, with nearly three out of four having major or moderate concerns. Regarding the age and health of Trump, who at age 77 is three years Bidens junior, 47 percent of voters have the same level of concern.

Additionally, just under 60 percent of Democratic primary voters want Biden to be challenged for the 2024 Democratic nomination, according to the NBC News poll. That number closely aligns with the ABC News/Post poll finding that 62 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents dont want Biden as the nominee.

While the ABC News/Post poll of just more than 1,000 registered voters showed Trump with a wide lead against Biden, other polls have tended to show a neck-and-neck race, with the NBC poll having the pair tied at 46 percent.

As to the potential causes of such an outlier, the order of questions in the ABC News/Post poll could be one, according to public opinion researcher Gary Langer. (Respondents were first asked about a variety of topics, such as the economy, many of which showed poor results for Biden).

Voters could also just be sending a message, Langer explained.

Its best seen as an opportunity for the public to express its like or dislike of the candidates, he wrote. Biden is broadly unpopular and doubts about his suitability for a second term are extensive; wherever they end up in more than a year, a substantial number of Americans today are taking the opportunity to express their displeasure.

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Click here to read the full article.
Pope Francis has expressed the opinion that arms dealers are interested in the war in Ukraine: "The interests in this war are not just those related to the Ukrainian-Russian problem but to the sale of weapons, the commerce of weapons."

Source: Pope Francis on board a plane returning from a trip to Marseille, France; Reuters

Quote from Francis: "It seems to me that the interests in this war are not just those related to the Ukrainian-Russian problem but to the sale of weapons, the commerce of weapons.

We should not play games with the martyrdom of this people. We have to help them resolve things ... I see now that some countries are moving backwards, not wanting to give (Ukraine) arms. A process is starting in which the martyr certainly will be the Ukrainian people and that is an ugly thing."

Details: Pope Francis suggested on Saturday that some countries are "playing games" with Ukraine, first providing weapons and then considering reneging on their commitments.

Francis made the comments in response to a reporter's question about whether he was upset that his efforts to bring peace had failed. He said he felt "some frustration" and then started speaking about the military industry and the war.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni clarified Francis' words. Bruni emphasised that the Pope was not taking a position on whether countries should continue to send weapons to Ukraine or stop sending them: "It was a reflection on the consequences of the arms industry: the pope, with a paradox, was saying that those who traffic in weapons never pay the consequences of their choices but leave them to be paid by people, like the Ukrainians, who have been martyred."

Background:

On 25 August, Francis addressed participants of the 10th All-Russian Day of Catholic Youth in St. Petersburg. In his speech, the Pope said, "Never forget your inheritance. You are the heirs of the great Russia. The great Russia of the saints, of the kings, of the great Russia of Peter the Great, of Catherine II, that great imperial Russia, cultivated, with so much culture and humanity," Francis said, according to the video clip. "Never forget this inheritance. You are the heirs of the great Mother Russia, go forward. And thank you. Thank you for your way of being, for your way of being Russian."

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry responded to the Pope's words, saying that Pope Francis is spreading Russian great-power ideas, which the Kremlin uses to justify the murders of Ukrainians.

In early September, Ukrainian Greek Catholic bishops met with Pope Francis and told him that praising Russia's imperial past "hurt the Ukrainian people".

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 United States Postal Service is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest of a suspect involved in two daylight robberies of local letter carriers on September 12th.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

The first robbery occurred near Alfred Mill Avenue, while the second took place on Ricker Road.

READ: Two postal workers robbed at gunpoint in two separate Jacksonville neighborhoods

In both cases, victims, including Alisha Alexis, a USPS mail carrier, found themselves confronting an armed assailant demanding a specific key known as an arrow key. This specialized key provides access to thousands of mailboxes in the Jacksonville area, making it an attractive target for thieves looking to steal checks or identities.

Alisha Alexis, who has been serving as a mail carrier for approximately five months, described her terrifying encounter, stating, He ran up on me, put the gun to my side, and asked where the key was.

She went on to recount her fear for her life but ultimately complied with the suspects demands.

He put my phone under a box and told me not to call the cops; he instructed me to wait until he was gone before calling for help, she recalled.

Surveillance footage, provided to Action News Jax, captured the suspect believed to be involved in the Alfred Mill Avenue robbery. Alisha Alexis firmly believes that this is the same individual who robbed her during the second incident on Ricker Road.

Both robberies reportedly occurred on the same day, approximately 35 minutes apart, in locations roughly 13 miles from each other. The suspects description remains consistent in both cases.

[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]

In the footage, the suspect can be seen walking closely behind the USPS van.

This has understandably raised concerns among residents, like Cassandra McClain, who resides near Alfred Mill Avenue.

McClain voiced her concerns, saying, We took them down because we were so good, but now after that incident, he said, Look, move that stuff you got on the mirror and mantle; Im putting those cameras back up.

For Alisha Alexis, the most significant relief is that she emerged from the ordeal unharmed. She expressed her gratitude, saying, I just had my daughter last year, and I couldnt imagine not being here for her.

Federal agents are urgently encouraging anyone with information about these robberies to contact the Postal Inspection Service at 1 (800) 275-8777.

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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.
Prince Harry has reportedly been asked to give Buckingham Palace advance notice if he wishes to stay at a royal residence.

Harry, 39, was denied permission to stay at Windsor Castle when he travelled to London for a charity event earlier this month, according to news reports.

The duke was scheduled to attend the annual WellChild Awards in Chelsea, west London, on 7 September, which fell on the eve of the anniversary of Queen Elizabeths death this year.

When it became clear Harry and Charles , who was in Balmoral at the time, would not be able to meet on this visit, the duke asked if he could stay at Windsor Castle, The Telegraph reported.

He also sought permission to visit his late grandmothers grave at St Georges chapel in Windsor, which he did on 8 September.

However, the palace was reportedly unable to grant Harrys last-minute accommodation request.

The Independent has contacted representatives for the Duke of Sussex and Buckingham Palace for comment.

Harry reportedly contacted Buckingham Palace after details of his visit  the first since he and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage  were finalised.

He is said to have expressed his desire to meet his father, King Charles, and stay with him, before Harry flew to Dusseldorf, Germany for the Invictus Games. While Meghan did not join Harry in the UK, she reunited with the duke for the Paralympics-style tournament for wounded and sick veterans.

In response, the palace allegedly asked Harry to put in a formal request as it remained unclear whether King Charles had been made aware of this communication.

Harry and Charles havent had a proper meeting for months (Getty Images)

Harrys team shared the itinerary for his 24-hour visit, the newspaper reported, citing royal sources.

The palace responded, reportedly explaining the King would be at Balmoral Castle on those dates, with an offer for Harry to join his father at the Scottish estate.

This would have given father and son the opportunity to meet face to face, after Harrys relationship with the royal family became strained in the months since he and Meghan relocated to the US.

Tensions first flared following the release of Harry and Meghans Netflix docuseries in which they made a number of bombshell claims about The Firm.

Shortly after, Prince Harrys memoir Spare was published, which included even more shocking revelations about his life as a senior member of the British royal family.

The palace has not directly addressed these allegations.

After it became clear Harry and Charles would not be able to reunite at Balmoral due to scheduling conflicts, the duke reportedly asked for permission to stay at Windsor Castle, or any of the other royal residences.

However, the palace was unable to grant his request without sufficient notice, the newspaper reported.

Harry is next scheduled to visit the UK in January, when his case against News Group Newspapers, which publishes The Sun, goes to trial.
ISLAMABAD, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- A soldier was killed in an exchange of fire between security forces and militants in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, a military statement said.

The incident happened during an intelligence-based operation by the security forces in Mir Ali area of North Waziristan district of the province, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army's media wing, said in a statement on Saturday.

A sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorists found in the area, the ISPR said. 
Last year at this time few outside South Carolina knew the names of the key lawyers in the Alex Murdaugh murder saga.

But due to national television coverage of the six-week Murdaugh murder trial last winter, prosecutor Creighton Waters of the S.C. Attorney Generals office and defense attorneys Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin have transcended the courtroom, catapulted into the public eye and become the newest stars in the dark galaxy of American true crime.

The crime in question, of course, is the still-mysterious and ultra-violent killings of Murdaughs wife, Maggie, and son Paul on the familys remote 1,770-acre estate in rural Colleton County, South Carolina, on June 6, 2021. The two death weapons  a shotgun and an assault rifle  have never been found.

At Murdaughs trial, Waters and his team of prosecutors and investigators used reams of circumstantial evidence to convince a jury of his guilt. Murdaugh, 55, is now serving two life without parole sentences. Harpootlian and Griffin, vanquished in the courtroom, are appealing and contend he is innocent.

On Saturday afternoon, at this years annual CrimeCon conference in Orlando, more than 2,000 attended a panel called The Fall of a Southern Giant: Inside the Prosecution of Alex Murdaugh, held in a huge auditorium with Waters as the only speaker. Two Court TV journalists, Julie Grant and Matt Johnson, moderated. Waters remarks were frequently applauded. Giant television screens brought his image home to the far reaches of the great hall.

Waters told the audience he was not there to advocate a position, but wanted to explain his thinking about some parts of the trial and tell anecdotes about his team and how we survived that six weeks. He also said people should not forget this this was a terrible tragedy and we have to remember what the basis for this is.

Ultimately, our job is to do justice, Waters said.

Harpootlian and Griffin appeared later, on a separate panel in the same hall with ABC correspondent Eva Pilgrim doing the questioning. It attracted a slightly more skeptical crowd of some 1,300-plus.

In an hourlong session, they contended the Murdaughs were a loving family, the states case was flawed, that Murdaugh was innocent and  in an allegation they have made in court appeals seeking a new trial  that Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill had improperly influenced the jury to vote for a guilty verdict. Harpootlian described her as a den mother... who crossed a line with great behind-the-scenes influence over the jury. Hill has not commented, but supporters say she didnt act improperly.

The law will not permit this verdict to stand, said Griffin, explaining that the defense teams potential appeals include going to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Harpootlian said he and Griffin are seeking a hearing where all the jurors will testify under oath about what Hill told them.

If they win a new trial, it will be held in a different county from Colleton and all jurors will be sequestered for the trials duration to produce a jury that is not pre-cooked, Harpootlian said.

How do you sleep at night? one man asked Harpootlian after the lawyer said he had defended killers he knew were guilty.

Im doing my job, Harpootlian told him, and as long as Im doing my job with integrity, the state has the burden of proving its case. Thats how the system works, he said.

Dick Harpootlian (center) making a point as he and fellow Alex Murdaugh defense attorney Jim Griffin (left) addressed a CrimeCon crowd on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Host ABC correspondent Eva Pilgrim is on the right.

CrimeCon

More than 5,000 people paid to attend the weekends CrimeCon 2023 convention, an immersive, weekend-long event dedicated to all things true crime and mystery, organizers said.

The gathering of so many crime-obsessed people to attend sessions on Americas most horrific crimes is an event, like Woodstock in the 1960s, that somehow catches the spirit of our age, with its macabre background soundtrack of terrifying murders, mysterious disappearances, stranger abductions and serial killers.

I used to read Nancy Drew and the Hardy boys when I was younger. From that point on, I was just a true crime junkie, said Lynn St. Phillips, 72, retired postmaster from Syracuse, New York, with her friend, Marianne, Garlipp, 58, an information technology specialist.

Most attendees are female.

Women are especially attracted to true crime because they feel vulnerable for themselves and their children, true crime celebrity television personality Nancy Grace explained to an audience of more than 1,500 Friday night. They sense that a knowledge of the worlds evils can prepare them to better protect themselves, she said.

The convention was at the 2,000-plus room, 28-story Orlando World Center Marriott, a sprawling hotel complex in central Floridas marshy lowlands near Disney World. Sessions were held in auditoriums large enough to hold simultaneous gatherings of more than 1,000 people each.

More than 2,000 people attended an appearance by Creighton Waters, the prosecutor in the Alex Murdaugh murder trial, at the annual CrimeCon conference in Orlando on Sept. 23, 2023.

More than 80 panels featured police, prosecutors, profilers, podcasters, defense lawyers, victims and writers who held forth on every crime on evils spectrum. Topics included the latest on the Idaho killer, the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Long Island serial killer, the Golden State serial killer and forums on bloodstains and DNA, to name a few. Nonviolent, white collar financial crimes are not part of the mix.

Attendees got chances to mix and mingle, albeit briefly, with the speakers.

After Waters, Harpootlian and Griffin spoke, they attended meet-and-greets, where people took selfies with them and sometimes got their autographs.

Harpootlian said, I was surprised at how knowledgeable these people are. They know details I didnt know.

CrimeCon costs

CrimeCon is not cheap. A standard wear-around-the-neck pass that gets you into most of the 90-plus sessions costs $349, a gold pass that secures up-front seating and other perks in popular sessions is $799, and a platinum pass that offers perks and access to featured speakers costs $1,499. (None of the tickets include meals or hotel room, but do come with a free CrimeCon 2023 T-shirt.)

Platinum passes got their bearers into a special non-publicized 3 p.m. Saturday session with Harpootlian and Griffin.

I wouldnt pay that much to see me, quipped Harpootlian.

Unlike another, similarly named convention  Comic-Con  CrimeCon does not allow attendees to wear costumes of, say, serial killers.

Cosplay (dressing up in theme or as a character) is prohibited as creating an environment of respect and learning is paramount, says a ComicCon behavior guideline.

But theres plenty of CrimeCon atmosphere. People who paid for tickets got black tote bags with the word EVIDENCE in big white letters on them. T-shirts and sweat shirts with messages like Oh That Pesky DNA and Im Only Here for an Alibi and Solve the case abounded. A cup for sale read Talk Motive To Me.

Dozens of true crime books were on sale, included everything from Trail of the Lost (about missing hikers on the Pacific Crest Trail) to Ann Rules classic about serial killer Ted Bundy, The Stranger Beside Me.

Waters, Harpootlian and Griffin said they were only paid for expenses  air fare and lodging. They said they came to talk about their role in one of todays most publicized stories in the world of justice and true crime.

Im not paid to speak, Im a public servant, Waters said, explaining he checked out CrimeCon before agreeing to attend to see that it was respectable and legitimate. Once that happened, it seemed like it would be an interesting event.

As Waters made clear to his huge Saturday audience, I just tried to focus on the process of the trial and tell a few behind-the-scenes anecdotes. I wasnt there to advocate a position, he said.

Harpootlian said he came because, Jim and I have a story to tell.

Waters, besides being a top prosecutor, is also a formidable musician and the lead bass guitarist in a Columbia rock band, the Sole Purpose.

On Thursday night, he and his band held a preconvention concert for CrimeCon-goers, playing classic rock hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s including hits by groups like the Rolling Stone and Lynyrd Skynyrd. He distributed a few plastic guitar picks, as is the custom at such events.

You jam on stage, and you jam in the courtroom! Court TV moderator Matt Johnson gushed to Waters at his Saturday panel.

Stephen Smith

Kenny Kinsey, the crime-scene investigator given credit for being a key prosecution witness at the Murdaugh trial for testimony that undermined the defenses two-shooter version of how Paul and Maggie were killed, was also a speaker at CrimeCon. On Friday, Kinsey held forth to a rapt audience of more than 1,000 who interrupted his talk with applause dozens of times.

At one point, when Kinsey mentioned the name of prosecutor Waters, who was not in attendance at that event, the crowd erupted in applause  a measure of how well-known Waters has become in the true crime world.

Kinsey was asked about the mysterious death of Stephen Smith, the 19-year-old Hampton County man whose body was found on a rural road in 2015. Various conspiracy theories publicized on social media have linked Smiths death to various members of the Murdaugh family, but no evidence has ever been found supporting those claims.

Kinsey, who was hired by lawyers for Smiths mother, said he knows the results of a second recent autopsy of Smith, but was not at liberty to share them. Kinsey predicted the results will be made public soon.

Audience member Savannah Montgomery, 31, an event planner, and her husband, Ben, 33, an office manager, from Atlanta, have been following the Murdaugh case since the beginning and were interested in what Kinsey had to say.

He came across as very honest. I thought he used humor to talk about sensitive subjects, which helped it be more digestible and less traumatic, said Savannah.

There are so many layers. There is so much that has been said about it. And so much that is unknown about it, said Ben.

I wish we knew more about Stephen Smith, but maybe well get that soon, said Savannah.

Other major players in South Carolinas Murdaugh saga were not in Orlando. They include Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill, who was one of the first people out with a book after the trial and who has been accused of unlawful jury tampering that allegedly got the jury to rush to a guilty verdict. Other non-attendees: State Law Enforcement Division chief Mark Keel, Attorney General Alan Wilson and State Judge Clifton Newman.

Griffin said, It was an eye-opening experience. I did not know that anything like this existed. Im amazed at the public interest in the genre of true crime. Whether its a fad or here to stay, I dont know the answer to that.
QUINCY  A man wanted in the February 2022 killing of 17-year-old Nathan Paul, of Weymouth, is no longer at large.

Quincy and State Police went to Puerto Rico last week, where they took custody of Keniel Diaz-Romero and returned him to Massachusetts, according to a news release from the Norfolk County district attorney's office.

Diaz-Romero is scheduled to be arraigned on a murder charge at Dedham Superior Court on Tuesday at 2 p.m.

A Weymouth High student, Paul was shot in Quincys Germantown neighborhood during a drug deal, officials say. Prosecutors said Diaz-Romero; Jaivon Harris, of Quincy; and four juveniles planned to buy marijuana vape cartridges from Paul with fake money and then rob him.

Jaivon Harris, 18, of Quincy, third from left, was held without bail Tuesday, March 1, 2022, in Quincy District Court after he was charged with murder in the shooting death of Nathan Paul, 17, of Weymouth. His lawyer, Francisco Napolitano, stands beside him.

Officials said Diaz-Romero, who was 18 at the time, shot into Paul's car. Diaz-Romero then fled to Puerto Rico, officials say.

Paul was shot in the leg. He was taken to Boston Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Harris, who was also 18 at the time, pleaded not guilty to murder, armed robbery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on March 1, 2022.

Harris and Diaz-Romero were indicted in May on murder and other charges.

Diaz-Romero faces additional charges of larceny, possession of a counterfeit bill, uttering a counterfeit bill, conspiracy to commit larceny and unlawfully carrying a firearm. He is being held in the Norfolk County jail in Dedham pending his arraignment.

In July 2022, four juveniles were arrested and charged with larceny and using counterfeit bills in connection to the case. One of them was also charged with accessory to murder after the fact, according to a July 2022 news release from the district attorney's office.

Kelcie Barrow holds a framed drawing of her friend Nathan Paul, who was killed during the school year, at Weymouth High's graduation Saturday, June 4, 2022.

More: Two indicted on murder charges in death of 17-year-old Nathan Paul; one 'remains at large'

More: 'He did not deserve to die like that': Family says Weymouth teen killed in Quincy shooting

District Attorney Michael Morrissey said Quincy police worked with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section of the State Police to locate and return Diaz-Romero since his indictment 16 months ago.

I thank Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy, the U.S. Marshals Boston Office and (the Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section) for their coordination and cooperation here, Morrissey said in a statement.

Diaz-Romero is represented by Boston lawyer Liam Scully. Assistant District Attorney Aubrey Burr will represent the state.

Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Patriot Ledger subscription. Here is our latest offer.

Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Suspect arrested in 2022 Quincy shooting death of Weymouth student
Left to right, Real Salt Lake attacker Cristian Arango celebrates a goal with teammate Carlos Andres Gomez (11) during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Real Salt Lake won the game 2-1. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

SANDY, Utah (AP)  Brayan Vera and Justen Glad each scored in the second half and Real Salt Lake beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Saturday night.

Real Salt Lake (12-11-7) has lost only two of its 15 home matches against Vancouver, with nine wins and four draws.

Real Salt Lake midfielder Emeka Eneli (25) and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Raposo (27) during their Major League Soccer game at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna (26) kicks the ball during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon (6) looks up at the ball during the game against Real Salt Lake at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake midfielder Nelson Palacio (13) kicks the ball during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Young fans cheer from the sidelines before the game between Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake fans celebrate a goal by Real Salt Lake forward Carlos Andres Gomez (11) during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Left to right, Vancouver Whitecaps defender Javain Brown (23) and Real Salt Lake attacker Cristian Arango during the game at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Young fans meet Real Salt Lake mascot Leo before the game between Real Salt Lake and the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake forward Rubio Rubin (14) jumps for the ball during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas (20) breaks away for the ball during the game against Real Salt Lake at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Left to right, Real Salt Lake attacker Cristian Arango celebrates a goal by teammate Real Salt Lake forward Carlos Andres Gomez (11) during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Real Salt Lake won the game 2-1. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake fans celebrate a goal by Real Salt Lake forward Carlos Andres Gomez (11) during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake attacker Cristian Arango celebrates a goal by teammate Real Salt Lake forward Carlos Andres Gomez (11) during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Real Salt Lake won the game 2-1. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Left to right, Vancouver Whitecaps defender Sam Adekugbe and Real Salt Lake attacker Cristian Arango jump for the ball at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake forward Carlos Andres Gomez (11) and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Raposo (27) during their Major League Soccer game at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake midfielder Diego Luna (26) shoots the ball during a Major League Soccer game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. The goal was unsuccessful. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

The Vancouver Whitecaps celebrate a goal by Vancouver Whitecaps forward Brian White (24) during the game against Real Salt Lake at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Real Salt Lake forward Carlos Andres Gomez (11) walks away after missing a goal during the game against the Vancouver Whitecaps at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News

Vancouver (11-9-9) played in its seventh consecutive away match, having not played at home since August 20. Vancouver had gone unbeaten in four straight to start the road trip before a 4-1 loss in Houston on Wednesday, its first road defeat since July 1 in Kansas City.

Brian White scored for Vancouver in the 17th minute.

Real Salt Lake travels to play Los Angeles FC on Oct. 1. Vancouver travels to play the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday.
Kid Guitar and backyard gigs

From the early 1990s to 2000, Kid Guitar played at three bachelor parties in our backyard. The first time he brought his band, and after that he came by himself. A short time before he played at these parties, his motor home was set on fire and he was beaten up.

He ate with us, drank with us and was paid well. He really enjoyed himself! From that time on he trusted my sons and myself and I am proud of that. After that when I saw him his first comment was  Hey man, when are you having another gig? My oldest son filmed the Kid performing at all three parties. We will enjoy watching these films.

Modesto has lost an icon and we lost a friend. You were all right, Kid. We will miss you. Happy trails to you until we meet again!

Steve Pedego, Modesto

Wrong COVID skeptic to highlight

George Wills column (A CDC director confirmation hearing?, Sept. 15, 2023) cites a number of COVID-19 skeptics to purportedly bolster his own critiques of the handling of the pandemic. Among those he relies on is Jayanta Bhattacharya of Stanford, who is also affiliated with the right-wing think tank, the Hoover Institute.

Although Will points out that Battacharya had authored over 100 peer-reviewed articles, this does not tell us anything, as Will doesnt tell us if any of these had anything to do with COVID. What Will doesnt tell us about his expert is that Battacharya in 2020 was claiming that there was no need for lockdowns because, according to him, the estimates of mortality due to the virus was orders of magnitude too high. His estimate of the death toll from COVID? 20,000 to 40,000!

Now that the U.S. has experienced well over 1 million COVID deaths, the evidence strongly suggests that Battacharyas opinions  and Wills  on COVID should be disregarded.

David Rockwell, Modesto

Gun rights, GOP and Hunter Biden

My significant other observed that for people who get a rash when any kind of gun-purchase control is even mentioned, Republicans are sure all over Hunter Biden for trying to arm himself.

Jack Heinsius, Modesto

Backing new immigration bill

During my 45 years of pastoral work at Central Baptist Church in west Modesto, it became abundantly clear that the overwhelming majority of neighborhood residents longed for the day when representatives in Washington, D.C. would pass comprehensive immigration reform legislation.

In 2013, the Senate did pass such a piece of legislation. Unfortunately, the House of Representatives was never given the opportunity to vote. Now, thanks to Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Florida) and her co-leader, Veronica Escobar (D-Texas), HR 3599, the Dignity Act, has been introduced into the House. It is bipartisan, at this point supported by five Republicans, including our own John Duarte.

Granted, because it is bipartisan, neither side gets everything it wants, but each side does get significant improvement over the current policy  from greater border security to pathways to citizenship. Both sides should agree that passing this reform is better than the crises status quo.

I am not naive enough to think that passage of The Dignity Act will be easy  anything but. However, as a retired evangelical pastor, I am assured of support from the Evangelical Immigration Table, World Relief, The National Association of Evangelicals and the National Latino Evangelical Coalition.

By the way, in retirement, my wife and I have become members of First United Methodist Church in downtown Modesto. Without doubt, the Methodists also long for comprehensive immigration Reform.

Wayne Bridegroom, Modesto

Overdosing is a personal choice

Concerning the current fentanyl epidemic: I know one career that welcomes the change from heroin to fentanyl, and that would be the doctors of our local hospitals.

Why? Because fentanyl, unlike heroin, can be smoked, whereas heroin has to be injected to feel the euphoric effects of it. Thus, Im sure local hospitals are seeing less cases of skin abscesses, or positive Hep-C and HIV results.

Fentanyl may be a more extreme drug that often results in overdoses, but Im sure it has cut down on diseases related to intravenous drug use. As an ex-addict myself, I understand all the consequences of using needles. And personally I think the less people use needles, the better. Im fortunate that Ive never lost a leg or an arm to a flesh-eating necrosis.

Overall I think that the less people use needles, the better. And if youre going to use fentanyl, you have to understand that it definitely does kill people. And take accountability for yourself. If I was to have overdosed when I was using, there would be no one to blame but myself. Not Purdue, not my parents, not anyone, but myself.

Alex Hardie, Ceres
A radical new energy plan proposed by key members of the Legislature and our governor will have severe consequences for our community and our state. House Bills 4759-4761, which aim to establish a 100% carbon-free energy portfolio by 2035, are both extreme and unrealistic, and they warrant careful examination.

Let me be clear  I support common-sense changes that transition our state toward cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. However, the approach outlined in these bills is overly aggressive and disregards the practical realities of our energy needs while posing significant risks to the local workforce and our economy.

These bills are expected to lead to increased electric rates, which are already higher in Michigan compared to our neighbors in Ohio and other Midwest states. A soon-to-be-published study by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy showed the average monthly electricity bill will nearly double if Michigan adopts the carbon-free mandate. In these challenging economic times, higher energy costs would only add to the cost of living and drive prices higher for everyday essentials.

Notably, the legislation does not address the pressing issue of improving the reliability of our power grid. As a former lineman who understands the importance of a robust and dependable grid, I believe we should prioritize investments in grid infrastructure and generation stability to ensure more reliable power for our residents, rather than pursuing a plan that risks decreased reliability and higher rates.

These bills do not account for the unpredictability of Michigan weather. Already this year, we have had multiple max-gen events that require the use of all available resources to meet energy demands. These max-gen events are close calls, and if we shut down coal and natural gas plants, what is our backup plan on cloudy or low-wind days? These bills do not have one. Simply said, solar and wind energy alone cannot provide the consistent baseload energy needed to keep our manufacturers operational. Such a narrow focus on renewables could result in job losses and economic setbacks, which are the last things our communities need.

Forcing the premature closure of natural gas and coal power plants would also deal a huge economic blow to Monroe County. Monroe County is not only blessed with one of the nation's largest coal power plants, but it is also one of the cleanest in the world. Over the past decade, substantial investments have been made to reduce emissions at this facility, making it a more responsible contributor to our local economy. The Monroe coal-powered plant also plays a crucial role in the production of fly ash, which is used in various industries and construction, providing jobs and economic benefits that extend beyond the energy sector. Materials from the scrubber process use Michigan stone, which after use is shipped via the Port of Monroe to plants in Michigan and is then used by Michigan manufacturers for cement and wallboard using Michigan workers. It is a sustainable economic model.

House Bills 4759-4761 take an extreme and unrealistic approach that will harm our economy, threaten jobs, and burden Michigan families with higher energy costs. Therefore, I am strongly opposed to these government mandates and will remain focused on comprehensive solutions that deliver clean, affordable, reliable energy options for Michigan families.

State Rep. Will Bruck represents the 30th House District, which includes portions of Monroe and Lenawee counties.

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Rep. Will Bruck: New energy mandate would result in higher bills
Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) used his weekly email newsletterhosted on a .gov domain that is funded by American taxpayerson Sunday to launch a thinly veiled, homophobic attack on Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley , shockingly suggesting Milley should be put to death.

The diatribe came in a section commenting on former Capitol Police Chief Stephen Sunds testimony to the House Committee on Administration last week, in which Sund discussed the Capitol riot. Sund called the events of Jan. 6 an intelligence failure and said he wished several agencies and individualsfrom the Pentagon to then-President Donald Trump had reacted more swiftly to provide back-up for local law enforcement.

But in Gosars recantation of the days events, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) remained the villain of the riots, though it was Milleythe homosexual-promoting-BLM-activist Chairman of the military joint chiefswho delayed the deployment of the National Guard, Gosar claimed.

Of course, we now know that the deviant Milley was coordinating with Nancy Pelosi to hurt President Trump, and treasonously working behind Trumps back, Gosar wrote in a screed far-removed from the truth. In a better society, quislings like the strange sodomy-promoting General Milley would be hung.

Gosar also accused Milley of being a traitor who coordinated with the Chinese military and actively worked against Trump. The attacks echo what Trump himself seemed to wish upon Milley, writing in a Truth Social post on Friday that in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!

Milley made two calls to a Chinese general both before and after the 2020 election to defuse tensions between the two nations after China received intelligence that Trump would attack the country. He later told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the calls, which Trump has previously labeled treasonous, were an effort to deconflict military actions, manage crisis, and prevent war between great powers that are armed with the worlds most deadliest weapons.

Gosar, who reportedly sought a preemptive pardon for his role in promoting Trumps election lies in the lead-up to the riot, has spread numerous deludedand somewhat contradictoryclaims about Jan. 6 ever since, including blaming the riot on antifa and calling rioters merely peaceful patriots.

Even his own siblings said in a 2021 ad that aired on Fox News, There is no one member of Congress more responsible for the attack on the Capitol than Congressman Paul Gosar.

Gosar, who has extensive links to white nationalists and Capitol rioters, has turned his ire on Milley in the past. He promised in January to launch an investigation into the effort to attempt a coup between traitor Gen. Mark Milley and [then-House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi.

He was also the first House member to be censured in a decade in 2021 after he tweeted an anime clip of himself murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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We have to be exhaustive in our efforts to deliver broad-based student debt cancellation because borrowers are exhausted, said Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, D-Ma

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts held a roundtable discussion on student loan debt just days before federal repayments resume for millions of Americans on Oct. 1.

Pressley on Friday moderated the talk about student debt cancellation at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundations 52nd Annual Legislative Conference.

UNITED STATES  SEPTEMBER 29: Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., attends a news conference outside of the U.S. Capitol on the benefits of President Bidens student debt relief plan on Thursday, September 29, 2022. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The Massachusetts lawmaker told theGrio that she decided to lead a discussion on the matter to give borrowers a sense of hope.

I want people to know that we have not given upand that there are tools available that can provide [borrowers] with some relief, said Pressley.

She added, We want to make sure theyre aware of state programs and public service that will aid borrowers in repaying their student loans.

The congresswoman also told theGrio that she and her office provided onsite counsel in real time about what [borrowers] are eligible for following Fridays discussion.

She said elected officials have to be exhaustive in our efforts to deliver broad-based student debt cancellation because borrowers are exhausted.

Pressleys CBC session came a few months after the Supreme Court ruled against President Joe Bidens student loan forgiveness program that would have given millions of borrowers relief, as theGrio previously reported.

In August 2022, Biden unveiled a student debt program that would have eliminated up to $20,000 for qualified borrowers. However, the Supreme Court ruled that the president had no authority to do so.

Pressley told theGrio that executive action is the most efficient and effective way to eradicate student debt, but due to a far-right imbalance in the Supreme Court, it has become an uphill battle.

Although President Biden had legal authority to erase student debt, said Pressley, the Supreme Court obstructed that progress that borrowers so desperately need and deserve.

Pressley told theGrio that African Americans are disproportionately impacted by student debt.

Although there have been gains made by Black Americanswe still dont have generational wealth, she said.

WASHINGTON, DC  JUNE 30: U.S. President Joe Biden announces new actions to protect borrowers after the Supreme Court struck down his student loan forgiveness plan in the Roosevelt Room at the White House on June 30, 2023 in Washington, DC. In a 6-to-3 decision, the court ruled the loan forgiveness program  which was projected to help 40 million people and cost $400 billion  was unconstitutional. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

When we say we live in a meritocracy and that education is the great equalizer, that means Black Americans are going to borrow at higher rates, and we are also defaulting at higher rates, due to the wealth gap, Pressley continued.

Jonathan Petts, co-founder of Upsolve, a non-profit organization that aims to assist citizens with their finances, previously told theGrio, Borrowers are struggling to just put food on the table.

He said student borrowers applied for loans and were promised high-paying jobs that would permit them to pay off their loans, but that hasnt happened because of COVID and our economy.

In recent years, many Americans have argued that higher education should be free.

Pressley told theGrio that she agrees with public opinion that the government should invest in public education.

Tuition-free college [and] debt-free college are all policies that Ive advocated forIve been legislatively getting at this issue from every angle, she said.

The congresswoman told theGrio earlier this year she secured funding to help expand Bostons tuition-free community college program.

She said, I will continue to champion free education.

TheGrio is FREE on your TV via Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku and Android TV. Also, please download theGrio mobile apps today!

The post Rep. Pressley talks student debt cancellation as repayment deadline looms appeared first on TheGrio.
Virginia Democrats never thought theyd have to fill the shoes of Rep. Jennifer Wexton , who announced her surprise retirement due to progressive supranuclear palsy.

But her seat is also a crucial linchpin for control of Congress. Holding onto this seat  which President Joe Biden carried by 18.5 points in 2020 but that Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin came within 2 points of winning in 2021  will be key to Democrats aims to win back the House majority in 2024.

Even if Virginia Democrats had no plans to replace Wexton, who received an outpouring of bipartisan well wishes, several will inevitably enter the race for the seat to succeed her. At least five different Democrats are rumored to be interested in the seat, according to people familiar with the state of the race granted anonymity to speak candidly.



In many ways, the district Wexton represents is emblematic of modern political trends in Virginia, a diverse state that rapidly flipped blue but remains competitive. Wexton first won the seat in 2018, flipping it into Democratic control for the first time since 1980. Her victory was part of the blue wave that year across the country that began to tip suburban areas toward the Democratic Party in the early days of Donald Trump s presidency. In doing so, she ousted two-term Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock, an ally of former President George W. Bush who has since emerged as a vocal Trump critic.

Congresswoman Wexton made these elections and winning this seat look easy, said state Del. Suhas Subramanyam, who is running for state Senate in a district overlapping part of Wextons congressional seat. He added that the upcoming November elections will also be a good indication of the 2024 race.



Virginias state legislative elections this fall will likely be a barometer for many candidates to gauge the competitiveness of the district.

Weve got an election in 49 days, said Avram Fechter, chair of the Loudoun County Democratic Committee, on Monday. Well know a lot more about this district in 49 days than we do now because weve got every Loudoun County office on the ballot from board of supervisors to school board, to sheriff, everything along with the rest of the district.

Multiple candidates on this Novembers ballot are considering a run, including Subramanyam. State Del. Dan Helmer is also considering a run for the seat, according to a person familiar with his thinking. County supervisors are also rumored to be eyeing the seat. State Del. David Reid is also considering running, according to a person familiar with his thinking.

But the strong interest from a number of Democrats shouldnt be perceived as Democrats taking it for granted.

Theres no denying that whoever takes on the seat eventually will be following a political heavyweight in the state. Wexton won the largely suburban district with 53 percent of the vote in 2022. She was also considered a top contender for the Democratic nominee for governor in 2025, along with fellow Democratic Reps. Abigail Spanberger and Jennifer McClellan.

But even if Biden won the district, just miles from D.C., easily, it has taken on new significance as the Republican party shifts its messaging to try to recapture those suburban voters that began to bolt under Trump.

Virginias 10th District covers all of Rappahannock County, Fauquier County and the now-notorious Loudoun County, which has become a frontline in the school cultural wars. Gov. Glenn Youngkin won his election in 2021, at least in part, by reaching out voters in this diverse suburban community and presenting himself as a different genre of Republican in the post-Trump GOP.

One GOP campaign strategist told POLITICO that Hung Cao, who is currently running to be the Republican nominee for Senate but ran against Wexton last cycle, could switch races now that the seat is open. Cao did not respond to a request for comment.

John Smith, of the Loudoun County Republican Committee, said Republicans havent indicated theyre jumping in the race just yet, pointing to everyones preoccupation with the upcoming elections.

The Republican Party here in Northern Virginia is not the same as it was four years ago. Were different, Smith said in an interview. We are much more inclusive. Were reaching out, [and] were working hard to reach into different communities.
Rep. Henry Cuellar said Sunday there need to be more repercussions to prevent immigrants from attempting to cross the border illegally.

Speaking on Fox News Sunday, the Texas Democrat said, We need to have repercussions at the border. What does that mean? Youve got to deport people, and youve got to show images of people being deported. When was the last time we saw people going the other way instead of just seeing people flow in?"

Cuellar, who represents a district that extends from San Antonio to the Mexican border, also said he thought neither President Joe Biden nor former President Donald Trump has offered comprehensive solutions to immigration problems at that border.

I think Trump went too much to the right by doing the separation of families and kids, and then I think President Biden, the administration, is not doing enough. Weve got find the right balance, he told host Bill Hemmer. Youve got to listen to the community leaders.

Cueller also said that there need to be solutions that keep would-be immigrants from arriving at the border, instead of having the situation addressed there. He said that Mexicos assistance had helped lessen waves of immigration in both 2015 (under former President Barack Obama) and 2019 (during Trumps presidency).

I've been saying this for years, Cuellar said, we as Democrats and Republicans can continue playing defense on the 1-yard line, or we can play defense on their 20-yard line  and that is getting Mexico to do more.
The Writers Guild of America is in the final phase of negotiations with Hollywoods major studios and streaming services, according to reports.

An industry insider told Variety that the talks are mainly down to language now and that negotiations are in the home stretch.

In a joint statement on Saturday, negotiators said, The WGA and AMPTP met for bargaining Saturday and will meet again on Sunday.

Negotiation meetings between the sides have made considerable progress in recent weeks, which may be attributed to the presence of four top executives: Warner Bros. Discoverys David Zaslav, Disneys Bob Iger, NBCUniversals Donna Langley and Netflixs Ted Sarandos.

Are you going to miss your mom? boy from viral video reunites with reporter

The proposed three-year contract would bring an end to one of the longest strikes in Hollywood history; the WGA has been on strike since May 2  144 days ago.

Representatives from SAG-AFTRA are still hammering out a deal with AMPTP and are looking to end their picketing that started in mid-July.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego.
FILE - Summer Gerling picks up her piggy bank found in the rubble of her home following the wildfire on Aug. 10, 2023, in Lahaina, Hawaii. Lahaina residents are grappling with a range of feelings as Maui authorities plan to begin allowing them back into what has become known as the "burn zone." (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

HONOLULU (AP)  From just outside the burn zone in Lahaina, Jes Claydon can see the ruins of the rental home where she lived for 13 years and raised three children. Little remains recognizable beyond the jars of sea glass that stood outside the front door.

On Monday, officials will begin lifting restrictions on entry to the area, and Claydon hopes to collect those jars and any other mementos she might find.

I want the freedom to just be there and absorb what happened, Claydon said. "Whatever I might find, even if its just those jars of sea glass, Im looking forward to taking it. ... Its a piece of home.

Authorities will begin allowing the first residents and property owners to return to their properties in the burn zone, many for the first time since it was demolished nearly seven weeks ago, on Aug. 8, by the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

The prospect of returning has stirred strong emotions in residents who fled in vehicles or on foot as the wind-whipped flames raced across Lahaina, the historic capital of the former Hawaiian kingdom, and overcame people stuck in traffic trying to escape. Some survivors jumped over a sea wall and sheltered in the waves as hot black smoke blotted out the sun. The wildfire killed at least 97 people and destroyed more than 2,000 buildings, most of them homes.

Claydon's home was a single-story cinderblock house painted a reddish-tan, similar to the red dirt in Lahaina. She can see the property from a National Guard blockade that has kept unauthorized people out of the burn zone. A few of the walls are still standing, and some green lawn remains, she said.

Authorities have divided the burned area into 17 zones and dozens of sub-zones. Residents or property owners of the first to be cleared for reentry  known as Zone 1C, along Kaniau Road in the north part of Lahaina  will be allowed to return on supervised visits Monday and Tuesday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Those eligible could pick up passes from Friday to Sunday in advance.

Darryl Oliveira, interim administrator of the Maui Emergency Management Agency, said officials also want to ensure that they have the space and privacy to reflect or grieve as they see fit.

They anticipate some people will only want to go for a very short period of time, a few minutes to say goodbye in a way to their property," Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said last week. "Others may want to stay several hours. Theyre going to be very accommodating.

Those returning will be provided water, shade, washing stations, portable toilets, medical and mental health care, and transportation assistance if needed. Nonprofit groups are also offering personal protective equipment, including masks and coveralls. Officials have warned that ash could contain asbestos, lead, arsenic or other toxins.

While some residents, like Claydon, might be eager to find jewelry, photographs or other tokens of their life before the fire, officials are urging them not to sift through the ashes for fear of raising toxic dust that could endanger them or their neighbors downwind.
Editors note: This is the 19th in a series of historical obituaries written today to honor the men and women of the past who were denied the honor at the time of their death because of discrimination due to their race and/or gender.

John A. Gibson, noted educator and community leader, died from heart failure in Pensacola on Oct. 3, 1906. A widower, Mr. Gibson was 79.

He was born in Nassau, Bahamas, on the island of New Providence on March 10, 1827. John appears to have grown up in the Anglican church and received an education that prepared him for a distinguished career as an educator.

Around 1850, he married fellow Bahamian Catherine Louisa Morey. She gave birth to their only child, William, on April 17, 1852. John, then 25, was working as a schoolmaster, potentially teaching for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.

What is Righting the Past? Their history wasn't just forgotten, it was buried. Today we tell their stories.

During the 1860s, John became a recognized community leader, being appointed lumber inspector for New Providence in 1864 and elected to a committee overseeing the establishment of a Voluntary Artillery Corps two years later.

The countrys hard economic times in the late 1860s likely pushed the Gibsons to leave the Bahamas. They ended up in Pensacola by 1872 where both would later become naturalized U.S. citizens.

With decades of teaching and administrative experience, John became a leader in Pensacolas new post-war education system. Between 1880 and 1905, he taught and served as a principal at many Pensacola schools. He also worked as a deputy teacher examiner for the school district.

In the mid-1880s, John helped lead an effort to recruit and train African American teachers in Escambia County. Along with Charity Tucker and John T. Mark, he organized the Institute of Colored Teachers of Escambia County. Tucker was the wife of Thomas de Salle Tucker, the first president of the State Normal College for Colored Students, now known as Florida A&M University.

Heeding calls to raise the proficiency of all public school teachers, the institute offered professional development courses in content, pedagogy and classroom management. At a December 1887 meeting, one of the institutes speakers spoke eloquently about the significance and importance of the wonderful work of education.

The institute also campaigned for national policies that strengthened education for African American students, sending a resolution to Congress in 1887 to support the Blair Education Bill. This bill, introduced by a Republican senator from New Hampshire, aimed to provide substantial federal support to public schools struggling to reduce high illiteracy rates. Both Black and white students, explained Senator Henry W. Blair, were growing up in absolute ignorance of the English alphabet. The bill was defeated four times, the last time in 1890. It would not be until 1965 that Congress enacted a law to strengthen and improve educational quality and educational opportunities in the nations elementary and secondary schools.

In 1879, 1882 and 1885, Pensacolians elected John A. Gibson a city alderman. He joined a distinguished group of at least 15 people of color who served on the board during Reconstruction, including businessmen John Sunday and Salvadore Pons, educator Reuben H. Matthews and stevedore Eli Johnson.

Righting the past: Pensacolas only Black mayor, Salvador Pons, is dead at 55

Righting the past: War veteran and prominent citizen, John Sunday is dead at 86

John was also a leader in Pensacolas vibrant masonic community, serving as chapter secretary and, later, high priest of the Mount Moriah Chapter No. 18 of the Royal Arch Masons. He would also serve as the District Deputy Grand High Priest, a state-wide leadership position that connected him to prominent African Americans across the United States.

John and Catherine Gibson remained devout Anglicans throughout their lives. They worshiped at St. Cyprians Episcopal Church, where Mrs. Gibson was noted for her strong faith and Christian practice. John served as a lay leader, deacon and minister. In 1897, he officiated the wedding of his neighbors, James Jackson and Susie Kyer. In 1903, he worked with the Rt. Rev. Edwin G. Weed, the third Bishop of Florida, to establish an Episcopal mission in the West Hill neighborhood.

When Catherine died on March 24, 1902, the school board suspended classes at his school so teachers could participate in her funeral. Rev. Percival H. Whaley, rector of Christ Church, gave the obsequies at the Gibson home. John later penned a memorial to Catherine, describing her as a devoted wife, a loving companion and a good Christian.

John A. Gibson died on Oct. 3, 1906, less than a week after a hurricane devastated Pensacola. As the city rebuilt, Gibson was laid to rest at St. Johns Cemetery. No public acknowledgment of his half-century of public service or advocacy came until the Escambia County School Board named its newest segregated intermediate school after Gibson in 1921. Located at 710 N. C St., the John A. Gibson Schools first principal was Charles E. McFarlin, another member of St. Cyprians.

For over 50 years, the John A. Gibson School served as a monument to a prominent African American educator. When it closed in 1974, the school became the headquarters of Escambias County Head Start Program, inaugurating a new chapter in providing strong educational opportunities to Pensacolas children. In his faith, his commitment to exceptional teaching and his advocacy for his community, John A. Gibson represents the hope for education.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: John A. Gibson, education advocate and community leader, dead at 79
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that air defense units destroyed two drones over the border Kursk and Bryansk oblasts on the evening of Sept. 24.

The ministry said that at about 8:30 p.m. local time, Russian air defense shot down a Ukrainian drone over Kursk Oblast. At about 10:20 p.m. local time, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that another drone was intercepted over Bryansk region.

No damage to infrastructure or casualties were reported as a result of the alleged incidents.

Claims of Ukrainian drone strikes within Russian territory have increased in recent weeks, though Kyiv seldom comments on the reports.

On Sept. 19, Russia claimed that air defense units destroyed two drones over Belgorod and Oryol oblasts, according to Russian state media agency RIA Novosti.

Read also: Power outage reported in St. Petersburg airport

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Head of self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic Denis Pushilin during his press-conference, in Donetsk, Ukraine, February 11, 2022. Photo by Stringer/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Russia, via a local proxy, is imposing a ban on public gatherings and strikes in occupied Ukraine.

A decree published Sunday also announces that "military censorship" will be imposed on the internet.

The order comes amid fierce fighting on the border of the self-proclaimed Donestk People's Republic.

The Kremlin-backed head of a separatist region in eastern Ukraine is imposing a regime of military censorship  and a ban on going outside during the night  as fierce fighting continues in the self-proclaimed "republic" of Donetsk.

In a decree published Sunday, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic, "imposed military censorship on mail, Internet communications and phone conversations," Russian state media reported.

The decree also prohibits public gatherings that have not received prior approval from military authorities, according to Reuters. Civilians are likewise banned from going outside on weekdays between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m.; workers are also barred from going on strike, per Ukrainska Pravda.

The order comes as Ukrainian and Russian forces clash along the borders of Donetsk, which Moscow formally (and illegally) annexed last year.

On Saturday, Russia's Ministry of Defense said it had fought back five Ukrainian attacks in western Donestk, near the Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Institute for the Study of War, a Washington-based think tank, noted in a briefing on developments in the conflict. Ukraine is also engaged in offensive operations around Bakhmut, seized by Moscow this past spring, that officials say is aimed at pinning down Russian troops and preventing them from joining operations elsewhere.

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The Russians carried out an airstrike on Beryslav, Kherson Oblast, at dawn on 24 September, damaging a hospital.

Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration on Telegram

Details: It is specified that the hospital premises and ambulance stations were damaged by a blast wave resulting from the air strike.

The windows and doors were broken, diagnostic equipment was destroyed.

The authorities specify that there are no casualties as a result of the attack.

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Editors note: This story was updated at 4:25 p.m. EST with additional information.

KYIV, Ukraine  Russian airstrikes on Sunday killed two people and wounded eight others in southern Ukraines Kherson province, the regions governor reported Sunday as the war in Ukraine entered a 20th month.

Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said Russian forces struck the city of Beryslav, destroying an unspecified number of private houses. A woman was killed and three people were wounded, including a police officer, he said.

Another airstrike killed a 67-year-old man in the village of Lvove, Prokudin said without specifying the type of weapons used in the attack.

In the city of Kherson, the regions capital, a total of five people were wounded Sunday as the result of repeated Russian bombing, the governor said.

The communities hit both are located in the Ukrainian-controlled part of the Kherson region, where the Dnieper River that bisects the province has marked a battle line since Russian troops withdrew across it in November 2022, a retreat that boosted the invaded countrys morale.

The Russians regrouped on the rivers eastern bank and regularly shell cities and villages across the river, including the city of Kherson, the regional capital that was occupied early on in the war but retaken by Ukrainian forces more than 10 months ago.

In another front-line Ukrainian region, Donetsk, the Russian-installed authorities on Sunday imposed a number of restrictions on the occupied areas: a curfew from 11 p.m. till 4 a.m. on weekdays, a ban on any rallies or protests, and military censorship of any correspondence, online messages and phone conversations. It wasnt immediately clear how such a censorship would operate.

In Russia, a Ukrainian drone hit an administrative building in the city of Kursk and insignificantly damaged the roof, regional Gov. Roman Starovoit reported. He didnt report any casualties or say what the building housed.

Unconfirmed media reports both in Russia and Ukraine said it was the offices of the Kursk branch of Russias main security agency, the Federal Security Service, also known as the FSB.

The Kursk region of Russia borders Ukraine and also is a frequent target of attacks. The drone strike on Sunday took place as residents commemorated the anniversary of the regional capitals founding.

There was no immediate comment from the Ukrainian authorities, who usually dont acknowledge responsibility for attacks on Russian territory.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was traveling home from North America, where he addressed the U.N. General Assembly and paid his first wartime visit to Canada. In a social media statement Saturday, Zelenskyy said he stopped in Poland on his way back to Ukraine to give state awards to two Polish volunteers.

Zelenskyy apparently didnt meet with any Polish officials, but in a post on X, previously known as Twitter, he thanked Poland for its invaluable support and solidarity that helps defend freedom of our entire Europe.

Poland has taken in large numbers of Ukrainian refugees and been a fierce supporter of neighboring Ukraine since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the country on Feb. 24, 2022. However, a trade dispute has recently tested the relationship between Kyiv and Warsaw.

The Ukrainian government this month filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization against Poland, Hungary and Slovakia for banning imports of Ukrainian farm products, which are important for the war-weary countrys battered economy.

The three European Union member nations bristled at the move. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki responded by saying his country was " no longer transferring any weapons to Ukraine because we are now arming ourselves with the most modern weapons.

His remarks left many wondering if the Western resolve to support Ukraine in the war with Russia is waning.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday the US is "directly at war" with Moscow.

His statement comes after the White House pledged $600 million in additional aid to Ukraine.

The US has pledged more than $100 billion in aid packages to Ukraine since the invasion began.

According to Russian officials, the United States' continued support of Ukraine puts the country "directly at war" with Moscow.

"You can call this whatever you want to call this, but they are directly at war with us. We can call this a hybrid war, but that doesn't change the reality," CNN reported Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday after being asked by a journalist when the US will be considered to be directly involved in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, as opposed to engaging in a proxy war.

He added: "They are effectively engaged in hostilities with us, using the Ukrainians as fodder."

Representatives for the United States Department of Defense, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, and the Government of the Russian Federation did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider.

The US has pledged over $100 billion in aid packages to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began last year, including more than $43.8 billion in security packages including equipment such as howitzers and artillery, Stinger antiaircraft systems, and Abrams tanks.

Earlier this month, the Biden administration announced an additional $600 million aid package to be sent to Ukraine's front lines, including a resupply of HIMARS ammunition and, for the first time, depleted uranium tank rounds, Insider previously reported.

While the US's continued support for Ukraine has faced political backlash, mainly from Republican members of Congress, the White House redoubled its efforts to support Ukraine earlier this month by ordering increased production for crucial artillery as Ukrainian troops struggle to keep up with Russia's war machine.

In addition to the extensive aid packages, the US has implemented sanctions against nearly 100 Russian elites, as well as the country's industrial base, financial institutions, and technology suppliers. The sanctions have reshaped Russia's economic ties with the world and sent the ruble's value plummeting.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(Bloomberg) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will visit North Korea next month, following a rare summit between the two countries leaders in September, Yonhap News reported.

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Lavrov will go to the capital Pyongyang in October, Russias top diplomat told reporters at a press conference in New York on Saturday, according to Yonhap. The visit follows an agreement between the leaders of the two nations, Yonhap cited Lavrov as saying.

North Koreas Kim Jong Un traveled to Russia earlier this month for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin , in their first meeting in about four years. The US said Pyongyangs supply of arms to help Moscows military action in Ukraine was likely the focus of the talks.

Putin accepted Kims invitation to visit North Korea, and so this may be the agenda for Lavrovs trip, Yonhap said.

During his Russia trip, Kim also met with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, inspected next-generation missile systems, and toured a factory that makes fighter jets and other aircraft. Kims Russia visit was one of his longest abroad since taking power about a decade ago.

The US has for months accused Kim of providing arms and ammunitions to aid Putins war, including sending shells and rockets. Moscow and Pyongyang have denied the accusations.

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by Misbah Saba Malik, Ma Xiaocheng

ISLAMABAD/GUANGZHOU, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Abdul Razzaq Sabir, vice chancellor of the University of Gwadar in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, was awestruck by seeing the infrastructural development during his recent visit to China, and observed that the hard work and commitment of the people and leadership of China is the secret behind the economic miracle.

Sabir was among the 12 members of a delegation, from various walks of life in Pakistan's southwestern city of Gwadar, which recently had a 10-day trip to China.

The delegation visited Tiananmen Square, the Summer Palace, the Bird's Nest or the National Stadium, the Olympic Park, and the Forbidden City in China's capital Beijing.

They also traveled to South China's tech hub Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, visited the Chinese tech giant Huawei, leading new energy vehicle manufacturer BYD, Shenzhen fisheries company, Yantian Port, Southern University of Science and Technology, and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, among others.

Sabir, who led the delegation, said that he visited Beijing in 2005 and the city's transformation which he witnessed in his latest visit was nothing short of astonishing.

"The skyline has changed dramatically, with towering skyscrapers and modern infrastructure that surpassed my expectations, the city's efficient public transportation system, urban plantation, and technological advancements were remarkable," Sabir told Xinhua.

It is evident that Beijing has become a global metropolis at the forefront of innovation and urban development, he said, hoping that the University of Gwadar will be able to sign memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with Chinese universities on education cooperation to enable them to play a role in Pakistan's development.

Sabir said Pakistan and China are paying special attention to economic cooperation. Pakistan was among the first countries to join the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As a flagship BRI project, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) saw tangible results in the past years.

Launched in 2013, the CPEC is a corridor linking the Gwadar port in southwestern Pakistan with Kashgar in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which highlights energy, transport and industrial cooperation.

For Babu Gulab, businessman and former chairman of Gwadar's Municipal Committee, it was his 10th time visiting China, and on his every visit, he finds something new.

After visiting Shenzhen, Gulab said that it is a smart city, with high-tech companies growing fast. He was impressed by how Huawei's smartphones and BYD's electrical buses gained popularity in the international market.

"Shenzhen shows how a small village can achieve by adopting the reform and opening up policy. We have a lot of potential to cooperate, from the fishing industry to other high-tech fields," Gulab said.

Talking about his impression of Shenzhen, Sabir told Xinhua that he hopes that the fate of his hometown Gwadar will also change with the cooperation with China, like Shenzhen which also used to be a small fishing village and now is a great example of a metropolis to be followed by Pakistan.

The delegation was highly impressed by the warm welcome they received from the Chinese people wherever they visited and felt the depth of Pakistan-China people-to-people relations.

Muneer Notezai, the district education officer in Gwadar, felt that he landed "in my own home after a long journey," and was overwhelmed by the warmth of friendship for Pakistan he felt in China.

For Notezai, the most striking thing he noticed during his visit was China's zero-tolerance for corruption, and honesty and work ethics being the key drivers for its success.

"Pakistan can learn a lot from China, eradicating corruption, giving people opportunities to learn modern, opening vistas of employment and opportunities for them through special economic zones, as China did, can bring revolution in Pakistan too, and in this regard cooperation with China will play a great role," he added. 
FILE PHOTO: A view shows a newly built apartment block next to those damaged in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict in Mariupol

(Reuters) - The Russian-installed head of the Russian-annexed Ukrainian region of Donetsk has imposed a curfew, according to a decree published on Sunday.

Denis Pushilin banned the presence of civilians on streets and public places from 11 p.m. until 4 a.m. on Mondays-Fridays, according to the decree.

The decree forbade assemblies, rallies and demonstrations as well as other mass events in Russia-controlled parts of Donetsk region unless they were permitted by Operational Headquarters for Military Threat Response in Donetsk People's Republic.

The decree signed by Pushilin on September 18 introduced "military censorship of postal mail and messages transmitted via telecommunications systems as well as control of telephone conversations".

Among other steps entailed by Pushilin's order was the establishment of checkpoints and security posts at borders with Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
Strikes have been observed in the temporarily Russian-occupied city of Tokmak in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Casualties have been reported.

Source: Mayor of Melitopol Ivan Fedorov on Telegram; Russian-appointed representative Vladimir Rogov

Quote from Fedorov: "Strikes occurred in temporarily occupied Tokmak.

Residents report that civilians have been injured due to the response of the Russian air defence forces.

We are waiting for official information on enemy losses."

Details: Meanwhile, a representative of the Russian occupying authorities, Vladimir Rogov, the head of the Kremlin-aligned We Are Together with Russia movement, said Ukraine had launched a missile attack on Tokmak. He claimed that the attack claimed one person's life, injured 11 others, and damaged residential buildings and civilian infrastructure. According to Rogov, the attack took place between 13:30 and 13:40 on Sunday, 24 September.

Update: Later, Fedorov added that loud explosions sounded in Tokmak again.

"The occupiers should take it as a hint: its time to pack up and go back to Russia," he wrote.

Background:

On 23 September, Fedorov reported that explosions were heard in occupied Tokmak for the second day in a row.

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At least six people have been injured as a result of Russian attacks on the city of Kherson on 24 September.

Source: Roman Mrochko, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "As of now, there is information about at least six civilians injured as a result of Russian attacks on Kherson this afternoon.

Kherson residents have received injuries of various degrees of severity. All the injured have received the necessary medical treatment. People who were injured earlier are also seeking treatment at medical institutions."

Details: On Sunday afternoon, the Russians launched artillery attacks on the Korabelnyi district of Kherson, injuring four civilians.

Later, two aerial bombs were dropped on Kherson by the Russians. A woman was injured.

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The Russians terrorised Nikopol Oblast on the night of 23-24 September, shelling the area and dropping explosives from a UAV.

Source: Serhii Lysak, Head of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Details: A 25-year-old man was injured in Nikopol. He was hospitalised with shrapnel wounds and now remains in a serious condition.

In addition, a department store building and a kindergarten were damaged in the district centre.

In Chervonohryhorivka hromada, Russian shells damaged four private houses, cars and power lines [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.].

Russian troops also attacked Myrove and Pokrovsk hromadas. The scale of the damage is being established.

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Two Russian aerial bombs struck the city of Kherson on 24 September.

Source: Oleksandr Prokudin, Head of Kherson Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram

Quote: "The occupiers continue launching attacks on Kherson.

The enemy dropped two aerial bombs on the city. One struck an industrial zone in the Dniprovskyi district, and the other struck a civilian infrastructure facility in the Korabelnyi district."

Details: Later, Prokudin clarified that a 49-year-old female security guard who was on the premises was injured as a result of the bomb hitting one of Kherson's businesses. She has minor injuries. She was provided with medical assistance on the spot.

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Denis Pushilin, Russian-appointed "head" of the self-proclaimed "Donetsk People's Republic" (DPR), has issued a sham "decree" introducing a range of bans in the Russian-occupied part of Donetsk Oblast, including military censorship and a ban on gathering.

Source: Pushilin's sham "decree"

Quote: "[I issue the order to] introduce military censorship of mail and messages transmitted via telecommunications systems, as well as control over telephone conversations.

A ban is introduced on meetings, rallies and demonstrations, marches and pickets, and other mass events...

...as well as a ban on strikes and other means of stopping or terminating the activities of organisations."

Details: Furthermore, a curfew was introduced from Monday to Friday from 23:00 to 04:00.

The Russian puppet "officials" and "state employees" were banned from travelling anywhere other than Russia without permission.

Background: On 8-10 September, Russia held sham local council "elections" in the occupied territories of Ukraine, along with local elections across Russia.

The EU declared that it did not recognise Russia's "elections" in the occupied territories of Ukraine and stressed that Russias leadership would face the consequences of these illegal actions.

The Council of Europe had previously stated that the sham "elections" recently held by Russia in the occupied territories of Ukraine are null and void under international law.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington would never recognise the results of these sham elections.

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The first Monday of October will not only bring a new Supreme Court term but also a new U.S. postage stamp for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .

Ginsburgs stamp will officially be issued Oct. 2 at Washingtons National Portrait Gallery. NPRs Nina Totenberg and Ginsburgs granddaughter Clara Spera are listed among the speakers at the first-day event, according to Linns Stamp News.

Ginsburg, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, served on the nations top court from 1993 until her death in September 2020. She was the courts second female justice, after Justice Sandra Day OConnor.

The United States does not issue stamps honoring living people, though living people have sometimes been seen on stamps that were meant to highlight specific events, topics or even movie franchises. But, except for former presidents (who are typically memorialized within a year of their deaths), the soonest that a person is ever honored on one of the nations postage stamps is three years after they die.

This year, that time frame was true not only of Ginsburg but also civil rights activist John Lewis (1940-2020), whose stamp was issued in July.

Relatively few American stamps have depicted Supreme Court justices, though John Marshall, the courts longest-serving chief justice, has been honored with multiple stamps through the decades. Thats also true of William Howard Taft , though he also served as president of the United States.

The courts first African American justice, Thurgood Marshall, was recognized in 2003 as part of the USPSs annual Black Heritage series. In 2009, four former justices  Joseph Story, Louis Brandeis, Felix Frankfurter and William Brennan  were saluted together on a souvenir sheet.

The Ginsburg stamp was designed by portrait artist Michael Deas and is good for use indefinitely on any first-class domestic mail.
Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) has reported that saboteurs destroyed a fuel tanker in Russia's Moscow Oblast and four pieces of vehicle equipment in the country's Kaluga Oblast on the night of 23-24 September.

Source: DIU

Quote: "Unknown saboteurs expanded the geography of cotton [i.e. performed successful sabotage efforts  ed.] in the territory of the aggressor country on the night of 23-24 September, having successfully acted in Russia's Moscow and Kaluga oblasts.

A fuel tanker was destroyed on the territory of the military camp of the 2nd Motorised Division of the 1st Tank Army (military unit No. 23626, the settlement of Kalininets, Naro-Fominsky district).

Four vehicles with trailers were destroyed on the territory of the military camp of the 60th armoury (military unit No. 42702, Kaluga)."

Details: DIU added that photos and videos will be released later for security reasons.

Background:

On the morning of 24 September, Ukrainian drones hit the premises of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) in the centre of Russia's Kursk, and later drones struck an oil refinery.

A source told Ukrainska Pravda that DIU carried out the operation.

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A new satellite image of the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters after the missile attack on 22 September has appeared online; there is no more smoke in the photo and the aftermath of the attack is clearly visible.

Source: Radio Liberty

Details: The new satellite image was shared by Planet.com.

The photo shows the damaged building of the Russian Black Sea Fleet headquarters and the places where the missiles hit.

Background:

On the morning of 22 September, the Russian Ministry of Defence reported an attack by guided missiles and UAVs on occupied Crimea, with the Russians claiming they had managed to shoot down one missile and two drones.

Later, it was reported that there had been a missile attack on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol. The Russian Ministry of Defence even acknowledged the death of one soldier, although later the occupiers' defence ministry said that person had gone missing.

Foreign media outlets said that Ukraine used Storm Shadow missiles to attack the Black Sea Fleet headquarters.

Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, said that at least 9 people, including Russian generals, were killed and 16 wounded in the Ukrainian attack on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.

A successful operation by the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine resulted in a missile strike on the headquarters of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol on 22 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 senior official with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium says the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) will help to create a more balanced world.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
Its good to see that Florida lawmakers are already thinking of innovative solutions to the states labor shortage.

Due to an unfortunate state law aimed at giving Gov. Ron DeSantis some tough-guy street cred with Republican primary voters in other states, Florida has effectively scared away millions of essential workers in low-wage jobs  particularly in agriculture, construction and hospitality.

Faced with a future shortage of undocumented workers to pick vegetables, tote wheelbarrows, and clean toilets, state lawmakers have correctly figured out that Florida needs to expand its labor pool somehow.

So, theyve come up with children.

Youve got a new homework assignment, kids: Get to work. There are lots of good opportunities on the midnight shift.

A child found working the overnight sanitation shift in a meat packing plant in Nebraska in 2022.

A new bill has been filed to rewrite Floridas labor laws, which has protected teenage minors from working jobs that would make it tough for them to get the most out of high school.

Under the existing law, minors who are 16 and 17 are not permitted to work before 6:30 a.m. or after 11 p.m. or for more than 8 hours in any one day when school is scheduled the following day. These underage workers are also barred from working during school hours.

Those restrictions would all disappear under a new bill (House Bill 49) filed for the next legislative session. All those school-related safeguards would be eliminated.

Kevin Perez of Matanzas, Cuba, calls his grandmother from a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in Marathon, Fla. Perez arrived a few days ago after nine days at sea. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Minors 16 and 17 years of age may be employed, permitted or suffered to work the same number of hours as a person who is 18 years of age or older, the bill reads.

Florida isnt alone in turning back the clock on child labor.

Republican lawmakers in Arkansas instituted a new law there that eliminates work permits for employing minors who are 14 or 15 years old.

More: Florida ethics chair and DeSantis learn the ethical perils of double-tasking toadies

A bill in Minnesota would open up construction jobs to 16-year-olds. A bill advancing in Iowa would allow minors to work in manufacturing jobs.

Bills that would allow minor workers to serve alcohol or work in hazardous industries were advanced in other states.

Child welfare advocates say these laws just lead to exploitation of children who ought to be getting the most out of their education.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis addresses the crowd before publicly signing the Stop WOKE Act in April 2022.

But in Florida, education mostly serves as a political punching bag, an opportunity to inflame LGBT bigotry and stoke racial animus.

Education is characterized as indoctrination, which facilitates traditional public schools being raided by laws that transfer tax money to private and religious schools. Meanwhile, the states university system  recast into a playground to enrich the political errand boys of the governor  is firmly on a trajectory toward mediocrity.

We cant expect all the teachers and college professors fleeing Florida classrooms would want to take jobs as hotel maids, janitors and construction workers.

They dont have strong enough backs for that kind of work.

So, it makes much more sense to recruit high school sophomores to work in the fields, clean office toilets and tar roofs. And somebody has got to pick those tomatoes before they rot on the vine.

The proposed state law also includes a provision that mandates the relaxed work restrictions on minors across the state, expressly forbidding county or local governments from passing wage laws that protect their young people.

It turns out Florida loves mandates, after all.

Palm Beach Post columnist Frank Cerabino

Federal law concentrates on the employment of 14- and 15-year-olds, restricting their working hours to 18 hours a week while in school, and limiting their shifts to no more than three hours on a school day.

But once minors turn 16, those federal protections disappear, leaving it up to the individual states how to handle the employment of these young workers.

Sorry, Florida kids. Bad news for you.

More: 'Expelliarmus!' Move to ban Harry Potter from Florida school sign of DeSantis' overreach

We let a politically motivated labor law create a worker shortage in the state. And were now counting on you to fix it.

Your childhood needs to end a little early.

Put down that textbook and pick up that shovel.

Frank Cerabino is a columnist at The Palm Beach Post, a part of the USA TODAY Florida Network.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Florida bill considers teens employed to ease state's worker shortage
A school bus with 13 students inside it crashed into a vehicle in Lawrence County, state police say.

Troopers were called to the crash on Wampum Road in North Beaver Township at 3:54 p.m. on Friday.

A police report said the bus backed into a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado while trying to make a three-point turn from Vance Road East onto Vance Road West.

The bus was from the Mohawk Area School District and had 13 students inside of it at the time of the crash.

State police said all of the students were observed by medics at the scene but no injuries were reported. One 5-year-old girl was taken to a hospital at her parents request.

Mohawks superintendent issued a statement about the crash to Channel 11 on Saturday.

13 elementary students were on the bus at the time of the accident. We are very thankful that no students or drivers were injured. All students were released to their parents at the scene, said Dr. Lorree Houk.

The Chevrolet Silverado sustained so much front-end damage that it had to be towed from the scene.

North Beaver Fire Department and Wampum Fire Department also responded to the scene.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

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Police say this BMW was involved in a carjacking in Boston on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. It crashed in Kingston after a police pursuit and the driver, a Scituate man, was arrested.

KINGSTON  State Police say they arrested a Scituate man after an armed carjacking in Boston led to a police pursuit on Route 3 before the BMW troopers were pursuing crashed into a stone wall in Kingston.

The carjacking occurred near 19 Boston St. shortly after 8:05 a.m. Saturday. Vehicles at the scene were damaged, police said. The carjacking victim suffered minor injuries.

State Police said they received an alert from Boston police about a black BMW X5 that was wanted in connection with the carjacking and that the SUV's last known location was at the Interstate 93 and Route 3 interchange.

At about the same time, a driver called the Norwell State Police Barracks to report a vehicle driven erratically on Route 3 southbound. State Police said that vehicle matched the description of the BMW involved in the carjacking.

State Police saw the vehicle on Route 3 southbound in Duxbury, near the North Street overpass, shortly before 8:30 a.m.

Officials said troopers tried to stop the BMW, but that the driver fled at a high rate of speed. The troopers pursued the SUV.

The driver took Exit 18 onto Main Street in Kingston and crashed into a stone wall near Landing Road, State Police said. No other vehicles were involved in the crash.

Troopers arrested the driver, who was identified as 34-year-old Scituate man. EMTs took him to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Plymouth to be evaluated for potential injuries.

State Police said troopers found a knife in plain sight inside the BMW at the crash scene.

WCVB contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Scituate man, 34, arrested after carjacking, Kingston crash
Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), one of several 2024 GOP candidates, said he doesnt think he needs a breakout moment in this weeks GOP primary debate, despite trailing multiple presidential contenders in the polls.

When asked on Fox News Sunday if he needs a standout moment during the debate, Scott said, I dont think so, what I need to do is continue to do what I have been doing  showing up.

Scott was asked about a recent Fox Business poll, which showed his support among Iowa GOP caucus-goers dropping to 7 percent, down from July when it showed 11 percent support.

The more time I spend in Iowa, the better off I will be, said Scott. The more time I spend in New Hampshire, the better off I will be, in reference to the two key primary voting states.

The good news is polls dont vote, but people do, and so I need to make sure that I find myself in front of the most people as possible on a consistent basis, the South Carolina senator continued.

Meanwhile, that Fox Business poll showed former President Trump leading the nomination race by 31 points, with 46 percent support, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSanits (R) trails behind in second at 15 percent, a slight drop from July, where he showed 16 percent.

Scott has maintained a mostly optimistic and cordial attitude throughout his campaign but some Republicans calling his first debate performance lackluster.

Scott has signaled he could take a more aggressive approach towards his White House rivals.

Last week, he took a swipe at Trump, DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley over the issue of abortion, saying on Fox News they have all run away from protecting life.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
A second freighter with Ukrainian grain has reached Turkey since Russia's withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Initiative in July, France24 reported on Sept. 24, citing maritime tracking data.

The Egypt-bound Aroyat, carrying 17,600 tons of Ukrainian grain, set out from Chornomorsk near Odesa on Sept. 22. It flies the flag of Palau and has a crew from Egypt, Turkey, Belgium, Azerbaijan and Albania.



Ukraine is testing a new sea route that avoids using international waters and follows those controlled by NATO members Bulgaria and Romania, following Russia's withdrawal from a UN-backed grain export deal.

Carriers taking this route are advised of the danger that Russian ships, sea mines and other weapons still pose in the Black Sea.

The first ship to take this route, Resilient Africa, got to Istanbul in August.



In July Russia pulled out of the deal that allowed Ukraine to export agricultural products through its port at Odesa. Ukraine's export industries heavily rely on maritime transit from the southern ports.



Agricultural exports are a significant economic driver and source of income for the state budget and the armed forces, which Russia is keen to shut down.



Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
One of the best testimonials any business can receive is a repeat customer. And that is what happened between Sally Haun and Archway Homes.

Archway Homes buys properties in any condition: pretty houses needing little to no repair, houses needing everything repaired from leaking roofs to bad foundations, cluttered houses, or houses in need of cosmetic updating. And they can buy them quickly, in as little as three days for cash, in their As Is condition.

The first home Haun sold to the company belonged to her parents who had a house full of possessions from their 65-year marriage, plus items from another relatives estate.

My parents had lived in their house for 30 years, Haun said. It needed new windows, total redecorating, a new fence, driveway, you name it.

After contacting a realtor, she was given a laundry list of things that would need to be done to make it aesthetically pleasing for a potential buyer.

To do what the realtor said would need to be done, would have been several thousand dollars, she recalled. I took that into consideration, and knew we werent going to get what we asked. And, I would have to pay a commission.

Despite the condition of the home, Haun had a rough idea of the value of the lot. So, she also contacted a couple of companies that buy, renovate, and resell homes, but didnt like their approach.

They started out really low, and when I told them I already had a much higher bid, they immediately said they would stretch it and give me $500 more, said Haun. I think they just wanted to get it and tear it down.

That is when she called Archway Homes.

I had read about Archway Homes in the newspaper, looked them up in the Better Business Bureau, and they had such a high rating, I decided it couldnt hurt to call, Haun said.

With roots in the Kansas City community for over 40 years, husband and wife team Jon and Stacy Bichelmeyer with Archway Homes offers Kansas City area homeowners the ability to sell quickly, whether they need to move because of illness, downsizing, job transfer, facing foreclosure, or some other reason.

According to Jon, a third-generation real estate investor, his extensive experience really makes a difference. Ive been buying houses, fixing them up and selling to homeowners in the metro area for close to 20 years, he said. We started doing this long before HGTV inspired the new investors in town. We work hard to make sure its a win, win for both parties.

When Haun met with Jon, she remembers an instant comfort factor.

I just felt like I trusted him, she said. He sat with me and my parents at their kitchen table and told us he would take care of all the repairs, transferring the utilities, and the closing costs, and we liked that he was going to donate the furniture we didnt want. At closing, it went exactly like he said. We got our check and walked out. There was not one iota that changed.

Stacy said that selling a property can be a stressful process. Their goal is to remove as many obstacles and complications as possible. Our clients tell us that one of the things that makes the process less stressful is the ability to just pack up what they want and walk away.

When the time came for Hauns mother-in-law to move into assisted living, she called Archway Homes again.

You can take Jon at his word, Haun said. Hes honest and its just an easy thing to do during a difficult time. I told my husband, I wish I could do this all the time, It was just so pleasant!

The ability to sell quickly to an established and reputable company has been the perfect solution for numerous homeowners all over the Kansas City area. They strive to make the difficult process of selling a home as stress-free as possible, especially in these challenging times. We even wrote the book on it. Literally! Home to Home Local Edition  Kansas City Metro outlines the steps homeowners can take to sell their home and our experiences helping people do just that, Jon said.

Anyone who wants to sell a home quickly for cash should call Jon Bichelmeyer at 913-599-5000 or email him at jon@archwayhomesinc.com. Or they can visit Archway Homes website at archwaypropertieskc.com to fill out an online form or to get a free copy of our book Home to Home Local Edition  Kansas City Metro, Kansas and Missouri, call our office.

Archway Homes

Location: 15301 W. 87th St. Parkway, Suite B35 in the UMB Bank building

Contact: Jon Bichelmeyer at 913-599-5000 or jon@archwayhomes.com

Website: archwaypropertieskc.com
A Sunday evening cold front if forecast to bring potentially severe weather to North Texas along with temporary relief from 90-degree temperatures, according to the National Weather Service in Fort Worth.

The cold front is expected to move into North Texas by around 7 p.m., according to the service. Before that, a heat advisory is in place due to a heat index of 105 to 112.

When the cooler air reaches the region, it is expected to usher in severe thunderstorms producing large to very large hail and wind speeds of up to 70 mph. It could also create flash flooding in some areas and minor flooding east of I-35 and I-35W.

The severe weather threat is expected to continue until about 3 a.m. Storm chances will continue throughout the day Monday, with the strongest chances being south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.

The relief the storms bring from the heat will be short lived. The National Weather Service predicts highs to jump back into the low- to mid-90s by Tuesday and stay there through Friday. Overnight lows will be in the 60s.
Ukraines Armed Forces now have one of the Russian logistic routes on the Bakhmut front within firing distance and are working to sever the rest.

Source: Illia Yevlash, head of the press service for the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, during the national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "One of the roads that we can already target is the Bakhmut-Horlivka road, which is three kilometres from the contact line - this is the working distance for our mortars and UAVs.

Also, the Russians still have several logistic routes along which they supply their Bakhmut group, these are the routes leading from the occupied territory.

However, we are continuing to sever these routes now and will keep on doing so in order to cut off resources for the Russian group on this front and inflict the highest possible losses on it."

Details: Yevlash said that for the first time after a long break, the Russians had tried to test the defence of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Bilohorivka, throwing convicts into battle. They were all killed.

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 Tuesday Sept. 19, 2023, Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore announced that a deal had been reached on the state budget, almost three months late. The budget included several policy provisions that give the legislature more power. (Robert Willett/rwillett@newsobserver.com)

GOP hypocrisy

The hypocrisy of Republican lawmakers in North Carolina has no bounds. First, they delay passing a budget for months that includes new benefits for thousands of people in the form of pay raises and Medicaid expansion. Why? Because Sen. Phil Berger wants to strong-arm other Republicans to sanction four new gambling casinos by including the provision in the budget instead of creating a separate bill for the casinos. Thats just shameful.

Mark Kinlaw, Holly Springs

Appalling conduct

The writer is an NC House member.

The Republicans conduct surrounding the budget is appalling. With a veto-proof supermajority, passing the budget should have been straightforward. Instead of doing their job, they spent months engaged in political manipulation of the budget in an effort to benefit a casino company paying them handsomely for access to our state.

Whether you support casinos or not, this is unacceptable. Teachers and state employees continued working without the raises they deserved  all while trying to provide North Carolinians with the services their taxes pay for. This, despite excessive vacancies due to years of underfunding.

Now that the budget has been voted on, it is clear Republicans have failed to invest in our state and its future. Educator and state employee pay raises are wholly inadequate, state retirees are essentially ignored, and the effort to undermine the integrity and trust in our elections is on full display. North Carolinians are tired of the backroom, sweetheart deals that benefit political donors and lobbyists instead of working people. Enough is enough.

Laura Budd, Matthews

Public records

I read with disgust and great disappointment that our lawmakers tucked a new law inside the state budget that basically gives them the legal permission to hide public records from public view. (Sept. 22) We have a long history of lawmakers doing as much of their business as possible in private, behind closed doors and in ways that keep it hidden from the public. This makes it easier for them to thumb their noses at voters and taxpayers. It also raises an age-old question that every voter should ask every elected official they meet: Why do you have trouble with the idea of doing the publics business in public?

Joe Dew, Morrisville

Sneak attack

Tucked in the state budget was language preempting N.C. counties from taking action to restrict use of single-use plastic bags, which are a major source of pollution on our streets and in our parks and waterways.

This sneak attack on sensible environmental protection has nothing to do with democracy and protecting our communities and everything to do with serving as the plastic industrys puppets. Shame on our legislature.

George Stubbs, Durham

GOP family values?

Way to go Republican-led N.C. legislature. The move for more casinos and toward possibly opening liquor stores on Sunday  I thought the Republican Party was the party of family values. I guess not. Shame on you.

Robert Ipock Jr. , La Grange

Teacher shortage

Regarding The math just doesnt add up, (Sept. 17):

As a retired math teacher with 25 years in New York and 20 years in Maryland I have seen firsthand what is necessary to get and to keep top teachers  very competitive salaries. Individuals in the N.C. House and Senate should hang their heads in shame. North Carolina has billions of surplus dollars to spend on teacher salaries. Start teachers at $50,000 (not $37,000) and see how fast the teacher shortage disappears. You get what you pay for.

Richard Haas, Garner

Tim Moore

On Sept. 12, students packed the N.C. House gallery to protest gun violence after two lockdowns at UNC-Chapel Hill in 16 days. House Speaker Tim Moores comment: This isnt a pep rally. This is the House of Representatives. His remark shows utter contempt for the students who have every cause to bring attention to the senseless gun violence in this country. The students present in the Legislative Building were angry and hungry for change. To trivialize their protest with belittling comments blights Moores character.

Lynne Raha, Raleigh
TEHRAN, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday in New York, Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

During the meeting, Amir-Abdollahian said that Tehran is serious about returning to a 2015 nuclear deal should the other parties be ready, adding the exchange of indirect messages with the United States continues.

He praised the UN chief for the good consultations Guterres has always had with Iran regarding the revival of the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Turning to the cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Amir-Abdollahian noted that affairs proceed in the right direction whenever the agency acts within the technical framework.

He stressed that producing nuclear weapons has no place in Iran's defense doctrine.

For his part, Guterres appreciated Iran's diplomatic initiatives in helping resolve problems, remove obstacles and develop relations among countries.

Iran and the United States conducted a prisoner swap on Monday, with each side releasing five detainees under a Qatar-brokered agreement.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The U.S., however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the revival of the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022. 
Shasta County Sheriff's Office logo

A 62-year-old man was arrested after gun shots were reported at Bridge Bay Marina.

Shasta County Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the marina on Lake Shasta at 9:09 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 22, after receiving a 911 call and hearing gun shots.

The call was traced to a houseboat docked at the marina, where responding deputies were not able to contact anyone inside. The suspect, 62-year-old Christopher Krzywicki, had prior contact with law enforcement, the sheriff's department said in a news release.

Members from the Shasta County Sheriffs Office SWAT team and the Crisis Negotiation Team were called to assist, due to the nature of the call.

Sheriff's deputies said negotiators contacted Krzywicki numerous times by phone, but he indicated he was armed and refused to leave the houseboat.

After SWAT team members used unidentified "specialized tactics," Krzywicki exited the vessel and was arrested.

After being transported to a local hospital by medical personnel to be evaluated, Krzywicki was bookedinto the Shasta County Jail on charges including being a felon in possession of a firearm, negligent discharge of a firearm and resisting arrest, the sheriff's office said.

On Sunday morning, Krzywicki was being held on $50,000 bail.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta SWAT team called to Bridge Bay Marina after shots fired
Horizons on the high seas are again being filled with sails.

The modern versions of these wind catchers are inspired by the International Maritime Organizations goals to reduce heat-trapping air pollution by half (from 2008 levels) by 2050 and eventually eliminate them altogether.

Cargo haulers transport about 90% of our commerce. According to the European Commission, those fleets produce around 3% of the global air pollution that warms the planet. New sail technology could provide the route to greatly decrease, or even snuff out, the air pollution generated during overseas transport.

Were always used to going the shortest way, said Jan Dieleman, president of ocean transportation at Cargill, said in a Bloomberg report. Now, you might want to go the way where theres more wind.

The Cargill-chartered Pyxis Ocean is sailing with high-tech wind catchers made by the United Kingdoms BAR Technologies, with funding from the European Union. The companys WindWings innovation is billed as customizable sails that include route optimization ability. If the Pyxis run has smooth sailing, Cargill officials plan to outfit 10 more ships with them, Bloomberg reported.

Meanwhile, Oceanbird in Sweden is developing a modern sailing ship to be in use by 2027, called the Orcelle Wind. Oceanbird said the project aims to cut 60% of the pollution produced by similar-sized vessels without sails.

These modern sails are not the only effort in the industry to cut air pollution. China-based COSCO Shipping is moving toward electric vessels. The Seawing is another innovation geared to harness wind power in the shipping industry, utilizing an automated kite system.

A video clip on the BAR Technologies website shows Cargills sails, made from steel and composite glass, moving from the upright wind-catching position to a horizontal storage configuration on the deck. They can be moved around to allow for cargo to be deposited in the ships hold.

The sails look basic enough. They are large, 123-foot vertical rectangles. Most of BARs photos and videos show three or four to a ship. The Pyxis has two of them.

BAR experts said the sails can be retrofitted onto existing ships, like the 5-year-old Pyxis. The company also has contracts in place to include sails on new vessels, per the BAR website.

A WindWing sail can save around 1.5 tons of dirty, oil-based fuel from being burned daily. Three sails on a vessel of that size could result in a 30% savings on fuel, all per Bloomberg.

Its going to make the new fuels a lot more affordable, Dieleman told Bloomberg. Wind is there for free.

In late August, the Pyxis was unfurling the sails on a journey to Brazil as an early test run.

The boardroom of shipping has gone through quite a transformation over the last few years, said Gavin Allwright of the International Windship Association, a nonprofit with a goal of supporting wind propulsion in commercial shipping. They get the climate issue, they get the problem of pollution and the need for change.

But they also have to give value to their shareholders, he added, and one of the big things with wind is that its a free energy source. Its a propulsion system that will actually pay for itself.

Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
Kosovo police said they killed three armed attackers and arrested another Sunday during a shootout in the village of Banjska in northern Kosovo.

The standoff between police and 30 armed men began just hours after an ambush incident left one police officer dead and another injured. Some of the shooting is taking place near a monastery in the village, police said.

Three gunmen have been killed, two gunmen and four suspects have been arrested, the latter were found in illegal possession of radio communications, and who are suspected of being related to a terrorist group, said Kosovo police in a Facebook post.

According to the police, the security situation continues to be tense although the intensity of attacks on police officers has decreased.

Authorities previously said they found logistical equipment, suspected military vehicles, military uniforms as well as weapons and ammunition of different calibers at a residential location being used by the attackers.

Kosovo Police continues to call on criminal groups to surrender to the justice authorities and at the same time invites citizens to cooperate with the law enforcement agencies, in the interest of calming the situation and general security, the statement read.

The incident is a serious escalation in a region already prone to unrest. Kosovo is majority Albanian, but like other villages in the north, Banjska is predominantly Serbian.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but Serbia sees Kosovo as a breakaway state. Kosovos Serbs view themselves as part of Serbia, and see Belgrade as their capital, rather than Pristina.

We see armed, uniformed people, heavy weapons, they are shooting at us, we are shooting, said Veton Eljsani, deputy commander of the Kosovo Police for the North region, according to CNN affiliate N1.

Overnight Saturday into Sunday, a border police unit noticed two heavy trucks without license plates blocking the entrance to a bridge in Banjska, according to N1. Police units were deployed to the area.

Kosovo Police and a group of armed, masked men stand in front of the Banjska Monastery in North Kosovo. - Kosovo Police/AP

When police officers arrived at the scene, they encountered resistance, shots were fired, and during the exchange of fire one police officer was killed and another was injured, according to N1. Kosovo police said they were shot at with an arsenal of firearms, including hand grenades and stun guns.

In a post on Facebook Sunday morning, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti described the shooting in the village of Banjska as a terror attack conducted by what he said were Serbian criminal gangs.

CNN has reached out to Serbias Foreign Ministry for comment about the incident.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic denied his countrys involvement in the clash. He said the men killed were Serbs from Kosovo.

The Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), which oversees the Banjska monastery, issued a statement saying calm has returned to the monastery and that police are now in control of the situation.

The Raska-Prizren Diocese (SOC) informs the public that the situation at the Banjska monastery is presently stable, the statement reads. The armed individuals who breached the gate earlier today have left the premises, and there is now a presence of Kosovo police and EULEX at the entrance and within the monasterys courtyard.

In a statement Sunday, EUs foreign policy chief Josep Borrell condemned the attack and called for a de-escalation of the situation.

I condemn in the strongest possible terms the hideous attack by an armed gang against Kosovo Police officers in Banjska/Banjske in the north of Kosovo, which left one police officer dead, he said in a statement. The responsible perpetrators must face justice.

More innocent lives are at risk in ongoing hostilities in the surroundings of Banjska Monastery. These attacks must stop immediately, he added.

The EU mission in Kosovo, EULEX, is on the ground and in close contact with the authorities and KFOR, the NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo, Borrell said.

The EU and its Member States repeatedly urge all actors to work to de-escalate the situation in north of Kosovo, he said.

Tensions between Kosovo and Serbia have escalated in recent months with violent protests erupting in May over controversial local elections. Dozens of NATO peacekeepers were injured in the clashes at the time.

Kosovos Serbs have increasingly demanded greater autonomy from the ethnic Albanian majority.

CNNs Zoe Sottile contributed to this report.

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Six people are dead after authorities say a freight train collided with the SUV they were riding in.

Seven people were in an SUV headed to a quinceanera in Plant City just before 6:45 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, when the vehicle crossed the railroad tracks, Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a news conference streamed by WFLA.

By viewing the camera footage, we see the driver of this SUV pull up and slow-crawl across the railroad crossing, but never stop. Never stop to look both ways, Chronister said in the news conference.

Chronister said there was also a witness parked nearby who saw the SUV approaching the intersection with the oncoming train and began honking his horn to try and warn the driver, WTSP reported.

The train hit the SUV, sending it catapulting and causing it to flip violently several times, Chronister said in a video of the news conference posted on the sheriffs offices Facebook page.

As you can imagine, the carnage thats created when these two collide, Chronister said.

Five people were violently ejected from the SUV and pronounced dead at the scene. The driver and front seat passenger were taken to a hospital with critical injuries, Chronister said at the news conference.

Later, it was reported that the driver, 52-year-old Jose G. Hernandez, died from his injuries, according to WTSP.

The other victims were identified as Enedelia Hernandez, 50, Jakub A. Lopez, 17, Alyssa Hernandez, 17, Anaelia Hernandez, 22, and Julian Hernandez, 9, WTSP reported.

One 23-year-old passenger still remains in the hospital in critical condition, WTSP reported.

Pray for this family...Our hearts are shattered for the loss of this family and the tragedy that occurred here this evening, Chronister said at the news conference.

The railroad crossing had no crossing arms, just a stop sign, Chronister said. He said its because the road is not traveled on often and only leads to a few homes.

This road is a privately maintained road, an access road to a home, rail safety expert Michael Callanan told WFLA. Theres two homes back there I believe. Its not a public thoroughfare road; its just a road to get to the house. Therefore its not required to have those warning devices there because its privately owned.

Plant City is about 25 miles east of Tampa.

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Siblings Sofia Oliveira, 18, and Andre Oliveira, 15, pose for a picture at the beach in Costa da Caparica, south of Lisbon, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. They are two of the six Portuguese children and young adults set to take 32 European governments to court on Wednesday, Sept. 27, for what they say is a failure to adequately address human-caused climate change in a violation of their human rights. (AP Photo/Ana Brigida)

COSTA DA CAPARICA, Portugal (AP)  Sofia Oliveira was 12 years old when catastrophic wildfires in central Portugal killed more than 100 people in 2017. She felt it was now or never to raise our voices as her country appeared to be in the grip of deadly human-caused climate change.

Now a university student, Sofia and five other Portuguese young adults and children between 11 and 24 years of age are due on Wednesday at the European Court of Human Rights, where they are accusing 32 European governments of violating their human rights for what they say is a failure to adequately address climate change. Its the first climate change case filed with the court and could compel action to significantly slash emissions and build cleaner infrastructure.

Victory for them in Strasbourg would be a powerful instance of young people taking a legal route to force their governments to adopt a radical recalibration of their climate measures.

The courts rulings are legally binding on member countries, and failure to comply makes authorities liable for hefty fines decided by the court.

The courts are increasingly seen by activists as a way of sidestepping politics and holding governments to account. Last month, in a case brought by young environmental activists, a judge in the U.S. state of Montana ruled that state agencies were violating their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment by allowing fossil fuel development.

When the Portuguese group decided in 2017 they would pursue legal action, Sofia wore braces on her teeth, stood taller than her younger brother Andre and was starting seventh grade at school. The braces are long gone and Andre, who is now 15, is taller than her by a few centimeters (an inch or so).

The past six years, Andre noted in an interview with The Associated Press, represent almost half of his life.

What has kept them going through the piles of legal documents gathered by the nonprofit group supporting them and through lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic is what they call the pressing evidence all around them that the climate crisis is getting worse.

The Praia do Norte beach at Costa da Caparica near where Sofia and Andre live, just south of the Portuguese capital Lisbon, was about 1 kilometer (3,000 feet) long when his father was his age, Andre says. Now, amid coastal erosion, it measures less than 300 meters (1,000 feet). Evidence like that led him to attend climate demonstrations even before he became a teen.

The other four members of the Portuguese group  Catarina, Claudia, Martim and Mariana  are siblings and cousins who live in the region of Leiria in central Portugal where summer wildfires are common.

Scientists say the climate of the Sahara is jumping across the Mediterranean Sea to southern European countries like Portugal, where average temperatures are climbing and rainfall is declining. Portugals hottest year on record was 1997, followed by 2017. The four driest years on record in the country of 10.3 million people have all occurred since 2003.

Its a similar story across Europe, and the legal arguments of the six Portuguese are backed by science. The Earth sweltered through its hottest Northern Hemisphere summer ever measured, with a record warm August capping a season of brutal and deadly temperatures, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

The world is far off its pledge to curb global warming, scientists say, by cutting emissions in line with the requirements of the 2015 Paris climate accord. Estimates say global average temperatures could rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius (2.6 to 7.2 Fahrenheit) since pre-industrial times by 2100 at current trajectories of warming and emissions reductions plans.

Among the specific impacts listed by the young Portuguese are being unable to sleep, concentrate, play outside or exercise during heat waves. One of their schools was closed temporarily when the air became unbreathable due to wildfire smoke. Some of the children have health conditions such as asthma that makes them more vulnerable to heat and air pollution.

They are being assisted by the Global Legal Action Network, an international nonprofit organization that challenges human rights violations. A crowdfunding campaign has drawn support from around the world, with messages of support coming from as far away as Japan, India and Brazil.

Gerry Liston, a GLAN legal officer, says the 32 governments have trivialized the case. The governments have resisted every aspect of our case  all our arguments, he said.

Andre describes the governments as condescending. Sofia adds: They dont see climate as a priority.

Portugals government, for example, agrees the state of the environment and human rights are connected but insists the governments actions seek to meet its international obligations in this area and cannot be faulted.

At the same time, some governments in Europe are backsliding on commitments already made.

Poland last month filed legal challenges aimed at annulling three of the European Unions main climate change policies. Last week, the British government announced it is delaying by five years a ban on new gas and diesel cars that had been due to take effect in 2030. The Swedish governments state budget proposal last week, meanwhile, cut taxes on gas and diesel and reduced funding for climate and environmental measures.

Amid those developments, the courts are seen by activists as a recourse.

The London School of Economics says that globally, the cumulative number of climate change-related cases has more than doubled since 2015 to more than 2,000. Around one-fourth were launched between 2020 and 2022, it says.

The Portuguese activists, who are not seeking any financial compensation, will likely have to wait some more. The verdict in their case could take up to 18 months, though they see the courts decision in 2020 to fast-track the proceedings as an encouraging sign.

A precedent is also giving the activists heart. The Urgenda Foundation, a Dutch organization that promotes sustainability and innovation, brought against the Dutch Government the first case in the world in which citizens argued that their government has a legal obligation to prevent dangerous climate change.

In 2019, the Dutch Supreme Court found in Urgendas favor, ruling that the emissions reduction target set by the government was unlawfully low. It ordered authorities to further reduce emissions.

The government consequently decided to shut down coal-fired power plants by 2030 and adopted billion-euro packages to reduce energy use and develop renewable energy, among other measures.

Dennis van Berkel, Urgendas legal counsel, accused governments of choosing climate change targets that are politically convenient instead of listening to climate scientists. Judges can compel them to justify that what they are doing on climate issues is enough, he said.

Currently there is no such scrutiny at any level, he told the AP. That is something incredibly important that the courts can contribute.

___

Associated Press writers Samuel Petrequin in Brussels and Jan M. Olsen in Copenhagen contributed to this report.

___

Associated Press 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.
Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan had multiple affairs, his wife says in a divorce filing.

Duncan has promoted himself as a "strong advocate" for family values.

His wife said he also portrayed himself as a "dutiful husband" while being unfaithful.

A tale as old as time is playing out yet again: A politician who promotes the importance of family values has abandoned them.

This time, it appears to be US Rep. Jeff Duncan, a Republican in South Carolina. Duncan's wife, Melody Duncan, filed for divorce last week, citing her husband's multiple affairs.

Melody Duncan, his wife of more than 30 years and mother to his three sons, accused her husband of at least two affairs in the divorce filing, which was first obtained and published by the Index-Journal, a local newspaper in Greenwood.

Duncan has been in office for 13 years and has long advocated for conservative Christian values.

"As a life-long social conservative, I am a strong advocate for life and traditional family values," Duncan writes on his website. Accompanying the post is a stock image of the Holy Bible, a book famous for its views on infidelity.

He then pledges himself to the anti-abortion cause: "The most basic component of our society is the family."

The family, plus a few mistresses, it would seem.

The divorce filing described Melody Duncan as a "dutiful wife" who "wholeheartedly supported" Duncan in his career. It cites a political event last month where Duncan echoed his wife's sentiment.

At a "Faith and Freedom BBQ" on August 28, Duncan described his wife as "supportive and loving" while portraying himself as a "dedicated, dutiful husband," according to the divorce filing. Duncan then "left the next day and went directly" to the home of his mistress, it says.

Melody Duncan also says that her husband admitted his affair to their sons and congressional staffers, adding that she believes he has had at least one other affair.

A request for comment made to Melody Duncan's attorney, Susan R. Strom, was not immediately returned on Sunday, nor was a request made to Duncan's office.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correct a typo in the first paragraph that excluded the word "values" from the phrase "family values."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The Springfield Public Schools Board of Education has put out a call for public input regarding a proposal to pay school board members a monthly stipend of up to $500 per month.

School board positions have historically been unpaid. While board members are reimbursed for travel, work meals and other necessary expenses, they do not receive compensation for their work.

But this could soon change across Oregon after the recent passage of House Bill 2753, which as of July removed the prohibition on compensation for school board members. The new law leaves it up to individual districts to decide whether to offer compensation.

Springfield board members first brought up compensation during an August meeting, then discussed a drafted resolution at its Sept. 11 business meeting.

Discussions centered around understanding the potential impacts and benefits of compensating board members. Board members also stressed the importance of notifying the community to get substantial input.

During the Sept. 11 meeting, board member Emilio Hernandez said a monthly stipend might be a big benefit to the younger members on the board who still work and have young families. He said while he himself is retired, a stipend could incentivize younger community members to join their local school boards.

"How are we going to have them be willing to go to a school board meeting or a teachers meeting group at 7 at night with babies and families?" Hernandez said. "It's just not fair."

Board vice chair Kelly Mason made similar comments during the Aug. 28 work session.

This could open the door to possibilities for folks who are parents and work long hours, single parents or other underrepresented folks who see a barrier to access because of time and financial constraints, Mason said. This could change the faces that you see in the future and the future of school boards in Springfield.

Board chair Jonathan Light during the Sept. 11 said board membership has historically favored people who are financially secure.

"It has the potential to perhaps diversify the board, and any time you have a diverse board, I think you encompass more of the community," he said.

Light acknowledged that some in the community might see a stipend as "self-serving." He said he wanted to allow space for the public to give their opinion.

If approved, individual directors may choose not to receive the stipend.

The funds for the stipends, which could total $30,000 annually for all five board members, would come from the board's budget. An annual resolution would be also established to make any necessary adjustments to the stipend, including an alignment with the Consumer Price Index.

There are several ways to share your opinion about providing the board a stipend:

Email public.comment@springfield.k12.or.us

Online submission via Lets Talk (can submit anonymously at k12insight.com/Lets-Talk/DialogueCustom.aspx?k=WG7F3YLT@DY8Y5T5LT

Virtual or in-person comment at the Oct. 9 business meeting. Visit springfield.k12.or.us/about/board to find details on how to sign up for public comment.

The board could take action at its next business meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 9.

The meeting will held at the SPS Administration Building Board Room, 640 A St., and will be streamed virtually at vimeo.com/SpringfieldPS. The recorded meeting will be uploaded to SPS's Vimeo channel afterward.

Bethel and Eugene 4J also consider stipends

Bethel School District and Eugene School District 4J have also broached the subject of member stipends, but have not yet made any final decisions.

4J board members were broadly in favor of the stipend, for largely similar reasons as the SPS board members, during their Sept. 6 meeting. They will be discussing it again in a future meeting.

Bethel board members discussed the pros and cons of stipends during their Aug. 28 meeting. The members decided to revisit the topic during the Oct. 23 board meeting.

Miranda Cyr reports on education for The Register-Guard. You can contact her at mcyr@registerguard.com or find her on Twitter @mirandabcyr.

This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Springfield asks for public input on giving school board $500 stipends
Armed gunmen besieged the Kosovo town of Banjska early Sunday. Their motive was unclear. Photo courtesy of Kosovo Police/Facebook

Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A police officer was killed and at least three suspects were shot dead Sunday after dozens of armed marauders took over a small village in northern Kosovo before ambushing authorities who responded to the scene.

Kosovo Police said late Sunday that "the security situation remains tense" but that attacks on police have decreased amid the standoff in Banjska, near the Serbian border, that began early Sunday when a band of 30 professional gunmen attacked the village before barricading themselves in the town monastery at sunrise.

"So far, three gunmen have been killed, two gunmen and four suspects have been arrested, the latter were found in illegal possession of radio communications, and who are suspected of being related to a terrorist group," Kosovo Police said in a statement.

Prime Minister Albin Kurti identified the slain police officer as Afrim Bujaku. Bujaku died "protecting the territorial integrity and rule of law of our country," Kurti said.

At least two other officers were injured and transported to the Mitrovica Regional Hospital, police said.

Kosovo Police said the attacks, whom they called terrorists, used vehicles to create roadblocks in the town of Banjska. Photo courtesy of Kosovo Police/Facebook

Officials said the shooters had moved through the city with military precision and used the natural environment to conceal themselves from responding units.

Authorities surrounded the Serbia Orthodox Church, where the militants were holed up, and where some faithful had locked themselves inside when gunfire first erupted.

Kosovo police officers guard a checkpoint on the road near the village of Banjska following an attack, in Kosovo, on Sunday. At least one policeman was killed and another was wounded in an attack Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti blamed on armed personnel coming from Serbia. Photo by EPA-EFE

Kurti blamed "Serbia-sponsored criminals," and called for them to surrender in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Kosovo Police units have been searching through residential buildings and vehicles used by the attackers in their road block, confiscating hundreds of weapons and ammunition, including heavy military equipment, such as machine guns, Kalashnikovs and grenades.

Kosovo police officer Afrim Bujaku was fatally shot during the shootout with the armed attackers on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti/X

"Our police remains in close co-ordination with KFOR & EULEX," Kurti said. "The operation is ongoing."

In today's operation against armed terrorists, @Kosovo_Police confiscated hundreds of weapons, and ammunition, including heavy military equipment such as machine guns, grenades and more. Our police remains in close co-ordination with KFOR & EULEX. The operation is ongoing. pic.twitter.com/PfyXJYIqNw Albin Kurti (@albinkurti) September 24, 2023

The motivation for the attack was unclear, but violence has increased in the region since a disputed election in May and as political talks with European Union chiefs dissolved in recent months.

Kosovo Police said that a search of the area uncovered hundreds of weapons, including machine guns and Kalashnikovs. Photo courtesy of Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti/X

Security forces set up a perimeter around the village to box in the gunmen, who wore masks and uniforms while armed to the teeth with heavy weapons, grenades, and other tactical equipment, including rocket launchers and armored vehicles, police said in a statement.

Police also closed two border crossings in Jarinje and Bernjak, and warned travelers to avoid the area.

A NATO peacekeeping force stationed in the region told local authorities it was prepared to move in if necessary.

The EU's mission in Kosovo, known as EULEX, condemned the attack in a statement.

"EULEX, as second security responder, is fully engaged in monitoring closely the situation on the spot standing ready to support Kosovo institutions to the maximum possible extent in maintaining stability and security of all its communities, in close coordination with NATO/KFOR," mission head Giovanni Pietro Barbano said.

In recent months, Kosovo and Serbia have been working to normalize relations following the breakup of Yugoslavia and other Balkan nations in the late 1990s -- which has led to ongoing regional territorial disputes.

The EU's high representative, Josep Borrell, has spoken with Kurti and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, according to a readout of the calls.

Borrell is demanding those responsible to face justice.

"More innocent lives are at risk in ongoing hostilities in the surroundings of Banjska Monastery," he said in a statement. "These attacks must stop immediately."

Kurti said a candle light vigil was held Sunday night for Bunjaku.
Ive got some good updates about a national and Ohio effort to stop what has been called a predatory act by some companies to offer quick cash in exchange for an exclusive agreement to sell a home for 40 years.

In March, I wrote about MV Realty, a Florida company that was coming under fire across the country for its practices. The company offers between $300 to $5,000 in cash as a loan alternative" to homeowners in exchange for an agreement to make the company their exclusive real-estate listing broker for a given period, usually 40 years.

During that time, though, if the homeowner lists the property for sale without using MV Realty as its broker or the home is foreclosed upon, or if the homeowners heirs try to sell the home or the homeowner wants to cancel the deal, MV seeks to be paid 3% of the property value as determined by MV Realty.

The company also takes out a lien on the homeowners property, issuing an additional memorandum asserting MV Realtys exclusive right to list the house and binding the property owner to the terms of the agreement.

For homeowners, these provisions could hamper their ability to refinance their home or get a home equity line of credit. In fact, a lawsuit filed by the Pennsylvania attorney general said consumers have been turned down by banks because of MVs liens.

And most consumers have no idea that by entering that agreement, they had this lien on their home. For my March story, I contacted several homeowners in Summit County with liens on their houses and they were shocked and angry.

But they were stuck. The liens were already on their properties.

While there was a pending Ohio attorney general lawsuit to stop the practice and a decision statewide and locally to stop recording the liens from MV Realty (and MV Realty in March told me they had temporarily stopped entering into any new agreements), that didnt help the people who already had the liens.

Consumer advocates and the Ohio Attorney Generals Office suggested filing a complaint with the Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing. Consumers who suspect unfair practices should contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at OhioProtects.org or 800-282-0515.

That's still the advice from consumer advocates for people with the existing liens from these agreements.

But theres some good news to stop future consumers from getting entrapped in these agreements and liens.

Two national organizations, the American Land Title Association (ALTA), the national trade association of the land title insurance industry, and AARP held a joint press briefing last week to discuss efforts to combat this practice by not only MV Realty but a few other companies. They call these types of agreements NTRAPS, which stands for Non-Title Recorded Agreements for Personal Service.

Betty Lin-Fisher

But the acronym NTRAPS kind of says it all, Elizabeth Blosser, vice president of government affairs at ALTA, said during the press briefing.

These are agreements that are entrapping consumers for up to 40 years, she said.

Because a person's home is such a huge financial investment, we believe that there should not be any unreasonable restraints on the ability to finance or transfer that property due to a decade's long listing agreement.

ALTA and AARP have been working collaboratively with other advocates to try to stop the use of NTRAPs, which they say have been in use since 2018.

Last year, ALTA, alongside AARP, consumer advocates, industry partners, and national real estate law experts, drafted a model bill making NTRAPS unenforceable, restricting and prohibiting the recording of NTRAPS in property records, creating penalties if NTRAPS are recorded in property records, and providing for the removal of NTRAPS from property records and recovery of damages, the organization said.

Since the model bill was drafted, 15 state legislatures have passed bills banning or limiting these agreements  including Ohio, Maryland, Georgia, and Florida.

Blosser said the bills have been passing unanimously and in a bi-partisan manner in most states. There are 20 states that have or are looking at such legislation, she said.

Additionally, seven attorney generals have sued a firm promoting this business model over its right-to-list agreements, and ALTA and AARP were able to stop a bill promoted by one of these predatory companies.

Title agents across the country have found at least 25,000 NTRAPS filed against homeowners in 32 states and there are more, Blosser said.

Just one would be unacceptable when youre talking about an unfair agreement that can have such a devastating impact on a consumer,  said Blosser.

The draft legislation that has been used in many states makes the liens or NTRAPS void and unenforceable, but thats not happening in all states that pass the law, she said.

What's happening in Ohio?

A total of 830 of these agreements have been identified in Ohio. Ohio is one of the few states where both the legislature and the state attorney general have taken action to address these unfair business practices, and we applaud their efforts to protect Ohioans, said Blosser.

Attorney General spokeswoman Hannah Hundley told me that in regards to its lawsuit and the pending law: Our filling for a Preliminary Injunction blocked liens moving forward until the law is in place. Once the law is in place, which goes into effect in October, the law will block the liens moving forward at that point.

Blosser said we would hope action by General Yost would ultimately help those have already signed agreements and therefore won't be covered by the new law.

She said the advocacy groups recommend that consumers who have already signed these agreements and feel that they were not provided adequate disclosures contact their Attorney Generals Office, their county legal department, or their state consumer agency. It may also be wise to connect with legal counsel, or local community legal services.

'They were being deceitful': Homeowners, state say MV Realty tricked consumers

Joe Fantozzi, legal counsel for Summit County Auditor Kristen Scalise, told me about remarks by Deputy Ohio Attorney General Chip Miller about right to list agreements at the Ohio Recorders Association Spring Conference and reviewed the relevant legislation.

He advised, and all recorders in attendance agreed, that this new legislation does not permit a county recorder to unilaterally remove a lien. Rather, it gives a homeowner a cause of action in court to have the 'agreements' declared void. That order may then be filed with in the recorders office and will let title examiners know that the MV Realty lien is not valid, Fantozzi said.

On a local level, there have not been any new agreements filed since we last spoke and we have not received any court orders to declare the existing liens void, he said.

Fantozzi also sent me two documents releasing a local homeowner from a lien from MV Realty.

However, when I spoke to that homeowner, Wayne Goodrum, he said he didnt negotiate any release from MV Realty and didnt even know who MV Realty was until after he recently sold his late parents' house in Akron.

Goodrum said MV Realty took 3% of the sales price or $3,500. He was very upset because he said he never signed any agreement with MV Realty.

He doesnt know if his parents signed an agreement with MV Realty but that would seem to be the case.

Goodrum said what the company did was the equivalent of a scam. I suggested Goodrum file a complaint with state agencies in case the lawsuit is successful and maybe theres a way for him to get some money back.

Consumer columnist Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Good news to protect homeowners from predatory liens | Betty Lin-Fisher
(Reuters) - Negotiators for the striking Writers Guild of America (WGA) and Hollywood studios will meet again on Sunday after a fourth day of talks failed to reach a deal.

The WGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents studios like Walt Disney, Netflix and other media companies, held talks on Saturday as the strike reached its 145th day.

Writers walked off the job in early May after negotiations failed to agree on compensation, minimum staffing of writers' rooms, the use of artificial intelligence and residuals that reward writers for popular streaming shows.

The SAG-AFTRA union, comprising 160,000 members from actors to stunt performers, joined the writers in July, calling for a work stoppage and putting Hollywood into two simultaneous strikes for the first time in 63 years.

(Reporting by Urvi Dugar in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
Lance Stroll will not race in tonights Singapore Grand Prix after his massive crash in qualifying on Saturday.

The Canadian was trying to make it through to Q2 when he lost control in the high-speed final corner and hit the barrier heavily on the outside of the track, severely damaging the car.

Although Stroll was able to climb out unaided and was subsequently cleared and released from the medical center, Aston Martin says he is still sore after the impact and with such a big repair job for the team the decision has been made to withdraw the car.

The whole team are relieved that Lance was able to step out of the car after yesterdays accident  however, he is still feeling the after-effects of such a high-impact crash, team principal Mike Krack said. Our priority now is that he makes a full and speedy recovery.

Together, we have decided that he will sit out this evenings race and instead focus fully on returning to the cockpit for next weekends Japanese Grand Prix.

Stroll will not be replaced in Singapore as his withdrawal came after qualifying and a replacement would need to have taken part in a practice or qualifying session to be able to drive. That leaves 19 cars on the grid for tonights race, and just one Aston Martin with Fernando Alonso starting from seventh.

The only race Stroll has missed in his seven-year Formula 1 career to date is the 2020 Eifel Grand Prix when he was withdrawn due to COVID, and he raced in Bahrain earlier this year despite fracturing both wrists and a toe a few weeks previously.

Story originally appeared on Racer
The Home Secretary said she had launched an official review days after an armed policeman was charged with murdering Chris Kaba, a 23-year-old black man, who was shot dead driving through south London last November

Suella Braverman has backed armed police after a member of a firearms team was charged with murder, saying officers must not fear ending up in the dock.

The Home Secretary said she had launched an official review days after an armed policeman was charged with murdering Chris Kaba, a 23-year-old black man, who was shot dead driving through south London last November.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed yesterday that counter-terrorism specialists are among a growing number of Metropolitan Police officers who have handed in their weapons in anger at the move.

This morning Ms Braverman tweeted: We depend on our brave firearms officers to protect us from the most dangerous and violent in society.

In the interest of public safety they have to make split-second decisions under extraordinary pressures.

They mustnt fear ending up in the dock for carrying out their duties. Officers risking their lives to keep us safe have my full backing and I will do everything in my power to support them.

Thats why I have launched a review to ensure they have the confidence to do their jobs while protecting us all.

Chris Kaba, 24, who was shot dead during a police operation in Streatham Hill, south London, last year

Firearms teams who man crucial Armed Response Vehicles are also refusing to work, it is understood.

One firearms officer told The Sunday Telegraph: I have never known so much anger among my colleagues.

Officers working for SCO19 - the specialist firearms unit - told their bosses they were no longer willing to carry guns the day after a Met officer appeared in court charged with murdering Mr Kaba, who was unarmed when he was shot dead.

The Met has more than 3,000 firearms officers across a number of units, but the loss of so many at once has led to concern over the ability of the force to meet its duties and keep the public safe.

One source said: These officers are highly trained professionals who take their role and responsibilities extremely seriously, but they are simply no longer willing to take the risk of going to work with all the dangers that represents and also run the risk of being charged with murder.

Lots of them have simply had enough and are saying it is just not worth it any more.

On Thursday an armed officer, who has only been identified as NX121, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court and also the Old Bailey charged with murdering Mr Kaba on September 5 last year.

He was given conditional bail and is expected to stand trial next year.

Just hours after he appeared in court, Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner held a meeting with around 70 firearms officers concerned about the development.

Bravery comes in many forms

Following the meeting Sir Mark issued a statement in which he said: They were understandably anxious as they consider how others may assess their split-second decisions years after the event, with the luxury of as much time as they want to do this, and the effect this can have on them and their families.

As I continue my work today, our firearms officers are on patrol deployed on proactive crime and counter-terrorism operations as they are every day.

They are not only prepared to confront the armed and dangerous to protect Londons communities but they do so recognising the uniquely intense and lengthy personal accountability they will face for their split-second operational decisions.

Indeed, I understand why many of them are reflecting on the potential price of such weighty responsibilities. Bravery comes in many forms.

When officers have the levels of uncertainty and worry I saw in my colleagues today, simply going in and doing their jobs not knowing what incidents are ahead of them is courageous.

A Met spokesman denied that the development was having an impact on the forces ability to carry out its protective duties and keep Londoners safe.

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An innocent Maryland man received an apology from the state and approval for a $340,000 settlement after he was wrongly convicted of two violent crimes and imprisoned for more than five years.

Demetrius Smith was wrongly convicted of first-degree assault and murder in 2008 when he was just 25. Smith spent more than five years in prison, including a full year after his innocence had been proven. More than 10 years after his 2013 release, he finally received an apology from Gov. Wes Moore, the states first Black governor, and the Board of Public Works.

Demetrius Smith clears his name after spending more than five years in prison for crimes he did not commit. (Photo: ProPublica/YouTube screenshot )

Moore apologized directly to Smith on Sept. 20 during a Board of Public Works hearing to determine a compensation settlement, according to CBS News.

Related: Former Oklahoma Death Row Inmate Freed After Judge Dismisses Murder Case: There Never Really Was Any Real Evidence

Were here today more than 10 years after he was released from incarceration, providing Mr. Smith with long overdue justice that he was deprived of, an apology from the state of Maryland that until today hes never received, said Moore. I am deeply sorry for the fact that our justice system failed you not once, but our justice system failed you twice, and while no amount of money can make up for what was taken from you, the action this board is taking today represents a formal acknowledgment from the state for the injustice that was caused.

Moore was arrested in Baltimore in 2008 and charged with killing Robert Long, a murder he did not commit, and despite the judge at his bail hearing saying the case was probably the thinnest case hed ever seen, the prosecution moved forward with the case using testimony from a witness who was not even present at the scene of the crime. While out on bail, he was arrested for assault based on witness testimony that was later recanted. Smith was convicted of murder in 2010. He was sentenced to life in prison plus 18 years.

Smith entered an Alford plea in 2011 for the assault charge. An Alford plea allows a defendant to accept a conviction in exchange for a reduced sentence while also asserting their innocence. Because hed already been convicted of a crime he did not commit once, Smith thought the Alford plea was the best-case scenario.

That year, the Maryland U.S. attorneys office charged the person who committed the murder, and Smith was proven innocent of the crime. However, Smith was not released, and he sat in prison for another 1.5 years until the state dropped the charge in 2012.

Smith petitioned the court in May of 2013 to have his Alford plea for the assault charge dismissed after his murder conviction was dropped and a witness in the assault case recanted.

ProPublica reports Baltimore prosecutor Richard Gibson tried to block it, claiming that Judge Barry Williams had no authority to change Smiths sentence. A new prosecutor in 2013 changed the 10-year sentence to time served and three years of probation, later reduced to probation. However, Smith found it difficult to find housing and employment with a record and said he had to sit down and explain the whole story to potential employers.

In 2018, Judge Williams finally wiped the shooting conviction from Smiths record, saying that it was in the interest of justice and theres too much going on to leave it as is.

Smith aptly noted that the conviction shouldnt have been on his record in the first place. Im innocent. Period.

Gibson argued against the judges ruling and argued that the sentence modification wasnt in the best interest of the community. Judge Williams scolded Gibson for claiming that Smiths two cases didnt have any detectives in common, which was a lie.

Smith was allowed to address Gibson during the hearing.

I sat in prison for five years, Smith said while noting that Gibson couldnt even look me in the face. Tell me Im sorry.

Humans make mistakes, he said to Gibson before saying he couldnt understand why the prosecutor didnt do anything about it. This whole situation is a mess, and all he had to do was say sorry from the beginning when he knew he was wrong.

Gibson did not respond to Smith in court or out of court.

According to the Baltimore Banner, the board approved $227,000 in compensation, with an additional $89,000 for housing assistance and $25,000 to pay his legal fees. Smith said in 2022 that hed been waiting a long time for an apology.

You know, thats all I ever asked, said Smith. Its not even about the money because thats not going to bring back the time. We cant get, I cant get them years back ever. They gone.

Read the full story at Atlanta Black Star.
Tech millionaire Bryan Johnson has made headlines for spending millions to try to age backwards.

It'd be ironic if he died in an accident, and he knows it  and drives like it, according to a new TIME profile.

Johnson says a mantra before he drives and at one point went 16 mph on the streets of LA, per TIME.

Bryan Johnson is shelling out millions to try to live forever. It's not lost on him how ironic it might be if he died in an accident, and you can tell he knows it by the way he drives.

A TIME profile of the 46-year-old biotech entrepreneur published Wednesday said the tech millionaire still drives himself in an electric Audi, albeit "extremely slowly," noting he was going 16 miles per hour on the streets of Los Angeles at one point.

Before he starts driving, he repeats a mantra: "Driving is the most dangerous thing we do," the article revealed.

"What would be more beautiful irony than me getting hit by a bus and dying?" he told TIME.

Johnson did not immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment ahead of publication.

Johnson spends up to $2 million a year on an experimental program he calls Project Blueprint in the hopes of reducing his biological age and ultimately living forever.

His intense regimen includes things like taking more than 100 supplements per day, aiming to eat 70 pounds of vegetables a month, having his final meal of the day at 11 a.m., and at one point experimenting with blood plasma transfusions from his teenage son before stopping because there were "no benefits detected."

Johnson told TIME that data compiled by his doctors suggests he has the bones of a 30-year-old and the heart of a 37-year-old, but doctors remain skeptical of his methods and results.

"If you expect to live significantly longer than, say, 115  which is more or less the maximum lifespan of our species  then there is currently zero evidence this can be accomplished," Jan Vijg, a genetics professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, previously told Insider.

Of course, that's not stopping Johnson from trying  even if it means occasionally getting honked at by impatient drivers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
KANSAS CITY, Mo.  One teen is dead and one woman is fighting for her life after a family dispute led to a shooting early Sunday morning in Kansas City, according to the Kansas City Police Department.

Around 1 a.m. Sunday, KCPD responded to reports of shots fired near NE 119th Terrace and N Tracy Avenue.

One killed, 5 seriously injured during head-on crash in Kansas City

When officers arrived they found a woman suffering from multiple gunshot wounds lying on the floor of an open garage. The victim was taken to a hospital and is currently stable but in life-threatening condition, according to KCPD.

When officers entered the home they found a teenage boy inside suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the home.

Investigation revealed the event stemmed from a domestic violence argument between multiple family members.

View the latest headlines from Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas at fox4kc.com

Detectives are currently gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses.

An adult male was taken into custody as a person of interest from inside of the home.

If anyone was in or around the area call Homicide detectives at 816-234-5043 or 816-474-TIPS.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports.
Sudiksha Thirumalesh who has been identified as the woman at the centre of a legal battle

A teenager who died trying to fight her doctors attempts to withdraw life support can finally be named after a court lifted a gagging order.

Sudiksha Thirumalesh, 19, died last week while locked in a legal battle with an NHS Trust.

The A-level schoolgirl from Birmingham suffered from a rare degenerative disease and was fully conscious and able to communicate, repeatedly telling doctors that she did not want to die.

However, last month a Court of Protection judge said that she lacked the capacity to make decisions about her treatment amid reporting restrictions preventing Sudiksha, her family and the NHS Trust and medics treating her, from being identified.

As a result, Sudiksha was anonymised by the court for over a year as ST.

Brutally silenced, intimidated

On Friday, following the lifting of reporting restrictions, her family released a statement saying: We did not look for this fight, this fight came to us from a system that too readily gives up on life. We were brutally silenced, intimidated, and taken to court in the hour of our need.

Sudikshas disease had resulted in a number of related health problems including impaired sight and hearing loss, chronic muscle weakness, bone disease and chronic damage to her kidneys and lungs. However, it did not affect the functioning of her brain.

The teenager had instructed her own lawyers to argue that she should be kept alive and allowed to travel to Canada or North America in the hope of taking part in a medical trial which she believed would give her a chance of survival.

Her doctors said that they would not stop a transfer to North America if she were to be accepted for a clinical trial. However, her family claimed that the reporting restrictions prevented them from going public and fundraising to make the 1.5 million needed to make the journey. Furthermore, breaching a reporting restriction issued by a court is a contempt of court and, while rare, can result in a custodial sentence.

The Christian teenager told one of two psychiatrists instructed by the hospital to assess her, and who both found that she is not suffering from any mental health issues and that she had the mental capacity to make decisions, that: This is my wish. I want to die trying to live. We have to try everything.

Following the lifting of reporting restrictions on Friday, Sudikshas parents, Mr Thirumalesh Chellamal Hemachandran and Mrs Revathi Malesh Thirumalesh, and her brother Varshan Chellamal Thirumalesh, can now also be named.

The parents and brother of Sudiksha outside the High Court after ruling was lifted - Tom Pilgrim/PA

In a statement given outside the High Court, they said: After a year of struggle and heartache we can finally say our beautiful daughter and sisters name in public without fear: She is Sudiksha. She is not ST.

Despite our grief and the continuing shock over everything we have been through, today a part of us is at peace.

Sudiksha was a wonderful daughter and sister who we will cherish forever. We cannot imagine life without her. We seek justice for Sudiksha today, and for others in her situation.

We are deeply disturbed by how we have been treated by the hospital trust and the courts. We have been gagged, silenced and most importantly, prevented from accessing specialist treatment abroad for Sudiksha. Had she been allowed to seek nucleoside treatment six months ago it may well be that she would still be with us and recovering. Sudiksha said she wanted to die trying to live. This is what she did. We are so proud of her.

Mr Justice Peel adjourned the decision on whether to lift the restrictions on naming the hospital, the hospital trust and the clinicians involved until next week.

The NHS Trust had asked the court to approve a palliative care plan for Sudiksha, meaning that she would no longer receive dialysis and would die from kidney failure within a few days. The trust believed that her apparent refusal or inability to accept that her disease will result in her early, if not imminent, death amounted to a delusion and therefore she is incapable of making decisions for herself.

System that too readily gives up on life

In August, Mrs Justice Roberts said Sudiksha lacked capacity to instruct her own lawyers and that decisions about her life and death should be taken by the court in her best interests.

The Christian Legal Centre had criticised the Court of Protections decision as effectively condemning her to death.

In their statement, Sudikshas family added: We did not look for this fight, this fight came to us from a system that too readily gives up on life. We were brutally silenced, intimidated, and taken to court in the hour of our need.

It is shocking that a family in the middle of stress and tragedy had a threat of imprisonment hanging over their heads.

Sudiksha was called delusional for saying she wanted to live. The ruling from Mrs Justice Roberts was cruel, and no patient and family should be treated in this way.

We have never been out for revenge, we just want justice and to be able to tell our and Sudikshas story.

We want to thank the medical practitioners who did their best for Sudiksha. To those few clinicians who seemed only to care about Sudiksha dying, we forgive you. We are a Christian family who believe in life, love and forgiveness.

Sudikshas case is similar to that of Charlie Gard, the baby whose life support was withdrawn following a bitter and high-profile legal case in 2017.

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.


On a frigid evening in January 2018, Brian Wharton was sitting at home in Hawkins, a small town in the backcountry of east Texas, when there was a knock on the door. A woman introduced herself as a lawyer working to spare the life of Robert Roberson, a death row inmate who had come within four days of execution.

Wharton immediately understood the significance of this visit. He was a retired detective from the police department in Palestine, another small town about 80 miles away, and in 2002 he had been involved in a case that stuck in his memory.

On 31 January that year, Wharton was called to Palestine hospital after receiving reports of a mortally ill child. Her father, Roberson, had brought his two-year-old daughter Nikki into the ER in a comatose state, the little girl lying limp in his arms and turning blue. She died the following day.

Wharton led the investigation. He arrested Roberson hours after the girl died, even before an autopsy had been performed, having been advised by doctors that this was a case of shaken baby syndrome  the theory that the child had died from violent shaking that caused fatal brain injuries.

Wharton went on to testify at Robersons capital trial. The jury convicted Roberson in February 2003 and sent him  now branded Prisoner 999442  to death row.

Wharton had been troubled by key aspects of the case from the start. Why had the doctors and nurses seized on shaken baby syndrome as the cause of Nikkis injuries almost immediately, and why with such certainty? Why had a nurse told him she had found indicators of sexual assault on Nikkis body when he could see no such evidence?

Why, when he escorted Roberson back to his house on the day of Nikkis collapse, could he find no signs of a violent altercation? Why were there no marks or indentations on the walls, no holes in the sheetrock, nothing  and no blood anywhere except a few drops on a washcloth Roberson gave him?

Above all, why had Roberson himself acted so strangely? As a police officer, Wharton had dealt with both perpetrators and victims of violent crimes, but Robersons behavior fitted the pattern of neither criminal nor victim. He came across as flat, emotionless, matter-of-fact, as though nothing was registering with him.

All these things bugged the former detective to the point that he felt haunted by them. So when the doorbell rang, and Robersons lawyer stood before him, Wharton knew exactly what to do.

Come in, he said. Ive been waiting for you.



On Tuesday, the US supreme court will convene in Washington for what is known as a long conference, preceding the start of its 2023-24 term. The justices will meet in private to sift through the backlog of cases that have amassed over the summer, tossing out those they are disinclined to consider.

The lawyer Gretchen Sween will be waiting on tenterhooks for news of which petitions the court has discarded. Among the huge pile of requests awaiting the justices attention is one she prepared for her client: Roberson.

Well be watching anxiously to see if we make it through that gauntlet, Sween told the Guardian.

Robersons supreme court appeal could be his last shot at judicial review. Should the justices reject his approaches, the state of Texas would be free to set a new execution date.

Roberson has asked the court to review the decision of the Texas state courts to deny a retrial despite new evidence that has emerged casting doubt on his conviction. Since Sween took over as his attorney in 2016 she has discovered that:

Nikki, who shortly before she died had been placed in Robersons custody, was chronically sick almost from birth. She suffered bouts of breathing apnea which caused her suddenly to stop breathing and collapse. Shortly before her father rushed her to hospital, she had had diarrhea for five days and had a fever of 104.5F (40.3C).

Nikki also had severe undiagnosed pneumonia.

She had been prescribed medications, including an opioid, that are no longer considered safe for children as they can cause fatal breathing problems and oxygen deprivation.

The sexual assault allegation was unsupported by any evidence, and the nurse who raised it was unqualified to identify it.

Then there is the overarching question of shaken baby syndrome. The petition asks the supreme court to weigh whether a death sentence based largely on a scientific hunch presented to the jury as fact should be allowed to stand when, in the intervening years, that theory has been largely discredited.

In other words: should Texas be allowed to execute a man on the basis of junk science?

This is a shocking, social failure, Sween said. This is not simply a matter of having the wrong guy, its a matter of there having been no crime committed in the first place.



Texas houses its 179 male death row inmates in the Allen B Polunsky Unit, a complex of windowless grey boxes resembling a Walmart supercenter shrouded in barbed wire.

Roberson, 56, was waiting in the secure metal cubicle assigned for media visits. He was wiping smudges off the bulletproof glass, an attention to detail that seemed incongruous given the circumstances.

He was dressed in the all-white onesie that is death row uniform in Texas. From the first exchange, his highly unusual way of speaking was evident.

Thank you for for for for for, ah ah, this interview, sir sir, he said, blinking fast behind his glasses, in time with his stutter.

That was a clue as to why medical staff were so quick to suspect Roberson when they encountered him, and why Wharton found his behaviour so singular. Long after his capital trial  too late for the jury to factor it in  Roberson was diagnosed with autism.

Roberson described his life of poverty at the time he began looking after Nikki. Separated from the girls mother, and living with a new partner, he worked three newspaper delivery routes to try to support them.

After gas and stuff, you dont make too much from a paper route, he said.

Asked what he hoped for Nikki when he took custody of her, he said: I was hoping to raise her, you know, to be a father to her, to raise her to have a good life and stuff, and for us all to be happy. To provide for her best I can, to nurse her, to love her, to pray for her.

Roberson said Nikki was sick from the day she joined him, recalling that they had to visit the doctors surgery because she was so ill. On the morning of 31 January 2002, he said he found she had fallen out of bed and was lying face down on the floor.

She had a little bit of blood on her lip, I wiped it off on a towel, he said.

He lifted her back on the bed and they went back to sleep. Then he described what happened after he awoke a second time.

When I got back up she wasnt breathing and I listen to her heart, werent breathing. I tried to wake her up, her heart was still beating but she wasnt breathing.

He added: Only thing I could think was she might have fell off and might have hit her head, but I didnt see it, so I dont know.

He drove Nikki to the ER and handed her to the medical staff.

They lifted the little girl, and shes limp and started turning blue, and stuff.

He said he could tell that the nurses and doctors suspected him straight away of doing something bad to Nikki. During the trial, the prosecution said he came across as cold and uncaring because he didnt cry, but he said that was because he had trained himself not to cry during his difficult childhood.

Its hard for me to cry because I got my behind whooped by my father who would say, Shut up or dry it up or well give you some more. My dad was kind of abusive, you know.

Roberson was taken into custody within hours of Nikkis death. He remains there more than 21 years later.

I asked him how he felt about being convicted of shaking his daughter to death.

I would never think about shaking her, he replied. And thats Gods honest truth. I dont know what happened to her, Mr Pilkington. I wouldnt want that to be on nobody: to lose a child, especially if you tried to do right and you loved her and tried to get to know her, then to be accused.

Roberson said he knew nothing about the medical hypothesis that fueled his prosecution until long after he was arrested. He read about it in a brochure someone gave his mother.

Id never heard about shaken baby in my life, he said.



Shaken baby syndrome (SBS) began life in the early 1970s as a medical hypothesis for why some children become severely ill, some fatally, showing signs of internal head trauma but little or no signs of external trauma. One of the first to float the idea was a British pediatric neurosurgeon, Norman Guthkelch, who in 1971 suggested the cause might be violent shaking.

By the 1980s, SBS had developed into a detailed theory focusing on three symptoms, known as the triad, that it was believed could indicate abusive shaking: bleeding between the tissue layers covering the brain, swelling on the brain, and bleeding at the back of the eyes. When that triad was seen, even without any outward sign of force, child abuse might be behind it.

By the 1990s, a form of groupthink had crept in, medical practitioners firming up what had begun as a mere hunch into a formal diagnosis. The collective thinking now was that where those three symptoms were seen in young children, not only could abusive shaking be presumed, it had to be taken as the cause.

In 2001, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the worlds leading pediatric medical organization, issued official guidance. It said that where a young child had internal head injuries there was the need for a presumption of child abuse  a categoric finding that rapidly became medical, and then forensic dogma.

The conversation was about shaken baby, so for me and my detectives thats the direction we were going Brian Wharton

So it was that a year later, when Roberson brought Nikki to ER, he was met by a cordon of medical staff trained in this thinking, with detectives and prosecutors following their lead.

When we got to Palestine hospital, the conversation was about shaken baby, Wharton recalled, so for me and my detectives thats the direction we were going.

The problem was that the presumption that the triad must be caused by violent shaking had no scientific foundations. As a new book of essays, Shaken Baby Syndrome, published by Cambridge University Press and edited by prominent scientists and law professors in the US, UK, Europe and Japan, points out, shaking is essentially a biomechanical issue pediatric doctors know little about.

One of the first biomechanical studies to be carried out into SBS was conducted in 1987, almost 20 years after the hypothesis emerged. It found that violent shaking produces a force inside the head well below that involved in impact injuries such as car crashes, and much weaker than child abuse experts had assumed.

The new books conclusion is that 50 years after Guthkelchs hunch, this hypothesis still lacks a scientific evidence base.

In 1997, shaken baby syndrome became a global sensation with the televised trial of a British nanny, Louise Woodward, in Massachusetts. She was prosecuted following the death of the eight-month-old in her care, Matthew Eappen.

Woodward was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life, later reduced to involuntary manslaughter and time served. Her trial was so high-profile that it brought to public attention serious doubts about the credibility of SBS raised by the nannys defense attorney, the co-founder of the Innocence Project, Barry Scheck.

Since Roberson was sentenced to death in 2002, those doubts have steadily grown. Dr Patrick Barnes, a key prosecution witness in the Woodward trial, retracted his testimony and became a vocal critic of the syndrome.

The trial of Louise Woodward, a British nanny in the US, brought to public attention serious doubts about the credibility of SBS. Photograph: Getty Images

Even Guthkelch, its creator, came out in 2012 and said his work had been distorted. He never intended, he said, to suggest that the three symptoms could be assumed to be shaken baby syndrome in the absence of any other evidence of abuse.

There was not a vestige of proof when the name was suggested that shaking, and nothing else, causes the triad, he said.

Over time those medical doubts have filtered through to the courtroom. Since 1993 there have been 32 exonerations in the US following SBS convictions, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.

This week, an appeals court in New Jersey ruled that SBS was junk science and scientifically unreliable and could not be used by prosecutors at trial.

In Ohio, Alan Butts was released in December after 19 years in prison having been granted a new trial. His story is uncannily similar to Robersons: he was accused of the shaking baby death of his girlfriends two-year-old son, Jadyn, in 2002, the year Nikki died.

New evidence showed Jadyn had pneumonia at the time of his death  just like Nikki. The toddler was on medication no longer given to children because it can cause sudden death  just like Nikki.

Katherine Judson is a lawyer who has represented Butts for several years. She is also executive director of the Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences, which has filed a brief supporting Roberson in his supreme court petition.

In Judsons view, the Butts and Roberson narratives are so remarkably akin that they provide an excellent example of flukey justice.

You can have the exact same facts in a different jurisdiction, she said, and one person gets released while the other person languishes on death row.



In recent years, the Innocence Project has become increasingly involved in exposing junk science. The group has focused on a range of forensic techniques that in their application have put innocent people at risk.

They include bitemark analysis, under which it was believed erroneously that a bite on a corpses skin could be matched to a suspects dentition; hair microscopy, which claimed falsely that a single hair from a crime scene could be linked visually to an individual; and fire science, which suggested that analysis of a burn pattern could determine whether a fire was arson  until it was discovered that intentional and accidental fires leave the same imprints.

Related: Can you spell lynching?: lawyers shocking note in Texas execution case

The Innocence Project has joined Robersons legal team. Vanessa Potkin, director of special litigation, said the group had decided to fight for the prisoners life because an innocent man is at serious risk of being executed.

She added: Like so many faulty forensics that have played a role in the nations exonerations, the evidence upon which his conviction and death sentence rest has been disproven since the time of his trial.

Paradoxically, Texas is a leader in countering junk science. In 2013, the state introduced a first-in-the-nation junk science writ that allowed prisoners  especially those on death row  to challenge sentences on grounds of misused forensic science. It was under this law that in 2016 Sween saved Roberson from imminent death by securing a stay of execution four days before his scheduled lethal injection.

But the hope generated by the new junk science law in Texas has proven a chimera. There have been about 70 attempts by death row inmates to utilize the law and of those the number that have obtained relief is zero.

Kosoul Chanthakoummane was one of those who appealed through the junk science law. He had been put on death row on the back of three different types of junk science: hypnosis of a witness to obtain identification, bitemark analysis and a discredited form of DNA testimony.

In August 2022, Texas executed him anyway.

There is a real possibility that that fate now awaits Roberson. Having secured a stay of execution, he was granted an evidentiary hearing at his trial court. Sween presented a mass of new evidence. Expert witnesses were called to speak about the growing consensus that SBS is junk science.

The court heard that Nikkis symptoms could all be explained by natural rather than violent causes, including her pneumonia and chronic illness and the life-threatening medication. It was also told about Robersons autism, and the unfounded nature of the sexual assault allegation.

It was just three words: shaken baby syndrome. Without them, he would be a free man today. Brian Wharton

Despite the voluminous testimony, a state judge denied the appeal. She said shaken baby syndrome remained a reasonable diagnosis and that Roberson failed to provide any newly discovered evidence undermining his conviction.

In January, the Texas court of criminal appeals affirmed that decision.

The state is now actively lobbying the supreme court justices to persuade them not to take Robersons case. Its argument cites testimony from Teddie, Robersons estranged girlfriend, who said he had a bad temper and would yell at Nikki and hit her.

Robersons legal team counter that Teddie was not a credible witness. Her own sister testified for Roberson, insisting she had never seen him mistreat Nikki and telling the jury Teddie had a problem with telling the truth.

Brian Wharton, who after retiring from law enforcement retrained as a cleric and is now pastor of a United Methodist church situated 10 miles away from death row, testified at the junk science hearing. He told the court that, drawing on his 14 years experience as a police officer, he had come to the view that shaken baby syndrome was a fallacy and that without it there was no evidence supporting Robersons death sentence.

What case would we have been able to make? Wharton told the Guardian. There was no crime scene, no forensic evidence. It was just three words: shaken baby syndrome. Without them, he would be a free man today.

Roberson said the worst part of his fight to stay alive was not knowing. Will the supreme court take his petition, or will they not?

He has had so many knock-backs that he knows the worst could happen. But he says hes ready for whatever comes. He recently participated in the first faith-based program on Texass death row and said it had deepened his religious belief.

Roberson has a tattoo on his right arm which he inked himself when he was still a child, aged 17. That was many years before he grew up and became a father to Nikki.

F T W, it says.

The Guardian asked what it stood for. He replied: Then? Or now?

Then it was F The World. Thats how I felt when I was a kid. But I changed, and now its Follow The Way.

That will be his guiding star for whatever lies ahead.

I hope and pray that God gives them the knowledge for the people to make a righteous decision, Roberson said. I know I didnt do it. Im not guilty. So Im at peace with the Lord.
Texas foster care system has long been plagued by abuse and neglect allegations, and a lack of placements for vulnerable children. The states new community-based care approach aims to change that.

But critics say the new system doesnt solve all of the problems, and theyre worried that privatization means less transparency and accountability.

Community-based care, as its being rolled out in Texas, takes the responsibilities of foster child placement and oversight out of the hands of the state and places it with nonprofit organizations.

The Texas legislature voted to move to the new format in 2017, shortly after the death of a 15-year-old girl who was in CPS care in Houston. It was also in the wake of a class-action lawsuit against the state filed in 2011. In the course of that suit, U.S. District Court Judge Janice Graham Jack of Corpus Christi placed the states foster care system under federal oversight.

Under the new system, the state contracts with organizations that act like middlemen in each region of the state. The organizations are responsible for finding placements for kids, essentially doing the jobs that used to be handled by Child Protective Services workers. In theory, the nonprofits have more familiarity with their local communities and can more effectively connect children and families with resources they need.

Community-based care still places some kids in non-family settings, including residential treatment centers such as Fort Worths Fort Behavioral Health. According to state numbers, more than 1,000 of the 10,000 kids in foster care were in residential treatment centers at the end of August. That placement number is down from a high of more than 1,700 kids each year from 2017 to 2019.

To North Texans, community-based care might sound familiar. The concept is similar to the foster care redesign pilot program that was rolled out in North Texas in 2014. Foster care redesign was a hybrid system where Fort Worth-based provider ACH Child and Family Services coordinated care for children, though the state still had the final say.

ACH started a new division  called Our Community Our Kids  to take charge of the foster care redesign pilot. Then, when the state began rolling out community-based care several years later, Our Community Our Kids became the Fort Worth regions contractor.

ACH, on its website, says the new system gives local communities the flexibility and authority to make significant improvements to the foster care system.

Our Community Our Kids is still among just a handful of nonprofit foster care providers, as the new private system has been slow to spread across the state, and is not slated to be fully rolled out until 2029.

One of the most-touted benefits of the new system is that, according to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website, it can keep Texas children in foster care closer to home and connected to families and friends.

Texas CASA, an organization involved in policy advocacy, published a 2023 report on community-based care. The report highlights transition challenges such as workforce and capacity shortages, but it also focused on the benefits of the new system.

Community-based care aims to place foster kids closer to their homes, which will allow family and caseworkers to monitor the kids more effectively, said Sarah Crockett, the director of public policy at Texas CASA.

Keeping kids closer to home, alongside increased state scrutiny due to the ongoing federal oversight of the foster care system, is making an impact, Crockett said.

The system is sort of slowly righting itself, she said. But its still going to take a while and its going take additional funding to get us to where we ideally should be.

Not everyone is convinced that the new system actually provides the benefits it aims to provides.

The state workers union has been vocally opposed to community-based care, a transition that means fewer state jobs. But Myko Gedutis, the organizing coordinator for the Texas State Employees Union, said it isnt just about the jobs. The union is opposed to privatization because it doesnt work, he said.

These jobs exist to serve vulnerable Texans. And when theyre outsourced, we know from experience and from whats happening right now that the needs of the community, the needs of those kids, are not getting addressed, Gedutis told the Star-Telegram.

He said the new private system offers bad actors more places to hide from state regulators and public scrutiny.

Its just offloading the problems to the private sector, Gedutis said. All the problems that existed, they continue to exist, theres just less transparency.

Privatization has hit serious criticism when its been rolled out in states including Kansas and Nebraska. The latter terminated its contract in late 2021 with private foster care provider St. Francis Ministries, which also operates in other states and is the provider in the Texas Panhandle.

One Texas CPS worker, whose identity is known to the Star-Telegram but who requested anonymity in order to speak freely, compared community-based care to the privatization of the prison system.

I really think its a political push. I think they liked the idea, it sounds great on paper, it sells really well. People love saving children, she said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Are you ready, Filo ARMYs? BTS star Jungkook is set to release his new single 3D featuring American rapper Jack Harlow, his label announced on Saturday.

The 26-year-olds second solo outing 3D (feat. Jack Harlow) is set to release at 1 p.m. (KST) on Sept. 29, Big Hit Music said.

It described the upcoming single as a Pop R&B track with clever expressions of feelings toward an unattainable person from the perspectives of first, second, and third dimensions. It even teased fans with a glimpse of a more mature version of the Korean superstar.

Get ready to meet an even more mature side of Jung Kook following Seven (feat. Latto). Jack Harlow has featured in this track, bringing his unique rap style and adding zest to the song, the label wrote on weverse.

Jungkooks first solo single Seven which also featured an American rapper, Latto, was released last July. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the US and even the Global 200.

Big Hit Music, meanwhile, unveiled on its Twitter account a series of hero films and concept photos of Jungkook in anticipation of 3Ds release.

Earlier this month, Jungkooks BTS bandmate V also debuted as a solo artist with his album Layover.

READ: BTS member V to release solo album, music videos in September
One lot of Sucralfate Oral Suspension has been recalled because it might be contaminated with bacillus bacteria.

Manufacturer VistaPharm, based in Largo, Florida, a suburb of Tampa, didnt explain in its recall notice how the ulcer medication got contaminated. But, the risk statement, left no doubt about the seriousness of the problem in its recall alert, which was also posted by the FDA.

In the population most at risk, the immunocompromised population, there is a reasonable probability that microbial contamination of the oral suspension can result in disseminated, life threatening infections such as endocarditis and necrotizing soft tissue infections, the alert said.

VistaPharm Sucralfate Oral Suspension

The lot involved is No. 810300, with an expiration date of Oct. 31, 2023, and went to three wholesale distributors nationwide.

READ MORE: Miami area company recalls sweet corn pancakes as a food allergy danger

People with this drug should reach out to your doctor or pharmacist to discuss a replacement and a refund, if necessary. Questions about this recall should be directed to Inmar, at rxrecalls@Inmar.com or 800-967-5952, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time.

Any medical problems you feel are connected to this medicine should be taken to a medical professional first.

After consulting with a medical professional, inform the FDA of any problems connected to the medicine by its MedWatch program. You can do that either by filling out an online reporting form or requesting a reporting form that you can fill out and mail to an address on the form or fax to 800-FDA-0178.
Falco Kuester, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at imagery of firefighters at a fire from one of the program's cameras, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. California's main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

LONDON (AP)  Wildfires fueled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fueling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence.

Firefighters and startups are using AI-enabled cameras to scan the horizon for signs of smoke. A German company is building a constellation of satellites to detect fires from space. And Microsoft is using AI models to predict where the next blaze could be sparked.

With wildfires becoming larger and more intense as the world warms, firefighters, utilities and governments are scrambling to get ahead of the flames by tapping into the latest AI technology  which has stirred both fear and excitement for its potential to transform life. While increasingly stretched first responders hope AI offers them a leg up, humans are still needed to check that the tech is accurate.

California's main firefighting agency this summer started testing an AI system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop camera feeds and is now expanding it statewide.

The system is designed to find abnormalities and alert emergency command centers, where staffers will confirm whether its indeed smoke or something else in the air.

The beauty of this is that it immediately pops up on the screen and those dispatchers or call takers are able to interrogate that screen and determine whether to send a crew, said Phillip SeLegue, staff chief of intelligence for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The cameras, part of a network that workers previously had to watch, provide billions of bytes of data for the AI system to digest. While humans still need to confirm any smoke sightings, the system helps reduce fatigue among staffers typically monitoring multiple screens and cameras, alerting them to look only when there's possible fire or smoke, SeLegue said.

It's already helped. A battalion chief got a smoke alert in the middle of the night, confirmed it on his cellphone and called a command center in San Diego to scramble first responders to the remote area.

The dispatchers said that if they hadnt been alerted, the fire would have been much larger because it likely wouldn't have been noticed until the next morning, SeLegue said.

San Francisco startup Pano AI takes a similar approach, mounting cameras on cell towers that scan for smoke and alert customers, including fire departments, utility companies and ski resorts.

The cameras use computer vision machine learning, a type of AI.

Theyre trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke, CEO Sonia Kastner said.

The images are combined with feeds from government weather satellites that scan for hotspots, along with other data sources, such as social media posts.

The technology gets around one of the main problems in the traditional way of detecting wildfires  relying on 911 calls from passers-by that need confirmation from staffers before crews and water-dropping planes can be deployed.

Generally, only one in 20 of these 911 calls are actually a wildfire. Even during fire season, it might be a cloud or fog or a barbecue, Kastner said.

Pano AIs systems do still rely on final confirmation, with managers playing a time lapse of the camera feed to ensure its smoke rising.

For fighting forest fires, technology is becoming really essential, said Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of energy delivery at Portland General Electric, Oregons largest utility and a Pano AI customer.

Utility companies sometimes play a role in sparking wildfires, when their power lines are knocked down by wind or struck by falling trees. Hawaiis electric utility acknowledged that its power lines started a devastating blaze in Maui this summer after apparently being downed by high winds.

PGE, which provides electricity to 51 cities in Oregon, has deployed 26 Pano AI cameras, and Bekkedahl said they have helped speed up response and coordination with emergency services.

Previously, fire departments were running around looking for stuff and not even really knowing exactly where its at, he said. The cameras help detect fires quicker and get teams on the ground faster, shaving up to two hours off response times.

Thats significant in terms of how fast that fire can can spread and grow, Bekkedahl said.

Using AI to detect smoke from fires is relatively easy, said Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist at Microsoft.

What is not easy is to have enough cameras that cover enough places, he said, pointing to vast, remote areas in northern Canada that have burned this summer.

Ferres' team at Microsoft has been developing AI models to predict where fires are likely to start. They have fed the model with maps of areas that burned previously, along with climate and geospatial data.

The system has its limitations  it can't predict random events like a lightning strike. But it can sift through historical weather and climate data to identify patterns, such as areas that are typically drier. Even a road, which indicates people are nearby, is a risk factor, Ferres said.

Its not going to get it all perfectly right," he said. "But what it can do is it can build a probability map (based on) what happened in the past.

The technology, which Microsoft plans to offer as an open source tool, can help first responders trying to figure out where to focus their limited resources, Ferres said.

Another company is looking to the heavens for a solution. German startup OroraTech analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence.

Taking advantage of advances in camera, satellite and AI technology, OroraTech has launched two mini satellites about the size of a shoebox into low orbit, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) above Earths surface. The Munich-based company has ambitions to send up eight more next year and eventually put 100 into space.

As wildfires swept central Chile this year, OroraTech said it provided thermal images at night when aerial drones are used less frequently.

Weeks after OroraTech launched its second satellite, it detected a fire near the community of Keg River in northern Alberta, where flames burned remote stretches of boreal forest repeatedly this summer.

"There are algorithms on the satellite, very efficient ones to detect fires even faster," CEO Thomas Gruebler said.

The AI also takes into account vegetation and humidity levels to identify flare-ups that could spawn devastating megafires. The technology could help thinly stretched firefighting agencies direct resources to blazes with the potential to cause the most damage.

Because we know exactly where the fires are, we can see how the fires will propagate," Gruebler said. So, which fire will be the big fire in one day and which will stop on their own.

___

AP Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay in San Francisco contributed.
A police officer in North Carolina is being praised for his actions that saved the life of a pit bull.

The Greenville Police Department posted a video to its Facebook page showing Officer Benjamin Schultz rescuing the dog trapped in rising floodwaters from Tropical Storm Ophelia.

The dog, a small pit bull, was tied to a fence and was just inches from drowning, the post said.

The video shows Schultz untie the dog and carry it away to safety as rain poured down.

Police say a good Samaritan called about the dog.

Without you, he wouldnt be alive, the post said, thanking the person who called.

McClatchy News reached out to police Sept. 24, but did not immediately hear back.

Floodwaters from the storm closed multiple roads in Greenville on Saturday, Sept. 23, according to another post by the police department.

The storm made landfall in North Carolina early Saturday, Sept. 23, according to The News & Observer. It left thousands of residents in North Carolina without power.

The storm brought wind and several inches of rain to parts of the state, The News & Observer reported. Some areas in eastern and central North Carolina saw downed trees and flooding, while storm surges affected parts of the coast.

Although the storm weakened Saturday night, its continued to threaten coastal flooding in parts of the country, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, according to the Associated Press.

Swells from the storm are also expected to impact waters off the East Coast through the weekend, the Associated Press reported.

The center of Ophelia is expected to turn toward the north-northeast and northeast, moving across eastern Virginia and the Delmarva Peninsula through Sunday, forecasters said, according to WJLA

Police have not said whether or not the owners of the dog will be charged.

Greenville is about 80 miles east of Raleigh.

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(The Conversation)  When city governments spend more money than they take in, officials often search for ways to generate revenue. One increasingly common source of money is traffic tickets. And research shows police officers issue more traffic tickets when cities are financially in a deficit.

But police represent only one aspect of this revenue-generating system. Judges and their courts also use traffic citations to generate money for the cities that employ them.

As scholars of public finance, we study how cities raise money to pay for their operations. Our new research indicates that judges in cities facing red ink often use their positions to maximize revenue from traffic tickets. They can do this by adding financial penalties to unpaid tickets. Judges often use the extra penalties to encourage people to pay.

The process of generating dollars through traffic tickets, though, begins with the police.

Revenue-motivated policing

Traffic violations are common. Whether drivers fail to signal a turn or drive a few miles per hour above the speed limit, it is not difficult for police to find someone who violated a traffic law. Officers have the discretion to pick and choose when to ticket and can adjust the number of tickets they issue based on factors that are not related to whether someone broke the law.

Those factors include the race of the driver or the racial makeup of the neighborhood the officers are patrolling. Usually, this means African American drivers and drivers in neighborhoods with more African American residents are ticketed at higher rates than other people.

Another factor affecting ticketing, but unrelated to whether drivers are breaking traffic laws, is the budgetary situation of the city.

One high-profile example of how a citys use of traffic tickets can be a problem is Ferguson, Missouri. According to a 2015 Department of Justice report, Fergusons law enforcement practices are shaped by the citys focus on revenue rather than by public safety needs. And those practices affected African Americans disproportionately. According to that report, African Americans made up 67% of the citys population at the time, but they were the subjects of 85% of traffic stops, 90% of the tickets, 92% of the warrants police issued and 96% of the arrests.

Ferguson was neither the first nor the only local government to replenish its coffers through traffic tickets. In the years since that federal report, numerous studies have shown that police and other city personnel increase the volume of traffic tickets they issue based on budgetary need.

The practice is actually so common that it has several names: policing for profit and revenue-motivated policing among them.

After a police officer tickets a driver, the process moves to a court.

Ticketing incentives in court

In some cases, the court that will process traffic tickets is operated by the state; in others, it is operated by the municipality. Regardless, the court is responsible for collecting money from traffic tickets.

But which court hears the case matters quite a bit. If a traffic ticket is settled in a state court, the money from fees is divided across the state and its various local governments. But if that same ticket is settled in a municipal court, then the vast majority of the money goes to the city.

Our research examined how this difference affected traffic tickets in Indiana. Like prior research, we found that police from cities facing revenue shortages issued more tickets. But we showed that this only happened when cities ran their own municipal courts. Put another way, the police are only more likely to ticket when it is profitable for the cities they serve.

We also examined how judges use their power to collect more money.

Ferguson once again provides an example of how authorities can abuse this power. As detailed in the Justice Department report, judges did not consider a persons financial status when levying penalties or setting payment deadlines. They also aggressively applied optional fees for late payments. Lastly, judges and police officers provided incorrect or incomplete information about when or whether defendants were required to appear in court. That meant defendants often racked up additional fees  and sometimes arrest warrants  for failure to appear.

Our research explored whether the problems in Ferguson happened elsewhere. We studied Indiana, where judges can suspend defendants drivers licenses if they have not paid their fines. This is a powerful, but potentially harmful, way to coerce payment. We counted the number of days judges waited before suspending a drivers license. Then, we looked at whether the city was experiencing a revenue shortfall. We found that judges suspend licenses faster when their cities need more money. The effect was pretty large: A 1% decrease in revenue caused licenses to be suspended three days faster.

Indianas property tax system places limits on the amount of revenue cities can collect through property taxes, and cities do not discover how much of their property tax levy they will be able to collect until after the city budget process is complete. This system allowed us to compare cities facing different levels of revenue shortfalls due to state-imposed reductions in property tax revenues.

The bottom line

In some cities and states, officials operate their courts  not just the police department  to generate revenue. We believe this is inherently a problem. The criminal justice system should exist to maximize public safety, not revenue.

But if states change the rules about who keeps the money generated by traffic tickets and related fines, the incentives for revenue maximization go away.

Our research bears this out. Judges will have no reason to suspend licenses faster when their cities are facing a budget crunch if the revenue goes to the state.

This change wont fix everything. Racial bias in the criminal justice system will still be pervasive. But it could help get rid of policing  and judging  for profit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City.
The following is a transcript of an interview with Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona that aired on "Face the Nation" on Sept. 24, 2023.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We go now to Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly . He is in Austin, Texas this morning. Senator, it is great to have you back on the program. You just- you just came back from Ukraine, and you met as well with President Zelenskyy this week here in Washington. Can Ukraine count on that $20 billion that President Biden is asking Congress for?

SEN. MARK KELLY: Well, Margaret, thank you for having me on. This was my second trip to Ukraine. I went in April, I had the chance to meet with commanders, US military commanders, Ukrainian, Polish. The aid that we are giving them is critical. If this was the stop, they would lose, and Putin would win. So I am, you know, motivated to get this done in the United States Senate. There's bipartisan support for this in a CR, providing funding for Ukraine. And so we've got to get this across the finish line or this would be a disaster.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Bipartisan support in a short term deal you said. Would you vote for a short-term deal if it didn't have Ukraine aid in it? You know, I'm asking you this because, the House, there's a problem getting this through?

SEN. KELLY: Hey, for years when we've done CRs, they've been bipartisan. Senator McConnell feels like we should continue to support Ukraine, Senator Schumer as well. Working across the aisle in the Senate, you know, we can get this done. The dysfunction in the House is unprecedented. You know who really cares about whether or not we fund Ukraine or not and continue to provide the support? It's the Chinese president. This has implications across the globe. You know, I cannot- I spent some private time with President Zelenskyy, you know, just this last week, and, you know, tried to reassure him that this is coming. And if we do- if we fail at this moment, there's a chance that we, you know, a year from now, two years from now, we wind up in a situation where we could be in direct conflict with the Russians. We do not want that.

MARGARET BRENNAN: CBS has confirmed that President Biden in his meeting with President Zelenskyy said he would provide Ukraine with ATACMS, these are these longer range surface to surface missile systems that would allow them to hit behind Russian lines. The Ukrainians have been asking for months for the systems, whether it was the F-16s, or the ATACMS now. Are you frustrated at how long it takes for approval to happen for these systems?

SEN. KELLY: Yeah, this conflict's been going on for a year and a half now. And in the beginning, we provided artillery, ammunition, eventually HIMARS, F-16s are not like other weapons systems. They're complicated. You have to train pilots, you have to train maintainers. I worked with the administration on that, we've gotten them cluster weapons now. ATACMS is an additional capability. There were some issues we had to work through. They've been, you know, stressing the need for this over- over a period of time now. And we're at the point that we're going to provide them this capability. And I think it's going to be helpful.

MARGARET BRENNAN: What restrictions should there be, you know, why the apprehension for so long?

SEN. KELLY: Well, an artillery shell goes about 18 miles, an ATACM missile goes about 190 miles. So, there was concern where and against what targets would they use them. We don't want this to escalate. But we're at the spot right now where they need an additional capability to maintain some more progress. The progress on this counter offensive, it's been good. You know, I talked to Ukrainian commanders. There are things that are, you know, starting to provide some, you know, problems, but we're making progress there.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Very quickly, should Senator Bob Menendez resign from his position?

SEN. KELLY: Well, these are serious and shocking charges of bribery, corruption. I've never seen anything like this. He stepped down from being chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee. That's a serious step. I think Senator Menendez is going to have to think long and hard about the cloud that's going to hang over his service in the United States Senate.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, he is up for reelection. It sounds like you are drawing attention to some questions about that. I have to take a quick--

SEN. KELLY: --He's, he's gonna be in--

MARGARET BRENNAN: --Sorry, go ahead.

SEN. KELLY: I was gonna say he was gonna be in court next week. And he's- he's got to figure out whether he can adequately serve the people of New Jersey.

MARGARET BRENNAN: I have to take a quick break and continue this conversation with you on the other side of it. Senator, stay with us. We'll be right back.

** COMMERCIAL BREAK **

MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome back to Face The Nation. We continue our conversation now with Arizona Senator Mark Kelly. Senator, the governor of your state said Friday, the state's overwhelmed. She was talking about migrants. We are on pace for a record number of border crossings. The Vice President told me recently that the administration's policies are making progress. Do you buy that? Or does the administration need to change their approach here?

SEN. KELLY: Margaret, here's the thing. I mean, the border in my state and others has been in a crisis for I mean, it's generations, decades, now. We've spent billions of dollars on border security and it- you know, it's still a problem. I'm on the phone with mayors and sheriffs and the Border Patrol agents frequently. I spoke to Secretary Marcus about this just three times last week. They're making changes. Border security is national security. I'm really concerned about next week and the government shutting down. If there's a government shutdown, border patrol agents are not going to get paid. This is going to, I mean, if we think it's bad today, just think about what that looks like.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well, what is the real world impact of that? Tony Gonzalez from Texas was saying, you know, border patrol agents, he claims are being prevented from doing their jobs in the first place right now and so it wouldn't make that much of a difference. Why do you think practically it really would?

SEN. KELLY: Well, border patrol agents are on the frontline of this crisis. I mean, so are- so are sheriffs, he mentioned sheriffs, but we've got thousands and thousands of border patrol agents on the border, enforcing our laws and also processing, you know, asylum seekers. If they stay home. I mean, this crisis will be compounded by an order of magnitude. You know, it's unconscionable to think that Republicans in the House are going to allow the government to shut down under the circumstances we're under today. I mean, there's always been bipartisan support for stopgap spending bills. Having a government shutdown, I mean, it takes off, you know, the growth of our economy is affected. It's going to affect our air traffic control system. If you're- if you're going to travel over the holidays, and there's a government shutdown, I mean that's going to impact you. Kids don't get meals when there's government shutdown, the military doesn't get paid. So, these things, these things are connected. We've got a crisis at the border, and what the speaker is allowing to happen in the House of Representatives could make this worse.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Kelly, thank you very much for joining us today.

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White House chief-of-staff Mark Meadows was burning so many documents at the end of the Trump presidency that his wife complained about the dry-cleaning bill caused by the bonfire smell from his clothes, according to a former aide.

Cassidy Hutchinson, whose memoir on her time in the Trump administration comes out this week, told The New York Times, that staff were using so-called burn bags to dispose of unneeded documents and other litter that had accumulated as part of White House business.

But according to Ms Hutchinson, Mr Meadows feared that burn bags could be intercepted by his enemies before they were destroyed so opted to toss documents into a fireplace.

The Independent has attempted to reach Mr Meadows for comment.

Ms Hutchinson was a key witness during last years House Select Committee investigation into the January 6 attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

She testified that Mr Trump had lunged at a Secret Service officer and attempted to grab the steering wheel of his vehicle after being informed that agents would not allow him to march to the Capitol during the riot.

She also told the committee that a number of prominent Republicans sought presidential pardons in the wake of the Jan 6 attack including Mr Meadows and Mr Giuiliani.

In her interview with The Times, Ms Hutchinson also alleged that Rudy Giuliani, Mr Trumps lawyer, groped her under her skirt on Jan 6.

Mr Giuliani has denied the allegation and called it completely absurd.

In a separate interview on Sunday with CBS News Sunday Morning, Ms Hutchinson described Mr Trump as an existential threat to the future of the United States.

"I would  like to make clear. I would not back the former president of the United States," she said. "He is dangerous for the country. He is willing and has showed, time and time again, willingness to proliferate lies to vulnerable American people so he could stay in power.  To me, that is the most un-American thing that you can do."
Former President Trumps lead is expanding in the GOP primary field, with the front-runner now leading his GOP rivals by more than 40 points in a new poll.

An NBC News poll released Sunday showed he has 59 percent of likely support among Republican primary voters, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had 16 percent support. Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley had 7 percent; former Vice President Mike Pence and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie registered 4 percent each.

Trumps recent legal battles do not appear to hinder his lead in the GOP primary field. The poll shows Trumps lead has expanded since June, when an NBC News survey showed Trump ahead of DeSanits by 29 points  51 percent to 22 percent  following his indictment for mishandling classified documents after he left office.

Since the June poll, Trump has been charged in two additional cases, including in Washington, D.C., over the former presidents attempts to stay in power after the 2020 election and in Fulton County, Ga., for an alleged scheme to overturn the 2020 election results.

NBC News said Trumps gains came from men, seniors and moderate Republican voters.

Trump has cited his leading poll numbers in choosing not to attend the GOP primary debates. Having already skipped the first debate last month, he plans to skip this weeks debate in California and instead speak to a group of union workers in Detroit amid the ongoing Union Auto Workers strike at three automakers.

The NBC News poll was conducted Sept. 15-19 among 1,000 registered voters. It has an overall margin of error plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Updated at 10:43 a.m. ET

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Trump, the front-runner of the Republican presidential race, is skipping the partys second presidential debate this week, again leaving the rest of the field competing with him despite his absence from the debate stage.

While the GOP candidates on stage will only have a handful of minutes to share their message and stand out, Trumps meeting with striking autoworkers grants him undivided attention at the center of a pressing, national issue.

Although Trumps appearance in the Great Lakes State may not pull too many eyeballs from the debate stage in Simi Valley, Calif., the split screen between the two events will likely highlight the complicated Republican race  the leader of the field is skipping the party staple event in a drive to the general election, while the other competitors vie for what many see as a contest for second place.

The next morning, when we turn on the Today Show, or any of the networks and watch the morning programming, these are going to be the two stories. The only way to gauge a win between the two is who gets the first headline, said Michigan-based GOP strategist Jason Cabel Roe of the two Wednesday events.

Trump is set to deliver prime-time remarks in Detroit, an auto industry hub, amid a major strike from the United Automobile Workers (UAW)  the same day qualified presidential hopefuls take the debate stage.

The contrasting events will give Trump equal footing with the entire field in Michigan  but also among other working-class Republicans in other states, Roe said.

Trump skipped the Republican National Committees (RNC) first debate in Milwaukee last month after stoking suspense over whether hed attend. As his GOP competitors went on air, Trump released an interview with commentator Tucker Carlson. Hes also said he plans to forego the third debate, which is slated for Nov. 8 in Miami.

Hes going to get some attention and draw some eyeballs away from the debate itself. And hes going to inject himself into the story on the debate without being there, and doing something that has political currency beyond the Republican primary electorate, Roe said.

At the same time, Trumps absence from the Simi Valley debate stage could make it easier for some of his competitors to capitalize on their momentum from Milwaukee and make their case to GOP voters outside of comparisons to Trump.

So far, six Republicans  not including Trump  appear to have met the RNCs requirements to get on the second debate stage: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis , conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy , former Vice President Mike Pence , former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

The former president has repeatedly cited his front-runner status as a reason for skipping the debates. The latest Morning Consult polling of the GOP field shows Trump in the lead with 59 percent, followed by DeSantis with 13 percent, Ramaswamy with 10 percent and Pence and Haley with 5 percent each.

Some polls showed viewers from the first debate ranked DeSantis and Ramaswamy as the winners of the night, while Haley experienced the biggest bump in support from the GOP field before and after the event.

Haleys campaign has boasted of its post-debate momentum, and some strategists think she has a chance of catching up to DeSantis  who has clung to second place behind Trump.

Ramaswamy, who had reached third place in some polls ahead of the first debate, sparred with several of his competitors on stage and scored the second-highest speaking time of the night, according to a CNN tracker. A Morning Consult poll, though, showed his unfavorability tick up afterward.

DeSantis, on the other hand, appeared to stagger in some polling ahead of the debate  and in a New Hampshire poll after the event, he slipped behind Ramaswamy, raising questions about whether another candidate could jump ahead of him.

The second debate could be a key opportunity for some of the candidates to build their momentum  or make up for slipping poll numbers  and surge closer to Trump at the front of the field.

Some strategists think onstage candidates could avoid talking about Trump and that he wont take up much of the debates airtime  while others think he could still be a topic of conversation among the candidates.

At the first debate in Milwaukee, moderators asked the candidates whether they would still support Trump if he becomes the partys nominee, given the multiple indictments the former president now faces in courts across the country. All but one of the candidates  former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson  indicated they would support Trump.

To meet the RNCs qualification requirements, the White House hopefuls have signed a pledge to back the eventual nominee. Trump has notably refused to sign the pledge.

The topic of Donald Trump will be on that debate stage, as it is in nearly every American political discussion, either at mahogany podiums on a debate stage or Formica tables in kitchens across the country, said GOP strategist Mark Weaver.

Trumps decision to release an interview during the first debate drew attention as his competitors took the stage for the first time, Weaver said, and his move to plant a flag in Michigan during the second debate puts him at the center of an important political issue in a key state.

When you look up the term political savvy in the political dictionary, you normally do not find Donald Trump listed in that definition, but his counter-programming decisions for the first and second debates are certainly politically savvy, Weaver said.

Republican strategist Justin Sayfie said he does not expect Trumps Michigan appearance will steal focus from the debate, which will still attract millions of GOP primary voters and will be more newsworthy than the autoworkers event.

But he argued that candidates need to say something new to stand out in the field and get more attention for their campaign.

Be different. Be authentic. The people who are watching the presidential debates closely, theyve heard most of the candidates views on things, and I think its the responsibility of the candidates with an audience as large as the debate audience to maximize that unique platform, Sayfie said.

He said the debate will feature what is essentially a race to be the last one standing as an alternative to Trump.

Ernest McGowen, an associate professor of political science at the University of Richmond, said Trump protects himself from scrutiny by not attending the debate, whereas he could be challenged on statements he has made if he engaged with the other candidates.

Trump cant lose by not going to the debate. He can only lose by going to the debate because if he goes  then the whole debate becomes about picking at not only just policy but picking at things that he said in the media, McGowen said.

Trump has recently faced some criticism within his party over comments he made during an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press last weekend in which he called the six-week abortion ban that DeSantis signed a terrible mistake. He later sought to clarify his stance on the issue following the backlash.

But while the candidates are squabbling with each other, Trump will be the only one appearing presidential, said Republican strategist Brady Smith.

By announcing a meeting with the autoworkers first, Smith said, Trump has managed to also outmaneuver President Biden, painting the debate as the diversion from his event instead of the other way around. Biden said Friday he will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to support members of the UAW.

I think it solidifies the debate as the distraction. Hes focused on real issues and real items that are affecting the economy and hundreds of thousands of workers. It solidifies the debate as the sideshow rather than essential, Smith said.

The second GOP presidential debate will take place Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Southern California. Hosted by Fox Business with moderators Stuart Varney and Dana Perino, as well as Univisions Ilia Calderon, its set to air at 9 p.m. Eastern.

Updated 11:57 a.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump made a series of aggressive comments on social media about outgoing head of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley , suggesting the top military leaders conduct was worthy of execution.

Mark Milley, who led perhaps the most embarrassing moment in American history with his grossly incompetent implementation of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, costing many lives, leaving behind hundreds of American citizens, and handing over BILLIONS of dollars of the finest military equipment ever made, will be leaving the military next week, Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social on Friday.

This will be a time for all citizens of the USA to celebrate! he continued. This guy turned out to be a Woke train wreck who, if the Fake News reporting is correct, was actually dealing with China to give them a heads up on the thinking of the President of the United States. This is an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH!

The Independent has contacted the Joint Chiefs of Staff for comment.

The former presidents comments could potentially run afoul of his release conditions ahead of his trials related to the special counsel investigations against him in the Mar-a-Lago documents and 2020 election conspiracy cases. He has been warned to avoid publicly attacking court officers and potential witnesses on social media.

If Mr Milley is in fact a witness in either of these case, Mr Trump could face serious penalties.

"My bet: Donald Trump is threatening General Milley because General Milley is on the governments witness list for the trial in the Mar-a-Lago documents case," former New York Attorney Generals Office official Tristan Snell wrote on X on Saturday.

Mr Trumps attacks on Mr Milley come after the military official was featured in an in-depth profile in The Atlantic, where the general described Mr Trumps disturbing alleged lack of respect for the armed forces.

He described how at a 2019 event, Mr Trump reportedly expressed disgust that Luis Avila, an Army veteran who served five combat tours and lost his leg in an IED attack, was chosen to sing God Bless America.

"Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded, Mr Trump allegedly said.

The former president also reportedly praised Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who was previously found guilty of posing the dead body of an Isis prisoner who he stabbed in the neck, as a hero, claiming soldiers are are all just killers. Whats the difference?

Mr Trumps China comments likely reference a set of calls Mr Milley paid to his Chinese counterpart, assuring him the US didnt have plans in 2020 and early 2021 to attack China, after intelligence officials captured Chinese officials appearing to fear the prospect as likely.

"The calls on 30 October and 8 January were coordinated before and after with Secretary [Mark] Esper and acting Secretary [Chris] Millers staffs and the interagency," Mr Milley testified in the Senate in 2021.

"My task at that time was to de-escalate," he added.
Former President Trump is trying to have it both ways on abortion, reflecting the difficulties Republicans face as they try to navigate the issue since Roe v. Wade was overturned.

In the past week, Trump has dodged questions about national restrictions, blamed the anti-abortion movement for the GOP losses in last years midterm elections and criticized states such as Florida and Georgia for their six-week bans.

In a Meet the Press interview earlier this month, Trump called Floridas ban on abortion after six weeks of pregnancy a terrible thing.

During a campaign rally in Iowa on Wednesday, Trump said GOP candidates shouldnt be taking a hard line on abortion, and that without talking about exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother, it is very difficult to win elections.

This issue cost us dearly in the midterms, and unnecessarily, Trump said.

But he has also called himself the most pro-life president ever and has made it a point to remind people how he paved the way for the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision that ended Roe v Wade.

Last year I was able to do something that nobody thought was possible.  We ended Roe v. Wade, Trump said. I did something that for 52 years people talked, they spent vast amounts of money in fighting it, but they couldnt get the job done. Fifty-two years they fought and they fought hard.  They couldnt get the job done. I got the job done.

Trumps efforts to muddy the waters reflect his ever-shifting views on abortion, and while it could help in the general election, it also sets him up for criticism from both Democrats and his GOP rivals.

I dont know how you can even make the claim that youre pro-life if youre criticizing states for enacting protections for babies that have heartbeats, Trumps closest rival, Florida Gov. DeSantis (R), told Radio Iowa on Monday, following the Meet the Press interview.

DeSantis signed a six-week abortion ban into Florida law earlier this year and appointed state Supreme Court justices who appear ready to uphold it.

I think all pro-lifers should know that hes preparing to sell you out, DeSantis said.

Yet many of the leading anti-abortion groups are treading carefully, given Trumps massive lead in the polls and status as the presumptive GOP nominee. They dont want to burn any bridges, but they also dont want to let his comments go unchallenged.

Patrick Brown, a fellow at the conservative Ethics and Public Policy Center, said he thinks Trump made a mistake in openly criticizing GOP-led states for going too far on abortion.

Brown said he understands that anti-abortion groups may be reluctant to respond, but they need to show a strength of conviction.

I think the worry for pro-lifers has to be, if they if they let these comments slide without saying anything, then theyre kind of giving permission for other Republican politicians to to try to take that same tack, who dont have Trumps sort of unique stranglehold on a certain base of the party, Brown said.

Its a delicate balance to walk, but I would say  its not prudent to let comments like this slide. These kinds of things need to be called out, whether or not it makes it easier to work with him down the line, he added.

After the Meet the Press interview aired, Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life Action, sent a letter to the Trump campaign seeking clarity on his positions,

The pro-life vote is up for grabs, Hawkins wrote, asking specifically for Trump to address his criticisms of the six-week bans.

Heartbeat laws are far from terrible, the letter stated. They should be an absolute minimum for any Republican candidate committed to protecting many from death by direct abortion.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has said it will not endorse any candidate unless he or she publicly backs a 15-week abortion ban  which Trump has not done.

We need a National Defender of Life who follows the consensus of Americans, not wastes time negotiating with the no-limits abortion Left which isnt interested in compromise on this issue, the group told The Hill in a statement.

Still, GOP strategists and activists think Trump has essentially closed the book on the Republican primary and is focused on the general election. But theres an open question whether the former presidents attempts to paint himself as an abortion moderate will gain more voters than it alienates.

Brian Seitchik, a Republican strategist and Trump campaign alum, argued that Trump is clearly trying to target college-educated suburban women who voted for him in 2016 but not in 2020.

If the focus is on Trumps economic record  I think that has a chance to bring back those college educated voters, Seitchik said.

He added that Trump may be willing to take positions that alienate some evangelical voters in the primaries, because he has such a commanding lead.

He has a lot of room to give up. So if hes got to bleed some Christian conservatives in the primary with an eye towards bringing back swing voters in the general, I think its a smart move. Because at the end of the day, those Christian conservatives who may leave him in the primary will certainly come back in the general election, Seitchik said. Theyre not going to vote for Joe Biden.

But Terry Schilling, president of the American Principles Project, a super PAC thats funded state anti-abortion campaigns, said Trump needs to clearly commit to a federal abortion policy, because he needs the anti-abortion vote.

By waffling, Schilling said Trump risks those voters staying home.

My big fear with him is that he thinks hes going to be able to win Democrats over. These are people that are trying to put him in prison for crying out loud, Schilling said. Theres no world in which Democrats ever are at peace with him, or support what hes doing.

Abortion rights groups and the Biden campaign are well aware that Trump is trying to distance himself from his previous statements and focus on the center.

This is a devastating position for [Republicans] to take, no matter how they try to message it or what words they use. People understand that their position is the problem, said Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications and research at the group Reproductive Freedom for All, formerly known as NARAL.

In 2016, Trump was able to obfuscate his views on abortion to convince some swing voters because politicians werent talking about abortion, Vasquez-Giroux said. For many people, the end of Roe was an abstract, not a reality.

But the world is different now, she said.

The world has woken up to the new reality  that has been handed to them by Donald Trump and the Republican Party, Vasquez-Giroux added. And you cant just put that back in a box.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
I see that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has dropped an f-bomb out of his frustration over dealing with members of his own political party, which used to be the Republican Party but is now the Trump Cult. I can sympathize, Kevin. I drop lots of f-bombs and other choice expletives every time you or your Republicans appear in the news. Its become a habit since Trump reached the bottom of that escalator.

The reason for my frustration is that McCarthy and the Trumpists have no real agenda for governance (and absolutely no talent for it). They are a cult bent on revenge. Trump did not create this revenge mania, but, like someone inserting a tap into a beer keg, he has turned on that emotion and now no one seems able to turn off the tap. He has made it clear that, if elected again, his sole purpose will be to avenge himself on anyone who  he believes  has wronged him or been disloyal to him, or not loyal enough. Like the mob boss he is or the fascist dictator he longs to become, he will lock them up because he has to. Those are his words. He will model himself on Putin and Kim Jong-Un.

The problem with revenge as your sole motive for gaining office is that, once elected, youre confronted with the knotty problem of actually governing. Trump admits he didnt expect to win in 2016  he just wanted revenge on Obama  so he had no agenda. He undid as much of Obamas work as he could and wouldnt even unveil his presidential portrait. Can you spell PETTY?

The thirst for revenge has infected the Trumpists at every level of government. They believe the 2020 election was stolen, even though there is not a shred of evidence to support that claim. But evidence no longer matters. Lets just get our revenge for any perceived injury. Kari Lake believes she is the governor of Arizona because that election was stolen in 2022. Here in Michigan Kristina Karamo will not concede that she lost the election for Secretary of State in that year, by a considerable margin. Cant find any evidence of wrongdoing by Joe Biden? Never mind, impeach him anyway. He defeated our dear leader. So what if the government shuts down? At least well get our revenge.

Excuse me, I feel an f-bomb building up. And when I look at the list of buffoons the Trumpists have put in Congress, that feeling escalates. Tommy Tuberville? Jim Jordan? Marjorie Taylor Greene? George Santos (or whatever his name is)? Theyre just the top of a long list. Even if we are able to get rid of these people in the next election or two, we will have three incompetent Supreme Court justices to deal with for the next 20 or 30 years.

On a local level, Ottawa County is beset with Trumpists bent on revenge. Tell us to wear masks? Close our school because we wont wear masks? Well just take over the Board of Commissioners, close the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and do everything we can to gut the County Health Department. In the process, well fire or drive away the competent people whove guided the county for years and hire our cronies and other unqualified people in their places. So, there, revenge is ours regardless of the effect on the people of the county.

Sorry, I feel another f-bomb coming on.

I wish I saw a way out of this mess. There will be elections, but the Trumpists have worked so hard to undermine our confidence in that bedrock of our democracy that Im not sure how soon well have candidates running on some platform other than revenge and thus be able to point to the results of an election and say, Look, its settled. Lets get to work.

 Albert Bell is a resident of Holland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: Trumpists have worked hard to undermine democracy
MEMPHIS, Tenn.  Two people are in critical condition after a shooting in Raleigh Sunday morning, Memphis Police say.

Officers responded to a shooting call at Ridgemont Avenue and Old Allen Road at 3 a.m. where they located an apparent crime scene.

Officers then responded to Methodist North regarding two shooting victims who arrived by private vehicle, police say.

Both victims were reportedly suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. They were both airlifted to Regional One Hospital in critical condition.

Five houses were reportedly hit by gunfire, but no one in the homes was injured. Neighbors say they heard over 50 gunshots.

Home surveillance video showed at least four people jumping out of a car with guns drawn and shooting just feet from homes on Old Allen. It appeared that they were aiming at another vehicle.

One neighbor says they heard someone yell for help, and another said she got on the ground and crawled to get her phone to call 911.

Police say this is an ongoing investigation.

If you have any information about this incident, call CrimeStoppers at 901-528-CASH.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
Sheriffs officials reported that a Barstow man, and a man and teen from Ontario, robbed the Food 4 Less in Apple Valley.

Sheriffs officials reported that a Barstow man, a man, and a teen from Ontario robbed the Food 4 Less in Apple Valley.

Marcus Smith, 26, of Barstow, and Markel Hill, 25, and a 17-year-old boy, both from Ontario, are accused of the robbery, authorities said.

Apple Valley sheriffs deputies, at around 11:47 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, responded to the report of a robbery at Food 4 Less at 20801 Bear Valley Road.

Deputies W. Ray and K. Watson responded and contacted the store manager. Deputies learned that three male subjects left the store without paying for grocery items.

The manager, a 50-year-old woman, asked the suspects to stop. However, they exited the store and got into a vehicle, sheriffs officials said.

The manager approached the vehicle, and one of the subjects pointed a Taser at her. The suspects left with approximately $725 in stolen goods, according to police.

Deputies found the suspect vehicle a few miles away at the Albertsons grocery store on Highway 18. All three subjects were located in or around the vehicle and were arrested, police said.

Hill and Smith were transported to the High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto and booked for the suspected robbery, sheriffs officials said.

Bail for Hill was set at $60,000. He was also booked on outstanding traffic warrants. Smith posted bail and was released, sheriffs officials reported.

The teen suspect and his parent were issued citations. He was released to his parent.

Anyone with any information about this investigation is asked to contact Deputy Ray with the Apple Valley sheriffs station at 760-240-7400 or Sheriffs Dispatch at 760-956-5001. Callers wishing to remain anonymous are urged to contact the We-Tip Hotline at 800-78CRIME (27463) or wetip.com.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Two men, one teen suspected of robbing Food 4 Less in Apple Valley
From left: State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred , D-Dallas. The two are running to be the Democratic nominee to face Ted Cruz in the 2024 senatorial race. Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune | Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via REUTERS

U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and state Sen. Roland Gutierrez, who will face each other in the 2024 Democratic primary as they seek to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, presented competing visions Saturday during The Texas Tribune Festival panels.

Cruz is seeking a third term in the U.S. Senate next year.

Allred, D-Dallas, stressed he would tackle high-profile issues where lawmakers disagree the most  including abortion and gun reform  by working with both Democrats and Republicans. Although the parties have fundamental disagreements on both issues, there are bipartisan deals to be made right now, he said.

Theres no legislation you can do on your own, Allred said. It has to be collaborative.

He said he would seek compromises on background checks, red flag laws, and raising the age requirement for purchasing firearms. Texas does not require background checks to purchase firearms, nor does it have red flag laws, which enable law enforcement to confiscate a weapon if a judge decides an individual is a risk to themselves or others.

Allred also called Texas abortion law a disaster. After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Texas trigger laws went into effect, prohibiting abortion in the overwhelming majority of cases except to save the life of the mother.

The stories are heartbreaking, he said. Theyre talking about limiting interstate travel for women in the state  its unacceptable. Allred said hes confident that Congress could pass laws to enshrine reproductive rights for the entire country.

At a separate panel, Gutierrez took an opposing stance to Allreds view of bipartisanship.

There is no amount of political speak or so-called bipartisan incrementalism that Im interested in, he said.

Gutierrez said Republicans in Congress arent interested in bipartisanship, so We must fight them tooth and nail at everything they throw at us.

Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde  the South Texas city where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers with an AR-15 style rifle in May 2022  said he would seek a federal assault weapons ban if hes elected to the Senate.

In the wake of the deadly shooting at Robb Elementary School, Gutierrez slammed law enforcements response and Texas loose gun laws. In this years legislative session, he introduced four pieces of legislation aimed at increasing gun safety and accountability for law enforcement officials.

None of the bills passed.

The San Antonio Democrat did not say concretely what actions he would pursue in Congress on abortion rights.

As The Texas Tribune's signature event of the year, The Texas Tribune Festival brings Texans closer to politics, policy and the days news from Texas and beyond. Browse on-demand recordings and catch up on the biggest headlines from Festival events at the Tribunes Festival news page.
Western powers are behind the protests in Iran against mandatory head scarfs for women, President Ebrahim Raisi said in an interview that aired Sunday.

Despite considerable evidence to the contrary, Raisi insisted to CNN's Fareed Zakaria that the unrest over the head scarfs known as hijabs was due to outside agitators.

"The people of Iran did not support in any way those that rioted in the streets of Iran," he said.

Speaking via a translator on "Fareed Zakaria GPS," Raisi said: "The people of Iran are enlightened, are people of faith, are spiritual people, and they deeply understand that the United States of America and three European countries don't care about their rights, their hijab, but a life of respect for women has existed for hundreds and hundreds of years in Iran."

The three European countries Raisi cited appeared to be Britain, France and Germany, whom Zakaria and Raisi discussed in relation to the international 2015 nuclear pact that has fallen apart. Raisi had nothing nice to say about those Western powers in relation to that agreement and the ongoing disputes over uranium enrichment and Iran's potential development of nuclear weapons.

Protests over the Islamic Republic's mandates have accelerated since the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old, in September 2022, three days after her arrest in Tehran by the morality police. Thousands of demonstrators have been arrested, including Amjad Amini, her father.

Amid fresh protests on the anniversary of Mahsa Amini's death, Iran's parliament moved to enact a bill that would impose harsher penalties for violations of the hijab law.

In addition to condemning Western governments, Raisi also blamed Western media. "What occurred last year was a war conducted in the media by the enemy," he said. "I don't want to name TV networks or news networks, but networks who are headquartered in the three European countries and in the United States of America who broadcast news 24 hours a day. They openly teach tactics of terror."

Zakaria, who mentioned he had grown up as a Muslim in India, noted that Iran's laws are uncommonly rigid even in the Muslim world. "There are dozens of Islamic countries where the governments are very pious and believe in Islam and they are devoted, and they don't believe this," Zakaria said.

As the head of a theocratic government that has strictly enforced its version of Islamic law since the 1970s, Raisi was unfazed.

"The fundamental issue is that today in the Islamic Republic, hijab is a law. And when an issue becomes part of the law, then everyone must adhere to the law," he said.

Iran's president also repeatedly took shots at Israel, though he referred to it primarily as "the Zionist regime" as Iran does not recognize the existence of Israel. Raisi asserted that efforts by the United States to create normalized relations between Israel and some of its neighbors  often inspired by shared concerns about Iran's international conduct  were bound to fail.

"This normalization will see no success, just like in previous cases," Raisi said.
The UK will continue to support Ukraine and is planning to train 30,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of the year.

Source: Grant Shapps , UK Defence Secretary, in an interview to Sky News, reported by European Pravda

Quote: "By the end of this year, our goal is to have trained 30,000 Ukrainian troops. So I don't think the British resolve is wavering in any way, shape or form. And we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainians," he said.

According to Shapps, the UK will also strengthen its support for Ukraine.

"I've just announced tens of thousands of additional rounds of ammunition, taking us up to about 300,000 rounds so far, and we provide a huge amount of additional support and equipment," said Shapps.

Earlier it was reported that 18,000 people have completed the basic training programme for the Ukrainian military in the UK.

It was also reported that the amount of training of Ukrainian troops at a military base in Kent, UK, was reduced after complaints from local residents about the noise caused by the military drills.

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!
UK intelligence has analysed the petrol and diesel fuel shortage crisis in Russia and the consequences it will have for other countries.

Source: UK Ministry of Defence intelligence review on 24 September, as reported by European Pravda

Details: UK Defence Intelligence pointed out that Russia has been experiencing a local shortage of petrol and diesel fuel in recent weeks.

As far as UK intelligence is concerned, it is unlikely that the shortage is a direct result of the war waged against Ukraine.

They suggested that the petrol shortage in Russia has primarily occurred because of a short-term increase in demand from the agricultural sector, annual summer maintenance of oil refineries and favourable export prices.

On 21 September, Russia suspended almost all diesel and petrol exports in an effort to stabilise its domestic market.

Quote: "The move will almost certainly further constrain supplies in a tight global market, likely having the greatest impact on countries currently dependent on Russian fuel supplies."

Background: In a previous review, UK intelligence analysed the high turnover of personnel in the Russian occupation army.

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!
(Bloomberg) -- As orange-wearing Liberal Democrat party activists strolled the sunny seafront in Bournemouth this weekend for their annual conference, a tantalizing prospect buoyed their spirits: The chance to be kingmakers in British politics for the first time in almost a decade.

Most Read from Bloomberg

With the main opposition Labour Party needing an historic vote swing to oust Rishi Sunak from Downing Street at the general election expected next year, the centrist Lib Dems see a window of opportunity akin to 2010 when their support was needed to form a stable government with the Tories. Whether a formal coalition or an informal pact, its a scenario where they could demand concessions  such as ministerial positions or specific policies  in exchange for their support.

Vince Cable, a former leader of the Liberal Democrats who was part of the 2010 coalition government with the Tories, predicts a 45% chance that Labour wont win an outright majority at the next election and hence may need the Liberal Democrats help.

The Lib Dems are aiming at 30 seats and hopefully to play an important role, Cable said in an interview. I dont think anybody is counting chickens, but weve come back and were very relevant.

Labour maintains a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in most opinion polls, but even a victory on that scale in the popular vote may not be enough for a majority in the House of Commons. That could make the Lib Dems key to the creation of the first Labour government in more than 13 years.

The question of whether Labours Keir Starmer would do a deal with Ed Daveys Liberal Democrats is one of the most significant for the UKs near-term political future  and for now, both sides equivocate. Starmer sidestepped the question earlier this year, saying hes focused on pursuing an outright majority. That was an apparent shift from a year earlier, when he told Bloomberg that he wouldnt consider a deal with anyone.

For their part, Liberal Democrats leaders think Labour wouldnt seek to build a formal coalition in the event of a hung Parliament, and Starmer would instead try to govern as a minority leader, according to a senior party figure. There have been no behind-the-scenes talks about any kind of potential pact, the person said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Davey didnt answer directly in a BBC interview on Sunday when asked about a possible Lib Dem-Labour tie-up, saying his focus was on defeating as many Tory MPs as possible.

The more Liberal Democrat members we have in the next Parliament, the more effective we can be, he said.

And even then, the Liberal Democrats were badly stung by their coalition experience in 2010  the party famously reneged on a pledge for free university tuition and were punished heavily at the ballot box and pushed into the political wilderness. Hence there is skepticism within the party of entering coalition again, so any arrangement with Labour would likely be a loose one.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes puts the odds of no party having an overall majority after the next election at 5-2, compared with 4-9 for a Labour majority and 8-1 for a Conservative majority.

Talking down potential post-election cooperation is unsurprising because both Labour and the Liberal Democrats fear the common Tory warning of the threat of a coalition of chaos, an attack line that helped then-Conservative leader David Cameron defeat Labour in the 2015 general election. But what matters is how the political parties behave when power is on the line  and as Cameron showed in 2010, that often encourages deal-making.

Theres enough policy overlap between Labour and the Lib Dems that theyd be able to find the basis for an informal agreement if required in a hung Parliament, said Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy, which campaigns for UK political reform such as introducing a proportional representation voting system.

Theres lots of work the two parties could do together, Brake said, who was himself a Liberal Democrat MP between 1997 and 2019 and served as a minister in the last coalition government. Investing in the National Health Service, restoring trust in politics and a concern for social issues are common ground, Brake said.

Just as important will be the pre-election strategy for Labour and the Lib Dems and whether they can avoid significantly splitting the progressive vote, a past downfall that has historically helped the Tories. The issue is apparent in the upcoming by-election in Mid Bedfordshire, where Labour and the Lib Dems are campaigning aggressively against one another in a three-way race with the Conservatives. Under Britains first-past-the-post voting system, the party with the most votes in a district wins the seat.

James Johnson, co-founder of pollster JL Partners, said that, although there arent many three-way marginal seats, there are numerous seats where a 10%-15% share for Labour or the Liberal Democrats could stop either party from taking seats from the Conservatives.

Theres a lot of rivalry between them on the ground and they dont necessarily always see eye-to-eye, he said. Starmer has his eyes on a Labour majority.

That said, the Liberal Democrats are planning to marshal their resources strategically at the next national vote and wont campaign heavily in seats where they dont have a chance of beating Labour, according to the senior party figure.

For Sunak, the main electoral threat from the Lib Dems comes in the south and southwest, often in rural areas where the party has historically enjoyed support through intensive local campaigning. The Lib Dems have overturned massive Tory majorities in recent by-elections and are hopeful of further in-roads.

Back in Bournemouth, Liberal Democrat MPs say their immediate focus is on the general election and that its too early to be thinking about potential post-vote scenarios. Much of the partys positivity stems from strong local election results earlier this year and an increasingly warm reception from voters on the doorstep, said Munira Wilson, the partys education spokesperson.

The mood is really upbeat and optimistic, Wilson said. But what happens next, thats down to the electorate.

--With assistance from Kitty Donaldson, Emily Ashton and Eamon Akil Farhat.

(Updates with quote from Davey in seventh-eighth paragraphs.)

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Ukraine has "completely defeated" the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade, Ukraine's spy chief says.

It would be the second time Ukrainian forces have destroyed the brigade, rendering them combat-ineffective.

The Russian military has suffered "extreme attrition and high turnover," the UK MoD said on Saturday.

Ukraine has most likely destroyed a Russian naval infantry brigade of the Black Sea Fleet for the second time, a think tank says.

Ukraine's spy chief, Kyrylo Budanov , said the Russian 810th Naval Infantry Brigade had withdrawn after being defeated amid Ukraine's counteroffensive.

"That brigade was completely defeated, completely smashed, and now they have withdrawn, being replaced by airborne troops," Budanov said in an interview with The War Zone.

The Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, DC, said Budanov's description corresponded with the US military's definition of a mission to "destroy," which means to render an enemy force "combat-ineffective until it is reconstituted."

The brigade, which is based in Sevastopol, Crimea, was destroyed by Ukraine once before in April 2022, when the Ukrainian army reported that 158 soldiers had been killed and about 500 wounded, the think tank noted.

The losses included their commander, Col. Aleksey Sharov, Russian media reported at the time.

The Deputy Chief of Ukraine's GUR military-intelligence service, Maj. Gen. Vadym Skibitskyi, said in July 2022 that about 200 marines of the 810th Brigade had refused to return to war.

Two months later, the Ukrainian army reported the brigade had lost more than 85% of its personnel fighting in the Kherson region and that many again had refused to return to combat, the ISW said.

The 810th Brigade had since been reconstituted by the Russian military, and the ISW observed elements of it in the Zaporizhia region this year. A full-strength Russian brigade has at least 2,000 soldiers.

The heavy losses suffered by this brigade are emblematic of the wider issues faced by the Russian military, which has been suffering from "extreme attrition and high turnover," the UK Ministry of Defense said on Saturday.

While Russia has suffered a high number of casualties during the conflict, according to Western estimates, it also has a large population from which to continue to recruit and conscript soldiers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Lavrov scorns U.S. double standards over Golan, Donbass

Xinhua) 14:11, September 24, 2023

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday scorned U.S. double standards over the Golan Heights and the Donbass region in Ukraine.

Asked at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York to comment on U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield's seemingly self-contradictory remarks on the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all UN member states and on U.S. recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights, Lavrov first read a Russian statement on the Donbass: "The Donbass is very important to Russia's security. As long as Zelensky is in power in Ukraine, as long as NATO is present in Ukraine, militia groups backed by NATO, the Zelensky regime itself - all of these pose a significant security threat to Russia, and as a practical matter, the control of the Donbass in that situation, I think, remains of real importance to Russia's security. Legal questions are something else. And over time, if the situation were to change in Ukraine, that's something we'd look at. But we are nowhere near as that."

He then read the text of an interview of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Wolf Blitzer of CNN on Feb. 8, 2021: "As a practical matter, the Golan is very important to Israel's security. As long as Assad is in power in Syria, as long as Iran is present in Syria, militia groups backed by Iran, the Assad regime itself - all of these pose a significant security threat to Israel, and as a practical matter, the control of the Golan in that situation, I think, remains of real importance to Israel's security. Legal questions are something else."

"And that's the answer to your question," said Lavrov.

Thomas-Greenfield, in a press briefing on Sept. 14 on her country's priorities at this year's high-level week of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), said, "During this year's UNGA, we will work to uphold the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, including respect for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all member states."

At the same briefing, when asked about the Golan Heights, she said her country's recognition of Israel's sovereignty over the territory has not changed.

In March 2019, then U.S. President Donald Trump signed a proclamation recognizing Israel's sovereignty over the territory that Israel seized from Syria in 1967 and annexed it in 1981.

Immediately after Israel's annexation of the occupied territory in 1981, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 497, which declared that the Israeli decision to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights "is null and void and without international legal effect."

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  The China Coast Guard (CCG) has installed a 300-meter-long floating barrier in the southeast portion of Scarborough Shoal, preventing Philippine fishing boats from entering the area, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Sunday.

Personnel of the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) on board BRP Datu Bankaw discovered the floating barrier during a maritime patrol last Sept. 22.

The PCG said during the routine patrol, the BFAR observed more than 50 Philippine fishing boats at the vicinity of Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc. The BFAR provided them with grocery items and fuel subsidies to sustain their operations. However, CCG-3105 vessel initiated 15 radio challenges to drive away the BFAR vessel and fishing boats.

The CCG crew alleged that the presence of the BFAR vessel and Filipino fishermen violated international law and the domestic laws of the People's Republic of China, the PCG said in a statement.

Three CCG Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats and Chinese Maritime Militias service boat installed the floating barrier upon arrival of the BFAR vessel in the vicinity of the shoal, it added.

The PCG said, according to the fishermen, CCG vessels usually install floating barriers whenever they monitor a large number of Filipino fishermen in the area.

"The Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources strongly condemn the China Coast Guards installation of floating barrier in the southeast portion of Bajo de Masinloc," the PCG said.

In a press briefing, spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela stressed that the floating barrier is a navigational hazard.

Ang tendency, if you're going to insist on going to the shoal, maaaring kainin ng propeller yung mga net na nasa ilalim, he said.

[Translation: The tendency is, if you're going to insist on going to the shoal, the propeller might catch the net underneath.]

Tarriela said underwater cameras showed that small buoys kept the barrier afloat.

He said Filipino fishermen could still fish in areas surrounding the Scarborough Shoal.
Key developments on Sept. 23-24:

Zelensky praises new American aid package as 'historic'

Duda says Poland prepares transit corridors for Ukrainian grain, Zelensky presents state awards to Polish volunteers

Ukrainian forces push forward near Melitopol

Shmyhal, Pritzker hold first meeting

U.S. House speaker drops plan to strip $300 million Ukraine aid package from funding bill

IAEA: Previously reported mines remain at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the new American defense package in his evening address on Sept. 24 as "historic."

According to Zelensky, the new package will include "artillery, missiles for HIMARS, missiles for air defense, additional air defense systems, tactical vehicles," and more.

"This is a historic decision by America to jointly produce weapons and defense systems, including air defense. This is something that was an absolute fantasy until recently. But it will become a reality. We will make it a reality."

Earlier this week, Zelensky met U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House as part of his official visit to Washington, D.C.

During the stay of Ukraine's president in the U.S. capital, State Secretary Antony Blinken announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $325 million.

The new package included additional cluster munitions and air defenses but excluded the long-anticipated ATACMS missiles. However, NBC News reported that Biden told Zelensky that America would send a small number of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine.

Zelensky's nightly address also emphasized a newly-established deal between Ukraine and the Government of Canada for long-term defense support.

This embedded content is not available in your region.

Duda says Poland prepares transit corridors for Ukrainian grain, Zelensky presents state awards to Polish volunteers

Polish President Andrzej Duda said in an interview with local channel TVP1 on Sept. 24 that Poland has prepared transit corridors for Ukrainian grain to be "exported to where it is needed."

"Transit corridors have been prepared in Poland, thanks to which Ukrainian grain can pass through Poland and be exported where needed. We are trying to help Ukraine and those countries that require this help," Duda said, as quoted by his office.

Ukraine's dispute with Poland, traditionally one of its most ardent supporters in its struggle against Russian aggression, was sparked by Warsaw's decision to extend the import ban on Ukrainian grain products past its expiration date set by the EU on Sept. 15.

The EU instituted the measure in May at the request of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria, who said the influx of cheaper Ukrainian products was putting pressure on their farmers.

"I believe that it is the right decision that the Polish government has maintained the ban on the sale of Ukrainian grain on the Polish market. However, we must do everything to ensure that transit is as high as possible," Duda said in his recent interview.

"Their excellent crops, during the war, barely reached the countries that really need it," Duda said of Ukrainian agricultural products.

He also said that "thanks to the work of our farmers, we are self-sufficient," adding that Poland does not need grain from Ukraine.

Earlier on Sept. 22, Duda said that disagreement over grain exports should not upend Polish-Ukrainian relations.

The grain dispute is just "an absolute fragment of the Polish-Ukrainian relations," and it should not threaten the close ties between the two countries, the president added.

Although the BBC connected the grain dispute to the weapons announcement, other media outlets have linked the increasingly strong language used by the Polish government towards Ukraine as an electoral tactic ahead of the upcoming Polish parliamentary elections set for Oct. 15.

Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelensky presented state awards to two Polish volunteers during a stop in Lublin, Poland, on Sept. 23 for supporting Ukraine's war effort.

"What you do is significant workhelping and supporting Ukrainians on the front lines, who are truly defending not only Ukraine but, in my view, Europe, the whole world, our common values," said Zelensky.

Zelensky also acknowledged how much Poland has done for Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

"I am proud that Ukraine has such a strong neighbor. I want to thank you. I want to thank the entire Polish nation, all the people who, from the very beginning, opened their families and their homes and stepped up to help. I believe that any challenges on our shared path are nothing compared to the strength between our peoples," Zelensky said.

Ukrainian forces push forward near Melitopol

The Ukrainian counteroffensive continues operations in the Melitopol sector, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces announced on Sept. 24.

"The Defense Forces continue their offensive in the Melitopol sector. Our defenders successfully repelled enemy attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast," the report said.

Ivan Fedorov, Melitopol's exiled mayor, said via Telegram that residents reported loud explosions in Tokmak.

He also uploaded footage claiming to show "a direct hit" on a Russian observation post near Tokmak.

Sept. 24 marks the celebration of Melitopol's City Day.

Read also: US will reportedly give ATACMS to Ukraine. Will it change the war?

Shmyhal, Pritzker hold first meeting

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and the first U.S. Special Representative for Economic Recovery in Ukraine Penny Pritzker had their first online meeting on Sept. 23 to discuss energy, demining, housing restoration, critical infrastructure, and the economy.

"I thanked USAID for their joint business support programs, which contribute to creating new jobs. We are collaborating with the World Bank on post-war recovery needs," Shmyhal wrote on Telegram.

Additionally, Shmyhal raised the need to confiscate frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's post-war recovery costs.

According to the prime minister, expanding solidarity corridors and war risk insurance were also brought up during Shmyhal and Pritzker's meeting.

"We are making progress in reforms on the path to the EU and NATO, as well as in digitization. I specifically highlighted our veteran policy and the integration of military personnel into the country's socio-economic life," Shmyhal wrote.

U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Sept. 14 the creation of a U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery and that Pritzker would assume the role.

Pritzker, 64, is credited for her experience as an "accomplished public servant" and "transformative industry leader."

Beyond shaping donor priorities and strengthening Ukraine's public sector, Pritzker will need to mobilize the U.S. private sector to invest in Ukraine.

As special representative, she will be responsible for mobilizing foreign investment, supporting the re-opening of businesses shut down by Russia's war, and helping Ukraine grow its exports.

Read also: Who is Penny Pritzker, new US special representative for Ukraines economic recovery?

House speaker drops plan to strip $300 million Ukraine aid package from funding bill

Kevin McCarthy, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Sept. 23 that he would support keeping a $300 million aid package for Ukraine in the defense funding bill, walking back a comment he made the day before.

McCarthy, a Republican, had previously said he would take this aid out due to opposition from Republican lawmaker Marjorie Taylor Greene.

The speaker said that he decided to keep the Ukraine aid package, recognizing that bills funding the State Department and Foreign Operations also contain aid for Ukraine, and stripping this aid was too difficult.

The U.S. Congress has to pass a series of bills funding the different parts of the government, which will grind to a halt otherwise.

A coalition of House conservatives broke from convention and opposed the rule for the Pentagon appropriations bill twice this week, blocking the legislation from moving forward to debate and a vote on final passage.



Greene specifically opposed the bill because of the aid to Ukraine. She has come out on numerous occasions to oppose assistance to the country.

McCarthy claimed before the midterm elections last year that he would see to it that there would be a "change to how Ukraine aid is assigned."

The $300 million would fund training, equipment, lethal assistance, logistics support, supplies and services, salaries, stipends, sustainment, and intelligence support.

Read also: Zelensky, Netanyahus meeting in New York highlights their differences

IAEA: Previously reported mines remain at Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

The monitoring mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has observed previously reported anti-personnel mines at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Rafael Grossi, the agency's director general, said in a statement on Sept. 23.

The IAEA experts continued to conduct walkdowns of the biggest nuclear plant in Europe this week.

"The team did not observe any heavy weapons during their walkdowns but confirmed that the previously reported mines remain in place," the statement reads.

Ukraine's military intelligence agency reported in early July that Russian forces planted remotely controlled and uncontrolled anti-personnel mines in technical and machine rooms of the Zaporizhzhia plant. Shortly after, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said that the danger of a possible Russian terrorist attack at the plant "was diminishing."

According to the recent report by the IAEA, its experts also observed that two of the plant's units remain in cold shutdown and one in hot shutdown.

Grossi also said that the plant has completed the drilling of 10 groundwater wells, "bringing the plant close to having a longer-term solution for the provision of cooling water to the shutdown reactors after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in June."

The IAEA representatives also reported hearing "numerous explosions some distance away."

Located in the Russian-occupied city of Enerhodar, the plant has been under Russian control since the initial phase of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in March last year. Russian forces have used the nuclear power plant as a military base to launch attacks against Ukrainian-controlled territory.

Read also: On the edge of disaster: What could really happen if Russia destroys Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant?

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Kyrylo Budanov, Chief of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), has neither confirmed nor denied CNN's reports about the alleged involvement of the Ukrainian special services in drone attacks in Sudan. However, Budanov emphasised that Wagner Group units had taken part in both the organisation and the coup in Sudan: "These are our enemies, and we will take action in any part of the world."

Source: Budanov in an interview with Voice of America

Quote from Budanov: "I personally said publicly a year ago that all Russian war criminals who fought, are fighting or plan to fight against Ukraine will be punished anywhere in the world. As for confirming or denying the information in CNN's reports, I have no comment to make on that, there is nothing to say. Let everyone find the answers for themselves.

The situation that happened in Sudan is, I think, well known to everyone. In late spring, another rebellion took place there with the full support of the Russians. Wagner Group units took part in both the organisation and directly in the coup itself. That's all I can tell you. These are our enemies, and we will take action anywhere in the world."

Details: On Saturday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on X (formerly Twitter) that he had held an unscheduled meeting with the head of the transitional government of Sudan on his way back from Canada.

At Shannon Airport, I held an unscheduled meeting with President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.



I am grateful for Sudan's consistent support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.



We discussed common security challenges, pic.twitter.com/Ntq5KxAfkG  Volodymyr Zelenskyy /   (@ZelenskyyUa) September 23, 2023

Quote from Zelenskyy: "At Shannon Airport, I held an unscheduled meeting with President of the Transitional Sovereign Council of Sudan Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

I am grateful for Sudan's consistent support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

We discussed common security challenges, namely the activities of illegal armed groups financed by Russia.

I invited him to support the Grain From Ukraine initiative and take part in this year's summit.

We considered possible platforms for intensifying cooperation between Ukraine and African countries."

Background:

CNN, citing a Ukrainian military source, reported that Ukraine's intelligence services may be behind a series of drone strikes and a ground operation against Wagner-backed rebels near Sudan's capital. A Ukrainian military source characterised it as the work of a "non-Sudanese military": the pattern of drones flying directly at a target was highly unusual for Sudan and the African region in general.

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!
KYIV (Reuters) -Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he met leading American entrepreneurs and financiers during a visit this week to the United States, where investment opportunities in Ukraine were discussed.

Zelenskiy said the businessmen, who included Michael Bloomberg , Larry Fink and Bill Ackman, were prepared to make major investments in rebuilding Ukraine after its war with Russia.

"The American entrepreneurs and financiers confirmed their readiness to make large-scale investments in our country immediately after the end of the war and the receipt of security guarantees," he posted on Telegram, along with photos of the meeting.

"We are working for the victory and reconstruction of Ukraine."

On a trip to the U.S. and Canada this week, Zelenskiy sought continued military and financial support for Kyiv's effort to fend off Russia's 19-month-old invasion.

(Reporting by Dan PeleschukEditing by Peter Graff and Bernadette Baum)
A Ukrainian drone hit an FSB building in the city centre of Kursk, Russia, on the morning of 24 September, a source from Ukraines Defence Intelligence claims.

Source: source of Ukrainska Pravda in the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine

Details: According to the source of Ukrainska Pravda, the operation was carried out by Ukrainian military intelligence.

There is currently no clear information on the scale of destruction or casualties.

The governor of Kursk Oblast of the Russian Federation, Roman Starovoit, claims that "the roof was slightly damaged" as a result of this attack.

The source of Ukrainska Pravda, in turn, noted that it was a direct hit to the building.

Update: Later, there was another drone strike in Kursk, and a fire broke out there as well.

A Ukrainska Pravda source in intelligence said that there was a strike on an oil refinery near the Kursk airfield.

        pic.twitter.com/8yb5bzvowb     (@ukrpravda_news) September 24, 2023

Background: Earlier it was reported that an unidentified drone attacked the city centre of Kursk in Russia on 24 September, its official city day, targeting an office building.

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The Ukrainian counteroffensive continues operations in the Melitopol sector, the General Staff of Ukraine's armed forces announced on Sept. 24.

"The Defense Forces continue their offensive in the Melitopol sector. Our defenders successfully repelled enemy attacks near Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast," the report said.

Ivan Fedorov, Melitopol's exiled mayor, said via Telegram that residents reported loud explosions in Tokmak.

He also uploaded footage claiming to show "a direct hit" on a Russian observation post near Tokmak.

Sept. 24 marks the celebration of Melitopol's City Day.

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President Volodymyr Zelensky noted the occasion, shared among 17 Ukrainian cities, in a Telegram post.

"We will liberate Melitopol," he said.

Melitopol has been occupied by Russian forces since March 2022, shortly after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began. The city has been turned into a Russian military base under the occupation.

Fedorov also said that he hoped every exiled resident of Melitopol would be able to return home soon.

"Together we will raise our yellow and blue flag over the city!" he said.

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Members of the Holy See delegation make their way through the hall during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023 at United Nations headquarters. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

UNITED NATIONS (AP)  It's almost the end of the U.N. General Assembly high-level meeting that brings world leaders together at U.N. headquarters in New York. Here are the highlights of what happened Saturday at the United Nations and what to keep an eye on Tuesday, the last day (Monday's off for Yom Kippur).

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON SATURDAY

 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made no mention of his country's war in Ukraine from the dais, but was naturally asked about it in a subsequent press conference. He had harsh words for the United States and the West in both places.

 Armenia and Azerbaijan both spoke at the General Debate. Both critiqued the international community's response to the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, albeit for different reasons. Neither, interestingly, made use of the right of reply after speeches concluded Saturday night (only Iran and the United Arab Emirates did).

 As Venezuela's foreign minister spoke at the United Nations, The Associated Press visited the hotel just blocks away that's become a center for asylum-seekers from the country.

 Speech count: 30

WHAT TO EXPECT AT THE UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY ON THE LAST DAY

 Key speeches: representatives from India, Syria, North Korea, Canada and Morocco

 Canada and India's percolating diplomatic row over the killing of a Canadian citizen of Indian origin  and Sikh separatist  could burst into the General Assembly Hall, with each country's representative scheduled to speak Tuesday.

 Morocco, which recently experienced its worst earthquake in decades, is on the schedule as the very last speaker.

 The truncated last day could be extended by last-minute exercises of the right of reply. Technically, any of the 193 member states could invoke the right about any of the speeches delivered over the course of the six days. India and Pakistan have already traded words once so far, but they could go again, especially after Pakistan's interim prime minister denounced India over Kashmir in an interview with the AP.

QUOTABLE

People will respect you naturally if youre doing well as a leader and they see your people are not suffering. You dont beg people to respect or partner with you.

 Grace Agbu, a Nigerian citizen. At the United Nations, African leaders have been clear that they want a seat at the global table, especially considering the continent's ascendance. But challenges remain, including domestic divisions and chronic corruption.

NUMBER OF THE DAY

0: Geese spotted on the placid U.N. grounds, despite signs entreating wanderers not to feed the often hostile birds.

___

For more coverage of this year's U.N. General Assembly, visit https://apnews.com/hub/united-nations-general-assembly
U.S. Bancorp opened a Huntersville branch last month, with another in University City debuting this week  marking its first locations north of center city.

The bank anticipates adding another Charlotte branch in South End next year as it continues to buiLd a local Retail presence.

The Huntersville branch at 9145 Sam Furr Road opened on Aug. 28, with an official ribbon-cutting event scheduled for Sept. 20. The branch at 8420 University City Blvd. is in a soft opening as of Monday, with a grand-opening event on Oct. 25. Both locations are full-service branches, offering consumer banking, mortgage, wealth management and small-business services.

PREVIOUS: US Bank opens its largest local branch amid ongoing expansion

The Huntersville branch differs from the University City location in that it features a digital discovery center showing customers how to use the banks online and mobile technology services.

The Charlotte market is one that we are still committed to at U.S. Bank because we know it is a growing city, said Ashley Cumberbatch, U.S. Banks branch banking market leader in North Carolina. Its an amazing place to work, to live, to have a family, and so at this point, we are still very committed to our expansion.

Keep reading here.

(WATCH: Town leaders halting growth in Union County due to overcapacity sewage system)
SYDNEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. is disappointed Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare will not attend a Pacific Islands summit with U.S. President Joe Biden next week, the White House said on Saturday.

Biden will host a second summit with leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum at the White House on Monday as part of his efforts to step up engagement with a region where the U.S. is in a battle for influence with China.

The summit with the 18-member forum will take place on Monday and Tuesday in Washington.

"We are disappointed that PM Sogavare of the Solomons does not plan to attend," a Biden Administration official said.

The Australian broadcaster ABC reported Solomon Islands Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele will attend the summit instead.

The Solomon Islands Prime Ministers Office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Sogavare spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on Friday in New York, where he praised China's development cooperation as "less restrictive, more responsive and aligned to our national needs", and said Beijing was its lead infrastructure partner.

Sogavare said he reached an understanding with President Xi Jinping during a July visit to China for Solomon Islands to achieve development through China's policies, including the Belt and Road Initiative and Global Security Initiative.

Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman also will not attend the meeting, an official from his office told Reuters on Friday, because all Vanuatu government lawmakers need to be in parliament on Monday for a no-confidence vote.

(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington and Kirsty Needham in Sydney; Editing by Josie Kao)
Republican politician Kevin McCarthy , the Speaker of the House of Representatives, said that he would maintain assistance to Ukraine in the bill on funding the Pentagon, despite his previous words about his intention to withdraw these funds.

Source: McCarthy's statement reported by The Hill, as reported by European Pravda

Details: McCarthy told reporters that he chose to keep the aid for Ukraine because he discovered that another spending bill to be discussed next week, to fund the State Department and Foreign Operations, will also include money for Kyiv.

The Speaker explained that it "becomes more difficult to do" to remove the Ukraine aid from the State Department and Foreign Operations budgets, so he chose to leave the funding for Kyiv in both projects.

The House of Representatives is scheduled to hold a single procedural vote next week on four fund appropriation bills, including funding for the Pentagon, State Department and Foreign Operations.

The $300 million in question relates to funding for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which has existed since 2014, when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Earlier, CNN reported that leaders of Republican factions in the US Congress were discussing the possible removal of US$300 million in aid to Ukraine from the defence budget to unblock votes on other budget issues.

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!
American spy agencies shared intelligence with Canada regarding the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

After two masked men killed Nijjar outside of a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia in June, the US provided Ottawa with information to support Canadas conclusion that Indian agents carried out the brazen assassination.

The US wasnt aware of the killing ahead of time, and did not share any smoking gun evidence, but helped provide additional context to its close northern ally, US intelligence sources told The New York Times.

A banner with the image of Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar at the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara temple, site of his June 2023 killing, in Surrey, Canada (REUTERS)

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating the killing, in which New Delhi denies any involvement.

Canada reportedly has human and signals intelligence backing up their theory of the assassination, including communications involving Indian officials in Canada, CBC reports.

"I can assure you that the decision to share these allegations on the floor of the House of Commons  was not done lightly," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday. "It was done with the utmost seriousness."

The killing has sparked a diplomatic crisis between Canada and India. Canada has the largest Sikh community outside of India, home to about 770,000 people.

Ottawa expelled a senior diplomat working for Indian intelligence, while India has expelled a senior Canadian diplomat and indefinitely suspended visa services in all categories for Canadians.

Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, advocated for the creation of Khalistan, an independent nation for Indias Sikh population that would include part of the state of Punjab.

I am a Sikh nationalist who believes in and supports Sikhs right to self-determination and independence of Indian occupied Punjab through a future referendum, he wrote in a 2016 open letter.

The Indian government declared Nijjar a terrorist in 2020. It accused him of leading the Khalistan Tiger Force militant organisation.

On 18 June, as Nijjar was leaving a Sikh temple, two masked men blocked in his car and killed him with automatic weapons, firing an estimated 30 to 50 shots.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 24)  Thirty-six state universities and colleges (SUC) have urged Congress to restore the 6.15-billion slashed from their budgets for 2024.

In a statement released by Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel on Sunday, the presidents of 36 SUCs called for the augmentation of allocations for the SUCs.

They noted that under the proposed 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), 30 SUCs will face budget cuts amounting to 6,155,499,000.

In the 2024 NEP, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allocated SUCs a 100.88-billion budget. This is 5% less than the 107.037 billion SUCs were given in the 2023 General Appropriations Act, and also less than a third of the 331.3 billion which these institutions first asked for in the 2024 NEP.

RELATED: 30 SUCs suffer funding cuts in proposed 2024 budget

Majority of these cuts were focused on budgets for Capital Outlay, which includes facilities, equipment, and other investments that will serve these institutions for periods longer than the next fiscal year. This is despite the budget for the Free Higher Education Program increasing, meaning that the Marcos, Jr. administration has acknowledged an increase in the enrollment rates for next year, they added.

The cut comes even though 1.85 million students enrolled in SUCs this school year, an increase of about 50,000 compared with last school years 1.8 million enrollees.

"Additional budget is needed for our learning institutions to regain their public character and provide ample support for student services and faculty development. If our state universities and colleges are to be expected to do their duties, they must be funded accordingly," the presidents of 36 SUCs said.
A utility worker was flown to a hospital after he was shocked while suspended in a bucket truck.

South Strabane Township firefighters say they were called to the 2000 block of East Beau Street at around 11:30 a.m. on Friday.

The worker was unconscious inside the bucket.

Emergency crews waited for West Penn Power for 30 minutes and said the victim was shocked at least once more.

Once power was cut the victim was removed from the bucket and taken to West Penn Hospital.

Firefighters say the patient was conscious when they were with medics.

Their condition is unknown at this time.

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After the exceptionally wet and snowy winter that California enjoyed, it is tempting to forget that droughts that have challenged San Joaquin Valley farmers for decades.

But as any grower knows, droughts are a fact of life in Californias semi-arid climate, which is now being made more so by climate change.

Climate scientists say the boom-bust cycle of precipitation will continue. So it was logical that a conference held this past week at Fresno State, Managing water and farmland transitions in the San Joaquin Valley, drew a large crowd of growers and water district managers.

The event was sponsored by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan group that provides analysis on key issues facing the state.

There could be no more important topic for the San Joaquin Valley than water availability and use. The region has three of the nations top farming counties in Kern, Tulare and Fresno, which together earn billions in gross revenues in agricultural sales each year. The regions economy is directly linked to the success of its growers.

Will Valley farmers be able to properly manage ever-tighter water supplies and learn how to transition less-productive land to other uses when necessary? That was the main question of the conference.

Floods add to water storage

The past winter featured a statewide snowpack over 200% of normal; in the southern Sierra, the snowpack was nearly 300% of normal. Once the snow started melting and runoff filled rivers, Tulare Lake re-formed in parts of Kings and Tulare counties, flooding farming operations in the process.

Don Cameron, general manager of Terranova Ranch  which grows fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds near Helm on Fresno Countys west side  told the conference that Terranova took floodwater flows on some of its property for recharging the underground aquifer. But it came with a cost.

We had a lot of water on 300 acres of pistachios, he said. It was four feet deep, and killed 50 to 100 trees.

Cameron said an executive order signed by Gov. Newsom allowed farmers and water districts to take the flood runoff without going through the cumbersome permitting process. The executive order was a game changer, Cameron said.

Westlands Water District, located on the west side and the nations largest public water district, also took flood runoff for recharging. On Thursday the agency announced that it has recharged 127,000 acre-feet into its aquifers since March (an acre-foot covers an acre with water one foot deep). Westlands hopes to reach a total goal of 200,000 acre-feet by the end of next February.

The district is committed to utilizing and making the most of the abundance of water we received this past winter to plan for future dry years, said Westlands board president Jeff Fortune. The districts recharge projects will provide a lifeline to hundreds of family-owned farms during periods of prolonged drought.

Adding solar

Droughts lasting years can still be punishing, which is why there are serious discussions now in Valley farming circles about re-purposing some farmland to other uses.

In Westlands, that has meant covering some less productive land with solar panels. Allison Febbo, Westlands general manager, told the conference that there is the potential for solar panels to be installed on 100,000 acres in the district, which spans the west side of Fresno and Kings counties.

The district will also consider utility-scale solar projects using 75,000 acres owned by Westlands. Growers might add some of their own land to push the total to 125,000 acres.

The idea is to stop delivering water to less-productive soil, but still find a way to have a good use that can also generate revenues.

Other ideas for converting farmland include creating wildlife habitat. Government grants would help in that process.

Two challenges to these ideas: Large-scale solar projects need utility transmission lines to achieve clean energy goals, and there are not enough of those currently in the Valley. Second, panelist Ann Hayden of the Environmental Defense Fund said significant land re-purposing will require billions in government funding.

Water needs multiple uses

Cameron said the long-held belief of growers was if they owned the land, they owned the water underneath it.

But the states 2014 landmark law to better regulate underground pumping, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, has made that concept obsolete. Farmers now have to worry about pumping too much and pushing their aquifer out of balance.

Nor is it correct to simply think of using water just to irrigate crops, said Sarah Woolf, who helps operate a family farm on Fresno Countys west side and is a water consultant.

Today every drop of water we have in California has to be used for multiple purposes, she said.

The PPICs report on the Valleys water situation makes clear the stakes: Even if growers do everything right, a half million acres could go out of production because of water-supply shortages. That would be a hit to the economy, including job losses of agricultural workers, and pose environmental problems, such as blowing dust from empty fields.

Using water wisely while re-purposing land properly will be the key issue facing San Joaquin Valley farmers for years to come.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Sunday knocked House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., as a very weak" leader while the country faces a looming government shutdown.

Asked on CBS Face the Nation whether she would support a potential effort among some conservative lawmakers to oust McCarthy from his role as speaker, Ocasio-Cortez cautioned that Democrats would have to cross that bridge when we get to it.

Speaker McCarthy has been very weak, Ocasio-Cortez said. I think that he has also engaged in just absolutely terrible decision making for the American people, from continuing to try to cement denying the right to an abortion among women, to policy that denies the reality of climate change, to basic fiscal irresponsibility and recklessness.

The New York lawmaker said she believes there are grounds against McCarthy, but she also called Republicans, who currently control the House, chaotic as a whole.

We do not want chaos to reign in Washington either, Ocasio-Cortez said.

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has threated to file what is known as a motion to vacate, a move that would eject McCarthy from his role as speaker. But during a closed-door meeting earlier this month, where tensions reportedly boiled over among House Republicans, McCarthy virtually dared his detractors to try to force him out of his job.

The strain comes as lawmakers stare down a Sep. 30 deadline to keep the government funded and avoid a shutdown. House Republicans have stalled while the right flank of the party has insisted on hardline measures being included in spending packages, moves that already have no chance in the Senate, which is currently controlled by Democrats.

If the government does shut down, tens of thousands of congressional staff will go without a paycheck for the duration, and swaths of federal employees will be furloughed. Other impacts can range from government food assistance benefits being delayed, national parks closing and more.

Contributing: Ken Tran and Savannah Kuchar, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ocasio-Cortez calls McCarthy 'very weak' in government shutdown fight
COLORADO  Mariah Alwes lives in Colorado and, while she may have graduated from Tri-Valley High School in Dresden, her family history is heavily rooted in Newcomerstown. With many family members and friends in the area, she is investing in a future in Newcomerstown for herself and her two sons as she works on her new business plans.

Mariah is the daughter of Mary Stocker Watson and Brian Watson, both graduates of Newcomerstown High School.

Mariah Watson Alwes

I am currently stationed at Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado Springs, where I work as a reserve officer and civil servant," she said. "My sons and I commute back and forth to Newcomerstown. We have been an Air Force (and now Space Force) family and have been stationed around the world for the last two decades.

"I contracted with the Air Force after 9/11, commissioned in 2004, and I am about to retire from the Air Force Reserve as a lieutenant colonel. I want to enjoy a peaceful life here in Southeastern Ohio, so for the last year I have been looking for a facility that could be made into both apartments and a future distillery, as I enjoy brewing alcoholic beverages. The properties from 218-304 West Main met my needs. I intend for my sons to live in the second-floor apartments after they become adults and enter the workforce. My sons both have autism; I need a safe community with plenty of family support to help them as they transition into adulthood. Newcomerstown has all that we need to survive and thrive, she said.

Phase one, the immediate plan for Watson and Sons Properties LLC, was to renovate the three second-floor apartments into safe, affordable living spaces for members of the community. Two of the apartment renovations are almost complete.

Phase two of Alwes' business plan starts next summer. I am working with the village council and Mayor Pat Cadle for a Vibrant Communities Grant from the State of Ohio to help revitalize Main Street. Im hoping each business on Main will receive grant monies to repaint or resurface every building. My buildings all need to be repainted.

"Additionally, for phase two, I am applying for USDA and DOE grants for the potential installation of an electric vehicle charging station, roof solar power panels and batteries. If I receive these solar grants, then next summer electric wiring upgrades for the first floor of 222 West Main will be initiated. I plan to share my grant lessons learned with every business owner interested in the future."

Phase three is a five-year plan and focuses on the restaurant and distillery renovations, to commence by calendar year 2027.

"It will cost a minimum of $200,000 total, which is why I work so hard for grant funding, to upgrade and establish my restaurant and distillery. My parking lot needs to be resurfaced. My floors and foundation require repair and reinforcement to handle the weight of distillation equipment. I will also need to work with the village water department for an additional gray water line and freshwater line. Im not changing anything with the building architecture other than adding ADA-compliant entryways, restroom facilities and a kitchen.

"I will still need to work with the proper authorities in the region regarding my business plans to renovate the 222 West Main first floor former hardware store to a 1930s style design for a restaurant and micro-distillery, with a decor theme of a Prohibition Era Speak-easy," she added. "My distillery is going to be a fun place to kick back and enjoy yourself with friends and family. Newcomerstown is our home. We need to all work on our home to keep it safe for our families and friends.

This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Mariah Alwes looking to start new businesses in Newcomerstown
Contemporary artists share a singular role: to challenge perceptions. Their work inevitably questions whether truth can be objective, or whether our understanding  of an image, a video, installation or social situation  depends on our particular perch. Never has that been more true than with this seasons top shows.

Heres where to find art exhibits all around South Florida from Miami to Palm Beach

WHAT LIES BENEATH

At first glance, the work highlighted in upcoming solo shows at the Perez Art Museum Miami and the Institute for Contemporary Art-Miami feel worlds apart  one from the streets, the other from the math lab. But the subtext is the same. Is what we see real, or is the truth about race, class and social structure so veiled by misinformation that we fail to recognize it?

At PAMM, Gary Simmons: Public Enemy spans Simmons 40-year career through 70 sculptures, paintings, photographs, works on paper, installations and large-scale drawings created on-site. The work is peppered with pop-culture images, many akin to chalkboard drawings partly erased. Others stab sharply at Americas unequal treatment of people of color. The installation Lineup, 1993, for instance, stations eight pairs of gold-plated athletic sneakers beneath a police wall chart lineup. Step into the Arena (The Essentialist Trap) (1994), a full-size boxing ring with tap shoes dangling from the ropes, references the exploitation of African American men for sports and entertainment. The idea, says show curator Rene Morales, probes into the spaces between history and collective memory  what were encouraged to remember and to forget. The exhibition was co-created by PAMM and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, where it appeared this summer.

Gary Simmons: Public Enemy, at the Perez Art Museum Miami, Dec. 5 - April 28, 2024; 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. 305-375-3000; pamm.org

Detail of Hold Up, Wait a Minute, 2021, by Gary Simmons, will be showcased at Perez Art Museum Miami this winter. Jeff McLane

Charles Gaines is the quintessential conceptual artist, a philosopher who employs complex grids and systems in drawings, photographs and video installations to underscore the difference between what we see, and what we perceive. The ICA explores his practice through 70 works from 1992 to the present. Some are recreations of works unseen for 20 years, such as Greenhouse, a 12 by 16-foot enclosure where simulated atmospheric changes are paired with data visualizations of recorded temperature shifts. A multimedia installation transforms political manifestos into musical performance. Still others appear to be pixelated drawings deconstructed into multiple gridded layers. But what you first see or hear is just the surface; so much lies beneath. Says curator Gean Moreno, The goal of the work is remind viewers that they have a critical capacity to question the categories that organize their lives. In this sound-bite world, weve forgotten we have these critical capacities.

Charles Gaines: 1992-2022, at the Institute of Contemporary Art - Miami, Nov. 16 - April 30, 2024, at 61 NE 41st Street, Miami. 305-901- 5272; icamiami.org.

ABSTRACTION CON ACTION

The late Venezuelan artists Jesus Rafael Soto and Carlos Cruz-Diez played with perception in a visceral way, using color, illusion and motion to create works that literally seem to dance in space. Miamians know their work, if not their names, from Sotos swinging jungle of indigo cords near the entrance to the Perez Art Museum Miami to Cruz-Diezs multi-hued geometric streetwalks outside Coral Gables City Hall and at loanDepot Stadium. For a few more weeks, they can celebrate these two masters in greater context at the Coral Gables Museum in the show Masters that Changed the City, a centenary tribute.

Masters that Changed the City, at the Coral Gables Museum, through Oct. 22, at 285 Aragon Avenue, Coral Gables. 305-603-8067; coralgablesmuseum.org.

CONTINUING LEGACY

Juan Francico Elsos View of Transparency of God, an installation work from 1987 and 1988, will be part of a show focusing on the late artists influence at the Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami. Martin Seck_El Museo Del Barrio_







Cuban artist Juan Francisco Elso lived only 32 years, from 1956-1988, but his influence continues today. Co-created by the El Museo del Barrio and the Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami, the show Juan Francisco Elso: Por America includes Elsos own sculptures, crafted in natural materials, and work by more than 30 other artists exploring Cuban, Caribbean and Latin American identities and the Afro-Caribbean and indigenous traditions that shape them. Among artists in the show are Miamis Jose Bedia, Glenn Ligon, Gabriel Orozco and Los Carpinteros.

Juan Francisco Elso: Por America, Nov. 1 - March 17, 2024; at the Museum of Contemporary Art - North Miami, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami. 305-893-6211; mocanomi.org.

DINER NATION

Order Up! The Pop Art of John Miller at the Lowe Art Museum features burgers, fries and diner settings blown in glass. Courtesy of Lowe Art Museum

Burgers, fries and diner fixtures are at this falls menu at the University of Miamis Lowe Art Museum. Theyre all part of the exhibition Order Up! The Pop Art of John Miller featuring 35 over-sized glass sculptures by the artist, whose work is inspired by the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and personal memories of youthful visits to a diner near his fathers motorcycle shop. The exhibit is paired with a the Wheres The Burger? Scavenger Hunt for 12 signed mini-burgers hidden throughout Coral Gables from November to January. While youre there, dont miss the painstaking drawings of Miamis Chris Friday,

Order Up! The Pop Art of John Miller, at the University of Miamis Lowe Art Museum, Oct. 24 - Jan. 14 at 1301 Stanford Dr, Coral Gables. 305-284-3535; lowe.miami.edu.

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Nam June Paik in Miami Beach, 1990. Brian Smith / Courtesy of The Bass

The late digital pioneer June Nam Paik is hailed as the father of video art and credited with creating the term electronic superhighway. Born in Korea and trained as a classical pianist in Germany, Paik lived in Tokyo, New York and Seoul -- all places that shaped his widely acclaimed video, multimedia and performance works. But little attention has been paid to his connections to South Florida, where he kept an apartment from 1988 to his death here in 2006. Nam June Paik: The Miami Years at The Bass will explore his local connections, including his massive 1990 sculptural installations WING and MIAMI at Miami International Airport. Centered on Paiks 2003 work TV Cello, the Bass show include an Oct. 7 lecture with art historian and Paik authority John Hanhardt and performances by contemporary artists influenced by Paiks work.

Nam June Paik: The Miami Years, Oct. 4 - Aug. 16, 2024, at The Bass, 2100 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. 305-673-7530; thebass.org.

GLORY OF COLOR

Kenneth Nolands This, created in 1958-1959, is part of the Color Field Painting show at the NSU Art Museum. Courtesy of NSU Art Museum

Head to Fort Lauderdale for a blast to the mid-century past. Artists of the moment experimented with smooth, flat spans of color  sometimes abstract, sometimes geometric  to evoke emotion and spirituality. The style was dubbed Color Field Painting, practiced by such now-famous artists as Frank Stella, Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, Sam Gilliam, Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski, Larry Poons. Glory of the World: Color Field Painting (1950s to 1983) at NSU Art Museum takes its name from Frank Stellas comments about fellow abstractionist Hans Hofmann painting Gloriamundi: Hofmann proved that the straightforward manipulation of pigment can create exalted art...Glory of the world this painting surely is, and glory of the world his painting surely was and is.

Glory of the World: Color Field Painting, Nov. 21 through June 2024, at the NSU Art Museum, 1 E Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale. nsuartmuseum.org, 954-525-5500.

SPEAKING OF STELLA . . .

Miamis privately owned museums offer a rare glimpse into the discerning eyes of some of the worlds most prominent art collections. On the must-see list is Motherwell, Segal, Stella at Margulies Collection at the Warehouse, the cavernous Wynwood showcase for the collection of Martin Margulies. The show features works from a trio of Americas most celebrated 20th Century artists. Included are a rare 1961 painting by Frank Stella from his Copper Series, credited with launch American minimalism, and a selection of abstract paintings by Robert Motherwell from 1958-1981. Three sculptures by George Segal remind us how painfully difficult city life can be outside the circle of privilege.

Motherwell, Segal, Stella, Oct. 18 through April, 2024, at 591 NW 27th Street, Miami. margulieswarehouse.com, 305-576-1051.

Yinka Shonibares wax cotton printed textile with metal chain entitled Boy / Girl, is part of the show To Weave the Sky, at El Espacio 23.

In the Design District, the de la Cruz Collection presents House in Motion, a selection of paintings, sculptures, and site-specific installations from the private collection of Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz including Hernan Bas, Mark Bradford, Tauba Auerbach and Rashid Johnson. From Dec. 6 at 23 NE 41st Street, Miami. 305-576-6112; delacruzcollection.org.

The sprawling neighborhood of Allapattah is now home to three private museums: the Rubell Museum, El Espacio 23 and the new Marquez Art Projects. Dont try to see them all in the same day; youll want hours at each.

At El Espacio 23, the Jorge M. Perez Collection showcases recent textile acquisitions in To Weave the Sky: Textile Abstractions, featuring works by more than 100 inter-generational artists from around the world  including Lee Krasner, Joan Mitchell and Bisa Butler  encompassing abstraction, landscape and indigenous ritual. From. Nov. 2 at 2270 NW 23rd St., Miami. elespacio23.org; 786-490-9090.

At the Rubell Museum, this year look for work by artist-in-residence Basil Kincaid and solo artist presentations by Lauren Halsey, Sharif Farrag, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr, Patrick Martinez and Danie Cansino. From Dec. 5 at 1100 NW 23rd Street, Miami. rubellmuseum.org/miami; 305-573-6090.

The newly opened Marquez Art Projects features work from the John Marquez collection by more than 50 emerging visual artists, including Cristina de Miguel, George Condo and KAWS. At 2395 NW 21st Terrace, Miami. marquezartprojects.com
(Bloomberg) -- The mother of five knew something was wrong with the rain. The windows of her home in the Libyan city of Derna had started leaking, and when she opened them she saw a wall of water sweeping away screaming children and adults. Floating debris killed people in its path.

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The deluge that tore through eastern Libya in the early hours of September 11 eventually tore down half of the womans two-story building. She took refuge on the rooftop alongside her husband and children. She described the ordeal of watching the rising waters in an interview with Bloomberg Green, requesting that her name not be made public for fear of repercussions from Libyan authorities.

From 3 to 4 a.m. the flood kept on and on, the woman said. We kept praying for the sun to be up and it just wouldnt. It was the longest night of my life. The family survived and eventually fled to the eastern city of Ajdabiya.

More than 5,000 Libyans died in the flood and more than 10,000 remain missing, according to the United Nations. So many people ended up dragged by the torrent of mud  the populations of entire buildings, in some cases  that dead bodies continued washing ashore days later.

Political instability, a decade of civil war, crumbling infrastructure, and weak emergency systems all played a role in the tragedy that unfolded in the eastern region of Jabal al Akhdar. Add climate change to the mix, and the result is the deadliest and costliest storm ever recorded in the Mediterranean region.

Many of the worlds challenges coalesced in an awful hellscape, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres told global leaders during his address to the General Assembly on Tuesday. Libyans were victims many times over  victims of years of conflict, of climate chaos, of leaders far and near who failed to find a way to peace.

All these issues will continue to weigh on Libyas recovery from a climate-amplified disaster and likely make it harder for the country to prepare for the higher temperatures, drought and extreme rain to come. The fragile state of the countrys institutions make it difficult to tap into the pool of climate-relief money, even as more support becomes available through international programs. Last years COP27 climate summit saw a historic breakthrough to create a loss-and-damage fund to assist poor countries battered by extreme weather. But that fund isnt active yet, and its hard to identify ready sources of support in the aftermath of Libyas biggest climate disaster.

Warming temperatures are going to hit the worlds less stable societies with extreme force. Flooding has become more intense, with disasters unfolding more suddenly, in part because the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapor for every degree Celsius of warming. Libya, with its decrepit infrastructure, has already warmed by more than a degree since 1900. If greenhouse gas emissions remain unchanged, the countrys average temperatures will rise 2.2C by 2050 and by 4C at the end of the century.

What happened in Derna is the kind of thing were going to see more and more in countries like Libya, said Ciaran Donnelly, a senior vice president for crisis response at the International Rescue Committee, a nonprofit that helps people affected by humanitarian crises. Fragile and in-conflict states are significantly more vulnerable to climate change because of the deterioration of social services and lack of maintenance of infrastructure.

Forecasters spotted the danger to Libya three days in advance as the same storm wreaked havoc on Greece. But days of anticipation didnt prevent disaster. Survivors reported getting contradictory alerts from different authorities in the hours before the storm. That confusion stems in part from Libyas two governments  one in the east, one in the west  whose ongoing dispute meant there was no coordinated emergency preparation. There was no evacuation for the population along the Wadi Derna, a river that runs through the coastal city of Derna before flowing into the Mediterranean.

It is not clear to what extent forecasts and warnings were communicated and received by the general public or relevant emergency responders, said Maja Vahlberg, a climate-risk consultant with the Climate Centre, which works with the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement. That meant anyone in the path of the water was at risk, not just those who are typically highly vulnerable.

That marked the first failure. Next came the dams.

The two-story-high wall of water that swept through city wasnt just the result of the heavy rainfall. A pair of dams made from clay, rocks and earth in the 1970s collapsed in the storm. Like much of Libyas infrastructure, the dams on the Wadi Derna had been neglected for decades.

The worlds large number of aging dams, built to withstand a climate that no longer exists, will become an increasingly widespread problem, particularly in developing countries with few resources for upkeep. A detailed analysis of more than 35,000 dams published earlier this year in the journal Nature found the median year of construction globally was 1974. North America is home to the oldest dams, with the median year of completion of 1963, and Europe is next at 1966.

Reports of major cracks on the dams that failed near Derna date back to at least 1998, Libyas general prosecutor said in a televised press conference on September 15. The government of Colonel Moammar Al Qaddafi, who ruled Libya in a dictatorship for 30 years, awarded a repair and maintenance contract to a Turkish company in 2007. Because of payment issues, work didnt start until 2010 and abruptly stopped less than five months later, in 2011, during the popular uprising that toppled Qaddafi.

None of the successive governments resumed maintenance. Those dams have had cracks and issues since the last regime, and despite all the budgets and all the demands and the calls, nothing was done, said Nermin Al-Sherif, head of the Libyan General Federation of Trade Unions, speaking from Derna. Climate change is not something that we just heard about. Its an existential threat and a lot of mistakes were committed here.

While Libyas case is extreme, the country is far from alone in its vulnerability to climate impacts. By the end of this decade the extent of urban land exposed to frequent flooding is projected to increase by about 270% in North Africa, by 800% in Southern Africa and by 2,600% in the middle of the continent compared to levels at the turn of the millenium, according to the latest report from scientists on the UN-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. About 70% of African cities are rated highly vulnerable to climate shocks.

Behind it all is the lack of critical infrastructure and the poor maintenance of old, often crumbling dams, bridges and roads. Adapting that infrastructure to extreme weather events made worse by climate change is a challenge for both developed and developing nations. But its far tougher for poor countries that are often struggling with instability and have far greater difficulty accessing money.

Climate experts describe efforts to defend people from the destructive brunt of warming as adaptation, in contrast to mitigation efforts that curb planet-warming emissions. The world doesnt spend enough on either category. While poor nations have had trouble getting enough funding for mitigation, programs to finance adaptation have until recently been all but nonexistent.

Thats starting to change. Adaptation finance flows to developing nations have been increasing even though the pace is still too slow, according to the UN Environment Programmes Adaptation Gap Report for 2022. Spending on adaptation in developing countries reached $29 billion in 2020, far below the estimated needs of as much as $340 billion by 2030 and up to $565 billion by mid-century.

But even that pool of funds is largely out of reach for Libya, which the UN portrays as a nation severely constrained by conflict, political division, and widespread impunity, compounded by fragmentation of government and governance structures, a bloated and inefficient civil service, systemic corruption, and weak transparency and accountability. In other words: not the sort of place where donor nations are willing to send money for public works.

Libya is one of the few signatories of the 2015 Paris Agreement that has never submitted a climate plan to the UN. These documents, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, outline countries vulnerabilities to climate change as well as their plans to reduce the greenhouse gasses that cause it. Completing an NDC is a necessary step toward showing international donors where climate funds will be spent.

The reality is that, for countries like Libya, its quite challenging to access the growing levels of climate financing available, said Donnelly of International Rescue. The comfort zone for international financial institutions is to work with administrations that are stable, and thats often not the case in many of the countries most affected by conflict and fragility.

Libya stands out in other ways. Many of the poorest and most climate vulnerable countries have relatively small emissions. Not so for Libya, home to Africas largest proven oil reserves and the highest emissions per capita on the continent. This means that the poor state of Libyan infrastructure results in frequent leaks of methane, a super powerful greenhouse gas, from the domestic oil and gas industry.

In this way, Libyas shaky infrastructure can be viewed as a double threat. Global warming supercharged the storm that wrecked the country this month, making it up to 50 times more likely to happen and increasing its intensity enough to overwhelm aging dams, according to a report by scientists with World Weather Attribution (WWA). And, in a feedback loop, Libyas leaking energy infrastructure also made a contribution to those rising temperatures.

We found that climate change did make the rainfall more intense, said Friedrike Otto, an author of the report and co-founder of WWA, a group that rapidly analyzes weather data after natural disasters. But also exposure to vulnerability and compounding disasters played a very key role.

The storm wiped off a quarter of Derna and split the city in two. Many roads remain flooded, and the few left are crowded with people trying to leave or enter the region. Eastern and western authorities in Libya are setting up checkpoints on roads, and different authorizations are needed to move from one side to the other.

Over the days following the storm, aid started trickling into Derna. Hundreds of civilians traveled to the affected areas to volunteer in search and rescue tasks. In an initial sign of some cooperation after the tragedy, Libyas rival governments pledged two billion dinars ($414 million) in assistance.

Our people have set an example through their solidarity and its unity. It is time for democracy to begin in Libya, Fatahallah al-Zunni, Libyas minister of youth, said in an address to the UN on Wednesday. All of the sites of conflict that were spurred on by adverse conditions, all of this has been carried away by the torrents.

But in the nearly two weeks since the tragedy, there are signs that any hopeful mood has already soured.

Protests erupted in Derna on September 18 as survivors raged over the lack of preparation and response to the storm, eventually touching the home of the citys mayor. Shortly after, officials in the east ordered the removal of the entire city council, put Derna under military rule and ordered local and foreign journalists to leave for allegedly impeding rescue operations, according to a statement by the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit that promotes press freedom.

Humanitarian organizations have been able to get supplies and personnel into the area so far, said Claire Nicolet, an emergency manager with Doctors Without Borders (MSF). But she worries traveling freely across the country and the security of relief workers could become more challenging. There are signs that the door is starting to close, she said, speaking from the organizations headquarters in Paris.

On the ground in Derna, volunteers from elsewhere in Libya have started leaving. Families seeking survivors have given up. The chaos that followed the storm has faded, and the city has become quiet. Some small shops have reopened, according to MSF.

For Al-Sherif, the union leader who traveled to Derna as a volunteer to help victims of the flood, its not the first time assisting in rescue efforts. During the decade-long war she has helped people flee conflict. But she said the eerie feeling of walking on debris with the fear of stepping on someone is new  and terrifying.

Infrastructure was not maintained, cities were neglected, there was no proper planning and climate factors were not put into consideration, Al-Sherif said. This should be a lesson to us and to the whole world.

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A woman who was in possession of more than 50 animals in poor condition was arrested Friday night in Chandler, officials said.

Police filed charges of 55 counts of animal abuse, 55 counts of animal cruelty, and one count of vulnerable adult abuse, the latter of which is a felony.

The woman was identified by police as April McLaughlin.

In an initial statement, the Chandler Police Department said on Sept. 8 a person reported to police that a homeowner in Chandler was hoarding dogs and failing to provide them with medical treatment. Police said the person was contacted by a member of an animal rescue in Texas who had recently given one of their dogs with special needs to the person in Chandler who ran a special needs animal rescue.

Police said an officer went to the residence to speak to the homeowner and there was no response at the door so the officer left a voice message. Police said the officer could smell urine from the residence through the closed front door and that they saw no dogs in the backyard but found it cluttered. The officer then contacted the Arizona Humane Society for assistance with the investigation to check on the welfare of the animals.

Officials said on Sept. 12, the Humane Society was able to gain access to the residence with the consent of the homeowner. The society identified five dogs that needed to be taken to the vet and police said the homeowner took them between Sept. 12 and Sept. 18.

However, on Sept. 20, the Police Department's animal abuse liaison spoke to the homeowner, who advised that three more dogs needed to be seen for their conditions, officials said.

The Arizona Humane Society's director of field operations, Tracey Miiller, speaks to the media at the Humane Society's South Mountain location in Phoenix on Sept. 23, 2023. She informed the press about an operation with the Chandler Police Department to seize 55 dogs during a rescue the day before.

On Friday night, the Arizona Humane Society and the Chandler Police Department seized more than 50 special needs pets, many of them needing immediate medical attention, according to a Humane Society Facebook post.

According to the Humane Society, the Chandler Police Department received information about an ongoing case of alleged animal abuse that began two weeks ago. The Humane Society said the information prompted a search warrant. During the search warrant, animals were taken from the property and into the Humane Society's care.

"This warrant could not have come soon enough for these at-risk animals who are now being directly transported to our trauma hospital where our veterinary team will provide much needed medical care," the Humane Society's Facebook post read.

Rescued: Cochise County sheriff saves elderly dog abandoned on I-10 near Benson; owner charged

Tracey Miiller, field operations director for the Arizona Humane Society, said the dogs were taken to an animal hospital in Sunnyslope where they are receiving medical treatment. An additional five dogs were found dead inside the home, though the cause of their deaths was not immediately clear as of Saturday.

Miiller said seizing the dogs from McLaughlin initially proved difficult as Chandler lacks an animal ordinance allowing a pet to be seized for lack of medical treatment. Miiller recommended that Chandler residents contact their City Council members to have a law added to the books to prevent a similar situation from occurring in the future.

Due to a large intake of animals who need special care, the Humane Society posted to its Facebook account on Saturday afternoon and said its dog kennels are in "critical capacity" and it needs to clear space for sick, injured and abused pets. The society said it is waiving adoption fees for all dogs and puppies on Sept. 23 and Sept. 24.

As for the dogs seized in Chandler, Miiller said they aren't available for adoption or foster care for at least 10 days as they remain evidence in a criminal investigation. Those who wish to foster any dogs once they are able to do so can fill out an application on the Humane Society's website.

Cruelty charges: 2 arrested after 100 animals found in poor health in Tucson

Although McLaughlin said she ran an animal rescue, Miiller noted that Arizona doesn't have any requirements  whether it be special training or licenses  to create a rescue.

According to a social media post made by the rescue group Caravana Canina, the rescue released its dog Ficus to McLaughlin. Shortly after Ficus went to live with McLaughlin, she started the Special Needs Animal Welfare League. The post said the organization seemed legitimate and they spoke numerous times to her.

How to use myPHX311: Report animal abuse and other crimes in Phoenix

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Chandler woman arrested after 55 dogs seized, police say
As it campaigns to extend tenure protection to Wesleyan Universitys adjunct instructors, the American Association of University Professors on Friday held a public meeting to argue that the universitys finances could absorb the cost.

The university has more than $500 million in unrestricted endowments that it is free to use for year-to-year operations, Howard Bunsis reported after analyzing Wesleyans recent budgets, financial statements, bond ratings and other publicly available documents.

I think there are a lot of small private universities that are in financial trouble. Wesleyan is not one of them, said Bunsis, an accounting professor at Eastern Michigan University who in recent years has specialized in university budget analyses for the AAUP.

Bunsis presented dozens of pages of financial analysis to a crowd of more than 60 students, faculty and staff who gathered at Russell House to hear his talk, and concluded that finances wouldnt hold Wesleyan back from meeting the AAUPs One Faculty proposal.

Theres been a large increase in non-tenure-track faculty, and this poses a concern. Some of the messaging weve gotten from the institution is that its financial capabilities are stopping it from hiring more tenure track faculty, but thats not the case  there are funds available, said Prof. Cori Anderson, co-chair of Wesleyans AAUP chapter.

From the faculty and student perspective, we saw there are a couple of funds available for us to do the things we need to, she said.

The university administration issued a statement late Friday, but did not address Bunsis analysis of the schools financial situation.

The administration has had a productive relationship with the AAUP since it recently restarted at Wesleyan. We look forward to continuing the conversation and reviewing the materials presented today, a Wesleyan spokesman said.

Wesleyans AAUP chapter last winter called for the school to extend tenure protections to all adjunct faculty who work full-time hours but do not have a track to the job protection that tenured professors get. The AAUP also wants Wesleyan to fully staff all academic departments and step up the hiring of tenure-track faculty.

Almost 40 percent of Wesleyan faculty are contingent employees with higher teaching loads, lower pay, and little job security. The conditions of their employment are uneven and arbitrary, subject to budgetary expediency and administrative fiat, the AAUP said in a statement.

Bunsis, a union advocate and past chairman of the AAUP Collective Bargaining Congress, was brought in to address questions about whether the university could afford that change.

Bunsis has been conducting similar analyses of finances at dozens of public and private universities on behalf of the AAUP. His reports on the University of Maryland, Johns Hopkins, the University of Buffalo, Columbia, Marquette University and others conclude that there is more money available for year-to-year operating budgets than administrators admit.

In his analysis of Wesleyan, Bunsis noted the schools endowment is more than $1.7 billion, but also acknowledged that about $1.2 billion is restricted by the donors.

Were not counting a single dollar of these restrictions in reserves because the university cannot use that money to cut the grass, pay faculty more, pay non-tenure track faculty more, lower tuition, give more financial aid, he said.

But the remaining $512 million in discretionary reserves can be spent on operations, he said.

They have a very significant amount of cushion, he said.
(CNN)  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it is likely Israel will reach a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia, in what would mark a seismic foreign policy shift for both countries as they edge closer to reaching a deal mediated by the US.

Speaking to CNNs Kaitlan Collins in an interview on Friday, Netanyahu touted the potential pact as a quantum leap in the region.

But he refused repeatedly to say what kind of concessions he would offer Palestinians in order to get the deal across the line.

It would change the Middle East forever, he said  bringing down walls of enmity and creating a corridor of energy pipelines, rail lines, fiber optic cables, between Asia through Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and the United Arab Emirates.

The White House has been in talks with Riyadh for several months over the purported agreement to normalize relations between the two countries. Saudi Arabia, like many Arab states, does not currently recognize Israel; such a deal would have potential to enhance Israels acceptance in the Muslim world, particularly considering Saudi Arabias role as the custodian of Islams holiest sites.

In 2002, Saudi Arabia proposed an Arab Peace initiative which offered Israel security and normal relations with 57 Arab and Muslim countries in exchange for its withdrawal from occupied Palestinian territories and the creation of an independent Palestinian state. But Israel rejected the initiative at the time.

This week, Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said that a normalization pact with Israel would be the biggest historical deal since the Cold War.

In an interview with Fox News, bin Salman added that he hopes the deal will reach a place that will ease the life of the Palestinians  but stopped short of calling for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, which has been Riyadhs official stance for two decades.

Netanyahu has made tightening relations with Saudi Arabia a linchpin of his premiership, although it is unclear what kind of concessions toward Palestinians would be allowed by his right-wing coalition.

In his interview with Collins, Netanyahu declined to say what kind of concessions he might make to Palestinians for the nromalization deal, but emphasized that he believes making peace with the broader Arab world would be a step toward resolving Palestinian-Israeli conflict  what he called an outside-in approach.

He also repeated a point made in his UN address earlier that day, saying that he believed Palestinians should become part of the process  but not wield the ability to veto it.

Speaking to the UN General Assembly in New York this week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas warned against trying to sideline his peoples demands in any possible normalization agreement.

Those who think that peace can prevail in the Middle East without the Palestinian people enjoying their full legitimate national rights would be mistaken, Abbas said at the UNGA.

Tensions in the region have skyrocketed in recent weeks, amid increased Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank. Israel says the raids are intended to prevent or punish Palestinian militant attacks on Israeli civilians because the Palestinian Authority is failing in its security obligations.

The number of Palestinians and Israelis killed this year is on track to be the highest since the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising, two decades ago.

Despite apparent momentum toward a normalization deal, Netanyahus relationship with US President Joe Biden has soured in recent months, as officials in Washington raise concerns over his efforts to scale back the powers of Israels Supreme Court.

The judicial overhaul has triggered the longest and largest protest movement in Israeli history, dividing the Knesset over a crucial proposal that critics say would threaten the countrys democracy.

Part of the overhaul is a law that would restrict the courts ability to strike down government actions it deems unreasonable. Israels Supreme Court held hearings on the law to curb its powers earlier this month.

The US president had previously warned against the proposals, suggesting it is an erosion of democracy and could undercut US-Israel relations.

Asked by Collins about the damage the judicial overhaul poses to US-Israel relations, Netanyahu responded, I think the damage is not the reform, its the way the reform is misrepresented, as some kind of collapse of democracy.

This story was first published on CNN, "Netanyahu says Israel nears normalization deal with Saudi Arabia but refuses to outline concessions to Palestinians."
Leer en espanol

At just 22 years old, Armando Montero is a leader of one of the biggest school districts in Arizona  a position he started down the path toward before he had even graduated from high school.

Tempe Union High School District, where Montero serves as school board president, serves almost 13,000 students in Tempe, Chandler, Guadalupe, the Gila River Indian Community and Ahwatukee.

Its important to have more young people sitting in office, particularly at this level  at the school board," Montero said. "To be one of those five voices, to bring a perspective that is not traditionally there."

Beginning as a high school advocate

Monteros intelligence and potential stood out to his high school friends and classmates early in his time at Desert Vista High School, where he started in 2015. Desert Vista is one of seven schools in Tempe Union.

Kaitlyn Laibe, Monteros best friend, first saw his intelligence on display for the debate team during their sophomore year. She called him whip-smart for his debate performance.

As their friendship strengthened, Laibe and Montero began to get involved in politics together, campaigning in local elections and voter registration efforts.

Montero looked at me and said, This is what Im going to do, Laibe recalled.

He stuck to his word. Around that same time, because of his own personal struggles and the loss of a friend to suicide, Montero began to advocate for increased mental health resources and support in the school district.

He was relentless in his mental health advocacy pursuit, Laibe said. That was really the framework through which he saw all other issues  was this understanding that if we dont tackle mental health, then all other issues are just placing a bandaid on them.

His advocacy soon led him to the district's boardroom, which he described as a daunting experience. Montero found himself standing in front of the school board proposing more mental health resources in schools, such as increased funding for school counselors, psychologists and social workers.

That's when Stacia Wilson, Tempe Union's acting superintendent, first met Montero.

He was courageous, Wilson said.

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Campaigning as COVID-19 emerged

Montero began to question why students werent further integrated into the school board process. He was met with comments of youre too young to understand what youre talking about and let the adults in the room handle it, Montero said.

Then, in 2019, during the summer after he graduated from Desert Vista, members of the school board approached Montero with the idea of running for a board position.

I initially just kind of laughed it off and didnt think it would be possible, Montero said.

But that same summer, Montero, then just 18, filed his intent to run. It was official. Just weeks before he was set to begin attending Arizona State University to study political science in August 2019, he was running for office. He would be on the 2020 ballot.

Even if I wouldnt be successful, just to show people that its possible to run  that was important to me, Montero said.

Despite having to run a campaign during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic  campaigning through virtual town halls, phone banking and social media, all while attending his freshman year of college  in November 2020 Montero secured a seat on the board.

When the results first rolled in, Montero called Sarah James, a music teacher at Tempe Elementary School who campaigned with him.

I vividly remember he was so excited, his voice was just like in disbelief, said James, who now serves alongside Montero on the board.

James wasnt as surprised as Montero seemed to hear the news of his win.

I feel like everyone knew he was gonna win, James said. He had such a dynamic campaign and such a different perspective.

Its important to have more young people sitting in office, particularly at this level  at the school board," says Tempe Union High School District Governing Board President Armando Montero. "To be one of those five voices, to bring a perspective that is not traditionally there."

Bringing student voices to the school board

In January 2021, Montero's term on the board began. As a young person in a position of power, he found himself confronted by questions about his abilities.

Having to listen to a 19-year-old, theres that initial sense of side-eye, Montero said.

Despite the higher standards he felt he had to meet, Montero began to take on more responsibility. He was elected by his board colleagues to be vice president in 2022 and president in January 2023.

As a board member, Montero has had the opportunity to go into high school classrooms across the district and meet with students. Those visits, he said, are one of his favorite aspects of board service.

Laibe, Montero's friend, said the student experience is inherently disempowering because students rarely get a voice in important schoolwide decisions. But Monteros presence on the board is changing that dynamic, she said.

This is a student who, less than a year ago, was disempowered by this administration and is now sitting upon it, Laibe recalled of Montero joining the board. Its really, really incredible.

During classroom visits, Montero has been able to talk to students and see them get excited when they see someone that looks like them, that understands them, that is out there making those decisions, he said.

Since joining the board, Montero has worked with his colleagues to launch an ad hoc committee surrounding student mental health to shape school board policy, reduce the student-to-counselor ratio, expand LGBTQ+ student protections and increase accountability for the school board itself.

Wilson praised Monteros leadership, including his ability to listen to others, consider alternate ideas, tackle issues head on and ask questions of his colleagues.

Hes an amazing leader now, and I just know he will continue to be, Wilson said. It gives me a lot of hope for our young leaders coming up.

Monteros term is up at the end of 2024. He plans to run for reelection.

Moving forward academically and professionally

While running for and serving on the school board, Montero was continuing his college education.

In addition to political science, Montero had started pursuing two additional majors, economics and mathematics. He was the rare triple major. He graduated from ASU with all three in May 2023.

Months after graduating from ASU, Montero moved from student to staff. In August, he started at ASU as a senior planning analyst to help the university prepare for the future and prepare more students for higher education.

Montero plans to continue his education by going back to school to receive a masters or law degree.

Whatever pathway he goes down in the future, Laibe said she knows Montero will achieve great things.

From the moment I met him, from the first debate round I saw him in  I knew this was someone whose name we were going to remember, Laibe said.

Reach the reporter Morgan Fischer at morgan.fischer@gannett.com or on X, formally known as Twitter, @morgfisch.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tempe Union school district president is Gen Z leader Armando Montero
In September 2022, President Joe Biden convened a summit called United We Stand to denounce the venom and violence of white nationalism ahead of the midterm elections.

His remarks repeated the theme of his prime-time speech in Philadelphia on Sept. 1, 2022, during which he warned that Americas democratic values are at stake.

We must be honest with each other and with ourselves, Biden said. Too much of whats happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.

Former President Donald Trump embraces Kari Lake, the Arizona GOP candidate for governor, at a rally on July 22, 2022. Mario Tama/Getty Images

While that message may resonate among many Democratic voters, its unclear whether it will have any impact on any Republicans whom Biden described as dominated and intimidated by former President Donald Trump, or on independent voters who have played decisive roles in elections, and will continue to do so, particularly as their numbers increase.

Its also unclear whether Trump-endorsed candidates can win in general elections, in which they will face opposition not only from members of their own party but also from a broad swath of Democrats and independent voters.

What is clear is that this midterm election cycle has revealed the potency of conspiracy theories that prop up narratives of victimhood and messages of hate across the complex American landscape of white nationalism.

Campaigning on conspiracy theories

In my book, Homegrown Hate: Why White Nationalists and Militant Islamists Are Waging War on the United States, I detail how the white nationalist narrative of victimhood and particular grievances have gained traction to become ingrained in the present-day Republican Party.

I also examine four key strands of white nationalism that overlap in various configurations: religions, racism, conspiracy theories and anti-government views.

Conspiracy theories allow white nationalists to depict a world in which Black and brown people are endangering the livelihoods, social norms and morals of white people.

In general, conspiracy theories are based on the belief that individual circumstances are the result of powerful enemies actively agitating against the interests of a believing individual or group.

Based on the interviews I conducted while researching my book, these particular conspiracy theories are convenient because they justify the shared white nationalist goal of establishing institutions and territory of white people, for white people and by white people. While conspiracy theories are not new, and certainly not new to politics, they spread with increasing frequency and speed because of social media.

The great replacement theory is one such baseless belief that is playing a role in the anti-immigration rhetoric that is central to the 2022 strategies of many Republican candidates who are running for seats at all levels of government.

That theory erroneously warns believers of the threat that immigrants and people of color pose to white identity and institutions.

For months on the 2022 campaign trail, Republican Blake Masters, a venture capitalist who is running for a U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, has portrayed immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border as part of an elaborate plot by Democrats to dilute the political power of voters born in the United States.

What the left really wants to do is change the demographics of this country, Masters said in a video posted to Twitter last fall.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is another Republican leader who decries what he calls the invasion of the southern border.

The lie of the Big Lie

Aside from the inflammatory anti-immigration rhetoric, the conspiracy theory currently having the biggest impact on local, state and federal political campaigns across the country is Trumps Big Lie that he won the 2020 election.

Donald Trump greets Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano on Sept. 3, 2022. Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Of the 159 endorsements Trump has made for proponents of the Big Lie, 127 of them have won their primaries in 2022.

In addition, Republican candidates who align themselves with the Big Lie are also emerging victorious in races for state- and county-level offices whose responsibilities include direct oversight of elections.

The continuation of QAnon

On his social media site Truth Social, the former president quotes and spreads conspiracy theories from the quasi-religious QAnon. A major tenet of QAnon is the belief that the Democrats and people regarded as their liberal allies are a nefarious cabal of sexual predators and pedophiles.

Trump is not the only Republican politician who welcomes and spreads such disinformation.

Two of the most prominent politicians who have been linked to supporting QAnon are U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, both of whom have been resoundingly endorsed by Trump.

Democracies under threat

The blatant use of conspiracy theories for political gain reflects the open embrace of white nationalism in not only the United States but also throughout Sweden, France, Italy and other parts of the world.

In my view, the conspiracy theories that drive the 2022 midterm campaigns reflect the global threat of hate around the world.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: Sara Kamali, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Read more:



Sara Kamali does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. runs on his solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

BOSTON (AP)  Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. left Sundays game against the Boston Red Sox with a sore right knee after stealing a base in the first inning.

Chicago said he will be reevaluated Monday when the team is back home

Robert walked and stole his 20th base. He has 38 homers and 36 doubles, becoming the first White Sox player with 35 homers, 35 doubles and 20 steals.

Trayce Thompson replaced Robert in center in the bottom of the second.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Fact-checking Gavin Newsom





Gavin Newsom said Kevin McCarthys district is the murder capital of California. That a fact?, (sacbee.com, Sept. 17, 2023)

Governor Newsom states, Its an interesting fact, the murder capital of California is Kevin McCarthys district. Its the murder capital of California consistently, year in, year out. Yet, as the article later points out, according to the California Department of Justice, it is another county, not in Speaker McCarthys district, which leads the state in homicide rates. Another fact possibly of interest to the governor is that, another article explains that Newsoms Attorney General appointee Bonta has sued oil companies accusing them of a disinformation campaign. Will the AG, who has also filed suits against local elected officials over housing, and school boards over policies which he and the governor find distasteful, consider filing suit against the governor for a disinformation campaign against Speaker McCarthy. Or is a lie okay if uttered by your boss?

Bill Motmans

Sacramento

Opinion

Stop policing homelessness

Sacramentos DA dangerously politicizes homelessness at the worst possible time, (sacbee.com, Jul. 23, 2023)

I disagree with the Sacramento DA and its politicizing homelessness. I disagree because Thien Ho has dangerously politicized the regions worsening problem on homelessness. Hos crusade stands no chance of actually improving the homelessness crisis, but, instead, threatens to make it worse. As the article states, if Thien Ho truly wanted to help out the problem, he could support Safe Ground or other organizations that help homelessness, as a way to improve safety around the city. Thien Ho is only trying to make his character look good instead of actually helping the homelessness problem.

Estefany Arredondo

Protect trans kids privacy





Gavin Newsom, activists hold crosstown debate over book bans and transgender student policy (sacbee.com, Aug. 23, 2023)

I think that new transgender policies are a total invasion of privacy for the students and to their families. They leave no space for privacy for kids not ready to come out yet or who do not feel safe enough to come out. The school districts are disregarding the childrens need for privacy. The amount of family problems that this new policy may cause is immense and unnecessary. In many cases, it could put the kids in danger at their own homes.

Zuryzadai Flores

Sacramento

Tax gun sales

California Democrats have long failed to tax guns, ammunition. Could this year be different? (sacbee.com, Aug. 24, 2023)

At this time, California is considered notably dangerous, ranking forty-fourth for homicides by guns. Simply for the reason guns are too easy to attain. As a high schooler, I experienced how terrifying guns can be and the state of panic they can cause.

If lawmakers pass this tax, there would be many benefits for the safety and emotional state of our people. Additionally, violence prevention programs can provide much-needed support to these troubled individuals.

Leonardo Luna-Castillo

Sacramento

Return Native American Remains

Sacramento State has 114,000 Native American items. It plans to return half of them soon (sacbee.com, Aug. 31, 2023)

Sacramento State has hoarded the heritage of the American Native peoples for far too long, and the return of this heritage is a good beginning to what hopefully becomes a full reparation of the damage done to these cultures. There are approximately 114,000 articles of human remains that Sacramento State has collected, yet only 6% have been repatriated to the rightful parties. It is saddening that these items have been stockpiled, depriving their ancestral people of their heritage. As a Latino student in my junior year, I know that if someone took away my culture, Id be devastated. My culture plays a key role in my life. With Sac State on my college list, it gladdens me to hear that theyre taking steps to repair the cultural damage done, and I anticipate the day that these cultural wounds are fully healed.

Juan Pablo Almanza

Elk Grove

Homelessness is not a Choice

Why does anyone in Sacramento believe the myth that people choose to be homeless? (sacbee.com, Aug. 28, 2023)

I hold the same opinion that people do not choose to be homeless and that the city of Sacramento should approach the homelessness crisis with more sincerity and compassion. Many homeless people suffer from mental illness, substance addiction, or trauma.

These factors are major setbacks that lead to a deterioration in their health, which eventually steers them into the relentless and unforgiving path of homelessness. After years of trying to put them in temporary shelters, the rate of Sacramentos homeless population remains steadily increasing. In order to find an effective solution, we should implement strategies used by countries that have solved homelessness. Those strategies being housing first and offering support services.This concept has proved to be fruitful, with the homeless spending less time in hospital care. They also show lasting results that have improved their overall stability  and most importantly, solve the homeless issue by housing the homeless.

Ryder Ehinger

Elk Grove
Patricia Tatum said she thinks about her son from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to sleep.

She feels helpless.

Theres nothing I can do, she said. I have no information.

Her son, 47-year-old Derrick Williams, sits in the Clay County Detention Center in Missouri  hundreds of miles away from her home in Alabama. Hes been there since January 2022 on charges of robbery and armed criminal action after allegedly stealing a belt from a Walmart in Clay County. A judge last year ruled that Williams, who has schizophrenia according to his attorney, was not competent enough to stand trial as a result of mental disease or defect and should receive treatment at a mental health facility.

But with no hospital beds available, Williams has been forced to remain in jail. Tatum and her husband, Willie Tatum, Derricks stepfather, have largely been left in the dark on their sons condition and the status of his case.

They know he should not be in jail if hes not competent to stand trial. He should be in a place where he can get treatment  both so he can get better and so his case can progress, they said.

He needs to get his condition under control, Willie Tatum said. He doesnt need to be in jail.

Williams is one of 253 people languishing in jails across Missouri who have been found unfit to stand trial but cant be sent to a psychiatric hospital for treatment because of a shortage of beds and lack of staffing. There are roughly 25 in the Jackson County Detention Center, said Lucas Castilleja, the jails accreditation manager.

In this 2010 photograph, Patricia Tatum, left, sits on the lap of her son, Derrick Williams, right, during Tatums 60th birthday celebration. Williams has been stuck in the Clay County Detention Center waiting to be transferred to a mental health facility.

That statewide number could grow as the Missouri Department of Mental Health awaits 57 more court orders for people deemed incompetent to stand trial. And of the 267 open pre-trial competency evaluations ordered by the court, half are expected to be sent to DMH for competency restoration, according to DMH spokesperson Debra Walker.

The Star spoke with more than a dozen family members of inmates, hospital leaders, law enforcement, criminal justice reform advocates, lawmakers and attorneys about the problems getting inmates with mental health issues proper care. Collectively, they painted a portrait of a crisis. The inmates are often stuck in limbo in which their legal cases cant progress until they get treated for their mental illness. And they cant get treatment until a spot opens up at a hospital.

Many individuals wait months, sometimes more than a year, to get moved to a hospital where they can get treatment. Their mental health deteriorates in the process. In May, June and July of this year, inmates deemed unfit to stand trial were waiting an average of 11 months to be transferred to a mental health facility, said Walker. As of September, the wait time has improved to eight months, she said.

We basically shifted from state-operated psychiatric hospitals to a state-operated prison system as the primary housing of individuals with mental illness, said Brent McGinty, CEO and president of the Missouri Behavioral Health Council, a Jefferson City-based group that advocates for behavioral health care.

This is the third story in The Stars Broken Government project, an occasional series investigating failures at all levels of government in Missouri and Kansas. The project reveals ways in which government has failed to work for residents, including those facing mental health crises in jails.

The Star found that a constellation of issues at state-run psychiatric hospitals in Missouri, including workforce woes, bed shortages and lack of funding, all contribute to the problem. Over the past nearly two decades, the number of hospital beds have decreased as facilities have closed or merged. Nearly all of the state facilities are operating at capacity, said DMH Director Valerie Huhn.

The state currently operates 1,294 hospital beds in its eight facilities across the state. Thats down 246 beds from the 1,540 it operated across 11 facilities in 2005, according to data DMH provided to The Star. However, not all of the beds that closed supported patients who were in law enforcement custody.

The situation has become so acute that Missouri lawmakers this year approved funding for a new $300 million psychiatric hospital in downtown Kansas City to try to alleviate the bed shortage. The state also created a pilot program in Jackson County, Clay County, St. Louis, St. Louis County and Greene County where DMH can send a team of health care providers to treat inmates directly in jail.

While some see hope in the new funding and program, the situation for inmates who need treatment remains dire.

The Clay County Detention Center is pictured in Liberty, Missouri. The facility houses some inmates who are waiting to be placed in a state-operated mental health facility.

Clay County Sheriff Will Akin said he knows that some of the inmates at the Clay County Detention Center should not be in jail.

One, who has been there for nearly a year, is in dire need of mental health treatment. The inmate refuses to get out of bed and spreads feces over himself, his cell and jail staff, Akin said.

Others who have dementia have to be separated from the rest of the jail after saying things to other inmates that put them in danger.

They require treatment that we cannot provide, Akin told The Star in an interview. Are we truly treating them like human beings if we keep them locked up and they cant have their day in court because theyre not getting treated?

How did we get here?

Missouri, like many states across the country, has over the years cut its state-operated beds for psychiatric hospitals, said McGinty.

As state institutions across the country started to whittle down beds in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, the number of people with mental illness in jails began to increase. The trend lines almost mirrored each other, he said.

The fact that jails and prisons across the country are the largest providers of mental health care makes for an untenable situation, said Maria Goellner, the deputy director of policy for Families Against Mandatory Minimums, a Washington, D.C.-based criminal justice advocacy group.

This is not making us safer, she said. We need real robust treatment for safer communities and were not getting it right now.

Patients deemed incompetent to stand trial are ordered by a court for competency restoration at a DMH facility  receiving psychiatric care and treatment for their case to progress. But as staffing issues and bed shortages plague the facilities, inmates are often forced to stay in jail with their mental health deteriorating.

We acknowledge that when people are in jail, they are more than likely getting sicker, said Huhn with DMH. Theyre not getting the support that they need and the longer they stay there, the harder it is going to be for us to restore them to competency.

Huhn said 40 beds at Fulton State Hospital, roughly 25 miles southeast of Columbia, have been offline as the hospital struggles with staffing shortages. The agency re-opened 25 of those beds in July and admitted roughly three to four individuals from the wait list each week, Walker, the DMH spokesperson, later told The Star.

It is really a workforce issue across the state, Huhn said. And its as much about finding people to do the jobs as it is getting them actually in the door and trained and able to do the job.

Staffing shortages affect nearly all positions at the hospital. For example, the hospital currently has 12 full-time licensed practical nurses  a position thats budgeted for 46 people. And while the hospital is budgeted for 40 full-time social workers, only 14 currently work at the hospital, according to data from DMH.

For Kenya Brumfield-Young, an assistant professor of criminology and criminal justice at Saint Louis University, there are several factors causing the crisis, including financial reasons (its more expensive to house someone in a mental health facility than jail) and available space.

But, she said, theres also some level of societal acceptance surrounding people who are charged with crimes and are sent to jail.

When they hear about people going into like, a mental health hospital, the public conscience translates that into theres no accountability for behavior, she said.

In Clay County, Akin said its a disservice to inmates who need mental health care because jail staff cant provide the care they need.

Its not fair to them, he said. Its not fair to the families when they see them this way or talk with them and theyre saying that were not providing, you know, a certain level of service.

Clay County Sheriff Will Akin, left, is pictured in this 2022 photo with North Kansas City Chief of Police Kevin Freeman, right. Akin said he knows that some of the inmates in Clay County should be in a mental health hospital instead of in jail.

Ruth Petsch, head of the Kansas City public defenders office in Jackson County, said inmates are typically waiting 11 months to get into a DMH facility after they were found incompetent to proceed. When attorneys try to litigate over the long wait times, they dont get judgments or relief from the courts, she said.

The DMH facilities have had a wait list since 2005, but in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the wait list has skyrocketed, she said. Inmates are getting sicker and, for some, that may mean ending up permanently incompetent.

Theres a point where people can get too sick, she said.

Kansas City Public Defender Ruth Petsch, pictured in this file photo, said inmates in Missouri are typically waiting 11 months to get transferred to a mental health hospital after being found incompetent to stand trial.

Louretha Fuller worries about her nephew, 40-year-old Shannon Fuller, who is now an inmate at the Jackson County Detention Center after being charged with domestic assault and abuse or neglect of a child in March 2022.

Louretha and Shannons older sister, Sonelius Fuller, said Shannon was diagnosed with schizophrenia when he was younger. He was deemed incompetent to stand trial. But, instead of being placed in a mental health facility, he remains in jail, they said.

Louretha Fuller said she knows that what he did was wrong. But, she said, he should be in a place where he can get medication and treat his illness  not in jail.

I just feel like screaming and crying, Louretha Fuller told The Star in an interview. Each time I talk to him he just sounds worse.

Gwen Smith, the criminal justice policy manager for Empower Missouri, a social justice organization, said that incarceration is one of the most traumatic things a person can experience when dealing with a mental health crisis.

Whatever mental health issues that person entered jail with, theyre just going to be exacerbated during their time there, she said. It can really destabilize people that are attempting recovery.

Some, however, have challenged the idea that state-run psychiatric hospitals are the answer to those languishing in jails, pointing to the history of mistreatment of patients institutionalized at asylums.

Dylan Pyles, an organizer with Decarcerate KC, a group working to reduce the use of incarceration, said he was skeptical of mental health institutions as another form of incarceration.

Our big concern with just the general kind of substituting out a mental health facility for a jail is that we want to make sure that any mental health resources dont replicate or reinforce the same trauma that incarceration does, he said.

A plaque dedicated to individuals with mental illnesses is seen at the entrance of the Center for Behavioral Medicine in Kansas City.

Hope in Kansas City?

A new $300 million psychiatric hospital in Kansas City may offer a chance to alleviate some of the shortage. But its still years away.

The state-owned hospital, which is still in early planning stages, will be a 200-bed facility with 100 beds for people deemed incompetent to stand trial. The other 100 beds will be leased to University Health, Huhn said.

Currently, the state uses the nearby Center for Behavioral Medicine, a facility built in 2004, for competency restoration. Huhn said the plan is for the state to keep those beds open for patients who are permanently incompetent to stand trial or are committed to the department by a guardian.

Charlie Shields, president and CEO of University Health, is seen in his office on Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, in Kansas City. Shields described a psychiatric hospital in Kansas City as "value-engineered" and said he hopes a new facility will be designed differently.

Huhn acknowledged that the current facility was not designed to house patients working on restoring competency or for acute inpatient services from University Health. State lawmakers and Charlie Shields, the president and CEO of University Health, have warned that the facility is in bad shape.

If you look at the majority of the rooms, they dont have outside windows and the ability to get sunlight. That would not be how you would design a new facility, Shields told The Star in an interview.

The center, which stands in the heart of Kansas Citys Hospital Hill neighborhood, was what Shields described as value-engineered and built at a time when the state was struggling financially. While patients  both on the state side and on the private side  receive good care, the facility is not state of the art, he said.

While the staffing issues arent as dire as Fulton State Hospital, the Kansas City center is also down in its number of licensed practical nurses and social workers, according to DMH data.

State lawmakers who approved funding for the new hospital this year hope the facility, which DMH expects to open in 2028, will help increase the number of beds available for patients who are sitting in jail.

I was getting a little tired of hearing the stories of people languishing in county jails and other facilities, said state Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Springfield Republican who chairs the Missouri Senate budget committee. The idea is well get people where they need to be with the care that they need and not sitting in some county jail somewhere.

State Sen. Lincoln Hough, a Springfield Republican, speaks at a Springfield City Council meeting in 2021.

Hough attributed the lack of funding for additional beds in the past to Missouris low tax rates.

Im proud that were a lower tax state, but that also means the services that people need cant always be provided, because we just flat dont have the resources, he said.

State Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, said she hopes the new facility will at least put a dent in the states mental health issues.

We have homeless folks, we have folks that are self-medicating, and then, of course, we have folks who have been incarcerated who really may need treatment in a mental health facility versus incarceration, she said.

State Sen. Barbara Washington, a Kansas City Democrat, delivers a speech at the Missouri Capitol in Jefferson City. Washington said she hopes a new Kansas City psychiatric hospital will put a dent in the state's mental health issues.

Jail-based treatment

Some have touted a new law passed this year as a way to prevent inmates from languishing in jails without mental health treatment.

The law, signed in July by Republican Gov. Mike Parson, requires health professionals who are performing court-ordered examinations of inmates to evaluate whether the inmate can receive care in a county jail or detention center approved by DMH. It also requires the health professional to evaluate whether some inmates can receive care in the community.

A 2023 photograph of the Center for Behavioral Medicine, a psychiatric hospital in Kansas City's Hospital Hill neighborhood. Lawmakers have warned that the facility, built in 2004, is in bad shape.

The legislation allowed DMH to create a pilot program with jails in some of Missouris largest areas  Jackson County, Clay County, St. Louis, St. Louis County and Greene County  where DMH sends providers to work in the jails to offer competency restoration treatment.

Akin, the Clay County sheriff, said hes not sure how the program will work yet but he plans to dedicate 10 beds at the detention center for people who require a hospital bed at DMH. If the program works, he said he would be willing to dedicate 20 beds to the entire northwestern part of Missouri.

Hopefully I can be the location where sheriffs or other jails, when theyre having these problems, that they can send their individuals here instead of waiting for 12 months, sometimes up to 18 months, he said.

Walker, the DMH spokesperson, said in an email that the staffing issues as well as the lack of available beds have contributed to the problem. Efforts are underway to address the issues, she said, including initiating treatment with willing individuals in jails.

Missouri Department of Mental Health Director Valerie Huhn was appointed by Gov. Mike Parson in 2021.

Additionally, recent statutory changes now allows for outpatient competency restoration, and where available, jail-based restoration, she said. These combined efforts should have an impact in the number of individuals awaiting admission.

But some remain skeptical that inmates deemed incompetent to stand trial will be able to receive proper mental health care in jails compared to a hospital  even with trained staff.

I dont think it takes a law degree or psychology degree to know that treating an illness in a county jail is different than doing it at a forensic center, said Petsch, the Kansas City public defender. None of us are sending our family members to the Jackson County jail to get great treatment, right?

Brumfield-Young, the SLU professor, said that if the state is going to be providing mental health care in jails and prisons, it needs to triple down on that commitment, investing in staff and resources who can provide the care.

There also needs to be increased funding for community-based programs for people to receive treatment in the community, which is a better option than trading institutionalization for institutionalization, she said.

House Majority Leader Jonathan Patterson, a Lees Summit Republican who is also a doctor, said the state has trouble funding mental health services for people outside of the prison system. To provide enough care to those in jail would take even more investments, he said.

A collage of photographs of Derrick Williams, who is now an inmate at the Clay County Detention Center. Williams has been stuck in jail waiting for a bed in a mental health hospital to open up.

An endless cycle

For many, the inmates with mental health issues who are stuck languishing in jail have illustrated the broader issues surrounding access to mental health care across the state.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, said its not just about those who are seeking to restore competency while awaiting trial. Its about getting people care before theyre in that situation.

I think we need to do so much more to make mental health services more widely available, she said.

State Sen. Lauren Arthur, a Kansas City Democrat, speaks on the Senate floor in Jefferson City in this March 2023 photo. Arthur said Missouri needs to do more to make mental health services more widely available.

In Clay County, Sheriff Akin said many of the inmates are stuck in a seemingly endless cycle without care. Even if the county gets an inmate to a bed and treated so the person is considered competent for trial, the individuals mental health will deteriorate again when sent back to jail while awaiting trial.

That inmate will then get sent back into the same cycle, waiting for another hospital bed to open up.

When you start looking at the underlying issues of why these individuals committed the crimes that they committed, its not because they have evil in their heart, its they have mental health issues that let go, left untreated, and, when theyre in our facility, and we still cant treat them, its just a disservice, he said.

At what point do we see closure?

For Patricia Tatum, she wants to see her son get to a facility where he can receive treatment. And she wants to see his case progress.

I know hes a man, but hes my child, she said in a phone call. Hes not getting the help that he needs and it hurts.

A photograph of Derrick Williams, who is now an inmate at the Clay County Detention Center. Williams, who was deemed incompetent to stand trial, is waiting for a bed to open up at a state-operated mental health hospital.

After the phone interview, Tatum texted a reporter a series of old photographs of her son with family members  his sisters, his grandmother  taken before his arrest. In one, taken during her 60th birthday party, Tatum is beaming sitting on her sons lap  a soft smile on his face.

She sent another text.

Praying that SOMEONE listens and helps my son.
Lehrman is right for Pasco council

Please join me in supporting and voting for Kim Lehrman for the position of Pasco City Council at-large member, Position 7. Kim Lehrman served the youth of our community for 12 years as a teacher in the Pasco public school system, as a tireless volunteer on behalf of our schools and students, and now as a teacher of high school students in Pasco.

She is a member of Pascos planning commission, listening to community members concerns and collaborating with commissioners and city staff on issues of affordable housing, infrastructure and economic development.

Lehrman has demonstrated through her roles as an educator and active community leader her ability to build consensus and make others feel heard. Shes been an advocate in our community for equal treatment for all. She is a public servant, not a political operative, and as a council member will work to make sure that the City of Pasco honors the values of all its residents and honors its responsibility to them.

Vote for the best for Pasco; vote for Kim Lehrman, Pasco City Council at-large, Position 7.

Lynne Harrison, Pasco

No evidence, but GOP goes on

At the urging of certain far-right House Republicans, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is formally launching an impeachment inquiry into President Biden without any evidence of his wrongdoing. McCarthy hopes this will make it easier for him to hold the speakership and secure the votes necessary to avoid a government shutdown at the end of this month.

He also cynically knows that if the House ultimately votes to impeach President Biden, a Democratic-controlled Senate would never muster the two-thirds threshold necessary for his impeachment.

This political type of theater is helping to create a new norm of retaliation in which every president could face impeachment whenever the opposing party controls the House. In doing so, McCarthys cheapening a vital constitutional remedy that should be reserved for severe abuses of power and wasting precious legislative time.

Compare this type of baloney with (1) clear evidence showing that Mr. Trump tried to shake down Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky by holding up vital military assistance to get the Ukrainian government to announce an investigation into the Biden family, or (2) President Trumps incitement of the Jan. 6 insurrection  both of which should have resulted in impeachment and conviction, but were blocked by Republicans.

Bill Petrie, Richland

More fires mean more resources

With so many fires due to global warming and human activity, it will require progressively more than the approximately 1,042,000 volunteer and professional firefighters we have currently in the U.S.; well need at least an 8% increase by 2030. Furthermore, every size of community from a small town to a big city needs to practice evacuation to avoid the tragedies that happened in Paradise, California, in 2018 and Lahaina in Maui in August 2023.

California would have had more deaths had it not been for a good alert system and immediate response by emergency personnel; nonetheless, 85 people died and hundreds suffered.

The failure to have earlier, systematic evacuation and a proper use of the tsunami sirens as warning in Maui resulted in so many deaths, bottle-necked roads, property destruction and panic, that the toll in lives, misery and property is still unsettled.

We need to have the civilian equivalent of the Civil Defense people in London during the (World War II) bombings who knew how to assist people to the right shelters.

Only in this case, the enemy isnt human and isnt attacking just from the sky. Its arising quickly from the imbalance of our faster-than-expected environmental crises: fires, floods, earthquakes, tsunamis.

Michael Kiefel, Walla Walla
The late philosopher Herbert Marcuse once wrote that a true democratic marketplace of ideas is impossible in a society with social inequities. His prescription was as simple as it is chilling: We must restrain the liberty of self-styled conservatives who create the inequities, even if doing so requires undemocratic means.

In his new bestselling book, Americas Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything, conservative journalist and activist Christopher Rufo accurately observes that critical theorists like Marcuse call for suppressing speech based on a racial and political calculus. He correctly concludes this would be tyranny.

But while Rufo presents himself as a critic of Marcuse and his ilk, he is all too willing to employ critical theorys tyrannical means for his own endstrading constitutional principles for political expediency.

Ben Shapiro Is Helping Elon Musk Fight a War on Freedom of Speech

He says Marcuses ideas about systemic oppression have devoured Americas institutions. And hes not entirely wrong. To dislodge these ideas, Rufo argues conservatives must be unafraid to use political and democratic power to lay siege to the captured territory, including Americas colleges and universities. But he hardly seems concerned with that powers limits. Indeed, hes blunt about it: In a sense, he says, we can do whatever we want.

The Framers anticipated overzealous activists like Marcuse and Rufo. The Constitution they ratified places barriers around how democratic majorities can exercise their authority. And those barriers require eternal vigilance to maintain. If Rufos siege catapults are allowed to fire unchecked, core American freedoms will be left in rubble.

For example, Rufo was an excited early proponent of Floridas Stop WOKE Act, which prohibits both public universities and private employers from engaging in certain types of discriminatory speech. In an abuse of state power right out of the Marcusian playbook, the Stop WOKE Act imposed a sweeping speech code on faculty in Floridas public universities, prohibiting instruction that espouses, promotes, or advances eight ideas related to race, color, national origin, or sex that are often promulgated by critical theorists.

In court defending the law, Floridas lawyers have repeatedly conceded that the Stop WOKE Act would prohibit on-campus arguments in favor of policies like affirmative action while allowing arguments that oppose it. In short, the Stop WOKE Act does exactly what Rufo criticizes the critical theorists for advocating: censoring the opposition.

Marcuse would have found Floridas legal arguments familiar, too. In one of the states briefs, it argues, Even if the First Amendment did apply here, Floridas compelling interest in stamping out discrimination based on race and other immutable characteristics amply justifies any burden on speech the Act may impose. Thats precisely the argument he and other critical theorists have advanced for decades.

But the First Amendment doesnt tolerate the government gagging free speech on campus. In the 1980s and 90s, for example, the courts repeatedly struck down restrictive campus speech codes that the critical theorists proposed under the guise of anti-discrimination measures. And after a lawsuit by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (where I work), the same fate looks likely for the Stop WOKE Act. The law has already been put on hold by a federal judge, who called it positively dystopian and criticized Florida officials for arguing that the state has unfettered authority to muzzle its professors in the name of freedom.

The Right Needs to Ask: Why Do These Racists Keep Getting Hired by Us?

By using the same tools as the critical theorists, Rufo is worse than hypocritical: Hes self-defeating. The theorists failed speech codes would gain new life if Floridas defense of the Stop WOKE Act prevails.

And Rufos victory would echo across the country. The principles at stake in conservative Florida are the same ones at stake in progressive California, where FIRE recently filed a lawsuit challenging the requirement that 54,000 community college professors incorporate highly politicized left-wing diversity, equity, and inclusion viewpoints into their teaching of 1.8 million students. A loss in either case would let DEI administrators operate with impunity anywhere conservatives arent in power. In fact, Floridas lawyers admitted that their position would allow a future Democratic majority to prohibit instruction on American exceptionalism.

They Were Loving College. Then Ron DeSantis Got Involved.

Sure, Rufo sometimes pays lip service to free speech principles. He said college students should be free to let it rip and have a wide-ranging debate. He also stated that policing classroom speech is a losing fight for conservatives, and even on principles, probably not wise. So why exactly does he support the Stop WOKE Act?In Critical Race Theory: An Introduction, scholars Richard Delgado and Jean Stefancic write that critical theory questions the very foundations of the liberal order, including equality theory, legal reasoning, Enlightenment rationalism, and neutral principles of constitutional law. Here, too, Rufo has far more in common with critical theorists than he and his supporters might like to admit. Like them, he dismisses free speech and academic freedom as a problem because their defense requires a totally neutral stance towards any ideas, concepts, and ideologies.

Christopher Rufo, a conservative activist and New College of Florida trustee, walks through protesters at a bill signing event featuring Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who signed three education bills on the campus of New College of Florida in Sarasota, Fla. on May 15, 2023. Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Rufo, a trustee at New College of Florida, recently tweeted a gleeful announcement that a faculty member who criticized him did not have his contract renewed. It is a privilege, not a right, to be employed by a taxpayer-funded university, he wrote. New College will no longer be a jobs program for middling, left-wing intellectuals. His theory seems to be that because New College is taxpayer-funded, administrators can fire faculty for almost any reason, including for their political views. Thankfully, decades of court precedent say otherwise, having prevented countless liberal college administrators from firing conservative faculty with impunity for exercising their academic freedom rights. As the Supreme Court has correctly judged, imposing a straitjacket on academic freedom would imperil the future of our Nation.

Marcuse argued in 1965 that the restoration of freedom of thought may necessitate new and rigid restrictions on teachings and practices in the educational institutions. Marcuse was wrong thenand by emulating Marcuses strategy, Rufo is wrong now.

Elon Musk, Worst Free Speech Hero Ever

Whatever reforms would benefit higher educationand FIRE has suggested manythey must protect, not destroy, freedom of speech, and academic freedom. Both are vital to the universitys core purpose: the discovery and dissemination of knowledge. And any reforms that jettison those freedoms will be ineffective, not least of all because theyll be unconstitutional.

In researching his new book, much of which functions as an intellectual history, Rufo surely came across Audre Lordes classic quote: The masters tools will never dismantle the masters house. In trying to take down Marcuses legacy with Marcuses tools, Rufo has made exactly that mistake.

If Christopher Rufo wants to lay siege to the institutions, his weapons of attack will need greater precisionlest he become the very enemy he seeks to defeat.

Nico Perrino is executive vice president of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He is also host of So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast and the co-director and senior producer of the free speech documentary, Mighty Ira.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Florida authorities have identified a woman whose body was pulled from a waterway following an alligator attack.

The Pinellas County Sheriffs Office said that 41-year-old Sabrina Peckham was the victim of Fridays attack involving a 13-foot alligator. Peckham was pulled from a canal in Largo after witnesses reported the gator had a corpse in its mouth.

The animal was humanely killed and pulled from the canal, authorities previously said.

The sheriffs office said in a statement on Sunday that the coroners office will perform an autopsy to determine Peckhams official manner and cause of death. It is suspected that Peckham was killed by the gator, according to the agency.

Peckham was earlier arrested for trespassing on a wetland area just blocks away from the waterway on 134th Avenue North and 121st Street North where her body was discovered, WESH reports. She was fined $500 over the incident which took place two months ago.

Peckhams daughter, Breauna Dorris, said in a heartfelt Facebook post that her mother was a part of the homeless population and lived near the body of water.

It is believed that she may have been walking to or from her campsite near the creek in the dark and the alligator attacked from the water, Ms Dorris wrote in her post. No matter how you put it, no one deserves to die like this.

The family has created a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral costs. More than $4,000 had been raised as of Sunday evening.

Horrifying footage of Peckhams lifeless body was recorded by witnesses before authorities arrived at the scene. JaMarcus Bullard, who first alerted authorities, said that he was on his way to a job interview when he looked towards the lake and saw the horrifying scene.

I never thought Id see one like that here, I thought it only happened in swamps but that was a big gator, Mr Bullard told WFLA.

Mr Bullard told the network that he threw a rock at the alligator when he saw it holding onto the lower part of the victims torso. The gator then pulled the body underwater, Mr Bullard said.

He then ran to the local fire station.

Sheriffs deputies and a crew with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission then killed the 13-foot, 8.5-inch male alligator. It was then removed from the water.

Jennifer Dean, who lives in the area where the body was recovered, also told Spectrum News that she had previously seen alligators in the waterway  but none as large as this one.

A lot of my neighbours were out here and theyre the ones that told me about the gator, Ms Dean told the network. While we were standing here we heard a shot, I assume they killed the gator.

The waterway where the body was recovered is close to Taylor Lake, where a 47-year-old man was killed by an alligator last year. The mans body was missing three limbs when it was pulled from the water.
Sacramento police are investigating a hit-and-run crash that killed a woman early Sunday in the citys Fruitridge Manor neighborhood.

Patrol officers responded about 12:11 a.m. to reports of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash near the 65th Street Expressway and Lemon Hill Avenue intersection. Officers found the woman with significant injuries, according to a Sacramento Police Department news release.

The driver left the intersection before police arrived, the news release said. The Sacramento Fire Department took the woman to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police detectives took over the investigation, processed the scene, canvassed the area and interviewed witnesses. The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation, and police are searching for witnesses.

Police encourage anyone with information about the crash to call the dispatch center at 916-808-5471 or Sacramento Valley Crime Stoppers at 916-443-4357.
(CNN)  Mexico has made an agreement with the United States to deport migrants from its border cities to their home countries and take several actions to deter migrants as part of a new effort to combat the recent surge in border crossings.

Mexican officials met with US Customs and Border Protection officials on Friday in Ciudad Juarez,, Mexico, which is across the border from El Paso, Texas, following the recent spike in illegal crossings into the US, which temporarily closed an international bridge and paused Mexicos main cargo train system.

As part of the agreement, Mexico agreed to depressurize its northern cities, which border the El Paso, San Diego and Eagle Pass, Texas, where the mayor has declared a state of emergency. They will also implement more than a dozen actions to prevent migrants from risking their lives by using the railway system to reach the US-Mexico border, according to Mexicos National Migration Institute.

The US Department of Defense is ramping up resources at the US-Mexico border, sending at least 800 new active-duty personnel to the border, where 2,500 National Guard members are already servicing, Department of Homeland Security officials announced Wednesday night in a call with reporters.

An overflow shelter in northeast El Paso, where about 6,500 migrants are in custody, planned to open its doors Saturday evening as the city faces an unprecedented surge of migrants crossing the southern US border, Deputy City Manager Mario DAgostino said in a news conference.

The shelter, which will operate out of the Nations Tobin Recreation Center, has been prepped over the last couple weeks, DAgostino said. The facility can hold about 400 people.

El Paso is receiving more than 2,000 additional migrants every day, DAgostino said, and the city is expecting a large influx over the next few days.

Migrant crossings along the border are rising, surpassing 8,600 over a 24-hour period this week, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. It is up from around 3,500 daily border arrests after the expiration in May of Title 42 triggered new consequences for those who cross the border illegally. There were more than 8,000 apprehensions on Monday.

The busiest sectors are Del Rio, El Paso, Lower Rio Grande Valley and Tucson; each facing more than 1,000 encounters over the last 24 hours, according to the official. Eagle Pass is in the Del Rio sector.

Fridays meeting was attended by Customs and Border Protections Acting Commissioner Troy Miller, the commissioner of Mexicos National Migration Institute, the governor of the Mexican state of Chihuahua, members of Mexicos national defense and national guard and representatives of Ferromex, a Mexican railroad operator, according to the institute.

Mexico agrees to take 15 actions

Mexican officials vowed to carry out a series of 15 actions as part of the agreement, some in coordination with Customs and Border Protection and Ferromex, which includes deporting migrants to their home countries by land and air.

The country said it will carry out negotiations with the governments of Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Cuba to confirm receipt of their citizens deported from the US-Mexico border. It will also allow US border patrol agents to expel migrants through the Ciudad Juarez international bridge, which connects to El Paso.

Other terms of the agreement include submitting a daily report of the number of migrants on the train system to Customs and Border Protections El Paso sector, establishing checkpoints along the Ferromex rail route and conducting interventions on railways and highways, according to Mexicos National Migration Institute.

The institute said Mexico had deported more than 788,000 migrants to their home countries from January 1 to September.

The agreed-upon actions by Mexican officials raise questions about the country doing work typically designated for the US  from the south of the border  to manage the influx of migrants in recent weeks, which have has strained federal resources and overwhelmed already-crowded facilities, CNN previously reported.

Many who leave their homes for the United States face long and dangerous treks in hopes of finding better, safer lives. Some may flee violence, while others may immigrate for economic opportunities or to reunite with family, experts say. Deteriorating conditions in Latin America exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic also have contributed to the influx of migrants into the US.

It is likely the number of border crossings will continue to increase, as more Mexican nationals are making plans to come to the US, Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst at the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute in Washington, told CNN.

US government data show more Mexican families coming to the border, likely to seek asylum, Ruiz said. In July 2022, for example, Customs and Border Protection figures indicate 4,000 Mexican family encounters at the border. A year later, the number had more than quadrupled, reaching nearly 22,000.

These are the three levers that are in play right now.  And regardless of what the Biden administration does today or tomorrow, he says, the people that are on the way already are going to continue, unless something else happens in the region.
Chris Kaba is remembered by his family and their supporters at New Scotland Yard. Guy Smallman/Getty Images

British cops are ceding their right to carry a gun after a colleague was charged with murder.

A police spokesperson said a "number of officers" are now worried about using a gun on the job.

A London police officer was charged last week with murder for shooting Chris Kaba, who was unarmed.

Most British police do not carry a gun, and now even fewer are willing to do so after a London cop was this week hit with criminal charges for shooting an unarmed man on the job.

Chris Kaba, 24, was killed last September when a Metropolitan Police officer opened fire on his car, shooting him in the head. An official inquiry suggests the officer, charged Wednesday with murder, opened fire while standing in front of Kaba's vehicle, which had been "linked" to a firearms offense. Kaba, who is Black, was unarmed and police were traveling in an unmarked vehicle.

Now, some members of the Metropolitan Police Service are giving up their right to carry a firearm altogether, either to protest the charging decision or because they genuinely fear they could be prosecuted next. One source told the BBC that the number of officers handing back their permit to carry a gun is now about 100, prompting the British Home Secretary to order a review of armed policing practices in the UK.

London's police force employs more than 30,000 officers. About one in 10 carry a gun, according to the Associated Press.

A Metropolitan police spokesperson told Insider that the service "will not be providing specific numbers" when it comes to officers giving up their right to a gun. However, the spokesperson confirmed that a "number of officers" have done so and that the number "has increased over the past 48 hours."

The number of officers abandoning their arms has raised concerns about security. The Ministry of Defense said Sunday it had received a request to "provide routine counterterrorism contingency support" for London police, should it be necessary, The Guardian reported.

"We are in ongoing discussions with those officers to support them and to fully understand the genuinely held concerns that they have," the police spokesperson said, explicitly pointing to the decision to charge one officer with murder. "They are concerned that it signals a shift in the way the decisions they take in the most challenging circumstances will be judged."

The last Metropolitan police officer to face such serious criminal charges was David Carrick, who was sentenced this year to life in prison after pleading guilty to numerous instances of rape carried out while he was a cop. In 2021, another officer was convicted of raping and murdering a woman he kidnapped after using his police identification to force her into the back of his car.

A lengthy review of London policing, released earlier this year, found that the Metropolitan force is in need of systemic reform, decrying what it described as a culture of "institutional racism, misogyny and homophobia."

Read the original article on Insider
Credit - Getty Images

Theres a haunting moment in the traditional liturgy for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur when Jewish prayer acknowledges that all hangs in the balance. In spare, stark poetry later evoked by Leonard Cohen in the lyrics for Who by Fire, the words of the Unetaneh Tokef prayer-poem call listeners to grapple with mortality and mystery: On Rosh Hashanah, it is written, on Yom Kippur, it is sealedhow many will pass away and how many will be born. Who will live and who will die?

Like many contemporary Jews, I shy away from the notion of a God who sits in judgment. The medieval poet imagines a scene where God surveys each individual soul like a shepherd taking stock of the flock. But when I recite those words in synagogue, Im not thinking about the hand of God, scribing the fate of every life in some vast cosmic ledger. My heart isnt trembling before heaven. My eyes are on the earth.

Im thinking about the cruelty weve built into the basic fabric of this world, the way we chose to bow before the altar of efficiency, the way we privilege profit and productivity over decency and care. Im thinking about racism and white supremacy, about queer and trans hatred, about disability injustice, about the violence borne by so many of us whose bodies and minds are marked as undesirable. Im thinking about way the world runs roughshod over those of us who are deemed too sick, too slow, too poor, too fat, too mad, or too much trouble to embrace.

Im thinking about ableism.

For years now, Ive kept my own private practice during Yom Kippur. As the congregation sings those age-old lineswho by water, who by fireI call to mind the names of those who died before their time.

Im thinking about Carrie Ann Lucas, a brilliant disability rights attorney and activist who died after her insurance company denied a crucial antibiotic because it was too expensive.

Im thinking about Twilla June Morin, one of more than 200,000 Americans who died of COVID-19 in nursing homes and long-term care facilities in the first two years of the pandemica staggering reminder of the way structural failures intensify the brutal risks borne by elders and disabled people during this ongoing public health crisis, mirrored now by our utter abandonment as the rest of the world rushes back to normal.

Im thinking about Eric Garner, Tanisha Anderson, and Keith Lamont Scotteach of them Black disabled people who died as a consequence of police violence, their names a haunting testament to the way that disability intensifies the risk of incarceration and death at the hands of law enforcement.

Im thinking about Stacey Park Milbern, a beloved friend and activist who died during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, after complications from surgery. Milbern worked tirelessly to challenge the systems that devalue disabled people. In 2019, Californias electric utility shut off power to more than 700,000 homes and businessesa precautionary measure designed to reduce the risk of wildfires. But despite the planned nature of the outage, PG&E failed to ensure continued power for essential facilities or for residents who use ventilators, supplemental oxygen, C-Pap machines, electric wheelchairs, and more. Milbern helped launch and lead a grassroots rapid-response network to keep disabled people alive during the blackouts.

Im thinking about the commitment to fight hard for disabled peoples livesabout the bedrock conviction that we are all worth fighting for. Because I want us all to recommit to transforming the systems that treat disabled people with such disregard.

Read More: What I Learned from the Generation of Disabled Activists Who Came After Me

The rabbis of the Talmud recount the cruelty of the worlds most wicked city, a city where the men in charge force every traveler to lay down upon a single bed. They demand their hapless guests fit the bed exactly. If the man is too short, they stretch him to fit. And if hes too tall? They cut off his feet.

While the Talmud never names it in exactly these terms, this is a story about the brutality of ableism. Its a story about the violence that follows when we force people to fit complex bodies and minds into a one-size-fits-all society; when we demand that everyone walk up the stairs or read the fine print; when we assume everyones body and everyones mind better fit the same bed. This is the world in which we live, a world that would rather chop us up and spit us out than cherish the real, riotous diversity of all human kinds.

And it isnt only disabled people who pay the price. Fat bodies, Black and Brown bodies, Jewish bodies, Muslim bodies, womens bodies, queer, trans, and nonbinary bodiesso many of us know the cost that normativity exacts from those of us who dont fit neatly into standard spaces and rigid expectations. The cultural logics of normalcy and deviance are weaponized against all of us whose bodies and minds dont measure up.

Whenever we hear a disability story, we face a crucial choice. Do we assume the problem is a persons physical or mental difference? Or do we focus our attention on the way certain bodies and minds are denied access? Ableism privatizes the problem. It tries to convince us that the mismatch is a consequence of our own personal failures to conform.

Its time we flipped the script. Rather than trying to shoehorn disabled people into the narrow confines of the normative, we must change the world in which we live. Rather than expecting everyones body and mind to work the same way, we can challenge the policies and social structures that disenfranchise disabled people and make our lives more difficult. Dont shorten the travelers body; build them a bed that fits.

Courtesy of Beacon Press

We all have a stake in dismantling ableism. None of us have bodies or minds that will always run like clockwork, that can always keep on pushing. Were all at risk in a world that treats our bodies as an obstacle to someone elses bottom line.

To challenge ableism, we have to teach ourselves to notice normativity, to recognize the way its embedded in the very fabric of our lives. The exclusion of disabled people isnt a natural, inevitable fact of the body. Its a product of policy choices, of built environments, of cultural norms that have visceral, real-world impact. Human beings designed our cities and our schools, and we built them for a particular sort of people. We designed standardized tests and impossible beauty standards. We came to value efficiency as a signal mark of excellence. We designed sheltered workshops, where people with intellectual disabilities labor for pennies an hour. We developed mass incarceration, insane asylums, and the eugenics movement. We built this worldbut we can build it differently.

This Yom Kippur, thats what Im praying forthat we build a world that welcomes us. A world that wants the very quirkiness that ableism would outlaw. A world that savors neurodiversity, that sees our singularity as a witness to infinity. A world that celebrates and cradles us. A world that desires us.

Contact us at letters@time.com.
By Lucy Craymer

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - New Zealand's National Party leader said on Monday he is prepared to work with the populist New Zealand First if there are numbers needed to form a majority after the election.

New Zealand is due to elect a new government on Oct. 14. The centre-right National Party is currently leading the polls but is unlikely to be able to govern without the support of at least one smaller party. Historically, it has joined forces with the right-wing ACT party.

Leader Christopher Luxon said in a video posted to social media that his preference was to form a strong and stable two-party coalition government between National and ACT.

However, he added he would be prepared to form a coalition with New Zealand First if that would get his party into power.

Coalitions are the norm under New Zealand's electoral system and only once since the system was introduced in 1996 has a party been able to govern alone.

Leader of New Zealand First Winston Peters is a one-time National Party member and his party has previously been a coalition partner in both Labour and National-led governments.

(Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
JERUSALEM  Following nearly two years of increasing tensions between Ukraine and Israel, President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 19.

Their talk, at which Netanyahu's staff nearly caused a diplomatic incident by bringing a Soviet-era map that did not display Ukraine, was the first face-to-face encounter between the two countries' leaders since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion last February.

During this time, Israel has come under increasing criticism from Kyiv over its persistent refusal to supply air defense systems or other military aid.

And while Netanyahu promised that his country will "continue to help Ukraine on humanitarian matters, including dealing with anti-personnel mines," his declaration fell far short of the level of support requested by his Ukrainian counterpart.

Their meeting also showed that little can be done to align the two countries.

Read also: Israels reluctance to choose sides strains relations with Ukraine

Drifting right

Critics have long charged that Netanyahu's foreign policy has prioritized realpolitik over ethical concerns, particularly those relating to human rights, antisemitism, and Holocaust memory.

This is especially true in central and eastern Europe, where his efforts have focused on creating a counterweight to western members of the European Union critical of Israel's settlement policies and approach to the Palestinians.

In pursuit of this goal, Netanyahu  who diplomats say has caused immeasurable damage to Israel's foreign servicerecently begun making overtures to the European far-right.

Most recently, Israel's ambassador to Romania met with the leader of the ultranationalist and antisemitic Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) party, drawing condemnations from domestic critics as well as Bucharest itself.

In a public statement, the country's official Holocaust research institute accused Israel of promoting a policy which "harms the memory of the victims of the Holocaust."

Meanwhile, even if its Ukraine policy hasn't been a major source of tension with the West, Israel's relations with Washington and other Western capitals have suffered under Netanyahu due to his inclusion of previously out-of-bounds far-right parties in his coalition and his advancement of a judicial overhaul which many believe will damage Israeli democracy.

And while many Israelis oppose arming Ukraine, despite being generally supportive of Kyiv, Netanyahu's foreign policy is wildly unpopular overall, with many believing the prime minister is damaging Israel on the world stage despite recent successes in normalizing relations with the Arab world.

Read also: Kyiv, Moscows opposing attitudes toward Soviet past shape two different futures

Sitting it out

Over the past 19 months of full-scale war, Israel has rebuffed multiple Ukrainian calls for anti-missile systems such as the Iron Dome, stating that such a move would harm its own national security and could even endanger Russia's large Jewish community, which has faced official pressure to support the war.

"Israel has reasons to behave this way," explained Dr. Samuel Barnai, an academic at the Hebrew University and a board member of the Israel Council on Foreign Relations.

"There is quite a big Jewish community in Russia, and we know the Russians are trying to play this card," he said, citing Kremlin moves to shutter the Jewish Agency, the organization responsible for immigration to Israel, in the midst of a massive Jewish exodus from the country.

Israel is also likely reluctant to become too involved due to the fact that criticism of Russian revanchism could lead to criticism of Israel's own occupation in the West Bank, even if that occurred under different circumstances and is not directly comparable, "so we found ourselves in the company of the bad guys," he declared.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, an Israeli source with knowledge of the matter told the Kyiv Independent that Russia's military presence in Syria was the primary driver of Jerusalem's current policy, stating that the two sides had established "a special connection" following Moscow's 2015 deployment of anti-aircraft systems close to Israel's borders.

"So the main goal is not to harm this deconfliction mechanism which was established with the Russians which enables us more or less freedom of action in Syria," he said, referring to Israeli airstrikes against Hezbollah and Iranian targets there.

The source also echoed Netanyahu's insistence that Israeli weapons provided to Ukraine could end up in the hands of Israel's enemies if captured on the battlefield due to increasing Russo-Iranian cooperation.

He added that Russia remained a serious player in Syria despite the pullout of some troops, both arguments which have met with derision in Kyiv.

Israel's approach to the conflict has been fairly consistent under two consecutive governments, that of Netanyahu and his predecessors Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapidwho served as Foreign Minister before replacing Bennett in a rotation deal.

Lapid was frequently the one to speak out against Russia while Bennett remained silent in a sort of "good-cop, bad-cop" routine, said Dr. Maya Sion Tzidkiyahu, the director of the Israel-Europe program at the Mitvim foreign policy think tank.

"When Netanyahu came to power, he didn't have those two voices to speak with. He only had one voice, and that was the voice of Bennett. We don't condemn the Russians, we don't mention their name. But I don't think they took a step backward or forward in any direction," Sion Tzidkiyahu said.

"They kind of, I think, took the Bennett road, and there was no good cop to conceal or equalize the voices," she added.

Read also: Can Russia afford to commit to a years-long war?

On Moscow's good side

With few exceptions, such as following the massacre of Ukrainian civilians in Bucha, Jerusalem refrained from criticizing Moscow too harshly, even when its forces destroyed Jewish sites, including a Holocaust memorial, in Kharkiv.

This reticence did not apply to what Israeli leaders saw as overt Holocaust revisionism and antisemitism, with Israel slamming Zelensky for comparing Russian actions to those of the Nazis  and condemning the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for comparing Zelensky to Hitler.

Little criticism has followed, however, when Putin famously declared he was invading to "denazify" Ukraine. Russian troops have been repeatedly accused of carrying out widespread war crimes.

Israel has shown some limits even when confronted with increasingly antisemitic statements emanating from the Kremlin, failing to respond to a number of high-profile incidents.

Little criticism followed, when Putin famously declared he was invading to "denazify" Ukraine. Russian troops have been repeatedly accused of carrying out widespread war crimes.

This reluctance to wade into the conflict has raised Kyiv's ire, as have Israel's treatment of some Ukrainian refugees and the failure of three separate prime ministers to show solidarity by visiting Kyiv.

These disagreements have led to rapidly escalating condemnations from the Ukrainian embassy in Tel Aviv, which in June accused Israel of a "blatant disregard for moral boundaries" and adopting "a clear pro-Russian position."

By August, the embassy was threatening to cancel the annual Jewish pilgrimage to the central Ukrainian city of Uman, and in September, after Jerusalem clinched a cooperation agreement with Moscow in the field of cinema, the embassy accused Israel of "collaborating with this ruthless country, well known for its cinematic endeavors aimed at spreading war propaganda."

Despite the war of words, however, the pilgrimage did go through, and the tensions remain mostly "rhetoric," the Israeli source told the Kyiv Independent, pointing out that while "at least some information and probably some technologies have been transferred to Ukraine, probably via third countries."

"It has happened already. It is happening," the source said, adding that Jerusalem is currently helping to develop an early warning system to augment Ukraine's civil defense efforts.

Under the previous government, Israel developed a policy of providing humanitarian aid, including establishing a field hospital and donating body armor for rescue workers, while eschewing the provision of any overtly military supplies.

Despite Kyiv's criticism that Israel's help hasn't gone far enough, the country usually "doesn't get involved in conflicts outside its zone," Mitvim's Tzidkiyahu told the Kyiv Independent.

"So it was not necessary for Israel to change its mind because there was no real pressure from Europe, no real pressure from the United States for us to take a different stance."

Read also: Timothy Snyder: If you want peace, Crimea has to be a part of Ukraine

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the new American defense package in his evening address on Sept. 24 as "historic."

President Zelensky stated that the new package will include "artillery, missiles for HIMARS, missiles for air defense, additional air defense systems, tactical vehicles," and more.

"This is a historic decision by America to jointly produce weapons and defense systems, including air defense. This is something that was an absolute fantasy until recently. But it will become a reality. We will make it a reality."

Earlier this week, Zelensky met U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House as part of his official visit to Washington, D.C. During the stay of Ukraine's president in the U.S. capital, State Secretary Antony Blinken announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $325 million.

The new package included additional cluster munitions and air defenses, but excluded the long-anticipated ATACMS missiles. However, NBC News reported that President Biden told the Ukrainian leader that America would send a small number of long-range ATACMS missiles to Ukraine.

The Ukrainian President's address also emphasized a newly established deal between Ukraine and the Government of Canada for long-term defense support.

Read also: Zelensky, Netanyahus meeting in New York highlights their differences

Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called the US decision to jointly produce weapons and defence systems with Ukraine a historic one.

Source: President's evening address

Quote: "There is a historic decision by America to jointly produce weapons and defence systems, including air defence. This is something that was an absolute fantasy until recently but will become a reality. We will make it a reality. Everyone who works for the state.

And this is the new quality of Ukraine's defence industry  much stronger. And this is the economy. Protection for our cities. Enterprises, new jobs for both our peoples  for Ukrainians and Americans. We have a clear prospect  what we have already agreed on  of a newly stronger Ukraine to prevent a repeat of Russian aggression. I am grateful to President Biden, his entire team, and everyone in America who values freedom and supports Ukraine."

Details: Zelenskyy called the past week very productive and noted many "good defence and other decisions".

"Defence packages. From the United States, we received artillery, the necessary shells, missiles for the HIMARS, missiles for air defence, additional air defence systems, tactical vehicles and some other weapons that will make themselves known on the battlefield. From Canada, we have a decision on long-term defence support of half a billion US dollars. In particular, these are Medevacs, evacuation vehicles that are very much needed at the front. We have agreed on production and supply," the president said.

Background:

On 22 September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that following his visit to the United States, he had a number of significant results, including an agreement to jointly produce weapons, including 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!
Last month, three young artists from the Pueblo of Zuni had the opportunity to share their culture, history and traditional arts with the public through the Grand Canyon Cultural Demonstration Program. They are LaShea Harris, 24; Chasady Simplicio, 19; and Cassandra Tsalate, 21.

All three young people participated in the Zuni Youth Enrichment Projects Emerging Artist Apprenticeship program, and Harris and Tsalate also completed the Advanced Artist Apprenticeship program. Kandis Quam, ZYEPs assistant art coordinator, chaperoned the trip.

We monitor our art students to see who has the capabilities to do something like this, said Elroy Natachu Jr., ZYEPs art coordinator. Were looking for young people with a solid work ethic and mental fortitude. They need to be motivated, self-driven, and able to push outside their comfort zone. With these three, we saw that light.

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The free cultural demonstrations took place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at various locations at and around Desert View Watchtower, the easternmost developed area along the parks South Rim. The artists also conducted demonstrations for other youth at Grand Canyon High School; in both cases, the artists said they appreciated the opportunities to engage with the public.

Apprentices at the Grand Canyon (Photo/Zuni Youth Enrichment Project)

I was nervous at first, but I really liked talking to people, said Simplicio, who creates traditional Zuni Pueblo weaving. People wanted to know how long it takes to produce a piece. I explained that it depends on the weaver, and on the design. One woman was so interested in our weaving process; she had her own small loom to fix socks. I thought that was cool!

The three artists shared living quarters while in residence at Grand Canyon National Park, and Simplicio noted this gave the trio opportunities to get to know each other better.

We talked about meaning, color and design in our work, they remembered. I learned a lot from LaShea and Cassandra.

Harris said she also felt a lot of nerves before the program started, in part because she embarked on her journey with traditional Zuni embroidery just a year ago.

It was a little bit intimidating, but I enjoyed sharing what I knew, she recalled. It was a popular time for European tourists, and we introduced them to Zuni art.

I was trying not to be nervous, said Tsalate, who produces Zuni Pueblo pottery, with a laugh. I told myself it was like trying to teach someone here at home. The ranger told us to ask ourselves, what is one thing we can leave them with?

So, I talked about the significance of these traditional arts in our culture, and what revitalizing them means for the future of our people, she continued. I also talked about being passionate about culture and history. Thats what makes me motivated the history! Hopefully we inspired others.

Indeed, through the cultural demonstration program, these young artists became teachers for peers and adults alike. Natachu said this is vital for the future of the Zuni people.

Our art forms are culturally rooted, he explained. They share how we view the world. They show it through our Zuni lens. Without future culture bearers, the knowledge of these traditional art forms will be lost  the artistic processes, and what they were meant for.

Tsalate said she hopes the cultural demonstration program encouraged others to embrace their talents, especially women. And, back home, she hopes more Zuni youth will get more deeply involved with art and culture.

To that end, Harris said ZYEPs Emerging Artist Apprenticeship Program is a good place for young people to start exploring their interests, passions and talents in the arts. The program not only provides art instruction, it also connects young artists with experienced mentors who can help guide them on their artistic journeys.

Our experience at the Grand Canyon shows how far the apprenticeships can take you, Harris observed. You never know what doors will open. Its great that ZYEP offers these opportunities, exposing youth to different arts and showing them that they can do it.

While the group were able to visit a few of the tourist sites along the South Rim during their stay, their main focus was their artwork and strengthening connections to their roots in a place that is sacred to the Zuni people.

It was so scenic, and there was the cultural significance as well, Harris said. It felt different to do my embroidery there. I felt closer to our ancestors.

Grand Canyon has been home to 11 tribes for generations, which means it is more than a national park, a World Heritage Site and a natural wonder of the world. Its also a sacred space for entire peoples: Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi, Yavapai-Apache, Kaibab band of Southern Paiute, Las Vegas band of Southern Paiute, Moapa band of Southern Paiute, Paiute Indian Tribes of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, and Zuni.

The purpose of the Cultural Demonstration Program is to give members of those 11 traditionally associated tribes a voice at Grand Canyon by supporting interactions with the public through demonstrations of traditional Native practices and crafts. Made possible by grants from the Grand Canyon Conservancy, the program began in 2014 and continues to grow.

Now that she is back home, Harris said she is planning to take time to create something new. As she takes on larger embroidery projects, she is dedicated to further developing her own style.

Chasady Simplicio demonstrates her talents (Photo/Zuni Youth Enrichment Project)

Simplicio agreed, noting they plan to continue working on their weaving and learning more advanced techniques.

I want to help my community by inspiring others, and showing them that you can make it as an artist, even if youre a young person, they said. Its always worth it to try something new.

As for Tsalate, continuing with her pottery is one piece of a larger puzzle. Not only would she like to explore other mediums, like jewelry and basketry, she is pursuing an education in museum studies.

I want to teach history, she explained. Its so important. I want to open up conversations with our elders and encourage them to teach, as well.

I also want to be in touch with other artists, people of all ages, she continued. Its about bringing our community together, and improving access to outside resources like museums and national parks. Im just so inspired.

After this first experience with the Grand Canyon Cultural Demonstration Program, Natachu said he anticipates that this will become a regular part of ZYEP arts programming.

We need to support the young people who have the capability to carry the torch into the future, he said. They must take our places one day.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
Ive been in an ecclesiastical frame of mind of late. I devoted my last two columns to criticizing Liberty University. I would be fine with Liberty if they left to Caesar the things that are Caesars and were completely committed to our Constitutional barrier between church and state. But they dont, and theyre not.

Its not that Im an atheist. Im an agnostic and a secular humanist who grew up in a nominally Catholic family. Nominally because only a few members of our family were practicing Catholics. Early on, I broke with the Church over its commitment to dogma. I couldnt accept being told what I must believe no matter how unbelievable it was in light of our God-given reason. But I did chance to go to an excellent all-boys Catholic high school in which all but a few faculty members were priests and seminarians. Most were open-minded and progressive. While I didnt come away a believer, I came away with an abiding respect for the priesthood  especially their lifelong commitment to remain celibate, and in the case of ordered priests like ours, to take vows of poverty and obedience.

Celibacy would not have suited me, but Ive always admired the uniform. Not the overly ornate vestments priests wear at mass but rather their Class A uniform: black suit, black shirt front and a white Roman collar. Young Palm would have cut a fine figure in that. And confession being good for the soul, I admit Ive twice been called upon to take Holy Orders.

Back when I was striving to become a tenured full professor, I embarked on a course of research into three prominent Cold Warriors who helped to cheerlead us into Vietnam  Edward Lansdale, William Lederer and Tom Dooley. Sadly, Dooley is largely forgotten today, but in the 1950s, he was one of the most admired men in the country. I dont have space here to give an account of this unholy alliance and what they did. I urge you to Google them.

Suffice it to say I got a small research grant to travel to St. Louis University, where most of Dooleys papers are held. In speaking to the Special Collections librarian, I learned Jesuit House, adjacent to the campus, rented rooms to visiting scholars for $16 a day, meals included.

What I discovered staying at Jesuit House was that Jesuits dont wear their clerical garb when theyre not on duty. Hence, the support staff assumed I was a Jesuit visiting from another province. They kept addressing me as Father. So, I gave some blessings and heard a few confessions.

I didnt really. There are limits even to my irreverence. But then there was the time when I was living in a BOQ in San Diego, and my roommate was a wild and crazy divorce Ill call Dan. We became fast friends. Until ...

Dan was a lapsed Catholic, and he was having difficulty breaking up with a clinging, neurotic young Catholic girlfriend Ill call Cecilla. He finally thought of playing the Catholic card. He told Cecilia their affair was sinful and that she should call his roommate for counseling, Chaplain Father Palm. Would that he had told me about this in advance.

I think it was five minutes before I could interrupt Cecilias weepy lament and tell her I was not a priest. Wherever you are Dan, I assume God or karma or both got you for that.
Last years discovery off the shores of Namibia of an estimated 11 billion barrels of crude holds the promise of untold riches for this nation of 2.7 million people, but capitalizing on the bounty while avoiding the ills that afflict resource-rich countries in Africa  a phenomenon known as resource curse  may prove challenging.

A quick look around the region reveals what oil finds have spawned in countries such as Angola, Mozambique or Niger  from massive graft, to growing inequality and poverty, armed insurgency, to environmental degradation. Poor management of the oil and gas sector can drive corruption and inequality that in turn will fuel social tensions and threaten political stability, Tom Alweendo, Namibias minister for mines and energy, cautioned recently. It is imperative that the custodians of these resources possess the required skills and above all, that they have a high level of integrity.

Namibia sees the oil discoveries as a game changer, with prospective projects potentially transforming it into a provider of power throughout the region. But resource curse is a clear and present danger for Namibia, says Graham Hopwood, executive director at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), who also stresses that averting the corrupting influence of the sudden flood of funds will be essential.

According to Rosita Ndumbu, a research associate at the IPPR, Angola and Nigeria could be used as highly relevant case studies which are currently battling socio-economic challenges, despite being some of the biggest oil-producing countries. Therefore, Namibia needs to build competent and accountable institutions to manage oil revenue and minimize the risk of corruption by closing all legislative loopholes in order to avoid an oil curse, Ndumbu says.
Via Metal Miner

A somewhat desperate Russia has made some interesting moves relating to its need for aluminum oxide, also known as alumina. Recent reports indicate that the country began importing alumina from India several months ago. This is in addition to China, which already supplied aluminum oxide to Russias Siberian plants.

Obviously, Russia found itself on a sticky wicket after invading Ukraine, the latter being the worlds second-biggest aluminum producer. When the war started, Ukraines alumina refinery plant suspended operations. Soon after Australia placed a ban on aluminum ore exports to Russia.

In its hour of crisis, Russia then turned to China, just as it did for other commodities. In fact, in 2022, Russia was Chinas biggest alumina buyer. But now, with some degree of revival in the Chinese economy, the red dragon needs much of the alumina for domestic production. This means Russia has to look elsewhere.

Rusal Struggling to Meet Aluminum Oxide Needs Through Imports

Outside of China, Russias Rusal is the biggest aluminum producer. However, according to LiveMint, the company continues to struggle to fill the gaps left by suspended supplies. Indeed, Rusal procures about 70% of its requirements from its own alumina assets located inside Russias borders. It supplements these with supplies from Jamaica, Ireland, and Guinea.

This amounts to roughly 5.5 million metric tons (MT), meaning Rusal must purchase around 2.3 MT of alumina each year in order to meet its targets. Besides India, another country that recently joined Russias import list is Kazakhstan. However, according to Reuters, Kazakhstan may have to cut down alumina supply to Russia by 5% in 2023 as it requires it for domestic use.

Aside from setbacks like this, importing continues to prove a very expensive solution. Because of Rusals reliance on other countries, analysts say the company will remain dependent on the international alumina markets price and supply-demand fluctuations for at least five years. Meanwhile, aluminum oxide and the cost of delivery went up by US $1.1 billion to $1.8 billion in 2022.

Rusals Reliance on Imported Alumina

Rusal itself recently acknowledged its reliance on imported alumina after restructuring its raw material supply chain. Moreover, some reports predict that Rusals total alumina costs will decrease in 2023 compared to last year.

Meanwhile, the pickup from India has been dramatic. In fact, Indias Commerce Ministry reported the countrys alumina export to its old friend Russia went up to 2.58 lakh tons in April-February 2022-23 (FY23) compared to nil in the same period last year.

According to an Indian Customs report, China remains a very large supplier of alumina to Russia, but India is now second on the list. Indeed, in the first half of this year, Russia bought 189,379 MT of Indian alumina. China, on the other hand, shipped 485,160 tons between January and June.

Rusal Optimistic, but Russian Metal Remains a Polarizing Topic

Despite some rough weather on the raw material front, Rusal maintains that it is quite positive about next years deals. Specifically, the company cites increased demand from the automobile and high-voltage electricity cable sectors.

Facing a situation where there remains a gap between demand and supply, Rusal recently announced the building of an alumina plant in a Russian Baltic Sea port. The company expects the project to cost about US $4.8 billion. That said, the first phase of production, which will add about 2.4 million tons per year to capacity, likely wont be commissioned until the end of 2028.

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Sourcing aluminum from Russia post-Ukraine war continues to divide global producers and consumers. Rusal still accounts for about 6% of the global aluminum supply. However, while some European consumers refuse to purchase Russian metal, others continue to do so. This is mainly because there are yet no sanctions specifically targeting Russian aluminum. Meanwhile, Rusal states that Asia and Europe remain the companys key markets, with around 30% of revenue in the first half of 2023 is coming from those regions.

By Sohrab Darabshaw

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
(CNN)  Ukraine said its bold strike on Russias Black Sea Fleet headquarters in the Crimean city of Sevastopol had left dozens dead and wounded including senior leadership.

The attack on Friday is perhaps the most dramatic example yet of the confidence with which Ukraine is going after Russian facilities in occupied Crimea  and shows the vulnerability of critically important infrastructure on the peninsula.

In a statement on Telegram, Ukraines Special Operations Forces said a special op dubbed Crab Trap was timed to strike while senior members of Russias Navy were meeting, and that the attack left dozens of dead and wounded including the senior leadership of the fleet. No names have been given and CNN has not independently verified the claim.

Sevastopol is the largest city in Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Ukraine has not given up hope of reclaiming it.

The daring and painstaking work of the Special Operations Forces enabled them to hit the Black Sea Fleet headquarters on time and with precision while the Russian Navys senior staff was meeting in the temporarily occupied city of Sevastopol, it said in the statement.

The data was transmitted to the Air Force for strike. The details of the attack will be revealed once it is possible. The result is dozens of dead and wounded occupiers, including the senior leadership of the fleet, the statement read.

It added, We are moving further!

Attacks have strategic and symbolic importance

No further details or any evidence as to specific casualties among Russias Black Sea Fleet have so far been provided by Ukraine.

Russias Ministry of Defense has to date only said that a Russian soldier was missing after Fridays missile attack, which local authorities said left the naval HQ damaged scattered debris hundreds of meters away.

The incident was the latest in a string of attacks targeting Russian facilities in Crimea.

The Ukrainians have hit a Russian military airfield at Saky, degraded Russian air defenses on the north-west coast, and carried out a missile attack on the main dry-dock and ship-repair facility in Sevastopol, crippling an attack submarine and a landing ship.

The attack on Saky caused unspecified but serious damage at the airfield, according to sources in Ukraines Security Services (SBU).

In the wake of Fridays attack, Ukraines Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksii Danilov warned that the Russian Black Sea Fleet could be sliced up like a salami in potential future strikes.

There are plenty of reasons for Ukraine to target Crimea. Its politically a sign that despite the slow progress on the front lines in its counteroffensive, Ukraine can still inflict serious damage on the Russian military. Targets such as the Crimea bridge have considerable symbolic value as well as strategic purpose.

Its also part of a broader effort  in Crimea, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk  to hit Russian logistics, fuel, maintenance and command centers, in order to disrupt their ability to supply the front lines.

This story was first published on CNN, "Ukraine says strike on Russias Black Sea Fleet HQ left dozens dead and wounded including senior leadership."
Fraser Stryker PC LLO Fraser Stryker PC LLO is excited to announce the addition of attorney Karsen E. Sims to the Firm's corporate, estate planning, real estate, energy, and natural resources practice areas. When asked why she chose Fraser Stryker, Karsen said, "As a summer associate at the Firm for two years, I quickly realized how Fraser's collaborative model works not only for clients' needs but also for the attorneys. I am excited to have this foundation as I start my legal career." Karsen graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 2023. She received several awards during her college career, including being a recipient of the Schmid Honor Scholarship and the 2023 Woods & Aitken Outstanding Student Award. Before joining the Firm as an attorney, Karsen took part in Fraser Stryker's Summer Associate program for two summers. About Fraser Stryker PC LLO Founded 125 years ago, Fraser Stryker provides results-driven legal solutions for our clients in the areas of corporate, estate planning, litigation, employment law, technology, intellectual property law, and more. For more information, visit: www.fraserstryker.com.
Lamson Dugan & Murray LLP (LDM) welcomes attorney Austin C. Printz Austin Printz is a litigation attorney in LDM's Omaha office. Prior to joining the Firm, Austin served in the Air Force Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corp for four years, where he assisted active duty and retired military members with preparing wills, solving landlord-tenant disputes, and providing guidance on divorce. He also represented the United States as a federal prosecutor and military members as a criminal defense attorney. He deployed to the Middle East in support of several operations.
Whenever it rains even a tenth of an inch in central Omaha  which happens about 50 times a year  the volume of stormwater runoff overwhelms the combined sanitary and storm sewer system that runs beneath Saddle Creek Road and Center Street.

The result: millions of gallons of stormwater, mixed with untreated human waste, industrial waste, e coli bacteria, chemicals, toxins, debris and other nasty stuff, dumps directly into the Little Papillion Creek near 67th and Center  and ultimately into the Missouri River.

But sometime next month, city officials will open an underground gate and officially begin operations of the $126 million Saddle Creek Retention Treatment Basin.

In a cavernous 3-million-gallon structure extending six stories below ground, most of that messy stormwater will be captured, rapidly cleaned and sanitized before it is pumped into the creek.

The Saddle Creek project represents a critical piece in Omahas $2 billion program to reduce the combined sewer overflows that frequently dump untreated, noxious wastewater into local waterways.

And its completion also marks several critical milestones in the massive, decades-long drive for Omaha to meet its obligations under the federal Clean Water Act.

With this project, Omaha is now roughly halfway toward completion of its Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) plan, having spent about $1 billion over the first 14 years of what is now a 28-year construction program.

More than that, when the Saddle Creek project goes online, computer modeling suggests Omaha's CSO program will have reduced the levels of harmful bacteria entering local waterways via Omahas sewer system by 60%.

Achieving success at Saddle Creek is a major milestone in the long-term control plan, said Chris Hawkins, CEO of Omahas Hawkins Construction, which built the new plant.

As expected from the start, those health and environmental gains are coming at a considerable cost to residents of Omaha and other surrounding metro communities that tap into Omaha's extensive regional wastewater treatment system, among them Papillion, La Vista, Bellevue, Ralston, Gretna and Bennington.

Since 2006, the typical annual residential sewer bill has risen almost sevenfold, from $107 to nearly $750 today. That means the average metro homeowner has already contributed thousands of dollars to the CSO program.

But roughly halfway through it all, theres some good news on the financial side, too.

Though some projects have run over on costs, Omaha is largely on track with the original $2 billion budget set in 2009, with the program's cost now estimated at roughly $2.1 billion.

Thats not true among all the 772 communities nationwide  most in the northeast and Great Lakes region  that have been mandated to reduce tainted stormwater flowing into waterways. Its not unheard of for a CSO program in a big city to run $1 billion or more over budget.

Overall, Omaha officials say they feel good about the progress thats been made.

We've made a significant improvement in water quality, Michael Arends, a civil engineer with the Omaha Public Works Department, said last week as he showed off the Saddle Creek plant. The next decade or so will be spent continuing down that path to complete our goal of meeting regulatory requirements.

* * *

Omahas CSO program largely represents an effort to remedy environmental sins of the past.

From Omahas earliest history, most of its raw sewage and industrial waste was dumped directly into the Missouri  the epic waterway along which the city was born.

Such dumping was common nationally and wasnt seen as a problem. So as the city grew, neighborhoods were built with a single sewer system handling both sanitary waste and stormwater. And most of those sewer lines dumped directly into the Missouri River and other local waterways.

Due to complaints about smelly conditions, Omaha in 1940 constructed its first sewage treatment plant near 60th and Harrison Streets. But it only handled sewage from new neighborhoods west of 48th Street and didn't really address waste in older parts of the city.

With the citys rapid westward expansion after World War II, that small plant soon couldnt keep up. Many new neighborhoods continued the practice of dumping sewage directly into the creeks flowing into the Missouri.

In the 1960s, with rising concern nationwide over the potential harm to public health and the environment from such dumping, Omaha launched what's become a large complex of treatment facilities on the Missouri River in South Omaha to handle the citys sanitary waste.

In newer neighborhoods, mostly west of 72nd Street, the city also began to build separate sanitary and storm sewers. Separate sewers had the added benefit of preventing the sewage backups into basements that could sometimes occur during major rain events.

In the older neighborhoods that had the combined sewers, diversionary dams were built into the pipes to direct sewage flow to treatment plants.

Over the ensuing years, that diversion dam system has worked fine during dry weather. The dams are higher than the typical flow of sewage, assuring those flows are directed for treatment.

But anytime the city is hit with rain, even trace amounts, the combined stormwater and sewage filling the sewer pipes overflows those dams. Each year, billions of gallons of tainted stormwater containing raw sewage has surged directly into local creeks and the Missouri.

When the 1972 Clean Water Act passed and began to regulate discharges into local waterways, cities with combined sewer systems were allowed to continue such discharges by permit, but were also encouraged to do something about them.

Omaha began separating some of the antiquated sewers in the eastern part of the city in the 1990s. But that's very expensive. It not only requires putting in new sewers, but tearing up city streets, too.

By 2000, with a lack of progress across the country, the Environmental Protection Agency and Congress began putting more pressure on cities to dramatically reduce or eliminate their combined sewer overflows. The EPA began entering into legal consent degrees with hundreds of cities requiring them to implement long-term plans to control and reduce combined sewer discharges.

Omaha submitted its plan in 2009, not with the EPA, but with Nebraskas environmental agency, now called the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. Omaha is unique in the region in having its CSO program overseen by a state authority.

Under Omahas agreement with the state, the overall goal of the CSO plan  which the city calls Clean Solutions Omaha  is to reduce combined sewer overflow volume by 85%.

The original timeline gave the city 15 years to complete it. But due to delays caused by floods in 2011 and significant city growth that has required expansion and other improvements to other city wastewater treatment facilities, Omaha was able to negotiate an extension of the timeline to 28 years. Completion is now set for 2037.

The extension also spreads out the costs for ratepayers, who have faced those escalating municipal sewer fees in their monthly water bills.

At the time the CSO program launched, Omaha still had roughly 50 square miles of combined sewers. Part of Omahas CSO strategy has included a significant amount of construction projects to separate some of those sewers.

But like other cities around the country, Omaha has been able to employ a variety of alternative methods to target combined sewer overflows.

Omaha has constructed green infrastructure like wetlands, swales or lakes to capture stormwater runoff. Such facilities at Fontenelle and Adams Parks in North Omaha, Elmwood and Hanscom Parks in central Omaha, and Spring Lake Park in South Omaha have reduced the need for more costly sewer improvements downstream.

In South Omaha, the city also disconnected the citys packing plants and related companies from the areas combined sewer system. Instead, wastewater from those plants is now pumped via dedicated new facilities directly to the Missouri River treatment plant.

Taking that waste out of the system alone helped Omaha achieve a nearly 30% bacteria reduction from combined sewer overflows.

Meatpacking waste is very, very high in bacteria, said Jim Theiler, assistant director for environmental services in the Omaha Public Works Department. So that just took a big chunk out of the system.

Omaha also expanded its Missouri River treatment plant so that it can handle a higher volume of stormwater and added more piping and pump station capacity to get the water there.

State data indicates that under the CSO, Omaha has almost doubled the amount of wet weather volume it is capturing. NDEE says the city is "making good progress."

Until two years ago, the CSO plan also called for boring a long, deep tunnel along the Missouri River to store stormwater. Nearly six miles in length, its estimated $500 million cost would have made it by far the priciest part of the CSO plan.

But several years ago, when new estimates swelled the overall costs of the program to $2.4 billion, Theiler said the city decided to step back from that plan. Officials worked to find ways to cut costs while still meeting the city's commitments to the state.

Among the proposals dropped was the big tunnel. Chris Hawkins called it a wise move, as those massive tunnels have proven notorious for running well over budget in other city CSO programs.

Our CSO program is on budget, which is really rare around the country, Hawkins said.

Instead of the long tunnel, Omaha now plans to construct a combined sewage storage basin along the river south of downtown, as well as another high-rate stormwater treatment plant in North Omaha  much like the one the city is now set to open in the Saddle Creek basin.

* * *

There has long been a major combined sewer line running beneath Saddle Creek Road that not only carries sewage but also drains stormwater from a large central Omaha watershed covering five square miles.

When that combined sewer line reaches Center Street, it turns west before terminating just south of UNOs Baxter Arena near 64th Avenue and Center. There, it meets up with a sewer pipeline extending 15 miles, all the way to Omahas Papillion Creek Wastewater Treatment plant along the Missouri River in southern Sarpy County.

But when it rains, and Saddle Creeks combined sewer line overflows, tainted water carrying raw sewage instead flows into the Little Papillion Creek just west of Baxter.

That will change when the new high-rate treatment facility goes online.

It took four years to build the plant capable of quickly processing 160 million gallons of stormwater per day. Built on the site of a former construction debris dump, the plant sits so close to Baxter Arena that the city consulted with UNO to make the structures exterior roughly match Baxters color scheme and design.

Wearing a headlamp like a cave explorer, Arends last week led a tour into the depths of the Saddle Creek facility.

Combined sewage flowing into the plant is first screened to take out rocks, chunks of concrete and other heavy debris that could clog up pipes. Another screening system then removes trash, sticks and other lighter debris.

The churning wastewater then flows into the deep 3 million-gallon basin, where solid waste settles to the bottom. That waste is then pumped into the same sewer line that during dry days carries sanitary waste to the Papillion Creek plant.

The remaining stormwater then flows into another chamber, where it is hit with a chlorine bleach solution, killing e coli and other pathogens.

Another additive then removes the chlorine, protecting aquatic life when the water is finally released into the creek.

The water released from the plant will actually be cleaner than what flows into waterways in parts of the city with separate sanitary and storm sewers. Stormwater can pick up lots of germs, grime and debris on its way into gutters.

An air handling system also scrubs the air emanating from the plant, helping to eliminate the localized odors that are often associated with sewer overflows and treatment plants.

The plant is operated from a top-floor control room featuring big computer screens that monitor flow rates and the status of each pump. In another adjoining lab, water samples are analyzed to see how the system is performing.

Nebraska environmental regulators also regularly sample water in the Papillion Creek downstream of the Saddle Creek facility and will be monitoring its impact.

The plant will launch next month, beginning a year or more of testing to make sure its fully functional.

Even with the new plant running, a particularly heavy rain will still be able to cause some overflows. But its believed the plant will prevent more than 90% of the Saddle Creek basins current combined sewer overflow volume.

Based on monitoring and computer modeling, Omaha officials believe the CSO program has already reduced the amount of e coli flowing into local waterways to 50% of previous levels. With the Saddle Creek plant fully operational, its projected that figure will drop another 10 percentage points, to below 40%.

In another milestone for the Omaha CSO program, the City Public Works Department this month took over its management, replacing a project team with both city staff and outside engineers. Now the CSO becomes part of the departments broader mission of capturing and cleaning wastewater for the entire region.

Befitting how seriously the department takes its obligation to protect local waterways, department officials now often refer to their wastewater treatment plants as water resources recovery facilities.

We want to do our part, said David Sykora, manager of the Papillion Creek plant.

Last week, Sykora and Theiler drove a pickup along a bumpy dirt path from the Papillion Creek facility to the nearby banks of the Missouri River. They were looking to show off the outlet where the plant discharges water into the river.

Down below, the water released from the outlet was so clean and clear, it cut a dark streak through the Missouris muddy, murky flows.

This is where it ends up, Theiler said. We can show results.
COLUMBUS, Ohio  When an Ohio father learned that his 11-year-old daughter had been manipulated into sending explicit photos to an adult, he turned to the police for help.

But instead of treating the girl as a crime victim, an officer seemingly threatened to charge her under a law most people view as designed to protect child victims.

The shocking interaction was recorded earlier this month on body camera audio and by the father's doorbell camera in Columbus, Ohio. The footage drew criticism from the public and from experts who said law enforcement officials have long misused laws meant to protect children by threatening to charge them with being part of the same crime.

Experts said the incident also showed that training for officers on how to respond to child exploitation cases is spotty and not standardized between police departments.

It was a complete fail on a legal level and on a human level, said Scott Berkowitz, founder and president of the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network  the nations largest anti-sexual violence organization. I dont know who immediately goes to blaming a child in a situation like that. Its inconceivable.

In the redacted body camera recording, the father asks if there's anything the police can do. A female officer is heard replying that his 11-year-old could be charged with creating child porn."

The parent protests that she is a child, a victim who was manipulated by an adult.

It doesnt matter, the officer said. Shes still creating it.

The angry father ends the conversation and slams the door behind him. The video he posted to TikTok had been watched more than 750,000 times as of Thursday.

Police have not released the fathers name. The AP, which does not identify victims of alleged sexual abuse, reached out to him on social media and by phone this week but did not receive a response.

Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant responded quickly in a statement that the officers' conduct was being investigated and that it did not meet the division's standards for how victims should be treated.

Columbus police spokesperson Andres Antequera said the agency has a nuanced policy that considers each case individually, but that the focus is to protect the minor through education, counseling and social services, not criminal charges.

He said the department sometimes provides information on those resources to parents, as well as referrals for services.

But Antequera said Ohio statutes are clear that minors who create, possess or distribute images of child sexual abuse, even of themselves, are violating the law. He said prosecutors ultimately decide when to file charges, but he did not answer when asked whether Columbus police had arrested minors under similar circumstances in the past.

Rebecca Epstein, the executive director of the Center on Gender Justice and Opportunity at Georgetown Law, said charges against victims are common. Epstein co-authored a report in April looking at how survivors of sexual assault and abuse are often criminalized.

Girls who experience sexual abuse are often the ones who are punished for the sexual abuse that they experience. Rather than being treated as survivors who need support, they are funneled into the criminal justice system," she said. Our culture assigns complicity to girls who are too young to legally even consent to sex.

Epstein said minors who are trafficked or coerced into sexual acts or into creating or soliciting sexual materials can often be charged with crimes.

In the early 2000s, as cellphone cameras became common and sexting entered the national vernacular, juvenile justice advocates began fighting against prosecutors who wanted to charge minors for consensually sharing explicit images with other minors.

Riya Saha Shah, the senior managing director of the Juvenile Law Center, said the center was part of that advocacy and has continued to raise concerns about sexual exploitation laws being used against child victims.

These laws were really intended to prevent sexual abuse of children, to protect against the exploitation of children, Shah said. So weaponizing these laws against children to bring charges against them really misunderstands the law, and even worse, is flouting the laws purpose.

It's hard to know how many children are charged, partly because prosecutors can use the charges to elicit guilty pleas to lesser offenses, she said.

Shah, who said she also has an 11-year-old daughter, called the police response to a parent seeking help disappointing but not surprising.

There was no investigation into who the individual was who has these images in their possession, Shah said. It went right to punishing her, which unfortunately is all too common in a system that really isn't designed to help first, but rather to punish first.

This should be pretty basic stuff that when an adult abuses a child, you do everything you can to stop it, not to blame the child, he said.
MIAMI  For many in Floridas vast immigrant community, daily life in recent months has become one governed entirely by fear.

Some try to drive as little as possible and make fewer trips to the supermarket. Others no longer take their children to the park and worry about allowing them to attend school. Others still are hiding out  avoiding travel to other states, not getting regular medical check-ups, or closing their businesses and leaving town. And many are just on high alert  all because of a new immigration law Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed in May.

One of the strictest in the nation, the law criminalized transporting immigrants lacking permanent legal status into the state, invalidated any U.S. government identification they might have and blocked local governments from providing them with ID cards. Florida hospitals that receive Medicaid are now mandated to ask patients about immigration status and businesses employing 25 or more people must verify their workers legal status.

Other aspects of the law go into effect next year.

DeSantis, who is running for president, signed the bill in hopes of appealing to conservative voters and has criticized President Joe Bidens administration for the massive influx of migrants at the southern border.

You have a duty to ensure that these borders are secure, DeSantis said at the time, signing the law a day before federal immigration rules enacted during the pandemic ended.

Since then, Associated Press interviews with a dozen immigrants found that daily routines have been upended for fear of being detained, separated from their families and deported.

For one woman, who asked not to be identified for fear of being detained, the change in the law has left her feeling like she traded one world of fear for another.

I imagined that we were coming to the U.S. to have a better life, to be calmer, but that was not the case," she said. There is always the fear that something could happen to us.

The 31-year-old single mother of four fled the violence of Honduras for the safety of the U.S. two years ago. Upon arrival, she sought asylum and worked as a house painter to support her daughters and her mother, who still lacks permanent legal status after crossing into the U.S. illegally six years ago.

Before the new law passed, the woman says her mother helped out by driving her grandchildren to school. Now, she is afraid police will ask her to show a drivers license and detain and deport her for not having one.

She tries not to go out too much, she is being very careful, she said.

The new law also cost the woman her painting job.

She says her employer  a Salvadoran man also without permanent legal status  abruptly closed his business and left the state. Though she found another job, she worries about supporting her family  she doesn't have the economic resources to move elsewhere.

Florida is home to about 4.6 million people who are foreign-born, and nearly three-quarters are from Latin America and the Caribbean. At least 825,000 lack permanent legal status, according to the most recent Pew Research Center survey from 2017. And about half of those people contribute to Floridas workforce and economy in key industries including agriculture, construction, hospitality and more, according to the American Business Immigration Coalition.

(The law) is impacting their ability to just go about their day like they used to, said Shalyn Fluharty, an immigration attorney and executive director of the nonprofit law firm American for Immigrant Justice.

Experts like Fluharty characterize the law as vague and confusing, asserting that it raises concerns of mandatory detention, arrests and felony convictions for individuals who have no way of knowing they could be a target, including U.S. citizens who may be transporting immigrants without permanent legal status into the state.

Whether or not you should be afraid really kind of depends on your unique, individualized, factual circumstances, Fluharty said. Her advice: If you are afraid, consult with a lawyer.

But not everyone can contact a lawyer.

Many have simply changed their way of living  even families of mixed legal status, with some members being U.S. citizens and others without permanent legal status.

Salvador Rosas, a 22-year-old college student, was born in central Florida along with his two brothers. While Rosas and his siblings are U.S. citizens, other family members are not. Their parents, who came to the state in 1999 after leaving Mexico, and their grandmother are living in the country illegally.

Before the new law passed, the family used to drive to Chicago once or twice a year to visit Rosas' grandmother. Now, with fears of being detained and separated, Rosas' parents and grandmother have mutually canceled all travel plans  even with 1,000 miles between them.

Thats very hard already, he said.

Rosas' mother has lived many years separated from her family in Mexico, and now, it is going to be like a separation between states," he said.

Despite being a U.S. citizen, Rosas himself fears being detained while traveling and returning to Florida.

Rosas' and others' fears are not unfounded  authorities are already enforcing the law.

A Mexican man who arrived in Florida a year ago was arrested last month while returning from a work trip to Georgia. The Mexican consulate told the AP that the man was stopped by police for driving a van with window tints that appeared darker than the legal limit.

He was arrested and later charged with not having a valid driver's license and multiple counts of smuggling illegal individuals into the state, according a Florida Highway Patrol report and court documents. A police report showed that six other people were in the vehicle with the man, including a minor.

Inside Florida's 'underground lab' for far-right education policies Inside Florida's 'underground lab' for far-right education policies Education culture wars become the engine of Republican politics Every board meeting brings a new battle Heightened emotions in the classroom Students lose the opportunity for college credit 'It scares me to think that we're going backwards 50 years or more'
HOUSTON  The family of a Black high school student in Texas who was suspended over his dreadlocks filed a federal civil rights lawsuit Saturday against the state's governor and attorney general, alleging they failed to enforce a new law outlawing discrimination based on hairstyles.

Darryl George, 17, a junior at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, has been serving an in-school suspension since Aug. 31. Officials with the Houston-area school say his dreadlocks fall below his eyebrows and earlobes and violate the districts dress code.

Georges mother, Darresha George, and the familys attorney deny the teenagers hairstyle violates the dress code, saying his hair is neatly tied in twisted dreadlocks on top of his head.

Darryl George's supporters allege the ongoing suspension by the Barbers Hill Independent School District violates the states CROWN Act, which took effect Sept. 1.

The lawsuit also alleges that Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, in their official duties, have failed to protect George's constitutional rights against discrimination and against violations of his freedom of speech and expression. George should be permitted to wear his hair in the manner in which he wears it  because the so-called neutral grooming policy has no close association with learning or safety and when applied, disproportionately impacts Black males, Allie Booker, the family's attorney, wrote in the lawsuit.

Spokespeople for Abbott and Paxton, both Republicans, did not immediately return emails seeking comment Saturday.

The lawsuit seeks a temporary restraining order to stop George's in-school suspension while the case is in court.

Time to bring the fight to Barbers Hill ISD. We're going to drop the hammer of accountability in the face of racism, Candice Matthews, national minister of politics for the New Black Panther Nation and a spokesperson for George's family, said in a statement Saturday.

The lawsuit, filed in Houston federal court by Georges mother, is the latest legal action taken related to the suspension.

On Tuesday, Darresha George and her attorney filed a formal complaint with the Texas Education Agency, alleging Darryl George is being harassed and mistreated by school district officials over his hair and that his in-school suspension violates the CROWN Act.

They allege that during his suspension, George is forced to sit for eight hours on a stool and that hes being denied the hot free lunch hes qualified to receive. The agency is investigating the complaint.

Darresha George said she was recently hospitalized after a series of panic and anxiety attacks brought on from stress related to her sons suspension.

On Wednesday, the school district filed its own lawsuit in state court asking a judge to clarify whether its dress code restrictions limiting student hair length for boys violates the CROWN Act.

Barbers Hill Superintendent Greg Poole has said he believes the dress code is legal and that it teaches students to conform as a sacrifice benefiting everyone.

The school district said it would not enhance the current punishment against Darryl George while it waits for a ruling on its lawsuit.

The CROWN Act, an acronym for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, is intended to prohibit race-based hair discrimination and bars employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles, including Afros, braids, dreadlocks, twists or Bantu knots. Texas is one of 24 states that have enacted a version of the act.

A federal version passed in the U.S. House last year, but was not successful in the Senate.

State Rep. Rhetta Bowers, who authored Texas' version of the CROWN Act, said Friday that George's hairstyle is protected by the new law and she called on the Barbers Hill school district to end his suspension.

The Texas CROWN Act was passed to prevent situations like this, and it is very disappointing to see Barbers Hill ISD attempt to find loopholes to skirt the law and perpetuate hair discrimination, Bowers said in a statement.

Georges school previously clashed with two other Black male students over the dress code.

Barbers Hill officials told cousins DeAndre Arnold and Kaden Bradford they had to cut their dreadlocks in 2020. The two students families sued the school district in May 2020, and a federal judge later ruled the districts hair policy was discriminatory. Their case, which garnered national attention and remains pending, helped spur Texas lawmakers to approve the states CROWN Act law. Both students withdrew from the school, with Bradford returning after the judges ruling.

Teacher and student diversity in the US: How diverse is your state? Teacher and student diversity in the US: How diverse is your state? Teacher racial diversity by state Student racial diversity by state Comparing teacher and student diversity by state Diversity differences by state
HARRISBURG, Neb.  Nestled off Nebraska Highway 71 just south of town, Laura Lees Double L Country Store and Cafe has become a welcome reprieve for travelers along the road.

The only restaurant in all of Banner County, Double L provides an important service in what would otherwise be a complete food desert.

The Panhandle restaurant and store also has been featured this year as one of the Nebraska Passport stops.

Laura Whelchel, who operates a ranch along with the store, had seen the property sit vacant for some time before she decided to purchase it and transform it in to something more worthwhile.

We decided to give it a try, so we purchased the building actually 10 years ago, she said. We renovated it and then opened it.

She considers the restaurant farm-to-table, as many ingredients are produced on site. What she cannot make at the restaurant, she sources from her own ranch and other farms in Banner County.

Items like the greens in the cafes salads and the eggs used in breakfast items are all produced in Banner County. She also pointed out that all the meat used in their burgers is raised on the Whelchels farm.

We bake all of our own bread, hamburger buns. We bake all of our own cakes, pies, so our desserts are all handmade too.

The restaurant also hosts a small gift shop with all kinds of whimsical items. It features items from local artists and business owners, providing them with a marketplace to showcase their products for travelers along the highway.

This is the second time that the restaurant and store has been featured on the Nebraska Passport tourism promotion program. They were previously included in 2017. Whelchel said that her inclusion in the program has significantly boosted her business over the summer.

I would say our numbers have doubled at least, if not more this summer, so its been a great program, she said.

Whelchel is always excited to see new faces enter the store and even keeps a guest book at the counter for new customers to sign so that she can look back and see where everyone is from.

Ive had people come in that have came in with other Passport people or people that werent on the passport but they came in and theyre like, Oh my gosh, Ive driven past that place 100 times, and Ive never stopped in,  she said.

While she often has guests from Nebraska simply traveling up and down Highway 71, or stopping in from nearby towns such s Harrisburg or Scottsbluff, she also sees people coming from as far as other countries.

One couple that stopped in had traveled all the way from Germany and were on their way north through Nebraska to South Dakota.

The homemade style of cooking paired with the atmosphere in the store make for a perfect stop on the side of the highway for both travelers and locals.

We just wanted it to feel homey, comfortable, kind of like you were walking in home somewhere, Whelchel said.

During the summer, the restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Soon, they will dial back the hours for the winter season when they see fewer customers, but the doors will still be open.

Passport holders will still have a few days to stop in and get their stamps as the program continues until Sept. 30 and Whelchel said she hopes that they do.

Thats the fun part about this job is just that everybody that comes into your door is a part of your story, she said. Its just kind of fun to meet all those people.
LINCOLN  For more than 50 years, the State Ombudsmans Office has been a place where Nebraskans could turn to resolve problems with state government.

But since mid-August, two major state agencies have virtually shut down the offices ability to help citizens.

The Departments of Health and Human Services and of Correctional Services have turned off access to their case management systems, barred agency employees from responding to requests for information and sharply limited visits to state institutions.

As a result, State Sen. Terrell McKinney of Omaha said hes hearing from Nebraskans involved with both agencies, particularly those in the states prisons, who cant get their questions and concerns answered.

Theres a lot of issues that are not being addressed because they are not allowed to help, he said. Its just making a bad situation worse.

State Ombudsman Julie Rogers said she and her staff are continuing to take complaints from citizens concerning the two agencies and are trying to address them through whatever avenues remain open. But she said the responses are slow.

Right now its taking a lot longer, she said. Were trying to figure out what information we can get.

HHS and Corrections officials curtailed the Ombudsmans Office access within days after Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers issued an opinion concluding that two watchdog offices created to provide accountability and oversight for state prisons and the state child welfare system violated the Nebraska Constitution.

Those offices  the Inspector General of Nebraska Child Welfare and Inspector General of Corrections  are housed within the Ombudsmans Office but governed by separate laws. They were created in 2012 and 2015, respectively, following serious problems within the child welfare and corrections systems.

The Ombudsmans Office, officially called the Office of the Public Counsel, was launched earlier. A 1969 law created the office to impartially investigate citizen complaints about government and pursue informal resolutions of those grievances. Newer duties include handling investigations under the state whistleblower act, addressing complaints about county jails and juvenile detention centers and doing annual physical reviews of the institutions run by HHS.

The office is part of the legislative branch of government, but the ombudsman is an independent officer, who is appointed for six-year terms and can only be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Legislature.

Hilgers issued the Aug. 16 opinion at the request of HHS, which handles child welfare, and Corrections, which handles prisons. Both agencies have disputed the authority of the inspectors general. The agencies asked a series of questions, some of which touched on the Ombudsmans Office.

The opinion did not address the Public Counsel Act nor reach any conclusions about the ombudsmans work.

However, the agencies interpreted the opinion to cover that office as well. A statement from HHS said: The Attorney Generals analysis with regard to the OIG applies equally to the ombudsman.

Based on that interpretation, the two agencies clamped down on access for all three offices. They made the changes even though the Attorney Generals opinion does not have the force of law.

Memos sent to agency employees made it clear that staff from the three offices were only to be allowed the same access to information and to visit state institutions that is provided to the general public. All contacts were to be directed to the agencies legislative liaisons.

In separate but matching statements to The World-Herald, the agencies said they had modified the process in requesting information in order to comply with Constitutional requirements. The agency will continue to respond to the ombudsmans office requests when the information is not confidential or statutorily protected.

The departments most important duty is to comply with the Constitution and laws, HHS added.

Hilgers office declined to comment Friday about whether HHS and Corrections acted appropriately in applying the opinion to the Ombudsmans Office or in restricting access based on the opinion.

Gov. Jim Pillens office did not provide a response to questions about his agencies actions regarding the Ombudsmans Office.

Both agencies said they are committed to transparency and have not limited inmates, regional center patients, group home and developmental disability center residents or juvenile offenders from contacting the Ombudsmans Office.

But Rogers said state law gave the Ombudsmans Office special access to information and state institutions so staff could do neutral fact-finding concerning citizen complaints and could ensure that state government is working for its citizens, especially those vulnerable citizens who have been put in institutions.

Were not here to shame or blame, she said. Were here to inform the system for improvements.

Meanwhile, state lawmakers are pushing back.

Earlier this month, the Legislature hired attorney Marnie Jensen, a partner at Husch Blackwell, to represent the Legislature in matters related to the Attorney Generals Opinion.

Speaker of the Legislature John Arch of La Vista said Jensen would analyze the opinion to help lawmakers figure out next steps. He expressed determination to continue the Legislatures responsibility to exercise oversight to ensure that government services are safe and effective for groups at risk.

I dont think we should concede our powers, McKinney said. Not having any type of oversight and people to answer concerns is just bad.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of September 2023
Relaxed dress code

Im all for changing the dress code in the U.S. Senate. I think for far too long the only people theyve identified with are the rich country club types. In recent months, some have openly disrespected the folks wearing military uniforms.

Maybe its time for a change. Maybe conditions might improve for working-class Americans if they all were required to wear bib overalls and flannel shirts. Suits and ties seem a little presumptuous on some of them. In my opinion, honesty in labeling would require some of them to don orange jumpsuits or black-and-white stripes.

Rich Schommer, Alliance, Neb.

Afghan Adjustment Act

Two years ago, a woman walked to our office, eyes cast downward, following her husband, a notable Afghan pilot. She came seeking support as her family was one of thousands evacuated by the U.S. military when the Taliban seized Afghanistan. It was the largest evacuation (and longest war) in U.S. history, airlifting more than 124,000 people to safety. Most were Afghan nationals who worked with and for the United States for decades.

When Afghan families arrived in 2021, Homeland Security authorized two years of humanitarian parole (temporary relocation status for urgent situations), as conventional refugee resettlement takes years. Now Afghans are in limbo. The proposed Afghan Adjustment Act allows Afghan evacuees to apply for permanent residency with additional vetting, and expands eligibility for vulnerable Afghans still abroad to come to the United States. The bill has bipartisan support, and Nebraska is fortunate to have the leadership of Rep. Don Bacon as the bills co-sponsor and ally.

Rep. Bacons broad experience has helped create astute policy and compassionate solutions for Afghanistan. His advocacy continues today and especially prevailed during the evacuation, alongside then-Senator Ben Sasse who said When you fought on behalf of Americans to protect our people, youre welcome in my neighborhood.

Refugee Women Rising, a local nonprofit, applauds Rep. Bacon, standing in solidarity with him and countless others for the people of Afghanistan. Passing the Afghan Adjustment Act is a moral imperative, one that recognizes dignity and loyalty. Not doing so is an obstruction of human rights and disavows our integrity as Americans.

Pam Font-Gabel, Omaha

Executive Director and Solidarity Partner

Refugee Women Rising

Railroads are vital

Last year, Nebraska ranked 17th in the U.S. for the number of injuries and collisions at highway-rail crossings. Across America, a person or vehicle is struck by a train every three hours. These are powerful statistics to reflect on this week as we mark Rail Safety Week, a national event to raise awareness about safety near railroad tracks.

Education makes a difference here, led by groups like Operation Lifesaver (and its Nebraska chapter). Their efforts have led to an 83% reduction in crossing collisions over the last several decades.

The best way to stay safe is by strictly obeying crossing warnings and gates. But the safest crossing is one that does not exist, and the Rail Crossing Elimination grant program seeks to both close and enhance crossings across the country. It just funded 63 projects across 32 states in its initial year, the goal being to improve safety as well as the mobility of people and goods.

Railroads are vital to Nebraskas way of life, moving people and goods efficiently while cutting down on congestion and air pollution. Together, through both education and action, we can prevent avoidable tragedies on Nebraska rails.

Brett Sebastian, Omaha

Nebraska state director, GoRail

Radiation protection drugs

The Sept. 13 Omaha World-Herald carried a story about a federal defense contract for Nebraska medical facilities to develop drugs for the prevention or mitigation of the effects of radiation on soldiers and others.

This makes sense as we tiptoe slowly into a full-fledged shootout with Russia and China. After all, the only way that can end up is with both sides attempting to obliterate the other with nuclear weapons.

Clearly, the side with the best anti-radiation drugs will prevail. The surviving U. S. population, all 17 of them  former oligarchs all  will no doubt be very grateful for the medical miracles that allowed them to hold out through the annihilation. And if they have stockpiled enough food, water and renewable oxygen apparatuses to survive the dozens of years underground required for the nuclear winter to subside, they can begin to help repopulate the planet along with survivors from around the world.

Maybe the survivors will avoid the mistakes of their predecessors, but probably not.

Or maybe cooler heads can gain control of the war machine and begin putting all that money into making life better for the rest of us.

Jack Dunn, Omaha

Blame ourselves

In a September 18, 2023, article in the Los Angeles Times article about the problems facing the Panama Canal, the writer, LZ Granderson, writes: Electing officials who tell us what we want to hear doesnt change what is. Wow, what a wonderful statement. We should contemplate that statement when we decide who to elect!

Social Security financial problems are not being addressed. Dont worry, it will all take care of itself, our representatives dont need to make the tough decisions. The federal government can borrow forever. Dont worry, it will all take care of itself, our representatives dont need to make the tough decisions. Endless strife between our political parties can go on forever. Dont worry, it will all take care of itself, our representatives dont need to make the tough decisions.

Electing officials who tell us what we want to hear doesnt change what is.

Bob Gronstal, Omaha

On Chomsky

One of these days, Noam Chomsky will pass away (he is, after all, 94), and most Americans will be even less likely to hear about or from this extraordinary human.

The U.S. populace may be ignorant, but Noam Chomsky is known worldwide as one of the worlds leading intellectuals, for his writings (over 150 books!), for his activism on behalf of peace and justice, and for his groundbreaking work on linguistics.

One of the most-cited authors, living or dead, Chomsky has written: The Response of Intellectuals, a scathing criticism of the Vietnam War; Manufacturing Consent, which calls out the establishment media for its propaganda); and The Political Economy of Human Rights.

This giant intellect has been virtually blacklisted from the establishment press, along with radio and television. His writings, his thinking, is apparently too controversial, too critical, too dangerous to be allowed.

Here is one of his dangerous comments: Both (the Republican and Democratic) parties are manifestations of a single Business Party controlled by corporate and financial interests. A prominent critic of U.S. foreign policy as imperialistic, Chomsky also states that World War II was the only justified war the U.S. has fought in my lifetime.

Cancel culture, anyone?

Stuart Williams, Omaha
BLOOMINGTON  A 16-year-old suspect has been taken into custody after the fatal stabbing of a 19-year-old on Bloomingtons south side, police said Sunday.

Officers responded at 10:10 p.m. Saturday to the 300 block of Kenmore Road, just east of the Southgate Estates Trailer Park, after a report of a possible stabbing, the department said in a statement. They found the 19-year-old victim on the ground with life-threatening injuries; he was taken by the Bloomington Fire Department to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead by the McLean County Coroners Office.

Police did not identify the victim, whose name will be released by the coroners office.

The 16-year-old male suspect was in custody less than two hours later. Deputies from the McLean County Sheriffs Office and Bloomington Police Department responded at 11:47 p.m. to a rural address outside Heyworth, where he was taken into custody without incident.

The suspect was taken to the Bloomington Police Department for questioning and then to the McLean County Juvenile Detention Center, police said. Charges will be released later.

No additional information was being released at this time, police said.

Anyone with information about the stabbing is asked to contact Detectives Tyrell Klein at 309-434-2366 or Jordan Downing at 309-434-2587, referencing the case number 202313140.

We are glad to have reached a swift resolution in this case, Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington said in a statement. The hard work of the Bloomington Police Officers, Detectives, and staff to bring justice to the victim and the victims family is always the highest priority.This story will be updated if more information becomes available.

How spending on public safety and policing has changed over the last 40 years How spending on public safety and policing has changed over the last 40 years Spending on public safety in cities in the US has doubled since 1980 Police funding has remained about half of public safety budgets consistently for 40 years Even with ballooning public safety budgets, many cities allocate more money to the police Some cities have reigned in police spending, while others have tightened overall public safety budgets
How Time Flies is a daily feature looking back at Pantagraph archives to revisit what was happening in our community and region.

100 years ago

Sept. 24, 1923: Harold Norris of Pekin is in the Pekin hospital with a bullet hole in each ankle as a result of a gun battle between Tazewell County Sheriff Neuhaus and deputies and a posse from Green Valley. It took place after an Illinois Central train was robbed and sacks of potatoes thrown from the car about a mile north of Green Valley. Word was sent to Pekin, and the sheriff and a force of deputies, together with a dozen men from Green Valley, all rushed to the scene and lay in ambush until the suspects returned, when a gun battle ensued.

75 years ago

Sept. 24, 1948: More than 600 male students and faculty members at Illinois State Normal University gathered for a stag party sponsored by the all-male campus organization University Club. The highlight of the program was a short talk followed by several piano solos by Dr. Philipp Reinhardt, who just arrived in the United States from Adelsheim, North Baden. Dr. Reinhardt, a music graduate from the University of Heidelberg, commented on the friendly student-professor relationships shown at the stag.

50 years ago

Sept. 24, 1973: Fire that caused smoke to billow so high it could be seen at least 30 miles away destroyed the remains of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad roundhouse on Bloomington's west side. Like the raging fire that destroyed three-fourths of the 44-stall complex in May 1972, arson was suspected in Sunday's blaze, which attracted hundreds of spectators and caused an estimated $200,000 in damage. Police were investigating a possible link between the fire and four fire-bombings in the city last week.

25 years ago

Sept. 24, 1998: Crime Stoppers of McLean County is offering a reward in the theft of more than $300 of Little Debbie snack cakes taken from an unlocked delivery truck on Normal's west side. Police are steering away from connecting the crime to the Cookie Monster: "We didn't want to upset the little kids," said Lt. Tony Daniels. "There are very few heroes left in America."

Vintage Pantagraph newspaper ads for medicine, 'magic' remedies St. Jacobs Oil - July 14, 1887 Castoria - July 26, 1892 Rheumatic Ring - May 29, 1894 Beefmalt - May 29, 1894 Wakefield's Cough Syrup - Feb. 13, 1908 S.S.S. - April 23, 1908 Olive Tablets - Nov. 20, 1911 Allcock Plasters - March 2, 1917 Olive Tablets - Feb. 23, 1918 Laxative Bromo Quinine - Oct. 16, 1918 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 24, 1919 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - April 29, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 22, 1919 Beecham's Pills - Nov. 22, 1919 Snake Oil - Nov. 29, 1919 Doan's Kidney Pills - March 8, 1920 Bayer Tablets of Aspirin - Sept. 21, 1920 J.C. Hutzell's Eczema Treatment - Nov. 11, 1922 O-Joy Corn Wafers - March 4, 1930 Dr. Pierce's Favorite Prescription - March 19, 1930 666 Tablets - March 25, 1930 Cuticura - March 25, 1930 Geo-Mineral - Dec. 8, 1948 Anacin - Jan. 16, 1963 Liquiprin - Aug. 27, 1970 Icy Hot - Nov. 20, 1977
Thousands of people experience what had once been the S. Noble King farm in Bloomington-Normal daily without knowing its rich history. They drive down Veterans Parkway, shop at OBrien Honda or Best Buy or stay at The Chateau Hotel and the Conference Center. An occasional observer also may wonder about the granite marker between Chilis and Best Buy that recalls that farm and the agricultural leader, horse breeder and Civil War veteran who owned it.

The monument itself commemorates the 1913 donation of 240 acres of farmland in what was then Normal Township from the estate of Lt. S. Noble King to the Old Ladies Home of Bloomington (a.k.a. The Jessamine Withers Home for Elderly Ladies). Owing largely to the King trust, the home opened on May 12, 1914, offering housing in Bloomington for indigent widows and elderly women.

Ohio-born Samuel Noble King, known to most as S. Noble King, followed his passion for horses and left his fathers mercantile business in Ohio to become a hired farmhand at New Berlin, southwest of Springfield, Illinois. He soon purchased a farm and in 1858 married Alice Tenney of New Berlin, who became ill and died within the first year of marriage.

In 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army and served four years, surviving 26 Civil War battles and skirmishes. He rose to the rank of first lieutenant and served as acting captain during much of his military experience.

After the war he sold his Sangamon County land and purchased 240 acres of prairie that then was about two miles northeast of Bloomington. He soon added a 160-acre tract about 1.5 miles north of his farmstead (today near Menards).

Soon McLean County farmers labeled him a progressive farmer and respected horse breeder. King advocated improvement of farm production through the betterment of soils.

He befriended Cyril Hopkins, a University of Illinois researcher known for early corn hybrid research and for development of the Illinois System of Permanent Soil Fertility, which was used widely for decades.

The King farm became one of 15 U of I experiment stations, featuring Hopkins early phosphate fertilizer and corn research. Hopkins hosted tourists from around the world and held statewide field days at the King farm.

The advantages of crop rotation were modeled on the farm and King claimed to have been first in McLean County, in 1869, to install a 2-inch clay tile drainage system with tile purchased in Anna, Illinois.

King advocated plowing under cornstalks rather than the more traditional burning of fields.

King was a legislatively appointed delegate and eventually state vice president for the Farmers Institute education system. Farmers Institutes began in Illinois in 1885 and were designed to deliver university research to farmers.

King was one of five Farmers Institute leaders in 1899 who successfully lobbied the Illinois Legislature to greatly improve funding for both U of I agricultural research and for the first dedicated agriculture building on campus.

King also served as a board member of the U of I ag experiment stations. He was appointed as the 13th Congressional District agricultural college scholarship coordinator for selecting recipients in six area counties. U of I faculty recognized King as a farmer of wide practical experiences and an ardent student of scientific principles.

King also continued his interest in horses. He and hired hand Claytor Mays managed as many as 80 Percheron draft horses annually. Kings horses worked on the farm and were exhibited at fairs and sold to other farms.

Mays later farmed his own land southeast of the King farm, and having observed Kings leadership, Mays was one of two local leaders who recruited over 300 farmers to organize the McLean County Farm Bureau in 1914. Mays son, William, farmed the King land after Kings retirement for several more decades.

Kings horses won numerous fairs and horse shows around the state, and he became a statewide leader in horse associations.

One of his horses won the Farmers Review medal at an 1888 Chicago livestock show, for best French draft sire.

At the 1890 Illinois State Fair, he won both first and second prizes with 1-year-old French draft stallions. He was a frequent judge of Percheron competitions, including at the 1904 St. Louis Worlds Fair.

He served as vice president and treasurer of the Illinois Stock Breeders Association, president of the Illinois Stallion Registration Board, and president of the National French Draft Horse Association.

Kings input on crops, livestock, and economic conditions was sought regularly for farm articles in The Pantagraph. He was featured frequently for his work with soil fertility and crop rotations, and was a regular speaker at statewide Farmers Institutes.

King also spoke at the dedication of the first building for the College of Agriculture at the University of Illinois in 1901.

He was also an advocate for improved country roads and organized a multicounty convention to grow support, and attended the Detroit Road Makers Convention in 1903 to encourage road improvement as a benefit to farmers.

In 1871 King married Mary Reed, an educator from Ottawa, Illinois, and, like her spouse, she became recognized as a statewide leader. Even with no children of their own, Marys interests included early education and the care of young children.

She helped establish a nursery for children of working mothers and helped develop local domestic science courses to help women better manage households. Her statewide domestic science efforts led to the development of home economics curriculum at universities, and she added in-home educational sessions at Farmers Institute meetings across Illinois.

The loss of his left arm in 1907 (after being struck by a passing freight train in Bloomington) did not stop King from farming either. He continued farming until retirement in 1911.

After farming for 54 years, the couple rented out their property in Normal Township and sold the farm machinery, tools and livestock. After retirement, the Kings split time between a winter home in California and a home in Bloomington before his death in 1913.

The King estate bequeathed the 240-acre farm to fund, in perpetuity, the Jessamine Withers Home for Elderly Ladies. The income from the land continued to support the Home until it closed in 1963 and has since been used to support qualifying women in senior care facilities in Bloomington-Normal to this day.

S. Noble and Mary King are two of this years featured characters on the 2023 Evergreen Cemetery Walk. Performances will be at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 7 and 8. Tickets can be purchased at the museum, Evergreen Memorial Cemetery or online at mchistory.org.

Tickets are $20 for the general public, $18 for museum members, and $8 for children and students with ID.
NORMAL  Over 600 people attended this years NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet, including notable movers and shakers from all over McLean County and Bloomington-Normal and one very special guest: Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump.

Before the gala began, Crump told reporters that working toward equity and inclusion is a struggle, and we can feel in no ways tired on this journey.

Crump spoke about some trends across the United States concerning book bans and the vilification of programs like diversity, equity and inclusion as dog whistles for white supremacy.

Im very proud to be in Illinois, a state who has proclaimed that they would exalt Black history and Hispanic history and history for all of our children, he said.Isnt that the America that we want, when we say we are all valued, we are all respected, and we all matter? Thats what the Declaration of Independence was all about, when we said, We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

Setting the stage

Rubbing shoulders Saturday night were Illinois State Universitys Interim President Aondover Tarhule, McLean County Board Vice Chair Elizabeth Johnston, Bloomington Police Chief Jamal Simington, McLean County Museum of History Executive Director Julie Emig, former State Rep. Dan Brady, sitting State Rep. Sharon Chung and organized labor stalwart John Penn.

Penn said Illinois has always been an advocate for civil and equal rights for all.

Its an honor (living in Illinois), and it goes back to generations before me, to my parents and grandparents, that brought the unity of this community together, he said.

Jeff Woodard of the McLean County Museum of History said McLean Countys and Bloomington-Normals contributions to civil liberties and the formation of the NAACP make the county a special place to have the gala, which also coincided this year with the NAACP State Convention being held in Normal.

McLean County has always been a beacon for, a light for civil rights, he said.

During the evening, several awards were given to people who have affected positive change in the community or who have shown an affinity for social justice and civil rights.

The event also served as a fundraiser to support the NAACPs mission as well as scholarships for high school seniors.

Keynotes

Crump began his remarks by saying, God meant for me to be here tonight. Only (Illinois State Conference NAACP) President (Teresa) Haley and Dr. Carla Campbell-Jackson could get me to turn down an invitation from the Congressional Black Caucus to give me an award this evening ... where the president and the vice president of the United States would be on stage with me, he said to thunderous applause. Crump said one of his associates, Cliff Jones, told him when turning down that invitation, You dont understand  its the president. Its the vice president.Crump said Jones called Campbell-Jackson to explain, but Jones eventually relented, saying, I dont know, boss.So, again, Crump said, God meant for me to be here tonight.

Crump told the sold-out gala, My mission is to be an unapologetic defender of Black life and Black liberty and Black humanity. Im never confused when I wake up in the morning.

Amid this attack on all of our civil rights, on all of our progress, we have to be unapologetic when we talk about that, he said. Black history is good not just for little Black children, but Black history is good for little white children, too.

He said, All of our children have to know that all of our histories have contributed to the history of America. Black history is American history.

Now, more than ever, we have to be unapologetic defenders of Black life, Black liberty and Black humanity.Addressing the gala as he would a high-profile court case, Crump said, Brothers and sisters, may it please the court, I will make my arguments in the time I have allotted with the proposition that, if our unapologetic freedom fighters commit themselves to the struggle for liberty and equality, then we will stop this onslaught from these emboldened enemies of equality. And, now more than ever, we have to have unapologetic freedom fighters. Those NAACP stalwarts ... that believe in diversity, equity and inclusion are more American than these dog whistles of white supremacy.

Now more than ever, freedom fighters have to run to the front line. If you believe in freedom, democracy and liberty, you cannot sit back, not when you think in 2023, in states like Florida, in Texas, in Tennessee, they are banning books. I mean, who ever would have imagined in 2023 were banning books? I mean, the things that we criticize communist Russia and China for?

Crump spoke at length about some of the most notable Civil Rights cases over the decades, including the killing of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery and the historical significance of Henrietta Lacks and her biological contributions to medical science. According to the National Library of Medicine, Lacks was a Southern Black woman in the 1950s who was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Those cancer cells were cultured by George Otto Grey of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. These immortal cells remain alive, 60 years after her death, revolutionizing medical research, according to the library. Crump said Lacks contributions to medical advancement are so significant that her cells have been used for every vaccine, every medical advancement, every research in the last 70 years. If you have had a shot or a vaccine in the last 70 years ... then it is arguable that youve got a little Henrietta Lacks in you. Thats how miraculous and incredible this Black woman was.

Later on in his speech, Crump quoted Carter G. Woodson, the father of Black history said  If a race has no history, if a race has no traditions that are respected loved, that are valued and loved, to be taught to the younger generations, then that race becomes a negligible thought in the mind of the world. And thus becomes in danger of being exterminated from the face of the earth.

Crumps voice swelled in volume, and the crowd started to stand as he said, We will not let no government in the state of Florida or any other leader exterminate our Black history, our Black literature or our Black hope. We will fight for our history. We will stand up for our youth. Because our history is American history. Our children have got to know. Little Black children have got to know. Little white children have got to know. Little brown children have got to know.

Call to action

Noah Goldsmith, whos studying mass communications and business at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, attended Saturdays event with several of his friends.

While Crump was saying we will stand up for our youth, the young man near the back of the crowd stood up and held his right fist high in the air.

Afterward, he said, We came here because we knew we needed to be here ... We wanted to be here because we knew that this was special. We wanted to be in the room with Ben Crump. We wanted be in the room with our state leaders and our representatives. We knew that this was the place to be.

Trinity Humes, a classmate of Goldsmiths, said, As someone who is a Black college student in the year 2023, I feel like everything (Ben Crump) said rings true. Especially going to a (predominantly white institution) and not an HBCU, its important that we make our mark, that they dont strip our Black history.She said, It is important, like he said, to keep representing for ourselves every day, whether its uncomfortable, whether were the only ones saying it  that we continue to represent for our Black history.(tncms-asset)3f74843e-5ba0-53c3-8ece-57bd13ec7007[3](/tncms-asset)

Families of all kinds delight at Bloomington "DiverCITY" event WELCOMING WEEK 091823-blm-loc-2divercity.JPG 091823-blm-loc-3divercity.JPG
While currently a graduate student at Illinois State University, I've called Bloomington-Normal home for the past 4 years. In my time here, I've also been a renter. As we approach open-leasing season for the college campuses, I'm writing today to urge our local officials to pass an ordinance requiring 24 hours notice from landlords before entering a property in non-emergency situations.

I've had friends in uncomfortable and even dangerous situations due to leasing agents showing up at their property without notice, all to show it to the next group of college students. While this is largely an issue for students renting from large companies, our community is full of diverse kinds of renters.

For companies whose entire business model is leasing, they owe their tenants enough organization to give proper notice before entering the properties. However, this organization is not currently reality. Companies ask us to keep spaces tidy so that they can rent our spaces more quickly, yet don't give the common courtesy of a heads up before showing the space to future renters.

That being said, our local officials have an opportunity to take a stance on tenant's rights and create an ordinance that helps give people a bare minimum of 24 hours before entering their space unnecessarily. While there will always be emergency situations that arise, most unrequested services and unit showings are planned with enough time that the lessees can be, and should be notified. I urge our local officials to follow precedents from our counterparts in Urbana and Chicago, and pass this protection on behalf of students and renters in the community.

Avery Spranger, Normal
Niger's military rulers have banned French aircrafts from entering the country's airspace.



The air safety agency, ASECNA, said Niger's skies were open to all commercial flights, except for those belonging to or chartered by France.



Paris is the former colonial power and has around 1,500 troops in the country.



Niger reopened its airspace earlier this month, after closing it for nearly four weeks.



The West African nation said it had shut it because of the threat of intervention from neighbouring countries.



The regional bloc, Ecowas, had threatened military action after July's military coup.

Source: BBC









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Charles Owusu has fired salvoes at the organizers of the #OccupyJulorBiHouse demonstration, aimed at picketing the Jubilee House, for their choice of name for the protest.



The former Head of Monitoring Unit at the Forestry Commission wondered why the organizers would call the demonstration "JulorBiHouse" which, in local parlance, means "house of a thief's son".



"Who is the thief they are referring to?", Charles Owusu fumed.



Forty-nine (49) members of the protest have been arrested by the Police for flouting the Public Order Act and for unlawful assembly, according to a statement by the Police.



We would like to state that the Police do not take delight in preventing any group from demonstrating as the Service has a track record of providing security for demonstrations in the past. The exception, in this case, is the Police disagreement with the organisers on the venue, the Jubilee House, being a security zone, portions of the statement read.



The Police cautioned the public to desist from joining any unlawful protest.



The organizers, Democracy Hub, planned to demonstrate within the vicinity of the Jubilee House from Thursday 21st to Saturday 23rd September, 2023 but the police disclosed it had filed an injunction application at the court and prevented the demonstration from happening.



Following the arrest of the protesters, the Police have come under intense criticism from the public with some critics like NDC Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi, accusing the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government of trampling on the rights of the people.



"The arrest of the innocent citizens who decided to embark on a peaceful protest against the misrule of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government this morning, is not only unlawful but shameful and backward", Sammy Gyamfi wrote.



Tackling the issue on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" morning show, Charles Owusu, who has been an active member of several protests in the country, enlightened the public on how some people benefit anytime they organize a protest.



According to him, "demonstration is a contract; that is the job of someone...It is the work that someone does to earn money" and in view of this, he strongly believed this demonstration was masterminded by the NDC.



Charles Owusu found it insulting that the organizers would call their protest "JulorbiHouse".



"Julorbi? I mean what is that?...It appears in Ghana, when someone disagrees with you, the person must insult you. If someone wants to tell you something, he or she must insult you but that wasn't part of our upbringing", he exclaimed.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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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:

Summarized occurrence of known soft-bodied and skeletonised fossils through the Ediacaran, with the onset of biomineralisation supported by Cloudina. Credit: Bowyer et al, 2023.

Life on Earth began from a single-celled microbe, while the rise to the multicellular world in which we live arose due a vital chemical process known as biomineralization, during which living organisms produce hardened mineralized tissue, such as skeletons. Not only did this phenomenon give rise to the plethora of body plans we see today, but it also had a major impact on the planet's carbon cycle.

Fossil skeletons of cloudinids (Cloudina), tubular structures comprised of carbonate cones up to ~1.5cm in length, have been found in Tsau Khaeb National Park, Namibia, dating back to 551550 million years ago in the Ediacaran (~635538 million years ago). Dr. Fred Bowyer, from the University of Edinburgh, and colleagues aimed to use these fossils to define the location, timing and reason for why biomineralization initiated on Earth and the magnitude of its impact.

New research published in Earth and Planetary Science Letters combines sediment analysis with geochemical data in the form of carbon and oxygen isotopes (the same element with different atomic masses) from limestones in the Kliphoek Member, Nama Group. The research team suggest this rock was once deposited in a shallow sea during a lowstand before a period of transition to open marine conditions.

The Nama Group of rocks are considered some of the most important for understanding the radiation of life on Earth into the Cambrian (~538485 million years ago), colloquially termed the "Biological Big Bang."

Cloudina fossils preserved in the Kliphoek Member of the Tsau Khaeb National Park, Namibia. Credit: Bowyer et al, 2023.

During fieldwork in Namibia, the bedding planes between successive rock units reveal the wonders of life's history through ichnofossils, the traces of ancient activity but not expressly preserving the organism's remains. Dr Bowyer suggests these are structures created by soft-bodied microbes, occurring in the lower part of the study site (Mara Member) prior to biocalcification. Above this, the research team began to see the first signs of Cloudina in the Kliphoek Member, distinctive conical fossils with cone structures nested within each other.

Geochemical analyses of the calcium carbonate limestone rocks in which the fossils occur reveal the isotopic signature of the carbon (the ratio of lighter 12C to 13C) and oxygen (16O to 18O) incorporated into the molecular structure, and therefore conditions of the marine environment, as well as the planet as a whole.

For example, warmer global temperatures encourage evaporation of seawater including the isotopically lighter 16O, leaving the ocean enriched in heavier 18O to be incorporated into the carbonates and generating a positive 18O signal in the dataset.

Meanwhile, carbon isotopes are impacted by photosynthesis, respiration and upwelling zones making them slightly more complex, but generally greater ocean productivity by photosynthesizing organisms uses the lighter 12C, leaving the ocean enriched in 13C (positive signal).

The Namibia dataset possesses carbonate-derived 12C/13C ratios of 7.24 (parts per thousand) to +2.91 and 16O/18O ratios from 12.14 to 0.78, increasing up the stratigraphic section, while Cloudina-bearing units have a relatively lower mean 12C/13C ratio of -1.19 and oscillating 16O/18O ratios. Dr Bowyer and colleagues suggest the lower 12C/13C ratio and elevated 16O/18O ratio are characteristic of a semi-restricted environment, connected to the ocean but more closed off from the open marine conditions.

Schematic interpretation of depositional environments across the study area in Tsau Khaeb National Park, Namibia, during which Cloudina biomineralisation occurred. A) Marine transgression led to deposition of sandstones and siltstones in a shallow shoreface; b) continued marine transgression forming an evaporite basin partially restricted from the open ocean; c) peak sea level with open marine conditions and extensive carbonate deposits; d) sea level fall during which Cloudina biomineralisation occurred in periods of oxygenation. Credit: Bowyer et al, 2023.

Therefore, the geochemical data indicates Cloudina originated in a low oxygen environment with periods of notably higher oxygenation and that it was not a case of sustained oxygenation that resulted in the appearance of skeletonization. However, the research team suggest particularly high carbonate concentrations in the ocean were necessary to supersaturate the ambient environment from which Cloudina formed their calcified structure.

This resulted from a period of marine transgression, when the shoreline moved landward so that the study site experienced shallow intertidal conditions in an evaporite basin for the Mara Member, before sea level rose once more with the deposition of sandstones and calcitic sediments in the shallow open marine conditions of the Kliphoek Member.

During subsequent sea level fall, these open marine carbonates were deposited above a redoxcline, a layer which sees significant differences in water oxygenation above and below it, allowing for Cloudina biomineralization to occur.

Alongside previous research, this study supports the suggestion that Cloudina and similar microbiota were opportunistic colonizers of short-lived periods of respiration during oxygenation in otherwise relatively anoxic conditions, combined with oscillations in sea level. Consequently, the evolutionary novelty of skeletonization may have actually been driven by the instability of the marine environment.

More information: Fred T. Bowyer et al, Constraining the onset and environmental setting of metazoan biomineralization: The Ediacaran Nama Group of the Tsaus Mountains, Namibia, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118336. Journal information: Earth and Planetary Science Letters

 2023 Science X Network
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A replica of the Osiris-Rex capsule is seen on June 27, 2023 in Littleton, Colorado; the historic NASA mission is set to return a first asteroid sample to Earth.

The climactic end of a seven-year voyage comes Sunday when a NASA capsule is due to land in the Utah desert, carrying to Earth the largest asteroid samples ever collected.

Scientists have high hopes for the sample, saying it will provide a better understanding of the formation of our solar system and how Earth became habitable.

The Osiris-Rex probe's final, fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere will be perilous, but the US space agency is hoping for a soft landing, around 9:00am local (15H00 GMT), in a military test range in northwestern Utah.

Four years after its 2016 launch, the probe landed on the asteroid Bennu and collected roughly nine ounces (250 grams) of dust from its rocky surface.

Even that small amount, NASA says, should "help us better understand the types of asteroids that could threaten Earth" and cast light "on the earliest history of our solar system," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said.

"This sample return is really historic," NASA scientist Amy Simon told AFP. "This is going to be the biggest sample we've brought back since the Apollo moon rocks" were returned to Earth.

But the capsule's return will require "a dangerous maneuver," she acknowledged.

Osiris-Rex is set to release the capsulefrom an altitude of more than 67,000 miles (108,000 kilometers)some four hours before it lands.

This graphic details key steps in the mission of NASA's Osiris-Rex probe, which is set on September 24, 2023 to return a sizable sample of asteroid dust to Earth.

The fiery passage through the atmosphere will come only in the last 13 minutes, as the capsule hurtles downward at a speed of more than 27,000 miles per hour, with temperatures of up to 5,000 Fahrenheit (2,760 Celsius).

Its rapid descent, monitored by army sensors, will be slowed by two successive parachutes. Should they fail to deploy correctly, a "hard landing" would follow.

If it appears that the target zone (37 by 9 miles) might be missed, NASA controllers could decide at the last moment not to release the capsule.

The probe would then keep its cargo and make another orbit of the sun. Scientists would have to wait until 2025 before trying a new landing.

If it succeeds, however, Osiris-Rex would head toward a date with another asteroid.

Japanese samples

Once the tire-sized capsule touches down in Utah, a team in protective masks and gloves will place it in a net to be airlifted by helicopter to a temporary "clean room" nearby.

The NASA laboratory in Houston, Texas, where the asteroid samples will be analyzed.

NASA wants this done as quickly and carefully as possible to avoid any contamination of the sample with desert sands, skewing test results.

On Monday, assuming all goes well, the sample will be flown by plane to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. There, the box will be opened in another "clean room"the beginning of a days-long process.

NASA plans to announce its first results at a news conference October 11.

Most of the sample will be conserved for study by future generations. Roughly one-fourth of it will be immediately used in experiments, and a small amount will be sent to Japan and Canada, partners in the mission.

Japan had earlier given NASA a few grains from the asteroid Ryugu, after bringing 0.2 ounce of dust to Earth in 2020 during the Hayabusa-2 mission. Ten years before, it had brought back a microscopic quantity from another asteroid.

But the sample from Bennu is much larger, allowing for significantly more testing, Simon said.

This image from a NASA video shows the robot arm of the Osiris-Rex probe collecting samples from the asteroid Bennu on October 21, 2020.

Earth's origin story

Asteroids are composed of the original materials of the solar system, dating to some 4.5 billion years ago, and have remained relatively intact.

They "can give us clues about how the solar system formed and evolved," said Osiris-Rex program executive Melissa Morris.

"It's our own origin story."

By striking Earth's surface, "we do believe asteroids and comets delivered organic material, potentially water, that helped life flourish here on Earth," Simon said.

Scientists believe Bennu, which is 1,640 feet in diameter, is rich in carbona building block of life on Earthand contains water molecules locked in minerals.

Bennu had surprised scientists in 2020 when the probe, during the few seconds of contact with the asteroid's surface, had sunk into the soil, revealing an unexpectedly low density, sort of like a children's pool filled with plastic balls.

This image, taken by NASA's Osiris-Rex probe on December 2, 2018, shows the asteroid Bennu.

Understanding its composition could come in handy in thedistantfuture.

For there is a slight, but non-zero, chance (one in 2,700) that Bennu could collide catastrophically with Earth, though not until 2182.

But NASA last year succeeded in deviating the course of an asteroid by crashing a probe into it in a test, and it might at some point need to repeat that exercisebut with much higher stakes.

 2023 AFP
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A mass die-off of the sea urchins that help keep algae in check on coral reefs is threatening the Red Sea ecosystem, marine biologists in Israel warn.

The Red Sea's spectacular coral reefs face a new threat, marine biologists warnthe mass death of sea urchins that may be caused by a mystery disease.

Because the long-spined creatures feed on algae that can suffocate corals, their die-off could "destroy our entire coral reef ecosystem", warned scientist Lisa-Maria Schmidt.

In Israel's Red Sea resort of Eilat, which borders Jordan and Egypt, Schmidt recalled the moment she and her colleagues first witnessed the population collapse.

"When we jumped into the water, all of a sudden all those specimens we used to see before were gone, and what we saw was skeletons and piles of spines," she told AFP.

The team had first heard reports in January that a sea urchin species off Eilat was dying rapidly, so they went to a site known for an abundance of the species Diadema setosum.

They first thought that local pollution could be to blame.

But, within two weeks, the spiny invertebrates also started dying down the coast, including in a seawater-fed facility of the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences.

Scrambling to find the cause, the scientists watched with growing alarm as the mass mortality spread south through the Red Sea.

Scientist Lisa-Maria Schmidt observes a Diadema setosum sea urchin in an aquarium at the Inter-University Institute for Marine Sciences, in the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat.

The team found that it affected two kinds of sea urchin, Diadema setosum and Echinothrix calamaris, while other species in the same environment remained unharmed.

In the marine reserve off Eilat, colorful fish and some other sea urchin species could be seen by a visiting AFP journalistalthough the impact of humans was never far away.

While snorkeling, Schmidt grabbed floating plastic rubbish and pushed it up the sleeve of her wetsuit, to discard later.

Walking along the beach, she also picked up handfuls of algae, to feed to the sea urchins still alive in tanks.

'Absolutely devastating'

A similar mass mortality earlier hit sea urchins in the Caribbean, raising speculation that a disease may have arrived in the Red Sea by ships, whose ballast water can carry pathogens and exotic species.

"I think it's especially scary for that region, especially in the Red Sea," said Mya Breitbart, a biologist from the University of South Florida in the United States.

The threat posed by the sea urchin die-off is alarming biologists as Red Sea corals have proved relatively resilient to other threats facing reef ecoystems around the world.

She pointed out that, while coral reefs are dying off in many other areas, "those corals are known to be quite resilient, and I think people have placed a lot of hope in those reefs".

Early last year, Breitbart started hearing that the Diadema antillarum speciessimilar to those affected in the Red Seawas rapidly changing behavior and then dying in droves in the Caribbean.

The area has still not recovered from a similar event in the 1980s, whose cause was never discovered, and Breitbart described this second die-off there as "absolutely devastating".

Within months she and scientists working across the Caribbean had pinpointed a pathogen, giving hope that the cause of the Red Sea die-off could be discovered.

Next disease 'on the way'

Omri Bronstein, from the University of Tel Aviv, has been working with the team in Eilat and elsewhere to try and identify the source.

"Are we talking about the same pathogen, for example, as the one that hit the Caribbean" in the 1980s, asked Bronstein, who runs a laboratory at the university where sea urchins lie in glass jars.

Omri Bronstein, from the University of Tel Aviv, examines Echinothrix calamaris sea urchins at Tel Aviv's Steinhardt Museum of Natural History.

"Or are we looking at a completely different scenario?"

Stopping the die-off in the seas is impossible, lamented Bronstein.

Instead, the scientific community is working towards establishing a broodstock population of the affected species which can be released into the Red Sea once the current threat has passed.

Once the cause has been identified, Bronstein and his colleagues will also seek to determine how it reached the Red Sea.

If it was transported by a vessel, for example, steps could be taken to clean up ships and minimize the risk of spreading the next deadly pathogen.

"This is something that we can fix, because the next disease is on the way," he said.

"It is probably in one harbor and in one of the ships that is currently sailing our oceans."

 2023 AFP
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Falco Kuester, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at imagery of firefighters at a fire from one of the program's cameras, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. California's main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

Wildfires fueled by climate change have ravaged communities from Maui to the Mediterranean this summer, killing many people, exhausting firefighters and fueling demand for new solutions. Enter artificial intelligence.

Firefighters and startups are using AI-enabled cameras to scan the horizon for signs of smoke. A German company is building a constellation of satellites to detect fires from space. And Microsoft is using AI models to predict where the next blaze could be sparked.

With wildfires becoming larger and more intense as the world warms, firefighters, utilities and governments are scrambling to get ahead of the flames by tapping into the latest AI technologywhich has stirred both fear and excitement for its potential to transform life. While increasingly stretched first responders hope AI offers them a leg up, humans are still needed to check that the tech is accurate.

California's main firefighting agency this summer started testing an AI system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop camera feeds and is now expanding it statewide.

The system is designed to find "abnormalities" and alert emergency command centers, where staffers will confirm whether it's indeed smoke or something else in the air.

"The beauty of this is that it immediately pops up on the screen and those dispatchers or call takers are able to interrogate that screen" and determine whether to send a crew, said Phillip SeLegue, staff chief of intelligence for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

Falco Kuester, right, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at live feeds from some of the program's cameras alongside analyst Scott McAvoy, left, and communications manager Caitlin Scully, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. California's main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The cameras, part of a network that workers previously had to watch, provide billions of bytes of data for the AI system to digest. While humans still need to confirm any smoke sightings, the system helps reduce fatigue among staffers typically monitoring multiple screens and cameras, alerting them to look only when there's possible fire or smoke, SeLegue said.

It's already helped. A battalion chief got a smoke alert in the middle of the night, confirmed it on his cellphone and called a command center in San Diego to scramble first responders to the remote area.

The dispatchers said that if they hadn't been alerted, the fire would have been much larger because it likely wouldn't have been noticed until the next morning, SeLegue said.

San Francisco startup Pano AI takes a similar approach, mounting cameras on cell towers that scan for smoke and alert customers, including fire departments, utility companies and ski resorts.

The cameras use computer vision machine learning, a type of AI.

Falco Kuester, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at live feeds from some of the program's cameras, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. California's main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

"They're trained very specifically to detect smoke or not, and we train them with images of smoke and images of not smoke," CEO Sonia Kastner said.

The images are combined with feeds from government weather satellites that scan for hotspots, along with other data sources, such as social media posts.

The technology gets around one of the main problems in the traditional way of detecting wildfiresrelying on 911 calls from passers-by that need confirmation from staffers before crews and water-dropping planes can be deployed.

"Generally, only one in 20 of these 911 calls are actually a wildfire. Even during fire season, it might be a cloud or fog or a barbecue," Kastner said.

Pano AI's systems do still rely on final confirmation, with managers playing a time lapse of the camera feed to ensure it's smoke rising.

A forest flight model camera of German startup OroraTech lies in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2023. The Munich-based company analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence. The AI also takes into account factors like the type and condition of vegetation in the area and humidity levels, to detect and identify those flareups that have the potential to spawn devastating megafires. Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

For fighting forest fires, "technology is becoming really essential," said Larry Bekkedahl, senior vice president of energy delivery at Portland General Electric, Oregon's largest utility and a Pano AI customer.

Utility companies sometimes play a role in sparking wildfires, when their power lines are knocked down by wind or struck by falling trees. Hawaii's electric utility acknowledged that its power lines started a devastating blaze in Maui this summer after apparently being downed by high winds.

PGE, which provides electricity to 51 cities in Oregon, has deployed 26 Pano AI cameras, and Bekkedahl said they have helped speed up response and coordination with emergency services.

Previously, fire departments were "running around looking for stuff and not even really knowing exactly where it's at," he said. The cameras help detect fires quicker and get teams on the ground faster, shaving up to two hours off response times.

"That's significant in terms of how fast that fire can can spread and grow," Bekkedahl said.

An employee of the German startup OroraTech lifts a satellite enclosure in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2023. The Munich-based company analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence. The AI also takes into account factors like the type and condition of vegetation in the area and humidity levels, to detect and identify those flareups that have the potential to spawn devastating megafires. Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

Using AI to detect smoke from fires "is relatively easy," said Juan Lavista Ferres, chief data scientist at Microsoft.

"What is not easy is to have enough cameras that cover enough places," he said, pointing to vast, remote areas in northern Canada that have burned this summer.

Ferres' team at Microsoft has been developing AI models to predict where fires are likely to start. They have fed the model with maps of areas that burned previously, along with climate and geospatial data.

The system has its limitationsit can't predict random events like a lightning strike. But it can sift through historical weather and climate data to identify patterns, such as areas that are typically drier. Even a road, which indicates people are nearby, is a risk factor, Ferres said.

"It's not going to get it all perfectly right," he said. "But what it can do is it can build a probability map (based on) what happened in the past."

Falco Kuester, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at imagery of firefighters at a fire from one of the program's cameras, alongside a digital rendering of Yosemite Valley, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. California's main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

The technology, which Microsoft plans to offer as an open source tool, can help first responders trying to figure out where to focus their limited resources, Ferres said.

Another company is looking to the heavens for a solution. German startup OroraTech analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence.

Taking advantage of advances in camera, satellite and AI technology, OroraTech has launched two mini satellites about the size of a shoebox into low orbit, about 550 kilometers (340 miles) above Earth's surface. The Munich-based company has ambitions to send up eight more next year and eventually put 100 into space.

As wildfires swept central Chile this year, OroraTech said it provided thermal images at night when aerial drones are used less frequently.

Weeks after OroraTech launched its second satellite, it detected a fire near the community of Keg River in northern Alberta, where flames burned remote stretches of boreal forest repeatedly this summer.

Employees of German startup OroraTech stand in front of a screen showing wildfires in Canada and the United States via satellites in Munich, Germany, Thursday, Sept. 13, 2023. The Munich-based company analyzes satellite images with artificial intelligence. The AI also takes into account factors like the type and condition of vegetation in the area and humidity levels, to detect and identify those flareups that have the potential to spawn devastating megafires. Credit: AP Photo/Matthias Schrader

Falco Kuester, a researcher at ALERTCalifornia, a program run by the University of California San Diego, looks at live feeds from some of the program's cameras, Monday, Sept. 18, 2023, in San Diego. California's main firefighting agency, Cal Fire, in July started trying out an artificial intelligence system that looks for smoke from more than 1,000 mountaintop cameras feeds. Credit: AP Photo/Gregory Bull

"There are algorithms on the satellite, very efficient ones to detect fires even faster," CEO Thomas Gruebler said.

The AI also takes into account vegetation and humidity levels to identify flare-ups that could spawn devastating megafires. The technology could help thinly stretched firefighting agencies direct resources to blazes with the potential to cause the most damage.

"Because we know exactly where the fires are, we can see how the fires will propagate," Gruebler said. "So, which fire will be the big fire in one day and which will stop on their own."

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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ATLANTIC CITY  A COVID-era rule allowing open containers of alcohol within the citys Tourism District may be here to stay.

The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority Board of Directors on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution reaffirming a 2020 vote allowing licensed bars and restaurants to sell to-go drinks in plastic cups.

While some communities have returned to the old rules for open containers, meaning no strolling with a drink, Atlantic City Council in June certified the open container rules in an ordinance.

The CRDA moved to reaffirm the rule because it maintains jurisdiction over the Tourism District.

The relaxed policy encouraged Stephanie Lewis and Brendan Corley to choose Atlantic City for a getaway over places like Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant.

"You have to finish your drink really fast before you go on the Boardwalk (in Seaside), so we always look forward to coming here," Lewis, 32, of Bridgewater, Somerset County, said in between sips of a frozen cocktail from Wet Willie's at Tropicana Atlantic City on Wednesday. "I think it's an appeal, for sure."

Mayor Marty Small Sr. introduced the open-container rule in 2020 with an executive order, which the CRDA board and the state supported. At that time, several resort communities, including Cape May, gave a temporary OK to visitors walking with open containers of alcohol, which is typically prohibited in New Jersey.

Bars and restaurants at the time faced limits on how many customers could come inside due to social-distancing restrictions, and while takeout meals remained an option, alcohol sales make up a significant portion of overall sales, officials have said.

The containers were supposed to include the name of the bar or restaurant, and had to be located within a specific zone, or adjacent to it. In Atlantic City, the zone includes the Boardwalk from Sovereign Avenue to Rhode Island Avenue; the area of Tennessee Avenue, New York Avenue and St. James Place known as the Orange Loop; and the nonresidential areas of Gardner's Basin.

Before the Small order, city officials sought to ease open container policies as an incentive for visitors and businesses.

"The open container rules have proven to be beneficial to Atlantic City establishments, and we are in full support of giving those businesses additional opportunity to generate revenue," Small's office said in a statement Wednesday. "Because of that, the city supports the vote on extension. There have been no major issues to this point in managing this policy, and we expect that to continue."

Many businesses in the resort credit the rule change for rescuing them from uncertainty associated with the economic pause brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"If you look at the Vegas model, too, where you can jump from casino to casino, it has had a huge benefit to us," said Paddy O'Grady, manager of the Bungalow Beach Bar and Atlantic City Biergarten. "It has encouraged more tourism on the Boardwalk, and that is what we're all about."

Linda Herren, a frequent Atlantic City visitor, said the change in policy makes the resort more appealing.

"I don't think there's a reason why we can't, as long as we're under control," said Herren, 77, of Fall River, Massachusetts. "It's a vacation. It's relaxing."

Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation in August 2020 permanently granting public alcohol consumption within the Atlantic City Tourism District.

The law defined open container areas as portions of the beach, Boardwalk and other parts of the Tourism District deemed as such by the CRDA.

The opportunity to freely walk the Boardwalk with a cup of beer was a welcome change for Terry Kessler, who, with her husband, Fred, was visiting the city for the first time Wednesday.

They said the open-container rule mirrors other alcohol rules in place in other highly frequented tourist destinations across the country the Long Island, New York, couple have visited.

"The ones that come to mind are New Orleans and Key West," said Fred Kessler, 68, seated at the Biergarten. "It helps people to tour, to roam around, to explore."
ATLANTIC CITY  Being the first-born children of Mexican immigrants, and a first-generation Mexican immigrant, is what gave Cristian, Irvin and Victor Moreno the motivation to make life better for the local Hispanic community.

Through their individual efforts  like Cristian Morenos role as executive director of El Pueblo Unido, which the Moreno family formed in 2019; Irvin Morenos run for Pleasantville City Council; and Victor Morenos work at Atlantic Cape Community College  the Moreno family is striving to improve the quality of life for Hispanics on multiple levels.

By working together, the Moreno brothers (Victor Moreno is actually Cristian and Irvins uncle, but they all consider themselves siblings because they were raised together) make an effort to fill a gap in immigrant services to the community.

No ones fighting for us. It doesnt feel like theres an organization for the pueblo, by the pueblo, for the people like us, said Cristian Moreno, 28. So, we actually said lets do something, lets form an organization thats more grassroots in nature. Like more working-class oriented, more hands on, and solely focused on justice and dignity.

Irvin Moreno said Cristians philosophy is marching and raising up their arms, protesting right away and taking action at a moments notice, such as helping families displaced by fires, or advocating for justice in the case of Irving Mayren-Guzmans death last year.

Mayren-Guzman, 19, of Egg Harbor Township, went missing in January 2021 after going to a Pleasantville strip club. He was found dead in the marshes just feet away from the club a few days later. As authorities investigated, eventually charging three men with aggravated assault, Cristian Moreno was instrumental in organizing marches, gatherings and rallies focused on justice for the young man.

Irvin Moreno, 29, has been assistant director of the Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center at Stockton University since 2019, as well as a member of the New Jersey Commission on Holocaust Education the past two years.

Hes the one thats good with filing paperwork, getting in touch with resources, said Victor Moreno, who added Irvin was also the familys voice of wisdom.

Atlantic City councilwoman takes slim lead in primary race Atlantic City Councilwoman LaToya Dunston has taken a slim lead over challenger Viana Vivi

Victor Moreno, 35, has been working at Atlantic Cape for 16 years. He currently holds the title of senior manager of special projects for its Department of Student Affairs.

His focus is on making sure the voices of the Latino community are heard and considered.

I think in general, the Latino community is very underrepresented, said Victor Moreno, an Atlantic City resident.

From 1990 to 2021, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in New Jersey has almost doubled from 12.5% to 23%, according to state immigration data collected by the Migration Policy Institute.

In Atlantic City, the Hispanic-Latino community makes up 31.6% of the population and is the second largest demographic in the city. Thats higher than the county and states percentage of roughly 21%, according to census data.

El Pueblo Unido has advocated for reform on immigrant justice issues since 2017. The nonprofits first major event was rallying at the Statehouse in Trenton for undocumented immigrants right to get a driver license, which the state passed into law Dec. 19, 2019.

Since then, El Pueblo Unido has held multiple events for the Latino community at bodegas like La Cosecha in Pleasantville and La Villita in Atlantic City, and churches like Our Lady Star of the Sea and the Parish of St. Monicas, both in Atlantic City.

The group also organizes food distribution events, English as a second language instruction, voter registration, information sessions for NJ Dreamers, health insurance information and student aid assistance.

Here's when we'll know the final numbers on Tuesday's primary Votes will be counted through at least June 13 to determine the winners in two close races in the June 6 primary election in Atlantic County.

Collaborating with Atlantic Cape and Stockton, as well as local organizations like the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County, and through grant funding from Thrive AC and the Atlantic City Community Fund, the group has made strides.

The Moreno family is invaluable to the community, said Bert Lopez, president of the Hispanic Association, adding the Morenos have served on the associatons board. Theyve been a great asset to Atlantic City and Atlantic County.

Lopez started his initial work with the family through their dad (and Victors oldest brother), Nefaki Moreno. Their early efforts focused on bringing folkloric dance and music to schools.

To this day, the Hispanic Association continues to work with Nefaki Moreno through the nonprofit he founded in 2010, Organizacion Azteca.

Nefaki has always been involved with spreading knowledge of his Mexican culture and heritage to the community, Lopez said.

Nefaki Moreno recognized these needs from his own struggles when he immigrated to Atlantic City from Putla, a city in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, more than 30 years ago.

In the 90s, there was a lot of work, said Nefaki Moreno about the boom in jobs from Atlantic Citys casino industry.

He took up a friends invite to come to the States in 1989.

Pleasantville councilwoman has slim lead over challenger PLEASANTVILLE  A fixture in city politics has built a narrow edge over a community organize

The first years are always the hardest because you leave your family, friends, kids  the food  just to start a new life, said Nefaki Moreno. The language barrier is the biggest struggle you have to overcome, because you need to know English to find a job and communicate with people.

Nefakis arrival led to a form of chain migration that opened the door to other family members, like his brother Victor, as well as other people from their small village in Oaxaca. One of those others was Maria Rodriguez, who became Nefakis wife after they met in Atlantic City (they didnt know each other in Mexico).

The desire to help improve their community was a torch Nefaki Moreno passed down to his sons, Cristian and Irvin, and to Victor.

All of them believe theres more work to be done.

At the moment, that includes creating a community survey with Stockton that would help them address the needs of the local Hispanic community more effectively.

In the future, the Moreno family would like to have a brick-and-mortar building for El Pueblo Unido, which could act as a multipurpose community center.

And Irvin Moreno might try again to run as an elected official since he only lost in his Democratic ward primary by about 32 votes. But thats if the people call for it, he said.

For a long time, it feels like weve only been putting out fires, said Irvin Moreno. So we want to go from reactive to proactive, and sort of get down to the root cause of these issues and figure out the best way to manage our time, our resources and now with this funding, our grants and our money.
Federal transportation officials likely did not play a role in deciding whether to use Atlantic City International Airport for makeshift migrant housing, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said Thursday.

Buttigieg's remarks were in response to questions from U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing.

The hearing was the second the congressman took part in this week, the other being a House Judiciary Committee hearing with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Wednesday.

Buttigieg's remarks came days after Atlantic County officials said they believed the possibility of the airport property housing migrants was a dead issue. An outcry from a bipartisan coalition of officials unfolded within hours of a Bloomberg report claiming federal officials suggested the airport as one of 11 federally owned properties to house migrants currently in New York City.

During the transportation committee hearing, Van Drew questioned Buttigieg's knowledge of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security recommending to New York City officials that the airport be used for asylum seekers.

Buttigieg couldn't immediately say whether the Federal Aviation Administration was consulted about the proposal, but he said his department likely played no role in choosing whether to recommend the site.

"Generally, a recommendation is not the same thing as an outcome or a policy, and so developing a potential list of sites is not necessarily something that is within FAA authority, even though ultimate clearance like a non-aviation use on an airfield is something that would have to come through FAA channels," Buttigieg, a Democratic presidential candidate in 2020, told Van Drew.

The airport is located in Egg Harbor Township. Both the FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center and 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard operate on the property, which stretches into Hamilton and Galloway townships.

Migrants have place in Atlantic County, advocates say A coalition of pro-immigrant organizations on Tuesday denounced remarks made by local officials last week, standing by migrants' contributions to South Jersey.

Van Drew told Buttigieg the report rattled him and communities across South Jersey.

"If a city of 9 million is having trouble dealing with all of this, how would a town, a semirural town, of about 50,000 people do?" Van Drew asked.

Buttigieg responded by saying he would investigate the matter.

"You certainly have our (DOT) commitment that all FAA facilities and any facility under our jurisdiction will always be secure," Buttigieg said.

Van Drew used the remaining portion of his time at the hearing to press Buttigieg on the need to overhaul technology used by the airport's traffic control center.

According to Bloomberg's report, Homeland Security officials provided the list of sites to elected officials in New York City, which, for several months, has seen its migrant population balloon.

A bipartisan coalition of elected officials, Van Drew among them, on Sept. 1 held a news conference to reject the airport's inclusion in the plan.

Governing bodies in Galloway, Hamilton and Egg Harbor townships, Absecon, Brigantine and Egg Harbor City also have passed resolutions opposing the plan.

Atlantic City airport migrant plan appears dead, officials say A plan to use Atlantic City International Airport to house migrants appears to be dead, Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson said.

As many as 60,000 migrants could be relocated under the proposal, Bloomberg reported.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson on Monday said he believed the plan was a nonstarter because of local opposition.

Gov. Phil Murphy has also said the airport is not equipped to house migrants.
ATLANTIC CITY  Coastal flooding, gusty winds and copious amounts of rain didnt stop Egg Harbor Township residents Kevin Aquino-Vasquez and his fiancee, Dianaliz Colon, from attending the Hispanic Association of Atlantic Countys annual Latino Festival on Saturday.

Celebrating their Latino roots with other Hispanics, while supporting the community in general, was a fun way for the couple to get out of the house for a little bit on a dreary day in which many events were canceled due to wet, windy conditions from Tropical Storm Ophelia. Originally planned to be held outside, the festival was moved indoors to the Showboat hotels Terminal event center.

I used to go to Latino festivals when I was younger all the time, said Aquino-Vasquez, 24, who attended the festival for his first time. The market layout they have here is very similar to the ones they do in Mexico, so its very nostalgic.

The festival was a fun way for Latinos from Puerto Rico, Mexico and Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries to celebrate their culture, while others could learn more about them. The event, which also commemorated Hispanic Heritage Month, also allowed for more than 27 local organizations to share their information, resources and other services available to the community, with bilingual agents available to relay information for any Spanish-speakers who had trouble.

Theres plenty of food, drinks ... but the resources and services offered here are equally as important, said Jessica Grullon, vice president of the Hispanic Association of Atlantic County.

Plenty of diverse vendors sold a variety of Latino wears, including hats, shirts, accessories and other apparel that repped Latino countries such as Puerto Rico, Mexico and Colombia, to name a few.

There was also plenty of dancing to bachata and merengue music, performances by local artists such as Nataysha Ramos, who sang one of her reggaeton songs, big artists like Tiemp Loco and Miriam Cruz, and local Hispanic group dances.

Bert Lopez, president of the county Hispanic Association, said since the festivals inception, it has always been free, thanks to sponsors who support the event. Some of the main sponsors included Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind, the Casino Reinvestment Development Corporation, Atlantic City Electric and AtlantiCare.

Its a Latin festival, but its open to everybody, added Lopez. These types of community events foster a relationship between the organizations present and the community that some of these organizations may not have the opportunity to have on a daily basis.

The Hispanic Association has held the annual, festival since the 1990s into the early 2000s. Although the event is the associations most attended event, with thousands of people coming out every year, the event took a decades long break.

But since it returned in 2019 (with the exception of 2020, the year the COVID-19 pandemic brought public events to a halt), more people have come out to show their support annually, which was evident by the festivals expansion this year from one day to two.

Jose Rivera, who came from Philadelphia with at least 10 other family members, said his first time attending the festival wouldnt be his last.

The area needs more diverse events like this, not only for the Latino community, but for other communities to show their culture, said Rivera. A lot of people could benefit from learning more about the other people in the community.

The festival will be run again from noon to 9 p.m. Sunday at the Showboat.
ATLANTIC CITY  When Victor Sandoval coined the phrase Respect Atlantic City over a decade ago for his clothing brand, The Culprits Originals, he didnt realize it would resonate with so many people.

After registering Respect Atlantic City 609 as a trademark in 2017, Sandoval took a three-year hiatus from creating to do a lot of soul-searching, which included trying to figuring out what path he wanted to take in life as an artist and designer, while recuperating from the deaths of his parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, Sandoval is ready to revamp The Culprits Originals and Respect Atlantic City just in time for the streetwear brands 10-year anniversary. The launch will happen later this month on The Culprits Originals website, Sandoval said.

I say its time to reignite it and finish what I started. Id be a fool to not follow through with it, said Sandoval, 46, who noted he was very fortunate to be in the position he was today, with plenty of people supporting his brand.

Sandoval, 46, said he was only supposed to make 36 T-shirts in 2013 for a client who asked him to make a custom shirt that aligned with Sandovals streetwear apparel, which had been around since 2011. He officially registered as a business in 2013.

When Sandoval pitched the Respect Atlantic City slogan, the client agreed to the pilot. Little did Sandoval know that would be the start of the city residents new venture.

We sold out immediately, and that was supposed to be the end. But for the next year, I didnt print anything, and people kept asking for it and asking for it, said Sandoval. And thats when I realized Respect Atlantic City means something differently to everyone.

Sandoval came up with the phrase Respect Atlantic City after deciding to create something people could be proud of, especially locals and residents. He was inspired by artist Milton Glasers I Love New York tourism slogan, which helped people show their affection for New York City, despite the rough times it was going through in the 1970s. Sandoval also saw the slogan becoming a grassroots novelty for the island, away from the casinos Do AC slogan.

Once illicit, cannabis has gone mainstream, at least on this convention floor Banking, insurance and marketing specialists gathered for this year's cannabis business convention in Atlantic City. Has the outlaw weed finally gone respectable?

For Sandoval, Respect Atlantic City was a message that could speak to locals, visitors and businesses about respecting all aspects of the city  from its beaches and Boardwalk to its people.

With the 2008 recession hitting the country, especially the casino industry, which took a giant hit during the time he was working at the Hard Rock Cafe in the former Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort  on top of being freshly divorced  Sandoval said the city needed that kind of hope.

Sandoval said Respect Atlantic City was a message for those at the top to keep the residents in mind when making important decisions, since the people who inhabit Atlantic City, from parents and children to casino workers to public servants, were the citys lifeblood.

It was me wishful thinking that we have to respect the core of what Atlantic City is, and thats the people. So when decisions have to be made, do not forget that Respect Atlantic City means to respect the people, he said.

Stephen Weiss, a friend of Sandovals for the past 30 years, agreed with the message.

His message is perfect, but Respect Atlantic City has become so much more. That shirt represents our culture, said Weiss. Its that these outside investors need to respect Atlantic City as well, that the residents of A.C. should respect their homes.

Taking inspiration from his California friends who were also developing streetwear, his Salvadorian-Los Angeles roots and his desire to better Atlantic City, Sandoval established The Culprits Originals in 2011. He registered his business in 2013.

Sandoval mixed his love for graffiti art, hardcore and hip-hop music, skateboarding and other interests associated with urban living to create a gritty, punk streetwear brand that would spread the Respect Atlantic City message in a casual way.

Why a piece of Jimmy Buffett will live on in Atlantic City Jimmy Buffett, who died Friday at 76, performed multiple times in Atlantic City, including beach concerts, and brought his popular island-themed business empire to the Boardwalk.

Something you can wear while hanging out with your friends, or pair with your nice shoes and pants on a Saturday night, he said.

He created a variety of hats, hoodies, T-shirts and stickers emblazoned with The Culprits Originals, Respect Atlantic City or Respect Atlantic City 609. He also had a spot for The Culprits Originals in the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University, along with a giant black-and-white Respect Atlantic City! mural.

The brand also has created logos for local businesses, like Vagabond Kitchen + Taphouse, and local bands, like Gutter Drunk. His most recent work includes designing logos and merchandise for the Anchor Rock Club on New York Avenue.

Seeing people all over the country wearing Respect Atlantic City merch, spreading the message, or others across the globe in places like Japan wearing his designs, gave Sandoval the motivation to keep creating clothing and art from his Absecon Island apartment.

Theres a fine line between creating local businesses and creating actual culture. Im about the culture, said Sandoval.

Everybodys always dissing AC for whatever reason, usually outside people, so this a helps us respect ourselves and other people, said Michael Cagno, executive director of the Arts Garage. So when you look at the brand and its development, what makes it distinctive is that its relevant to the geographic area. Atlantic City has this touristy thing going on, but also a nice urban setting with a little bit of grit to it. Those types of things that can work for the brand.

Cagno said Sandovals Respect Atlantic City! mural inside the museums parking garage kicked off the internal artwork people see when they first come into the garage, and into the city, which also drives the message forward.

The potential for his brand is huge and is also unique, said Cagno. You dont see Respect Cape May or Respect Ocean City, so its a very targeted message.

She gave up her government job to become a clown Atlantic City's Tina Notaro quit her job with the state to take up clowning and organizing unique events in her hometown.

Sandoval said with The Culprits Originals relaunch coming soon, he wants to expand his Respect Atlantic City message. He would like to open a flagship store for The Culprits Originals inside one of the casinos, or on the Boardwalk.

I just want it to be that organic Atlantic City brand, like the White House Sub Shop or James Original Saltwater Taffy, Sandoval said. You can get it online, but you cant buy it physically unless its in a store in Atlantic City. That way, the next time some of you are traveling, the next time you see someone wearing a Respect Atlantic City shirt, or someone sees you in it, then theyll know.

Sandoval also would like to expand his studio, since he currently works out of his garage, spend more time with family, delve into tattooing and focus on supporting community initiatives that benefit the youth through the Respect Atlantic City message.

I acknowledge now Ive learned in this time off that I am very blessed and very lucky to have the support of so many people, and all the people that have supported me up until now, said Sandoval. This time it will last a very, very long time, longer than the 10 years.
Burglaries have increased in the city and thieves have now gone to the extent of breaking into the house and robbing them even if someones there at home. The incident took place between 12:30 AM and 4:00 AM on Saturday at Tranquility Society located in Kodrenagar in Manjri. Three thieves threatened the people of the house with iron weapons and looted the valuables worth one lakh 34 thousand 750 rupees. Due to this incident, the citizens of Mangiri area are shocked.

In this case Roshan Jaywant Mali (age 48, Res. Traculity Society, Kodrenagar, Manjar) has a case registered against three persons aged between 25 and 30 in this matter. According to the police, three thieves broke into Tranquility Society. They broke the grill of the kitchen window of plaintiff Mali's house. After entering the house, the plaintiff's mother Kumudini and father Jaywant were threatened with an iron weapon. They also had iron rods and scythes.

He threatened to kill both of them if they made any movement or screamed. Kumudini was then injured on her right hand by a weapon. By threatening them, 53 grams of gold ornaments, ten grams of silver ornaments and cash worth Rs. 55,000 were forcibly looted from the house. Due to this incident panic has spread in the area.
The Illinois-Iowa Center for Independent Living (IICIL) will host its 12th Annual Senior and Disability Expo on Friday, September 29 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ballys Quad Cities Conference Center.

The event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 10 a.m. with a free continental breakfast.

The purpose of this event is to educate people about the amazing resources and adaptive equipment available in their own community, and across the states of Illinois and Iowa.

There will be over 45 vendor booths with a wide range of information.

Throughout the day there will be workshops related to healthy living, assistive devices and fraud prevention.

We will start the day out with chair aerobics, provided by IICIL staff member Thandra Ritchie. In the afternoon we will have the Rock Island Police Department presenting on fraud prevention, followed by the Illinois Assistive Technology Program showing us how to make our own assistive devices.

There will be free amplified phone and cell phone amplifier testing on site through the Illinois Telecommunications Access Corp (ITAC), which provides Illinois residents with a free landline phone or cell phone amplifier.

We will end the day with free raffle drawings provided by all the vendors and a chance to win a free hotel night and dinner for two provided by our event sponsor, Ballys Quad Cities!

All are welcome, busloads are welcome and we look forward to seeing you!

For more information about the event, please call the IICIL at: (309) 793-0090 or email Marisa Cantu at: marisa@iicil.com
Every day was identically different.

The job was always the same: Find the story, talk to the people who know something about it, then write it.

But no story was the same, ever.

In 30 years of newspaper storytelling, Ive forgotten more stories than I remember. Our mom passed away in June, and weve been slowly going through our parents home and their belongings.

I didnt know Mom and Dad saved so many of my news clips. There are hundreds, mostly stuffed into boxes with artwork from the grandkids and fat envelopes of old bank statements.

It felt like I was reading many of my own stories and columns for the first time. I shouldnt have been surprised, given the brain contains a limited amount of storage space and is evidently selective about what gets in.

The ones I cant forget

The stories that made it into my mental archives show a preference toward the emotional. Whether by obligation or influence, the tales that have stayed with me are the ones that changed lives.

The faces are stored like photos in my mind. Some are crying. Some are past tears. Too few are joyful.

I witnessed a double execution at the Stateville Correctional Center, and I remember the men in their final moments. The memory does not disturb me.

The face of the exhausted soldier at the warehouse near Ground Zero in New York City does disturb me. Ten days after 9/11, the Army sergeant wept without shame when we arrived from Iowa in the middle of the night with donated generators. Exhausted myself from the long drive, my instinct told me I shouldnt hug him. I regret that.

I regret looking at the crime-scene photos during the trial in the 1993 rape and murder of 5-year-old Amber Sutton. If someone warned me, I didnt believe the images would stay with me for nearly three decades.

A couple of the jurors in the case stayed in touch for a few years after, and we got through the nightmares. I dont know whether that was entirely appropriate for a journalist, but it didnt matter at the time and matters less now.

My interview with former president Barack Obama in his Washington D.C. senate office was his first after winning federal office. Already a political/cultural rock star, I asked the new senator whether he had an eye on the White House.

Obama seemed amused and reminded me he hadnt even been sworn into the Senate yet. Two years later, he announced his bid for the presidency. While our publisher at the time was displeased that I asked Obama to sign his book, which I bought at the airport, I dont regret that either.

The more recent memory of a backyard interview with two teenagers stricken with cancer is as vivid as this mornings breakfast. And when one of them, Charly Erpelding, passed away, I grieved her. I still do.

I think about the retired engineers I met on the Bettendorf bike path while reporting for four years on the construction of the not-so-new I-74 bridge. They were smart, funny, curious and eager to share their expertise, which benefited every reader.

Some of my reporting produced state and federal legislation, including the so-called drunk defense in Illinois and the Sgt. Brandon Ketchum Never Again Act. His death by suicide was a heartbreaking disclosure of incompetency and mistreatment of our veterans. My only regret is never meeting him.

Looking back, forward

The work I have done to uncover buried facts and bring truth into the light recharged a battery that often ran low from too many hard miles. The deadly fires, fatal crashes, murders, accidents  they all take up storage space too, because we dont get to pick what goes in.

The best reporters will tell you that local journalism is a calling, not unlike teaching and law enforcement. The work is fraught with daily defeats and bad conduct, and the pay is considerably less than what is enjoyed in many professions.

But it is a profession, and it is filled with educated people who find the truth more important than the rejections. They push on, knowing the next document might uncover missteps by those who do not wish to have their stride measured.

A collection of people who do not take personally the lies that are told to them is a rare collection, indeed. That they persist by digging deeper is a sign of the calling.

Our newsroom, like hundreds of others across the nation, is vastly different from the one where I started in 1993. The way we get information has changed radically, and we changed with it.

The changes still are coming. Its time I change again too, so Im leaving newspapers to tell different stories in different ways. Im not sure yet where Ill land, but my bags are well packed with experience. The stories that came out of my Off Limits Places series alone supply enough image inventory to last until my end of days.

As I place a period at the end of my journalism career in the Quad-Cities, I do so with confidence in the ones who will carry on. The team is less experienced, of course, but every bit as dedicated.

Read reporter/columnist Tom Loewy, and you can hear in his writers voice that he heard the calling. Gretchen Teske, Sarah Watson, Olivia Allen and Grace Kinnicutt are every bit as curious and truth hungry as the 20-somethings of my early career.

In some ways, I envy that our young staff has only begun to fill their mental archives. Like the news itself, their experiences will be identically different. Fortunes can be found in the work of former colleagues, and today's team is finding their storytelling fortunes too.

As Dad would say, its time to turn the page. The chapters so far have rewarded me beyond measure, even the dark ones. We did important work, had a blast, made friends, made enemies, cried, complained, laughed a lot and regretted a little.

Thank you for the trust, the time you spent telling me your stories and for the memories of our time together. I already cherish it all.
Gun violence is down in Davenport. Thats news worth celebrating.

Many factors likely contributed to a safer city, but the Group Violence Intervention program deserves much credit.

After a record number of shots were fired in 2020, the city and community leaders decided to invest money and time in a new approach to crime prevention that had shown results in South Bend, Indiana; Chicago; Detroit and New Orleans.

The three-pronged strategy has representatives from law enforcement, social-service organizations and community members talking with people who are at the highest risk of being involved in gun violence. Community and outreach support focus on the small percentage of individuals causing the most crime in the city.

The city invested $750,000 of COVID-19 funding in 2021 to start the program. Earlier this year, Quad Cities Community Foundation announced it awarded $300,000 over three years to Family Resources to build capacity for the program.

This month the city council heard an update on the Group Violence Intervention strategy that started 18 months ago. The numbers are promising.

Davenport Police Chief Jeff Bladel reported that from the start of the year, shots fired incidents are down by 27% compared to the same time period in 2022 and non-fatal shootings have declined by 14%. Group violence-related non-fatal incidents have gone down 76%.

According to Bladel, police, social service and community members have contacted 94 people during this process, and only four of those have again committed violence with a weapon. Davenport Chief Strategy Officer Sarah Ott said 24 of those have accepted services. About 40 of those 94 were released from prison and into probation and parole. The effort is aimed at reaching these people to prevent a return to criminal behavior.

One of the benefits of this strategy is that it uses social services and community members. Ott said more than 100 community members have undergone training for in-person contacts.

The program requires constant investment, effort and assessment. Group Violence Intervention Director Tee LeShoure is under the umbrella of Family Resources, a Quad-Cities nonprofit. LeShoure oversees a program coordinator, two case workers and an outreach worker.

The success of the program has now pushed its reach into schools, with outreach to high-risk youth, and healthcare, with Genesis Health Systems working with victims of violent crimes, and now to neighboring cities.

In his state of the city address earlier this year, Rock Island Mayor Mike Thoms announced plans to partner with Davenport police and Family Resources to expand Group Violence Intervention to Rock Island.

And the Iowa state Legislature approved this year funding for a high-risk unit that provides parole officers who monitor the most high-risk offenders. Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said those positions, four officers and a supervisor, are being hired for now by the state Department of Corrections. For the first time, an ATF agent, too, will be stationed in Davenport.

"Everything else we were doing before was reactive in nature and this has changed the script," At-Large Alderman Kyle Gripp said at the update.

We appreciate that the city saw the increasing gun violence as a problem that requires a different, proactive approach.

In a time when the political atmosphere is often us vs. them, its heartening to see an initiative that starts from a place of inclusion and community.

The early returns are promising and deserving of recognition.
BY NJ THAKURIA





Guwahati: An intellectual and interactive treat for the literary enthusiasts, cultural connoisseurs and budding writers is waiting to emerge as Pragjyotishpur Literature Festival 2023 (PLF) which will unfold a series of literary activities for three days in the historic city. The three-day literature festival, organised for the first time by Sankardev Education and Research Foundation (SERF), will kick start on 29 September 2023 at Asom Sahitya Sabha and district library premises in the city. Themed as In Search of Roots, the national-level festival is aimed at showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the land and also encouraging the young talents to rediscover and redefine the legends of Pragjyotishpur.





The present-day Assam is the central part of the ancient kingdom named Pragjyotishpur (later also known as Kamrup), where its capital was located roughly in the present day Guwahati. The kingdom was spread to Jalpaiguri, Koch Behar, Bhutan hills (including some parts of Nepal), Rangpur, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Dhaka (now under Bangladesh), Tripura, Khasi & Garo hills, etc. Pragjyotishpur (meaning the eastern part of Jyotishpur) gets its mention in both the great Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata as well as in Kalika Puran, Yogini Tantra and Charyapada.





Pragjyotishpur was pronounced by Lord Ram in the critical phase of his struggles after losing his wife Seeta. On the other hand, the powerful king of Pragjyotishpur, Bhagadatta fought along with the Kauravas (against Pandavas) in the battle of Mahabharata. When it came to exist as the Kamrup kingdom, legendary king Kumar Bhaskarvarman used to rule over the land. Bhaskarvarman enjoyed a dignified and mutually respected relationship with emperor Harshavardhan (of Kanauja and Thaneswara) and often sent valuable books as gifts to Harshavardhan. He was a vibrant patroniser of ancient Nalanda University, one of the greatest centres of learning across the globe.





Pragjyotishpur itself was an abode of learning, publications and intellectual exercises as these were the oldest traditions and practices for the residents. Many valuable books were written in this part of the world, where Madhav Kandalis Ramayana in a local language signifies the dimension and intellectual capacity of an author. The society used to promote the learning and redefining of general science, Ayurveda and traditional healthcare, Astrology, craftsmanship and both performing & visual arts. The residents still carry the legacy of ancient Indian culture, developed since the pre- historic days.





Through the PLF initiative, the young generation will come to know and realise the greatness of ancient cultural diversities of the land. With the series of discussions, interactive sessions, thematic quiz competition and literary recitations, the unique festival is expected to mobilize the young writers to connect with their roots of civilization through literature. National Book Trust-India chairman Prof Milind Sudhakar Marathe (a recognised author-critic), Padmashree Lil Bahadur Chetri (a noted Gorkha writer), Pankaj Chaturvedi (Delhi), Suvash Chandra Satapathy from Bhubaneshwar, Bhushan Bhave from Goa, television news personality Rubika Liyaquat along with a number of distinguished writers, translators, literary critics from various parts of the country as well as northeast Bharat are gracing the occasion to add more colour to the festival.








KYIV, Ukraine (AP)  Ukraine on Saturday morning launched another missile attack on Sevastopol on the occupied Crimean Peninsula, a Russian-installed official said, a day after an attack on the headquarters of Russias Black Sea Fleet that left a serviceman missing and the main building smoldering.





Sevastopol was put under an air raid alert for about an hour after debris from intercepted missiles fell near a pier, Gov. Mikhail Razvozhayev wrote on the messaging app Telegram. He later added that another missile fragment fell in a park in northern Sevastopol, parts of which had to be cordoned off. Ferry traffic in the area was also halted and later resumed.





Loud blasts were also heard near Vilne in northern Crimea, followed by rising clouds of smoke, according to a pro-Ukraine Telegram news channel that reports on developments on the peninsula. Crimea, illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, has been a frequent target for Ukrainian forces since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.





Ukraine's intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Voice of America on Saturday that at least nine people were killed and 16 others wounded as a result of Kyiv's attack on the Black Sea Fleet on Friday. He claimed that Alexander Romanchuk, a Russian general commanding forces along the key southeastern front line, was in a very serious condition following the attack.





Budanov's claim couldn't be independently verified, and he didn't comment on whether Western-made missiles were used in Friday's attack. The Russian Defense Ministry initially said that the strike killed one service member at the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, but later issued a statement that he was missing.





Ukraines military also offered more details about Friday's attack. It said the air force conducted 12 strikes on the Black Sea Fleet headquarters, targeting areas where personnel, military equipment and weapons were concentrated. It said that two anti-aircraft missile systems and four Russian artillery units were hit.





Crimea has served as the key hub supporting Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Sevastopol, the main base of Russias Black Sea Fleet since the 19th century, has had a particular importance for navy operations since the start of the war.





Ukraine has increasingly targeted naval facilities in Crimea in recent weeks while the brunt of its summer counteroffensive makes slow gains in the east and south of Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War said. Military experts say it is essential for Ukraine to keep up its attacks on targets in Crimea to degrade Russian morale and weaken its military.





In other developments, U.S. President Joe Biden told his Ukrainian counterpart at their White House meeting Thursday that the U.S. would give Ukraine a version of the longer-range ATACMS ballistic missiles, without specifying how many or when they would be delivered, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter before an official announcement.





Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and other Ukrainian leaders have long pushed the U.S. and other Western allies to provide longer-distance weapons that would enable Kyiv to ramp up its strikes behind Russian lines while themselves staying out of firing range.





The U.S. has balked so far, worried that Kyiv could use the weapons to hit deep into Russian territory and escalate the conflict. The Army Tactical Missile System, known as ATACMS, could give Ukraine the ability to strike Russian targets from as far away as about 180 miles (300 kilometers), but the U.S. also has other variants of the missile that have a shorter range.





Elsewhere, Ukraines military said Saturday that Russia launched 15 Iranian-made Shahed drones at the front-line Zaporizhzhia region in the southeast, as well as Dnipropetrovsk province farther north. It claimed to have destroyed 14 of the drones.





Separately, Zaporizhzhia regional Gov. Yuri Malashko said that Russia over the previous day carried out 86 strikes on 27 settlements in the province, many of them lying only a few kilometers (miles) from the fighting. Malashko said that an 82-year-old civilian was killed by artillery fire.





In the neighboring Kherson region, Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin said that a 65-year-old woman was killed on Saturday as a Russian shell struck her yard, while a 78-year-old man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a Russian drone dropped explosives.





Prokudin said earlier in a separate statement that at least one person died and three other people were wounded over the previous day because of Russian shelling. Russia fired 25 shells targeting the city of Kherson, which lies along the Dneiper River that marks the contact line between the warring sides, Prokudin said.





Residential quarters were hit, including medical and education institutions, government-built stations that serve food and drinks, as well as critical infrastructure facilities and a penitentiary, he added.








Kathmandu, Nepal, September 24, 2023: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting on Saturday.





During the meeting Prime Minister Dahala and Chinese President Xi held discussions on ranges of issues related to the bilateral interests.





According to the secretariat of the Prime Minister Dahal the two leaders have agreed to a need for shared collaboration among all regional forces for regional stability, peace, and prosperity.





The two leaders also discussed the matters to further strengthen mutual collaboration by understanding each other's interests and sensitivities", the PM secretariat has stated.




PHOENIX  More than 15,000 people in Arizona have registered to join a new political party floating a possible bipartisan "unity ticket" against Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

While that's less than the population of each of the state's 40 largest cities, it's still a number big enough to tip the presidential election in a critical swing state. And that is alarming people trying to stop Trump from winning the White House again.

The very existence of the No Labels group is fanning Democratic anxiety about Trump's chances against an incumbent president facing questions about his age and record. While it hasn't committed to running candidates for president and vice president, No Labels has already secured ballot access in Arizona and 10 other states. Its organizers say they are on track to reach 20 states by the end of this year and all 50 states by Election Day.

"If they have someone on the ballot who is designed to bring the country together, that clearly draws votes away from Joe Biden and does not draw votes away from Donald Trump," said Rodd McLeod, a Democratic strategist in Arizona.

That's raising the stakes for Biden allies who are mounting a furious pressure campaign against No Labels and politicians taking meetings with the group.

In Arizona, which Biden won by about 10,000 votes, the state Democratic Party sued Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, also a Democrat, to try to prevent No Labels from being on the ballot. The party lost in court and then dropped its lawsuit.

Now Democrats are pushing Fontes to force No Labels to disclose its donors, having insinuated that the group is being supported by conservatives attempting to thwart Biden. No Labels has so far refused to name how it is funding its work, saying it follows federal law and wants to protect the privacy of its donors.

Fontes has not commented publicly but is expected to announce a decision in the coming weeks after telling No Labels he may take action against the group for failing to register under the state's campaign finance law. His decision is likely to be challenged in court.

Some of the anti-No Labels efforts in Arizona are quixotic. A perennial candidate from outside Phoenix signed up as a No Labels candidate and declared himself chairman of No Labels' Pinal County chapter, in part so he could run for state office and try to force the party to follow the state's campaign finance reporting laws.

"It's kind of like a performance art piece," said Richard Grayson, who promptly after switching to No Labels endorsed Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

Biden's narrow 2020 victory came with the help of anti-Trump Republicans, right-leaning independents and voters who disliked both candidates but saw Biden as a better option than Trump. He'll need their support to win a rematch.

In Arizona, Biden was endorsed by former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake and Cindy McCain, the widow of Sen. John McCain  a lifelong Republican who publicly clashed with Trump.

If even a small number of those voters were to back a No Labels candidate next year, Biden could fall short.

No third-party candidate has ever won the presidency or even come close. In the modern era, the strongest performer was Ross Perot in 1992, but he didn't earn a single electoral vote. He did, however, earn a reputation as a spoiler to then-President George H.W. Bush.

Democrats blame Green Party nominee Jill Stein for spoiling Hillary Clinton's would-be victory in 2016, when Stein got more votes in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin than Trump's margin of victory. In 2020, a shift of just 45,000 votes in Arizona, Georgia and Wisconsin would have been enough to tilt the election from Biden to Trump.

"We need to convince the political world that being involved with this is a bad idea," said Matt Bennett, executive vice president of the center-left group Third Way. "If you're a potential candidate of theirs, you're going to be Jill Stein 2.0."

But supporters of No Labels insist that the political climate is far different heading into 2024, with wide swaths of voters in both parties exhausted by years of turmoil and chaos in Washington.

"These are unprecedented times," said Benjamin Chavis, a former head of the NAACP who is now working with No Labels. "Never before has such a large number of Americans expressed their concerns and expressed their views and their aspirations for more choices."

At least 13,500 people have registered with No Labels in Arizona's two largest counties, which include Phoenix and Tucson, with roughly 1,900 registered in the state's other counties, according to the most recent figures available.

About half of registrants in August were formerly independent and another quarter were newly registered, according to Sam Almy, a Democratic data analyst based in Phoenix. The rest came mostly from the two major parties: 14% were previously Democrats and 11% had been Republicans.

While only about a quarter of the newly registered No Labels members came from the major parties, they're much likelier to vote. About 63% of the former Democrats and 65% of the former Republicans voted in 2020, while only 45% of the former independents cast a ballot.

No Labels party members skew younger. More than half are younger than 35, according to Almy, and just 5% are older than 65. Twelve percent of them live in the 4th Congressional District, which includes Arizona State University.

If No Labels runs candidates, anybody can vote for them whether they've joined the party or not.
Correction: The Virginia State Police investigates a police-related shooting only at the request of a chief or sheriff. There is no state code section that requires VSP to investigate "all police-related shootings" within the commonwealth. Additionally, The Times-Dispatch filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking a report of the shooting that involved Rick Edwards, now the Richmond police chief. A State Police spokeswoman said that request was denied "so as not to re-victimize the Thompson family and the Richmond police officer who was shot." This story has been updated.

It was one of many arrests, but Police Chief Rick Edwards remembers it well.

Three years into his tenure on the Richmond Police Department, Edwards, then a patrol officer, was by himself chasing a suspect on foot. The culprit had abandoned his car and started to run. Edwards partner, behind the wheel of the squad car, had raced off in an attempt to cut him off.

The man tossed a handgun during the chase. Edwards picked it up, slipping it into a pocket. Later, when Edwards got the suspect to the ground, the handgun fell onto the pavement beside them. Edwards wrestled for control of what could have been a life-and-death situation.

The arrest was made and no one was injured but, for Edwards, the chase was a stark reminder of the perils of the job, which, 20 years ago, was not founded on todays modern practices, training and strategies.

(The gun) is literally in between (us). Im holding the suspects hands down with both my hands, Edwards recalled. Its a very dangerous time in ones career where I was at that point in my career.

Edwards spoke about the close call as he sat down with the Richmond Times-Dispatch recently to discuss the departments past and future as he hopes to restore trust between police and civilians in the city.

Inside a police headquarters conference room, Edwards spoke in a steady tone about his years on patrol, the difficulty of breaking tragic news to families and the George Floyd case. He also answered questions about the day he pulled the trigger in a fatal shootout on Richmonds South Side.

Violent crime down 7%

Edwards was named the citys top cop in July, after eight months of leading it unofficially as the citys interim police chief. A panel of city employees and community members unanimously recommended Edwards for the job against a pool of 26 applicants.

In his interview, Edwards pitched a vision of a leaner, higher-tech police force  one with clearer marching orders than those he received in his early days as a patrol officer.

For us it was just like, hey, go out, ride around and look for trouble, Edwards said. There was no real direction in the same way we like to think we give our officers direction now.

Edwards said that direction now comes from crime data that police have mapped to 29,000 micro-areas, which are small, one- to three-block zones.

Officers visit micro-areas for 10 to 15 minutes, with their lights on, sometimes standing outside their police cars. Edwards said that kind of strategy creates a halo effect that reduces crime.

Unlike other first responders, he said, police should be forward-deployed in the citys toughest neighborhoods.

Edward hopes the strategy will help reduce gun violence in the city, of which Richmond needs few reminders.

On June 6, a graduation ceremony outside the Altria Theater in downtown Richmond transformed into a shooting. That same day, three other high school students were injured in two separate shootings across town. And in September, police responded to five murders in as many days, Edwards announced in the departments third-quarter press briefing.

On Wednesday, Edwards notched an early win of his short tenure, announcing that overall violent crime is down by 7%. A significant chunk of that drop came in the form of nonfatal shootings, which he describes as attempted murders. Homicides overall, however, continued to climb, rising by 16% in his first year at the helm.

Edwards said the falling violent crime numbers support his new, hot-spot centric approach, which has not been fully implemented; Richmond is in the process of building a real-time crime center, which Mayor Levar Stoney described this year as throwing the kitchen sink at the citys crime challenges.

The crime center will centralize the citys increasing networks of public cameras and gunshot detection systems. Some of these technologies, like a surveillance system to listen for gunshots, have drawn scrutiny across the U.S. for enabling law enforcement to jail people on speculative evidence. Edwards has said he hopes the center will be ready by the end of 2023.

Trust: lost in buckets, built back in thimbles

Edwards also hopes the departments new approach will help build back trust between the community and Richmond police officers.

Almost as important to me is that the majority of the good folks in these crime-ridden neighborhoods see them and feel safer, Edwards said. In this business, we lose trust in buckets and build it back in thimbles. And were in the process of trying to build that trust back with our community.

Police relations with the entire city frayed after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and ensuing civil rights protests that led to the removal of some Confederate monuments in the city and the creation of a civilian review board for the Richmond Police Department.

That summer, police and protesters sparred frequently. Protesters set fire to police cruisers and vandalized buildings across the city. Police liberally deployed tear gas and on several occasions fired rubber bullets.

Regarding the police, an internal affairs report detailed officers spraying pepper spray directly into the eyes of protesters in violation of their own training protocols. Later, Richmond Commonwealths Attorney Colette McEachin sought assault charges against some officers, but a grand jury declined to indict them, The Times-Dispatch reported in February.

No police department handled that well, said Edwards, who described days on edge not just in Richmond but across the nation. Nobody withstood 120 days of standing up a command post.

Like his predecessor, Edwards condemned the killing of Floyd, saying that his own police officers were disgusted and revolted by his murder under the knee of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted on federal and state charges.

I saw the inhumanity of what that officer did to George Floyd. And many of our officers felt that, too, Edwards said. But we still had a job to do when our city called us, and many of us did that.

Edwards 2002 shooting

A crucible of Edwards career came days after his foot chase in Hillside Court: a shootout in which he killed an armed suspect.

At around midnight on Dec. 15, 2002, Edwards and his partner, Shane Waite, pulled over a car for a traffic infraction. Edwards said Isaac Thompson, 21  who had a drug offense on his record and had recently been released from jail  punched Waite, ran and then fired his gun, striking Waite in the leg and hitting his bulletproof vest. Then Edwards fired, he said.

Edwards said he does not know why Thompson lashed out and shot Waite. He said he suspects Thompsons record would have netted him at least 10 years in prison for possessing a firearm and did not rule out that Thompson might not have been sober or thinking clearly.

I dont think he woke up that morning and said, Im going to murder two Richmond police officers, Edwards said. I think he found himself in a position where he simply wasnt going to go back.

Edwards said no arrest was ultimately made that night, that he did not speak with the cuffed passenger after the shootout, and that he had heard through the grapevine that a relative of Thompsons understood why police had to fire back.

Theres people who are evil Ive arrested in my career, but they are very few, Edwards said. Most people who make these decisions, whether they shoot at police or they shoot at someone else and kill them, are people that are not thinking it through. And they do have families, and they do have people that will miss them. Im sure the Thompson family hasnt been the same since then.

Edwards said it was the only shooting in which he was involved. No accusation of wrongdoing has been aired regarding it. Thompson was survived by his mother and sister. Thompsons sister, LaTara Ralph, said she did not want to be involved in rehashing what happened.

The incident was investigated by the Virginia State Police. The Times-Dispatch filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking a report of the incident. A spokeswoman for the agency said that request was denied "so as not to re-victimize the Thompson family and the Richmond police officer who was shot.

A similar report is held by the Richmond Police Department as part of Edwards personnel files. This April, the department said it would begin releasing information about police killings to the public, in line with Edwards core values and commitment to rebuilding trust and nurturing legitimacy through transparency.

Agency lawyer Sharon Carr has said the investigative report does not belong to the department. Edwards said he is being advised not to release the report.

The city of Richmond has actively managed the release of information around the 2002 shooting, which was resurfaced in June by news station WRIC.

Hours before that story went live, a prerecorded interview on the shooting published to the city of Richmonds YouTube page. The prerecorded interview took place just a few months after the ouster of Police Chief Gerald Smith, who resigned amid scrutiny that he had invented  and prevented  a mass shooting plot targeting July 4 festivities at Richmonds Dogwood Dell.

A look back at recent Richmond police chiefs Gerald Smith William Jody Blackwell William Smith Alfred Durham Ray J. Tarasovic Bryan T. Norwood Rodney D. Monroe Andre Parker
RICHMOND, Va.  Democrat Russet Perry has knocked on thousands of doors in a swing district outside the nation's capital as she campaigns for a seat that could decide control of the Virginia state Senate in November. The issue that comes up the most  particularly among women and even from some Republicans and independents, she says  is protecting abortion rights.

The topic has motivated voters and upended traditional political wisdom in election after election since a conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court eliminated the federal right to the procedure last year. But it may be especially front of mind in Virginia, the only state in the South that has not imposed new abortion restrictions since Roe v. Wade fell.

Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin  whose push to ban the procedure after 15 weeks of pregnancy was blocked by the Democratic-controlled Senate  has pledged to try again if the GOP wins full control in the state.

I see this fight and this race as being pivotal to what happens to many, many, many people, not just here, but across the entire South, said Perry, a former prosecutor and ex-CIA officer who noted that women from throughout the region have sought abortions in Virginia since Roe was overturned.

For those on either side of the debate, Virginia  where all state House and Senate seats are up for election and early voting began Friday  is among the biggest fights this year over abortion rights. The Commonwealth's odd-year elections are often an indicator of the national mood heading into major election years and offer both parties a chance to test campaign strategies, messaging and policy ahead of 2024 contests for president, Congress and other offices.

Democrats are banking on abortion rights to be a winning issue, just as it was in the 2022 midterms and in earlier contests this year in Virginia and elsewhere. They hope it will lift candidates in a place that Democrat Joe Biden won in 2020 but where voters a year later backed Youngkin, who is still mentioned as a possible late 2024 entry for president.

The Democratic National Committee recently invested $1.2 million into Virginia races, and Vice President Kamala Harris was in the state last Thursday to kick off a college tour aimed at mobilizing young voters to fight for reproductive rights, action on climate change and other issues.

Republicans are centering their focus elsewhere in an echo of Youngkins winning 2021 campaign  when the businessman defeated a former governor at a time when Roe was still law. Theyre talking about kitchen table issues, such as the cost of living, public safety and protecting the role of parents in directing their childrens education.

Zack Roday, the coordinated campaign director at Youngkins Spirit of Virginia PAC, said Democrats are focused on abortion because they have nothing to run on." He accused Democrats of misrepresenting Youngkins proposed 15-week limit on abortions as a total ban. Most abortions take place before 15 weeks, and Youngkins proposal includes exceptions for rape, incest and to save the life of the mother.

Leading abortion opponents also see Virginia as a place where Republicans can reframe the discussion and avoid the ostrich strategy of trying to evade the issue. They have pushed GOP candidates to explain their personal positions, to speak compassionately about both unborn children and the women who may seek abortions, and to push policies such as improving the foster care and adoption systems.

The country's most prominent anti-abortion group hired Kellyanne Conway, a GOP pollster who was President Donald Trump's senior counselor, to advise candidates in Virginia and elsewhere on their handling of the issue.

"Its not enough to just say, well, Im pro-life," said Kaitlin Makuski, political director for Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. She pushed back on Democratic criticism of Youngkin and other Republicans as extreme on abortion, saying the 15-week ban was common-sense legislation.

Abortion rights advocates say they are seeing voter support grow as more states impose restrictions and the reality of life without Roe becomes clearer.

Theres basically a never-ending drip of horror stories from the states on abortion bans, said Mini Timmaraju, president of Reproductive Freedom for All, citing stories about women denied care and young rape victims forced to carry pregnancies to term. She also dismissed anti-abortion activists' attempts to shift their messaging.

Thats their new thing. They want to be compassionate. It's garbage, she said. "Its wild to me that they think anyone will buy that they are compassionate on this issue at all, or that they really, truly believe a 15-week ban is perceived as a compassionate compromise.

Polling shows people's opinions on abortion in the U.S. are complex, though most want the procedure to be legal, at least in the initial stages of pregnancy. An Associated Press/NORC poll conducted in June found about two-thirds of Americans said abortion should generally be legal.

About half of Americans said abortions should be permitted at the 15-week mark, the poll found. By 24 weeks of pregnancy, about two-thirds said it should be barred.
New College Institute will reconsider its name and possibly adjust its mission to better reflect the new direction the college is taking.

I think its time that we seriously consider rebranding our name, said state Sen. Bill Stanley, NCI board chair.

The idea to rebrand started because of another educational institute in Florida by the same name and grew into a mission to have a new name that better represents what NCI has become. Stanley appointed a special subcommittee led by NCI board member Eric Jones at the September board meeting to tackle the process.

I think we need to have a real positive, great name, Stanley added. I talked to the people that wrote the legislation  they never contemplated that this would be called New College forever.

Stanley said the name was intended as a placeholder and simply denoted that the organization was new and a college. He urged the subcommittee to use whatever resources it had available to find a new and fitting name for the college.

We are still carrying what shouldve been a temporary name, he said, adding that he would like results from this subcommittee not too far out in the future.

But the rebranding may not only take place in the name of the college  it might come with a redefining of the colleges mission.

I think your committee should also look, if you want to be broad, at the mission itself, said NCI board member and state Sen. Emmett Hanger. Redefining the mission, perhaps, to bring more clarity to what were really supposed to be doing.

Hanger said the original mission to prop up Martinsville and give opportunities for students in the region may no longer completely fit the mission of the college.

That was the purpose, and Senator (Hanger) I think youre exactly right, Stanley said. What is needed, he added, is a statutory change to make (NCI) more nimble.

I dont think we fall under the auspices, nor should we ultimately, of the secretary of education because I dont think what were talking about doing is what New College was, Stanley said.

I think its really important, Stanley said. Were going in a new direction, but were no longer new in that sense of what it was supposed to be, and theres got to be a way that we can honor where we stand here in this historic block (Baldwin Block).

The board plans to convene its next meeting in Richmond, where the board can meet new legislators.

Theres going to be a lot of new people out there, and theyre going to say NCI, what? or new name here, what?, Stanley said.

Richard Hall, NCI board vice chair, assured Stanley that the college will have a good plan for the rebranding by then with the addition of new staff member Olivia Garrett, the director of institutional advancement, and the rest of the subcommittee.

NCI also hired a new public relations contractor, Holly Kozelsky, and will use those supportive roles in the process of rebranding. At the meeting, NCI Executive Director Joe Sumner said that with those new employees, the whole marketing strategy at NCI will change and improve.

Well be very well-prepared for what we have to do in Richmond in the spring, Hall said, referring to the discussion on a future NCI budget and funding.
This is continuing coverage of Tropical Storm Ophelia from The Richmond Times Dispatch. Sign up for our newsletter to get weather updates in your inbox.

Rainfall is expected to continue Saturday into Sunday as Tropical Storm Ophelia moves through the Richmond region. The saturation has triggered a Flash Flood Warning for Petersburg, Hopewell and Chester until 9 p.m.

"The core ... will pass very close, if not over Richmond. Wind will pick back up in the afternoon," said Lee Enterprises Weather Team meteorologist Joe Martucci. He added that the "center of the storm" could drop several inches of rain across the metro area, increasing the risk of flash flooding.

The Virginia Emergency Support Team is working around the clock in the state Emergency Operations Center. Teams from @VDEM, @VSPPIO, @VaDOT, @VaNationalGuard, @VDHgov, @VDSS, & private sector partners including @DominionEnergy are here coordinating our response. #TSOphelia pic.twitter.com/dE0c2ow0eM  Virginia Department of Emergency Management (@VDEM) September 23, 2023

The National Weather Service had raised the Richmond area to a 3 out of 4 risk for excessive rain, the first time Richmond has been at that level since June 2021 storms dropped over 4.5 inches of rain in three days, stranding motorists and prompting multiple water rescues.

"Widespread areas of flash flooding are possible," Martucci said, advising residents to make a plan in the event of rising water.

But despite the deluge, buddies and fellow plumbers, Thomas Coffin and Nick Daugherty, both of Richmond, decided they wanted to venture out and have some fun playing a mobile scavenger game.

'I was bored doing nothing, so I called him [Thomas] about getting together to go play Monster Hunter. I moved here when I was like 13. I played in the rain gutters when I was a kid. It's just a bit of water, it's not going to hurt you or anything," Daugherty said. "You can sit on your ass not doing anything or you can get out there and get some exercise. I think we walked like what, three, four, five miles already?"

"I played in Hurricane Isabel when I was a kid. This is nothing. We're having fun, walking around, seeing the sights, doing our thing," Coffin added. "It's good exercise. I'm standing in about a half inch of water in my shoes right now."

Ophelia came ashore near Emerald Isle with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph at around 6:15 a.m. but was expected to weaken as it moves north Saturday and then shifts northeast on Sunday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, noting that the maximum sustained winds had dropped to 45 mph by the afternoon.

Philippe Papin, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said the primary risk of the storm system over the next couple of days will be the threat of floods from the rain.

There have been tropical storm-force winds observed, but those are starting to gradually subside as the system moves further inland, Papin said in an interview early Saturday. However, there is a significant flooding rainfall threat for a large portion of eastern North Carolina into southern Virginia over the next 12 to 24 hours.

Power outages reported across the region

Power outages across the Richmond metro area Saturday afternoon were down significantly from a morning peak that saw over 1,600 outages by around 9 a.m.

Dominion Energy crews had responded to outage reports primarily concentrated in Richmond and Henrico County, which saw over a thousand outages early Saturday morning.

The Virginia coast was hardest hit by the service disruptions. Dominion reported over 6,300 outages between Virginia Beach, Hampton, Chesapeake and Newport News during Saturday morning's peak. But those numbers had also decreased significantly by the late morning.

"Our ... teams are in storm mode," a representative for the utility company said in a post on X. "Crews are working to get power restored."

"The storm will continue to move through our service territory today and additional outages may occur," said Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton in a statement, "we will continue to shift resources to areas with ... customer outages."

The impacts of the storm on Richmond area roadways and surface traffic Saturday morning appeared to be minimal.

Officials for the Virginia Department of Transportation Saturday morning reported the closure of all east and west lanes of Route 619 near Confederate Hill Drive in Hanover County as crews worked to clear a downed tree in the roadway. Motorists were advised to expect delays and travel alternate routes if possible.

Weather delays were also reported on Routes 1860 and 1864 at Ivy Banks Drive in Hanover, and on Routes 621 and 668 at Clarke Road in Goochland County.

The flight delay status at Richmond International Airport was listed as "very low" Saturday morning. At least six flights arriving at the airport between 10 and 11 p.m. Friday night had been delayed by over an hour, according to FlightStats. It is not clear whether those delays were due to weather conditions.

National Guard in standby mode

The Virginia National Guard Saturday morning announced it had staged for possible severe weather response operations and had helicopters on standby near Hampton Roads on the heels of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's executive order declaring a state of emergency Friday.

"Our planners have been working in close coordination with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management and the rest of Virginias emergency response community," said Virginia National Guard Director of Joint Staff Brig. Gen. Todd Hubbard. "Getting our troops and equipment in place ... puts us in a position to quickly respond when needed."

Hubbard said guardsmen will remain on duty as long as possible flooding and high winds threaten the region. Virginia remains under a state of emergency through Sunday morning.

Conditions are expected to improve Sunday. (From the National Weather Service)



Richmond is currently under a flood watch.



As with any storm, we ask that if you do not have to venture outside to stay indoors.  City of Richmond, VA (@CityRichmondVA) September 23, 2023

A storm surge warning, indicating danger from rising water moving inland, was in effect from Bogue Inlet, North Carolina, to Chincoteague. Surges between 4 and 6 feet were forecast in some areas, the hurricane center said. A tropical storm warning was issued from Cape Fear, North Carolina, to Fenwick Island, Delaware. A hurricane watch was in effect in North Carolina for the area north of Surf City to Ocracoke Inlet, the center reported. It is not uncommon for one or two tropical storms, or even hurricanes, to develop right off the East Coast each year, National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said. Were right at the peak of hurricane season, we can basically have storms form anywhere across much of the Atlantic basin, Brennan said in an interview Friday.

Here are all of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane names Arlene: June 1, 2023 Bret: June 19, 2023 Cindy: June 22, 2023 Don: July 14, 2023 Emily: Aug 15, 2023 Franklin: Aug. 20, 2023 Gert: Aug. 21, 2023 Harold: Aug. 21, 2023 Idalia: Aug. 24, 2023 Hurricane Idalia in review: What went right, what went wrong, where do we go from here? Jose: Aug. 31, 2023 Katia: Sept. 1, 2023 Lee: Sept. 5, 2023 Margot (Pronounced MAR-go): Sept. 7, 2023 Nigel: Sept. 16, 2023 Ophelia: Sept. 22, 2023 Philippe (Pronounced fee-LEEP): Sept. 23, 2023 Rina: Sept. 28, 2023 Sean: Oct. 11, 2023 Tammy: Oct. 18, 2023 Hurricane tracker Your browser does not support the iframe HTML tag. Try viewing this in a modern browser like Chrome, Safari, Firefox or Internet Explorer 9 or later. Vince Whitney What happens if all of those names are used? If the National Hurricane Center wants to classify a tropical cyclone beyond Whitney, a supplemental list of names are used. These names have been in place since 2021. Before 2021, the Greek alphabet was used for additional storms. However, a very active 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season, and the Greek alphabet storm names, brought confusion. This led the World Meteorological Organization to swap those names for this list. Interactive: Hurricanes in the North Atlantic, 1980-2022
The remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia produced clouds and some showers across the Richmond region Sunday, as the weather system moved along the Mid-Atlantic coast to New Jersey.

Between 3 and 5 inches of rain fell across the Richmond region during the storm, according to a preliminary analysis released Sunday by the National Weather Service. The highest amounts were in a band just west of Richmond.

As of 2 p.m. Sunday, fewer than 250 Dominion Energy customers in the Richmond region were still without power due to the storm, including 187 in Goochland County.

Dominion crews had responded to outage reports in the Richmond region, primarily concentrated in the city and in Henrico County, which saw more than 1,000 outages early Saturday morning.

The Virginia Department of Transportation said motorists can expect weather delays in Chesterfield County on Old Gun Road near Iron Forge Drive where the north through lanes and right shoulder were closed as of Sunday afternoon. VDOT also reported delays in Chesterfield on Sunday morning on Route 1007 in Midlothian in the vicinity of the 1700 block of Salisbury Drive.

VDOT urged Virginians who spot road hazards to contact its Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD or at my.vdot.virginia.gov. The transportation department also advised Virginians to never attempt to walk or drive across a flooded road, citing the risk of drowning.

Coastal communities in Hampton Roads were hardest hit by power outages, with more than 6,300 between Virginia Beach, Hampton, Chesapeake and Newport News during the peak Saturday morning. Dominion had resolved most of those outages by Sunday afternoon.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin headed to Virginia Beach on Sunday morning to visit with first responders at a diner and coffee shop.

The National Hurricane Center said coastal flooding would continue along parts of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal rivers through Sunday. It said the heavy rains from Ophelia could produce localized flash and urban flooding impacts across portions of the Mid-Atlantic states through Sunday from Virginia to New Jersey. It noted that swells generated by Ophelia would affect the East Coast throughout the weekend and could lead to life-threatening rip currents.

The governors of North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland declared a state of emergency on Friday, when the weather system intensified into a tropical storm. It came ashore near Emerald Isle, North Carolina, on Saturday morning with near-hurricane-strength winds of 70 mph, dumping steady rain across the region.

Tropical Storm Ophelia brought widespread heavy rain to the region over the past couple of days. Here is the rainfall analysis showing a corridor of 3-5" of rain across portions of central and southern Virginia as well as Northeast North Carolina. How much rain did you get? pic.twitter.com/N1Ib3B4mBS  NWS Wakefield (@NWSWakefieldVA) September 24, 2023

A flash flood warning was issued for the region.

At 7:44 p.m. Saturday, the center said Ophelia had slowed to become a tropical depression, which is a weak form of a tropical storm, and all storm surge and tropical storm warnings had been discontinued.

Youngkins emergency declaration enabled the state to deploy additional resources to help as needed with potential rescues and cleanup. The Virginia National Guard said it staged about 35 soldiers with tactical trucks capable of high water transportation at VANG facilities in the Hampton Roads area. The National Guard said the personnel included chain saw teams to help remove storm debris.

Partly to mostly cloudy skies are expected Monday, with a high of 78 degrees.

The storm occurred near the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Isabel, which caused extensive damage and power outages in the Richmond region and elsewhere. That storm, which killed 36 in the U.S., eventually dissipated over Pennsylvania on Sept. 19, 2003.

Photos: Tropical Storm Ophelia makes landfall
The acronym HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) is used to reference colleges that were available to educate Negroes during the years of legal segregation in America. Though most of these schools did not meet the standard definition of a university, they were nonetheless so referenced. A classic example exists right here in Virginias capital.

The University of Richmond met the standard definition; Virginia Union University (VUU) did not. The University of Richmond had several schools; VUU, at that time, had a school of religion and has always been so identified. Most HBCUs were chartered like VUU and required to state that they were private in order to comply with segregation. This classification was and still is used to deny state funding. The excuse was made by political leaders saying their constitutions forbade financial support. Unfortunately, it is still being used as an excuse for doing little, if anything, to fund HBCUs in Virginia.

I was able to persuade Attorney General Jason Miyares to write an official clarifying opinion elucidating that the state can provide financial support to these so-called private institutions. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Education sent letters to governors across the country, detailing the estimated $13 billion national funding shortfall to land-grant HBCUs over the past three decades. Gov. Glenn Youngkin was notified that Virginias funding shortages to HBCUs during this time totaled nearly $278 million.

When we speak of generational wealth for higher education, the 2023 Goldman Sachs report, Historically Black, Historically Underfunded, lucidly illustrates the situation.

HBCUs account for fewer than 3% of colleges in the United States, but bestow 13% of all Black graduates undergraduate degrees and over 20% of Black STEM graduates. The report revealed that public HBCUs have 54% less in assets per student than public non-HBCUs, while private HBCUs have 79% less than private non-HBCUs.

The people of Virginia are entitled to hear from this present cadre of leaders as to why the legislature, and the current administration, cannot redress the wrongs of legal discrimination.

Beyond HBCUs, the reverberations of discrimination continue to shadow Virginias other colleges and universities. Virginia Commonwealth University is also plagued by extremely high rates of Black faculty turnover, estimated at 150%. A further lack of tenure-track positions limits employment security and detracts from recruiting the best professorial candidates. According to a report by the VCU Office of Institutional Equity, Effectiveness and Success, Black students attributed their own retention issues to the lack of Black professors on campus who could relate to their lived experiences. VCU administration has yet to publicly acknowledge, recognize and address this issue.

In 2018, Virginia Commonwealth University employed one white faculty member for every 20 students, with only one Black instructional faculty member for every 225 students, the greatest disparity among all faculty backgrounds. In fact, Black faculty made up merely 6.2% of all university professors  only one Black faculty member for every 40 Black students.

VCU must first acknowledge the discrepancy, and then immediately correct it. Nothing else is acceptable. Long-term solutions require long-term planning and funding  absent this, equity is unattainable.

In our neighboring state of Maryland, the legislature, led by its Black Caucus, demanded of then-Gov. Larry Hogan that his budget directly address the issue, and they were successful.

The VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs will host the 2023 Wilder School Symposium, titled HBCUs and the Absence of Support, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28. There will be a panel discussion with:

 Bob Holsworth, former dean of the Wilder School and renowned political analyst;

 Nakeina E. Douglas-Glenn, director of the Wilder School Research Institute for Social Equity;

 Wayne A.I. Frederick, the 17th president of Howard University;

 Judge Roger L. Gregory, U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit; and

 Jason Miyares, attorney general of the commonwealth of Virginia.

The event will take place at the W.E. Singleton Center for the Performing Arts. A reception with light refreshments will begin at 4:30 p.m. The event will also be livestreamed. In-person and virtual registration is strongly encouraged at bit.ly/sym2023.

We will explore the historical, current and future trends shaping the lack of investments in HBCU institutions. This event brings together key leaders to explore a vital discussion. It creates a tremendous opportunity for our students, campus community and the general public to learn firsthand the path to securing an equitable future for HBCUs in Virginia and America.

The majority of all Black doctors, dentists, lawyers and other professionals came through HCBUs such as Virginia Union, Virginia State, Hampton, Norfolk State, Howard, Morgan State, Lincoln, Morehouse, Spelman, Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina Central and Bennett, to name some of the more recognized schools.

Without the existence of VUU  currently ranked as the nations 39th best HBCU by U.S. News & World Report  I would have not been able to attain a college education. I would never have earned a law degree if Howard University were not there in the nations capital.

I will always be eternally grateful for all that has made my life more bountiful, because of HBCUs. We must ensure substantive, long-term investments to support their continued efforts.

This is not a Black or partisan issue, but it is critical to address and to make retroactive investments for past shortcomings.

There is a continuing need to educate the people of America about how our nation was built. They must come to know and to appreciate the continuing contributions of HBCUs and to assist and to preserve their heritage and importance to America.

From the archives: In 1960, The Richmond 34 were arrested during a sit-in at the Thalhimers lunch counter
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When Ta-Nehisi Coates Between the World and Me hit bookstores in 2015, lavish praise for the bestselling book constructed as a letter from a Black father to his teenage son mingled with critiques that took the authors pessimism to task.

But current events reinforce that Coates skepticism of the American dream, and the African American place in it, is warranted. For further evidence, I give you Mary Wood, a Chapin, South Carolina, teacher.

Last school year, Wood assigned her all-white Advanced Placement English and composition class readings from Between the World and Me. The fallout, as described in Hannah Natansons story in The Washington Post, represents a shameful chapter in American public education.

Coates book is literature, not a history text. But the author was effectively canceled after two of Woods students complained that the book made them ashamed to be white, running afoul of a restriction against teachers making students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress on account of their race. Wood was reprimanded; copies of Between the World and Me were collected and effectively banned in her classroom.

Having once controlled Black bodies, states like South Carolina are trying to regulate or stifle Black thought. In too many states, restraining reading about race has become a new 3 Rs of public education.

Once again, we are talking about the normalization of behavior once considered anathema, including censorship.

Its instructive that the complaining students and their parents bypassed the teacher and went straight to the school board with their complaints. One student complained that the topic was too heavy to discuss; another accused her of indoctrination, according to the Post article.

This was exactly what folks feared when numerous states, including Virginia, imposed restrictions on how race could be taught in the classroom. And so it has come to pass: Students are diming out their teachers to politicians, ripping asunder the trust required in the student-teacher relationship.

Imagine the idea that learning about peoples suffering is more traumatic than people suffering, says Julian Maxwell Hayter, a University of Richmond historian. Thats where were at.

What I wonder is if these people have ever considered what it was like for a person of color to sit in a classroom like they had constructed, Hayter said. What it felt like to read a history book where your people were inconsequential historical actors and dehumanized figures. Where they made no contribution to this country. Where all the things that were right with this country were attributed to white people. Have they ever considered the type of psychological damage that does to a Black child?

He recalled a moment in his own classroom about five years ago. The topic  punishments meted out by slave owners to incentivize work by the enslaved  was met with protests from students who found the topic too much to stomach.

I was completely exasperated, Hayter recalled. And I said, People actually had to live through this. And if you want to honor the memory of the people that endured this type of behavior, the least you can do is sit down for 10 to 15 minutes and listen to what they had to deal with.

Its not as if Hayter did not experience similar discomfort in learning about ugly history. But I learned how to deal with it. I learned how to deal with the anger. I learned how to deal with the sadness. ... We are literally impinging upon kids ability to grow into healthy adults by spoon-feeding them information that doesnt hurt their feelings.

The historic prioritization of comfort over knowledge has landed us where we are right now. The legacy of lies fed to Virginians about our history  such as those about the contented slave  have been well-documented. But Coates perspective is being dismissed as opinion, or too troubling for white students to contemplate.

As soon as you start to tiptoe around peoples feelings about the past, youre entering into extremely dangerous waters, Hayter said.

Indeed, how do you teach about dehumanizing U.S. slavery, the genocide of Americas Indigenous people and the horrors of the Holocaust while tiptoeing around white fragility?

What I fear the most is this opens up a Pandoras box of people weaponizing their own feelings about whats being taught, Hayter said. And this is leading to this kind of prosecutorial culture. What if somebody doesnt like a teacher, right? Whats to stop them from manufacturing some crisis under the guise of race that had nothing to do with this at all?

The true tragedy is that these states are robbing students of the potentially life-changing experience that comes with the ignition of critical-thinking skills.

Hayter, who grew up in Iowa, recalls reading The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, Brave New World and Catch 22, books that turned on my curiosity about the world and about other people. Such knowledge was similarly expansive for Wood, who grew up in the politically conservative South Carolina hometown that would turn on her.

If all we want to do is sit in a classroom and be affirmed about our own experiences, thats not education, Hayter said. Thats indoctrination.

He wants to make one thing clear: Talking about race is not antithetical to whiteness. Its just saying, This is how people thought about the world. If it makes you feel bad, thats something that youre going to have to deal with. But its not an indictment of your identity; its a delineation of historical action.

During his debate with Glenn Youngkin in September 2021, gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe said, I dont think parents should be telling schools what they should teach. It was an election-turning gaffe by the former governor. But recent history, sadly, is vindicating McAuliffe. Im not a politician, so I can say it: This misguided parents rights movement has been destructive to public education, diversity and democracy.

The comforting embrace of mythology is a poor substitute for history. Nostalgia cannot erase the hostility experienced by so many Americans. And not talking about that hostility not only impinges upon our ability to tell an accurate history; in some ways, I think, it impinges upon our ability to deal with present difficulties, Hayter said.

When politicians insist on getting between the real world and these students, they prove Coates point.

From the Archives: The Richmond City Jail farm Jail Farm Jail Farm Jail Farm Jail Farm Jail Farm Jail Farm
Can you be held personally liable for reposting something defamatory on social media? A Richmond federal judge recently held that you can be.

The judge made this ruling in a case with jaw-dropping allegations. The case hasnt yet gone to trial, and nothing has been proven, so Ill refrain from giving the litigants real names.

It concerns an allegation by a woman, whom Ill call Jane Doe, that her employer, a Petersburg attorney, beat her up during a limo ride and later defamed her on Facebook. Riding in the same limo was the attorneys wife, whose potential legal liability for defamation is the focus here.

Jane Doe worked for the attorney by driving him in a limo to court appearances and other things. Heres what she contends happened:

She was riding home from a social event in the limo with the attorney and his wife (someone else was driving). All had been drinking.

The attorneys wife complained about her appearance in photos Doe took that evening. Things turned ugly. The attorney pushed Doe off her limo seat and beat her in the face.

The attorney and his wife then dropped Doe off at her house in Petersburg. She tried to call 911, but he got into the house and stopped the call. He assaulted her again in her bedroom with enough violence to break a TV and table. He later washed her up while she was in shock, apologized, and put her to bed.

Amazingly, the attorney and his wife somehow got Doe to travel with them the next day to Lexington for a court appearance. She was held in Lexington against her will for a few days while the attorney attended to business there because Doe had no other way home.

Records show that, later, Doe and the attorney each attempted to press criminal charges against the other. The authorities ultimately declined to prosecute any charges.

Then things got rolling on social media. The attorney went on a Facebook campaign against Doe. He didnt use her full name but used enough that some might identify her.

He kept comparing her to a real-life convicted murderer with a similar name who is serving a life sentence in Missouri and is portrayed in a Netflix show.

He accused Doe of lying and seeking to cast blame on innocent victims after perpetrating unthinkable crimes against them. He said she was motivated by greed and a desire for control over others. He said she was completely self-centered, manipulative, and (a) dangerous parasite. He later wrote that she schemed to get money by fixed verdicts and shady claims. He posted a lot more like that.

The attorneys wife joined in with her own posts attacking Doe. But, relevant here, the wife also reposted on Facebook some of her husbands Facebook posts attacking Doe.

Doe sued the attorney and his wife for defamation, among other things. Counsel representing the attorney and his wife moved to dismiss parts of the case as not stating valid legal claims. Counsel argued that the wife cant be liable for the stuff her husband wrote on Facebook and she only reposted. The court recently rejected that argument.

Defamation is the publication of a defamatory statement with the requisite intent. A defamatory statement is one that is false and harms the targeted persons reputation in the estimation of others.

Here is the courts key ruling: Repetition of anothers words does not release one of the [sic] responsibility if the repeater knows that the words are false or inherently improbable or there are obvious reasons to doubt the veracity of the person quoted.

The wife also tried to defend her Facebook activity by arguing she was just expressing her opinion about Doe. Statements couched as opinions are not defamation unless a reasonable person hearing the statement would interpret it as a factual claim.

The wife argued she was just opining that Doe is a liar. The court held that whether calling someone a liar is defamation depends upon how you do it. If the best interpretation is that you are just disapproving of what the person said, thats not defamation. But if your statement is best interpreted as saying that the person is intentionally stating falsehoods, that can be defamation.

What lessons can we learn from this mess?

Most importantly, dont repost or retweet something you see on social media that might defame someone else. You are not insulated from liability just because you arent the original author.

Finally, while expressing opinions isnt defamatory, dont cut it close and try to couch a nasty allegation against someone as your opinion.
The cost of dealing with a hazardous chemical that contaminated the Roanoke River and Spring Hollow reservoir could be covered by a nearly $1.2 billion settlement of actual and potential litigation nationwide.

In late August, a federal judge granted preliminary approval of a settlement in which The Chemours Company and other defendants will compensate public water systems that have been exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as forever chemicals.

The Western Virginia Water Authority received a notice last week that it is eligible to collect from the settlement, Executive Director Michael McEvoy said.

A forever chemical called GenX, used in the manufacture of many consumer products, made its way into the Roanoke Valleys drinking water from a Chemours plant in West Virginia.

McEvoy said the authority  which will spend millions to treat GenX-tainted water in the Spring Hollow reservoir  is evaluating the details of the settlement and has yet to take formal action.

Claims related to PFAS contamination of public drinking water across the country have been consolidated into a single case in South Carolinas federal court. U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel will decide at a Dec. 14 hearing whether to give final approval to the settlement.

The water authority, which serves about 69,000 customers in the Roanoke Valley, will have until 60 days after the effective date of the settlement to file a claim.

Although the total amount of damages is still being calculated, the authoritys board voted last year to approve about $13.5 million in improvements to a carbon filtering system that reduces the GenX concentration to acceptable levels before water is distributed to customers.

Chemours, Dupont de Nemours Inc. and Corteva Inc. deny allegations that a variety of chemicals used in their manufacturing processes contaminated public drinking water sources, according to court documents. But the companies have agreed to pay $1.185 billion to resolve all litigation.

It was not clear how many water systems have potential claims. Calls to the Angeion Group, an independent settlement administration company involved in the class action case, and an attorney representing the potential claimants, were not returned Friday.

GenX lingers in Spring Hollow

GenX was first detected in Spring Hollow in early 2020, at levels of about 60 parts per trillion. Later tests found that it was also in the nearby Roanoke River, from which water is pumped to fill the western Roanoke County reservoir, at even higher concentrations.

A health advisory issued last summer by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommends no more than 10 parts per trillion over a lifetime of consumption.

Last November, an investigation by the water authority and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality traced the source of contamination to ProChem Inc. of Elliston, a company about five miles upstream of Spring Hollow.

ProChem had been hired to conduct chemical washing of equipment from Chemours, which uses GenX at a West Virginia plant. In a statement issued last year, ProChem said it had no knowledge that it was servicing GenX-tainted equipment.

Wastewater from the process was dumped into a sanitary sewer that routed it to a public treatment plant, where it was then released into the South Fork of the Roanoke River. ProChem cancelled its contract with Chemours, and since then contamination levels in the river have slowly decreased.

However, the level in Spring Hollow  which has served as a collection basin of sorts for the chemical  has remained in the range of 40 to 50 parts per trillion since last year, when pumping from the Roanoke River was temporarily stopped.

The filtering system at the reservoir has brought the level down to below the EPAs health advisory, although the water authority has had to regularly replace the carbon units used in the process. Pumping water from the river resumed in late July.

ProChem is not part of the settlement agreement with Chemours. A spokeswoman for the company said Friday that it has been testing its wastewater regularly, and the latest sample did not show a presence of GenX.

GenX is one of more than 6,000 forever chemicals that can repel heat, oil and water. PFAS are widely used in the manufacture of a variety of consumer products that include non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, carpet, upholstery, cosmetics, fast-food wrappings and other items. They are called forever chemicals because they break down very slowly once released into the environment.

Concerns about the chemicals have grown in recent years with the advancement of testing that can detect amounts that, while tiny, can pose health risks.

Studies have found that exposure PFAS can increase the risk of kidney, prostrate and testicular cancers, cause harm to fetal and infant development, and lead to reduced immune system functions.

No excuse for waiting

Last Wednesday, environmental group Wild Virginia launched a campaign against PFAS pollution.

The good thing is that we already have strong tools to identify and eliminate many sources of PFAS pollution to our waters and land, through the Clean Water Act and state law, the groups conservation director, David Sligh, said in an announcement of an effort aimed at regulators.

The problem is that the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is refusing to do its duty and fully use the regulatory tools that exist, Sligh said. There is no excuse for waiting to take action  the time to anticipate and prevent contamination is now, not after more months or years of delay.

But according to DEQ spokeswoman Irina Calos, the agency is not actively pursuing enforcement because there are currently no water quality standards for forever chemicals like GenX.

The health advisory does not have any regulatory weight. Earlier this year, EPA proposed a national drinking water standard that would require public utilities to test for PFAS and take steps to reduce concentrations that exceed its limits. The new rules have not taken effect yet.

Wild Virginia said other states, including North Carolina and Michigan, have already taken steps to limit discharges.

While it has not begun any formal enforcement action, DEQ is actively involved in three cases of PFAS contamination  in the Roanoke River, the Upper Occoquan watershed in Northern Virginia and the Middle Chickahominy watershed in Eastern Virginia, Calos said.

Those efforts include investigation of sources, ambient surface monitoring, and sampling of fish tissue. If fish are determined to be carrying PFAS, it could lead to warnings about consumption similar to those already in effect for PCBs, a long-lasting carcinogenic chemical which for years was used in a variety of industrial and consumer products.

Testing of fish in the Roanoke River was done earlier this year, Calos said, but results are not expected until early 2024.

More testing underway

Meanwhile, the Virginia Department of Health continues to conduct testing for PFAS in public drinking water supplies.

A sample study of treated water conducted in 2020 found PFAS in quantities above the practical quantification limit  the lowest level that can be reliably measured  at 15 of 63 locations across the state.

The highest concentration was in Spring Hollow, according to a report from a VDH work group. A second round of statewide sampling began last year. Results are expected to be released by Nov. 1, according to Dwayne Roadcap, director of VDHs office of drinking water.

Only a small portion of public water sources have been tested, the report noted, and sampling of private wells is usually the responsibility of their owners.

Earlier this year, funding to test those wells was secured from the Virginia Environmental Emergency Response Fund. VDH offered voluntary sampling of about 80 private wells at Montgomery and Roanoke county homes and businesses in the immediate areas of ProChem and Spring Hollow.

About 20 property owners indicated an interest. The first round of samples, taken from six wells, were collected in late August and sent to laboratories, which have been flooded with requests for PFAS testing.

The health department was still waiting last week for word back from the labs.
In August a year ago, this column peered into the potential future intersection of biomedical research and Southwest Virginia agriculture.

It raised a dazzling prospect: One day in the future, the rolling farmland of Carroll and Grayson counties could be producing revolutionary crops. Those are replacement kidneys, hearts, livers and other organs to save the lives of mortally ill humans.

A daylong conference Wednesday at the Blue Ridge Crossroads Center in Galax brought that vision one step closer to reality. The nonprofit Blue Ridge Plateau Initiative brought together farmers, scientists, medical technology companies, government officials, academics and financiers.

The meetings purpose was to introduce people in the Blue Ridge Plateau region to the concept of specific pathogen-free sheep, aka SPF sheep, and how those could be a boon to the regions economy.

SPF sheep sell for roughly $3,400 per head, compared to the $200 or so a sheep would be worth in the meat market. And that kind of dollar spread gets attention from farmers and agricultural officials.

The animals are specially bred and raised to be free from 54 common livestock illnesses. The company that produces them in New Hampshire, New England Ovis, bills the sheep as the worlds healthiest.

Its owned by two veterinarians, Richard and Julie Hurley, whove spent 18 years fine-tuning the breeding and raising processes of SPF sheep.

The animals health is what makes them especially valuable to medical researchers. Not infrequently, scientists have to cancel animal studies already underway when animals become sick. By eliminating most of those variables, SPF sheep greatly reduce the chances of a study being shut down halfway through.

But the really big excitement is focused on the not-too distant future, perhaps five to 10 years down the road. Those same SPF sheep could be a source of customized organ replacements for humans.

Scientists have developed techniques to decellularize animal organs, which leaves translucent collagen husk known a ghost organ.

The ghost organs can be recellularized with human stem cells from a patient who (for example) needs a kidney. That replacement kidney wont be rejected by its human recipient, because it was crafted with the patients own cells.

Thats a huge advance compared to human-organ transplantation, which usually requires transplantees take powerful anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives.

Virginia Agriculture Secretary Joseph Guthrie moderated the conference. He was there in furtherance of the agencys mission to promote economic growth and development of Virginia agriculture.

Certainly, the value added to specific pathogen free sheep that provide for life-saving and life-enhancing improvements for people through regenerative medicine can be a way of adding that value, Guthrie said afterward.

The results for people can be extraordinary, like helping to provide a new ear to a wounded veteran or providing the tissue for a heart transplant, Guthrie said. We are interested in having more discussions and learning more about how this new venture can enhance agriculture in Southwest Virginia.

Also on hand (via video links) were officials from Bectin Dickinson and Co., which sells medical devices and technology around the world, and OviGenex, a California company that markets collagen and animal-derived biopharmaceuticals. Its one of New England Ovis biggest customers.

Among the 30 or so others present were Richard McFarland, a medical doctor and academic whos chief regulatory officer for the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute, and Richard Hann, the technology integration officer for the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University.

WFIRM, about a 90-mile drive from Galax, is the largest organization of its kind in the world and is considered the international leader in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Unfortunately, the conference wasnt hitch-free. Danny Boyer, president of the Blue Ridge Plateau Initiative, was sidelined because of COVID. An official from the University of Virginias Laboratory for Regenerative Therapeutics had to bow out due to a critical illness in his family. And a Virginia Tech official who was on the agenda had a wreck involving a deer on his way to Galax.

In the bigger picture, conferees were envisioning much more than a handful of sheep farms in Carroll and Grayson counties. For example, farms that raise SPF sheep will have to be bio-secure facilities. That requires fencing technology to keep all other critters out of an SPF sheep farm. Any outside animals could infect the SPF sheep.

Could Virginia Techs College of Engineering provide such technology? Maybe.

Humans who interact with the sheep indoors have to wear biohazard suits to prevent human-to-ovine disease transmission. And all SPF sheep are delivered by Caesarian section, to keep the lambs from becoming infected during birthing.

Thatll require a small army of veterinarians, or perhaps veterinarians-in-training, from places such as Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine in Blacksburg, and workforce training.

Organizers at the conference believe they could pull off the SPF sheep endeavor in Virginia with $15 million to $20 million. They dont have that money yet, which is one of the reasons for last weeks conference.

One of the presenters was Jack Wall, co-owner of a Floyd company called SWVA Biochar. It markets purified carbon produced from wood waste in giant kilns. One of biochars many uses is as bedding material in chicken houses. Chickens raised on biochar bedding are bigger and healthier than other chickens, he said. Wall can envision similar applications with SPF sheep.

The challenge, Wall noted, is that currently, nobodys committed any money whatsoever.

We have a nonprofit [the Blue Ridge Plateau Initiative] thats all made up of volunteers. We dont even have a building, Wall said.

Carl Knoblock, a U.S. Small Business Administration official, said the organizers chief challenge right now is theyre pitching sheep, an investment unlikely to attract big money interests.

Pitch what the impact is going to be, Knoblock exhorted the conferees. Millions and billions of dollars and jobs that are created from these sheep  This is going to be a global product.

Knoblock told me afterwards, I think if they change their pitch deck, theyll get the capital.

Southwest Virginia is a natural place for this innovative venture with our excellent grazing for sheep, a College of Veterinary Medicine nearby at Virginia Tech, and the close proximity of great medical research at places like Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia, Guthrie said. We are interested in having more discussions and learning more about how this new venture can enhance agriculture in Southwest Virginia.

Mikael Pyrtel, a senior partner at New England Ovis, said the most important aspect of Wednesdays meeting was that it brought together a diverse array of different people and organizations that are all interested in the SPF sheep applications in regenerative medicine.

This is a consortium in its early phases, Pyrtel said. Thats one of the reasons this meeting is so important. Weve got academia, government officials, the finance sector, and the private sector here for a concentrated period of time.

What we heard and saw was a lot of potential partners, he added.

Dan Casey (540) 981-3423
RICHMOND  Beato Hernandez has slowly built a small empire of Hispanic stores in the Richmond area that sell groceries, goods and hot foods, such as pork, grilled chicken, jalapenos and yucca.

Having immigrated to the Richmond area from the Mexican state of Guerrero at 15 years old, hes grown his business alongside the blossoming Latino community thats become a fixture of the region.

Now, a little less than a decade after starting his first business from a food truck in 2012, Hernandez is ready for the next step: a local manufacturing operation capable of churning out 12,000 tortillas per hour.

A factory and store, Tortilleria Mixteca, is the fifth and flagship location for his business, which has four stores in the Richmond area and one in Fredericksburg. The factory is the first large-scale piece of the company, which he hopes will go coast-to-coast one day, selling authentic tortillas made using the nixtamal technique to stores and big-box food sellers. The factory had a grand opening in late August and has about a dozen employees.

The nixtamal technique dates back to the Aztec empire in the mountains of southern Mexico around 1200 to 1500 B.C.

Its a traditional way of making tortillas, but its a longer process, Hernandez said through a translator. Other people use a flour thats already premixed, adding only water. This has a whole process in how the corn is softened and then soaked before being milled and put with other ingredients.

Businesses like this are transformational

The tortilleria at 5172 Nine Mile Road in Henrico County is similar to Hernandezs other locations with foods prepared from a kitchen and a store selling Latino goods and foods in the front. However, its backroom houses the factory machines where he will be producing tortillas for sale in the Richmond area. He took about eight months to take the site from next to nothing, except for a few windows and the walls, to a complete operation.

Tortilla manufacturing will begin in the coming weeks. At first, Hernandez wants to create a strong base of sales in Virginia before expanding into other states.

Hernandez is Mixtecan, an Indigenous community of people within the southern mountainous region of Mexico. There, he worked at a small store with his parents where they had only one shelf. That was the start of his entrepreneurial education.

Its a small community that is underprivileged. We dont have access to good health care or education. There are schools, but only elementary schools; there are no middle or high schools, Hernandez said. If you want to study, you have to leave the city. I knew I couldnt do more, so I wanted to come here where I had more opportunity.

He lived with his 19-year-old brother who had come over a few years before him. At first, he attended Hermitage High School for about six months before leaving to work in a warehouse to earn money for his family.

In 2012, he started a food truck selling American favorites, such as hot dogs and hamburgers. He said the idea at first was just to get started making money before eventually shifting to Latino dishes.

Hernandezs first business, a store called Tortilleria Azteca, opened in 2014 on Hull Street Road. From there, things steadily grew, with Hernandez opening two restaurants before expanding into Fredericksburg, which has been his most successful location to date.

I loved the historical stories (about Fredericksburg), like that Washington lived there, and I was always interested in that city and visiting it, Hernandez said. I saw that there wasnt any Latino markets or stores or tortillerias, so I thought I would make one there.

The goal now, he says, is for the Henrico location to be his biggest and bestselling spot in the bunch.

When starting out, Hernandez enlisted the help of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to get advice from the areas bilingual business center.

Michel Zajur, founder and CEO of the chamber, explained that Latino foods are not only for immigrants, but also for all Americans.

Tortillas, salsa and other food  even culture of the Latino community has become more mainstream now, Zajur said. People like to experience different things, and I think businesses like this are transformational for the Richmond community.

Zajur first came to Richmond in the 1960s when his family started the first authentic Mexican restaurant in the region, La Siesta, at 9900 Midlothian Turnpike. It lasted for more than 30 years and was a pillar for the areas small Hispanic community at the time. Then, the community grew.

Helping Richmond and back home

Richmond is sort of unique. In many places, Hispanic communities grew out of one area, but in Richmond, it was more sporadic throughout the area, Zajur said. A lot of times, its grown around churches. Chesterfield is also the fifth-largest hub of Latinos in the state of Virginia.

He notes that Hernandez, as a Mixtecan, is part of a specific community within the larger Mexican nationality.

Theres a sizable Mixtecan community here in Richmond. Years ago, we even brought a Mexican consulate here, because he didnt realize there existed a community like this, Zajur said. They dont necessarily speak Spanish; its an Indigenous language.

Hernandez has become a leader within his community due to the success and visibility of his businesses in the area.

We are Mixtecan. In the mountains of Guerrero, we dont have much. The government doesnt really take care of us back home in Mexico, and everything that we have is because we built it ourselves, Hernandez said. There is a lot of discrimination against the Indigenous community in Mexico, and that motivates me to send a message to people to say that you can do it; you can become someone.

He has already helped two of his fellow Mixtecan immigrants start their own tortillerias in Manassas and Alabama. One is called Tortilleria Sol de Dia; the other is Tortilleria Guerrero.

I want to help both in Richmond and back home. I want to share my experience and knowledge to inspire the Indigenous community and Latinos in general to create their own businesses, Hernandez said. I feel really good, and I feel satisfied, but I want to do more for the community.
With the start of a new school year, Virginia parents are once again packing lunches and making sure their kids get to the school bus on time. This is a great opportunity for parents and policymakers to discuss education reform and how we can improve education for our children, especially in rural areas. Thankfully, momentum is building for the kinds of reform we need to improve education and enhance our childrens futures.

I recently led a summit in Lynchburg with about 40 concerned parents to brainstorm education reform initiatives. We were joined by local and state lawmakers. What we learned is that parents want options and two key reforms dominated the discussion on how to achieve that: parental tax credits and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). Both reforms will likely be considered by Virginia lawmakers during the upcoming legislative session.

Under ESAs, parents would have the freedom to spend education dollars on schools either within or outside their Zip codes, including at private schools. Parents could use the money to hire private tutors and therapists or spend it on textbooks and online classes; the choice would be entirely up to them. The flexibility of ESAs opens up more opportunities for students of every income bracket to reach their dreams through personalized education that fits their needs and caters to their unique learning styles.

The impact of ESAs would be especially powerful in rural areas, as proven by the experience of Arizona and Florida. These states implemented ESAs, and by doing so, rural private school enrollment has doubled over the past two decades. Theres no reason Virginia couldnt experience the same type of growth in rural private school enrollment if ESAs were implemented here.

Another idea we discussed is a parental tax credit. Qualifying families would simply record their education-related expenses throughout the school year to receive the credit and reduce their tax burden at the end of the year.

Just this year, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed a Parental Choice Tax Credit into state law, following in the footsteps of nine other states with similar programs. Every Oklahoma student is now eligible to claim the tax credit of up to $7,000 to cover educational expenses. Oklahomas tax credit legislation serves as a promising model for Virginia lawmakers committed to advancing education opportunity in their communities.

We have heard from Virginians across the state that they want to ensure public schools are unharmed by education choice and worry that these programs will cause public schools to suffer if we divert funding elsewhere. ESAs have not led to public schools shutting down in any other states where they have been implemented and instead have allowed for smaller classroom sizes and more dollars per student. The tax credit does not pull from education funding and would not impact public schools.

Both programs, if enacted, would spur important reforms inside the public school system, as school administrators will finally be forced to compete to keep their students. Public school administrators will be motivated to improve their curriculums or make other institutional changes.

One of those changes will be limiting class sizes, allowing teachers to give more individualized attention to each student and improving the quality of education available to all. A Lynchburg city school board member made that point at our education summit this summer.

ESAs and a parental tax credit are two innovative ideas that Virginia lawmakers should consider during the upcoming legislative session. Our hope is that the legislature doesnt simply choose between the two programs but that they enact both. The benefits would accrue to rural communities who desperately need education alternatives. The driving force for change wont start in Richmond, however; it will come from parents. We, as parents, must urge our elected officials and those running for office to actively champion these policies and demand school choice this upcoming session.
As of May 2017, wind power made up about 8 percent of electricity production in the United States. That's no small feat, considering that wind is now the leader in renewable energy sources.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Vision aims for wind energy to provide 20 percent of U.S. electrical demand by 2030, and a whopping 35 percent by 2050.

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Globally, wind energy is flexing its muscles too. As of April 2019, more than 90 countries jumped on the wind power bandwagon, and 30 of those have more than 1 gigawatt of installed capacity.

When it comes to championing wind, Denmark takes the crown with 41 percent of its electricity generation coming from wind power.
" " Renaissance mathematicians were the first to come up with the idea of imaginary numbers. imagestockdesign/shutterstock

In Dan Brown's mega-bestselling 2003 mystery thriller "The Da Vinci Code," there's a bit of repartee in the book between the book's hero, Robert Langdon, and cryptographer Sophie Neveu, in which she expresses skepticism about value "of religious believers living by faiths that include miraculous occurrences. It appears their reality is false," she sneers.

Langdon laughs, and says that those beliefs are no more bogus "than that of a mathematical cryptographer who believes in the imaginary number 'i' because it helps her break codes."

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For those of us who aren't mathematically inclined, Langdon's joke was a bit puzzling. What in the heck is he talking about when he says that a number is imaginary? How could that be?

As it turns out, though, an imaginary number  basically, a number that, when squared, results in a negative number  really is a thing in mathematics, first discovered back in the 1400s and 1500s as a way to solve certain bedeviling equations. While initially thought of as sort of a parlor trick, in the centuries since, they've come to be viewed as a tool for conceptualizing the world in complex ways, and today are useful in fields ranging from electrical engineering to quantum mechanics.

"We invented imaginary numbers for some of the same reasons that we invented negative numbers," explains Cristopher Moore. He's a physicist at the Santa Fe Institute, an independent research institution in New Mexico, and co-author, with Stephan Mertens, of the 2011 book "The Nature of Computation."

"Start with ordinary arithmetic," Moore continues. "What is two minus seven? If you've never heard of negative numbers, that doesn't make sense. There's no answer. You can't have negative five apples, right? But think of it this way. You could owe me five apples, or five dollars. Once people started doing accounting and bookkeeping, we needed that concept." Similarly, today we're all familiar with the idea that if we write big checks to pay for things, but don't have enough money to cover them, we could have a negative balance in our bank accounts.
First identified in the 1940s, plutonium has been used for both creative and destructive purposes. The late physicist John Goffman once called plutonium "the element of the lord of hell." A linguist might be inclined to agree.

But first a bit more about this element. Every atom of plutonium contains 94 protons. By contrast, there are only 92 protons per uranium atom and 93 in each neptunium atom.

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Since those two elements were both named after the ancient gods  and planets  Uranus and Neptune, plutonium got the same treatment.

"Plutonium was discovered by Glenn Seaborg and co-workers at Berkeley Laboratory (CA) in late 1940," says Peter C. Burns, a chemist at the University of Notre Dame, in an email.

Ten years earlier, astronomers had observed a new dwarf planet near Neptune. To honor the Roman god of the underworld, it was dubbed "Pluto." And plutonium derives its name from that heavenly body.

Originally, Seaborg and company were able to produce plutonium by using a cyclotron particle accelerator at Berkeley. With this device, particles called "deuterons" were fired at a uranium sample. The experiment created a small amount of neptunium, which then became plutonium through a decaying process.

The first weighable plutonium sample was created at the University of Chicago Aug. 20, 1942. By that point, some parties had recognized the element's military potential.

Plutonium atoms always come with 94 protons. But the neutron count can vary, and chemists refer to these variations as "isotopes." Uranium has isotopes as well. One of these, called uranium-235 (U-235), was soon identified as a potential fuel source for atomic bombs. Shortly after its discovery, plutonium entered the conversation as another way to power nuclear weapons. The Atomic Age was about to begin.

Today, for all practical purposes, there are two kinds of plutonium: reactor-grade and weapons-grade. Plutonium was the key ingredient behind "Fat Man," the nuclear bomb that decimated Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945, killing tens of thousands of people and effectively ending World War II.

" " The Trinity explosion, seen here 16 milliseconds after detonation, was the first nuclear explosion on Earth. It had a plutonium core. Los Alamos National Laboratory
Once a year some high schools, colleges, universities, and faith houses celebrate what is commonly referred to as a homecoming.

Homecoming is defined as The tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organizations existence. Such will be the case for Wilson High School during the week of October 1  8, 2023. The celebration is arguably one of its kind for a high school founded in 1866, 157 years ago.

As a proud member of 1964 graduation class of Wilson High School, I can tell you there is nothing, absolutely nothing like a Wilson High School homecoming in Florence, South Carolina. Through the years there have been friendly and some deceitful arguments about which class was and is the best graduation class of Wilson. However, when we get beyond those discussions, we settle into the participation in the weeklong activities that have been planned by members of the Florence Chapter of the Wilson High School Alumni Association.

In their book titled Healthy Leadership, Lee J. Colan and Julie Davis-Colan discuss a healthy leadership practice about connection. Among the many valuable points made throughout the book is one that states Healthy leaders are bridge builders and one important bridge they build is between a team members work and a bigger purpose. Being blessed with living members of the graduation classes of the late 1920s to the present, homecoming at Wilson provides an opportunity for its alumni, administrators, faculty, support staff, students, and school community, past and present, to connect with the purpose of celebrating the goodness of our alma mater. Opportunities are also provided for genuinely making all persons feel that they belong, and making all feel appreciated by word and deed. From the segregated environment and surroundings at the southwest corner of Dargan and Palmetto streets to the 300 block of Athens Street, to 1200 N. Irby St., to the desegregated student body and faculty in 1970 at 1200 N. Irby St., to the present site at 1411 Old Marion Highway  Weve Come This Far By Faith and perseverance.

Can you show me another formerly predominately African American high school that is currently being led by an African American principal and includes an International Baccalaureate Program? Can you show me another formerly segregated high school that was predominately African American that has a diverse population of 1,326 student with 269 white students, five Pacific/Hawaiian students, six Mixed students, 54 Asian Students, 10 American Indian students, and 982 African American students? We are all Wilson Tigers and during this homecoming we should sing our alma mater with greater purpose. Too, we ought to sing with new meaning Bless Be The Tie That Binds. Too, in the midst of our celebrative activities, let us remember our deceased alumni, classmates, faculty, staff, and other community members.

Homecoming this year at Wilson, like in previous years, provides an opportunity to have fun and fellowship. The event planners are to be commended for their unselfish services. Participation by all will hopefully focus on what we have in common as individuals and as classes, rather than the negative. Wilson High Schools homecoming needs to be purpose driven by everyone, irrespective of class membership, race, gender, address, socio-economic status, job status, or any other differences. We cannot join hands enough to sing,

Lift Happy Voices Praises Unfold

Hail the Purple and the Gold

Let Songs of Gladness Rise to the Sky

For Dear Ol Wilson High

And Strive to Show as We Go, Ability and Power

To Do the Right, With All Our Might

Through Every Changing Hour.

With Loyalty, Courage, and Hope

Our Lives Shall Ere Blessed

And Ever For Our Alma Mater

We Work And Do Our Best

As on we go, our aim shall grow

Our cheers will ever cry,

To do the Right, with all our might

For Thee, Dear Wilson High.
[Source]

A security officer in the Philippines is under investigation for allegedly stealing $300 from a passenger and attempting to swallow the stolen cash.

Caught on cam: The incident, which occurred on Sept. 8, involved a female security officer at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 who allegedly pilfered money from a departing Chinese passenger during a manual bag inspection.

CCTV footage captured security screening officer (SSO) Irency Morados turning away from another passenger and discreetly placing something into her waist area. A report by airport authorities detailed that X-ray operator Regino Allen Pollante handed a bottle of water to Morados, who appeared to be "edgy and restless," in an act of seeming "connivance," according to Manila Bulletin. She is then seen attempting to swallow the stolen bills, even as her supervisor, Abraham de Luna, was seemingly communicating with her, the report noted.



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Maximum penalty: While de Luna, who was accused of apparently ensuring that the bills are dispatched to preclude any evidence," has been suspended along with Morados and Pollante, and their access passes revoked, the investigation continues to determine the full extent of the alleged theft and any potential accomplices.

Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista has authorized the Office of Transportation Security (OTS) to take immediate action, directing them to file charges and impose the "maximum penalty" against all involved.

While it remains uncertain whether the passenger, named Mr. Cai, will pursue criminal charges, airport authorities have already coordinated with the Philippine National Police's Aviation Security Group.

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Social media reactions: This incident has garnered attention online, with social media users expressing a range of reactions from humor to criticism.

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Wait... So how will she get those bills back? wondered a user on X.

Talk about desperation! a commenter wrote.

More from NextShark: 3 Vietnamese men wounded at hot pot restaurant shooting in Garden Grove, California

I might re-think my plan to visit the Philippines this year, commented another.

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NYC Mayor Adams condemns anti-Hindu hate crimes following latest Gandhi statue vandalization
NEW YORK  U.S. health officials are recommending RSV vaccinations for moms-to-be, a second new option to protect newborns from serious lung infections.

The shots should be given late in pregnancy but only during RSV season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

This is another new tool we can use this fall and winter to help protect lives, CDC Director Dr. Mandy Cohen said in a statement Friday.

Cohen signed off after a CDC advisory panel backed the vaccine. The only opposition came from a panel member who found the recommendation "incredibly complicated.

A month ago, the agency recommended another option for infants to guard against severe RSV: lab-made antibodies given to babies younger than 8 months before their first RSV season. A single dose is given to babies by injection after they are born.

Most infants will likely only need protection from one  either the mom's vaccine or the antibodies  but not both, Cohen said.

There is no head-to-head study that answers which is more effective, and no published research on how safe it is to give both. And they are both expensive, although the cost will be ultimately covered by insurance.

The RSV vaccine, made by Pfizer, should only be given between 32 weeks and 36 weeks of pregnancy. The shot prompts the moms-to-be to develop virus-fighting antibodies that pass through the placenta to the fetus. Protection in newborns likely drops after 6 months of age, so the shot is for use between September and January in most of the U.S., to coincide with the time of year when RSV infections tend to be most common.

A baby born in April, for example, may not have much immunity left from the mother's vaccination by the time the fall RSV season comes around.

It really depends on when the due date is as to how impactful this vaccination will be, said Dr. Grace Lee, chair of the CDC advisory panel.

RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of coldlike symptoms. A surge last year filled hospitals with wheezing children, but far more U.S. seniors are hospitalized and die from the virus.

Two new vaccines were recently approved for Americans age 60 and older. There isn't a vaccine for children.

Some CDC panel members who ultimately supported the recommendation expressed reservations. Available data suggests the antibodies are a more cost-effective  and probably longer-lasting  way to prevent severe illness in infants. Several also balked at the $295-a-dose price Pfizer has been charging for the same RSV vaccine for seniors, called Abrysvo.

80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventablehere's a closer look at maternal mortality in the US 80% of pregnancy-related deaths are preventablehere's a closer look at maternal mortality in the US Before the pandemic, the rate of pregnancy-related deaths approached 18 per 100,000 live births The overall national rate obscures significant racial disparities Causes of death demonstrate additional disparities
SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to approve another agreement between the city and a North Carolina limited liability company for the management and operation of the climbing wall at Long Lines Family Rec Center.

In July, the council green-lighted a three-month agreement between the city and Charlotte-based Whitewater, which runs through Sept. 30. Whitewater has been managing the climbing wall since June 1, 2022.

Under the terms of the most recently proposed agreement, Whitewater would manage and operate the climbing wall, party room, office, reception counter and small lobby located in Long Lines Family Recreation Center from Oct. 1, 2023 to Sept. 30, 2024 and receive a monthly management fee of $8,333.

The management agreement would be funded through the Long Lines Family Recreation Center's operating budget. A total budget of $100,000 was approved in FY24 for the management fee.

The Sioux City Parks and Recreation Foundation also approved a donation of $50,000 to be applied to the operating budget revenue, according to city documents. The council will also be asked Monday to vote to accept that donation.

Long Lines Family Rec Center climbing wall (copy) The climbing wall inside Long Lines Family Rec Center is shown in 2020. The Sioux City Council will be asked Monday to approve another agreeme

In May 2022, the council first approved an agreement between the city and Whitewater for the management and operation of the climbing wall, which had become one of the "most underused and underpromoted recreational assets" under the Sioux City Parks and Recreation Department. The city agreed to compensate Whitewater an annual payment of $100,000, plus all revenue for management of the climbing wall beginning July 1, 2022 and ending June 30, 2023.

In June, Sioux City Parks and Recreation Director Matt Salvatore indicated in a statement that Whitewater would no longer be managing the climbing wall after the expiration of the initial agreement.

At that time, Salvatore said he thought Whitewater revitalized local interest in climbing, but noted that the financial structure associated with the wall's operations didn't improve as the city had hoped.

Then, a few days later on June 5, Salvatore recommended a contract extension with Whitewater to the council, in order for discussions between the city, Whitewater and the climbing community to continue.

The climbing wall, which was first unveiled to the public in March 2006, was produced and installed by Entre Prises USA Inc. of Bend, Oregon. It offers 5,900 square feet of climbing space. The main wall is 52 feet, 6 inches tall at its highest point. The competitive section is 42 feet tall and features a 12-foot overhang. The climbing wall is made of imprint and crystal plywood and includes a 13-foot tall free-standing boulder.

The wall took about two years from the initial planning stages to complete and ended up costing around $400,000. The city, private donations and a grant from Vision Iowa covered the cost of it.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the rec center and climbing wall were closed to the public from March 13 to June 22, 2020. When the facility reopened, belaying services at the climbing wall could not be offered due to social distancing guidelines and limited staffing availability. Most of the part-time staff did not return after the long layoff.

Parks and Recreation staff began researching for and contacting private operators that could manage the climbing wall. Whitewater emerged as the lone interested party.

Whitewater's owner and upper management visited Sioux City in June 2021 and came to the conclusion that Siouxland was a promising market.
Agreement on revival of nuclear deal "within reach" if U.S. quits "contradictory behaviors": Iranian FM

Xinhua) 14:17, September 24, 2023

TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has said that an agreement on the revival of a 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), will be "within reach" if the United States stops its "contradictory behaviors," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday.

Amir-Abdollahian made the remarks to reporters on Friday in New York while elaborating on his meetings on the sidelines of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), said the report.

"We believe that, in view of the prisoner swap conducted between Iran and the U.S. earlier this week, if the American side quits its contradictory behaviors and shows its real intention, achieving an agreement for all parties' return to the JCPOA and the removal of sanctions on Tehran will not be out of reach," the report quoted the minister as saying.

Amir-Abdollahian noted that he met with members of an American think tank and a number of former U.S. officials in New York to explicitly discuss bilateral issues, one of which was the "wrong" approach of the U.S. toward Iran and the JCPOA.

Iran and the U.S. conducted a prisoner swap on Monday, with each side releasing five detainees under a Qatar-brokered agreement.

Also on Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said Iran is open to indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. on the sidelines of the UNGA, which had seen the attendance of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, leading a high-ranking delegation.

Iran signed the JCPOA with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear program in return for the removal of sanctions on the country. The U.S., however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its unilateral sanctions on Tehran, prompting the latter to drop some of its nuclear commitments under the deal.

The talks on the revival of the JCPOA began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. Despite several rounds of talks, no significant breakthrough has been achieved since the end of the last round in August 2022.

(Web editor: Zhao Tong, Liu Ning)
North Bend Central School District Superintendent Patrick Ningen has one hope in the aftermath of an unexpected controversy centered on a district student holding a sign with a racist message on it: To turn a bad situation into a learning moment.

The posting was made to an online forum and was quickly deleted, but not before the image was captured by others and spread online with messages of stunned outrage, insults and anger.

According to Ningen, the student shown in the photograph was accompanied by another person who is not a student in the district. The pair held a homemade poster-board sign with a racist message related to homecoming.

Ningen stressed that the incident did not happen on school district property; did not involve any school district staff; and that no district resources were used to make the sign, photograph or social media posting.

District privacy policies prohibit staff from releasing the name of the student involved. Because the actions occurred off campus and did not involve school resources, officials are unsure about possible punishment and have consulted with an attorney, he added.

When he first learned of the posting on an online forum, Ningen said his stomach churned.

I was very disappointed. To have something posted for the world to see and with kids growing up to being so aware (of racism), it disappointed me a great deal, he explained. Whether it is students or adults or whoever, these things continue to come up. So it is our job  even though it did not happen on campus  to do a better job of educating people and making it a point to do the right thing and take all of these things seriously.

Ningen said he and district administrative leaders are working feverishly to both cope with the situation on a day-to-day basis as well as develop a robust learning plan for students and staff that will be intense and in-depth.

We have been able to have some conversations with the administration team about what we can do to be better to turn a bad situation into something we can learn from. We were able to get some tangible things in place to educate the kids, Ningen said.

Ningen said a fellow education administrator from another district recommended he attend an anti-racist educator conference in Boston, and he and other administrative staff are considering anything and everything possible curriculum-wise to share an anti-racism message and teach about offensive stereotypes.

There are a number of options. I wouldnt mind it being at the room level. Sometimes having (sessions) at the gym level cant have the same impact as a small group or classroom level talk. Id like to look at all possibilities and maybe multiple (events), Ningen said of possible sessions on combating racism.

If at all possible, Id like to get more perspectives. I am open to everything. I dont want to just have an assembly and think were better than we were before, he added. I think we need a slightly different approach.

Students in the district have had varied responses to the incident, Ningen said. Some have sought out teachers for discussion about the incident and the district is making counseling sessions available as requested.

Not a whole lot has changed. Since everything came out over the weekend and on Monday. (Tuesday) was the first day of school with the kids since the photo was released. Things here in the building and district seem for the most part carrying on as normal, Ningen said.

"Kids are upset this happened, he said. It was upsetting to them, and it is not going to be something that just goes away. It is serious.

Ningen also said the false depictions of the entire North Bend community in the aftermath of the incident have disturbed him and the towns residents. He also said this incident is not reflective of the town as a whole.

Ive seen on social media people are making judgments about our town and our school. Obviously, those people dont know what North Bend Central is about or (what) surrounding communities are like, he added. We know what we are doing and what were trying to do and that is what were going to focus on. It is disappointing it happened in the first place. It was disappointing adults were involved to a degree. It is disappointing the school is being chastised for something that happened off campus.

But, we are not going to shy away from it. Were going to step up and own it and do things to make it better.

Top Journal Star photos for September 2023
Recommendations by a state panel to cut or consolidate more than 100 administrative boards and commissions in Iowa could put more than $14 million in federal funding at risk to local nonprofits and public entities.

And it may hinder efforts across the state to identify issues, raise awareness and secure resources to provide safe and affordable housing at a time when homelessness in the state and across the country is on the rise, according to federal, state and local nonprofit leaders.

A state panel released recommendations at the end of August to cut or consolidate Iowas 256 existing boards and commissions. The action is part of Gov. Kim Reynolds state government reorganization plan, signed into law earlier this year.

Among the boards and commissions proposed to be eliminated is Iowas Commission on Volunteer Service, also known as Volunteer Iowa. The 19-member commission appointed by the governor is in charge of overseeing federal funding through the AmeriCorps program in Iowa.

Federal statute requires states to have a state commission to remain eligible for these funds, which are distributed to address critical community needs, from construction of low-income housing to after-school programming to local disaster response to local food pantries.

In May, the commission announced it was awarding 21 grants to AmeriCorps state programs in Iowa totaling $9.45 million in federal grants, including Habitat for Humanity of Iowa, Green Iowa AmeriCorps at the University of Northern Iowa, Disaster PrepWise at the University of Iowa and Iowa Afterschool STEM AmeriCorps.

The commission also announced $4.85 million in Segal Education Awards, which are given to former AmeriCorps members to pay back student loans or to pay for current education expenses.

Those federal funds  totaling $14.3 million  could be at risk if the commission is eliminated, said Rachel Bruns, chief engagement officer of Americas Service Commissions. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization represents and promotes state service commissions across the United States and its territories which oversee AmeriCorps.

The result would create an unintentional and devastating impact on the nonprofit community across the state of Iowa, Bruns wrote in a letter to Iowas Boards and Commissions Review Committee.

Bruns said members of the review committee have not responded to her requests to speak with them about the recommendation.

She said she has spoken with Volunteer Iowa board members and grant recipients who were caught off-guard by the recommendation to eliminate the commission, which has historically benefited from strong bipartisan support.

There has never been any indication that there would be any reason to see a recommendation like this, Bruns said.

Former longtime Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, established the commission in 1994. And Gov. Reynolds and Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg have been long-standing champions of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service and regularly participate in their programs, including the Governors Volunteer Awards.

South Dakota only state without a service commissionDavid Faith, deputy attorney general and subcommittee member of the review of Iowas human services boards and commissions, said during last months meeting the subcommittees recommendation came because members found that AmeriCorps grants could be distributed to Iowa organizations through other means, according to reporting from Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Faith said the recommendation was proposed after subcommittee members discovered that this can be handled at the agency level, and that an alternate structure for applying for these grants can be created.

Faith did not respond to a request for comment on the recommendation.

The Committee has looked into this and believes there is a solution that will not impede future federal funding, Iowa Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen, chair of state Boards and Commissions Review Committee, said in an emailed statement. More will be discussed at the Boards and Commission Review Committee meeting on Monday.

Bruns said it is possible for Iowa to apply for an alternative administrative entity. However, that entity would need federal approval and would still require a board.

While individual organizations in Iowa could still apply for AmeriCorps funds if the commission were eliminated, she said, the state would automatically lose roughly $3 million to $4 million in formula funding. It would also mean the Iowa organizations currently receiving AmeriCorps state funds would have to apply directly, which means competing with large national nonprofits and other state service commissions across the country through the federal funding process.

Generally speaking, a smaller community-based nonprofit in Iowa would probably not be able to compete, Bruns said.

It would also disqualify the agency overseeing the administrative entity from receiving AmeriCorps funding, Bruns said.

So, for example, should the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services become responsible for distributing AmeriCorps funds, HHS programs currently receiving grants could no longer receive funding or participate in those programs under federal statute.

An HHS spokesperson said the agency is watching the recommendations closely, but could not speculate on impacts to programs and services.

The committees final recommendations will require legislative action to implement.

Only one state, South Dakota, does not have a state commission to distribute AmeriCorps funding, Bruns said. As such South Dakota only receives one AmeriCorps grant through the federal program because there is no state commission. Twenty Iowa organizations are currently receiving AmeriCorps funding.

Currently 90 percent of all AmeriCorps State programs are administered through a state service commission board of commissioners, Bruns said. And of those 90 percent of programs, theyre receiving about 75 percent to 80 percent of the total cost of funding. So state service commissions play a really important role in helping to provide training and technical assistance to these organizations to receive these funds.

Bruns said she hopes the recommendation is a misunderstanding of federal requirements, and that the state panel will change its final recommendation to continue the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Services.

Proposal devastating for cities, schools and nonprofits

Last year, more than 7,800 people volunteered throughout the state through AmeriCorps, serving at more than 800 locations across Iowa, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans facilities and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations.

Ashley Coffin is director of Green Iowa AmeriCorps based at the University of Northern Iowa. The statewide program focuses on environmental stewardship through conservation efforts, energy efficiency, environmental education and outreach, and disaster response efforts.

The group partners with roughly 25 host organizations  including schools, city governments and nonprofits  each year to place more than 100 AmeriCorps members who serve for 11-month or three-month service positions.

Its funding funnels through Volunteer Iowa.

And without it, Green Iowa wouldnt exist, realistically, Coffin said. The reality is our AmeriCorps grant, which funds over 50 percent of our total funding as a program, all has to funnel through Iowas state commission.  They are just a key step in the process for organizations like ours to access federal funds that are serving Iowans. It would be really, really devastating for us to see something like the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service be eliminated.

Like Bruns, Coffin said she hopes the recommendation to eliminate the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service is a misunderstanding and that the state panel will reverse its recommendation.

Jeff Capps is executive director of the Iowa Childrens Museum in Coralville. It serves as the fiscal sponsor for an after-school science, technology, engineering and math program that relies on AmeriCorps volunteers and funding.

After-school programs are only becoming more and more needed, he said. Engaging those children in programs that are effective and having somewhere safer for them to go  thats just critically important. Programs like the one we support with AmeriCorps are doing that work day in and day out, and are ensuring these kids have great opportunities and parents and families have the peace of mind that their kids are not just being cared for, but that theyre having a wonderful, nurturing experience.

Capps fears the tremendous negative impact if Volunteer Iowa were to dry up or be diminished in any way.

Volunteer Iowa is a central part of making that (STEM after-school program) go. In fact, they are the drivers of that program, he said. Its a federal program, but there has to be  strong oversight and there has to be strong support at the state level to be a unified program and program thats going to be successful.

As homeless counts rise, proposal would cut Council on Homelessness

The Boards and Commissions Review Committee also recommended eliminating the Iowa Council on Homelessness.

State and local housing advocates warn eliminating the statewide planning and coordinating body could leave Iowa open to missing federal resources to combat homelessness at a time when shelters across the state are full and needs for safe, affordable housing are rapidly increasing.

Homelessness in cities and states across the country, including in Linn and Johnson counties, is on the rise following the end of federal pandemic aid.

Organizations that count homeless people have seen increases in the number of unsheltered individuals in Linn and Johnson counties.

Homelessness rates nationally and locally have been climbing since 2017. The number of people living outdoors in Cedar Rapids has more than quadrupled during that time.

More than 2,400 people were homeless on a given night in Iowa, according to National Alliance to End Homelessness data.

As the states only official body charged with providing counsel to the governor and legislature on policies to address homelessness in Iowa, the recommendation seems like its probably not the right move, said Dan Garrett, chair of the Iowa Housing Partnership.

The group advocates for policy and legislation to increase accessible, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income households in Iowa.

What I can tell you from a national viewpoint and a statewide standpoint is homelessness is reaching critical levels, and it seems premature to remove something that serves as a conduit to have serious discussions about how we address homelessness in the state of Iowa.

Tim Wilson, chair of the Iowa Council on Homelessness, said state staffing to address homelessness is limited and spread across multiple agencies. Without it, there would be no forum for coordinating communication and resources, leaving Iowa open to missing opportunities for much-needed federal resources.

Governance and funding streams for federal Housing and Urban Development programs in Iowa are currently divided among four different units. The council provides a venue for statewide planning and coordination leading to more efficient and effective use of limited resources, Wilson said.

Additionally, the council has undergone extensive revision of its structure in the past three years to streamline, expand and coordinate services and resources.

Eliminating the Council before it has a real chance to demonstrate added value under the new structure does not make sense, the council wrote in a statement to the Boards and Commissions Review Committee.

The 20-member council holds bimonthly meetings attended by homeless service providers in Iowa and individuals who have experienced homelessness.

The ICH is unique in its purpose ensuring a regular convening of statewide stakeholders to collaboratively problem solve, the council said in its letter to the state panel of its recommendation. In summary, the Iowa Council on Homelessness is neither redundant nor obsolete. The issues we address and the Iowans we serve have no other discussion forum at a time when needs for safe, affordable housing are increasing rapidly.

Alicia Faust, a Cedar Rapids resident that has worked within homeless services since 2010, echoed the council.

Faust, too, worried elimination of the council would put at risk funding the state receives to support the costs of operations of shelters for people without housing and domestic violence victims, and evaluation and reporting of services for those experiencing homelessness.

Without an advocating body it leaves Iowa open to missing opportunities for those new and much-needed federal resources to combat homelessness, Faust said. The worst case scenario is it puts more pressure on homeless service agencies that are doing the boots on the ground work to also have to engage in advocacy on a higher level to receive more funding  to create and sustain affordable housing across Iowa.
Last April, I opened my email and an invitation floated out of a digital envelope: a parade of giraffes, announcing Hazels third birthday party. My sons first ever birthday party invitation! I was excited. No, Im not some weirdo who is obsessed with cupcakes arranged to look like a mermaid; Im a parent who had a baby during a pandemic. Finally, a real birthday party, something in parenting that would look like Id imagined it would. Wed get Hazel a cute little present and jump on a bouncy castle, or whatever it is you do at 3-year-old birthdays.

But then I noticed the text at the bottom of the invite: No gifts.

What kind of monster shows up at a birthday party for a 3-year-old empty-handed? I decided this line was more of a suggestion, and the next day I took my son to the toy store and we picked out a Playmobil set. It was small, $13. It seemed like a good compromise.

The day of the party came. Thats when I noticed: There were no other gifts. That line on the invite wasnt just a polite suggestion. I thought about our gift, which had seemed cute 30 seconds ago but now seemed like an assault on Hazels parents: little bunnies and tiny carrots that would end up scattered on the floor waiting to stab them in the foot. Id made a mistake.

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Later, I tweeted that I hated no gifts parties. I like buying gifts for people! Gift giving is a love language. Plus, the no gifts thing was triggering my already fragile insecurity. You dont think I can pick out a good gift for your kid? Just watch, Ill pick out a gift so good your kid will play with it until college. Your kid will take my gift to college. Your kid will be hooking up with their first girlfriend in their dorm room under a Bob Marley poster, and shell look over and say, Why do you have a Lego set of a garbage truck?

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A blogger on the local parenting website Madison Mom summed up how I was feeling, writing: The no gifts request can make guests feel unwelcome before the event even begins. Its like saying to your guests Look, I know you are going to buy gauche plastic toys that take up too much space in my house, so just forget it. Or, My snowflake lives in an abundant land of plenty. They dont need more things, unlike other gift-grubbing children. 

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The first mention of no gifts kids parties I could find started appearing on mommy blogs around 2013, where blogs like Hint Mama started offering tips for readers going to no gifts parties, like to bring a handmade card with a $5 ice-cream store certificate. Since then, the idea has become pretty common. And after my tweet took off, I was surprised to find most parents on Twitter (OK, X) disagreed with me: The conventional wisdom, it seems, is that no gifts parties are a good thing. Responses ranged from Its better for the environment, to We dont have the room for any more stuff, to Were trying to cut down on expenses for other parents who are sending their kids to up to 40 birthday parties a year. To be sure: Not every family can afford 40 Barbies. Some parents suggested alternatives like asking for books, art supplies, or even donations to an animal shelter or charity, which did all seem like good ideas.

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But I still couldnt shake a feeling I worried made me a Bad Parent. When it came time for my son to turn 3, I wanted him to have giftsthe kind kids actually get excited about, not just books or markers, but a dumb little bus filled with plastic people he can wheel around the room. And while its a nice idea, and Im never against teaching kids about charity, donations theyll never actually see the effects of dont really mean much to a person who is turning 3, 4, 5, or 6. And I wanted my sons birthday to mean something to him, not just me. There is something magical about your birthday. No other day do you get showered with presents from your friends and family. And isnt there value in teaching kids how to graciously give gifts to others for their day?

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I also wondered if no gifts parties are just an upper-middle-class white person thing. Is it really about reducing your carbon footprint and teaching your child selflessnessor, as one Twitter user suggested, is no gifts, please about white people of the Sad Beige variety, who dont want gaudy toys to clash with their decor?

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Its hard to sayas far as I can tell, anthropologists have yet to study no gifts parties in contemporary American parenting culture. Im operating with feedback from the hundreds of replies to my tweet. (People really love to debate this topic.) Author LOreal Thompson Payton is Black, and she said she put no gifts on her own kids birthday invites. We said no gifts on ours because we live in a condo and space is at a premium  and I also understand people, for cultural reasons, not wanting to show up empty handed, Payton wrote. Writer Sharon Sanders, who is also Black, said she had seen no gifts on invitations from families of different backgrounds but, Among our friends from outside the school community, more of whom are Black or other people of color, we were less likely to see a no gifts request. My takeaway is that this is less common among people of color.

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While its not necessarily just a white person thing, it does seem like no gifts is a pretty American thing. A few Brits said theyd seen invites with the stipulation, and some Canadians said toonie parties are common there (everyone brings $2 for the kid to save up for a bigger gift). But Twitter users from countries like Vietnam, Germany, and Singapore commented that theyd never heard of a party with no gifts. And it seemed like the further you got from a large metropolitan area, the less common it is to see no gifts on a birthday party invite. People in Brooklyn and D.C. said theyd never been invited to a party where no gifts wasnt on the invite, but people in more rural parts of Alabama and Michigan said the stipulation was rare, and when people did put it on the invites, guests often brought gifts anyway.

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But can we really change the deeply ingrained cultural tradition of giving gifts to children on birthdays? We all know Jesus got gifts when he was born (what baby doesnt love myrrh?), so you might think birthday gifts have been around forever, but children only started getting birthday presents around the Industrial Revolution. (According to Joe Pinsker, who wrote about birthdays for the Atlantic in 2021, there were birthday present haters then too, who thought that the celebrations were self-centered and materialistic, took attention away from God, and turned children into brats.) If gift giving for children hasnt even been around that long, and parents are drowning in stuff, and are unable to afford gifts for 40 children a year, and we are creating so much waste as a society that there is probably an island made of LOL Surprises floating around the Atlantic Ocean, maybe shifting the cultural tradition around kids birthdays isnt the worst thing in the world.

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I realized my dislike of no gifts could be one of those things people with only one kid say as if they are experts, like all you have to do to get a kid to eat vegetables is simply offer broccoli. Maybe I only like the idea of friends giving birthday gifts to my kid because I havent yet experienced the crushing defeat of sneaking a bag of toys my child hasnt touched in four years to Goodwill in the middle of the night to avoid a meltdown, or because I havent been to LOL Island and seen a sea turtle choking to death on a Bratz doll shoe.

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When it came time for my own sons birthday party, I was unsure what to put on the invitation. No gifts didnt seem right to me, because in my heart, I wanted him to have gifts. Instead, I wrote, Bring a gift if you want, but nobody will be mad or notice if you dont, and I meant it. In the end, almost everyone brought a gift, and whether it was a set of stomp rockets or just a homemade card, my son loved every single one. Maybe next year we will be converted to no gifts, but Im not ready yet.

But here is one thing we can all agree on: Abolish the party favor bag! Case closed.
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There are many types of display technology available for todays digital ecosystem. From LCD, LED, and OLED displays to FullHD, 4K and even 8K resolutions, you have many options for your small business. And this includes affordable large computer monitors

Benefits of Using a Large Computer Monitor for Work or Business

Many professionals are shifting towards the use of large computer monitors for their workstations. This trend isnt just for aesthetics; there are numerous advantages that make this switch worthwhile. Heres how a large monitor can improve your work experience:

Enhanced Productivity:

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With a bigger screen, you can run multiple applications side by side. This can significantly reduce the time spent switching between windows or tabs, streamlining your workflow.

Tasks like data analysis, graphic design, and video editing benefit from more visual real estate, allowing users to see more details without constantly zooming in and out.

Reduced Eye Strain:

Larger monitors often come with better resolutions. This provides clearer text and images, resulting in less squinting and reduced eye strain, especially during extended work sessions.

Improved Multitasking:

Managing multiple tasks becomes a breeze with a larger screen. Whether youre juggling spreadsheets, presentations, or communication tools, everything is in clear view.

Enhanced Presentation and Collaboration:

Sharing your screen during meetings or presentations is more effective with a large monitor. Viewers can easily see details, making discussions more efficient.

Immersive Experience:

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For creative professionals, a large monitor can provide a more immersive experience, making it easier to dive deep into projects.

Ready to get yourself a large computer monitor? Check out our top picks below.

Large Computer Monitors  Top Picks From Amazon

Feature/Specification Top Pick: SAMSUNG 32-Inch ViewFinity 4K UHD Runner Up: LG UltraWide Monitor 34" 21:9 QHD Best Value: Dell 32 Inch 4K Monitor Resolution 4K UHD QHD (21:9 ratio) 4K UHD Color Depth/Support 1 billion hues RGB 99% color gamut Up to 1.07 billion colors Contrast Ratio 2500:1 1000:1 3000:1 Refresh Rate Not mentioned 75Hz 60Hz Design/Border 3-sided borderless s-side virtually borderless Not mentioned Split Screen/Picture Features Picture-by-Picture Screen split PBP and PIP Ports HDMI, Display Port HDMI, Display Port, USB DisplayPort 1.2, Dual HDMI 2.0

SAMSUNG UR59 Series 32-Inch ViewFinity 4K UHD

Top Pick: Samsung takes the top spot because of the quality of its displays, whether it is TVs, smartphones, or computer monitors. This curved monitor delivers 4K UHD images while supporting a billion hues and a 2500:1 contrast ratio. Additional features include Picture-by-Picture, automatic source switch, HDMI, Display Port, 3-sided borderless, Eye Saver Mode, and more.

SAMSUNG UR59 Series 32-Inch ViewFinity 4K UHD

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Dell 32 Inch 4K Monitor, UHD

Runner Up: As a leading PC manufacturer, Dell also makes great monitors. The runner-up has 4K resolution and colors of up to 1.07 billion together with 99% sRGB with a 60Hz refresh rate. You also get multiple ports for additional peripherals including DisplayPort 1.2 and dual HDMI 2.0 ports along with built-in Picture-by-Picture (PBP) or Picture-in-Picture (PIP) features.

Dell 32 Inch 4K Monitor, UHD

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LG UltraWide Monitor 34 21:9 QHD

Best Value: Delivering the best value is this LG UltraWide monitor with a 21:9 ratio and a QHD IPS display. You get a screen split to customize your workspace along with a 75Hz refresh rate, RGB 99% color gamut, HDR10, s-side virtually borderless design, and AMD FreeSync.

LG UltraWide Monitor 34 21:9 QHD

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BenQ 34 Inch 21:9 Ultrawide QHD Monitor

BenQ is a globally recognized brand of display manufacturing. This unit has a 21:9 ultrawide QHD IPS factory-calibrated Mac monitor with AQCOLOR technology for designers. You also get a 98% P3, a KVM switch, Hotkey Puck G2, and a USB-C with 65W power delivery. Other ports include 2 HDMI ports, 1 DisplayPort, and a 4-port USB hub.

BenQ 34 Inch 21:9 Ultrawide QHD Monitor

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ViewSonic 38 Premium IPS WQHD+ Curved Ultrawide Monitor

Like BenQ, ViewSonic is also a leading brand in display manufacturing. This 38 unit has a premium IPS WQHD+ curved ultrawide monitor with a 60Hz refresh rate and ColorPro 100% sRGB Rec 709. A 14-bit 3D LUT, eye care, HDR10 support, USB C, HDMI, USB, and DisplayPort round out some of the other features.

ViewSonic 38 Premium IPS WQHD+ Curved Ultrawide Monitor

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Samsung M70 Smart 43 Inch 4K Computer Monitor

The second entry from Samsung is a great monitor with great features for the workplace. This 4K 60Hz LED display technology also gives you Smart TV Apps, Microsoft 365, voice assistant, auto source switch, AirPlay 2, USB Type-C and more.

Samsung M70 Smart 43 Inch 4K Computer Monitor

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Acer CB292CU bmiipruzx 29 UltraWide FHD

If you want an affordable quality monitor, this Acer delivers. This is an IPS Zero Frame Professional office monitor with a resolution of 25601080 and a 75Hz refresh rate. A 99% sRGB, and ErgoStand with a VESA mount, Display Port, 2 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x USB Type-C 65W and USB Ports are included in the low price.

Acer CB292CU bmiipruzx 29 UltraWide FHD

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Apple 32-inch Pro Display XDR

If you are in the Apple ecosystem and you want a display from the company, this 32 display does the job. The features of this LCD display are a Retina 6K resolution (6016 by 3384 pixels), extreme dynamic range (XDR), 1000 nits sustained, 1600 nits peak brightness, contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, P3 wide color gamut, and 10-bit color depth.

Apple 32-inch Pro Display XDR

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SAMSUNG 34-Inch Ultrawide QHD Computer Monitor

The last entry from Samsung is this 34 ultrawide curved QHD monitor with a refresh rate of 100Hz. Picture-in-picture and split-screen modes give you increased productivity, but you also get HDMI, DisplayPort, or USB Type-C connectivity with AMD Free Sync, a 4ms response time, and a 3000: 1 contrast ratio.

SAMSUNG 34-Inch Ultrawide QHD Computer Monitor

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ASUS ProArt Display 32 1440P Monitor

ASUS makes great monitors for gaming and productivity. This 32 1440P monitor has a QHD IPS display with a great refresh rate of 165Hz. Other features are 95% DCI-P3, 100% sRGB/Rec.709, Calman Verified, USB-C power delivery, DisplayPort, HDMI, USB 3.1 Hub, and a C-clamp.

ASUS ProArt Display 32 1440P Monitor

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ViewSonic 4K 32 Inch Premium IPS 4K Ergonomic Monitor

This ViewSonic delivers great value for the price with great features. It starts with 32 premium 4K IPS ergonomic monitor with ultra-thin bezels and a refresh rate of 60Hz. The features also include color accuracy, Pantone validated, HDMI, DisplayPort and USB Type-C.

ViewSonic 4K 32 Inch Premium IPS 4K Ergonomic Monitor



Buy on Amazon

Dell UltraSharp Curved USB-C Hub Monitor

At 37.5 inches, this curved Dell has a WQHD (3840 x 1600) display with a 60Hz refresh rate and an 8ms response time. The display delivers a color depth of 1.07 billion colors and 100% sRGB, 100% Rec 709, and 95% DCI-P3 with 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space. The connectivity includes DP1.4, HDMI 2.0, and super speed USB 5Gbps along with USB-C delivering 90W of power

Dell U3821DW UltraSharp Curved USB-C Hub Monitor

Buy on Amazon

What to Look for When Buying Large Computer Monitors

Most businesses now use digital technology, and this means spending hours upon hours staring at a monitor. Having the best large computer monitors with features that make you more productive is a must. But before you get a large monitor, here are some of the features you should be looking out for.

Contrast: Contrast is one of the most important factors in image quality, look for 1,000:1 to get the best results.

Color: if you are a content creator getting colors that dont match or color errors can lose you customers. Look for Delta E (dE) of 1 to 2. With dE of less than one or equal to 1.0, the error is not perceptible by the human eye and 1-2, it is perceptible through close observation. From 2-10, it is perceptible at a glance.

Screen Size: While a larger screen size may seem ideal, its not always practical or cost-effective. Get the size that your budget allows without limiting your workflow.

Curvature: Curved monitors offer a more immersive experience because they allow the eyes to take in everything at once without straining.

Resolution: Getting the highest resolution is not absolutely necessary unless you work with images with high quality. But 4K monitors are now affordable so it is easier than ever to get high-resolution monitors.

Aspect Ratio: Whether it is documents or video the right aspect ratio will improve the workflow of your operations.

Refresh Rate: This is the number of times a monitor can update every second. A higher refresh rate translates to smoother images with less latency.

Panel Types: TN panels are usually the most cost-effective, but Multi-Domain Vertical Alignment (MVA), Patterned Vertical Alignment (PVA), and In-Panel Switching (IPS) panels provide more accurate color, wider viewing angles, and better grayscale performance.

HDMI vs. DisplayPort: The best monitors come with either a DisplayPort or an HDMI port. Both carry audio and video output over a single cable, but a DisplayPort can handle 4K content with a 240Hz refresh rate, making it suitable for avid gamers.

USB C Connectivity: The best monitors come with a USB C port, which supports sound, video, and data transmission. It also has fast transmission and power delivery capabilities, allowing you to charge your devices or other peripherals.

Energy Efficiency: When buying computer monitors for your business make sure to check their energy efficiency rating and they are Energy Star compliant.

In conclusion, choosing the right computer monitor for your business depends on your needs and budget. By considering factors such as screen size, curvature, resolution and aspect ratio, refresh rate, panel types, price, HDMI vs. DisplayPort, USB C connectivity, features, ergonomics, light sensor, energy efficiency, and extras, you can select a computer monitor that will best suit your requirements.

FAQs

What Screen Size is Ideal for My Business?

While larger screen sizes offer better multitasking capabilities, smaller screens are more practical and cost-effective. For basic office tasks, a 22-inch screen size is ideal, while larger screens of 29 inches or more are perfect for multitasking.

Should I opt for a Curved Screen?

Curved screens provide an immersive experience because they let your eyes take in everything at once, without strain. Most curved monitors feel larger than their actual screen space, and the curvature allows for wider viewing angles.

What is the Best Resolution and Aspect Ratio for My Business?

Most monitors display content in high definition, with models under 22 inches typically having a 720p resolution. Larger screens are available in full high definition, while graphic designers and those who work with highly detailed images should consider a WQHD monitor with a resolution of 2,5601,440. The 16:9 aspect ratio is the most common in the marketplace, but there are other options such as the ultrawide 21:9 and the super-wide 32:9.

What is the Importance of Refresh Rate?

The refresh rate refers to the number of times a monitor can update every second, and a higher refresh rate translates to smoother images. This feature is especially important for gaming monitors, but keep in mind that your computer must also be capable of completing the process quickly to fully utilize this feature.

What Panel Type Should I Choose?

Twisted Nematic or TN panel technology is the most cost-effective but offers less accurate color and narrower viewing angles. Vertical Alignment (VA) and In-Panel Switching (IPS) panels offer wider viewing angles and better grayscale performance, making them ideal for those who need high degrees of accuracy.

What Other Features Should I Consider?

In addition to the basics, some of the best monitors come with a USB C port for a clean and minimalist setup, a blue light filter to reduce eye irritation, and built-in ambient light sensors for automated brightness and screen dimming. Consider buying a computer soundbar for high-quality sound, and check if the monitor comes with VESA-compliant mounting holes and a warranty that covers backlighting, labor, and parts.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/germany-seeking-to-introduce-border-controls-with-poland-czech-republic---minister-1113615587.html

Germany Seeking to Introduce Border Controls With Poland, Czech Republic - Minister

Germany Seeking to Introduce Border Controls With Poland, Czech Republic - Minister

Germany is preparing to increase its border controls with Poland and the Czech Republic its interior minister said on Saturday.

2023-09-23T23:43+0000

2023-09-23T23:43+0000

2023-09-23T23:43+0000

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"Such additional control should be accompanied by monitoring the entire border area through random inspections," Faeser said in an interview with German newspaper Welt am Sonntag. Faeser also spoke out in favor of allowing German border guards to operate on Czech territory. Last week, the German Interior Ministry announced a pause in the voluntary intake of migrants from Italy, whose Mediterranean island of Lampedusa became the epicenter of a migrant influx, due to "major challenges faced by Germany with regard to its reception and accommodation capacities." In August, the German Office for Migration and Refugees said that the number of applications for refugee status in Germany had increased by 78.1% from January to July 2023 compared with the same period last year.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/what-did-russian-fm-lavrov-mean-by-urging-to-reform-existing-global-governance-1113614778.html

What Did Russian FM Lavrov Mean by 'Urging Reform in the Existing Global Governance'?

What Did Russian FM Lavrov Mean by 'Urging Reform in the Existing Global Governance'?

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's address at the 78th UN General Assembly sparked discussions on the challenges faced by United States and European NATO allies.

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2023-09-23T23:13+0000

2023-09-24T10:37+0000

world

russia

the united nations (un)

un general assembly

nato

sergey lavrov

brics

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One striking point raised by Lavrov in his speech was the issue of double standards within Western political establishments, said Sachdev, commenting on French President Macron's concern over the enlargement of the BRICS organization while seemingly ignoring NATO's interference in the Asia-Pacific region.But such actions are possible due to much more serious issues, the roots of which lie at the feet of the UN.Ineffectiveness of UNSachdev acknowledged the UN as a vital platform to address social issues but firmly asserted that the UN can't handle global security properly. This frank assessment underscores the pressing challenge facing global politics: the ineffectiveness of existing major international institutions, he said.The UN, designed to promote peace and cooperation, has been plagued by inefficiencies, bureaucratic obstacles, and the inability to resolve complex geopolitical issues.Need for ReformMoving forward, Sachdev emphasized the need for reform within the United Nations. He suggested that while the UN's role in addressing global security is questionable, there is hope for reform in other areas.He likewise argued that the UN's numerous bureaucratic bodies in social sectors should be reformed to eliminate inefficiencies in delivering aid and achieving tangible results on the ground.New World MatrixIn conclusion, Sachdev presented a bleak but pragmatic perspective on the change of global politics.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/lavrov-addresses-78th-un-general-assembly-1113602801.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/zelenskys-peace-formula-cannot-be-fulfilled---russian-foreign-minister-lavrov--1113613431.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230619/brics-expansion-goes-hand-in-hand-with-de-dollarization-and-decline-of-us-empire-1111301250.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/biden-scapegoats-extreme-republicans-for-looming-government-shutdown-1113628131.html

Biden Scapegoats 'Extreme' Republicans For Looming Government Shutdown

Biden Scapegoats 'Extreme' Republicans For Looming Government Shutdown

US President Joe Biden said that all citizens of the country would "pay the price" if "extreme" members of the Republican Party do not vote on the new budget and allow the federal government to shut down.

2023-09-24T12:03+0000

2023-09-24T12:03+0000

2023-09-29T17:46+0000

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us

2024 us presidential election

joe biden

kevin mccarthy

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"Just a few month ago, after long negotiations between myself and the new [House of Representatives] speaker [Kevin McCarthy], we agreed the spending level of government will fund essential domestic and national security priorities while still cutting the deficit by $1 trillion over the next decade. Now, a small group of extreme Republicans dont want to live up to the deal, so now everyone in America could be forced to pay the price," Biden said addressing the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He warned that the government shutdown will affect "everything from food security to cancer research." "Its time for the Republicans to start doing the job America elected them to do," he added. The inclusion of funds intended for Ukraine in the US defense budget faced strong opposition from a number of members of the House of Representatives and became a stumbling block to its adoption. Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene said earlier this week that she would vote against Pentagon bill as long as it includes Ukraine aid funds. The US Congress needs to adopt a full or short-term budget before October 1, the end of the current fiscal year, in order to avoid a government shutdown.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/costly-government-shutdown-looms-amid-split-in-congress-1113590728.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230918/spending-cuts--no-blank-check-for-ukraine-us-house-speakers-bid-to-avoid-govt-shutdown-1113446567.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/breaking-macron-recalling-ambassador-to-niger-french-embassys-staff-troops-1113638445.html

Macron Recalling Ambassador to Niger, French Embassy's Staff, Troops

Macron Recalling Ambassador to Niger, French Embassy's Staff, Troops

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he is recalling the French Ambassador to Niger Sylvain Itte, all staff and French troops from the country.

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2023-09-24T19:22+0000

2023-09-24T19:51+0000

africa

france

niger

emmanuel macron

economic community of west african states (ecowas)

french embassy

niamey

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"The Ambassador in Niamey, as well as all staff of the embassy, will return to France in the coming weeks or months," Macron told a French broadcaster.He added that the military cooperation with Niger is "over" and French troops will leave the country by the end of the year.Bazoum was deposed as president by his guard during a military takeover in July. France has refused to recognize the new government in Niger, initially ignoring their demands for French troops and the ambassador to leave the country.Roughly 1,500 French troops are currently deployed in Niger. Despite the move, Macron said he still views Bazoum as the true leader of Niger.Bazoum has called for his reinstatement, calling for help from the Economic Community of West African States, but two members of the block, Burkina Faso and Mali, signed a defensive pact with the military leadership of Niger and threatened to leave ECOWAS if it took military action against Niger.The French embassy in Niamey and French military bases have been the focus of mass protests in the capital city.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/mali-burkina-faso-niger-sign-charter-to-create-defense-alliance-1113425182.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/cluster-atacms-for-ukraine-whats-their-real-purpose--1113634065.html

Cluster ATACMS for Ukraine: What's Their Real Purpose?

Cluster ATACMS for Ukraine: What's Their Real Purpose?

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was promised long-range cluster bomb-carrying Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) during his recent visit to Washington, according to the US press. But experts highlight that they will be useless in Kiev's counteroffensive, so what's behind the move?

2023-09-24T16:28+0000

2023-09-24T16:28+0000

2023-09-24T16:28+0000

ukraine

russia

volodymyr zelensky

army tactical missile system (atacms)

military

joe biden

nato

white house

kiev

lockheed martin

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Even though the Biden administration has repeatedly called the provision of ATACMS to the Kiev regime potentially "escalatory", the White House reportedly gave a nod to the delivery of a limited stash of the weapons to Ukraine this week.The Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) is a surface-to-surface, inertially guided tactical ballistic missile manufactured by the US defense company Lockheed Martin. These missiles boast a strike range of 190 miles (300 kilometers). ATACMS were widely used in both Operation Desert Storm (1991) and during the US invasion of Iraq.The potential targets of these weapons could include command headquarters, weapons depots and supply networks, and railways. However, Washington is allegedly going to supply Kiev with a version armed with cluster submunitions rather than a single warhead, per the US press.The White House decision raises concerns, as per American observers.First, the delivery of US cluster weapons to Ukraine has already triggered criticism from American progressives and European human rights activists. Long-range cluster missiles fired by the Ukrainian military would definitely mean more civilian casualties in Russia's new territories and Crimea. Ukraine has a long record of using cluster munitions against residential areas. Likewise, the Kiev regime has repeatedly used British-French long-range Storm Shadows against civilian infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and buildings.Second, US media cites American military observers as saying that Ukraine's biggest problem "is not a hundred kilometers away, it's one kilometer in front of them with the minefields" laid by the Russians. So, even if ATACMS are delivered in a few weeks to Ukraine, it won't help Kiev break through Russia's multi-layered defense lines. In fact, it won't change the status quo on the battlefield at all, they say.Third, US media suggests that apparently Kiev wanted ATACMS armed with single warheads to launch strikes against Russia's big civilian or military assets in order to inflict some considerable material damage, but instead could get an anti-personnel weapon. One can't take out big, high-value targets with cluster munitions, American intelligence analysts highlight.Given all of the above, Washington's ATACMS deliveries to Ukraine appear to be of zero strategic value for the Ukrainian Army. However, on the other hand, they fit into Washington and NATO's logic, as explained by former Marine intelligence officer Scott Ritter earlier this month.Speaking to Sputnik's New Rules podcast, Ritter pointed out that NATO's objectives in the unfolding proxy war don't actually coincide with those of the Ukrainian military which seeks to seize former Ukrainian lands that voluntarily joined Russia. NATO's goal is not so much about achieving a decisive military victory on the battlefield, but to inflict as much pain on Russians as possible.The US and NATO could be behind Kiev's terror attacks on Russia's nuclear facilities, civilian facilities and residential areas, as Russian and foreign military and intelligence experts suggested in interviews with Sputnik. Despite the West being in denial of taking part in those strikes, it was US and NATO high-profile intelligence forces who provided sensitive data and coordinates to the Ukrainian military, Sputnik's interlocutors repeatedly stressed. This anti-humane agenda could well be behind Washington's rationale for sending long-range cluster missiles to Kiev.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230907/fact-check-have-us-cluster-munitions-proven-effective-amid-ukraine-counteroffensive-1113185683.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230908/scott-ritter-ukrainian-counteroffensives-last-desperate-push-1113205046.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230917/fmr-cia-analyst-fears-us-may-give-ukraine-mini-nukes-after-shipping-cluster-bombs-du-1113441252.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/how-much-will-ukraine-lose-due-to-eastern-europes-agricultural-ban-1113619746.html

How Much Will Ukraine Lose Due to Eastern Europe's Agricultural Ban?

How Much Will Ukraine Lose Due to Eastern Europe's Agricultural Ban?

Last week, the European Commission lifted its ban on Ukrainian grain imports, in a move that prompted Budapest, Bratislava and Warsaw to unilaterally extend their own embargo, citing farmers concerns.

2023-09-24T08:18+0000

2023-09-24T08:18+0000

2023-09-24T08:18+0000

world

ukraine

poland

slovakia

hungary

imports

embargo

grain

world trade organization (wto)

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The ban on imports of Ukraines agricultural products slapped by Bratislava, Budapest and Warsaw could cost Kiev up to $230 million a month, statistical data from these three countries show.Hungary's ban is related to imports of 24 types of Ukraines agrarian products, including grain, some seeds, sugar, as well as oil and honey, which could cost Ukraine $89 million a month.As for Slovakia, it banned Ukrainian wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds, which may cost Kiev about $26.4 million a month, in line with the statistical data.Last week, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary announced their own restrictions on imports of Ukrainian agricultural products after the European Commission-imposed curbs lapsed on September 15.Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki, for his part, noted that Warsaw will extend this ban despite the European Commission's disagreement," adding that We will do it because it is in the interest of the Polish farmers."In response, Kiev threatened to prohibit the import of certain goods from Poland, Hungary and Slovakia if they failed to remove their embargo. Ukrainian Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka, in turn, said that Kiev views their decision as unlawful, a statements that was followed by Kiev filing a relevant a complaint with the World Trade Organization. Polish Prime Morawiecki was quick to respond by warning that Warsaw would expand the list of import bans from Ukraine if the neighboring nation would further escalate the spat.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230920/poland-may-stop-supporting-ukraine-in-light-of-ukraines-lawsuit-with-wto-1113530276.html

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european commission's ban on ukrainian grain imports, ban on imports of ukraines agricultural products slapped by slovakia, hungary and poland, kiev's complaint to the wto
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/nasa-anxious-to-examine-samples-from-potentially-apocalyptic-asteroid-1113623613.html

NASA Anxious to Examine Samples From Potentially Apocalyptic Asteroid

NASA Anxious to Examine Samples From Potentially Apocalyptic Asteroid

Launched in 2016, the Osiris-Rex mission has attempted to reach the 500m-wide rock and observe it for several years before making an effort to seize surface materials.

2023-09-24T11:31+0000

2023-09-24T11:31+0000

2023-09-24T11:31+0000

beyond politics

science & tech

nasa

bennu

earth

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NASA's Osiris-Rex mission will return to Earth on September 24, bringing particles from Bennu  an asteroid believed to be one of most dangerous rocks in outer space. Experts hope to study the samples as soon as possible and shed some light on the formation of the planets and maybe even offer insights into the start of biological life on Earth. Scientists believe they will learn a bit more about the Earth's geological history. However, there is a risk that the capsule with the pieces of the asteroid will burn to ashes in the atmosphere.Scientists describe such celestial bodies as building blocks for the planets since they were around for billions of years and could have preserved the materials that participated in the formation of the Earth.The Osiris-Rex mission started in 2016  the spacecraft had to reach the 500m-wide rock and observe it for several years before making any effort to seize surface materials.The safe return home is another challenge. Entering the atmosphere would be a tricky moment since the container with the particles of Bennu will heat up to 3,000C due to the friction with air. It is going to be a fiery descent  and that is why NASA experts are nervous.The asteroid's descent through the atmosphere will last for approximately 13 thrilling minutes.The previous event  the effort to obtain samples of the solar wind with the help of the Genesis capsule  was not successful. The parachute never opened and the data was effectively destroyed.The Bennu asteroid is considered potentially hazardous since there is a slight chance that it will impact with Earth between the years 2175 and 2199, causing a serious explosion that will not be enough for mass extinction, but will devastate areas "tens of miles away from the epicenter."

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230809/nasas-2022-asteroid-test-proved-successful-but-caused-deadly-boulder-storm--1112473660.html

bennu

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nasa, asteroid, bennu, hazardous asteroids, earth-crossers
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/natos-eus-missions-in-kosovo-say-ready-to-provide-assistance-for-de-escalation-1113638781.html

NATO's, EU's Missions in Kosovo Say Ready to Provide Assistance for De-escalation

NATO's, EU's Missions in Kosovo Say Ready to Provide Assistance for De-escalation

MOSCOW, September 24 (Sputnik) - The European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) and NATO's Kosovo Force (KFOR) stand ready to provide assistance for... 24.09.2023, Sputnik International

2023-09-24T20:23+0000

2023-09-24T20:23+0000

2023-09-24T20:26+0000

world

kosovo

european union (eu)

eulex

kfor

nato

metohija

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Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti said earlier in the day, that on Sunday night unidentified people opened fire on Kosovo police officers in the northern municipality of Zvecan, killing one and wounding another. The shooting occurred around 3.00 a.m. local time (01:00 GMT) near the village of Banjska, some 30 miles from Pristina. It also said that the mission's commander, Angelo Ristuccia, communicates closely with "all international stakeholders," including the European Union and the Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, Gen. Milan Mojsilovic to find a solution to the situation. EULEX chief Giovanni Pietro Barbano said on X that he was "appalled" by the incident. He offered condolences to the family of the police officer who was killed in the line of duty, and wished speedy recovery to the injured officer. "EULEX, as [Kosovo's] 2nd security responder, is fully engaged in monitoring closely the situation on the spot standing ready to support Kosovo institutions to the maximum possible extent in maintaining stability & security of all its communities, in close coordination [with KFOR]," Barbano added.Meanwhile, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has called on the European Union, the United States and NATO's KFOR mission to take all necessary measures for normalizing the situation in Kosovo. The Serbian government's Office for Kosovo and Metohija said unknown persons threw grenades into the yards of three representatives of the Serbian List party in Kosovo on Friday night, which Belgrade believes was an intimidation attempt by Kosovo Albanians. Serbia has not recognized Kosovo's independence and continues to refer to it as its Kosovo and Metohija autonomous region. In late May, clashes erupted in Kosovo after the local police forcibly installed new ethnic Albanian mayors in offices in several northern cities following municipal elections in April. The polls were boycotted by the Serb community but declared valid despite a less than 3.5% voter turnout. More than 50 Serbian protesters and at least 30 NATO peacekeeping troops were injured in the clashes. KFOR was launched in Kosovo in 1999 in order to maintain stability in the area and was comprised of troops from NATO member countries, partner countries and non-NATO countries under unified command and control. EULEX, launched in 2008, is the largest civilian mission under the EU Common Security and Defense Policy which conducts monitoring, mentoring, and advising activities. The EU mission's current mandate expires in June 2025.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230705/vucic-says-serbs-in-kosovo-facing-greatest-persecution-in-15-years-1111678480.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/philippine-foreign-minister-calls-for-enhanced-economic-security-cooperation-with-russia-1113615886.html

Filipino Foreign Minister Calls for Enhanced Economic, Security Cooperation With Russia

Filipino Foreign Minister Calls for Enhanced Economic, Security Cooperation With Russia

The Foreign Minister of the Philippines told Sputnik that bilateral cooperation with Russia should be increased.

2023-09-24T00:23+0000

2023-09-24T00:23+0000

2023-09-24T10:39+0000

russia

enrique manalo

philippines

un general assembly

russia

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Manalo said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly that the cooperation between Russia and the Philippines should be expanded in areas ranging from "economy to investment, trade and even possible security cooperation. So all of these areas, I think, need to be tapped more." "I think our officials also should probably have, you know, more exchanges, more meetings to see how we can move forward," Manalo said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.When asked whether he has any scheduled meetings with the Russian counterpart, Manalo said that nothing was officially planned yet, noting, however, that their embassy is in daily contact with officials in Russia.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/philippines-may-explore-fertilizers-from-russia-relationship-not-affected-by-sanctions-1113617442.html

Philippines May Explore Fertilizers From Russia, Relationship Not 'Directly' Affected By Sanctions

Philippines May Explore Fertilizers From Russia, Relationship Not 'Directly' Affected By Sanctions

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The Philippines may consider purchasing fertilizers from Russia, Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo told Sputnik. 24.09.2023, Sputnik International

2023-09-24T03:23+0000

2023-09-24T03:23+0000

2023-09-24T08:01+0000

enrique manalo

philippines

russia

un general assembly

world

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"As far as I know, we've not been in any official contact with them, Russia, on fertilizers. But certainly, I suppose if there are any opportunities, we might be able to discuss with them," Manalo said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Russia is one of the main suppliers of fertilizers throughout the world, but the Ukraine conflict has affected Moscow's ability to ship its grain and fertilizers from Black Sea ports. On July 18, the Turkey- and UN-mediated Black Sea Grain Initiative, which provided for a humanitarian corridor to allow safe sea exports of Ukrainian and Russian agricultural products, expired after Russia refused to extend its participation, citing persistent violation of the package deal's component to facilitate Russian grain and fertilizer exports."Certainly we're very also concerned, for example, over the grain deal, which has been suspended," Manalo said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.The minister also expressed hope that the parties to the Black Sea Grain Initiative could find a way to restore the agreement, "because I think it's not only was an important step in terms of economic  but it's also, we hope, a way forward to see how we can address the conflict and find a way where eventually lead to some kind of a diplomatic solution."He added that sanctions against Russia do not directly affect the cooperation between the Philippines and Russia, but the country feels the impact as the prices are growing,"Well, not directly," Manalo said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly when asked whether the sanctions against Moscow impact the cooperation of the two countries.After the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict on February 24, 2022, many countries, mainly from the European Union, tightened the procedure for issuing visas for Russian tourists, and many decided to suspend air traffic with Russia, but Manalo reiterated that is not the case with the Philippines. Manalo noted that there have been an increase in Russian tourists in his country.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/philippine-foreign-minister-calls-for-enhanced-economic-security-cooperation-with-russia-1113615886.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/russian-air-defense-systems-destroy-ukrainian-drone-over-kursk-region---defense-ministry-1113638959.html

Russian Air Defense Systems Destroy Ukrainian Drone Over Kursk Region - Defense Ministry

Russian Air Defense Systems Destroy Ukrainian Drone Over Kursk Region - Defense Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian air defense systems have repelled an attack of a Ukrainian airplane-type unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and destroyed the drone... 24.09.2023, Sputnik International

2023-09-24T21:07+0000

2023-09-24T21:07+0000

2023-09-24T21:07+0000

russia

bryansk region

russian defense ministry

moscow

kursk region

russia

ukraine

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"On September 24, 2023, at about 8:30 p.m. Moscow time [17:30 GMT], an attempt by the Kiev regime to carry out a terrorist attack by an aircraft-type UAV on facilities located on the Russian territory was thwarted. The Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle has been destroyed over the Kursk Region by the on-duty air defense systems," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement. The Russian air defense systems destroyed another Ukrainian drone over the Bryansk Region later on Sunday, the defense ministry also said. Bryansk Region Governor Alexander Bogomaz said on Telegram that the drone was shot down over the Bryansky district of the region, adding that there were no casualties or damage. Ukraine has been sending drones into the Russian territory almost daily since it launched a counteroffensive in early June. The United Nations said in August, following a botched drone strike on Moscow, that it did not want to see any targeting of civilian infrastructure.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/russian-forces-repel-5-ukrainian-attacks-in-krasny-liman-direction-1113619968.html

Russian Forces Repel 5 Ukrainian Attacks in Krasny Liman Direction

Russian Forces Repel 5 Ukrainian Attacks in Krasny Liman Direction

Russian armed forces have repelled five attacks by Ukrainian military in the Krasny Liman direction, eliminating up to 20 Ukrainian troops, Alexander Savchuk, the head of the press center of Russia's Center Group of Forces, told Sputnik.

2023-09-24T07:45+0000

2023-09-24T07:45+0000

2023-09-24T07:45+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

ukrainian counteroffensive attempt

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"In the Krasny Liman direction near Torskoe and Serebryansky forestry, coordinated actions of units of the Center Group of Forces, with artillery fire and air strikes, repelled and thwarted five attacks by assault groups of the 63rd mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian armed forces, the fifth brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine and the 12th special forces brigade Azov,*" Savchuk said, adding that Kiev's losses reached up to 20 servicepeople. Russian air defenses shot down a Ukrainian drone near the settlement of Kremennaya in the Lugansk People's Republic, he added. "The group's bomber aircraft carried out four strikes on [Ukrainian] command and observation posts near [the village of] Serebryanka in the Donetsk People's Republic," Savchuk said.*Azov Battalion is regarded as a terrorist organization by Russian authorities and is outlawed in Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/ukrainian-draft-dodger-says-hed-rather-shoot-himself-in-the-leg-than-return-to-front-1113604550.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/russias-modified-lancet-drones-may-prod-ukraine-to-rearrange-its-military-assets---report-1113619231.html

Russias Modified Lancet Drones May Prod Ukraine to Rearrange Its Military Assets - Report

Russias Modified Lancet Drones May Prod Ukraine to Rearrange Its Military Assets - Report

The Russian army uses Lancet drones in the special operation zone to target various Ukrainian military assets such as howitzers, air defenses, and multiple launch rocket systems.

2023-09-24T06:28+0000

2023-09-24T06:28+0000

2023-09-24T06:28+0000

military

russia

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ukrainian counteroffensive attempt

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A new modification of Russias Lancet kamikaze drone is capable of hitting targets at a considerable distance, posing a threat to air bases of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), a US military news outlet has reported.It referred to developments earlier this week, when an Ukrainian MiG-29 fighter jet was hit by a Lancet unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from a distance of over 80 kilometers (49 miles) in the rear of Russian defensive positions. The Lancets a range typically stands at 40 kilometers (25 miles).The news outlet noted in this connection that "Ukrainian forces must consider the placement of any new fighters [including the due-to-be-delivered fourth-generation F-16 jets] in light of Moscows growing UAV capabilities."An informed source earlier told Sputnik that the Russian company ZALA AERO recently unveiled a range of revolutionary upgrades for the Lancet's hardware and software systems. According to the source, new design-related solutions were also used during the development of the Lancets upgraded version.Lancets, alongside various other types of drones, are widely used in the Russian special military operation zone to tackle Kievs counteroffensive, which Russian President Vladimir Putin called "more of a failure than a stalemate." He added that since the beginning of the counteroffensive in early June, the Ukrainian army had lost 71,000 soldiers, 543 tanks and nearly 18,000 armored vehicles of different types.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230816/product-53-what-are-capabilities-of-next-gen-variant-of-russias-lancet-kamikaze-drone-1112639748.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230916/watch-russias-lancet-kamikaze-drone-take-out-ukrainian-tank-1113417174.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/scholz-mulls-tightening-german-polish-border-controls--1113629683.html

Scholz Mulls Tightening German-Polish Border Controls

Scholz Mulls Tightening German-Polish Border Controls

Scholzs remarks come in the wake of reports by Polish media alleging that during the past two and a half years, over 250,000 citizens from Asian and African countries managed to enter Poland to work thanks to bribery.

2023-09-24T13:11+0000

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German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has threatened to tighten controls on the border with Poland due to the latter allegedly allowing thousands of migrants to enter the EU illegally.Speaking at a campaign event in Nuremberg, Scholz announced that he does not want Polish authorities to simply wave through migrants.Scholzs remarks come in the wake of reports by Polish media alleging that during the past two and a half years, over 250,000 citizens from Asian and African countries managed to enter Poland to work thanks to bribery.This figure, however, has since been disputed by the Polish Foreign Ministry which insisted that only 268 visa requests are being investigated. One US media outlet pointed out that EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson has requested Warsaw to provide clarifications on this matter by October 3.Meanwhile, over 204,000 people reportedly requested asylum in Germany through August, and over 12,000 undocumented migrants were apprehended by the German authorities at the border with Poland.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/many-german-municipalities-no-longer-able-to-shelter-migrants-1113609574.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/security-of-middle-east-requires-solution-to-palestinian-issue---saudi-foreign-minister-1113616613.html

Security of Middle East Requires Solution to Palestinian Issue - Saudi Foreign Minister

Security of Middle East Requires Solution to Palestinian Issue - Saudi Foreign Minister

The Saudi foreign minister said on Saturday that the Middle East requires a fair and comprehensive solution to the Palestine-Israel conflict.

2023-09-24T01:06+0000

2023-09-24T01:06+0000

2023-09-24T01:06+0000

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"Security in the Middle East requires an acceleration in the search for a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian problem based on international law and the Arab peace initiative, guaranteeing the right of the Palestinian people to create an independent state within the 1967 borders," the Saudi minister said at the UN General Assembly, adding that his country rejects any actions that impede the resolution of the Palestinian issue. Bin Farhan Al Saud also noted the need for de-escalation in Sudan, called for a solution to the Syrian crisis and declared the country's interest in security and stability in Yemen. In addition, the minister said that Riyadh is striving to stabilize energy prices. On Wednesday, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud said that the country is "getting closer every day" to normalizing relations with Israel. On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel is on the verge of a historic peace agreement with Saudi Arabia, which will change the face of the Middle East. Relations between Palestine and Israel have been adversarial since the latter's founding in 1948. Palestinians seek diplomatic recognition of their independent state on the territories of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which is partially occupied by Israel, and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government refuses to recognize Palestine as an independent political and diplomatic entity and continues to build settlements in the occupied areas despite objections from the United Nations.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/israel-may-be-poised-to-normalize-relations-with-saudi-arabia-1113612231.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/thousands-protest-in-madrid-against-spanish-prime-minister-sanchez-1113633012.html

Thousands Protest in Madrid Against Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez

Thousands Protest in Madrid Against Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez

A massive protest against the rulling government took place in the Spain's capital.

2023-09-24T15:31+0000

2023-09-24T15:31+0000

2023-09-24T15:31+0000

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Over 40,000 people have protested against the right-wing Spanish Socialist Workers Party in Madrid. According to a British news agency, protestors spoke out against Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.People from all over Spain flocked to rally in Madrid. The protesting supporters of the Peoples Party, conservative Christian-democrats, waved Spanish flags as they marched the city. The protest follows calls from the prime minister to cooperate with members of the Catalan movement for independence, including Carles Puigdemont, a former Catalan leader who was removed from office by Madrid following the unilateral Catalan declaration of independence in 2017. Puigdemont has been on the run ever since. This idea triggered a massive backlash from the public. Arranging a deal with the Catalans would allow Sanchez to maintain a parliamentary majority and his position. To follow through with the agreement, the supporters of Catalan independence would have to be pardoned.Earlier this year, Catalan leaders reprotedly called for a new independence referendum from Spain.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221007/catalan-opposition-party-votes-to-leave-coalition-government-over-independence-spat-1101622105.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/uk-anti-monarchy-movement-says-held-demonstration-inside-buckingham-palace-1113617238.html

UK Anti-Monarchy Movement Holds Demonstration Inside Buckingham Palace

UK Anti-Monarchy Movement Holds Demonstration Inside Buckingham Palace

A group of protesters for the UK Republic movement wore shirts spelling out "Not my king"

2023-09-24T02:10+0000

2023-09-24T02:10+0000

2023-09-24T07:04+0000

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"Just after midday today, members of Republic staged a protest inside Buckingham Palace. The group of local activists from different parts of the UK visited the palace as tourists, before standing in the Grand Hall wearing t-shirts that spelled out Not My King," the movement said in a statement. As a result, security of the Palace briefly detained six protesters and escorted them out through the main gate, the statement added. "This is a first, an anti-monarchy protest inside Buckingham Palace. A fantastic statement of intent, citizens standing up in the home of the monarchy to declare their opposition to hereditary power," the head of Republic, Graham Smith, said. "Charles is not an untouchable monarch, he is not immune to criticism and doesn't enjoy the deference that protected the monarchy while his mother was on the throne," Smith added.He noted that the movement would continue to protest against the monarchy throughout the country, with the next protest scheduled for November 7.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230112/prince-harry-viewed-negatively-by-68-of-britons-after-release-of-explosive-memoir-1106255951.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/ukraine-loses-a-lot-of-western-stryker-and-marder-armored-vehicles-in-zaporozhye--media-1113617865.html

Ukraine Loses A Lot Of Western Stryker and Marder Armored Vehicles in Zaporozhye  Media

Ukraine Loses A Lot Of Western Stryker and Marder Armored Vehicles in Zaporozhye  Media

Top-tier weaponry, lavishly supplied to Kiev by US and European politicians, did not became a game changer in Ukrainian counteroffensive attempt and turned out to be a perfect trophy for Russian armed forces.

2023-09-24T05:09+0000

2023-09-24T05:09+0000

2023-09-24T05:09+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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Kiev lost "a lot of equipment" near the villages of Rabotino and Verbovoe in Zaporozhye direction, a US news outlet reported, quoting an anonymous Ukrainian militant. Among the losses, there are German Marders and American Strykers, the armored vehicles that proved not good enough against "saturation of antitank mines" and Russian forces that were described by anonymous media source as "colossal".Ukrainian long-announced counteroffensive attempt started in early June and was largely considered unsuccessful even by most hawkish Western politicians due to enormous death rate with no substantial achievements. Several months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin stressed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive attempt had failed. According to the latest information, Kiev lost over 71,000 troops and is reportedly in dire need for new manpower.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230921/scott-ritter-ukraine-shows-us-military-not-ready-for-major-war-1113561694.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230923/ukrainian-draft-dodger-says-hed-rather-shoot-himself-in-the-leg-than-return-to-front-1113604550.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/ukraine-loses-about-340-troops-near-donetsk-zaporozhye-in-24-hours-1113625078.html

Ukraine Loses About 340 Troops Near Donetsk, Zaporozhye in 24 Hours

Ukraine Loses About 340 Troops Near Donetsk, Zaporozhye in 24 Hours

Ukrainian forces lost around 340 troops in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Sunday.

2023-09-24T11:28+0000

2023-09-24T11:28+0000

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russia's special operation in ukraine

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Also in the Donetsk direction, Russian forces repelled four attacks near the cities of Krasnogorovka and Maryinka, as well as near local villages. "[Ukrainian] losses for the past 24 hours in this direction amounted to 305 troops, two armed vehicles, seven cars and a US-made 777 artillery system," the ministry said, adding that in the Zaporozhye direction Ukraine lost up to 35 servicepeople, a US-made 109 Paladin artillery system, and other combat installments. Russian forces also improved their tactical positions, repelling an attack by a Ukrainian mechanized brigade near Veseloye, the ministry said. Ukrainian losses in the Southern Donetsk direction amounted to 110 troops, two armed vehicles, three cars and two D-20 artillery weapons, the Russian ministry said. In the Krasny Liman direction, the Russian military repelled two attacks, eliminating over 50 Ukrainian troops, two armed vehicles, two cars and a D-20 howitzer, the ministry said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230820/scott-ritter-for-nato-and-ukraine-reality-bites-1112738775.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/us-admits-inability-to-cut-china-from-critical-mineral-supply-chains-1113620653.html

US Admits Inability to Cut China From Critical Mineral Supply Chains

US Admits Inability to Cut China From Critical Mineral Supply Chains

China earlier banned exports of its rare earth metals to the US, including gallium and germanium, which are used to build computer chips and solar batteries, among other things.

2023-09-24T11:22+0000

2023-09-24T11:22+0000

2023-09-24T14:40+0000

us

china

minerals

trade

rare-earth metals

restrictions

relations

economy

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Washington wont be able to remove China from the critical minerals supply chain, US Under Secretary for Economic Growth and Environment Jose Fernandez has said.According to Fernandez, Chinas important role in the processing of raw minerals means that Beijing will remain a key US partner, not least because those minerals are crucial components for the batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs). The broader use of EVs is part of the Biden administrations strategy to tackle climate change.He recalled that China remains the worlds second-largest economy, calling the PRC a major trading partner of the US. Fernandez pledged that the US would continue working with China while pursuing our interests and protecting our companies and criticizing them when we feel they should be criticized.Earlier this year, Beijing banned the export of rare earth metals such as gallium and germanium, which are used in the manufacturing of advanced microchips and solar batteries. The move came in response to Washingtons efforts to cut Beijing out of the high-tech economic race.In a separate development, the Chinese Foreign Ministry expressed concern during US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens four-day visit to the country this summer over Washingtons trade restrictions, export controls and the pressure exerted on China that affected the country's market and "undermined the basis of public opinion in bilateral relations."The 2023 US National Intelligence Strategy, meanwhile, sees China as the only US competitor with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so."

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/us-seeking-to-create-military-base-in-disputed-region-of-essequibo---venezuela-1113618032.html

US Seeking to Create Military Base in Disputed Region of Essequibo - Venezuela

US Seeking to Create Military Base in Disputed Region of Essequibo - Venezuela

The US government intends to "militarize" the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the region of Essequibo by establishing its military base in this oil-rich area, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said on Sunday.

2023-09-24T04:51+0000

2023-09-24T04:51+0000

2023-09-24T04:53+0000

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"We condemn the intention of the US government to militarize the situation [in Essequibo]. The Southern Command is trying to create a military base in the disputed territory in order to create the spearhead of its aggression against Venezuela and seize our energy resources," Gil said at the UN General Assembly. The minister added that the Venezuelan parliament approved a referendum to protect the sovereign territory from US aggression. Gil also noted that Washington is once again interfering in the 200-year-old dispute over the territory of Essequibo and intends to appropriate Venezuelan oil with the help of US oil and gas company ExxonMobil. For more than a hundred years, Venezuela and Guyana  a former British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth of Nations  have disputed the oil-rich Essequibo region. In 1966, the two countries signed the Geneva Agreement to seek a peaceful solution, but in 2018, Guyana filed a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where it asked for legal recognition of the 1899 decision of the Paris Court of Arbitration that awarded the territory to Guyana. The Geneva Agreement of 1966 was registered at the United Nations. It regulates border disputes between Venezuela and British Guiana and establishes steps to resolve the dispute, but none of the preliminary protocols has been ratified by Caracas. Since 1983, Venezuela has proposed that Guyana engage in direct negotiations, although Guyana prefers to seek a solution through the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, or the ICJ.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230818/us-main-instigator-of-coups-terrorism-and-assassinations-around-world---media-commentator-1112710064.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230816/us-poses-major-security-threat-in-latin-america---venezuelan-defense-minister-1112629720.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/watch-canadian-parliament-give-ovation-to-waffen-ss-veteran-1113631706.html

Watch Canadian Parliament Give Ovation to Waffen SS Veteran

Watch Canadian Parliament Give Ovation to Waffen SS Veteran

The man who received the ovation was identified as a member of an infamous Nazi SS unit from World War II.

2023-09-24T15:17+0000

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2023-09-24T15:29+0000

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A Nazi SS veteran of Ukrainian descent received a standing ovation at the Canadian parliament during the visit of Ukraines President Volodymyr Zelensky.A local media broadcast from the event, which notes that Zelenskys speech at the parliament received at least a dozen standing ovations, mentions that there was also one ovation for a 98-year old Ukrainian Canadian who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Russians during the Second World War.Said 98-year-old Ukrainian Canadian was identified in one of the photos from the event released by AP as Yaroslav Hunka who fought with the First Ukrainian Division in World War II before later immigrating to Canada.Instead of fighting for some sort of Ukrainian independence, Hunkas division was actually part of Adolf Hitlers war machine, which, however, appears to be fine with Zelensky and with Canadian MPs who toast one of the former members of this Nazi unit.

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in the Canadian parliament, a 98-year-old ex-SS soldier who fought on the side of Hitler during the Second World War is greeted with standing ovation apparently for his Nazi past in the Canadian parliament, a 98-year-old ex-SS soldier who fought on the side of Hitler during the Second World War is greeted with standing ovation apparently for his Nazi past 2023-09-24T15:17+0000 true PT0M16S

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/why-zelenskys-vow-to-continue-counteroffensive-through-winter-is-wishful-thinking-1113630751.html

Why Zelensky's Vow to Continue Counteroffensive Through Winter is Wishful Thinking

Why Zelensky's Vow to Continue Counteroffensive Through Winter is Wishful Thinking

The Kiev regime is reportedly going to continue its "counteroffensive" in autumn and through winter, as per President Volodymyr Zelensky. But does Ukraine have enough resources for that?

2023-09-24T14:30+0000

2023-09-24T14:30+0000

2023-09-24T14:30+0000

volodymyr zelensky

ukraine

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mark milley

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Ukraine's president has argued that the country made a mistake by taking a pause last year after gaining some of the territory previously liberated by Russia. Speaking to the US press, after a day of meetings on Capitol Hill and the White House, Zelensky pledged to keep fighting through the autumn and winter this year. He also vowed to take Artemovsk (also known as Bakhmut) and a couple "more cities". He said that US assistance should keep flowing to Ukraine, despite growing calls in the US Congress to reduce or halt the financial assistance altogether.Does Ukraine Have Weapons to Sustain Counteroffensive?Zelensky's vows appear to be nothing but wishful thinking: it's unclear where he would get more troops and munitions for the protracted fighting according to Aleksey Borzenko, a military journalist and deputy chief editor of the "Literary Russia" newspaper.It's unlikely that they would come with some sort of a sophisticated offensive strategy, according to the expert. They have already used both Western and old Soviet tactics to attack Russia's positions; they tried to push through Russia's defenses in large groups and in small groups. However, they got bogged down, sustained heavy losses, and eventually failed to move through Russia's multi-layered defenses, Borzenko noted.Likewise, they are unlikely to use NATO-grade heavy tanks during autumn and winter, since these heavy armored vehicles are not meant for dire weather conditions, the expert continued. He suggested that the Ukrainian military will use what it has left of its Soviet-era T-72 stash.Still, Zelensky specified during his recent interviews with US media that those long-range missiles would be used to "strike targets deeper" in Russia's territory. This fits into Kiev's terrorist tactics of launching strikes against civilian areas, nuclear power plants and infrastructure facilities in Russia. Yet this does not have anything to do with the balance of power on the battlefield.When it comes to the battleground, artillery duels and counter-battery combat, Ukrainians don't have enough munitions, per the analyst. They are expecting to get more 155 mm shells from NATO but it will take time. Their 152 mm ammo stockpiles have been depleted too, he noted.How Could Counteroffensive Unfold?Earlier this month General Mark Milley, former Joint Chiefs chairman, told the Western press that colder conditions would make it much harder for Ukraine to maneuver. "Probably about 30 to 45 days' worth of fighting weather left," Milley said on September 10. Western observers warn that in late November, heavy rains will transform the battlefield into "impassable mud," substantially complicating Ukraine's effort.Speaking to the US press, Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, the commander of Kiev's Tavriya Operational and Strategic Group of Forces, tried to make a point by saying that the coming winter will not slow down Ukraine's counteroffensive, only to expose the dire conditions Kiev's troops are facing. He said that the weather can be a serious obstacle during an advance, but "considering how we move forward, mostly without vehicles, I dont think [the weather] will heavily influence the counteroffensive."Tarnavskyi de facto confirmed what Russian President Vladimir Putin told a press briefing in July: Putin explained that the Ukrainian Armed Forces "bring people to the frontline in armored vehicles, throw them out, and this equipment immediately disappears exposing people to the attacks of our artillery." The Ukrainian military has lost over 71,000 troops over just three months of the botched counteroffensive.The former Pentagon analyst does not expect the Kiev regime to make any progress on the ground, let alone taking Bakhmut again.West's Ukraine Fatigue on RiseMeanwhile, Western people have grown weary of the protracted conflict, according to Maloof.In addition, a number of US military observers and even Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy Jr. have questioned why Washington and NATO derailed the Russo-Ukrainian peace talks in March 2022 in Istanbul. The crux of the matter is that the preliminary peace agreement inked in Istanbul could have stopped hostilities in the very beginning of Russia's special military operation.The US mainstream press acknowledges that there are "cracks" in "once rock-solid" support for Ukraine in the US and Europe. Republican representatives are opposing a new hefty $24 billion package for Ukraine; Warsaw threatened to stop providing Kiev with weapons over Ukraine's complaint against Poland to the World Trade Organization (WTO); Slovakia's presidential candidate Robert Fico vowed to stop supporting Kiev if elected. Likewise, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia banned agricultural products from Ukraine and Budapest made it clear that it wouldn't support Ukraine's integration in the European Union. The situation is growing dire for Kiev and it could turn even worse if a new wave of energy crisis engulfs Europe this winter and if the US finally falls into a recession.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/us-patriot-system-in-ukraine-either-destroyed-or-broken-ex-cia-analyst-suggests-1113619626.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/ukraine-loses-about-340-troops-near-donetsk-zaporozhye-in-24-hours-1113625078.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230924/wounded-need-fatherly-care-stories-of-those-bringing-russian-soldiers-back-to-life-1113612002.html

Wounded Need Fatherly Care: Stories of Those Bringing Russian Soldiers Back to Life

Wounded Need Fatherly Care: Stories of Those Bringing Russian Soldiers Back to Life

Military doctors are nothing short of guardian angels for soldiers, officers and the wounded in general in the special military operation. They are the ones who remove bullets and fragments from the bodies, resuscitate soldiers on the verge of death, and give them moral support day in and day out.

2023-09-24T12:38+0000

2023-09-24T12:38+0000

2023-09-24T12:38+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

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Medics run on two-to-three hours of sleep and never complain that not a day goes by without them having to take in someone elses pain. Sputnik has drawn up this report covering the everyday life of the Medical Battalion of the 150th Motor Rifle Division.Greatest ShortageWe set out before dawn because you have got to be totally insane to walk on Artemovsk (Bakhmut) roads in broad daylight. The enemy holds partial fire control over all of it. There are enemy birdies (drones - ed.note) in the air, replacing one another and adjusting the artillery. They fly in literal flocks. If one drone miscalculates, the others specify locations and the shells hit the target. This is the drone swarm tactic in action.The other day, Ukrainians managed to strike an ambulance truck. The driver died. But today the weather is kind  dense clouds and heavy rains cover the Donetsk Peoples Republic (DPR) sky.The Medical Battalions truck beneath the camouflage net is carrying potable water. It is not the medicines or equipment there is a shortage of - it is clean water that is as good as gold here. What there is, is mainly for the wounded. The human body produces extra sweat under stress, leading many to dehydration, so you have to drink more water. Unless, of course, you were hit in the stomach.Danger of Cluster MunitionA few hours later we finally arrive at the destination. The military urgently ask us not to specify the exact location. Lets just say that the Separate Medical Battalion of the 150th Motor Rifle Division is masterfully hidden from unfriendly eyes. It is invisible to a satellite and it cannot be hit by a drone.There are three separate units on site. In the reception and sorting unit, the medics examine and pre-diagnose the wounded. The ICU is where those with critical wounds are brought back to life. And the surgery unit has seven surgeons who rescue crippled and burned fighters 24/7.At this very moment, they are operating on a guy with his feet hit by a cluster shell under local anesthesia. The wounds are horrible  his left heel was torn apart from the foot, and his right one was half-shattered. He will certainly live. But things are not as rosy when it comes to walkingThe wounded often ask for an amputation themselves," reveals the military medic with call sign Otkat (lit. Kickback). "To be able to walk properly, you need three points of support: the heel, the first and the fifth toes. If one is missing, the patient will end up with a severe limp. So they go for an alternative option - prosthesis..."The surgeons are getting finished with the operation. The wounded thanks the doctors in a weak voice. A moment later there is a new arrival coming from the Kleshcheyevka  Andreyevka  Kurdyumovka frontlines. Each of these soldiers has shell fragment wounds  either to the head, the shoulder, or penetrating the chest. This is the result of NATOs 155mm cluster shells with their fragments flying straight down.This munition is highly dangerous," admits the military surgeon with call sign Kostyl (lit. Crutch). "The other day a patient came in with fractures, penetrating wounds, and concussion. We thought he was a goner. But we brought him back. Do we operate on a schedule? No, we dive into work as soon as new patients arrive.""[We] get two-to-three hours of sleep a day. Is this something I expected? Sure. I am a trained orthopedic traumatologist. Here [in the special military operation zone] I turned into a surgeon. When I first started, a single glance at a serious injury got my hands trembling. But as time went on the fear was gone. And so was the tremor, Kostyl continues.Face of WarGirls serve in the Medical Battalion too. Young and gentle Patimat from Buynaksk (Republic of Dagestan, Russia) has profound and expressive brown eyes - many bet that all the patients fall in love with her. And they say that her face of war is an unwomanly one."I believe the war has no face at all," Strela (lit. Arrow) countered. We came up with the call sign for Patimat together thanks to her beautiful eye makeup. Meanwhile, she continues: "This is Moloch [literary demon] devouring souls. What brought me here was a sense of duty.""Prior to the special military operation, I spent 14 years working in a tuberculosis clinic. It was a great experience. But military life is totally different compared to the civilian world I was used to. Young men arrive here severely injured, and it is not just the treatment they require. It is of utter importance to also support and console them so they do not shut off from the rest of the world."Wounded soldiers open up to journalists fairly easily. You can clearly see that they are willing to vent to anyone who is ready to listen. Yaryi (lit. The Fierce One), a 'Storm' squad fighter, is an ex-con. He was imprisoned because of a drunken road accident where he ended up accidentally inflicting grievous bodily harm to a person.He atoned for his sins with blood by getting a fragmentation munition under his knee. Now, he is waiting to be evacuated. He shared that he has always loved animals, and even got his veterinarian degree. If he gets commissioned home, hell go back to what he is passionate about. Hope is the most powerful cure for these guys.My name is Seryoga, call sign Kazansky," says a deputy political officer of a Russian military unit as he introduced himself. "I was wounded somewhere around here. A Ukrainian copter threw a grenade, and its shard hit me right in the leg. At first everything went black as I passed out. Then I woke up, put a harness on my leg and started crawling. Halfway through, the guys picked me up and dragged me to the car. My first wound that I got fighting in Kherson was not nearly as bad as this one, I was merely shot, and the bullet went tangentially. But the doctors say Ill be able to jump around like a little kid in no time. I am not done fighting yet!Faith also saves. It is widely known that there are no atheists in the trenches under fire. Hieromonk Nikolai, an Orthodox assistant to the division commander, is a fatherly figure to the wounded in the Medical Battalion of the 150th Motor Rifle Division. He strokes their shaved heads, gently comforts and cheers them up. He genuinely sees them as his children.Who else is there to help if not the priest?" questions the robed man with a full white beard. "A wounded person is just like an orphaned child, scared and panicking. You have got to comfort and console him.""There are times during the war when Gods word is more important than a surgeons knife. Many young men find God in this very hospital. My job is to help. No matter whether the person is religious or an atheist. We are all human.Two ambulance trucks bring another group of wounded soldiers to the field hospital. After quickly chugging down a cup of coffee, surgeons put on fresh medical masks and gloves. They are unlikely to have a restful night of sleep today. The guardian angels of our soldiers cannot afford such a luxury.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/we-are-together-russian-surgeon-saves-hundreds-in-donbass-1109765628.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230713/blood-on-the-walls-inside-ukraines-torture-chambers-1111796712.html

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russia special military operation, ukrainian crisis, ukrainian war crimes, russian servicemen, military doctors, human touch, human interest, what's going on in ukraine, situation in donbass, military surgeons, russia, ukraine, war in ukraine
Driver Kevin Cummings and trainer Angelo Nappo teamed up to take the top two feature races at Batavia Downs on Saturday night (Sept. 23) over a speed bearing track on a beautiful fall evening.

First in the $15,000 Open I Handicap Pace, Cummings got away fifth with Stranger Things while Gunslinger Hill (Drew Monti) shot to the quarter in :28.3. However, Stranger Things wasted little time getting into the mix, going first-over halfway through the second turn and engaging Gunslinger Hill by the half. After trading strides up the backstretch, Cummings rocked Stranger Things to the front and crossed over at three-quarters in 1:25.3. From there, Stranger Things closed it out on his own, holding off another late bid from Gunslinger Hill and winning by three-quarters of a length in 1:54.

After taking a new lifetime mark of 1:52.2 last week, Stranger Things ($3.60) made it two straight wins despite moving up in class for owners Kathy Schoeffel, Virginia Schoeffel and James Reuther.

In the $12,500 upper-level conditioned pace, Cummings took a similar path to victory with Bet Eightthirtyone. After getting away fifth as Remember The Beach (Dave McNeight III) commanded the fractions, Cummings tipped Bet Eightthirtyone second-over behind Nox Vegas Bluechip (Jim Morrill Jr.) at the half and followed his cover to three-quarters where he went three-wide around the fading Nox Vegas Bluechip. He was then kept in the three-path by Mighty Santana N (Joe Chindano Jr.), who slipped out of the pocket under him. At the top of the stretch, Remember The Beach, Mighty Santana N and Bet Eightthirtyone were even and all were under heavy drives by their pilots. In deep stretch, the race was down to Mighty Santana N and Bet Eightthirtyone with Bet Eightthirtyone getting the nod by one-half length in 1:54.2, tying his seasonal mark.

Bet Eightthirtyone ($7.60) got his sixth win of the year for his owner Super Mile.

Cummings went on to win a total of four races during the nigh,t including a natural hat trick in races nine, 10 and 11. Trainer Jim Rothfuss had a hat trick of his own to lead all conditioners on Saturday.

Live racing resumes at Batavia Downs on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m. and there will be a $365 carryover in the Jackpot Hi-5 pentafecta wager in race 13.

(Batavia Downs)
The Michigan Fair Stakes Finals, worth $20,000 each, were contested on Saturday evening (Sept. 23) at the Northville, Michigan oval where one track record was established and another was equalled.

In race four on the pari-mutuel program, Donttouchmytruck (Racing Hill  Age of Consent) smashed the track record for a three-year-old pacing gelding in a final time of 1:54.1 with Jason Merriman in tow. The previous record of 1:54.4 was set in 2010 by Smarter Yet (Skip DeMull).

Donttouchmytruck and Merriman set sail off the car and put up all of the fractions in :28.1, :58.1 and 1:26.1. They closed out a widening five and a half-length margin of victory in 1:54.1, defeating runner-up The Mandalorian (Art McIlmurray) and third-place finisher Captain Max Henry (Don Harmon), to capture the $20,000 Michigan Fair Stakes Final for three-year-old colt and gelding pacers. He is bred, owned and trained in Michigan by Judy Roegner.

In the non-wagering card earlier in the afternoon, Johns Baby Filly (Long Tom  Jacobs Gilly) and driver Justin Irvine, captured the $20,000 Michigan Fair Stakes Final for two-year-old filly trotters in 2:02.2, equalling the track record for her division. The record was previously set by Call Me Senorita in 2021 and matched in 2022 by Codys Deal. Johns Baby Filly is bred and owned in Michigan by Raelee Ann Beecher and trained by Brian Boring. Elians Lightning finished second and Plenty O Sunshine was third.

The winners of the other Fair Stakes Finals are available below:

Two-Year-Old Colt Pace: Goodness Graycious (Tellitlikeitis  Cambeth)

Driver: Don Harmon

Trainer: Al Tomlinson

Owner/Breeder: Darwin & Ann Shaver and Laura Perniciaro

Time: 1:57.3

Three-Year-Old Filly Trot: Its Wine Time (What the Hill  Oks Lorann)

Driver: Brad Kramer

Trainer: Al Tomlinson

Owner/Breeder: Ann Shaver, Beth Thelen and Laura Perniciaro

Time: 1:59.3

Three-Year-Old Colt Trot: New Swan In Town (Swan In A Million  Ss Golden Chip)

Drriver: Skip DeMull

Trainer: Donna Cotton

Owner: Cotton Standardbreds

Breeder: Donna & Jeffrey Cotton

Time: 1:59.2

Three-Year-Old Filly Pace: Fix Ur Makeup (Jk Endofanera  Kerosene)

Driver: Don Harmon

Trainer/Owner/Breeder: Krista Harmon

Time: 1:57.4

In the Open Pace, Diesel Accelerator (Big Bad John  So Very Nice) and driver/trainer Kody Massey led wire to wire in 1:55.1 to win by two lengths over Youmakemyheartsing (second) and Dusto (third). It was the 32nd career win for the seven-year-old gelding, who is owned by Russ Mignano.

In total for the non-wagering and pari-mutuel race programs, drivers Kody Massey and Justin Irvine had driving hat tricks, Jason Merriman and Don Harmon had driving doubles while Brian Boring and Al Tomlinson had training doubles.

Northville Downs resumes racing on Friday, Sept. 29 with a first post time of 7 p.m. Friday is dollar night at The Ville with $1 pop, live programs and popcorn, $2 hot dogs and beer and hamburger and cheeseburger specials. Northville Downs races every Friday and Saturday night through Nov. 25 with a 7 p.m. post time.

(With files from Northville Downs)
U.S. President Joe Biden shared his opinion about the latest UAW strikes, which involve tens of thousands of auto employees.

In his statement, Biden showed that he is really a pro-union American leader. Here's what Biden said.

US President Joe Biden Supports UAW Members

According to CBS News' latest report, POTUS addressed the United Auto Workers union's decision to conduct a major protest that involved over 13,000 UAW workers.

"Let's be clear, no one wants a strike. I'll say it again - no one wants a strike," said the American president on Friday, Sept. 15, during his speech in the Roosevelt Room.

He added that auto workers deserve to have their fair share of the benefits since they greatly contribute to the improvement of the auto industry.

But, he also commended carmakers, as well as other entities involved that have worked around the clock during negotiations.

Joe Biden stated that automakers provided significant offers, including a 20% increase in the salaries of their workers. But, the U.S. president suggested that the vehicle manufacturers should improve their offers.

"Companies have made some significant offers, but I believe it should go further - to ensure record corporate profits mean record contracts," said Biden.

Read Also: UK Train Strike: ASLEF's Protests to Affect 16 Companies-Schedule, Scope, Other Details

Biden Sends Top Officials To Assist Negotiations

The Associated Press reported that UAW's major strike is the union's first-ever protest that targeted three auto companies simultaneously.

UAW members began picketing factories and plants in some U.S. states and cities. These include a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit, the Stellantis Jeep manufacturing plant in Ohio, as well as a General Motors assembly building in Missouri.

This just shows that UAW's strike is a serious one that can make drastic impacts on Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors.

Because of this, Joe Biden decided to send his top administration officials-senior adviser Gene Sperling, and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su-to assist with the negotiations between UAW's leadership and the three car companies.

Sperling and Su are currently heading to Detroit so they can help the United Auto Workers union and the companies reach an agreement.

Although Biden wants auto workers to get what they deserve for helping the companies, he is still worried that a prolonged protest could have serious negative effects on the U.S. economy.

Related Article: Will Joe Biden's Meeting With UAW President Prevent Potential Auto Strike?

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Seventh Secret made his Open debut at Saratoga Casino Hotel earlier in the month and the veteran hit the board in two of his three starts in the regular Saturday feature heading into this weekends action.

On Saturday, Sept. 23, the Lisa Zabielski-trained 12-year-old drew post eight for his try in the $15,000 Open Pace. Jimmy Devaux piloted Seventh Secret, who was dismissed at eye-popping odds of 89-1 in what appeared on paper to be a wide-open feature.

The action was hotly contested from the start in the feature as Seventh Secret got away last and was close to a dozen lengths away behind the leader in the opening quarter. While the deficit began to close a bit for the Zabielski trainee in the races middle half when three-quarters came up in 1:24, Seventh Secret remained eighth and last at that point. Closing on the far outside, but still sixth at the top of the stretch, Seventh Secret hit his best strides and completed a swoop of the group by storming home in the races fastest final quarter before coming on to win in 1:53.

A win mutuel of $181.50 resulted in the major shocker that saw Im No Outlaw N (Jay Randall) finish second and Pickup Man Hanover (Luke Hanners) earn the show spot. A $2 exacta returned $2,398 while a 50-cent triple came back a hearty $5,512.50.

Seventh Secret, who is owned by Mark Salerno of Felton, Delaware, now owns 39 career victories and more than $627,000 in lifetime earnings.

The win was one of four on the evening for leading driver Jimmy Devaux and one of a three for Zabielski, who scored later in the night with her Datguyna Greensuit ($5.40) and Juxlivin My Dream ($3.10) -- each went wire-to-wire with Devaux in tow.

(With files from Saratoga Casino Hotel)
Federal recognition is being sought for the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia, granted state recognition in 2010 by the Commonwealth of Virginia.

More than 2,600 members are enrolled in the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia  and approximately 70 percent of these members live in Stafford County, according to a Sept. 18 release from Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-7th, representative for that area. In 2010, the Commonwealth of Virginia granted state recognition to the Tribe. Federal recognition would make the tribe eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the release stated.

Spanbergers Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia Federal Recognition Act intends to create new opportunities for members to apply for grants for education programs, job creation, and healthcare. U.S. Representatives Jen Kiggans (R-2nd) and Jennifer Wexton (D-10th) are co-sponsors.

In Congress, I represent nearly 2,000 members of the Patawomeck Tribe  and their long history, their rich traditions, and their centuries of contributions to Virginia deserve respect and recognition. However, a lack of recognition by the federal government has left the Tribe unable to access new resources for economic development, healthcare, and education in our communities, said Spanberger. The federal government is long overdue to acknowledge what the Commonwealth of Virginia and the members of the Patawomeck Tribe themselves already know to be true. I want to thank the leadership and Members of the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia for their ongoing efforts to secure this recognition, and Im honored to lead this legislation on their behalf in the U.S. House.

More than a decade ago, the Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia worked tirelessly to secure official recognition from the Commonwealth of Virginia, said Chief Charles Bootsie Bullock, Patawomeck Indian Tribe of Virginia.

But our community has always been here, and we have been a strong part of the fabric of our Virginia home. We are not only descendants of many centuries of our ancestors, but today we are neighbors, colleagues, friends, and proud Americans  and our heritage deserves to be recognized by the federal government like other Indigenous communities, he said.
Let's not be naive, the French people and the whole world should know that Azerbaijan will not stop there. French actor of Armenian origin Simon Abkarian said in an interview with Le Point, speaking about the latest aggression of Azerbaijan against Artsakh.

France and we all have a role to play, he said. It is not enough to say what is right and what is wrong. We need coercive measures: blocking Azerbaijani assets and exports. We must punish the Azerbaijanis the same way we punished Putin's Russia. I dont understand why we dont do this, he said. According to him, Armenia tried to please the Western world by democratizing the country. But no one helped us, no one came to cooperate with us. Saying that we will protect Armenians is not enough. I believe that we should have a political and even military vision of our identity and a critical position towards our leaders."

Let's not be naive. The French people and the whole world should know that Azerbaijan, of course, will not stop there. Besides, didnt President Aliyev say that, ultimately, the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, is the ancestral land of Azerbaijan? While Ursula von der Leyen [head of the European Commission] was in Baku and spoke about cooperation and partnership, the Azerbaijani military tortured Armenian women soldiers, dismembered them, raped them and broadcast images on social networks... And FIFA or Eurovision go there only for the money," he said

I dont want a second genocide. I know that Azerbaijan will not only try to do this, but will also do it secretly. His task is not to conquer Armenia, but to destroy it and claim that he did it legitimately. That's all. Meanwhile, European partners pretend that they do not understand this, turn a blind eye to it, and the international community forgets that it was Stalin who gave Armenia to Turkey in 1921 to please Mustafa Kemal. To ignore or forget history, to remain silent or not see anything means to participate in the destruction of the people.

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A Virginia Commonwealth University professor and a partner are developing a new THC breathalyzer that could be used to quickly detect if someone is driving under the influence of cannabis.

VCU professor Emanuele Alves, who has a doctorate in forensic science, partnered with Wagner Pacheco, who has a doctorate in inorganic analytical chemistry and is an associate professor at Universidade Federal Fluminense. Pacheco traveled from Brazil earlier in the year to help develop the breathalyzer.

The device would offer immediate results and produce fewer false positives, according to Alves. Law enforcement and employers could test within a certain window of time for impairment that many tests, such as urine or hair analysis, do not offer. A blood test can track cannabis use within a three- to four-hour timeframe, but is not a viable driver impairment option. Current THC breathalyzers take hours to achieve results.

The VCU-developed breathalyzer will also distinguish between THC and CBD presence in someones system, which have different effects. CBD does not get a user high and is often sold as supplemental or personal care products.

The device will produce a change in color if a person has THC in their system and a different color for CBD, according to Pacheco.

Our expectation is that this THC breathalyzer could be so useful for society as it is the alcohol breathalyzer, Pacheco said.

Law enforcement would be able to identify on-site if a driver is under the influence of THC. The breathalyzer could improve road safety by holding drivers accountable for driving impaired, Pacheco said. It is illegal to operate a vehicle while impaired.

The goal is to have the first prototype of the THC breathalyzer complete by 2025.

JM Pedini, development director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML, said they do not agree with the development and eventual use of THC breathalyzers.

Studies have failed to prove that the presence of THC in breath is an indicator of either impairment or recent cannabis exposure, Pedini said. NORML has argued against the expansion of drug detection testing, and advocated instead for performance-based tests to determine someones sobriety.

Examples include the DRUID test, which is an app that measures cognitive and motor functioning to test for impairment. The test measures such things as the persons reaction time, hand-eye coordination and balance. The measurements are then calculated and an impairment score is provided.

One reason NORML does not support THC breathalyzers is because the packaging of CBD products does not always accurately reflect its contents, according to Pedini.

Because of the lack of regulatory oversight on products that are called CBD, a consumer may be of the belief that they are buying a product that contains just CBD when, in fact, it actually contains THC, Pedini said.

The VCU Police Department issued 20 DUIs in the past year, two of which indicated the presence of some drug or narcotic, according to police Detective Frederick Wiggins.

Colorado was the first state to legalize recreational cannabis. Almost 80 deaths were reported in 2021 that involved a driver who had more than the allowed limit of THC, according to Axios Denver.

Richmond Police did not respond to requests for comment.

VCU Police complete field sobriety test training to help identify impairment and then can use other tests to determine beyond that, according to Wiggins.

There are still many steps before the breathalyzer is read for the market. The VCU Police are constantly evaluating new equipment and I would personally say that any new tool that is evaluated and found could be useful would be of use to officers in any capacity, Wiggins said.
The recently inked "strategic partnership" agreements between the Syrian regime and China remain somewhat vague, Iyad al-Jaafari writes in al-Modon.

Just days before Syrian regime leader Bashar al-Assad signed three economic agreements during his visit to China, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) released a significant update on Iranian activities in Syria. Their assessment suggests that as Russian-backed Wagner militia fighters vacate positions near Syrias natural resource-rich areas, notably phosphate deposits, Tehran is poised to step in. Coinciding with these developments, an Iranian opposition group leaked documents outlining Irans long-term plans for investment, with a strategic focus on partnering with Chinese companies for industrial development, both within Iran and on Syrian soil.

While the recently inked strategic partnership agreements between the Syrian regime and China remain somewhat vague, the ISW report underscores the potential consequences of the Wagner fighters withdrawal, following a warning from the Russian Ministry of Defense about a month ago. The report predicts that Iran is likely to assume control over some of these positions, enabling an expansion of its economic operations in Syrias desert regions.

The ISW report is based on information from Russian opposition investigative journalists, Syrian opposition media sources, as well as prior reports from Western media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. The report suggests that Wagner officials may prefer transferring control of their sites and assets in Syria to Iran rather than the Russian Ministry of Defense, especially following the suspicious plane crash that claimed the life of militia leader Yevgeny Prigozhin a month ago.

While Syrian media sources claim that Russian forces are working to regain control of sites near oil and gas fields left vacant by departing Wagner militia, Western sources indicate that Irans Quds Force, affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, is engaging with Wagner leaders to find solutions for their positions and warehouses in Syria.

The ISW report concludes that the withdrawal of Wagner forces from Syria offers Iran the opportunity to establish a lasting presence in the Syrian Badia region. This region is strategically important for transporting weapons and military equipment to Iranian proxies in the area and holds one of the worlds largest known phosphate reserves.

Interestingly, the report also highlights the economic challenges facing both Russia and Iran, making it difficult for them to invest significantly in Syrias reconstruction. This challenge has become more pronounced as the possibility of Arab countries contributing to Syrias reconstruction has dwindled. In light of this, Assads visit to China aimed to convince Beijing to fill this void. The key question is whether Beijing can do so independently or in coordination with Iran.

The latest leak from the Iranian opposition group Revolution to Overthrow the Regime offers insights into this question. Iran, which holds an official contract with Syria to exploit roughly 60% of its phosphate wealth for 50 years (with possible extensions), has devised plans to enhance the production and export of this resource in Syria. Negotiations with Iranian, Lebanese, and Chinese companies are underway, although some have encountered obstacles, primarily due to sanctions.

According to information from the leaked document, Iran intends to establish factories for phosphoric acid, phosphate refining, calibration, and drying. Some of these facilities will be in Iran, while others will be in Syria. Notably, negotiations with a Chinese company are ongoing to rebuild phosphate calibration plants in Syria.

While Assad conducted his visit to China with the aim of transforming long-standing economic pledges of support into reality, the commander of the Quds Force, Ismail Qaani, was in Syria, overseeing joint military operations with regime forces and discussing the challenges and security issues facing Syria, according to Iranian media.

If the main obstacle to Chinese involvement in Syrias reconstruction is the perceived lawlessness in the region, Iran seems poised to position itself as the party capable of addressing this challenge. If Iran struggles to collect debts from Syria due to its limited ability to finance reconstruction efforts, China may emerge as the ideal partner. This suggests that Chinese investment influence in Syria would complement and reinforce Iranian influence rather than compete with it. The prerequisite for this scenario is a strong commitment from China to take calculated risks in Syria and collaborate extensively with Tehran.

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.
Qaani's visit coincided with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's trip to China, according to al-Souria Net.

Since assuming command of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Ismail Qaani, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Qassem Soleimani, has consistently disregarded borders and diplomatic protocols pertaining to Syria. Periodically, photos and videos of his unannounced visits to operational areas have surfaced, often becoming public knowledge only after the fact.

His most recent visit occurred just two days ago when the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported Qaanis arrival in the Syrian capital, Damascus. During this visit, he engaged with security and military officials and oversaw military exercises believed to have taken place in al-Bukamal, a region where Revolutionary Guards-affiliated militias are active.

The Assad regime has traditionally remained tight-lipped about these frequent visits, which include both Qaani and his predecessor Soleimani, who was assassinated in a US strike at Baghdad airport in 2020. The regime neither acknowledges the means by which the Quds Force commander enters the country nor the apparent violation of national sovereignty and diplomatic norms.

Qaanis visit coincided with Syrian President Bashar al-Assads trip to China, raising suspicions about the timing. According to Tasnim, during his visit, Qaani conducted inspections of various operational areas and held meetings with a range of officials, including military, security, and political figures in Damascus. He also participated in joint military exercises and conducted assessments of sensitive Syrian areas and strategic axes as part of a collective effort to address the countrys military and security challenges.

The Iranian news agency quoted the Quds Force commander as accusing the United States of being the primary source of corruption, chaos, terrorism, and conflict in Syria, the wider region, and the world. This rhetoric aligns with Irans consistent stance on Syria, which has been emphasized increasingly in recent weeks. Simultaneously, Iraqi media outlets with close ties to the Assad regime have reported suspicious American movements along the Iraqi-Syrian border and in the al-Tanf area.

What is behind Qaanis visits?

After the assassination of Qassem Soleimani by a US airstrike near Baghdad airport, Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei swiftly appointed Ismail Qaani as the new commander of the Quds Force. Mahmoud al-Bazi, an expert on Iranian affairs, asserts that Soleimani left a profound legacy, and Qaani is endeavouring to fill his shoes in Syria and the broader region. Bazi suggests that Qaani is striving to reassert his role through his recurring visits, the most recent of which occurred just two days ago.

Comparing Soleimani and Qaani proves challenging, as noted by Saad al-Shara, a Syrian researcher at the Orient Center for Studies. Shara emphasizes that Soleimani possessed a commanding presence, charisma, and a deeper understanding of military and security operations than his successor.

Furthermore, Soleimani enjoyed greater popularity among militia members deployed in Syria, Iraq, and Lebanon compared to the current Quds Force commander, Qaani.

These repeated visits carry several strategic messages and goals. Firstly, they serve to convey the idea that the areas where Iran has a presence, either directly or indirectly through its militias, are intimately connected to Iran. Secondly, these visits challenge the established political and diplomatic protocols typically observed during VIP visits to foreign countries.

Interestingly, Assad regime officials have expressed surprise at Qaanis presence in Syria, signaling that Syria, as well as Iraq and Lebanon, are becoming increasingly comfortable with Irans influence. Iran appears to treat these nations as if they were colonies, disregarding the presence of its influential allies, such as the Assad regime.

Furthermore, the focus of Qaanis visits on the western bank of the Euphrates River in the Syrian desert carries a message directed at the United States, particularly in the eastern Euphrates and the Tanf region. This message may be an implicit assertion of Irans presence and influence in this region, which has been a point of contention between the United States and Iran.

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.
Catherine Langzeben said the EU wants to secure the legitimate rights of the Syrian population, according to Baladi News.

Catherine Langzeben, the Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee responsible for the Syrian issue within the European parliament, held a telephone conversation on the evening of Saturday, with Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri to gain insights into the current situation in Syrias southern governorate of Suweida.

The conversation spanned 40 minutes, during which the European MP received a comprehensive briefing on the situation in southern Syria, with a particular focus on developments in Suweida.

Langzeben conveyed several key points during the call, emphasizing the European Parliaments keen interest in events unfolding in southern Syria and its unwavering support for demonstrators in Suweida and Daraa. She stressed the European Parliaments wholehearted backing of their just demands for a state characterized by freedom, justice, and equality.

Furthermore, the European MP informed Sheikh Hijri that the Green Party, in collaboration with their European counterparts in the European Parliament, is actively exploring practical measures to alleviate the suffering of Syrians while closely monitoring the situation in Suweida.

She added, We are deeply concerned about the safety of Sheikh al-Hijri and the peaceful demonstrators in Suweida, Daraa, and across Syria.

Langzeben expressed her strong condemnation of the recent shooting of peaceful demonstrators by the regime in Suweida, emphasizing the Syrian peoples inherent right to peaceful protest.

She underscored the existence of a new European strategy aimed at addressing the Syrian issue and securing the legitimate rights of the Syrian population.

On his part, Hijri underscored that the situation in Suweida is an extension of the challenges that have persisted since 2011 and is rooted in flawed political and security practices. He pointed out that citizens are advocating for their rights in the face of injustice, with Suweida having served as a sanctuary for tens of thousands of Syrian families who were displaced from their cities and villages due to the countrys security situation over the past years.

Many Suweida residents refrained from joining the military institution, believing that the conflict had become an internal struggle among fellow countrymen, he noted.

In his call, Hijri advocated for peace, justice, and freedom, emphasizing the establishment of a state governed by the rule of law. He conveyed to the European MP that those occupying the public squares do not just represent Suweida; they stand as a voice for all Syrians, from north to south, expressing the sentiments of their hearts.

He called upon the international community to implement UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which ultimately paves the way for a peaceful transition of power in Syria, facilitates the reconstruction of the nation, and reinstates the security that has been absent for decades in the lives of Syrians.

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.
King Abdullah II raised concerns that Iran may be benefiting from the lucrative drug trade within the country, according to Syria TV.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi held discussions with his Iranian counterpart, Hussein Amir Abdollahian, on Saturday. The talks primarily centred on the issue of drug smuggling from Syria into Jordanian territory, along with broader bilateral and regional matters.

According to al-Mamlaka TV, the two diplomats also delved into the political crisis in Syria, including Arab and UN efforts to address it through the step-for-step approach as outlined in Security Council Resolution 2254.

Minister Safadi emphasized the urgent necessity of countering the various threats posed by this crisis to Jordans security and the wider region. Specifically, he highlighted the significant concern of drug trafficking and reiterated Jordans commitment to taking all required measures to combat this menace.

Furthermore, Minister Safadi expressed Jordans strong desire to alleviate tensions in the region and foster improved relations with Iran based on principles of mutual respect, good neighbourliness, and non-interference in internal affairs. He underscored that the path toward achieving this goal involves addressing the root causes of tension, underscoring the importance of the ongoing security dialogue between the two nations in pursuit of this objective.

Iranian blackmail of Oman

Former Jordanian Information Minister Samih al-Maaytah has shed light on the situation along the Jordanian-Syrian border, emphasizing that it is not merely a drug-related issue but also involves Iranian attempts to exert pressure on the Kingdom of Jordan.

In an exclusive interview conducted by the former Jordanian Minister of Information on the Syria Today program aired on Syria TV, Minister Maaytah pointed out that Irans motives extend beyond mere drug-related activities and that it seeks to influence Jordan, expressing concerns about Iranian interests in Amman.

He noted that Jordan had shared information with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regarding the production and trade of Captagon within Syria. However, he lamented that Syria appears to be in a state of chaos.

King Abdullah II of Jordan has expressed reservations about the extent of Syrian President Bashar al-Assads control over his country. During his remarks at the al-Monitor/Semafor summit in New York City, King Abdullah II expressed uncertainty about President al-Assads ability to maintain order in Syria, particularly in light of the significant issues related to drug and weapon smuggling into Jordan.

Furthermore, King Abdullah II raised concerns that Iran may be benefiting from the lucrative drug trade within the country.

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.
Earlier reports indicating that the Arab League's special committee had suspended its contacts with the Syrian government, according to Athr Press.

According to a statement from a reliable source quoted by the Russian Novosti agency on September 24, 2023, direct American pressure has created obstacles in the path of Syrian-Arab reconciliation. Communication between Damascus and the Arab Leagues Special Committee, established in May to address the Syrian crisis, has come to a halt due to the sanctions imposed by the United States on Syria.

The source revealed that this development follows earlier reports indicating that the Arab Leagues special committee had suspended its contacts with the Syrian government. The source attributed this suspension to direct pressure from the United States, which has put a hold on further actions to assist Syria, a nation grappling with a devastated economy.

Furthermore, the source highlighted Saudi Arabias regional efforts to revive negotiations with Syria after a prolonged period of isolation. However, other countries such as Kuwait, Qatar, and Morocco initially showed reluctance in accepting Syrias return to the League of Arab States.

The source also noted that plans for financial support and post-war reconstruction in Syria have been significantly hampered by American sanctions, particularly the Caesar Act implemented in 2020. The potential addition of a draft anti-normalization law against the Syrian state, submitted to the American Congress, further complicates matters.

The source emphasized that these frustrations stem from technical, diplomatic, and political challenges resulting from the American Caesar Act and other sanctions against Syria.

Since the onset of the crisis in 2011, Syria has been subjected to sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and several other nations.

In a recent development, on June 16, the Foreign Relations Committee in the US House of Representatives approved legislation aimed at countering normalization with Syria. Members of Congress made minor amendments to the draft law before submitting it for a vote in the Council. One of these amendments extended the validity of the Caesar Act until the end of 2023, and it defined the transactions that must be disclosed within the anti-normalization campaigns strategy, encompassing investments, grants, contracts, donations, or loans from non-Syrian individuals residing in Turkey or any Arab countries.

Notably, in December 2022, US President Joe Biden signed the US defence budget for fiscal year 2023, which included the Anti-Captagon law specifically targeting areas under the control of the Syrian state. These laws supplement the existing Caesar law, significantly expanded during the tenure of former US President Donald Trump in 2020. It now encompasses numerous official and private Syrian institutions and many countries cooperating with Damascus.

In May of the same year, the Arab League announced the lifting of the freeze on Syrias membership. The resolution included the formation of a ministerial liaison committee consisting of the foreign ministers of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt, alongside the Secretary-General. The resolution also stressed the importance of preserving Syrias unity and sovereignty, as well as adhering to Arab statements issued during meetings in Jeddah on April 14, 2023, and Amman on May 1, 2023. It emphasized the need for practical and effective steps in line with UN Security Council Resolution No. 2254 and direct dialogue with the Syrian government to comprehensively address the Syrian crisis and its consequences. Additionally, the resolution called for the resumption of the participation of delegations from the Syrian Arab Republic in the meetings of the League of Arab States and its affiliated organizations and bodies, effective from May 7th, 2023.

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.
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: CC0 Public Domain

A leading Egyptian opposition politician was targeted with spyware multiple times after announcing a presidential bidincluding with malware that automatically infects smartphones, security researchers have found. They say Egyptian authorities were likely behind the attempted hacks.

Discovery of the malware last week by researchers at Citizen Lab and Google's Threat Analysis Group prompted Apple to rush out operating system updates for iPhones, iPads, Mac computers and Apple Watches to patch the associated vulnerabilities.

Citizen Lab said in a blog post that attempts beginning in August to hack former Egpytian lawmaker Ahmed Altantawy involved configuring his phone's connection to the Vodaphone Egypt mobile network to automatically infect it with Predator spyware if he visited certain websites not using the secure HTTPS protocol.

Citizen Lab said the effort likely failed because Altantawy had his phone in "lockdown mode," which Apple recommends for iPhone users at high risk, including rights activists, journalists and political dissidents in countries like Egypt.

Prior to that, Citizen Lab said, attempts were made beginning in May to hack Altantawy's phone with Predator via links in SMS and WhatsApp messages that he would have had to click on to become infected.

Once infected, the Predator spyware turns a smartphone into a remote eavesdropping device and lets the attacker siphon off data.

Given that Egypt is a known customer of Predator's maker, Cytrox, and the spyware was delivered via network injection from Egyptian soil, Citizen Lab said it had "high confidence" Egypt's government was behind the attack.

Bill Marczak of the University of Toronto-based internet watchdog obtained the exploit chain with Google researcher Maddie Stone.

"It's scary the fact that the government can essentially select anyone on Vodafone Egypt's network and perhaps other networks for infections and they just flip a switch" and select them for targeting, he said. Marczak said "the most likely scenario here is that, yes, there is this cooperation from from Vodafone."

In a separate incident in 2021, Citizen Lab determined that Altantawywho announced his candidacy in Marchwas successfully hacked with Predator.

Egyptian officials did not respond Saturday to requests for comment.

Altantawy, a former journalist and lawmaker, announced in March his bid to challenge incumbent President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi in 2024, who has overseen a sharp crackdown on political opposition. Rights groups accuse el-Sissi's administration of targeting dissent with brutal tacticsforced disappearances, torture and long-term detentions without trial.

Altantawy, family members and supporters have complained of being harrassed, which led him to ask Citizen Lab researchers to analyze his phone for potential spyware infection.

Altantawy said Saturday in written responses to questions relayed by a trusted intermediary who requested anonymity for personal security that he contacted Citizen Lab after receiving a serious of suspicious and anonymous messages embedded with links he suspected were malicious.

He said he believed the hacking attempts were "inextricably linked to my political candidacy and my opposition role" and sought "not only to surveil, but perhaps also to find compromising material that could be used to discredit or defame me."

Altantawy also said the incident raises questions about whether telecommunications companies operating in Egypt might be complicit.

Previously, Citizen Lab documented Predator infections affecting two exiled Egyptians, and in a joint probe with Facebook determined that Cytrox had customers in countries including Armenia, Greece, Indonesia, Madagascar, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Serbia.

In July, the U.S. added Predator's maker, Cytrox, to its blacklist for developing surveillance tools deemed to have threatened U.S. national security as well as individuals and organizations worldwide. That makes it illegal for U.S. companies to do business with them. Israel NSO Group, maker of the Pegasus spyware, was similarly sanctions in November 2021. The reported use of Predator in Greece helped precipitate the resignation last year of two top government officials, including the national intelligence director.

The latest discovery brings to five the number of zero-day vulnerabilities to Apple software for which patches have been released this month.

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's 3,000 combat-ready nuclear missile soldiers were seen in the footage, sparking World War 3 concerns.

The video of the Russian troops was captured on Thursday, Sept. 21, while they were conducting military drills in the Sverdlovsk region.

Putin's 3000 Combat-Ready Nuclear Missile Soldiers Spotted

According to Express UK's latest report, around 3,000 Tagil Rocket Division soldiers were spotted being trained on the highest levels of combat readiness. The alarming video was broadcast on Zvezda, a Russian defense ministry TV channel. Based on the footage, the Tagil Rocket Division was handling Yars thermonuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles, also known as RT-24 Yars or Topol'-MR.

Aside from these, thousands of soldiers being trained were also captured in the footage. Their military drills include several elements, such as maneuvering on combat patrol routes in the nearby Ural mountain range. The Russian nuclear missile soldiers also trained on how to fend off West troops using the Kremlin's advanced nuclear weapons arsenal.

Military experts warned that using nuclear missiles and other devastating warfare weapons will be a drastic measure from the Russian government. This is because they can trigger NATO into striking back, which could lead to World War 3.

As of writing, the Russian military reportedly struggles to complete its invasion since Ukrainian troops' counteroffensives are intensifying. However, analysts said that being back against the wall could also force Vladimir Putin to conduct desperate measures. One of the most feared actions the Russian government can do is launch its nuclear weapons in Ukraine.

Read Also: China, Russia Discuss Security Issues After North Korea's Kim Jong Un's Visit in Moscow

Russia's Growing Nuclear Weapons Activities

Recently, CNN Business acquired satellite images showing Russia's growing nuclear test site activities. But, the Kremlin is not the only one enhancing its nuclear weapons. The satellite photos also captured the nuclear test facilities of the United States and China. These images revealed that the three nations' nuclear test sites have been enhanced for three to five years.

Improvements being conducted include new storage facilities and roads, new tunnels under the mountains, as well as increased vehicle traffic. Prof. Jeffrey Lewis of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies said they are seeing many signs that the US, Russia, and China could further expand their nuclear weapons activities.

Former US Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton also shared his insight, saying that the three superpower countries greatly invest in modernizing their nuclear warfare arsenals.

Related Article: US, Russia, China Nuclear Test Site Activities are Increasing; New Satellite Images Show Proof

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
In a significant move to combat tax evasion, Hungarys National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV) has seized cryptocurrency assets valued at $1 million from a criminal organization. The group, suspected of evading taxes amounting to approximately $8.29 million, was involved in the consumer electronics trade and exploited loopholes in the European Unions tax system. This crackdown comes at a time when Hungary is navigating a complex stance on digital assets, with discussions of a cryptocurrency ban in contrast to its recent launch of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) project.

Cracking Down on Tax Evasion

In a coordinated operation, NAV conducted simultaneous raids at 28 locations, resulting in the arrest of three individuals connected to the criminal organization. The groups modus operandi was centered around the consumer electronics trade, specifically importing tax-free electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and solar panels from various EU countries.

Exploiting gaps in the tax system, these imported products were then funneled through a network of shell companies. By doing so, the organization effectively evaded value-added tax (VAT) obligations. The NAVs investigation revealed that the group frequently shuffled these front companies, allowing them to sell electronic devices to wholesalers and resellers at competitive prices while evading more than HUF 3 billion in VAT.

The operation extended beyond cryptocurrency confiscation. In addition to the seized cryptocurrency assets, authorities also secured solar panels, associated inverters, cars, cash, real estate, and bank accounts valued at more than half a billion forints. The confiscated cryptocurrencies have been transferred to a specially designed wallet under the control of NAV.

Hungarys Complex Relationship with Cryptocurrency

Hungary has maintained an ambivalent stance towards cryptocurrency. Gyorgy Matolcsy, the governor of Hungarys central bank, Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB), had previously proposed a blanket ban on cryptocurrency trading and mining within the European Union. Under this proposal, EU individuals and companies could retain ownership of their crypto assets outside the EU while regulators would monitor their holdings.

This proposal reflected concerns about the potential misuse of cryptocurrencies for illicit activities, including tax evasion and money laundering. However, Hungarys approach to digital assets takes an intriguing turn when it comes to Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs).

Notably, Hungarys central bank recently embarked on a CBDC project in collaboration with fintech company Perfinal. This initiative aims to create a digital version of Hungarys national currency, providing a secure and regulated alternative to cryptocurrencies. The launch of this CBDC project signifies Hungarys willingness to explore the benefits of digital currencies while maintaining regulatory control.

The Ongoing Battle Against Tax Evasion

Hungarys crackdown on tax evasion through cryptocurrency assets underscores the global challenge authorities face in combating financial crimes facilitated by digital currencies. Tax evasion and money laundering are among the chief concerns that governments and financial institutions are addressing as cryptocurrencies gain widespread popularity.

Efforts like NAVs operation serve as a powerful deterrent to those seeking to exploit the anonymity and decentralization offered by cryptocurrencies to evade taxes. As digital assets continue to evolve, regulatory bodies worldwide are adapting their strategies to ensure compliance and curb illegal activities.

Balancing Act: Regulating Digital Assets

The case of Hungary highlights the intricate balance that many nations are striving to achieve in the realm of digital assets. On one hand, there is growing recognition of the transformative potential of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies in modernizing financial systems. On the other, there are valid concerns about their misuse, particularly for tax evasion and money laundering.

Governor Matolcsys proposal for a cryptocurrency ban within the EU reflects the need to address these concerns comprehensively. It suggests a regulatory approach that combines oversight with individual and corporate responsibility, emphasizing the importance of tracking crypto assets to prevent illegal activities.

The Rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies

While Hungary considers measures to regulate cryptocurrencies, its pursuit of a CBDC project demonstrates a different perspective. Central Bank Digital Currencies, as digital representations of national currencies, offer governments greater control and transparency in the digital financial landscape.

The launch of Hungarys CBDC project in partnership with Perfinal signals the countrys proactive stance in embracing financial innovation while maintaining regulatory oversight. CBDCs have the potential to revolutionize payment systems, reduce transaction costs, and enhance financial inclusion, all while adhering to strict regulatory frameworks.

Global Perspectives on Cryptocurrency Regulation

Hungarys approach to cryptocurrency regulation reflects a broader global conversation. Nations worldwide are grappling with the best ways to harness the benefits of cryptocurrencies while mitigating risks. This includes addressing tax evasion, money laundering, and fraud, which can be facilitated by the relative anonymity of digital assets.

Countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan have taken steps to regulate cryptocurrency exchanges and transactions, ensuring they comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations. These measures aim to strike a balance between innovation and security, fostering a safer and more transparent cryptocurrency ecosystem.

Conclusion

Hungarys recent crackdown on tax evasion through cryptocurrency assets serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges and opportunities presented by digital currencies. As nations grapple with the complexities of regulating these emerging technologies, the pursuit of Central Bank Digital Currencies offers a potential solution that combines innovation with stringent oversight.

While the debate on cryptocurrency regulation continues to evolve globally, Hungarys actions underscore the importance of striking a delicate balance between fostering financial innovation and safeguarding against illicit activities. As digital assets become an integral part of the modern financial landscape, effective regulation will be crucial in ensuring their responsible and secure use.
iShares MSCI Mexico Capped ETF (the Fund), formerly iShares MSCI Mexico Capped Investable Market Index Fund, is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance of the MSCI Mexico IMI 25/50 Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Mexican Stock Exchange. The Index is a free-float adjusted market capitalization weighted index with a capping methodology applied to issuer weights so that no single issuer of a component exceeds 25% of the Index weight and all issuers with weight above 5% do not exceed 50% of the Index weight. Components primarily include consumer staples, materials and telecommunications companies. The Fund will invest at least 80% of its assets in the securities of its Index and in depositary receipts (DRs) representing securities in its Index. The Funds investment adviser is BlackRock Fund Advisors.
EOG Resources, Inc. is a leading independent exploration and production company focusing on the oil and gas industry. Based in Houston, Texas, EOG's mission is to provide energy solutions that power the world while adhering to the highest environmental and safety standards. With its robust portfolio of assets, talented management team, and commitment to technological advancements, EOG Resources has emerged as a key player in the energy sector.

EOG Resources operates in multiple locations across the globe, primarily focusing on North America, including the United States, Canada, and Trinidad. The company's primary products and services revolve around the exploration, development, production, and marketing of crude oil and natural gas. EOG Resources serves a diverse range of customers, including industrial, residential, and commercial sectors, as well as other energy companies.

EOG Resources is committed to minimizing its environmental impact. The company employs advanced drilling techniques and utilizes cutting-edge technologies to maximize production efficiency while reducing emissions and water usage. EOG's sustainability efforts align with its mission to provide reliable energy solutions for a sustainable future.

EOG Resources boasts a highly experienced and accomplished management team led by key executives with industry knowledge and expertise. Ezra Y. Yacob, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, has driven the company's strategic growth initiatives. With a strong background in geoscience and leadership roles, Mr. Yacob has been with EOG Resources since 2005. He has served in various key positions, including President and Executive Vice President of Exploration and Production.

Lloyd W. "Billy" Helms, Jr., President and Chief Operating Officer, joined EOG Resources in 1995 and has held several significant leadership positions within the company. Mr. Helms has been pivotal in overseeing the company's operations, exploration activities, and production strategies.

Timothy K. Driggers, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has been integral to EOG Resources since 1995. Mr. Driggers' financial acumen and expertise have contributed to the company's financial stability and growth.

EOG Resources has consistently demonstrated strong financial performance, with steady revenue growth and healthy profit margins. EOG Resources has successfully navigated market fluctuations and achieved long-term financial stability.

When considering the company's valuation metrics, EOG Resources has been favorably positioned compared to its industry peers. The company's valuation metrics, such as price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios, have reflected investor confidence in the company's future prospects and financial strength.

With significant price movements and trading volume, EOG Resources' stock performance has been notable. The company's stock has demonstrated resilience, responding to market conditions and reflecting investor sentiment. Recent news and events, including industry trends, regulatory changes, and geopolitical factors, have influenced EOG's share price.

EOG Resources operates in a dynamic and competitive industry highly influenced by global market conditions, regulatory policies, and technological advancements. The company competes with international and domestic players and strives to maintain a competitive edge through its operational excellence, technological innovation, and strong asset portfolio.

EOG Resources is well-positioned to capitalize on growth opportunities in the energy sector. The company continues to explore and develop new reserves, expand its operations and optimize production techniques. EOG's focus on technological advancements, such as utilizing data analytics and artificial intelligence, enhances its capabilities in identifying and extracting hydrocarbon resources efficiently.

Like any company operating in the energy sector, EOG Resources faces various risks and challenges that can impact its operations and financial performance. Investors and stakeholders must be aware of these factors when evaluating the company's prospects.

EOG Resources' revenue and profitability are closely tied to crude oil and natural gas prices. Fluctuations in commodity prices can significantly impact the company's financial results. Factors such as global supply and demand dynamics, geopolitical tensions, and economic conditions can lead to price volatility, posing a risk to EOG's revenue and profitability.

The energy industry is subject to extensive regulations related to drilling, production, emissions, and environmental impact. Regulation changes, especially those aimed at reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources, can require significant investments and impact the company's operational costs. Non-compliance with regulations could result in penalties and reputational damage.

EOG Resources relies on advanced technologies and innovations to efficiently explore and produce hydrocarbon reserves. However, technological advancements also bring inherent risks, such as data security threats and potential operational disruptions. Additionally, adopting new technologies may require substantial investments and successful implementation to yield desired results.

The energy sector is highly competitive, with numerous players vying for market share. EOG Resources competes with both established energy companies and emerging players. Intense competition can lead to pricing pressures and reduced margins. Moreover, market conditions, such as supply and demand imbalances, can impact the company's ability to sell its products at favorable prices.

EOG Resources operates in a global industry influenced by geopolitical tensions, trade policies, and macroeconomic conditions. Political instability, conflicts, and economic downturns in key markets can disrupt operations, impact demand for energy products and create uncertainty in the business environment.

EOG Resources has implemented various risk management strategies to mitigate the potential impacts of these risks and challenges:

EOG maintains a diverse portfolio of assets across multiple regions, allowing it to mitigate risks associated with specific geographic areas or regulatory environments. This diversification strategy helps spread risk and minimize the impact of localized disruptions.

The company emphasizes operational efficiency, cost discipline, and continuous improvement. By optimizing its operations, EOG aims to enhance productivity, reduce costs and mitigate the effects of commodity price fluctuations.

EOG Resources is committed to responsible environmental practices and sustainability. By proactively managing ecological risks and adopting environmentally friendly technologies, the company aims to mitigate regulatory and reputational risks.

EOG maintains a solid financial position, enabling it to weather market volatility and fund strategic initiatives. The company's prudent financial management and capital allocation strategies provide a cushion against potential economic downturns and industry challenges.
Decisive Dividend Corporation, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells wood and gas burning stoves, and fireplace inserts in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Finished Product and Component Manufacturing. The company also designs, manufactures, and markets air blast sprayers for use in agricultural industry under the Turbo Mist brand; and wastewater evaporator systems that are used in mining, oil and gas, and waste management industries. In addition, it produces and distributes wear parts and valves, including diverter valves, apron feeder pans, ball mill liners and grates, rotors, bull gears, pinion gears, hammers, blow bars, grizzly panels, wobbler bars, jaw plates, bowl liners and mantles, gyratory crusher parts, and various kiln parts and cooler grates for the mining, aggregate and cement industries. Further, the company offers professional manufacturing, machine work, assembly, and testing services for various industries. Additionally, the company offers truck and automotive components, fuel-hydraulic fluid tanks, j-brackets and straps, bumpers, truck chassis components, cab panels, architectural components, tool and battery boxes, and steel under-decking products for the commercial vehicle, forestry, agriculture, marine, environmental, mining, and oil and gas sectors; and distributes fast fuel filling valve systems. Further, it designs, manufactures, and distributes merchandising systems and solutions, and displays for retail customers, including grocery stores, convenience stores, and pharmacies. Decisive Dividend Corporation was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in Kelowna, Canada.
Mativ Holdings, Inc. operates as a performance materials company. The company operates through two segments, Advanced Technical Materials and Fiber-Based Solutions. The Advanced Technical Materials segment manufactures and sells polymer, resin and fiber-based substrates, nets, films, adhesive tapes, and other nonwovens. This segment serves filtration, protective solutions, release liners, healthcare, and industrials end-markets. The Fiber-Based Solutions segment provides packaging, printing, and specialty papers; and various paper-based products for the consumer channel, such as bright papers, cardstock, stationery paper, envelopes, journals, and planners. It also offers combustibles products comprising conventional papers and filter wraps, low-ignition propensity papers wrappers for small cigars, and hemp-based alternatives; noncombustibles; and lightweight papers. This segment serves cigarette and cigar manufacturers, and commercial print and combustibles end-markets. The company sells its products in the United States, Europe and the former Commonwealth of Independent States, the Asia Pacific, the Americas, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. and changed its name to Mativ Holdings, Inc. in July 2022. Mativ Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.
Liberty Energy Inc. provides hydraulic services and related technologies to onshore oil and natural gas exploration, and production companies in North America. The company offers hydraulic fracturing services including complementary services, such as wireline services, proppant delivery solutions, data analytics, related goods, and technologies; and other services comprising design and pump diagnostic fracture injection test, DFIT and mini-frac analysis, and laboratory services, such as fluid rheology, surfactant, clay control, scaling and biocide testing. It owns and operate two sand mines in the Permian Basin; and fleet of approximately 40 active hydraulic fracturing. In addition, the company provides services primarily in Permian Basin, the Eagle Ford Shale, the DJ Basin, the Williston Basin, the San Juan Basin, the Powder River Basin, the Haynesville Shale, the SCOOP/STACK, the Marcellus Shale, Utica Shale, and the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. Liberty Energy Inc. was formerly known as Liberty Oilfield Services Inc. and changed its name to Liberty Energy Inc. in April 2022. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.
The following companies are subsidiares of UnitedHealth Group: 1070715 B.C. 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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..

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LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 14: Russell Brand takes part in a discussion at Esquire Townhouse, Carlton House Terrace on October 14, 2017 in London, England.

In an exclusive interview with 'CBS Mornings,' YouTube CEO Neal Mohan defended the platform's recent decision to suspend monetization of comedian Russell Brand's channel following sexual assault and emotional abuse allegations against him.

The move has ignited a discussion about the role of online platforms in addressing off-platform behavior, as per the Daily Mail.

YouTube's Decision on Russell Brand Sparks Debate on Off-Platform Behavior

It raises questions about when actions are taken before due process occurs. YouTube suspended Brand's ability to earn money from his online videos after multiple women accused him of rape, sexual assault, and abuse, allegations that he vehemently denies.

CEO Neal Mohan, who assumed his role earlier this year, explained that the decision was made following YouTube's creator responsibility guidelines policy.

"If creators have off-platform behavior, or there's off-platform news that could damage the broader creator ecosystem, you can be suspended from our monetization program," Mohan stated.

He emphasized that these rules apply uniformly across the platform, focusing on content and behavior rather than the creator's identity. One pressing question arising from YouTube's decision is when it is appropriate for the platform to take action before legal proceedings.

Mohan clarified that YouTube endeavors to consistently apply its rules across its entire creator ecosystem, emphasizing that favoritism does not play a role in their enforcement. Notably, no charges have been filed, and no legal determinations related to the allegations against Russell Brand have been made.

Russell Brand has been accused by multiple women of rape, sexual assault, and emotional abuse, with these allegations spanning the years during his rapid rise to fame between the late 2000s and 2013. The allegations came to the forefront in a Channel 4 Dispatches documentary, where Brand faced accusations from four women.

These claims were also detailed in articles by The Times and the Sunday Times. One victim, who chose to remain anonymous, recently came forward with additional allegations related to an incident in 2008.

She claimed that she felt vulnerable and intimidated during an encounter with Brand in his car, alleging that he engaged in non-consensual sexual activity. However, she noted that there was a fine line between coercion and consent, according to CBS News

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Russell Brand Sexual Assault Controversy

Another alleged victim described an incident where Brand pinned her down and kissed her, despite her protests, during a meeting at the Soho Theatre in London. Amidst these allegations, a formal complaint of sexual assault was filed with the Metropolitan Police against Brand, making the complainant his fifth alleged victim to come forward.

The complaint relates to a incident in Soho, central London, in 2003. While Brand has denied all these allegations, these developments have raised concerns about his conduct and the need for a thorough investigation. YouTube's suspension of Russell Brand's monetization has prompted discussions about the platform's policies and its responsibility regarding off-platform behavior.

The decision raises complex questions about the intersection of free speech, due process, and the power of online platforms to influence public perception. As the situation unfolds, the tech giant faces the challenge of balancing protecting its community and respecting the principles of justice and fairness.

The controversy surrounding Russell Brand highlights the evolving role of online platforms in addressing real-world issues and their ability to shape public discourse on important matters, Mirror reported.

Related Article: UK Deputy Prime Minister Warns AI Development Too Fast

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Camping World Holdings, Inc., a leading American corporation, is dedicated to serving the needs of outdoor enthusiasts, particularly those interested in the recreational vehicle (RV), camping, and outdoor lifestyle. With a strong commitment to providing exceptional products and services, Camping World has established itself as a trusted brand in the industry. The company's mission is to be the ultimate destination for RV and camping enthusiasts, offering a comprehensive range of services, protection plans, and resources.

Camping World operates through a network of retail/service locations across 46 states, ensuring convenient access for customers nationwide. The company is renowned for its extensive selection of new and used RVs and new camping equipment catering to a diverse market segment. In addition to camping gear and RV sales, Camping World provides various services, such as RV repair and maintenance, extended vehicle service contracts, and roadside assistance plans. The company also offers an array of RV parts, equipment, and accessories to enhance the outdoor experience for its customers.

Camping World is led by an accomplished management team with a deep understanding of the RV industry and a commitment to customer satisfaction. At the company's helm is Marcus A. Lemonis, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, whose visionary leadership has propelled Camping World to new heights. Lemonis is widely recognized for his industry expertise and ability to drive growth and innovation.

The management team comprises experienced professionals with diverse backgrounds, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the organization. Their collective efforts have contributed to Camping World's success as they continuously strive to enhance customer experiences and drive sustainable growth.

Camping World's financial performance highlights its resilience and adaptability in the outdoor products industry. The company has consistently achieved revenue growth over the past few years, indicating robust demand for its products and services. This sustained growth reflects Camping World's ability to effectively capture market share and cater to the needs of its diverse customer base in a highly competitive market.

Furthermore, the company has demonstrated robust earnings metrics, showcasing its proficiency in generating profits even in a challenging market environment. This underscores Camping World's efficient cost management strategies and operational excellence. Maintaining a healthy profit margin ensures long-term sustainability and paves the way for further investment in business expansion and enhancement.

Camping World's metrics should be considered compared to its industry peers. Brand strength, market share, growth potential, and profitability play vital roles in determining the company's valuation. Additionally, changes in investor sentiment, industry trends, and market conditions can influence Camping World's valuation. Ongoing monitoring and analysis of these factors are essential in accurately assessing the company's market position.

Camping World's stock performance serves as a reflection of investor confidence and market dynamics. Analyzing the company's recent stock performance provides valuable insights into market sentiment and the perceived value of the company. Factors like industry news, economic conditions, and competitive developments can significantly impact Camping World's share price. Keeping abreast of such events is vital for investors considering Camping World as an investment opportunity.

Camping World operates within the automotive dealers and gasoline service stations industry, specifically focusing on RV sales and services. The company benefits from its strong brand recognition, extensive network of retail/service locations, and comprehensive product offerings. As a market leader, Camping World enjoys competitive advantages such as economies of scale, strong customer relationships, and an established reputation. However, it also faces challenges from competitors within the industry.

Camping World possesses numerous growth opportunities within the expanding outdoor products market. The growing interest in outdoor activities and the RV lifestyle presents a favorable environment for the company's continued expansion. Camping World can capture additional market share and drive future growth by leveraging its brand strength, expanding its retail/service network, investing in digital platforms, and enhancing customer experiences.

As with any business, Camping World faces potential risks and challenges. Economic volatility, changes in consumer preferences, and increased competition are factors that could impact the company's performance. To mitigate these risks, Camping World employs risk management strategies, maintains cost discipline, and adapts to changing market conditions. It is crucial for investors to assess these risks and evaluate the company's ability to navigate them.
Canadian Natural Resources (NYSE:CNQ) pays an annual dividend of $2.67 per share and currently has a dividend yield of 4.18%. CNQ has a dividend yield higher than 75% of all dividend-paying stocks, making it a leading dividend payer. The dividend payout ratio is 52.46%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%. Based on earnings estimates, CNQ will have a dividend payout ratio of 41.85% next year. This indicates that the company will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Read our dividend analysis for CNQ.
Petroleo Brasileiro S.A., more commonly known by the name Petrobras, is a multinational integrated and diversified energy company headquartered in Brazil. The company was founded in 1953 by the government of Brazil and was a government-run entity for the first portion of its life. The companys motto at inception was The Oil Is Ours, it is headquartered in Rio de Janeiro and is listed on the Forbes Global 500.

Petrobras operated with a legal monopoly in Brazil until 1997. During that time the companys production ramped from 2,700 barrels per day to about 2.6 million barrels per day in 2022. Along the way the company entered the refining market in 1961, it opened the Cenpes Research Center in 1963 (one of the worlds largest and leading petroleum research centers), it entered the petrochem market in 1968, and then, in 1994, it launched what was the worlds largest offshore drilling and production facility only to have it sink after less than 20 years in service.

Since 1997, when the government granted monopoly was revoked, the company has expanded its operations into other countries and is now functional in 16 nations. Today, Petrobras explores for, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas, and derivative products worldwide. The companys operations are worldwide but the bulk of business is in Brazil. At the end of 2021, the company had 8.435 billion barrels of proven reserves of which less than 0.50% were located outside of Brazil.

The government of Brazil retains 64% of the voting rights in Petrobras. The remaining shares are listed on the B3 exchange and are part of the Bovespa index. The stock is also listed on the NYSE as a depository receipt shares and in Madrid. The company operates in 4 primary business segments that are Exploration and Production: Refining, Transportation and Marketing; Gas and Power; and Corporate and Other Businesses.

The Exploration and Production segment explores and develops oil fields, processes, delivers, and trades in crude oil, crude oil products, natural gas, and oil-bearing shale feedstock. The Refining, Transportation, and Marketing segments are the mid and downstream operations including refining, pipelines, and wholesale/retail operations. This segment is also engaged in petrochemical and ethanol production. The Gas and Power segment markets natural gas and electricity. This segment also has interests in petrochemicals. The Corporate and Other Businesses segment is engaged in the production of renewable fuels such as ethanol, biodiesel, and their co-products.

Petrobras environmental record includes aiding a rebound of Humpback whales, supporting and rebuilding forest ecosystems, and advances in green and renewable technology.






After the states flooding in 2019 and an ice jam on the river, city administrator Brian Newton said, the city began speculating as to whether the stanchions contributed to or caused the jams.
New impetus for US investments in Vietnam after upgraded ties

By Burkhard Schrage Sun, September 24, 2023 | 7:00 am GTM+7

The comprehensive strategic partnership between the U.S. and Vietnam is expected to bring diverse economic benefits to Vietnam, including increased foreign direct investments, writes Dr. Burkhard Schrage, senior program manager of MBA and EMBA programs at Business School, RMIT Vietnam.

During U.S. President Joe Bidens visit to Vietnam on September 10, 2023, leaders from both countries officially elevated US-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

The upgraded ties between the U.S. and Vietnam are expected to bring several economic benefits to Vietnam, most notably, increased foreign direct investment (FDI), trade expansion, technology transfer, supply chain diversification, improved infrastructure through U.S. investment, and cooperation for sustainable development.

The economic aspect of the comprehensive strategic partnership comes in addition to the numerous other areas of strengthened cooperation, including diplomatic, scientific, cultural, and educational.

New impetus for U.S. investments in Vietnam

The U.S. economy is based on innovation and is widely regarded as the leader in high tech industries. Therefore, the U.S. is a suitable partner when it comes to Vietnams ambition to achieve high-income country status by 2050 through replacing low value-added industries with high-tech and high value-added industries.

It is important to note that senior executives from Google, Intel, Amkor, Marvell, GlobalFoundries and Boeing joined a U.S.-Vietnam Innovation and Investment Summit following the announcement of the upgraded ties. The business roundtable was also attended by executives from numerous large Vietnamese companies.

First big announcements in terms of cooperation and FDI linked to the comprehensive strategic partnership have been announced already. Nvidia and Microsoft will start large AI projects in Vietnam. California-based groups Synopsys and Marvell announced the construction of semiconductor design centers in Ho Chi Minh City. The U.S. and Vietnam governments have also launched semiconductor workforce development initiatives, which are initially funded by the U.S. government with $2 million.

Interestingly, FDI from the U.S. into Vietnam has been at relatively low levels given the economic heft of the U.S.. But this may be a result of U.S. companies preferring to do FDIs through their foreign subsidiaries or guiding their suppliers to diversify their supply chain, such as Apples key supplier Foxconn investing in Vietnam.

That being said, Vietnam can expect an increase in FDI by U.S. firms following this agreement. The increased support to U.S. firms from their government to guide investments in Vietnam will facilitate the decision in board rooms to allocate capital and other resources to Vietnam.

And surely, Vietnam can expect positive knowledge spillover effects in addition to the more formal technology transfer effects. These spillover effects which usually increase the competitiveness of domestic firms are crucial for the next stage of growth of Vietnamese firms. This stage is about competing on the global scale and therefore requires best management and manufacturing practice.

Getting ready to attract investors

On a basic level, Vietnam needs to continue to improve its business environment to make it more attractive for foreign investors. This includes reducing bureaucratic red tape, ensuring the rule of law, and protecting property rights.

On a more specific level, many studies show the important role of supporting industries when attracting FDI. By developing its supporting industries in high tech, Vietnam can attract companies that rely on these industries.

What are supporting industries in high tech? This can be education institutions that focus on microchip design, coding, electronic engineering, advanced fields in medicine, and others. Many specialised component manufacturers are surely part of critical support industries.

For example, Bac Ninh province has been proactive in encouraging domestic companies to receive technology transfer, upskill their labour force, and also adhere to best practices in manufacturing since Samsungs initial FDI in the province. From 2012 to 2023, the number of Bac Ninh-based companies supplying high tech components have increased drastically from 126 to 600. As a result, numerous other high tech FDIs have been in that province in recent years.

These FDIs include Foxconn producing components for Apple, Dell, and Sony; Canon producing printers and scanners; and Microsoft producing surface tablets. One should not forget that there are also low-tech activities that are crucial parts of high-tech clusters. One such example is high-quality packaging companies that understand the requirements in the consumer electronics industry, or logistics companies that can handle sensitive goods reliably.

The case of Bac Ninhs high-tech cluster provides a roadmap to what the comprehensive strategic partnership with the U.S. can unlock on a national scale: if Vietnam can support domestic firms to be reliable partners and suppliers to incoming FDIs, the future looks bright for Vietnams continued transition towards higher-value manufacturing and becoming an increasingly important part of the global high-tech value chain.
Vietnam PM arrives in Brazil for 4-day visit

By Anh Minh Sun, September 24, 2023 | 10:04 am GTM+7

Vietnams Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh touched down in Sao Paulo on Saturday (local time), starting a four-day visit to Brazil at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as the two countries seek to bolster economic ties.

Brazilian Ambassador to Vietnam Marco Farani receives Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at Sao Paulo airport, September 23, 2023. Photo courtesy of Vietnam's government.

Chinh is Vietnams first high-ranking leader to pay an official visit to Brazil since 2007 when then Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh visited the largest country in South America. Brazil is the second leg of Chinh's America tour after a week-long visit to the U.S.

The visit aims to bolster bilateral cooperation and deepen the comprehensive partnership. It is expected to open a new chapter for Vietnam-Brazil relations as the two countries will mark the 35th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations next year.

During his stay, the Prime Minister will be given a welcome ceremony by President Lula da Silva on September 24, meet leaders of the Federal Senate, local governments and businesspeople of that country.

Brazil is the biggest trading partner of Vietnam in Latin America and the second largest in America, just behind the U.S. Two-way trade reached $6.78 billion in 2022, up 6.6% from 2021, with Vietnam incurring a trade deficit of $2.3 billion.

Brazil, with a population of 211 million, more than twice that of Vietnam, is expected to serve as a gateway for Vietnam to enter the Latin American market, and, in turn, Vietnam as a gateway for Brazil to penetrate Southeast Asia.

The Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) is considering the signing of a free trade agreement with Vietnam.

Brazil has six valid investment projects in Vietnam worth a combined $3.83 million as of August while a Vietnamese firm has invested $300,000 in that country.
Oppenheimer is a biographical thriller primarily about theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, known in some circles as the father of Americas atomic bomb. Its based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin. Christopher Nolan both wrote the screenplay and directed, a film thats had as much advance as the final two films in the Twilight series. It set a record for gross receipts opening weekend, opening simultaneously with Warner Bros. Barbie, evoking some sales hack to dub them barbenheimer and suggesting people might want to see them as a double feature. Yeah, since they both come in at nearly three hours that would be the equivalent of sitting through a German opera.
Young U.S. military troops are suffering from toxic living conditions, as revealed by a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.

These dire living conditions were identified in some military barracks across the United States. Toxic wastes and bed bugs are just some of the things young soldiers have to deal with.

GAO: US Military Troops Suffer From Toxic Living Conditions

According to Fox News' latest report, GAO revealed that many young American soldiers living in barracks on military installations are forced to face dire living conditions.

These include pests, such as bed bugs and roaches, as well as squatters and toxic wastes. All these dangerous elements potentially put their overall health and safety at risk.

"We observed barracks in poor condition, including some with safety risks like sewage overflow and inoperable fire systems," said GAO via its official report, which was published on Sept. 19.

"And some barracks don't meet DOD requirements for privacy or amenities," added the government agency.

In its latest 118-page report, GAO concluded that military leaders from the Pentagon failed to provide proper oversight over the living conditions issues of U.S. military soldiers.

The organization added that these military leaders left problems to be fixed by individual services instead.

Below are all the specific issues discovered by GAO in the Department of Defense's way of handling barrack conditions at military installations:

DOD does not have complete funding information to make informed decisions.

DOD conducts insufficient oversight.

DOD does not reliably assess conditions, and some barracks are substandard.

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GAO Visits 12 US Military Installations

GAO said it ordered some of its investigators to observe the living conditions in 12 military installations.

But, the independent organization didn't disclose their names and locations. GAO personnel interviewed some service members during their investigations to gain their perspective.

Many of these American soldiers complained about dirty water in their barracks buildings. Meanwhile, others said that their air conditioning and heating systems were broken.

Aside from these, some U.S. military troops also complained about insufficient windows and doors. They said the lack of these building parts allowed squatters to occupy rooms.

These are just some of the issues American soldiers face in some parts of the U.S. today. You can click here to learn more.

Related Article: US, Russia, China Nuclear Test Site Activities are Increasing; New Satellite Images Show Proof

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BAMBERG  Bamberg County is working to develop a broadband system that will make high-speed internet affordable for underserved communities with the help of a $12 million federal grant.

County Administrator Joey Preston gave an overview of the broadband expansion project, along with engineers Ethan Beeks and William Metts of Branchville-based W. Metts Engineering Co. Inc., during a council meeting earlier this month.

Congressman Jim Clyburn and other officials gathered in Bamberg on Sept. 6 to celebrate a $24 million investment in rural internet improvements in Orangeburg and Bamberg counties.

The investment will see $12 million in grant money from the U.S. Department of Agricultures ReConnect Program go to each of the counties for broadband infrastructure improvements.

In Bamberg County, the funding will create a fixed wireless network to provide high-speed internet. An estimated 5,241 people, 254 businesses, 60 farms and 24 educational facilities in Bamberg County could benefit.

Metts Engineering is the county's engineer for the project and will manage the firm which will be selected to build the system out.

We have been working with the county on a number of applications to provide broadband to Bamberg County residents, Beeks said in an email following the meeting.

The project is defined by unserved U.S. Census blocks and doesn't have an easily definable boundary. Possibly the most accurate way to describe it would be the Highway 78 Corridor from Denmark to Whetstone's Crossing near Branchville, but that doesn't completely define it, Beeks said.

During the council meeting, Beeks said, "We've applied for up to 10 different projects with Bamberg County trying to get broadband done to serve folks. This one was a successful one. We're happy about this one.

One of the portions of this project is that it is a 100 percent federal grant. So there's no investment from the financial perspective from Bamberg County to serve these folks.

He explained that the USDA grant has a lot of intricacies to work through.

There's a lot of hoops to jump through before we can actually put boots on the ground. We've done it a number of times. Some of the obstacles that we'll see will be environmental reviews from RUS (United States Rural Utilities Service) engineers, he said. The process may be quick or take as long as 12 months.

"All of our construction will take place on the shoulder of the road in the public right-of-way, but RUS still would like us to investigate whether or not there's any environmental impacts with plants, wildlife or anything with historical facilities and what not," Beeks said.

"We're encouraged right now in that we feel like ... it's going to be a shorter period, but we're not 100 percent sure. Once we're allowed to proceed, we'll order materials and begin the engineering process to get boots on the ground to determine where those lines need to go.

"We won't have to do the entire area before we order materials. We're looking at probably optimistically a two-year time frame to get the majority of the cable in the ground. The project is a five-year project overall. So we dont have to be done in five years, but we would like to finish as quickly as we can, he said.

Beeks continued, If folks dont necessarily take the service on day one, but they decide two or three years down the road that they want to have service, were still in that window, and we can still provide them with service. ... Bamberg County will own the asset. Bamberg County will be the provider.

Preston said there would be an office in Bamberg with a drive-thru in the future.

"It'll actually have staff in there paid for by the system. If people want to buy the service, they just go right there and do it, answer questions. Its just like any other broadband organization," the administrator said.

One of the benefits of this grant is that all the construction and equipment costs to anyone in the area are 100 percent paid for by the grant, Beeks said.

"So what that means is if you're a customer and you sign up for service, all the construction to your home, all the in-home wiring, the wireless router, all of that is covered as a capital expense as part of the grant. The only thing you would be obligated for is your monthly bill," he said, noting that the grant is a five-year grant and individuals would have to sign up for the service within that window.

There are some other federal programs that the county will participate in, Beeks said, including the Affordable Connectivity Program. Those who qualify for ACP will get $30 a month off their internet bill.

Metts said, Our proposal is 100 megs (megabits per second) for $59 before the discount.

Beeks said, There will be different plans that will available to folks. Itll be dependent on cost and speed of that plan. So if the plan that you select would allow for that ACP to cover the majority of that bill, then it would be virtually free.

Metts said, Our view is that the system needs to stand alone. So it needs to make enough money so that it can operate itself and not have to be subsidized by property tax.

Councilman Evert Comer asked, The wireless routers  will be provided at no cost to every homeowner?

Beeks said if individuals sign up for the service within the five-year grant window, it would be a capital expense, and it would be covered at no cost.

Now if someone 10 years from now (applies), and theres no grant funding, I cant say what that would be, he said.

A telephone number will be eventually be developed for individuals to call with questions regarding the broadband system.

Potential subscribers will be able to call about the service area, questions on construction, customer signups and eventually account information and customer service, Beeks said later.
BAMBERG  Bamberg County Council was introduced to the new detention center director during a meeting earlier this month.

Moses Cheatham replaces Capt. Latarcha K. Wilson, who resigned from her position after 17 years of service at the center.

Cheatham began his duties on Sept. 11 and has 40 years of law enforcement experience, including having served as a lieutenant in the Richmond County Sheriffs Office in Augusta, Ga. for the last 25 years.

He comes to us well qualified with lots of recommendations, County Administrator Joey Preston said.

Cheatham said hes received a warm welcome from the community and he is, highly impressed with whats going on in the community.

Ive seen some of the things that you all are doing now. It makes me want to be part of the team. I see this community as going up, and I want to take part of it. Im glad to be a part of this community and the efforts that you all are making. Im just happy to be here, he said.

Council Chairman Dr. Jonathan Goodman II welcomed Cheatham to the county.

Were excited about what you bring to the county and looking forward to you doing what you do within the system to make it better, he said.

Cheatham has served as a patrol officer, jailer, transportation officer, shift sergeant, captain of operations and shift lieutenant. He has also completed managerial and executive certifications from various entities.

Cheatham earned a bachelors degree in organizational management from the former Voorhees College (now university).

He lives in Augusta, Georgia with his wife, Sanita, and they have four children and three grandchildren.

Moses will be an excellent addition to our team. Bamberg County is fortunate to have found a detention center director captain who has such vast knowledge of law enforcement management, Preston said.

The administrator said later that Cheatham will receive an annual salary of $65,000.

Finance

County Treasurer Alice Johnson gave the July financial report, stating the county had $402,350.10 in income and expenditures of $973,442.38, for a negative balance of $571,092.28.

When the negative bank balance at the end of June ($28,751.19) was added, the countys regular account stood at a negative $599,843.47.

County Finance Director T.M. Thomas reported the general fund had year-to-date revenues as of the end of July of $136,018, with expenses coming in at $575,699, for a negative general fund balance of $439,681.

Our collections are down during this particular time. These numbers are expected pretty much in the month of July, but overall the departments continue to operate within budget, Thomas said.

In other business:

Council gave third reading approval to an ordinance amending the master agreement for the establishment of the Quad-County Industrial Park between Bamberg, Barnwell, Allendale and Hampton counties to include Project Homegrown in Bamberg County.

Project Homegrown has been the code name for Innovative Poultry Products, a manufacturer of poultry farming equipment. It announced plans April 5 to expand its operations in the county.

The companys $2.86 million investment will create 30 new jobs over the next five years.

Preston announced that the countys first EMS advisory committee meeting would be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 12, with a location to be announced later. The council will also have a planning retreat at 9 a.m. Friday, Oct. 20.

Council approved a resolution honoring the memory of the late state Sen. John L. Scott Jr.

Council approved extending the terms of the following Lower Savannah Council of Governments board members: Council members Clint Carter, Sharon Hammond and Larry Haynes, Denmark Mayor Gerald Wright and state Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg.

Council approved the following LSCOG standing and ad hoc committee members: Councilman Larry Haynes, Preston and Bill Johnson, transportation advisory committee; Hammond, regional aging advisory committee; Nancy Foster, Dr. Dorian Newton, Donald Parler, workforce development board; Jewel Davis, Rena Riddle and Jerry Bell, thoroughbred country tourism advisory committee; Councilman Spencer Donaldson, regional housing consortium technical review committee.
(TBTCO) - Cac quan chuc Cuc Du tru Lien bang My (FED) uoc cho la se giu nguyen lai suat on inh o muc cao nhat trong 22 nam khi ket thuc cuoc hop keo dai hai ngay vao thu tu, 1/11. Tuy nhien, cac nha au tu va nha kinh te se theo doi cac dau hieu e thay lieu lai suat co giu nguyen nhu vay hay khong - hoac lieu ngan hang trung uong co con nghi rang ho co the can phai tang lai suat tro lai trong nhung thang toi hay khong?
National Federation of Fisheries cooperatives loses entire principal of $37 mil. in failed alternative investment

By Anna J. Park

The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has issued a management caution against the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives (NFFC) for its sloppy response to a failed overseas alternative investment worth 50 billion won ($37 million).

According to the FSS on Sunday, the fisheries cooperatives injected 50 billion won in an overseas alternative investment in March 2018, only to recognize 28.2 billion won in 2020 and 21.9 billion won in 2021 as impairment losses due to the invested party's eventual bankruptcy. Even after the entire principal was lost, the fisheries cooperatives were found to have not taken any follow-up measures.

The FSS, the country's financial watchdog agency, issued nine management precautions and five improvement requests to the fisheries cooperatives, demanding it strengthen alternative investment capabilities. Management precautions and improvements are measures of administrative guidance, asking financial companies to take voluntary moves to make enhancements in the areas pointed out by the financial authorities.

The supervisory institution pointed out that the fisheries cooperatives had failed to thoroughly review the risk factors of the investment, such as the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio and verification of documents related to business progress, prior to making the hefty investment decision. It also said that no measures have yet been taken to clarify where the responsibility lies or to prevent similar cases from occurring.

"The NFFC is required to take appropriate measures, including identifying the sources of responsibility through internal audit and strengthening business feasibility assessment as well as review processes to prevent the occurrence of similar cases," the FSS said.

The FSS also ordered the fisheries cooperatives to strengthen management capacity countering any potential liquidity risks, which can happen as a result of liability maturity mismatches or unexpected funds outflow. The financial authority added that while the maturity structure of the NFFC's financing is unevenly distributed, with concerns over mismatches between asset and liability maturities, the cooperatives lack contingency plans to respond to the sudden outflow of deposits.

The financial watchdog agency also demanded the NFFC make improvements in its mandatory time away (MTA) system. The mandatory leave is a fraud prevention technique employed by banks to spot employees involved in scams or manipulations related to their tasks.

The fisheries cooperatives' bylaws state that employees in accident-prone tasks are required to take unexpected mandatory time away for five days or less at least once a year. But, there have been no cases of such mandatory leave at the cooperatives since 2014.
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Before the railway system closed, and reversed the fortunes of vast swathes of Trinidad, there was a thriving village called St Johns, deep in the interior of Trinidad, where people lived with little complaint.

No one became rich, but no one went without since there was wildlife cavorting right behind your house, you ate what you planted in forest gardens, and people lived in airy homes constructed strong by the village men using the timber pulled out of the bush by bison power.
Various business chambers have welcomed the call-out of members of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force volunteers to support the crime fight.

However, they have some concerns.

This follows a proclamation from President Christine Kangaloo on Monday calling out to duty 100 Trinidad and Tobago Volunteer Defence Force to strengthen the TTDF capabilities to support the police The proclamation went into effect on Monday and will end February 29, 2024.
Russia's top diplomat said Saturday he will visit North Korea next month as part of follow-up measures to the rare summit between their leaders earlier this month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov made the remarks during a press conference at the U.N. headquarters in New York, saying that the upcoming visit follows the agreement between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kim and Putin held the summit at a Russian spaceport on Sept. 13, raising speculation North Korea may have reached a deal to supply ammunition for Russia's war in Ukraine in exchange for food aid and the transfer of weapons technology.

Observers say Putin's visit to North Korea could be discussed during Lavrov's trip, as the Russian leader earlier accepted Kim's invitation extended to him at the summit. (Yonhap)
For saying absolutely nothing in 126 words, yesterdays media release from Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on the crime crisis would be hard to beat.

Following the fatal shooting of eight men between Sunday night and Monday afternoon, Dr Rowley issued a statement describing crime in Trinidad and Tobago as now gone beyond concerning to the ridiculous.
A tale of goodwill between humane societies in Tucson and San Diego has devolved into into dark speculation about the fate of hundreds of small animals and threats of legal action.

It all started Aug. 7, when 318 small animals  including guinea pigs, rats, hamsters and rabbits  were transferred to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona from its counterpart in San Diego.

It was the largest single transfer of animals in our history, said Nina Thompson, a spokeswoman for the San Diego Humane Society. This was really something that we were hoping to celebrate.

Whats transpired since then has sparked a dispute over transparency and an online campaign pushing leaders here for a detailed accounting of what happened to the transferred animals.

The two organizations shared a good working relationship, so it was not unusual that the San Diego organization reached out to Tucson to help with overcrowding.

We reached out to them in early July, Thompson said about how the transfer was initiated. We have been over capacity with animals since about November of last year, so its not uncommon for shelters and rescues to communicate and ask what their capacity for animals are.

On that much, the two sides agree.

We were asked on July 10 by San Diego Humane to help find homes in AZ for 318 small animals that they had been unable to adopt for months, Steve Farley, head of Humane Society of Southern Arizona, told the Star in a Sept. 21 email. We agreed to look for rescues that could place them.

According to Thompson, the transfer of the animals to Tucson was with the explicit understanding that the animals would find safe, permanent placements through the local groups network of shelters and rescues.

What we had been told by HSSA was that they were going to work with their rescue community, their rescue partners, plural, to place these animals.

Farley says they began looking almost immediately for a place to house the animals. By July 12, they found one. Only one.

A family-funded, family-run non-501c3 rescue in a close-knit community that works with many families in their community to help animals stepped up to find homes for all 318. Farley said in the email. HSSA has worked with them for more than a decade. They insist on no publicity because they do not want animals dumped at their door.

Thompson said she and others are dubious of Farleys scenario.

The plausibility of one single rescue placing so many animals in such a short period of time, it seems too good to be true, she said. Were a huge organization, San Diego Humane Society, we cant place that many animals in such a short period of time.

Both organizations confirm the transfer of the animals took place on August 7.

But as the weeks passed, questions arose in both San Diego and Tucson about the whereabouts and well-being of a significant portion of the animals.

The rescue community . . . they started asking questions saying, why havent there been any adoption events? Why arent there any postings about these pets on social media? Where did these pets go?, Thompson said.

On Aug. 30, SDHS issued a news release stating that the Tucson group placed nearly all the transferred animals into the care of a single, anonymous, private rescue.

They shared that 317 of the animals were placed with the local private rescue, while 1 rabbit was returned to HSSA for care due to ongoing ophthalmologic medical needs, the news release said.

That set off alarms for Thompson and others in San Diego.

On Sept. 8, the San Diego group issued another news release. This time, the group called on Tucson to provide full transparency regarding the whereabouts and well-being of the animals. And it questioned how a single rescue group was able to adopt out so many animals in so short a time.

Farley said in his email to the Star that the private rescue group had been looking for placement of the animals since it was first contacted, weeks before the actual transfer.

This rescue immediately began lining up adoptive homes on July 12, he said. Nearly four weeks later, they had most of the homes lined up when they received the animals on August 7. 256 animals had been placed by late August, Farleys email said.

Farley acknowledged, however, that the rescue ended up returning 62 animals to his agency over the Labor Day weekend. But even those animals found homes, he said.

Over the course of one week, we placed 55 of those and we expect to find adoptive homes for those remaining within the next week once they are cleared by our caring veterinarians from minor eye infections, he said.

But according to San Diego physical therapist and animal advocate Dr. Kelly Paolisso, thats a disingenuous way of looking at those adoptions.

When she heard rumblings from others in San Diego about what had happened to the initial 318 animals sent to Tucson, she reached out to a San Diego-based hamster and Guinea pig rescue to come up with a rescue plan.

Eventually, she and three others drove to Tucson to adopt 24 of the animals.

Four of us went out and adopted all the animals, kept them at somebodys house until it was cool and we could load them into my vehicle and I drove back that same day with the 24 animals and handed them over to the rescue here, she said.

Still, the controversy of what happened to about 250 other animals continued.

In its most recent news release on September 20, SDHS demanded an accounting of all the transferred animals. It insisted on getting contact information of the rescue groups Tucson worked with as well as documentation of each animals outcome.

It also threatened legal action if it did not receive the information by Sept. 25.

Farley defended defended his organizations actions.

He said in the email that his agency was fully transparent and that he would not be providing his San Diego colleagues any further adoption information than whats been shared.

We have not and will not provide info on the rescue because they requested privacy at the beginning, and they now fear for their safety due to threats they have read on the internet, he said.

But the pressure on Farley and his agency for a detailed accounting on the animals and criticism for how the transfer was handled also is coming from Tucson.

One petition on the website Change.org has been circulating since Sept. 11, calling for his removal from the Pima Animal Care Center Advisory Committee, citing, in part, the ongoing controversy. It collected more than 1,000 signatures.

Another petition, this one started Sept. 6, asks Farley to answer what happened to the 250 animals he says ended up at the private, family-run rescue. It had nearly 15,000 signatures as of publishing time.
PHOENIX  Republican legislative leaders are spending $15,000 to file a legal brief meant to protect state lawmakers authority to enact laws to clear homeless encampments and cite people living on the street.

In the papers filed with the U.S. Supreme Court, the private attorney hired by Senate President Warren Petersen and House Speaker Ben Toma argues that unless the justices overturn a lower court ruling, states will not be able to enact laws they say not only enhance the safety of residents but also protect homeless people from the risks of unlawful encampments.

Lawmakers must use a suite of state and local government policies, including camping ordinances, to adequately address the social and public health effects of homelessness, wrote Beau Roysden, a former assistant state attorney general now in private practice.

But he said a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals removes a critical tool previously available to states, counties, and cities working to combat homelessness. Neither Arizona nor any of its cities are involved in the case.

Petersen and Toma want the justices to overturn the lower court ruling involving Grants Pass, Oregon, which says laws against camping and sleeping in public cannot be enforced if there is not sufficient shelter space. In essence, the 9th Circuit ruled that such laws criminalize the status of being homeless for people who have no other options, a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition against cruel or unusual punishments.

If the justices leave that ruling intact, Roysden said, Arizona lawmakers will be hampered in enacting their own laws.

Without this ability, lawmakers will be unable to work towards a comprehensive solution to homelessness that respects the welfare of their residents, Roysden wrote.

Legislative actions

The record shows there are Arizona legislators who want such laws.

Earlier this year, lawmakers, on a party-line vote, approved a bill to require cities, towns and counties, upon notice of the existence of a homeless encampment, to notify the owner to remove the structure from the location. It also designated a violation as criminal trespass.

That didnt become law because Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed it, saying it effectively criminalized homelessness.

Another bill to prohibit individuals from erecting tents or boxes for habitation on public rights of way did pick up the backing of two House Democrats. But this, too, met with the governors veto stamp when she said it was not a comprehensive solution to the problems of housing and homelessness.

Rather than solving these issues in a meaningful way, this bill only makes them less visible, Hobbs wrote.

Still, Roysden told the high court, the Arizona Legislature did take some actions, with Hobbs signing a bipartisan state budget that immediately awarded $20 million in grants for programs that provide shelter and services to unsheltered persons who are experiencing homelessness. More than $13 million of that went to Phoenix, with funds also doled out to Flagstaff, Mesa, Scottsdale, Tempe and Tucson.

Roysden said the Legislature is working to resolve the crisis but needs to be sure that its legislative judgments and appropriations can be implemented efficiently without fear of legal invalidity based on an erroneous interpretation of the Eighth Amendment.

He also told the justices they should not bless any rule that says cities cannot apply criminal deterrents to unlawful camping if a judge mathematically determines there are more individuals without homes than the number of beds available in specific non-sectarian shelters.

Such a conclusion  unlike democratically made policies  allows no room for nuance, he wrote.

It pays no attention to the possibility that some homeless people may stay with friends or family on a given night, Roysden continued. Nor does it consider that some individuals prefer to live outdoors and that laws may properly regulate such decisions.

Shelter availability debated

That leaves the question of where the homeless are supposed to go if there are not sufficient shelters and beds.

There is no if,  Petersen responded to Capitol Media Services. We have empty beds right now and we can expand spots rapidly.

That was disputed by state Rep. Analise Ortiz who, in response to the court brief and comments by Petersen, said downtown Phoenix shelters are overwhelmed.

The experts working on our shelter network attest that there are only 2,182 shelter beds in Maricopa County, the west Phoenix/Glendale Democrat representing said in a statement. She said about 5,000 adults are currently on a waiting list for housing. There are essentially zero open beds and not enough permanent housing, so where exactly are people supposed to go?

Petersen, for his part, remained unconvinced there is a disconnect between need and availability. And he said there is flexibility  if local communities step up.

We have enough schools for kids, we have enough prisons for criminals, he said. Cities and counties can have enough spots for temporary shelters.

Roysden has his own set of figures that differ from those cited by Ortiz. He said Phoenix and Maricopa County offer more than 12,300 beds in homeless shelters.

He did not dispute her central point about the gap between supply and demand, saying, The citys ballooning homeless population possibly exceeds those available beds.

Petersen suggested that is irrelevant. They are saying there has to be a bed for every single conceivable person to prevent a lawsuit, which is nuts, he said.

He said the spending of public funds on outside counsel is justified. The public wants us to address the homeless crisis, he said.

Goldwater Institute role

The GOP legislative leaders arent the only Arizonans asking the Supreme Court to revisit the 9th Circuit ruling.

In a separate legal filing, the Goldwater Institute, a conservative and libertarian public-policy think tank, said a flaw in the lower court decision is that it presumes those on the streets are not there voluntarily.

But the idea that one is involuntarily homeless if the government does not give that person an adequate place to sleep, is illogical, wrote attorney Timothy Sandefur. An action is involuntary if the person literally cannot help it  not if the person could help it but fails to do so, and the government fails to give that person some benefit.

He said that definition of involuntary makes a political rather than a legal assumption, one in which he said people are deemed incapable of acting responsibly, and therefore blameless, if they can ascribe their condition to the governments failure to provide them with taxpayer-funded benefits.
DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah  A cupful of rubble from the construction of the solar system is now in the eager arms of scientists.

A capsule filled with rocks and dust from the asteroid Bennu dropped into Utahs western desert at 7:52 a.m. Tucson time on Sunday, as the University of Arizona-led, $1.1 billion OSIRIS-REx space mission reached a dramatic but flawless conclusion.

A recovery team, including OSIRIS-REx principal investigator and UA Regents Professor Dante Lauretta, rushed to the landing site on the Utah Test and Training Range in helicopters to secure the capsule and bring it back to a sterile clean room set up for the occasion at this secure military installation west of Salt Lake City.

I cried like a baby in the helicopter when I heard that the parachute opened and we were coming in for a soft landing, said Lauretta after landing to applause back at the staging area. It was just an overwhelming moment for me.

Inside the capsule is a science canister filled with material that could offer clues about the origins of the solar system and life on Earth.

Researchers arent expecting anything alive in the samples, but they do hope to find pristine, 4.5 billion-year-old material containing amino acids and other organic molecules  so-called seeds of life that scientists theorize were delivered to the young Earth by meteorites.

Though just enough to fill an 8-ounce coffee cup, the OSIRIS-REx payload represents the largest amount of material brought back from space since Apollo 17 returned from the moon in 1972.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has conducted the only other successful asteroid-sampling missions so far. Its Hayabusa spacecraft collected less than a milligram of dust grains from asteroid Itokawa in 2010, and Hayabusa2 returned with just over 5 grams of dirt from asteroid Ryugu in 2020.

At about 250 grams, the OSIRIS-REx sample is believed to be about 50 times larger.

The capsule wont be opened until it is flown to Houston Monday on a military cargo plane and delivered to a special curation facility at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston, where the science canister inside will be painstakingly emptied and its contents cataloged. Thats when scientists will find out exactly how much of Bennu they brought back.

Mission requirements called for the spacecraft to come home with at least 60 grams of asteroid regolith. A NASA official in Utah said they probably wont know the exact size of the sample until later this week.

To keep the material safe from earthly contamination until then, it will be pumped full of nitrogen gas, forming a dry, protective atmospheric purge that will be maintained throughout its processing and storage.

The prize arrives a bit early

Lauretta didnt get much sleep before Sundays landing. He said he tossed and turned for a while, then got up and graded student essays to pass the time.

Sundays priceless delivery from space actually arrived a few minutes early.

At 7:42 a.m. Tucson time, the capsule, about the size of a truck tire, hit the atmosphere above the California coast at about 27,000 mph and quickly heated up to about 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

The main parachute deployed a few minutes later, prompting a cheer from the crowd of officials gathered in Utah to watch the landing.

The prize from NASAs first asteroid sampling mission landed intact about 10 minutes after entering the atmosphere, three minutes sooner than expected.

The drama unfolded at the Utah Test and Training Range, a secure U.S. Air Force reserve covering 2,675 square miles on both sides of Interstate 80 west of the Great Salt Lake.

Nearby Dugway Proving Ground, once a secret site for chemical and biological weapons testing, served as a staging area for the recovery operation. The helicopters and temporary clean room were housed at Michael Army Airfield, inside the proving ground.

Tucson-born mission

The successful recovery capped an effort that began in Tucson about 20 years ago, back when Bennu was known only as asteroid 1999 RQ36.

A UA team led by Regents Professor Michael Drake, director of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, initially applied for funding through NASAs Discovery program in 2004, but the proposal failed to make the cut three years later.

Drake and company tried again under the New Frontiers program, and NASA selected the mission in May 2011.

At the time, Drake called it the largest research project the university had ever seen, and he described OSIRIS-REx as an exploration of humanitys origin and its destiny.

The origin is, Where did the organics come from that led to us? The destiny is, Will we go the way of the dinosaurs? he said.

Drake died on Sept. 21, 2011, after a long illness, leaving Lauretta to assume command of the mission from his long-time mentor and friend.

The robotic spacecraft was launched in September 2016 and arrived at Bennu in December 2018.

On Oct. 20, 2020, OSIRIS-REx swooped in to touch the asteroids surface for about six seconds  just long enough to scoop up a cloud of pebbles and dust.

It left Bennu for good in May 2021, after also collecting enough data about the asteroid's composition and orbit to precisely predict its odds of hitting the Earth some day. (Scientists now give the cosmic rock pile roughly the size of Pusch Ridge in the Catalina Mountains a 1 in 2,700 chance of impacting our planet on Sept. 24, 2182.)

The spacecraft has now traveled almost 4 billion miles to Bennu and back on a circuitous route around the sun between the orbits of Earth and Mars.

Were finally here for real

Anjani Polit was the only other member of the UAs mission team who traveled to Utah for the landing.

Its hard to believe were finally here for real, she said as she watched the recovery helicopters lift off to head out to the 250-square-mile landing zone.

Polit has worked on OSIRIS-REx for the past seven years. As mission implementation systems engineer, her job now inovles helping to coordinate the analysis team of about 200 researchers around the world who will spend the next two years performing the first in-depth science work on the samples.

She said the team should begin receiving bits of Bennu in a month or two.

Both Polit and Lauretta are scheduled to fly with the canister to Houston on a C-17 transport plane on Monday morning.

World-class lab at UA

Meanwhile at the UA, a suite of electron microscopes and other sophisticated instruments waits at the Kuiper Space Sciences Building to start examining the asteroid grains down to the atomic level. Researchers have spent the past decade or so assembling a world-class laboratory complex in the buildings basement, expressly to support OSIRIS-REx.

The Kuiper Materials Imaging and Characterization Facility can take a single speck of dust, one fifth the width of a human hair, and carve it into hundreds of slices for individual study.

The director of the facility, UA professor Thomas Zega, is part of NASAs quick-look team assigned to conduct the first science on the material brought back from Bennu.

He and the rest of the team, which includes UA assistant professor Pierre Haenecour, will work out of the sterile curation facility at Johnson Space Center.

The quick-look team will perform an initial characterization of the material using dust that stuck to the outside of the spacecrafts sampling device when it touched down on the asteroid.

Zega and Haenecour plan to bring some of that early sample back to Tucson with them once their work in Houston is done.

Eventually, those first bits of Bennu will be joined at the Kuiper building someday by a much larger share of the precious payload.

Scientists near and far

Over the next two years, about one-quarter of the material recovered Sunday will be doled out for study by scientists around the world, and a sizable amount is expected to land at the UA.

The remaining three-quarters of the haul from NASAs first asteroid sampling mission will be set aside by the space agency for future research, much the way moon rocks collected during the Apollo missions are still being analyzed today.

Future scientists who might be in elementary school right now could be studying these samples some day, Polit said.

The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft released the sample-return capsule at 3:42 a.m. Tucson time, sending it on a solo journey toward the atmosphere that lasted four hours.

The probe, the size of a passenger van, was then steered away from Earth to begin its next adventure: a rendezvous with the asteroid Apophis in 2029.

That mission, called OSIRIS-APEX, is being led by UA assistant professor Dani DellaGiustina, who headed up the OSIRIS-REx imaging team and then served as its deputy principal investigator.

DellaGiustina observed the end of one mission and the beginning of the next from the flight operations center at Lockheed Martin Space outside of Denver, where the spacecraft was built.

Mission team members not directly involved in the recovery operation watched NASAs live broadcast from the UAs Drake Building, which is named after the man who gave OSIRIS-REx its start.

Interest in Sundays event extended far beyond the scientific community. NASA officials said 60 different media outlets were on site to cover the landing, including journalists from Japan, Britain and Canada.The space agency broadcast the landing live in English and Spanish on its TV channel and across social media.

Sir Brian May, the world-famous Queen guitarist and Ph.D. astrophysicist, celebrated the capsule return in a video he recorded for the broadcast. In it, he shouted out his dear friend Dante Lauretta, with whom he co-authored a 3D atlas of Bennu that was published in July.

On Friday, the U.S. Postal Service held a first-day-of-issue ceremony in Salt Lake City for the new OSIRIS-REx Return to Earth postage stamp, which depicts the sample-return capsule descending under a parachute over the Utah desert.

On Tuesday, the Pima County Board of Supervisors and the Tucson City Council declared Sept. 24 as OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Mission Day with a proclamation recognizing the UAs achievement and its out-sized role in space exploration and the community.

A number of UA officials traveled to Utah to witness the historic landing, including university President Robert Robbins.

Even a former UA administrator made the trip, albeit from a shorter distance.

Elizabeth Betsy Cantwell spent four years as senior vice president for research and innovation at Arizona before leaving in May to become president of Utah State University in Logan, about 160 miles northeast of Dugway Proving Ground.

She said Utah State designed an instrument for OSIRIS-REx, but a space engineer by training like her wasnt going to miss the landing regardless, especially after watching the missions earlier achievements from Tucson.

The coolest thing isnt where we are now, its when the science comes out, Cantwell said from the tarmac at Michael Army Airfield, as the helicopters began to return from the landing zone. That science  and I think well see the papers start to come out pretty quickly  is going to be amazing, just amazing.
By Lee Hae-rin

Both patients groups and the medical sector are reacting against a revised Medical Services Act that requires medical institutions to install close-circuit cameras (CCTV) in operating rooms to prevent possible abuses against patients under anesthesia.

The patients groups and bereaved families members of medical accident victims argue that the revision, which will take effect on Monday, needs further complementary measures to require hospitals to archive video footage for longer periods of time and have fewer exceptional clauses to avoid surveillance.

On the other hand, hospitals and medical groups claim video-monitoring will undermine trust in doctors, violate patient privacy and doctors freedom of occupation.

The revision was approved by the National Assembly in 2021 amid overwhelming public support following a series of medical accidents involving surgeries by unqualified staff or medical staffs sexual harassment of patients under anesthesia.

The revision requires medical institutes to install CCTVs in operating rooms and record surgical procedures upon the requests of patients who will go under general anesthesia or their families. Those who violate the requirement are subject to fines of up to 5 million won ($3,700).

However, the revised law still has many loopholes in the view of patients and their families, according to Lee Na-geum, who has led an advocacy group for medical justice and patients rights since her son Kwon Dae-hee died after undergoing plastic surgery in 2016.

The clauses on (hospitals) reasons to refuse recording, video storage period and the procedure to make the footage accessible are insufficient and vague to meet patients needs, Lee said, stressing that doctors could find ways to avoid recording under the revision.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfares guideline to the revision released on Friday, medical institutions can refuse CCTV recording in case of emergency and natural disasters, or if video-monitoring is deemed to disrupt surgeries, medical residents training or doctors active measures to save a patients life.

Lee said under such regulations, which she and her organization believe are ambiguous and subjective, hospitals can circumvent the requirement.

For example, at university hospitals, almost all surgeries require anesthesia and medical residents to be accompanied by professors for training, Lee explained, underscoring hospitals can choose not to record any surgery for the reason mentioned.

Also, the revision requires hospitals to store video for at least 30 days, which Lee views should be extended to at least 90 days, considering the time needed to initiate legal proceedings when disputes arise.

Lees son, then a university junior, died of haemorrhage in 2016 after being in a coma for 49 days as a result of jawline surgery in Seoul.

The hospital denied any negligence leading to his death, but Lee obtained CCTV footage of the surgery and after viewing it over 1,000 times concluded that it was performed in part by an unqualified assistant instead of the hospital's chief plastic surgeon, resulting in the patient Kwon losing over 3.5 liters of blood.

Three years after Kwons death, the surgeon was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and received a three-year prison term.

Meanwhile, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) and the Korean Hospital Association (KHA) filed a constitutional appeal against the clause on Sept. 5.

CCTV recording could reveal doctors surgical techniques and know-how, and mislead viewers into seeing a doctors inevitable physical contact with a patient as sexual assault, KMA President Lee Pil-soo said in a statement at the time.

He also said the revision could discourage doctors from taking active steps during surgery, which would deprive people of the chance to have their health restored and save lives through the best treatments.

Video surveillance could also lead to violation of privacy and personal rights of patients, because private information and images of their body could be leaked through potential cybersecurity breaches, according to the KHA President Yoon Dong-sup.

The KMA plans to hold a press conference to condemn the laws enforcement at its headquarters in Seoul, Monday.
Sharolyn Whiting-Ralston, an accomplished trial lawyer and former corporate executive, has rejoined McAfee &Taft, the states largest law firm, and will focus her litigation practice on the resolution of complex business and commercial disputes. She rejoins the firm after working more than nine years at a Tulsa-based energy company, serving most recently as general counsel, vice president of human resources, and corporate secretary.

Whiting-Ralston is a member of the Tulsa County Bar Association and Oklahoma Bar Association, serves as chair of the board of directors for the Tulsa Day Center, and was recently honored with the 2023 Mona Salyer Spotlight Award by the Oklahoma Bar Associations Women in Law Committee.

To submit an announcement in Business People, which highlights new hires and promotions, call the Tulsa World Advertising Department at 918-581-8510.
When it comes to Google Search, you can get just about anything done if you know how to use the hidden tools.

Check out these not-so-conventional ways to use Google beyond regular searches.

Useful utilities

Simple ways to get things done without downloading an extra app or finding the right website:

Currency conversions: Next time youre eyeing a European something-or-other online, type (price) euros to dollars to get a quick conversion, like 55 euros to dollars. The exchange rate updates in real-time.

Quick definitions: Type define (word) to get its definition. So handy.

How do you say ...? Put in a word + pronunciation. Click the speaker icon to hear it (theres a slow toggle if you need it). Hit the mic icon that says Practice to see if youre on the right track.

Set a timer or alarm: Commands like set timer for 20 minutes or set an alarm for 9 a.m. give you an instant kitchen timer or alarm reminder to, say, give your cat its medicine. Just dont close your laptop.

Translate text: Stumble upon a tasty-looking French recipe? Type or paste the text into Google Translate. Its a lifesaver when traveling, too.

See numbers written as words: Uncertain about big numbers? Happens to the best of us. Type 953,116,070=english and Google instantly tells you its nine hundred fifty-three million one hundred sixteen thousand and seventy.

Just for fun

I bet youll make a friends day passing along one of these:

Tilt your world: Type in askew and watch your search results take a quirky tilt a la pinball. OK, its not making you more productive, but its sure a fun prank to pull on someone.

Explore the universe: Simply type in a planets name followed by Google Sky. For example, Mars Google Sky lets you explore the Martian surface.

Movie times and locations: Want to catch the latest blockbuster? Search movies near me for theaters, showtimes and reviews.

Move to the beat: This ones great for musicians, dancers and even fitness buffs. Punch in metronome and Google provides an adjustable, visual beat-keeper.

Take a break

Whether you need a vacation or just a brain break, these shortcuts get the job done:

Blast from the past: Tap in Google snake to play the old-school phone game on your computer. Yeah, its still fun.

Know sunrise or sunset times: Search sunrise in (location) or sunset in (location) to see when the sun rises or sets for that date.

Relax: Feeling stressed or need a short break? Type breathing exercise into Google for a calming, interactive guide instructing you when to inhale and exhale.

Find flights fast: Need to get away or planning that long-overdue family visit? Type flights from (your location) to (destination) and Google serves up a platter of options. Bonus: Clicking Flights lets you compare prices directly.

Search pro tips

These search secrets make getting the results you want easier and faster:

Filter by date: Make sure old links arent clogging your search results. First, type in your phrase. Then, tap on Tools, click on Any Time and click on Custom range.A little box called Custom date range will pop up, along with a calendar. You can insert the start and end dates.

Exclude keywords: Its annoying when youre looking for one thing, and results for another keep coming up. With this trick, you can exclude keywords you dont need. Place a minus sign () before the word you dont want. Throw a plus sign (+) before any word you want to stress as important.

Search for files: Type filetype: at the beginning of your search if youre looking for a spreadsheet, PDF, or another document. For example, for PDFs, write filetype:pdf in the search, along with your keyword. Need an Excel spreadsheet? Just type filetype:xlsx along with your keyword. Anything publicly available is just a few clicks away.

Advanced search: During your first search attempt, click Settings just below and to the right of the main text field and look for Advanced Search. Youll see multiple search fields. You can filter your searches in any number of ways to narrow down to what you want.

No, I want this: If youre looking for something exact, add quotation marks to the word or phrase (e.g., Kim Komando tech tips).

Better site search: Not every website has a good built-in search engine. Search a site directly by placing site: directly in front of the URL, then follow it with your search term. It would look like this: site:komando.com google.

Search social media: Put @ in front of a word to search social media, or add # in front to search hashtags.
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

Tulsa will soon have a company comparable in terms of revenue, value and perhaps global recognition to giants such as General Motors, Target, Humana and General Dynamics.

It was announced last week that investors have approved ONEOKs $18.8 billion buyout of Magellan Midstream Partners.

Final approval of the buyout  the largest private transaction in state history  is expected on Monday.

The combined company will remain based in Tulsa and will have an estimated value of $60 billion. It will represent a full sweep in oil and gas infrastructure in the U.S., with potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in added revenue, Magellans CEO said.

Two premier companies have merged  in one of the largest business transactions in our states history, Mayor G.T. Bynum said. Im proud both ONEOK and Magellan Midstream call Tulsa home and will continue to leave their legacy in our city.

ONEOK is a leading midstream (storing and transporting) energy services provider with an approximately 40,000-mile network of natural gas and natural gas liquids pipelines.

Magellan primarily transports, stores and distributes refined petroleum products and crude oil.

It owns the longest refined petroleum products pipeline system in the country, with access to nearly 50% of the nations refining capacity, and can store more than 100 million barrels of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and crude oil.

The combined company will own thousands of miles of liquids-oriented pipelines, with significant assets and operational expertise at the Gulf Coast and Midcontinent market hubs, ONEOK said.

We are very pleased with the strong support from ONEOK shareholders and Magellan unitholders, which reflects their belief in the power of our combination, said Pierce H. Norton II, ONEOK president and chief executive officer, in a news release following conference calls announcing investors votes.

Having achieved this important milestone, we look forward to closing on (Monday) and moving forward as one company with a continued commitment to creating value for our shareholders.

The buyout, announced on Mothers Day, was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies, and Magellan President and CEO Aaron Milford has spent the last several weeks working to convince Magellans investors to endorse it.

The bar for him was much higher than for Norton because a simple majority of ONEOK shareholders who voted was all that was required for approval on its side, while a majority of all Magellan unitholders was required. That meant any Magellan investor who did not vote was essentially counted as an against vote.

Magellan has really, really good people. I know that as we bring these companies together, talented people will continue to have opportunities, Milford said earlier this year in an interview with the Tulsa World.

From our perspective, we think were creating a stronger company. We also think were going to be creating more opportunity for our really strong employee base.

You start looking at what this combined company can accomplish  its size, its scale and the fact that its right here in Tulsa  its good for the city, and its good for the state, Milford said.

There are other diversified companies that have sort of a full sweep of (energy) commodities. There are others that look like it, but there are very few. When you put this company together  theres only going to be a handful that look like that  we think this one has some attributes that are particularly interesting.

At the end of the day, putting these two companies together  refined products, crude oil, natural gas liquids and natural gas  when you look at that, its a full sweep in terms of energy infrastructure in the United States, he said.

Its not just adding up Were bringing this and theyre bringing that. Were going to put that together, and were going to create more value by how we operate these assets on a combined basis (rather) than how we operate them independently.

And by doing that, Milford said, Were going to generate what we call synergies, and we think that could be $200-400 million plus of annual synergies that we could get out of this combination that neither one of us could achieve by ourselves.

Milfords role in the new company, however, has not yet been determined, he said.

Norton will continue to serve as CEO of the combined company. ONEOK intends to appoint one or two people from Magellans board to ONEOKs board of directors.

Magellan would be a wholly owned subsidiary of ONEOK, meaning ONEOK will not change its name.

During Magellans conference call last week, it was also announced that the companys investors did not approve a nonbinding compensation package for Magellan company executives.

Results of that vote also were not announced, nor was the amount, nor which executives would have benefited.

Another aspect of the transaction  where the combined companys offices would be physically located  also has yet to be determined.

Currently, Magellans offices are located on several floors in the 52-story BOK Tower downtown and in two floors at One Technology Center (city hall); ONEOK is located in its 17-story building at 100 W. Fifth St., about six blocks southwest of the BOK Tower.

Theres a lot to decide about how were going to consolidate and where were going to be from a space standpoint. We havent made those decisions, Milford said in August.

In terms of what does that day one company look like, thats what were working on right now in terms of integration planning. Its getting ready for day one to make sure that when we bring these companies together  were stable out of the gate. And from there it will be all about maximizing that value, he said.

A spokeswoman at the Oklahoma Department of Commerce said researchers at the agency believe the buyout is the largest private transaction in state history  slightly more than the $18.355 billion purchase of Kerr-McGee by Anadarko Petroleum in 2006.

However, that transaction would be valued at more than $27.53 billion in todays dollars.

Magellan has about 1,700 employees (roughly 800 in Tulsa); ONEOK has about 2,840 employees.

With an estimated value of $60 billion, the new company will be on par with General Motors ($55B), Target ($60.56B), Humana ($54.63B) and General Dynamics ($60.39B), according to disfold.com.

The Tulsa Regional Chamber congratulates ONEOK shareholders and Magellan unitholders  approving the firms previously announced merger, said Mike Neal, president and CEO of the chamber.

The origins of this combined company date back more than a century, and the synergy created by this mega-transaction positions these local energy giants for success on a grander scale.

The vote totals to approve the buyout were not announced during last weeks conference calls.

But in a joint news release issued shortly after both calls, it was announced that about 96% of ONEOK investors who participated voted favor of the transaction.

About 76% of Magellans common units voted, resulting in 55% of outstanding units voting in favor, the release says.

ONEOK and Magellan will each disclose final vote results with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at a later date, the release says.



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Chris Moore Web Production Technician Follow Chris Moore 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

The Broken Arrow Police Department is investigating a homicide after a man was found shot outside a business Saturday night.

Police were responding to an alarm at a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in the 6100 block of South Garnett Road around 11:30 p.m. when they discovered Jorge Santos, 23, with a single gunshot wound.

Police say they attempted life-saving measures, but Santos was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers canvassed the area and found blood and cash in a nearby parking lot.

Police say they have video surveillance that shows Santos having a confrontation with five other people. After the altercation, two vehicles were seen leaving the parking lot heading northbound on Garnett Road.

Police are asking anyone with information to call 918-259-8400 or Tulsa Crime Stoppers at 918-596-COPS(2677).

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Tim Stanley Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Tim Stanley 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

As the only one on foot-washing duty, Sarah Grounds couldnt help but notice it:

Her services were not exactly in high demand.

Nobody was coming up. I even had to go around asking people, Would you like to have your feet washed? said Grounds, recalling that first Night Light Tulsa weekly event in September 2013.

Finally, she found one taker, she said  a young man from Louisiana whod been displaced by a hurricane.

Nervous because it was her first time to do it, the foot-washing would be a little awkward for both of them, she said.

But it made an impression, she would later learn.

The next week, I was at my station and this same man comes up, and he said, Sit down. Now its your turn, she said. And he washed my feet.

A decade later, Grounds, founder and executive director of the City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma, said shes collected many stories like that one that illustrate beautifully what the organization hopes to accomplish.

From the start of City Lights Night Light Tulsa program, which serves homeless people, the goal has been to create a community not of clients but of friends and neighbors, she said.

And with friends and neighbors  regardless of whether they care to have their feet washed  everyone is on equal footing.

We can serve each other, Grounds said. Everybody has something to give.

With City Lights marking its 10th anniversary Sept. 19, staff and supporters have been reflecting on all the opportunities theyve had to give and to serve  and the many more that no doubt lie ahead.

Its been an incredible ride, said Grounds, who led volunteer orientation at the most recent Night Light event last Thursday. Sometimes hard, sometimes tough. But incredible.

Since 2013, thousands of homeless individuals have been served through the effort, with thousands of community volunteers coming together to help and provide services.

And as it enters its second decade, the need is not going away.

Exacerbated by the ongoing lack of affordable housing, homelessness in Tulsa is on the rise.

During the citys annual point in time count earlier this year, local officials found 1,133 homeless individuals in Tulsa.

Last year, homelessness in the city grew 6.6% to its highest numbers since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big block party

City Lights has several programs, but the most well known is Night Light Tulsa. The weekly event, held every Thursday evening, is an outdoor gathering under the Interstate 244 bridge at Maybelle Avenue and Reconciliation Way, where volunteers provide community, meals and a range of services to people experiencing homelessness.

Described as like a big block party, Night Light currently draws an average of 300 to 350 guests each time, peaking near the end of the month.

Up to 100 volunteers typically come out for the events.

Grounds said Night Light numbers have far exceeded expectations going in.

Word traveled fast in the homeless community, as organizers were able to build trust.

Meanwhile, partners from the wider community  individuals, businesses, churches and others  came on board.

We can do a lot of things, but we cant do them well without each other, Grounds said.

Also, when people are in proximity to the issues, they understand them better.

The result, as barriers fell and stigmas were overcome, was a growing sense of community for all involved, she said.

A stronger Tulsa

As was true for most nonprofits, City Lights biggest challenges to date came with the pandemic.

It also brought opportunities. A mobile outreach program was launched when Night Light was forced to temporarily pause activities.

That mobile outreach continues today as a resource during times of extreme weather or other unpredicted circumstances. An outreach team goes out in a van, providing resources, meals and connection to people on the streets and in encampments.

The organization also partnered with the city of Tulsa and others to open and operate the City Lights Hotel during the pandemic, providing a safe space for those who were COVID-positive while moving medically vulnerable people into permanent housing.

Organizers know the next 10 years will bring new, unforeseen challenges.

But that doesnt change their resolve.

Were going to continue to serve and advocate for our neighbors and strive to build a stronger Tulsa that includes all people, Grounds said.

Volunteer support will continue to be key.

In addition to the weekly Night Light volunteers, the organization has almost 30 volunteer staff members to go with its full-time staff of five.

But for now, Grounds said, the time is right to think about the present and be thankful.

We are so grateful to our guests who have trusted us with their care, with their stories, she said. The hope, gratitude and joy they display is inspiring, especially in contrast to the hardships they face.

Guests and volunteers  all of them come with a story, she added. Weve heard so many beautiful stories and had so many opportunities to listen.

Grounds sees the impact play out every week at Night Light, as people leave behind their comfort zones and become a true community.

We are all so different and in so many different ways, she said. Some people have a lot; some have very little. We have different beliefs. But you show up (at Night Light), and theres this shift from me and them to us. Its one of my favorite things to watch.

City Lights 2022 numbers provide a good one-year snapshot of City Lights' efforts. In that year alone, the foundation:  Served more than 6,000 guests through its Night Light Tulsa weekly outreach.  Mobilized 4,000 volunteers in service to their neighbors at Night Light.  Served more than 18,000 meals to unhoused guests at Night Light.  Served 120 neighbors who were previously homeless by providing wraparound case-management and housing services across 42 apartment complexes in Tulsa.  Mobilized outreach in response to seven extreme-weather events, serving more than 250 people with warming kits.  Launched the development of a permanent, supportive housing community for people coming out of chronic homelessness. For more information on the City Lights Foundation of Oklahoma or Night Light Tulsa, go to citylightsok.org.

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Photos: Night Light Tulsa helps local unhoused population Night Light Tulsa p4 Night Light Tulsa p1 Night Light Tulsa Night Light Tulsa Night Light Tulsa Night Light Tulsa Night Light Tulsa p7 Night Light Tulsa p6 Night Light Tulsa p5 Night Light Tulsa p3 Night Light Tulsa p2 Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now HIDE VERTICAL GALLERY ASSET TITLES
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Officials arent divulging a lot of details about an organized crime task force announced last week by Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, but the few they have are faintly reminiscent of the Prohibition-era Untouchables.

Illegal marijuana grows are responsible for an alarming influx of organized crime into our communities, particularly from Mexican drug cartels and Chinese crime syndicates Drummond said in a press release announcing the task force. I have made it a priority to wipe out these illicit operators, and this task force is a crucial component to driving out criminals and ensuring public safety.

Reportedly, the task force consists of about a dozen agents drawn from a variety of backgrounds, including the military, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI, as well as the legal profession.

Led by Eliot Ness, the Untouchables of the 1930s were a small squad of Prohibition agents that harassed Chicago bootlegging gangs and helped bring down mob boss Al Capone. A 1959-63 television series and 1987 movie were loosely based on the Untouchables exploits.

According to the AGs Office, the task force will work with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority to investigate and close down organized crime in the medical marijuana sector.

House Bill 2095, signed into law earlier this year, gave the OBNDD, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the AGs Office broad powers to enforce the states medical marijuana laws. This includes authority to subpoena business documents, conduct unannounced on-site inspections, seize and destroy illegal products, and enter into agreements with other state agencies.

Oklahomas adoption of legalized medical marijuana in 2018 led to sharp rise in illegal associated activity, including human trafficking, as well as cannabis cultivation, processing and distribution.

Last week, the OMMA carried out a large-scale raid, closing five marijuana businesses in Kay County and confiscating thousands of pounds of illegal product with the aid of local law enforcement officers.

How the attorney generals task force operations will differ is unclear, except that its focus will be on organized crime. Information about suspected illegal grow operations can be submitted to illegalgrow@oag.ok.gov.

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10 things that are still illegal under Oklahoma's medical marijuana laws Cant get a prescription for marijuana Cant use marijuana in the workplace or be impaired on the job Cant transport marijuana across state lines Can't get a doctor's recommendation inside a dispensary Can't try the product while shopping Cant smoke marijuana where tobacco also prohibited Can't give marijuana away Cant drive while impaired on marijuana Cant possess an excessive amount of marijuana Can't smoke where you're told not to Check out our latest digital-only offer and subscribe now
NEW YORK  A growing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford insurance on their homes, a problem only expected to worsen because insurers and lawmakers have underestimated the impact of climate change, a new report says.

A report from First Street Foundation says states such as California, Florida and Louisiana, which are prone to wildfires and damaging storms and flooding, are likely to see the most dramatic increases in premiums. But the fire that destroyed the Hawaiian community of Lahaina on Aug. 8, as well as the historic flooding that happened in Vermont and Maine in July, are examples of events that could drive up insurance costs for homeowners in other states.

If youre not worried, youre not paying attention, said California Sen. Bill Dodd, whose district includes the wine-country counties devastated by the LNU Complex fires in 2020.

First Street estimates, factoring climate models into the financial risk of properties in its report Wednesday, that roughly 39 million properties  roughly a quarter of all homes in the country  are being underpriced for the climate risk to insure those properties.

Some places may be impacted very minimally, but other places could see massive increases in insurance premiums in the coming years, said Jeremy Porter, head of climate implications at First Street and a co-author of the report.

First Street, a New York-based nonprofit, has been a to-go researcher on the financial implications of climate change for years. Their research is used by Fannie Mae, Bank of America, the Treasury Department and others for understanding the potential risks to properties.

There are several signs that climate change is taking its toll on the insurance industry. The U.S. homeowners insurance industry has had three straight years of underwriting losses, according to credit rating agency AM Best. Losses for the first half of 2023 totaled $24.5 billion, which is roughly what was lost in all of 2022.

(Climate change) is a problem that is already here, said Todd Bevington, a managing director at the insurance broker VIU by HUB. In his 30 years of doing insurance, he said Ive never seen the market turn this quickly or significantly.

Skyrocketing insurance costs are a serious concern for the small town of Paradise in Northern California, which was nearly wiped out by a deadly 2018 wildfire that killed 85 people.

Jen Goodlin moved back to her hometown from Colorado with her family in 2020, determined to help in the towns recovery. They began building on a lot they had purchased, and moved into their new house in October 2022.

In July, she was shocked to receive notice that the familys homeowner insurance premium would be $11,245  up from $2,500.

Our insurance agent said, Just be thankful we didnt drop you, and I said, You did, you just dropped me, she said.

Record numbers of Americans are now insured through state-affiliated insurers of last resort like Californias FAIR Plan, or Louisiana or Floridas Citizens property insurance companies. These programs were designed to insure properties where private insurance companies have refused to insure or the price for private insurance is too expensive.

The number of homeowners covered by Californias FAIR Plan was 268,321 in 2021, almost double what it was five years before. That figure has almost certainly increased in the last two years, experts say. In Florida, Citizens Property Insurance Corp. now has 1.4 million homeowners policies in effect, nearly triple in five years.

In some cases, policymakers have bound the hands of insurance companies, leading to an underpricing of risk. For example, the most a California insurance company can raise a homeowners premium by law each year is 7% without involving a public hearing, a process that most insurers want to avoid. Those policies, along with the increased chance of catastrophic events, have led insurers like State Farm and Allstate to either pull out of the California market or pause underwriting new policies.

As a result, Californias FAIR plan, which was created 50 years ago as a temporary stopgap measure for those impacted by riots and brush fires in the 1960s, is now the only option available to homeowners in some ZIP codes.

Dodd was one of the key lawmakers trying to negotiate a bill in the final weeks of the states legislative session to address the issue. But all sides failed to reach an agreement.

There are likely to be more insurance market failures in the future, Porter said, as more insurers simply refuse to underwrite policies in certain communities or go property by property. Comparisons to the National Flood Insurance Program, which is now $22.5 billion in debt, have become common.

Even the backstop programs are buckling under tremendous losses. Louisiana's insurer of last resort, Citizens, raised its rates for 2023 by 63.1% statewide to cover higher costs.

This summer, reinsurance companies such as Swiss Re and Munich Re raised their property catastrophe reinsurance premiums in the U.S. by an average of 20% to 50%. Reinsurance brokerage firm Guy Carpenter & Co. said it was the highest increase for reinsurance rates since the year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Its a global problem. Virtually every geography is seeing a repricing of risk, said Lara Mowery, global head of distribution at Guy Carpenter.

8 things to do right now in your community to prepare for climate change 8 things to do right now in your community to prepare for climate change Plant a rain garden or install a rain barrel Remove invasive plant species from parks Replace grass lawns with eco-alternatives Use natural methods to repel mosquitoes Plant trees Support local farmers
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

No Secretariat: Former President Donald Trumps big lead in the polls ahead of the 2024 Republican presidential primaries may not hold up, Gov. Kevin Stitt told Newsmax.

I think its a wide open race, Stitt, whos endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, said during an interview in New York. If you have a different person than Trump win Iowa, I think its a totally different race. I think it consolidates, other people get out, and youve got a two- or three-horse race.

The reason I endorsed DeSantis is I watched how he led through COVID, Stitt said. I watched what hes done in Florida. The guy never backs down, and we have to defeat Joe Biden. We need somebody that can be there for eight years.

Stitt said he will support the Republican nominee, whoever it is.

If Trump wins it, thats great, he said. Were going to get behind Trump.

Troubled moms: At least 113 criminal charges have been filed against Oklahoma women for having a substance use disorder while pregnant, a legislative interim study reported, with a majority of those carrying the potential of life sentences.

But very few treatment programs will accept pregnant women, witnesses said, leaving them to contend for themselves.

Having a substance use disorder while pregnant is looked on as a horrible, irresponsible action, said Rep. Meloyde Blancett, D-Tulsa, who requested the study. Im a mom. I understand how we can think that, but here are the facts: Substance use disorder across this state is a serious problem for males and females. When women get pregnant while having a substance use disorder, we need them to seek prenatal care and be able to be honest with their care providers. We need to provide adequate access to resources that lead to a healthy mother and child. These women are choosing childbirth, and helping them get clean and be solid parents is smart, cost-effective policy.

Dry holes: The Osage Nation is getting $19.1 million of the first $39.4 million passed out by the U.S. Department of the Interior to tribal governments to plug, remediate or reclaim orphan oil and gas wells.

The Muscogees will receive nearly $1 million, the Kiowas $4.7 million, the Otoe-Missourias $4.6 million and the Chickasaws $86,253.

Campaigns and elections: First District Congressman Kevin Hern endorsed state House District 69 Republican incumbent Mark Tedford for reelection. Tedford, whose district is in south Tulsa County, has no announced opponent.

Seven Republicans, two Democrats and a Libertarian filed for the special election to fill HD 39 in north Oklahoma County.

The Oklahoma Republican Party has brought in a conservative legal group to fight a fringe candidates legal challenge to Trumps eligibility for the presidential ballot.

Lunch pails: Oklahomas seasonally adjusted unemployment rate ticked up but remained a low 2.8% in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of workers on non-farm payrolls dipped slightly while the size of the workforce grew by more than 9,000.

Meetings and events: The Oklahoma Democratic Party is holding a social event at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at The Canopy, 19 E. Reconciliation Way. Tickets at okdemocrats.org.

Bottom line: The U.S. Department of Justice says Oklahoma underfunded Langston University by more than $400 million over the past 30 years.

 Randy Krehbiel, Tulsa World

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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  Gov. Kevin Stitt is hoping for a better outcome for the special session he called for next month than he got in a previous one, when lawmakers left without cutting taxes.

Stitt is asking lawmakers to return to the Capitol on Oct. 3 to consider reducing the states 4.75% personal income tax and finding a pathway to eliminate it, among other items.

I sure hope it is different, the governor said.

Stitt called a special session in June 2022 after the Legislature adjourned its regular session without cutting the state sales tax on groceries or trimming personal income tax, as the governor had asked.

During that special session, the Senate vowed to study tax reform and adjourned the special session without voting on any of the Houses tax cut proposals.

Some GOP senators are cool to major tax cuts for fear that they could dramatically reduce tax collections and leave the state in a vulnerable financial position in the years ahead.

We certainly can afford to do it, Stitt said. We have the largest savings account in our state history.

We had $1.2 billion surplus last year. We would have gone into the last session with like $900 million worth of surplus instead of $1.2 billion.

According to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the state has nearly $1.3 billion in its constitutional reserve fund, also called the Rainy Day Fund, which has restrictions on spending.

In addition, it has $401 million in its revenue stabilization fund, which also has restrictions on spending.

The state has $2.4 billion in unspent cash.

Combined with other funds and unrealized savings, the state has $5.4 billion in projected reserves and unspent revenues, according to OMES.

The figures were good as of Aug. 2.

Lets give some of this back, Stitt said.

But once taxes are cut, it is difficult to claw the cuts back and raise taxes.

Voters in 1992 passed State Question 640, requiring that tax increases obtain a supermajority of votes in the Legislature, a threshold that is very difficult to attain. Otherwise, a vote of the people can approve a tax increase.

While the House has been willing to cut taxes, those measures largely died in the Senate.

The personal income tax makes up 37% of the states general revenue fund and brings in $3.4 billion annually, according to the Oklahoma Policy Institute.

Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, invited Stitt to the Senate Appropriations Committee meeting on Oct. 3, but he has yet to hear back, according to a spokesman.

Treat said he wants the governor to explain his plan for cutting taxes, suggesting that services will have to be cut or other taxes will have to be raised.

Stitt said the invitation seems kind of like a silly game, adding that he has been very clear that he wants lower taxes.

Lets get that done, the governor said. My job is to call a special session and to explain to Oklahomans how much excess money we have. Lets give it back to the citizens. Lets stop playing games. Lets just get the bills passed.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, and Vice Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry, could not be reached for comment.

Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, chairman of the Senate Republican Caucus, was asked if the Senate has the votes to cut the income tax.

That is a great question, Rader said. I do not know.

Sen. Blake Stephens, R-Tahlequah, said he hasnt had any conversations with Stitt about it.

I dont know what his plan looks like, Stephens said. I could always support cutting taxes. It depends on the strategy there.

Sen. Kevin Matthews, D-Tulsa, said he has some grave concerns about even considering tax cuts.

Tulsa Public Schools needs more resources for students and the future, and those resources come from taxes, Matthews said.

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Video: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on tax cut priority; state budget and special session.